Frozen Heart
Chapter 20
Slouched in her seat, Jack stared down at her clenched fists, listening to Levy’s soft breathing from her hospital bed.
She had not moved an inch since sitting down, the shirt Macao had lent her hanging loose around her shoulders and shimmering with traces of frost.
The last nurse had left just moments ago with one last assurance that Levy was stable, and the silence that fell over the room was unbearable.
Gripping the material of her borrowed sweatpants in both hands, Jack let out a shaky breath and finally raised her head.
Levy was a mess.
Her knuckles had been dislocated, her wrists sprained; her entire back was one big scrape, and her ribs were wrapped in deep bruises; burns and cuts made her forearms red, and her forehead was split open like her lips.
But all of it was covered, carefully tended to and wrapped in bandages…
Except the bruises on her neck.
They looked like fingers.
The sky outside darkened with clouds slowly, and the windows rattled as the wind passed, shrieking.
Jack only stared silently, taking in every hurt that had been inflicted and carefully storing them away in her mind.
Abruptly, she stood, picking up her staff with a glove-covered hand and shoving open the nearest window.
“I won’t let them get away with this, Levy.” She swore, voice low. “I promise.”
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After hearing of what the Element Four had done-or, more specifically, what Totomaru and Sol had done-, Gajeel had known Jack would be furious.
He would never admit it, not even to himself, but it had ticked him off, too.
Levy was so small and vulnerable…
Certainly not a challenge for them, or an obstacle in completing their objective, so why beat on her like that?
“Gajeel.”
Looking up from his spot against a tree, the Iron Dragon Slayer felt something in his chest tighten up.
Even though her eyes were still faintly red, Jack stared back with resolve, a wall hiding all of the hurt and anger and guilt that tried to take precedence over everything else.
“You said they want to destroy Fairy Tail?”
Gajeel straightened, hands stuffed in his pockets as he considered her.
“Yeah.”
Hands clenched into tiny fists at her sides, Jack could only nod, as if coming to a decision.
“Then I’m going to need your help.”
Curious despite himself, he shifted forward, her scent filling his nose through the chill.
Pine and sky and tears…
“With what?”
Her gaze was fierce when it met his, all of her tears long dry.
“With destroying Phantom Lord.”
She had not moved an inch since sitting down, the shirt Macao had lent her hanging loose around her shoulders and shimmering with traces of frost.
The last nurse had left just moments ago with one last assurance that Levy was stable, and the silence that fell over the room was unbearable.
Gripping the material of her borrowed sweatpants in both hands, Jack let out a shaky breath and finally raised her head.
Levy was a mess.
Her knuckles had been dislocated, her wrists sprained; her entire back was one big scrape, and her ribs were wrapped in deep bruises; burns and cuts made her forearms red, and her forehead was split open like her lips.
But all of it was covered, carefully tended to and wrapped in bandages…
Except the bruises on her neck.
They looked like fingers.
The sky outside darkened with clouds slowly, and the windows rattled as the wind passed, shrieking.
Jack only stared silently, taking in every hurt that had been inflicted and carefully storing them away in her mind.
Abruptly, she stood, picking up her staff with a glove-covered hand and shoving open the nearest window.
“I won’t let them get away with this, Levy.” She swore, voice low. “I promise.”
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
After hearing of what the Element Four had done-or, more specifically, what Totomaru and Sol had done-, Gajeel had known Jack would be furious.
He would never admit it, not even to himself, but it had ticked him off, too.
Levy was so small and vulnerable…
Certainly not a challenge for them, or an obstacle in completing their objective, so why beat on her like that?
“Gajeel.”
Looking up from his spot against a tree, the Iron Dragon Slayer felt something in his chest tighten up.
Even though her eyes were still faintly red, Jack stared back with resolve, a wall hiding all of the hurt and anger and guilt that tried to take precedence over everything else.
“You said they want to destroy Fairy Tail?”
Gajeel straightened, hands stuffed in his pockets as he considered her.
“Yeah.”
Hands clenched into tiny fists at her sides, Jack could only nod, as if coming to a decision.
“Then I’m going to need your help.”
Curious despite himself, he shifted forward, her scent filling his nose through the chill.
Pine and sky and tears…
“With what?”
Her gaze was fierce when it met his, all of her tears long dry.
“With destroying Phantom Lord.”