"Let's go core hunting."
[There is still two hours before night time, are you sure you want to retrieve the unstable core right now that the crime scene investigation is still ongoing?]
"Tch." In truth, Mason didn't pay attention to the time at all, all he had on his mind was the way Vanessa turned down his dinner request. To Mason, this urgent mission was his way of dealing with his mixed emotions.
"Shit, well till then I'll have to keep myself busy, how about we craft those grenades right now?"
[Affirmative, how many EMP and smoke grenade do you wish to craft master?]
"Max it out, how many can I craft at the level Nano Creation is at right now?"
[Nano Creation has been activated.]
[Crafting....]
The Digitally Advanced Carrier hummed to life, its touch panel gliding open with mechanical precision. A silver cloud of nanites poured forth, swirling in a chaotic dance around his table before merging into a solid form. When the metallic haze finally settled, it revealed two sets of slender grenades, each etched with intricate carvings and patterns.
[Nano Creation has been completed!]
[You have successfully maxed out EMP grenade Nano Creation!]
[You have successfully maxed out Smoke grenade Nano Creation!]
[You have levelled up a skill!]
[Nano Creation Level 1 > Level 2]
[You have gained a new item!]
[Basic Body Armor]
"Basic body armor? Man... NanoForge really is awesome, equip the basic body armor."
With a simple command, the touch panel of Mason's watch split in two yet again and dark nanites poured out like liquid smoke, swirling in the air around his body before shaping into a solid armor.
"Alright, now then." He took the grenades and stuffed them in the pockets created in the body armor according to their functions, EMP at his left side, and smoke grenades on his right.
"Let's go."
[East Avenue Docks]
After waiting three to four hours, Mason pulled his hood up, the quiet hum of his mask's lenses filling the room. This time, he skipped the taxi. Equipping the Dual Specter, he leapt out his bedroom window, moving swiftly across the rooftops, each jumps, he travelled deeper into the night.
Another benefit of Nano regeneration was the repair of his muscle fibers. It worked much like the natural principle of muscle growth, but faster, and with the added push from his daily quests, he had become stronger, quicker, and more agile than he'd been in their last encounter.
"WOOOOHOOO." He wasn't used to it yet, but swinging between buildings on a rope carried a strange mix of sensations, the rush of living at its peak, and the cold edge of knowing that one wrong move could mean his permanent death.
As the grappling hook caught the rooftop's edge, he tightened his grip and hauled himself forward, twisting into a smooth 360° spin around a nearby water tank before landing at the next roof top.
"I AM A BASTARD! HAVA! DID YOU SEE WHAT I JUST DID!?"
[Yes master, basic swinging motions, it's not something you should be bragging about with the tech in your disposal.]
"Tch, I'm starting to think you are my opp." He crouched at the edge of the nearest building to the docks, his unzipped hood flapping gracefully in the wind as he pulled his right knee in closer to his chest.
As expected, the docks were wrapped in caution tape from the earlier investigation, which was still underway. All shipping operations had been suspended here until further notice.
"It's too quiet..."
[Caution is advised master.]
"I know, those hijackers main objective was the power source, they wouldn't have gone after it if they didn't know what it was capable of. They'll be b-"
As he spoke, the water below began to swirl, as if something were about to surface. Moments later, three figures in full diving gear broke through the waves and climbed ashore.
One of the divers clutched a translucent tube in his hands, it was unmistakably the power source. Yet something was different. The one from the previous night had glowed a solid red, but this tube pulsed with a swirling blend of red and blue.
"Hava, what happened to the tube? Why is it showing two different colors?"
[It's becoming more unstable as the hours passed, the blue is most likely from the effects of going unstable. By my estimates, there are only a total of 10-13 hours before it goes completely critical.]
"That means, I have to stabilize it now."
The three divers sprinted toward a getaway car parked behind a nearby warehouse. There was no doubt, they were the same ones from the previous night. Only now, they moved with sharper caution, their eyes sweeping the surroundings, every step measured and alert.
They quickly stripped off their diving gear and shoved it into the trunk, wasting no time. "We have the core, let's get out of here." The leader said, and his two accomplices nodded in unison before pulling open the car's side doors.
THUD!
Before they could step inside, a hooded figure dropped from above, landing in a crouch atop the car's hood with a resounding thud.
"Phew... That was less painful than I expected it to be." The figure lifted his head, and in that instant, the slitted mask came into view, a sight the robbers could never forget, after all he was the reason they had their asses handed over to them by their employer.
"You again!?" The two accomplices staggered back, yanking out their sidearms and aimed them squarely at the masked man.
"We blew you up to pieces! How the fuck are you still alive!?"
"Oh I don't know, you missed?"
Pissed off, they squeezed their triggers, emptying their magazines at him. Mason didn't move, he didn't even flinch. He stayed crouched on the car's roof, arms resting lazily on his knees, as the bullets struck his chest and ricocheted harmlessly away.
"What!?" They couldn't believe their eyes, he actually came prepared?
"I don't have all day, there's no time to explain, but I'm going to need you to hand over that core."
The leader chuckled softly, it certainly wasn't a development he expected. "I had a feeling you'd show that God-awful mask of yours again, and this time you came prepared. Well, you're not the only one."
Almost instantly, he swung out a massive plasma cannon, its barrel locking onto the masked man. As it powered up, a harsh red glow bled from its core, growing brighter with each second. Mason knew in that moment, if he took a direct hit, it would mean his instant death.
As the cannon roared to life, Mason leaped upwards, the beam scorching past beneath him. In the same motion, he fired the grappling hook of the Dual Specter, swinging away in a narrow escape that left only inches to spare.
He reached into the right side pocket of his body armor, pulled out a smoke grenade, and pressed the button at its center. A second later, he tossed it to the ground, where it detonated into a thick cloud of smoke, swallowing them all and shrouding their vision.
"What the hell is this!?"
"I can't see a thing! Where are you!?"
"HAVA."
[Activating S.K.U.L.L]
While airborne, he activated the S.K.U.L.L feature and glanced down at the cloud of smoke below.
[Initiating Infrared Mode.]
The once-white lenses of his mask flared red, revealing the heat signatures radiating from the three hijackers. Even through the thick smoke, their glowing outlines stood clear in his vision.
He thrust his hand forward, firing the grappling hook. The claw shot out and clamped onto the leader's vest, yanking tight. His focus was singular, stabilizing the core. Everything else was secondary, irrelevant compared to securing it.
The masked man jerked the leader out of the smoke with a sharp pull, hurling him against the warehouse's outer wall with bone-jarring force.
The leader hit the ground with a heavy groan, the impact pulled the plasma cannon from his grasp somewhere in the smoke. Yet, even as pain radiated through his body, his grip on the core remained tight.
The masked man dropped down in front of him,standing tall as his lenses faded back to their normal white hue. He stood there, gazing down at the leader.
"It's over, I'm taking the core."
Just as he reached for the core, a sharp, resounding thud echoed from within the smoke, there was no doubt, it was the sound of a body slamming hard against a metallic surface.
From within the smoke came two loud groans from the leader's accomplices, as if their bodies had been ruthlessly beaten..
"W-what?"
As the smoke cleared slowly, both the masked man and the leader kept their eyes locked on it.
The masked man's lenses widened, he couldn't believe his eyes and for good reason. One of the accomplices laid on the ground beside the car, unconscious. And as the last veil of smoke drifted away, it revealed a masked woman, hovering above the ground, with the other man's neck clenched tightly in her hand.
Her skintight black and scarlet suit clung to every curve in her body with precision, sculpted like armor yet fluid like a second skin. Gold accents shimmered faintly at her waist and legs, catching the moonlight with every subtle movement.
"I-Impossible..." The leader managed to speak as the masked superheroine landed on the ground, dropping the man at her feet.
"I-it's Nova city's number 2 hero..."
The masked man clenched his fist, his white lenses narrowing in irritation as a low growl escaped his mouth. "Lady Impulse."