Sunlight streamed through the windows of Albert's laboratory garden, catching dust motes that danced above the blooming orchids. The air hummed with the gentle whirring of scientific equipment as three minds clashed in an intellectual battle far different from the physical combat taking place outside.

  Steven practically bounced in his chair, his designer glasses slipping down his nose in his excitement. "This is incredible!" He grabbed a marker and rushed to the large whiteboard that dominated one wall. "The implications of Angelo operating at half power could revolutionize everything we know about Aurons!"

  "Actually," Blue interjected with practiced precision, "recent calculations suggest a mere twenty five percent efficiency rate." His tone carried the weight of academic certainty. "Consider: if Angelo's physical capabilities are reduced by fifty percent, and the amplification factor from his aura is similarly halved, the compound effect results in approximately a quarter operational capacity compared to a standard Auron."

  Albert and Steven exchanged looks that made Blue's jaw tighten. Something in their expressions suggested they knew better.

  "May I?" Steven gestured to the whiteboard, marker poised.

  "By all means," Albert replied, settling back in his chair with the air of someone about to watch a student correct a colleague's mistake.

  Blue's eye twitched almost imperceptibly.

  Steven turned to the board with infectious enthusiasm. "Let me break down how Auron energy really works." He drew a simple diagram showing two stick figures. "Imagine you're having a water balloon fight. This will help explain Energy Draw Rate – EDR – and Energy Control Capacity – ECC."

  He quickly sketched water balloons next to the figures. "Think of ECC as the size of your water balloon – how much energy you can hold at once. EDR is like your faucet speed – how quickly you can fill that balloon."

  Outside in the training grounds, even Angelo and Red paused their sparring to listen through their shared consciousness as Steven continued drawing.

  "Here's what most people get wrong," Steven said, adding more details to his diagram. "Let's say Person A has a huge balloon but a tiny faucet. Person B has a smaller balloon but a powerful faucet that fills it instantly. In a fight, who wins?"

  Blue leaned forward despite himself, watching Steven's marker move across the board.

  "Person B dominates," Steven explained, drawing arrows to show the battle flow. "They can throw multiple balloons while Person A is still filling their first big one. In Auron terms, being able to gather energy quickly is way more valuable than just having a big energy capacity."

  He erased part of the board and started a new diagram. "But here's the real secret – every Auron automatically uses some of their energy draw rate just to enhance their basic abilities. Like a city power grid, you're always channeling some energy into three things: attack power, defense, and movement speed."

  Steven's marker squeaked as he drew power flow arrows. "And this distribution isn't equal. Some Aurons naturally put more energy into speed, others into defense. That's part of what makes each Auron unique."

  His voice dropped lower, like he was sharing a secret. "The really skilled ones can actually control this distribution. They can reduce the power going to their enhancements to have more energy for attacks. It's risky though – like turning down your shields to power up your weapons. You hit harder but become more vulnerable."

  Blue's eyes widened as understanding dawned. "So if an Auron has 10 EDR, and they normally allocate 30% to enhancements, they're working with 7 units for active abilities. But they could potentially lower that enhancement allocation to 20%, giving them 8 units for attacks at the cost of reduced natural enhancement?"

  "Precisely," Steven nodded approvingly. "Though few Aurons ever discover this level of energy manipulation. Most operate on instinct, letting their bodies maintain a fixed enhancement distribution. But those who master this technique gain a significant tactical advantage, able to shift their power allocation based on the situation."

  Blue's face fell as the full picture became clear. "So when Angelo's test showed 12 Aur per second EDR..."

  "Right." Steven's marker tapped against the board. "Since his energy is split, he only gets to use 6 Aur. Like a water faucet where half the water evaporates before reaching the balloon."

  Through their shared consciousness, Red's smug voice rang like a cracked bell: "Well, well, well... looks like our genius brother isn't so smart after all. How's that humble pie taste, Professor Blue?"

  Blue's teeth ground together audibly. "Shut. Up." The words escaped through clenched teeth as the steady beeping of lab equipment seemed to mock his wounded pride.

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  Meanwhile, Angelo felt a weight lift from his shoulders. Learning his limitations weren't as severe as Blue had feared sparked new determination in his chest.

  "If EDR is the key," he thought excitedly, "then Blue, ask them how to increase it! Maybe we should focus our training on—" His strategic planning cut off as Red's crimson form shot toward him, evolved aura blazing. "Red, wait! STOP—!"

  Back in the lab, Blue pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to ignore the chaos bleeding through their connection. He turned to his colleagues, scholarly curiosity overriding his concern for Angelo's predicament.

  "Might I inquire about EDR enhancement?" Blue's measured tone carried genuine eagerness beneath its usual calm. "What would a focused training regimen entail?"

  Steven bounced on his toes like an excited child, his marker still poised over the whiteboard. "Brilliant question!" His eyes sparkled behind his glasses. "Think of it like progressive overload in weight training," he explained, sketching quick diagrams as he spoke. "EDR development requires pushing just beyond your current limits in controlled bursts – like sets in the gym. Each day, you force yourself to draw energy slightly faster than your comfortable maximum. The energy connections adapt, just like muscle fibers!"

  He drew another set of diagrams, arrows flowing between them. "The same principle applies to ECC. You gather energy until you hit your capacity, then push to hold just a bit more. Maintain that edge of discomfort as long as possible. Consistent daily practice yields steady improvements in both metrics."

  Blue leaned closer to the board, his scholarly mind racing with possibilities. "The implications of energy connections responding like biological tissue..."

  Their voices faded into background murmurs as something much more violent demanded attention outside. Through the laboratory's reinforced windows, they could see the training ground had become a battlefield of nightmares.

  Red's body twisted and changed like melting wax reshaped by evil hands. Where Angelo had torn away his limbs, new ones grew – not of flesh and bone, but pure crimson energy that pulsed like a heartbeat. His legs stretched and reformed into wolf-like shapes made of crystal-clear power. One arm ended in claws sharp enough to cut shadows, while the other spun like a circular saw made of blood-red light.

  His high-pitched laugh pierced the air like breaking glass, the sound bouncing off the walls as he crouched low to the ground. The red glow from his transformed body painted everything in shades of sunset and violence.

  "Look at yourself!" Angelo had to shout to be heard over Red's manic cackling. He ducked and weaved as his twisted duplicate slashed at him with those terrible new limbs. "You're completely out of control!"

  Red answered with another burst of that horrible laughter, attacking with movements that looked wrong in ways that hurt to watch. Each time his energy-crystal limbs struck the ground, they left deep scratches in metal and stone that smoked at the edges.

  Angelo's face hardened like cooling steel as he watched his duplicate's frenzy. "Time to end this madness!" Orange light flowed down his arm like liquid metal, hardening into armor that hummed with barely contained power. He waited, muscles coiled like springs, as Red charged at him again.

  The timing had to be perfect. Angelo shifted just slightly – not even a full step – letting Red's attack whistle past close enough to stir his hair. In that same heartbeat, he drove his armored fist into Red's stomach with every ounce of strength he had.

  The impact rang like a bell struck by lightning. Red's twisted form burst apart like a soap bubble, dissolving into red mist that streamed back into Angelo's body. As the light of battle faded, Angelo could feel Red settling back into their shared consciousness, radiating the particular satisfaction of someone who had gotten exactly what they wanted.

  Angelo let his power fade away, his mind already racing with possibilities from everything they'd learned. If they could just keep Red's chaos in check long enough to actually train...

  The sun hung low in the sky by the time they gathered to say goodbye, painting Albert's laboratory in warm golden light. The old scientist's weathered face carried an intensity that made him look younger somehow as he turned to Angelo and Blue.

  "My boys." The words carried such weight that both duplicates froze mid-motion. "If I might make one last request..." Albert's fingers drummed against a nearby desk, betraying nerves neither had seen in him before.

  Angelo and Blue shared a quick glance, their connection humming with shared curiosity. "What is it, Albert?" Angelo asked, noticing how their mentor's usual casual attitude had vanished.

  "The 'Components of Pure Energy Theory' has been my life's work for longer than I care to admit," Albert said, drawing himself up to his full height. His eyes blazed with determination that made Angelo feel about ten years younger. "I believe it's finally ready for publication. With your blessing, of course."

  "Oh!" Angelo rocked back on his heels, caught off guard. His voice wavered with uncertainty as he considered what this might mean. "Yeah, sure... I don't mind..."

  "Splendid!" Albert's face lit up like a kid on the New Light Festival. "You'll be credited as a contributor, naturally. Your unique condition made this breakthrough possible."

  Blue shifted his weight, choosing his next words as carefully as defusing a bomb. "If I might be so bold... Given our shared contribution to your research, perhaps Red and I could also be acknowledged?"

  "I literally don't care," Red's voice echoed through their shared mind, but Blue kept his diplomatic expression firmly in place.

  Albert's stern face melted into genuine warmth, the corners of his eyes crinkling. "My dear boy, of course you'll be included! All three of you contributed equally to this discovery." He reached out to pat Blue's shoulder with grandfatherly affection. "Forgive an old man's oversight – I should have made that clear from the start."

  A rare, real smile crossed Blue's face, transforming him from a walking textbook into something much more human.

  Steven, who looked ready to explode from holding in his excitement, finally burst out: "Professor, please consider me at your disposal! My expertise in current energy theory could provide valuable insight as you prepare for publication!"

  "I shall certainly keep that in mind," Albert replied with careful diplomacy, though his eyes sparked with interest at the young scientist's enthusiasm.

  They said their final goodbyes as the sun painted the sky in spectacular colors. Each person carried away more than just new knowledge – they held possibilities that could reshape their understanding of Aurons forever. None of them realized yet just how far the ripples from this day would spread, touching futures they couldn't begin to imagine.