"It's amazing how much control you have over your ability already," Isaac muttered as he finally regained some composure and cautiously stepped closer to Kai.

Kai just laughed, blunt and unfiltered. "I think you're just an idiot."

Isaac blinked, unsure if he should be offended or not.

Kai didn't wait, launching straight into a critical analysis of the one-armed man, blood dripping down his face as he spoke. "You're overthinking everything. You have a damn good ability, and you're basically weightless when you phase, right? You could fly if you figured out the right momentum. Sink into the ground and pop up wherever you want. Let every projectile pass straight through you. Hell, you could zip in and out of buildings without anyone even noticing you're there."

Isaac scratched his head, looking both impressed and deeply sceptical. "Yeah, easy for you to say. It's not like phasing through solid rock or flying is simple. It's risky and difficult."

Kai shrugged like it wasn't his problem."You're a mutant. Stop being a baby and figure it out."

Before Isaac could argue, Kai casually formed a sharp blood projectile in mid-air and launched it straight at him without warning.

"Oi-!"

Isaac barely managed to phase in time, the blood spear passing harmlessly through his intangible body.

"You see?" Kai grinned, teeth flashing. "You're basically invincible. Every attack can pass right through you."

Isaac scowled, shaking off the shock. "But in Nyx's facility..."

"I'm sure there's some way to overcome his way of suppressing your ability," Kai cut him off sharply. "And even if there isn't, so what? You're not going to be fighting Nyx every day, and it's not a reason to just give up on yourself."

Isaac couldn't exactly argue with that.

Kai paced a few steps, blood shifting around him like a red mist, still thinking aloud. "You've got one arm now, yeah, it sucks. But that just means you need to mix your ability into your fighting. Make yourself unpredictable. Cover the weakness on your left side with smart movement. Phasing mid-attack. Hitting them from angles they won't expect."

Isaac hesitated, chewing over the idea. It sounded good. Hell, it sounded brilliant. But actually doing it was another thing entirely.

Kai caught the hesitation and smiled - a slow, menacing smile that was a hundred times more unsettling with him drenched in blood, looking like something out of a horror movie.

"Why don't we give it a go now?" he suggested innocently.

Isaac stared at him.

The guy had just spent hours beating himself half to death in training with Takeshi, then alone, and somehow still had enough energy to be grinning like a lunatic.

But despite everything, Isaac found himself nodding. He appreciated the advice. Kai was skilled, tough, and smart. But Isaac wasn't helpless either. Even with one arm, he was a mutant who'd had his fair share of fights.

'Even with one arm, I'm still a mutant that had combat training,' he reminded himself, squaring his shoulders.

But it didn't take long into the "spar" for him to realise just how badly he was outmatched.

-

They squared off without another word. Kai cracked his neck lazily, blood droplets still trickling off his arms as he settled into a relaxed stance. He wasn't planning on using his ability or taking Isaac too seriously.

Meanwhile, Isaac flexed his remaining arm, his nerves buzzing. 'One arm,' he reminded himself. 'So I've got to move smarter.'

Then they clashed.

Fists flew in sharp, testing bursts. Isaac jabbed out first, a fast punch aimed at Kai's face. Kai slipped under it easily, countering with a brutal blow toward Isaac's exposed left side - the side he couldn't defend properly anymore.

But Isaac phased instinctively, letting the attack pass harmlessly through him.

Kai's eyes narrowed slightly. "Good, that's it."

Isaac, encouraged, began mixing phasing into every movement, just like Kai had suggested earlier.

Step, phase, step, punch!

Duck, phase, kick!

Attack and slip between reality and nothingness in quick, unpredictable bursts.

For a few moments, it genuinely threw Kai off.

The two danced across the clearing, Isaac using his ability to cover his glaring weakness. His missing arm left him vulnerable on the left, but if he timed his phasing perfectly, he could nullify that opening.

Kai grinned through it all. His muscles moved with terrifying precision, weaving between Isaac's half-formed attacks. Every step Kai took was calculated. Every dodge, every counter, refined.

Still, Isaac was adapting. He phased through a brutal right hook, ducked low, then sank into the ground.

Kai's stance sharpened instantly, his muscles tensing. He scanned his surroundings, blood pumping louder in his ears.

Then Isaac erupted from the earth behind him.

A fist cracked into Kai's chin with a satisfying thwack, staggering him a step back.

Isaac couldn't stop the grin from spreading across his face. Finally, he landed a clean hit.

"Not bad," Kai chuckled darkly, rubbing his jaw. He smiled slightly and was impressed by the drastic change in Isaac's demeanour. He'd gone from deflated to having the passion in his eyes reignited.

"But I wouldn't get cocky just yet."

The playful tone disappeared in an instant.

Kai shifted forward, lightning-fast bloodweaving. No flashy tricks. Just pure speed and instinct.

He had already begun reading Isaac's timing, every slight delay between his phasing. The moment Isaac materialised for even a heartbeat, Kai was there.

A hand shot out, grabbing Isaac's wrist.

Isaac's stomach dropped. He tried to phase immediately, but with Kai touching him, it was useless. Kai was dragged into the phase with him, and worse, Kai could still hit him.

And Kai did.

Fists pummelled into Isaac's ribs, his stomach, his shoulder. Not wild swings, calculated, punishing blows designed to break his guard and hammer home reality.

Kai battered him without mercy, the grip never loosening, until finally, he shoved Isaac away like throwing away a spent towel.

Isaac stumbled back, coughing, feeling every bruise bloom across his body.

"How was that? Fun, right?"

"Better than just sitting around feeling sorry for yourself." Kai was blunt, which stung, but was exactly what the man needed.

"At the end of the day, you can only ever really rely on yourself," he added under his breath.

There was something raw under his words. It showed just how alone Kai felt and how much confidence he had in himself and his abilities.

It was as motivating and inspiring as it was sad and unnerving.

Isaac sucked in a shaky breath and nodded.

No complaints. No excuses.

That marked the beginning of something different for him. From that day forward, Isaac also joined the so-called Mutant Training Camp.

They'd train together, train alone, and focus on their own weaknesses and potential.

Every day, they broke themselves down and built themselves back up stronger.

By the time a full month had passed, none of them were the same anymore...

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