"Holy- Whoa! Thats not nice!" Jeicho flipped over the top of Chromium and hastily gave him a double-blast in the top of the head. Jericho proceeded to reload while dodging bolts from Captain Lightbulb up there. Jericho holstered the shotgun in exchange for his Desert Eagles and unloaded on Darklight. Before he could get in some accurate shots, here comes the hammer again.
"What is with you people?! Won't freaking die!" Jericho dodged it a second time and kicked Chromium in the chest, but his foot would not come out.
"...???!!!"
Chromium smiled and finally hit an immobile Jericho with his hammer-for-an-arm.
WHAM! right through the window.
"Hrrg..." Jericho stood back up and looked around. "ErrOoo." He was in a gun shop.

Haze was starting to consider breaking up the fighting. It seemed the males thought she was too weak to fight with them. None seemed to have noticed that she'd been deflecting bullets from hitting her person, simply by thought.

She turned her head as Flame spoke to her with his thoughts. She did something that surprised them all. She lifted the van with a simple thought, holding it up about 3 stories, I can shake the van, which being do you want removed? She asked Flame mentally.

He looked at her with surprise.

She shrugged and dropped the van. It crashed to the ground.

"What'd you do that for?" Oni shouted at her.

"Just to shake things up a bit," Haze said with a cheeky grin. Then she surprised them all by pushing the supers against the walls, the good supers were on the left wall, the bad on the right wall. "The police are coming, you should all leave before you're arrested." She looked at Oni, "Or should I say arrested again." Then she released them and walked through the clear path she'd created for herself, seeming to have shocked them with her abilities. Now they knew she was not to be trifled with.

Haze turned to look, it seemed that Jack and Oni were fighting again. "Men," she said quite simply. The sound of sirens was already getting louder.

Then she heard footsteps heading her way. She turned to look and see Jack pursuing her. "Get bored did you?" She asked.

Haze was momentarily distracted as a Shelby GT drove passed. She noticed Jericho behind the wheel and smiled.

Jack cleared his throat.

"Oh sorry, you wanted to talk to me," Haze said. "We should probably get away from here before the Police arrive. Or as I said before, are you bored?"

Haze put her hands on her hips for a moment, then took Jack's hand. "Come on we've got to get out of here and since I owe you a favour for saving me from Mr Hungry I show you how."

"Great," Jack grinned.

Haze led Jack through a few alleyways and into a less seedy part of town. She could have taken him to her apartment but she didn't trust him that much just yet. Instead she took him to a small cafe that stayed open late. They sat down at a table and Haze spoke. "I must admit I'm telekinetic, although I do have some telepathic abilities. The simplest way to defend yourself is to count out of order."

"What?" Jack said looking confused.

A waitress placed two menus before them and Haze realised that she hadn't had dinner. "I mean you count like this: 10, 24, 80, 1.204, 1 etc. It confuses the person trying to probe your mind because you're making no logical sense."

Jack nodded starting to understand. "But how do I shield my mind?"

"That takes a lot of practice," Haze said then placed her hand on his forehead. Can you hear me?

"Yes," Jack said then released that Haze had spoken with her thoughts rather than her mouth.

I can only talk to you when I touch you because I'm not naturally a telepath. I can talk to Flame easily because he is a telepath. Now that you can hear me, try and push me out. Haze instructed.

Jack tried.  He was pretty sure he gave it his all.  But she was always there. 

"Well the counting numbers I can do because it is completely random.  I do random very well."

"You need to take this seriously Jack.  Of all the times you choose to continue on with me it has to be now.  Focus!"  And focus he did.  He was pretty sure the vein on his forehead was throbbing.  He was getting nowhere with this.  So he relaxed and tried this differently.  He envisioned everything.  He saw a 'hand' going through his mind.  Into his deepest thoughts.  He saw himself setting up walls around each individual memory.  The hand attempted to breach one of these walls but immediately recoiled.  He smiled to himself and opened his eyes and saw Haze take her hand away from his forehead smiling as well.

"And now Jack you have only begun to learn the first step.  Barring me from entering individual thoughts.  You must now learn how to keep me out completely."

"That was fun!  I especially like the self-gratification that comes with it.  Hey while you were probing my mind you didn't happen to find out any of my deepest darkest secrets did you?  By the way the teddy bear I slept with until I was 8 wasn't mine.  It belonged to my imaginary friend Joe.  HE was quite nasty to me sometimes..."

Haze smiled, "No I can't read your mind, I can only talk to you and hear you talk back when we're touching. As I said I'm not really a telepath, it's just an extension of my telekinesis."

"Oh," Jack said looking a little embarrassed by his admission.

At that moment the waitress returned, "Are you ready to order?"

Haze didn't miss the fact that the waitress was looking at her funny. "I'll have a chicken salad and soda water."

Jack blinked and looked at the menu. "Ah, I'll have a steak sandwich and a coke."

With that the waitress took the menus and left them.

Haze now touched her fingers to Jack's. His hand was on the table top and once again she spoke directly into his mind. Now try pushing me out again, but try shielding your deeper thoughts and feelings.

She could feel the barriers going up so she could no longer communicate with him. If she wanted to she could shout in his mind, but that was the extent of her telepathic abilities. Flame would be the true challenge to Jack's fledgling skills.

Then Haze jumped slightly as she felt Jack's mind reach for hers. Hello? he called.

You're a fast learner. Haze said rather surprised.

You're a good teacher. He replied and smiled.

The waitress came out and looked at them. "You're a new couple aren't you? Can't stop staring into each others eyes. How sweet."

Haze felt a slight blush touch her cheeks. She didn't date, at least not very often. She tended to freak guys out when they found out that she could move things with her mind.

Jack folded his fingers around hers and brought them to his lips. "Yes we are a new couple," he told the waitress. She walked off looking rather dreamy. Once she was out of sight he released his hold on Haze's fingers.

"Nice cover," Haze said in response, feeling a little uneasy.

Chromium watched as the heroes and villains fled the scene. He was disappointed with himself, he had accomplished nothing. He still needed to talk to Haze. Oni was, regretably, still alive. He decided to first speak with Haze and looked to see her and Jack running through an alley. Darklight was no where to be seen so he followed Haze and Jack. He covered himself with his black cloak but hesitated. He walked through a nearby broken shop window and got some civilian clothes and a back pack. He regreted stealing, yet he would be back later to reimburse the store because he didnt have his wallet on him at the moment. He took off his black cloak and stuffed it into the bag. Then he looked at himself and his silver metallic skin. Its sheen was undamaged and still shown brightly after the battle. Jericho's bullets bounced off like nothing and his kick to his chest was averted by liquifying his chest so it simply sank in. He was merciful with him however, he could have kept his chest solid and broken Jericho's foot. Chromium relaxed his body, taking the metal back in was more painful then releasing it through his pores. He sucked the liquified metal back through his pores and his normal skin shown once more. His shoulder length brown hair shot out ofhis scalp and his mustache and beard slowly grew from his face. His eyes of pure white light faded and his hazel eyes shown once again. He collapsed on the ground, naked and sweating. He heard the police sirens nearly there and quickly dressed in the civilian clothes. He then ran after Haze and Jack and hid in an alley as they walked into a restaraunt. Quite the hideout. He casually walked in and sat in the darkest corner of the restaraunt and ordered some coffee, which was terrible, and really wished he had his pipe. He glanced over at Haze and Jack. The waitress asked them if theyw ere a couple. Jack kissed her hand and said they were. They never lost eye contact. Either they were truly in love over having a telepathic conversation. That meant he couldn't eavesdrop this time. No matter, he only needed to speak to her about whether she was going to be a hero or a villain, he did not want to intrude upon their possible romance. He would have to wait it seemed.

Jericho followed into the back room.
"Eh Oni, you got a gun cabinet or something? I mean, I'll pay for what I take or whatever, if you don't mind."

"What did you have in mind?"

"I'm thinking military grade weapons."

"I have a small collection, but I'm not really a gun guy."

"Are you being sarcastic?"

"Maybe."

Jack could only smile awkwardly.  What the heck was he thinking!  He wasn't sure if he was attracted to her.  The last time he thought he liked someone was in the 10th grade just before his parents died.  But as soon as he told her about his superhero parents and that he had the smallest mutant ability she ran away.  He had dropped out of high school 2 weeks after when his parents died.  He slowly rose and began to make his way back. 

"Thanks for the lesson."  Stupid idiot.  That was all you could say?  When it comes to this stuff Jack was never Dr. Smooth.  He made his way back to the battle scene to grab his trenchcoat.

Haze watched as Jack left like he’d just be told she had rabies. She shouldn’t have been surprised, such behaviour towards her was the norm. The waitress returned with their meals and looked surprised, “Where’d your boyfriend go?”

“Oh he’s a fireman, got a call.” Haze told.

The waitress nodded, “I’ll leave his meal in case it was a false alarm.”

Haze nodded and started eating her chicken salad. She wondered why she bothered helping Jack. But now she didn’t owe him anything. He however owed her for the dinner bill.

Once she’d finished, Haze paid the waitress and left. She had a feeling she was being followed but didn’t see anyone. She made her way home, taking the most indirect route. Eventually she lost the sense of being pursued.

Haze walked into the rear entrance of her apartment block and climbed the stairs that no one seemed to use. When she reached the fourth floor she took her key from her vest pocket and went into her apartment.

Elmo her black and white cat meowed at her demandingly. “I know I forgot to give you dinner.” Haze smiled as Elmo as she scratched him under the chin. He was only 8 months old. She’d found him in a garbage bag left on the street. At such times Haze wondered why she hadn’t joined the bad supers.

After feeding Elmo, Haze checked her messages and had one from her cousin, Maria. Haze sighed Maria Dunlap was actually Starbright in the super’s world.

Haze shucked off her vest as the recording played: “Hi Kaylene, this is Maria. Just letting you know that I’m going out. I’m checking out some news on Oni. I’ll let you know how it goes.”

Haze froze, she’d seen Oni tonight and Starbright hadn’t been one of the supers fighting him. Haze immediately picked up the phone to call her cousin. The phone rang out and went to Maria’s voicemail. Haze left a quick message then hung up.

Haze decided to go to Maria’s apartment. She had a feeling that things had gone very wrong with Starbright’s plan.