In the dim, echoey expanse of the parking garage, Axion faced off with the Neon Viper gang boss, Kasumi. A short distance away, her henchmen frantically tried to pull themselves together from the crash, slowly getting to their feet. Behind Axion, a beaten and unconscious Vaughn lay flat on the cold floor.
Just have to beat this person and all this will be over. Dealing with the rest of the thugs will be easy after that.
Axion inspected their leader, trying to glean as much information as possible from her appearance and mannerisms. Her eyes scanned the woman from head to toe, analyzing her gear and clothing. Aside from the same dark leather jacket and black combat boots as the other Vipers, she also wore a utility belt around her waist. There were a lot of knives attached to it. Two were tucked away in a sheath on each thigh, and two more in her boots, one on the outside and one on the inner ankle.
Hm, so she likes knives, huh? Shouldn't be a problem. They were easier to deal with than bullets, and if she tried to stab her, then she'd end up like Vaughn over there.
Her gloves though...there was something odd about them. The palms looked fairly normal, aside from the fact that they were covered in nicks and scrapes. But the backs of her hands...they shone with a dull metallic glint in the dim light of the garage. They weren't just regular leather, that's for sure. Maybe they were armored?
There were a bunch of tiny tubes and wires running to and fro across them, with small, round nodules lining the knuckles. It kinda reminded her of Rao's prosthetic arm. Although she didn't really want to experience her punches first-hand, she had a hunch those gloves packed a decent punch.
Whatever. No matter what tricks Kasumi had up her sleeve, the plan stayed the same—get close, amp the gravity, and then knock her out.
Simple. Hopefully.
Axion raised her fists and dropped into a low crouch. She had the advantage and she intended to press it.
Without warning, she burst forward, dashing straight toward the woman.
The gang leader narrowed her eyes, reaching for the pistol in her holster. Axion let out a triumphant yell and extended her arm, preparing to grab her and bring her gravitational field to bear.
Then she saw it—a faint glimmer whizzing through the air. Instinctively, Axion leaped aside, her body responding faster than thought. The air where she had just stood hissed and sparked as something razor-thin sliced through it, leaving a trail of luminous sparks.
Axion rolled to her feet, her eyes darting back and forth in confusion.
What the hell?!
Her gaze tracked the thin strands of wires to Kasumi, who held her arms out in front of her. The tips of her fingers bore small metal nodes, from which the wires snaked out and whipped through the air. She flicked her wrists, and the lines danced like a living thing, undulating and twisting, reflecting the lights of the parking garage.
"Heh. Surprised?" Kasumi smirked, flexing her fingers. "This is why I only use these babies on Super types."
Axion swallowed, her eyes fixed on the writhing wires. What were they?
As if reading her mind, Edith's voice crackled over her comms.
Nano-what now? Huh, cool! No, wait. That's not cool, that's very not-cool! Extremely not-cool, in fact. Actually, pretty damn terrifying!
"Thanks for the heads-up," Axion muttered under her breath as she backed away. "Really wish you could have said something when I was fighting the other guy with that weird sword."
Okay, this is bad. This is really, really bad. How am I supposed to take this woman down now?!
"Do you have any idea how I can use my power to get around that?" Fii asked.
"I don't have a gun..." She shot Kasumi a worried glance and slowly sidestepped to the left. If she was going to figure out a way to take her on, she needed to stay out of the range of those blades.
Kasumi followed her movements, shifting in tandem with her, a bemused smirk on her face.
Ugh, great. Nothing about this is great!
Axion tried to quash the fear that crept into her mind. She couldn't hesitate if she wanted to survive this, but how could she win when she had no clue how to counter that nano-wire thingamabob?
Kasumi tilted her head and nodded at Axion's jacket. "Nice threads you've got there. I'll have to try not to shred it before I take it off of your dismembered corpse."
She whipped her arm around, and a handful of her deadly wires shot forth, coiling through the air in a furious wave of deadly, sparkling light.
Axion's vision snapped into focus. She concentrated, feeling the familiar pull of gravity lessen around her, granting her body the freedom to move faster and more fluidly. She pushed off the ground and launched herself into a smooth backflip, arcing over the deadly wires as they whipped harmlessly by.
She landed gracefully on the other side and crouched low, her LED eyes narrowing into slits. Her heart hammered in her chest, and she took a deep breath, letting the adrenaline course through her veins.
Gotta keep it together. Stay focused.
The open space of the garage played to Kasumi's strength. Axion's reach with her abilities was only at arm's length, and with all those wires, she would never be able to close the gap without coming under fire. So, she needed to lure her enemy in. Make her commit while keeping the terrain in her favor. And how best to do that...?
Ah, that's it! Bring her upstairs. To the smaller rooms. The corridors. Get her into an enclosed environment with a confined space and lots of cover. That should work!
Axion made a mad dash for the staircase entrance, dodging another flurry of wires as she ran. She rounded the corner and glanced over her shoulder. Kasumi followed her at a leisurely pace, chuckling as she pulled the wires back into her hands. "Going somewhere?" she called out. "I thought you wanted to finish our game, sweetie."
Sweetie? Whatever. Atleast she's taking the bait!
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In the stairwell, the fight intensified. Kasumi used the nanowires to slice through the railings, but Axion jumped through the gaps, vaulting over the obstacles. Her legs burned as she sprinted up the steps, and the pain from her earlier injuries flared, but she pushed it aside and focused on evading the vicious onslaught of wires chasing after her.
At one point, Axion stumbled, her foot slipping on the stairs.
Kasumi seized the opportunity, the nanowire slicing through the air towards Axion's head.
In a split-second decision, Axion manipulated her gravitational field, anchoring herself to the spot. The wire missed her by a hair's breadth, sparking against the wall behind her.
The gang leader cursed and retracted her wire. "Stop moving, dammit!" she snarled.
"Yeah, not gonna happen. See ya later!" With a final burst of speed, Axion reached the doorway to the second floor.
She found herself in a derelict office, the remnants of furniture scattered throughout the room. Windows lined one wall, offering a view of the city streets far below, while the opposite wall was adorned with a faded company logo. The room's entrance led to a corridor with multiple doors leading to other offices, allowing for multiple avenues of escape or ambush.
Perfect. Let's see how she does in here!
She zig-zagged through the room, using the cubicles and desks as cover. Kasumi paused at the door and glanced around, sizing the place up. Her lips curled into a smile as she strode casually in after her, casually trailing her wires in her wake. "Getting tired, hero?" She paused at an abandoned desk and picked up a chair.
Before she could react, the chair came flying through the air.
Axion dove behind a partition wall as the projectile shattered, sending splinters of wood raining down on her.
Kasumi continued her relentless pursuit, whipping her wires at Axion. Each strike cut deep gashes in the walls and destroyed any objects in their path.
Axion weaved and ducked, avoiding most of the blows, but the few that connected inflicted superficial cuts—still hurt like crazy, though—on her arms and legs. The pain slowed her down, sapping her momentum as she forced her burning muscles to propel her from obstacle to obstacle.
She crashed through the door leading to another room, the ceiling partially collapsed, exposing the room to the elements. Raindrops pelted down from the night sky, soaking her and the concrete floor beneath her. The full moon, pale and cold, cast a silvery glow throughout the room, illuminating the space with its faint, ethereal light.
The wires sliced through the wooden doorframe, the panels disintegrating in an explosion of jagged wooden splinters.
Axion leaped aside, scrambling away from the doorway. The deadly projectiles cut through the space where she had just been, the sparkling tendrils whirling through the air as if in a dance.
Axion threw herself to the ground, rolling behind a steel cabinet.
She channeled her power, pushing her gravitational field outwards to envelop the cabinet. She grabbed onto the base and lifted it off the ground.
As soon as Kasumi appeared in the doorway, she threw the heavy cabinet at her.
The gangster swore loudly and deflected the makeshift projectile with her wires, slicing through the metal. The ruined fragments clattered to the floor, sliding past her, but the diversion gave Axion an opening.
She sprinted straight at her, determined to close the distance before Kasumi could recover. She knew that her only chance at beating the woman was to get within arm's reach of her.
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Before Axion could reach her, Kasumi unleashed her wires, the glittering filaments whipping through the air, slicing through the walls and ceiling as they raced toward Axion. Axion reacted reflexively, pivoting on her foot to dodge the barrage of attacks, her gravitational field helping to shift her weight and guide her through the storm of cutting metal. But as she closed in on the gang leader, she spotted the smirk on Kasumi's face.
Her instincts screamed for her to stop, and she skidded to a halt, barely avoiding the web of wires spread across the room. The thin, razor-sharp wires blanketed the room, suspended at varying heights, effectively sealing off any means of approaching the gang leader without getting sliced to pieces in the process.
"Tsk. Missed." Kasumi smiled, raising her hand once more. "Let's try that again."
Axion's eyes widened as the wires converged on her.
Edith's frantic voice sounded through her comm.
No way around but—
Axion concentrated the gravitons under her foot and brought it down with a powerful stomp, crushing the concrete floor and sending fissures spiderwebbing from the epicenter. She plunged through the cracks and down to the level below. As she plummeted, she manipulated her gravitational field, softening her landing and absorbing the impact, rolling to a stop on the broken tiles.
[TFSI: 0.57]
She struggled to her feet, wincing as the sharp, stinging sensations emanating from her foot intensified.
Ouch...owww...that hurts. Well, it could have gone worse, but at least I'm alive.
She looked up at the hole she had left in the ceiling and saw Kasumi's silhouette looming above. "Not bad," Kasumi called out. "Good maneuverability, excellent reaction time. Very impressive. However..."
Kasumi tossed a canister into the room, the object clattering on the floor, leaving a trail of yellow smoke as it rolled to a stop.
"...That won't save you now." She disappeared from the edge of the hole as the smoke billowed downward, filling the room with a pungent, sulfurous odor.
"Don't have to tell me twice!" Axion coughed, staggering backward. Her eyes stung from the fumes, and she blinked back tears as she dove through the door and out of the room. She slammed the door shut behind her, sealing off the cloud of noxious smoke, and sucked in a grateful breath of fresh air.
Through the transparent lenses of her helmet, Fii caught movement. Her eyes darted to her left, and she saw Kasumi emerge from a different room and weave a multitude of shimmering strands into the air with a flourish of her arms.
Axion scrambled back, desperately dodging the deadly lattice of metal, which tore into the walls and floor, leaving long, jagged cuts in the surfaces.
She dove into the hallway behind her, leaping out of the way of the closing net of wires. She steadied herself against the wall and stood up, wiping the dust off of her helmet.
"Is that all you've got, Axion?!"
Kasumi stalked her through the maze of corridors and empty offices, a wicked grin plastered across her face, her nanofilaments twirling in the air, dancing in tune with the rhythmic rise and fall of her fists. Her smug, self-assured swagger and steady gait contrasted with the panic coursing through Fii's body.
Damn it! Tight spaces should have been helpful for me. Instead, I'm the one being backed into a corner. Those nano-things are insane.
How was she supposed to beat someone who could literally block any movement she made? Her options seemed limited to dodging or throwing things around, but Kasumi always kept her distance. Worse yet, the longer this dragged on, the greater her odds of making a fatal mistake, like tripping over a loose tile or misjudging the trajectory of the wires.
There had to be a way. She just wasn't seeing it yet. Think, Fii! THINK!
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Blood dripped from the numerous cuts all over Axion's body, creating a trail that marked her path through the complex. The exertion of maintaining her power combined with the effects of her wounds sapped her stamina. Her arms ached, and her movements became more sluggish. Sweat soaked her suit, stinging her countless scratches and scrapes as the fabric chafed against her skin.
She didn't know how long she could last like this. Not long, based on her current state. The fight had to end. Now.
Yet, every attempt to engage Kasumi ended in a failed attack or a narrow escape. It was like she had an answer to everything Axion tried. Every move. Every trick.
Something had to give. And she hoped it would be Kasumi.
In the meantime, Axion was stuck running from room to room, putting as much distance as possible between herself and the relentless gang leader.
She bolted through an office with a window on the opposite wall and leapt over an overturned table, the air whizzing as the wires lashed past her. A trail of slashes crisscrossed the area, tearing chunks out of the furniture and walls. Wooden splinters filled the air, pelting her as she scrambled to her feet and charged the exit. She didn't stop as she entered the adjacent room, her shoes skidding against the slippery floor.
"The hell are you going, hero?" Kasumi demanded. The thump of her boots reverberated on the ground, punctuating each step. The sound echoed through the hallways as she pursued her. "C'mon, fight like a Super already. None of this running bullshit. Stop wasting both of our time, and stand and fight."
And get sliced to ribbons before I can do anything? Sure, let me just do that. Idiot.
Axion huffed, too winded to form a coherent response, and instead, she frantically scanned the surroundings as she continued her flight through the building. Ahead of her, a dead end greeted her. She turned on her heels and began running the other direction, only to find the gleaming lengths of wire cutting her off, their razor-sharp edges hissing as they sliced through the air.
Desperate, Axion lunged at the nearest wall and flung herself sideways through an open doorway to her right. The wires chased her into the room, the air humming with their passing as they swept across the entrance. Axion gritted her teeth as they scored thin lines across her upper arms and calves. She limped forward, clutching the gash on her right leg. Blood seeped through her fingers, warm and sticky.
Behind her, Kasumi's footsteps paused, the steady thumping growing still. "Not bad, hero." There was a tone of amused approval in her voice. "You're like a mouse trapped in a box. Too scared to come out and fight, yet cunning enough to evade capture." She chuckled, her voice echoing through the corridor. "Well, you can't hide forever. And I'm not done playing yet."
Shit... I have to end this fight soon or else...
Axion opened her mouth to reply. Before she could utter a single word, the wires streaked through the doorway toward her. She swore and sprang out of the way, stumbling around the corner. The wires scythed past, the near-miss carving shallow furrows across her right arm.
She cried out, gripping her wounded limb. Fresh blood trickled down her hand as she shambled forward, fueling her frenzied flight as she crashed through an open door and into the next room.
The new room was larger than the others, with high ceilings and massive windows covering the entirety of the exterior wall. Dim moonlight filtered into the room, casting deep shadows from the few objects within—cracked and moldy chairs, an empty filing cabinet, and a lone desk in the middle, all coated in layers of dust.
She hurried into the farthest corner of the room, pressing herself up against the wall. She cowered there, trying to catch her breath. Through her cracked visor, her eyes flickered across the room, seeking an escape route.
Kasumi followed her in, her boots thudding with ominous finality with every step. She laughed. "Having fun?" She stood in the doorway, framed by the faint light spilling in from the windows. "Because I sure as hell am."
Axion gulped. This is bad. Really bad. How am I supposed to get out of this?
"Got nothing to say anymore?" Kasumi's lips curled into a smirk, and she adjusted the grip on her wires. "Nothing more to throw? No clever lines to distract me, hero?" She took a step forward and held out her arms, as if inviting her for a hug. "Come on, it's getting boring. Stop running and give it all you've got."
A bead of sweat trickled down her temple, and she clenched her fists.
Fine! If that's what it takes, I'll do it. I'll bring it all. EVERYTHING!
Axion braced herself against the wall and gathered every ounce of energy and concentration she possessed. She narrowed her eyes, focusing on the tiny sparks of gravitons swirling around her, and the power surged within her. Her body felt as light as a feather.
After a fierce battle cry, she pushed off the wall and rocketed forward, propelled by a surge of gravitons. She flew through the air, the momentum carrying her toward the stunned gang leader.
[TFSI: 0.54]
Kasumi's eyes widened in shock as she instinctively raised her wires to intercept her, creating a web of gleaming metal between them.
This was a gambit.
As she flew through the air, she willed the gravitons to change direction, redirecting them with such precision that she was able to manipulate her momentum, angling herself to slip through the gaps in the lattice. She felt like a marionette being tugged and pulled by invisible hands.
A sharp pain surged through her skull while calculating each tiny movement as she approached her opponent, weaving and dodging through the deadly cordon.
[TFSI: 0.61]
She ignored the pain as she twisted and contorted her body, using every scrap of her concentration to plot the perfect course.
The nanofilaments buzzed and hummed as she passed by, the sharp edges scraping harmlessly against her bodysuit. One strand sliced through the tip of the horn-like protrusion on her helmet, slicing off a small chunk of the carbon fiber.
[TFSI: 0.64]
That's the closest she ever got!
C'mon, almost there! Just gotta—
Time seemed to slow. With her momentum waning, she readied herself to launch another burst of gravitons to propel herself. She spun her body around, twisting it into a perfect axe kick, the heel of her boot aimed straight at Kasumi's face.
[TFSI: 0.67]
In a blink of an eye, the gangster pivoted on her heels, ducking under the kick and pulling herself back just in time to avoid the impact. Still, Axion's momentum carried her forward, and as she passed by, she swung her foot downward, aiming for the ground below while channeling her power through her heel.
[TFSI: 0.70]
With a deafening roar, her stomp cratered the floor, unleashing a shockwave that rippled outward, shattering the ground beneath her feet and causing the entire room to cave in. Dust and debris filled the air, obscuring the chaos that ensued. The floor fell away, and the two fighters plummeted with the collapsing structure, hurtling toward the ground far below.
"FUCK!" Kasumi yelled, her arms flailing wildly as she descended. Her nanowires thrashed around her, their razor-sharp tips whistling as they tore through the air. She managed to wrap several strands around a protruding beam in an attempt to arrest her fall.
Axion's body twisted through the air as she maneuvered through the falling debris. She somersaulted in midair, flipping her body upright before drawing back her foot. As she neared Kasumi, she thrust her heel forward at the apex of her momentum.
Her foot connected with Kasumi's midsection, sending the gang leader flying into the van that was still wrecked from their previous fight, her nanowires trailing after her, severed and useless.
[TFSI: 0.72]
Kasumi collided with the side of the vehicle, crumpling against its surface—the force of the impact caused the vehicle to rock. She slumped to the ground, her face and clothing covered in grime and debris, her expression dazed and defeated.
Axion landed a short distance away, crouching in a three-point stance, her body glowing with a radiant blue aura.
The few gang members still around stared in shock and awe. Silence hung in the air. The only sounds that broke the silence were the patter of rain and the settling dust and debris.
With shaky legs, she straightened up and faced the group, the LED eyes of her cracked visor flashing a brilliant blue.
She limped toward the nearest thug, who in turn began to back away in fear. The rest of the thugs around her dispersed, rushing to their fallen leader.
"Who's...next?" Axion rasped, her breathing heavy and labored. "I can...fight all night. Bring it."
The gangsters hesitated, exchanging nervous glances, their eyes darting between themselves and their incapacitated leader.
Kasumi's eyes fluttered, and she slowly shook her head. Her body trembled, and her limbs refused to respond to her commands. She coughed weakly and spat out a mouthful of blood.
"Boss?" the nearby thug asked. "Boss, you good?" He took a cautious step toward her. "What do we do?"
"F-fuck," she coughed. "Let's...go."
The thug nodded and leaned down, pulling her onto his shoulders with a grunt. "C'mon guys, time to leave!" he bellowed. "Move out!"
The other gangsters rallied around him, with one of the thugs picking up Vaughn from the corner, and they fled through the garage exit.
Wait...the Shiver! Did they take it?!
None of the thugs were carrying the briefcase she had seen earlier. She suspected that it might still be in the vehicle.
She limped back to the van, leaning against it for support as she looked inside, her head still pounding and aching from the strain of the fight.
Three identical briefcases lay within—the same ones that she had seen the dealer exchange with them earlier.
She opened one of them. Within the case, rows of syringes sat snugly in padded compartments, nestled among the ice packs meant to keep the drug cool. It appeared to be undamaged from the crash.
Doesn't matter. They'd probably end up destroying it all anyway.
After closing the briefcase, Axion sighed in relief, slumping against the van, her limbs weak and trembling.
Everything about her hurt. The adrenaline was wearing off, and now the fatigue washed over her in a wave.
It's finally over. Finally.
Edith's voice finally crackled in her ear, her tone somber.
Axion tapped the side of her helmet, then smiled faintly. "Y-yeah. S-sure."
She winced, her arm throbbing, and she examined her injuries, surveying the bloody, torn scraps where the wires had struck her. "Ow." She touched them gingerly, biting her lip at the pain. "Hurts like hell..."
When Virgil gets back, I'll let him have it for not warning me about Kasumi's nanowires. He better be having a hard time too.