"Hello, Amanda. How…," Damian greeted, his voice warm with surprise.

"There's no time for pleasantries, Damian," Amanda cut in urgently. "I need to tell you about something important."

Damian's curiosity piqued. "What's going on?"

"A quarantine blockade is being set up on the bridge," Amanda explained quickly. "Soldiers are shooting at anyone who gets near. It's dangerous out there."

Damian feigned surprise, though he had already been aware of the impending blockade. "Have you talked to Trish about this?"

"Yes, I have," Amanda replied. "She's aware of the situation. Please, Damian, be careful. Don't go near the bridges."

"Thank you for the warning, Amanda," Damian said sincerely. "I'll keep away from the bridges."

Amanda then changed the subject, asking Damian where he had been lately, as she hadn't seen him around in the last few days. Damian hesitated for a moment, crafting a plausible lie.

"I've been staying at the shelter, looking for my parents," Damian lied smoothly. It was a convenient excuse for his sudden disappearance.

Amanda expressed sympathy, wishing him luck in finding his parents. Damian thanked her before she ended the call.

Once the call was over, Damian muttered to himself, reflecting on Amanda's obliviousness to her own conduit abilities. He knew she had potential but hadn't discovered her powers yet. However, with her spending time at Trish's clinic, she’d be in good hands.

Damian then turned his attention back to the sample of tar he had collected from Sasha. With Trish's expertise, he hoped they could find a way to make her useful. "I'll handle the tar issue and then I should search the city for Isabella and any other conduits," Damian resolved, his mind already planning his next moves. "Trish can use all the information she can get. Besides I have no moves to make until Trish gets back to me."

Damian then placed the phone back in his chest cavity, ensuring its safety. He turned to the creature standing before him and instructed it to stay hidden in the alleyway until he returned. With a nod of acknowledgment, the creature vanished into the shadows, blending seamlessly with its surroundings.

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Taking a moment to focus, Damian activated his biomorphic abilities, shapeshifting his clothes into a hooded red shirt adorned with white skulls on the hood and a pair of blue jeans. The disguise would help him blend in with the Reapers of the Neon District, concealing his true identity as he ventured deeper into the tunnels.

With his disguise in place, Damian entered the tunnel, moving quietly and swiftly to avoid detection by the Reaper patrols. He navigated through the maze of corridors with ease, his senses sharp and alert for any signs of danger.

As Damian stealthily made his way through the tunnels, he stumbled upon what he was looking for. In a secluded area, civilians were being held captive in cages, their faces etched with fear and despair. Damian approached cautiously, hoping to avoid agitating them causing them to scream.

As he drew closer to the cages, an all too familiar screen materialized before him, displaying vital information about one of the captives:

Name: Elio Cyrus

Alias: N/A

Alignment: Neutral

Power Level: 🔥🔥🔥 (3/5)

Danger Level: ☠️☠️☠️ (3/5)

Power Status: 41% Abilities Unlocked (Mutation Occuring)

Health: 90% (Slightly Brainwashed)

Karma Level: Neutral

Faction: Independent

Abilities:

Pyrokinesis: Elio can freely generate, shape, and manipulate all flames, the rapid oxidation of a material in the exothermic chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction products, flame being the visible portion of the fire. Depending on the substances alight, and any impurities outside, the color of the flame and the fire's intensity will be different.

Fire Immunity: Elio is immune to fire, being completely invulnerable to direct and indirect effects. Essentially, the user simply cannot be burned to death, being able to walk through a burning building, with merely debris and smoke inhalation to worry about. Remarkably, he can withstand high-level temperatures, and heat that would usually cause severe skin damage. Since fire naturally spreads, if Elio becomes covered in flames he'd have to be very careful, not to torch everyone/everything else around him.

Damian smiled as he read the information on the screen. He hadn’t imaged he would find Elio a fellow conduit, and it appeared that he was being held captive and subjected to Sasha's mind-controlling tar. In the game, there were Reaper Conduits who had the ability to teleport and release concussive shockwaves. He always wondered how Sasha created them without a power transfer device and it looked like she could mutate someone’s conduit gene.

Since Cole was immune to the tar he hadn’t really given it much thought, but it seemed Sasha was more powerful than he gave credit to. Damian smiled as he looked through the dazed hostages and found a young man with a striking presence with a tall frame. His face bore strong, angular features softened by a hint of youthful charm, accentuated by chestnut-brown eyes that sparkled with intelligence. His light chestnut hair framed his face, adding to his casual yet artfully styled appearance. He wore a blend of fitted jeans, well-worn sneakers, and a comfortable hoodie.

As Damian approached the cage holding Elio, he noticed the young man's dazed expression and the faint glimmer of recognition in his eyes. Without hesitation, Damian reached out and opened the cage door, intending to free Elio from his captivity.

However, as soon as the door swung open, Elio's demeanor shifted. His eyes widened with fear and confusion, and before Damian could react, Elio lunged at him, driven by a primal instinct to defend himself. Damian swiftly dodged Elio's attack, his movements fluid and precise.

With practiced ease, Damian subdued Elio, restraining him with a firm grip around his neck until he lost consciousness. As Elio's body went limp, Damian let out a sigh of relief. “Sorry kid, I wish I could be gentler, but I don’t have the luxury for that.”

But the commotion had attracted unwanted attention. The other captives began to stir, their cries and groans echoing through the chamber as they banged against the cages in a desperate attempt to escape.

Fearing that the noise would draw more Reapers to the area, Damian acted quickly. He grabbed an empty can lying nearby and ripped off the top, using it to scoop up some of the tar pooling on the floor of Elio's cage. With the sample secured, Damian hoisted Elio's unconscious form onto his shoulder and retreated behind a pile of rubble, hiding from view.