June 19th 1925 5:00 PM

(Three hours before the show)

In a very dimly lit room there sat a man who was about to be condemned. Condemned because he had foolishly borrowed money from a certain mob and thought that he was slick enough to leave town without having to pay his debt. But these mobsters had a way of predicting when someone was going to double-cross them before they even had a chance to. In no time at all, they tracked him down and now their boss was in the process of deciding what needed to be done with the fool. The name of mob which he had tried to cheat? The Dragneel Mafia.

Originally from Italy but chose to immigrate to America where they did business in rum-running while knocking over any competition. They were ruthless, discreet, and they had connections, all the makings of a perfect mafia business. Makarov Dragneel was the first boss to be stationed in America. He moved there with his wife Porlyusica and their four boys: Igneel, Mard, Ivan, and Macao. When the boys became men they joined the family business causing the Dragneels to become one of the most feared and successful mafias in all of Magnolia.

But then tragedy struck. One of the rival mobs that Makarov took down wanted revenge so they took out Porlyusica in a hit and run. Makarov was devastated, he blamed himself for her death and feared for the lives of his remaining family. You see the Dragneels may have been ruthless but they had a code in which all members were expected to follow:

Family always comes first.

Makarov felt that the best way to put the family first was to retire from the mafia and he pleaded with his sons to do the same. His third son Ivan returned to Italy to start his own mafia and he left behind his young son for Makarov to raise. His youngest Macao considered quitting but ended up staying when an unexpected pregnancy came along. His second born Mard took over as the new mob boss which is what resulted in Ivan leaving. Only his oldest son Igneel heeded his father's words. He found honest work in a textile factory and later married a good woman who gave him a son of his own.

Ironically though, it would be Igneel who would end up facing tragedy. First his wife died from Tuberculosis, then five years later he died in the exact way his mother did. He was on his way to pick up his son from school when he was shot by a hit and run. An event that was actually witnessed by the poor boy. A boy that Igneel called Natsu and at age ten, he swore on his father's grave that he would avenge him even if it was the last thing he ever did.

Natsu was placed in Makarov's custody but when he turned thirteen he became his Uncle Mard's apprentice in the life of a criminal. He trained hard, learned how to be just as crooked and cut throat as his uncle. He learned to lie, steal, and kill. All so he could make his way to the person he held responsible for the death of his father. Jude Heartfilia.

Jude owned the factory that Igneel worked in and when he had been suspected of embezzlement, Igneel was called to serve as a witness at his trial. But he was killed before he could take the stand and although the police did an investigation, the found no evidence implicating him. Yet Natsu was certain that Jude was guilty because the shooter had dropped his weapon which was a gold pistol that bore the man's initials. Now he was working his way through the mafia in order to get closer to the man and take him out.

"To get close to him, we'll have to knock off his business first." Mard had told him. "Get to his money."

Natsu had never been a patient man but his uncle was able to keep him under control.

"Please Mr. Dragneel!" The debtor pleaded with Mard. "Have mercy! I didn't want to double cross you but I was desperate! I couldn't get the money! I tried but I couldn't!"

"What a shame. But if you can't pay in money perhaps you can pay in blood. Natsu."

The debtor looked over to see a chiseled young man in a suit, pulled a gun from his jacket and aim it at his head.

"No wait!" The fool spouted desperately. "Maybe we could work something out!"

"Oh come now." Mard said. "Don't embarrass yourself by begging, you know the only things I want in this world are either money or blood. Nothing else will appease me so face death like a man."

"What about information?! I know that's useful to people like you!"

"What information do you have that I could possibly want?"

"I don't necessarily have the information but I know where you can get it!"

"Natsu pull the trigger!"

"Wait! Just hear me out!"

"You have three seconds."

"I can get you into Fairy Tail!"

"A nightclub?!" He raved, insulted. "You think that I'm so ordinary man who can be pacified with alcohol and sex!  Aim for the head Natsu!"

"Now wait just a moment Unlce." Natsu said. "He might have something. Fairy Tail is no ordinary nightclub. It's one that is open only to those who have money and class. Countless fat cats attend that joint. Fat cats that we can rob, probe for information, even assassinate. This cheat might be worth keeping around after all."

Mard took a moment to think and consider what his nephew had told him.

"Alright you have a chance to live to see the next sunrise. That is of course if what you're offering suits my needs. But if you can't even afford to pay off your debt to me, how exactly can you get someone into an exclusive nightclub?"

"I used to work as a bouncer there, I know the names of guests who have been there and I can forge false information claiming that any of your men is a regular."

"Is that right?"

"Yes! So what do you say? Will you let me go?"

"First you get one of my men into the club tonight and then we'll talk."

"Tonight? I'm not sure if-"

"Tonight! Or it's a bullet through your brain!"

"Okay! Okay! Okay!"

"Be back here tonight in two hours and don't try to tun again! I found you once, I can surely find you again!"

The debtor was released and Mard proceeded to plan out what would take place tonight.

"Send me tonight." Natsu said. "I could easily pass for new money."

"Yes but I doubt that you would have the will to resist the booze and the barely dressed women." Mard said.

"Uncle you know I don't get drunk and the only women I've gone to bed with are the ones who I can get information out of. I'm just as focused on our goal as you are."

"You're still young and therefore you cannot be completely trusted on everything. Women and alcohol definitely. I've seen the results of our family losing their heads over both. Your father, your grandfather, your uncle Macao, even your cousin Laxus."

"But have you ever known me to do either of those things?"

"No but perhaps you just haven't done it yet. You know I can't afford failure."

"I won't fail you! Just give me a chance!"

Mard smiled.

"You know it's moments like these when you remind me so much of your father. My big brother always wanted to help me. Always begged me to give him a chance to be there for me. I could never refuse him. So I don't suppose that I could refuse you either."

"Does that mean you'll let me do it?"

"Of course. After all we're family and family is supposed to help each other. I'll make the arrangements."

"Do you suppose..." He choked back bitterness and hate before finishing his sentence. "Jude Heartfilia will be there tonight?"

"Not likely." Mard said. "With his class, he wouldn't risk sullying his reputation by going to a nightclub even if it is exclusive. Not to mention he has enough money to buy all the booze he can drink and he has that trophy wife of his to entertain him."

"Disgusting." Natsu spat. "The man was thirty-five and she was eighteen when they married."

"I suppose he couldn't help himself. His first wife had died four years prior despite being in her late twenties and it made him start facing his own mortality. Any man like that would definitely hook up with a younger woman."

"Dad didn't do that when Mom died."

"That's only because he didn't have enough money to get a younger woman."

"Hey! Don't talk about my father like that! You know how much I'm love he and my mother were! He wouldn't just replace her with some young thing!"

"I also know how much in love Mr. Heartfilia and his first wife were but he replaced her with a young thing."

"Well that's because he's scum! My father wasn't scum! You know that! Everyone in the family knows that!"

"Watch your tongue boy!" Mard bellowed. "We maybe family but we're also a business. You're my nephew and my employee. So don't forget who's your boss otherwise I'll fire you from the business and the family! And you know how I fire people."

Natsu became silent after that.

"Now go clean yourself up." Mard said. "There's no way in hell you'll pass for new money looking like that."

Without a word, Natsu did as he was told.

To those he did not know Natsu Dragneel, he was just a con artist and a hit man for his uncle. But to those he knew him well like his grandfather, he was a confused young man forced into a life of crime and trying to find someone to blame for the loss of his father. Only one person would be able to help Natsu understand the mistake he was making and escape his uncle's grasp. And it was the last person he would ever suspect.