"Is that clear?" Dr. Precht killed the doctors at a hospital, attacked Mavis, and has now liberated the four guys from the Grimoire Heart gang. Precht is becoming a maniac and taking part in the criminal ways and is now calling himself Hades.
"You expect us to work for you?" Rustyrose questioned.
"At least until you get caught again or I get everything I need." Hades said. "Know from the start that the four of you are expendable."
"That tells me you will have no shame or regret in what you will do." Azuma said. "It sounds like you know what you want and you really don't care what you have to do to get it."
"You could say that." Hades said.
"Boy, this old man might be old, but he's pretty scary." Kain said as he was getting nervous.
"Don't be ridiculous. He might have gotten us out, but that doesn't mean that he's all that." Zancrow said.
"Enough with this interview." Hades said as he was ready to take some action. "Are you in or are you out?"
"What if we don't want to help you?" Zancrow said.
"I'm actually glad you asked." Hades said. He grabbed Zancrow's neck and slammed him against a building wall and tossed him into another. He held his two fingers on each hand out to him and shot some of those energy bullets at him. Hades wasn't showing mercy to him as he kept shooting around Zancrow. It wasn't as lethal as an actual bullet, but it still hurt a lot. Hades gave Zancrow one last blow to the head and knocked him down. "Any other questions?"
"When do we start?" Rustyrose asked as none of them wanted the same treatment Zancrow got.
…
The Bank
Zeref and Natsu had to pay a visit to the bank. Upon hearing the news about what happened with Dr. Precht, Zeref was having a hard time.
"Zeref, are you sure you're going to be okay?" Natsu said.
"I will be." Zeref said. "I just don't understand why he would do such things. I know his presentation didn't go the way he didn't want to, but is that really enough of a reason for him to do what he did? Look, let's not talk about this now. Let's just focus on this."
"Okay." Natsu said as he did what his brother asked. With this behind them, the Dragneel brothers went inside the bank. They met up with a banker and were in the middle of discussion.
"Now about your loans, Mr. Dragneel…." The banker said, but a smashing sound was heard in the background.
"What was that?" Natsu said as they all looked back. All of the people inside the building saw Kain from Grimoire Heart smashing up what he could.
"Okay. Nobody move!" Kain said.
"Kain from Grimoire Heart? What's he doing here? Wasn't he locked away?" Natsu said.
"It doesn't matter right now. He's causing a wreck and he's got to be stopped." Zeref said.
"Where's the rest of them?" Natsu said as he looked for the rest of the gang.
"Hold it right there." Natsu heard the police, but he saw they were flung across the bank. Everyone looked and saw the rest of Grimoire Heart, but there was one more with them. Zeref and Natsu were surprised to see Hades was among them.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I'm making a withdraw. Don't do anything stupid." Hades warned.
"Dr. Precht?" Natsu questioned as he couldn't believe what was happening right before him. Natsu looked to Zeref to see how he was handling this. Zeref looked at Natsu and motioned for him to go to work. Natsu got up from his seat and ran out of there.
"Your brother is quite the hero." The banker said. That annoyed Zeref, but he let it go. Hades walked over to the safe of the bank. He shot both of his grapples and got them around the safe.
"Kain, help me pull this safe open." Hades said. Kain walked over and grabbed a hold of the safe. Both of them pulled all their might and pulled the safe right off the hinges.
"Stop!" Security called out, but Azuma kicked them both in the head and knocked them right out.
"So far, so good." Azuma said.
"Azuma and Zancrow, take all the money bags that you can and place them in the entrance. We'll grab them on the way out." Hades said. "Rustyrose and Kain, make sure no one tries anything. As payment, you boys can have all the money that I don't use. So make sure you grab lots."
"Okay. I wasn't so sure about him at first, but I'm starting to like his style." Zancrow said as he and Azuma got to work and grabbed as many bags as they could. That was about when Natsu jumped in with his Salamander costume.
"Stop right there, Dr. Precht." Natsu said and got their attention. Hades was less than pleased to see him.
"Salamander!" Hades growled. "Make sure you crush him."
"Of course." Rustyrose said.
"You got it." Kain said as the two of them went to fight him.
"Dr. Precht, stop what you're doing." Natsu said.
"I don't think so and the name is Hades now." Hades said. Rustyrose charged at him, but Natsu jumped and kicked him back.
"You're asking for it." Natsu said as he went straight for Hades, but Kain cut him off. He thrusted his hand at him, but Natsu jumped back and stuck to the wall.
"What are you guys even doing here?" Natsu said.
"Let's just say that he was someone we couldn't say no to." Rustyrose said as he grabbed a potted plant and tossed it at Natsu, but Natsu jumped out of the way. He jumped at Rustyrose and tackled him down.
"Answer me. What's Dr. Precht doing here with you guys?" Natsu said.
"He asked for our help. We don't know what he has planned, but we're not going to question it." Rustyrose said. "We're not like questioning travelers, but you're about to be crushed like the lizard you intimidate to be."
"Do you always have to sound like an actor in a play?" Natsu questioned. That was when Kain came from behind and grabbed a hold of him and lifted him off of Rusty.
"Hold him still for me." Rustyrose said as he was ready to beat on Natsu.
"I don't think so." Natsu as he used his legs and kicked against Rustyrose. He gave one good kick under Rustyrose's chin and knocked him out. "Now let me go." Natsu turned up the heat and burned Kain's hands where he had to let go as he wailed around in pain. Natsu jumped on Kain and pounded him around in the face. Natsu gave him one more good blow right to the face and knocked him out as well. "You've got to do better than these losers."
"Very well. I'll just handle you myself." Hades said. "Consider this payback." He launch his grapple and it got around Natsu. For an old man, he was pretty strong as he tossed Natsu against the wall.
"Payback? Are you blaming me for what happened? Your machine was already going out of control. It could have done a lot of damage to the city." Natsu said. "Something had to be done to stop it."
"I had it all under control. It was my life's work." Hades said. "You'll pay dearly for ruining it." Hades shot out some of his special bullets at him, but Natsu jumped away from each of his shots and used a desk as a shield.
"It wasn't my fault." Natsu said. "Something had to be done. I'm sorry you feel it's all been ruined, but you can just start again. You don't need to become a criminal to do this."
"Are you mad?" Hades said. "It took me years to get where I was before. In my old age, time is just something I don't have." He unleashed another one of his grapple hooks and used it to get the desk to move out of the way, but Salamander was gone. "Where did he go?"
"Here!" Natsu came out from the desk and landed in front of Hades. He gave Hades a strong attack and knocked him back.
"I don't have time to deal with you." Hades said as he looked around and spotted Zeref. "You follow me and that young man dies." He released his grapple again and got a hold of Zeref with Zeref being drawn to him.
"No!" Natsu shouted with Hades running for it. At the entrance, Zancrow and Azuma was able to get all the bags that they could.
"What now?" Zancrow said.
"I can't carry all of them." Hades said as he grabbed a couple bags. "I'll take what I can. Make sure Salamander doesn't follow."
"Dr. Precht, don't do this." Zeref pleaded.
"Dr. Precht died, Zeref. I'm Hades now." Hades said as he made his way out. Natsu made it to the entrance, but Azuma and Zancrow stood in his way.
"Going somewhere?" Zancrow questioned.
"Get out of my way!" Natsu said and began to fight. As for Hades, he made it outside, but the police came and had the place surrounded.
"Hold it. Try anything and the boy dies." Hades said as he used Zeref like a shield. The police had no choice, but to hold their fire. Hades shot a hook up and it latched on the building with him being pulled up. Natsu kept trying to get through, but the two of them kept blocking him. Zancrow grabbed his arm and tossed him to the ground.
"Where are you going, Salamander?" Zancrow taunted.
"Out of my way." Natsu said as he got back up, but Azuma kicked him back down.
"He seems more emotional." Azuma said.
"Who cares?" Zancrow said and started beating on Salamander. "I've been wanting to do this for a long time." He was enjoying it, but it stopped when Natsu grabbed his arm and he was real mad. He drove his elbow against Zancrow's face and tossed him against the wall.
"I don't have time for this." Natsu said. Azuma tried swinging a kick at him, but Natsu ducked down. Azuma tried to chop him, but Natsu caught his arm and pinned him to the wall. He pounded Azuma in the face a couple times and tossed him against Zancrow and took him out. With no time to lose, Natsu hurried outside and saw Hades climbing up the building. "No you don't." Natsu stuck to the wall and climbed up as fast as he could and used his flames to give him a boost. Hades was halfway to the top when Natsu cut him off. "Hand him over."
"Come and get him." Hades dared. Natsu leaped down at him, but Hades swung out of the way. However, Natsu grabbed the money bags and they ripped with all the money dropping out and Natsu sticking back to the wall. "No!"
"You're so going down." Natsu jumped at him again, but Hades kicked him back. Hades pulled himself and Zeref up to a ledge so he could fight. He used his spare arm to shoot at Natsu, but Natsu kept leaping around the building to avoid his shots. Natsu made it to the ledge and leaped at Natsu, but Hades smacked him back. He grabbed a hold of Natsu and slammed him against the wall. "For an old man, he's pretty tough."
"Have a nice fall." Hades said as he tossed Natsu off the building. Natsu wasn't going to quit yet. He fell near the wall and was able to stick to it as he slid against the wall. "He doesn't know how to die, does he?"
"He won't stop fighting until you're stopped." Zeref said. "Dr. Precht, please just make it easy on yourself. Do the right thing and just turn yourself in."
"I'm afraid not. I've come too far already. Since he won't let me leave, there's only one thing to do." Hades said. "I hope for your sake, Zeref, he cares more for your life than he did when he ruined mine." Hades tossed Zeref off the building and Natsu saw what he did.
"No!" Natsu shouted as he moved as fast as he could to save his brother. Natsu jumped around and gave off one good leap with a boost from his flames and was able to catch Zeref. Both of them were heading down to the ground fast, but Natsu held out his hand and tried to stick to a close building. Natsu slid against it, but he was able to slow their descent enough and landed gently on the ground. "Yeow!"
"Are you okay?" Zeref asked.
"Sort of." Natsu said as she shook his hand around. "That hurt. That's worse than getting a carpet burn. What about you? Are you doing okay?"
Yeah. I'm fine." Zeref said, but he was more concerned about someone else. "Dr. Precht…" Zeref and Natsu looked in the direction of Hades and saw him using his two grappling hooks to move across the city and made his escape. "I can't believe it. He really is turning into a criminal."
"He killed doctors, hurt Mavis, and now he's teamed up with the Grimoire Heart gang to rob the bank." Natsu said.
"I guess a part of me still didn't want to believe it." Zeref said as he was so disappointed that one of his idols is now becoming this. "Natsu, I know he might be considered a criminal now and he's got be stopped, but….do you think he can be saved from himself?"
"I don't know." Natsu said. "He blames me for this happening to him, but he doesn't seem to out for revenge….at least not yet. Whatever's going on with him, I'm going to do what I can to make sure he doesn't hurt anyone." A new villain has entered Natsu's life, but this one is acting independently from END or Scarlet Despair. With him on his own, what can he do?