Mig, despite how badly broken he is, feels the searing intensity as the flames swallow him, causing unbearable heat and pain. His body blisters, cracks, and burns, while the air fills with the acrid smell of him on fire, struggling to breathe. In agony, he unleashes an ear-piercing banshee scream. With his body ablaze, the area lights up once more. Guerilla acts quickly and attempts to leap toward the other side, but Ray reacts by slinging his arm forward and grabbing him, spinning and slamming Guerilla into the wall behind him. “Elio!” Ray shouted.
Elio looked over; “Yeah?” “I understand what you mean now. I’ll keep Mig close to me. Go chase down Gastronaut.” Ray said. Elio nodded. He turned around and crouched low to the ground, his muscles coiled like springs. With a burst, he launches forward, feet pounding against the slick concrete. He sprints, blurring through the sewer as it quickly darkens when leaving Mig’s presence, he vaults over a rusty pipe without breaking stride. As he nears a crumbling wall, he plants a foot and springs upward, pushing off the wall with a powerful side-step. He spins upside down in mid-air, avoiding a low-hanging beam. His hands catch the edge of a ledge, flipping him up and over, before he rolls while landing, his moment never slowing. He slides beneath a gate, then rockets back up, rebounding off one wall to the next, as the echoes of his rapid breaths and footfalls bounce through the tunnel.
The city lights blur as Elio rockets out of the sewer tunnel and moves down the neon-lit streets, his feet barely touching the pavement. He leaps onto a parked car, springboarding onto a wall, dashing horizontally along the side of a skyscraper. Elio swiftly flips off from the building, landing on the street and keeping his momentum by rolling as he gets up. A car screeches into the intersection, Elio pivots mid-stride, sliding over its hood and propelling himself forward. He continues as he moves toward the sidewalk, vaulting over a food cart, startling the vendor as he barely processes Elio’s passage. He weaves through a cluster of pedestrians, Elio gets ready to jump over a group of people walking side-by-side before noticing an overhead pipe. Elio fires a gust of wind, making the dress of the lady in front of him ride up, he quickly slides between her legs before getting up and continuing his run. He quickly bounds off of a mailbox, catching the edge of a streetlight. He swings around it, launching himself across the bustling avenue, landing in a roll before continuing his high-speed sprint.
Next to Mig’s burning body, Ray and Guerilla continue to clash. Ray continues to deflect Guerilla’s relentless onslaught of attacks, his grip firm, but he remains completely on the backfoot. “Dammit, Ray!” Guerilla shouted in anger. He throws a one-two, but is blocked effortlessly. He continues his assault; “Mig’s going to die! Just get out of my way-” “And do what when the flames are put out?! Elio has completely mangled him, what, is he supposed to just live on life support after that?! And of all people, why would you wanna save him?” Ray retorted. He performs a low kick, tripping Guerilla. He falls through the floor, his body reappears from behind, but Ray reacts by elbow jabbing him in the stomach. Guerilla gasps for air as he stumbles back, closing the distance between him and Mig.
Ray shoots a wave of formaldehyde beneath Guerilla’s legs, letting it touch the fire. The solution combusts in a fiery explosion, as Guerilla is launched towards Ray. He holds his palm out, grabbing Guerilla by the face and pushing down, slamming the back of his head into the floor. Guerilla’s whole body twitches after the heavy blow, his vision quickly blurring and narrowing into a dark tunnel. Bright flashes and spots dance erratically before his eyes, intensifying the throbbing pain in his skull. Panic sets in as the world around him fades to black, leaving him disoriented and unsteady. He reaches out, desperately trying to find balance, but the darkness swallows his sight entirely, leaving him with only the throbbing in his head and the feeling of his own unsteady breaths.
“I can’t see! The darkness, it’s so dense, it’s suffocating! Mig! Hold on, I’m trying my best! I’ll…” Guerilla slowly rolls over onto his stomach, crawling towards the heat; “I’ll save you!” He declared, despite his situation. As he crawls, he suddenly stops moving from a relaxing sensation; “What is this? Why can’t I move? And why’s my own pain going away?” He wondered. “Just relax, Guerilla. I used my power to inject some procraine in you. It possesses low potency, slow onset, and a short duration of action.” Ray explained. “Really?” Guerilla asked, dumbfounded. “But why…?” “I still need you to answer my question. Why are you trying to save him? I’m sure you already know this, but Mig eats people.” Ray answered coldly. “Don’t move, by the way. You can’t tell, but my sword is right in front of your face. So answer.” He added.
Mig remains silent and still before eventually giving in; “I… I was being selfish. I know he eats people, I’ve seen it more times than I’ve fired a bullet.” He admits. Ray has a bewildered look on his face; “F-for how long has he been doing this?!” He shouted, appalled. “My… entire… life…” Mig spoke up, weakly. Guerilla slowly raises his head, while Ray’s eye widens in shock as he watches Mig attempt to get up. Ray sheaths his sword. As he’s on all fours, his blood flow ceases, causing his arms and legs to contract inwardly. He becomes top-heavy, falling on his back.
“Mig! Save your strength!” Guerilla shouted. “No… it’s ok, Idris. I’ve been a burden to you and Arion for too long…” Mig responds, his voice getting weaker. “Mig, stop! Don’t say that! You aren’t a burden, you’re our best friend-” “And that’s why I’m fine with this outcome…” Mig cuts him off. “I’ve been suffering for too long… if ending my suffering means you two are unburdened, then let it be that way…” He said softly, his words began to fade. Guerilla feels tears running down his face; “Mig… say something… please!” He screamed, though the crackling flames told him all he needed to know. Ray looks down, unsure how to respond to Guerilla’s breakdown as he listens to him sob. “Why do I feel so awful right now? I thought that after all this, I’d be happy, but… despite my relation toward them, I feel horrible.” Ray pondered, confused and hurt.
He continued to watch, trying to focus on the mission; “I need Gastronaut to know what happened. If I can do that, it could possibly end the fight.” He thought. “Guerilla, I…” Ray trailed off. Looking at how vulnerable and damaged he is, Ray decides to hold his tongue. “I’ll wait till you’re done…” He said softly. Ray sat down, his legs hanging over the ledge as his forearms rested on his thighs. “It sucks, I really want to cry, but my body just can’t. Like him, I’ve always been viewed by most as stone cold, and I often felt that lonely feeling of not being known. Maybe that’s why I feel so bad…” Ray wondered.
June 7th, 2018. 9:30 PM.
Elio leaps through an office window, shattering the glass as he performs countless flips in the air. He lands, dashing before coming to a grinding halt; “Good, I’m here! There’s also no sign of a break-in-” Elio paused. As he looked up, he noticed Gastronaut flying towards Culat’s. Gastronaut catches a glimpse and stops flying, looking down at Elio from above. “He escaped?! Does that mean Mig and Guerilla were already beaten?!” Gastronaut thought quickly. The two face each other, their breaths coming out in low chuffs. The moment they make eye contact, an unspoken signal snaps between them, and they explode forward, charging like wild bulls. Elio lunges with the ferocity of a wolf, his strike swift and precise as it strikes him right in the gut.
Gastronaut retaliates with the raw power of a bear, his fists expand as they crash down like heavy paws. Elio sideflips out of the way, the ground beneath them shudders from the impact, as though the earth itself fears their wrath. “What’s your deal, Gastronaut?!” Elio shouted. He sends out a flurry of kicks, but Gastronaut dodges by stretching towards him, twisting his torso like a spring, grappling him tight and flying upward as his body snaps back. He swoops down, letting go and Elio hits the floor. Gastronaut swiftly performs a loop and stretches his leg, stomping down, Elio rolls out of the way and stands up. “This is gonna be costly, but I need to get rid of Elio now!” Gastronaut thought as his jetpack soon shifted into overdrive.
Gastronaut blurred into motion, a streak of speed darting around Elio as he flew at his fastest speed. He struck from the left, a fist to his ribs, and vanished before Elio could even react. “What-” Elio’s words got cut off as Gastronaut landed a kick from behind, sending him stumbling forward. Another blow came from above, slamming down on his shoulder. Elio yelled, swinging wildly at the air, but each strike met only empty space. A barrage of jabs peppered his sides, forcing him to stagger. His knees buckled, struggling to stay upright as the rapid strikes came from all directions, leaving him disoriented and reeling. “Where the hell is he coming from?! I can’t even track his heat signature! Just how much fuel does his jetpack have for him to fly that fast consistently- Wait! I get it now!” Elio’s eyes widened.
Elio, while still being attacked from all directions, generates heat as he slowly holds his hands out. “In zero gravity, there’s no specific speed any object or person can fly at because it doesn’t fly at all. It just floats at whatever initial momentum it had, meaning its speed depends entirely on the force of the push it received. So, he must be firing the strongest bursts that his jetpack can dish out and making himself go into zero gravity in order to keep that same speed for every strike! If I can just time it…” Elio pondered. His eyes close as he lets him get hit more, counting the time it takes for each strike to hit him. “NOW!” Elio opened his eyes and threw his arms down, sending a gust of wind down from all directions.
Gastronaut hits the floor hard. It felt like a plane plummeting from the sky as he spiraled out of control, his jetpack, like engines roaring in a futile struggle against gravity, before he slammed into the ground with a deafening impact. The earth shook as his jetpack exploded, scattering dust and smoke outward like a shockwave. His helmet shattered on impact, leaving only twisted wreckage behind as his arms began to bleed profusely from him skidding along the asphalt road.
As he stands up, he feels his blood flowing. He lets out heavy breaths as he stares down Elio. “This isn’t good! I don’t know why I decided to go after his own cat instead of just trying to finish him off first. This was a stupid mistake, but I can’t back out of it now. I’ve dug too deep a hole. I can only go out trying!” He declared. He cocks his arm back and throws his fist forward, aiming to land a fast, clean hit to Elio’s face. Elio weaves past the punch and dashes forward before coming to a stop and grabbing his outstretched arm. Elio turns around and steps forward, swinging Gastronaut up, his body travels in an arc before Elio slams him into the ground. Gastronaut’s head splatters upon contact. An onlooker screams in fright upon seeing what happened to him.
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Elio lets go and glares at the onlooker. “Shut the fuck up! HE’S FAKING IT, YOU DUMBASS!” He shouted angrily. Gastronaut hears him and decides to have his head reform as he gets up. Elio gets ready to strike, but quickly snaps his head back in the direction of the onlooker and her friends; “And why the hell are you here?! Are you trying to get yourselves killed?! Leave! Either get inside a building or evacuate the area!” “I agree!” Gastronaut added.
Elio glanced over; “Oh, good… since we agree on this, it gives me a chance to take a breather while we wait for these people to go away.” He thought. As the two wait, Elio does some stretches. “I hope Ray’s alright down there. Given how he handled himself in the darkness, I shouldn’t be too worried. God, this smell is atrocious! I need to shower this off and burn these clothes after this fight’s over. Who knows what kind of AIDS I was pushed into?” Elio pondered. Soon, the crowd dispersed, the two got into their fighting stances, ready for the next round.
The two rush toward each other, Gastronaut throws the first attack, stretching his leg as he goes for a high spinning kick. Elio dodges by ducking to the floor while spinning, going in for a sweep, but Gastronaut snaps his body towards his outstretched leg, avoiding the strike. Gastronaut lands behind Elio, sending out a thrust kick. Elio moves out of the way, Gastronaut’s leg snaps back as he throws a jab, ready to strike, but Elio dodges by backflipping over his arm. Expecting it, Elio dodges an outstretched hook, falling onto his hands and quickly firing a burst of wind to boost him as he jumps off. He lands a drop kick to Gastronaut’s chest, sending him back.
Elio suddenly remains suspended in midair. Gastronaut pulls Elio to him before slugging him in the face. Upon impact, Elio is sent flying in the opposite direction, only to be pulled back and punched again. The cycle repeats until Gastronaut brings his leg back before swinging and kicking Elio in the chin, sending him flying through the sky as he rolls helplessly through the air. Soon, he comes to a stop, being suspended once more as Gastronaut floats towards him. “Woah!” Elio thought as he looked down. From way in the sky, the golden city glowed with a warm, ethereal radiance, its buildings shimmered like molten gold. Neon lights in vibrant blues, pinks, and greens traced the streets, forming intricate, glowing pathways that weave between the golden structures. The neon hues create a dynamic contrast against the city’s golden sheen, casting reflections onto the glassy surfaces of towering buildings. Despite the dire situation, Elio can’t help, but be mesmerized by the blend of ancient opulence and futuristic energy, with the city’s radiance stretching out beneath the night sky like a living, luminous map.
“Stellar view, ain’t it?” Gastronaut asked as he circled around Elio, his arms crossed. “Yeah, but why do you have me way up here with you?” “Because, I’m gonna give you one more chance to surrender. Take another look at the city, we’re almost nine-thousand above ground. All I need is one strike and you’ll become nothing more than a stain on the street. So, what’s it gonna be?” Gastronaut asked. “I can’t surrender myself. If I do that, even if I live, you’re just gonna kill Reggie. So do your worst, Gastronaut. I’ll drag you back down to Earth with me if I have to.” Elio retorted. Without any reaction, Gastronaut floated higher until it was almost hard for Elio to see him. He then clasps his hands in a hammer, falling down upon exiting zero gravity and winding back to strike Elio in the stomach. Upon impact, Elio begins hurling towards the ground at high speeds.
Soon, he blends in with the city below while Gastronaut watches. “I still have a chance to win! It’s gonna be awkward for me to learn how to fight like this, but I’ve no choice, but to try and adapt!” Elio thought. He fights to hold his hands back, once in position, he fires a gust of wind and sends himself completely off course, spinning wildly. “Shit!” Elio shouted. He fires another burst, sending himself up, he starts hurling in all directions as he tries to find a way to slow down. Elio’s eyes widened; “Wait! Hold on… If I just…” Elio wondered. He begins to expel wind in the opposite direction slowly, his own speed starts to slow. “That’s it!” He shouted while smiling. “So, if I just release wind gently from all parts of my body, then that should mean…” He muttered as he experimented. Soon, he comes to a stop, remaining stagnant in the air, not even expelling any wind. “I did it! Hold on!” He held his palm out and began to release wind, as he increased speed, he steered his arm while holding it back, changing direction. “I can fly in zero gravity thanks to my own abilities! I’ve done it! I’ve mastered zero gravity!” Elio yelled with excitement.
As Gastronaut floats down to the city, he suddenly notices Elio zooming towards him. Elio lands a flying kick to his stomach. “WHAT?!” Gastronaut shouted in bewilderment. Elio rockets forward with a burst of wind, he flies above and dives down, landing a hook in his face. Gastronaut hurls towards the ground. He stretches his arms, grabbing onto a street lamp, swinging up and snapping his body towards his hands, allowing him to perch onto the street lamp. “He’s using the wind, it seems! Had my jetpack not been destroyed, I could fight him in my turf, but that’s not gonna workout. But then again, I can always ride on top of something while controlling its direction!” Gastronaut thought. He lets go and gravitates a stop sign towards him, detaching it from the post itself. He jumps on it and flies towards Elio, Elio shoots himself forwards, they both clash.
Elio flies forward, his fist steaming with energy, aiming a punch that cuts through the air like lightning. Gastronaut twisted to the side, his hand swooping forward, blocking Elio’s attack, then he countered with a punch of his own, outstretched towards his head, sending him hurling backward through the window of a skyscraper. Elio recovered quickly, changing his trajectory and flying out of a different window, dive bombing back and tackling Gastronaut, crashing into a neon-lit billboard that shattered on impact.
Sparks flew as they grappled in freefall, the city lights blurring below. Gastronaut exits zero gravity, regaining strength and pushing Elio off, sending high above the skyline, only for Elio to fly back with another burst of wind. He stomps down on Gastronaut, the force of the wind overpowering him, they descend to the floor, Gastronaut hits the ground. Quickly, Elio falls over, as Gastronaut forces him out of zero gravity. “What the-” Elio yelled, confused. “Why can’t… why can’t I get up?!” “All that spinning and flying around in zero gravity has completely disoriented you.” Gastronaut explained as he stood up. “Your body now feels significantly weaker after having done all of that and returning to regular gravity in an instant. Even getting up-” He pauses as he watches Elio start to stand up. As Elio stands, he hobbles, feeling dizzy and unsteady. “You’re seriously still fighting, even after all of that?!” Gastronaut yelled as he asked.
“Yeah, because you’re hellbent on killing the whole reason I came to this place!” Elio glared. He rushes towards Gastronaut, stumbling a bit as he steps, but keeping his footing as he charges. Gastronaut throws a punch; “Even if you dodge, you’ll lose footing!” He thought. But Elio leaves him surprised, as he dodges by falling forwards and rolling. Right as Gastronaut’s arm snaps back, Elio springs forward, his fists clenched tight, eyes locked onto him. He launches a quick jab at his face, with the power to make his neck stretch out as it reels, he grabs his neck with one hand and wraps his free arm around his torso and slams him onto the floor. As his head snaps back, Elio uses his foot to lift him up from the chin, only to quickly drop low and sweep his leg across the ground, making Gastronaut stumble. Seizing the moment, he rises with a spinning back elbow, bashing it straight into his jaw, forcing him to stagger.
Without hesitation, Elio shifts his weight forward, driving a knee into his stomach, a breathless gasp escapes with the impact. Gastronaut tries to regain composure, but Elio pivots quickly, and with all of his force, drives a devastating roundhouse kick into his side. Gastronaut doubled over, gasping as the sharp pain radiated from his body, his breath stolen like the wind had been knocked from his lungs. His hand clutched his side, fingers trembling as he tried to steady himself, but each breath sent a searing jolt through his body. His face twisted in agony, eyes squeezed shut, and slime beaded on his forehead, mixing with the grit of the asphalt as he fought to keep from collapsing under the relentless, burning ache. But in the end, he fell over.
Elio looked down at him and he dragged him onto the sidewalk. As he let go, his vision blurred, the world around him spinning in a nauseating whirl. He staggered, one foot dragging clumsily as he tried to steady himself. His legs buckled, feeling like jelly beneath him, and his beats came in short, panicked bursts. A wave of dizziness surged through him, and his knees hit the concrete with a jarring thud, sending a dull ache through his body. “Dammit! That final combo took all my strength, I can’t fight him anymore! No, I can, I just… I just need to recover from this vertigo before he can get back up…” Elio’s mind raced. He falls more, as his forearms prop himself up along with his knees.
June 7th, 2018. 10:00 PM.
As Gastronaut is lying on his back, he feels part of his suit buzzing. Elio looks over as he taps that part of his suit; “Gastronaut. Come in.” Gastronaut answered. “Arion, I have bad news.” Guerilla answered through the mic. Gastronaut’s eyes widened instantly; “He addressed me by my real name?!” He thought. “What’s up?” He asked. A deep exhale can be heard over the line before words come out; “I’ve gone blind from one of Ray’s attacks, but more importantly… Mig’s dead.” He explained. Gastronaut’s eyes widened further; “Wait, what?! He died?! How?!” “Elio burnt him to a crisp, and I’d failed to save him.” “Elio killed him?!” Gastronaut responded. “Dammit…” Elio muttered, lowering his head in shame. Gastronaut looked over, surprised by his tone. He hesitates for a second. “Hold on, I’ll call you back.” Gastronaut disconnects from the line before getting up slowly and walking toward Elio.
“Shit, first I kill another man, now he’s up before I am! Reggie, I’m-” His thoughts come to a pause as he feels Gastronaut’s hand on his shoulder. “Huh?” Elio looked up. “Elio. You alright?” He asked. Elio’s confused. “Come on, sit down.” Gastronaut speaks in an almost lax voice, supporting Elio and propping his back against the wall of a building. “I… I’m lost right now. Your heat signature shows no anger or hostility. It’s almost as though you’re happy.” Elio spoke. Gastronaut just sits down next to him, his back leaning on the wall. “Don’t get me wrong, I am sad to hear that he’s dead. Like, come on, I didn’t even get to say anything to him, but… that’s fine. Guerilla and I were selfish to not put him out ourselves, so I’m just… glad that his suffering’s over with. Thanks, Elio.” Gastronaut answered softly.
“Wait, what was he suffering from? Was it… was it that thing you and Guerilla refused to tell me the other night?” Elio asked. “Yeah, I feel like now, it’s only appropriate I tell you. The reason Mig always ate alone, in the dark was because he didn’t wanna have to see himself eating the flesh of others.” Gastronaut explained. Chills rush down Elio’s spine as he learns the truth. “What?! He’s a cannibal?!” “Yeah…” “But why?! Why would he eat so many people?! He was rich and lived here!” “I- can I explain it to you tomorrow? You and Ray?” Gastronaut asked, sounding shameful. Elio pauses before answering; “Sure.” “Thank you. Also, I’m sorry, what I did was cowardly, trying to go after your cat.” “Yeah, why did you do that? Why did you target Reggie?” Elio asked, his tone shows that he’s a bit heated. “I’ll explain that tomorrow as well.” “Alright, then. I’m fine with that. And I can tell that you’re sorry, so I’ll forgive you.” “Thanks.” “Yeah…” Elio responded.
Gastronaut decides to contact Guerilla. He picks up the line; “Hey, Gastronaut.” “Hey, is Ray there?” “Yeah, I’m here.” Ray answered. “I’m kicking back with Elio right now. We’re on Knox Avenue, could you meet us both there? Oh, and take Guerilla with you.” “Way ahead of you. I’m walking while carrying him right now.” “Cool. We’ll be waiting.” Gastronaut responded. He disconnected from the line. “Hey, Ray…” “Hmm? What’s up?” “I’m sorry.” He said. Ray’s eye widened in surprise, not having expected him to say that. His expression relaxes; “It’s alright, man.” Ray answered. He continues walking through the darkness.
Elio slumped against the wall, knees pulled up, head leaning back. His chest rose and fell with each breath, the chill of the steel wall seeping through his shirt. He closed his eyes, allowing the night air to cool his flushed face as he tried to gather his thoughts. The chaos of earlier still echoed in his mind, the shouting, hurried steps, the impact of every strike, it all became distant noise. His limbs felt leaden, exhaustion sinking into his bones. He lets himself sit there. “Reggie… sleep well tonight, ok?” Elio smiled upon thinking of him.