Dante had never run from a fight before.
But this wasn't a fight.
This was survival.
---
The Chase Begins
"Run. Now."
Dante's voice was low, urgent.
Zane hesitated, confusion flickering across his face. "What—"
Then—
Null moved.
One second, they were on the rooftop.
The next?
They were right there.
Dante barely had time to react before Null moved.
A blur of motion. Too fast.
Zane was still frozen, staring at the masked figure in stunned silence.
Dante grabbed his arm.
"MOVE!" he snapped.
That finally broke Zane out of his trance.
They bolted.
Null vanished.
Dante didn't even have to look back—he could feel it.
A presence closing in.
Like death itself was chasing them.
A flicker of motion—too fast. Too smooth.
Zane barely had time to react before Null's foot slammed into his chest.
He flew backward, crashing into the dirt with a sharp gasp.
Dante moved.
Lightning cracked from his fingertips—
But the moment it neared Null—
It vanished.
Null's power erased it like it never existed.
Dante's stomach twisted. Not again.
Null tilted their head.
"I expected better."
Then they lunged.
Dante barely dodged in time.
---
Escaping the Predator
They had seconds.
Zane was still gasping for breath, struggling to stand.
Dante's mind raced.
They needed to get out.
But Null was faster.
Stronger.
And worst of all?
Dante's Gifts didn't work on them.
Dante grabbed Zane's arm, yanking him up.
"Move!"
Zane stumbled forward, still dazed, but he didn't argue.
They sprinted.
Null's footsteps were silent.
Like a shadow gliding across the earth.
Dante could feel them closing in.
His heart pounded.
His instincts screamed.
He was the hunted.
And Null?
They were just playing with their prey.
---
The Construction Maze
Dante dragged Zane through the half-finished site, weaving between rusted beams and broken cement slabs.
His mind worked overtime.
Think. Think. THINK.
Null wasn't just fast.
They were patient.
Every step felt calculated.
Dante knew what this was.
This was a game.
And Null was enjoying it.
---
They reached a stack of old scaffolding.
Dante made a split-second decision.
"Go left! Now!"
Zane hesitated—but then he saw the look in Dante's eyes.
He went.
Dante went right.
Null paused.
For the first time—
They had to choose.
Dante's pulse hammered.
This was it.
The first crack in Null's perfect control.
Then—
They went after him.
Dante cursed. Of course.
---
Null vs. Dante – Round 2
Dante had no choice.
He turned, planting his feet.
He had to slow them down.
Lightning flickered uselessly between his fingers.
But shadows?
Shadows were different.
Dante lashed out.
A wall of darkness surged upward, blocking Null's path.
They didn't stop.
They ran through it.
Not erasing it.
Not dodging.
Just tearing straight through.
Dante's stomach dropped.
"Shit—"
Null was right there.
A hand shot out, grabbing Dante's wrist.
And then—
The pain hit.
---
Null's Touch
It wasn't like anything Dante had ever felt.
Not burning.
Not freezing.
Just—
Nothing.
For a split second—
His Gifts vanished.
His body felt empty.
Like he was a Zero again.
Dante's breath hitched.
Panic surged.
No.
No, no, no—
He wrenched his arm away, stumbling back.
The moment he broke free—
His Gifts snapped back.
The feeling returned.
But that moment—that terrible moment of nothingness—
Shook him to his core.
Null watched him.
Silent. Unmoving.
Then—
They spoke.
"Afraid?"
Dante's hands shook.
For the first time since stealing his first power—
He didn't answer.
---
Zane Returns – And He's Pissed
A blur of motion from the side—
And suddenly, Zane was there.
Fire exploded from his hands, a raging wave of heat.
Dante barely had time to react before the flames engulfed Null.
For a second, just a second, Dante thought it worked.
Then—
The fire disappeared.
Gone.
Like it had never existed.
Zane's eyes widened in horror.
"What the—"
Null moved.
Zane's own attack hadn't even slowed them down.
Dante didn't think.
He grabbed Zane and ran.
---
The Escape
They didn't look back.
Didn't stop.
Didn't think.
Dante's lungs burned.
His muscles screamed.
Zane's breathing was ragged.
Still, they ran.
Through the broken fences.
Past the abandoned equipment.
Into the city streets.
Only then—only when they reached the crowded sidewalks—
Did they stop.
People milled around them.
Safe.
For now.
Dante turned, scanning the rooftops.
Null was gone.
No sign of them.
No trace.
Nothing.
Zane bent over, hands on his knees, while Dante bent over, gasping for air.
Zane wasn't much better.
Neither of them spoke for a moment.
Just panting.
Dante wiped the sweat from his brow.
Then—
"You're gonna explain. Now."
Dante looked up.
Zane was glaring at him, fists clenched.
---
Forced to Talk
Dante leaned against a pillar, still catching his breath.
"Explain what?" he asked, stalling.
Zane's eyes burned. "Don't play dumb."
His voice was low, dangerous.
"What the hell was that thing?"
Dante exhaled. This was bad.
He needed to be careful with what he said.
---
Telling Half the Truth
Dante crossed his arms.
"That was Null," he said. "And they erase Gifts."
Zane's expression darkened.
"…Erase?"
Dante nodded. "If they touch you? Your Gift is gone. Forever."
Zane swallowed hard, absorbing that information.
For the first time—
He looked genuinely shaken.
"…That's not possible," he muttered.
Dante scoffed. "Tell that to the people who already lost their abilities."
Zane went quiet.
Then—
His eyes narrowed.
"Why were they after you?"
---
A Dangerous Question
Dante's pulse spiked.
He had expected this question.
That didn't mean he liked it.
He had to be careful.
"They've been targeting random Gifted," Dante said. "I think I was just next."
Zane didn't look convinced.
He took a step closer.
"You know more than you're saying."
Dante met his gaze, forcing a smirk.
"And what are you gonna do about it?"
Zane's jaw clenched.
For a second—
Dante thought he might attack.
But then, to his surprise—
Zane stepped back.
"…I don't trust you."
Dante laughed. "Join the club."
Zane's expression was cold.
"But I hate losing more."
Dante's grin faltered.
He knew what Zane was about to say.
And he was right.
Zane exhaled sharply.
"We need to take them down."
---
An Uneasy Alliance
Dante studied Zane carefully.
He was serious.
Zane hated him.
But he hated being powerless even more.
Dante understood that feeling.
And as much as he hated it—
He couldn't fight Null alone.
Dante sighed. "Fine."
Zane raised an eyebrow. "That easy?"
Dante smirked. "I like to win, too."
For a moment, they just stared at each other.
Enemies.
Rivals.
And now?
Reluctant allies.
But one thing was clear—
Null had made a mistake.
Because now?
Dante and Zane weren't running anymore.
They were hunting.
And the next time they met Null?
They would be ready.
---
Dante and Zane stood in tense silence for a few moments after shaking hands. The weight of their decision—of this uneasy truce—settled between them.
Zane, for all his arrogance, looked shaken. He had just come face to face with something beyond his understanding. And Dante?
Dante had fought Null twice.
And both times, he barely walked away.
This wasn't a game anymore.
This was survival.
Zane rolled his shoulders, cracking his neck. "Alright. We need a plan."
Dante exhaled, crossing his arms. "Agreed."
Zane narrowed his eyes. "Meet me at lunch. We'll figure this out."
Dante arched a brow. "Since when do we eat lunch together?"
Zane smirked, but there was no humor in it. "Since we both have a psychopath after us."
Dante nodded. "Fine. Lunch."
With that, Zane turned and walked off, shoving his hands into his pockets. He disappeared into the crowd, leaving Dante standing alone.
Dante ran a hand through his hair, exhaling sharply.
This wasn't what he expected when he woke up this morning.
And he had a feeling things were only going to get worse.
---
Dante dragged himself back to school the next day, exhaustion weighing him down.
He was still sore from Null's attack. His body still twitched with residual pain. But he had to keep moving. Keep playing his part.
Because now?
Now people were watching.
Dante strolled through the halls, acting like nothing was wrong. But he could feel the eyes on him.
People still whispered.
"That's the guy who awakened late."
"Did you see his lightning? Crazy."
"Think he's strong?"
Dante ignored them.
Instead, his eyes searched for Stacy.
And—almost like fate—
There she was.
Laughing with a group of friends, her presence as warm as ever.
Dante hesitated.
He shouldn't care about this.
Not when Null was out there. Not when Zane was already on his case.
But the memory of Stacy's hand on his wrist?
Her genuine smile?
It stuck with him.
And that was dangerous.
Because if Stacy got too close…
She might see the truth.
And Dante couldn't let that happen.
Not now.
Not ever.
---
Tension at Lunch
By the time lunch rolled around, Dante was already on edge.
He spotted Zane sitting alone in the corner of the cafeteria.
That in itself was weird.
Zane was always surrounded by people. His crew, his fangirls, the guys who wanted to ride his coattails.
But now?
No one.
Not even his closest friends.
Null had shaken him that much.
Dante grabbed his tray, walked over, and dropped into the seat across from him.
Zane didn't look up. He just poked at his food, deep in thought.
Dante cleared his throat. "So. We have a problem."
Zane snorted. "No shit."
Dante set his tray down. "We need information. You and I both know that thing—Null—won't stop coming after us."
Zane finally looked up, eyes dark. "Yeah. But here's the thing—I don't think they're just after us."
Dante frowned. "What do you mean?"
Zane leaned in, lowering his voice. "People are losing their Gifts, Vasquez. They're just… gone."
Dante stayed quiet. He already knew this. But he couldn't let Zane know that.
Zane continued, "I did some digging. Three more Gifted vanished last week. No records of them leaving town. Just… gone."
Dante's stomach twisted.
This was worse than he thought.
He glanced around the cafeteria, making sure no one was listening. "So what's the plan?"
Zane smirked, but there was no humor in it. "You and me? We start hunting them."
Dante blinked. "What?"
Zane leaned forward, his voice almost a whisper. "Null thinks they can play god? Stealing people's Gifts? Making them disappear?"
His eyes burned.
"They don't get to decide who's weak and who's strong."
Dante studied him.
This wasn't just fear anymore.
Zane was pissed.
And that?
That was dangerous.
Because if Zane wanted revenge…
Then he was exactly the kind of person Null would want to erase next.
Dante exhaled. "Fine. We do this together."
Zane grinned. "Knew you'd see it my way."
Dante forced a smirk. But inside?
His mind was racing.
He wasn't just dealing with Null anymore.
He was dealing with Zane Mercer—at his most dangerous.
And if he wasn't careful?
Zane might turn into a bigger problem than Null.
---
As they left the cafeteria, Dante felt something.
A presence.
A weight in the air.
He turned sharply—
And for a split second—
He saw a figure standing on the rooftop.
Watching.
Silent.
Cold.
Null.
Dante's breath hitched.
Then—they were gone.
Disappeared.
Like they had never been there at all.
His hands clenched.
They were being watched.
And next time?
Next time, Null wouldn't let them run.
This war was just beginning.