Michael continued on his path with steady steps, cutting through the last few blocks that separated him from his destination. Upon reaching the building's entrance, he passed through the silent lobby and began to climb. He faced the four flights of stairs without changing his breathing rhythm or showing any sign of physical strain. Reaching the fourth floor, he took the keys from his pocket, unlocked the door to his apartment, stepped inside and locked it right behind him.
He walked to the kitchen, set the grocery bags on the counter and arranged each piece of fruit. He grabbed a few bananas, strawberries, and the milk to make a smoothie. The sound of the blender filled the room for a few moments until he turned the appliance off and poured the thick liquid into a tall glass.
When he brought the glass to his mouth, a voice echoed in the silence of the apartment, coming from right behind him:
— You took your time.
Michael didn't flinch. He turned slowly, keeping his posture straight and his gaze completely cold. In front of him, standing near the passage to the living room, was a man with a huge, sadistic smile plastered across his face.
— Who are you? — Michael asked, without changing his tone.
— I'm one of the few survivors of the Institute... That place that caught fire a while back — the man replied, taking a step forward with his arms open. — My name is Raniel. And, I must confess, I'm a huge fan of yours. After all, you're the Institute's true "Masterpiece." I never imagined I'd be here, face to face with the legend.
Michael remained silent, only studying the intruder's stance.
— You got out of prison fast — Raniel continued, tilting his head with a mocking air. — Honestly, I thought it would take you much longer to get out of that situation.
— Were you the one responsible for framing me? — Michael asked directly.
Raniel looked at him and let out a loud, mocking laugh.
— Yes! And let me tell you: it was way too easy.
In the next second, Raniel's laughter vanished and his body moved. He lunged forward with impressive speed, unleashing an absurd and fluid sequence of strikes mixing martial arts — precise combinations of karate, kung fu, aikido throws, capoeira's ginga and kicks, jiu-jitsu locks, brutal muay thai elbows, and rapid kickboxing combos.
But Michael wasn't hit by a single attack. He moved with the bare minimum necessary, evading every blow with disconcerting ease. When Raniel tried to finish the sequence with a devastating spinning kick, Michael simply extended his arm, intercepted the opponent's leg, and neutralized the force of the move without even breaking a sweat.
With one single, calculated surge, Michael used leverage and threw Raniel hard across the room.
Raniel crashed into the wall, regained his balance, and blinked to refocus his vision. But the instant he opened his eyes, Michael was no longer in front of him. Before he could process it, he felt a brutal kick drive into the middle of his back, hurling him forward.
_He's too fast... I didn't even see him move!_ Raniel thought, swallowing hard as pain shot through his spine.
Without giving him any chance to recover, Michael advanced quickly to strike Raniel's arm and disable him. Sensing the abysmal difference in skill, Raniel acted on pure survival instinct: the moment Michael got close, he grabbed Michael's jacket with all the strength in his body, threw his weight back, and launched himself straight through the fourth-floor window.
The glass shattered into hundreds of brilliant shards as both of them plummeted in free fall toward the street.
The impact against the roof of a parked car on the sidewalk sounded like an explosion of twisted metal and broken glass. The car's frame caved in completely under the force of the collision.
After a few seconds of silence, Michael blinked, rolled his shoulders, and stood up normally from the destroyed roof of the automobile. He brushed the dust off his blazer and looked around, searching for his opponent.
Raniel had vanished without a trace.