LULL BEFORE THE STORM

Forty-Four kept on struggling towards the direction of the cave, not even bothering about the pain and stress he was putting on his broken legs.

Finally, his efforts paid off as he finally was able to see the person he was looking for, that was Forty-one.

He approached her and tried to wake her up, but no matter what he did she didn't wake, the incapacitating chemical agent in her body was still very much active.

Giving up on waking her up, he touched her hand and a little dark blue light shone once in contact with her skin, which immediately died down as if it never happened.

The reality of it is that almost every Neo's ability has its drawbacks and weaknesses, which they like to hide.

For Forty-Four, he could only metamorphose into one person at a time and only a person he has touched and used his metamorphosis ability to copy their DNA.

Before he came across Five, he fought someone huge who could smell and hear things even kilometers away, he copied the person's ability after defeating him.

That was the ability he used to listen to Forty One's betrayal plans with her sister, which never came to fruition.

Later on, he found an opportunity to touch Eighty and copied her DNA without her knowledge, now he touched Forty One and copied her DNA which also contains her healing ability.

Each time he copies someone's DNA, it replaces the last one he copied.

After successfully copying Forty One's DNA, he knew he didn't have enough mental strength and had to capitalize and efficiently use the little he had left.

So instead of using Forty-One's ability to heal his broken leg first, he just struggled and started limping back to Five's position.

Five was at the edge of blacking out when Forty-Four got to him. He quickly changed his hands into Forty-One's and placed his palms on Five's chest.

A green light, though not as bright as Forty One's glowed from his hands, it entered Five's body and started revitalizing him, making his pale look start regaining his normal glow.

Suddenly Five's hand held him, "Stop, heal her first." He said, while looking at Eighty who looked pitiful as she knelt there with a knife in her chest and a blank gaze.

"You sure you can manage," Forty-Four questioned.

"Yeah"

Forty-Four didn't question him again and quickly got to where Eighty was, but that was when it dawned on him that to heal her, he would have to touch her breasts even if it was through her clothes and a little blush crept up to his face.

".. um I'm going to try and heal your wound now," Forty-Four stated awkwardly

"...."

"I may have to touch your..." He gulped " You know what I mean right?"

"...."

"Don't worry I'd be gentle, sorry that sounded perverted."

"...."

" I mean I won't do anything irresponsible, just healing you that's all"

"...."

"I won't even act as if I'm touching something, I'd just pretend it's a wall I'm trying to heal."

"...."

"I'm sorry that came off wrong, I don't mean yours is flat like a wall, is actually big for your age"

"...."

"...."

This time around it was Five who got exasperated with all this awkward one-sided talk, " Fool just heal her and stop making the situation more awkward than it should be."

Hearing Five's berating, he finally shut up and proceeded to pull out the knife, once it was pulled out he quickly placed his already glowing palm on it and started to heal it.

He pressed down on it and transferred the green glow onto her body, making him to also press down on her breast too, being the first time he had experienced this, his teenage hormonal thoughts started going wild.

('Wow never knew she was this big at her age or is this the normal size for girls, it feels so soft. geez I just said I won't do anything irresponsible what is wrong with me)

As five had his little battle of morality and immorality in his mind, Eighty who pretended by keeping quiet all this while as if this wasn't a bother to her was feeling conflicted.

She could feel his hand pressed on her breast, she wanted to remove it, but that would amount to her dying. Never once had a boy been this close to her and even to the point of placing his hands on such a sensitive area, even if there was a reason for it.

She looked at his face as the moonlight illuminated it, it was fully focused with beads of sweat on it, and he was radiating with masculinity. One or two of his dreadlocks had fallen to his face adding a bit of regality to his masculinity.

Thinking of that, a blush appeared on her face as she looked down to cover it, she felt ashamed of her stupid thought

('What am I thinking, stupid, stupid, stupid)

Forty-Four suddenly felt a massive headache, but he continued what he was doing as the headache kept becoming stronger and stronger.

He persisted till he was sure she was okay now, but by that time a trail of blood had appeared from his nose and he finally fell.

"Are you okay?" Eighty asked in concern, even if she may always act cold and strong, she knew he was in this state because of her.

"Is alright, I just over-exerted my mental strength, coupled with that, my leg's broken because of someone," Forty replied in a sarcastic tone which made Eighty scoff at him.

She slowly stood up, though she could still feel a slight discomfort in her heart, but it wasn't that bad, she then looked at Five coldly, turned her gaze to Forty-Four, and nodded to him.

After that she left in the direction of the cave, leaving Five and Forty Four lying down there.

Even if she was supposed to stay put, since she was dead already, Eighty didn't care as long as she hadn't checked up on her sister's health status nothing else mattered.

"I think she hates you for life now" Forty Four chuckled.

While smiling, "Yeah, you are probably right." Five replied.

"Why did you have to stab her though? You didn't stab that girl with the freakish speed."

"That was two different scenarios, Eighty here has super strength and tenacious body durability I couldn't risk it, so my best choice was to catch her off guard."

"By stabbing her in the heart, that's cold man"

"Is also a kind of revenge, she almost broke all the bones in my body. You seem to forget I don't have any powers like you guys, I'm the weak one here." " Five argued which only elicited an eye roll from Forty-Four.

"Only a fool will believe that after seeing you defeat almost Five Neos single-handedly, sometimes I feel like the Expendable in this our little team."

"I've just been lucky," Five said modestly.

"Cut that humble bullshit in front of me, "Forty-Four said in a fake angry tone, which made both of them smile.

Soon it was all quiet again in the woods, both of them stared at the moon which was still at its peak.

Once again like before a wolf howl broke the sudden silence of the night.

"You know someone's still gotta keep watch for the night," Five said in a quiet voice.

Sighing out loud, "I don't care right now, I'm just too exhausted. Do you think instead of resting for tomorrow some idiot is still moving around?" Forty-Four asked, but for a reply, the soft snoring of Five was what he heard instead.

"The fool who wants to keep watch is asleep already, " He muttered and closed his eyes and let sleep take him as well as tomorrow promised to be filled with excitement.