They moved like an odd little parade through the streets of Bucharest - loud enough to be noticed if anyone was looking closely, but strange enough to be dismissed as another ragged band of mutants passing through.

Leading the way was Nadya: a compact hurricane of a woman with wild, frizzy orange hair that refused to be tamed. Her arms were thick rope, shoulders broad and always ready to launch into trouble or laughter, whichever came first. She walked with the kind of confidence that made people step aside without thinking. Her grin was quick and dangerous.

Beside her, Amina kept her head down. She looked sixteen at most - a small, frail frame wrapped in oversized sleeves, a loose braid swinging against her sun-kissed skin. Her dark eyes watched everything like she was storing it for later. There was a softness to her that made strangers underestimate how sharp she could be.

Lenny padded along with them, a scrawny, giddy teenager who barely looked like he belonged in the same sentence as a fighter or a mutant group. Blonde hair clung damp to his forehead; baggy clothes swallowed him. He hopped occasionally, like a boy who hadn't yet been told to grow up. 'Don't let his appearance fool you,' Kai thought when he caught Lenny's grin. 'That scrawny kid can turn into one hell of a monster.' In lizard form, Lenny was a ripping shadow - terrifyingly durable and strong.

And then there was Kai. Tall, lean, the kind of body that moved with economy and purpose. His hair was a mess, fingers through it far more often than a man liked to admit, and the red of his eyes - the thing that had once made people gasp - now hid behind cheap sunglasses he'd picked up from a market stall. He wore the sunglasses like armour. 'Keep them guessing. Keep them small,' he told himself. 'Don't show them the demon.'

Romania had its own rules, and in most of Bucharest, mutants were treated like a gruff, unavoidable part of life. That casual acceptance meant the Association didn't have carte blanche here - it was a small mercy. As long as they didn't cause trouble, no one waved for reinforcements.

But it was only a matter of time before even the Romanian authorities had enough of Kai and his group. They would imprison them or deport them, and Kai wasn't volunteering for either.

As such, they tried not to draw too much attention. But as they were continuing onwards, they couldn't help but hear mention of a "Phantom Car" by passersby.

They immediately knew exactly who was behind it and had all once been passengers of a Phantom Car. Asking one of the passersby for more details, they showed them a video that was going viral of a black sedan shimmer-phasing through a lorry like it was a ghost.

Unlike what the passerby expected, the odd group that had asked him what had happened burst out into laughter. The video was blurry, and though most wouldn't know who was who in the video, they certainly did.

"Isaac must be losing his mind while Sven drives like a madman," Kai could imagine it, picturing how wild Nadya's Russian counterpart was. "Takeshi's probably just meditating through it."

Nadya snorted. "But I'm sure those idiots will manage somehow."

"So where can we find this friend of yours?" Kai asked, his competitive spirit being ignited, seeing as the other group had already set off.

"If we head to the nearest coast, I'm sure I can sniff him out," Nadya said, her grin sharpening. "He likes places with ports and loose customs. Smells of opportunity and bad decisions."

"How are we going to get there?" Kai asked since travel was the kind of thing that Sven usually handled.

"Honestly?" Nadya glanced around as if they could conjure a ferry out of the sky, then shrugged. "We'll just hustle and figure something out."

Lenny bounced on the balls of his feet. "I think I can still move fast," he offered, voice high and eager. He launched himself with a little hop more than a step and soared onto a low wall before landing with a theatrically loud thud. He scrambled up, dusting his trousers, cheeks flushed.

The movement was clumsy, yet still surprisingly explosive. Though it couldn't be compared to his lizard form, it was better than your average mutant. Amina laughed - a soft sound that made Lenny's grin turn sheepish and honest.

'He's trying to show off to Amina,' Nadya thought, watching him dust off his hoodie. But despite her conflicting emotions, she couldn't deny that his absurd physical abilities, if used intelligently, could be useful.

Even Kai had to admit it - the kid was impressive. Lenny's raw strength was hard to measure, his body a paradox of fragile looks and monstrous power.

'If he ever learns to control that brute strength and pairs it with that freakish durability… he'll be terrifying,' Kai thought, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.

Still, the kid wasn't a miracle engine - not yet. Carrying them across a hundred miles of rough country would've burned even his stamina out, especially in his current form. Nadya couldn't blast her way across, and Kai didn't particularly feel like running either. Even if they could, Amina definitely couldn't.

Powerful mutants still had limitations.

It was times like this when Kai was envious of Shadow's ability, which was the most practical and profound he had come across as of yet.

But it wasn't like he could just swap with him.

So they hustled. Hopped onto the backs of passing trucks. Hitched illegal rides on freight trains. It was a patchwork journey - cold air, rattling metal, and the constant whisper of exhaustion clinging to their heels.

It was definitely nowhere near as comfortable or luxurious as the other group, who had it easy.

But by the time the sun dipped and the first stars blinked to life, their luck changed. Or, more accurately, Nadya made it change...

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