The tension from their earlier conversation with Albert lingered like a heavy blanket as Angelo and Blue made their way through the sterile corridors of the research facility. Their footsteps echoed off polished floors that seemed to stretch endlessly ahead, each step carrying the weight of revelations about their shared condition.
Behind them, Red hung back with Albert, muttering under his breath just loud enough for the old scientist to hear. "What's that blue bastard plotting now?" Albert's eyebrows lifted slightly at Red's grumbling, but he kept his thoughts to himself, watching the interplay between his unusual test subjects with keen interest.
The group emerged into bright sunlight as they reached the training field. Years of supernatural combat had left their mark on the reinforced concrete - deep gouges and scorch marks telling silent stories of countless battles and experiments. The air itself seemed to crackle with leftover energy, making the hair on their arms stand up as they breathed in the electric atmosphere.
Blue and Angelo took up positions in the center of the vast space, facing each other like duelists at dawn. Angelo's brown eyes darted about uncertainly, muscles tensed as he tried to anticipate what Blue had planned. Though they shared the same face, their stances couldn't have been more different - Blue's calm and measured, Angelo's coiled like a spring.
From the sidelines, Albert and Red watched with contrasting interest. The old scientist's eyes gleamed with academic curiosity behind his glasses, while Red crossed his arms tightly, impatience radiating from his rigid posture.
Blue turned to Albert with characteristic composure. "Professor, if you would be so kind as to commence our match."
Albert straightened his lab coat, nodding as he composed himself. "Very well. Gentlemen, are you ready? Begin!"
The air shimmered like a heat mirage as both fighters activated their auras - ethereal energy fields that surrounded them like ghostly flames. Angelo wasted no time, closing the distance in a blur of motion. His left hook cut through the air with devastating force, but Blue moved like water around the strike. In one fluid motion, he redirected Angelo's momentum, sending him flying across the field.
Angelo's body carved a path through the dust as he slid, but he was already retaliating. Energy blasts shot from his hands like glowing orange tennis balls. Yet Blue dodged each one with grace, as if he'd memorized their trajectory before they were fired. His counter-attack came in the form of precise two-fingered energy shots, striking key points on Angelo's body - forehead, chest, joints. While not powerful enough to cause serious damage, their precise placement amplified their effectiveness.
Shaking his head to clear it, Angelo sprang back to his feet. His face set with determination as he tried a more creative approach. Two energy tendrils - like ghostly ropes made of glowing smoke - shot from his body toward the wall behind Blue. Using them like grappling lines, Angelo launched himself forward, legs extended for a devastating kick.
Blue waited until the last possible moment before jumping slightly, meeting Angelo's charge with perfectly timed straight legs to the stomach. The impact drove the air from Angelo's lungs in an audible "Gah!" But even winded, he refused to let up. His hands locked around Blue's legs as they fell, using the momentum to throw his opponent away. Blue crashed but recovered with cat-like grace, rolling back to his feet in one smooth motion.
"Not bad," he said simply, his calm tone a stark contrast to the intensity of their exchange.
From his position on the sidelines, Red's eyes widened in disbelief. "What the actual hell?" he muttered, confusion and reluctant admiration warring in his voice.
The battle continued with increasing intensity. Angelo's fists glowed orange as he pressed his attack, throwing a punch with one hand as a feint. When Blue twisted away as expected, Angelo tried to capitalize with a point-blank energy blast from his other hand. But Blue was already moving, his elbow finding Angelo's ribs before the blast could form.
This pattern repeated itself - Blue reading and countering each move, using Angelo's own force against him like a master martial artist. Frustration mounted on Angelo's face with each failed attack.
"Stand still, damn it!" he growled, his voice rough with exertion.
"And make it easy for you? I think not," Blue replied, an unusual smirk playing across his normally stoic features.
Desperation finally drove Angelo to more drastic measures. He leaped backward, putting distance between them as his aura flickered violently. Energy began to coalesce between his palms, building like a miniature sun. Blue recognized the shift in tactics, jumping back to gain his own space. To everyone's surprise, he too began charging an attack.
Red watched the mounting energy with growing frustration. "I don't get it. What's the point of all this?"
Albert kept his eyes fixed on the impending clash, responding softly, "What do you mean, my boy?"
"It's obvious now that Blue wanted to show me that raw power isn't everything," Red's voice grew more agitated even as his gaze remained locked on the battle. "But here he is, charging an attack of his own. I don't understand."
Before Albert could respond, Angelo's voice rang out across the field: "This ends now! ENERGY BOMB!" The massive blast of orange power lit up the training ground like a second sun, its brilliance forcing everyone to shield their eyes.
As the light faded, they caught a glimpse of something unexpected - Blue was smirking. Instead of meeting the attack head-on, he fired his own blast at the ground, kicking up a massive dust cloud that obscured him completely. When Angelo's energy bomb pierced the cloud, Blue was already gone.
"What the-" Angelo's confused exclamation cut off as Blue materialized at his side, landing an energy-enhanced punch that caught him completely off guard.
"Always be aware of your surroundings, Angelo," Blue stated calmly as his opponent went flying. Angelo's aura flickered out like a snuffed candle as he hit the ground, marking the clear end of the match.
As the dust settled, Blue walked with measured steps toward Red and Albert. The old scientist's face showed impressed surprise, while Red's expressions cycled rapidly - confusion, anger, and finally a grudging respect he couldn't quite hide.
Angelo pushed himself up, shaking off the effects of the final blow as he made his way over to join them. His pride was clearly bruised, but there was something else in his eyes - a spark of understanding beginning to take hold.
Blue addressed Red with characteristic composure. "I trust you've grasped the lesson here, Red. Raw power, while impressive, isn't everything. A strategic mind can often overcome brute force."
Red crossed his arms and turned away with an exaggerated huff. "Yeah, yeah, I get it. You're a regular genius. Whatever." His eyes darted to Angelo as he approached. "Hey, hotshot! Don't think you're off the hook. If Blue can take you down, I sure as hell can. You're fighting me next!"
A competitive fire lit in Angelo's eyes, mixing with lingering irritation from his defeat. "Oh yeah? Maybe Blue caught me off guard, but don't think you'll have it so easy." His voice dropped almost to a whisper, "I won't make the same mistake twice."
Angelo glanced at Blue, who responded with a subtle nod and gentle smile. Sighing in resignation, Angelo squared his shoulders. "Okay, you insufferable hothead. Let's go."
As Red moved to square off against Angelo, Blue and Albert stepped back to observe from a safe distance. The air soon filled with the sounds of combat - Red's battle cries, the impact of supernatural blows, and small explosions that peppered the training ground like fireworks.
Albert turned to Blue, a knowing smile playing across his weathered features. "That was quite the performance, Blue. Beneath that cool exterior, you've got quite the soft spot for those two, don't you?"
Blue's expression remained carefully neutral. "Is that so? I just thought it was about time Red made peace with his existence."
Albert's brow furrowed in confusion. "What do you mean, my boy?"
Blue's gaze seemed to look past the ongoing sparring match, focusing on some distant point in their shared past. "Angelo isn't the only one who had it rough growing up. Yes, we used to communicate with him before we could emerge. Our minds, like his, were developing as well. We were children, just like him."
Albert listened intently as Blue continued, his voice carrying a rare emotional weight. "We didn't know about possible repercussions. We never imagined it would make Angelo come across as weird, different... a freak. Adults feel the need to get away from such individuals... but other children..." His voice trailed off, the memory clearly painful even for someone usually so composed.
Albert finished the thought gently, "Children can be cruel in the most innocent of ways."
Blue paused, his usual composure wavering slightly. "Indeed. Red and I, we weren't mere spectators to Angelo's suffering. We lived it with him, felt every cruel word cut deep, every physical blow land as if on our own bodies. The isolation... it wasn't just Angelo's burden. It was ours too, a shared loneliness that seemed to stretch on forever."
Albert felt his chest tighten at Blue's words, the weight of their collective suffering almost tangible in the air between them.
Blue's gaze dropped to the scuffed concrete, his voice barely above a whisper. "It's easy to view Angelo as the sole victim in this tale, Professor. Our presence undeniably caused him immense pain. But Red and I... we bore our own unique torment." He looked up, his eyes reflecting years of buried pain. "Imagine being a prisoner within your own body, aware yet unable to act. We could communicate with Angelo, yes, but we were ultimately powerless to change anything. We shared in his suffering, yet were condemned to be mere observers of our shared existence."
Albert's hand trembled slightly as he reached out, almost touching Blue's shoulder before stopping himself. The weight of their collective anguish seemed to fill the air between them, heavier than before, a silent testament to the complexity of their shared past.
Blue's gaze drifted back to the ongoing sparring match, but his mind seemed far away. "When Angelo unlocked his Aura, Red and I could feel that energy being drawn to us as well. It coursed through us, growing stronger until we had enough to materialize."
Albert leaned forward, scientific curiosity temporarily overriding the emotional gravity of the moment. "Fascinating. And when you did materialize?"
Blue's expression darkened. "When we did, Red came to a conclusion. He decided Angelo was too weak to stand up to the others, too weak to protect us all. So he... he tried to take over."
Albert's eyes widened in shock. "Take over? I'm not sure I follow, Blue."
Blue met Albert's gaze steadily. "No, professor, it's exactly as you imagine. Red wanted to swap places with Angelo, to become the 'main body' himself."
Albert shook his head, bewilderment clear on his face. "But, but that's impossible. Nothing in my research suggests such a thing could happen. The energy composition, the fundamental structure of your beings..."
"I know," Blue nodded, a hint of a sad smile playing on his lips. "But how could we have known that then? How could Red have known? Our very nature was as much a mystery to us as it was to Angelo."
Albert's brow furrowed in thought. "I see. And I assume this attempt..."
"Failed, yes," Blue finished. "Red lost to Angelo that day, and he's never managed to best him since. It's likely the root of his antagonistic behavior towards Angelo. Though, knowing Red, he'd probably be troublesome regardless."
Albert nodded slowly, processing this new information. "It sounds like a coping mechanism, a way to deal with feelings of inadequacy perhaps." His gaze shifted to Blue, a knowing look in his eyes. "Perhaps the same could be said about you, my dear boy."
Blue closed his eyes, considering Albert's words. After a moment of thoughtful silence, he simply said, "...maybe," his tone suggesting volumes left unspoken.
Meanwhile, Angelo dodged another of Red's wild attacks, his mind already incorporating lessons from his defeat by Blue. Each move now came with more calculation, more precision. 'Blue beat me with strategy, not just power,' he reflected as he wove between Red's energy blasts. 'I need to be smarter, not just stronger.' The lesson from his loss was already reshaping his approach to combat.
Suddenly, Red's voice shattered the tactical moment. "Hey, Angelo! Think fast!" A barrage of energy projectiles lit up the field like crimson fireworks. While most targeted Angelo, a few stray blasts hurtled toward Albert and Blue.
Albert's eyes widened in panic, but Blue reacted with lightning speed. His aura flared to life as he sidestepped, simultaneously using his energy tendrils to pull Albert safely out of harm's way.
As the dust settled, Albert released a shaky breath of relief. Blue turned toward Angelo and Red, his gaze sharp with disapproval.
Angelo's face fell, guilt written across his features. "H-hey, don't look at me like that! It was this loose cannon that nearly barbecued you, not me!"
Red's voice rang out, defiant as ever. "Oh, don't be such a crybaby. It's not my fault you can't take the heat. A real fighter would stand their ground!"
Blue addressed them both, his voice stern as a disappointed teacher. "Your recklessness nearly injured the professor. Both of you need to exercise more caution."
Angelo and Red exchanged guilty looks, with Angelo rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "Sorry about that, Albert. We'll be more careful."
To everyone's surprise, when Red spoke again, his voice carried an uncharacteristic calm. "Yeah... my bad. Let's move further away, Angelo. Can't have the old man getting caught in the crossfire, can we?"
As the sun began its descent toward the horizon, casting long shadows across the training field, Angelo and Red's sparring match reached its conclusion. They landed simultaneous blows that forced a tie - Red reverting to smoke form and retreating to Angelo's body while Angelo's aura flickered out like a dying flame.
The group lingered until Red could materialize again. As they prepared to leave, Albert asked the three to emerge one final time. There they stood - Angelo, Blue, and Red - a trio born of extraordinary circumstances, their identical faces marked by the day's revelations and battles.
Albert's eyes shimmered with emotion as he addressed them. "Well, my boys, it's been quite the enlightening day. I hope to see you all again soon. As always, it's been a pleasure." Without warning, he gathered the three of them into a group hug.
For a moment, all three felt a shared sense of embarrassment... and beneath it, a warmth they rarely allowed themselves to acknowledge.
"Alright, alright, enough with the mushy stuff," Red grumbled, but there was no real bite to his words.
When Red's embarrassment reached its peak, he dissolved into red smoke, retreating back into Angelo like mist being drawn into a bottle. Angelo and Blue said their farewells before leaving, the weight of the day's revelations and confrontations hanging between them like an invisible thread.
As they disappeared into the gathering twilight, Albert stood alone on the field, lost in deep thought. His voice, barely above a whisper, carried the weight of a profound ethical dilemma.
"I wanted to tell them more... but I just couldn't. I'm not sure if I should. If they are split, then in theory, it might be possible for them to become whole again. But then, what will become of Red and Blue? This is an unprecedented ethical dilemma..."
He sighed heavily, the weight of knowledge and responsibility pressing down on his shoulders like a physical thing. "Half of me wants to forget this possibility and not pursue it. The other believes that it's my duty as a scientist to pursue any scientific lead I come across..."
With a heavy heart, Albert retreated to his facility, the echoes of the day's events still ringing in his mind. The path ahead was uncertain, fraught with questions of ethics, identity, and the very nature of existence itself. As the lights of his lab flickered on, casting their sterile glow across his equipment, Albert knew that the choices he made in the coming days would have far-reaching consequences for Angelo, Red, Blue, and perhaps the entire world of Aurons.