TAINTED. GRUVIA

04*

苦い bitter;

Gray 氷

They just kept on coming. I almost wanted to laugh at how stupid this was. I get beaten up and then I get beat up for being beat up. Well, technically, I beat myself up. D-6 seemed to have had enough of his fun because I could actually process all the pain right now.

"Idiot," Briar spat. "Wait till Jerome comes, he's furious."

I would've rolled my eyes but they were swollen shut.

"You," a voice hisses from the doorway. With my good eye, I open it the best I can and take a look at a very pissed-off Jerome with Mary clinging to his arm. He shakes Mary off and takes a few slow steps towards me, a scowl on his face.

"Jerome," Briar warns, though it doesn't look like she'd mind if he beat me up.

"You told us you were strong. You said you could defeat anyone easily there!" Jerome growls, advancing towards me.

I manage to push myself off the ground with my forearms. With the support of the wall, I stand up and lean against it, taking a few heavy breaths. "Well, I guess not. It's not like you beat the ones you were supposed to."

I could see the crimson go up his neck and to his ears. Yeah, he was raging mad at this point, but why should it bother me?

There's no warmth in him when he says, "I believed in you, Gray."

I laugh. "That's bull. You've always hated me. I'm not an idiot."

Jerome glances around, irritated that I keep arguing with him. I know that he just wants to win this argument quickly and beat me up, there's no sympathy in him at all. "Yeah. You're right," he says slowly. "I've always hated you because you're an arrogant little bastard."

Briar seemed to sense the bomb that was about to explode. "Guys-"

Jerome punches me right in the face and I don't stop him. I'm not dumb enough to make things worse. My head jerks back and a trickle of blood immediately begins to run down from my nose. I wipe at it and stare at my blood-sullied hands.

"Are you done?" Briar asks sharply. "We have work to do."

"You're lucky I let you go with just that," Jerome growls.

"You smug bastard," I mutter.

Jerome balls his hands into fists at his sides, so hard that his knuckles are white. He glares at me coldly and turns to D-6. "Who did Gray fight? Who beat him up?"

D-6 counts people off on his fingers. "Er.... Juvia Lockser, I believe."

Jerome mouths her name a few times as he sits in his chair and spins around so he faces a mess of papers. "Hmm..." he flips through them and skims each one. "Juvia Lockser from Fairy Tail and Gray Fullbuster from Fairy Tail," he shoots me a cold grin, "I understand now," he smirks and stands up. "Eliminate Juvia Lockser of Pandora. We'll deal with Fullbuster later."

They all left the room, leaving me with bruises and cuts and a racing heart.

"Eliminate Juvia Lockser of Pandora" is what they said.

Not if I can help it.

Juvia 水

Pandora's HQ was nothing but pure joy throughout the building. Cheers arose from soldiers and followers.

Alexe came up to me and patted my back, handing me a cup. "Do you like coconut rum?" He asked.

"No," I replied. "I don't drink alcohol."