Chibiyu: Hehehe.

Nick: You vile little cockroach.

Chibiyu: Sticks and stones, love. Sticks and stones.

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"Figure it out." Necrophere laughed as Nick gritted his teeth, pain flashing over his face. "And I would be quick – you only have 17 seconds left."

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All three brothers froze at this and all looked down to the seemingly innocent object which lied in Nick's palm.

"You can't be serious," Nick breathed out with a look of indescribable horror etched on his face. "I don't know how!" Panic was taking over; it flooded his eyes with its great sorrow, sped his heart to an unbeatable pace, and made him want, more than ever, to just bury his face into his brother's chest and to never again emerge.

But he can't give in.

A deep breath was all he took as he lowered his gaze to the confines of the depthless crystal. Help me, he pleaded silently, knowing that his second were ticking away. If I still have your blessing, if I still have your permission, please, allow me to save them.

Joe gripped his brother all the tighter when the seconds ticked to ten. His hands burned from the coursing shock, his skin tingling painfully and fingers becoming unwilling to move. His heart jolted, causing his vision to fail and a cold hand to settle upon his thoughts. This, he fathomed, must be what dying people feel before they are allowed to let go of life. He was started from his thoughts when Nick shifted, head lifted.

Nick glared at the cloaked man before them, nothing but hatred in his now still eyes. Joe gave a yelp as he was suddenly pushed through the air, his scream covering the sound of Nick's restraints breaking. He landed hard, elbows getting torn from the cement, but he was not down for long. He rolled and saw his older brother's astonished face before he too looked.

"What will you do if I let time run out?" Nick whispered with a tone as cold as death itself. "Your little ace will be no more."

Necrophere, though clearly startled at the steady decline of the seconds, answered calmly. "We don't need you. It is like chess: one can win without their best piece."

"But can you, though?" came another question. Nick's hand rose, fingers counting the remaining seconds. "Five," he whispered, "Four."

"Nick, no!"Both brothers yelled, but they were ignored.

"Three."

Necrophere shifted, taking one step back and two steps forward.

"Two."

A growl tore from the Villain's throat just as his own pendant seemed to flash a bloodied red.

The counter froze on 'one.'

And the brothers have never seen such a smirk on Nick's face.

"I knew it," the younger breathed out, fingers closing around the Bane. "I am too valuable for you to lose." The Normal turned, always keeping the Villain in his sight, as he faced his brothers. "Kevin?" Though the question was left unfinished, the older brother was nodding in understanding. "Thank you."

Nick turned back to the Villain, and sighed heavily. "I could destroy you," he threatened, voice softer than any whisper. "You know this and yet you willingly gave me the power to do it."

"But you won't do it," Necrophere cut across with a shot laugh. "You are restricted by the Bane and your own need to leave it pure. It tells you, does it not, that the time is not yet upon us? That destroying me now will only create a larger threat." Necrophere's finger was pointed squarely at Nick's chest. "You."

The Villain walked backwards, and was still chucking to himself as he spoke. ""Just as you feared to use it before, you still fear it now. You fear it so much that all you dared to do was make sure your brothers would be safe."

"That's all I asked it for the power to do," Nick spoke clearly, and he never broke the connection between his eyes and the Villain's. "I didn't want to use it for myself. That is the first step towards corruption."

Necrophere tilted his head, and looked at the youth as if this was his first time he saw him. "You will use it to protect the ones you love, and not for your own gain? That isn't very villainous of you." Nick tensed at the name, but he said nothing of it. "In fact, if I'm not mistaken, I believe you just did what Heroes do."

"I do what is best in my own mind."

If the mask hadn't been shielding his face, Nick might have seen the sinister smile growing beneath. "And what is best in your own mind? I do hope protecting yourself comes high up on the list." The man laughed, looking at the inactive bomb still strapped to the Normal's chest. "But we know that answer – you gamble your own life. But surely you won't want your dear brothers to see you get killed?"

The Villain let out a horrible laugh as Nick looked over his shoulder to stare at his brothers.

"No," the dark one taunted, "Little Nicky doesn't want that at all." All brothers watched as one of Necrophere's metal-gloved hand caught fire. "So let us see what Little Nicky does at this."

That was the only warning the teen received. He let out something akin to a choked scream as he ducked behind a trash can.

"You are insane?!" he yelled as he ran further from his brothers. "I don't know how to use this thing!" he screamed, gesturing to the pendant that was still in his hand.

"There is no better way," Necrophere laughed as he threw another force field around the struggling Heroes, "Than learning from experience."

Nick scooted away again, barely able to avoid his feet being turned into a charred crisp. He casted a hopeless glance to his brothers, and instantly understood why they weren't jumping to his aide. They were struggling against nothing, both unable to rise as their legs would not obey their commands. Joe was attempting to pull himself along the street, but his legs refused to follow him. They were pinned; useless; trapped.

It was only him.

And I, young one.

His feet came to an easy halt at the admission of the soft voice.

Protecting yourself to protect others is an admirable cause, young Normal.

Nick turned and faced the enemy. He blocked out the frantic orders from his brothers, pushed away his growing fear, and stood with nothing but near hysteria in his eyes and courage on his face.

There is no shame in showing that you have power.

But there is shame in abusing it.

This is not abuse.

It could turn into it.

But you will not allow it to.

At this admission, Nick took a steady breath. His mind told his feet to bolt when a ball of fire was sent directly his way, but they did not budge.

What do I do?

Allow me to show you.

There was nothing more than a simple tug on his conscience, a tug that told him what was happening before it happened; the tug that gave him the power to do it.

The heat expanded around him, doing nothing more than gently caressing his skin before the pendant acted. To others, it would look as if the fire just vanished in a puff of smoke, but to Nick, only he would know the truth. Only he would know that the pendant used the air against the fire; making its greatest strength into its biggest weakness.

"It's amazing isn't it," Nick commented lightly when the vanished poof of smoke revealed him still to be standing, "How much power a simple water molecule has when it is in the air."

Necrophere's hand lowered slowly, his shoulders shook with silent laughter, but under the mask was a scowl. "You're a fast learner, Mr. Normal."

"I have to be."

"And yet with every move you learn, you take one step closer to what I want you to be."

Nick didn't even blink at this statement. "What if I already am?"

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Chibiyu: :) Until Next Update!