The shadows swarmed like insects.
At first, you thought they were ordinary foot soldiers. But the way they moved—quick, fluid, inhuman—told you everything. Phantom hadn't just brought backup. He brought enhanced mercenaries.
One of them lunged at you. You shifted your stance, allowing the momentum of the attack to pass, then countered with a clean strike to the ribs. It felt like hitting reinforced armor.
He staggered, but didn't fall.
You kicked upward, twisting into a spin. Your heel collided with his helmet, sending him crashing into a crate. A second attacker was already behind you. You reacted instinctively, your mind flickering with recent memories—Daredevil's precision, Spider-Man's agility. You pulled on what you'd seen. What you'd felt.
Your body adapted.
You moved faster. Cleaner. You ducked low, swept the legs, and surged up with a palm strike that sent your attacker flying.
"Y/N!" Spider-Man shouted, swinging overhead. "Heads up—those guys aren't standard issue!"
"No kidding!" you called back, just as another brute charged in.
Spider-Man's web yanked the enemy back mid-run, slamming him into a steel beam.
Daredevil, in contrast, was fighting like a demon. His batons snapped and struck with brutal precision. He disabled three of the attackers in a controlled fury—but even he was breathing hard now.
"These guys are juiced," he growled. "Modified—probably tech-based enhancements."
"Copy that," you muttered, your vision narrowing on one of the downed attackers.
A faint, blue glow pulsed from a device embedded in his suit. It was tech. Custom. Familiar.
You knelt beside the merc, ripping the device from his chest plate. The moment you touched it, a surge of energy jumped from the core—and your power responded.
[Adaptation Triggered]
[Analyzing Energy Structure…]
[Pattern Recognized: Kinetic Redistribution Core]
[Skill Gained: Shock Feedback (Lv.1)]
—Incoming melee damage is redirected as concussive force within a 10ft radius—
Your heart skipped.
A weaponized feedback loop. You could turn their strength against them.
You stood, just as another attacker struck you square in the chest. The impact burned—but your body glowed faintly blue—and the energy rebounded outward in a shockwave.
The merc flew back into two of his allies, knocking all three to the ground.
Spider-Man paused mid-swing. "That… was awesome."
Daredevil, landing beside you, looked impressed. "You're adapting mid-battle now?"
"Something like that," you muttered. "Whatever they're running—my system's syncing with it."
"Good," he said. "Because I'm hearing more footsteps."
And he was right.
A deeper, heavier thrum echoed through the docks. The ground trembled.
A new figure emerged—taller, clad in a sleek black exosuit marked with a glowing skull. His voice boomed from a modulated speaker.
"Y/N. You weren't supposed to survive Cairo. But here you are."
"Who the hell are you?" you asked.
The figure paused, cocking his head.
"Echo Protocol. Field Unit #03. I don't expect you to remember—but I remember you."
He raised his hand, and energy began charging in his gauntlet.
"You escaped. That was a mistake."
He fired.
You dodged instinctively, but the blast scorched your shoulder and exploded behind you.
"Scatter!" Daredevil shouted, throwing a baton toward the Echo Unit to distract him.
But the mercenary ignored the weapon, catching it mid-air.
You landed behind a crate, heart pounding. This wasn't just another skirmish. Phantom had sent a message—and this guy was the courier.
You took another breath. You didn't just need to survive.
You needed to evolve.