Hot and Cold

Gray's Betrayal

~*****~

"He looks mad!" Wendy stammers.

I grasp her arm and pull her behind me. "Stay behind me, got it." I say to her in a very serious tone.

"But--" Wendy tries.

"He's not joking around." Natsu snaps.

"Why are you doing this, Gray?" Happy asks. "Is it 'cause you have a tummy ache?"

"Don't be such an idiot!" Carla barks.

"Please don't fight!" Wendy pleads.

"Stay out of our way. Ice Make Lance!" Gray shouts.

I wrapped my arms around Wendy and leapt out of the way. "He attacked him using his full strength!" Wendy gasped.

"Stay close to me, do you understand?" I say to Carla and Ballad.

"You two have always butted heads, but there's no need for this!" Happy exclaimed.

Daphne just laughs. "My, my. You just don't get it, do you? Start fighting back of you'll end up skewered or a popsicle! Now, Gray Fullbuster, go get me a Dragon Slayer!"

"You'll get one soon enough," Gray retorts.

"This isn't like you at all, Gray!" Natsu comments angrily. "What's going on?"

"Isn't it obvious by now?" Gray snaps. "What I wanna know is why you're standing there doing nothing about it!"

"You think Gray is a fake?" Wendy asks shakily.

"I suppose it's possible," Carla nods. "We have seen magic like that before, but I'm not sure--"

"No, Wendy's right." Happy mentioned. "This one's definitely different than the Gray we know and love!"

"How's he different?" Wendy asks. "He seems identical!

"Well, for starters--" Happy tries, but he's cut off by Gray's immediate stripping.

"You keep dodging, this'll get boring!" Gray snaps. "Come on!"

"He took his clothes off!" Happy cried. "This guy is the real Gray after all!"

"Are you kidding?" Wendy and Carla hum.

"Afraid not..." I grimace. "It's all types of skeevy."

"If it's a real fight you want, then you know I'm down!" Natsu exclaimed.

"It's about time!" Gray barked. "I was startin' to get bored! Ice Make Battle Axe!"

The two begin to fight together, and hard. And it's very clear from the beginning that this isn't some imitation Gray. "It's time for some answers!" Natsu barks after he tackles him straight through a wall and into the hallway. "I want to know what the heck you think you're doing here! At the very least you owe me that much!"

"A city without sound," Gray says lowly.

"What was that?!" Natsu snapped. "You're not making any sense, man! Would you speak plainly?!"

"That's as plain as you're gonna get! Whatever, I doubt you'd understand it anyway!" Gray exclaimed. "Get ready to take your last breath!"

"The two of them have really stepped up their game lately," Happy commented.

"This is not the time for slack-jawed gawking!" Carla exclaimed.

"Aye," Happy sighs.

"I don't get why this is happening," Wendy murmurs. "Why would Gray betray his friends like this?"