~Excuse~

It was about 3 days ago, on his 16th birthday, when a lot of things were starting to make sense to Kikiih. It was about 3 days ago when Kikiih knew he wasn't like everyone else. When he touched has friend and his wounds healed quickly, Kikiih had to let go in amazement. But that wasn't the only thing that concerned Kikiih. Kikiihs brown hair had turned completely white over the last three days, and Kikiihs Hazel green eyes turned red and orange, and his pupils became slimmer like a cat or serpent. He didn't want his family to see him. He locked himself in his room and told them he was sick. Though while he was in his room, he was searching things on the internet. Trying to gain knowledge on what exactly he did. He clicked on a link. The link was called 'Magic And The People Who Can Do It'.

As he read, none of the descriptions pertained to him, besides one. He saw that a magician usually had some sort of marking on them. His eyes jumped, and he quickly touched the back of his neck. Kikiih was scared, for he knew that now and days if you weren't human you weren't accepted. He didn't look like the normal human boy a few days ago. He knew it was only a matter of time before his family would find out about him. And with that, a knock came at the door.

"Kikiih, are you okay in there? The Police are here, they would like to speak to you about what happened to Jamie on your birthday." Kikiih looked at the door in fear,"Son, we are coming in."

Kikiih moved through his room at lightning speed, he quickly put on a white knit beanie snow cap, that had flaps to cover his ears. The Cap didn't hide his long bangs though it helped slightly. Kikiih quickly put on some skinny blue jeans, a white v neck shirt, and a plain white hoodie. He begun to put his shoes on, though the door opened. Kikiih felt as though his heart stopped. He was bent over, no one could see his eyes, nor his white bangs.

"Kikiih honey, where do you think you're going?" He heard his step mothers voice. He saw their shadows. His mother, father, then 4 police officers in his door way. Kikiih finished tying his shoes, then looked up at them. His mother gave a shocking scream, his father gasped, and the police officer pointed their guns at him.

"Wait, wait, no, its me, its me, Kikiih!" Kikiih begun to shake his hands towards them. Within a matter of seconds, a few waves came from his hands and shot towards the police officers. They where thrown back down the stairs. Kikiih quickly shut and locked his door. He got out his school backpack and dropped everything out of it, and begun putting items in it as tears fell down his face. The police got on their feet, and ran back upstairs, they shot the door knob off, and ran into the room. Though saw no one there, and a window open. On Kikiihs bed, was a picture of Kikiih, his mother and his father.

~

Kikiih found his way to Omega city. It wasn't far, walking there would take some time, but he made it. The moon was Kikiihs only friend at this point. Kikiih put on his hood and bowed his head a little so he couldn't direct to much attention to himself. And if anyone asked, he dyed his hair and he was wearing very expensive contacts. He saw a police car and quickly ran into an alleyway, hiding behind a dumpster. Kikiih felt relieved when the cop car passed by. Though all that changed when a deep though playful voice came from behind him.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" The voice from behind Kikiih said. He turned around only to see 3 thugs, very big, very strong looking thugs,"What a short kid, don't you think boys?" Kikiih heart beat faster and faster, he didn't say anything, and would try to run away if he wasn't trapped. The leader thug approached Kikiih quickly, then had Kikiih by his hoodie, Kikiihs backpack slide off. He thrashed Kikiih against the wall of the building next to the dumpster, making Kikiihs hood come off. The leader thug looked at Kikiih with a disgusting look on his face,"What type of monster? Hey boys it seems we have a monster over here!" The thug leader then whispered in Kikiihs ear,"Do you know what we do to little monsters around here?" Kikiih then heard a swift click, the thug leader brought out a pocket knife. Kikiihs big red eyes got even wider, Kikiih shook his head and tried to make the thug let go of him but the thug was too strong.

"Lets see if we can find your marking and cut it right off of you." The thug laughed, as though it was the funniest thing he ever heard. Kikiih closed his eyes tightly, to try and stop the tears from rolling down. He wished this would have never happened too him. He doesn't want to be different, he doesn't even know why hes different

((Sorry meant to post in Omega City))

He had been roaming the empty streets for a while now. He'd got a pack a smokes from a night Kiosk. Three bucks, what a fuckin' rip off. Then again he'd heard that a Swede had to pay Five for a pack and that the Norwegians had to pay nine. Nine dollars?! It was his brother who had said that. His brother that had got screened for a mutie and which he'd never seen again. He had gone through so many tests and yet he always came out with a clean bill of health. God sure do work in mysterious ways or more likely; they hadn't mapped his particular brand of mutation yet. Didn't know what gene to look for.

The man had been smoking a few cigarettes. Watching street light after street light go by and watch the smoke dense and distort the light as he blew it out in big, heavy breaths. He'd just lost his apartment. His rent was off due for two months and well he was in debt now even if the money would soon come rolling in problem was it always seemed to disappear the first three days he got them. Of course he knew why the disappearance and probable death of his brother had left him craving. Had left a monkey on his back, a real fucking big one that soon threaten to snap his back in too. He'd taken a shot just before going out. A small one. Enough to take him out and above. To lift him out into the chilly night sky and almost make it feel like he was floating, like his legs really wasn't there.

He turned a corner and at first he stood there. Watching as three man ganged up on one boy. He turned a bit around, no one there. Well this was a bad neighborhood he assumed but really couldn't put any truth to that statement. In an effort to increase his badassery, his respect if you so will, he lit a cigarette and began walking to the men without any real plan other than trying to divert their attention a bit.
"Fellas, fellas!" he cried out, holding his arms out like he was a preacher with the smoke hanging from one of the corners of his lips. "You gangin' up on a boy? What are ya? Fags?" he grinned toward them. A huge wolfish and very demeaning grin. "If you're that desperate for a fuck, why don'tcha have a go at each other? Or have your small cocks loosened up your big fat asses already?" The grin became broader and he took a huge breath of smoke. He felt great but knew that he usually didn't do very well with his powers when he was high. But he wasn't that high right now he thought. He reckoned that maybe he could muster at least three copies. Perhaps four or even five but would that be enough? At least he was a bit numb towards pain right now and he hoped that they didn't have the same advantage.

"I can't believe this. Could you have been any more of a moron than you all ready are?!" came this female English accent in Omega city Station Street. The purple haired girl practically snarled as she reshuffled the backpack covered in band names.
"What? We got out perfectly fine! Leave it, will you?" Said the boy behind her. He looked shiftily up and down the streets like he was waiting for bulls to charge through.
"Someone could have seen it!" She snapped through. "Can't you them under control?!"
"Drop it! We got away with it!"
"You got away with it! I'm not with you if you get caught."
"Lovely..." The boy genuinely snarled, glinting teeth as he began to walk down the street.
"Yeah, well, at least it doesn't matter if I kill you."
"Oh great! Now I'm just a punching bag, huh?"
"Yeah! Like one of those troll dolls. Made to be punished!"
"No, your Troll Doll."
"The thing had it coming."
"Its was innocent."
"Ah well..." They continue to walk.

Xavier was sailing from roof to roof over Omega City, something he often did on nights where he was not using his superhuman reflexes to play computer games or just idling in his crib watching television. It was a good night, the air was cool and clean, and it was peaceful. At least, it was peaceful. Xavier stopped suddenly and perched on the roof, looking down upon an alleyway. Three thugs were ganging up on a boy, and from his angle Xavier could tell he was a magician. No doubt those lowlives realised that too.

A second man approached from behind the boy, challenging and mocking the thugs. He was trying to hard to look badass, and anyone looking carefully at his actions would realise he wasn't exactly fully alert. No doubt the cigarette in his hand had something to do with it. Xavier gave the new addition to the scene a quick round up and decided he could take care of the thugs without his help. That was when a small glint of metal from across the street caught his eye. Two men in black uniforms stood in the shadow of a building across the street, rifles in their hands. No doubt the thugs were just bait. They would provoke an attack from one of the two targets and then it would give those men an excuse to open fire on them. Hopefully those guns were loaded with no more than tranquilisers. If those were live rounds in the guns, then Xavier'd have to act.

Xavier crossed to the far side of the building and broke into a sprint, picking up speed before jumping across the street. Paddling his arms and feet in the air, he just barely managed to catch on to the ledge of the building the two men were hiding under. Thankfully it was quite dark and his little stunt was unnoticed. Xavier quietly thanked his luck that he had the ability to wallclimb. He crawled along the wall of the building, until he was two storeys above the men in black uniform.

"Alright, the one who just walked past looks dangerous, I say we just smoke 'em. Forget the tranquilisers." One men whispered to the other.

That was all it took for Xavier to make his mind about whether or not to kill them. Letting go of the wall, he flicked both his wrists as the hidden blades in his gauntlets slid out, extending beyond his wrist by about three inches. He stuck a blade into each man's skull, a splintering crack of bone sounding as they sunk into brain matter. His palms were resting on their now lifeless heads as he landed. He pulled his hidden blades free of the men's heads and wiping them clean, retracted them into his gauntlet.

"If you're going to shoot someone in the back, boys, better make sure someone is covering yours." He whispered casually to their corpses as he walked towards the remaining thugs. This time, he drew his katanas from his back. The neo-adamantium blades glinted in the streetlights, and his white mask had them shivering with fear. "You have 30 seconds to run before I kill you, and trust me, I'm a really fast runner."

From beneath Omega city, Eve could hear everything. All the little grits of gossip and threats, all the innermost workings of the political world, the bribes, the backwash. Eve really didn't care to hear any of it, but it was hard not to, even with her near loss of sound and sight, she was far too close, and yet galaxies away.

Beneath the concrete, a lean muscular body, huminoid to the waste, but covered in shining metalic scales and ending in a thick, strong tail. Thousands of muscles pushed her along the narrow ledges lining the water systems. She avoided the sewer region, if she could help it, but stuck to watermains and gasways. The millions of pipes she saw daily became little more than conveyance or even a way to keep warm, if she could find the right one.

There was a small matanance room where she made her "nest". It had been abandoned after the city lost the need for vaulve operators, and was originally sealed off by boards nailed over the door. But a few heavy thudds of the tail left them in splinters, which she swept into the waterway. In the little room, amid the various vaulves, rusted through with time and access condensation, she'd collected a few knick-knacks to make herself more comfertable. A headlamp she'd found, the light was about ready to die, a couch cushion, some old blankets, and a silver mirror. Once her prized posession, the mirror was now almost entirely useless to her. She could no longer admire herself for real; but the image of her beauty remained in her mind.

(Excuse...again) >.<

Kikiih and the leader thug both looked at the hero that duplicated himself at the same time. The leader thug's grin turned into a look of disgust. Kikiihs eyes darted at the leader thug, though his breath got heavy. The leader thug dropped Kikiih to the ground, Kikiih did realize how far up the thug had him pinned. Kikiih fell to the ground, though when he looked at the thug, he didn't seem to move. His eyes dilated, and blood started to ooze from his mouth. As he was falling, he was aiming towards Kikiih, though Kikiih closed his eyes tightly and a small bubble of white energy formed around Kikiih, and the dead thug slide off slowly. Kikiih opened his eyes and the bubble was gone. Kikiih got to his feet, and looked around. Two heroes? In one night?

"If you're going to shoot someone in the back, boys, better make sure someone is covering yours. You have 30 seconds to run before I kill you, and trust me, I'm a really fast runner." Kikiih heard coming from the hero with the mask on, Kikiih looked over at him, before picking his backpack up. Kikiih glanced at the duplicator before getting it. He quickly put the backpack on his back, and watched as the thugs scattered through the mists of the darkness. "Freaks!" Kikiih heard when they all disappeared.

Kikiih showed a very amazed yet scared facial expression,"Um, thanks,"Kikiih said softly,"To the both of you. I don't know what would have happened if you weren't here." Kikiih said sincerely, now that that was taken care of, he still needed a place to stay, somewhere safe. He would have asked one of them, though he thought that might have been a little to much. He gave a faint smile,"Thank you, again." And he begun to walk towards the streetlight on the sidewalk.

.....Delete.....

"We need food, we need a place to sleep and I need a shower." The purple haired girl said as the two walked through the dark streets.
"We've got $30 dollars left. We can get a room." The boy said, solving the question quickly.
"And then what, Kieran?!" The boy gave her a quick look for using his name.
"I though we agreed." He said.
"You agreed! I'm not coming up with a stupid name like you." She said. "Where the hell did you get Tyro from anyway?!"
"A book."
"And Tyro is, what? A 'beginner'?
"Novice, newbie. I know. Its might not strike fear into people but Mable doesn't either?" Mable scowled back.
"Sod off you stupid fox."
"Leave the fox alone."
"You nearly gave us away to the freaks." Kieran couldn't help but find that a little ironic.
"Can we not just turn in?" Mable backed off the offensive for tonight...
"Fine. Hotel?" Kieran stopped, looking along the streets. As he turned from his companion, a long, white tipped, scarlet tail perfectly visible. It waved absent-mindedly in front of her face. Mable's mood darkened as her fists tightened.
"AGAIN?!" Kieran turned to get a slap around the chops. She stormed off down the street as Kieran tried to figure out what he'd done now...

Eddie shifted his glance from the assaulted one to the other one that had come from the shadows, stabbing two people as he did. What were they holding? It was hard to tell by the light or maybe his mind simple refused to believe it had overlooked such a thing that probably would have lead to his death. He regained his composure, trying to act as if he'd known the whereabouts of these men; just simply hadn't cared or had a plan for them. Of course the expression from surprise to the "normal" look made it even more obvious. He blinked a few times now his mind was taking in the fact that there were two more here that probably had some sort of powers. Either that or one of these men had way too much time on his hands. The thought made him glance at the murderer.

"Sure you're okay kiddo?" Eddie asked after the boy. Or girl, he really in this light wasn't sure on which it was but for at least partially helping him or her out of that sticky situation he deemed himself excused of his ignorance.

It was late and his African studies class had ended. The night carried a cool breeze and the city glowed like gold. Electronic billboards flashed pictures of curvaceous women draped in dresses that hung off their bulbous bosoms like bed sheets; and these erotic creatures would be modeling a tiny cylinder of lipstick as a pink gloss glazed their soft and puckered lips. Sometimes it was difficult to determine if the models were selling lipstick or lube.

The warm aroma of cooking franks permeated the air about the bus stop as a hot dog vendor stood on the corner with his white apron and glass case with rotating hangers and hot dogs. Joseph released a strap of his back pack and turned his wrist before his face, grasping the octagonal sides of his wristwatch until its face lit up in a green light. The light reflected off the lens of his glasses as two observant brown eyes stamped the time on the back of his brain: 9:45pm. The bus would arrive any minute and his hunger pains were driving him nuts. Lowering his wrist, Joseph’s eyes darted left and right as he checked the street for the public transport vehicle. Finding it to be nowhere in sight, he quickly jogged down to the corner and the vendor greeted him with an amused chuckle and smile, “It’s the ketchup guy!”

Joseph frowned softly as he recalled how he had acquired that nickname. It was when he was still getting used to his super strength. He had bought a hot dog and he had not only crushed it in his hand but the ketchup bottle as well, which resulted in the red sauce exploding all over him. The vendor was still chuckling as he asked, “How many will it be?”

“Te-“ Joseph paused and rethought his request. 1) He didn’t have that kind of money for ten hot dogs, and 2) it would have been unusual for a skinny boy to order that many hot dogs. “Two.” He then reached into his back pocket to retrieve his wallet and parted the leather folds with his thumbs. He slid free a ten dollar bill and exchanged it with the vendor for his order.

“Need any help with the ketchup?” the vendor teased.

“No,” Joseph replied dully as he grabbed the red ketchup bottle and squeezed lines on his franks.

Distant screams and the blaring of what sounded to be a truck horn sounded down the road. Joseph and the vendor turned their heads to see a giant, black semi tear down the street. The bus Joseph had been waiting for was rammed in the back and plowed through parallel parked cars. Citizens caught in a crosswalk were crushed beneath the vehicle and splattered across the truck’s grill. Joseph’s eyes were enlarged in horror before the bus leapt on impact with a van and the front end rose high into the air as passengers chorused in terror. With the truck’s persistent ramming, the bus went sailing in Joseph and the vendor’s direction.

“The bus is here!” the truck driver announced over the intercom.

Joseph immediately dropped his hot dogs to grasp the petrified vendor by his shoulders and run him around the corner. The bus landed and bounced upon its tires, shaking the passengers about like a can of beans. It smashed into the wall of the building across the street from Joseph and the vendor’s position, littering the asphalt with glass and shrapnel as bloodied bodies rolled off the tops of seats and smoke dispersed in black plumes. The semi barreled on by and Joseph swore he heard the vile bastard laughing.

“Jesus Christ!” the vendor cried.

Through teeth grit in rage, Joseph growled an order to the vendor, “Call an ambulance!” Before he bolted down the sidewalk. His hair was raised like the hackles of an infuriated beast as small sparks of static flickered about his follicles. He shrugged his back pack from his shoulders into his hand and jerked his glasses from his face as he disappeared into an alley.

The truck driver roared with laughter as he slapped his large hand down on the horn. “Get outta my way! I’ll run over anyone who crosses my path. On second thought, get in my way. I’ll run any tough-shit who thinks they can stop me because I’m The Trucker, baby. OH YEAH!”

The Mexican resembled a rip-off of a once renowned wrestler. He wore a black hat with a circular brim that had several small ornaments—white spheres—dangling from it. His hair was the color of his hat and spilled over his shoulders like oil. A wide grin lined with tombstone teeth was stretched across his mug, elongating the rectangular moustache and beard, trimmed thinly on his sweaty face. His tiny yellow eyes watched the road as every few seconds the truck would tremble as it charged through vehicle after vehicle like an unstoppable juggernaut. He couldn’t help but giggle from behind his grin as his strong hands gripped the steering wheel tightly. “OH YEAH!”

Xavier sighed as the boy summoned a white bubble around him as the dead thug's corpse fell towards him. The boy was obviously new to his powers and to the city as well. Anyone with special abilities that grew up in Omega City would have learnt to firstly avoid dead bodies coming towards them and secondly, to stay out of trouble. The boy thanked his rescuers softly and began walking towards the streetlights. Second mistake. The streets were meant for regular people, a magician like him would only draw more attention and pursuers.

"Hang on, kid. You're not from around here, are you?" Xavier asked. "You're a magician, the whole world can tell just by looking at you. Getting back on the street where everyone can see you is like signing your own death sentence. And you obviously haven't learnt to control your powers fully yet, you're just going to get raped up your ass, got me? You could stay at my place for the night, if you've got nowhere else to go, and judging by the way you look, you don't." Xavier sheathed his katanas, showing that he meant no harm. He couldn't remove his mask, though. He didn't trust the duplicator. Although he did come to help the boy, Xavier couldn't be sure of his intentions. As it was, if the guy decided to cause any trouble Xavier would've planted his hidden blade up the man's skull before he could react.

The semi-truck went on, plowing through the cars like a knife plows through butter. The driver of the truck had mental problems -- that much was certain. He was coming fast; in eight seconds, he would be in the exact same spot as Kamachi, except for a few feet to the left. That is, unless he moved. Should he? Kamachi didn't know if he could stop the vehicle before it would run him over. Well, it was worth a shot -- three seconds until the crazy Mexican was at his position. Roland dashed into the street, at the same time removing his normal-human disguise (it would only be for a second, and in the chaos no one would notice). Two seconds -- with his improved senses, Spencer could distinctly smell the aroma of smoke, cheap tacos, and booze -- and man, did this guy need a shower and some decent shampoo; his hair rank. One second -- Kamachi held out his hand, making the classic "stop" sign. Crash! The semi-truck smashed into Roland's hand. The instant it did, Roland fused with the vehicle, easily able to form a connection with this low-tech transportation unit. Spencer killed the engine, detached the wheels, and exploded the gasoline tank, all at the same time, and all immediately once he fused. The truck kept on moving for a couple more seconds, pushing the person in front of it, but with him controlling it it soon become still. Then, he unattached from the truck and ran away into an alley, blending in with the normal humans once more to disguise himself.

((OOC: Roland, Spencer, and Kamachi are the same person.))

"Hang on, kid." Kikiih stopped dead in his tracks when he heard this come from behind him, he thought maybe he forgot something, so he turned around and looked at the duplicator then the masked man. The mask was sort of scary, though it was probably the man under it who Kikiih should have been scared of,"You're not from around here, are you? You're a magician, the whole world can tell just by looking at you Getting back on the street where everyone can see you is like signing your own death sentence. And you obviously haven't learnt to control your powers fully yet, you're just going to get raped up your ass, got me? You could stay at my place for the night, if you've got nowhere else to go, and judging by the way you look, you don't."

Kikiih bowed his head, his long white bangs sheltered over the top half of his eyes,"I-is it really that obvious?" Kikiih asked scratching at the white flapped skull cap he wore that he thought would have helped his situation, but as he tried, it was still a fail. A faint smile crossed Kikiihs face,"Your right, it would probably be the best,"Kikiih turned around looking back at the city streets, with the cars passing by, and the mothers and fathers holding their children hands,"For my own safety." Without hesitation, Kikiih ran over to the masked man. Its hard to believe that as small and innocent Kikiih appeared that someone planned to kill him. Just because he was different.

Kikiih looked up at the masked man, trying not to stare directly into the hypnotizing yellow eyes, that could only be described as something out of his own darkest nightmares. Kikiih forced a smile, though the glassiness of his red and orange beady eyes showed some sadness,"My name is Kikiih. Do you have a name?" Kikiih asked, trying not to provoke the swift killer.

"The name's Reaper." He replied simply. "Follow me, and stay close." Xavier walked over to a fire escape. Although he could have just went right up the wall, KiKiih definitely would not be able to follow him, not when his powers were still far from under control. He reached up and pulled the ladder down. The rusty steel make a loud creak as it descended, though no one on the street bothered to check it out. Such noises were commonplace in the city, especially with the kind of people that often prowled the alleys. Xavier gestured towards kid to climb up. "We haven't got all day." He remarked impatiently.

Looking over to the duplicator, he spoke. "Thanks for lending a hand earlier, I'd suggest you get out of here before more of those guys arrive. I'll make sure the boy's safe." The last sentence was intended to be a threat as much as an assurance of the boy's safety. That was if the man intended to fight him. Otherwise Xavier had no reason to pick on a fellow man, it all depended upon his reaction. As much as he hated it, the government's game of causing distrust among anyone with powers was working subtly and effectively. Yet what could he do? There wasn't much to be done about it, most of the "superheroes" nowadays lacked any form of common enemy to fight. Unless of course you counted the rest of the world they intended to protect.

A real nice shithole to live in. Xavier thought to himself. Note to self: Tonight's rescue is going on the government's tab.

((Sorry Sonata, not a member yet so I can't reply to the PM.:/))

Wait what? Eddie stood bewildered. The man who had just came and murdered a few men, men that would have tried to kill them but still he had gutted them like fish and now the boy seemed eerily fascinated by this man. The boy, alone, afraid and confused was surely more gullible than an infant playing peek-a-boo.

Eddie cocked his head by the threat or warning. He would make sure he was safe? Well alright Mr. Wolf, I have several other sheep you also can guard and keep safe if that's okay. Eddie thought grimly but he wouldn't act. If the boy was that naive then by all means let him die. This was more of a thought designed to protect his cowardly self than actually meant to be crass. If it would come to fighting this man then what could he possibly do? He could always stretch out his arms and begin flapping with his wrists. Oh yes, that always worked. He flicked the bud of the cigarette, wanting to say something, wanted to say a quick comeback yet he didn't want to. He had several good ones such as "Yes, letting the wolf guard the sheep has ever been a fucking great idea pal." "Now the masked man is taking home a boy, what in God's name could possibly go wrong?" or the one that laid the furthest on his tongue; "Eat shit and die, cuntface." Now Eddie wasn't a man to hold his peace but the boy seemed dead determined to go with the man so there was nothing he could do except lit another cigarette and keep strolling down the street with a general sense of morose that was stronger than ever.

The Trucker had been driving smoothly (despite the lines of destruction he left behind him). He was already growing bored as he rested his bristly chin in his hand as his other remained on the steering wheel—yanking the wheel left to run over some runners on the sidewalk, and then right to get the others.

“Hmph! I thought I’d actually have a challenge. Where are the police, SWAT teams, National Guard, and army? This blows,” he sulked.

The truck abruptly screeched to a halt as the brakes locked, and then the backend leapt off the ground in fire and smoke. The Trucker was crouched behind the steering wheel with shock on his face. Something had happened, but what exactly?

“How the hell did this happen?” he queried.

The Trucker popped open the door and climbed down. He first looked at the blazing backend before walking around to the front to see no collision or any other damage. The Mexican scratched his sideburns with his index finger in confusion before a levitating man emerged above the vehicle. Electricity crackled along his form and as a white, haunting glow filled his eyes.

“Give me a reason why I shouldn’t just kill you?” Prodigy threatened.

The Trucker grinned. So that explained why his truck malfunctioned when the super hero was just as bewildered as he had been before. He had no idea why or what had stopped the villain. “Gotta catch me first!” The Trucker yelled, and then whirled around to dart down the street.

Prodigy’s scowl deepened as he dove forward in pursuit. As he took in The Trucker’s fleeing back, he began to muse. I don’t know how strong this guy is, so I will have to be delicate with him.

“Psyche!” The Trucker exclaimed.

Prodigy immediately braked as The Trucker spun around and sent a massive fist into his face. The impact cracked like thunder as the super hero’s head was snapped back and his body went soaring a few feet to smash into the grill of the downed truck.

The Trucker roared with laughter and shook his hips in a taunting dance. “Estupidez! That had to be the oldest trick in the book. Adiós amigo,” he bade and ran over to a random car parked alongside the road.

Prodigy eventually moved, grasping his face to make sure nothing was broken. Okay, so he has super strength he noted.

As he sat up from the indention he had made in the truck’s face, he watched the Mexican rip the door off a car and settle into the driver’s seat. Once The Trucker grasped the steering wheel the transformed car began to grow and swell with layer after layer of steel until it resembled a tank rather than a truck. Several automatic weapons and launchers bloomed from its sides as The Trucker laughed triumphantly, “Try an’ stop me now!”

This truck model was very different than the last model almost as though the vehicle had evolved to better combat its enemies. Prodigy quickly launched himself into the air as two missiles erupted in his last position, blowing the truck to pieces. He hovered above the building tops as he watched the truck speed on down the street. A police helicopter flew over his head and several flashing police cars followed in the chase. On two other streets, hugging the main one where The Trucker and his new death machine were, SWAT vans also followed, awaiting the opportunity to spring.

Super strength; and he can make trucks out of vehicles. I am going to assume that each truck model he makes will be more deadlier than the last Prodigy perceived. He felt he had learned the most important aspects about this enemy. With the police and SWAT teams getting in the mix, saving lives was just going to get difficult.

"Reaper?" Kikiih asked himself quietly, it took him a moment to realize that he had to keep his identity secret, probably so he would still be accepted in human society. Kikiih made sure that he stayed close to Reaper, especially after what happened not to long ago. They came to a fire escape, old and rusty. Kikiih sheltered his ears with his hands when Reaper pulled the ladder down, Kikiih looked at Reaper then at the ladder then at Reaper again,"We haven't got all day." Reaper said, Kikiih sighed and climbed up the ladder. He heard Reaper talking to the duplicator though couldn't really make out what they were saying.

Kikiih just kept climbing higher and higher, trying not to look down. He didn't have a problem with heights, he just didn't know how safe the ladder really was."So do I just go all the way to the top?" Kikiih looked down, and saw how far he was already, he just directed his attention back to the dark sky.

-Wrong Area-

Boredom.

This was a sensation that was not appreciated by Roselyn Arabelle, seated in the luxurious confines of her penthouse apartment, one of many homes across the world that belonged to the multi-millionaire. Her revealling white dress clung tightly to her figure as she leaned her head back onto the top of her bright red couch, nestled in a collection of cushions to provide the greatest possible comfort, one leg revealled almost to the point of indecency as it emerged from a slash cut in the lower portion. Across the room from her, one of her executives was pacing backwards and fowards with a collection of papers, droning something about the finances of the business. None of it was news to Rose, who had received the reports in paper form herself, and read them over. She had, in fact, already decided on her course of action, and was really only humoring the stern-faced and decidedly un-beautiful woman that now drawled on at her in an accent she couldn't quite place. German, possibly, or Austrian. Something along those lines.

Rose was in Omega City for the moment for one reason only, she was bored of remaining within her offices, and as Omega was a hot-spot for exciting events and activity, she had decided that here would be a good place to take her break from the everyday life of being a corporate genius. However, it didn't seem to be working. Her corporate genius had followed her in the form of this woman and several other employees. Well, Rose wasn't one to take such things lying down (figuratively, that is, she would be quite happy to lie down - sloth may be the least of her sins, but it was certainly one of them), and a minute click of her tongue brought the executive to an instant halt. Rose's employees learned very quickly that she was an impatient woman, and didn't ask for things twice.

"That will be quite enough, Miss..." Rose began, leaving the unspoken question hanging in the air.

"Ah, Flanders, ma'am." the other replied awkwardly, squirming under Rose's quiet scrutiny.

"Ah, yes, of course. I appreciate the dedication that brought you all this way to inform me of this development in person, but the fact remains that I am on holiday. I read the report, and will deal with it when it is convenient to me. Your input is not at present required, you may retire to your room, or wherever else you wish to go. Go on, off you go." she instructed, her tone clearly indicating that the discussion was over.

"Yes, ma'am. Thank you ma'am." the woman managed, before hastily leaving the room.

Rose lazily slid one hand over to the remote for the large flatscreen TV in the wall opposite, and flicked it on. The news was showing footage of some sort of rampage going on in the city, by what appeared to be a fat man in a truck.

"Eugh... how droll." Rose muttered, changing the channel to something that more suited her refined tastes...

Vince calmly sat at his desk at OmegaCorp, looking over the specs for new weapons and technology the company was designing for the government. The specs ranged from that of a new type of automated defense system made to protect weapons caches to armored power suits that enhanced the wearer's strength. One of them was even a new form of communication that used lasers bumped from satellites to transmit information. On his desk was a picture of his girlfriend, named Selene who currently didn't know about his double identity as Duo. He would have to tell her eventually but now was not the right time, mainly because he didn't think she'd accept his role, even if did offer some advantages.

For example, he was allowed to bash and main any heroes who came into conflict with the company's goals which he id love to do. He considered it one of the many perks of his job mainly because he wanted to make sure that the person that Selene envied with so much passion as they flew through the sky was not some hot-shot superhero, but Duo. If he could make her focused on this dashing supervillain and not anyone else, then he could be content with murdering a small child. The extra large bonus added to his salary certainly helped as well.

He was still working at his computer, approving various prototypes for various new forms of technologies and how to properly test him when the small communicator embedded in his ear made a small but annoying beep that was designed to achieve maximum attention from the person it was embedded in. Vince had gotten one just when he had agreed to taking up the Duo suit. It had a direct line to the president's office so whenever the CEO of OmegaCorp had something he wanted Duo to investigate, he called Vince. Vince had no idea what the CEO wanted, but he knew it must be damned important to the company otherwise he wouldn't have been called.

Vince cautiously made his way to the hallway closet, locked the door from the inside and finally held his finger to his ear to initiate the transmission. The CEO's voice came in loud and clear right into his inner ear

"Mr. Crager we have a situation down on a major highway outside the city. Some new supervilllain calling himself "The Trucker" has started a rampage through the streets. From eyewitness reports he has super-strength -hit the Prodigy so hard he flew back around 7 feet into a truck grill- and apparently has the ability to turn vehicles into armored, weaponized trucks. We believe this may be some kind of early form of matter alteration and we want you to capture him and bring him back to our research facility up north. Be advised The Prodigy is in the area and The Trucker's rampage has caused the attention of local police and SWAT."

"Will do sir, I'll be there as soon as possible." With that Vince cut off the transmission and immediately went over to a secret panel in the wall which lead to a top secret research facility where the Duo Suit was kept in containment, away from anyone who would search the building. Just to be safe, the panel included a handprint scanner which made sure no random person could lean on the panel and open the passageway. As soon as Vince put the suit on, a section of the out building opened and Duo flew out, the jetpack providing him with breakneck speed.

It took him a few moments to reach the scene but once he did, he stopped and scanned left to right. He saw Prodigy hovering near a building and that was enough to send him flying towards the Trucker. He didn't want to go toe to toe directly with the Prodigy. His mission was to apprehend The Trucker not to capture Prodigy. As he got closer to the Trucker's armored vehicular manslaughter waiting-to-happen, the Trucker looked out the window and said "Oh, mira, un insecto. Buena cosa que me gusta para aplastar insectos." and fired several of the truck's weapons at Duo.

Duo smiled inside his helmet and pulled several complicated aerial manoeuvres ranging from loop-de-loops to immelmans to evade the fire of the truck's weaponry. As soon as there was a break in the firing, Duo firing his ice gun at the turrets and rocket launchers, causing a thick layer of ice to get into the weapons and jam them up. When they didn't break through the ice, Duo flew up to the truck's wheels and fired at them with the heat ray, popping each and every single one of them. This caused the truck to slow down to a crawl until one final shot into the engine from the heat ray caused the truck to stop completely. He flew down near the door, opened it and was about to freeze The Trucker when a massive fist flew at his face and managed to send him flying a few feet until he hit a car at the side of the road that the truck had slammed out of its way. He struggled to free his mind from the dizziness as the Trucker began to approach him, cracking his fists and his neck before saying "Ahora vamos a asegurarse de que está aplastado para siempre."

-Wrong place...-

Xavier followed closely behind the boy, half-expecting him to fall over the railing. The boy had asked if they were headed all the way to the top. "No," Xavier replied simply. Stop at the top floor, short of the roof. That's my place. I was returning home when I found those thugs, and you."

Xavier overtook Kikiih, racing up to the top floor as he undid the series of complex locks and anti-burglary measures he had improvised on the the window entrance. Opening the window to allow Kikiih to step in, he merely gestured towards the entrance and said, "Make yourself comfortable."

Just then, a beep went off in his earpiece as the eyeholes in his mask lit up, transmitting a message via a holographic screen. It was undiscernable to anyone look in through the eyehole, they would have to wearing the mask to see the message, and the mask was designed so that only Xavier could wear it and activate those functions. "Ah, 23, good to see you're doing well." A man dressed in a tailored suit and with white hair that was combed back appeared on the holographic screen.

"The name's Reaper, old man. I'm no longer your little project." He spoke into the mic. "What's the mess your boys can't clean up this time?"

A screen merely projected footage from a news chopper. Some sort of armoured truck with weapons was rampaging through town. "The Trucker." Reaper sighed. "This night just keeps getting better and better."

"Oh and, kid? SWAT is already on its way, so be careful how you intend to take that guy out. Last we checked, Prodigy was trying to stop him too." Xavier was tempted to punch the guy for his smartass talking, if he were there in person.

"When was the last time a bullet ever caught me?" Xavier asked. The man on the other end of the transmission merely chuckled and replied, "Never."

"Good, now, tell SWAT that if they're gonna execute the guy, don't bother. The executioner's already on his way." Xavier smirked as he said the words, though his expressions would be invisible to anyone.

He called out to Kikiih. "Hey kid, I've got business to take care of elsewhere, so while you're in there, keep everything locked and try not to wreck my home, okay?"