“Mercenary,” said Alex as he turned to look at the shadows of the alley. With his echolocation, he recognized the shape of the man instantly.

“You aren’t a ranger,” said the archer.

“I never said I was. You just assumed and I took advantage of that,” said Alex.

“It was a mistake I made I’ll keep in mind in future confrontations with strangers.”

“What do you want? You haven’t even drawn your bow.”

“I was watching what you were up to. It didn’t take long to track you down once I knew that you were headed back to Earth. And sorry about out last meeting.”

“You seem fine now. I am uninjured. It seemed to work out. Will you stop me from doing what I came here to do?”

“It depends on what exactly you are doing. The drugs here are illegal. Killing the people here is also wrong and illegal. I would have to stop you.”

“You don’t have to worry about that. I don’t have an interest in killing people. Despite my previous accident. I am just here to shake up their business and stop this investigation. It was not my intention to kill that man. Hopefully you can help me with that.”

“I’ll see what I can do. There are a few exits to this building. I’ll start blocking a few of them so that the climbers can’t easily escape once they hear the police sirens. Your job is to preserve the evidence throughout this place. Take out the climbers but don’t kill them. It will make the cops jobs easier and mine too.”

“That I can do,” said Alex. “You never did give me your name.”

“I don’t need to,” he replied.

Alex’s first task was to disable the front cameras and then take out the guards out front. The unnamed mercenary might be able to turn invisible, but Alex wasn’t that lucky with his powers. He stepped slowly around the corner and reached out with his powers to the cameras in the area. With a little focus he was able to pull at the camera’s electrical systems. The cameras shut off powering themselves down indefinitely. Before anyone could come to alert the guards Alex rushed the two men standing out front.

With a pull of his powers, he drew out the electricity in their phones and the building to shock them. They spasmed as he grabbed them and threw them to the ground, they tried to fight back but Alex kept their limbs immobile with his powers. It was something he was careful experimenting with but realized he could use very effectively to disable enemies. By using a focused disruption attack like he had with the mercenary he could disable limbs individually without causing further problems all while close by. A minute later the men were unconscious and laying next to the door.

With a shove Alex forced the door open and then sent an echolocation pulse through. He let it flood the area giving him a larger area of vision that was less detailed. The power let him pinpoint where to find the men he needed to deal with and where to start. A group of three were working on something two doors down the hallway. Alex hurried to get there before his entrance and the disabling of camera’s could be noted.

He moved stealthily, his footsteps barely making a sound as he approached the room where the three men were.

As he neared the room, he could hear the low murmur of their conversation. He paused, gathering his energy, then reached out with his powers once more. This time, he targeted the room's lighting system, pulling at the electrical currents until the lights flickered and then went out completely. The sudden darkness caused a moment of confusion among the guards, a moment that Alex seized.

He lunged forward, his fists connecting with the first guard before the man could even react. The guard crumpled to the ground, unconscious. The other two guards, now alerted to his presence, tried to draw their weapons. But Alex was quicker. He reached out with his powers again, this time focusing on the electrical systems of their weapons. He sent a jolt of electricity through them, causing the guards to drop their weapons in surprise.

With the guards disarmed, Alex moved in. He used his powers to immobilize their limbs, just as he had done with the guards outside. He was careful not to cause any permanent damage, focusing his energy on incapacitating them rather than hurting them. Within a few minutes, all three guards were unconscious on the floor.

With the immediate threat neutralized, Alex allowed himself a moment to catch his breath. He sent out another echolocation pulse, scanning the area for any other potential threats. Satisfied that he was alone, he moved deeper into the building. When he stepped out of the room two more guards met him. They were in full armor. One held an axe while the other had a sword.

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

Alex hurriedly ducked an axe swing as the weapon impacted the wall. The cheap drywall fell apart as the man ripped his weapon back. Alex felt for his mana remaining and drew on the power he had remaining. The lights flickered in the hallway and then shattered as electricity poured out of them.

He pulled the energy toward himself as a shield as the swordsman went to strike. The energy followed the sword’s metal body and up to the hilt. The swordsman convulsed as the electricity flooded his body. Alex redirected the flow as not to kill the man and pointed it toward the axe wielder. This caused the man not to drop the weapon. The rest of the fight went by quickly after that.

Alex made his way to the stairs already aware of the reinforcements that were coming his way. The lights on the first floor were almost all out leaving only a little light come in from the upper floor and from the outside.

Suddenly, a blazing fireball hurtled down the stairs, prompting Alex to catapult out of its deadly path. He felt the scorching heat whoosh by, mere moments before he was blind-sided by a second opponent and slammed against a wall. The impact sent him and his assailant crashing through the barrier, obliterating a table, and scattering its contents in their wake.

Acting on instinct, Alex clamped his hand onto the man's chest, channelling a jolt of electricity through him. The man stiffened, paralyzed, then was abruptly flung aside. Alex found himself having to dodge yet another fiery onslaught, taking refuge behind an impromptu barricade of boxes huddled in the room. Wisps of smoke began to swirl around, clouding his vision.

Then, like a raging inferno, the fire mage burst through the door, his eyes flickering around the room. Pausing to inspect his incapacitated companion, he was unsuspecting of the retaliation awaiting him. Seizing the moment, Alex hurled a chunk of wood, a remnant from the demolished wall, towards the mage. Illuminated by the mage's flame, the projectile seared through the air, striking the man square on. The fire mage's screams echoed through the room as he found himself ensnared by his own incendiary magic.

Without wasting a second, Alex delivered a flurry of rapid punches, reducing the mage's thrashing to stillness. Now, he too lay unconscious, defeated by the same flames he had sought to weaponize.

Alex returned to the stairs and sent out an echolocation pulse. A few people were already on the ground on the second floor with arrows in them. Further down the hall, he sensed the mercenary fighting with someone. As Alex sped up down the hall the floor beneath him started to shake. The shaking started below him and then started to travel upward. The walls creaked and groaned. He hurried even more.

In the next room stood a mountain of a man fighting against the mercenary. The mercenary used his speed to dart around the room and throw out attacks but none of them were able to penetrate the man’s skin. The man turned slightly to see Alex and smirked.

“Another fighter. I wonder which guild I upset this time,” said the large man. “When I am done with you your friends shall know so much pain.” He grabbed hold of the mercenary mid attack and threw him against a wall.

Alex began charging up his lightning trying to draw it in from the nearby sources. The light flickered.

“So, you are the one who played with the lights. Give me what you’ve got.”

On that command Alex flung his hands downward and the lightning in the air coalesced above the man before striking. His opponent took a step back, his clothes smouldering while the skin underneath was fine.

“Is that all you’ve got?” his opponent said menacingly.

From is inventory the man summoned a long-hooked blade and armor to match. He turned to the mercenary who was slowly standing back up. He swiped is blade and the mercenary hurriedly summoned his bow into hand and blocked the weapon. The mercenary was pushed to the ground again with a hand on his face.

Alex growled, springing into action, two daggers manifesting in his hands, glinting under the unstable light. His heart pounded in his chest, adrenaline rushing through his veins as he stepped into the fray. He sent out a quick burst of electric energy, using his echolocation to get a sense of his opponent's position and the room layout. His opponent was massive, and every bit as powerful as he looked. The large man turned to take on Alex.

Each step he took shook the room slightly. His movements were rough, hard, and without finesse. However, that didn't make them any less dangerous. Alex had seen men like this before. They compensated for the lack of speed with raw power and durability. They were like boulders, immovable and unstoppable.

Alex made his move. He danced around his opponent, his movements swift and nimble, each footstep an echo of his heartbeat. He dove in, his daggers aimed at the giant man's midriff, but his opponent was quick despite his size. With a harsh swipe of his blade, the man parried the attack, and Alex was forced to twist away from a counterstrike that would have cleaved him in two.

"So fast," Alex muttered, flipping backwards to put some distance between them. His opponent's laughter echoed in the room as he readied himself for another attack. Alex sent another echolocation pulse, pinpointing his opponent’s location, his movements. It wasn’t enough to simply know where he was; he had to understand his opponent.

It was now or never. Alex charged, electricity sparking from his hands, outlining his daggers in an eerie blue glow. He moved like a bolt of lightning, zigzagging unpredictably, his daggers darting out in a flurry of slashes and stabs. Most of his blows were blocked or dodged, but a few found their mark, leaving small cuts on the man's armor.

Suddenly, Alex felt a powerful swing coming from his left. He ducked under the harsh swing and countered with a swift kick to the man's knee, causing him to falter. Seizing the opportunity, Alex thrust his daggers forward. The man raised his blade in defense, but it was too late. Alex's electrically charged daggers sunk into his massive frame, and the room lit up with a brilliant flash as the electricity discharged.

The man roared; the pain evident on his face. He froze blood blossoming from his chest. Alex took this chance to stab him again.

"You seem to have forgotten that there are two of us in this fight," said Alex.

Alex kicked the sword away from the man and let him lay in his own blood. He tried to put up a fight, but Alex forced the man to sleep with his magic. Alex looked up and saw that the mercenary had already left the room through the now-open window.

“Your welcome stranger,” Alex muttered.