Greg was the first to speak
"Holy shit dude! You shot her?!"
Leo rely rolled his eyes with disdain dripping off of him.
"She deserved it."
"Maybe but did you have to shoot her in the fucking head?! Killing sobody over so silly nickna is batshit insane man!"
"She’s not dead."
"Of course she’s dead! You shot her in the head!"
"With a healing bullet."
Aria crouched beside Penny, inspecting her with a look of mild concern. "She’s fine. Not even bruised."
Penny blinked up at her, completely unhard, a bit dazed but otherwise perfectly normal. "You shot ?! I can’t believe you just shot ! In the face too! The Face!"
Leo smirked back at her with a cold gaze. "And I will do it again if you co up with another nickna for my looks. You wanna call an E-Boy or a Goth Daddy?"
Penny raised up an index finger as she remarked "In my defence, I did not say that last one."
Greg let out a loud wheeze. "Oh my god. Goth Daddy? That’s going in the archives."
Leo’s eye twitched. "Say it again. I dare you."
Penny pushed herself up to a sitting position, rubbing her forehead dramatically even though there wasn’t a mark on her. "Okay, first of all, you shot . In the face. That’s not normal party leader behavior."
"I told you. Healing bullet, Won’t even leave a mark" Leo said, voice flat.
Greg narrowed his eyes. "That’s not a thing. What on earth is a healing bullet supposed to be anyways?"
Leo looked over his shoulder, expression unreadable. "A bullet made of Poison, in the right dosage, even the most potent venom can be dicine."
Crystal tilted her head and chid in. "That actually checks out. There’s an ancient theory behind controlled venom use. It’s basically toxic alchemy."
Greg held up both hands. "Okay, but even if it’s a healing bullet, you shot her. Point blank. In the face That’s still insane."
Leo shrugged. "It got the ssage across."
Penny finally stood, brushing herself off. "I don’t even know how to respond to that. Like... emotionally or physically. I feel like I need therapy. Or a spa day."
"You need restraint," Leo muttered.
"You need manners," she shot back.
"You need a muzzle."
Penny gasped. "Excuse ? Did you see your reflection? You’re out here looking like the final boss of an underground fashion show and I’m the problem?"
Greg started laughing all over again. "Underground fashion show. That’s accurate."
Leo’s eyes narrowed.
"Titan I have a 2nd Gun you know right? Are you trying to get shot next?"
Greg imdiately ducked behind Crystal, using her as a makeshift shield which was pretty ineffective given his massive fra. "Don’t shoot the tank! That’s a bad strategy!"
Crystal didn’t say anything but Leo could tell that she was getting pretty annoyed with how Greg was acting.
"You are the eldest one here. Act like it!" She snapped, her voice frosty which caused Greg to flinch slightly.
Greg could only lower his head in submission and quietly mutter "Yes Ma’am."
He too noticed that he was acting a bit immature but sothing about this group made it feel really easy for him to unwind and relax. His mistake was that he had crossed a line with Crystal. He vowed to himself that it wouldn’t happen again.
anwhile, Penny dusted herself off one last ti and flipped her hair like a diva on the verge of pressing charges. "Just for the record, I’m adding this entire mont to my trauma list. It’s going in the moir."
Aria, who had been quietly observing the exchange, finally let out a soft breath and nodded. "Honestly? For all the drama... the transformation is impressive."
Crystal turning her head back nodded in agreent at Aria’s remark.
"Actually, it could solve the one glaring weakness that our current lineup has."
Everyone turned to her, curious.
"What do you an?" Penny asked
Crystal hesitated for a mont before continuing. "We have plenty of damage dealers and tanks, but when it cos to healing, we’re lacking. If Leo’s Poison Form can create healing bullets, maybe he can fill that gap for us."
Aria nodded thoughtfully. "That makes sense. If his bullets can restore health or counteract poison, it could change how we fight."
Greg rubbed his chin. "So the toxic form is actually a healer? That’s pretty wild."
Penny’s eyes widened as the realization hit her. "Wait a minute. So he gets to shoot us... but it’s healing? That ans every ti he decides to ’help,’ He’s basically putting a bullet in us!"
She threw her hands up, voice full of mock horror. "That is the most dramatic and ssed up healing thod I’ve ever heard of! Like, ’Here, let cure your wounds by firing a bullet into your face.’ What kind of twisted therapy is that?"
"It honestly sounds a little cathartic honestly~" Leo humd with a smug grin.
Penny pointed at him like she was addressing a war criminal. "Oh my god, you like this! You absolute nace. This is your dream job. You get to shoot your friends and call it compassion!"
Leo folded his arms, still wearing that faint, infuriating smirk. "Only when they deserve it."
"Deserve it?" Penny echoed, hands on her hips now. "So what, if I so much as sass you mid-battle, you’re gonna cap in the kneecap and say you were saving my life?"
"If it works, it works," Leo replied coolly.
Greg snorted. "I an... tactical healing with attitude? I kind of respect it."
"You would," Crystal said flatly.
Aria chuckled softly. "It’s unconventional. But if it helps balance the team, I’m not against it."
Penny groaned and dramatically clutched her head. "I can’t believe this. This is how I die. Not from monsters. Not from traps. Not from so evil god. No. I’m going to get rcy-executed by our own healer with a smile on his stupid pretty face."
"You’re not going to die," Leo said. "Unless you give another nickna."
Penny stared at him for a long beat. Then, very slowly, she mouthed the words Goth. Daddy.
Leo didn’t say a word.
He just raised his other gun.
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