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[center][b]Aubrey Adkins[/b] | [b]Kensei[/b] | [b]Emily Prichert[/b][/center]
	Kensei examined in his hand the device that the Hounds had used to send the winged metahuman into a berserker rage. He kept turning the circular gadget, which he had removed from the stomach of the metahuman, over in his palm before pocketing it. The Japanese warrior then turned back towards Pinup and me and walked over to us.

	[color=teal][b]“I’m going to see if I can find any more of these unnaturally enhanced metahumans. I want you and the [i]Jorōgumo[/i] look-alike to remain behind and assist the police in helping the bystanders to safety.”[/b][/color]

	[color=b22222]“A [i]what[/i] look-alike?”[/color] I asked the Japanese warrior.

	“But we’ve already shown that we can handle this situation,” Pinup snapped back, although she was ignoring what Kensei had called me.

	[color=teal][b]“This is a job for professionals,”[/b][/color] Kensei stated bluntly, [color=teal][b]“and your friend clearly does not seem well.”[/b][/color]

	[color=b22222]“What I want to know is what you just called me,”[/color] I protested.

	“I don’t know if this is the right time for this,” Pinup suggested to me.

	[color=teal][b]“It roughly translates to “Prostitute Spider,”[/b][/color] Kensei finally explained the meaning of the name. Great, first that snake-girl called me a pornstar. Now this guy has joined the club and he doesn’t even know my secret identity. Or does he somehow? [color=teal][b]“But you lack the supernatural aura a [i]yokai[/i] normally possesses.”[/b][/color]

	“See, he didn’t mean a thing by it!” Pinup said to me in an attempt to smooth over the situation.

	I then sensed someone reach out towards me. I instinctively flinched and hopped to the side. But when I looked back where I felt the hand reaching towards me, I discovered that it was only Pinup trying to pat me on the shoulder.

	[color=teal][b]“My point exactly,”[/b][/color] Kensei asserted, probably correctly concluding that I was not entirely alright mentally from my experience with Pinup’s nightmare causing powers. [color=teal][b]“And you speak as if you know me.”[/b][/color]

	“You know,” Pinup desperately tried to explain as she saw Kensei’s unamused expression on his face, “Icon, Blue Blur, Archangel. The gang!”

	[color=teal][b]“I’ve never met any of them,”[/b][/color] Kensei replied, [color=teal][b]“but I have heard of Icon.”[/b][/color]

	[color=b22222]“And since when were you friends with that bitch?”[/color]

	“Who?”

	[color=b22222]“Archangel…”[/color]

	“What? Archangel is definitely a dude.”

	[color=b22222]"And you know the name of that Blue Blur guy, just like the Game Genie?[/color]

	"You met that loser? Such a pain."

	[color=b22222]"I mean, he did just try to attack this city this past month. Where were you?"[/color]

	[color=teal][b]“This isn’t productive,”[/b][/color] Kensei blurred out. [color=teal][b]“Now if you don’t mind, I have work to do.”[/b][/color]

	The pavement a few feet down the road began to crumble as something was smashing its way out from underneath it. Chunks of asphalt flew into the air as a hole was dug into the road.  From this subterranean breach, another metahuman, who had been driven into a berserker rage like the others, appeared. Its skin had rugged, rocky protrusions, while its hands possessed hardened talons, designed for clawing through the earth.

	“So, I guess you have this one,” Pinup gave Kensei some snark. Instead of speaking, Kensei just turned his head back to look at Pinup and gave her a death stare. Then he returned his attention back to the metahuman, who had just dropped back down into its tunnel. At first, we let our guard down, since, at least how it looked to me, we thought that it was retreating. However, when it appeared again, but in a newly created hole behind us, we instantly knew it had no intent on withdrawing. I guess this Kensei was going to need our help.