87. Success With a Bitter Aftertaste
"Hold it steady, hold it steady!" Angelo gritted his teeth as the chaotic sphere pulsed between their six outstretched palms. The energy ball looked like molten metal gone wrong—silver mixed with angry streaks of red, orange, and blue that seemed to fight each other for dominance. "I think we've got it this time. We're actually—Shit!"
The aggressive orb suddenly bulged to one side like an overinflated balloon. All three duplicates dove in different directions just as the thing exploded, the shockwave sending them tumbling through the air above the churning ocean waves.
"Fuck. Fuck. Fuck!" Angelo steadied himself in mid-flight, clenching his fists so hard his knuckles went white. He kicked at the salty air like he was trying to punt his frustration straight into the water below. "What the hell are we screwing so bad?"
Red bobbed up and down in the ocean breeze, grinning like he'd just won the lottery. "Hey, if anything, at least we're consistent! Same spectacular failure every single time!"
Angelo shot him a look that could have melted steel.
Blue dusted himself off with his usual precision, then floated over to study Angelo's irritated form. He stroked his chin thoughtfully, watching his original stomp around like a caged animal. "Might I propose an alternative approach to our current methodology?"
"What now?" Angelo snapped, still wound tighter than a spring.
Blue straightened his posture, completely unfazed by the hostility. "I believe we should examine the fundamental interactions between our energies on a more manageable scale. Perhaps understanding the basic principles will illuminate the correct procedural framework."
Angelo took several deep breaths, forcing his shoulders to relax. "Fine. Let's try it your way."
"Smaller booms, bigger fun!" Red chuckled as he got into position, crimson energy already dancing around his fingers.
Blue nodded approvingly as he settled between them. "Additionally, I propose we focus on mixing our energy particles in their gaseous state first. I wish to properly observe how they interact before attempting another sphere."
Angelo cracked his knuckles. "Like when we made that silver thing fight Nova and Ashly? Alright, I'll play along."
The three of them formed a triangle, each creating small clouds of colored energy that swirled together like a miniature galaxy floating between their hands. Blue's eyes lit up with scientific fascination as he watched the particles dance and merge.
This had to work. They needed to master Trinergy, and they needed to do it fast.
But our heroes weren't the only ones moving pieces, across town in an expensive neighborhood, Megan's pristine house had turned into organized chaos. Cliffhangers moved through her bedroom like a practiced crew, folding clothes and stuffing them into multiple suitcases with military efficiency.
Megan stood in her doorway, tapping her foot in a steady rhythm. Her arms were crossed tight across her chest. "I still don't understand how you let this happen. Hugo assured me repeatedly that there was nothing to worry about." She shook her head with professional disappointment. "I should have known better than to trust verbal agreements from a gang leader."
Veronica looked up from supervising the packing, her expression softening slightly. "Look, Hugo's got his flaws—he's ruthless, he's got a temper, he thinks with his dick half the time, and don't get me started on his ego. But he's not a liar. When he says he'll protect someone, he means it. As long as there's breath in his body, you're safe."
Megan adjusted her glasses, still skeptical. "We'll see about that." She watched another Cliffhanger fold her favorite blouse with surprising care. "So what exactly makes you believe someone is targeting me?"
Veronica hesitated, and for just a moment, her cheeks actually turned pink. "Someone broke into the mansion last night. I saw them... kind of. They dropped a whole stack of papers with your signature all over them when they ran."
Megan's eyes widened behind her glasses. "You witnessed them in the act and they still escaped?" Her voice carried the same tone she used when questioning discrepancies in financial reports.
"Whoever we're dealing with..." Veronica's jaw tightened with frustration. "They're some kind of fog creature. Or they can turn into fog. Hell, I don't know what I saw."
"fog creature?" Megan repeated the words carefully, like she was trying to categorize an unusual expense. "Could you be more specific?"
Veronica threw her hands up. "Your guess is as good as mine! Either this person can transform into living fog, or they've got some kind of fog monster doing their dirty work. It's not like any ability I've seen before. Maybe some evolved ability or another."
Megan rubbed her temples methodically. "Well, I'm not too versed in all of that Auron business, but the risk is clear enough. Where are you sending me?"
Veronica's composure snapped back into place. "There's a private island about an hour offshore. Luxury beach houses, twenty-four-seven security. You'll be comfortable."
Megan's foot stopped tapping. "I want one of the heavy hitters watching me. You or those light boys Hugo keeps as attack dogs."
Veronica looked away, suddenly finding the ceiling fascinating. "That's... not going to be possible."
"What?" Megan's voice shot up an octave. "Why the hell not?"
"The people we suspect are capable of some serious damage," Veronica explained carefully. "If things go sideways, we're going to need every ounce of firepower we can get."
Megan stared at her. "You already know who did this? Then why aren't you dragging their asses to the cliff right now?"
Veronica let out a long, tired sigh. "Because Hugo, in all his infinite wisdom, decided to make them honorary guests. He's practically adopted one of the bastards."
"But why would he—" Megan's voice cracked with confusion.
"Your guess is as good as mine. Besides, we've got no evidence tying them to anything yet. Plus, we've been watching them constantly. Nobody saw any suspicious movement when the mansion got hit." Veronica's frustration was written all over her face. "If it is them, I have no clue how they pulled it off."
Megan shook her head slowly, like she was trying to process something impossible. "When this is all over, Hugo and I are going to have words. Serious fucking words."
Veronica's smile turned predatory. "I'll clear my schedule for that conversation. Wouldn't miss it for the world."
Meanwhile, back in Thunderclap's rain-slicked streets, Sol and Neiva made their way toward the cliff edge. Neiva spotted a puddle in their path and couldn't resist giving it a playful kick, sending a splash of muddy water all across Sol's pants.
"Hey! What was that for?" Sol jumped back, examining the dark stains spreading across his leg.
Neiva covered her mouth with both hands, giggling despite herself. "Oops! I didn't think it was that deep. Sorry about that." She glanced ahead toward their destination. "So what's our next move?"
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Sol shook his foot, trying to flick off the worst of the water, then let out a resigned sigh. "I think we should keep our heads down while Josef works his contacts. Last thing we need is more attention from the locals." He gestured subtly toward a group of Cliffhangers who quickly averted their eyes when they noticed him looking.
"Are we checking on the others now?" Neiva asked, falling into step beside him.
"Probably should. Though I have no clue how we're getting down there without turning into pancakes." Sol's expression turned wistful. "Times like this, I'm seriously jealous of those three. Flying looks so damn convenient."
Neiva nodded enthusiastically. "Right? forged energy sounds so simple when you think about it—just solid energy. But look at everything they can do with it!"
Sol's mood lightened, a playful smile tugging at his lips. "Maybe when I evolve, I'll get solid darkness. That could be fun."
Without thinking, Neiva started bouncing on her toes. "Then I hope mine turns out to be solid met—" She stopped mid-sentence, her face scrunching up in confusion. "Wait, hold on a minute. Metal's already solid. Does that mean I could already fly like them?"
Sol tilted his head, considering the question seriously. "Maybe? But it'd probably be way harder. I think their energy stuff is lighter than actual metal. Plus they've got their regular energy for the whole thrust thing."
Neiva tapped her temple with her knuckles. "Right, physics and all that. Guess flying's still out of reach for little old me."
"Hey, don't sell yourself short. If you evolve, you might get something even—"
"Rorck!" Neiva's excited shout cut him off as she spotted a familiar figure sitting at a small outdoor table under the coffee shop's large umbrellas. She broke into a jog, her sneakers splashing through puddles.
Rorck looked up from his steaming cup, a gentle smile spreading across his weathered features. "Why, if it isn't young Neiva. What a delightful surprise to encounter you here."
Neiva skidded to a stop under the umbrella's shelter, quickly folding her own as Sol caught up behind her. "I haven't seen you in forever! How have you been holding up?"
Rorck didn't answer immediately. He stared down at his coffee, swirling it slowly before speaking to the dark liquid. "I have been... managing quite well, I believe."
Neiva didn't notice the odd response, too excited to contain herself. "You know what? I actually did it! And it's all because of your advice! I'm a metal Auron now!"
Rorck's face brightened with genuine warmth. "That is truly magnificent news, my dear. However, I must correct you—I played no role in your achievement. You became an Auron through your own determination and strength."
"No, really, it was your words that—" Neiva started, but Sol's gentle elbow in her ribs made her pause. "Right... anyway, got any more wisdom for this newly minted Auron?"
Rorck's gaze drifted toward the ocean and the gray clouds gathering on the horizon. His voice took on a distant quality. "Only this—do not overthink the deeper mysteries of our world, unless you wish to end up in my position." After a long moment, he focused on them again. "Never mind me. I see it's only you two today, where might your other companion be at present?"
Sol glanced in the direction where Angelo was presumably training. "He's... working on some techniques. Got some pretty ambitious goals he's chasing."
Something in the way Rorck nodded and took another deliberate sip made Sol suspect the mysterious man knew exactly what those ambitions involved. He looked over the cliff to where the trio were floating above the churning ocean waves focused intently on the small, chaotic vortex spinning between their joined palms. Unlike their previous catastrophic attempts, this miniature version only produced occasional bright flashes and sharp crackling sounds.
"Hmm," Blue murmured thoughtfully for what felt like the dozenth time.
"Hmm, HMMMM!" Angelo mimicked his analytical counterpart, his frustration boiling over. "You got anything useful to add, professor, or are we just humming our way to victory?"
"Can you not sense it?" Blue's ice-cold stare locked onto Angelo's fiery gaze like two opposing forces meeting. "This underlying tension..."
"Oh, I can feel tension all right!" Red chimed in with his usual perfect timing. "Could cut it with a butter knife at this point!"
Angelo forced himself to take a deep breath, centering his focus. "Yeah, there's definitely something there. But making weird noises at it isn't exactly a solution."
Blue returned his attention to the violent miniature storm. "Indeed... I find myself struggling to articulate this particular sensation with any precision."
Angelo's expression grew thoughtful as he studied the swirling energy. "Putting it into words, huh?" He concentrated harder, trying to understand what he was feeling. "It's like... like they're racing each other, but they're all tangled up and pushing against one another as they try to reach some finish line."
Blue's eyes widened with recognition. "Yes! I perceive exactly what you describe. But this creates a fundamental problem—they should be working in harmony, not engaging in this... this aggressive competition."
"So maybe one of them should just quit the race," Red suggested with a casual shrug, not putting much thought into the idea.
Blue sighed like a teacher hearing the wrong answer from a struggling student. "That completely misses the point. If one withdraws, we're back to combining only two energies."
"Wait a second," Angelo said slowly, his voice gaining conviction. "What if that's exactly the answer?"
"What?" Blue and Red asked simultaneously.
"What if one of them stops competing..." Angelo's words came deliberately, his mental image shifting from three runners fighting each other to one stepping back and helping push the other two forward. "What if instead of racing, one helps the others reach the goal?"
"How the heck would that work?" Red asked with genuine curiosity.
Both Angelo and Blue pondered this before Blue's scholarly mind made the connection. "Of course! Currently, all our energies rotate in the same direction. What if one reversed its spin? It could provide the stabilizing force necessary for true Trinergy!"
Angelo and Red exchanged meaningful looks. "Which one takes the backseat?"
"Angelo's energy, naturally," Blue explained with growing excitement. "Since your energy repels both mine and Red's equally, only it's neutral nature can bring proper balance to this equation."
Angelo met Blue's gaze, understanding passing between them like electricity.
Red clapped his hands together. "All right then, ready to make history?" His trademark predatory grin was impossible to contain.
The others nodded, cautious optimism flickering in their synchronized movements.
They assumed their positions once more, hope dancing in their eyes. Pressing their palms together, they watched as the multicolored sphere materialized and began its rotation. But this time, something was different. Part of the energy spun in the opposite direction, creating a mesmerizing pattern that drew the eye like a hypnotic spiral. The sphere spun faster and compressed tighter, its chaotic energy gradually settling into something beautiful.
Before their amazed eyes, the sphere transformed, its wild colors settling into a perfect silver orb shot through with veins of red, orange, and blue that danced like living lightning beneath its surface.
Angelo let out a shaky breath, his voice barely above a whisper. "This... this is it."
Red's grin revealed every sharp tooth as satisfaction flooded his features. "We actually fucking did it."
"Trinergy," Blue finished, his usual composure cracking with wonder.
The three examined their creation—the fruit of countless failures and stubborn determination. They'd finally cracked the code. Now all that remained was mastering this new power, and then it would be time to challenge Hugo.
But their moment of triumph comes with a bitter aftertaste, because what happened next would throw a wrench into all their carefully laid plans. At a harbor several miles down the shore, Megan stood surrounded by a small army of Cliffhangers carrying her belongings, facing the massive form of Hugo Reid himself.
"Honestly, Hugo," Megan said, her professional composure cracking with disappointment. "I expected better risk management from someone in your position."
Hugo's smile didn't even flicker at the criticism—if anything, it grew wider. "Now that just stings, Maggy. Didn't I promise you'd be safe under my protection?"
Megan simply crossed her arms with a dismissive sniff.
"Look on the bright side," Hugo continued, his tone taking on the practiced smoothness of a sales pitch. "You're getting a paid vacation out of this mess. My people identified the threat against you before anyone could make a move. Just relax and let us handle the details."
"And what happens when they track me to this island of yours?" Megan's voice carried a nervous edge despite her attempts to stay professional.
"If they knew your location, they would've come for you before we did." Hugo's smile turned predatory, like a shark scenting blood in the water. "That's precisely why we didn't rush to your doorstep immediately."
Megan's eyes went wide behind her glasses. "Wait—you used me as bait?!" Her voice shot up in outrage.
Hugo stroked his graying beard with obvious satisfaction. "Something along those lines, yes." His grin was pure wolf now. "Don't worry—we had surveillance on your place the entire time. The fact that nobody showed up means they don't have your address. Now we're relocating you to safety, and we've got eyes on your house. When someone comes sniffing around where they shouldn't, we'll have the identity of whoever broke into my mansion."
Megan took a long moment to process what she'd heard, her analytical mind working through the implications. Finally, she let out a long sigh. "Well, I'll admit your strategy shows considerable foresight."
Hugo gestured toward the waiting boat with theatrical flourish. "Nothing so fancy—just your everyday thug using his brain for once." He chuckled at his own joke. "Now then, your luxury resort awaits."
And with that, Megan boarded the vessel and departed, leaving our heroes on a wild goose chase that would lead them straight into the Hanger's waiting hands.