Alex had what amounted to ten seconds of a head start before the guild roused itself into action as the kids started to struggle in trying to get out of his arms as he shouted. "Igneel Strauss, Silver Fullbuster, and Layla Dragneel, as much as I want to let you play and have fun bashing each other, this is not our home, I don't have the time to put you down and just let you run rampant!" That stopped them short as Layla finally realized who was carrying them.
"Mister Alex Shacklemenn!"
"Thank you for recognizing who I am, now hold tight!" He jumped and the bunch turned into a cloud and soared for the sky before Layla shouted, muffled with the cloud form.
"Mister Alex, the clouds! They're going away!" Alex grimaced as it was true that the storm was coming to an end and that meant that he was going to be draining himself instead of the weather.
"Got it, I just hope that we can get some distance before..."
"Ice Make: Lance!" The attack of ice came as Alex quickly disbursed himself to evade the attack before reforming again as Gray charged in the lead of a mob. "You got some nerve, stealing our guild members, now get down here and fight!" All four yelped as Alex doubled his efforts in escape as he dodged low and swarmed through the streets of Magnolia.
"Not good at all, not good at all, I am just lucky that Natsu isn't here at all!"
"Hey, leave my dad out of this!"
"He's my dad too!"
"Because both girls have feelings for him and leave it at that, okay!?" Alex yelped as Silver commented.
"But where's Mom?"
"Silver, setting the record straight, so listen..." He yelped as a monstrous arm came swinging at him and he curled around it before reforming with the kids as Elfman shouted.
"If you're a real man, you wouldn't have kidnapped those kids!" He charged with a roar as Alex quickly tossed the kids into a food cart for their safety before turning back around as he spoke.
"Stein Arm!" His right arm shifted into electricity and swung out as a hefty, stitch-tattered arm that clashed with Elfman's own arm before he sidestepped and slammed it through his left arm into Elfman's gut and launching him before restoring themselves as he plucked the trio up again. "Got to go!" He rushed off again as he spoke. "We are twenty years in the past, a day BEFORE Heartfilla comes to Fairy Tail to join."
"Oh, so that's why Uncle Elfman didn't go full take-over!" The girl connected with a hand to her palm, but the boy was less eager as his lip trembled.
"But then... Mama's..."
"Igneel, listen, if my mom is going to join and this is really the past, then we can get your mom back too!" Silver exclaimed as Alex cut in to the joy on Igneel's face.
"First, we need to get out of the city, we can't get caught here!" But slowly, but surely, he was getting boxed in, the members catching up in shortcuts and ambushes that he was sure that Warren Rocko, a wizard able to use Telepathy, must be guiding the members while also trying to probe his mind and overwhelm it, he failing in that regret, but still, it was worry, but he was now committing his power to shielding the trio from that intrusion. "They are boxing us in and there are no sewers to drop into!"
"We are not going into the sewers, Mommy gave me this dress!"
"Well, Layla, unless you can easily get us out of Magnolia without warning the guild, that would be wonderful!" Alex groaned before he nearly facepalmed as he spoke. "Nevermind, I forgot about that." He quickly tossed Igneel forward in a shout. "Igneel, change!"
"Oh, that's right!" He white-haired Natsu beamed as he bashed his hands together in a shout. "Take-Over Magic: Dragon Soul!" He puffed into smoke before getting replaced with a flying hatchling. "Grandeeney!"
"In for the clutch." Alex jumped and the transformed Igneel gripped his shoulders before flying. "Nice work, Igneel, your aunt would be proud!"
"So would uncle, but he would have liked me to use Metalicana instead." Silver chuckled before he yelped in shouting.
"Dive, flamer lizard, dive!" The hatchling did so as a bolt of lightning zoomed passed before wheeling to give chase through the streets and roads as Igneel yelped.
"Who the heck is chasing us, Grandeeney is my fastest take-over, because she is a wind dragon!"
"Yeah, well..." Alex grimaced as he looked back as well to the lightning taking form, angry and ready to rip and tear. "Lightning is faster than wind on any day." Silver glanced forward before he pounded a fist into his hand and shouted with casting.
"Water-Make: Wall!" The current ahead surged up as they passed it before Laxus actually slammed into it, he blinking in surprise as the four continued on their way as Silver spoke. "Whoa, I thought that Uncle Laxus was going to slow down, not stop!"
"But we still need an escape route, I hope Mommy's spirits can help me." Layla clapped her hands in pray as she spoke. "Celestial Summon: Lion!"
"No, don't-" But it was too late as Loke formed right beside them with shock on his face before Layla spoke.
"You're not Leo...?"
"SHOCK BOLT!" Before Loke could react, Alex closed an eye and blasted Loke into one of the buildings before resuming. "Wrong Spirit! Leo is NOT contracted as a Spirit until Lucy frees him from his self-punishment, so choose another one!"
"Okay, Celestial Summon: Maiden!"
"Son of a half-dragon!" Virgo appeared, VERY much confused as to what just happened before Alex bashed her face in with his pair of boots and sent her away, but Layla snatched something from the air that formed in Virgo's banishment.
"Hey, it's Mommy's key!"
"IS going to be her key, just our luck..." Alex groaned as they continued on the way to get out of town, but they were really doing their best to box them in before they found a clear path and ran, Alex pushing himself to get them out of Magnolia before it was too late, that was when several things happened.
The majority of the guild managed to catch up in finding him, the trio of Natsu, Lucy, and Happy were coming up the trail, and all four paled at what just happened as Natsu spoke first to the sudden rush. "What the hell is...!?"
"Don't screw around, Natsu, that guy has members of our guild!" That got to Natsu as he shouted in attack, his body ready for the fight.
"Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!" Alex made the split second to toss the pair away down an alley before ripping Igneel off as he shouted.
"Nothing personal, but just run!" He tossed the young dragonling away before landing on his hands and lashing out with a leg that changed to another patchwork limb. "Stein Leg!" Fire and electricity clashed and the sky cracked to the sound and power as Alex thought to himself. 'Good Fiore, and Igneel has been teaching this guy to be a Dragon Slayer, he has got a lot of potential, but I need to bid time!' The exchange was furious as Gray exclaimed.
"Geeze, I know Natsu has a lot of power, but for someone to be on equal level as him."
"He is not equal..." Makarov voiced as he shrunk back down with joining the guild. "That young man... is doing everything he can to bide time, he knows that, in a drawn-out battle, Natsu would come out on top, so he is doing what he can to stop us from giving chase." The brawl continued and devolved as Alex was sent flying and landed in the park as Natsu came roaring in as Alex pulled himself from the dirt as he grimaced.
'That was a rib, I need to fix myself up or else...' Time started to slow as he closed his eyes. 'So... this is how the Storm Mancer falls, done in by a Dragon Slayer of the past, wonderful...' Natsu came barreling in before something tackled him, the hatchling reverting back as he clung onto Natsu with Tears in his eyes as he screamed.
"Don't hurt Alex any more, Dad!" All froze in place as Alex groaned...
"Fiore have mercy, Igneel, you ruined the whole 'escape', just my... luck..." Alex drifted off to darkness as he lost the battle of being conscious anymore...
Alex groaned with stirring back up, blinking the lights and shadows away as he came to the realization that he was where he would often find himself or one of the members who took too much pain, he was in the infirmary of Fairy Tail, only wearing a light shirt, slacks, and was barefooted as the door opened to an old man and a towering man as the giant scoffed as the old man spoke.
"Greetings, I am..."
"Master Makarov Dreyar of the Fairy Tail Guild, I am aware..." Alex spoke as he turned his eye to the blond man wearing headphones. "And beside you is your grandson Laxus Dreyar, user of Lightning Dragon Slayer Magic, on account of transplanted lacrima to strengthen him." The guildmaster's name was a given, the fact that Laxus had a lacrima transplant in him, on account of his dad, was not common knowledge as Alex slumped against the pillow with a groan, the wear of the fight and flight finally settled to wear him out. "Don't bother asking, that secret is on lockdown, since I am to be your prisoner."
"There is no reason to believe that, as long as you tell us which guild had hired you to kidnap those kids..." Alex looked at the man deadpanned for a few seconds as he spoke.
"...You're serious...?"
"Quite..."
"Oh kings..." Alex rubbed his temples as he groaned before reaching down, Laxus shifted, but Makarov stopped him as the shirt came off and he turned, they bug-eyeing at the massive Fairy Tail on his back as he looked back to the pair.
"My name is Alex Shacklemenn and I am not part of the Fairy Tail you know, either of you. Where I am from is when the world had fallen to a casual peace and ease where Fairy Tail meant family to those seeking shelter after a great deal of war." He folded his legs as he continued. "I am from X804, so you will tell me where those kids that came back for my butt are so I can scold them for NOT listening to their mentor...!"