**Chapter 3**

Time passed slowly for 8192 and 024792 as they remained hospitalized, recovering from the injuries sustained during their confrontation. The sterile walls of the hospital felt like a strange limbo—neither the oppressive confines of the facility nor the freedom of the outside world. But amidst the tension and pain, a small glimmer of hope emerged. 024792 had decided to forgive 8192. She realized that holding onto her anger was futile. What had happened in the facility was in the past, and now, she wanted to focus on the future.

The door to the room creaked open, and Aisha stepped inside. She was a striking figure, her fiery ginger hair catching the light as she smiled warmly. Her light skin glowed under the fluorescent lights, and her green eyes sparkled with mischief. She had a well-defined, athletic build, the kind that spoke of someone who was both strong and graceful. "Hey there, uh… 2421?" she began, her voice hesitant.

"It's 024792," the girl corrected, though her tone was more amused than annoyed. 024792—was a lighter shade of black, her skin smooth and radiant. Her black hair framed her face in soft waves, and her purple eyes, though tired, held a quiet strength. She was muscular, but in a way that was distinctly feminine, her physique a testament to the physical demands of her abilities.

Aisha chuckled. "You know, there's nothing wrong with a regular name. You're starting a new life, right? Might as well have a name that feels like you."

024792 paused, considering this. "You're right. I… I think I'd like that. Do you have any suggestions?"

Aisha's grin widened. "Oh, I came prepared." With a flick of her wrist, she conjured a book out of thin air, its pages fluttering as if they had always existed. Her power—transmutation—allowed her to rearrange matter at will, a skill she wielded with effortless precision. 024792's eyes widened in shock. "How did you do that?" Aisha shrugged, her expression playful. "Come on, you control photons from what I saw, and your friend over there is a speedster with conditional healing. Did you think you were the only ones with powers?"

"First of all," 024792 said, her cheeks flushing, "8192 isn't my boyfriend. He's just a friend. We're just friends." Aisha raised an eyebrow, her smirk growing. "Sure, sure. Whatever you say."

024792 sighed, deciding to let it go. "Enough about 8192. How did you make that book out of thin air?" "Oh, it's nothing special," Aisha replied, flipping through the pages. "My power is transmutation. I can change matter from one form to another. All I did was rearrange the carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen in the air into paper and ink." "So, you're an alchemist," 024792 said, her voice tinged with awe.

"Yeah, you could say that," Aisha said with a wink. "Now, let's find you a name, shall we?"

As they flipped through the book, 024792 pointed to a name. "What about… Kasandra?"

Aisha made a face. "Kasandra? Hmm. You don't look like a Kasandra to me."

"Okay, how about this one?" 024792 suggested, pointing to another name.

Aisha leaned over to look. "Karen? Oh no, no, no. You definitely don't want to be a Karen. Trust me." She flipped a few more pages, her eyes scanning the options. "What about… Chloe? Or Cleo?"

"Chloe," 024792 said softly, testing the name on her tongue. "I like that. Chloe sounds… right."

Aisha smiled. "Chloe it is, then. Nice to meet you, Chloe."

From that moment on, 024792 became Chloe. Aisha's playful demeanor softened as she added, "And just so you know, I prefer my second name. Call me Aisha, okay?"

Chloe nodded. "Got it, Aisha."

Aisha stood up, brushing imaginary dust off her clothes. "Well, Chloe, it was nice chatting, but I should go check on 8192. He's literally in the next room, you know."

Chloe groaned. "Do you have to go?"

Aisha laughed. "I'll be back soon. Don't miss me too much."

As she left, 8192's voice echoed from the adjacent room. "Yes, I'm here, and I heard everything, Chloe!" His laughter followed, loud and unapologetic.

Chloe rolled her eyes. "Good Lord, the lungs on that boy." Aisha poked her head back into the room, grinning. "Oh, like you have a better name for yourself."

8192's voice came again, this time more serious. "I do, actually. Excalibur."

Aisha raised an eyebrow. "What was that? Exalibar?"

"No, Excalibur!" 8192 shouted, his voice tinged with frustration.

Aisha smirked. "Exalibar?"

"E-X-C-A-L-I-B-U-R," 8192 spelled out slowly, his patience wearing thin.

Aisha feigned confusion. "Exalibar? Got it."

8192 groaned. "Oh, forget it. Exalibar it is. What the hell?"

Chloe couldn't help but laugh. "You heard him, didn't you?"

Aisha giggled. "Yeah, but Excalibur just doesn't suit him. Exalibar, though? That's kind of cute, don't you think?"

Chloe smirked. "Good thinking. I think it fits him perfectly."

Aisha leaned in, her voice teasing. "And you say he's not your boyfriend."

"For the last time, he's not—" Chloe began, but her protest was cut off as the doctor entered the room.

The doctor, a middle-aged man with a kind but no-nonsense demeanor, smiled at Chloe. "Good afternoon. How are you feeling?"

"I feel great, actually," Chloe replied, sitting up straighter.

"Excellent," the doctor said, turning to Aisha. "If you could sign here, we can get your friend discharged today. Surprisingly, all her tests indicate she's fit and ready to go."

Chloe's expression faltered. "Aisha, wait. We don't have anywhere to go."

Aisha waved her concern away. "It's okay. You and Exalibar can come live with me and the others."

Chloe's eyes lit up. "Really?"

"Others?" Exalibar's voice called from the next room.

Aisha chuckled. "Yeah, I'll introduce you when we get there." She signed the discharge papers with a flourish and handed them back to the doctor.

"Thank you, Miss," the doctor said, turning to Chloe. "You're free to go."

As they left the hospital, the mysterious man who had brought them there waited outside with a sleek car. He was tall, strikingly handsome, with sharp features and piercing black eyes that seemed to see right through you. His presence was commanding, yet there was a warmth to him that put Chloe at ease. He introduced himself as James Maxford, a multi-trillionaire with a complicated past.

James's family had amassed their wealth over centuries, exploiting resources and people alike. But James had broken the cycle. Following the death of his wife and unwilling to continue his family's legacy of greed, he had dedicated his fortune to building a sanctuary for people like Chloe and Exalibar (in actuality he just had money to burn and really wanted to build a school like professor x from the X-Men comics he loved reading as a child)

They arrived at a sprawling estate that made mansions look modest. The building was a marvel of modern architecture, surrounded by lush gardens and filled with the sounds of laughter and activity. Inside, children of all ages moved about, some flying through the air, others engaged in animated conversations. It was a place of belonging, a stark contrast to the cold, sterile facility they had escaped.

Aisha led them inside, her voice filled with pride. "Well, what do you think?"

Chloe's eyes sparkled with wonder. "Wow. Just… wow."

Exalibar, ever the contrarian, shrugged. "Meh. The facility was bigger."

Chloe shot him a glare. "Can you not?"

Exalibar muttered under his breath, "Spoilsport."

Exalibar was a lean, muscular figure, his tall frame towering over most. His brown skin was smooth, and his grey hair contrasted sharply with his piercing blue eyes. He moved with a quiet confidence, his every action deliberate and precise.

Chloe's eyes glowed faintly. "No, seriously. Be nice, or else."

Exalibar raised his hands in mock surrender. "Alright, let's clear this up once and for all. Just because I let you land those hits back at the hospital doesn't mean you can take me. Heck, not even the two of you together could take me. I'd put both of you into the ground without a moment's hesitation. You know this."

Aisha smirked, stepping closer. "Big talk, Exalibar. But can you back it up?" She poked his chest, emphasizing each syllable. "E-X-A-L-I-B-A-R. You know we have a training room mostly used for simulated battles if you 2 really want to go at it"

Exalibar's eyes narrowed. "You're on. Where's this training room of yours?"

The training room was a vast, white space filled with state-of-the-art equipment. Aisha announced to the room, "Alright, everyone! Either stay to watch or leave. These two have a score to settle."

Chloe and Exalibar faced off in the center of the room. Aisha handed Chloe a sword, its blade crackling with photon energy. Exalibar smirked, taunting her. "You really think that's going to do anything?"

Without warning, Chloe hurled the sword at him, aiming for his neck. Exalibar dodged effortlessly, catching the hilt mid-air. But before he could retaliate, a blinding blast of light struck his eyes, sending him staggering backward. Chloe followed up with a barrage of photon blasts, each one aimed with precision at his vital points.

But Exalibar refused to stay down. With each attack, he rose faster. He closed the distance between them, his movements a blur. Chloe unleashed a final, devastating blast, the force of it shaking the room and sending Exalibar flying across the floor.

Aisha gasped. "Chloe, I think you might have actually killed him."

Chloe panted, her energy spent. "Not even death can stop that psy---"

Her words were cut off as Exalibar's voice rang out from the cloud of dust. "Hey, Chloe! Think FAST" Through the dust shot what seemed to be a bloody metal pole that was Chloe narrowly avoided from dealing critical damage, but damage was still dealt. The dust settled, revealing a horrifying sight. Exalibar stood, his body broken and bloodied. His left arm was missing, his right eye was burned out, and a metal pole protruded from his chest. Yet, he was still standing, a grim smile on his face.

Aisha rushed to his side. "Exalibar, we need to get you to the infirmary!"

He pushed her away, his voice steady despite his injuries. "Not yet. I'm not done. I just need to-" He collapsed succumbing to his wounds and yet Chloe stood there, unfazed. His body began to steam as his wounds healed at an alarming rate. He arose, yanked the metal pole from his chest and coughed up blood.

"What doesn't kill you… only makes you stronger."

"That doesn't apply to you Exalibar you died remember.", Chloe retorted.

"Still here aren't I?"

 In an instant, he was in front of Chloe, his hand gripping hers as he redirected her next blast into the ceiling. She tried to pull away, but his grip was unyielding. "Time out! Time out!" she pleaded. Exalibar's eyes bore into hers. "Don't chicken out now." Before she could respond, he delivered a precise chop to her neck, sending her crumpling to the ground. He caught her before she hit the floor, his movements gentle despite the ferocity of the fight.

Aisha stared at him, her expression a mix of shock and admiration. "How… how did you do that?"

Exalibar smirked. "Don't really know how it works but I can die up to 3 times in a 24-hour period each quote-on-quote life replenishing every 8 hours. In the event that I die I will be yanked back to life after my body heals all my wounds or 45 seconds. Also, if I am out of lives and gravely injured my body will endure then die immediately when I regain a life. But I don't have a constant healing factor. Kinda shitty if you ask me."

Aisha's eyes narrowed. "Any other powers you got?"

"Why yes actually, I have 1 more that allows me to copy and store up to 3 of any ability I see in action and hold on to them indefinitely for as long as I require."

"That's the first time I've heard of such an ability"

"That's true it is rare"

"Exalibar its not rare no one else has it and thank you for telling me but why would you tell me that? What if I use it against you?"

Exalibar's smirk softened. "If you wanted me dead, you would've left me on your doorstep. But you didn't. So, no, I don't think you'll kill me."

As Aisha helped him carry Chloe to the infirmary, she couldn't help but wonder about the boy who had fought so fiercely yet protected his friend so gently. There was more to Exalibar than met the eye, and she was determined to find out what it was.

*To Be Continued…*