After the whole guild fight and whatnot, we were all forced to fix the place-up, which was highly annoying, but it was either that or argue with Gramps, which none of us would win. Anyways, a few days passed since then; everything's calmed down, and Fairy Tail has returned to normal; well, its new normal.
With all the new young blood we got, it's a bit more chaotic than it usually is; then again, chaos and Fairy Tail go hand-in-hand with each other, so it wasn't like anyone was complaining.
"No, that'll leave you vulnerable to counterattacks." Frowning, I shook my head at Romeo's movements, only to demonstrate once more how to properly throw a punch. "Like this; this is an optimal punch." Seeing him nod, he copied me, causing me to click my tongue; his punch was better than before, but it wasn't good. "W-Was that good, big bro?"
"Hey! What do you think you're trying to do, Cooper?" Turning, I saw Macao approaching us, which made me fold my arms. "Teaching him how to throw a proper punch." "Tsk, that's my job, you know; besides, I've already taught him how to punch." "Oh, so you're the dumbass who taught him that punch? You trying to get him killed?" "Tch, dumbass? That's really rich coming from you."
As Macao and I glared intensely at each other, our foreheads pressed against each other as we tried to overpower the other. "You calling me stupid, you perverted old man!?" "Ho, I damn sure ain't calling you smart!" Grabbing each other's clothes, we fell to the ground, rolling across it while fighting.
"Tsk, stop teaching my son! I don't want him turning out like you!" "Better he turn out like me than like you! At least we don't have to worry about him falling for a honey trap!" "Tch, that was one time you bastard!"
We rolled across the ground, fighting for a few minutes, though eventually Erza broke us up. "Haa, alright, you two, stop fighting." Grabbing our faces, Erza forced us apart, prompting us to stand and glare at each other. "Hmph, perverted old man." "Stupid dumb beast."
Scoffing, I returned to Romeo, while Macao did the same; together, while constantly arguing, we taught Romeo. Eventually, after an hour or so, we stopped and separated.
Finding a spot in the corner, I sat down, propped my feet onto the table, and closed my eyes, intending to drift to sleep, though while doing so, someone sat near me, causing me to open my eyes, only to see Wendy and Carla. Seeing them approach me on their own was a bit surprising, as I've had a feeling they'd been keeping their distance since the incident with Fingers.
"Yeah? You need something?" Rolling onto my side, Wendy fidgeted around with her hands, opened her mouth several times, only for Carla to speak on her behalf. "Why did you do it?" "Do what?" "Why did you kill Fingers?" As she pointed her paw, I saw Wendy flinch from the corner of my eye while she looked at me, causing me to grin. "Hehe, because I wanted to."
Both of them were clearly taken aback by my response as their eyes widened, prompting me to dismissively wave my hand before closing my eyes. "Alright, now leave, I'm trying to rest." Yawning, I rolled onto my side, my back facing them.
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Wendy POV
Seeing Cooper ignore us, I grabbed Carla and quickly walked away with my head down, confused at his response.
"What did he say?" Stopping, I glanced up at Mirajane, whom I'd confided in; climbing onto the barstool, I set Carla down while sighing. "Hmm, let me guess, he said something like 'Because I love killing.' Or 'I love the taste of blood.' Tell me, was I close?" I couldn't help but lightly chuckle at how perfectly Mirajane imitated Cooper.
"I-It was something similar." "Fufu, see that, I know him so well." Smirking in pride, Mirajane shot Cana a look, who rolled her eyes before glancing at me. "Big bro probably laughed or chuckled and then said, 'I wanted to.' I'm right, aren't I?" I widened my eyes and slowly nodded, surprised how she'd guess what he said exactly. "Y-Yes." "Hmph, no more alcohol for you." "W-Wait, Mira, wait!!"
Mirajane ignored Cana and returned her focus to me. "Honestly, someone needs to keep some sort of leash on him; how can he just ruthlessly kill someone like that?" Huffing, Carla folded her arms and sat down while Mirajane chuckled in amusement. "Hehe, so funny." "I-Is it?" While I thought putting a leash on Cooper might've been a bit excessive, I was confused how Mira could find any of this amusing.
"Yes, it is, Wendy. Do you know how many people I've killed?" Mirajane's words took me aback as I stared at her in surprise. "Y-You've killed someone before? W-Why?" "Because if I didn't, then I'd die… Your mage life has been peaches and roses, Wendy, but being a mage is a dangerous and dirty job." Raising an eyebrow, Mirajane cleaned a cup while looking at me.
"B-But, y-you don't have to kill someone to be a mage, right?" "No, you don't; but for you, it will be necessary. You've joined Team Natsu. No one keeps count of their kills, but Team Natsu is definitely one of the highest, probably only surpassed by big bro and the Thunder God Tribe… Do you really think you can be a mage on a team like that? If not, you should think about retiring."
Unlike before, there wasn't that motherly warmth from Mirajane; instead, it was the hardened demeanor of an S-class mage, forcing me to lower my head in uncertainty. 'C-Could I really kill someone?'
"Oh, as for big bro, well, he killed Fingers for you; he probably didn't want you to feel guilty for failing to save Fingers. Fufu, he's so kind, isn't he?" I looked at Mirajane skeptically, finding her assumption somewhat hard to believe. "You don't believe me, do you?" Shaking my head, she chuckled and patted my head.
"Fufu, that's fine; big bro is like that. I also thought there were a few screws loose with him when I first joined; well, there definitely are. However, one thing you'll learn is that he always has Fairy Tail first." Hesitantly nodding, I grabbed Carla and thanked Mirajane before leaving, needing some time to think.
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Cooper POV/ A Few Days Later
"Huh, you guys leaving for a quest?" Looking between Mira and Elfman, the former nodded before grabbing Orga by the head, lifting him like a doll. "I'll be taking Orga along for his first quest." "Haha, finally, a quest! I'll beat up everyone!" Roaring in joy, yellowish black lightning dances around his body, though a hit from Mira promptly put him back in his place.
"Fufu, such a cutie, doesn't he remind you of someone, big bro?" Snorting in response, causing her to chuckle, I waved my hand as the three of them left.
Orga wasn't the only one going on a quest; earlier today, Rufus had joined Shadow Gear, and Sting and Rogue had gone together with the Thunder God Tribe. As for Dobengal, I think he'd gone with Vijeeter, Warren, and Max.
Rubbing my chin, I leaped onto the second floor and approached the quest board; luckily, there happened to be a quest regarding dark mages. "What luck, quests like these are hard to come by." Smirking in joy, I headed downstairs, handing the quest to Gramps, who accepted it with no problem.
"Cana, Lucy, get ready, we're going on a quest!" Shouting through the guild, earning groans from the two women, I looked around before heading into the back. Walking down the hall, I opened one of the rest-rooms, where I saw Minerva sitting down, writing something.
Standing behind her, I looked over her shoulder, reading the contents of her journal, only to raise an eyebrow. "Hey, change that part, it sounds weird; I only slept with you so I could use my indestructible magic on you." Leaning forward, I pointed at the top of the page, only for Minerva to squeal in fright as she leaped out of the chair.
"D-Don't look!" Regaining her bearings, Minerva leaped onto the desk, using her body to cover the journal before stuffing it into the desk. "Yeah, whatever; anyway, I'm taking you on your first quest, so c'mon." Shrugging my shoulders, unconcerned about her diary, I grabbed her by the waist and hoisted her against me, carrying her to the guild hall.
"Gramps, I'm taking Minerva with us." "Okay, just don't push her too hard." Nodding, I stopped by the entrance and dropped Minerva while glancing between Cana and Lucy, who had been waiting.
"Not cool, big bro, you gave us no warning in advance." Pressing her hands on her hips, Lucy looked at me in annoyance. "I won't take my share of the reward." "You know, have I ever told you how much I love you?" Like a different person, Lucy leaned against me while drawing circles on my chest, though in my opinion, she was failing at being seductive. "hic w-whore hic." "Hey! I heard that, Cana!"
While Lucy left me to go and argue with Cana, I exited the guild, prompting the three of them to follow.