When Natsu was alerted about his brother being in the hospital, he got there as soon as he could. He met with Mavis there and they both hated seeing him like this. He was in bed, asleep, with bandages around his head.

"I can't believe this happened." Natsu said.

"I'm sure he's going to be okay." Mavis said. That's what they were hoping. The doctor came in and they were hoping he had good news.

"How is he?" Natsu asked.

"You brother is going to be fine." The doctor said. That was such a good thing to hear. "He was lucky, but it doesn't look like he has anything severe. We have him sleeping to ease the pain, and we're going to keep him here for a couple days to make sure." Hearing that Zeref was going to recover was all that Natsu needed to hear. "Now, there is the matter of the bill." He showed Natsu the bill and he didn't like what he saw.

...

Magnolia High

Once Natsu knew Zeref was going to be fine, he went straight to school. He didn't really seem all that happy. As he sat just outside, he was trying to figure out what to do. All of this was just making him frustrated.

"Natsu!" Lucy called as she and their friends came over to him. Almost everyone Natsu interacts with came over to him.

"Lucy just told us about Zeref." Erza said.

"How is he?" Gray asked.

"He'll be fine, but the doctors want to keep him around to be sure." Natsu said. "My biggest problem now will be the lousy bill. My stupid boss doesn't pay me enough to help pay for that."

"Well, all that matters is that your brother is going to be well." Mirajane said.

"Yeah. Try not to look so down." Gajeel said.

"I know it must be upsetting, but I'm sure everything will turn out fine." Levy said.

"They're right. There's no reason to get upset." Juvia said.

"I think I will." Natsu said as he was getting annoyed. "My brother is in the hospital, we have bills that are a little difficult to pay, I'm helping someone ridicule Salamander when he doesn't deserve it, and I've just about had it with all of it!" Natsu was lashing out anger and frustration at his friends, and it seemed to be scaring them. Laxus saw what was going on and didn't like it.

"Chill, dude." Bixslow said.

"You don't need to lose your temper with us." Evergreen said.

"You're simply under some stress." Freed said.

"What? You three actually care?" Natsu said.

"Natsu, calm down." Erza said.

"We're you're friends." Lucy said as she placed her hand on his shoulder. "We're all worried and just want to help."

"We don't need your kind of help." Natsu said as he brushed them all off and just stormed out of there. Laxus and Natsu may not get along, but he didn't like what was going on with Natsu himself.

"Did he just saw "We"? Who else was he talking about?" Gray said.

...

Acnologia

"I'm sorry, Dr. Acnologia, but this is very disappointing." Acnologia was speaking with his superior. It wasn't going well as it was about losing the alien lifeform. "We had the first actual sign of alien life right here in this lab. It was your responsibility and you lost it."

"It wasn't my fault. I know that Dragneel had something to do with it." Acnologia said.

"Be that as it may, you have no proof. It was also under your care. I'm sorry, but since it hasn't been returned yet, this can't be ignored. I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to leave this lab." This was exactly what Dr. Acnologia was afraid of. Without the lifeform's return, it cost him his job. He knew just who was at fault and knew where to find him.

...

The Hospital

"What are we going to do?" Natsu questioned as he went back to the hospital. He was trying to figure out what to do about money and helping his brother. "END did offer a handsome payment before when we first me. Maybe it's time to take up on that offer." Natsu went for the front entrance, but Dr. Acnologia was already there.

"There you are!" Acnologia said as he grabbed Natsu by the arm. "You just cost me my job!"

"Shut it!" Natsu shouted as he threw Acnologia against the wall and held him there. "We're tired of all your whining." Natsu looked like he was about to attack the scientist.

"Hey! What's going on here?!" Security asked as they showed up.

"Beat it, doc." Natsu said as he shoved Acnologia away. Acnologia left, but he wasn't going to let this go so easily. When Natsu walked in the hospital, his phone went off and saw it was Lucy. "What does she want with us now? Forget her." He just ignored the call and put his phone away. "We don't need her help."

"Blowing off your girlfriend?" Natsu looked up and was surprised to see Laxus was there. "Take it from someone who had their girlfriend dump him, not a good move."

"Watch it, Laxus." Natsu warned him.

"Yeah, yeah. I get it. Your brother is hurt and you're freaking out about it." Laxus said. "Poor, Natsu. Everyone feels sorry for you, but not me. Why would I feel sorry for a jerk who can't see his friends care about him and just want to help?" That was all Laxus said as he walked off and he actually got Natsu thinking about how he's been acting.

...

Natsu

Natsu didn't bother to go see his brother after Laxus talked to him. He changed into his Salamander attire and jumped around the buildings to try and clear the head.

"Okay, if Laxus has us thinking, something must be seriously wrong." Natsu said. "Why did we lash at our friends? They were only worried and wanted to help. Why did we consider taking END's payment offer? Why do I keep talking in second person?!" Natsu was starting to see that something was seriously wrong with him. As he landed down on a roof, he looked at himself and began to piece it together. "Wait. All this weird stuff started when this thing latched on to me. I think I should put this thing away for a while." Natsu was starting to think this black suit was more trouble than he thought and thought it was best to put it away.

"Wait, Natsu. You don't need to get rid of us." Natsu began hearing a voice in his head. It was trying to convince him the opposite. "What do any of them know? We don't need them. We don't need anyone. Not Erza... Not Gray..."

"Not even Lucy or Zeref?!" Natsu said as he could just tell what this voice was saying. "No... They're my friends, my brother. This... This isn't right. These aren't my thoughts." Natsu was now convinced that this alien stuff was doing something to him. "That's it. You've got to go!" He tried to pull it off, but the alien lifeform was stuck to him like glue. "Get off!"

"You can't reject us! You can't!"

"Watch me!" Natsu said as he tried to pull it off, but it wouldn't let go. Natsu couldn't get it off, but it stopped when a bell went off. The lifeform acted like it hated the sound. "You don't like loud sounds?! Good to know!" Natsu jumped for the bell tower that it came from. He spotted the bell and tried to go for it, but something happened. The suit shot webbings to the ceilings and was trying to pull Natsu away from the bell. "What are you doing?!" Natsu was pulled away from the bell and was sticking to the ceiling. "What have I done?!" Natsu could see what a big mistake this was as the lifeform went around him in a cocoon. Natsu is now trapped in black.

"Wake up, Natsu. We're not done yet." Natsu was beginning to open his eyes, but all he could see was darkness. He saw he was back in his regular clothes, but he had no clue where he was.

"What's going on? Where am I?" Natsu questioned.

"Why reject us? We only wish to help you." Natsu looked around for that voice, but he didn't see anyone.

"Who are you? Where are you?" Natsu said.

"Maybe it would help if we took a familiar form." Natsu saw someone emerged out of the shadows was him in his black Salamander attire. "We're only here to help you. We've become a part of you."

"What's going on? This isn't real." Natsu said. "What exactly are you?"

"It's just like we said. We've become a part of you since we've bonded." Black Salamander said.

"Bonded?" Natsu questioned.

"Look." Black Salamander said as he showed images of space. "We have been part of a race that has lived through the cosmos. We have seen many countless worlds, countless beings. We thrive on the one desire all living creatures share: survival?" Natsu didn't get it, but now he knows what he's talking to.

"You're that alien lifeform." Natsu said.

"Very good." Black Salamander said. "We're part of a race that you humans would classify us as...a symbiote. Natsu, we only wish to help you."

"Help me with what?" Natsu questioned.

"You've been through so much. We wish to help you with all your problems. You can finally get all that you would want." Black Salamander said. "We've seen your memories. We've seen the tragedies that you went through. It all started with them." He showed another image of people that Natsu knew well.

"Mom?! Dad?!" Natsu said.

"Before you got your powers, you lost both of them in a car accident." Black Salamander said. He showed images of the accident with the burning car. "From that, you and your brother were on your own and your struggles began."

"Yeah..." Natsu said as he saw more images of he and his brother all alone in the world. "Things were tough. We did some odd jobs to try and make some money. Zeref had to cutback on his plans to help me. He probably making genius discoveries or something geniuses like him do if he didn't had me to take care of."

"You're in high school and you're still not able to take care of yourself? Pathetic." Black Salamander said. "Then, came the time you actually got your powers." Natsu saw he was back at the lab that changed everything for him. "You class took a trip and got a science demonstration. When heat and radiation travelled through a crystal rod, a small lizard crawled over."

"I remember." Natsu said as he saw the lizard affected by heat and radiation. He remembered that when he spotted it, he touched the lizard and it burned him. "I was stupid enough to touch a lizard exposed to an experiment including radiation and heat. That's where it all began for me."

"That's right. When you discovered you had powers, you used them to be a hero." Black Salamander said. "Did you think it was an opportunity, to make sure others don't go through what you went through? Was it really because of the thrill that comes with it?" The symbiote is trying to get Natsu to doubt his choices, and it seems to be working. "Look at being Salamander has done for you so far." He showed images of all of Natsu's memories. "You're ridiculed, you don't get credit for what you do, and you keep dealing with one enemy after another. Gray blamed you for the lost of his father. There are villains out there because they want to get rid of you. You struggle, you run into problems because you can't balance both lives, and you can't have the things you want."

"Stop it. Stop it!" Natsu said as he tried to block him out.

"You can't deny it. We know you better than you know yourself." Black Salamander said. "Join with us. Become one with us. Maybe it's time to start looking out for number one." Natsu was actually considering this offer, but as he looked through his memories, he remembered there were good times as well. Being Salamander might be a challenge, but he's helped so many people because of it. He's saved lives, stopped evil, found the girl he wants to be with. It's all because of the people he has.

"You're wrong." Natsu said as he stood up for himself. "Being Salamander is tough, but I don't need to have everything I want. Zeref wanted to be there for me when we lost our parents. My friends helped me through the hardest times of my life. Salamander might get in the way, but they are still my friends." He was seeing images of all the times he had with them. How his brother and himself lived happily together. How Erza and Gray helped him with school and bullies. How, even though he's Salamander, he has a girlfriend that he's fallen for. "As for my parents, they helped made me who I am." He began to show images of his happy family and how his parents helped him. "My parents were kind people that loved and cared for me. They showed me right and wrong. It's because of them that I am who I am today. Even if they are gone, I'll be the kind of person they knew I could be."

"You fool!" Black Salamander. "Don't you see? We're offering you the chance to have everything you want."

"I have everything I need." Natsu said as he had all of his friends, all the people he loves. "You want to take all that away, and I won't let you!" Natsu was finally fighting back as his attire changed into his real Salamander uniform. He jumped at Black Salamander and hit him across the face, fighting the symbiote for control. The symbiote fought back as he grabbed him and tossed Natsu away, but Natsu bounced back as was able to give him a strong kick.

"You can't win!" Black Salamander claimed as black webs came and wrapped around Natsu, trying to drag him down. "We are embedded in you! We are you!" Natsu tried to resist, but he couldn't do alone. He didn't have to. He felt people grabbing his hand and helped him. He looked to see images of Zeref, Lucy, and everyone else that is important in his life.

"No. They're me." Natsu said as be broke the webs. "They're me. They're what make me." Natsu broke free as Black Salamander was getting scared. "You're done messing with my head!" Natsu encased his fist around fire and smashed against Black Salamander and destroyed him. In reality, Natsu was able to break free from the symbiote's hold. When he did, he smashed himself against the bell and the loud sounds of the bell were hurting the symbiote. With Natsu standing so close, the noises were louder and it caused the symbiote to fall off him. He was finally free from it's hold. "Now, to make sure you can't do this to anyone else."

...

Acnologia

"It's over. I'm finished..." Acnologia said as it seemed hopeless for him. He entered the lab to get the last of his things. When he entered, he saw Salamander with the lifeform as he placed it in the glass case. "Salamander?! You found it?! This fixes everything!" Acnologia thought he was saved, but he saw Salamander messing with the temperature controls. "What are you doing?! You can't set it that cold! It could destroy it!"

"That's the idea." Natsu said as he set the controls to a freezing temp.

"No!" Acnologia shouted as he tried to stop him as the lifeform began to freeze. He tried to save it, but Natsu pushed him back.

"Sorry, doc. That thing is dangerous. It has to be destroyed." Natsu said. Acnologia watched as the lifeform was frozen, as his life being shattered.

"Do you have any idea what you've done?!" Acnologia shouted as Natsu left the place. "You've ruined my life! I thought you were a hero, but you're a fraud!" Acnologia thought it was over for him, but he felt something. He looked and saw it was still alive. "It survived?" Acnologia fixed the controls and got it open. As soon as it was open, the symbiote jumped on Acnologia and was trying to take him over. He could feel his body changing, changing into something vicious. Something that knows all about Salamander now.

"Natsu Dragneel!"