Barnaby could only watch as the woman fled from Kotetsu, screaming as she tried to distance herself from him. Why was she running? And deeper into the medical wing, even? The X-Ray room was likely down that way, and if it was as dangerous or gruesome as she implied, it didn't make sense for her to run toward it. Actually, most people would be trying to bolt for the exit, which was where he'd assumed she'd been heading in the first place.

Something was wrong. The NEXT they were dealing with clearly had the power to create illusions of some kind, but it was impossible to know the scope of this person's abilities. For all they knew, the woman had been tricked into running that way. Or maybe they were the ones being deceived.

Either way, with his injuries, Barnaby was having a hard time assuming control of the situation. "Tiger!" he called. "Be careful, she--!"

His flashlight caught the gleam of a knife headed straight toward him, and Barnaby quickly rolled out of the way. Grunting, he did his best to minimize the damage to his thighs, but he hadn't had much time to move. Thankfully, he managed to avoid taking another injury, and he quickly reached out to take the knife so it wouldn't be used against them again.

After his fingers wrapped around the hilt, he drew in a sharp breath through his nose and forced himself to stand on slightly trembling legs. With his weakened Hundred Power blazing, he still had some energy left, but Barnaby couldn't afford to waste anymore time. His ability wouldn't last forever, and if he and Kotetsu became separated, things might end badly for them and possibly the civilian they were trying to help.

With a spurt of blood from his wounds, Barnaby bolted ahead, getting an odd rush from both the pain and the need to watch his partner's back.