With Great Power Comes Great Responsibilty

Chapter 18

Natsu and Gray hailed a taxi and rode downtown to their favorite diner. They'd been getting burgers there for years—best in the world, as far as they were concerned. They were just about to step inside when the crack of gunfire rattled from the bank across the street.

"Couldn't they have waited until we ate?" Natsu grumbled.

"Crime doesn't wait, bro," Gray replied. "Come on. Duty calls."

"I wish we could get paid to do this."

"You and me both."

They slipped into a narrow alley and changed into their costumes. Through the diner's windows they could see the bank's front—employees and customers pressed to the floor, eyes wide, while a group of armed men barked orders.

"Nobody move!" a thug shouted. "If anyone calls the police, we kill you!"

He shoved a duffel toward a trembling teller. "Open the safe. Fill the bag. Now!"

"Whatever you want—just don't shoot," the teller stammered and obeyed. When the leader reached for the bag, it was yanked from his grip by a streak of crimson.

"I don't think this belongs to you," the man in the red suit said.

"Who are you—a cop?" the thief sneered.

"Really? You seriously think I'm a cop? A cop in a red suit? Wow you've got the mind of a true scholar don't you?"

"Ice this dead beat!" the leader snapped. The thugs opened fire. Natsu rolled between bursts and grinned, the bullets whizzing past. Gray dropped in through the bank's front doors, a fluid kick flooring two men at once. They moved like a practiced team—dodging, disarming, and then binding their opponents with thin, nearly invisible wire they'd recently developed. It doubled as a way to tie crooks and as gear for scaling and swinging between buildings. Within seconds, the robbers were restrained and the bank began to breathe again.

"There we go," Natsu said, tightening the restraints around the crooks' wrists. "All four of them secured."

"Wait—weren't there five of them?" Gray asked, eyes scanning the scene.

A sudden gunshot rang out. They spun around just in time to see the leader bursting out of the bank, sprinting toward a parked car. He yanked the door open, hotwired it, and tore off down the street like a maniac.

Without hesitation, Natsu and Gray took off after him.

The leader drove recklessly through the city, ignoring every traffic light and stop sign. Cars collided in his wake, but Natsu and Gray skillfully intervened, managing to keep pedestrians safe despite the chaos.

Up ahead, Lucy was crossing a busy intersection. The walk signal had just turned on, but the thief didn't slow down. Lucy saw the speeding car too late. Just as the vehicle was about to hit her, Natsu swung down from a nearby pole, snatched her up, and leapt clear of danger.

"Are you alright?" Natsu asked once they were safely back on the sidewalk.

For a moment, Lucy was completely speechless, still trembling from the shock. In that instant, she could have been killed. It would have been over—her life ended in a heartbeat. But instead, she had been saved by this masked man—the same one everyone had warned her was a menace.

"You saved me," she said softly, looking up at him with wide eyes.

"Yeah, I did. But are you okay? You didn't break anything, did you?"

"No, I'm fine. Thank you." She smiled faintly. "You really saved my life. So, you really are a hero, huh?"

"You doubted me?"

"I wouldn't say that. I just wasn't sure what to think of you before now. People have told me so many different things—it was hard to know what was true."

"That's not surprising. Hearing everyone's opinions can get confusing. But I'm glad to clear things up—I'm not a criminal or a monster like the press says. Neither is my partner. We're the good guys."

"That's for sure. You risked your life to save me. Are you crazy? Not that I'm not grateful—but don't you realize the risk? You could've been hit by that car. You could've been killed."

"Of course I knew that," Natsu said, his voice steady. "But I wasn't thinking about myself. I was thinking about you. I couldn't just let that car hit you—you would've been hurt, or worse."

"That's so brave and selfless of you. I—wait a minute. You know my name?" Her voice turned cautious.

"I...uh..." Natsu scrambled for an excuse that wouldn't reveal too much. "Well, yeah. You're the daughter of Captain Jude Heartfilia. The chief of police. I've heard him mention you a few times when he's tried to arrest me."

"Oh...sorry about him. But don't take it personally. My dad just doesn't like anyone stepping on his toes."

"I'm not trying to steal his job. I just want to help make the city a better place."

"Well, in that case, I've got a reason to defend you whenever anyone calls you a criminal. If I hear someone say that about you, I'll tell them the truth—you're the opposite."

"Thanks. That means a lot."

"Excuse me," Gray interrupted, stepping forward. "I hate to cut this short, but partner, we still have a lunatic on wheels to catch."

"Oh, sorry. I've gotta go."

"Wait!" Lucy called after them.

"See you around, Miss Heartfilia!"

Red Dragon and Blue Tiger vanished into the chaos of the city, leaving Lucy standing there—amazed by the gallant masked man who'd just saved her.

It wasn't at all what her father or the press had painted him to be. He was brave, self-sacrificing, and undeniably heroic—unlike anyone she had ever met. And, she couldn't help but feel a little smitten.