The alley fell silent for a heartbeat, then chaos erupted.
The figure in black moved like liquid shadow, striking with a precision that no human could match. Metal and concrete flew as if puppeteered by his unseen hand. Ethan Cross felt the wind swirl around him, tugging at his body like it recognized danger before his mind could. He braced himself and stepped forward.
"Stay together!" he shouted.
Lydia Kane ignited her hands in flames, the heat flaring outward as she leapt forward to intercept a chunk of flying debris. Sparks collided with metal, leaving scorched streaks in the air.
Kai Rivers' energy arced around his fingers, forming crude barriers to shield the civilians who had gathered at the edge of the chaos. "I'm not just gonna stand here!" he yelled, blasting a wave of energy toward a collapsing wall.
Selene Black melted into the shadows, her movements almost invisible as she circled behind the villain. She darted forward, a silent strike aimed at disrupting his balance, but he twisted with inhuman agility, avoiding her assault with a smirk.
Marcus Vale activated his tech, deploying small drones that zipped through the battlefield, projecting holographic decoys of the team. "Cover us!" he shouted, manipulating the drones to intercept incoming attacks.
The villain paused, raising a hand. The air thickened, the temperature dropping sharply. Objects began to levitate, twisted by an invisible force. The team felt it—an unmistakable surge of power far beyond anything they had expected.
"Earth is just the beginning," the villain whispered, almost to himself. Then, louder, "But you? You're already more… interesting than I imagined."
Ethan's wind surged around him instinctively. He slammed his palms together, sending a concentrated gust that knocked the villain off balance, just for a second. That was all they needed.
Lydia ignited a precise arc of fire, striking his shoulder. The villain staggered back but quickly recovered, his laughter echoing down the alley.
Kai grinned, sparks flying as he released a concentrated blast of energy, forcing the villain to retreat. Selene used the moment to vanish again, striking from multiple directions, her shadowy attacks confusing him further.
Marcus manipulated his drones to form a protective barrier, giving the team room to regroup. Ethan took a deep breath, feeling the wind swirl around his body. His mind raced. We're not just reacting… we're a team now.
The villain retreated into the shadows, his voice echoing behind him:
"Today, you survive. Tomorrow… I'll take everything from you."
The alley fell quiet again. Dust and smoke hung in the air. The team, panting and bruised, looked at each other for the first time as more than strangers.
"Did we… actually fight him?" Kai asked, awe in his voice.
Ethan nodded. "Yeah… and we survived. Together."
Selene stepped forward, voice calm but urgent. "This is just the beginning. He's not human. None of this is normal. We need to understand what we can really do… before he comes back."
And somewhere deep in the city, the villain watched, a faint smirk forming. They are strong… but so fragile. The real test begins soon.
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