THIS IS AN APOLOGY OF THREE CHAPTERS UPLOADING AT ONCE! OMG GUYS I'M SOOOOOO SORRY! Official Missions assigned by Batman will have their hero names being used. Shoulda' specified that, lol. by the way, NATSU IS VERY OOC IN THE STORY BY WAY OF SLIGHT DEPRESSION (THAT GETS WORSE AS TIME GOES ON BEFORE IT GETS BETTER), HE STANDS MORE WITH HIS DRAGON INSTINCTS THAN NOT, HE'S SMARTER AND A TAD BIT DARKER (but not dark as in evil or mean)! IDK if I specified that at any point here, but he had Acnologia for a dad, he is seen as a monster and a villain by the civilian population, and many of the Justice League don't like him for who his father is/was. SUPERBOY IS A BIT MORE EMOTIONAL AND FEELY THAN IN CANON! I mean, having Natsu Friggin' Dragneel as a friend and team mate will do that to you, right?
{This is ASL}
"Normal Talking"
Thinking or flashback
'Telepathic linkup'
"Writing"
Natsu's moves
Emphasis for anger
"Shifted Halfling speaking"
~~~~*/|\*~~~~
A Loss in Denial
~~~~*\|/*~~~~
It had been about three days since the Roquette mission. Natsu's magic had flushed the poison from his system, but the aftereffects included muscle lock-ups and tremors for a couple more days, mostly in his wings and hands.
Currently, Natsu lay on his side at the edge of the sparring circle in his dragon form as he watched Superboy and Kaldur fight their match, but he wasn't really watching them. Nope, he was thinking on his past gay panics he had while spending time with the clone and coming to a mortifying realization. He wouldn't deny that Superboy was attractive, nor would he deny that he had the qualities of a mate he looked for- strong, kind-hearted, gentle when needed, firm when needed, not to mention his scent was nice and he could protect Natsu and vice-versa… but the Halfling knew how well homosexuality was accepted in this day and age. That is to say, not well at all, and paired with what Natsu was, who Natsu was, it would only reflect badly on the League and the Team. And not to mention Natsu vaguely felt it was morally wrong that his instincts picked Superboy. For crying out loud, the clone was psychologically technically barely two months old!
The Halfling sighed, letting a small puff of smoke jet from his nose when he came to his decision- no matter how much it hurt, he had to hold his Season in. For how long, he didn't know… but he'd have to accept this as his new reality.
Also, hearing the girls talking about couples didn't do much to ease him either.
Superboy pulled Natsu's attention once more and the Halfling just had time to watch the clone flip Kaldur to the other side of the circle before the AI said Fail on the Atlantian's part. "Black Canary taught me that," the clone said proudly. Sweat dripped down the clone's bare upper half and Natsu actually gulped. Oh, may the gods give me strength he whimpered to himself mentally.
The air gained the scent of metal and wind and Natsu's head jerked upwards to an opening where Red Tornado usually entered the Mountain. As per his senses, RT came spinning into the room.
Maybe a mission will get my mind off of being forever alone… Natsu thought as he pushed himself to his four feet.
Bounding over to the android, Natsu let out a purr in welcome. 'Hi, RT. Got a mission for us?' the android turned to the Halfling, metal face expressionless as always. "Missions are the Batman's job to give." Wally raced over and propped himself up against Natsu's scaly shoulder. "Yeah, well The Batman is with The Robin doing some Dynamic Duo stuff. But hey, you're here~! Got a hot date or a mission~?" Natsu rolled his eyes and moved, making Wally yelp before he fell to the ground without support. "Dude, not cool." 'Oh, cry me a river and drown in it.' The Halfling retorted, his Season affecting his mood and making his voice a bit more hostile. Natsu shifted back to his normal form before going to stand at Kaldur's right, the Atlantian sending the Halfling a concerned glance to which golden eyes sent an answer- I'll tell you later.
"this is Kent Nelson, a friend of the League. Natsu Dragneel, you know him, correct?" the half-dragon perked up, lips twitching in a smile before answering. {Yeah, he helped me with my Golden Flame Dragon magic.} The Halfling signed. Natsu hesitated before signing slower, emphasizing his worry. {Is he in trouble?}
Red Tornado seemed to hesitate, knowing how fond of the old man Natsu was. "He… has been missing for twenty-three days." Natsu froze. Someone took down gramps…? How? "Normally he would be on one of his… walkarounds, but in this case-." {But his walkarounds usually last for only fifteen days… you said twenty-three… and he always returns to the tower on time…} Natsu signed haltingly, his distress mounting. Kent was like the grandfather he never had, and he didn't know if he could take being left behind by him. sure Fate is rough around the edges with the young Halfling, but Natsu liked to think they'd get along more if they were exposed to each other.
"Of course… he helped you with your magic, he's Earth's Sorcerer Supreme." Kaldur seemed to realize the magnitude of the situation, but Wally finally spoke up with a scoff. "Big deal, guy finds some advanced science and Dumbledores it up to make the baddies piss their pants and the ladies come running." Natsu growled as he kept his back on the speedster. {But he's also caretaker to the Helmet of Fate… we can't leave that helmet out there for just anyone to pick up.} Natsu signed. His golden eyes pulsed with his magic lashing under his skin. he was worried and enraged- the Old Man was likely getting hurt by someone or something out there. they had to help him.
Red Tornado held up a key to the Halfling. "You know what this is, correct?" the Halfling nodded, reaching up and taking the key before sliding it onto his medallion necklace. Kaldur placed a webbed hand on Natsu's shoulder before shooting the dragon-boy a reassuring smile. "We'll find him, don't worry."
=›◊‹=
The flight to the Tower of Fate was a quiet one, albeit stressful for the Halfling whose wings locked once or twice for a moment due to residual poison magic effects. Natsu fought to fly level and at the same speed as the Bioship and to not fly ahead, even with Superboy on his back. It felt like the weight of the worlds were on his shoulders; fighting back his Season, the possibility of his grandfather-figure in danger, and- yep. That was Teekl on the ground, looks like the Witch Boy was at it again. The scent of Nelson and Fate were high in the air here, and Natsu circled the location of the Tower before coming in for a landing.
Once Superboy slid off and Natsu shifted back he slid the key from his neck and looked back at his teammates. 'Stay behind me. There's a Lacrimagram that asks us to answer a question truthfully. Let me answer it- it knows my voice as well as my intentions.' Inserting the key into seemingly thin air, a large tower appeared out of nowhere. Silently, they all walked in, but Superboy noticed a glaring fact.
"Where'd the door go?"
Despite the situation, Natsu had to huff a laugh out. 'It's Magic, SB. What do you expect?'
In front of them, Kent appeared in the Lacrimagram, looking at the group.
"Greetings. You have used a key, Young Natsu Dragneel, but the tower does not recognize your other companions. Please state your names and intent here."
Before Natsu could answer, Wally's voice made them freeze. "We are true believers, here to find Doctor Fate!" Natsu's tail lashed the stone ground before he turned to the speedster, golden eyes aglow with anger as he stomped to the teen in the near center of their group, stabbing at his chest with a clawed finger. 'You IDIOT! You just activated the trap!' Wally looked around before smirking and propping his hands on his hips. "What trap?"
The floor began to crack, splinter, and shake. 'That one, you AAAAASSSSSSS!' the group screamed as the floor gave way, revealing a lava pit at the bottom of the hole. Natsu tried to spread his wings but the muscles locked up, making him screech in pain at the abrupt movement and speed his fall as if he were diving. Natsu was in the center, nowhere near the walls and thus had no way of stopping his fall. With a garbled cry Natsu hit the lava, molten rock splashing and pouring into his nose, mouth, and ears, burning pain lancing over his body.
Golden Flame Dragon he may be, but he has only so much immunity to lava before it becomes deadly for him.
Natsu thrashed and writhed in the burning feeling around him. Just when he thought he was going to be barbeque he felt a large hand grab his tail and yank him out of the molten rock. "I got him! he's alive!" The Halfling could hear the shaky relief in Superboy's voice, and Natsu clung to the clone's back like a koala while he caught his breath. 'Hooooly shit that was too close!' Natsu coughed up some blobs of lava that were burning his throat. Some of his scales had gone grey and cracked with the sudden immersion in heat that wasn't specifically compatible with his own. Some of them even began to fall from his tail and shoulders, sizzling in the lava before they vanished under its surface.
Megan, while holding on to Kid Flash, began to lose ground in the air. "I'm having trouble maintaining altitude. It's so hot."
"You sure are~!"
'GODDAMMIT WALLY!'
"Hey, I am inches above sizzling death here, I'm allowed to speak my mind!" Kaldur wiped sweat from his face before glancing at Artemis, who was holding on to him. "My physiology and Megan's aren't compatible with this environment. Natsu may be able to hold out for a longer amount of time than any of us but he isn't a magma-breed, he's a fire breed! We need to get out of here fast!"
As Megan grew closer and closer to the lava she smacked her head in realization. "W-We never answered the question." Turning to the opening overhead she shouted to the Lacrimagram. "Red Tornado sent us! We're here to see if Mister Nelson and the helmet were safe!" like a snap of the fingers the lava pit closed and allowed everyone to land on it. Megan sat up wearily and Wally put an arm around her shoulders. "Don't worry, Megalicious. I gotcha."
Natsu saw red.
Wally let out a yell as an enraged Halfling pinned him to the wall and growled low and threatening at the teen. 'I. Have. Had it!' Natsu snarled, talons ripping holes in Wally's shirt, body shaking as he held himself back from decking the ginger. 'Are you stupid, or just so desperate that you'll risk other's lives just to impress a girl!?' Wally scowled before shoving the Halfling away, completely ignoring the fact that Natsu was naked as the day he was born. Luckily the Halfling had no external genitals, more like lizards than humans in that regard. "What the hell is it to you?! Last I heard, you couldn't get a girl to save your life!"
'And you think that makes it okay? Your freaking 'impress Megan at all costs' campaign nearly got us all killed! If I didn't have even the slightest immunity to lava due to it's similarities with my fire element, I'd be DEAD, Wally. D-E-A-D, DEAD! What if it was Robin? Or Kaldur or Artemis? What about the girl you were so desperately trying to impress?!'
That shut the speedster up.
"He's right, Wally! That stupid game of yours almost got us all barbequed!" Well, Artemis jumping in to defend him? what a surprise.
"Since when did this become my fault?! Why gang up on me?"
'Because you LIED about being a true believer to the Lacrimagram!'
Everyone went silent. "Wally… you don't believe…?" Natsu placed a clawed hand on Megan's shoulder before the Speedster blew up. "FINE! I lied about believing in magic, but you know what? MAGIC is the true lie, a major load of BS!"
Natsu was one second away from decking the idiot when he felt a hand on his left wing. The Halfling shivered before looking back with wide eyes. The clone held a large cracked sceather in one hand, blue eyes sheepish as he seemed to be caught in the act. "It was falling out anyways." the clone defended. Natsu's eyes were unreadable before he merely shrugged and nodded. 'don't lose it.' Was all he said. Internally he was freaking out. The first part of his Season ritual was completed without him even initiating it- give a self-made gift to the one you've chosen.
'Okay, you know what, let's just test your stupid 'everything can be explained by science' theory, kid- idiot.' Natsu wedged his claws into the cracks of the floor and have a heave. Before Wally could stop him, a chilled blast of air rose up from the floor. "It's snow!" Megan said in delight. Artemis gave Wally a smug look as their team mates jumped through the floor. "Don't you ever get tired of being wrong?"
When the last person, the speedster, came through, he looked back at the opening before facing his team mates. Natsu had shifted back into his dragon form to help preserve a little of his modesty. 'Well?'
Wally scowled at the half-dragon. "Ever hear of the string theory? We're in a pocket dimension!" Natsu blasted a patch of ice and snow with his flame breath, hissing at the speedster. 'What you keep saying makes me question why we're even friends sometimes. Everything I am, everything I can do, is magic related. The extra circulatory system in my body, Wally? It's what circulates my magic throughout my being. You're saying, in the most broadest terms, that I shouldn't exist, my being here is a load of bullshit. Thanks for that.' Turning away, Natsu made his path through the snowy landscape. Wally looked around him at the unfriendly looks his team mates were giving him before he scoffed.
Natsu's nose worked, trying to pick up a proper scent before he paused, looking up to find Nelson's cane floating in front of him. the Halfling let out a low croon before he reached out and gripped it gently in his talon. 'Where is he…?' the Halfling said, all traces of anger gone, leaving only a young half-dragon boy, a child really, behind. I can take you to him. an answering voice said. Before Natsu could make a sound, he flew up, markings flashing in alarm, before vanishing in a flash of golden light.
In the blink of an eye, Natsu crashed into a room of stairwells. In front of him was Kent Nelson.
Being tortured.
Golden Flame Dragon's Iron FIST!
Abracadabra jolted away as a flaming taloned paw smashed the walkway he and Klarion were on, making it collapse into bits of crumbled stone and brick. 'Back off, bastards!' curling around his grandfather-figure, Natsu nudged him with his snout to help him sit up. 'Gramps, come on get up!' a wrinkled hand patted the smooth scales on Natsu's snout gently, reassuring the Halfling. "I'm alright, my boy. Don't worry." Natsu churred before growling in pain as Klarion fired several red and black bolts of lightning at him, hitting him in the shoulder. "Down here, my boy!" tapping the ground with his newly acquired cane, Natsu and Nelson fell through the floor, leaving a screaming Klarion behind them.
Natsu maneuvered under the old man, allowing him to sit on his back before attempting to spread his wings. A jolt of pain made his wings lock again before he worked through it. "Ah, you ran onto Cobra the Poison Dragon Slayer, didn't you?" Natsu blinked. 'Yeah… my flames managed to burn the gunk out, but I was sick for a while. And as you can see there are a few… side effects.'
Kent hummed before tapping the base of Natsu's neck, just in front of his seated spot, with his cane. A warm glow pulsed around the Halfling before all pains and tremors vanished as if they had never been there in the first place. "There you go my boy." Natsu purred. 'Thanks, Gramps~.' As they descended Natsu decided it was time to affirm why he and his friend were there. 'It's Klarion again, isn't it?' Kent sighed. "Yes… that boy just doesn't know when to give up. Then again, my ultimate enemy shouldn't know when to give up."
Natsu huffed, smoke puffing from his nostrils. 'The curse of being a Lord of Order…'
"we must get the helmet, my boy- it's the only way to keep Klarion away." Natsu paused. 'I know.' Kent sighed before placing a hand against his pupil's scales. He must've taken a dip in the lava pit- oh, how that brought back memories.
As they landed at a platform where a large bell was seen, a door materialized and dumped Kaldur, Wally, Superboy, and Artemis onto the platform while Megan floated down. Kent was assisted off of Natsu's back by the Halfling's tail and the two shared a look. "Friends of yours?" Natsu huffed before looking at Wally. The small wriggle of anger came back and he looked away. '…Most of them.' Kent seemed to understand. A scent similar to Acnologia's in terms of powers drifted over and Natsu grabbed Kent before leaping away. 'Friend's of yours?' the Halfling retorted. Landing nearer to the bell, Kent took his cane and banged on it, making it chime. The two and Wally, who was thrown into the bell by a wayward blast came to the top of the tower after walking through the bell's metal outer wall.
Floating in front of them was the Helmet of Fate.
Natsu stared at it with wide eyes as he shifted back to his normal form, but before he could move a bolt of black and red lightning flew towards the group of three.
The Halfling had only a moment to react, but that moment wasn't enough.
'GRAMPS DUCK!'
Play Challenge Fairy Tail from Fairy Tail OST
Kent let out a scream of pain when the red and black lightning slammed into Kent's chest, right over his heart and making the old man crumble to the ground in Wally's arms. The speedster began to attempt to resuscitate him, but Natsu knew it was too late.
Everything went still for the Halfling, save for the roaring in his ears.
He didn't hear the sorcerer supreme speak to Wally, he was too far out of range for the barrier to enclose him when it was erected. He didn't feel anything except for bubbling…
Burning…
Rage.
Klarion let out a scream of anger when the bubble was erected and sent a blast of lightning at the dome, but a toothed mouth came in out of nowhere and chomped down on the stream of magic. A scarred throat jumped and bulged as it forced the writhing energy down his gullet.
Wally, Klarion, even the cat Teelk were in shock as Natsu gulped the crackling malevolent red and black substance down, growling around the pain, fighting through anger and rage to get out three words. 'Get… the… helmet!'
Turning to the Witch Boy, Natsu snarled. Steam jetted from his maw and his markings flashed and hummed, making the air vibrate. 'How dare you…' Natsu growled. 'You hurt Gramps… you- you KILLED him!' Klarion sneered before snapping his fingers at his cat. With a smack of his tail, Natsu sent the feline screeching over the edge of the tower.
'I'm going…'
Klarion looked at the dragon-boy, fearful for the first time in millennia.
'To make…'
Natsu's vision swirled, gold and red and black, fire, lightning, darkness, all pounding away through his veins. Suddenly the crackling electricity in his gut settled, humming through his body and merging with his own magic to create something new.
'You… PAAAAAAAYYYYYY!'
He hunched over, wings flaring over his body as the golden markings bled a blood red on their borders. His right eye changed, going from gold to a fierce blood red that leaked red and black lightning as his left eye trailed gold and black fire. In a pulse of power, Natsu sent a pillar of fire and lightning into the skies overhead, lighting up the town for miles around and clearing the overcast skies.
Klarion's eyes widened as Natsu shifted, his body changing into that of his dragon form- it had grown larger. Instead of just fire, lightning crackled over his form, connecting the outer wing feathers to each other like a crackling halo of energy.
A paw, the claws crackling with electricity, slammed down in the stone of the tower, making everything shake.
Natsu's mismatched eyes glowed and smoke billowed from his jaws as he found the name of this new power. His voice, suppressed for so long, came out, and it rippled and rolled like an apocalyptic storm on the horizon, threatening to tear down anything and everything in its path. For the first time in seven years, Natsu Dragneel spoke.
"Black Lightning-Flame Mode."
Digging his talons into the stone, he rocketed towards Klarion like a ballistic missile, slamming into the Lord of Chaos as he bought time for Wally to do what needed to be done.
"BLACK LIGHTNING-FLAME DRAGON'S DEMOLITION TAIL!" Natsu spun head over tail before slamming into the part of the tower where Klarion stood. The witch boy vanished just before impact and reappeared behind Natsu, blasting him with red fire. "Oh, no you don't!" spinning around Natsu chomped down on the fire and swallowed, cringing at the taste but not caring. A blast of golden light came from overhead and pulled both fighter's attentions from the other. Natsu growled low in his chest as he glared up at the entity controlling his friend's body.
"Nabu… welcome to the game."
Green eyes narrowed under the helmet. "Halfling. Go back to your friends- they are in need of assistance." Natsu narrowed his own eyes, untrusting of the Lord of Order, before nodding. "Take care of Gramps… and tell him-." Nabu's gaze went uncharacteristically soft. "…He already knows, Dragon Child."
Waving his hand to the floor of the roof, he opened a door big enough to allow the dragon-boy to fly through with his much larger form. "Now go!" the Halfling nodded before flipping through the air, shifting back as he went, and diving through the opening. His human throat burned like he'd swallowed the lava all over again, so he knew it would be a very long time before he was able to speak properly. Instead, he shifted again once through and sucked in a breath before letting out a bellowing, earth-shaking, fear-inducing roar.
End Song
(Think of the episode where Natsu fought Cobra in the Fairy Tail series- he beat him by screaming. The dragon roar in his scream is what he let loose here)
=›◊‹=
Play Saigo no Mahou from Fairy Tail OST
Kaldur, Superboy, Artemis, and Megan were pinned under nets of electricity. Abracadabra laughed and upped the wattage before the air shook with a roar. It was so loud Superboy clapped his hands over his ears even as Artemis hunched over and did the same. "WHAT is THAT?!" Megan shrieked. "A Monster?!"
The ground jumped, shaking even more, a bang approaching their area. Then a huge taloned paw punched through a wall right beside Abracadabra, a paw that the team knew well.
"Natsu!" Kaldur said, looking up through the electric bars only to gasp. The golden marking on his friend were bordered with jagged red and black, one eye red and the other gold.
'Yo. Heard you were looking for me~?'
Natsu's head shot through the opening, forcing the hole even wider, and prowled into the room, shifting once again back to his smaller form as he went. He situated himself in front of the team, a barrier between Abracadabra and them, and crossed his arms. 'You wanna fight with magic, you seventh-rate hack?' Natsu got into a fighting stance, black and red lightning crackling over his form and shocking the team. 'Then you got it!'
Abracadabra raised his stick and shot a bolt of electricity at the dragon-teen, a wing flew up and acted as a shield, deflecting the blast into a pillar nearby.
Megan felt chills run over her skin- Natsu was radiating power the likes of which she had never seen before, even on Mars. It was…. Terrifying.
Kaldur was in similar emotion, but it wasn't so much as terrifying as it was awe-inspiring. He felt slightly embarrassed that he was pinned down along with his team- he was their leader- but it was just motivation to get stronger.
Artemis gaped at the sight. Natsu's eyes glowed, casting a shadow over his face as he launched into battle with lightning and flame trailing from his body.
Superboy's heart thundered in his chest, his eyes wide to soak up every moment of the fight. This was a version of Natsu that he had never ever seen before. Natsu wasn't just mad, determined, raring to fight, no- Natsu was putting everything in this… but why?
'Here we go- Black Lightning-Flame Dragon's Iron Fist!' Abra raised an arm and deflected the blow before vanishing using his technological 'magic'. Natsu snarled before rearing back a fist to slam into the ground. 'Black Lightning-Flame Dragon's Calamity!' Abra yelped as the ground cracked and arcs of lightning and fire rolling up from the fissures to successfully throw him off balance. 'This is for Gramps! Now… BUUUUUURRRRRRNNNNNN!'
Sucking in a breath, Natsu's guts roiled and shifted, his lungs churned, his lightning and fire pooled in his mouth before he unleashed his attack.
'BLACK LIGHTNING-FLAME DRAGON'S…!' he shifted, planting his feet before letting his one-hit fly out.
'ROAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRR!'
Abra screamed as he flew through several walls, his suit sparking and malfunctioning as it hit the limit on the last wall before he slumped to the ground unconscious. But the roar didn't stop there- it burned through the magic keeping the Tower of Fate concealed, and punched through the walls on the outside, continuing for miles and miles before finally fizzling out into nothing. People would speak about it for quite some time, but no one would know the origin of it.
The electricity trapping Natsu's team fizzled out as the Halfling panted for breath. He fell to his knees, feeling the lightning he'd consumed fade away in his magic container- no, not fade, a more apt description would be that it became dormant, a secondary element to his primary. 'Told ya,' the Halfling murmured. 'You'd pay…'
The red and black in his gold faded away, leaving only gold behind, however, his right eye, the one that changed, remained a fierce ruby red, a testament to the chaotic energy he had assimilated into his magic.
Tears filled his eyes when he realized he'd lost another one.
Another person, gone…
He didn't look at anyone even when Wally came back with the helmet tucked under his arm, or when Kent was carried out by Superboy. He didn't speak, telepathically or physically, to anyone. He just… stopped functioning for several days, at least until the funeral.
End Song
=›◊‹=
Play Kizuna from Fairy Tail OST
The funeral was quite large, people coming from all manners of the mystic arts to say their goodbyes. Even Raven came to say farewell.
Natsu was asked if he wished to speak, and despite the objections and 'how it would reflect on the League', the Halfling merely nodded and said 'Yes, please.'
Reporters snapped pictured of the Halfling dressed in a custom-made suit and tie, his wings and tail motionless and his face blank.
{Kent Nelson… the Old Guy that was one in the few that saw what few did, and accomplished what few did,} he signed, Robin translating for those on the team who weren't yet fluid. {I… don't really know what to say… an old man who had a hand in the Justice Society, long before the Justice League came to even pass… he told me when we first met, that in his day people didn't accept him either because of his father.} the crowd gasped. {Yep. They called Kent's father a crazy whack for believing in the Mystic Arts, for thinking Magic was real and trying to find proof. I know that our circumstances weren't the same, not by a long shot… but he was a man who learned before acting, and he paved the way for the Justice League, and by extension, all of us, to be where we are today. thank you}
At the end of the service, Superboy found Natsu standing alone at the fresh grave of Kent Nelson. "You doing alright?" the clone asked. Natsu swallowed. 'I-it's funny isn't it?' Natsu said after a moment. 'Last time I saw him, he'd said he would teach me how to master the secondary elements to fire… and the moment he died… I'd mastered it.' Tears fell down mismatched eyes as Natsu's shoulders jumped with his cries.
'H-how do you like that, o-old g-geezer?' Superboy looked away before he pulled the smaller teen into a one-armed hug. 'A-another one… how m-many more are going t-t-to leave me?! I just want them to come back!' Natsu cried mentally as he leaned heavily into the clone's hold. Natsu sank to the ground, dragging Superboy with him, the clone refusing to let him go.
Come Back!
Mamma… Gramps… Please!
Superboy felt his eyes sting as he held Natsu tighter.
'Come Back!'
