With Great Power Comes Great Responsibilty

Chapter 11

The funeral was held a week later, on very dreary morning. Natsu, Gray, and Ur all stood in black along with neighbors and friends who had known Igneel very well. They listened to the words of the priest and watched as the coffin containing Igneel's body was buried into the ground. One by one, guests left his grave and returned home. Only one person remained and that was Natsu. Gray and Ur urged him to come home but he just couldn't bring himself to leave. His entire body had become completely numb from sadness.

He didn't even leave when it started pour down rain. However he did look up when he suddenly couldn't feel the rain falling on him anymore. He realized that someone was holding an umbrella over him and that someone was Lucy.

"What are you doing here?" He asked.

"I heard about what happened to your father and I wanted to see if you were okay."

"You didn't have to come you know?"

"I know but I wanted to."

"Thanks Lucy but right now I don't think anything could comfort me." He sighed. "I just don't know what I'm going to do now. My father's dead, my mother's abandoned me, I don't have anyone else. I'm all alone."

"I wouldn't say that." Lucy said. "I spoke with Gray and his aunt, they're going to let you live with them. You know they really care about you."

"Yeah I guess."

"I know you're hurting but I promise you that the hurting does stop."

"How do you know?"

"Because a long time ago I lost my mom and it hurt really bad but overtime I started to heal because I had friends to help me. And so do you. Gray will be there for you and so will his aunt and so will I. We'll be there for you Natsu."

As it started to become later in the day, Gray drove up to the grave site and with Lucy's help he brought Natsu back to his house. During the whole trip back, Igneel's words kept ringing in Natsu's head.

"With great power comes great responsibility."

He thought long and hard about his father's advice and the promise that he had made to him. In that moment Natsu made a decision. He would always try to do the right thing no matter what but he didn't know how.

"Aunt Ur says that dinner is ready." Gray said entering the guest room which had now become Natsu's new bedroom.

"I'm not hungry." He said.

"Alright I'll tell her to put your food in the fridge."

"It's my fault he's dead you know."

"What are you talking about?"

"The guy who shot him, he was there at the wrestling match. I saw him take the money and I could have stopped him but I didn't...I just let him get away and I let him kill my own father!"

"Natsu it's not-"

"Don't say it's not my fault! Because it is! My father's dead and it's all my fault! And there is nothing that I can do to atone for what I did..." He fought the urge to start crying again. "But I'll still try to anyway."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Before Dad died I made a promise to him. I promised that I would always try to do the right thing and I am going to keep my promise."

"How?"

"By using these powers of mine to help people. I just don't know how I can use these help people."

"Well I don't know if this will give you any ideas but on the night your dad...You know...I was walking home from the press when I saw some guy trying to mug a woman and her kid. I don't know what came over me becuase normally I avoid confrontation but I actually fought the guy."

"You fought him?"

"Yes."

"And did you win?"

"Yes. It was unreal. I still can't believe I actually did it."

"You saved someone?"

"Yep. So maybe you could use your powers to um...Stop muggers?"

Natsu thought for a minute as Gray's words started to form a plan in his head. He then glanced over at his costume which was hidden in his back pack. At once an idea came to him.

"Gray you're a genius! I know how I can help people. We have super powers right?"

"I guess."

"So let's be super heroes."

"What?!"

"Gray with these powers who knows what kind of crime we could stop, how many lives we could save."

"Look buddy it's not like I don't want to help people but I'm not the super hero type. First of all I don't wear tights or spandex and second I don't do well when faced with confrontation."

"Dude you just told me that you took down a mugger."

"I pretty sure that was only a one time thing."

"I beg to differ."

"Why do you need me to help you with this?"

"I don't know...Call it a gutt feeling but I feel like it wasn't just some accident that gave us these powers. That this happened because we need to provide something for the world and I also feel like that we have to work together to make this possible. Gray don't you remember what you said to me when we first met? You said that we would always be a team, that we would always work together. Is that a lie?"

"No." Gray huffed. "I hate it when you use that on me."

"So you won't let me do this alone?"

Gray was silent for awhile before answering. 

"Alright." He agreed. "But I'm not wearing a costume."

"You have to. You don't want bad guys to know who you are do you?"

"No but I'll look ridiculous."

"No you won't. I promise, your costume will look way cool."

"Wait a minute you sew?"

"Yes and that's our little secret so if you tell anyone I will have to kill you. That aside you can count on me to make you a cool suit. I need to make some changes to mine anyway, maybe I'll add a cape."

"No capes."

"But I like capes."

"They're lame. If we wore capes we would look like total dweebs, not to mention they get caught on stuff too easily."

"Fine no capes. What about boots?"

"Boots are good but make em have gripping for climbing."

"Tights?"

"No way man! I am not wearing tights! I'm wearing pants end of story!"

"You can't be flexiable for anything, can you?"

"It's called dignity and it's something that I happen to consider very important to me so don't make me look stupid."

"Whatever."