Reactive Adaptation: the ability to develop adaptations, powers, or skills in response to immediate threats.

Tyler lands a kick on Josh's side, making him trip and slam his face into the ground. Josh groans and lifts himself on his elbows. He licks his teeth. One of them is definitely going to get knocked out.

"Alright, that's the last one," Tyler sighs like he's bored, not even looking down at him. "Come on, kid, get up. I've got an essay to write."

Josh hasn't had the best start to his week. Dallon's been treating him worse ever since his freak out yesterday, he finally got verbal confirmation Tyler doesn't see him or Tiana as any more than some annoying kids, and none of his clothes fit him anymore. So, yeah, he's kind of pissed.

"Three out of four," he grunts, wiping blood from his mouth.

"I've already kicked your ass twice," Tyler laughs, already getting into a fighting position. "Don't make me do it again."

Josh glares at him, spitting a ball of bloody saliva away from the mats. "Three out of four, asshole."

Tyler shakes his head and turns away, evidently not taking him seriously. With his back facing him, Josh pounces, getting him into a headlock before being inevitably flung over Tyler's shoulders and back into the mats. He hears a crack, either his nose or that loose tooth

Instinctively, Josh flings his arms forward, sending a chair flying in Tyler's direction. The chair grows twice its size and traps Tyler behind it.

"You're getting a hang of it," he says with a sardonic chuckle, grabbing the piece of wood that blocks him from escaping. "But you're not quite there yet." Steam pours from between his fingers and the chair leg bursts into flames, letting him escape from his wooden prison.

Josh doesn't move from his spot on the ground as Tyler approaches him, too frustrated to even try and get up. He can't move, his whole body feels like he'd been consecutively run over by a tractor. Tyler crouches down in front of him and offers a hand, which he smacks away.

"I can get up myself," he snaps, forcing himself onto his knees.

Tyler frowns and waits for Josh to get back on his gets before he stands a well. "Hey, man, I'm just trying to help. You just need a little push-"

"What I need is for you to treat me like I'm human, not like your being forced to work with me," Josh retorts, shoving past him to get his bag from under one of the benches. "I thought you were a hero, but you're just another bully."

He grabs his book-bag and storms out, ignoring Tyler's half-hearted calls for him to stay. Tiana meets him at the door, struggling to get her jacket hood over he tops of her wings. When she sees him, her face goes from exhaustion to confusion.

"What'd he do this time?" She asks as Josh collapses into the chair beside her.

"What didn't he do?" He scoffs, pitting his backpack in his lap to look for his jacket. "He just treats me like shit all the time. It's like I'm boring him when I'm trying to fight."

"Well, maybe we can switch groaning partners for a day, and I'll give him a piece of my mind."

"That's just it, Tia, I don't need you to stick up for me anymore. We're both heroes. But he doesn't act like it. I know I'm the weak link because I can't control my powers yet, but I'm trying, and he doesn't see that. He just-"

Josh throws his hands up and makes an incoherent grumble, not knowing how to put his frustration into words. She giggles at his face, which makes some of the tension fade.

"Then just... show him what you can do." Tiana sits down and props her arm on his shoulder, wiggling her eyebrows at him. "Aren't our powers working the night shifts tonight? And Hayley's working uptown today."

Josh immediately picks up on her implications and looks at her, trying to see if she's serious. "We've never done a patrol without Hayley or Tyler, are you sure that's a good idea?"

"It's better than you being salty at Tyler for the rest of the night," she says.

"Okay, fine. They can't find out, though." He feels himself smiling involuntarily. "Just you and me, fighting crime, like we've always wanted to do."

"I'll be the Batman to your robin," she says.

"Ha. More like you'll be robin."

"Tim Drake or Dick Grayson?"

Josh shrugs. "I never read the comics."

"That's a crime," she gasps.

"Okay, fine." He rolls her eyes. "How about I'm the Peter Parker to your Ironman?"

"Aww, how sweet," she cooes. "But you're the genius, so technically you'd be Ironman."

"Oh my god, woman, pick a hero!"

Tiana finally gets her jacket on and gestures at the door. Josh stands up, looking around to make sure tyler and Hayley aren't around, and walks with her into the crisp downtown night.

"Where should we start our patrol, spidergirl?" He jokes, following her back towards their neighborhood.

She sends him a wicked smile. "Let's figure out as we go, boy wonder, just like everything else we do."

"Sounds par for the course with us." He looks up at the sky, seeing only the moon and hints of stars sprinkled across the sky. "Let's just hope no one wants to rob a bank at nine thirty at night."