Water
Deep decided to challenge Storm Rider, it was to see how far down in the deepest part of the ocean they could get, Deep knew it was a bad idea that could get Storm Rider killed, but he wanted his old job back, he wanted his position on the team back, he was surprised that they agreed to it. The Seven and a film crew was on a boat the day after, headed to the where the deepest part of the ocean was, they were right above it by the time the boat stopped.
"Are you sure about this SR?" Starlight asked, worry in her voice, Ashly looked just as worried.
"Nope, but I'm not about to let Deep intimidate me....I know I have a thick skull." Storm Rider mumbled that last bit.
Deep and Storm Rider got go pros, he let Deep go first with Storm following after, his fire still burned underwater so the deeper he went the brightness of his flame lit up more of the area, he reached the bottom quickly getting to the ocean floor. Deep might be able to go into the water and not needed to come up for hours thanks to his gills but the crushing pressure he couldn't stand, and he could still suffer from the bends if he goes deep enough, so while he went as deep as he could get the darkness of the sounding water made it impossible to know where Storm Rider was, until he saw a light moving quickly by him headed straight down, he floated there watching this light headed down.
Hughie filmed the area, the plant life and sea life down there, unbothered by the pressure that felt like it wanted to crush his body like a tin can, he walked around the sea bed for a while as the Deep made his way back up to the boat, taking his decompression stops, he might not be the brightest but he was smart enough to know better. When Deep got back on to the boat, Storm Rider rushed back up, coming out of the water and standing on his surface, he looked at the Deep who was staring at him like the rest of them, they were confused how Storm Rider was dry as a bone, not at all dripping with water, though steam was coming off him, as he dried nearly automatically once out of the water.
"Well that was fun, I kind of want to see the titanic, you know to get pictures and videos for study." Storm Rider stated as he walked over, and got onto the boat.
"W-were you on the bottom?" Deep asked.
"Heh Yeah! I got some good video....I think...hopefully? I don't know, its was pretty dark down there, even with my flame lighting up the area a bit." Storm Rider said, he looked down at the go pro.
Deep just started at them, he couldn't compete with him, he could do to crushing depths and shoot back up like a rocket, he didn't even have to worry about the bends, he could also walk on water like it was a solid surface, it was so unnerving to watch them do that. Homelander was also in aw by the action, the fact the fire still burned under the water was also impressive, what should be impossible was possible for them, he was lovely, Homelander was wondering what else they could do that was seen as impossible by their standards.
The days passed and he showed other displays of his powers, growing rare plants, manipulating vines, turning water to ice and even in that solid form he was still able to manipulate it, he also made a bird a fire, looking like the mythic phoenix or, just a male peacock during mating season, with a very long tail the bird was just made fully of fire that was always changing hues. When Storm Rider would do fire safety shows for kids he would bring out the bird, as a visual help for the younger kids, he would let them get close to look at the bird that he called Paarthurnax, when asked about it he stated that it was character in a game he played, though sometimes Paarthurnax would shift into a snake or dragon.
He also gave forms and names to other elements, a shark for water named Raph, another bird a canary for air named Andrea and a fox for earth named Laverne. When he was asked why only fire got a more interesting name he stated that he had asked each of them and they were the ones that suggested the names, though Paarthurnax didn't have anything and Storm Rider had spit balled some names, and when he was playing the game the name came from with Paar watching, they had cheered that they enjoyed that name, so Storm Rider agreed to call them that.
Homelander was becoming obsessed with the newest member of the team, only because of the power he had, he showed a silly and goofy personality unless he was doing the now biweekly murder of death row inmates, he was somber before going and after coming back, he was alright after roughly a day and half. Homelander was jealous when ever he would hear Storm Rider talking with his 'boss', conversations that Homelander could only hear one side of, he was annoyed that he could only hear the response from Storm Rider, he wanted to know what their 'boss' was saying, he wondered what they looked like, he wondered what if his 'boss' was attracted to Storm Rider, that made his eyes glow with annoyance but he couldn't do anything about it, let alone try to really hurt his 'boss' because he wasn't really there.
Homelander would lay in his bed at night, focus on Storm Rider's heart beat and breathing, he started to tune into it properly, he liked his voice though it sounded familiar, he liked the way his heart beat sounded, it was better in some ways compared to others, he couldn't really understand it or explain it.
Hughie was in his room, laying on his bed looking at his bracelet, he was willing to just call it a gilded cuff, he traced the design on it before he tried to take it off, it wouldn't come off. He sat up trying to remove it pulling harder on it, he had to stop once it started to hurt, he laid back in the bed looking up at the ceiling, his eyes narrowed as he thought about ways to try and get it off, he then wondered if Robbie had something similar he had to deal with, but he doubted it.
In the morning Hughie got a cup of water and focused, his hand was over the glass as he closed his eyes, he was going to try and bring up Raph, just to see if he could do it with out changing forms. Homelander went to Storm Rider's room, he was going to knock but he decided to use his x-ray vision to see what he was doing, he was surprised to see the young man from Believe expo with a strange bracelet on.
Homelander wanted to break into the room and, give Storm Rider shit for having the young man there, he didn't care what strange thing he seemed to be doing, he was boiling with rage over Storm Rider having someone else in his room, some random person that didn't belong there, he had lost his focus because of his rage, he looked away and tried to calm himself, once he looked back, he saw the small shark made of water come out of the glass, it moved around the young man, its movements seemed confused almost.
"Yes! Hey, buddy....You seem confused?" Hughie said softly, he could hear the response which just sounded like garbles and bubble pops to anyone else.
"Oh! Right, you never seen be with skin before, sorry." Hughie said, softly as he gave them a light pet.
Hughie changed forms, igniting in a bright flame, clothing changed and his hood down as, the shark Raph made some happy bubble noise. Homelander felt his eye twitch when he saw that, when he saw this human, this no body from Believe expo, was one of the most powerful super he's ever come across, someone that might have been truly chosen by God or the Devil, he wasn't sure about ether though.
He marched back to his room, he went up the stairs to his penthouse picking up a pillow and yelling into it, before slamming it down, his eyes burn hotter then normal when he was in a rage, he clenched his fists ready to bring the building down but he managed to calm himself down, the thought that he might be able to ether wring his neck, or get plowed was a small calming thing.
Hughie had changed back and spent the time some time playing with Raph or the others getting them use to how he looked normally, the only one that didn't need to get used to how he looked was Paarthurnax, who because he was the first element that he was made one with, not to mention Paarthurnax was sort of his main element to work with. Hughie was in blissful ignorance of the Rage Homelander was in because he saw the change.
Hughie changed back into his Rider form when Ashly came into the room, she was followed by what seemed to be a random man, he's never seen before, he tilted his head to the side as he looked at the two.
"Hi, sorry to bother you, but this is Shawn, he.....He wanted to know if you could help him." Ashly said softly, like asking would get her burned or worse.
"Oh? Uh sure, but with what?" Storm Rider asked, as he went over to the two, Paarthurnax was around his neck, taking the form of a larger snake, like ball python.
"I...I want to learn to control fire, like you do." Shawn asked, he seemed nervous and, he was fidgeting a bit.
"I don't control fire, I work with fire, I'm one with it like I am with the rest of the elements, I can show you how to work with it, but the second you get a little too over confident I will stop it, I will not allow you to misuse any of the elements." Storm Rider stated, he lightly pet Paarthurnax as he stated that, Paar rubbing his head up against his hand.
"I-I'm sorry for assuming like that you controlled it, I'm so sorry, I promise I won't....I messed up enough already in my life, I don't want to do that again." Shawn stated, he didn't make eye contact, but Storm Rider could smell the sin and regret.
"I will meet you in...uh... central park tomorrow around 9:15 in the morning...If it fits with your availability of course." Storm Rider stated.
"Yeah, that works perfectly, thank you, thank you so much for willing to help me." Shawn said, he sounded happy, and Storm Rider sent him on his way.
Ashly gave him a list of what was going on for the day before leaving him be, he looked it over as the door closed behind him, he calmly walked through the penthouse as he read his list, he looked like he had time for breakfast at least, so when he changed back he made his breakfast with Paarthurnax stayed coiled around his neck, watching what he was doing, he also formed Raph from his glass of water, watching as they formed into an eel also watching what Hughie was doing. The day went by as normal, though because Paarthurnax decided he wanted to be out more today with Raph, he was just a sight, snake of flames around his neck and a cup of water eel in one hand, Starlight thought it was funny and cute, that he was willing to do with the two elements.