The neon glow of a flickering alley sign cast long shadows over Adrian's hunched form. His hero costume was scuffed, the red fabric torn in several places, and his breathing came in ragged bursts. His fists trembled with adrenaline as he stared at the two figures in front of him—one in dark, tactical armor with a wolf-shaped helmet, the other emerging from the nearby wall of shadows like a ghost.
Adrian pointed at the man in the wolf gear, still wincing from the bruises."Why the hell were you trying to kill me!?"
The man removed his helmet with a hiss of air, revealing Bobby's scowling face."It's not my fault! You attacked first!" he shot back, his voice now calm and no longer distorted by the modulator.
"You kill people what do you expect me to think! And that voice modulator made you sound like a demonized Optimus Prime!" Adrian retorted, jabbing a finger at Bobby.
"Okay, fair," Bobby admitted, rubbing his jaw. "But you can't just go around wrecking people who are trying to help!"
"Help?" Adrian barked a bitter laugh. "You straight-up shadow-stepped at me like some anime villain! What was I supposed to do? Offer you a hug?"
Cassie, standing nearby with arms crossed, finally stepped between them, exasperated."Alright, you two testosterone-charged idiots, calm the hell down."
They both stopped mid-glare and sighed in reluctant unison.
"Good." Cassie nodded with satisfaction. "Now Adrian… what the hell have you been doing for the last three months?"
Adrian blinked. "Whew. Buckle up," he muttered. "Got saved by a guy built like a monster truck, trained with a nerd who can outthink a quantum computer, got my ass kicked by gangsters, joined the X-Men, trained under wolverine, and now… here we are."
He gestured around the empty alley like a game show host presenting a consolation prize.
Cassie and Bobby exchanged glances.
"Well," Cassie said slowly. "That's... a lot."
"Now your turn. Why are you two in full-on shadow ninja mercenary mode?" Adrian folded his arms. "And what happened at those camps you travel to?"
Cassie grew serious. "After we got out, we started tracking the origin of the camps. We stole files from Warden Silas before we left—encrypted ones. Took weeks to crack them. Turns out, the people funding the camps were military contractors doing illegal mutant experiments."
Bobby added, "They were using kids as test subjects, Adrian. Like kids. Some of them didn't make it."
"And the ones who did… weren't the same," Cassie said bitterly.
Adrian's expression turned grave. "Still doesn't explain the kill count."
"We didn't start killing for no reason," Bobby said, quieter now. "At first, we just wanted info. But… we found a base. And they were running it like a lab. One of them—he… he activated a failsafe. Started burning files and locking kids in. We made a choice."
Adrian was quiet for a moment.
"I get it. I do. But you can't kill people just because you think they're evil. That's not how this works."
Cassie and Bobby lowered their heads. "We know."
A long sigh escaped Adrian's lips. "Alright. Let's get off the streets. You two can crash at my base."
Later – Abandoned Training Site
The trio arrived at the old makeshift base Adrian and Peter once used. Cobwebs hung like lace from the ceiling, and the broken windows gave the place a haunting ambience.
"...This looks like the set of a horror movie," Bobby muttered.
"Yeah," Cassie added, wrinkling her nose. "If the Blair Witch had roommates."
"It's not the Ritz," Adrian said as he unlocked the door with a warp gate. "But it's what I've got."
They set up sleeping bags and laid low for the night.
The Next Morning
The sun had barely crested over the rooftops when Peter pushed the old door open, cautiously stepping inside.
"You in here?" he called, holding a grocery bag in one hand and a tech tablet in the other.
He heard something shuffle behind the crates.
Before he could react, a black shadow surged toward him from the wall—Cassie. She tackled him to the ground with shocking speed.
"Who the fuck are you!?" she growled.
"WHAT THE HELL—GET OFF ME—SOMEBODY SAVE ME!" Peter screamed, flailing.
Bobby landed nearby in a crouch, claws extended. "Don't struggle, intruder."
"I'M A FRIEND! I'M A FRIEND! I BROUGHT CEREAL!"
Adrian burst through a side door, eyes wide. "HEY! STOP! He's with me! He's Peter!"
Cassie paused, her shadowy arm just inches from Peter's neck. She blinked. "This is Peter?"
Bobby tilted his head. "You said he was smart. He looks like he loses to doors."
Peter was still panting on the floor. "I do not lose to doors…"
Adrian helped him up, laughing. "Yeah, sorry Pete. They're… intense."
Peter gave Cassie and Bobby a look of pure terror. "Remind me again why I thought visiting you was a good idea?"
Adrian slapped a hand on his back. "Because you missed me, obviously."
Peter groaned. "Next time, I'm bringing body armor."