With Great Power Comes Great Responsibilty

Chapter 6

Once Natsu threw on a pair of sunglasses and Gray slipped on gloves to hide their transformations, the two made their way to the university campus. They were hoping—praying—to find Professor Gildarts Clive. But when they reached his lab, he was nowhere in sight.

Instead, they were greeted by someone else. A young redhead stood by the lab bench, flipping through a clipboard with precise, focused movements. Her crimson hair was tied back in a tight ponytail, and the white lab coat she wore made her look both professional and intimidating. Even behind the glasses perched on her nose, her eyes were sharp and commanding.

She turned to them. "Can I help you gentlemen?"

"We're looking for Professor Gildarts Clive," Natsu said. "Is he here?"

"No. He had to take an emergency trip out of town."

"What for?" Gray asked.

"Family matter. He won't be back until next week."

"Is there any way he can come back sooner?" Natsu asked, urgency rising in his voice. "We really need to talk to him. It's an emergency! Can you call him?"

"I can," she said evenly, "but I won't. Whatever you two are panicking about, I assure you it's not more important than what the professor is handling right now. I suggest you leave."

"But lady—we need help!" Gray said.

"If you need help that badly, call the police."

"It's not that simple," Natsu said.

"What are you talking about? Why can't you just—" She paused mid-sentence, her eyes locking onto Gray's. "Oh dear Lord. What happened to your eyes?"

Before he could turn away, she stepped forward, grabbed him by the collar, and pulled him into the light.

"Your pupils... they're slitted. Like a cat's. Are you wearing some kind of costume contact lenses?"

"I wish." Gray sighed. "But no. It's real. And so are these."

He pulled off his gloves, revealing his clawed fingers.

"And these," Natsu added, removing his sunglasses to reveal his glowing yellow, reptilian eyes.

"Oh my..." she whispered, stepping back in awe.

"This is why we need the professor," Natsu said. "Something happened to us, and we can't go to the police. I mean... have you seen E.T.?"

She blinked, adjusting her glasses. "Okay. Don't panic."

"That's kind of hard right now," Gray muttered.

"I can't contact Professor Clive—what he's dealing with is too important—but I do know his work," she said. "And I think I can help."

"Are you a doctor?" Natsu asked.

"Not yet. One more year and I'll graduate with my certification."

Gray gave her a skeptical look. "That doesn't exactly make you a good alternative."

She smirked. "Let me put it this way: what better option do you have?"

Gray turned to Natsu. "She's got a point."

Natsu sighed. "Fine. What are you going to do?"

"Run some tests. I'll take blood samples, examine your DNA, look for anomalies. If something's changing you on a cellular level, it should show up."

The boys hesitated, but eventually nodded. As she prepared the equipment, she added:

"By the way—my name is Erza Scarlet. I'm Professor Clive's assistant and top student in medical genetics."

"I'm Natsu Dragneel," Natsu said.

"Gray Fullbuster," Gray added.

Erza nodded, and quickly went to work. Four hours passed. Natsu and Gray waited in silence while Erza stared at her monitor, her brow furrowed. At last, she looked up.

"I don't believe this," she whispered.

"What? What is it?" Gray asked, standing up.

"I ran the tests twice to be sure. According to this data... your DNA has merged with that of two mutated animals. A komodo dragon..." She looked at Natsu. "...and a Sumatran tiger," she said, turning to Gray.

"Dragon?" Natsu blinked.

"Tiger?" Gray repeated.

"Yes. But the bigger question is: how is that possible?"

"Dr. Kingston," the boys said at the same time.

"Acnologia Kingston?" Erza frowned. "What does he have to do with this?"

"He was experimenting on those two animals. But they escaped," Natsu said. "The dragon bit me."

"And the tiger scratched me," Gray added.

Erza exhaled slowly. "He must've mutated them... but why would he take such a huge risk? That's dangerous—even for him."

"What's going to happen to us?" Natsu asked. "Am I gonna, like... turn into a giant lizard or something?"

"Not exactly," Erza said. "From what I can tell, you were only exposed to a fraction of their mutated DNA. That's enough to give you some of their traits, but not enough to change your entire species."

"So... what kind of traits are we talking about?" Gray asked.

She turned to Natsu first. "You, who were bitten by the komodo dragon... have inherited its strength, advanced sense of smell through your tongue, retractable talons, and venomous fangs—though your venom causes paralysis, not death. You also have exceptional swimming ability, heat resistance, and can hold your breath for up to twenty minutes."

"Awesome." Natsu grinned.

Then she turned to Gray. "You now have a tiger's speed, catlike reflexes, night vision, enhanced hearing, and heightened danger awareness. Your claws and fangs are incredibly sharp—sharper than surgical steel—and you can move without making a sound."

Gray nodded slowly, processing it. "Okay. But... what about our eyes? They change randomly."

"Small side effect," she said. "But not permanent. Your eyes, talons, and claws respond to your will. Just focus—imagine your normal eyes, your human hands."

They both tried, and after a moment, their features reverted to normal.

"Okay... that's good," Gray said. "But... is there a way to change us back completely?"

Erza hesitated. "I'll work on it. I might be able to develop a cure, but it'll take time. Until then—keep this under wraps. Don't tell anyone. If there are any changes—any—call me right away."

She handed Gray a card with her contact info.

"Wait," Natsu asked. "If you don't have our numbers—how will you reach us?"

"I do have your numbers," she replied. "You're both in Professor Clive's student files. Now go. If anyone else sees you in this lab, things could get... complicated."

The boys nodded and left.

Once the lab was empty again, Erza returned to her desk and pulled up the DNA results one more time. Something about the fusion was familiar. Too familiar.

She reached toward the picture frame sitting beside her monitor. Inside was a photo of a young man—dark-haired, kind-eyed.

She picked it up and held it gently, her expression softening.

"It looks like I have two cures to work on now," she whispered. "Let's hope I can create both in time."