The tension from their earlier conversation with Albert still hung in the air as Angelo and Blue made their way towards the exit. The sterile corridors of Albert's research facility seemed to stretch endlessly, their footsteps echoing off the polished floors.
Red hung back with Albert. As they started walking to join the others, Albert overheard Red muttering under his breath, "What's that blue bastard plotting now?" The scientist's eyebrows raised slightly, but he kept his thoughts to himself.
Moments later, the group emerged onto the training field. The vast expanse of reinforced concrete stretched out before them, scarred with the marks of countless battles and experiments. The air crackled with latent energy, a testament to the power that had been unleashed here over the years.
Blue and Angelo took their positions in the center of the field, facing each other with a mix of curiosity and apprehension. Angelo's brown eyes darted about, still unsure of what was to come, but he steeled himself for whatever Blue had planned.
From the sidelines, Albert and Red watched intently. The old scientist's eyes gleamed with scientific curiosity, while Red's crossed arms seemed to tighten with impatience.
Blue turned to Albert, his voice calm and measured. "Professor, if you would be so kind as to commence our match."
Albert, composing himself, nodded. "Very well. Gentlemen, are you ready? Begin!"
In an instant, the air around Angelo and Blue shimmered as they activated their auras. Angelo wasted no time, launching a volley of energy blasts that lit up the field with bursts of orange light.
"Take this, Blue!" Angelo shouted, his voice filled with determination.
Blue, moving with unexpected grace, leapt upwards to dodge, his form silhouetted against the sky. "Predictable as always, Angelo," Blue commented, his tone calm despite the intensity of the situation.
As he reached the apex of his jump, Blue retaliated with his own energy blasts. The blue projectiles arced through the air, catching Angelo off guard and striking him in the back.
Angelo flinched, more from surprise than pain. "Sneaky bastard," he muttered, a grudging respect in his voice.
Spinning around, Angelo charged at Blue, his aura flaring with renewed determination. "Let's see you dodge this!" He sidestepped at the last moment, attempting to catch Blue with an energy-enhanced fist.
But Blue, moving with fluid precision, waited for just the right moment before dodging. "Close, but not quite," Blue remarked, his voice carrying a hint of amusement. In a move that seemed to defy physics, he redirected Angelo's momentum, sending him crashing to the ground.
From the sidelines, Red's eyes widened in disbelief. "What the actual hell?" he muttered, his voice a mix of confusion and grudging admiration.
The pattern repeated itself, over and over. Each time, Angelo's raw power was evident, his strikes capable of devastating damage if they connected. But Blue moved like water, his movements precise and elegant, always just out of reach.
"Stand still, damn it!" Angelo growled, frustration evident in his voice.
"And make it easy for you? I think not," Blue replied, a rare smirk playing on his lips.
In a final, desperate effort, Angelo decided to unleash his strongest attack. He brought his hands together, his aura flickering violently around his frame as energy began to coalesce in his palms.
Blue, sensing the shift in the battle, leapt back to gain some distance. To everyone's surprise, he too began charging an attack.
Red's gaze remained locked on the charging attacks, his voice carrying a hint of frustration. "I don't get it. What's the point of all this?"
Albert, his eyes still fixed on the impending clash, responded softly. "What do you mean, my dear boy?"
Red's voice grew more agitated, though his eyes never left the battle. "It's obvious now that Blue wanted to show me that raw power isn't everything. 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 energy hurtled towards Blue, its light so intense it momentarily blinded everyone watching.
But as the light faded, they caught a glimpse of Blue's face - and was that a smirk? In a move that caught everyone off guard, Blue launched his own attack at the ground, kicking up a massive dust cloud that obscured him from view.
"What the-" Angelo's voice was cut off as Blue suddenly appeared on his side, landing an energy-enhanced fist to the side of Angelo's head.
"Always be aware of your surroundings, Angelo," Blue stated calmly as Angelo went flying, his aura flickering out as he hit the ground.
As the dust settled, it was clear - Blue had won the sparring match.
With measured steps, Blue walked towards Red and Albert. The old scientist's face was a mask of impressed surprise, while Red's expression cycled through confusion, anger, and finally, a grudging respect.
Angelo, shaking off the effects of the final blow, pulled himself to his feet and made his way over to the group.
Blue's voice was calm as he addressed Red. "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, turning away with a 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!"
Angelo's eyes flashed with a mix of irritation and determination. "Oh yeah? Maybe Blue caught me off guard, but don't think you'll have it so easy." His voice lowered, almost to himself, "I won't make the same mistake twice."
The loss to Blue had clearly stung, igniting a competitive fire within him.
Angelo glanced at Blue, who nodded with a soft smile. With a sigh, Angelo said, "Okay, you insufferable hothead. Let's go."
As Red moved to join Angelo, Blue and Albert remained on the sidelines. The sounds of Red's shouts, the impact of fists, and small explosions filled the air.
Albert turned to Blue, a knowing smile on his face. "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 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 something distant. "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 tinged with a rare emotion. "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..."
Albert could see that this was a painful memory, even for the usually composed and detached Blue. The old scientist finished Blue's thought, his voice gentle. "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 a pang in his chest at Blue's words, the weight of their shared suffering almost palpable.
Blue's gaze dropped, 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 a pain long buried. "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 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 in, his scientific curiosity piqued despite the gravity of the conversation. "Fascinating. And when you did materialize?"
Blue's expression darkened slightly. "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, his voice barely above a whisper. "Take over? I'm not sure I follow, Blue."
Blue met Albert's gaze, his eyes reflecting a mix of old pain and resignation. "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.
As Angelo dodged another of Red's attacks, his mind drifted back to his defeat by Blue. Each move he made now was more calculated, more precise. 'Blue beat me with strategy, not just power,' he thought.
'I need to be smarter, not just stronger.' The lesson from his loss was already shaping his approach to this new battle.
Suddenly, Red's voice cut through their conversation. "Hey, Angelo! Think fast!" A barrage of energy projectiles lit up the field, most aimed at Angelo, but a few stray blasts hurtled towards 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 out of harm's way.
As the dust settled, Albert let out a sigh of relief. Blue turned towards 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's voice was stern as he addressed them both. "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, Red's voice was uncharacteristically calm as he spoke. "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 to set, casting long shadows across the training field, Angelo and Red's sparring match came to an end. Both landed simultaneous blows, resulting in a tie - Red reverting to smoke form and retreated to Angelo's body while Angelo's aura flickered out.
The group lingered until Red could materialize again. As they prepared to leave, Albert asked the three to emerge one last time. There they stood - Angelo, Blue, and Red - a trio born of extraordinary circumstances.
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. Angelo and Blue said their farewells before leaving, the weight of the day's revelations and confrontations hanging between them.
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 bearing down on him. "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, 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.