Renee hurriedly dumped a pile of unwrapped 'Nuclear Nutty Buddy' protein bars onto Ryan who tore into them immediately. Having spent all his energy earlier giving her a new superpower, he had next to nothing left to heal with. So he had to watch the wolf’s pained, labored breathing as Lucas fell unconscious to the floor. A chill ran down Ryan’s back. He dove for the body of his new friend and activated his power.

Lucas Fulmon

Physical Status:

Gunshot wounds (pierced) 12x Gunshot wounds (impacted) 26x Left Arm Severed Substantial Blood Loss Multiple Missing Teeth Multiple Contusions Multiple Lacerations Mortally Wounded (Brachial Artery Severed)

Mental Status: Unconscious

God… damnit, Lucas! How did you even manage-- nope, focus Ryan. Fix it first, talk later.

Total cost to fix Lucas's physical wounds: 186 points.

That… was more than he had. But a quick check told him he had enough to fix the artery and stop the blood loss. Once the life threatening injuries were done with, healing the rest was just a matter of time and scarfed food. I feel like a dessert-powered white mage. He thought absently. Heh. A pastry paladin, maybe?

A few bars and some more food-related job titles later, Ryan was sitting on the floor next to a snoring, yet perfectly healthy, wolf man.

"Sweet… raspberry jesus." Renee swore softly, staring at him with wide eyes. "You healed him… with candy bars."

"Yep." Ryan replied with relief. It was temporary however as he could feel his stomach begin its customary post-power gurgle. "Though it was a little strange. I haven't healed much. But with all of his injuries I figured the cost would be higher."

"Why is that? Are arms cheap to replace or something?" Renee asked as she followed Ryan towards the bathroom.

"No... I think it's because of what was being healed. Most of his injuries were in the same areas, so those were cheaper. Growing a new limb was more expensive, though if I had to guess, it's probably because of all the extra muscles and bone he has in that form."

"Is that how it--" Ryan's stomach interrupted her, gurgling with something akin to sentient malice.

"Hold that thought. Have to heed nature. Then I'll wake him up and we can figure out what happened." Closing the door on her, Ryan went about his business. It seemed to him that the faster he used his power after eating, the greater his body's gastro-intestinal ‘response’ was. Probably doesn’t like whatever is leftover very much. Can't imagine calorie-drained slime goes down well.

After a brief musical interlude, Ryan returned to the room and woke Lucas up. Then they listened as the wolf man told them what had happened on his trip.

Saint Francis High had been easy enough to find. It was nestled in one of the many wooded areas dotted throughout the town. Just out of sight enough to be worth its private school fee. School buses had been lined up as barriers across the main - and only - street entrance. An armed and uniformed trio of guards stood watch at the school gate, now reinforced with sandbags. None of that had been a problem for Lucas, who simply went around the barrier. Running right into the surrounding trees and up the heavily wooded hill.

His supernatural hearing and speed allowed him to evade a patrol of two uniformed supers and a large green-skinned orc with a bow at his back. After them, Lucas made it all the way to the school without encountering anyone else.

Like all high schools, its classrooms served as outer walls built to protect the students within. They weren't however designed to keep out a werewolf who could easily leap 10 ft straight up without running. Which he did. The view from the rooftop of the first floor building had been… unsettling.

A scene of deserted nothing lay before him. It was completely still in the campus courtyard. And, strangely, completely clean. No trash, no litter, no people. No sound. Lucas decided to simply settle in and wait. Nothing moved for another half hour, not even another patrol.

Then a pair of guards emerged from a set of double doors leading into the interior hallways and classrooms. They carried between them the partially disfigured body of a young female wearing only a set of bloodied scrubs. She was suspended on cheap plastic sheeting. And she wasn't breathing.

After disappearing down another set of doors leading towards the back of the building, the men were gone. Lucas then decided to use this opportunity to scout the hallway the men had emerged from. A quick hop down and he was inside. Another man could be heard down the hall complaining about the mayor's daily visits being a pain when he walked in.

That was when the mission went, quite literally, downhill.

"Two of them had super strength. One of them got my arm. The rest had guns or powers I didn't have time to guess at as I ran." Lucas recalled a bit sluggishly. Waking up to a new arm after passing out for what had probably felt like the last time had been a bit of a shock that the big guy was still recovering from.

Recovering or not however, Ryan had a question that couldn’t wait. He put his hand on Lucas’s shoulder and gave him a serious look. “Were you followed?”

Lucas looked confused and a knot of worry began to form inside Ryan’s stomach. He didn’t like that look. Renee elaborated for the confused man slowly, squatting down to meet him at eye level.

“Did any of the ones you fought follow you back here? Are we safe…? Or do we need to run?”

The wolf man shook his head. “I--” Guilt crossed onto his face, followed by a pained expression of realization. “I was not followed, but all the blood from…” He gestured at his regrown arm, his eyes frowning as if still had doubts that it was really there. “Someone like me, or with dogs, could probably track it here.”

“Shit.” Ryan swore in irritation. That would force them to speed things up. They couldn’t wait around and build up anymore. Not if another goonsquad of supers could break down the door at any moment. Ryan looked at the time. 6:16pm. Was I out all day? So much wasted time…

Action it was then. Ryan tapped a fist to an open palm. “Right. It’s almost nightfall. I say we make whatever last minute preparations we need, then we go. Hit ‘em before they have a chance to retaliate. And if they’re on their way here already… we’ll miss ‘em and the school will be that much less prepared.”

Renee stood, arched an eyebrow, and patted Lucas on the shoulder to emphasize her next point. “Or... they’ll be on high alert now that tall dark and fangs over here got caught. Attacking a pissed-off hive of assholes sounds like a bad idea.”

Lucas stood, but remained silent without weighing in on either side. Whether that was due to his normal, quiet nature or him still recovering was hard to tell.

Ryan nodded to concede and agree to her point. “It’s a terrible idea.”

“Then y--” Renee began.

Ryan raised a finger and elongated his first word for emphasis. “Allll-most as bad as letting them move the people we want to rescue to another location. Or giving them time to fortify. Now, I’m not a military guy, but if we let them go somewhere else then we’re fucked because they can find us but we’ll need to find them again.”

Renee paused at that, her face showing that she was being generous in doing so. Ryan interpreted that as his words gaining traction, so he pressed on. “Besides. They just repelled an attack. Lucas, did you kill or seriously injure any of them?”

The big wolf shook his head. “No. I just ran.”

Ryan lifted a hand in his direction at the validation. “Which means that right now they’re probably cocky. They scared off the big, bad wolf. They won’t be expecting him to come back and eat them… Or for your sexy butt to whisper all their friends over to our side. Which… that worked, yeah?” If it hadn't, he was about to be all kinds of grumpy.

The question brought an almost mercenary smile to her beautiful red lips. “Oh, it worked alright. And just so you know, I’m never quiet.” Renee gave him a conspiratorial wink - causing a stirring he definitely did not need to heed right now - and left the room to get ready. Lucas gave him an amused look.

Once she was out of earshot, Ryan raised his arms unabashedly. Then he shook himself in a little dance that wiggled his hips. “What? I’m electric. She clearly can’t help herself.”

The newly healed wolf man considered him for a second. Then rolled his eyes, thanked him for his help, and went to get himself ready.

*************

Three hours later

“Okay, you got me. This is way better." Renee admitted as they entered the dark section of woods surrounding Saint Francis High. "We're the apex predators, how come our eyes aren't this good?"

The terrain they were traversing was both uphill and densely packed with tall weeds. Past the initially visible grass just off the road the forest proper was entirely overgrown. Apparently, vines and vegetation were the school board’s way of cheaping out on a fence.

Ryan looked up and gave her a knowing smirk, then returned to the remote control in his hands. Once they were about halfway to the school he pressed a button and tossed the remote behind him. Goodbye, BGM. I promise to make your next version even more badass.

Renee was about to ask what he'd done - he could feel it - but her newly enhanced eyes made the fireball that appeared way off to the side… rather visible. Distinct, even. It was followed by another… and then another. Ryan couldn't help but grin broadly at the sight despite the loss of his truck.

Her head swiveled in its direction, then back to him. She pointed at the rapidly increasing flames, then back at him. One adorable eyebrow raised above her new blue tigress eyes. And yet, her eyes are still pretty. I never went in for that catgirl stuff but… damn.

Ryan nodded, his smile showing teeth. "I call it the 'showstopper'. BGM's our distraction here. Fire is… pretty distracting." Ryan shrugged in a way that showed an utter lack of disregard for the emerging plight of their foes and just a hint of glee. "Hard to put out once it has enough fuel. Now get ready. Remember, once people come out - we move."

Renee waved his concern away with a confident hand. As far as he knew, she hadn't tested her new power on anyone. Lucas had politely, yet quite firmly, refused and there was no chance Ryan would've let her try even if he wasn't immune. Mind control was creepy, no matter how well-intentioned the desire behind it.

Luckily, they didn't have to wait long for a response.

Three uniformed guards hurriedly bust out of the front entrance of the school, only pausing to kick a doorstop into each of the double doors. None were armed, but that hardly meant anything. The one with overly gelled hair seemed to be the runt while the one in back was… dancing. Dancing man's hair shot out in every direction as he spun, looking like he had just grabbed a live wire. The largest of the trio, and the obvious leader, was up front. A burly southern sort sporting a massive beard and even more massive arms. The leader held a young bald kid in a hospital gown by the shoulder and was force-marching the boy towards a fire hydrant.

"See the fire now? Go fix it or else I’ma give ya ribs another lesson in listenin' without talking back!" Warned the heavyweight in a drawling voice that rose in volume as he spoke.

The boy, no older than 16 or 17, looked at the fire spreading across the main entrance and then back at his captors. He made a pleading gesture towards the yellow metal of the hydrant. Muffled words passed between them. The big one looked at slick hair and Ryan's group heard his angry voice sound off again.

"Well take it off then! Unless you can douse those flames yourself?" The smaller guard leaned down and then, almost sheepishly, twisted off a hydrant cap with his bare hands like he was cracking a beer.

To Ryan's surprise, water didn't immediately shoot out like he'd seen in movies. Instead it flowed out in a controlled fashion. Swirling water quickly formed a bubbling ball above the teen's head that grew larger with each second. The emasculated boy began to walk down the main road with a concentrated look on his face. Hydrant water continued to flow along in a smooth current from behind him towards the sphere that followed faithfully overhead.

Alright. I crouch corrected. A fire is nothing if you have the freaking avatar on your side. Ryan mentally corrected himself with not even a trace of jealousy over how awesome that kid's power was. In fact, he was so not jealous that he activated his own just to see how unlucky that young man really was. Totally not so he could get it later.

Name: Sarah Masters

Age: 17

Race: Human (Super)

Attributes:

Strength: 11

Dexterity: 14

Constitution: 9

Intelligence: 16

Wisdom: 16

Charisma: 8

Superpower(s):

Telekinesis (Water): Grants the capability to move and shape water via telekinesis. As this power is restricted to a single medium, the energy required to activate it is greatly reduced.

Physical Status: Multiple Contusions, Broken Rib, Internal Bleeding

Mental Status: Exhausted, Fearful

Not a boy after all. Must be the shaved head. Well, water tribe is usually where the story starts, isn't it? Let's do this.

First things first, he had to see what they were up against. And if they weren't being forced to participate…. Well the forced imprisonment of children told him everything he needed to know about what his response would be. Just mental status and power would be fine here. Quicker too, because he really didn't care about their names.

Superpower(s):

Super Strength: Grants supernatural strength far beyond human capabilities.

Mental Status: None

--------------

Superpower(s):

Enhanced Strength: Grants enhanced strength outside of normal human capabilities.

Enhanced Speed: Grants enhanced speed outside of normal human capabilities.

Mental Status: Worried

--------------

Superpower(s):

Electric Bolts: Grants the capability to fire bolts of electricity by storing it over time and directing the charge towards the desired target. Requires movement to generate charge.

Mental Status: Carefree

No holding back then. Good. Explains the lack of firearms too. I wouldn't carry a gun if I could fire lightning from my fingers.

"One super strength, the big guy with the beard. Strength and speed on the one on the left with too much gel and the giant mole. Crazy hair on the right there shoots lightning. None are under any kind of control as far as I can tell." Ryan shared hurriedly with his team.

"Lightning, huh?" Renee asked in a knowing voice, catching the gleam in his eyes. "What's the game plan then, boss?"

Ryan cracked some tension out of both sides of his neck in two quick motions. "Same as before, really. Ready?"

The pair nodded and split off into the woods. Renee headed towards the raging wildfire and Lucas vanishing into the trees to get into position. Ryan strode forward to intercept the guards who were now trailing the would-be water bender walking towards the fire with almost an entire swimming pool above her.

“Good evening, gentlemen. I was hop--hrrkgh” Ryan’s prepared speech was immediately interrupted by crazy hair stretching out a hand and firing a lightning bolt almost as soon as he started talking. It arced across the 20 or so yards between them and struck Ryan dead center in the chest. His hair shot out in every direction as if mimicking his attacker, the energy crackling through him making his tiger eyes shine with a bright blue light. It made him feel like a super saiyan.

His attacker's comrades smirked as the grass around Ryan crisped, burning at the edges. “Nice shot, Dave.” the smaller of the two strength-enhanced supers commented dryly.

You have absorbed a bolt of high-voltage electrical power. Energy gained: 1,258

Ryan stumbled backwards holding his gut and flung an arm out at the air as if trying to find something on which to get his balance. With as much bluster as he could, he grimaced and asked. “Got another one in you?”

'Dave' apparently did. His eyes went as wild as his hair and he extended both hands, shooting Ryan with everything he had.

You have absorbed a bolt of high-voltage electrical power. Energy gained: 3,640

I literally cannot believe that worked. Ryan thought in disbelief. He hadn't dared to imagine he could fool that idiot into energizing him twice. But Ryan wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth. Even a dumb one.

Almost five thousand points in less than a minute. It had taken the remainder of the energy in the generator - and another shock into naptime that probably wasn't great for his brain cells - to make himself able to absorb electricity automatically. Without pain or negative effects. It had also left the house completely without power. Damn if it wasn’t worth it. That shit hurt. I still have to use it right away or it’ll discharge, but as long as it doesn’t knock me out again - I’ll take it.

Ryan channelled all of the delicious points his foe had so graciously offered up into his attributes. It would leave him temporarily vulnerable, but that was the point. He was the bait. Since worrying would get him nowhere, Ryan turned his attention inward to ignore the pain of hid changes and trusted Lucas not to leave him to the wolves.

Wisdom was a trait he’d left woefully neglected this entire time. Kind of like… all mental stats really… but it was time it got a considerable bump. If the stat was anything like the tabletop RPGs he’d played, wisdom would increase his 'natural intuition and innate understanding'. Which was a fancy way of saying it was the subtle mental stat. That quiet, inner genius that was always harder to quantify on tests.

Intelligence was easier. Raw brain power and memory. Ryan wasn’t sure if that meant increasing it would make him a savant or not but he raised it just the same. Maybe on the other end I'll be able to figure that out.

He’d always been the sort to go for an all-around build in games. Honestly, ever since he'd first seen his stats they had bothered him. He'd rationalized it because there really wasn't much you can do about genetics. But I can. And it's time I added a few things nature didn't bless me with.

Finally, there was charisma. Which was generally described as a mixed bag. Kind of a mental and physical stat. It affected not just the force of one’s personality but also their looks and creativity. All of which sounded great. Like one of those learn to influence people seminars combined with a full body makeover all rolled into one stat. And thanks to bozo over here, he had enough to bring that up quite a bit too.

Dexterity got the rest. In combination with what he’d done at the house, the changes brought him to very respectable numbers. Numbers he hadn't yet seen on anyone without power-enhanced stats. Ryan hit accept and began convulsing as the energy he’d absorbed transformed into extra neurons and new muscle.

Perfect. Now I'm wriggling bait.

Name: Ryan Richards

Attributes:

Strength: 18

Dexterity: 19

Constitution: 15

Intelligence: 20

Wisdom: 20

Charisma: 20

There, how's that for a level up? Ryan thought a minute or so later as he came back to himself. His senses had temporarily shorted out for a moment during the upgrade, but now that they were coming back… as his eyes refocused it looked like the first phase of "bait'n'switch" plan had worked.

Lucas was standing at full extension in front of Ryan in full wolf form. The slick haired man had been impaled completely through on one arm. Whatever material his vest had been made of, it apparently wasn't werewolf-proof. The dying man was struggling in vain to pull the steel-tipped spiky fur-covered limb out of his chest.

The fur upgrade had been Ryan's idea. Instead of making the big bad wolf bigger or badder, Ryan had made him… nastier. It was a change inspired by porcupines and Lucas's strange yet sincere desire to not be literally disarmed ever, ever again. Almost as if he were attached to his arms or something.

The burly leader of the guards let loose an anguished howl and leapt forward. Gravel torn up by his boots flew into the air behind him. Launching himself with ridiculous strength he shot across the short distance to the wolf at high speed. He smashed a superpowered fist into Lucas's chest and turned it clockwise as it landed, expertly transferring all of his forward momentum to send the big wolf flying backwards.

A resounding boom rent the forested area and shook the trees. Air pressure from the blow washed over Ryan. It almost knocked him down but he was able to stay on his feet. An instant later Lucas impacted a tree behind him anime-style, cracking it in half with a sharp splitting sound and falling to the ground.

Satisfied with his work, the large man dusted his hands off and turned towards Ryan. The guard raised his meaty fists to his chin with a cocky grin. "I'm going to toss you into the same tree as your little dog, there. Stick you to it like a pig and make you squeal for what you bastards just did!"

Ryan didn't need increased intelligence to tell him he couldn't take the blow Lucas just had. He doubted his back could take an impact like that even if the entire thing was diamond. His organs definitely wouldn't.

Hopefully, he wouldn't have to. Thanks to his new stats, his mind felt like it was moving quite a bit faster now. His eyes noted the many pinpricks dotting his opponent’s fist where the guard had struck Lucas. Ryan also noted how it had taken the man just a bit longer to raise that hand than the other.

The plan was working. Trust the plan.

Ryan raised his arms in the universal gesture of surrender. “Alright, I give up. You got me.”

Narrowed eyes and a gritted, disbelieving snarl were his immediate response. Then the big man shook his head. “Ohh no. I’m not letting you off easy just ‘cause you’re playing nice now.

The next ten seconds were some of the most harrowing, and exhilarating, in Ryan's life.

The guard stepped in and threw a superpowered right hook at his face. Unlike before he didn’t jet engine leap to do it, he just swung. Without the takeoff boosting him to impossible speed, Ryan could see the fist coming at him as if in slow motion. He stepped to the side and dodged it easily. Another came, then another. Ryan dodged both follow ups with similar ease as he stepped into the street.

Knowing he had just avoided death not once but thrice sent a thrill racing through him like a live wire. His heart was pounding in his ears like a crackhead at the drums. Adrenaline coursed through his veins bringing with it a startling clarity, enabling him to move in measured steps as if on a chess board. The next few blows missed by even wider margins. The guard splintered a tree, snapped a street sign, and even one of those road barriers designed to protect the school from errant cars as his swings got more and more erratic.

Giddy laughter and righteous superiority swirled up inside Ryan and threatened to spill out as he evaded death again and again. He felt as if he were dancing away from the reaper each time the man swung and hit nothing but air. As the battle continued and he remained alive, the precariousness of his position faded from his mind. In its place there was only one thought. As sure as the sun would rise tomorrow - Ryan would not lose this fight. He couldn't lose.

Gat… damn! I am... awesome! Ryan thought as he ducked under yet another blow and stepped to the open side of his opponent. Despite the immense strength of his opponent, someone this slow would never be able to hit him with his new, higher dexterity!

So, of course, that's when someone did.

Mr. Crazy-hair-don't-care grabbed Ryan from behind and locked both of his arms in place over his chest. If it were just the static shock wannabe, Ryan was sure he could take him with his new strength. But the large guard he'd been circling now had a stationary target. He grinned with malicious glee and set himself up for a roundhouse punch sure to detach Ryan's head from his shoulders.

Then two things happened.

First, Lucas returned from his time spent gallivanting about the woods (or recovering from a possibly back breaking blow, dealer's choice). The wolf jumped onto the big guard from behind and latched him into a bear hug. Squeezing all of his needle-like fur with furious strength into the man's skin. A cry of pain and frustration rent the air as the super's own resistance only aided his own repeated puncturing.

The needles were not just to dissuade a bit of bad touch. Before they'd left, Ryan had decided Lucas needed more than just a porcupine makeover. He gave Lucas the ability to excrete a mild paralytic from the tips of his fur. Once in the bloodstream it would deaden nerves and dull response times. To be useful in a fight the effect was also quick once injected. And as with any potent paralytic, it got worse with more doses.

The guard had done that himself with his first strike. That was the beauty of putting it in the fur. So much surface area was poisoned that even his first punch must've been half a dozen doses. It slowed the man down considerably and was a major reason Ryan was still alive.

Now the guard's system was fighting easily a hundred or more doses. The muscles in his arm were sagging. It was clear the big guy was losing the war to keep moving.

The second factor was Crazy Hair's next decision, which could've been better.

The wiry man put his face next to Ryan's ear, hot stank breath washing over him. "I don't know how you survived earlier. But whatever your power is, you ain't walking away from this!"

Whatever the man had planned on doing, Ryan never found out. Wasting all that time speaking while maintaining direct contact only gave Ryan the time he needed.

Combat be damned, I'll just melt your spine. Try holding me back then. A terrified gurgle followed and a second guard slumped to the floor. His threat summarily forgotten by both of them.

What kind of dumbass wastes time talking in a fight? Ryan wondered as he shrugged the man off him. Crazy hair crumpled to the ground and the larger guard's eyes gained a measure of fear for the first time. He struggled against the wolf man's embrace, but it only made things worse.

Ryan reached out to touch their last opponent. The man tried in vain to wiggle away, shouting "No! Please, I--"...

The battle ended shortly after.

Ryan absorbed the dead guard and the big one without a second thought. Their points were easy enough to allocate. Nothing fancy. He brought his percentage of diamond skin up another 15% (total 40), his constitution to 20, and healed Lucas's wounds with the leftover.

When it came to absorbing mister thunderbolt however… if I can have Renee control him, then fix him, the guy's a walking battery pack for me.

It was a dark thought. One he probably should have been ashamed of even having. Only he wasn't. Not really. Everyone with any power in this new world seemed to be using everyone else for their own ends, so why shouldn't he? It was better than just killing the guy, right?

…..

No. It wasn't - and he knew it. Rationalizing away bullshit evil acts like that were how tyrants got their start and kept going. It was only one man now, but how many before he became like Stella? Or Marcus? Or any other petty tyrant who happened to luck their way into a ruling position throughout history.

I may not be some shining beacon. But… I'm not going down that road. Ryan promised himself.

With that mental line drawn in the sand, he killed and absorbed the fallen man. Ideals were one thing, but they still needed tempered with some realism. He wouldn't just let people go after they tried to kill him.

Besides, I can always give that power to someone else later. Preferably to someone who won't try to kill me with it.

His morality musings were put aside when he actually paid attention to how many points the man had been worth.

Only 140 points?! Why-- … ahh. Okay. He must have used all of his energy earlier, so there isn't any left to take. Talk about a one-trick power.

More than a little disappointed, Ryan channelled that tidbit of energy towards a single percentage of a new power he'd been considering. When it was done... He felt powerful. In charge. No longer the weak, wasted-away man from before who relied on others even to feed himself.

"Having fun?" Asked the familiar, cheery voice of Renee as she strolled up the hill from below with three armed guards following dutifully behind her. She had a swagger to her step now and for some reason it felt like she was staring straight through him.

Maybe it was his newly increased intelligence calculating factors he'd been unable to consider. Maybe it was his higher wisdom now intuitively picking up on things he'd missed. Maybe it was the fact that all three guards' weapons were now aimed directly at Ryan.

Or maybe it was Renee's suddenly cold voice ordering her minions to "Kill him".

Whatever it was, Ryan's prior exuberance fled as he came to a sudden, sobering realization.

"Oh."