Normal P.O.V
"Listen up, it's Code blue. I just hit a snag here. No, no. Not that kind. Mm.hmm. Hell if I know. You should probably ask him yourself. Yeah, he's right here." The markings on his body vanished revealing his Fairy Tail emblem still located on his right chest.
"All that stuff on him just faded away." Happy said taking note.
"Uh." Natsu mutters catching the lacrima that Gray threw at him.
"Hold it up to your ear, man." Gray sighs annoyed.
"What's it supposed to do?" Natsu asked putting the lacrima on his hear like the ice mage did.
"Natsu. This is you, right?" He heard a familiar voice at the other end. He looks at Gray wondering if it's who he think it was. Gray only nods.
"Congratulations. Your antics blew Gray's cover operation." Erza said
Opening:https://drive.google.com/file/d/1kuJAfKxROyF7mFuSGto4EmFYA_4EbyhC/view
"What're you tryin' to say, Erza?" Natsu asked sending Gray a questionable look.
"I'm a spy. Give me some credit." Gray said placing his hands on his hips. "You really think I would join some creepy Zeref cult? It's time to get moving. We'll explain everything on the way."
"Several months ago, Jellal asked me to a favor for Crime Sorciere. I was to investigate Avatar. Discover their connection to Zeref." Erza started to explain as Natsu and Lucy rode on Kilala and Gray rode on a different animal. "The trail grew cold, but I'd just happened to reconnect with Gray. It ended up being a lucky break."
"How are you still hearing her?" Happy asked about the device Gray held.
"We've got a portable communication lacrima." Gray said. "Anyway, after our last fight, this pattern broke out all over me, so I went to Lady Tsunade to see if she could help. As you saw, now I'm able to make it appear and disappear whenever I want."
"So, after we had discussed our current situations, it was obvious we needed to come up a plan to work together. It was fate." Erza spoke up.
"Of course, I would do anything for Erza." Gray mutters facing forward trying not to glance back over to Kilala. "Not only that, I wanted to get my hands on the Book of E.N.D. My dad's last wish was for me t destroy it."
"Yeah, okay. But why didn't you tell Shana about this?" Natsu asked giving the ice mage a sharp look. "You have worried sick!"
Gray grunts holding back his flinch.
"I know." Erza said feeling the guilt. "It's because I asked him to keep it a secret. A covert mission such as this needs to be kept confidential. The more people that are made aware of it, the more likely it is to fail. And also, mere knowledge of the plan can put someone in danger."
"So you kept her in the dark for her protection, huh?" Happy said.
"Still a crappy thing to do!" Natsu said, not liking how the ice mage left her alone. "I mean what about the twins? How do you think that made them feel?" He glared at the ice mage.
Gray furrows his eyebrows.
"I feel bad for what Shana and the twins had to go through. And unfortunately for all of us, the mission has lasted much longer than I'd first anticipated." Erza said knowing how much the half-demon must be hurting at the moment.
Natsu had a dumbfounded look. "Wait! So did everyone else knew that Shana was freakin pregnant besides me?" He asked not knowing that Erza knew about them.
"She would've told you sooner, if you hadn't left her that day you decided to leave her for your own selfish reasons. Do you have any idea how many nights she has cried because you left? You're the one that put her in more he'll!" Gray snapped causing Natsu to grumble to himself.
"Knock it off you two!" Erza scolded them. "However, the situation has changed dramatically. It started out as a routine investigation. But then, we learned of their diabolical 'purification plan.'" Erza added on.
"Avatar's gonna try to wipe out an entire city because they think it'll summon Zeref." Gray continue on. "They actually believe the site of concentrated death like that will attract their dark lord. It's up to us to stop that from happening, mo matter what it takes."
"Why didn't you guys just wipe 'em out in the very beginning?" Natsu asked if it was something easy to do. "Somethin' like that would be easy for you and Erza!"
"You'd think, but you'd be wrong." Gray cut him off. " After a little digging, we found out Avatar is a way bigger organization than we'd thought. I was able to infiltrate to some degree, but only inside a single branch. Each one s kept separate and has limited contract with the main headquarters. "
"That left no room for error. But we still couldn't let their plan come to fruition. Our only hope to stop it from happening was to wait until today." Erza said hoping why they couldn't act so recklessly.
"That's right. The day all the branches will be gathered in one place. Before they kill anyone, we'll destroy them." Gray said, eyes hardening. He spares the Dragon Slayer a quick glance. "Natsu..."
"Huh?" His eyes flickered to Gray. The anger he felt washed away knowing the reason why he had to leave Shana and the twins behind.
"Sorry about all that stuff I said about Shana earlier. But I knew they were watching me and I couldn't risk blowing my cover right then." He said knowing no amount of apology would make up for hurting the girl they both love.
Natsu scuffs. "It isn't me you need to apologize." Even though he himself also needs to apologize.
"And I will." Gray assured him. He knew he was going to need to explain himself to Shana. He just hopes that she could understand since she's stubborn to hold a grudge.
"I'm sorry about slapping you back there." Lucy said to the ice mage.
"Well, the maid outfit made it a little better, to be honest." Gray grins playfully causing Lucy to be dumbfounded.
"I'm not so sure I needed to know that part." She mutters.
"You guys are my friends for life, and nothing's ever gonna change that." Gray said making Lucy have a smile on her face.
"I feel the same way!"
A smirk appeared on Natsu's face. "That makes things a whole lot easier! We can wreck their stupid plan in no time if all of us work together!"
Lucy giggles. "Right!"
"I'm totally in it to win it!" Happy cheers!
"You sure about that?" Gray asking making sure they're knowing what they're signing up for.
"It wasn't our intention to drag you into the fight with us." Erza said not wanting to put any more of her friends in danger.
"If you weren't gonna drag us into it, then we just have to drag you! It's been way too long since Fairy Tail's strongest team kicked some butts! " Natsu said grinning . "There's only one thing to say at a time like this, right?" he raised his fist in the air.
"I'm fired up now!"
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Not long the group managed to catch up with Avatar before they could start the ritual. All the members of the branches charged as the team stood outside the towns gate.
The Avatar members gasped when Natsu blew half of them away. He chuckles blasting more. "There ain't no way you meatheads are gonna get past us! Step on up and I'll roast ya!" The branch members rolled away.
"So, did you get stronger this last year, too, or what?" The Dragon Slayer questions the Ice mage.
Gray smirked. "Just watch me, ol' buddy. It'll be pretty obvious."
"Check this out, guys!" Lucy says determine pulling out a gold key. "Here goes! Open! Gate of the Golden Bull! Taurus!" She summoned her spirit. "Plus... Star Dress! In cow-girl style!" Lucy transformed her outfit like she did with Virgo.
"Fullbuster! I knew it!" Jerome glares at the Ice mage that was supposed to be on their side.
"These infidels will not hinder our plan for purification! Let us dispose of them!" Briar orders. One of the soldiers warns that there was someone attacking from the other side as they were losing more members.
Jerome asked if it was the Council's army but it wasn't. Erza makes her way through the soldiers.
"Aw, yeah! Been a while since we've had this kinda party!" Natsu smirks gettin excited to fight.
"We're gonna have to do it up right." Gray also smirked along.
"This really brings back some memories, huh?" Lucy said missing the old times they fought together.
"Aye!" Happy nods.
"You want purification? We'll start with you!" Erza spats attacking more soldiers.
"Let's go!" Natsu shouts igniting his fist with his flames.
Gray and the other got into their stance.
Natsu threw the first attack followed by Gray then Lucy and Erza. It was easy to see just how much stronger the team got in on year.
Gray got worried when some soldiers were going after Lucy but she assured them that he didn't have too and took them out herself.
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"Gray!"
He turns his head to see one of the Avatar members. "Briar!"
"How dare you betray us like this!" She exclaims in anger. "You... You played us for fools! All this time you spent with us was a lie, wasn't it?" She slammed her fist on the ground and he easily dodge.
"Yeah, of course it was, you idiot!" He said, unfazed by her anger. "I'm not the kinda guy who would associate with a bunch of murderes like you!"
"It's purification! Not murder!" She screeched. "And once it's been completed, Zeref will be among us again."
He easily moved way effortlessly. "Tell me, your brave words about the Book of E.N.D., were they just lies a well?" She attacked again.
"I hate to disappoint ya, but that stuff was mostly true!" He does a flip to dodge. "Someday, I will destroy E.N.D. And when I do, it's gonna be on my terms. In a way that'll make my old man proud." Grays eyes were filled with rage as he stared at her.
"If there's one thing I can't stand, it's a rat! Hear me?"She screamed using her clone magic.
"There's your spli-image magic. I was waitin' for that trick." Gray said serious, smirking at the thought of the fight getting serious.
The clones she summoned were all her emotion clones. "I've never been so furious in my life! If you think you can beat us with such weak power, you must be joking."
"It makes me sad. You're so cold. You left me with no other choice but to kill you."
"Too bad. You know, Gray, I actually let myself fall a teensy little bit in love with you."
Gray was dumbfounded. "Say wha---?"
Love Briar was suddenly hit with a weapon that looked all to familiar to the ice mage.
"Hang on... that's a Kunai Knife." He mutters. There's only one person he knows that uses those weapons. Gray stiffen when he felt a demonic aura appear next to him. He couldn't tell who the anger was directed to. Him or the enemy.
"First, Juvia and now this bitch? When is someone gonna realize this asshole of a stripper is already taken?!"
"Easy with the language there." Alastor scolded.
"What the heck are you doing all the way out here?" Gray asked nervously.
In a blink of an eye, the half-demon attacked the love Briar with her Water Dragon Slaying magic. " I'm killing!"
The other Briar quickly got upset by the half-demons actions and started complaining, annoying Gray in the process.
"You're all pissing me off!" Gray growls as he ended up freezing them. "I think you need to chill out!" He also ended up freezing the soldiers that were near by.
Gray's eyes soften when he glances at girlfriend with an apologetic look on his face filled with guilt. "Shana--- I..."
A sigh came from the half-demon. She could already tell that his guilt was eating him alive. "We can talk about it later." She was still confused as to what was going on even with Wendy's help.
He grunts knowing that Shana is really pissed off. "I promise I'll explain everything later, but now..." Gray started to take off his clothes and shockingly Shana did too. Well, only her top to reveal her braw.
"I know." Shana says not quite fully understanding but knew she had to fight these soldiers.
She and Gray got back to back.
"...we gotta deal with these losers." Gray said activating his magic being back to back with his girlfriend.
Shana glares at the enemy having her magic ready at the hand. "It's time to feel the kill!"
"Well, sure seems like Shana's back to her old self again." Lucy smiles to relieve knowing her best friend has recovered healthy. "Don't tell me she strips now too?" She asked nervously.
"All thanks to Wendy, that is." Carla mention that the young Dragon Slayer should get some credit.
The bluenette placed her hands in front. "Oh, stop. Honestly, I think hearing Natsu's voice helped her a lot."
"Thank you, Wendy!" Happy cheers feeling grateful for the young girls help. Kilala wagged her tail in her saber form.
Not long Shana and Wendy joined in the fight to stop Avatar. Wendy surprising everyone now that she'd able to go into Dragon Force at will. Even Carla was holding her own.
"Doesn't matter how many you've got. The odds are against you." Natsu approached his way to the renaming soldiers and Avatar member. "'Cause chumps like you'll never beat Fairy Tail wizards." He announced glaring at the Avatar leader.
"This is all within the realm of exception. And when Ikatsunagi begins to tremble the ground beneath us the purification will begin. " Arlock said.
"Oh, yeah?" Natsu arched an eyebrow unfazed by the threat. "How about I make you tremble instead?" Natsu threatens back.