"Okay, here goes nothing."

Facing the gathered shells several meters away, Devon focused on discharging just a single thin current from his hair. CRACKLE! The electric whip snapped fiercely to life.

With intense concentration, Devon lashed his arm forward, trying to guide the strand to the target. But it flailed and thrashed wildly, scorching a furrow in the sand feet away from the shells.

"Rhaatid!" Devon cursed in frustration. Reigning in the erratic energy was proving difficult. The living electricity seemed to have a mind of its own.

"Is alright, Rome not built in a day," Tanya encouraged. "Focus and try again."

Taking a deep breath, Devon stabilized another writhing tendril from his dreadlocks. He manoeuvred it slowly towards the conch shell pile, willing the current to obey and strike precisely.

It wobbled and warped in the air but this time the lightning strand managed to lash the outer edge of the target, scattering a few shells.

"Yes! Yuh get it that time," Tanya cheered.

“Yes!” Devon grinned, feeling himself start to find the delicate balance needed. After many attempts, some shells had burn marks at their centres from precise hits.

"Soon these electric whips will move like extensions of mi own body," Devon said, marvelling at the sizzling strands dancing and cracking through the air with his guidance. He tried to ignore the throbbing headache that using his powers for so long was inducing. Devon didn't want to worry Tanya overexerting himself.

"Alright, your turn now," Devon directed at Tanya after another round of shooting practice. "Show mi how your shapeshifting coming along."

Tanya smiled and cracked her knuckles dramatically. "Stand back and watch the fox magic." She took several steps away from Devon before closing her eyes to focus.

Slowly, tan fur began materializing across Tanya's arms and legs. Her facial features contorted, mouth and nose elongating into a vulpine snout. Tanya hunched forward as her spine extended into the bushy tail of a growing fox.

Soon she was transformed into a large red fox, shaking out her fur and flexing sharp claws in the sand. Tanya yipped excitedly at Devon.

"That was yuh quickest change yet!" Devon said, clapping in admiration. "How long yuh able to remain transformed?"

In response, Tanya scampered in quick circles around Devon before plopping down on her haunches with her tongue lolling happily.

"Alright, well try hold it as long as possible," Devon encouraged. "Maybe yuh powers get stronger the longer you stay changed."

Devon spent some time with Tanya testing her enhanced speed, smell and hearing in fox form. She could sprint short distances remarkably fast on four legs. And Tanya's animal nose was able to sniff out shells Devon had buried for her beneath the sand.

Her control over the transformation seemed stable until about twenty minutes in. That's when Tanya started whimpering and shuddering and her fox snout recoiling as her face turned partially human again.

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"Yuh okay?" Devon asked with concern, crouching down. Tanya's entire body was convulsing rapidly between animal and human form. She appeared unable to halt the painful shapeshifting process.

"Try focus yuh mind," Devon urged helplessly. "Remember who yuh be, Tanya Williams!"

Despite his encouragement, Tanya remained trapped, caught between identities as a horrific hybrid creature. She thrashed wildly across the sand, screaming in both human and animal tones.

Horrified, Devon tried grasping Tanya's half-mutated shoulders firmly. "Fight it, gyal! Yuh stronger than this!"

“Kyah!” Tanya only wailed louder with tears leaking from her amber eyes. Then suddenly, she went limp in Devon's grip. Her face had reverted to fully human again but remained deathly pale. Tanya had passed out from the torment and her vital signs were weak.

Devon scooped up her limp body and sprinted urgently across the beach towards the path up the cliffs. He had to get help for Tanya quickly.

In his haste, Devon tripped on a rock and accidentally loosened his grip on Tanya's unconscious form. Her head was on a collision course with jagged stones jutting from the sand.

"No!" Acting on pure instinct, Devon felt a surge of electricity shoot down his locks as the world seemed to slow down. In this distorted split second, he was able to dart forward and safely catch Tanya's falling body milliseconds before her head would have cracked on a rock.

The beach returned to normal speed. Devon blinked, startled by what had just transpired. He had moved impossibly fast, even for him. Gently laying Tanya on soft sand, Devon stared incredulously at his hands, which faintly crackled with static residue.

Some new variation of his abilities had emerged in that near tragic moment. But there was no time to ponder it now. Scooping up Tanya's limp form, Devon raced up the cliffside path back towards town and his home. Her wellbeing was all that mattered presently. This training had pushed Tanya's shapeshifting to dangerous limits.

Reaching his house, Devon kicked open the front door. "Mama, emergency!" he shouted in panic. "I need yuh help now!"

Norissa came rushing from the kitchen to see her son laying an unconscious Tanya on their living room sofa. "Jesus save us, what happened here?" Norissa exclaimed.

"We was... exercising by the cliffs and she just fainted," Devon explained, thinking quickly. "I bring her straight here 'cause it seems serious."

Norissa knelt by the couch and checked Tanya's pulse and pupils. "Poor child must be dehydrated. Grab mi a wet rag and some juice."

Devon did as instructed while his mother monitored Tanya's breathing. After laying the cool cloth on her forehead and coaxing some orange juice down her throat, Tanya finally stirred weakly.

"Wha...what happened?" she murmured dazedly. "Where am I?"

"Shh, yuh safe now," Norissa soothed. "Just rest yourself." She turned to Devon. "We let her recover here a bit before sending her home."

“Sound good.” Devon was relieved to see Tanya stabilizing but still concerned for her health after the traumatic episode. He stayed by her side until Tanya finally felt strong enough to leave. Norissa insisted on driving her safely back home.

"Tomorrow we chat about what really happened today," Devon said quietly as he walked Tanya to his mother's car. "No more dangerous risks till yuh stronger."

Tanya looked sombre but understanding. The limits of her shape-changing needed more careful exploration so accidents like this were avoided. She was grateful that Devon had been there to save her.

After they pulled off, Devon went to his room and collapsed onto the bed, physically and mentally drained. So much had happened in so little time. He replayed it all in his mind - the record-shattering sprint at practice, meeting Mei's charming new friend, another intense session sharpening his electrically charged dreadlocks. And somehow, in the heat of urgency, Devon had tapped into an incredible surge of speed unlike anything before in order to rescue Tanya. He had to learn to summon it at will.

Despite lingering fatigue, Devon also felt exhilarated realizing the scope of his blossoming powers. He had come far in just a short period of training and pushing his Coco abilities to awaken their full potential. But it was only the start. The Blur would keep levelling up until he stood unmatched as a true superhero defending both his community and the entire island from any threat. He would make Kamau, Rayon and everyone else lost to tragedy proud.

Filled with excitement for what the future held, Devon soon drifted off into a deep and restful sleep.