The Edgeport skyline blurred under flickering streetlights. Rain slicked the rooftops, turning every leap into a gamble. A man in a torn leather jacket scrambled over a low wall, lungs burning, sneakers slipping against wet tar.
Behind him, a shadow moved with machine precision — not running, but advancing, step after calculated step. The matte-black armor reflected nothing. No insignia. No sound except the low, pulsing hum of its power core.
Black Signal was gaining.
The man stumbled, nearly pitched over the edge, catching himself on a rusted vent. "I didn't do nothin'! I don't—!" His voice cracked into the wind. He spun, holding his hands high, eyes wide.
Black Signal raised its arm. A panel slid back to reveal a compact energy emitter, the muzzle charging with a soft, lethal whine.
The man's knees buckled. "Please, man—"
THUD!
A streak of silver-blue light tore in from above. Skybolt hit with both boots, the impact knocking Black Signal backward in a spray of rooftop gravel. The gang leader scrambled away, disappearing down a fire escape without a second glance.
Skybolt landed in a low stance, HUD flickering over his visor. "Who the hell are you supposed to be?"
Black Signal rose with mechanical grace, head tilting slightly — scanning him. No reply.
Then it moved.
A blur of black metal slammed into Skybolt's chestplate, sending him skidding backward. He rolled, firing a repulsorburst, but Black Signal twisted mid-step, the blast grazing its shoulder harmlessly.
They closed in again — fists, strikes, and blocked blows echoing across the rooftops in sharp, metallic bursts. Black Signal's hits were faster than Noah expected, each one perfectly targeted to stress joints and weak spots. Skyboltcountered with thruster-assisted kicks, using bursts of flight to dodge the precision attacks.
The fight wasn't chaotic — it was calculated, like fighting a mirror that knew every counter before he threw it.
Black Signal's next punch hit like a sledgehammer. Noah's HUD screamed warnings as he was shoved back toward the roof's edge, boots scraping on the wet tar. He ducked low, thrusters roaring, and drove upward in a rising knee strike that clipped Black Signal under the chin, forcing it a step back.
Skybolt didn't wait — he launched forward, a flurry of repulsor-boosted jabs hammering against the suit's chest. Sparks spit into the rain, but Black Signal absorbed the hits like stone. In one fluid movement, it caught Noah's wrist mid-strike, twisted, and hurled him across the rooftop.
Noah's back slammed into an air-conditioning unit. Metal caved inward with a crunch, and his suit's diagnostics blinked red. "Not built for this kind of punishment…" he muttered.
Black Signal advanced, methodical, like a predator closing in for the kill. Noah fired a Skybolt blast point-blank, knocking it off balance, then surged forward with a shoulder tackle. Both suits skidded dangerously close to the ledge, city lights yawning far below.
They grappled, thrusters roaring, trading raw power over finesse. Black Signal's strikes were frighteningly precise, aimed to dismantle rather than overwhelm. Noah knew he was losing ground.
He feinted left, then surged right, locking both hands on the enemy's faceplate. Metal groaned. The servos resisted, but he roared through the strain, twisting hard—
SNAP!
The faceplate tore free. Noah staggered back with it in his hand, visor scanning for the pilot.
There wasn't one.
No body. No head. Just a hollow, black interior lined with glowing data conduits, pulsing like veins. The suit stood empty, yet still alive, headless and somehow… aware.
Noah froze, breath caught. "What the hell…"
Black Signal didn't hesitate. From its shoulder compartment, a concealed blaster snapped forward. FWOOM! A searing energy bolt slammed into Skybolt's chest, throwing him to the ground.
By the time Noah looked up through the smoke, Black Signal's thrusters ignited, lifting the empty suit into the night sky. Rain swallowed its silhouette until it was gone.