A/N: BEOFER WE START I WOULD LIKE TO PERSONALLY THANK chibijaxie, Senbei x Cup Ramen, DCCLXII, ShiningStellar, cOokIe-MOnzTa, LiLyRoSe98, and GodSlayerNatsu for their comments and reviews!
"Welcome class to English I am Mr. Clive, but you can refer to me as Gildarts," the teacher said introducing himself to the class. Natsu didn't seem to care he didn't want to be in class at the moment. He was still in a foul mood after what Sean pulled in the cafeteria early that morning. Even more so, he soon found himself getting hungry, and only missed out on breakfast because of that douchebag.
The classroom was rather large it fit at least a few dozen students, all of which seemed to be too tired to care about being there. It was an elderly appearing room, gray and bleak. The desks were old wooden desks that were long over due to be replaced. The far right side of the classroom was a large window situated above a row of cabinets. The only thing remotely interesting about the room was a large plant that grew over in the corner, though it appeared to be knocking on death's doorstep itself.
Natsu's teacher Mr. Clive went on with his introduction, though the majority of the class didn't appear the least bit interested in. Either Mr. Clive didn't notice that the majority of his class wasn't paying attention, or chose instead to ignore it. "Well that's all I have to say," Mr. Clive eventually finished. Natsu took a quick peak at the class clock, hanging just above the door. He let out a sigh as he realized that only five minutes of actually class time had passed.
Natsu turned his attention back to the teacher, now that the pleasantries were finished perhaps the actual class would start. But before that, he looked over Mr. Clive, examining his teacher ever so carefully. Mr. Clive was a tall, muscular man caught between his days of youth and old age. He looked tired and worn, but still retain enough energy to carry on. His reddish-orange hair was long and greasy, or maybe it appeared that way since he chose to gel it backwards. His eyes were soft and dismal, giving off the presence of a man past his prime yet shined as they had in the days of his youth. He wore a navy blue suit to class with a black tie, but took off his jacket and placed it neatly on the back of his chair.
"Now I'm going to take a role call," Mr. Clive began. "When I call out your name I wish for you to stand up and introduce yourself. Tell us your name and something about you. Got it?" The class mumbled in reply. Mr. Clive just let out a gentle sigh as he picked up the name sheet to begin.
Natsu sat there patiently waiting for his name to be called once it came. He sat by and watched as student after student had their name called out; each person seemed apathetic in their response. Mr. Clive just leaned on his desk continuing to call out the names until eventually.
"Natsu Dragneel," Mr. Clive called out. Upon hearing his name reluctantly stood up.
"Hi I'm Natsu," he exhaled. "Umm . . . I originally grew up in Magnolia but had to move away. Now I came back to go to school here." Natsu shrugged. He didn't think anyone really cared about him or his life story, and that was no surprise to him. He didn't even really care about his own life story either.
After Natsu had sat down Mr. Clive called out the next student's name. It carried on like that for the next ten minutes until the final name had been called. "Alright class," Mr. Clive said placing the sheet of paper on the desk. "I'm with you guys, I really don't feel like teaching this morning as much as you guys don't want to be here, so this is what we'll do," he said sitting on his desk. "I'm just going to put on a movie and you guys can watch that for the rest of the class period, or you can do whatever you want. Just think of this as some kind of study hall."
Natsu grinned, it was only his first class of the day and he was liking this teacher already. He was giving the class a free period, except there was one major problem. No one had any work to do, so what did he want them to do? Before anyone could even ask, Mr. Clive let out a big snore.
"Is he asleep?" one of the female students said in disbelief.
"No way," another student said before bursting into laughter.
"He has got to be the laziest teacher I've ever seen!"
"Heck all I know is, is that he's got the right idea," Natsu said yawning. He folded his arms and gently rested his head on them as if they were a pillow. No sooner had his head touched his arms he found himself asleep.
Natsu later awoke from the ringing of the school bell. He yawned and rubbed his eyes as he watched his fellow classmates storm out of the room in a hurry. Before he had even stood up he was alone in the room, apart from his teacher Mr. Clive who was still passed out in his chair. Natsu could still hear his snoring but decided to leave, he would leave it to the next class to wake up the teacher.
The rest of the day progressed in a similar manner. Natsu would show up to class and none of his teachers seemed keen on teaching any of their classes. In some they were handed a book list of reading material, homework and short exercises. It wasn't until lunch finally hit that Natsu finally had a reason to get excited. He was more disappointed though by the fact that none of his friends turned out to be in any of his classes, but then again he had only had three classes on the day, perhaps he would find someone in one of his later afternoon classes.
"Finally," Natsu whined to himself. "I'm starving! Now I can finally eat something!" Natsu made his way down the staircase to the cafeteria. Though he knew he wasn't the only one and he cursed that his last class before lunch had to take place on the 4th floor. By the time he managed to arrive at the bottom of the staircase the bottom lobby was jammed packed with students, some waiting to grab their lunch and others who were waiting back with some friends.
'Crap,' Natsu thought to himself crossing his arms. 'I don't want to wait here for lunch.' Natsu pondered his options, but he knew it would awhile before he would have a chance to get lunch. He began to wonder if there were any rules about him leaving campus to go get something to eat. On his way to the pet store the other day he did manage to bypass a few cafes and eateries. Perhaps he could go over there and grab something to eat?
Natsu ultimately decided that he would just go off campus to grab something to eat. He was far too hungry to wait.
As Natsu made his way over to the main gate he noticed that he was the only student leaving the campus, despite the gate completely wide open. He was curious as to why no one else thought of leaving the school grounds to get something to eat. He didn't remember them saying that there were any rules against students leaving campus. He shrugged it of and was about to pass through the gate when he heard someone call out to him.
"Hey where do you think you're going?" Natsu turned around to see Gajeel standing only a few meters away from him. He had his same disgruntled expression on his face, as he eyed Natsu carefully.
"What business is it of yours?" Natsu growled at him.
"Well I'm pretty sure students aren't allowed to leave campus?" Gajeel barked back.
"Huh why not?" Natsu asked. "They didn't say anything to me, and plus I'm hungry! So I'm going to get something to eat! The cafeteria is way crowded!"
"Well if so I don't think you should," Gajeel shrugged. "You never know."
"Thanks for the concern but I think I'll be fine," Natsu shot back. He turned to leave.
"Hold on," Gajeel sighed. "I'm starving and I didn't get a chance to eat breakfast this morning, so if the cafeteria is over crowded than I guess I'll just leave as well." Natsu stared at him not sure what to think. He didn't know what Gajeel's reasoning for tagging along was, but he didn't seem inimical at the moment. He thought it over and ultimately decided why not? If they get caught at least he wouldn't be alone in whatever punishment was waiting for them.
"Fine," Natsu sighed. Gajeel walked up next to him, his hands in his pockets. Natsu felt incredibly uncomfortable, he didn't like Gajeel, in fact he down right hated him, but he knew the two had to live together so maybe they should attempt to at least quell some of the hostility between the two of them.
The two boys made their way across the grassy knoll in silence. The air about them was unnerving and cold. He felt like he could cut the tension with a knife. Neither said a word, not a sound was muttered just complete silence.
When they arrived at the end of the knoll and into the parking lot they were just near the main street. Along the street were various stores and shops, and Natsu remembered his trip up to the pet store yesterday when he was purchasing items for Happy.
The street was bare and quiet, only a few people were spotted wondering around. The street over looked the local beach, than again it was only a few blocks from the boardwalk and beach that he and his friends use to hang out at when they were younger. Natsu turned to go up the street to the nearby café as Gajeel quietly followed him. "So do you know where you're going?" Gajeel asked.
"Yeah I know where I'm going," Natsu snapped back.
"Hey I was only asking," Gajeel growled. Natsu didn't reply he realized that there was already enough tension between the two of them and that it was probably best not to proliferate it any further.
Natsu finally stopped in front of a small delicatessen. It was a quaint little joint that seemed to be squeezed into the two buildings next to it. The outside was lined with two rows of tables, surrounded by black railing separating the properties of each estate. Natsu had determined that this was the place he was going to eat since he knew he could never go wrong with a sandwich, and that it was practically empty so he could get his food fast.
"Huh what is this place?" Gajeel asked gazing up at the sign that read Alexander's Subs.
"I don't know but I'm hungry and could eat a sandwich, Natsu said as he opened the glass doors. "You coming?" Gajeel grudgingly followed him as the entered the small building.
The inside was very narrow, only about three tables stood erect on the inside, while the entire left side of the restaurant was the designated sandwich making area and cash register. On the far wall was a shelf of chips and a cooler filled with various sodas and fruit drinks. The place was clean for the most part, though the white tile was worn and scruff. The wall was beige and decorated with rows of black and white photographs. There was only a single elderly man in the whole place, sweeping the floors.
When Natsu and Gajeel entered the shop a light bell sound rang grabbing the old man's attention. When he turned to see who had entered his shop he saw the two boys standing in the doorway looking over the place.
"Welcome," the old man greeted as he put the broom away behind the counter. His voice was gruff and hoarse. He was meek old man, hunched over, but he carried a friendly smile on his face. He was wrinkled and covered with liver spots, and his eyebrows were so bushy the nearly engulfed his eyes. He wore a clean milky white colored apron over his clothing, almost brand new looking. "What can I get for ya?" he asked while washing his hands at a sink he had in the back corner.
"Well I guess I'll have an Italian Sub if you have it," Natsu said shrugging. He made his way up to the cash register to pay for his meal.
"I guess I'll have the Bismark," Gajeel said as he eyed the menu that hung over the preparation table.
"Ah good just give me a minute and I'll have those right out for ya," the old man said as he put his gloves. "So you boys go the Academy?"
"Yeah," Natsu answered.
"I see," the old said. "We don't see many of you youngsters around here often. Is it the first day of school?"
"Yeah," Natsu replied with a shrug.
"Why don't you get many of us in here?" Gajeel asked quizzically.
"Well I guess you boys are new so you don't know," the old man said.
"Know what?" Natsu and Gajeel asked in unison. When they both heard each other spoke at the same time, their faces went blank.
"It's just that many Academy kids are afraid to leave campus and all these days," the old man sighed. "It's a shame really."
"Why's that?" Natsu and Gajeel both asked in unison again. The two glared each other uncomfortably.
"Stop that," Natsu hissed.
"You stop it," Gajeel hissed back.
"Well it's because the local kids don't take too kindly to the Academy kids," the old man said.
"Local kids?" Gajeel asked confused.
"Yeah you see some of the local boys don't particularly like the Academy kids and they take it upon themselves to cause trouble for everyone. It used to not be that severe until a couple of years ago when some of the local kids put a couple of Academy boys in the hospital," the old man said as he had finished the first sandwich. "It wasn't pretty. One boy had a two broken ribs, a broken arm and his face was beat to hell. The other boy's eye was so swollen it was as big as a baseball. His knee was cracked and he had a bruised lung." The old man gave them a serious look.
Natsu had some understanding about what the old man was talking about. When he was a kid he always heard about the conflicts that were arising between local kids and some other kids in the area. Every now and then it would get ugly, but he never heard about something this serious before. He couldn't believe something like that could happen.
"What happened?" Natsu asked. "I mean how did it get so bad?"
"Apparently some Academy kids decided it would be funny to tag up one of the local high schools. The two boys who were put in the hospital were believed to be the offenders, but after what happened no one really knows for sure. After that incident some of the other kids from the Academy wanted to fight back, but that wasn't such a great idea, after all." The old man shook his head at the thought of it. Natsu and Gajeel both watched him carefully, absorbing the story as he told it. "Well these boys went to go get their revenge for their classmates and they met a whole mess of local kids from the high school just down the road. And I mean a whole mess. Those poor boys never stood a chance and were beaten senseless. They were lucky the police showed up when they did, otherwise they might have been killed."
"Damn," Gajeel muttered under his breathe. Though deep down he was excited about the idea of a whole school on school fight.
"It's just senseless violence," the old man shook his head, a sorrowful gaze in his eye. "And from that day onward most Academy kids don't leave the school grounds. Those boys responsible did get caught and got in a lot of trouble, but they also proclaimed that if an Academy kid ever stepped foot outside of the campus the locals would be there ready to fight." The old man peered over at them from across the counter he had a very grave expression on his face. He had just finished making their sandwiches and was already wrapping them up. "Most of the local boys like to walk on by in their groups just to see if they can find an Academy student wondering around. The shame is, is that they managed to get their hands on some students every now and then, but thank goodness it wasn't anything serious."
Natsu and Gajeel both looked at each other. Neither of them really felt any concern.
"Any ways boys don't worry too much about it. Just be careful when you're walking around," the old man said handing them their sandwiches.
Natsu and Gajeel both paid and took their sandwiches outside. Again neither of them said a word but sat down at one of the tables outside to eat. It was nice outside, and the view over looking the beach was a lot better than sitting inside the depressing bleak delicatessen they just left.
"Heh what do you think about what the old man said," Gajeel asked as the two sat down.
"I don't know and I don't care," Natsu answered. "I'm not going to let some idle threat keep me locked away."
"Same," Gajeel said taking a bite of his sandwich.
After a few minutes the two of them had finally finished their subs and were ready to go when they saw a group of teenagers around their age approaching them. It was a group of about five boys, each one carrying a sinister smirk on his face. They obviously weren't Academy students since neither of them was wearing a school uniform.
Natsu and Gajeel both watched them carefully. Their faces were serious, neither of them showed an ounce of freight.
"Hey there boys," the lead boys said as the group surrounded the two of them. "I see you boys are from the Academy." He said as he reached out and grabbed Natsu's tie before letting it float off of his fingertips.
"What's it to you?" Gajeel snarled.
"Friendly aren't we?" the boy sneered. He was young, but Natsu figured this boy was a year or two older than him. He had long sheep like black hair that was tied behind his head with a green bandanna. His grin was wide and showed most of his teeth, his eyes narrow and cold. "My name's Teebo what's yours?"
Neither of them answered. Both Natsu and Gajeel scowled at the older boy.
"Well I don't know if you boys know this," Teebo said threateningly, leaning over the table as he did so, "but you Academy kids aren't welcomed here outside of your little school grounds." Teebo poked Natsu in the chest. "And when you fairies decide to leave your little uh . . . haven we have to take it upon ourselves to teach you a valuable lesson."
"Which is?" Natsu snarled.
"That when you step out of place someone has to put you back in place . . . by force if necessary," Teebo sneered. The rest of the group began to chuckle with him. Just then Teebo raised his fist ready to strike Natsu with a blow, but as he brought it down Natsu quickly dodged it, grabbing teebo by the back of the head and slamming his face down on the table.
"FUCK!" Teebo yelled as he clutched his face and rolled off the table. The other boys stared in shock as both Natsu and Gajeel stood up knocking over their chairs in the process.
Gajeel turned around grabbing two boys by the scruffs of their necks and flung them over the nearest table. Natsu quickly turned and punched the boy that was right behind Teboo square in the face causing him to topple over. The last boy decided to jump on Natsu from behind but was quickly thrown off. Once Natsu had thrown him off he grabbed him by the shoulders and jammed his knee hard into the boy's gut knocking him over for a split second.
Gajeel turned back to his two opponents who were busy trying to retain their balance. But before they knew it Gajeel flew down on them like a hawk diving onto its prey. He jumped on one boy and before the boy could recuperate himself, Gajeel lifted him up in the air and began to pummel him hard in the face. He bombarded the poor boy with blow after blow until the other boy attempted to knock him off. The other boy grabbed Gajeel by his neck and was about to punch him when Gajeel quickly kneed him in the gut, knocking him backwards and than finished him with an upper cut that launch the boy straight up in the air until he fell down hard onto the table where he eventually slipped off.
Natsu hadn't completely knocked out any of his own opponents. Teebo managed to pick himself back up rubbing his flushed pink face. Natsu couldn't tell if his face was flushed from anger or because of the bruise, he didn't care either way. Now the three boys were still trying to recuperate themselves and Natsu eyed each one of them carefully. The first boy he had punched lunged towards him, while the other boy came from behind. Natsu kicked the boy in front of him in the chest, and while spinning on his other heel ducked and punched the charging boy from behind in the side. The boy staggered as Natsu punched him in the face knocking him down, for good this time.
Gajeel saw as the boy he was pummeling before was standing up, his face bloody and his eye swollen. He attempted to lunge at Gajeel who smirked as he picked up the chair he was sitting in and whacked the boy clean across the face, knocking him out. After the two boys he was fighting were done, he turned to see how Natsu was doing.
Natsu was struggling now. Teebo managed to get a blow in on him, punching him square in the jaw a couple of times, but it wasn't enough to deter him. He just rubbed it off. All that was left now was Teebo and the other boy. Teebo seemed to be the only one left with something to muster, while the other boy let his rage carry out his fight; his face was bloody and he still clutched his chest. The two of them began to charge at Natsu, but Teebo noticed something coming his way from the corner of his eye and quickly ducked, but unfortunately his last remaining comrade wasn't so lucky.
Gajeel had seen the two charging at Natsu and he had swung the chair already in hand at Teebo's face, only the boy managed to duck just in time to avoid the blow. However, his comrade didn't see it coming and took the chair straight in the face knocking about half a meter in the air. The hit the ground hard, and this time he wasn't getting up.
Teebo watched in horror as his friends lie on the ground. They were groaning, but neither of them could muster up the strength to stand up. He was alone. He watched as both Gajeel and Natsu slowly stepped towards him, a sinister smile on each of their faces. He took a step back and though about running. He figured that's all he had left and bolted towards the exit.
"Oh no you don't," Gajeel said tossing the chair at him striking him dead center of his back knocking him down. He face planted hard onto the ground, and though he attempted to stand up both Natsu and Gajeel were already on him.
Teebo quickly turned on his back and tried to kick at them. Gajeel caught his foot and gripped it tight. "Now here's a new warning," Natsu said smirking. "If you jerks ever want a fight with us again than please continue to look for us."
"Fuck you!" Teebo cried as he stood up again in a desperate attempt to run away. Natsu dove at him catching him from behind. Once Teboo turned around he was met with Natsu's fist that carried him all the way to the ground knocking him out as well.
Both Natsu and Gajeel stood over Teebo watching the now unconscious boy to see if he would make another attempt to run away. When they realized he wasn't moving anytime soon the both let off a sigh of relief. And then the two of them burst into laughter.
"That was fun!" Natsu shouted in joy.
"Hell yeah," Gajeel said pumping his fist. He was still energized and ready for more.
"You know we make a pretty good team you and I," Natsu said grinning.
"Yeah we do don't we?" Gajeel replied with a grin of his own.
"Well I guess we should head back to school," Natsu said as he turned to walk down the street.
"I guess you're right," Gajeel said shrugging. Not much time had actually passed. They still had over a half hour left until lunch was over.
"Did you see when I knocked that guy out?" Natsu laughed in triumph.
"Please I took out most of them," Gajeel scoffed.
"You know we need to do this again sometime," Natsu said holding out his fist for a bump.
"Definitely," Gajeel said fist bumping him back.