-Natsu-

Ninety minutes before first period an alarm sounded through the whole school to awaken the students. Natsu rolled out of bed and rubbed his eyes then set about preparing breakfast. He ate toast as he lacked the necessary ingredients for anything else and then dressed quickly, heading to the gym to get a workout in before classes started.

He arrived at the gym and found a group of students already there. On the bench closest to him was a well muscled dark haired guy who wasn't wearing a shirt. Standing over him was a blue haired girl whose gaze seemed fixed on the muscles in his chest as they bulged and flexed. Beside them on the other bench was a tall guy covered in piercings with a wild mane of hair. In the far corner a small girl was having an even match with the punching bag. As Natsu enters the two men look at him. The larger of the two sets his bar and sits up to face him.

"Well if it isn't that new fellow", he said haughtily." Hear you were pretty tough, let's say we don't believe that. Whatcha gonna do?" he pauses looking pointedly at Natsu.

Natsu shakes his head and says," believe what you want", he walks to the farthest bench and starts stacking plates on the bar.

As Natsu starts to pump, the bare chested boy walks over the blue haired chick on his arm. " most people don't blow us off",He says.

"My apologies", Natsu retorts. " could you please take your girl and go somewhere else".

The boy looks down at Natsu and sneers. He shrugs off the girl and sets his hands on Natsu's bar pressing down. Natsu stops, looks at the him and throws the bar up into his nose. He hollers as blood flows from his now broken nose. Before Natsu can sit up however the girl has a knife to his neck.

"You hurt Gray-sama, Juvia will kill you for that", She wails as she pushes the knife closer.

Natsu grabs her wrist and twists the knife away. She yelps and turns away. The small girl from the corner rushes over and takes out a metal rod swinging it at Natsu. He manages to dodge but is left off balance. She prepares to strike again when the guy with all the piercings snaps.

"Cut it out kid, he'll brain you too". He turns to Natsu and holds out a hand." Names Gajeel, how'd you like to join my gang"?

Natsu looks at him. Does he want to be my friend, he thinks. But aren't gangs full of delinquents, but everyone probably assumes I'm one already. He throws back his shoulders and speaks, " How'd you like to join mine"? Did I just say that, what am I doing I'm gonna be thought of as the worst kid here.

Gajeel looks down and nods, "sure thing, if I can bring my crew." he gestures to the rest of the group. " what's our"?

Natsu looks around and steels his gaze. "Etherious". He thinks if he's gonna do this he better do it all the way.

-Levi-

Levi stands just outside the door to Lucy's dorm. She takes a deep breath and opens the door. She quickly spots Lucy sprawled nude over her bed. She walks to the bathroom and finds the open bottle of painkillers. Her breath catches and she drops the breakfast sandwich she'd been holding. She rushes to Lucy's side and checks her pulse. For a second she's terrified until she feels a slow steady beat. She sighs and shakes Lucy to wake her.

Lucy rouses and looks up into Levy's relieved face." ellow Leby", she slurs," What tim es eet?"

Levy smiles and speaks softly," seven, we need to get you ready for class".

Lucy gets shakily to her feet and sets about dressing herself as Levy reclaims the dropped sandwich and pops it in the microwave. Levy has known about Lucy's issues for years. But until recently they seemed minor. Until last summer when Lucy had nearly killed herself trying to shut up the voices in her head. After that Levy had dedicated herself to helping Lucy, to keeping her grounded. But Lucy had just kept getting more depressed and desperate. Though she seemed fine most of the time if a bit ditsy and klutzy she was actually always on drugs. She couldn't stop, once Levy had taken her pills and she'd woken up to Lucy's agonized screams. She'd rushed to help and found her crying in a corner muttering and wailing at nothing and nobody. Levy couldn't even get her to take her pills. Lucy thrashed around for hours while Levy looked on horrified. Eventually Levy called her boyfriend and told him Lucy was having a panic attack. He'd arrived with a syringe and a bottle of morphine. He'd held Lucy down for Levy to inject her. Lucy quieted down and fell asleep in Levy's arms. Levy never asked how he'd gotten the drug, she knew she wouldn't like the answer.

After they ate Levy did Lucy's hair and walked her to class. Lucy was unsteady on her feet and had to lean on Levy a significant amount. Levy didn't mind, she was perfectly willing to help. As they walked the halls they passed few people, most everyone being in class by then. The few people they did see were either higher than Lucy or too deep within each other to notice Lucy's inebriation. They arrive at the doors to their classroom, where a small group of people are gathered. Levy perks up as she recognizes her boyfriend among them.

She begins to wave and calls out,"Gajeel, good morning, how are you doing". She is very glad to see him here, he rarely attends classes and she could use his company.

"I'm fine shrimp, but I got some news that may surprise you". He smirks and reaches behind him.

He pulls a boy forward and speaks, "this here is the new head honcho, and we're now part of the Etherious gang."

Levy stops and studies the boy. He's not particularly tall and his hair is a pink mess but he looks well muscled. Suddenly she recognizes him from some files she'd read in the teachers office. She stumbles back a pace stuttering

" y-y-y-y-y-y-y-you're Natsu D-D-Dragneel, you were kicked out of your last school for murdering a teacher, but that was only he last straw. In a string of violent incidents including one involving several female classmates". She subconsciously positions herself in front of lucy.

Natsu glowers down at Levy with pure rage, " I never killed him, but he deserved to die for his actions". The words drip like venom from is lips as he looks down to the floor. His voice softens momentarily, "And I'd never hurt a girl, in any way". He looks Levy in the eye and speaks one more time before turning away," I have honor".

Levy stands there for a moment before turning to Lucy again. She gasps as she sees Lucy has started to tear up and looks fully aware for the first time in years. She speaks slowly and quietly. "The voices...".

Levy paled as she heard Lucy's words. Spoken so clearly, yet so quietly. She grabbed Lucy's hand and rummaged in her bag. She couldn't find the pills. Had she left them in the room? What was she going to do? She began to panic, if Lucy had an attack now- no she had to concentrate. Then Gajeel was there he grabbed her wrist and put something in her hand. He nodded and walked off toward his class. Levy looked down to find 2 pills in her hand. She wasted no time and gave them to Lucy, who took them and crushed them with her teeth before swallowing them. After a minute her Eyes glazed back over and she swayed slightly. She looked over to Levy and whispered,"Thank you". Levy held back tears at what her friend had become, and led her into class.

-Natsu-

*after the scuffle*

Natsu stands silently as Gajeel introduces everyone in the group. "This is Wendy..." he says gesturing to the small girl." you already know Gray and Juvia", Gray sneers, his nose has stopped bleeding and turns out wasn't quite broken. Juvia hangs from him like a cloth.

Gajeel continues," You see we were the head honchos at this school. We mostly just beat down people who get too full of themselves and keep undesirables in there place. We can get whatever someone desires, for a price. We have people all over, even in the upper levels of the faculty and the "upstanding" student body. For example my girl's an honor student." he stops and turns to Natsu pointedly." She's got a friend, real good status, make a great ornament for your rise to power."

Natsu shakes his head," I have no use for a decoration. And I'm not sure that's really what you're suggesting". Gajeel shrugs and puts his hand on Natsu's shoulder.

"We'll walk you to your class. It's important everyone sees you ahead of us, it'll make em wary of you."

Natsu sighs as his new thugs lead him off toward the classroom. They get there barely before classes and Gajeel seems slightly surprised at the room number.

"This is my girl's class, her friends too", he says in an aside to Natsu." you're gonna have to look the part of badass gangster boss. I know that's not the real you I met at that fight but around the normies that is you, the gang can know when you're… comfortable".

Natsu was stunned, no one had ever seen through his shell before, not that he ever tried to show them. This Gajeel was someone to watch, he thought.

Suddenly a voice came from down the hall, he looked and saw a girl barely taller than Wendy smiling and waving at Gajeel. Behind her stands an attractive blonde. As Natsu watches she stumbles a little and shakes her head. Natsu raises an eyebrow and looks closer. Her gait was slightly unsteady her face slightly slack and her eyes completely unfocused. Natsu knew exactly what was up he'd seen that face many times at his old school, though she did a pretty good job hiding it. The girl was completely stoned.

Juvia and Gray slink off somewhere while Gajeel greets the girl. Natsu isn'tt really paying attention to the conversation and is completely caught off guard when Gajeel grabs his arm and drags him forward. The girl looks at him for a second before her eyes go wide. He knows exactly where this was going, it had happened many times before.

-Lucy-

*In the hall before class*

Lucy dreamed of grey foggy nothing. She only heard faint garbled whispers, and felt only the soft all encompassing embrace of stupor. She always felt either like this, watching as her intoxicated self stumbled through life. Or she was there hearing screams of pain and hatred, feeling nothing but rage for those around her, and fearing the thoughts that wriggled their way through that smaug to whisper into her ear. Telling her to inflict the pain she heard.

Lucy was aware of a slight movement of her physical self. The other happy Lucy opened her eyes and slurred out a greeting to a face, this Lucy couldn't quite remember. She was aware of Happy Lucy getting dressed, eating of sitting while that face did her hair. Lucy felt no sadness to be missing the life of her other self, the little clouded window was enough. Lucy watched herself walk leaning slightly on that strange face. They stopped and the face rushed forward leaving her to stand unsteadily.

Lucy felt something new then, a warmth. She peered through her window at the crowd of faces. As she watched the picture became clear and she felt Happy Lucy sink beneath her. She stared at the world around her, she was there and real. Her body her own, she felt that same warmth and looked toward it. She gasped silently as she saw the boy with pink hair. He looked mad but to Lucy he was glowing like the sun. She remembered a day long ago, in the gardens of her home sitting on the cool grass with her mother, the sun falling gently against her skin.

Lucy stood silently as the boy turned and left. Slowly the light faded and she became aware of something. Voices creeping in around her, she began to cry as she realized they'd been gone for that brief moment, and they were coming back. The face from earlier turned toward her, and she saw Levy, her friend, how had she forgotten. Levy came towards her and the voices grew louder. She spoke quietly to Levy," The Voices…". She couldn't keep going she hoped Levy could help. She tried to sink back into her fog, but it was gone.

-Natsu-

*First class*

Natsu sat in the back off the class and tried not to notice the fact that every eye in the classroom was on him, as the teacher spoke. Natsu leaned back in the chair, crossed his arms over his chest and looked at the teacher, trying to pay attention to the lesson. The teacher in turn paled slightly as it appeared Natsu was glaring death upon him. Natsu tightened his jaw unconsciously, he didn't know he looked intimidating and was tired of people misjudging him for incorrectly portrayed scenarios from his past. The whole glas flinched back and turned away. He sighed inwardly and tried to relax.

After class Natsu got up and noticed that the whole class was using the far door leaving the one nearest him open. He walked from the room and tried not to look frightening. But no matter what people would go around him, one guy even put himself between him and some girls. Natsu sneered at him and stamped his foot the guy faltered slightly but held his ground. Natsu shook his head and walked away. He passed many kids who all seemed afraid, he heard rumors of his violent past. Those distorted versions of the truth made him out to be a violent monster, a criminal. He passed a closed classroom and stopped turning to look inside.

He could hear nothing from within but what he saw chilled him. There were a bunch of seniors all sat around a couple desks, standing over them were three burly police officers. They were waving small bags and seemed to be talking animatedly. Natsu knew instantly this was a drug bust. He turned away and smiled to himself. "Serves em right", he thought, "filthy habit it is".

Natsu made it through all his classes well enough and broke up a fight at lunch. He'd walked into the ring of cheering spectators and they'd gone dead silent. He wrenched the top boy off the one on the ground and tossed him one armed into the ring. He turned in a circle and said, " Eat", rather forcefully. He'd never seen so much food eaten so quickly. He now sat on his bed, his shirt discarded. He traced his tattoos again, the action always seemed to calm him. His tattoos were of black thorny vines spreading from his chest and running onto his biceps. He moved his fingers over the taught flesh over his solid chest, and sighed. He got up from his bed and paced the floor.

At about 9:00 he started hearing soft moans, the creak of a bed spring, and a dull thumping as the bed -post hit the wall from the room next door. He scowled, he did not enjoy being keenly aware of others activities. He took out his phone and tried to call Gajeel to see if he could hang out there until the couple was finished, no answer. He growled and dialed Gray's number, while he was not exactly fond of him he was the only other dude he knew at the school. The phone began ringing and Natsu heard muffled cursing from the other room along with a faint ring. Natsu blanched as he processed this new information.

"Who the hell is this?" comes Gray's voice from both his phone and the wall.

Natsu clears his throat before growling out, "Keep it down". He hangs up abruptly, and sits heavily breathing hard. "That was terrifying." he thinks. It would take a long time for him to get used to this. He looked up at the ceiling and sighs, he never had enjoyed people.

Natsu woke the next morning feeling drained from the previous day. He rolls out of bed and heads to the kitchenette. There he sets about preparing breakfast, it's nothing fancy as he still hadn't collected more ingredients. He dialed up Gajeel and the phone began ringing.

After about three rings Gajeel answered." Yeah, what's up boss", he says almost mechanically. And in the distance just barely audible there's another feminine voice too quiet to understand.

Natsu sighs inwardly, of course all "his" thugs spent the night with their girls. He clears his throat and speaks in what he hopes is a commanding gangsterish voice, " bring the gang over to my place for a quick meeting, invite your girl too I want more information.

"Roger that boss", Gajeel replies, prompting another internal sigh from Natsu.

" Don't call me boss", he says tiredly.

"If you insist. You'll need a street name anyway." Gajeels says before abruptly hanging up. Leaving Natsu wandering what that meant.

Within the hour everyone was gathered outside Natsu's door. Gajeel knocked, feigning a practiced deliberate pattern. Natsu opens the door and his eyes immediately fall on the blonde resting against Levy. He sneers slightly, causing Levy to clutch the girls hand. He turns and waves them in over his shoulder. They follow and are utterly shocked by the sight before them.