Ascension: The One Who Takes

The café had grown dull. I had gathered what I needed—newspapers, reports, and enough information to begin. Now, it was time to act. The coffee shop's murmur faded behind me as I left, my mind already locked on my next move. If I was to ascend, I'd need allies—and by allies, I meant power.

I ventured into the cold night, slipping through the dimly lit alleys with practiced ease. My destination was a rundown warehouse in the underbelly of the city, where whispers of mutant trafficking led me. The exterior was rusted and forgotten, but the low hum of activity inside betrayed its true nature. I found an open vent and climbed down, my crimson eyes scanning the scene below.

Inside, I discovered a row of cages lining a concrete floor, the air thick with the stench of blood and sweat. In the largest cage, I spotted a young mutant—blue skin, a spaded tail, and golden eyes that held nothing but defeat. I knew immediately that this one had potential.

A gruff voice echoed through the space: "Send him in next." A brute in a stained coat gestured, and two guards moved to unlock the cage door.

I didn't hesitate. 

Storm Vein.

Electricity surged through my fingertips as I stepped forward and intercepted the guards. With a single touch, a burst of crackling energy arced from my hand, sending them convulsing to the ground.

Amid shouts and chaos, I reached for the cage door and tore it open. The blue-skinned mutant hesitated as I spoke in a low, controlled tone, "I don't need your gratitude, but you're coming with me."

He nodded silently, and I placed a firm hand on his shoulder.

I turned to him. "Your name?" I asked.

He paused before replying, "Kurt."

I committed that to memory, but my attention was already drawn to another sight—three half-dead mutants slumped in their cages, discarded like trash. Their bodies were battered, yet within them, I sensed useful powers still burning like faint embers. It was a shame to let them waste away.

I moved closer. First, the woman with gnarled, half-burned arms whose latent ability pulsed weakly beneath her skin. Next, the man whose every breath vibrated with a raw, unnatural strength that had not yet been fully harnessed. And finally, the third—silent, unresponsive, yet brimming with a dormant energy waiting to be claimed.

They were all sitting there like dying embers, their potential wasted in this forsaken place. I wasn't interested in their suffering—I was interested in their power.

I approached each cage in turn. I pressed my hand against their heads, one after the other.

All For One.

In that instant, I felt it—a surge as their stolen powers cascaded into me. The woman's latent ability, the man's untapped strength, and the third's elusive energy all shifted and merged with my own arsenal. I allowed the energy to flow through me, absorbing every bit of their potential without a moment's hesitation.

I stood there, feeling the new energies settle within me, merging with what I already possessed. Turning back to Kurt, I said, "We have work to do."

He hesitated for a heartbeat before nodding. I placed a firm hand on his shoulder and, as if swallowing the night itself, we vanished into the darkness.

Ascension continues.