Black Steel Gajeel

"Ice mirrors? You think my reflection is going to stop me?" Gajeel questioned Haku, who did not respond to his taunting. Suddenly, Gajeel felt a chill and his breath was visible. 'She made it colder!' The area was also surrounded by mist now, making it difficult to see.

"I never wanted to use this spell, but you have forced my hand. No one has survived this unless I will it." Haku warned the former Phantom Lord wizard, but Gajeel would still fight. "But I believe it is no use talking to someone as vile as you."

"Me? Listen up lady, I may be rough around the edges and I've done some messed up stuff but I own up to it! You on the other hand can't say shit about me because you've done messed up stuff yourself lady!" Gajeel was right because Haku had taken lives without remorse and is a professional assassin. Regardless of whether the targets were innocent or not.

"You are right. I am simply a tool for Death Head's Caucus, but I still have someone precious to me. I have no idea if you have someone, but I intend to return to my precious person." Haku was mostly referring to her lover, Kimimaro, who was all she had left.

(Play Fairy Tail OST-Released Power)

"Tsch! You need to learn to shut your mouth lady!" Gajeel was angered, despite being a battle-hungry person at times, he was still human, and that comment got under his skin. 'I can't lose here!' Gajeel noticed Haku move extremely fast and hit him with senbon needles, able to pierce his skin. 'They're coated in poison! And my body is covered in ice, she's weakening my defence!' Gajeel tried pulling out the senbons first, but he was hit by another onslaught of senbon. Luckily, Gajeel turned his left arm into an iron club to block them and then removed the senbon already lodged into his body.

'He's resisting the poison, but even he cannot withstand much of it if the dosage is more than his body can handle.' Haku came out of the mirror and moved at superhuman speed, which Gajeel noticed this time around.

"Iron Dragon's Club!" Gajeel extended his club, missing Haku and hitting an ice mirror, shattering it.

'He broke the mirror! No one except for Master Zabuza and Kimimaro has ever done that. These Ice Mirrors can't even be melted by flames!' Haku was shocked at this and retreated to another ice mirror whilst throwing more senbons at Gajeel.

'Damn! I can't use my iron scales because her ice spell is has frozen my most of my body and the poison is taking effect.' Gajeel's vision was fading. 'I-Is this how I die? Because I got careless?'

(OST End)

'Guess I won't get a rematch with you Salamander…..Or see you again, pops.' Gajeel had a mental image of a metallic dragon. 'To think, I'm being done in by frost and poisoned by these iron needles…Wait a minute!' Gajeel's facial expression changed to that of anger, comical anger. Gajeel began eating the senbons, with Haku looking even more shocked than before.

(Play Fairy Tail OST-Kurogane)

'Fool! You're just poisoning yourself even further!' Haku summoned more icicles to finish him but Gajeel was recharged and grinned.

"Take this! Iron Dragon's Club!" This time Gajeel created multiple smaller clubs which broke through the icicles and ice mirrors, hitting Haku dead on and knocking her out of bounds.

'I-I'm sorry, Kimimaro. I failed us.' Haku fell unconscious almost immediately afterwards.

(OST End)

"Take that you ice witch!" Gajeel roared loudly in triumph until he started coughing and his vision further fading. 'Guess this is it. Sorry, Master Makarov, you gave me a second chance and I blew it.' Gajeel then began to think of how he joined Phantom Lord and other events that occurred in his life.

(Year X780)

"You did well, Gajeel!" An overweight man in his forties spoke. He is bald and had a scar on he right side of his face, wore a grey business suit and a cigar in his mouth.

"I did what you asked Mister Grant, that guy will be eating out of a straw for at least a month." Gajeel currently worked for a crime boss named Mister Grant. He was asked to beat up a man who was late in repaying Mister Grant the money he borrowed. "Now, where's my money?" Gajeel did not like Mister Grant and would have liked to sock him once but kept his anger in check for now.

"Calm down my boy. I have your money here." The bald man took out a small sum of cash and gave it to him. Gajeel took the money and noticed he was given less than expected. "Something the matter, boy?" Grant gave a disgusting grin, daring Gajeel to challenge him.

"This is less than last time. What gives!?" Gajeel glared at Mister Grant who took in one puff of his cigar before releasing the smoke out of his mouth.

"You damaged a couple of my goods last week and decided to take it out of your wages. Look, you're a good employee, but you need to reign in that aggression kid. I mean that's why your friend Mash was taken by the authorities, because of your recklessness." Grant hit a nerve as Gajeel had enough and summoned a club with his left hand, extending it and hitting Mister Grant, knocking him backwards and going through the wall.

"Boss!" Several suited bodyguards went to attack Gajeel, but he took them out easily.

"Y-YOU BRAT!" Mister Grant yelled out and began to change his form. His skin turned grey, his height increased to 8 feet his suit ripped until he became a muscular creature with the exception of his round stomach. "I gave you a home! Treated you like a son! Now, I'll spill your bloo…..AGHHHH!" Mister Grant was shocked by lightning and was now on one knee, smoke coming from his body.

"Excellent attack Sasuke, but you need to put more power into it." A voice called out and Gajeel looked behind Grant, seeing two new people and his eyes widened as he felt the immense power from one of them. The two that stood by are none other than Jose Porla and Sasuke Uchiha. Sasuke had his left arm stretched out.

"I see. I'll keep that in mind." Sasuke then looked at Gajeel. "Who the hell are you?" Sasuke was ready to fight him but Jose stopped him.

"Ah, the young Gajeel Redfox I presume?" Jose had a smirk which did not make Gajeel feel any easier in his presence.

"Yeah, that's me. What do you want?" Gajeel regained his bravado and was ready for a fight.

"Brave one, aren't you my little Iron Dragon Slayer." Jose said as if that was common knowledge, though Sasuke was surprised.

'Dragon Slayer? The same magic as the loser?' Sasuke was now interested in seeing what Gajeel could do.

"How did you know that? And why are you here?" Gajeel asked, holding his left arm.

"I was sent here on a job to exterminate the trash troubling this small town. Your old friend Mash gave us the information we needed and told me about you." Jose would have continued if not for Gajeel's now former employer coughing out and yelling at them.

"D-Don't ignore me you bastards!" Grant rushed them, but Gajeel was first to react and hit him with his iron club again.

"I had enough of your voice you shitty geezer!" Gajeel breathed and released his Iron Dragon's Roar, defeating Mister Grant easily. Gajeel turned his attention back to Sasuke and Jose.

"Such power. How would you like to join our guild?" Jose offered his hand to Gajeel. "You would make an excellent addition to our guild and go wild under our name. What say you, Gajeel Redfox? The choice is yours."

'This guy is strong, that much I can tell. And I could meet some strong guys to fight. Geehee.' Gajeel began to smirk and shook Jose's hand.

"Welcome to Phantom Lord, Gajeel Redfox. Where are my manners, I am Jose Porla, your new Guild Master. And this here is Sasuke Uchiha, your new comrade in arms." Jose introduced himself and then pointed to Sasuke. "Please get along."

(X782)

"You could have left some for me. I get bored too you know." Gajeel saw Sasuke take out one last Dark Wizard with a lightning bolt from his left hand.

"Doesn't matter. They didn't even make a decent warm-up and I doubt they would for you too." Sasuke then looked into the sky.

"You're too uptight, you know that right?" Gajeel did not get an answer. "But then again, a genius like you needs a real challenge. So, how about we go for a round?" Gajeel grinned and Sasuke did his usual 'Hn' before a smirk formed on his face.

"You're on Redfox."

(X784, after Phantom Lord's disbandment)

"Master Makarov!" Gajeel was alone and minding his own business, eating a scrap of iron in a junkyard until Makarov arrived and said hello to him.

"Yo. I was told that I'd find you here by your friend. She was worried for you." When Makarov mentioned that Gajeel's friend was a 'she', Gajeel immediately realised who Makarov meant.

"You mean Juvia? She should mind her own business! I never asked her to be worried!" Gajeel was annoyed but he was relieved to know that she was doing well enough to ask about him. "But, it's good to know she's safe at least. What do you want, Master Makarov?" Gajeel knew not to mess with Makarov and whilst he hated Fairy Tail when he was a Phantom Lord wizard, he respected Makarov's strength.

"She is your friend. Of course she would be worried for you. Though I believe she also wanted to ask me if she could join Fairy Tail." Makarov recalled Juvia being nervous and also giving a not-so-subtle hint that she wanted to join Fairy Tail. "So, I thought maybe you would like to join Fairy Tail too."

"Say what!? Are you out of your mind!? I'm the guy who trashed your guild!" Gajeel did not expect Makarov to ask him to join Fairy Tail because he was the one to destroy their guild hall and committed other acts that many would not forgive.

"Let's put that aside for now." Makarov told him, but Gajeel did not want to accept that so easily.

"What's wrong with you!? Why would you ask to me join your guild!? I also hurt your friends….." Gajeel's tone weakened and he thought of what he did to Team Shadow Gear, showing remorse for his actions. He turned his head when he showed this.

"That part I cannot forgive no matter what." Makarov's face briefly showed rage and light formed around his eyes. Gajeel felt fear from this until Makarov calmed himself. "But I could not forgive myself if I allowed a young man to fall into darkness. There are those who prefer solitude but there is none that can withstand it." Makarov then held out his right hand for Gajeel to take. "This is me offering you a path to a better tomorrow."

'I-I…' Gajeel turned around and slowly began to reach out for Makarov's hand.

(Back to the present)

'W-What….?' Gajeel opened his eyes to find Kakashi and Yamato hover over him.

"Good, you're awake." Kakashi uncovered closed and he smiled beneath his mask. "I brought the antidote with me for Haku's poison since my comrades have fought against her before. We made it just about in time."

"I see. Thanks." Gajeel slowly got up as the two older wizards gave him his space. Kakashi then turned serious.

"That's all the good news I have for you. I'm afraid Kimimaro escaped, and Naruto is nowhere to be found." Kakashi told the form Phantom wizard, whose eyes widened at hearing this.

"Wait? That Kimimaro guy mentioned on how his client was interested in Uzumaki. He probably captured him." Gajeel calmed himself down. "If I can get his scent, I can track him down." Suddenly, thunder sounded, and it began to rain. All three wizards had stoic looks on them. "Well, that plan went to shit….."

"Not all is lost. We still have Haku over there." Kakashi pointed to the unconscious Haku who was bound by tree branches.

"Then let's get out of this rain!" Gajeel ran towards Haku and put her over his shoulder.

"That's no problem at all. Yamato, would you please do the honours." Kakashi requested that Yamato provide shelter for them. Yamato grumbled but complied, forming hand signs before summoning wood from the ground and creating a shelter for them.

"Whoa. Pretty useful magic you got there. Is it Wood Magic?" Gajeel asked Yamato placed a finger underneath his chin, as if in deep thought.

"Well, not exactly, it is known as Tree Arc. A variation of a Lost Magic which allows me to manipulate the properties of trees, which includes wood and I can use it in different ways, including for offense." Yamato explained and luckily, Gajeel understood the word 'offense' since Gajeel's speciality was attacking people.

"I see." Gajeel lost interest immediately and then looked at Haku. "We better wake her up and get our answers."

'He just changed the subject!' Yamato was dejected, which only made Kakashi give him a pat of sympathy.

(With Kimimaro and Naruto)

"I did not expect this….." Kimimaro commented out loud. He was on small a boat where he now witnessed Naruto's motion sickness first hand.

"H-Hey. Could you knock me o-out p-please….." Naruto looked like he was about to puke and that made Kimimaro have sympathy for him.

"As you wish." Kimimaro knocked him out with a chop to the back of his neck. 'A useful weakness, one that I can exploit in the future if he tries to run away.' Kimimaro looked at the sky. 'I hope you finish your fight Haku and come back to me.' Kimimaro then turned his attention back to Naruto. 'Lord Jellal will be expecting me with him, and I shall complete my mission. Though, it frightens me that this boy gave me so much trouble that I had to use my demonic power. Some rest may help me so that I can recover my magic.'

(Two Days Later)

"I see you have arrived, Kimimaro." The person who stood in front of Kimimaro is a mildy man with long dark hair that reached past his waist. This man is Vidaldus Taka, one of the members of Trinity Raven, an elite squad from the same guild as Kimimaro.

"I heard that you had trouble with this one." Taka spoke in a calm voice.

"He was stronger than anticipated, surprisingly so that he forced me to use some of my demonic power. However, I was still the victor." 'He still has a chance to become stronger and no doubt that two days of rest will restore his strength too. I will stay here if he tries to escape with Erza Scarlet.' Kimimaro was respectful to Taka, who was a senior member of the guild.

"Well, he must be strong to force you into that form." Taka then looked around. "I do not see Haku here. Where is she?"

"She had her own opponent to face, but I have confidence in her abilities. She has probably returned to the guild after defeating her opponent." Kimimaro's faith in Haku did not waiver, for they were Zabuza's disciples.

"I see. Well, I'm afraid that you came at a bad time, take your captive to the top of the tower. Lord Jellal's game has already commenced. And Erza Scarlet has escaped her cell, she and Lord Jellal's former pawns must be dealt with." Taka stated without saying much and then his body transformed to that of a punk rocker. "I have some hell to raise!" Vidaldus Taka gained a crazed look in his eyes. "Well, don't take too long Kimimaro, otherwise you'll miss all the carnage. And be careful, because we also have Fairy Tail wizards to deal with." Taka left the area to join the battle.

'I see it's just not you who's troublesome. It seems I may get my challenge rather soon.' Kimimaro thought to himself, but unbeknownst to him, Naruto's eyes were open and he was ready to escape.

'These bones are losing their effect thanks to my water weakening them whilst I was motion sick.' Naruto was able to sweat out water from his body to weaken the rib cage and thanks to them being in the sea and the weather, Kimimaro was none the wiser. Naruto then released one last burst and was free from Kimimaro's rib cage.

"You were weakening your bonds and waited for the opportunity to escape. I was wondering when you would make your move." Kimimaro smirked as he clashed with Naruto in a rematch.

(Upper Room in the Tower)

'Kimimaro, you did well to bring me Naruto Uzumaki, but you took a while. No matter, everything is falling into place. The council will fall and so shall you…..Ultear.' Jellal had a dark look on his face, but it returned to normal. 'Forgive me….Erza.' Jellal kept staring at the crystal ball and saw all the battle taking place.

"I hope you do your part….Orochimaru." Jellal mentioned the name of the Rogue Saint, Orochimaru. He then looked on as the match ups began.

Kimimaro Kaguya vs Naruto Uzumaki

Lucy Hearyfilia and Juvia Lockser vs Vidaldus Taka

Erza Scarlet and Sho vs Ikaruga. Leader of Trinity Raven

(Magic Council Chambers)

"We only require three more votes Ultear. We are close in reaching our goal." Siegrain told the female council member.

"Yes, all we need is the votes of three more old farts." 'And your use shall run out.' Ultear smirked internally as she had her own ulterior motives.

"Come, our small recess is over." Jellal lead the way but after the two left, Yajima emerged from the wall, having camouflaged himself with magic.

'They are acting suspicious. And Siegrain felt off, much more than usual. I hope Hiruzen is keeping his guard, if anyone in this building can stop them, it is them.' Yajima hoped.

End. Sorry for the long delay, I have had to find time to work on this chapter and it is getting more difficult to write by the day. Anyone, enjoy your Christmas holidays guys and I hope you enjoyed this chapter.

The flashback character Mister Grant had his name taken from the middle Wilson Fisk AKA Kingpin from Marvel Comics and is only meant to be a minor character. The character of Mash is from the Fairy Tail spin-off Rhodonite, though that story is not written by the original author.