Blue Stars, a Fairy Tail fanfic.
A/N: Hey everyone, this is NxE427-FT. I changed my pen name to D.S.K.27-FT. [The reason can be seen on my profile.] I'm sorry for the long update I took since college classes are just around the corner again. [By the 14th of this month, I'll be taking up my 12nd year in college, so please understand if this fic might take slower updates than before.] This chapter is going to be my advanced apologies to everyone. Now enjoy!
Chapter 3: Nocturnal Warpath
Zeta Orionis, Zeta Puppis, Lambda Orionis, and Delta Orionis are all Class O stars. Which means they are the rarest of all main sequence stars and project a bluish colour which can only be seen through a powerful telescope such as those found at astronomy observation labs. It is not possible to see a blue star with the naked eye.
Natsu was not interested in blue stars though. The only star he was interested in at that moment, was the stripper who was dancing on the bar table in front of him and his friends. Her stage name was Star, or at least that's what he thought she said. She had such a heavy Russian drawl that he couldn't quite make out the name she had told him. But that's besides the point wasn't it? She had just whip off the skimpy strings that was suppose to qualify as a top when he saw Sho walk into the club.
The man wove his way through the crowd, pausing every now and then to clasp hands and bump shoulders with other people that he knew and it took him a good five minutes before he made it to Natsu's side.
"Ne..," he said as he bent close to speak into Natsu's ears so he could be heard over the music, "We got trouble."
Why does trouble come at the most unwelcomed of times? Listening to what Sho had to say, the young man turned to look at his other boys sitting around the table. One nod was all it takes and they stood up. Gangster business to attend to.
He paused only long enough to throw a check of 500 000 Yen onto the table for the girl who had stopped dancing in surprise when all her customers had chosen to get up and leave.
"Another time sweetheart," he drawled, winking at her before turning and walking out of the club followed by Sho and the rest of them.
The night outside of the Mijuko red light district had become quiet - as quiet as it can get in Tokyo; broken only by the occasional vehicle and the clatter of a homeless man's cart. The group of fifteen guys crossed the street quickly, heading for their cars and revving their engines to life. Apparently some punk ass had been causing trouble in one of their clubs in the Mita Dori area and now the dude had called some friends and was wrecking havoc in the club.
Why are some people such morons?
The scene that Natsu and his guys were welcomed to when he reached the club was one of chaos. People were shouting, fists were flying and all in all; his club was an absolute wreck. He didn't think twice before he jumped right into the fray, grabbing the nearest troublemaker that came within arms reach to him by the collar and punching him in the face, feeling the satisfying crack of the man's jaw as it contacted with the metal knuckle he had slipped on.
"Piece of dog shit!" he swore, shaking the man and landing another punch in his guts, "Did you stop to think whose club is this you're messing with?"
They had just rounded up every last one of the ten guys who had been causing trouble when the door to the club was kicked open and another group of men walked in. Natsu's eyes narrowed when he saw who was at their lead.
"Jellal Fernandez," he half spat as the man strolled in quiet leisurely, his expression was one of amusement as he took in the damage in the club before turning to look at Natsu.
"I'd like to have my men back please."
"OI!" Natsu swore at him, "What the fuck are you guys doing in my territory? You pretty rich boys should stay south of the river where you belong. What? Kangnam doesn't have enough clubs to accommodate your no brain followers?"
"Same old Natsu," the other man chuckled, "Always so hot headed."
"Same old Jellal," Natsu responded with a sneer, "Thinks with his package before he thinks with his brains."
This time Jellal crossed his arms across his chest, tilting his head up as he regarded Natsu menacingly, "We can stand here all night trading insults, or we can settle this once and for all."
"Name your time and place," Natsu responded automatically.
"Tomorrow," Jellal told him, even as his men picked up their gang members who had been trashed off the floor, "The north parking lot in Nichikyuu, at 2 a.m. Just you and me."
"I'll be waiting."
As Jellal and his men turned to leave, Sho came and placed a hand on Natsu's shoulder, "Do you think this is a good idea, Natsu-nii? You know Nichikyuu is his area. What if something goes wrong? Wouldn't it be better to meet north of the river? Or at least in Jikushuu?"
"The rich boy thinks he can come and wreck havoc in my place without me returning the favour?" Natsu snarled, "Then he's in for a big mistake."
A soft drizzle crowned the night as Natsu and his gang got out of their cars near the north parking lot. In the distance the barking of a dog was heard and the silence of all else was broken only by the sound of their boots throdding on the asphalt as they crossed the road and entered the deserted parking lot. The wind rattled the half fallen chain fence and pieces of drinking cans that littered the area; an ominous soundtrack pre-empting the violence to come.
Jellal and his gang stood in the centre of the parking lot, waiting for their rivals to step up to them. Natsu found himself smirking when he saw the man standing there. It was an ironic scene to him to see the impeccably dressed man thinking he could pass for a gangster. The only thing that kept his men to him was money. Not like himself, not like the men who followed him. Natsu knew that what bound his men to him was more than loyalty to money or to power.
Sho, for example, was a friend since they were young and he knew he could trust Sho with his life. Did Jellal have followers like that? No, Natsu was willing to bet a right arm and leg that if a higher bidder came along, Jellal would suddenly find his ass out in the cold. That was what made him, Natsu, different from any of the other gangsters in Tokyo. That was what made him such a force to be reckoned with even at so young an age.
Absolute and total loyalty from his men. And that was what made him invincible.
It was this presence of his that made other gangs envy him, gangs like Jellal's whose power was based simply on how many men he could buy. He lacked Natsu's charisma, Natsu's tour de force personality and the only thing he could think of doing was to cause trouble for Natsu. Trouble that Natsu did not mind rising to meet. There is, after all, a reputation to protect. In this world, a reputation can carry you a thousand miles more then sheer brute force can.
A fight between two gang leaders cannot go down without witnesses and that night it was Kurama Takeguchi from Osaka who had been called down to be the witness. The man stood aside with his followers, a neutral observer to a fight that would determine territorial rights in Tokyo. There was no need for a formal call to start even with Jellal launching himself at Natsu.
Natsu had fought Jellal before and he knew the man's fighting style. Or so he thought. He had not counted on the fact that Jellal might have been training himself, hell bent on taking over Natsu's territory. Leaping out of the way from Jellal's furious spin kick, Natsu tasted sand in his mouth as he rolled on the ground. The rest of the gang members had formed a crude circle around them, shouting and cheering them on. In an instance, Natsu was back on his feet again, quick enough to dodge second kick but not fast enough to avoid the fist that landed squarely on his cheek.
Shit.
Bringing his arms up closer to his face to block the punches being thrown at him, Natsu moved back in a defensive stance before seeing his chance. He moved under Jellal's swinging fists and brought his own out, aiming for the man's chin. His right hook contacted firmly with Jellal's face sending Jellal stumbling backwards. Natsu didn't relent anymore after that, moving in and landing punches right and left, even managing to get a knee into Jellal's ribs.
By the time he was done, the other man was on the ground, spitting blood and groaning. Natsu staggered back. He might have won but Jellal had managed to deal some serious damage to his person as well. He could feel his right eye beginning to swell shut and his jaw felt loose like it was hit by piece of brick. His rib cage was aching as well but Natsu ignored the pain. Right now he had a winning to gloat.
Taking the opportunity, Natsu delivered one swift kick into Jellal's stomach before moving back and spitting on the ground, "I don't ever want to see you or your men in my area again because the next time I do, I will destroy you."
As he half staggered into bed in the wee hours of the morning, Natsu pressed a hand to his forehead wishing he could will away the dizziness that had crept up on him. Strange, he had never actually had this major a headache no matter how seriously he had been beaten up before. Why tonight?
Can't be something he ate did he?
It was annoying because this head ache was most certainly taking away the sweetness of the victory he had over Jellal. In fact, he was feeling so light headed, he was even beginning to hear voices. Someone… a girl… was calling his name.
"Natsu…"
This time Natsu opened his eyes, looking around the empty room. What the… he sat up, hand still pressed to the side of his throbbing head, was he hearing things or did he really hear a girl's voice calling him?
"Natsu…"
This time he knew for sure the voice was not in his head. She sounded as though she was right there in the room with him, What the hell…
Standing up, Natsu found himself squinting, looking around the room then stopping to blink when a strange shimmer glowed in one corner of his room. The air seem to shift and move with its own violation and Natsu blinked again. Shit, did he get hit one time too many in the head?
TBC in Chapter 4: Coming of the Vision
So, enjoyed it? R&R Please! I'll be waiting for your reviews!
D.S.K.27-FT