Golden eyes glowed beneath the cover of darkness, his gaze focused solely on the watch he gripped tightly in his hand.

The wind was harsh against his skin, the bite the chill had doing nothing to deter him as a low sigh escaped his slightly parted lips.

Alaric's eyes closed as he leaned his head back, hood remaining firm as he tightened his grip around the pocket watch, listening to the sounds from below.

"As you know. We called this meeting today to discuss... Well... Your wife..." Alaric raised his neon green eyes, staring intently at Kai as they spoke, seeming to falter beneath his hard glare.

This Kai looked significantly different than the one of the realm Alaric was in now. He had seen the wanted poster for this Kai and while they did look alike, the Kai from here seemed much more... Guiltless. Their hair was shaved down and black on one side while the rest of their neck length, blood red hair was swept over to one side. Their eyes being a flaming orange rather than brown but still had the same thin shape, their form more slender and almost feminine.

"She's been missing for three years. I'm assuming you found her body?"  Kai swallowed heavily as they seemed to contemplate whether or not they were making the right choice.

"We voted, Kai. Tell him. The votes were in favor." Blake warned which snapped Alaric's attention to him now, eyes filling with a golden tint as he bared his teeth at the large group.

Blake was significantly thinner, seeming almost malnourished with his extremely pale face sunken in along his cheekbones. His black hair was tied back in a short ponytail while his black beard hung just below his chin, mustache curled at the ends.

"She's alive. She's been working as a nurse in a burn ward in a city just a few hours from here." Alaric's heart seemed to stop within his chest as rage filled his veins, his mouth snapping shut as a growl rumbled deep in his throat.

So she was alive. After all this time, she thought she could just leave him and move on like he'd never existed. Like they hadn't gone through so much together....

"Hey, you awake?" Nyx's voice flooded Alaric's ears, causing a groan to escape his lips as his eyes snapped open.

"That's a rather loaded question. Is anyone ever truly living when their only purpose in life is to die?" Alaric mumbled as he turned his neon green gaze to Nyx who made a face at his words, blue hair billowing around the top of her head, lighter blue streaks throughout flickering like embers in a dying fire pit.

"I don't need you to go all philosophical on me, old man. Magdalene said that we have a job to do but you've been sitting here for like an hour just staring at the time." Alaric snapped the pocket watch shut as Nyx peered around his shoulder to get a better look at it, gritting his teeth as he stood, towering over her 5'6 frame as he glared down at her.

"I know that. But considering I don't exactly need you, she wouldn't miss you if I killed you for annoying me. You do realize that your eyes only show you so much, right?" Alaric kept his tone low as Nyx stared up at him with a confused expression, admiring his full lips for a moment before she blanched as she remembered how old this dude was.

"What does that even mean?" Nyx crossed her arms over his chest as Alaric rolled his eyes, tucking the pocket watch into his coat as he turned back towards the city.

"Your pitiful powers are only a scratch at the surface of what we're capable of evolving into. At the risk of sounding like an egotistical... Well... Never mind that ship has sailed. I don't track people with my eyes. If you'd shut up an look with more than just your eyes, the world has so much more to offer." Alaric closed his eyes again, inhaling slowly as he listened closely to the sounds around them, allowing his mind to flit through the thoughts of the people within the city.

"Reality is such an unstable concept. Reality is really what a bunch of dudes in lab coats said it is and we believed them. But there's so much more if you just let yourself see it." Alaric's words only confused Nyx further but she walked closer to him as she studied his face while he talked.

"After my fourth experimental dose of the binding serum I found that even when I was locked in a dark cell I could use my mind to see. Third eye or whatever you want to call it. I don't necessarily care. I can see across the whole town just by focusing and closing my eyes. The hard part is pinpointing it and finding just who I'm looking for. There's far too many ants in this hill." Alaric took another deep breath before releasing it slowly, Nyx arching an eyebrow as she placed a hand on her hip.

"Keep talking like a poet. It's making my straight senses tingle." Nyx teased as Alaric's eyes snapped open, fading from solid white to their normal neon green as he smirked.

"Well, well, well... Isn't this a surprise. I found one." Alaric kicked off the ground, hesitating for a moment for Nyx to do the same, the concrete beneath her feet seeming to melt as she raised slowly into the air.

"What are we waiting for then? Lead the way." Nyx smirked as Alaric took off at surprising speed, the woman immediately regretting her words as she struggled to keep up.

_-*-_

David nervously chewed on his lower lip, peering down into the Petri dish that sat beneath the lenses of his microscope.

"Well?" Doctor Banners asked impatiently, rubbing his face warily as he leaned his head back, allowing his brown eyes to fall shut in an attempt to rest them for a bit.

David gave no reply, gently adjusting the dial along the side of the microscope as he blinked both eyes before closing his right eye as he peered through the lens again.

"I have work of my own to do, David. As much as I've enjoyed helping you for these last few hours... I'm tired. I don't have much energy left so what little I do have needs to be focused on my own work. I have to do a follow up report on-" Doctor Banner ranted as draped his arm over his eyes, immediately falling silent when David cleared his throat.

"It worked." David's voice was so soft that Doctor Banner wondered if he'd imagined it in his sleep deprived state, immediately lowering his arm as he lifted his head to stare at David.

"What?" Doctor Banner's eyes were wide as he realized that he had in fact heard David correctly, the male slowly turning to look at Banner with his unnaturally blue eyes.

"It worked. The fetus is alive." Doctor Banner's jaw dropped open as he quickly scrambled from the chair, almost falling in the process but all weariness and headache was forgotten now as he managed to scramble over to David. His hands shook as he peered through the lens, David not watching him as tears welled up in his eyes, his hands running through his already messy hair as a laugh of pure disbelief escaped his lips.

"You still have those old tubes you used when you tried to find a better solution for the soldiers and kin?" David asked as Doctor Banner slowly raised his head, turning his brown eyes to David as a small smile spread over his face.

"Of course. After all, you never know when you have to reuse old equipment for experiments." Doctor Banner placed a hand on David's shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze as his face showed something that David hadn't seen in a long time. Pride.

"I hope this brings you the relief that you're looking for... David. I hope you can be happy now." Something about the older man's words caused David to falter but he simply smiled as he gave a small nod.

"It will. When I get my son back, Madelyn will finally be able to meet her big brother. Esther and I can be a family with our children. I can finally get away from here. I can watch my children grow up together... Like they deserved to." David whispered as he allowed the tears to flow down his cheeks, Doctor Banner's eyes soft as he gazed at the man in front of him.

"Like you all deserve to. I'll do whatever I can do help you. I can promise you that much." Doctor Banner assured as he hesitantly released David's shoulder, stepping away as he made his way from the room to fetch what David needed.

"How touching." David's blood ran cold in his veins at the familiar voice, immediately stiffening where he stood as he swallowed heavily.

"No..." David whispered as Doyle emerged from where he'd seemed to blend seamlessly into the wall behind himself.

"You used the DNA binder to inject yourself again." David stared at Doyle as the males skin started to darken from where it had blended in with the white drywall, a smirk on his face as his clothes filled in with color as well.

"You proved it worked. Unfortunately I had to test it once before I got what I needed but it did in fact work. Why would I not? After all, it's my work, isn't it?" Doyle pulled a recording device from his pocket, taking a step towards David who immediately shuffled away, lower back hitting his desk to stop him from moving further away.

"You already took... Everything from me. Why?" Doyle's smirk immediately fell at David's work, face contorting in rage as his eyes turned black.

"I took everything from you? Please. You've always had everything! You had a happy family! You had parents who loved you with every single bit of their being! Even when they adopted me they still loved you more! Nothing I ever did was anywhere close to what you did! I was always second fiddle to a mere boy. All because you were their real son. After all I went through, why didn't I deserve to be cherished like you?! Why was I stuck in your shadow? Even after I fell in love with Ella, you had to make her yours. You STOLE her from me! You flaunted her in front of me like some prize!" Doyle's voice was full of venom as he stepped closer to David, eyes wild and full of hatred as he spoke every word like it was a curse.

"She wasn't a prize! I was in love with her! She was my friend and I brought you into our group. I trusted you! You were supposed to be my brother! We took you with us everywhere! She loved you like a brother and you turned her love into some sick twisted version of the disgusting infatuation you felt for her. We were happy! My parents loved you like a son until you took Ella away! Even then they said it must've been some mistake. That it couldn't be you. You wouldn't throw such a promising future away all over a silly crush-" Doyle released a bark of laughter which cut David off, both men breathing heavily now as Doyle stood a mere foot away from David now.

"A silly crush? A SILLY CRUSH!? I LOVED her! She was the light that showed me the way in the darkness. She was the only one who ever treated me like a person rather than just some freak! You knew how I felt and you still chose her. You had so many women who wanted you but yet you had to have her. Why? Why her?" Doyle snarled out as David merely stared at him, his mouth falling open as his face contorted into one of pure disgust.

"Because there was nobody else I wanted but her. And she felt the same way about me. You're delusional. You took my wife and children from me because you were jealous?" David's expression changed immediately to match Doyle's look of pure rage, his hands balling into fists as he gritted his teeth.

He'd been playing nice with Doyle to get what he wanted but this man was pushing him way too far.

"For someone her only wanted her, you sure moved on pretty quickly with that Esther girl, didn't you?" Doyle smirked as David immediately narrowed his eyes, taking a step towards Doyle now which brought them a mere inches apart.

"Because I fell in love. You will not talk about her." David warned in a low voice which caused Doyle to release another bark of laughter.

"Oh I won't talk about her. But we'll see how quickly you move on after I kill this one and your cute little daughter too. She'd make such a good little doll." David snapped as the words left Doyle's mouth, immediately smashing his fist into Doyle's face which sent the male tumbling back a bit.

"You will not touch my family!" David yelled before pausing as pain ripped through his hand, the male lifting his arm as his eyes widened in fear. Metal spread across his fists, quickly coating his whole hand in the same coal gray metal.

"Seems I struck a nerve." Doyle smirked, wiping the blood from his nose as he took satisfaction in the fear on David's handsome face.

"We'll see how long that dopey little scientist lasts when I take this to Magdalene." Doyle continued as he turned to walk from the lab, eyes still dark as his smirk fell.

"I won't stop until you're all alone in this world, Bellefree! Watch your back because only God knows when I will be." Doyle yelled over his shoulder as David began to hyperventilate, slowly flexing his metal hand which radiated in pain as he did.

_-*-_

"Where's Magni? And who's this guy? Thought you said we weren't going to reveal too many metas to the city in case they try to skin me alive. Which... In retrospect I think skinning me alive would take a very long time considering I'm made of literal rock." Obsidian stared at Skinwalker who laughed, wrapping her arm around the much taller male at her side.

"This is Gizmo. He won't draw too much attention, luckily. Magni is a bit preoccupied with nursing Thermobaric back to health so he'll be helping us out." Obsidian studied Gizmo closely, noting that Skinwalker had her arm wrapped around him which he'd never seen her to be a very touchy person.

The male was taller than Skinwalker's 5'5 form, standing around 6'4 with a slim yet muscular form which was a vast contrast to Obsidian's own large bulk of muscles. His form was partially concealed beneath a large brown trench coat, the buttons shaped like bullets while the white shirt beneath was wrapped in a black strap that held a fast array of little satchels. His legs were strapped with two black pistol holsters, two guns laying snuggly beneath but his trench coat would've concealed them quite well if the wind hadn't been whipping around them so violently.

He also had a large strap that stretched across his chest and shoulders, the large weapon strapped to his back seeming to be weightless to the male who stood tall as if he didn't have a whole arsenal of weapons strapped around his body.

Obsidian's gaze flicked to the sword the male had strapped to his hip, a small nod of appreciation as he realized this man at least had taste. Claymore swords were a mark of distinction if he recalled correctly but he also knew the fact he had such a large sword just attached to his hip was rather odd.

Obsidian wrinkled his nose in confusion as he continued to study the male, wondering just why she was alright with touching this male but flinched away whenever he offered to fly her places. If they were dating it could explain why... But he admired her loyalty if that reaction was warranted simply because she was in a relationship.

"I know what you're thinking... Literally... But he's just a friend. No need to be jealous." Skinwalker rolled her eyes as she immediately moved away from Gizmo whose face wrinkled as he grinned from beneath the brown, gear patterned mask he wore. His steampunk appearing goggles doing little to hide his amusement despite the fact Obsidian couldn't see his eyes from beneath the dark green tint of the lens that concealed them.

"Why would I be jealous?" Obsidian scoffed as he immediately looked away, finding the lights of the city much more important right now.

"Because your ego requires all women to find you attractive." Skinwalker scoffed which immediately made Obsidian falter for a moment as he turned back to her.

"You really think that?" Obsidian questioned as he stared at her intently, immediately making her uncomfortable as she crossed her arms over her chest in an attempt to cover her form.

"What else should I think?" Skinwalker asked rather awkwardly, noticing the pain in Obsidian's eyes for a moment but the look was gone as quickly as it appeared.

"Don't we have crime to fight? Because I'm pretty sure there's a person breaking into that store right there." Gizmo motioned behind Obsidian, immediately turning their attention to where the branches of a tree began to spread across the front of an electronics store.

Obsidian instantly lifted from the ground, Gizmo not even having time to process the fact that he was actually seeing this man fly before he was gone.

"Does he do that a lot?" Gizmo asked as the two scrambled down the fire escape, Skinwalker making a face as they made it to the ground at an alarming speed.

"No. Normally he waits." Skinwalker replied as they sprinted towards the store where Obsidian was already melting the flowering branches with a large spout of lava.

A scream of pain immediately caused Obsidian to falter as he realized it came from within the store, the sound of crying immediately following after the fiery red cracks along his skin began to fade.

"Some people are directly linked with the elements they create. You're hurting her." Skinwalker said as she came to stop behind Obsidian, golden eyes scouring the store for a way to get in without further harming the woman within.

"There's three. They all have powers." Skinwalker continued as her gaze flicked to him, hand raising as she motioned to a vent that was revealed just beneath the beautiful purple flowers.

"There's absolutely no way I'll fit through there." Obsidian deadpanned as he glared down at her, knowing exactly what she wanted help with but there was no way he was letting her go in there alone without backup.

"I'll be fine. I did well enough in the bank. I'll try to talk to them. You have to remember... They're probably just scared kids." Obsidian sighed as she spoke, holding out his hand to her which she took after a moments hesitation before the two lifted into the air.

"Are you sure about this?" Gizmo asked as Skinwalker began to work to pry the grate off before she discarded it onto the ground beneath them.

"I'll be fine." Skinwalker assured them as she heaved herself through the vent, releasing a yelp of surprise as it immediately gave way when all of her weight filled the small opening.

"Are you okay?!" Obsidian exclaimed as he attempted to peer through the small opening, orange veins spreading across his skin as he began to prepare to burn his way into the building.

"I'm good. My self esteem is definitely hurt but I'll be fine. Give me a second." Skinwalker groaned from within the building, Obsidian straining his sensitive ears in an attempt to hear where she was but all he could detect was the other metas within the building.

"She really is a ninja." Obsidian muttered before stiffening at Gizmo released a loud laugh, walking closer to Obsidian as he began to examine the flowering branches closely.

"Always has been. Kinda annoying when you're stealing her food in the middle of the night and she just appears behind you like a demon to smack you with a spoon." Obsidian seemed visibly disturbed by how close Gizmo seemed to be with this woman, not fully understanding why he was mildly upset that he seemed to know significantly more about his partner than he could or probably would ever know.

"Seems like you two are friends." Obsidian finally muttered as he landed easily behind Gizmo, pacing as he waited impatiently for Skinwalker to show any sign that she was alright.

Gizmo said nothing, trying to find a way to maneuver around the large branches of the tree to no avail, he could almost feel Obsidian's eyes boring into him.

"Seems to me like you are too. Surprising that you two trust each other already despite it only being around like nine days or so since you met." Gizmo finally replied as he finally met Obsidian's firm stare, not wavering beneath his gaze as he lifted his head slightly to maintain their eye contact easier.

"She gave me the benefit of the doubt when someone tried to tarnish my reputation. Not to mention we've already saved each other's lives multiple times since we've met. I hate to admit it but I don't think I could've handled those people in the bank by myself." Both men went silent as the sound of creaking branches stilled in the air, the lack of constant shaking and stretching of the branches and flowers seemed to cause an eery effect to the now otherwise quiet night around them.

It gave the feeling of being alone in the woods, not even the sound of cars could be heard within the distance as the two waited with baited breath for any sign that they should charge in with guns blazing.

The branches began to recede as angry shouts and screams filled the air, both men immediately running into the building without hesitation when the branches moved just enough to allow both to squeeze through.

A thick cloud of purple erupted from a room, immediately causing two males that Obsidian and Gizmo had yet to see within to burst into a coughing fit, the masks Obsidian and Gizmo wore shielding them from whatever this large cloud could potentially contain.

"Skinwalker!?" Obsidian yelled as his eyes glowed brighter beneath the shroud of purple smoke that now covered the entirety of the building, the substance stinging his eyes but he didn't seem to care as he charged towards where he had seen the cloud first form.

"Stop! I can help you!" Skinwalker's voice brought him some relief as he burst into the room, desperately attempting to find his bearing in the shrouded room.

"We don't need help! You're only standing in the way!" A female yelled back, the sound of a scuffle ensuing not long after she woman had spoken.

Obsidian grunted in pain as he bumped into a desk that been previously hidden by the smoke,  steam escaping his eyes as they watered from the intense burning in the air around them.

Gizmo launched forward, spring loading off of Obsidian's back much to the male's surprise as Gizmo shot into the air from the momentum he received from Obsidian's height, pulling out a pocket staff which snapped open as he pulled it from his jacket. A yell escaped his lips as he slammed the staff down on an assailant that Obsidian had not previously seen, the second male grunting on pain as he tumbled to the ground.

Gizmo's goggles glowed green as he adjusted a dial on the side, peering through the smoke as the infrared sensor allowed him to locate the second male who stood just behind Skinwalker.

Gizmo launched forward but halted as he watched Skinwalker kick out her leg, still gripping the woman by the arm as her foot made contact with the male's chest. A grunt of pain escaped the male but he didn't have time to react as she spun the woman around by her arm before throwing her against the male.

"Wisteria, I don't want to hurt any of you. The three of you were kids just like me! I know what you've been through. You don't have to do this!" Skinwalker pleaded desperately, feeling her heart pumping in her chest as the veins crawled along her face, the smoke activating her instincts despite the fact her mask was keeping her from breathing it in. It was like her body could sense that the very air around them was a threat.

"You're a freak just like me, yes. But that doesn't mean you know me. You can read minds all you want, little girl. We're not kids anymore and we never were. Time to grow up and face reality. The world has no need for heroes. It's all a giant game to humans, they don't care about anything except surviving. Humanity has always been like that. No matter the cost. Why would I want to save people like that?" The woman sneered as she raised her hands, the ground rumbling as branches sprung from the concrete, Skinwalker immediately jumping back as they shot towards her.

"Because, we have to be better than that!" Skinwalker yelled back which only made the woman scoff in disgust, slowly climbing to her feet as she nodded the male to move forward, one eye glowing purple while the other glowed green.

Skinwalker released a yell of pain as one of the branches stabbed through her shoulder, holding her in place as the ends curled before blossoming with purple wisteria.

Gizmo launched forward again, watching as the meta male stepping towards Skinwalker while he slowly began to take off his gloves.

"I don't want to do this, Wisteria." His voice was soft as he touched one of the branches with his bare hand, immediately causing the branches to spread with stone before they crumbled and fell to the ground, Wisteria wincing in pain but she maintained a hard glare as she focused on keeping the tree secure.

Gizmo tackled him to the ground, pinning both of the male's arms as he struggled beneath his grip.

"Help her!" Gizmo bellowed to Obsidian who had now gotten the first male secured with a pair of zip ties, his head shooting up as he attempted to see through the fog but his eyes were now tinted to indigo from harsh chemicals within the smoke.

Skinwalker struggled, allowing her nails to extend as she carved at the front of the branch that held her in place.

Obsidian ran forward, following the sounds of Skinwalker's pained growls as well as the faint smell of blood.

"Stop him!" Wisteria shouted to both men as blood dripped from her nose, the exertion of keeping the building blocked off while also holding Skinwalker in place starting to take its toll.

The male contained within the restraints gritted his teeth, eyes closing as a bright white glow filled the room, Obsidian using the opportunity to charge towards Skinwalker, orange veins spreading across cracks within the glass as he grabbed a branch, instantly causing it to pop and sizzle as it began to split apart.

Wisteria screamed in pain as she collapsed to her knees, blood steadily flowing from her nose now as the flowers wilted but the branches remained firm.

Obsidian grunted in pain as a partially transparent hand wrapped around his whole torso, the glowing light of the hand temporarily blinding him which allowed the male to throw Obsidian against a wall, causing a rather large hole to form in the wall.

Gizmo grunted in pain as the male bit into what little bit of flesh Gizmo had exposed, temporarily allowing him to free his gloved arm, eyes seeming to fill with a dark gray as he punched Gizmo in the face.

Skinwalker released another growl of but focused her breath as she grabbed the branch in front of her, eyes seeming to glow bright purple as she gritted her teeth, the branch splintering and cracking beneath her grip before it shattered apart, sending her hurdling to the ground with a pained grunt.

The restrained male stared straight ahead, eyes glowing white as the arm that seemed to stretch from his form grabbed Obsidian once again, smashing him against the ground as the sound of breaking glass filled the room.

Gizmo felt the blood drip down his nose as he slowly pulled down his mast to momentarily wipe the blood from his face, glaring at the male who slowly stood to face him.

"I don't want to hurt you." The male snapped as he pulled a knife from his pocket, focusing his deep brown eyes on Gizmo who pulled his mask back over his face before he was able to breathe in the now fading purple smoke which began to slowly spill out of the hole Obsidian had made in the wall.

"You could've fooled me." Gizmo mumbled as he flicked open his bow staff once again, twirling it around easily as he got into a defensive stance.

"We're not going back. I have no choice." The male snapped as he slowly began to circle Gizmo, knife raised as he peered at Gizmo through squinted eyes, the gas making it hard for anyone in the room who was not wearing eye protection to see but he still seemed to know exactly where Gizmo was now that he could make out the glowing green of his goggles.

Obsidian coughed in pain as he allowed his body to superheat, the glass becoming glowing orange with how hot it now was but it seemed to do nothing to deter the second male who snatched Obsidian up again.

Gizmo launched forward, swinging his bow staff towards the male's legs but he reacted quicker than Gizmo was expecting, easily hopping over the staff before he swung his knife at Gizmo.

Wisteria winced in pain as she slowly stood, raising shaky hands at Skinwalker who focused her glowing gaze onto the woman now, eyes narrowing as she began to stalk towards the woman.

"Stop! Don't you come any closer!" Wisteria yelled, attempting to focus her hazy vision on the woman in front of her as she waved her hand, causing the branches around the building to immediately slide back into the ground, allowing light into the once dark room.

Skinwalker said nothing, eyes brightening before turning gold once again as she continued forward, Wisteria gritting her teeth before her hand flew up, causing a tree to erupt from beneath Skinwalker's feet.

"Psychic projection... See something new everyday." Obsidian groaned as he decided to change tactics, the orange glow around his body seeming to instantly fade as he wiggled one of his arms loose, jolting his arm which allowed a piece of the glass to dislodge and fall into his hand just as he was slammed against another wall.

Gizmo blocked each jab of the male's knife with his staff, twisting the male's arm as he caught the male's inner elbow the end, causing him to lose his hold on the knife but he used Gizmo's distraction to wrap his bare hand around Gizmo's exposed wrist.

Gizmo's eyes widened in fear, eyes closing as he felt a cold shearing pain spread through his veins, his body feeling as if he was laying on a concrete floor.

"I'm sorry." The male whispered as the brown of his eyes slowly replaced the cold gray, his face seeming so oddly familiar to Gizmo now that he could actually take the time to focus.

Obsidian groaned as orange lava leaked from his hip where he had previously been stabbed by Ink, nose leaking the same fluid but he ignored the pain as he hurled the stone in the male's direction. As the glass made contact with the male's head, he collapsed to the ground, instantly causing the light to fade which caused Obsidian to drop to the ground.

Obsidian coughed as he slowly raised his head, ears tuned to make sure he hadn't accidentally pulled a David and Goliath situation and killed the poor guy. The man's pulse thudded in his ears, instantly satisfying him enough to climb to his feet, turning to watch as Gizmo collapsed to the ground with a gasp of pain.

Skinwalker flipped back, landing easily on all fours to just narrowly avoid getting impaled by the large tree, a growl rumbling in her throat as she stood, launching around the tree, she released an angry cry before tackling Wisteria to the ground.

The male stepped away from Gizmo, watching with wide eyes as Gizmo gasped for breath, the veins along his neck straining as he grabbed at his chest with a heavy cough.

"But... That's impossible. You should've been... You should be a statue right now. Nobody can survive that..." The male didn't have time to continue as Obsidian grabbed the male's arms, taking special care to not touch his bare skin as he tied his wrists together with zip ties.

"Maybe a little time out would be good for you." Skinwalker growled down at Wisteria who she held pinned beneath her now, the veins slowly fading from her face as punched Wisteria in the face, instantly causing the woman's head to fall limp to the side.

"Are you alright?" Obsidian asked as he knelt next to Gizmo, sapphire eyes wide as Gizmo struggled desperately to breathe, still clutching at his chest with every large inhale he took.

Quickly getting to her feet, Skinwalker heaved Wisteria over her shoulder before hurrying over to where Gizmo knelt, placing a hand on his back as her eyes flashed with fear.

"What happened?" Skinwalker's gaze shot to Obsidian who instantly met her questioning stare, head slightly tilting to the side as he seemed to contemplate how to answer.

"From what I figured, this kid has a type of Medusa effect from Greek mythology. He touched that branch and it turned to stone... I was a bit busy but I still saw it. I was too late to help but he grabbed Gizmo's arm..." Obsidian went silent as he noticed the tears form in her eyes, the woman instantly turning her attention back to Gizmo as fear coursed through her.

"His body is fighting it. The reaction should've been instant. What's his power?" Obsidian questioned slowly as he glanced at the male beside him, seeing he looked just as confused a to why his power hadn't worked. It always worked... Always.

"He calls it Weapons Mastery. He can touch a weapon and instantly know how to use it to a professional level. It works on any kind of weapon... But that's it. Super cool power but this doesn't make sense." Skinwalker laid Wisteria down as she crouched next to Gizmo, grabbing his arm as she made him focus on her.

"Calm down, panicking will make it worse. Just focus on slow and deep breaths. You're going to make yourself pass out. Slow down." Skinwalker whispered as her eyes seemed to glow green, her hand relaxing a bit while she continued to study his expression, feeling his pain and terror flooding through her as a gasp escaped her lips.

Obsidian watched as Gizmo immediately began to calm down, eyes narrowing a bit in confusion as his gaze flicked between the two.

"You're an empath?" Obsidian questioned as Skinwalker released her hold on Gizmo, clutching her chest as she turned to look at Obsidian instead while her eyes brightened to gold.

Gizmo tentatively stood, seemingly testing his footing as he took a deep breath before letting it out slowly, pulling back his sleeves to look at the gray veins that were slowly fading to blue beneath his flesh.

"I wouldn't call myself that. I just don't like when people get hurt. That's a really random thing to ask." Skinwalker muttered as she heaved Wisteria back over her shoulder, standing rather slowly as a wave of dizziness flooded her head at being upright.

"No. The green eyes and the way you instantly got him to calm down. That's your power? I thought you just had super senses and speed." Obsidian clarified as he grabbed the male around the waist before making his way over to the second one to hoist him over his shoulder.

Skinwalker was silent as she blinked the spots in her vision before she finally turned to Gizmo who grinned at her.

"Thought I was doomed to be a garden decoration there for a second." Gizmo joked which didn't make her smile, instead she placed a hand on his arm and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"Don't risk your life like that again. If this is too much for you, you don't have to do this. We can train more." Skinwalker kept her voice low so that Obsidian could not hear, her expression showing just how serious she was being right now.

"I'll be fine, dwarf. This was the most fun I've had since that nerf fight we had all those years ago. You're stuck with me. I guess I'm immune to Medusa powers." Skinwalker said nothing more as Gizmo spoke, turning to walk towards the exit with both men following quickly.

"As long as you're okay." Skinwalker finally said as Gizmo caught up to her, immediately bringing a grin to his face before he released a cough, sending a cloud of gray smoke from his lungs.

"I should probably get that checked out." Gizmo said as he watched the cloud slowly dissipate into the sky, the three of them standing in the street together now as Obsidian and Skinwalker exchanged weary glances.