In a grimy motel room reeking of mildew and stale cigarettes, an odd gathering of mutants found themselves locked in yet another mess - this time, it was verbal.

The walls were yellowed with age, and the lone light bulb above flickered like it was on its last breath. The room had only two beds, a chair that looked ready to collapse, and a tiny bathroom with cracked tiles and a rust-stained sink that gurgled at random intervals.

Outside, sirens wailed faintly in the distance, a constant reminder they were still deep in New York… though the part no one ever put on postcards.

An orange-haired woman paced back and forth like a caged lioness, muttering under her breath. That was Nadya - quick-tempered and too impulsive for her own good.

In the corner stood Isaac, one arm missing, his other hand pinching the bridge of his nose like he was nursing a migraine.

On the edge of a bed sat Sven, platinum blonde hair tousled, wearing a leather coat that still smelled faintly of burnt rubber. He looked far too comfortable for someone who had just stolen a van, committed multiple petty crimes, and narrowly escaped death.

Then there was Amina, quiet as always, perched on a wobbly wooden chair like a doll abandoned in the wrong house. Her tanned skin looked pale under the dim light, and she didn't bother getting herself involved.

And at the centre of it all, like a lion basking amidst the fallout, was Kai.

He lay back on the other of the two sagging beds, arms behind his head, blood still streaked across his face and arms in dark smudges that stubbornly refused to wash off. He wore a plain white shirt with a bright red slogan, "I love NYC," as if mocking the chaos that had just unfolded.

No one spoke at first. The silence had been deafening ever since they'd shut the door behind them. It was like the moment they'd stopped running, all their emotions had caught up in one big wave. But it was only a matter of time before someone broke it.

And that someone, of course, was Sven, who had returned to his usual brash self.

"I'm just gonna say it," he said, arms crossed, legs swinging off the bed. "What the fuck was up with you back there?"

Kai didn't even blink.

Sven gestured wildly with both hands. "You went full psycho-blood-demon mode! That armour thing? The whole 'I'm going to slaughter an entire squad of armed soldiers' vibe? I thought you had that whole bloodlust thing under control?"

"And you stole my fight," Nadya huffed, spinning around mid-pace to point a finger at Kai. "I had that! That giant tank of a woman? She was mine!"

Kai didn't answer.

Isaac, still nursing his headache, muttered, "And did you really have to kill all those AMC soldiers? We're not exactly flying under the radar now - and I heard they've killed and captured more mutants than any other group."

Kai slowly sat up on the bed, wiping a patch of dried blood from his cheek with his thumb. The mattress squeaked as he leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees.

'Let them come,' he thought coldly. If they were his enemy, then he'd face them, and if he had some connection to them, he'd find out exactly what it was.

The others kept ranting, voices rising with every passing second. Something about losing control. Something about how he'd made everything worse. Something about how terrifying his powers were when fully unleashed.

Kai listened… for a while.

Then he exhaled slowly and opened his mouth. "It's not like I chose this ability."

They paused, unsure where he was going.

"And remind me, we were only supposed to be asking about those drugs, right? So why, Nadya, did I end up in a mutant fight?"

Nadya blinked.

Kai wasn't done. "You said you knew the woman running the place. But didn't mention that you were mortal enemies, and you had blasted her in the eye."

"That was a part of the plan," she retorted.

Kai raised an eyebrow. "The plan? You led us into a lion's den, picked a fight with the biggest predator in the cage, and sparked the mayhem?"

He stretched casually. "Wasn't exactly the best plan, was it?"

The room fell quiet.

And then… Isaac snorted.

Amina covered her mouth to hide her smile.

Even Sven let out a short chuckle.

It didn't matter who was technically right - no one cared anymore. The night had spiralled out of control, and bouncing the blame around, even half-jokingly, was enough to release some of the tension.

"The drugs were there, weren't they?" Nadya shot back, still defensive. "You all saw those people shoot up that TEMP Z crap and go full mutant berserker before the place turned into a warzone."

"Yeah," Isaac muttered, his voice dropping. "It was crazy..."

The mood dimmed again.

They'd all seen too much that night. Too many bodies. Too many screams. And too much blood, most of it on Kai's hands.

The silence this time was heavier. Heavier because it wasn't just awkward - it was reflective.

Isaac finally broke it. "Well… at least we all made it out. Even if we didn't find anything useful."

Kai's eyes narrowed.

"Who said that?"

All eyes turned to him.

He reached into the pocket of the tattered pants he hadn't bothered changing, then pulled something out and tossed it onto the centre of the bed.

A syringe.

Slim. Metallic. Still stained with a trace of deep crimson liquid.

The same one Zeke - the Black Fang - had used to inject himself with that monstrous strength.

"It's not much," Kai said, voice low, "but it's better than nothing."

They all leaned in as Sven picked it up and examined it.

It looked ordinary at first.

Then Sven's face darkened.

He didn't speak at first. His fingers tightened around the syringe, knuckles whitening. His jaw clenched, and he swore under his breath.

"What is it?" Nadya asked, leaning closer.

But Sven didn't respond immediately.

He couldn't.

Because stamped at the base of the syringe, etched into the metal like a brand, was a symbol he recognised all too well.

A stylised serpent coiled around a golden crucifix. Twisted. Familiar. And dangerous.

He couldn't hide the fact that he recognised it.

'…I've seen this before.'

And just like that, the atmosphere in the room shifted once again.

No longer filled with petty arguments.

Now it was something darker.

Something real.

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