The Knight of Exorcism: Chapter 4

I had only seen Sting like this once in my life.
The fake death of Lector.
Sting ran into the dark abyss, and I had the strangest feeling he didn't want me to follow him. 
All of us waited.
"So, that Sting man... he's usually like this?" Suguro asked, playing with a scab on his hand.
"What? Never, only this one time... ugh, I hate talking about that. And it's so long."
"C'mon, c'mon! Tell us, let's go, I wanna hear!" Rin squealed.
I couldn't help but grin and laugh. "You remind me of someone I know. His name's Natsu. Anyway, I guess I have to tell you, huh?" I smiled at the ground. "It's seems like a millennium since that happened. Never, never had I ever seen Sting like I saw him that day. Let me start at the beginning. Rogue and Sting... despite their incredible power when working together, that Natsu Dragneel... he was somethin' else. He beat them like that. By himself, even. Our guild master started to beat them up, threw the duo against the wall, 'lightly punishing' them, he said... he targeted Sting, slamming him again and again on the ground, pounding their already hurt bodies against the wall, torturing them over and over..." I shivered.
They stared at me, scared.
"The old master said they were kicked out of Sabertooth, burn off their guild tattoos... they brought shame and humiliation to the guild, that's what he said. Sting and Rogue were quiet the whole time. Then Lector stood up. Lector, a mere extalia cat, stood up to the master and said that he was proud of Sting, and the team should learn from defeat, no be punished. He said Sting did well. The master... the master was mad at the cat for saying such a thing, and... the old master... he... killed Lector. Rogue jumped in to protect Frosch. Sting was so shocked. He was sitting there, staring at the pile of ashes with this dark look in his eyes. And he shakily stood up, tears dripping down his face, and he started to yell and cry at the same time. Eucliffe was totally breaking down. Then he just stared at the old master for a few seconds, and suddenly... there was just a giant, bleeding hole in the middle of the master's body. Sting just collapsed again, sobbing like crazy. The master was obviously dead, he was literally laying in a pool of blood. Sting didn't even give a crap, he was just yelling at everyone for not stopping the master. Rogue was just looking the whole time. He hadn't even moved. That was the first time I'd ever seen him like that... I hoped it was the last, but..." Just remembering made me ice cold. "I never wanted to see Sting like that again."
We were all quiet.
"WHITE NOVA!" I heard a loud echo from the deepest part of the cave. 
Everything turned white in the bright explosion. 
~-~-~
"Jeez, dude! I told you, I need no medical attention! Lay off already!" Sting snarled at Yukio, who kept eyeing his four-inch-deep cut in the side and asking if he needed a doctor.
"It'll get infected if you keep it open that long, I warn you!"
"I DON'T GIVE A CRAP, LAY OFF!" Sting yelled. 
"If you insist," The doctor exorcist sighed.
Sting rolled his eyes. "I hate that dude. So clingy."
I looked at the cut. "What did Acnologia even do?"
"Claw of the black dragon. But that Nova sure shocked him. Damn, how does a thing like that raise someone kind like you?"
"It wasn't just Acnologia. My mother was there until..." I looked at my feet. "Nothing."
Sting smiled. "Whatever. We all lost something to someone, haven't we? I lost Weisslogia to myself... I never even knew my family. So don't go thinking you're the only one who has it hard."
I nodded. "I guess you are right. Oh, yeah... how's Rogue? Lector and Frosch are with him, right?"
"Yeah. I'll go check on him." Sting stood up and brushed himself off.
Suguro snorted. "Just some stupid guy... what's so important?"
Sting lashed his head towards Suguro. "What'd you just say?"
Suguro smiled. "Nothing, nothing."
"Don't think I didn't hear ya, punk."
Sting left.
"Jerk. If that Rogue is worse than him, I'd hate to see Rogue wake up. He's probably a sucking weakling without power. Useless idiot." Suguro muttered. 
"Oh? You'd like to battle him? He has a title. Try to guess it."
"Useless Moron, I'm 100% sure."
"Killer Shadow Dragon Rogue, Dark One of the Twin Dragons." I taunt.
Suguro turns red. "Whatever... just some stupid name."
I followed Sting into the room.
~-~-~
The blankets, once white, were a dark red. Rogue was slightly awake. "Hey... Sting, Brooklyn... you guys... didn't have to save me. I apologize for being such a nuisance..." Rogue sighed like he was useless. 
"Hey, what? You totally weakened Acnologia! I put that guy to sleep for another ten years, hell yeah!" Sting encouraged. "You rock, dude! Don't go killing your own reputation!"
Rogue smiled faintly. "You compliment me... but I truly was useless. You have my sincerest apologies, Sting. You also, Brooklyn. Never should you two have fled to my rescue."
"Dude, keep talking like that, and your pale-as-heck face is gonna be bossed by my white dragon nova."
Rogue frowned. "Seriously?"
"Of course no, man! God!"
"Hey, Rogue. Are you really OK?" I asked.
"I'm sure. Eucliffe here won't let me breath out of this bed."
"Hey, man, never said that. Get up if you want. You're Rogue freaking Cheney! Shadow Dragon Rogue! You GO, man!"
He sat up. "It feels nice to move." He glared in Sting's direction and slowly stepped out of the bed.
Suddenly, he tore off the bandages and socked his own stomach.
"Let me die here, please. My weakness is simply a burden."
Sting caught Rogue as he fell. "No, dude! You are banned from dying too young, OK? Surpass Gajeel, then die, deal?"
Rogue stared into Sting's eyes. "You're faking it. You don't actually care."
Sting dropped Rogue. "What? Now, that's just being mean. I'll admit, I don't care for you nearly as much as I care for Lector. But that doesn't mean I don't even care at all. So don't say that."
Rogue smiled. "Thank you for the truth. But really, I am fine. I don't understand it either, but my wound is fully healed. Look for yourself."
Sting looked where the bandages once were, and his eyes widened. "Dude... that's... weird. What the heck, how did it do that?"
Rogue stood up. "I cannot answer, but I can say only the minor scratches are the only ones left. May I leave this room?"
"Hey, I ain't stopping you."
Rogue went into the closet to change.
He came out in his normal attire. "Perhaps we could go on a mission, for practice?"
"Dude, seriously? No way."
Rogue sighed. "What, then?"
"Go sit. I'll make some food, since the cook's out."
Rogue plastered a fake smile. "Of course," and walked out of the room.
We waited.
Then I said, "I'll kill if he actually went to sit down."
Sting jolted up. "God, you're right!"