The creaking of the bed frame gradually subsided amidst a crescendo of passion.
Felicity lay draped across Jack Kadere's chest, her eyes unfocused for several moments before finally regaining clarity. She brushed a few messy strands of hair behind her ear, resting her head on his shoulder with a lazy smile. "Babe, you were amazing," she murmured.
"You weren't bad yourself." Jack smiled, fully recharged by her enthusiasm and the lingering warmth of the moment. He had once considered breaking things off, but her fiery presence and how naturally their chemistry flowed had him feeling reinvigorated.
After a brief rest, Jack scooped Felicity up and carried her to the bathroom. Warm water ran over their relaxed bodies, washing away the fatigue. Clean and refreshed, they returned to the bedroom and fell asleep together, limbs tangled in a comfortable mess of sheets and skin.
A bit of nightly cardio not only helped them sleep better, it also served as a perfect distraction. For instance, Felicity seemed to have completely forgotten about insisting Jack get a phone.
The night passed peacefully into dawn.
Following a quiet breakfast, Felicity left for work. Jack, meanwhile, settled into the living room with his laptop. While casually browsing the day's headlines from cities like Gotham, Central City, and Metropolis, he kept one eye on Laurel Lance's location.
For several days now, Laurel hadn't returned to the Queen Industries steel plant. It was as if the incident that occurred there had never happened. Her routine was surprisingly structured—leave home for law school in the morning, go straight home afterward. She was as punctual and disciplined as a high school honor student.
Jack's days had, in turn, grown repetitive but easy. Monitor Laurel's location. Surf the web. Wait for Felicity to get home. Once she did, they'd chat over dinner, unwind with TV or tech talk, then dive headfirst into their nightly rituals of passion.
No surprise, Felicity was glowing more than ever these days.
One night, as the familiar creaking of the bed echoed again, Felicity suddenly sat up in surprise.
"She moved—she moved!"
Jack raised an eyebrow. "I mean, I've been moving this whole time…"
"I mean Laurel's location moved, dummy!" Felicity pointed to her laptop. A blinking red dot representing Laurel was finally on the move—it had just left her house.
"Out this late? You think she's coming to find you?" Felicity asked, eyes sparkling with curiosity.
Jack smirked slightly but didn't respond right away. While he was pleased Laurel had finally taken action, his attention was momentarily elsewhere. Felicity, as always, was a powerful distraction.
Moonlight cast a pale glow over the city.
In the dead of night, the slums were eerily quiet. Streetlights flickered intermittently, casting shadows that danced across the cracked pavement. The only signs of life were a few scattered homeless people huddled in corners, trying to stay warm.
In front of the old Queen Industries manufacturing plant, Laurel Lance appeared, dressed in workout gear and clutching a small duffel bag. She glanced around cautiously, as if making sure she wasn't being followed. Taking a deep breath, she stepped back, sprinted forward, and leapt—catching the top of the iron gate with both hands. It stood over two meters tall, and the climb wasn't easy, but after some effort, she made it over and dropped silently into the yard.
Once on the other side, Laurel knelt and unzipped her bag, retrieving two items: a flashlight and a taser.
The abandoned factory loomed in front of her, its interior engulfed in darkness. The beam from her flashlight pierced through the gloom, bouncing off rusted steel and shattered glass. Step by step, she navigated the maze of concrete and shadows, heading to the spot where she'd been abducted before.
Bent rebar still littered the ground, like relics of violence past.
Laurel raised her voice tentatively, her words echoing through the cavernous structure.
"Is anyone here? I came like you said…"
"Jack? Jack Kadere, are you here?"
No response.
Just as she was about to speak again, a sudden breath of warm air tickled the back of her neck.
Laurel spun instinctively, activating the taser in a flash and jabbing it toward the source.
Zzzzz!
Electric crackle sizzled in the air. But before the weapon could land a hit, her wrist was snatched in mid-strike.
She gasped and flicked the flashlight upward—only to freeze.
Jack Kadere stood before her, holding her wrist firmly but calmly. He wore a slight smirk, as if amused by her reaction.
"Really?" he said, eyeing the taser.
She tried to pull away, but his grip tightened just slightly, making her flinch. The taser slipped from her hand and clattered onto the floor with a sharp clack!
Then, something strange happened.
A blue glow began to pulse from Jack's hand—the same color and flicker as the taser's electricity. A subtle crackle filled the air, followed by a shock of current that surged from his fingers into Laurel's body.
Her eyes went wide in disbelief before her muscles gave out. She collapsed, unconscious, her body twitching lightly from the voltage.
Jack didn't move to catch her.
Instead, he looked down at his hand, now crackling with arcs of electric light. The energy spread rapidly, flowing along his arm and wrapping around his body like living lightning. The glow intensified—bright, vibrant blue bolts licking the air as though summoned by Thor himself.
At that moment, Jack Kadere stood tall, bathed in raw energy, like a modern god of thunder.
He let out a low chuckle. "So… it works."
He'd long suspected his ability— his cheat, Protege's power—could replicate energy-based traits, not just skills or physical attributes. But this was the first time he'd actively tried to copy something from an object.
Up until now, everything had been passive. If someone used a power or tool against him, it would sometimes be duplicated automatically. But when he saw Laurel's taser, an idea sparked—literally and figuratively.
Could he copy that?
Apparently, yes.
Though the taser itself was a low-powered civilian model, Jack didn't care. Power level meant nothing to him. Thanks to his unique ability to stack power infinitely, even the tiniest jolt could be amplified—over and over—until it became something devastating.
Even this simple spark… could become the wrath of a storm.