"What is it, Miles?" Ray demanded, stepping away from the robotic body and moving to the edge of the elevator platform.
Miles didn't respond. His wide eyes were fixed below, and Ray followed his gaze. His breath caught.
Dozens—no, hundreds—of robotic humanoids in tattered white lab coats were swarming up the tower like an unstoppable tide. Their exposed brains glistened beneath glass casings, wires crackling as they climbed with eerie precision.
"Damn it… El!" Ray cursed. He spun to the control panel and slammed a fist against it, trying to shut the elevator doors, but it was too late. The heavy doors groaned as they struggled to close, barely halfway when—
BOOM!
The world erupted in chaos. The explosion from Korrin's body sent shockwaves tearing through the tower. The force flung the elevator off its track, and Ray, Miles, and Page were hurled into the sky as their platform disintegrated.
Ray's ears rang as the air roared around them. Fire and debris rained from above, the shattered tower illuminated by bursts of orange and red. The humanoid robots were caught in the blast, sent tumbling alongside them like shattered puppets.
The wind whistled in Ray's ears as they plummeted through the night. His vision blurred, his body spinning uncontrollably. Through the chaos, he spotted Page, unconscious and tumbling like a ragdoll.
"Page!" Ray shouted, but the wind swallowed his voice.
A scream pierced the chaos. Ray twisted his head and saw Miles, flailing desperately as a robotic humanoid clung to his back.
"Get off me, you little shit!" Miles bellowed, thrashing violently. The bot clung tighter, its mechanical fingernails digging into his cloak.
Ray's mind raced. Page is falling. Miles is in danger. Who do I save first?
His fingers brushed the glowing orb at the center of his vest. The vest.
The orb sparked and whirred to life. In a blue flash, Ray teleported, reappearing midair at Miles's back. The humanoid bot turned, its glass-encased brain glinting in the moonlight. Its face was hauntingly human, and tears streamed from its metallic eyes.
Ray froze for a heartbeat. Tears? His stomach twisted. El did this to them.
Fury overtook him. With a roar, Ray grabbed the bot's head and twisted sharply. Circuits snapped with a sickening crunch. The bot went limp, and Ray hurled its lifeless body into the darkness below.
Miles gasped, his chest heaving. "Ray—"
"No time!" Ray barked, grabbing Miles's wrist. He glanced downward. Page was still falling, her limp body spinning in freefall.
"She's not dying today," Ray muttered, determination burning in his chest. "And El… he's going to pay for every single one of them."
With a final surge of energy, the orb on Ray's vest sparked, teleporting him to the ground. "Not now!" he muttered through gritted teeth. The ground was rushing up too fast as Page plummeted. Desperation surged through him, and his hand darted toward the orb to teleport again—when a sudden gust of wind whooshed past him.
Miles.
Moving faster than Ray had ever seen, Miles sprinted across the wreckage-strewn ground and leaped forward. With a desperate slide, he caught Page just as her head was inches from striking the jagged earth.
"Ouch," Miles groaned, wincing as he cushioned her fall.
Page stirred, her eyes fluttering open. Realizing she had landed on top of Miles, she scrambled to her feet, only to cry out and collapse again, clutching her leg.
"Page!" Ray shouted, sprinting over.
Page's hand trembled as she looked down. A shard of jagged glass was embedded deep in her calf, blood oozing from the wound. "Damn it," she muttered, her voice shaking. She swayed and sat back, pale. "I can't… I can't move. El… he used them—our friends—as puppets. I don't know what to do anymore."
Her voice cracked, and tears welled in her eyes.
Miles stood, his fists clenched. "It's okay, Page. El's not getting away with this. I promise—"
"Page!" Ray dropped to his knees beside her, gripping her shoulder. "Are you okay? Can you hear me?"
"I'm fine," she whispered, though her voice was strained. "But, Ray… did you see it? What El's done? He turned them into monsters. Our friends…"
Ray's jaw tightened, his hand gripping her shoulder harder. "I saw it, Page. I did. But now isn't the time to break. We need to move before—"
A booming voice interrupted, chilling and filled with mockery.
"You're not going anywhere, especially you Outworlder."
The trio turned as the ground beneath them quaked, sending tremors up their legs. Hovering above the collapsing tower was El, his charred and smoking body already regenerating. Moonlight framed his twisted smile, casting an eerie glow over the destruction.
Chunks of debris floated around him, orbiting in defiance of gravity, held aloft by the sheer force of his power. His voice cut through the night, laced with malice. "Did you really think you could escape me? That you could sabotage my plans and walk away unscathed?"
Ray stepped forward, planting himself between El and the injured Page. The orb on his vest began to hum, its light pulsing brighter with each passing second.
"You're going down, El," Ray snarled, fury burning in his eyes. "For the factory. For our friends. For everything you've taken from us."
El's laugh was cold and hollow, a sound that sent shivers down their spines. "Oh, how predictable. You've already lost. You just haven't realized it yet." His gaze darkened, his smile widening into something almost feral. "Tell me, have you ever wondered how I found you?"
The question hung in the air, heavy with implication, as the debris around El began to orbit faster, crackling with raw energy.
The question hung in the air, heavy with implication, as the debris orbiting El crackled with raw, menacing energy, spinning faster like a storm ready to break.
"Shit, the crest!" Miles exclaimed, his face pale as he ripped the small P crest from his cloak and crushed it under his boot.
Ray's eyes widened in anger. "Are you serious?! We were tracked here because of your carelessness?!" He threw up his hands in frustration, exhaling sharply.
El's laughter rang out, sharp and mocking. "You fool," he said, his grin spreading wider. "Did you honestly think that was the tracker? Oh, Miles, your bodt might be impressive, but your brain? Let's just say Rigour won't have much to work with when I bring him back in your body."
"You bastard!" Miles roared, shrugging off his cloak and throwing it to the ground, his fists clenched tightly.
El's eyes glinted with dark amusement. "Ah, so you've figured it out. But it doesn't matter—you're not escaping. Not this time."
El raised his hand, and the debris swirling around him shot toward the trio with terrifying speed, a deadly barrage aimed to obliterate them.
The impact shook the earth, sending dust and shattered stone into the air, forming an opaque cloud that obscured everything. El narrowed his eyes, trying to peer through the haze. "Damn it," he muttered. "Don't tell me I went too far…"
But the dust cloud was their salvation. Using the cover, Miles scooped Page into his arms and bolted toward a nearby building.
"Wait—what about Ray?" Page asked, her voice laced with worry as she clung to Miles.
"He'll catch up!" Miles replied sharply, his focus on getting them to safety.
Suddenly, in a flash of blue light, Ray materialized in front of them, his vest's orb still glowing faintly. "This way!" he barked, motioning for them to follow as he led them deeper into the building, the sound of El's enraged growl echoing behind them.
----------
"We can't keep running," Ray panted, pressing his back against the crumbling wall. His breath was ragged, his vest dimly flickering from overuse. "We have to split up. You two head to the ship. I'll distract El."
"No!" Page protested, her voice trembling as Miles still held her in his arms. "We're not leaving you behind, Ray. That's insane!"
Ray's eyes softened, but his voice was firm. "You don't have a choice, Page. Trust me. He's not going to stop until he gets what he wants—and right now, that's you and Miles. I'll buy you time."
Miles frowned, his grip on Page tightening. "This is suicide, Ray. You know that."
"Believe me," Ray said, a small smile tugging at his lips despite the tension. "I've got this. You just have to trust me."
Page struggled in Miles' arms. "Ray—"
"Put me down for a second, Miles."
"Oh, sorry," Miles mumbled, gently lowering her but keeping one arm firmly around her for support.
She turned to Ray, her eyes blazing. "Are you hearing yourself? El is too powerful. You don't stand a chance!"
Ray placed his hands on her shoulders, looking her directly in the eyes. "Page, I promise you—I do. You just have to trust me, okay?" He pulled her into a tight embrace, his hand subtly reaching for the finder clipped to her belt.
As he let go, he held the finder hidden in his palm and turned to Miles. "Keep her safe. Whatever happens, don't look back."
Miles nodded, his jaw tight. "I'll keep her safe, Ray. But you better make it back alive."
Without waiting for another word, Ray stepped back, activating the hoverboard strapped to his back. He tossed it forward, and it hovered steadily above the ground, its engine humming with readiness.
"Get on," he urged.
Miles swept Page into his arms again, ignoring her protests. "Sorry, Page, but whatever you say doesn't matter now. I'm keeping you safe. If I asked Ray to protect the girl I cared about, I'd expect him to do the same and much more."
Page's face flushed, caught between anger and embarrassment. "Miles—"
"Hold on tight," Miles interrupted, positioning himself for a running start.
The hoverboard surged with energy as it lifted slightly higher, the faint blue glow of its thrusters illuminating the dark buildings interior.
"Go!" Ray shouted, his voice echoing as he turned and sprinted in the opposite direction toward the chaos and El's haunting laughter.
Miles took off, the hoverboard stabilizing as he launched toward safety. Page clung to him, her face pressed against his chest as they soared into the night. Behind them, Ray disappeared into the shadows, ready to face whatever came next.