The night air was sharp, cold enough to sting Jack's lungs as he drew it in. The rooftop beneath his boots seemed to hum with tension, a charged silence broken only by the faint buzz of Neon City's neon glow in the distance. Across from him stood Luther Draque, his massive frame outlined against the faint shimmer of skyscraper lights. The man's metallic arm gleamed, its surface alive with faint whirs and pulses, almost like a predator flexing its claws.
Jack lifted his hand, palm glowing faintly with the blood-red aura of his Warp Strike. The energy coiled there, unstable, trembling to be unleashed. Luther tilted his head, lips curling into a mocking grin.
"Go ahead," Luther said, voice low and taunting. "Try it. I'll give you one free shot."
Jack's jaw tightened beneath the mask. His chest ached with each breath, ribs bruised from their earlier clashes, but he raised his hand higher. "If you say so," Jack muttered, his tone ice-cold. "But you'll regret it."
He unleashed the Warp Strike.
The scarlet beam tore across the rooftop, sizzling as it split the night air. Its roar carried across the street below, making bystanders scatter, some ducking behind cars, others frozen with wide eyes as the crimson aura streaked toward Luther.
With one casual motion, Luther lifted his metal arm and caught it. The aura splashed against the steel palm, scattering sparks, hissing against his skin like rain against fire. When the glow faded, not even a scratch remained.
Jack's heart skipped. His hand trembled. "What the—?"
He gritted his teeth and raised both hands. Energy flared violently this time, the scarlet aura surging in waves as it built between his palms. The pressure was immense, draining into his veins, his HP bar thinning even before the strike left him. Then, with a guttural cry, he released it.
The two-handed Warp Strike blazed like a scarlet cannon, so bright it lit the nearby walls of the adjacent buildings. The crowd below gasped, shielding their eyes. Windows rattled. Jack felt the blast tear through him, sucking life straight out of his chest as it roared at Luther.
Luther didn't even flinch. He simply raised his arm again and absorbed it, the crimson light dancing harmlessly across the alloy plating.
Jack staggered back, breathing hard. His mask's lenses fogged from the heat of his breath. He glanced at the invisible interface in the corner of his vision.
HP 65.
Too low. Way too low. Sweat poured down his temples. His voice cracked under the weight of despair.
"Tough arm. Fast reflexes," he whispered. "This is… going to be close."
Then Luther moved.
He lunged forward with shocking speed for a man his size. His robotic fist tore through the air like a cannonball. Jack blink-stepped instinctively, his body flickering, but Luther anticipated it, swinging wide and catching him mid-step. The blow crashed into his ribs, cracking bone with a sickening crunch. Jack coughed blood against the inside of his mask as he hit the ground, HP dropping like water through broken glass.
His body screamed. Muscles spasmed. His arms shook as he tried to push himself up. But Luther was relentless, striding forward, his limp human leg dragging slightly, proof that Jack's earlier strikes hadn't been meaningless. Yet the man still fought like a demon.
Jack stumbled to his feet, vision swimming, crimson streaks painting the rooftop beneath him. Luther sneered. "You're bleeding out, boy. A broken toy trying to play hero."
And still, Jack lunged.
He darted in low, Blink Step snapping him forward in a red blur. His fist connected with Luther's side, jolting him off-balance. Another strike, then another. He poured everything he had left into speed and precision, landing blows that should have staggered anyone else. But each hit rattled his own bones more than Luther's armored frame.
Then came the devastating punch.
Luther's metal fist swung like a hammer. Jack tried to slip past it ; too slow. The impact crushed into his chest, lifting him clean off his feet. He slammed into the rooftops edge, body folding before he dropped to the ground like a ragdoll.
HP: 5.
Jack gasped, every breath agony. He could feel bones grinding inside his chest. His vision blurred, stars and neon lights swirling into one indistinct haze. He wanted to cry, to scream, but no sound came. His throat was raw with blood.
And Luther was still standing.
The man limped closer, blood trailing down his own leg, but his monstrous aura hadn't dimmed. He reached down, gripping Jack by the collar, lifting him up with the metal arm as if he weighed nothing. With his free hand, he tore off Jack's mask, revealing his sweat-soaked, pale face. Luther studied him with disdain.
"You're just a kid," Luther growled, voice thick with contempt. "A useless, powerless kid. Pretending to be something you're not."
The robotic arm hummed, lights glowing brighter, power surging. Luther's grin widened. "But you've been a real pest. Time to swat you for good."
The arm charged, sparks and energy swirling into the palm, building for one final, devastating blast. Jack's breath came in ragged sobs. His vision tunneled. His HP blinked: 3.
Somewhere deep inside, a whisper clawed against his despair. I'm not powerless.
Through sheer desperation, Jack's eyes darted to the rooftop debris ;wires exposed from an old ventilation unit torn apart in the chaos. His hand shot out, trembling fingers clutching the sparking cords. With a roar that tore his throat raw, he jammed the wires against Luther's metal arm.
Sparks erupted. Electricity screamed.
Luther staggered back with a howl, his body jerking violently as the voltage coursed through the circuits. The lights along his arm flickered, sputtered, then died. With a loud clunk, the once-mighty weapon hung dead at his side.
"No…" Luther growled, dropping to one knee, smoke rising from his ruined arm. "Arm or no arm, I'll still crush you!"
But Jack had already seen it.
When he blink-stepped this time, Luther didn't react. His once-predatory reflexes were gone. Jack's movements cut through the night in flashes of red, his fists and feet striking faster than Luther's remaining strength could track. Blow after blow landed, bruising flesh, splitting skin.
Jack grabbed him by the collar and hurled him across the rooftop. Luther's massive frame hit the ground with a heavy thud, rolling before coming to a stop. He groaned, struggling to rise on his one good leg, but Jack was already there.
One final kick sent him crashing back down.
Silence.
The rooftop was empty of onlookers now — they had fled long ago, terrified of the chaos. Jack stood there, swaying, every muscle screaming, his face streaked with blood and sweat. Slowly, he bent down, picked up his cracked mask, and slipped it back on. He sank to the rooftop beside Luther's unconscious form, body trembling.
For a long moment, Jack simply stared up at the stars. They burned faintly above the neon haze, distant and cold yet achingly beautiful. His chest rose and fell raggedly. He whispered hoarsely, voice breaking, "Thank you… God… for letting me live."
His HP ticked up slowly, painfully, from 3 to 5… to 7. Enough to breathe. Enough to exist.
A faint chime echoed in his mind, almost like an afterthought.
Quest Complete.
+2000 EXP
+15,000 Credits
+5 Stat Points
Jack didn't even look. He closed his eyes, letting the sound fade into the night, and let exhaustion carry him into stillness.