Natsu has never been a timely person, but he had always managed to get to places semi on time. But today he was running almost a good half an hour late for work and he knew he was in for an impending ass whooping from the chief if he wasn't at his desk when he did his normal rounds.

He did have a kind of decent reason for being late, the day before he had gotten into a scuffle with a suspect and the guy had ended up getting him good in the face. His right cheek had been slightly swollen and throbbing in pain we had woken up that morning, after he had hit the snooze button at least four times was when he noticed it. So he had been a bit pre-occupied that morning.

So that's why Natsu had a bagel that he had randomly grabbed that morning stuffed in his mouth and was currently tying his tie while he rode up the elevator. He swears he's totally professional, just not at all time sensitive.

The elevator dinged and Natsu stepped out onto his floor, or the floor where pretty much every FBI agent had a desk at. Speed walking (he couldn't be too inconspicuous) his way over to his desk that was clumped together with the others that was meant to promote problem solving or something along those lines. Most of the agents just ignored him since they were used to it, the only one to look away from their work when he pulled out his chair was his frenemy and co-agent Gray.

He glanced over at Natsu before shaking his head at him and saying "You just missed Makarov's daily walk around."

"Shit" Natsu said as he plopped down into his chair with a huff.

"He wasn't too pleased about you not sitting in your chair looking all bright eyed and bushy tailed and ready to work after the stunt you pulled yesterday" Gary said absently, devoid of all emotions for Natsu and the beating he'd be facing later.

"What stunt?" Natsu asked as he scooted his chair in and turned on his computer's monitor "I didn't do anything stupid or against the rules yesterday."

"Yeah you did" Gray said as he scribbled something down on a sticky note "You went and punched the suspect in the face instead of carefully approaching the matter since there were civilians in the area."

"Is that what chief said?" Natsu asked feeling a cold sweat coming on; he was more than just in for a good yelling. He would end up being a victim in a case they'd be solving soon.

"Word for word" Gray answered as he clicked his pen a few times before putting it down as Natsu opened his mouth again.

"But the reason I punched the dude was because there were civilians" Natsu whined as the other man just rolled his eyes.

"Dude you knew he had a bomb in the area and a button to push whenever he felt like setting it off" Gray said with a sigh as he shook his head.

"That's why I punched him before he could take out the button! He could have made it so it set off if he died or something! I was just taking precautions" Natsu said with crossed arms.

"But you and I both know that's not the procedure we have been taught to use if we are faced with that situation. Plus you had another guy there with you, if you want to be reckless and kill yourself then fine. But you can't just go and put another agent and civilians lives at stake based on a whim you have" Gray said "You could have gotten people killed yesterday."

"It wasn't some stupid whim" Natsu muttered under his breath as he logged into the computer.

"Listen I don't have any more time to listen to your complaining, save it for the chief, I have to leave to talk to this crazy lady who claims she's being watched through her computer" Gray said as he pushed back from his desk and stood up.

"Have fun" Natsu grumbled "Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

"That doesn't limit me much" Gray said with a smirk before walking away leaving a squawking Natsu. Huffing, Natsu sat back in his chair and turned his attention to the computer and his work. He needed to write a report for the chief about the job he and the other agent had completed the day before. Maybe he could use this as a way to get back in his chief's good graces and apologize for whatever he did wrong yesterday.

Sighing he opened up the file from yesterday before he began typing away at the keyboard. By the time he had finished it was almost lunch and his hands were beginning to cramp up. Leaning back in his chair he looked around to see if there anything interesting going on but was disappointed to see that nothing out of the ordinary was going on. Heck, the place looked like it could pass for a regular office!

Natsu was beginning to wonder if he could get away with a quick nap or take an early and longer lunch break when he felt someone tap him on the shoulder. Whirling around, he saw the chief standing behind him.

"Dragneel, come into my office. We need to have a little chat" Makarov said, his face all business with an edge in his voice.

"Aye sir-um I mean chief" Natsu said before quickly correcting himself, he really needed to act all business and protocol meeting today. Jumping out of his chair he followed Makarov who despite his old age could walk extremely fast, almost as though he jogged instead of walking.

For once, Natsu followed him silently to his office and walked in almost robotically before Makarov looked back at him and said "Close the door Dragneel."

"Yes Chief" Natsu said, closing the door before turning his attention back to Makarov.

"Now then Natsu" Makarov began, he had switched over to his first name and Natsu was beginning to sweat again. This meant he was about to get a lecture and these normally ended with a stern 'I expect better of you' and no decent case for weeks. It was beginning to look like Natsu was going to be on patrol and if Makarov was feeling extra sinister, trainee duty. Please let some god have some mercy on him.

"Listen Chief, I'm really sorry for what I did during yesterday's arrest! I swear I'll never do it again" Natsu said, his words spilling from his lips quickly as he tried to best to cover for himself.

"Natsu, do you even know what you did wrong yesterday?" Makarov asked as he folded his hands together and sat forward in his chair.

"Ummm" Natsu said as he tried to wrack his brain for what exactly Makarov was angry about again, at least according to Gray "How I arrested the suspect?"

"Yes, but what exactly am I angry about?" Makarov asked before letting out a loud sigh.

"Putting civilians and my partner in danger, I mentioned it in my report" Natsu answered before letting out an internal sigh, he had remembered what Gray had told him.

"How?" Makarov pressed much to Natsu's chagrin.

"Ummm, well-" Natsu said scrambling his brain for what he really did wrong because he still didn't see what he had done wrong yesterday.

"Did Gray warn you this morning that I was angry?" Makarov asked.

"Yeah" Natsu said as he moved his gaze to the ground to avoid Makarov's gaze.

"I thought so" Makarov said with a shake of his head "Natsu you attacked the suspect yesterday with no warning even though you had been told to handle him with extreme caution since we had reason to suspect he had a bomb in the area."

"Which he could activate" Natsu said doing his best to keep his anger controlled "I attacked him because I saw him reach into his coat!"

"Then you should have shot him instead you idiot! Or do what you've always been told to do, tell the guy to put his hands up and warn him at least!" Makarov retorted, clearly getting annoyed by Natsu not being able to understand simple concepts.

"But what if he had planted one of those bombs that blow when he dies or something? Why else would he have been out in the open?!" Natsu argued back as he tried to calm the anger that was beginning to course through his veins.

"Because he gets his high off of watching those people die" Makarov replied as he rubbed the bridge of his nose "You threw yourself at the suspect and then proceed to not just break his nose but dislocate his arm when you twisted it around his back to cuff him. Natsu you could get charges pressed against you if the man really wanted to. You reacted brashly and this could have endangered all the people in the surrounding area. I expect better of you."

"I'm sorry chief" Natsu said as he continued to stare at the ground. He wanted to spit back how if he hadn't done that the man could have blew up the entire plaza but refrained knowing it would only end with more yelling.

"I know you are Natsu, so as I way to redeem yourself" Natsu perked up a bit once hearing this "I'm giving you an assignment that will help teach you more about teamwork" Makarov finished as Natsu felt his stomach fall. He was getting to work with trainees he could feel it the minute he heard Makarov use the word 'teamwork'.

"So what exactly am I doing?" Natsu asked, worried to hear the answer to his question.

"You're getting a case that we just got a call in for about twenty minutes ago" Makarov said "An unidentified man has been found floating in a river in town."

"And the FBI is getting called in for this case because?" Natsu asked "This seems more like a police case."

"That's cause it is" Makarov said with a nod as Natsu let out an undignified squawk "I called in a favor from one of my friends at the police station."

"So I'm learning teamwork with the police?" Natsu asked feeling his eyebrow raise; he already knew half of them so it's not like this was going to be something hard or challenging for him to do.

"Nope, I have another friend who has been talking about a worker who is very passionate about dead bodies, especially when they might have been murdered" Makarov said with a small laugh.

"So you're pairing me up with a possible psychopathic coroner?" Natsu asked.

"No, they're forensic scientists. There's a bit of a difference" Makarov answered "I want you to work with them on this case to determine if it was intentional or an accident, and if your able to do that without breaking protocol I'll forgive you."

"Okay then chief" Natsu said with a nod though he had a feeling this case would end up being a simple and textbook case "But I bet you twenty bucks it was just a druggie or drunk that fell into the river and drowned."

"Make it fifty and we might have a deal Dragneel" Makarov said, back with the last name, always a good sign that he wasn't as pissed off "Anyway they're coming by so the two of you can meet. Then the two of you will head to the crime scene together and check out the body if they've managed to bring it in."

"Got it chief" Natsu said with a nod before looking towards the door. He wasn't exactly sure how to feel about this entire situation. It's not like he normally works much with forensics since he normal just asks them for results and what they mean and nothing more. So what the heck else was he supposed to do besides that with this person?

"I suggest you use this to learn how to bounce ideas and theories you have about the case off this person" Makarov suggested "I've heard they're pretty passionate about their job so they might be fine with you talking about how someone might have been brutally murdered and why."

"Yeah, I'll be sure to do that chief" Natsu said doing his best to resist rolling his eyes.

"I'm serious Dragneel, use this as a good opportunity" Makarov said just as a pink haired women burst into the room. "Why hello Porlyusica" Makarov said as he watched the women burst into his office without a knock as a blonde hair girl trailed behind her "I see you forget that knocking is the more polite thing to do."

Natsu took this as an opportunity to size up the girl, who was presumably going to be his so called partner on this so called case. She was certainly well endowed with lots of curves. Her face was definitely one he would call relatively cute and her blue eyes went well with her blonde hair he supposed. But a pretty face didn't mean anything to him, she seemed to be emitting an aloof air and it put him off. He hoped with all his being she didn't have some god complex or was a narcissist. Other than that nothing else really stood out to him. Her outfit was pretty simple and she had on a lab coat on with a name badge on it. Maybe it wouldn't be that bad and she wouldn't want too much to do with him.

"It's not like you ever knock either Makarov and it's not like you don't give me a heads up before calling me to ask for a forensic scientist on a case that you wanted to begin almost an hour ago" the women that Makarov called Porlyusica said as she rolled her eyes before pointing a finger at the girl behind her "This is Lucy Heartfilia, she's a forensic scientist at the lab I work for and I believe she is skilled enough to help you out."

The girl, Lucy, waved and gave a small but seemingly pleasant "Hello." Makarov nodded his head at her and Natsu stepped forward and offered out his hand. It was the polite thing to do and he hoped she wouldn't be like the last person he had tried to do this to, they had just kinda stared down at his hand like it was offending them.

"This is one of my more…driven agents, Natsu Dragneel. He'll be the main agent on this case" Makarov said as he gestured at Natsu.

"More like only agent" Natsu thought to himself before saying "Hello" and sticking his hand out further towards her, had she not the message or…

"Oh um" Lucy said before taking his hand "Hello, I'm looking forward to working with you." A smile spread across her face and Natsu was able to tell in less than a second that it was fake. Looked like little Miss. Scientist wasn't too happy about this arrangement either.

"I'm looking forward to working with you as well" Natsu said as a smile just as fake spread across his face, maybe he and this girl would get along.