With Great Power Comes Great Responsibilty

Chapter 9

That evening Gray walked home feeling oddly proud. He'd just interviewed for his first job—well, almost; Mr. Redfox had said he'd "think about it."

"Mommy!" a child's scream cut through the street.

Curiosity and concern pulled Gray toward the sound. He peered into an alley and saw a large, mean-faced man pressing a switchblade to a woman's son's throat.

"Please don't hurt my son," the woman begged.

"Give me everything you've got, lady, or the brat won't make it to first grade," the thug sneered, blade flashing inches from the boy's neck.

Normally Gray would have looked away. Fear usually told him to keep walking, to pretend he hadn't seen anything. But another, quieter voice—something that felt like the right thing to do—refused to let him go.

The woman fumbled in her purse and handed over a single dollar. "That's all I have," she whispered.

"Ten bucks!" the thug barked, scoffing as he grabbed the bill. "You've gotta have more."

"I'm telling the truth—please, believe me!" she sobbed.

Before he could hurt the boy, Gray moved. He kicked the man from behind; the thug went sprawling and the knife skittered from his hand.

"Get out of here!" Gray shouted to the woman and her son.

Without hesitation, the woman grabbed her child and fled, desperate to escape.

The thug stood and locked eyes with Gray, his glare deadly.
"Meddling punk! You'll die pay for this!"

He lunged forward, blade raised, but Gray jumped up, soaring high and grabbing onto a nearby fire escape.

"What're you doing up there?!" the thug snarled, furious.

"Staying away from you," Gray replied coolly. "That's a cute outfit, did your husband give it to you?"

Enraged, the thug grabbed Gray's legs and yanked him down hard. Gray hit the ground, dazed as a blow struck the back of his head. The thug raised his switchblade, ready to finish the job—until Gray reacted, kicking sharply between his attacker's legs and knocking him down.

With a swift backflip, Gray landed gracefully on his feet.

"Wow. Those are some impressive moves, kid," a voice said.

A police officer had arrived, and behind him, another officer was cuffing the thug. Apparently, the woman Gray saved had managed to call the police from a nearby payphone.

"You know karate or something?" the officer asked, eyeing Gray.

"Not really," Gray shrugged.

"Huh..."

As Gray watched the police haul the thug away, a rush of disbelief washed over him. Did that really just happen? Had he actually taken down a criminal and saved someone? Was he really capable of something like that? He must have been—because he did it.

"Wow. Natsu's never going to believe this."

Speaking of Natsu, at that very moment he was signing up for the wrestling match. He'd just changed into the costume and mask he'd crafted himself—a skill he'd accidentally picked up during home economics back in middle school. He never imagined those sewing lessons would come in handy like this.

His outfit wasn't flashy—just a red suit trimmed with gold scales, and a matching mask with holes cut out for his eyes and mouth.

When his turn came, the woman behind the registration desk eyed him skeptically.

"There's no featherweight division, small fry," she said flatly. "Next!"

"No, seriously—sign me up," he insisted.

She raised an eyebrow. "Okay. You understand we're not responsible for any injuries you might—and probably will—sustain during the event, and that you're participating voluntarily?"

"Absolutely."

"Down the hall to the ramp. May God be with you."

She signed him in, and he made his way down the hall. The room ahead was packed with roaring fans, screaming and shouting wildly as they urged the humongous, undefeated wrestling champion to crush every challenger who dared step into the ring.

"Will the next victim please enter the arena?" the announcer boomed. "If he can withstand just three minutes in the cage with Skull Crusher, he'll walk away with $3,000..."

The announcer's gaze landed on Natsu.

"What's your name, kid?"

Natsu blinked—he hadn't thought of a wrestler name. He glanced down at his costume and inspiration struck.

"Red Dragon," he said, trying to sound confident.

"The terrifying, the deadly, the amazing Red Dragon!" the announcer declared with flair.

Natsu was shoved into the ring, met by a chorus of boos and hisses. His throat tightened as he stared at his massive opponent. Doubt crept in—was this really a good idea?

But before he could reconsider, a heavy cage descended over the ring with a clang.

"Wait! I didn't sign up for a cage match!" Natsu shouted to the announcer as the door slammed shut and locked. "Hey! Unlock it! Take the chain off!"

"Hey, freak show!" Skull Crusher snarled. "You're going nowhere. I've got you for three minutes!"

Natsu's heart sank.

Skull Crusher lunged, aiming to slam him down—but Natsu reacted fast, kicking him square in the face. The giant staggered, but wasn't about to quit.

Next thing Natsu knew, he was slammed hard into the iron bars. Gritting his teeth, he wrapped his legs around Skull Crusher's head and yanked him into the bars with twice the force. He was shocked—a skinny guy like him could be this strong. Breaking free, Natsu swept the wrestler's legs out from under him, sending Skull Crusher crashing to the mat. With surprising strength, Natsu pinned him down.

The bell rang, signaling the end of the match.

"The winner!" the announcer shouted. "Ladies and gentlemen, give it up for your new champion—Red Dragon!"

A wave of pride surged through Natsu. He'd just defeated the undefeated champion—and earned a thousand dollars. From here on out, things could only get better.