"I wish you hadn't told me that, Grimm," Isto's voice crackled through the cell phone, "but what's done is done. When you hear the knock say 'The lame runs' and if the answer is not 'when he must' don't open the door."

"And if it is?" Sorli asked.

"Then that's the medical team I sent." Isto answered flatly.

"Alright then."

"Grimm, you realize that harboring and aiding Leap could not only land you in jail but would have gotten you significantly ahead in GSO standings, right?"

"I know."

"So, why?"

"Because it's the right thing to do. Two people, who don't deserve to be, are hurt and the GSO would sooner identify how to isolate Leap's powers than make sure she gets the help she needs."

"Good enough then," Isto commented, seemingly pleased, "The Supplier wants a meet. Three o clock down in the Storage Yards, don't be late." Isto said before he disconnected the call.

What does she want now? Sorli thought.

"So he came in through the window, broke Cody's arm, then probably his nose just... because?" Leap whispered to Audrey on the couch.

"I don't really know. I tried to call Patrol, but Cody slapped my phone away and well... you already know the rest. And you?"

"What about me?" Leap asked.

"You have a hole in you that isn't supposed to be there Cat."

"Oh, right. Hired by Brandao - he shows up - I kick his arse - then I get shot. That's about it."

Sorli blocked out the rest of the conversation and walked over to Cody, still out cold on the carpet. He dragged the unconscious mass over to the kitchen island and propped him up against it, regretful for a moment that he did not have some sort of cuffs to keep him restrained, but Sorli had his speed and reflexes and could put him out again if needed.

He heard the hard soles of Leap's boots approaching across the laminate.

"Hey, Grimm? Is that what they're calling you?" she asked.

"Yeah, I guess." Sorli answered, rolling his shoulders.

"Thanks." Leap said.

"Thanks?"

"For helping Audrey, for not turning me in. You did a good thing." She explained.

In the moment that Sorli hesitated, there was a knock at the door. He held a finger up and strode over to it.

"The lame runs..." he said through the door, muscles tensed and ready to punch through it.

"When he must..." a gruff voice answered.

Sorli opened the door and his eyebrows met his hairline.

Remedy - The Panacea Hero - Real Name: Warren Greer, was standing in the doorway, eyes shifting back and forth along the hallway. Isto must have significantly more pull with known supers than Sorli thought.

Not that surprising given whatever connection he has to the Supplier. He rationalized

"Well?" Remedy asked.

Sorli stepped aside and invited the man in with a gesture, then shut and locked the door. Remedy was a stocky man with fading orange hair poking out under a green skull cap, jaded blue eyes, and a square jaw. He was wearing a long puffy jacket and considering that is was the middle of spring, he was likely using it to conceal his equipment, identity, or both; the large industrial case that he swept out from the garment further proved Sorli's assumption.

"What are we looking at?" Remedy grumbled at Sorli.

"A gunshot wound, high caliber round with entrance and exit wounds, significant blood loss on one, blunt force trauma and a broken leg on the other as far as I can tell." he answered.

"And him?" Remedy asked, pointing at Cody.

"What about him?"

"I may as well treat his injuries too."

"A broken elbow, likely dislocated shoulder, broken nose, and a concussion." Sorli growled in answer.

Remedy looked at Sorli, as if studying him for a moment, then got to work. "Good to see a rookie take the written tests seriously for once." he stated as he dug through the heavy duty case, drawing out an injector and several differently labeled vials. He held each one up in the light and set them each aside into two groups.

"Reporting is thirty percent of the street-level exam." Sorli answered.

"This is going to sting." Remedy told Leap. He slotted one of the vials into his injector and then pressed the needle into the marred flesh of her bullet wound.

"Shit!" Leap cried.

Remedy pulled the trigger on the injector and a green foam started to fill the wound. Leap hissed and clamped down on the arm of the sofa. After the injection, Remedy smoothed an opaque blue paste over the wound on both sides.

"Leave that in place for three days, don't touch it, don't get soap on it, and it'll fall off on day three. You'll have a nasty scar, but everything should work right inside." Remedy instructed.

Leap nodded as she stifled a plaintive groan. "Gotcha Doc."

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"Roll up your sleeve please." Remedy asked as he changed out the cartridge and needle in his injector going for a translucent red fluid and a finer needle, "Do you know your blood type?"

Leap chuckled for a moment before answering "B positive."

"Very good." Remedy acknowledged as he injected the red fluid on the inside of her exposed arm.

Sorli noted the end of a quarter sleeve of tattoos before Remedy pulled the sleeve down.

"And that was?" Leap asked.

"A synthetic plasma. It'll amplify your natural blood production for the next couple hours to compensate for the blood lost. Keep your iron consumption low until this evening and try to avoid any new wounds, understood?"

"Yes sir." Leap answered with a mock salute.

"As always, rest and fluids." Remedy instructed ejecting the canister and needle head along with the others left in his disposal container.

He stood and walked to the other side of the sofa where Audrey sat. Remedy laid his hand on her leg and a faint glow radiated out of his fingertips.

"He must have been wailing on you pretty hard, eh Miss?" Remedy asked.

"N-no I mean... it was-" Audrey stammered.

Sorli's attention snapped back to the moment. "I think the boot prints speak for themselves."

"I see. So you swung in and stopped this?" Remedy questioned further.

"I did."

"That's good. The fracture isn't severe, and even after I treat it, you're going to need to be easy on your feet for a while. Is that something you can do?" he asked Audrey.

"I think so."

Remedy administered two injections and left a small cannister of supplements with Audrey then walked over to Cody.

"Grimm Raven, would you do me a favor and hold him still?" Remedy asked.

"Sure."

Sorli strode over and gripped Cody firmly by the unbroken arm and lapel.

"I'm going to set the bone and splint it, then tranq him and we can let Patrol handle the rest." Remedy explained.

Sorli couldn't help but grin at that.

Everyone treated, Remedy gone, and Cody taken into custody by Patrol, it was time for Sorli to leave.

"Grimm?" Leap piped up, appearing in front of him.

"Yeah?" he answered, combatting the urge to assume a ready stance.

"Thanks for looking out for Audrey... and again for not turning me over. I don't really know why you didn't, but I'm grateful all the same."

"I guess you'll owe me one then." Sorli replied.

"I guess I will," she rested her left hand on her shoulder for a moment, "be safe out there."

Sorli nodded to Leap before launching himself out of the previously shattered window. The whole ordeal of putting a stop to Cody's abuse had taken much longer than he'd hoped. The sun was well past the midpoint in its arc through the sky and if he were going to meet The Supplier on time and get done what he wanted to in the day, he would have to hustle.

The suit compensated and boosted where he wanted it to; it was as simple as planning his route through the skyline and moving. He crossed King's Gough in what seemed like minutes and landed atop his multiplex. Sorli went to open the roof access door and paused, he was still in his super suit and he wasn't properly with the GSO.

As if in response to the thought, the suit shifted to a pair of well-worn jeans and a black T-shirt.

Neat. Sorli thought as he removed the domino mask and tucked it into his back pocket.

It had been a couple of days since Sorli had been home. There was a fine layer of dust from the outdated ventilation system covering the meager collection of his belongings and a pile of mail spread out in front of the door. He had a single bedroom apartment, a space provided to him after leaving the "Home for the Lost." It did what he needed it to do: it was a place to sleep, to eat, to train, and to think, nothing more.

He scooped up the collection of envelopes and flipped through the mail. He sorted it into two piles "junk" and "not-junk" before promptly disposing of the latter. None of the mail remaining was too thrilling; bills, coupons for groceries, and his monthly stipend were just a few of the items left. Sorli took some time to clean the place up, eat something, and shower. The suit, even in the shape of casual wear, still served to keep his movements feeling fluid and controlled.

I still need to take some time without this thing. Sorli reminded himself.

Before long, the sun had set and dense smog obfuscated all but the brightest stars in the night sky.

"Well, crime isn't going to fight itself." Sorli announced.

He opened the window in the back of his apartment and slipped out onto the fire escape, the suit shifting from "casual" to "super" in an instant as he scaled the metal scaffolding and myriad ladders. As he ascended toward the roof, the temperature started to drop.

That's pretty weird. Sorli thought as he slid the domino mask into place. It was snowing by the time he made it to the roof.

"So you're the new one." the figure waiting in the middle of the rooftop piped up as Sorli crested the final ladder.

On instinct, Sorli's muscles readied, "I guess I am."

As the super approached and the snow moved in sheets, Sorli caught the glimpses of them that he needed to identify just who he was talking to. The glint of bronze armor, a lick of flame, ice blue hair, and crimson eyes.

Atreyu, the current Number One Champion of the GSO, had sought him out. He was tall and lithe while retaining a statuesque physique and an imposing demeanor. He'd gotten to Champion standing in record time and to #1 even faster due to his power over fire and ice, super strength, speed, and durability. No matter who the villain was, they rarely succeeded in damaging him, let alone slowing him down.

He had no perceptible weakness.

"What do you want."

"I saw your little tirade on Channel 9. Interesting stuff." Atreyu said.

"Glad it didn't disappoint." Sorli quipped.

The squall came to a halt and Atreyu leveled his bow at Sorli. The thing itself appeared to be made from radiant blue ice with flames dancing inside its core and along the bow string.

"You're going to take it back."

"Like Hell."

"Don't make me do this." Atreyu challenged.

"I'm not making you do anything," Sorli answered, "you're the one bringing violence into the equation."

"Seems to be the only language you understand."

The suit screamed in warning at Sorli. Stop compensating. He thought at the suit. Atreyu had clearly been doing some homework in the hours since the debut of "Grimm Raven," would be able to track his movements easily, and would plug him full of holes.

Sorli lurched to the left, his feet dragged through the sawtooth roof leaving furrows along his path. The arrow whistled half a foot from where he landed. The sound of the bow string drawing back and the creak of the bow thundered in his ears, he leaped at Atreyu, which the Champion seemed not to expect.

Atreyu also didn't expect that Sorli would slide directly into him instead of punching or kicking him. The pair tumbled over each other along the roof. It was as they tumbled that Sorli realized Atreyu was out of his element. He was used to controlling the fight from the outside, tumbling in close quarters was something he was clearly not accustomed to.

The two parted and before Sorli could lunge again, Atreyu held up a hand.

"Just know that you have my attention." Atreyu warned before leaping into the air and streaking off.

Sorli let out a breath that he didn't know he'd been holding.

"Yeah, well f-"

"Sorli Grimmarson," The Supplier's voice slid into his ears, reactivating the suit's limiters.

"It is not three o' clock yet." Sorli replied.

"I know," she countered, "but there was just something in the air tonight and I didn't want to wait. Not a single. moment. longer."

Sorli turned to look at her, expecting to see the Ashen Avatar she'd used before. "What's this all abou..." he trailed off.

"Freefall," she stated calmly, "It's about Freefall."