"James. What's going on?" Phillip asked with his annoyed tone, easily keeping up with James as he sped through the streets.
"He took Vanessa, Phillip. He has her." James slammed his hand into the steering wheel, letting out a low growl. He knew Vanessa could have been a target, but chose to do nothing, believing her gun would be enough.
"Are you sure?"
"It was her voice. Do you think I would mistake it?" James said, making a sharp turn, "FUCK, FUCK, FUCK." Screaming at himself, he tried to think how plausible it was and felt his heart drop.
'Fortune and misfortune walk hand in hand.' Remembering Xavier's words, James' breathing became quicker. "No, he couldn't. He can't have seen this." James had to tell himself to stay sane. If he got her killed, all because he couldn't let go.
He desperately tried not to think that, but the images kept flashing through his mind. Making another sharp turn, he saw the Warehouse district in the distance and sped up. Driving through, he drifted and parked up, pulling his gun out. Looking at Unit 13, he saw the lock undone and knew he was in the right place.
Activating his ears, he couldn't hear anything inside but did hear a car speeding towards him. Turning to face it, he held his gun up as Phillip got out, aiming his rifle towards it. The car came to a stop before him. James activated his eyes and saw Rose and George's aura inside, lowering his weapon.
Rose jumped out, armed with her ability, spinning behind her. "James, what the fuck are you doing here?" Rose angrily said, looking at Unit 13, wanting to charge in. James looked at her and saw a strange mark on her shoulder. Looking at his arm, he noticed the same thing and tensed up.
"Rose." Knowing it was where the homeless man touched, he took a deep breath, "Did you punch a homeless guy the other night?"
"What are-"
"ANSWER ME!" James screamed, feeling the worst. When did his enemies' plan start? How long had he been dancing in their palm? Rose heard the fear in James' voice and quickly wondered how he knew. Slowly nodding, James looked to the warehouse.
"Phillip. Keep watch. Warn me if anyone comes." Trying his best to stay calm, he slowly moved forward and pushed the door open. Cain's aura shone in the dark room like a light, the raging light green typhoon eagerly waiting to be used. Holding his gun up, James tried to listen but couldn't hear anyone around.
"Where is she?" James said slowly, not daring to take a step forward. He watched Cain's aura, waiting for it to suddenly move.
Cain walked forward and pulled his headphones out. "People really don't like having a gun held to their heads' Detective Graham." Rose's ability was activated, and the lucky wheel was spinning behind her. George pulled his gun out and took a step back.
James tried to think what he meant and quickly realised what he was referring to. 'It was fake. How? How did they know her voice?' Despite his questions, that was enough for James to know it was a trick, alongside not being able to hear her. Without hesitation, he pulled the trigger.
James saw the aura in Cain's body move before he shot. Gathering in his legs, he sprang to the side, creating a distance no normal human was capable of and took cover. Hearing a ding behind him, Rose's wheel stopped, landing on a number he had never seen before.
'0'
The white wheel transformed into a thread puppet, floating into the sky. Looking at Rose, he saw thread shot into every part of her body, connecting to her limbs and spreading into her body. Her eyes became dull, and her muscles relaxed, the weapon in her hand falling out.
James snapped back his attention towards Cain, hearing him move. The man leapt across to another piece of cover. His aura built up in his hand, and once looking ready to blow, swung towards the crate he was behind, sending it flying towards the three.
James dove to the side, anticipating it and firing a few shots at Cain. Swinging his hand, a raging wind blew out, throwing the bullets off course. Behind him, a few more shots were fired as George emptied the magazine.
Cain once again used his ability to block them before staring at Rose, who charged at him under the control of the puppet. A heavy fist fell on his face. Cain dodged to the side, moving himself so the two couldn't get a clear shot without hitting Rose. Throwing a second punch, a burst of wind followed, knocking her back.
Quickly following up on it, he gathered his aura in his fist and swung down. Rose's body moved unnaturally, turning in a way that would have broken her spine to avoid. James saw in her body, her spine split, being repaired by the thread in her body. From her position, she spun around and threw a punch into Cain's face, hitting him and knocking him a few meters back.
James used the chance and shot towards Cain. Unable to react, the bullet pierced through his shoulder. Cain let out a low grunt, and James saw the aura in his body rush to slow the bullet before it could dig deeper. Once it stopped, it pushed it out with a strong gush of wind.
'He can negate bullets.' James let out a low, bitter chuckle as Cain grabbed the bullet in his hand. Avoiding Rose, who charged at him again, he pulled his hand back and threw the bullet back with the speed nearly comparable to a gun.
James couldn't react; the bullet missed its mark by a few inches. Looking behind him, he felt his back go wet. George tried to find a shot, moving around, but each time he did. Cain slipped behind Rose, blocking her attacks and using her as a shield.
Moving again to avoid George's sight, Cain grabbed her arm and tried to move her. The puppet forcibly twisted her body, snapping the muscles and tendons, to spin around and throw a heavy strike into Cain's chin.
He flew back, letting go once more, and yelled in pain. With an opening, James and George lifted their guns, firing multiple shots in the direction Cain flew. Not wishing to be caught off guard like last time, Cain erected a tornado in front of him with the flick of his wrist, throwing their shots of course. James saw how minimal his movements were in doing so and frowned.
'A very high-level wind manipulator. Doesn't need outside forces to do it, his body acts as a container for a storm.' James clicked his tongue and looked at Rose. Her body slowly destroyed itself, fixing up any damage with the thread running through her body. Tears streamed from her lifeless eyes, making the screams she couldn't do herself.
Cain rose and touched his temple, feeling the blood on it. Taking a deep breath, James saw him manipulate his aura once more, focusing everything on his limbs. Straightening his fingers, James watched and got the feeling they were as sharp as swords.
Rose charged forward with incredible speed, throwing down a punch that cracked the ground and her bones. Cain jumped back gracefully and easily. Lifting his hand, the two entered a small dance as they easily avoided each other's attacks, with Cain's movements born from training and Rose on instinct. Each one threw attacks easily able to end the others' lives, and although they looked evenly matched, James saw the truth. Rose was losing, slowly, but she was.
Even with Cain's focus split on him and George, he always found himself in a position where he could use her as a shield. After another minute, he had begun to adapt to Rose's strange body, which broke itself just to attack. Finally, he struck. Rose kicked forward. Grabbing her leg, he watched as the puppet controlled Rose's body to spin around, snapping her leg.
Having realised she moved on instinct rather than strategy, Cain predicted the move and ducked under, lifting his hand up. Rose's leg collided with the invisible aura around his arm and flew off. Letting go of her, he quickly shot forward and eased up the aura on his hand, clutching her neck and charging towards the tow, using her as a shield.
James and George tried to move around to get a clear angle, but couldn't. Cain was moving her body around in a random pattern to stop it. Rose rapidly swung into his chest. James could see that each one was having an effect, slowing down his steps each time she did. His grunts should have knocked the air out of him, but the small, tiny piece of aura running through his lungs, mouth and nose stopped him from ever needing to take a breath.
Charging towards George, Cain stopped, dropped Rose and lifted his hand up. The puppet forced her to lift her arm to intercept. James watched as Cain swung down, the hand that felt as sharp as a sword, cutting through like it was rare meat. Reaching the bone, it sounded like a wood chipper, but eventually cut through.
Kicking her into George, Cain pulled his other hand back. James saw what was about to happen and lifted his gun, not caring about the potential friendly fire. At the same time he pulled the trigger, Cain swung his hand forward, piercing through Rose's stomach into George's.
The bullet pierced through his back into his lung, and Cain stumbled forward. The aura in his body moved quickly, away from his limbs, fighting the bullet to stop it and push it out. A second stream moved, focused on redirecting the blood filling his lungs out of the wound.
James could tell that what it was doing was having an effect on Cain, forcing him to stop. James fired again, and again, with one piercing through his stomach and the other missing. Rose's body moved, even with a hole through it.
Reaching out and grabbing Cain's leg, the man stopped focusing on his wounds and focused on the primary threat. The aura in his foot became as sharp as it did with his hands. Bringing it down, he decapitated Rose and moved towards George. Lifting him up, he held him in place and walked towards James, using his power to boost each step and arrive quicker. He wanted to fire, but could see George desperately holding his stomach, the green light around his hands trying to repair it.
Cain threw George forward, stopping his healing. Catching him, James froze up but quickly pushed him, knowing what was coming. Expecting the attack, he stepped back, but Cain's fist never arrived. Instead, he sidestepped George's falling body. With a heavy punch to his chest, Cain stood over him and raised his foot.
Seeing the aura in his body condensed on his leg, James pushed himself back. The foot fell, missing his neck and going through his chest. All the air escaped James' mouth, and blood replaced it.
'No, no, no...' Screaming in his mind, he watched as Cain stepped away, having to refocus on his own injuries, the blood forcibly being drained from his body by his ability, greedily sucking in air afterwards. His chest expanded to an inhuman degree over and over.
Looking at George, James felt his mind going blank. 'No, not yet.' Seeing the aura in George's body, James became desperate and looked at his own. He knew everything there was to know about George's power, how it worked, the feeling he got from it, and the way it interacted with the wound.
'Please, ple...' Everything felt cold, and James held his hand over his chest, staring at his own paper-white aura, trying to change it to be like Georges's. Manipulating it, he pushed away the pain asisde as much as he could and focused on his final chance. The aura moved to his hand, and resting it on his chest, he remembered every principle about the ability.
'Repair. Soothing. Calm. Green. Repair. Soothing. Gentle.' Slowly, the colour changed. It was a spark, and James heard the squelching in his lungs as they fixed themselves. His veins popped, and James felt eyes burning like fire.
His brain, hurt, pulsing, sending waves of agony throughout, getting stronger the more his white aura turned green. James felt his bones slowly piece themselves together, as they snapped back in place. His skin tightened, and muscles merged once more.
Cain turned, feeling something was wrong. Seeing his warped expression, James could see he was fighting his own pain, but wouldn't stop until his mission was finished. His foot got halfway up but stopped as he turned around.
Quiet footsteps echoed, and James looked towards the door in his blurred vision, wondering if Phillip had come in.
"Mr Manning." A cold, emotionless voice spoke. "ISD. Please come with me."