"Don't make me do it," the ski-masked man snapped, forcing bravado through a line of trembling.

He expected the usual reaction when he used his ability to acquire a hostage - tears, begging, a plea that could be used to save his boss. He expected bargaining and panic. He didn't expect Lenny's body to answer the heat with colour.

His skin was switching between light green and its usual pale shade.

The man tried to press the blade against his neck to draw a bead of blood and turn it into leverage. The steel met skin. The blade felt solid and mean. He expected the wet sting of victory. Instead, the metal seemed to meet a wall. His arm jolted with the shock of the tool on something that refused to yield easily.

Kai immediately acted, not wanting Lenny to run wild and switch to his lizard form, essentially wasting a dose of the special suppressant Elara made for him.

That fraction of hesitation was all Kai needed. He had been watching, slow and patient, calculating the right moment to cut a problem into manageable pieces. He closed his fingers and felt the cold, old music of his blood answering him.

Two droplets separated from his palm, not as mere beads but as compacted slivers of blood given intent. They moved like thrown knives, honed and insane, slicing through the air in a rush of slick crimson.

They were small, precise, and faster than thought. The ski-masked ma couldn't even blink before...

Shing!

Two crimson blades streaked through the air like whispers of death.

Guided by Kai's will, the twin blades curved elegantly before striking their target.

The ski-masked mutant didn't even have time to blink.

Each blade buried itself deep into his eye sockets with a wet, slicing hiss.

"AAAHHHHHH!" The man's scream shattered through the air, sharp and ragged. He dropped to his knees, clutching at his face as twin rivulets of red poured between his fingers, dripping onto the cracked ground.

Kai exhaled softly, the glow of his red eyes dimming slightly. He tilted his head, watching the mutant writhe. His voice was calm, almost casual.

"If you can't see, your ability's pretty much useless. And if it requires you to click your fingers first, it's way too slow." He paused, lips curling into a faint smirk. "You'd have made a great postman or delivery driver. But you? You shouldn't have even thought about messing with us."

The man's screams faded into guttural sobs, his body twitching on the floor.

Behind Kai, Amina finally found her voice. "Wasn't that… a bit much?" Her tone wavered between concern and disbelief.

Kai turned, the grin fading into something more serious. "If the roles were reversed, he would've killed Lenny. Is that what you would've preferred?"

"I–" she began, but he didn't give her a chance.

"If there's one thing I've learnt," he continued, his voice quiet but sharp enough to cut glass, "it's that only weak people need to justify their actions in this broken world. The strong don't care about right or wrong - they just do as they please. It's only when someone stronger shows up that people start pretending morals matter."

The words hit harder than a shout. Lenny glanced away, uncomfortable. Amina fell silent, her brows knitting together. Kai could feel their silent judgement - not hateful, just… uncertain. That kind of naive uncertainty only the unbroken could have.

He didn't hold it against them.

'They'll understand the sad reality eventually,' he thought.

He stepped closer to the screaming man, his boots squelching faintly against the mixture of blood and rainwater coating the dock. The ski-masked mutant thrashed weakly, both palms still pressed against the ruined sockets of his eyes. The sight barely stirred Kai anymore.

He looked down at the trembling figure, then over at Lenny. Kai reached out and gave Lenny a light pat on the shoulder - reassurance, or maybe just grounding.

"Relax," he said quietly. "It wasn't like the guy couldn't actually cut you anyway."

Lenny nodded stiffly, still shaken but holding it together. Kai turned back to the bleeding mutant. Watching him twitch wasn't satisfying. If anything, it was dull. Pathetic.

He'd hoped for a challenge - someone worth testing himself against. Someone to try out some of the new bloodweaving applications he'd been thinking about. But these mutants? They were less fun than the mercenaries.

Kai sighed, his voice low. "Disappointing."

He looked back to where Nadya was still working Ionut like a punching bag.

It seemed as though their last encounter might have been more personal than he initially thought.

The smuggler's face was barely recognisable now, swollen and bloody. But Nadya wasn't trying to kill him - not yet. She wanted him conscious so he could do what they needed. And judging by the way he flinched every time her shadow fell across him, she was doing a fine job of it.

Kai strolled over casually, wiping a smear of blood from his cheek with the back of his hand. "Having fun?"

"Oh, loads," Nadya said, not missing a beat as she cracked her knuckles and went for another punch to the gut. Ionut wheezed, folding in half like a cheap chair. She stepped back, letting him slump to his knees. "He's still breathing, though. Barely."

Kai chuckled, grabbing the broken man by the collar and hauling him upright. Ionut's legs gave out instantly, but Kai held him there, his head lolling. "You really think this guy can help us?" Kai asked, turning to Nadya.

She shrugged. "He better. Otherwise, what use do we have for him?"

"I-I can help!" Ionut sputtered between gasps, forcing a crooked smile through broken teeth. Blood trickled from his nose, dripping onto Kai's hand. "Of course I can! Anything you need."

Kai looked at him for a moment. Up close, the man was pitiful. His skin was pale and greasy, his eyes small and darting - the kind of man who was born to crawl. Earlier, he'd strutted out like he owned the port. Now, he was nothing but a quivering rodent.

Kai's voice dropped, quiet but venomous. "You're the worst kind of person. A coward who hides behind money and others."

Ionut's forced grin trembled, and his eyes darted to Nadya for help. Out of the two, the large woman who had been beating him seemed like a better option than the bloodied freak.

Her response was a smirk.

The man swallowed. "Y-you're that Red Eyes everyone's been talking about," he stammered, finally daring a glance at Kai. "The one they say can control blood, turn it into weapons, right? I didn't believe it until now."

Kai smirked. "That's me. But I prefer Bloodweaver. Has a nice ring to it, don't you think?"

Ionut bobbed his head like a puppet. "Definitely, sir Bloodweaver. That's a very cool name!"

Nadya snorted from the side. "What a suck-up."

He ignored her. Being offended was a luxury for people who weren't kneeling in their own blood.

"So," Kai said, finally letting go of Ionut's collar and letting him collapse onto the ground, "what can you do for us, huh? Because if your answer's nothing, I'll let Nadya finish what she started."

Ionut raised both hands weakly. "No, no - please! I can do whatever you want! I-I have contacts. People who owe me favours. I can get you anything you need, smuggle you anywhere. Just… just tell me what you want."

Kai and Nadya shared a look. The man was trying to sound confident, trying to act like he was the one making an offer, not pleading for his life. But the tremor in his voice gave him away.

He was desperate. Terrified. And, most importantly, useful.

Kai crouched in front of him, meeting his bloodshot eyes with that crimson stare that made Ionut flinch. "Good answer," he said softly, almost kindly. "Let's just hope you're as useful as you think you are."

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