Hello, boys and girls. I'm back.

Thank you for the encouragement. I'm glad that you lovely readers find my story interesting. I want to give a personal thank you to Piranha-pk and Lale who helped me with the German.

So, anyways, I made a new chapter. It's quite a bit longer than the prologue. Hope you enjoy it.

Chapter 1: Who We Are

Our story takes place on the island nation of Fiore in the year 2016.

Fiore.

It is about 1000 kilometers northwest of what is now Mauritania in the mid-Atlantic ocean. It was discovered entirely by accident in 1530 by Dutch sailors who were trying to make it around Africa to India. They were blown off course and landed on the northern part an uninhabited island four times the size of Hispaniola. After the initial shock, the Dutch saw this as an opportunity. Use the island as an outpost for sailors traveling to India. So, they sent for people to settle the island and a new colony was born. The island was named after the captain's mother (who was Italian), Fiore. The colony was called Crocus because of the flowers found there.

But the Dutch weren't the only ones to settle Fiore. In 1581, the Spanish landed on the northern part. They named their colony Rosa. In 1629, the French landed on the western end of Fiore. They called their colony and set up their own outpost. With three powers vying for control over Fiore, there were many who believed that war would be declared for this strategically valuable land. Fortunately, cooler heads prevailed. Rather than fight over the island, the Spanish, French and Dutch signed the Brussels Nonaggression Act of 1632, which allowed the French to colonize the western part, the Spanish were given the northern part while the Dutch settled the southern part. It was expanded upon in 1638 to allow the English to colonize the eastern part of Fiore. Keeping the flower theme, they called their colony Clover.

For being a single island where four of the major European powers settled, there was relative peace. Although Fiore had fairly decent fishing and coffee exports, to the powers, the island was nothing more than a jumping off point to other, more profitable colonies on the coasts of Africa, the Caribbean islands and the Americas. The colonists, meanwhile, continued expansion inwards into the island.

In 1659, Spain, having lost to France in the Franco-Spanish War, was forced to cede control over its colony to the victor. So now, France was the dominant power in Fiore. With it, it was able to seize more control of the island's resources. This unbalance of power made the two remaining colonies nervous. So, they banded together and created an alliance to offset this. Thus you had the French on one side and the Dutch and English on the other. In the years later, the Dutch would formally ceded control over its colony to England (now the United Kingdom) in 1713 for a handsome sum of money.

There was tension building France and Great Britain which could be felt in Europe, the Americas and Fiore which culminated in the Seven Years War. Though the fighting wasn't as intense as it was in Europe or the Americas, six thousand people lost their lives in Fiore until the war ended in 1763. With France defeated, Fiore was now under complete British rule. They set up Crocus as the provisional capital and there was peace. This peace survived the American Revolution and the War of 1812.

However, Fiore was slowly changing. As time went by, the people stopped seeing themselves less as British citizens and seeing themselves as Fioreans. The Fioreans were started to gain a national identity. And they no longer wanted to be a part of the United Kingdom. They wanted to be free. So, under the leadership of a man named Lucinox Caserta, they revolted in 1863.

It came to be known as the Floral Revolution.

The Fioreans captured British bases and declared independence. The British, for a while, fought back. But the Fioreans had the advantage of knowing the terrain. The fighting went on for about three years until a truce was made. (Many historians argue over whether or not the Fioreans could have actually defeated the British. They were the world's greatest superpower at the time and if they really wanted to keep Fiore, they would have. However, some historians believe that the British didn't see the value of Fiore other than as a stepping stone to India, which was far more valuable.) Great Britain would recognize Fiore's independence as long as Fiore would allow the British to have an outpost on the southern most part of the island. They agreed and Fiore was recognized as a country on March 20, 1866. The outpost was named Victoria's Crown, after the ruling monarch at the time.

Fiore set up their government as a constitutional democracy with a parliament, a judicial system and an executive branch, headed by the newly elected Lucinox Caserta. Thanks to his leadership, Fiore enjoyed relative peace with the British and soon allied itself with France and the United States.

Today, more than 150 years later, Fiore is a bustling island with a population of about 21 million. Its GDP is about 1.5 trillion. Its main language is English but there are places where Spanish, French and Dutch are spoken. Its currency is the Jewel, which has an exchange rate of .75 Euros. Tourism is a major part of its economy, offering an island getaway for Americans and Europeans. Fishing is another major part of its economy, along with the manufacturing of silicon-based products. And, while it may not be the world's leading exporter of coffee beans, the way it's grown produces a unique flavor that has yet to be reproduced outside of Fiore. Its population is well-educated with many of them having college level or higher degrees and they also have a very high standard of living. It has a temperate to tropical climate all year round. Many people who call this island home refer to Fiore as Paradise Island.

But even paradise had its serpent. If there is one shadow upon this otherwise shining slice of heaven on earth, it would be the illegal drug trade.

In the 1970s, the illegal drug trade started taking hold. Cocaine from Columbia was flooding North and South America. The cartels that controlled the trade were violent and ruthless. Many innocent people were left in their destructive wake. Wanting to spread to Europe, the cartels came to Fiore. And it wasn't just cocaine. Heroin was also moving west to the Americas. Fiore was caught in the middle. Because of its place between the Americas, Europe and Africa, the island was targeted by the cartels. There was a saying in the drug world. Control Fiore, control the drug trade.

It became so bad that the president at the time, Gran Doma, created a new division with the police with one sole purpose: to stem the flood of drugs into the country and to arrest the criminals responsible for bringing it here in the first place. This organization was known as the Fiore Drug Task Force.

FDTF was headed by veteran officer Purehito Grimoire. His newly created organization had unprecedented power to combat this threat. In ten years, FDTF had captured or killed over 2400 drug traffickers. It was an overwhelming success, one that Grimoire was able to use to get him elected president. Before that, he appointed Makarov Dreyar to replace him.

In the mid-80s, Makarov led the Task Force against the cartels just like his predecessor. However, what he didn't realize until later was that there was corruption within his organization which was led by Makarov's son, Ivan Dreyar. Makarov did not hesitate. He ordered everyone involved with the cartels arrested and he personally took down his son. This made Makarov a cause célèbre among Fioreans as someone who puts the safety of the island over his own family.

In the 90s, with the advent of computers and DNA profiling, the FDTF became the Fiore Criminal Task Force and it became the equivalent to US's FBI. It not only combats drug trafficking but also money laundering, racketeering, assault and murder. With a massive database of known criminals, Fiore-born and international, a crime lab that can analyze evidence and agents dedicated to the cause, FCTF protects not only Fiore but helps combat the illegal drug trade worldwide.

Though the specter of crime still exists, Fiore is still one of the safest countries in the world. This is where our story takes place. And it is on this island that the self-proclaimed greatest hacker of all time resides.

SHADOWGEAR

(This is the first page of the dossier on Shadowgear taken from the CIA.)

Alias: Shadowgear
Name: Unknown
Age: Unknown
Sex: Presumed Male
Date of Birth: Unknown
Country of Origin: Unknown
Country of Operations: Unknown
Height: Unknown
Weight: Unknown
Known Associates: Unknown
Crimes: Computer Fraud

Not much is known about Shadowgear. Who he is, where he is, why he does this, no one knows. What is known are his accomplishments.

Seven years ago, Shadowgear hacked into the FBI, CIA, NSA, Interpol, Scotland Yard, MI-6, Mossad, FSB, and FCTF...simultaneously. A joint effort was made by these organizations to trace the source of the incursion but to no avail. He has never tried to hack the organizations again.

Shadowgear is responsible for ruining at least twenty corporations and their CEOs. Some conservative estimates have him stealing over 500 million dollars.

Shadowgear has participated with the hacktivist group "Anonymous" in tracking down those who would distribute child pornography and reporting offenders to the proper authorities.

Shadowgear has gone after criminals who attempt to put their money in countries with strict banking laws like Switzerland, the Caymans and others.

Shadowgear has helped law enforcement agencies with catching criminals using facial recognition and credit card history. However, the help he gives LEOs does not mitigate responsibility.

Shadowgear's Psych Profile (Incomplete/possibly wrong due to lack of background)

Shadowgear is a male in his early to mid thirties. Well educated but with poor social skills. Works a low paying job so that his activities are not discovered but lives way beyond his means. Lives either alone or with a parent. Has never been in a relationship. Is great when it comes to attention to detail. Impatient. Egotistical. Goal-oriented with ulterior agenda. Has the best in computer equipment. Probably eats a lot of fast food so he isn't in perfect health. Probably into geek or counterculture. One or two friends at most. An internet vigilantism streak could suggests past trauma, probable abuse, possible sexual abuse, or he is someone looking for fun/challenge. One thing is certain. Shadowgear is probably the most brilliant and most dangerous hacker in the world.

Approach with extreme caution.

"Whaaaa?" Levy screamed at the top of her lungs. "What do you mean it's all filled up?"

"I'm sorry, Miss McGarden." A woman behind a computer said. "But Psych-302 is all filled up with Psychology majors. They get first dibs."

"Aww." She sighed. "I heard Professor Regulus was teaching the course."

"That's why it filled up so quickly." She answered. "All women."

"It's not surprising." Levy said. "His lectures are amazing."

"If you want," the woman handling registration said. "He is teaching several other courses this year. Perhaps I can sign you up for one. How about Psych-312: Deadly Women: The Minds of Female Criminals. If you are taking Criminology, it fulfills that requirement too."

"Sounds like fun." Lucy said. "Professor Regulus always has good classes."

"Okay, please sign me up." Levy asked.

Magnolia University

One of Fiore's elite universities. Founded in 1908 by Walrod Cken as an agriculture college which grew medicinal plants that only could be cultivated in Fiore. Not long after, the university developed a medical adjunct. Eventually, it evolved into the university it is today, offering many degrees in medicine, business, law, the liberal arts, and many more.

The campus itself is great. Over two kilometers of lush greenery, twenty buildings dedicated to learning including a large science lab, residencies for undergrads and post-grads, and a student population of over nine thousand, Magnolia U. is huge. Of course, like any elite college, they do have an excellent sports program. The Magnolia Dragons, as they are called, have been a force to be reckoned with, especially on the football field with many of its star players playing for their country in the World Cup.

But enough about the school. Let's talk about the star of this story, at least according to her.

Levy McGarden, AKA Shadowgear.

She is twenty-three years of age, blue hair, brown eyes, a bit on the short side and, to her consternation, not too big in the breast department. If you saw her on the street, you'd think she was pretty cute and unassuming. But don't let that fool you. She is an internationally wanted criminal.

At the age of 15, Levy was introduced to the world of computers and was hooked immediately. It was like awaking to a world of color after living in black and white for so long. She learned the basics from a very friendly Catholic nun at St. Francis de Sales. Levy wanted to learn everything she could about this fantastic device. She deconstructed and reconstructed that computer every chance she could until the hacker knew it inside and out. She learned the language of computers so well that she could actually speak it. Every code, every keystroke was euphoria. In under a year, Levy knew more about computers than the sister who taught her.

At 16, Levy taught herself the art of hacking and it was amazing. It was like taking control of a small part of the universe. A code here, a script there and she could manipulate whatever she wanted. Like many people trying to advance in their field, Levy needed a challenge, something to measure her skills against. But first, she needed an alias. Why she called herself Shadowgear, Levy couldn't tell you. Perhaps she thought it sounded cool at the time. Whatever the case, that's what she stuck with.

Levy got to work preparing to wage the greatest cyber assault of all time. One girl with a borrowed laptop against some of the biggest intelligence agencies. Sounds like a David vs. Goliath story right? You'd be right. It took her a weekend but she punched a hole into their securities system and left several backdoors in place so that she could access anything from their digital files.

The international news media ran that story for months. Hackers broke into intelligence agencies around the world. Was this the work of terrorists? Spies? Everyone had their theories. Not a single person knew the truth, that it was the work of a bored sixteen year old girl, trying to see what she could do.

From there, Levy started making a name for herself in the cyber world. Identity theft, corporate espionage, DDOS attacks, computer fraud, you name a computer crime, she's done it several times over. And she has never gotten caught.

At 18, Levy created an internet supernode for the church that taught her how to use the computer so that they wouldn't have to pay for an ISP. This garnered her much attention, both local and international, and most of it was unwanted. She hadn't forgotten that not even a year and a half, she hacked into all of those agencies. So when they interviewed her for the story, Levy did her best to draw attention away from herself and towards the church. That backfired terribly. Companies like Microsoft, Google, Facebook, and Yahoo saw the story and wanted to hire her. Levy declined each offer as graciously as possible, saying she would rather continue her education rather than work. The hacker learnt a lesson from this. Stay in the shadows and draw as little attention to yourself as possible.

There was a good thing that came of all of this. Levy was offered a full scholarship to Magnolia U, which she took. Not only did it give her a chance to further her education, but it also gave her a base of operations. And so, for the last four years, she has gone after the criminal underworld, taking down corporations, drug lords, and generally bad people from her college dorm.

"Well, now that we've finished signing up for electives, how about some ice cream?" Levy said to her two friends.

"Sounds like a plan to me." Lucy replied.

Lucy Heartfilia. Yes, you read that right. THE Lucy Heartfilia, daughter of Jude Heartfilia, the man who owns and runs Heartfilia Railways. Blonde and busty with nice legs and a great ass, basically a man's walking wet dream. Add to the fact that she's rich and smart and you've got the perfecta. She can be sweet and fiery at the drop of a hat. You can look but know that she is waaaay out of your league.

Lucy is the heir to the Heartfilia fortune. Children with wealthy parents tend to grow up one of three ways: spoiled, accepting or resentful. Lucy grew up the latter. When her mother, his wife, died suddenly, Jude thrust himself into his work, leaving Lucy without neither a mother nor a father. When she was sixteen, Mr. Heartfilia started grooming his daughter to take his place as the head of Heartfilia Railways. But Lucy resisted. Perhaps it was because of her independent spirit. Perhaps it was spiteful resistance for years of neglect. Whatever the case, Lucy wanted nothing to do with her father's empire.

It was during this time that she met with her future best friend for life, Levy McGarden. They met in St. Francis de Sales and the two instantly bonded. You might think it weird, an internationally wanted criminal who burns rich people and the daughter of a rich man. But the two just clicked.

Soon, Levy let Lucy in on her secret, that she was Shadowgear. Rather than being repulsed, Lucy thought it was cool. She resolved to help Levy in her scams, her partner in crime. Lucy became the roper. Using either the phone and internet programs like Skype, Lucy disguised her voice, her face and her hair to create a new persona, Lucia Loveless. Using this persona, she lured people into Levy's digital traps. Most of them were men who were charmed by her looks. They were so entranced by her beauty that they never saw the ruination that Levy brought until days, sometimes weeks after it happen.

The two were very careful to hide the money after their scams. The reason that most hackers get caught was that they were impatient. Perhaps it was born of the fact that they are so used to the instantaneous nature of their crimes. One click and their mark was ruined. But then they would put the money into their bank account immediately, leaving a trail that led right to them. Shadowgear was different. Levy would split up the proceeds of their crimes into smaller amounts and digitally bounce them around banks for several days, perhaps weeks at a time.

After the heat died down, she would slowly funneled half of the money into a shell company called Creative Solutions, a company she created that sets up computer and security networks around the world. She franchised the business to people looking for a job. They would install networks these networks around the world and would be paid by the company. This served two purposes. One, it allowed Levy and Lucy to launder the proceeds of their crimes and two, these networks would then serve as part of her botnet to hack into new targets. As for the company itself, it was cleaner than many legitimate corporations. Employees were well paid, had medical and dental insurance, pensions, withholding, 401ks, everything. No one would ever suspect that this business was a front for Shadowgear's illicit activities.

Of course, not all of the money went into the shell company. Half of it went to various charities around the world. Levy and Lucy reasoned that the money they stole from their targets should be put to help innocent people. Charities like the Salvation Army, UNICEF, and the Red Cross all have received anonymous donations from the duo, never knowing that the donations came from the accounts of bad people.

Levy McGarden as Shadowgear, Lucy Heartfilia as Lucia Loveless. Together, they were the Robin Hoods of the digital realm.

"Natsu, you going?" Lucy asked.

"Sorry. But I have to go see my pops." Natsu said with a smile, kissing Lucy's cheek. "Rain check?"

"Alright." Lucy said. "Say hello to your father for me."

Natsu nodded and left the two girls.

Natsu Dragneel. He stood out from the crowd with his pink hair. He had an infectious smile and a simple outlook on life. He was a fun-loving guy and very hard-working. If you saw him on the street, you would think that he was some kind of athlete. You wouldn't too far off the truth. Natsu's full ride to Magnolia U. was due to his football scholarship. Teams were already scouting him to have him join their football clubs, especially top teams like Madrid and Manchester. But one incident would change the course of his life forever.

His father, Igneel Dragneel, was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. Natsu watched as his father started losing control of his body. At first, the shakes were mild and could be attributed to perhaps cold or illness. But the illness got to the point where he crashed into the side of a building. That's when the doctors found out about the disease. Natsu was devastated. He had never felt so helpless in his life. Although his father put on a brave face, the pink haired college student knew better. That's when he had an epiphany. He wanted to do something to help. He gave up college football and put his all into pursuing a degree in medicine.

Giving up football meant that Natsu would also have to give up the scholarship. Having no way to pay for college, he looked for a good job that could help pay not only for his college but his father's medical bills. But no one would hire him because he lacked the experience. When Lucy learned of his father's condition, she offered to pay for it in full. Natsu refused. Call it male pride or whatever but Natsu couldn't allow someone else to take on the responsibility of taking care of his father. So she did the next best thing. She got him a job at Creative Solutions. Working at Creative Solutions not only gave Natsu a steady income, it also gave him medical insurance that paid for his father's bills and help with college.

Natsu had no idea that Levy and Lucy were running scams on criminals. He had no idea they were running the company that hired him. He only saw a very good friend and his girlfriend in Levy and Lucy respectively. Natsu never challenged the times he saw them on the computer together. He just assumed that they were doing girl stuff. In turn, Levy and Lucy took great care never to put him in dangerous or illegal situations. They never wanted to put him in a position to break the law, especially since he has an ill father to take care of. So they purposely kept him in the dark about their activities. This arrangement worked out well for the last three years and there was no reason to change that now.

"Let's get that ice cream." Levy said. "I want to go through all of the data later."

"Alright." Lucy cheered and the two went to the closest ice cream parlor.

The Fiore Criminal Task Force office in Crocus was busy processing the evidence from the Magic Bullet crime scene. Leading the charge was Laxus Dreyar.

Lieutenant Laxus Dreyar lived in both a bright light and a large shadow. He was the son of Ivan Dreyar, the corrupt enforcer and drug dealer, and the grandson of Makarov Dreyar, shining star of the Task Force. Most people in his position would want to stay away from the family business. But not Laxus. He had something to prove. He wanted not only to get out of the darkness of his father but out of the light of his grandfather. He wanted to be his own man, to be remembered for what he did, not what they did.

After high school, Laxus enlisted in the Task Force immediately. There, he worked harder than others, walking the beat, helping other officers with their cases. He never took easy, cushy missions. The enforcer worked longer hours than anyone. Many in the Task Force noticed this and nominated him for a promotion. Laxus Dreyar went from enforcer, to detective, to chief detective and now, at 31, lieutenant of the Crocus division of the Fiore Criminal Task Force. Over his career, Laxus has a closed case rate of 93 percent, higher than the average of 71. A man who doggedly pursued justice, Laxus Dreyar was a forced with whom to be reckoned.

"Someone give me a sit-rep of the Magic Bullet." Laxus yelled out.

An officer named Laharl came forward. "Of course, Lieutenant." He said. "Doranbolt is still collecting the physical evidence from all of Eminentia's clubs. All digital evidence has been sent to COMPFOR. Laytis is coming in a couple of minutes to sift through it."

"Why isn't he here now?" Laxus ordered. "I called him in four hours ago."

Laharl blushed. "He said he was on the coast of Clover with a woman."

Laxus growled. "Tell him to get his ass in here now."

Laharl nodded.

"Where's Bora?" Laxus asked.

"In Interrogation 1." Laharl answered. "Detective Strauss is talking to him."

"And the bodyguard?"

"In Interrogation 2." Laharl continued. "The captain himself said he was coming in to supervise. He wants you to do the interrogation."

Laxus would have said more but he noticed a woman wearing sunglasses and holding a briefcase coming into the Task Force, a woman who commanded attention. When he realized who it was, he groaned.

"Aw fuck." He cursed. "It's the Sabertooth woman."

The woman walked up to him and took off her sunglasses. "Where's Bora Eminentia?" She asked.

"Minerva." Laxus grounded out with a sarcastic smile. "Always a pleasure."

"Stop dicking me around and take me to my client." Minerva glared.

Laxus frowned. He looked at Laharl. "Take her to Bora." He commanded.

Laharl nodded and took Minerva to Bora, leaving Laxus alone in his thoughts

"Why the fuck is the queen of darkness taking on Bora's case?" He thought to himself. With that, he went over to interrogation room 2.

Bora sat and waited patiently in the interrogation room as one of the detectives was talking to him. He knew he wouldn't be here long. His lawyer should be here any moment. He watched the hulk of a man pace about the room.

"Do you want to make a statement?" Detective Strauss asked.

"Other than the fact that you are a big dumb idiot?" Bora snapped.

"Trying to get a rise out of me?" The detective asked. "That wouldn't be very manly."

"That'd be the only way you'd ever get a rise." Bora snickered. "I bet you're still a virgin."

Detective Strauss shrugged his shoulders.

The door to the interrogation room opened and in walked Bora's lawyer, Minerva Orland. She glared at the club manager. "This interrogation is over." She declared. "Leave the room."

Detective Strauss got up and started to leave the room.

"Yeah, that's right bitch." Bora sneered. "Run with your fairy tail between your legs."

Minerva smacked Bora's head with her briefcase hard.

"What the hell?" He yelled, rubbing his head.

"My client is invoking his right to shut his stupid mouth right now." Minerva said. Before he could say anything, she glared at him. "And if he wants me to continue as his lawyer, he'll do as he's told."

Bora cowed. He said nothing more.

Detective Strauss walked out the interrogation room and into the observation room. However, he realized that he was not alone. A woman with wavy brunette hair and glasses, wearing a dark blue blouse and pencil skirt. He knew immediately who it was.

"Ever." Detective Strauss greeted.

The woman addressed as Ever frowned. "When we are at work, call me by my full name, you lummox." She snapped. "It's Evergreen."

"Sorry, honey." He grinned sheepishly. "But you surprised me. Why are you here?"

"I've been promoted." She explained. "I'm working criminal cases now."

"That's great." Elfman smirked. "You've always wanted to move up in the Justice Department."

Evergreen looked at the two-way mirror and watched Minerva talk with her client. "Is that who I think it is?" Evergreen asked.

"Yeah, that's Miss Sabertooth herself." Elfman spat. "She's his lawyer."

"She's a tough one, I've heard." The woman from Justice told the detective. "There was a case that Justice had. We had everything: DNA, video footage, eyewitnesses. She confused the jury so badly that they voted for acquittal.

"We've got more than enough." Elfman explained. "We found drugs in his clubs. We've rounded up many of his associates who are willing to cut deals in exchange for lighter sentences. We've got video footage of him making deals. We've got it all."

Evergreen closed her eyes and mulled everything over in her head.

"Alright." She sighed. "Charge him. Drug trafficking, criminal possession with intent to sell, and racketeering."

Elfman nodded and opened the door, letting in Evergreen. Minerva glared at the duo.

"We aren't done." Minerva yelled.

"We are charging your client with several counts of trafficking, possession with intent and racketeering." Evergreen declared. "Arrest him."

Elfman went over to Bora and lifted him up by the scruff of his shirt and put him on his feet.

"Hey, let me go." Bora yelled out.

Detective Strauss put Bora's hands behind his back. "Bora Eminentia, you are now under arrest." He told the club manager. "I am now informing you of your right against self-incrimination. Should you decline to adhere to this, anything you say afterwards shall be used against you in court. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford one, one shall be provided to you at no cost. Do you understand these rights?"

"I'll be out in a day." Bora jeered. "Two, tops."

"I'll take that as a yes." The detective sighed as he led Bora to a holding cell.

Evergreen was now alone with Minerva. The woman known as Sabertooth was observing her, trying to size her up.

"I've never seen you before, sweetie." Minerva laughed in a sickeningly sweet voice. "First time?"

"I'm been in contract law for five years." Evergreen explained.

"But your first criminal case?" Minerva leered.

Evergreen said nothing.

"What's your name?" Minerva asked.

"Evergreen." The woman answered with zero emotion. She was not going let this woman get the best of her.

"Evergreen what?" The Sabertooth woman pressed.

"Strauss. Evergreen Strauss." The woman from Justice continued.

"I noticed that the detective who arrested my client was also named Strauss." Minerva laughed. "Are you related?"

"He's my husband." Evergreen replied.

"Do I detect a conflict of interest here?" The defense lawyer cooed. "That's good. I eat lawyers like you for breakfast."

Minerva got up from her chair.

"See you in court." The Sabertooth woman smiled at Evergreen as she walked out of the interrogation room, leaving Evergreen alone with her thoughts.

Kurogane was sitting in a wobbly chair in a cold interrogation room. He was staring into the eyes of a very inexperienced Task Enforcer. Brown hair, lanky with a runner's body. The guy was trying to act tough, cracking his knuckles, pacing about, evil glares. This guy watched too many cop shows. His greenness was showing.

"So help me help you." The enforcer said. "You help me with the case against Bora and I'll help you with your own charges."

Kurogane said nothing.

"You're in quite a bind." The enforcer continued. "Do you want to go down with this man?"

The long haired man snorted quietly.

"We've got boxes of evidence that can stack from the moon and back." He spoke again. "You're all going down. The only way you are getting out of this is if you confess."

Kurogane nearly broke down in laughter. His inexperience was showing. He was giving away everything they had on Bora and his gang.

"You're not going to say anything?" The enforcer asked.

Before Kurogane could even respond, the door to the interrogation room opened. In walked Lieutenant Laxus Dreyar and Captain Makarov Dreyar. The bodyguard looked at the inexperienced man's face. It was a face of terror. It seems that this guy wasn't suppose to say a word.

"Sarasuke." Laxus commanded. "Outside now."

The enforcer known as Sarasuke walked out of the room and Laxus followed him. The lieutenant closed the door behind him.

"What are you doing?" Laxus asked.

"I was just..." Sarasuke tried to explain but Laxus held up his hand.

"I said that no one was to do interrogations until I got there, right?" Laxus yelled.

The lowly enforcer nodded.

"So you disobeyed a direct command." Laxus grounded out.

Sarasuke nodded again.

"You're on holding duty until I tell you otherwise." Laxus commanded.

"Yes sir." He said glumly and shuffled away.

Laxus opened the door to the interrogation room and closed it. He then shut down all of the cameras in the room and turned off the microphones so that no one on the other side of the two way mirror could hear them. He took a seat next to his grandfather and stared down Kurogane.

There was silence for half a space. Then...

Makarov chuckled. "Good job with Bora, Kurogane."

Kurogane smirked. "You don't have to call me that in here." He said.

"Alright, Gajeel Redfox." The captain said.

Gajeel Redfox, better known on the street as Kurogane. However, he truly worked for the Task Force as an undercover officer. For the last seven years, he has been infiltrating gangs and taking them down from the inside. His M.O. would be to get into a gang, work his way up until he's near the leader, then record their conversations long enough to hang everyone. Part of the reason for his success was that he looked the part of a gangbanger with his piercings, his long hair, and his gruff demeanor. But mostly, it was the fact that he knew how these people worked. It was no mistake that Makarov Dreyar had personally picked him to weed out the most dangerous gangs plaguing Fiore. He was the best.

Name a gang that has been busted in the last seven years and you'll find that Gajeel had, at the very least, a hand in their downfall. Oracion Seis, Tartaros, Raven Tail, he had gotten into them all. The undercover always found the weakest point of entry. He would make as little splash as possible when first joining. Then Gajeel would slowly make himself indispensible to the gang. In his most recent case, it took the long haired man three months until he was Bora's full time bodyguard. When he was in the 'in-crowd', that's when Gajeel started gathering information to take down his target. They wouldn't know what hit him until the arrest.

There were only two people who knew about Gajeel's connection with FCTF: Makarov and Laxus Dreyar. It was these two who gave him his directives, who to infiltrate and when. He answered only to these two. Beyond this, he was allowed to act however he needed in order to infiltrate the gangs, up to and including the murder of other gangbangers. It was a small price to pay to take down entire crews.

"Do we have enough info on Titan Nose?" Gajeel asked.

"More than enough." Laxus told him. "Good job as always."

"You act like you're surprised." Gajeel scoffed. "I know what I'm doing."

"I'd give you some time off but we've got a problem." Makarov said.

"Am I going to have to testify in court?" The long haired undercover asked. "If I have to do that, my cover's gonna be blown."

"We will do everything we can to prevent that from happening." Makarov answered. "But that's not the problem."

"What is it?" Gajeel asked.

Makarov nodded at Laxus. The lieutenant handed Gajeel a picture. It was a picture him and Bora and the two guys from the club from last night.

"These two." Gajeel said, stretching out his limbs until he heard the satisfying pop. "I remember."

"We've made a tentative ID on Bora's last two visitors." Laxus said. "They are part of the Black Hunter cartel."

"I figured they were from a rival gang." Gajeel scoffed. "They had some tattoo on their arms. It was in German or something. They said that they represented some guy named Der Freischütz."

Laxus wrote down the name on a piece of paper. "I'll look this up." He said.

"What else did they want?" Makarov asked.

"Apparently, they've been investigating Bora's operations for a while." Gajeel explained. "They were going to give him something called Magic Bullet thing to sell for 2.5 million jewels in cash."

Makarov sighed. Both Gajeel and Laxus noticed it. "The new drug." He groaned.

"What's up, old man?" Laxus asked.

"How ironic that everything intertwines like this." The captain nodded. He turned to his two best officers. "Laxus, Gajeel, this Magic Bullet is our next mission."

Gajeel quirked a pierced eyebrow. "How so?" He asked.

Makarov took Laxus's pad and ripped out a page. He wrote something down quickly and handed it to Gajeel. The long haired man read it.

222 Phantom Lane, Apt. 4AB, Magnolia

"An address in Magnolia?"

"That's where you need to go." Makarov explained. "You will then be given all of the parameters of your next mission there from your handler."

"I don't need a handler, Gramps." Gajeel said. "I've been fine on my own."

"For this mission, you need a handler." Makarov answered, leaving no room for argument. "But don't worry, brat. You'll be getting the best."

"Who?" The pierced man asked.

"Gildarts Clive." The captain told him.

"Gildarts Clive?" Gajeel said, not trusting his voice. "THE Gildarts Clive? The legendary undercover agent?" The undercover enforcer couldn't help the glee he had in his voice. There are very few agents who have the same mystique around their names as Gildarts Clive. To be working with him would be a great honor.

"One in the same." Makarov chuckled. Gajeel was acting like he was going to meet his favorite sports star. "But first things first. You'll need to establish your credentials."

"I've got pretty good ones." The long haired man said with a smirk.

"Let's add escape to your résumé." The captain said. "You'll be busting out of here today."

"I'll direct all of the detectives and enforcers away from the holding cells, giving you a bee line to out of here." Laxus said. With that, he got up and left the room.

Makarov looked Gajeel in the eyes.

"You can refuse if you want to, Gajeel." He told the undercover agent. "I won't force you to do anything you don't want to."

"I still owe you big time." Gajeel said in a soft voice. He was very close in letting himself reminisce about the past. But he stopped himself.

"I've considered that debt repaid, you damn brat." Makarov chuckled.

"Not me." Gajeel said. "You saved my life. So I'll dedicate mine to your cause."

Makarov closed his eyes and smiled. With Laxus in the light and Gajeel in the shadows, Fiore is as safe as it can be.

"Alright then. Let's take down Magic Bullet." Makarov declared.

Gajeel nodded and got up. He allowed the captain to put him in handcuffs and escort him from the interrogation room to Holding. Opening one of the cells, he led Gajeel in and undid his handcuffs. He slammed the cell door and walked out of Holding, confident that his undercover could successfully break out of the most secure building in Fiore.

Gajeel bided his time for ten minutes. He observed his surroundings. There was an immovable cot, an open air toliet, and a barred window. There really wasn't much in the way of escape here. However, from the bars, he noticed that the guy who was interrogating him earlier was there. Like the idiot he was, the guy (Sarusuke was it?) was reading a magazine and not paying attention to his surroundings. Not only that but he had the key to his cell on his belt along with his gun, baton, cuffs and pepper spray. Easy pickings. Is this the sad state of the Task Force? He'll need to talk to Makarov about hiring better people. But for now...

Gajeel undid his tie, grabbed one end of it and balled the rest of it up in his hand to hide it. He put his hands through the bars. The undercover was ready.

"Hey lanky." Gajeel yelled.

Sarasuke turned towards Gajeel, a sneer on his face.

"So you're not a mute." He laughed derisively. On his own, he started walking towards Gajeel.

Gajeel couldn't believe his luck. He was coming to him on his own. Could this guy be any more stupid? He was nearly arms length from Gajeel now. He just needs to be a little closer.

"It must be easy to be a tough guy when there's iron separating us." Gajeel mocked.

Sarasuke got a little closer. "What was your name again?" He asked.

"Kurogane." Gajeel told him.

"What kind of name is that?" The enforcer asked, getting within a half-arms length.

"It means Black Steel." Gajeel told him.

"What a stupid name." Sarasuke snorted.

Gajeel unballed his tie and grabbed it at both ends. He smirked. "You'll remember it forever." He said in a low voice. "Promise."

Quick as a shot, Gajeel got his tie around Sarasuke's neck. With all of his strength, Gajeel pulled him forward, causing the enforcer's head to bang against the iron bars. He fell limp and unconscious.

"Damn, old man." Gajeel chuckled. "Hire better people."

He knelt down and grabbed the keys to his cell and unlocked his. He slid the bars open and dragged the limp enforcer inside, propping him on the cot. He grabbed Sarusuke's cuffs and handcuffed him to the top post. The long haired man took the enforcer's belt off and tied one of his feet to the bottom post. He took his tie and wrapped it around Sarasuke's mouth. He then grabbed the enforcer's gun and concealed it behind his back.

Gajeel walked out of the cell and slammed it behind him and left Holding. Entering the hallway, the undercover was greeted with silence. Laxus had done a good job getting people away from Holding. Still, he was cautious as he slowly made his way to the exit. When he walked out of the Crocus precinct, Gajeel felt the midday sun on his face. He would have reveled in it some more but he had a mission to complete. He had to get to Magnolia immediately. Makarov was counting on him.

And that's the end of chapter one.

You may be wondering why I gave you a Fiorean history lesson there. There's a reason behind it. When some authors bring a land from an anime to the real world, they just plop it into the globe without any explanation. I mean, it's easier to bring a place like Karakura from Bleach into a modern setting because it's in Japan. But Fiore is an island that has no earthly equivalent. Since Fiore is the setting of this story, I wanted to give it some history. Our history is a big part of who we are as people of our countries. We are guided by it as we guide it ourselves. So I put it into the context of the European colonization race of the 17th century. The European powers have had a great influence on the world we know today. So it is only fitting that it have some influence on Fiore. I'm sorry if the history part bored you but I feel that it's important to the story.

The dossier part was based from a file that my Psych professor once showed us. We got to read up on psych profiles (with the name redacted of course) and try to analyze them. I wanted to add some mystique to Levy's Shadowgear persona. I wanted to show you how others see her.

I also didn't go crazy on explaining all of the main characters. Most authors throw everything at the reader in the first chapter about who their characters are and what drives them. While there's nothing wrong with that approach, I feel that it's better to lead the reader into the character slowly. Let them make their own assumptions about the character and either reinforce or shatter their expectations.

So, liked it? Hated it? No opinion one way or another? Questions? Comments? Concerns? Rants? Leave me a review. I'd love to hear from you.

Until next time,

A. Angel