Cobra immediately closed himself off from listening too deeply. There was something very wrong with this person, to be giving off the thoughts and feelings of so many. Thinking back to Minerva and his last words with Lucy, he tried not to grimace as he followed the sound of the soul across the street and through the crowd. A part of him wished he could earnestly pray that the person had nothing to do with their little Doctor act at all, that is was just a coincidence. But life had taught him to think otherwise.
The person was a man about his age. There was an unnerving contrast between the inside of his soul with its overflowing abundance of thoughts and the simple smile and normal gait with which he walked. To a person merely looking at him from afar, he would appear so ordinary that he could blend into any crowd with ease. Cobra had learned early on when he began to develop his sound magic to not trust those types of people. And this was one of the most extreme cases he'd ever encountered. The man mentally overpowered any other person near him, like a siren going off while everyone else was whispering. There was simply no competition.
Before he could pause to think, Cobra found himself following the stranger, growing more ill at ease the longer he followed. He weaved his way through buildings as the other man pressed further on. He didn't seem to have any particular destination, simply continuing to walk down more streets and eventually alleyways. Cobra's own feet moved at a steady pace behind him, so preoccupied with listening he didn't even notice the man had walked himself into a dead end until he was nearly right in front of him. The former criminal froze in surprise.
The only thing more surprising was when the man turned around and, as naturally as one would address an old friend, said, "Why hello Erik, it's so good to finally meet you face to face."
