Rebellious Hearts: Part One
by JenesisX
So far, their midnight raids for supplies had been met with overwhelming success, and the leader of the small group did his best not to grow overconfident and careless. A mistake here would surely cost all of them their lives, and in return, erase the last hopes of freedom from oppression for the tortured planet. Part of him still couldn't believe that he was doing such a thing, but a larger part had always known it would happen. For as long as he could remember, Nathan Dayspring had been a rebel at heart, opposing the evils that most others weakly accepted as fate. Two weeks ago, he had finally acted upon his long-held beliefs, declaring himself leader of the Clan Chosen. They were a group whose goal was the overthrow of the Canaanites, the current rulers of the planet who harshly oppressed all those beneath them and any who dared to stand against their demands.
He wasn't sure what, exactly, he had expected to happen after he had begun the rebellion, but quickly realized that there was more involved in leading an organized overthrow of the government that he had originally thought. They had nowhere to go, no supplies, and numbered just over forty members, having gained most of those after the surprise Canaanite attack on the hidden base of the remaining Askani followers. He knew they were far from a legitimate threat to anyone at the moment, and that he, at the age of eighteen, had a long way to go before being taken seriously. In order to ever hope of attaining victory, they had a rough journey ahead of them. Missions like the one he led tonight were what he hoped to be a good start.
The five of them walked together in a silent single-file line, sticking close to the shadows provided by the tall buildings lining the road. Getting into the town had been easy, as it had been every other night. Using his mutant gift of telepathy, Nathan had simply masked them all, effectively causing them to "disappear" from the sight of the Canaanite guards at the town gates. Once out of their range, however, he had had to drop the shield, unable to hold it for any long amount of time. He had his techo-organic virus to thank for that weakness.
Though he was able to mask his own body at times, making himself look perfectly normal, Nathan's left arm was far from the flesh-colored skin he could make it appear to be. In truth, it was made of a living metal even he didn't fully understand. All he knew was that he he'd had the virus since infancy, and that most of the left side of his body and his right eye were now made up of metal rather than flesh and blood. Only his arm and part of his chest were obvious, though, the virus having taken over the skin that should have been there long ago. When needed, he was able to make himself appear to be like any other teenager, a skill taught to him by his adopted mother long ago. For the most part, he was able to live with the virus without much complication, using his telekinetic abilities to hold it in place and keep it from spreading throughout the rest of his body. It was painful, yes, and it was an exhausting, continuous struggle to live, but Nathan never complained. It had been a part of his life for as long as he could remember.
He was not without his insecurities, however. He had always looked different, and therefore felt different, from all those around him. He was something more than human, with his powers and techno-organics, but at the same time, he felt like something far less. Not only did the virus hamper his confidence, but it also limited his mutant powers. Because he needed so much of his psionic energy just to hold his body together, he was unable to expend very much for other uses, such as masking his small group from detection. Once they had passed the guards safely, the five of them reverted to simply sneaking about.
They were only a few blocks away from the center of the town now, where Nathan and the others had learned the supplies they sought were kept. Earlier in the day, they had sent two of their more unrecognizable members into the town to learn the location of the goods they would need to "borrow," as Nathan preferred to put it. He found that their description of the town and directions were quite exact, allowing himself a brief smile under his cloak. If nothing else, the small rebel group he had founded was made up of good, skilled people who tried their hardest.
At the end of the next block, Nathan ducked into an alleyway, signaling his companions to do the same. Once all had gathered, he quickly ran a telepathic scan of the area to be sure they were alone before addressing them in a hushed whisper. He could have spoken telepathically, but knew he would have difficulty keeping all five of them linked at once. Besides, not everyone liked having someone they hardly knew speaking directly into their mind.
"We're almost there," he said quietly, though he figured most of them knew it anyway. "The middle building just ahead is where the weapons are stored, supposedly. We'll hit there first, then head next door for some rations before we pull out. Got it?"
Nathan studied his group as they silently nodded in the affirmative, deciding he had made a good decision regarding whom to bring along that night. Standing to his right was Tetherblood, his best friend who he had met almost five years before while entering a city that appeared very much like this one. They were separated by only months in age, and their somewhat opposite personalities had quickly clicked, making them inseparable traveling companions ever since. Tetherblood favored Nathan with a bright smile, his dark eyes twinkling with excitement. For one who had always tried to keep Nathan out of trouble, he certainly seemed to have accepted their new line of work quickly.
To Tetherblood's left were two others, one man and one woman, who had been quiet followers of the Askani belief system when they were attacked two weeks before. They looked at Nathan with a religious reverence, and he resisted the urge to roll his eyes. To them, and most others who followed the teachings, Nathan was their savior, foretold by prophesies as the one destined to save them all. He didn't believe it, not for a minute, but nothing he said seemed to convince them otherwise. Tetherblood still laughed at the idea of his stubborn, wreckless friend being anyone's savior. For his part, Nathan did his best to tolerate their near-worship, not wanting to offend his new followers. Even still, he could not quite suppress a sigh at the way in which they hung onto his every word.
Nathan's gaze paused longest over the woman standing to his right. Her name was Aliya, and she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. He wasn't about to tell her that, though. Ever since they had met, all of their conversations had consisted of witty insults and arrogant comments, ending with each swearing never to talk to the other again. She infuriated Nathan, most likely because she was the first person to ever succeed in putting him in his place, but at the same time, he found himself oddly drawn to her. She was supposed to be his teacher, the one to educate him in the ways of the Askani. So far, he had been actively resisting and refusing, too proud to admit that he needed her help, as well as being suspicious of the lessons she had to offer. For her part, Aliya didn't seem all that upset by the refusal. She occupied herself with keeping up the constant banter between them, while at the same time aiding Nathan with the new rebellion. Despite their odd relationship, she had become his partner in many ways, though both loudly insisted that they did not need the other's help.
Aliya finally noticed his gaze and met it, her eyes serious and alert. She seemed about to make a comment, but changed her mind and simply raised her chin in a silent assurance that she could handle herself without his concern. Nathan sighed and looked away, annoyed and baffled by her, as usual. Tetherblood seemed to find his reaction to Aliya highly amusing for some reason, grinning slyly as if he knew something they didn't. Nathan shook his head and decided to save the problem for later.
"We better get moving before someone spots us here," Tetherblood whispered, his eyes scanning the street outside the alley. "I don't know about you, but I'm not in the mood to be caught and executed."
"Yeah, me either," Nathan said, adjusting the hood of his cloak to be sure that his face was properly hidden. With his glowing left eye and the distinctive scarring around his right, he was far too easy to recognize. The white bangs which stood out in comparison to the rest of his dark hair didn't help matters, either. It was hard enough to disguise his techno-organics, though, so he decided that the cloak would simply have to do. "Let's move."
He led the way out of the alley, followed by Tetherblood first, then Aliya, and finally the other two, whose names were Mara and Jakob. The path ahead was still abandoned as near as he could tell, the street lights only dimly illuminating the way. He spotted the building in which the weapons should be stored and began walking ahead toward it, keeping a fast yet silent pace. The others hurried after him, all filled with the same nervous excitement.
They were half way there when a familiar voice addressed Nathan, but not aloud. Instead, it spoke telepathically in his mind as if they were linked, and in many ways, they were. The voice belonged to Professor, the sentient life form that had somehow developed inside the techno-organics of Nathan's chest. Professor was always with Nathan, like a close friend covering his back.
"Nathan, there is a life form up ahead, forty degrees to your left," Professor spoke in his mind, its voice flat though not entirely mechanical in nature.
"A life form? One of the guards?" Nathan mentally asked, pausing and instantly on alert. The others behind him came to a stop as well, noting that their leader seemed to sense something they did not but trusting his judgment due to past experience. For Mara and Jakob, however, their trust also came from blind faith, something Nathan has repeatedly told them was misplaced and dangerous, but to no avail.
"Yes, I do believe that the life form is a--"
"You there! Halt!"
"...Canaanite guard, Nathan."
"Oath, thanks for the information," Nathan sarcastically thought as his heart pounded harder in his chest. He heard Tetherblood mutter a curse as he, too, stopped in his tracks. Nathan spun around to face the voice, trying to appear calm, and at the same time, he did something else, almost by instinct. Calling on his mutant power, Nathan instantly reached into the guard's mind and planted an image there, disguising himself and his companions to look like ordinary citizens he could not possibly recognize. The guard approached and stopped only a few feet away, pointing his energy weapon at the group menacingly.
"What do you think you're doing out at this time of night?" the guard asked gruffly, studying them all with angry eyes. He was tall and thickly built, towering over everyone present. His armor and weapon only added to his frightening appearance.
"Professor, am I fooling him?"
"Indeed, Nathan. He believes he is looking at five ordinary citizens, three men and two women."
"Whew..." Nathan cleared his throat, a bit more secure that his telepathic trick was working, and addressed the guard in his most adult, polite tone. "I'm sorry, sir. But we were traveling and arrived in town later than planned. We are simply heading to our home now."
"And where is your home?" the guard drilled, still aiming his weapon at them and passing his eyes over each in turn.
Tetherblood pointed to his left at a building there just before Nathan began to point to another on the right. "In there, sir," Tetherblood said, smiling casually. Nathan reminded himself to have it out with his friend later. He didn't like anyone overstepping his leadership.
"Oooh, and what do we have here?" the guard asked, suddenly changing his entire demeanor as he dropped his weapon to his side and stepped closer to Tetherblood. He grinned slyly, reaching out a hand and raising the young man's chin. "What a beautiful young lady..."
Tetherblood's eyes widened in shock, and it was all Nathan could do from laughing out loud. In his haste to disguise them, he had confused Tetherblood and Aliya, reversing the gender of their masked appearances. "Ooops..." he thought, more amused than worried by his mistake.
"I believe you did that on purpose, Nathan," Professor chimed in. "You did not want any attention drawn toward Aliya."
"Oh, shut up..."
"Er... " Tetherblood stammered, looking helplessly at Nathan. "Why, thank you, sir..."
"How about you and me go and have some fun while your friends go home?" the guard asked, winking as he leaned closer. Tetherblood stepped back, horrified. Nathan again suppressed a laugh and finally moved in to help, since no one else seemed to have a clue as to what was going on. Only he knew of his error, after all.
"I'm sorry, sir, but she's my wife," Nathan said, inwardly wincing at the very idea. Tetherblood looked at him in surprise, but quickly grinned, nodded, and put his arm affectionately around Nathan's waist.
"We're very much in love," Tetherblood said with a dreamy sigh. He thought he heard Aliya snicker but didn't dare turn to look at her.
"Oh, is that how it is," the guard said, looking a bit angry as his gaze shifted between the two. "I think the lady would much rather be with a real man, instead of some skinny little punk." The guard took another step forward and jabbed a thick finger into Nathan's chest, causing him to stumble half a step backward. His first instinct was to attack, but he knew that would be foolish and result in the failure of the entire mission, if not their deaths as well.
Nathan quickly regained his balance and sighed. This was not going the way he had hoped it would. He knew what most of the Canaanite guards were like, though, and cursed himself for not foreseeing such a problem. He had hoped this guard was one of the decent few and would simply back off. Even so, he immediately began to think his way out of it, careful to retain his identity as a regular traveller. Instead of furthering the confrontation, he took a deep breath and concentrated, again reaching out with his telepathy until he entered the guard's mind. Once inside, he spoke with his mind's voice, planting a telepathic suggestion into his head.
"We're all really ugly, boring townspeople who are thoroughly uninteresting. A drink would be nice right about now."
The guard before him blinked as if momentarily confused, then slowly lowered his hand and stepped away from Tetherblood. "Never mind... You all hurry up and get home before I change my mind." With that, he turned and walked off, headed for the bar nearby. Nathan exhaled with relief, wiping a few beads of sweat from his forehead.
"Oath! What the hell was that, Nate?!" Tetherblood demanded in a harsh whisper, blushing so badly that it showed despite his dark skin.
Nathan smiled and shrugged, trying not to laugh. "I sort of confused the disguises I had in mind for you and Aliya and reversed them," he said, beginning to move toward their target again. "It still worked."
"You made me look like a girl?!"
"Shhh... and yeah, it was a mistake."
"You disguised me as a man?" Aliya quietly added, sounding a bit annoyed.
"A mistake?! That guard wanted to... to...!!"
"Look, you know I'm not very good at stuff like that... And we're still alive. Yell at me later, okay?" Nathan had grown from amused to annoyed, a bit embarrassed by his inability to properly use his powers. Tetherblood noticed the change and quieted, silently following after and ignoring the wide grin Aliya now wore.
"Nathan, you are angry," Professor said as he walked ahead of the others, trying to hide his embarrassment from them. His telepathic trick had taken a lot out of him as well, leaving him near exhaustion and with a pounding headache. He frowned, unwilling to let anyone see his weakness.
"Of course I am! It was a mistake I couldn't help..." Nathan replied after a pause. "Can't this wait until later? I'm sort of busy if you haven't noticed."
"I was only attempting to aid you."
"Aid me later, okay?"
Professor took the hint and did not reply. Nathan tried not to think about his error any further, banishing thoughts that Aliya was probably laughing at him now. He didn't know why he cared so much what she thought, but somehow, it mattered a great deal to him. He was more angry at himself for looking foolish in front of her than he was over Tetherblood's complaints.
"You are worried about what Aliya thinks of you because you are attra--"
"Didn't I tell you to shut up?" Nathan mentally yelled at Professor, just as he reached the door of the complex said to hold the weapons they sought.
"Of course. I apologize."
The door was locked, but even Nathan had no trouble picking it open telekenetically.
He quietly pushed the door open and peered inside the building, his techno-organic eye more than making up for the darkness inside. As he slowly entered the building, he spotted row upon row of weapons, ranging from spears to energy blasters, lined against the concrete walls. There were wooden crates piled inside as well, containing grenades and other forms of ammuntion from the red labelling scrawled across them.
"This is the place," Nathan whispered over his shoulder, slipping quietly into the building so that the others could follow. They did so, and soon all five stood inside in the darkness. Nathan realized they were probably having a difficult time seeing and gave them a moment to adjust to the dim lighting before acting.
"Everyone grab what you can carry, quietly, and then we're out of here," he said, moving into action as he lifted a large energy weapon from a shelf and slipped the strap over one shoulder. He quickly studied it, figuring out how to aim and fire, before moving on and taking a smaller one to place in his belt. He pocketed a few grenades as well, finally slipping a knife into his belt before checking on the others.
He found that they had all armed themselves just as quickly, holding larger weapons at the ready while slipping smaller ones into their clothing for later use. He nodded, pleased with their find. Combining this with the spoils of the last three raids, they nearly had enough weapons to arm the majority of the rebellion group. With that taken care of, they could concentrate more fully on developing a stable, more comfortable base of operations.
Nathan was about to order them out of the building when his eyes briefly settled on Mara. Something looked odd about the large weapon she awkwardly held in her slim arms, Nathan thought, squinting and coming closer to her for a better look. Mara, a thin woman who was about four years older than Nathan, watched him with admiring green eyes as he critically appraised her weapon, tilting his head as he slowly circled around it. A moment later, he sighed, having figured out exactly what was wrong.
"Mara," he whispered, a slight smile finally playing across his lips. "Your weapon... You're holding it upside-down." Her mistake was yet another reminder that the majority of his new rebellion group had led quiet, peaceful lives before he came along. Nathan wondered, and not for the first time, how they would ever survive.
Mara's eyes widened in surprise as she quickly looked down at the gun she held, pale cheeks blushing pink with embarrassment. "Oh... So I am. I'm so sorry! I didn't mean--"
Nathan held up a hand and shook his head, still smiling at her. "Don't worry about it. We all make mistakes." Thinking once more of his telepathic error, he sighed as he helped Mara to reverse the position of her weapon until she held it correctly. He felt slightly ill at the way she so adoringly watched him, eyes full of respect and awe, but he didn't have the heart to scold her for it. She was already embarrassed enough to have erred in the presence of her savior, anyway, he thought with annoyance.
Once Mara was ready, Nathan made sure that the others had not made the same mistake before heading out the door of the building and back onto the quiet main street of the town. The guard was nowhere in sight, probably off getting drunk by then. The mission was going just as planned, other than the brief confrontation they had had, but he didn't dare relax. They were still a long way from home. And even then, they would not be entirely safe.
The group, now armed and more open to being spotted by the guards roaming the city, made their way to the next building and entered in the same manner. This one, however, was filled with rations and other supplies, such as blankets and medical kits, instead of weapons of destruction. Following Nathan's lead, they filled the bags they carried until they were near overflowing with supplies. Tossing his over one shoulder, opposite of the energy weapon, Nathan closed his eyes and again telepathically scanned the area outside. He found it to be empty, save for a pair of sleeping guards a block to the East, and decided that it was time to make their retreat.
"Time to go home," he said quietly, peering out the door as the others finished behind him, strapping their bags onto their backs.
"Is there anyone out there?" Aliya asked, coming up behind him and looking over his shoulder. He turned to her with a flash of annoyance, shaking his head.
"Do you think I'd be walking out the door if there were? I scanned first before I opened it."
"And we all know how reliable your telepathy is," Aliya replied, not missing a beat. Nathan bristled, grinding his teeth to avoid losing his temper. As angry as she might make him, they were teammates for now, and on a very important mission which they could not afford to fail.
"I don't see you doing a better job," he whispered through his teeth in response, leaving the building and beginning to make his way toward the town's exit, where he would again have to mask them from the guards stationed there. His energy was nearly spent, and he could only hope he had enough power to get them all through safely before he was forced to drop the shield.
"Maybe if you let me teach you the way of the Askani, the way I'm *supposed* to, you wouldn't make so many mistakes... pirate."
"Are you ever going to get tired of calling me that?!" Nathan replied angrily, raising his voice a bit before he realized what he was doing.
"No, because that's what you a--"
"Guys, guys," a third voice whispered, coming up behind them and slinging an arm over the shoulder of each as they continued to glare at each other. Nathan and Aliya turned and found themselves looking into the grinning face of Tetherblood, who had managed to sneak up behind them as they argued. "Why don't you two just kiss and get it over with?"
"What?!" Nathan whispered harshly, his mouth dropping open. "No way!"
"I'd sooner die," Aliya said quietly, folding her arms across her chest. Even so, her face colored a bit and she hastily averted her eyes.
"Fine, then, be stubborn about it," Tetherblood said with another grin, shrugging and dropping his arms. "But in any case, we are still in the middle of a mission. Kill each other later, please? When it doesn't put us all in danger?"
Tetherblood was right, of course. Nathan sighed and quickened his pace so that he walked ahead of Aliya instead of at her side. It was much less tempting for him to continue the argument when he didn't have to see the smug look of victory on her face. And her face was so beautiful, he thought, even if she was irritating and arrogant. He quickly scolded himself for such a thought and concentrated on what he had to do.
They soon approached the town gates, walking silently through the shadows cast by the tall buildings in the night. There was a full moon above and a few bright stars, giving them enough light to make the journey easy while leaving it dark enough to avoid detection from any distance more than a block or so away. Nathan looked up at the sky briefly, admiring the beauty of the night. "That's what we're fighting for," he thought. "So that everyone will be able to look up at the sky at night and know that they're free."
"That is a noble cause, Nathan," Professor said, though he hadn't been addressed. He seemed to know that Nathan was no longer angry with him and wouldn't mind the conversation.
"Yeah, well... Let's just hope it isn't an impossible one that just gets a lot of good people killed."
When they were a block away from the town gates, Nathan ducked into an alley much like the one in which they had spoken earlier, followed by the rest of the group. He studied them, noting that Mara looked very pale and afraid. This was her first mission, he remembered. Jakob, for his part, had remained calm and silent, the perfect soldier despite his inexperience. Nathan knew that he could count on Tetherblood to remain calm, and though it pained him to admit it, he knew that Aliya could be trusted to handle herself as well.
"All right, I'm going to have to psi-mask us again, so that we can get back through the gates and past the guards," Nathan whispered, his eyes continually scanning the street before them. "I should be able to hold the shield until we get out of their sight... but in case I can't... be ready to run."
"You sure you're all right?" Tetherblood asked, studying his friend with concern. "I mean, if you can't shield us we can come up with another plan." Though he obviously spoke out of concern, Nathan still found himself offended and embarrassed by his inability to do more with his powers.
"I'm fine! I only wanted you to be ready, just in case." Nathan looked at him seriously, as if challenging him to further the discussion. Tetherblood knew the look all too well and sighed, nodding his head in acceptance of the plan. He knew that Nathan was impossibly stubborn and would not change his mind once he had made a decision he thought was right.
Nathan turned and exited the alley, ending the conversation by forcing them to move on. The others followed wordlessly, weapons held tightly in case they would be needed. Once out of the alley, Nathan closed his eyes as he walked and concentrated, calling on all the power he had left. With a great burst of telepathic power, Nathan reached out and effectively vanished them from existance, shielding them from detection. Once they were masked, he turned and quickly left the alley, making a direct path for the gates of the town as fast as he could.
As he ran, ignoring the burning that had begun in his chest as he exerted his powers dangerously near his breaking point, he heard the others begin to pound after him, secure in the knowledge that he had them shielded, at least for now. He knew he'd pay for the overexertion later, but pushed the pain out of his mind and ran at full speed for the exit and safety. As long as he could make it that far, it wouldn't matter so much what happened afterwards. He would deal with it then.
The gate was soon in sight, one armed guard standing to either side and gazing down the street, alert eyes scanning the shadows and buildings. They did not seem to suspect anything, and did not so much as blink when the five Clan Chosen members came into what should have been their line of sight.
"Is the shield holding, Professor?" he asked, gritting his teeth as the pain in his chest spread until it became a raging fire deep in his guts. He could feel the techno-organics of his left arm begin to spread and lose the shape that perfectly mirrored his other arm, but refused to look down at it and kept going. His people were depending on him to get them back to camp safely. It didn't matter what happened to him as long as they succeeded.
"Yes, Nathan, but the virus is beginning to spread. I estimate that you have 17.5 seconds left before you are forced to drop the shield."
"Well, we better run faster, then!" Ignoring the warning and the increasing pain that began to blur his vision, Nathan quickened his pace until he was only feet away from the guards, who still did not notice their approach. He ran right past them, followed by the others, and kept going, heading for the woods now only one block's distance away.
As soon as he knew the others were clear of the city, he risked sending a telepathic message back to all as he continued to run. "Head for the trees... I have to... drop the shield... in about ten seconds..."
No one replied, but he knew they had received the message. He could hear them quicken their pace behind him even as his head began to pound so loudly that he feared it might explode. Exactly ten seconds after sending his telepathic warning, all five members had passed into the safety of the woods South of the town's gates. The moment they had, Nathan's shield gave out and he fell to his knees in exhaustion, finally glancing at his left arm in horror. The living metal there had expanded, jutting out in random places until his limb was almost no longer recognizable. He nearly fainted from the pain as he knelt on the cold, damp soil, trying desperately to catch his breath.
"Dayspring!" Tetherblood cried in horror, rushing to his friend's side and kneeling down beside him. "Oath, you've got to pull yourself together!"
"He is correct, Nathan. The virus is spreading rapidly. If you do not control it, your estimated time of death is in 4.8 minutes." Despite the flat tone of the Professor's voice, Nathan could almost sense his concern coming through their telepathic link.
"I'm... trying...!!" Nathan cried out in pain as he tried and failed to use his telekinesis to control the virus' spread. He had used so much energy during the mission that it was as if nothing was left when he reached for it and needed it most.
Jakob and Mara stood back and watched in horror as their savior bent over in pain, his body seemingly at war with itself. Mara actually began to cry, leaning her head on Jakob's shoulder as if she could not bear to watch. He comforted her as best he could, eyes never leaving the scene before him. Tetherblood remained at Nathan's side, holding his friend up under one arm as he struggled to get ahold of himself.
"Here, let me help him," Nathan heard someone say from above, realizing a moment later that it was Aliya who had spoken. Even through his pain, he managed to be embarrassed that she had seen him lose control. "What she must think of me..." His eyes burned when he imagined her shaking her head in disgust, the word 'freak' echoing through his head in her soft voice.
Tetherblood shifted aside a bit, allowing Aliya to kneel down beside Nathan as he continued to struggle, so exhausted that he could not find the energy he needed to reign in the virus. Barely hanging on to consciousness, he turned his head and looked up at her, expecting to see her usual mocking smile replaced by a look of disgust. Instead, he was surprised to find sympathy and concern in her eyes as she reached out and took a firm hold of his good hand. Rather than speaking, he heard her voice inside his head, realizing that she was calling on the telepathy she tended to avoid using with him.
"You're stronger than this, Nathan," she said softly, squeezing his hand. "Use the power you have and control it. You can do it."
"Don't want you to... look at me... like this..." he answered back, his pain apparent even through his mental voice.
"That's hardly important at the moment. Now stop worrying and get a hold of yourself. I know you can do it."
"Nathan," Professor chimed in. "In 2.5 minutes, the virus will completely engulf your bo--"
"No... it... won't!"
Nathan looked deep inside of himself and found the last of his remaining power, gritting his teeth against the pain as he concentrated. Reaching down into his soul, he focussed all of his remaining telekentic energy and surrounded his body in a golden glow, slowly pulling his body back together. It was so painful that he nearly passed out, biting down on a scream as he forced his arm back into its normal shape. A moment later, he opened his eyes and found that his body had returned to normal.
He was breathing heavily and covered in sweat, but he had beaten the virus yet again. He studied his techno-organic hand and sighed as he turned it over several times, satisfied, before realizing that Aliya was still holding his other hand. He felt his face heat up as he looked over at her, managing a slight grin. She hesitated, then returned the smile, easily pulling him up to his feet. He leaned on her for a moment before shakily regaining his balance and managing to stand on his own, trying to look strong as if nothing had happened. Aliya hastily yanked her hand out of his as he flashed a grin at the startled group before him.
"We've got a while to walk before we get back to camp," he said, stiffling a yawn. "I don't know about all of you, but I'm exhausted!" With that, he turned and began carefully making his way through the dense woods, leaving his stunned companions to follow after him.