Haze decided to let the silver man come along with her. She hadn’t realised just how tired she was. She really needed a good sleep. “So do you have a name?” She asked.

“Yeah, just call me Chromium.” He said simply.

Haze nodded and decided not to push him about his real name. It just seemed odd to call someone by their ‘super’ name when they weren’t in super mode, so to speak.

Haze wasn’t sure where Oni’s hideout was exactly but she had a good idea. The pair were walking together when they saw a gold streak shoot by overhead. “That doesn’t look good.” Chromium said.

“Darklight is always busy. He’d feel rejected if he didn’t go out to play hero most of the time.” Haze said bitterly.

“You really don’t like him do you?” Chromium said, more as a confirmation than a question.

Haze let out a sigh. “Maybe I’m just jaded, but he’s so up himself.”

Chromium actually laughed at that. “Maybe you need to get to know him better.”

“I’ll leave that to my cousin.” Haze muttered.

Chromium lifted a brow, “Cousin? Did I miss something?”

Haze suddenly realised she’d let slip some info she had meant to keep quiet. Not that there was much point now. “Starbright is my cousin.”

“No way,” Chromium said, truly astonished.

“You can pick up your jaw now.” Haze said dryly.

“I’m surprised you’re not fighting by her side.” Chromium said.

Haze shrugged, “We’re not that close. She just tells me when she’s going after someone who’s a threat to her health. Mainly because she knows I can save her. Mind you that hasn’t happened for a long time.”

Chromium looked amused, “So the great Starbright isn’t so great after all.”

Haze looked confused, “What do you mean?”

“I mean that she mustn’t be as powerful as people think if she relies on you as a back up.” Chromium said.

“What exactly are you insinuating?” Haze asked, wondering if he was backhandedly insulting her powers.

“I’m saying that everyone sees her as a powerful icon: a heroine that no other can compare to. When in fact she’s not. You are more powerful.” Chromium clarified.

Haze mulled over his statement. “I like to stay in the background. It’s one of the reasons why I’ve never really dedicated myself to either good or evil. I see things that incline me to make the move to one or the other, then something else happens to change my mind.”

“Like what?” Chromium asked.

Haze let out a deep breath, “Okay, an example would be this. I meet Flame, he seems like a nice guy and is telepathic. He understands me better than most people yet he’s on the bad side of things. But I can’t see that much bad about him. Then I meet Jack who is a good guy. I actually decide to help him out since he has done a favour for me and then what happens? He runs away from me.”

Chromium smiled, “Oh I think Jack scared himself.

Haze looked at him, “How would you know?”

“I was at the café.” Chromium told.

Haze nodded slowly, “So you saw the whole exchange.”

“Saw yes, heard no. I’m assuming you were talking telepathically.” Chromium said.

“Yeah, he wanted me to help him learn how to block a telepathic attack.” Haze replied. “The waitress mistook our concentration as a lover’s moonstruck gaze. Jack ran with the idea, I can only assume as cover, then he runs off like a scalded cat.”

Chromium shrugged, “Only a telepath would know what he was thinking.”

Haze remained silent. Chromium didn’t need to know that she wasn’t a true telepath. It was at that moment that they walked into the bar that Haze suspected was near Oni’s hideout. At that moment she didn’t really want to confront the villain.

As Haze stepped into the bar she felt a familiar sensation, Flame? she called with her mind. There was no answer as she looked around the bar. But she was certain he was there.

“You sense something?” Chromium said quietly.

She touched Chromium’s arm briefly, ignoring the strange sensation. I think Flame is here. She spoke directly into Chromium’s thoughts.

“Where?” Chromium whispered.

Not sure, but I can feel his mind reaching for mine. Haze told him silently.

“Will he try and harm you?” Chromium asked, still in a hushed tone.

I don’t think so but if he was feeling threatened he might. Haze replied. She sincerely hoped that she wouldn’t have to fight Flame. She felt a connection to him. Perhaps it was only the common bond between those with metal abilities, but still she felt a kindred spirit in Flame.

As Jack went into Darklight's kitchen searching for some food when he heard the police scanner from another room.  Attention all units we have a 10-50 in progress at a mall.  One katana-wielding villain and a supe we know as Darklight have decided to go at it.  Civilians present.  Requesting aid."

"Hey you hear that Sunshine?  Looks like Darklight was doing a little bit more than looking for me.  It sounds like he's having tons of fun.  Shall we join him?"

"Naww, Darklight can handle himself.  I'm staying here."  Jack snickered.  "Some friend you are!  We all no how lonely Darklight gets.  I'm going.  Feel free to join."

Jack ran over to the mall which happened to be blocks from where Darklight's house.  When he arrived all he saw was chaos.

Vandal paused in her stride, she felt the pull of telepathic energy. There were others nearby that had similar powers to her own. They had to be villains. She didn't know of any other good supers with mind powers. She turned and headed towards the source.

-

Haze paused in the bar. Flame definitely wasn't one of the patrons around her. That left upstairs or downstairs. As she stood concentrating a burley biker walked passed and pinched her on the butt. "Hey toots." He said and his friend laughed.

With a thought the biker was slammed onto the ground and Haze placed her foot on his throat. "Don't do that again."

The biker tried to twist her foot but Haze backed off watching him with calm restraint. He pulled a knife and Haze simply laughed at him and created her own psy-blade from her right hand. The blade glowed an eerie orange and Haze brought it up in a ready stance.

The biker made the first lunged and Haze dodged it easily, the next blow she deflected with her psy-blade. Then she spun so she she grew close to the biker, she elbowed him in the sternum and spun away again. He grunted and charged her. Haze easily evaded his move, tripped him with her foot and brought her psy-blade down directly on his skull. He let out a painful cry before dropping to the ground.

The other bikers stood up but then she ignited a second psy-blade in her left hand and then made both blades grow to sword size. The bikers sat back down.

"Is he dead?" Chromium whispered.

"No, I just fried his nervous system for a while. He'll be fine." Haze said with touch of satisfaction.

Haze made her way through the bar, the bouncers let her passed the restricted area as she still had the blades in her hands. There were two doorways, one led upstairs and the other one downstairs. "I'll go downstairs." Haze told.

Chromium gave a nod, "Okay but shout if you need me."

Haze gave a nod in response and headed downward. She extinguished her psy-blades and walked to the bottom landing. Flame stood waiting for her. "So you are here," she said.

"Yes," he replied. I hoped you wouldn't come.

Why? Haze probed.

You're not going to like what you find here. Flame answered.

At that Haze felt a sudden pain in her head. She flinched and immediately tried to put up the strongest walls of resistance to the invasion in her mind but it was too late. The invader was in. She pushed to remove them and it only intensified the pain. She looked at Flame but he only stared at her in confusion. Then Haze tried the last thing left, she counted out of order and suddenly the pain went, along with her consciousness.

-

Vandal stood half way down the stairway. Don't try to resist me, scaly. She projected to the man who stood over the now unconscious telekinetic. She'd been hard to fight but Vandal had sensed she wasn't a true telepath. However the lizard man was.

To Vandal's surprise Jericho suddenly entered the room, "You!" He growled, "I thought I got rid of you."

Vandal laughed, "Hardly. I owe you a broken leg."

((Okay guys, I won't be able to post for the next two days. Haze can stay comatose, as for Vandal you can beat her up a bit but I'd like to use her later - she doesn't realise that Haze is neutral and Chromium is on her side.))

((I believe Chromium has decided he'd go to the good side. He just hasn't told anyone officially as yet.))

Vandal looked between the two villains. She was caught in a tight space now. She sent a wave of mixed images to both villains and tried to dart away to a better vantage place. Jericho held his head but the scaled man did not. He was resisting her.

Fool, you can't resist forever. Vandal voiced in his mind as she tried to vamp up the images to show pain and suffering.

Vandal saw the first one and leaped up the stairs quickly. She only just missed being scorched, with her concentration on her own preservation she forgot her bombardment on Jericho's mind. As soon as she realised she forced more mental hurt on him.

Another fireball came her way. Feisty, aren't you? Vandal voice with irritation.

You have no idea. He replied.

Vandal levitated herself off the ground before the fireball could hit, but she was slow, once again she only just managed to save her skin. She sent another powerful bolt of images at the scaled man and then tried to lance his mind with a mental sword.

Just then Chromium burst through the roof and landed in between Vandal and Flame. His impact left a crater in the floor, as he was in his metal form. He slowly rose and faced the new face Vandal, and then looked at the unconsiouce body of Haze behind her. He put two and two together and decided he was fed up with the villains. He attacked them. (this doesnt exactly mean he is a hero. He is neither really. He just does what HE feels is right.) He morphed both his arms into giant hammers and stretched them at Vandal and Flame on either side of him, Jericho was still in pain after the telepathic attack. Vandal and Flame were launched into the walls and Flame was the first to rise once more. He launched a telepathic attack first, as a fireball seemed kind of useless against metal. The psyionic blast pelted Chromium's metal body, yet it was reflected off of it. (Surprise, this also means i cant hear anyone talking to me either, so the only way i heard Haze earlier was because Tanis had not yet become Chromium and was covered by the metal symbiote) Flame was shocked and tried again, Chromium allowed Flame to see the attack bounce off once more. Chromium turned to see Vandal already up and trying to flood his mind with images. Chromium stood and did nothing. Her mouth slowly opened as she realized that he was impervious to her powers. Flame launched a fireball at Chromium and it struck him, but it wasnt really effective. Chromium then threw his hammer arms and them again but this time threw them at Jericho, who was recovering. All three collapsed into a heap and Chromium slowly walked up to the motionless body of Haze. He croutched down and felt her pulse. He noticed how truly attractive she was. It was a shame she was wrapped up in this. He looked back to see Flame recovering already, he was very resilient. Chromium wrapped a long metal tentacle around Haze and covered her in the metal symbiote. He looked the hole he burst in through earlier and flew out through it again, Haze in tow, without a second glance at the villain hideout. He would return.

Flame got up. His head hurt, his chest hurt, but his arms and legs were fine. The metal guy was pretty much invincible. This would be a serious problem. For now though, he had to deal with Vandal.He looked around, trying to find a way to keep her from harming anyone when she got back up.

Meanwhile, back at Darklight's apartment, Sunburn had reached the lowest point of patience, so decided to chase after Jack, and help out Darklight.  Opening the window, he burst into flames, accelerating towards the mall.  Hopefully he wasn't too late.

A few minutes later, Sunburn reached the mall, civilians piling out of any exits they could find.  He dropped to the ground and entered into the building, just in time to see Darklight get decked by a guy with a fancy katana.  Immediately, He put two and two together and recognized the katana dude as a villain..... wait!  There was Jack atacking him already!  The rascal!  Can't let him take all the of the credit!  So he powered up, and joined the fight.

Flame took the sword and tested it. Fire raced from his hand, up channels cut in the hilt, and onto the blade, which caught fire quickly, and continued to burn. Flame relaesd the fire from his control and it still burned.  Flame took the fire back into his control nd estinguished it. It died, and the blade looked as if it was never there. He took the sheath and fastend it to his back. (Im assuming it has a sheath.)

Sitting in the stolen S.W.A.T. van, Altair almost fell asleep until he heard the radio come on. "All units, requesting backup at Sunrise Mall. Repeat, requesting backup at Sunrise Mall." Not paying attention to the rest of the message, Altair already had a clue what was going on. Making his way to the mall, a smile appeared on his face.