[Wifey did such a good job.]

“Stay together,” Cana said quietly, grabbing Juvia’s hand as they ran towards the bunker. Juvia had unconsciously started towards Natsu and Lucy after watching them engage Etherios’s followers. “I want to help them, too, but we’ve got to keep going.”

She nodded, wishing her friends luck as their group made their way along the outskirts of the main fight, trying to avoid as much confrontation as possible. Although they all wanted to help, Lily had told them to conserve their energy for the fight inside. It would be difficult, and they would need as much of their strength as they could save.

“Jellal.” Lily instructed as they neared the closed doors of the bunker.

“On it.” With a thrust of his hand to the side, the doors slid open, allowing them to enter before slamming closed behind them.

It was nearly as cold inside the bunker as it was outside, no thanks to the metal lining the walls. Juvia wondered if the metal had been put there for the electrical-type users Etherios seemed fond of, and to deter people with gifts like Natsu and Lucy from coming inside.

If Etherios considers gifts like those weak, then he is foolish, she thought as they continued running.

“I don’t like this,” Jellal murmured to Lily, who nodded in response.

“What is it?” Juvia asked.

“No one has attacked us yet,” Levy said, looking around.

“That is weird,” Cana agreed. “This place should be swarming with men, right?”

“It should,” Lily nodded. “Even if most of Etherios’s followers had gone outside to fight, there is no way they would leave the inside unprotected like this.”

“That means they’re confident that whoever did stay inside can handle those of us who came in to rescue Gajeel.” Levy frowned worriedly.

“That works to our advantage,” Lily said.

“It works to our advantage that they left their strongest fighters inside?” Cana frowned.

Lily shook his head. “Their strongest fighters will be with Etherios, like I said. It works to our advantage that not many fighters other than them are still inside. Etherios is underestimating us.”

“Or he knows they can beat us,” Cana grumbled.

Lily came to a sudden halt, turning on her. “If you aren’t confident in this fight, you are going to die,” he said, bluntly, “and there is no place for you on this team. Head back outside to help the others.” Leaving them all stunned, he turned and continued running.

“Hey! Wait a damn minute!” Cana snapped. “I never said I wasn’t confident. I have been training since I was little, so I can kick anyone’s ass that comes at me!”

“Then act like it.”

Juvia grabbed her hand when she opened her mouth to retort. “He’s worried about us,” she told her. It didn’t take Wendy’s gift to know what he was thinking—if any of them hesitated for even an instant, they would end up dead, and it would be his fault for bringing them into the fight.

“He didn’t have to be such an ass about it,” she mumbled.

“He’s our leader, he has to be,” Juvia chuckled.

“I—”

“Get down!” Lily suddenly shouted, grabbing both her and Cana and throwing them to the ground. A loud boom sounded above them, followed by a bright light.

“It’s that electricity user!” Levy shouted, charging him from atop Baghira.

“Levy, stop!” Jellal shouted, grabbing her arm and pulling her off Baghira, just in time for the spirit to roar in pain.

“Baghira!!” She screamed.

“I’m fine, child,” Juvia heard his voice in her head again, knowing he was talking to the group. “I’ll be alright after a moment.”

“Don’t tell me you intended on fighting me inside a metal room,” the man snickered. “Etherios told us you were foolish, and I guess he was right.”

“I wouldn’t act so cocky, Jay,” Jellal snapped, getting to his feet after setting Levy gently on the floor. “Not once have you been able to beat me.”

“It’s been years since we’ve fought,” the man named Jay smirked, electricity coursing over his body. “I’m willing to bet I won’t lose this time.”

“Lily,” Jellal said, never turning away from Jay, “you four go on ahead. I’ll finish this quickly and join you later.”

“Don’t let your emotions get in the way of your fight,” Lily ordered, to which he nodded. “Throw them now!”

Jellal threw what looked like two bombs that exploded into light in front of Jay, temporarily blinding him long enough for their group to get safely passed him. Lily helped Levy onto Bahira’s back before leading their sprint down the hallway and away from their friend and his adversary.

“Will Jellal be alright, facing that man alone?” Juvia asked, glancing over her shoulder. He had been able to incapacitate their entire group and take Gajeel down, so he was strong. She couldn’t help but worry about him facing that man without any backup.

“He’ll be alright,” Lily reassured them. “Jay has killed Erza twice before, so Jellal needs to do this alone.”

“Twice?”

“Once when we captured Jellal while he was still working with Etherios, and a second time about three years ago during an attack on what was their current base.”

“That’s what you meant when you told him not to let his emotions get in the way,” Levy said.

“It is,” he nodded. “And the same goes for you three. I know you are angry about what happened in Italy, but don’t let it cloud your judgement. Staying clear-headed and focused is the only way to make it out of this alive.”

That’s right. We could very well die today. I may never make it back to Mother and Father. I may never return to France. I may never—

“Juv, you alright?” Cana asked, placing her hand on Juvia’s shoulder.

“Yes,” she nodded, letting out a long sigh. “Just nervous.”

“Me too,” Cana chuckled, “but I know you’ve got my back, and I’ve got yours.”

“Looks like Jay’s talk is bigger than his bite,” came a snort from ahead of them.

Lily slowed to a halt, cursing under is breath that they didn’t have time for more interruptions.

It was another familiar face, and Juvia had to suppress a shiver. That strange goo man, she thought, remembering how he had nearly killed Gajeel without any of them even realizing it was happening.

“I’m guessing this means we’re getting closer to Gajeel,” Lily murmured, looking around the man and faruther down the corridor.

“That doesn’t really matter,” the man snapped, throwing his hands out. Goo seemed to seep from the walls, quickly closing in on them.

“You guys have to keep going,” Cana said, a determined look on her face. “Jellal will come help me once he’s done with that lightening asshole.”

“Cana—” Before Juvia could finish, she was swallowed by shadows, when she reemerged, she was beside Levy and Lily, far away from Cana and the goo man.

“Juvia, where are you going?” Levy called after her, and she realized she was running.

“Cana will need help. You two keep going,” she said, never slowing down.

She heard Lily instruct Levy to keep going, so she urged her legs to go faster.

“Juvia!” Cana gasped, barely avoiding an attack. “What are you doing here?!”

“Helping,” she said, standing beside her friend and facing the goo man.

“No chance I can convince you to go back with Levy and Lily?” Cana asked with a small smirk.

Juvia mirrored the smirk, shaking her head. “I joined Lily so I could protect the people I love, so I’m exactly where I need to be.”

When she saw the brunette’s face turn scarlet, Juvia felt her own face heat up. “That’s not—I didn’t mean—let’s focus on defeating this man,” she stammered, pulling her paints from their tubes.

Cana grinned devilishly, the shadows seeming to intensify around her. “Oh, I’m going to destroy this guy now.”

{Hey guys! Sorry it took me so long to get to this!! Life has been a bit hectic as of late, lol. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed the chapter! ^_^}