As of the year two thousand, rumours flew that the government was fighting to make the sale, distribution, consumption and possession of any caffeinated item – pop, ice cream, any kind of coffee from decaf to dark roast, certain medications from weight loss pills to types of pain medications, any and all products containing even a trace of caffeine was going to become an illegal substance. All in an attempt to curb the massive amounts of people affected by this overly addictive substance. Yet another useless "war on drugs" for the government to make themselves look good. Coffee shops were closing, shutting their doors for good, stores began taking ice cream off their shelves and doctors and pharmacies stopped proscribing and selling medications that had even a trace of caffeine.

Three years later as of January first, two thousand three the laws were finally changed and enforced. If one was caught consuming, selling, distributing or buying caffeine of any amount, they were fined heavily or if the amount was high enough – jailed up to a maximum of ten years. Even the threat of jail time and very heavy fines didn't stop people from drinking, consuming, stealing, buying, selling and even operating illegal coffee houses in secret, right under the nose of the law. Sometimes with the help of corrupt police and officials.

There was a black market for it, run by crooked officials and dirty cops, desperate caffeine addicts and anyone who wanted a quick buck. The buying of mass amounts of caffeine was hard to come by but a few who did became extremely wealthy, desirable...and dangerous. Once the individual had power, they would do anything to keep it. Bribery and murder were common in this field. The police and law abiders were the least of a persons worry in this illegal underground. The worst thing out there was some one who was running the exact same business – with much more resources.

That was just the way that Natsu Dragneel liked it. In twenty – seventeen, seventeen years after the laws passed, he wasn't new to this line of work. He'd worked for thirteen years, starting at the age of six, for a caffeine lord as a Caffeine Runner. Natsu was part of the ring that would smuggle coffee and other caffeinated items in to the city. A six year old caught with illegal substances? He was to young for the police to do anything about it. Laws only applied to those eighteen years and older.

Natsu had started working four years after the law had been passed, the man was a king pin of the illegal caffeine business known only by the name Jude. That was how this business was run, one name bases only. One name could be anything. A first name, last name, alias. It was impossible to track, easy to remember and protected the one who's name it was. The less information one knew, the better. It discouraged people breaking off and trying on their own, the police from trying to find legitimate charges so as to dig further in to their suspected ones and most importantly...added protection against betrayal. Natsu knew first hand that that wasn't how it worked one hundred percent of the time however...

When his boss was betrayed by one of his crewmen, the caffeine bar was ransacked during a raid, he'd been one of the lucky few that managed to escape. Natsu was lucky enough to be in the back at the time, washing the coffee pots. He was able to sneak out and make a run for it with the money he'd 'borrowed' from his employer. A disgusting, greedy and perverted man, he'd never paid Natsu or the crew that worked under him, instead using threats of harm and ratting them out to the police to get them to work. They were young, had no family, were poor or had family they needed to protect from knowing their true line of work for various reasons. Instead, Jude brought in people – addicts, drifters, creepy and suspicious people and bimbos off the street, buying round upon round of coffee for them.

Aged fourteen, eight years after he'd first started working as a Caffeine Runner, Natsu became a barkeep. As a barkeep, it was Natsu's job to serve them – in silence. So much as a word breathed to his customers, especially about where and how the caffeine products were acquired...well, everyone knew what happened in that little back room. Especially Natsu. He mopped the place out at least once a week, the drain in the back of the bar permanently stained a rusty red. He wasn't stupid, the code of silence was the only way to survive in this life, it had served him well these passed thirteen years.

After the escape from the raid, he'd been able to lie low for a few months. Natsu had chosen to strike out on his own. So now here he was in this run down, sewage smelling, rodent infested bar. He was no fool. He knew how to be a barkeep, so a barkeep he would, of alcohol and caffeine both. How hard could it be to run a coffeehouse disguised as a bar?

A soft snort of laughter escaped him as he looked around the room, dark eyes taking in the warped and old tables, almost rotting with misuse. The wooden floor so covered in dust, the footprints of the rodents that called this place home the only signs of life. What sunshine there was outside was almost lost in the filter of ages of dust and grime on the windows. Worn out and stained beams held the sagging roof, a long counter at the back with a cash register, six bar stool like chairs and a small shelf for merchandise.

A long grimy and scuzzy mirror along the back of the counter allowed the clerk to see what was going on behind his back, around the room, the doors and tables. Off to the right blocked off by a mold covered swash of fabric trying it's best to play a curtain hid the true reason he'd bought this disused and abandoned for ages building. Behind that curtain was a secret that would – hopefully – allow him to live the life he'd always wanted to live. Sweeping one more look around the room, a slow almost feral grin came to his lips as he took it all in.

"Mister Dragneel, if you'll follow me..."

Glaring at the man, Natsu made sure he had his magic energy at the ready, just in case. In this type of business venture, you couldn't trust your own parents, never mind a complete stranger. The fact that he had to use the services of such a sleazy man was enough to make his skin crawl, but he didn't really have a choice. Jon had come highly recommended from Natsu's contacts still within Jude's 'employ'. As soon as Natsu had mentioned his interest in buying this building for a bar, the sleazy little man's piggy eyes lit up with greed and Natsu knew that he was discovered.

Looking to be a tad more discreet, and in desperate need for utmost discretion he'd offered the man twice the cost of the building and five percent of the a fore mentioned cost for his silence. Both men knew the other would keep tabs on the them, leverage against the other in case the deal went bad or Natsu was caught running an illegal business and ratted Jon out as the seller. To take the deal was beneficial to both parties. One mistake and they would both fall.

That thought in mind as he walked passed that disgusting curtain, he took a moment to light his hand aflame and brushed the tips of his fingers over the disgusting thing, almost as one would caress the skin of a lover. Immediately the mouldy fabric caught hungrily and the burning tangy smell of mold and fabric filled the room. Just as the man turned back, eyes wide in panic, a smile slipped over Natsu's lips.

A deer in the headlights...

One thing Natsu knew was you didn't get far in this business by being afraid of every man, woman or child you met. Wiping his hands on his jeans, he adjusted the white scale patterned scarf he always wore around his neck, motioning for the man to continue on the way. The longer his car was parked outside, the nosier neighbours got. Nosey neighbours were never a good thing – they asked to many questions.

"So, you're looking to open a bar, hm, lad? The downstairs has excellent storage for – eh, special items. Lots of space for – counters and special merchandise. Running water, electricity, a working cashier station, extra escapes – for fires of course! It's really a very nice place to be, I'm partial to it myself, but it's the wife you see...she's sick and...the basement doesn't do good for her poor health."

"I'm sorry to hear about your sick wife, Sir. I hope that this will meet all my expectations. Is it the right temperature to hold my more delicate and finer of products? Keeps out scents from the outside so as not to spoil the more delicate of flavours?"

Just watching the man's hands jitter and touch everything, it made Natsu's skin crawl. He was not careful at all! Both men knew the exact reasoning Natsu was looking to buy this building, he just happened to be more discreet than this lumbering oaf of a realtor!

"Yes, Mister – eh, Dragneel...Look, before we go any further...can we cut with the formalities? My name is Jon, I prefer -"

"Smith or Doe? Maybe Smythe?"

Crossing his arms as he spoke, Natsu huffed a sigh of exasperation. It was always the same story. Always the same fake last name, untraceable, no information or the information of a person long dead or very very far away that had nothing to do with any part of the situation. Putting up with these people for the ten years he was working for Jude was bad enough, now that he was on his own – he was having none of it. Clearing his throat, he ran a hand through his salmon coloured hair, mussing it further and narrowed his gaze on the man.

"Look, Jon Doe, Smith or Smythe or whoever the hell you are – I'll just call you Jon and you just call me Dragneel. That's it that's all. You don't like it, I cut out deal right here, right now and walk out that door. Are we clear?"

All it took was to scoop some of the fire on the curtain up, almost absently popping it in his mouth, and Jon Smith, Doe or Smythe, whoever this man was, went bolting through the door. Bitter laughter burst passed Natsu's lips as he watched the man run. The place was already paid for in full, the deed and other legal papers tucked safely away in a locked container in his trunk. Grabbing an old chair and brushing the dust off, Natsu scrubbed at his face and sighed. He hated intimidating people like that...he hated being the bad guy – but in this life, he had to be. He didn't have a choice, this was all he knew. What better to do to make a living then what you knew how to do? Everyone had to make a living – even a coffeehouse barkeep gone rogue and on his own.

"Sitting here isn't going to help me do jack-all. First things first, this place needs a good scrub down."

Grabbing his keys from his pocket, Natsu worked his way out the door and to his car, deciding to go to the store to gather cleaning supplies. If he was going to run a bar, he'd at least better make it look legitimate. For starters, he needed to clean that place from top to bottom...and hire personnel.

Laughter escaped him once more as he sped his way down the road. Cleaning supplies and the library to type out a help wanted add it was then!

Edited: 08/03/2015