"speaking"

"thinking"

On with the story

A few days soon passed after the incident as it was nighttime

Natsu was in a conversation with Dan and the group at the living room as they were planning to make a new album for their new song

"then it's decided our 2nd album, Alive will be out after summer break" Natsu said as the group nodded

"I'll start calling the producers" Dan said getting out his lacrima phone and dials a few numbers

"and Big Boss, what of Meredy-chan?" one of the group members asked Natsu "we'll be very busy on the training and recording"

"my mates will babysit her for the time being" Natsu replied before rubbing his chin "but thinking about it a bit, maybe I should start enrolling her to kindergarden…"

"that sounds great, Big boss" another group member stated "but where?"

"I'm still thinking about it…" Natsu said before taking out his lacrima phone and searched for kindergarden schools. A second later the search result came up and Natsu's eyes squinted a bit "there's a lot, but I'm going to check which one is good for her"

Éclair soon came in as she sets down a tray of tea for the group

"thanks, Éclair" Natsu said as Éclair passes him a cup of tea that he soon sips "oh right, are you going to be really fine during Parent and teacher conference? My Uncle can also be your acting guardian, you know"

"it's fine, it'll make things a bit hard for Atlas-san and all" Éclair replied with a smile "I'll be fine, I'm already an independent woman now"

Éclair walks away to the kitchen as Natsu and the others looks at her

"somehow, Big sis Éclair seems a bit distant, isn't she?" Dan asked Natsu who nodded "is there something wrong?"

"I don't know" Natsu muttered out as he leans to the side and sees Éclair in the kitchen in the middle of cooking


Éclair cooks in the kitchen while Natsu and the group were discussing

She stirs the ladle in a pot as it had stew in it

Éclair stirs it before she holds a hand to her mouth and coughs a few times

"strange…my head….feels…" Éclair thought as her vision started to get blurry before everything went dark


Natsu was chatting with his group about their song and the kindergarden school where Meredy should enroll when they heard something loud falling in the kitchen

"Éclair?" Natsu went to the kitchen before his eyes widen when he finds Éclair laying on the ground, unconscious with the pot of stew pouring out its content on the floor "ÉCLAIR?!"

Natsu ran to her as he carried her up and sees her face turning red from a fever

"Big boss! What's wrong!?" Dan exclaimed before seeing Éclair "I'll get an ambulance!"

"no! I'll get here there myself! Get the hospital to be ready when I arrive!" Natsu exclaimed as he went out

"roger!" Dan exclaimed before making the call

"Éclair! Hang in there!" Natsu exclaimed as he summoned Enryuo Yoroi on before going out to the back door "take care of Meredy while I'm away!"

"you got it, Big boss!" Dan exclaimed before Natsu flies away with Éclair

"I hope big sis Éclair will be fine" "yeah, she looked like she had a high fever" "I'm sure with Big boss, she'll be fine!" the group chattered with each other

"Papa…" Meredy's voice was heard as the group looks to the side and sees Meredy coming down the stairs with Natsu's old Dragon doll

"ah, Meredy-chan. Sorry we were so loud, we must've wake you up?" Dan said crouching down "sorry, but Big boss had to go out and take care of Big Sis Éclair for a moment. But he'll be back"

"Meredy…Meredy" Meredy muttered out before Dan and the group gasped in shock as to see the child's face red like having a fever "Meredy..doesn't feel so good.."

Meredy soon fell to the floor as Dan and the others went to her

"Meredy-chan!? Meredy-chan!?" Dan exclaimed lifting the little girl up as Meredy was breathing hard like she was suffocating "we got to get her to the hospital quick!"


Natsu flied in the air as he landed to the hospital where he finds dozens of nurses, doctors, and patients going in and out of the place

"What's going on?" Natsu said as he sees many of the patients were women and little girls

"hey! hang in there!" a doctor exclaimed as a nurse had fallen while having a feverish red face "oh no, she got it too!"

Natsu looks at them all as they all have the same symptoms as Éclair


30 minutes later, Natsu had brought Éclair into the ICU where she was laid on a hospital bed with an oxygen mask strapped to her

Natsu looks at her before to the other patients in the ICU as everyone was sick, very sick but the strange thing is that all of them are women and no males

"what on earthland is going on here?" Natsu said before looking back to Éclair as her face was feverish red "all of them have high fevers and difficulty in breathing"

"BIG BOSS!" Dan and the others came running in the ICU as they surprised some doctors and some male visitors who are related to the sick women and little girls

"be quiet, this is a hospital!" Natsu scolded them

"we're sorry!" Dan said bowing with the others while out of breath "but Big boss! It's bad! It's really bad!"

"take a breath and say it. I can't understand if you are speaking like that" Natsu said

"it's Meredy-chan! She got sick! Really sick!" Dan exclaimed as Natsu's eyes widen in alert

"what?! Meredy!? How?!" Natsu exclaimed

"just a minute after you left with Big sis Éclair, Meredy-chan came downstairs and then her face was red like she had a high fever!" Dan explained "we rushed her to the hospital as fast as we can!"

"where?! Where is she now!?" Natsu exclaimed

"at the second floor, room 234" Dan stated

"all of you stay here with Éclair!" Natsu exclaimed before he bolted out of the room


Natsu ran in the hallway filled with doctors, men, and sick people as he made his way to the second floor and to room 234

"Meredy!" Natsu exclaimed as he got into the room and his eyes widen when he sees Meredy wearing an oxygen mask with other children in the same state as her "Meredy…"

Natsu went to Meredy as her face was feverish red and she was breathing hard even with the oxygen mask

"Meredy….what…." Natsu muttered out in pure shock as to see his adopted daughter in such state

"Pa…Pa….Me..redy…..doesn't….feel…well" Meredy muttered out as Natsu holds her hand

"don't worry! This is the hospital! Meredy will get better! Papa promise!" Natsu said as he pecks her forehead while holding her hand to assure her

"re…ally?" Meredy said smiling a bit as Natsu nodded "Me..redy…happy…"

Natsu holds her hand as he stayed by her side


The next morning soon came as Magnolia was in a big pandemic

"we are here live in Magnolia where there seems to be a pandemic of disease going on!" Jason stated on a mic as he was live on tv "women and little girls all fell ill while men are not! The symptoms seem to be high fever and breathing problems! At the moment, no doctors are able to identify the source of the disease!"


Natsu was in the hospital's hallway as he watched the tv with some male visitors

"due to the spreading of this unknown disease, the medical officials had stopped any type of transportation out of the town to prevent outside contamination!" Jason stated on the mic "please be aware that this disease is unknown and is still being researched!"

Natsu looks at the tv before to Meredy as the child was resting on the bed

"Big Boss, this is bad" Dan said standing beside Natsu with the group "just got word that nearly all the women and little girls in Magnolia are all sick. Including Big Sis Lucy and the others"

"I know" Natsu said

"what should we do, Big boss?" Dan asked "maybe you could use your healing magic like you always do! It helped cure fevers, cold, and many other things!"

"I know" Natsu said again

"then why don't we use it for Meredy-chan and the others? And then the other sick people!" Dan stated

"I said I know!" Natsu shouted "don't you think I would've done that in the first place?! I tried using my healing powers on Éclair! But it didn't work at all!"

"d-didn't work?" Dan said in shock "but Big Boss' healing power!"

"aren't working" Natsu said before looking away while gritting his teeth in anger "I tried using it multiple times on Meredy. Trying to cool down that fever but it just didn't work"

"t-then…Meredy-chan will" Dan muttered out

"no" Natsu said "I am not letting anyone get sick and die off. Not on my watch"

"so..what do we do, Big boss?" Dan asked

"for now, gather up the Elixian Flowers I grew in my garden. That flower can cure any disease and kill any bacteria, and viruses" Natsu told them "I need to consult a doctor on what this disease is"

"alright!" Dan said as he and the group nodded before heading off


Natsu went around the hospital as he started talking with some doctor and nurse but they all said that they didn't know what is causing the sickness and only know that it only affects females and not males

"damnit!" Natsu shouted angrily as he slams his fist against the wall in the bathroom "don't know! Don't know! Don't know! And they call themselves doctors!?"

He soon washes his face with water before heading out

"BIG BOSSS!" Dan came running to Natsu who looks at him

"what? did you guys get the Elixian Flowers from my garden?" Natsu said

"we did! But when the doctors give the extracts to the sick patients! The fever didn't go away! It only escalated even more!" Dan exclaimed as Natsu's eyes went wide

"what?! that can't be possible! The Elixian Flower cures everything! It cured Meredy's sickness and the viruses in her!" Natsu exclaimed

"we know! But it didn't work! Now they're getting even sicker!" Dan stated as Natsu's face turns into shock "anyway! You have to see them!"


Natsu and Dan ran to a room as inside were Lucy, Éclair, Ultear, Cana, Erza, Kagura, and Ultear all lying on their bed sick

"what's going on…why are they sick but we're not!?" Natsu exclaimed angrily as it makes him angry to see his friends and loved ones in pain

"we don't know, Big boss…they're all…" Dan muttered out as Natsu went to Éclair and holds her hand, he could feel her body heat rising up from the fever "but the doctors are doing their best! So! let's just pray that they'll pull through!"

Natsu gritted his teeth angrily as red scales soon climbed up his neck to his face

"I want to find the one responsible for this!" Natsu growls angrily as his eyes turned reptilian "and make them pay with their lives!"

"cease it" someone spoke out as Natsu and Dan looks behind and sees Atlas Flame "getting revenge would not solve the situation at hand"

"Atlas-san" Dan said as Atlas walks pass him "why are you?"

"high fever, and trouble in breathing…these symptoms are exactly the same" Atlas said as he went to Éclair and holds her hand "hmmm…as I feared"

"do you know what this disease is?" Natsu said as the scales disappeared

"yes, the Burnout syndrome" Atlas stated "the disease will cause the body heat to rise up and the lungs to have problems in taking air and releasing it. In a week's time, the body heat will rise to inhuman level before the victim dies"

"what!?" Natsu said in shock "is there a cure!?"

"no…" Atlas said while shaking his head "..this disease was once used as a Biological magic weapon during the magia war. It decimated thousands of lives every passing moon"

"but wouldn't such disease be known a lot?! And with a cure!" Dan stated

"the disease was not listed nor known as the last act that was taken in suppressing its spreading was by…." Atlas said before pausing for a second and then continued "…killing the infected before its spreading"

"what?! you can't be serious, Atlas-san!" Dan exclaimed before looking to Natsu whose face was filled with anger and shock

"a forgotten biological magic weapon….re used once again upon Magnolia" Natsu muttered out before his eyes went black and his pupils turned reptilian "don't fuck with me! I'm going to find the one responsible and kill him!"

"that makes both of us" someone spoke out before they see Gildarts coming in "this disease made my Cana-chwan sick. I'm going to make whoever responsible pay"

"oya oya, I haven't heard this voice in a while" Atlas said turning towards Gildarts "Gildarts Clive was it? It's been 20 years hasn't it?"

"yes! It's been a long time, Atlas-san" Gildarts said doing a short bow

"you know each other?" Dan asked as Gildarts and Atlas nodded

"Atlas-san was my mentor when I was still in my rookie days in the magical war division" Gildarts explained "he taught me a lot since then"

"can we cut the reunion chat short?" Natsu said as his eyes turned back to normal "Uncle, if this was a biological magic weapon, why does it only affect females only?"

"that reason I do not know as this disease seems to differ than the one in the past" Atlas said while scratching his chin "it seems that this virus was modified to only affect females and not males"

"so someone is reusing the disease again and wanted to only affect females?" Gildarts said as Atlas nodded "for what? it should've been the reversed"

"not if you are a mad man" Azuma came in next as he wore a suit

"you are?" Atlas said not knowing Azuma

"i am Azuma, and I am a former member of Grimoire Heart but now working under Natsu Dragneel as his limo driver" Azuma stated while walking in

"G-Grimoire Heart?! That Dark Organization!?" Gildarts exclaimed while tensing up

"i-it's fine! Azuma-san is under law! Any bad thing he do, that instantly gets him to jail!" Dan stated

"Azuma, what do you mean by your previous words?" Natsu said

"as I have told you many days before, Hades is not one to be underestimated as he would use any underhanded tactics, and this is one of them" Azuma stated

"are you saying that Grimoire Heart's boss is the ring leader in this pandemic?" Natsu said as Azuma nodded

"yes and no, Hades may be the one that created the virus in the first place but if he were to use it again, he would've used it to infect all" Azuma explained "this is Bluenote's doing"

"Bluenote? That wanted man?!" Gildarts stated

"you know him?" Dan asked as Gildarts nodded

"that man is a traitor during the war and is a pure mad man" Gildarts said "Bluenote Stinger, nicknamed the Mad Black Hole, he decimated an entire army of 1000 mage in just a single night. He does not care who he works for as he only cares of destroying anyone and anything"

"Blutenote never follows Hades orders" Azuma explained "I am sure that after my failure, he would move out and head here to destroy you, Natsu Dragneel"

"if he wants to come and destroy me, why use this disease?" Natsu asked

"Bluenote deems that all females as worthless and pathetic weaklings, he does not care of them as he only sees that they have no use in living on earth" Azuma stated

"just for that?! He uses a weapon to make my Cana-chwan sick!?" Gildarts exclaimed angrily "that's it! When I find him, I'm going to hang his ass on my wall!"

"but even if we find the culprit who did this, how are we going to cure everyone?" Dan asked "would he have the antidote with him?"

"Bluenote is a madman, he wouldn't care to make such things" Azuma said as this got the situation more down "but I know how this disease work thanks to my time in Grimoire Heart"

"then!" Dan exclaimed with a smile as Azuma nodded

"it won't be a perfect antidote, but it will help in easing their pain" Azuma said

"alright, get on to it" Gildarts said "and while you're doing that, let's fine Bluenote and take him down"

"only problem is on, where is he?" Dan asked

"I think I know" Natsu said as he looks to the tv in the room

Gildarts, Dan, and Azuma looks to the tv while Atlas didn't as he was blind

They see a piece of news on as it showed Jason live


Jason and some cameramen were at the magnolia borders where they find Bluenote Stinger standing there

"this is Jason! And here I am at the Magnolia's borders where we find a mysterious and suspicious man just standing here!" Jason exclaimed on the mic while looking at Bluenote before to the camera "what on earth is his reason for being here!? And who is he!?"

Bluenote looks to the town before to Jason who was rambling on his mic to the camera

"a reporter.." Bluenote said before he walks towards them

"could he be the perpetrator in the pandemic?! Could he be the culprit!? What will it be?!" Jason exclaimed on his mic before Bluenote stands behind him and grabs his mic "waaah!?"

"listen, Natsu Dragneel" Bluenote said on the mic "I have come here to destroy you and your home. If you want the cure to save the worthless females in this town"

Bluenote takes out a small pink vial and showed it to the camera

"the time limit is 30 minutes, do not come and this cure will be gone forever" Bluenote said before destroying the mic in hand


"that bastard" Gildarts said while cracking his knuckles

"he's provoking Big Boss" Dan said

"I'm going" Natsu said as he summoned his armor on with his plate sliding open "Azuma get to work on that temporary antidote, Dan stay by Meredy's side, Uncle and Gildarts take care of the girls"

"you can't be serious on fighting him alone, are you?" Gildarts asked as Natsu nodded "it's suicide! That man decimated one thousand mages! Strong and very powerful mages! I'll go with!"

"no, it'd be better if he goes alone" Azuma stated "we don't know the full extent of Hades's plans, he could be using Bluenote as a decoy or something. We can't let our guard down for the sick"

"he's right, this disease was modified with no definite reason" Atlas said before turning towards Natsu "be careful, Nephew. Never underestimate your opponent"

"yeah" Natsu said before his plate slides closed and his eyes glowed red behind it "I know"


That's a wrap!

Bye bye