A/N: I got dumped and was depressed for a few days and didn't feel up to writing, I am releasing this chapter because it is the one I had the most already done and announcing my mental health break, not sure when I will get back on the horse but it shouldn't be more than a week.
Natsu's eyes opened slowly 'I fell asleep?' it was odd, he was looking at a table, well he thought it was a table but everything was dark like he was looking at it through fabric, he frowned and tried to stretch when his hands suddenly stopped moving and the chink of metal hit his ear he realized he definitely was not at home. He pursed his lips behind the mask and squinted against the fabric as he looked around, the bare room had a glass panel in the wall and was completely bare except for the table and two chairs, he glared through the mask at the glass, trying to pull his hands free from the cuffs that bound them, all that did was hurt.
The door slid open with a low hiss and a man dressed like the ones who had attacked the school walked in "Finally awake, huh?"
Natsu didn't answer, just glared at the hazy figure. The man strode over and pulled the mask off his head, Natsu continued to glare at him.\
"Who are you? How did you manage to beat so many of us on your own? Where were you trained?" The man demanded in succession.
"Fuck you!" Natsu growled.
Natsu could see the smirk in the man's green eyes as he answered, the Shinobi rose his fist and hit Natsu hard in the face, Natsu kept glaring at him, which only earned another succession of hits, Natsu spat the blood from his mouth and continued to glare at the man beating him.
"Who are you?!" The man demanded again.
"I am your father." Natsu taunted flashing his teeth.
"Ch," The man grabbed his hair and lifted his head painfully as he glared down at him "You certainly aren't the smartest person on the planet."
Natsu barely felt the next set of blows, he knew he was having trouble seeing, he eye was swelling up and he could feel warmth leaking from his eyebrow apparently this guy could hit hard, Natsu was surprised his teeth remained interact at this point, his nose was most definitely broken and his head was numb with pain.
"Where were you trained?!" The man demanded.
"Your moms place, she has a very strict regimen." Natsu taunted groggily.
The man sneered and dropped his head, Natsu let it hang limply and wrestled with his own consciousness, he heard the door hiss open and close again and he lifted his head slowly and peered around, he was alone in the room again at least, he head and stung from the slightest movement, he ignored the pain and focused on the palm of his hand, he snapped his fingers and a spark flew from them, he growled 'I just had to burn myself out to escape.' He thought angrily as he snapped his fingers and focused on trying to heat his hands.
The door hissed open again and he returned to how he was before he was left alone "He is tough, I will give him that." The same guy from before.
"Hm?" A response was hummed in question, Natsu heard the chair get dragged out in front of him and he looked up, a white haired male stared at him impassively, he had a scar running through his left eye as he regarded Natsu carefully.
"What is your name, boy?" The man asked flatly, he voice sounded like someone drawing a blade low and as raspy as steel.
"They call me Pinocchio," Natsu chuckled before coughing and expelling a little more blood from his mouth "What about you Scarface?"
The man who had been interrogating him before slammed his fist into Natsu's stomach, Natsu groaned slightly and turned a forcefully cocky gaze on the boy "That all you got?"
The boy growled and reared his fist back before the scared man stopped him "Enough."
The boys hand dropped and he returned to his spot by the door, standing in attention and waiting, all the while glaring at Natsu.
"Oh, look at that the dogs on a tight leash." Natsu taunted
"Would you like me to release him?" The scared man asked flatly, but Natsu could see the annoyance in the man's eyes.
"Do as you please Scarface." Natsu responded flatly.
"Killing you is not something I wish to do," The scared man replied "You are very interesting, you could become a strong ally."
"Forget it, I won't join a terrorist organization," Natsu responded flatly "You may as well kill me."
"I would hardly consider the want for Japan's independence an act of terrorism." The scared man cocked his head to the side.
"Killing people and framing the government, Holding highschoolers hostage, shall I continue with your acts of terrorism?" Natsu responded sarcastically.
"I remember you," The scared man leaned back "Well, this is interesting…To think we captured the great deceased captain of Delta frame unit."
Natsu smirked at the white haired male "Sorry, wrong guy."
"Oh, I don't think so," The white haired man leaned forward "What would your superiors think if they found out you faked your death and deserted?"
"I keep telling you, you got the wrong guy…I am just lucky." Natsu kept the cocky smirk on his face the whole time.
"I would never forget the boy who gave me this," The man gestured to his scar "I was surprised you let the daughter of those two go, you were hired to keep her alive above all else were you not?"
"I stuck to my mission parameter's, she is alive isn't she?" Natsu responded with a sigh.
"How the mighty have fallen," The scared man taunted "You were such a strong soldier, the perfect weapon, a remorseless assassin and master tactician and now look at you, undone by sleeping gas and a low ranking member of the Shinobi order."
Natsu chuckled "People aren't weapons, you should know very well what that means."
"The flaw in man is his emotions, they cloud ones judgment and make him do crazy things." The scared man continued "Are you sure you won't reconsider?"
"I wouldn't be caught dead in your little outfit." Natsu responded flatly
"Hm, that's just too bad, I was looking forward to fighting you one last time," The man stood and left the room "Have some fun with him and then let him bleed out, no point in wasting the bullets on him."
"Yes, Sir!" The first interrogator responded with a salute.
Natsu cocked his head to the side as the boy turned and looked at him "I think I am going to enjoy this." The man said sadistically.
"You are a hundred years too early to kill me kid," Natsu replied flatly, he pressed hard on the joint of his right hands thumb, with a crack he pulled the hand free and flew into the boy, wrapping the chain of the hand cuffs around his neck and yanking him down, the boys head rested on Natsu shoulder as he struggled to breath, Natsu pulled the chain tighter with a growl and the boys flailing stopped Natsu's grip slacked and the body hit the floor with a thud, Natsu pulled the keys from the boys belt and undid the remaining cuff, with a loud crack he pushed his thumb back into place, he winced as a shot of pain rolled up his arm, he closed his right hand slowly, the pain was tolerable.
The door opened with a hiss, he was very surprised to see familiar red hair and brown eyes staring at him, she cocked her head to the side and gave him a once over, his left eye was almost swollen shut, his cheek and eyebrow were split open and bleeding profusely, most of the upper part of his white shirt was stained red, his nose was bent the wrong way and blood leaked from his lips as well.
"You look like shit." Erza commented flatly.
Natsu bowed mockingly "I apologize your majesty, breaking my hand was the last resort to escape."
"Whatever, I found an interesting report," Erza held up a file and opened it "According to our intelligence, the Scarlet girl is being guarded by the Captain of the Delta fame unit, according to reports his job is to keep the daughter alive, targeting the parents may force her to come to us."
Natsu stared at her "I'm sorry, I should have protected your parents…At the time I focused more on the missions objectives than what was right."
Erza tapped his head with the file and he looked up "You said I could try to live normally again right?"
Natsu nodded "I would help you, but you seem like a 'go it alone' type."
"You aren't that great a team player yourself," Erza retorted "I mean I did all this work you save you and you freed yourself, your gonna have to make it up to me."
Natsu slumped 'Was that really easier than asking for a place to stay?'
"Well, I have a spare room, it's yours if you want it." Natsu said flatly walking past her.
"Now miss 'Hard work to save me' What's your escape plan?" Natsu asked
Erza looked at the floor "I hadn't planned that far ahead."
Natsu rolled his eyes "Well that white haired Scarface will probably be activating an alarm soon, he knows who I am and I definitely can't have him reporting to the government that I am alive."
"What are you going to do? You can barely walk straight." Erza noted, indicating to the hand on the wall he was using to steady himself.
"That's not really your concern, you should leave, you remember where my house is correct?" Natsu asked
Erza nodded.
"Good head there and lock the door, if I am not home in the next twelve hours, follow Theta's instructions," Natsu explained "He will make sure you set up."
Erza nodded "Okay, after we kill off Scarface we will go home."
"This is not a 'we' scenario, I am going on my own." Natsu said firmly.
"When did you become my superior and I am a normal person now so I am going to make my own decisions." Erza responded stubbornly.
Natsu sighed "Fine, I hope that sword isn't for show."
"Of course it isn't," Erza held it up proudly "I am the strongest fighter in the order."
"And clearly the most humble," Natsu taunted as he peered around the corner "Look, when this starts just do as I tell you."
Erza nodded, the lights blinked and turned yellow, they spun slowly and a loud beep was heard as the alarm sounded. Erza tightened her grip on her sword and she heard Natsu take a deep breath.
A/N: I know it's shitty but my emotional state is not one where writing is a good idea, so just bear with it for awhile whilst I take it easy and I will see all of you in the next chapter I release!
