The night trembled, as if the city were holding its breath and ready to explode. Gotham, always chaotic, felt alive now. There was something foul in the air that you could almost taste. Rex sensed it deep inside, that primal instinct telling him to either flee or fight.
He stood atop a crumbling skyscraper, glaring at the turmoil below. The entire city writhed. His stomach stirred. Tonight wasn't a night for brawling with thugs. This was about to get serious.
[ANOMALOUS ENERGY SPIKE DETECTED. TARGET DESIGNATION: "UNCHAINED."]
"Unchained?" Rex scoffed, raising Rebellion like it was nothing. "Wow, real original, guys."
[WARNING: THREAT LEVEL—UNKNOWN. PREPARE FOR HOSTILE ENGAGEMENT.]
"You worry too much, V.E.R.G.I.L.," he shot back, rolling his eyes. But even Rex knew he was not fooling himself. Something was definitely off.
Dominion was showing its true nature. They had flaunt that Catalyst thing in front of him—he told them where to shove it. Now they were coming in full force: fists, fire, and way too much muscle.
The first explosion ripped through the east side. A whole block vanished with an enormous fireball lit up the smoggy sky. Rex's smirk? It was gone.
That was not a warning. That was a big, flaming invitation.
The Unchained arrived, like a nightmare made of dark substance and hatred. Its armor looked fluid, almost alive, absorbing the glow of the fire. Its face? A horrifying mix of metal and bone, with eyes burning like hell's own spotlights.
Chains writhed around the creature, not like weapons but more like extra limbs, twitching and snapping. The whole setup screamed "boss fight."
And it brought backup. Dominion troops, heavily armored, moved in to take over the block. Civilians were pulled from their hiding spots and shoved into the street and their fear hammered on every hacked screen in the city. Lex played the game with words. Dominion? They were just showing off, making sure everyone watched.
Rex? He wasn't going to wait for help. League or no League, he had never been the type to call for backup. He fell down like a meteor, Rebellion spinning and hissing, crashing into the street hard enough to create a crater.
The Unchained just stood there, waiting, not even flinching.
"Found you," Rex grinned, with blood and spit on his teeth.
The creature actually spoke like if you could call it that. "Rex… Evolution is inevitable." Its voice was strange, like a blender grinding up metal and nightmares.
"That's cute. Do you write that yourself?" Rex cracked his neck.
Chains strucked out, quicker than expected, like angry snakes. Rex was ready, his blade raised, sparks flying everywhere. It wasn't easy. Those chains were smart and they shifted angles and targeted weak spots. Creepy clever.
Rex flipped back, guns blazing with Ebony and Ivory spat hot lead. The bullets bounced off, like shooting a tank with a BB gun.
The Unchained kept advancing, slow and steady. No stopping.
[WARNING: TARGET REGENERATIVE PROPERTIES EXCEED EXPECTATIONS.]
"Of course. Why wouldn't they?"
It was chaos the metal clashing, blood spraying, glass shattering. Rex ducked and weaved, but every chain he cut was immediately replaced by two more. The street was a war zone and cars are tossed, pavement shredded.
One chain caught his ankle and pushed him to the ground. He slammed into a building, cracking the wall, blood filling his mouth. Rex spat, grinning through the pain.
"I've had worse."
He surged forward, Rebellion howling as he chopped off the Unchained's arm. For a moment, it seemed like he had it.
Nope. The arm snapped back, faster than he'd ever witnessed.
" God damn,It's so fucking annoying," he muttered.
Unchained's fist slammed into his tummy, sending him sliding down the street, bouncing off a truck. His entire body screamed in pain and this was different. It's Worse.
[INTERNAL DAMAGE CRITICAL. DEVIL TRIGGER AT 43%. NOT ENOUGH.]
He struggled to his feet, legs trembling. "Not your victory yet."
The chains struck again, now furious. Too fast—he couldn't dodge them all. One pierced his side, pinning him. Another coiled around his throat, lifting him up.
"You will evolve," Unchained rasped.
His vision blurred. His body was giving in. But Rex? He was sharp as ever. Rage fueled him.
"I evolve when I decide to, jackass."
He drove Rebellion into the chain and twisted hard till the metal broke. His feet hit the concrete. He tore off the neck chain with sheer willpower.
He roared, loud enough to shatter windows. Something stirred within him—a pulse, deep and slow. It wasn't a full Devil Trigger, but it was close. The pain eased, and his wounds began to heal. Not completely, but enough to keep fighting.
[REGENERATION BOOST: 25%.]
He wasn't fully healed. Not even close. But it was enough to get him back on his feet, and that's all Rex ever needed.
The Unchained charged at him, chains snapping and crackling like malfunctioning fireworks. Rex charged forward, no hesitation, as if he had something to prove. This battle felt less like a fight and more like a natural disaster clashing with a junkyard.
Sparks flew. Metal screamed. That damn sword—Rebellion—carved through layers of armor, while chains lashed around like angry cobras. Every move felt like flipping a coin: heads he survives, tails he bleeds. Betting on himself? That was Rex's favorite game.
The fight tore through the streets before crashing into the subway, where echoing sounds turned their struggle into something legendary. Rails showered sparks. Concretes crumbled. The city above was probably unaware of how close it was to collapsing.
Then finally Rex found his chance. He rushed for the control node on the Unchained's back, ripping it out with a move of desperation rather than skill. The monster flailed, suddenly dumb and even more dangerous.
Rex didn't hesitate. He drove Rebellion straight through the creature's chest, pinning it against the wall like a deformed butterfly. The Unchained shuddered, its so-called healing powers failing.
"Tell your bosses," Rex growled, blood stained across his teeth, "I don't take shortcuts. Scars are how I level up."
With one good twist, the core shattered and the Unchained turned to ashes in an instant. Silence washed over the scene, heavy and strange. The only remnants were Rex's ragged breathing and the mess he had caused.
[THREAT NEUTRALIZED. ADAPTATION PROGRESS: 32%.]
Rex slid down the wall, landing hard amid the debris. He was still hurt. Still alive. That had to be enough.
At the safehouse, Evelyn's hands trembled so badly she almost dropped the med kit. Watching the Dominion battle, she saw him still breathing and nearly broke down. Relief flooded through her, but fear lingered. This wasn't the end. Dominion would only send stronger foes next time.
Meanwhile, deep in Dominion HQ, the man on the throne leaned forward, eyes glued to the destruction on his screen. A robotic envoy on the floor asked, "Do we start Phase Two?"
The big boss grinned with a sinister smile. "Yeah this Time he will learn what evolution really costs."
Rex stood amid the wreckage, sword resting over his shoulder, his entire body a giant bruise.
Still grinning, as if he understood some cosmic joke.
"They'll have to do better than that."