Ascension: The One Who Takes

I didn't look back as I disappeared into the city streets, the last traces of his stolen power still thrumming in my veins. The mutant I'd left behind lay crumpled in the alley, his body shuddering from the sudden loss. It didn't matter. Weakness had no place in this world, and I had no intention of carrying dead weight.

The towering skyline of New York stretched before him, neon lights flickering in the distance as he weaved through the crowds. The scent of hot food, car exhaust, and the faint metallic tang of blood filled the air. I blended in easily, just another face in the city, but beneath the surface, I knew I was anything but ordinary.

I needed a base of operations, a place to plan my next move. Walking the streets like a vagrant would do me no favors.

A few inquiries and a well-placed stack of stolen cash led me to a rundown apartment complex on the Lower East Side. Nothing special, but quiet enough to avoid attention.

The landlord, a wiry man in his late forties, barely looked up as I slid a stack of cash across the desk. "Month in advance. No questions," I said smoothly, his voice carrying a weight that made the older man straighten instinctively.

The landlord eyed me for a moment before nodding, counting the bills with expert efficiency. "Room 306. No noise complaints. No trouble."

The landlord exhaled a slow puff of smoke, eyeing me with mild suspicion.

"Name?"

I met his gaze, letting a small smirk play at my lips before replying smoothly.

"Kael."

He grunted, clearly uninterested in anything beyond getting his payment.

I gave a small smirk. "Wouldn't dream of it."

The exchange was done in moments, and I made my way to the new haven. It wasn't much—just a cramped space with a bed, a desk, and a view of the fire escape—but it was enough for now. I locked the door behind him.

Then, something caught my attention.

A faint presence. A pulse of power, raw and untapped, radiating from somewhere in the building. My enhanced senses narrowed in on it. Not the landlord, but someone close to him.

His kid.

I had barely noticed the boy earlier—a quiet thing, no older than ten, peeking from behind the office door. But now, away from distractions, I could feel it: the dormant energy resting beneath the surface, waiting to be awakened.

A power like that, wasted on a child? It was laughable.

Later that night, when the apartment settled into silence, I moved like a shadow. The door to the boy's room creaked slightly as I stepped inside, the faint glow of a nightlight casting eerie shapes along the walls. The kid stirred but didn't wake.

I crouched beside the bed, placing my hand lightly against the boy's forehead.

All For One.

The transfer was seamless. The dormant power surged into my core, sending a ripple of energy through my veins. I stood up, rolling my shoulders as I tested the new sensation—a subtle shift, an enhancement I would have to explore later.

The boy whimpered in his sleep, his body instinctively reacting to the sudden loss. But he would wake up none the wiser. A powerless child in a world that never intended to give him strength in the first place.

I walked out without a sound, shutting the door.

Ascension continues.