[ WP ] You 're the exact opposite of the Hulk . Your powers activate when you 're calm , and you become normal when you 're angry .

I had feared the day when my enemies would learn my true ability. 
 
 Today was that day. 
 
 `` It's over, Steelskin,'' Voidpuller leered. `` You know it. I know it.'' 
 
 `` GIVE HER BACK!'' I roared. 
 
 My nemesis laughed, the darkness around him pulsating. I knew that signified that he was contracting the darkspace that accompanied him, the miniature realm in which he kept his weapons stored. 
 
 The darkness in which he was keeping Elia. 
 
 And from that darkness, as I leapt, a gunshot sounded, and immediately a fierce pain stabbed through my thigh, bringing me to my knees. 
 
 `` Where's your skin of steel now, huh?!'' Voidpuller exclaimed, his voice full of distorted glee. 
 
 The adrenaline and the pain stripped away the last layers of calm I had managed to maintain, and with it, any remaining semblance of superstrength. 
 
 Voidpuller walked closer, confident now. `` My, my, how helpless you are without your powers. I almost ca n't believe it.'' He kicked me in the ribs, a leg emerging from the darkness that always surrounded him. I groaned and clasped my sides. 
 
 `` Who would have thought you'd be so *weak*,'' he said, sounding almost disgusted. `` Just a regular human piece of shit, like all the others.'' 
 
 `` As are you,'' I breathed, looking up. `` You're human too, Voidpuller.'' 
 
 `` I've cast aside my humanity long ago.'' 
 
 I reached for my pockets, and Voidpuller laughed when he saw what I was pointing at him now. `` Guns do n't harm me, Steelskin. My darkspace absorbs it all.'' 
 
 `` I've always known,'' I said, ignoring him, `` That my weakness would mean that every super had a weakness. And I kept records of my own.'' 
 
 I switched the target of the gun to the lamp that lit the cavern of his lair, and he gasped ( the sound distorted through his darkspace ) and surged towards me... but far too late. 
 
 Darkness flooded the room, and with it, his darkspace filled up the cavern, putting me inside as well. To my right, I heard Elia, distressed but still breathing, greedy for air now the darkspace had expanded again. 
 
 In front, I heard Voidpuller, shuffling towards the door, towards light. 
 
 I cocked the gun, and the sound brought him to a halt. 
 
 `` I still have more bullets in this gun, Voidpuller,'' I grated, biting through the pain and letting my seething anger drive me on. 
 
 *He almost killed Elia. * 
 
 Voidpuller laughed, and I heard now that he was an old man, older than his powers had suggested. `` You wo n't shoot me, Steelskin. You're the hero, and I'm the villain. Is n't that how it always goes?'' 
 
 `` Brian,'' I could hear Elia whimper. `` Do n't, please-'' 
 
 I cut her off in my anger. `` But you said it yourself, Voidpuller. Without my powers, I'm just a regular human piece of shit, just like all the others.'' I felt my anger bulding. `` Like you, in here, old man.'' 
 
 `` Steelskin...'' his raspy voice was pleading now. 
 
 `` Brian-'' Elia tried to convince me, but the gunshot cut her off. 
 
 The darkspace disappeared, and before us, an old man collapsed on the floor, dead. 
 
 `` If you'd wanted to convince me,'' I said, lowering the gun, `` You should've used my hero name.'' 
 
 The bloodloss was too much now, and I blacked out, knowing that the calm of unconsciousness would at least close up my skin and stop the bleeding. 
 
 I knew they would be unable to give me a blood transfusion however. My skin would remain pale after this. And I knew that I could no longer be Steelskin. I abandoned that name when I chose to kill to protect my selfish love. 
 
 As darkness closed in, I chose to embrace it all. For Elia. 
 
 When I awoke again, I would be a hero no more. 
 
 I would be Coldskin.
