With Great Power Comes Great Responsibilty

Chapter 37

Juvia felt absolutely awful when she found out Levy had been shot—especially since Levy had only gone to the store to buy a gift for her. The guilt weighed heavily on her, no matter how many times Gajeel told her it wasn't her fault. Still, her heart ached.

Seeing how upset she was, Ur had invited Juvia to stay the night at her house. Gray stayed too, so he could help comfort her. By morning, though she wasn't exactly cheerful, the cloud around her seemed to have lifted—just a little.

"Can I get you something to eat?" Ur asked gently as she prepared coffee.

"No thank you," Juvia said, her voice quiet but steady.

"Listen," Gray chimed in from the couch, "I'm gonna drive you to campus today. Take you to rehearsal, too."

"Oh... no, I couldn't," she said, shaking her head. "I can't even think about class or rehearsals. Not while Gajeel's so upset... not when Levy's in that condition."

"Your brother actually called me earlier," Ur said, setting a mug on the table. "He told me to tell you not to let this stop you from going to class or rehearsal—or preparing for your show. He said Levy's stable, and the doctors think she'll wake up any moment."

Juvia's eyes softened, and a little color returned to her face. "That... helps. A little. But I still worry about Gajeel. He's living his worst nightmare all over again."

"What do you mean?" Gray asked, his brows furrowing.

She paused, clearly debating whether to say anything. Then she slowly began.

"There's a reason Gajeel doesn't trust people in masks."

Gray and Ur both leaned in, listening closely.

"Years ago, when Gajeel was maybe seven or eight... and our mom was pregnant with me, our father witnessed a crime. He agreed to testify in court against the suspects, and they didn't take it well. They swore revenge. And when they escaped from prison..." Her voice faltered for a moment. "Our parents were terrified. For themselves—and for us. So they packed up everything, left town, and moved to a new city. Changed their last name from Redfox to Lockser to disappear. For a while, it worked. Eight years passed. Things felt... normal. Safe."

She stared down at the table.

"But when Gajeel turned sixteen, he started using our old last name again. He was applying for jobs, filling out paperwork, trying to be taken seriously. That's when... they found us."

Ur's hand gently reached across the table and rested over Juvia's.

"They broke into our house while Gajeel was at work and I was still at school," Juvia continued. "Men in masks. They shot our parents."

There was a long silence.

"Gajeel... he never forgave himself. He believed it was his fault they found us. That his mistake got them killed. And ever since that day... he hasn't trusted anyone who hides behind a mask. That's why he's so obsessed with exposing Red Dragon and Blue Tiger."

"Oh, Juvia," Ur said, her voice trembling. "I knew you were young when you lost them, but... I didn't realize it happened like that. My God, you were just a baby."

"It's not as hard for me anymore. I've healed. But Gajeel hasn't. Not really. He still blames himself, even though I never have. I've told him so many times, but he carries that guilt like a second skin."

She exhaled shakily, wiping at her eyes.

"And now... the woman he loves gets shot by a masked man. Just like our parents. I can only imagine how much that's tearing him apart."