A New Age, A New Team
Chapter 38: Diseased Shadow

Shadow Runner stood outside of the warehouse as he watched the carnage unfold in front of his deep green eyes, which were hidden behind his black sunglasses. The tricks that Chaos was pulling in fighting X² made his stomach churn as he watched in horror. He closed his eyes and slowly melted into the shadow below him.

When he reappeared he was inside the warehouse amongst the shadows and out of sight. The loud clatter of the noise burned his ears as he listened to the explosions and screams of the people.

Miracle (Natalie) stood before Hecate and Octavian (Gabe) with a devious smirk on her face. Even though Miracle never looked like much, she was one of the most deadly members of Chaos; literally. All she needed was one touch and she could instant kill someone in the most painful way possible.

"Her powers are over diseases," Octavian reminded Hecate in his thick southern accent, "We can't let her touch us."

"I remember." Hecate quietly said as her deep blue eyes locked with Miracle's silver colored eyes.

"We'll have to fight from afar." Octavian sighed as he glanced over at Hecate with his ice blue eyes.

"I can't," Hecate sighed, "I need to touch her in order to do any damage. If I can shut her down we'll be fine." Hecate said straight faced.

"Come and get it," Miracle smirked in her thick British accent.

Octavian smirked back towards Miracle, "Gladly darlin'." He chuckled as he held his hands together and Miracle's shadow rose up from the ground and punched her across the cheek.

Miracle fell to the ground, which made her shadow disappear beneath her. She rolled her jaw while she held her hand around it. She licked the blood from her lip and glared over at Octavian. "I thought you were a southern gentleman."

"Ah am," He said as he stalked closer towards her.

"Then I thought you don't hit ladies," Miracle stayed on the ground. His powers are control over shadows. As long as I stay away from the shadows or don't have one, I'll be fine.

"Technically Ah didn't hit ya," he smirked, "ya hit yaself." He chuckled.

Hecate walked closing behind Octavian, I need touch her in order to shut her down. She sighed as she stood a few feet away from Miracle, who wasn't seeming to leave the ground. Hecate raised her eyebrow at Miracle's actions as she stood there. What is she doing?

"Aren't ya gonna get up?" Octavian teased.

"It's quite cozy here actually," Miracle smirked It's filthy down here, "why don't you lie down next to me and see."

"No thanks darlin'," He shook his head. Ah'm not that stupid.

She's figured out his power. Hecate thought in shock. As long as she stays on the ground he has no shadow to work with.

In an instant, Miracle dove across the ground and grabbed around Hecate's army boot. Octavian jumped out of the way as he stared down at Miracle, who was latched onto Hecate's boot, but Hecate didn't move. She glared down at Miracle with her deep blue eyes and shook her head, "Pathetic."

Hecate quickly reached down to place her hand on Miracle's hand. Miracle smirked as her silver colored eyes turned into a dark gray while she the transfer of the flu washed over Hecate through the mere touch of their skin. Hecate's stomach twisted and churned as she kept contact. Soon Miracle's whole body fell ridged on the floor and her dark gray eyes changed back to silver and then warped into a black, lifeless color.

Hecate stumbled backwards as she came free of Miracle's grip, while she laid there lifeless on the floor. Octavian placed his hand behind her and caught her, "Are ya alright?"

Hecate slowly stood up as she fought through the pain in her body and resisted the urge to throw up. "I'm fine."

"You're burning up." Octavian said as he looked concerned.

"I'm fine." She shouted as she walked up towards Miracle and rolled her over with a slightly nudge of her army boot.

"She infected ya, didn't she?"

"I'll be fine." She sighed as she raised her foot up and kicked as hard as possible into Miracle's side. Miracle's lifeless body slid across the ground a couple feet, and Hecate fell to the ground. I'm not as strong…

Miracle gasped as her eyes returned back to their silvery luster. What happened? She thought as she looked around her and then saw Hecate on the ground. She's infected. I can see it around her.

"Let mah handle this." Octavian said with his hand on Hecate's shoulder and then stalked towards Miracle.

Octavian raised his hand in the air as if he was strangling the air. The small shadow below Miracle warped and a black shadow hand raised up and wrapped around her throat. She gasped as she wrapped her hands around the wrist while she gasped for breath. She felt the warmth of the hand and then her silvery colored eyes turned dark gray again.

Octavian felt a burning sensation through his wrist and quickly dropped Miracle. He ripped his fingerless glove off of his hand and saw the red rings around his wrist. He glared over at Miracle with his icy blue eyes and then pulled his glove back over his hand; covering the burn.

Hecate's deep blue eyes washed into a deep black as she stared at Miracle. She slowly stood up and stalked slowly towards Miracle. Her completely black eyes pierced into Miracle's now silver colored eyes with fear. She balled her fist and cracked it across Miracle's face.

Without even realizing it, Miracle absorb the flu back into her body before falling to the ground. Hecate stood over her in anger as she slammed her fist into the ground to hit Miracle, but Miracle rolled away. The cement beneath Hecate's fist shattered.

Octavian stared at Hecate and sighed. Not again. He ran over to Hecate and grabbed her just as she was about to hit Miracle again. "Hecate, this isn't what ya want." He reminded her.

Hecate's solid black eyes washed back into her deep blue as she looked at Octavian. Thank you. She never admit it though.

Miracle jumped to her feet as soon as possible and ran towards Hecate and Octavian in her white platform high heels. Octavian turned and saw her and quickly used his and Hecate's shadow to create a shadow wall. Miracle stopped before it and placed her hand against it. Octavian fell to his knees as the burn sensation filled his lungs and shadow wall melted away. Hecate threw another punch towards Miracle as soon as the wall melted away, but Miracle dodged it.

Octavian regained his strength as he stood up to see Hecate throwing punch after punch at Miracle. He built Miracle shadow up and threw her against the cement wall and then quickly retracted the shadow back to normal. "Ah've learned how to play with ya." He smirked as he watched Miracle slowly stand up from the ground, "Come and get it darlin'."