Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“This is it.”

Rogue Cheney nodded, tears pricking the corners of his blood-red eyes. “Yeah, I guess it is.”

Before them towered the black iron gates to a vast underground network known as the Dragons' Lair. This was where the Dragon Slayer initiates were to meet and so far Sting Eucliffe and Rogue were the only ones there. Frost glittered on the gate and every time they breathed out, a puff of mist escaped their cracked lips.

“It's freezing,” Sting huffed. “Couldn't they have made initiation in summer?”

Rogue shrugged. “I like the cold.”

“I know you do.” Sting smiled. “That's why I wear winter coats to bed in the dead of winter. You have fans on even when it's below freezing out!”

Rogue rolled his eyes and turned to stare at the frosty white sphere in the sky. Sting watched his lover in love and amusement; he loved it when Rogue spaced out and stared up at the moon and stars. Snowflakes began to fall and Sting stuck out his tongue, catching a freezing drop right on the tip and shivering a bit.

“Remind me never to catch snowflakes on my tongue again, okay?”

“Do it yourself.”

Sting smirked and scooped up a ball of snow, grinning as he lobbed it at Rogue. His boyfriend dropped into a perfect split – making Sting's jaw drop in shock – and he righted himself with only a slightly-antagonistic smirk.

“You can be a real jerk sometimes,” Sting snorted.

Rogue opened his mouth to respond when snow crunched beneath boots, signaling approach. The duo turned and stared as Laxus Dreyar walked up, his fiancé Freed Justine trotting at his side. They smiled and nodded at the unmarried couple as they neared.

“Hey guys,” Laxus murmured. “What's up?”

“Nothing much,” Sting answered, “besides the fact that we're outside the gates to the Lair. This is life-changing...”

Rogue sighed, white streaming out of his mouth as he did so. He gave Sting an affectionate look then murmured, “Any idea when we're allowed to go in?”

“The gates open when the clock strikes midnight and close before one past. Basically we have a minute to get in there once we're allowed,” Freed answered promptly. “I hope everyone arrives before then. Once the gates close, their chance is gone.”

Sting nodded, glad that he and Rogue had arrived over an hour ago, and turned to stare at the gate. It looked menacing yet regal, a rare combination. Then a sleek black car pulled up and Sting's older half-brother and -sister, Natsu and Lucy, got out. Gray Fullbuster, a boy recently proven to not be related to Rogue when everyone assumed he had been, followed after a moment. The trio grinned at the group already there and joined them, breaking the quietness of the night. Sting ended up shuffling quite close to Natsu to share the waves of heat coming off him while Rogue stood on his own, breathing in the sharp cold air.

Erza Scarlet, Jellal Fernandes, and Levy McGarden arrived a few minutes later. Both women had completely lost their baby weight and they'd left their kids with Porlyusica, an elderly medic who'd come along for the ride. Everyone had been against it until they found out that she was sisters with Grandine, one of the five founders and Wendy Marvell's mother.

“Hey guys,” Jellal greeted as he helped the women out of the car. “Ladies, sirs.”

“There's only one lady here,” Lucy giggled.

“Really? I saw you and Pinky.”

Natsu knew Jellal was joking and, while he was unoffended, he still spat on the ground, the saliva freezing on its way down and landing on the crackling cobblestone with a crinkle.

“You're downright cold sometimes,” Gray laughed. “Ah, but this one's as submissive as they come, so it's fine for you to call 'im a lady.”

Natsu turned and gave Gray a boiling glare. Gray curled his lip in response and the hatred between them was as cold as ice and raged like a fire. Sting exchanged a fearful glance with Rogue, who lowered his gaze.

“They're still fighting?” Levy breathed as she went over to them.

“M-hm. Been at it like a couple of wild foxes.” Sting sighed. “Can't do a thing without starting some kinda war.”

“They used to be lovers,” Levy sighed. “What happened?”

“Juvia. They're both bi and they knew that about each other, but I guess Natsu never expected him to go for Juvia after they broke up. Her old boyfriend's actually Gray's cousin; you know Lyon Vastia, right? He's pissed off something awful.”

“Who wouldn't be?” Levy's shoulders slumped and Sting gave her a reassuring hug; her boyfriend, Gajeel Redfox, was currently in jail for pretty much every kind of abuse there was. His suspected half-brother, Rogue, carried a number of scars from his cruelty and Levy had been left pregnant when he'd been finished with her. She loved little Garrett with all her heart but it was hard for her to look at his wide red eyes and wild black hair and not think about Gajeel.

“Let's not talk about it,” Rogue interrupted. They remained silent as the others chatted until Juvia Lockser herself arrived. The blue-eyed woman and Gray immediately began to kiss, leaving Natsu to quite literally steam at the ears. There was an intense discomfort in the air until Wendy arrived in a snow-white car. Her presence eased the mood and the additions of Evergreen, Bickslow, Cana Alberona, the Strauss trio did as well. Then up to five members from each of Fiore High's X790 graduation class teams – Lamia Scale, Blue Pegasus, Raven Tail, Mermaid Heel, and Sabertooth – came. Sting snorted in frustration and Rogue murmured an “Amen” under his breath; a lot of the personally-invited members like Sting, Rogue, and Natsu were quite annoyed at the fact that the elite program had so many... others going out for it.

“Not everyone's gonna get in, yeah?” Rogue murmured. “How are they gonna narrow it all down?”

“Don't ask me,” Sting snorted.

“I found a list of all the runners,” Freed announced. “Here, I'll send it out.”

Sting's brand-new iLacrima 10 and Rogue's semi-ancient iLacrima 8 buzzed and they opened up the list, which read like this:

Qualifying Initiates of Dragon Slayer Initiation of December X790

• Sting Eucliffe

• Rogue Cheney

• Natsu Dragneel

• Lucy Heartfilia

• Gray Fullbuster

• Juvia Lockser

• Freed Justine

• Laxus Dreyar

• Bickslow

• Evergreen

• Cana Alberona

• Mirajane Strauss

• Elfman Strauss

• Lisanna Strauss

• Erza Scarlet

• Jellal Fernandes

• Lyon Vastia

• Minerva Orland

• Rufus Lore

• Yukino Agria

• Orga Nanagear

• Kagura Mikazuchi

• Gajeel Redfox

• Levy McGarden

• Bacchus Groh

• Dobengal

• Wendy Marvell

• Millianna

• Chelia Blendy

Eliminated Initiates of Dragon Slayer Initiation of December X790

• Yuka Suzuki

• Toby Hororta

• Sherry Blendy

• Hibiki Lates

• Ren Akatsuki

• Eve Tearm

• Jenny Realight

• Risley Law

• Beth Vanderwood

• Araña Webb

• Rocket

• Nobarly

• Jäger

• Warcry

• Semmes

• Flare Corona

• Obra

• Kurohebi

• Nullpudding

“That's a long list,” Sting murmured, “and look at how many people have already been eliminated. I wasn't aware there was even a first event...”

“There wasn't,” Freed countered. “These people didn't meet the barest of bare minimums. They're losers, basically.”

“Hmph.” Sting tightened his scarf as he scrolled back up the page and surveyed the people who made it in. “Let's see... There are 29 initiates... Holy shit.”

“What's the matter?”

“ Gajeel's on the list.”

“What?!”

“Here, towards the bottom! Between that Kagura chick and Levy.”

“Dear GOD... He's actually on the list. How is that possible?!”

“He's Metalicana's kid... He was probably put on the list automatically. There's no way he's here. He's in jail. He's been locked up a for two years now. He has a life sentence. He can't be here. He won't. Rogue, he's not here. I promise...”

Rogue let out a whimper and when no one glanced their way, allowed himself to fall into Sting's warm chest and cry. Sting was practiced at hiding Rogue's tears so he calmly turned, making Rogue practically invisible, and murmured sweet nothings into his ear until his tears slowed.

“Shh, Rogue... You're okay. I'm here for you...”

Rogue got ahold of himself just as the gates opened. The rest had arrived and they all filed into the Lair, Sting and Rogue leading the group.

The group stood in the center of a wide stone room. A woman stood in the center, dressed in a lime-green skirt suit and eyeing the group in distaste and cold amusement. After everyone had steadied out, she began in a crisp voice: “This is the Arena. Please remember this place as it will be where we meet and hold ceremonies. Ceremonies include but are not limited to the introductory and closing ceremonies for each day, Scaling, and Erasing. I will go into detail about these events later. My name is Niji Pigment and I am the head of Dragon Slayer initiation. Any and all questions and verdicts go to me.” She raised her chin, surveying the group with an unnatural lime-green gaze. “I will now take you to the Den. That is where your rooms – referred to as Nests – are. If you don't already have a roommate in mind, then we will assign one to you. We prefer that initiates of the same sex room together and highly discourage couple-rooming. You can take the rest of the night to settle in. Now follow me.”

Niji set off, her heels clicking obnoxiously against the stone floor. Sting let out a breath of wonder as he stared at the Arena; sleek black barbed wire linked over the ceiling and the entire place was carved from dark gray stone. There were black iron posts and clasps for torches to be secured. It was an ancient place but beautiful in its own special way...

“Sting... Isn't this place beautiful?”

Sting blinked. “You like this place?”

Rogue turned and gave Sting the famous “Are you ignorant or fucking dumb” glare then refocused his gaze on the ancient Arena.

“Oh, my beautiful emo... I love to see you so happy.”

Chapter Text

“Well? Does this meet your standards?”

Rogue turned and gave his lover a warm, level stare. “I don't know... Could you get me room service? Some of my chocolates? An extra pillow?”

“If this was any other place, Rogue, I could get you all of that in a heartbeat. But we're in the Den and I doubt that room service is an option. However, that extra pillow I can see about.”

“I was just teasing–” Sting cut his lover off by skidding out of the room and popping in next door, where Natsu was lounging on his bed.

“Natsu! Extra pillow?”

“Here, man.”

Natsu punted the pillow into his half-brother's arms and the blonde grinned a “thank you” before turning to go back to Rogue. When he got back to his room, though, he saw that Niji was talking to Rogue.

“What's going on?” he asked. “Niji, dare I ask what you're doing here?”

“I was merely giving your friend here a folder,” she said. “I understand that you are a homosexual couple and there are certain rules and regulations that must be followed. First and foremost, no sex.”

“That won't be a problem with us,” Sting sighed. “Anything else?”

“Food and drink must be contained. We don't want insects or other pests in the room.”

“Alright.”

“This room must be kept clean.”

“Got it.”

“Call if you need anything. Oh, and one more thing: there's list of everyone's rooms and their room location in the folder. Feel free to go into each other's rooms but you and your roommate must be in your own room by that night's curfew, which will change depending on the day's events. Tonight's curfew is two-thirty. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight,” Sting breathed. He waited until Niji had left the room before sitting down next to Rogue and whispering, “You okay?”

“Yeah... Just wishing that that first warning of hers would be valid.”

Sting's azure eyes glittered. “We're close, Rogue. We're so, so close. You just gotta bear with me. Most people haven't a prayer of throwing off erectile-dysfunction like you have; soon you'll have an erection and you'll shoot cum all over me... That's what you want, yeah?”

“Of course,” Rogue breathed. “Just wish it didn't take two freaking years for us to even come close to having sex...”

“Ooh, I love hearing you say that word...”

““Sex”?” Rogue repeated blankly, almost like he was confused.

“Hmmm-ooooh... Again.”

“Sex.” Rogue was into it now.

“Again.”

“Sex.”

“Aga~ain~”

“Seee-ex.”

Sting tackled his lover, pushing his bulging erection up against his ass. Rogue shivered and moaned, “St-Sting, don't... She said “no sex”...”

“We're not... She never said we couldn't play.”

“You and playing...”

“Yeah, me and playing,” Sting purred. “Come on~ You're good at giving blowjobs, baby, so gimme one...”

“Um, no. What if there's some kind of event and they come to get us while I'm blowing you?”

“Then you get creative.” Sting fixed both legs around Rogue, angling his knees into his hips, and flipped Rogue over his head onto the other bed. It was disappointing that they had separate sleeping areas but it would be easy enough to try and push the two twin-sized beds together. Then a knock sounded at the door and Natsu appeared, hazel eyes glittering.

“Did I interrupt something?” he asked slyly.

“Yeah, you interrupted us practicing our foreplay,” Sting snorted as he laid on top of Rogue, continuing to bump his arousal against him. “What do you want?”

“Gonna ask if you had a taser or something on you.”

““A taser”?” Sting echoed as he got off his lover, drawing his crotch away at last. “What the hell would you need a taser for?”

“Look on the list. That shit they were saying about a girl and guy being able to room together in a pinch is total bull. Lucy and Levy are rooming together. Look who I'm with.”

Sting flipped open the list, Rogue draping himself across his back and scanning the list himself as he did so. Their eyes widened at the exact same time and they gasped, “You're roommates with Gray ?!”

“I know! If these people want the drama of roommates killing each other, then they've sure as hell got it. I'm not spending the night in the same room as him without some kind of weapon.”

“I think you're insane,” Rogue sniffed.

“Everyone knows that,” Sting agreed then turned back to his brother. “Natsu, have you heard anything about an evening event?”

“Nah, man. Should I have?”

“We were just wondering. If you could find out if there is one, I'd really appreciate it.”

“Fine.” Natsu started to close the door, then peeked back in with a devilish smile. “And by “no sex”, they mean “no sex play ”! You don't get to blow each other or any of that!”

“Lay off,” Sting snarled. “My sex life isn't any of your business.”

Rogue rolled his eyes and sprawled on his belly, grinning as Sting began to rapidly kiss his neck.

“I love you... I love you... I love you...”

“I love you too. Now get off.”

Sting and Rogue stopped “playing” after Natsu's visit. They put away all of their clothes and settled into the room – which was really like a small apartment – and eventually laid down on the bed to look over the sheets in the folder Niji had given them. There was a small book of rules for the room, a second rule book of general rules and regulations for the games and trials, the list of rooms and roommates, a lacrima-screen map of the grounds, and directions for the following day.

“It says we'll be getting our placement chips in tomorrow,” Rogue said. “Any ideas?”

“Maybe a tracking chip?”

“You really think they'd put something like that in us?”

“I have no clue, Ryos, just taking a guess.” Sting tossed the schedule aside and began to look over the room list. “I'm kinda curious who's rooming together... Shouldn't the couples be allowed to room? Erza and Jellal have been separated and they've got a kid.”

“I know... Are they gonna be allowed to have Rose with them? They can't keep them away from her for the entirety of initiation, can they?”

“I don't know, Rogue. To be honest, this place gives me a cold feeling. It's so... old.”

“So old things give you the creeps?” Rogue's scarlet eyes glittered. “I better not get any gray hairs, then.”

Sting rolled his eyes. “I'll love you even when you're so old you can barely open your eyes. I'll be buried right next to you when we die... Just you and me...”

“And all the other people in the cemetery,” Rogue deadpanned. “Come on... We may as well try and memorize the room list.”

Boys' Room 1: Sting Eucliffe, Rogue Cheney

Boys' Room 2: Natsu Dragneel, Gray Fullbuster

Boys' Room 3: Freed Justine, Laxus Dreyar

Boys' Room 4: Rufus Lore, Orga Nanagear

Boys' Room 5: Bickslow, Elfman Strauss

Boys' Room 6: Lyon Vastia, Jellal Fernandes

Boys' Room 7: Bacchus Groh, Dobengal

Girls' Room 1: Kagura Mikazuchi, Millianna

Girls' Room 2: Minerva Orland, Yukino Agria

Girls' Room 3: Mirajane Strauss, Lisanna Strauss

Girls' Room 4: Wendy Marvell, Chelia Blendy

Girls' Room 5: Erza Scarlet, Evergreen

Girls' Room 6: Lucy Heartfilia, Levy McGarden

Girls' Room 7: Cana Alberona, Juvia Lockser

“Well then,” Sting murmured after reading it for the first time through. “Not a single co-ed room.”

“Why do you think they did that? All the homo couples are together but not a single straight,” he commented. “But then again, there's only us two and then Freed and Laxus.”

“Actually, I heard that the girls in Room 2 are a couple,” Sting countered. “Yukino and Minerva. Same with the guys in Room 4, Orga and Rufus.”

“Those are some weird names...” Rogue murmured.

“Please, like Sting and Rogue aren't unique names themselves. Anyways, Gajeel's not on here. I guess I was right about him being on that first list just because he's Metalicana's kid. Must've been an automatic-type thing.”

Rogue nodded and laid down. “I'm tired...”

“Yeah, we've been up since before dawn... I'm guessing we'll have to be up bright and early tomorrow. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight, Sting...”

Sting and Rogue slipped into their usual positions with Sting spooning Rogue and they fell asleep like that, listening to the quiet rustle of the wind outside their window. They couldn't see it from their beds, though, and missed the metallic shadow.

Chapter Text

“Get up, get up! There's a bright sun in the sky! Get your asses outta bed, come on!”

Sting awoke slowly, one arm still holding Rogue close to his chest. The blackette was awake as well but reluctant to get up; he was happy to let his boyfriend think that he was out for the count.

“Hey, you awake in there?!” Niji bellowed as she slammed on the door.

“No, I'm asleep,” Sting snapped. “I got an hour of sleep. Cut me a damn break.”

Rogue mentally rolled his eyes; he and Sting had been out far before curfew and the clock read 4:30, so they'd had at least two hours. But still. Two hours.

“Sting, just get up,” Rogue murmured. “Come on...”

“Mmh... You're lucky I love you. Otherwise I would've smacked you upside the face for waking me up.”

“Sting, don't be a bigger ass than you usually are in the morning. Just get up and shower with me.”

“Nooo...”

Rogue kicked Sting and he fell out of bed with a yelp. Grinning, Rogue vaulted out of bed and claimed the bathroom, leaving the door unlocked for Sting should he decide to get off the floor.

Sting and Rogue stood outside their room an hour later, dressed and showered with teeth brushed, hair styled, and smelling of pineapple and hibiscus respectively. Sting was kissing along his lover's neck as they waited for Niji and the others, tracing his tongue over the lines along the porcelain skin. Then Freed and Laxus left their room, looking dazed.

“Hey,” Sting sighed, interrupting himself with a yawn. “You feeling like this is the biggest injustice you've ever encountered? Up at 4:30 and expected out here a mere hour later...”

“The initiations aren't held to suit our comforts. I get the feeling that we will suffer much here,” Freed murmured, his voice thick with sleep. “But still, I'm exhausted.”

“Today's supposed to be some kind of prep day,” Sting said as he looked over the sheet in his hand. “We'll get our placement chips, schedule modules, and personal kits today. The physical examinations are today as well...”

“They're doing physical examinations?” Rogue echoed.

“M-hm, and room searches. It says here that anyone who doesn't fit the qualifications will be eliminated.”

“Should we be worried?” Rogue asked, his red eyes wide and blinking.

“No, it seems like it's just an inspection for drugs and weapons. You and I'll be fine,” he added in a softer voice. “I've already asked Weisslogia and Skiadrum to give the initiators a list of your medicines and such. Besides, Porlyusica knows you and is aware that any drugs you have are to prevent you from dropping dead.”

Rogue nodded and fell silent, his red eyes glinting. Sting ran a reassuring hand over his back as the rest of the people filed out of their rooms. Niji appeared almost the exact moment that everyone had gathered in the hall and she beckoned them by snapping a jet-black whip against the floor. Her lime-green contacts had been replaced with a vivid pink to match that day's skirt suit and heels. She captured everyone in her sharp gaze and then cracked the whip against the doorframe.

“Come. We're going to the Mess Hall for breakfast.”

Well, it was a little more than strange for the 28 initiates to be dismissed into the Mess Hall in no apparent rush. Hadn't they all just been roused before dawn? Surely that meant that the day was full? The meal took almost no time to finish but they were there for over an hour. Nerves had taken hold of the initiates with surprising speed and Sting's hand shook as he attempt to bring his hot cocoa mug to his mouth.

“hhhhh... D-D-D-Doesn't comp-p-pare to your hot c-c-c-co-cocoa,” he stammered as he attempted to hold the mug up in toast to his boyfriend. “Y-Y-Y-Yours is the goddamn b-best...”

“Are you really so cold?” Rogue teased. “I'm not cold at all.”

“Neither are we,” Gray said as he walked up with Lyon. Juvia was clinging to Gray's arm as usual but it was clear that she was freezing despite her multiple warm layers; he and Lyon both seemed to emit a freezing aura that made you feel as if you were literally in a block of ice. Some of the other people in their group did it as well: Natsu raged with warmth, Sting lit up a room whenever he walked in, Rogue brought a dark mystery, and Laxus seemed to crackle with electricity. It was strange but they were all used to it by now.

“Two minutes!” came Niji's call, interrupting Rogue when he started to respond. “Two minutes and then we clear out!”

Rogue pulled a face and Sting grinned as he kissed his lover.

“Come on. I wanna be first in line.”

“And that appeals to you why?” Rogue asked as they got up.

“Cos the sooner we're done, the sooner we might be able to go to the Den Commons.”

Rogue smiled; the Den not only had the Nests but Commons as well, which was a three-floored complex that the initiates could relax in. The first floor was the largest with two large pools and four different hottubs, the middle floor was filled with games like pool, and the top floor had all kinds of chairs, couches, and tables. He knew Sting would want to go nuts in the pool and he'd need energy to do so...

Niji cleared her throat. “I will read names off this roll call sheet two at a time. When your name is called, go into the room I direct you to. If you do not get called this first round, then please wait patiently here in the hall. Once you are finished, please wait here in the hall as well but apart from those who have not been in yet.”

Sting and Rogue exchanged a look as Niji whipped the heels of Evergreen's violet pumps, who'd whispered a single word to her boyfriend Elfman. She yelped as her feet skidded out from beneath her and Bickslow barely steadied her in time.

“You okay, Ever?” he asked. “Didn't hurt yourself, did you?”

“No, Bick, I'm fine,” she sighed. “Elfman...”

“I'll kick her ass later.”

Evergreen smiled, satisfied with the duo, and leaned against the wall as Niji cleared her throat and began to read off her list. “Sting Eucliffe and Rogue Cheney, Room One. Natsu Dragneel and Gray Fullbuster, Room Two. Freed Justine and Laxus Dreyar, Room Three...”

Sting and Rogue were out of earshot before Niji read anymore. They went down a floor and continued down the hall, reaching Room One at the back and on their left after a moment or two.

“This is it, Rogue... Let's go on in.”

“Greetings, Misters... Eucliffe and Cheney, yes?”

“Yes, doctor. My name is Sting and this is Rogue; feel free to call us by our first name.”

“Alright then. My name is Jakob Akanishin, but call me Jake. Mr. Cheney, if you would sit here, please?”

Sting gave his lover a warm glance as he took a seat next to Jake, who appeared to be in his late thirties with brown hair, stubble, and bright green eyes with just a hint of brown. He slowly brushed back Rogue's ponytail, causing him to start a little, and pulled out a device.

“You may feel a slight pinch.”

“What're you–?!”

Jake stabbed the device – which resembled a pricing gun – into the base of Rogue's neck and he cried out, tears sliding out of the corners of his eyes. Sting grabbed onto Rogue's hands and let the blackette strangle them as the doctor worked. Jake then set down the gun, which had blood and hair all over the stabbing end, and began to sift through the wound with a large pair of tweezers. Rogue let out a shriek when he went deep and it took all of his willpower not to rush into Sting's arms. Sting was touching him all over, though, and soothing him as Jake worked. Jake then began to wrap bandages around Rogue's neck to seal up the wound. He then patted Rogue's shoulder, signaling that he was done, and Rogue threw himself into Sting's arms.

“My neck hurts so much,” he whimpered. “Oh, Sting... I felt like my neck was on fire... and everything went white for a moment there...”

“Shh, Rogue, calm down...” Sting soothed. “That looked like it hurt...”

“Your turn, Sting.”

Rogue stepped aside as Sting sat down beside Jake and brushed his own hair out of the way. As Rogue nursed his neck, Jake tore into Sting's neck the same way he had Rogue's and began to work the wound around with the tweezers just as before. He pressed deep and Sting let out a squeak, a lot better at concealing his pain than Rogue, who really wasn't that good. Then Jake wrapped him up, patted him on the back, and began to clean his tools up again.

“Oh, Rogue...” he sighed. “That was seriously painful... How's your neck?”

“St-Still sore...”

Sting sighed and hugged Rogue, burying his face in his shoulder and mentally wincing when the blood-scent overpowered his fragrance. Then Jake tapped on the counter and the two turned to face him.

“Your placement chips are in. I'm going to insert the schedule modules now. After that, I'll give you salve and ice for the wounds and send you on your way.”

Sting and Rogue shared an uneasy glance, continuing to rub their necks as Jake prepared a second gun. He extended a hand towards Rogue and the black-haired boy hesitated until Sting nudged him. Sighing, he sat by Jake again and extended his arm as Jake sliced open the top of his wrist, right in line with that little knob on the outside of a wrist. Rogue let out a gasp as blood spurted out of the cut and streamed off his wrist, the ruby liquid spreading over the linoleum floor. Rogue turned a terrified stare on Sting and the blonde tried to rush forward to embrace him but a large, gruff man shoved him back.

“The hell!” he spat. “I'm just trying to hold my boyfriend's hand! Let me go!”

“You are not allowed to touch the patient.”

“Bullshit!” Sting snarled. “I was holding his hand just a minute ago!”

“You are not allowed to touch the patient.”

Sting's brow contorted in fury and he quite literally snarled at the man holding him. He jumped up and planted both his feet in the middle of the man's chest, kicking with all his might but not budging the boulder of a person in the least. He landed on his back and pain shot up his spine, ricocheting around his skull and momentarily turning his brain to mush. He lay on the floor as Jake injected a thin chip into the cut in Rogue's wrist. Small beads of blood appeared on Rogue's lip as he desperately bit it, trying to keep himself from screaming. Jake then adjusted the chip with his tweezers then looked up at Rogue with a beaming smile.

“You can chose a color,” he invited cheerily as he pulled up a board decorated with a number of twisted cord knots.

“B-Black...?” Rogue said as he arched an eyebrow.

“Cool!”

Rogue's bewilderment was replace by utter pain as Jake stitched up along the sides of the cut and cleaned off the blood and pus. Once the wound was clean and had stopped bleeding, he pressed a glittering green-blue gem into the unstitched center of the wound, right at the deepest and bloodiest point. A small black wire connected the chip and gem and it wrapped around the gem's outside edge, outlining it. He then wrapped a cord of soft, smooth black nylon around Rogue's slender wrist to make it seem like it was merely a bracelet. He then pulled out a needle and injected half of its contents into his wrist and the other into his neck. The black-haired boy fainted halfway through the neck injection and Sting rushed forward, his cobalt eyes flaring with rage.

“Rogue!” he snarled. “What the hell have you done to him?! Rogue, baby, answer me!”

“He'll be unconscious for a while yet; it's to be expected. The injection with help ease his pain. And it'll ease yours too, Mr. Eucliffe, if you'll settle down and allow me to complete your surgery.”

Sting hesitated, trying to figure out the best way to grab onto Rogue and run, when Boulder Man picked Sting up and slammed him onto the surgical table next to Rogue. Jake motioned to Boulder Man and he picked Rogue up with a surprising gentleness. He then roughly dropped Rogue by the door and sat on Sting's chest, immobilizing him and jerking his arm out straight. Sting struggled the entire time Jake worked on his wrist, but he eventually gave up and fell silent. It then occurred to him that Rogue hadn't tried to run. Had he been to paralyzed with fear to even consider freeing himself? Or had he taken his condition into consideration? Moving might've caused Jake to slip up and accidentally injure him. If only they'd been more cautious at the start! This doctor was queer and strangely friendly... Then Jake nudged him out of his thoughts and presented him the cord board.

“Pick a color!”

“White,” he snorted and Jake picked off the white cord, connected the gem and chip with white wire as he'd done with the black for Rogue, and then tied the white nylon cord around his wrist. Sting held his breath as the needle was inserted, putting half of its contents into his wrist and half in his neck. His eyes rolled back in his head as blackness consumed his vision and he collapsed, unconscious.

Jake grinned cruelly. “Throw them out in the hall and get me my next patients.”

Boulder Man said, “Yes, Master.”

Boulder Man nearly fell on his face as he stooped to pick up Rogue. He threw him over his shoulder, hoisted Sting into one arm, and lumbered off to deposit them in the hall and retrieve Lyon Vastia and Jellal Fernandes, Jake's next two patients...

Chapter Text

“Dammit!”

Rogue awoke with a start, the word fresh on his tongue. He turned to see Sting still unconscious beside him, a bloody bump on his forehead where he'd hit his head on the floor. Shaking off his daze, Rogue tried to take in his surroundings. They were in the Arena; all 28 initiates were actually, every one of them on a plain white cot with a bandage around their neck and a gemstone “bracelet” on their wrist.

“Welcome to the club, little brother,” a voice snickered and Rogue jerked his head up.

“G- Gajeel ?!”

“Heyyy, man.” Gajeel grinned, his teeth gleaming white in the dull, fiery light of the Arena. “It's good to see ya, little one. Ya still small and useless where Sting wants to get?”

Fury sparked in Rogue's heart as his brother stalked around him, surveying him with all-too-familiar red eyes. Rogue grit his teeth; Gajeel should be in prison with a life sentence , not standing around making him feel miserable.

“What're you even doing here, Gajeel?” he spat. “You've made me miserable enough.”

“Well... Everyone is still unconscious. I'm not surprised that you're awake, though; they ignored me when I warned them that one dose of sedative wouldn't be enough to keep you under for long. Anyways, I just thought I'd pop in and see how you're doing.”

“I feel like shit, thanks to you being here.”

Gajeel curled his lip into a snarl. “Watch it, kid, or you'll die like Mirai .”

“How dare you speak his name!”

Rogue and Gajeel whipped around to see Sting glaring at him, his blue eyes bright with pain and fury. Fresh blood trickled from the wound on his temple and Gajeel grinned as he stabbed it with a finger, wrenching a whimper from Sting's throat.

“You don't get to say his name,” Sting repeated with a snarl. “You don't get to say Mirai's name...”

“Oi, I can't say my own brother's name?” he asked with a slight smirk.

“Mirai's the son of Tzel and Skiadrum Cheney. Rogue's the son of Tzel and Skiadrum Cheney. Mirai and Rogue are brothers. You're nothing to these two.”

“Then explain my eye color.” Gajeel gestured to his eyes with yet another toothy grin. “Red eyes aren't some coincidence. Mirai had 'em. Rogue's got 'em. I've got 'em.”

“Stop saying his name!” Rogue sobbed. “Stop it, stop it, stop it !”

“You don't even remember how Mirai died .”

“He was killed!” Rogue gasped. “Wasn't he...?”

“Nah, man. Mirai did himself in.”

“Gajeel!”

Before any more could be said, Cobra appeared over the ridge, his violet eyes glinting with fury. Gajeel's red eyes sparked with shock and – fear? – and he took off running. Cobra vaulted over the railing in front of him, dropped about fifteen feet to the cold stone below, and started running the instant his feet touched the floor. The momentum of the jump granted him speed and Cobra pounced on Gajeel within moments, digging in his nails and arching his back like a wildcat. The duo tumbled out of the room, clawing and tearing at each other, as the sedatives started to wear off and the other initiates began to wake up.

As the others began to stir and their consciousness got within easier reach, Rogue turned to face Sting and murmured, “I don't believe it... Gajeel can't still be my brother, can he...? And Mirai couldn't have killed himself... That's impossible ...”

“Oh, baby... Anything's possible. No one knows what happened to Mirai. And Gajeel being your brother? I hate to admit it, but it makes sense: red eyes are rare and if he's a member of your family, then he's the fourth: there's you, Mirai, Skiadrum, and him...”

Rogue threw an arm over his eyes and groaned. Sting sighed and massaged his lover's belly as he ran the encounter over and over in his mind. A man that wasn't supposed to be related to Rogue was claiming that he was. This same man was supposed to be in jail. They were just told that Mirai, Rogue's beloved, deceased older brother who killed three people with the Cheney Curse, had killed himself instead of having been murdered at the age of 14. Sting's head began to ache as he thought about the Cheney Curse, an ancient pattern that followed the three-strike rule: once three people died at the hands of a Cheney, the Cheney would die themselves. The entire family carried the curse... and therefore Rogue did. So far no one had died and Rogue wasn't going to worry about it until the first person died; there would be a maximum of six months after the first person's death for the Cheney to live. No Cheney ever raised a knife or gun or drug; all the deaths were accidents, claiming those most cherished by the Cheney. Mirai's curse had taken his mother, Tzel, a young boy that idolized him, Kaeru, and one more person whose identity remained a mystery.

“Rogue... You know that I'll always stay with you. You don't have to worry about me leaving you.” Sting picked a piece of hair out of Rogue's eyes, revealing them both, and Rogue stared up at him with a sullen look in his eyes.

“I love you,” Rogue sighed after a moment.

“Love you too.” Sting leaned down, muscles rippling along his shoulders, and he kissed Rogue long and full. “We'll figure this out... The netlinks and research modules here are supposed to have access to every bit of information in the world in every language. If there's even a single sentence that tells us what we need to know, we'll find and translate it.”

“Thank you, Sting...” Rogue reached up and stroked over Sting's jawline, slightly arousing the blonde. “You're the best, Sting... I wouldn't want to spend my life with anyone else.”

Sting smiled and kissed Rogue again, beginning to go a little bit crazy with lust. Rogue let out a slight moan but before they could do anymore, Erza shot to consciousness beside Sting.

“What the fuck happened to me?!” she snapped. “Aye, my neck...”

“Hey, Erza. How're you feeling?” Sting asked.

“I'm sore and bitter, that's how I'm feeling,” she snorted. “What the hell happened?”

“We had the placement chips put in our necks and schedule modules in our wrists,” Rogue told her.

“Well then...”

The group slowly broke into quiet chatter, some people terrified and others merely nervous. They were all wary, though. Then Niji appeared, surveying the group coolly then twirling her whip and cracking it against the nearest person's belly, who just so happened to be Freed. Freed let out a wail and Laxus used all of his strength to try and get over to his injured fiancé, but he was still far too weak to do anything but lay there.

“Alright, people!” she snapped, her long white hair whipping out behind her in a feathery sheet. “A placement chip and schedule module has been implanted within each and every one of you. The first rule about these devices is that you may not remove them. Any attempts to do so will result in elimination and extreme pain for the person possessing the devices and those who tried to remove them. The function of these devices are simple: the placement module with display your place in each game above your head as well as allow us to download information directly into your brains. The schedule modules will carry information on the day's schedule, notes, alerts, et cetera and they will update every night at midnight on the dot. They will display virtual screens that you may operate by mental will, voice commands, or touch and contain access to initiation information, games, and internet. All of your history will be monitored and we expect all of you to use self-control and good judgment when deciding how to use these privileges. Note that I said “privilege”; they are not requirements for survival and therefore will be revoked whenever we see fit.” Niji raised her chin, her pink eyes glittering and making them look even more unnatural than before. “No leniency will meet disobeyment of any kind. Both devices have the ability to administer a fatal electric shock should we please.”

Sting and Rogue gasped and exchanged a shocked glance as Niji turned on one heel and sashayed off, leaving the 28 initiates to lay on their cots and stare at each other. After a few moments, the doctors and their Boulder Man assistants came in and distributed salve and ice to the initiates. Sting summoned all of his strength and rolled onto his side, his blue eyes desperately searching out Rogue's red ones through his mess of hair.

“Rogue...” he rasped. “Rogue, baby, can you hear me?”

“M-hm...”

“I love you, Rogue... I love you so, so much... We're gonna be fine, I promise...”

“I can't tell if they're just trying to psyche us out or if they're just this terrifying.” Rogue reached one arm back to rub the back of his neck where the pain was worse. “I'm scared, in all honesty...”

“I think seeing Gajeel freaked you out more than you thought,” Sting soothed. “He's gone now. Cobra's either killed or imprisoned him by now. You've got nothing to worry about... These people might be terrifying but they're the initiators and we're their responsibility. We can sue them – destroy these people – if Gajeel appears again and so much as looks at you and makes you feel threatened. And I'll be there to destroy him too.” Sting kissed Rogue passionately, his arm pulling Rogue and his cot over to him so he could really get into it. He pulled away and stared at his lover, strength at last flowing back into his body. “I'm here for you.”

“I know you are.”

Sting managed to hoist himself into a sitting position and he took the ice pack at the foot of his bed into his hands. He pressed it to his neck, feeling something harsh but not quite painful cut through his neck, momentarily preventing him from breathing. He panted harshly, desperately trying to draw breath back into his legs as he waited for his wound to go numb. Rogue let out a whimper beside him, still laying down as he pressed his own ice to his wound. The others around them were doing the same thing, pressing the ice to their necks and starting to play with the schedule modules. As soon as Sting's neck began to feel better, he looked at the “bracelet” on his wrist. He tapped on the blue-green jewel in the center – it was a kind of opal, the green and blue parts bright – and instantly a sky-blue, semitransparent screen materialized. He was a little taken aback but he quickly took an interest in it once the surprise wore off. It turns out that everything would remain in the futuristic, holographic blue with the white text and the wi-fi and games weren't what he expected; he had full access to the iLacrima-brand Appstore and he quickly set a number of games to download to his game dashboard. He then went about adding books, magazines, news feed reports, manga, and comics to his reading shelves and adding albums and songs to the music reels. He then opened up the personalization tab and uploaded a picture of he and Rogue doing the classic “spaghetti kiss” to be the home screen, although it looked weird in the modern blue lines despite the fact that it was clean, crisp, and done in more shades of blue than he knew existed. He was gonna personalize this thing to the max...

“Pretty infatuated with that thing, aren't you?”

Sting jerked to attention as Rogue sat up, a teasing light glittering in his blood-red eyes.

“Th-The thing's cool,” he argued weakly.

“It's pretty incredible, I'll give you that.” Rogue rolled his wrist as he brought his arm close to his face, his eyes glittering triumphantly as the screen materialized before him. Sting grit his teeth, annoyed, and hissed, “Open.” When nothing happened, he glared at Rogue and his jaw dropped in shock and irritation as Rogue brought down the screen then raised it again without a single movement.

“How do you open it?!” Sting gasped.

“Mentally.”

“I tried that!”

“I think you can do it vocally too.”

Sting rolled his eyes but perked up when Rogue murmured, “Opal, open.”

Immediately the gem shone and the welcome screen opened.

“Opal, open!” Sting echoed but his gem remained dormant.

“You have to add in the voice recognition,” Rogue told him at last, “and then use the “Opal” commands vocally or mentally to do it without touching.”

Sting sighed, relieved it wasn't complicated, and began to tap through the screen in search of the vocal command setting. He set it then said, “Opal, pull up Minecraft.” Immediately a screen expanded out from the center and the Minecraft title screen appeared. “Hey now, that's cool.”

Rogue rolled his eyes and laid back with a sigh, his hand reaching back to press the ice more firmly to his neck. Sting followed suit but he was actually feeling a lot better; his neck wasn't hurting beyond a dull, insistent ache and his wrist felt completely normal again. He stretched it in a full circle then thought, “Opal, open.” The screen immediately materialized, Sting smiled in satisfaction, and he began to go through videos. They were one of the last things he needed, next to bookmarking his favorite websites and logging in to all of the apps and accounts he had.

The clock soon struck four in the afternoon and it was at that moment that Niji came back. Everyone had gotten off their cot at least once by that time and were calmly chatting with each other, their guards down, when Niji's whip cycled through the air and slashed open the top of Millianna's breast. Her girlfriend, Kagura, screamed as blood arced between the deep wound and the whip's end as it soared away. The whip itself cracked against the chains on the ceiling before wheeling neatly back into Niji's awaiting hand.

“I assume all of you have applied the salve to your wounds and iced them. I can see that you are all... well, again.”

Millianna stared up at her, pain-induced tears filling her dark eyes as blood streamed down her smooth skin and stained her black bra-top. Chelia and Lyon, the two nearest to her, helped her over to her cot, their movements slow and wary as Niji's pink gaze followed them with the sharpness of a razor. Niji then dragged her gaze over everyone else and Sting froze when she snagged his eyes with hers. He froze, a cold feeling beginning to creep through his veins as Niji stared at him. She then moved on and Sting let out the breath he didn't realize he was holding when she completely overlooked Rogue. After she finished surveying everyone – her gaze lingering the most on Freed, who she'd whipped earlier, and Laxus, who glared right back with bloodlust in eyes – she tapped the end of her whip against the stone beneath her feet.

“The first event is a game called “Rocky Road” and it will begin tomorrow. For now, you may return to your Nests in the Den.”

“What about the physical examinations?” Rogue murmured out of the corner of his mouth to Sting. Niji whipped around and Rogue froze, his mouth half-open in fear and shock that she'd heard him.

“Physical examinations and room searches have already been conducted. Perhaps you will recall how all the time you were unconscious could've been used...?”

The initiates froze and Sting reached out to take Rogue's hand. His boyfriend grabbed onto it, his palms leaving wet, sweaty smears on it. Sting, of course, couldn't have cared less. He could tell how utterly terrified he was...

“We won't be kicked out,” he soothed him. “We have passes on your medications. You have full right to have the drugs with you should you need them. I'll fight anyone who tries to take them from you, I promise.”

Rogue smiled, his red eyes soft as Sting stroked his hand. Niji then turned on one heel and flounced away again. The initiates got up and almost every single person summoned up their Opals and followed the virtual map back to the Den.

Chapter Text

“What the hell d'ya mean, “We can't go in”?!” Sting and Rogue perked up as Jellal's furious, out of character snarl reached them. “Our daughter's in there!”

“Please, sir,” Erza pleaded, also completely out of character. “I haven't seen my baby girl since yesterday. It's been almost 24 hours. I want to see my daughter... Please let me in...”

Sting and Rogue glanced at each other, debating whether or not they should intervene, when Jellal called them over.

“Boys, perhaps you can help us persuade this gentleman –” Jellal's voice caught menacingly on the word “gentleman”. “–to allow us to go in and see our daughter. Levy wanted to see Garrett but she got chased off. We, on the other hand, are not going to be driven away so easily.”

“I just want to see my baby...!” Erza sobbed as she threw herself into Rogue's arms. “They can't keep Rose away from me! They can't! They can't! They just can't !”

“They won't, Erza,” Sting assured her. “We won't let them.”

“No one may enter,” the man droned, looking and sounding almost identical to Boulder Man. “The Nursery is off-limits. No one may enter. The Nursery is off-limits.”

“But my baby is in there!” Erza snarled, fire lighting up her chocolate-brown eyes as she shot forward and grabbed onto the Boulder Man's collar. She jerked him back-and-forth in rage, her fury at last pouring over. “I need to hold her in my arms! Let me in that goddamn Nursery! Screw “no one may enter” and the “Nursery is off-limits”! I need to see my baby!”

“No one may enter. The Nursery is off-limits.”

“I want to see my baby!”

Sting and Rogue exchanged a glance, knowing Erza well enough to know where this was going. They began to back away, Sting's hand madly scrambling against the wall in search of the gate handle as Erza wound up and punched the Boulder Man in the jaw. The crack was stupefying and for a moment no one knew what had happened: had Boulder Man's jaw just bruised... or had Erza's wrist and knuckles just shattered?

“Erza...” Jellal breathed, reaching out to cradle his lover. “Erza, dear, was that your hand...?”

“N-N-N-No-o-o... I'm fine...”

“No, Erz, that was you. You didn't do anything but hurt yourself. Let's go.”

“I'm not leaving without seeing my baby!” Erza snarled, shoving her face close to Jellal's and freezing him where he stood. Sting and Rogue weren't in her range of vision but they felt the iciness of her stare even from behind her. They glanced at Boulder Man and stiffened in shock. Erza had likely just shattered every bone in her hand and wrist and yet this man, who'd taken the blow directly to the face, was completely uninjured ...

“That's unreal,” Sting breathed as he slipped his fingers through Rogue's. “Let's go...”

Rogue didn't argue; if anything, he sped up and started to race back to the room, taking Sting with him.

Yukino nervously peeked out of the room as Jellal walked past, supporting Erza as he went. The red-haired woman was favoring her right hand, grimacing every now and again and stroking over her wrist, which was a nasty purple-blue ringed in yellow-green. She could practically see the swollen appendage steaming; the heat coming off it was incredible.

“Yuki?”

Yukino started a bit as Minerva waltzed up behind her, her wine-purple skirt brushing over the ground as she approached.

“O-Oh, Minnie...”

“What're you staring at?”

“Erza and Jellal... It seems Erza's broken her wrist or something like that. It looks bad.”

“Aye, I overheard when Levy was with them. Apparently they're not allowed in the Nursery.”

“What? Why?! Their kids are in there! They're just over a year though, right? That technically makes them babies! Erza and Levy aren't being allowed to see their own babies !”

“M-hm. They're young. They need their mothers. It's insane that Erza and Levy aren't allowed to go in there. Little Garrett's already gonna grow up without a daddy, at least Rose still has Jellal...”

“Maybe Levy will find a new man...?”

“They were one of those special couples, Yuki, like you and me and those gay dorks Sting and Rogue. You won't find another partner easily, if at all. Those boys especially.”

Yukino's cocoa-colored eyes glittered. “You really think Sting and Rogue are special?”

“Have you seen them, Yuki? They're adorable and absolutely inseparable. You don't see that every day. I think they're in their third year together... Yeah, September of junior year to senior year, and then senior year to a few months ago. Yeah, it's Year 3 for them. Haven't taken a single break. It's one of those rare perfect relationships.” Minerva kissed Yukino's cheek. “Let's be a couple like that, Yuki...”

“That sounded so scary!” Chelia gasped. “Do you think they're okay?”

“I don't know...” Wendy blinked her gorgeous light-brown eyes as Erza and Jellal limped past. “Oh, there they go...”

“Erza's wrist looks like it really hurts!”

“Yeah, it's all purple and swollen...”

The two young girls watched with wide, shocked eyes as Erza let out a slight cry. She staggered and fell against the wall, leaning against it and sliding down as she pressed her wrist to her chest. Jellal bent down and picked her up bridal-style, his hazel-green gaze glittering with concern as he carried her off. Wendy blinked, unnerved. She'd always admired Erza's strength and marveled at her seemingly endless power and intelligence. She guessed even warriors like Erza reached a breaking point...

“I can't believe this is happening... My son is in there and I'm not allowed to go see him...!”

“I know, Lev.”

Levy whirled around as Gajeel appeared in the doorway, his scarlet eyes gleaming unnaturally in the dim light. He pushed the slider on the dimmer switch up, lighting up the room a bit but not fully turning the light on. He still remembered that his lover – ex-lover? – liked the room dark when she was upset. He sat on the end of her bed and watched her as she reburied her face in the pillow.

“Lev... Where is Garrett? Still in the Nursery?”

“Y-Y-Ye-eah...”

“There still a guard?”

“M-M-M-hh-hmm...”

“Then I'm gonna go and get our son.” Gajeel got off the bed, his greater weight making the springs creak. Levy turned and stared at him with tears in her pretty hazel eyes as he headed out the door. “You wait here and get ready to feed him. I'm sure they're feeding him some awful shit in that Nursery place...”

“O-Of course... Gajeel...”

Gajeel paused in the doorway, one hand on the frame as he looked over his shoulder at Levy.

“I love you, Lev,” he whispered, his voice barely more than a breath on the poorly-ventilated air. “I always have and I always will. I'm gonna get our baby for you and I'll fight to the death to make sure he stays with you. I know I'm not a good dad or lover but I do care about you and Gare...”

Cobra spat a mouthful of blood on the ground as he watched the 28 initiates file into the Mess Hall. He was standing on a ledge, his injuries from his recent fight with Gajeel burning and the clots in his wounds beginning to open again. His keen eyes brightened a bit when he caught sight of Sting and Rogue, walking hand-in-hand as they went to claim a table for themselves. The duo had dressed ravishingly, gazing adoringly at each other as Sting took off his jacket and laid it on a freshly-wiped table, claiming it and its two seats. Rogue leaned against Sting's arm as they went to get food and nuzzled his neck every now and again with a happy smile on his face. Cobra sighed in relief as he watched them; he was glad that they were still happy and together, even after the two years it'd been since he last saw them.

Niji wiped the blood off the tip of her whip, her nose wrinkling in disgust as she worked at the crusted red life. She snapped it up then cracked the tip against the wall, smirking at the satisfying hole it made in the stone. This beautiful whip... It could destroy just about anything, so the soft flesh of the human body was nothing. Niji twirled the fine black weapon in her hands as she sashayed over to the door. She flicked the whip forward and it twisted around the handle; she pulled it open and the whip zipped right back into her hand as she walked onto the platform overlooking the Mess Hall. She surveyed the initiates below and settled her gaze on a handsome young man with black hair and eyes the color of blood. After making sure that she hadn't been seen yet, she raised one leg, brought back her arm, then threw herself forward, the whip following through almost immediately. The barbed end caught in the boy's arm and tore a long, bloody gash in his outer shoulder.

“Fuck!” the boy gasped and the blonde man across from him shot forward, grabbed his shoulder, and ground his palm against the wound to staunch the bleeding.

“Easy,” the blonde murmured. He then turned a flaming blue gaze up at Niji and snarled, “You bitch!”

Niji wasted no time in cracking the whip down again, aiming to tear a second wound crosswise over the first. The blonde launched himself forward and the whip wrapped around his wrist. It was then a pulling competition: either the blonde wrestled the whip away from Niji or he got his hand torn off. Niji stumbled forward a bit, her pink boots skidding on the smooth stone as the blonde pulled with the strength of an ox. A vein throbbed in his neck as he and Niji pulled at the same time but then the blonde reached forward and bit down on the whip. Niji smirked as she prepared to pull her whip free – hopefully taking a couple of the blonde's teeth with it – but then a long, spindly crack laced up the cast-iron coating. Niji's pink-contacted eyes constricted as the blonde bit through the whip, separating the two halves with a bone-jarring snap. Niji tumbled backwards as the blonde spat out the blood-covered pieces of whip cord and cast-iron coating. Staring at the blonde – the blonde monster – in utter shock, Niji scrambled back to her feet and raced back through the grand double-doors.

Sting panted, hardly registering with the pain in his mouth. Gray and Lucy were pressing wads of napkins to Rogue's wound but it was mostly for naught; the blood was soaking through them, reducing them to the point where they were falling apart from over-absorption. The duo's hands were streaked, dripping with red life and Rogue looked like he was about to faint. His face was pale and pasty, his breath came in short bursts, and when he looked over at Sting, his red eyes were pained and desperate.

“Sting...” he murmured, his eyes half-closing. “A-Angel...”

“Oh, Rogue...” Sting breathed as he scrambled over to his injured boyfriend. “Oh, my love... Are you okay?”

“Don't... worry... about... me,” Rogue rasped, still having trouble getting his breath back. “Your... wrist... mouth... ”

“I'm fine,” Sting insisted. He was now aware of the stinging in his wrist – the rope-burn chafe was incredible and there was a gash where the whip's pronged end had cut into the tender flesh – and the metallic taste of blood filled his mouth. He ignored them, though, and focused his concern on Rogue, who had to lean on the wall to remain upright. “Rogue, baby, we'll get you fixed up, okay? Lyon and Freed's whip injuries were treated and I'm sure we can get yours done too...”

Rogue's only response was a whimper and he shifted his weight so he could lean against Sting and bask in his lover's warmth.

“We'll get you treated,” Sting repeated almost desperately as he clung to Rogue, taking care not to touch the spurting wound. “We'll get your wound stitched up all nice and then you'll be brand-new...”

Rogue let out a murmur of acknowledgment and Sting kissed his cheek, wincing when his lip print left a bloody smear on Rogue's almost-white skin.

“Oh, Rogue...” he murmured. “I'm gonna get you to the infirmary, don't worry... Are you okay to walk?”

“Best not risk it.” Sting started a bit when Natsu came up and looped one of Rogue's arms around his neck, supporting him. “I'll help you carry him there and then I'll come back and get food for all of us.”

Sting nodded, overwhelmed with gratitude and the growing weight of the massive debt he felt he owed his half-brother.

“Opal, show we a path to the Infirmary and display it on a lacrima-screen.”

The Opal gem pulsed a few times as it processed Natsu's request but then a blue screen materialized out of the gem. There were white circles the size of a pinky nail every inch or so to mark the path they needed to take and a pulsing red dot the size of a thumbnail indicated their current position. Natsu repositioned his Opal cord – he'd gotten a rusty-red cord and his Opal was outlined in such – and then led the way. Rogue was mostly unconscious between he and Sting, his eyelids fluttering as he fought to remain in the waking world. Sting knew the look that crossed Rogue's face all too well and he gave his lover a violent shake, hating himself for the roughness he had to utilize. Rogue fixed a half-annoyed, half-clouded look on Sting before Natsu let him go and kicked open the double-doors before them.

“Come on,” Natsu urged. “Through the doors, c'mon...”

Sting nodded and swept Rogue up bridal-style, careful to avoid all of his wounds and sensitive areas. The younger boy whimpered when Sting's hand slipped and grazed his shoulder. The pain was unbearable but Rogue lacked the strength to do anything more than make a small, soft squeak in protest. Sting, of course, turned a scarlet red and readjusted his grip in nanoseconds, gasping out apology after apology and ignoring the fact that blood was spraying out of his mouth. His own wounds were insane but adrenaline numbed them, forcing him to run with all of his remaining strength and carry his injured lover with him.

“Well, well, well. Look who we have here! My old friends, Sting and Rogue.”

Sting's brow creased at the strange delight in Jakob Akanishin's voice. The young, handsome doctor was sitting cross-legged on the examination table, his green eyes bright behind his thin-rimmed glasses. He rubbed his Chuck Norris-style beard-stubble then hopped over to the duo.

“What seems to be the trouble?” he asked innocently.

“He got whipped,” Sting answered. “That Niji woman got him at dinner... But I don't know why he's so out of it after just one strike...”

“Just let me have a look at him.”

Sting was increasingly reluctant to let Jake so much as touch Rogue after what happened last time, but he had no other choice. “Be careful.”

Chapter Text

Sting mentally cursed himself as Jakob took Rogue from him. The lack of Rogue's familiar, dark warmth made him feel empty, drained, and in pain. In an insane amount of pain. The adrenaline he'd been acting on was completely worn out and the blonde fell to his knees, his wrist and mouth at last beginning to bother him. Jakob noticed this almost immediately and he grazed Sting's cheek, taking note of the delayed but sharp jerk-away.

“You've got some nice wounds yourself, Sting.”

“They're... nothing... Focus... on Rogue... Save him... not me...”

Jakob's green eyes flashed and he snapped out a hand, summoning the original Boulder Man with the commanding force of a four-star general.

“Roca, go ahead and take dear Mr. Eucliffe to that table over there. I'll see to him once I tend to Mr. Cheney.” Someway, somehow, Jakob's voice was as cheery as sunshine but as threatening as being held at gunpoint by a trigger-happy drunk. Jakob turned back to Rogue and began to examine his wound again while Roca grabbed Sting roughly by the shoulder.

“Move.”

“No!” Sting snapped, turning and trying to bite Roca (it was his one weapon, after all). “Let me go! I need to be with my boyfriend! You can't keep grabbin' me like this–!”

“Stay still.”

“No!”

“Still.”

“No, dammit!”

“Stay still or I will be forced to immobilize you.”

“Do your worst!”

“Then immobilize you I shall.”

Roca fiercely grabbed Sting's crotch and the pain made Sting see spots. He shivered violently and fell to the ground, clutching himself as colors burst at the edge of his vision. Tears collected then fell from his eyes and he let out a pitiful whimper.

“Sting, no!” Rogue gasped. His face had begun to get some color back but now it was white with fear; Sting was always strong, always smiling through impossible odds, but that low move had him writhing on the ground and groaning in pain.

“Relax, Rogue!” Jake laughed. “He's just immobilized. He'll be fine in a moment.”

“You just destroyed his balls!”

“And that happens to every guy a million times in his life and he gets over it each and every time. He'll be fine . Like I'd really hurt him permanently,” Jake snickered. “Now, please allow me to attend to that wound. I've already transfused you with some more energy, but it'll burn quickly. You need this wound to be patched up and then some good food and rest. I'll also give you some more ice and salve; all your wounds will ache after this.”

Rogue's blood-red eyes flashed. He really didn't want to let this “mad” doctor touch him. But then he looked over at Sting – his beautiful, beloved Sting – and realized that he might be hurt further if either of them resisted. So he complied, removing his shirt with care and sitting statue-still as Jake began to stitch up the wound. And then... Was it just him, or was the room suddenly hot? Very, very hot? Hot enough so sweat beaded his brow and he felt his face grow flushed? But it was very relaxing, actually... So relaxing, in fact, that Rogue could fall asleep there and then...

That's when, through his haze, he realized that Natsu was gone and Sting was silent.

Jakob beamed, a bright smile playing on his lips as he wiped salve over Rogue's shoulder. The wound was deep and pulsing blood; he might've been struck only once, but it was a devastating blow. He shifted his gaze for a moment to see Roca rubbing an ether rag over Sting's face, forcing the unconscious man to breathe in the scent and stay unconscious. He felt a slight stab of regret for having to be so rough with the blonde; he'd been grabbed in his most sensitive places just because he was trying to protect his lover. He'd seen these instincts before; in fact, he observed them every day. Only Dragons showed such possession over their mates, after all.

Rogue shifted in his twilight state and Jakob quickly slapped a second ether rag over Rogue's mouth and nose, rubbing it fervently to get the scent into him. Rogue went completely limp in mere moments and Jakob went back to treating the wound in his shoulder. Such a devastating wound... It'd be awful the next day, especially when Rogue moved his arm. He wouldn't be surprised if whatever scab that formed by tomorrow burst open and bled. The game was “Rocky Road”... Oh, that would be fun to watch. That would be so, so much fun to watch... and so bloody . Someone died the last time it was played, a century or so ago. It would be amusing to see this batch of initiates try and make it through the course.

Just as Jakob snipped off the thread, ending the stitches, he heard a high-pitched shriek and then a grunt from Roca. He turned to see him restraining Natsu Dragneel, Sting's older half-brother. The pink-haired man was bucking against Roca's arms, thrashing madly in a desperate attempt to escape his grip, but Roca was trying to sedate him with the ether rag. Jakob watched, mesmerized, as Natsu slammed his forehead into Roca's. He felt the shockwave from where he sat and he watched as Roca shivered then slumped on his side, a thin trail of saliva leaving the corner of his mouth. Natsu was arching his back, his hips flattening against the ground as he slipped out from beneath Roca's heavy arm. He then stared at Jakob through the crook between his arm and armpit, his hazel-green eyes burning.

“Get. away. from. Rogue.”

“Impressive...” Jakob breathed as he slowly withdrew a needle from a nearby case. “You're such a unique specimen... You and Sting and Rogue... and that man, Gajeel.”

Natsu's eyes constricted to the point where there was practically no color left in the wide whiteness. He looked so purely livid and he turned around slowly, his shoulders rocking as he prowled over to Jakob like a hunting jaguar. His eyes burned as his gaze met Jake's.

“You don't say that name. Gajeel's name is not to be spoken. And certainly not in their presence.” He gestured towards Sting and Rogue, both of whose faces had contorted the moment Gajeel's name left Jakob's lips. “You don't talk about Gajeel around these two unless you got some kinda death wish. 'Swat that guy resembles, y'know. Kind've a Grim Reaper.”

Jakob pumped up the needle, still keeping it out of the feral man's vision. Natsu crouched, pounced, and Jake stabbed the needle into the side of his neck. He let out a choking, gasping sound and immediately collapsed on his belly.

“Such a monster but lacks common sense... You're still such an impressive specimen. A son of a Dragon... You and these two.” Jake rubbed Rogue's shaggy black ponytail almost affectionately and stared across the room at Sting, who still had an ether rag draped over his face. Concern began to fill his chest and he went over to the table – stepping over Natsu's snarling, half-conscious form as he did so – and removed it. His breath caught in his throat as he realized how cool Sting's skin was beneath his fingers, how unnaturally bloated his face was. He... was gone. Dead. Sting Eucliffe had been inadvertently killed, and in his office.

Laxus' shoulders shook as he cried. Not only were Freed, Millianna, Erza, and Rogue hurt, but Sting, Jellal, and Natsu had disappeared. He now sat in his room, tears streaming down his face as he sat on his bed and thought about Freed. He had no idea if Freed was actually in the infirmary; he highly suspected that he'd been moved, but he was unable to go get him. Besides, if Sting, Rogue, and Natsu discovered that something was wrong, then the three of them would be able to fight, and fight well.

He limped his way to the window and peeked through it at a huge silvery moon. Somewhere out there, blood was being spilled. Somewhere out there, hearts were being hurt. And, somewhere out there, Freed was hurt and taken hostage. He had to find him. Erza had Jellal, Rogue had Sting, and, since Millianna hadn't proved herself a worthy fighter, Natsu would have to protect her. That left Freed, a worthy fighter but with no partner. He had to find him...

A knock then sounded at the door and Laxus opened it to see a teary-eyed Kagura standing in the doorway.

“Laxus? We have to talk.”

Laxus blinked, surprised, then motioned Kagura into his room.

“Wh-What's this about...?”

“Our lovers.” Kagura's eyes glittered. “They've been taken from us and I cannot stand for Millianna's absence. Surely you feel the same about Freed?” Her bright hazelish eyes sparkled with challenge and Laxus arched an eyebrow.

“Of course I do. Dare I ask why you question my love for the man I asked to marry me?” Laxus asked sharply as he led the commanding woman over to the dining table.

“Because you're going to need every ounce of it to rescue Freed and Millia.”

“What're we gonna do?!”

“Wait to be found.”

“So we're not even gonna try and fight?!”

“It would be ineffective.”

“But just sitting here is?!”

“Yes. We can stay safe while we await rescue.”

“But no one knows where we are!”

“They'll find us.”

“But how ?!”

“Because of their strength, loyalty, and determination.”

“And because they love us?”

“Of course they love us, as friends. Our lovers are not the ones I'm talking about. They won't find us, but Sting and Rogue will.”

Her dark, thickly-lashed eyes glittered in the darkness. “You think so?”

“I hope so.” His aquamarine eyes shone. “They are the only ones who can get us out of this.”

The two let out sighs – one frustrated, one relaxed – and their bonds loosened slightly. Sitting forward and straining always made them tighten; it was basic physics. The chains clanked and the ropes shfff ed together as they sat back-to-back, waiting to be rescued. Fighting was futile. The creatures wouldn't attack as long as their master wasn't displeased with the duo's behavior. They glanced nervously to the side as a Boulder Man's eyes glinted in the almost-hidden window. The creatures leaped forward, jowls slovering as they strained at their chains. The woman shuffled back and the man bit his lip as the creature's slobbery jaws came together mere inches from his face. This was frightening, to say the least... Sting and Rogue had to come soon.

The two's faces contorted as their whip wounds then reopened. Blood once again trickled over the woman's breast and pulsed out of the man's belly. Millianna and Freed Justine groaned as their wounds chafed against their bonds and stung with a fire. The only thing they were thinking of was their lovers and of the couple that should be coming to save them.

Chains dug into Erza's nude chest and she groaned. She absolutely detested the fact that she'd been stripped and was being kept from her baby and lover. She had no idea where Jellal was... and what about the Nursery? Was she being kept out not because her baby was being tampered with, but because Rose was no longer there? It was infuriating that there were so many unanswered questions...

Suddenly the bolt on the door unlatched. A horrendous beast the size of a grizzly bear but with the build of a lean and mean greyhound rushed into the room, foam escaping the mesh of its muzzle. Its eyes seemed to glow scarlet as it snapped at Erza. She snarled at it, leaped up, then slammed her heel between its eyes. It groaned as its skull cracked and it collapsed, its tongue lolling out and laying heavy on the muzzle. Blood and foam leaked out and Erza moved her feet up on the pole she was secured to, trying not to feel too nauseated. What was this thing? It looked as if it was genetically modified, a false being... maybe it really was a mix of a grizzly and a greyhound. Erza tentatively laid her heels on the beast's head then found herself a more comfortable position to stand-lean in.

“This can't be happening... I want my baby... I want my lover... I want my family ... Oh, Jellal, Rose , where are you...?!”

Rogue buried his face in Sting's chest as he tried not to cry. His boyfriend smelled of blood and sweat but for once, Rogue could care less. All he wanted was for Sting to open his eyes, look at him, and tell him how much he loved him.

“Please wake up,” he breathed. “Please, please, please ...”

“M-Mhh... R-Rogue, baby, that you...?”

“Sting!” Rogue barely kept the sob out of his voice. “Good Lord, you're alive ! Thank the stars...”

Sting sighed and laid a hand on Rogue's head, letting out a deep sigh when the younger boy shrieked.

“Baby, please don't cry...”

“I can't help it... You're alive ...”

Sting didn't attempt to say anything else as Rogue sobbed into his shirt, his relief overflowing in the form of tears. Sting stroked Rogue's hair but that only enticed Rogue into even worse sobs. He breathed in Rogue's scent, trying to search out any oddities in it. He didn't seem any different, but his scent would be the giveaway...

Then a whip cycled through the air, catching Rogue in the shoulder once again, tore out his stitches, and elongated the wound. He cried out sharply as he clutched it, trying to staunch the bloodflow as Niji waltzed into the cell, eyes glinting and thirsting for blood.

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Everything seemed to move in slow-motion. The whip shot back into Niji's hand mere moments after it tore into Rogue's shoulder. Blood and a small piece of flesh arced from its end and sprayed the air. Rogue's wail penetrated Sting's heart and he tried to take the blow for himself, but it was too late. Rogue's red eyes rolled back as he fell, his long black hair streaming out into the bloody air as he hit the filthy floor. Niji smirked and twirled the whip in her hands, turning to glare at Sting with malice in her pink eyes.

“You must be so... selfless, to always want to take the blow for your lover.”

“I have a heart and it beats for the preservation of his life,” Sting snarled. “But you wouldn't know what that's like, would you? You heartless old crocodile.”

Niji smiled, her lips thin. “Such creativity.”

Sting's lips curled back in a snarl and, when Niji tried to get closer to Rogue, he shot forward and sank his teeth into the back of her lower leg. There was only so much that he could do, after all, and it at least got the focus off Rogue. Sting protectively placed a leg crosswise over Rogue's chest and glared at Niji.

“You won't reach him, not while I'm alive,” he growled.

“Then I guess you'll have to die first then.”

Niji's whip lashed across Sting's cheek and his teeth came together on his tongue. Blood burst over it and tears trickled out of the corners of his eyes. He couldn't cry out. He wouldn't. He refused. He was the only one who could save Rogue, the love of his life...

“I'm the son of a Dragon. This man is my future mate. Hurt him and I will kill you. There is no way out of that. Come near him and I will kill you. ”

Sting looked feral, his cobalt eyes restricted to the point of being nearly invisible, his pristine white teeth ground in a bloodthirsty snarl. Niji watched in wonder as Sting's shoulderblades came off his skeleton and arched like a cat would raise its own shoulders. He prowled forward like a hunting jaguar and crouched at her feet.

“Lay a hand on him and die. Lay a hand on him and die. Lay a hand on him and die .” It was like a chant and Sting repeated it over and over again in a low, threatening voice. “Lay a hand on him and die. Lay a hand on him and die.”

Niji's jaw dropped as the scene before her blurred. For a moment, she saw a great white dragon crouched over a smaller black one. For a moment, a glowing white pulse merged with a liquidy black one. For a moment, an angel crouched over a demon gushing blood, defending him. Loving him. Sacrificing for him. Laying his life down for him.

“Lay a hand on him and die!”

Sting's gaze fixed on Niji's throat, wanting to get rid of the threat to his lover and future family by taking her out now. The pink-eyed woman collapsed and, just as Sting poised, ready to leap, Rogue shot to action and tackled her. Sting's eyes widened as Rogue's fighting skills were exemplified, played out before his very eyes. He kicked Niji right in the boob, sending her flying all the way back to the wall, then somersaulted over to her. He punched her twice – once on the left cheek, once on the right, then got on his back and kicked the underside of her chin with the practiced force and grace of a hand-to-hand combat assassin.

“Don't... lay a hand... on Sting!” he snarled. “Lay a hand on him... and die !” Rogue slashed his fingers down Niji's chest, shredded the tight polyester front of her suit, and opened up four bloody scarlet wounds. “He's mine! Not yours! Hurt him and die!”

The unleashed fury of a Dragon Slayer is unbeatable, unmatchable. Niji Pigment was experiencing it herself as initiates Sting Eucliffe and Rogue Cheney, soon to be competing for the honor of Dragon Slayer, attacked her. The blood from their wounds was arcing through the air as they fought, spraying the ground and walls as they fought as complete reflections of each other. A knee to the kidney from Rogue on the left was a knee to the kidney from Sting on the right. An arm looping around her neck was a leg sweeping her legs out from under her. Hands clapping her ears to pop her eardrums was two feet to her belly. Every move was matched or mirrored and running on pure rage. Niji was eventually thrown against the wall, blood pulsing from numerous wounds, and the two men stood with fury in their eyes.

“This ends now,” Sting snarled, beginning to approach her.

“Don't.” Rogue blocked Sting's way and he let out a snarl.

“She tried to kill you!”

“And taking her life brings us down to her level,” Rogue murmured, his voice soft and persuasive. The raw rage faded from Sting's eyes and he sighed almost angrily. Fury still illuminated their gazes but it was clear that the threat of death was gone.

“We refuse to stoop to your level,” Sting said, as much to solidify the statement for himself as to reassure Niji and Rogue. “We'll allow you to live. We'll be kicked out of initiation if you we kill you here. But that doesn't mean we won't after it's over,” he added with a snarl, “so be careful how you talk to us.”

“Release the other prisoners here,” Rogue ordered, although the command in it fell short. His face was pale from bloodloss and he was clutching his shoulder to staunch the renewed bloodflow. It was hard to make anything sound powerful when you were so beat up. “When someone comes to the infirmary, ensure that they're treated and then sent back to the Den. No more of this jail cell and whipping crap.”

“No one you held here will talk outside the Lair so long as they aren't pursued again,” Sting chimed in. “Freed, Millianna, Natsu, Erza, Jellal, and any others you've got locked up in here are to be released. I wanna go back out there and see Freed and Laxus, Kagura and Millianna, and Erza and Jellal safe together. You have no right to harm these people. You should be protecting all of us; we're your initiates and you're the initiators. Take care of the people whose deaths could ruin you.”

Sting and Rogue stood shoulder-to-shoulder. Sting, a force of light and purity, putting the question of why he didn't have a halo and wings in everyone's mind. Rogue, an entity of darkness and grace, a slim form of a man who could very well be the good-minded version of the devil. The two shared a warm glance then returned their gazes to Niji.

“You'll hold up your end of the bargain?” Sting prompted.

Niji's eyes narrowed. “And why should I...?”

“Because we can get you fired, or even killed,” Rogue answered deftly. “Nah, probably killed. And just for good measure...” Rogue knelt in front of her, stared deep into her eyes, then tapped her cheek with one finger. A small blade slipped out from his sleeve and buried itself in the soft, cool flesh. He continued to carve and when he was finished, the word “Remember” was written in blood and flesh. Sting's blue eyes glittered as he watched; Rogue wouldn't get a chance to redo his own history, so he may as well enact it on yet another evil person. The phrase “Remember your fear ~Gajeel” was forever engraved on his hip and even Sting felt a jolt whenever he saw it, for it embodied all of Rogue's pain. And here he was, sending just a fraction of that pain to Niji. Inflicting it. Inscribing it. Making her feel it.

“That's... impossible. We can't do that. No way.”

“You love Freed, I love Millianna, they're being held in a dungeon somewhere, and we're going to bust them out. I don't see what's so difficult about that.”

“These people could kill us. If they catch us trying to bust Freed and Millia out, they won't hesitate for a moment.”

“I'm happy to take that risk,” Kagura snarled as she gripped Laxus' shirt collar and jerked him forward, the table edge driving painfully into his belly. “I'm offering you a chance to rescue the loves of our lives, and all you want to do is sit and feel sorry for yourself!”

“Because I don't want to put Freed at risk!” Laxus snarled. “We don't know what kind of surveillance there is; what if they know about this little “discussion” and hurt our lovers as a result?! I'm not putting Freed at risk!”

“I'm not putting Millianna at risk,” she seethed back. “She'll die if they hold her much longer!”

“They'll kill Freed if we do this!”

The two were now glaring deep into each other eyes, light hazel meeting bright aquamarine, and Laxus instantly regretted sitting back down because that left Kagura towering over him. The only person he'd ever lost stare-downs to were Erza and Minerva – who were both crazy intimidating – and Freed, who dispelled their every stare-down with a surprise kiss on the lips or cheek. He assumed that Rogue could stare him down but he hadn't gotten into a stare-off with him yet. He buried his face in his hands as Kagura drew a glittering dagger from her boot.

“We're going in. We'll track their Opals. And we'll kill anyone who gets in our way.”

Laxus didn't argue as Kagura stalked out of the room. Let her go. Let her threaten her lover's life. But as Laxus contemplated everything that could happen, he realized this: they'd kill all prisoners if even just one person came for them. That would mean both Millianna and Freed. That would mean Erza and Jellal. That would mean... Sting, Rogue, and Natsu. Everyone who'd gone to the infirmary hadn't returned. Sting and Rogue wouldn't be going to help anyone if they were prisoners as well. These damn initiators knew exactly how to pull their strings...

Laxus then realized that he was one of the last ones left. He stood up, took a big breath in, then rushed out to join Kagura. She didn't acknowledge him when he joined her, but made her appreciation clear as they raced through the dark stone walls. They were unaware, however, that the Opals they were tracking were not the ones they wanted. They were unaware that their own Opals were leading them astray. They were unaware that there was no one left to be saved... except them.

“The games begin tomorrow!” Niji called. “Ensure that the cavern is... well, as I said.”

Many gruff workmen nodded and returned to their work. Niji stood, shifting her weight from foot to foot until Jakob came up behind her.

“Boo!” he giggled and, surprisingly, Niji jumped.

“J-Jakob!” she snapped when he broke down laughing and she promptly smacked him across the face. “Now is not the time to be joking around!”

“Eh? You mean you don't like to play after getting your ass handed to you by a couple of the initiates? Just be glad they were the sons of Skiadrum and Weisslogia and not one of the regular people. Gives you an excuse.”

““Gives me an excuse”, blah blah blah,” Niji mocked, her voice biting. “Alright. The cavern for Rocky Road is almost complete. Have you released the prisoners and... done what I asked?”

“Yes, ma'am.” Jakob bowed. “Everything is going according to your plan. Now, can I go back to my lab?”

“Yes, you may. Get outta my sight.”

A smile crept onto Jakob's lips as he left but no one saw it through his facial hair. He practically skipped back to his lab and he locked the door behind him when he got in there. A lab coat, gloves, boots, surgical mask, and goggles were waiting for him. He donned the gear then slipped behind a drab, opaque blue sheet that was glowing with a brighter blue light. He settled himself at the table, rubbing his hands together to warm up in this viciously cold room, then clapped them on the table.

“Alright. I'm ready. Opal, discharge... Oh, let's go with Fire.”

The Opal on his wrist shimmered and then the room sprang to life. Gears whirred, sleek electrical equipment buzzed, and then a tank burst from an open panel in the ceiling in a burst of noxious white gas. Jakob pressed the mask even tighter around his nose and mouth as the tank was brought down to his reach. It was turned from a laying-down position to a standing one and, after securing it on its post, the suction arms released the tank. The gas cleared and the room fell silent except for the slight moving-liquid sounds of the eerie light blue water. Suspended in the tank was a young man. He had spiky pink hair and dark hazel-green eyes. He was handsome, but in the wild sense: muscle pulled taut all over his body, he had an unkempt look about him, and long canine teeth adorned his mouth. They'd transfer well into Dragon fangs. His name was Natsu Dragneel, and he'd be the first.

“Come to me, Natsu... I knew you were special. I knew you were strong and dependable. Come to me... I'll sculpt you into something incredible.”

Jakob stuck his arms into the tank and pulled snaking black tentacles off of the young man. Blood welled where the mouth-biting tentacles had fixed onto him. Jakob touched it and it formed on his finger in bright red spheres, like holly berries. He pulled his arm out of the tank and held the blood circles up to his face. He licked them off. Tasty. Rich. Useful.

Useful. That was the main point. Useful. The blood was useful. Jakob pulled his thumb away before he could consume any more of the rich red life and then held it over a test tube. He released his mental hold on it and the blood cascaded into the vial. He snickered as he corked it.

“This will be handy to have~” he said in a sing-song voice as he skipped over to a table covered with vials, tape, Sharpies, and syringes filled with GOD knows what. He scribbled “Fire #1” on a piece of tape then slapped it onto the vial he was holding. “There we go~!” He presented the vial to the unconscious boy. “Now I have a sample of your blood! Tastes mighty fine, by the way. You must eat a lot of meat.”

“Yes, Lord Jakob, I eat a lot of meat,” Jakob drolled out as he reached in, grabbed Natsu's jaw, and mushed his face up as if he were talking.

“Very nice! Now–” Jakob snapped out a cable and grinned like a truly insane mad scientist. “–let's get to work.”

Natsu's eyes hazily opened but they closed again as Jakob added a chemical to the liquid that made it glow a bright, bright blue. His evil smile shone as darkness flooded his vision. Jakob's laugh started soft then got louder and louder, more and more twisted. Natsu sighed and succumbed to the sedative seeping through the water. This was the end...

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Chapter Text

I'm keeping this story alive until my friend has the opportunity to return on AO3 in order to finish this book ;)
so please be patient and pray for a little wonder