Adrian's boots hit the ground hard as he ran, the woman's scream echoing in his ears like a siren call. The city was a maze, dead ends and alley ways. He had no problem navigating it though. This was his city and he knew it well, plus with his enhanced abilities he felt like he was being drawn to the woman like iron to a magnet. His senses drank in the city as he ran.
The nanobots in his veins felt restless, their hum laced with that discordant tremor of instability, a reminder that his power came with a price. His total stood at 6,149 nanobots, the rush from his last assimilation had diminished almost to nothing, but there was still a thread of it. He couldn't keep his thoughts off of the burning questions in his mind for long. The stranger he'd seen, another like him, enhanced, predatory, had changed everything. There were others, and they weren't all feral. But whose side were they on?
He leaped over a pile of debris, speed carrying him toward the screaming woman so fast that in that moment he felt more machine than man. He rounded a corner onto a narrow street, its asphalt tore up in places, and there were blood spatters, clear evidence of an altercation. He saw the woman. She lay sprawled against a dumpster, her face pale, her hands scrabbling for anything as a feral loomed over her. This one was even bigger than any he'd faced before, its shoulders broad and hunched, its muscles rippling under taut, blood-streaked skin. Its eyes glowed with a malevolent intensity, brighter than the others, and its claws were longer, curved like scythes. It snarled, sensing Adrian's approach, and turned, its gaze locking onto his with a chilling awareness.
Adrian didn't hesitate. He charged, the rebar in his hand a blur as he swung it at the feral's head. Adrian's swing missed, the creature had been faster, ducking under the blow with unnatural agility and countering with a swipe that grazed his ribs. Pain flared, but the nanobots buzzed, sealing the wound in mere moments. Adrian's intelligence upgrade, analyzed the feral's movements: its stance was deliberate, its attacks calculated, not the wild frenzy of the others. This one was different, its nanobots more advanced, its strength bordering on monstrous.
Adrian removed his ruined jacket as the feral lunged, its claws slashing for his throat. Adrian pivoted, anticipating the arc, and drove the rebar into its side, feeling ribs crack under the impact. The creature roared, blood spraying, but it didn't falter. It grabbed the rebar, wrenching it from his hands with a force that sent a jolt through his arms, and hurled it aside, the metal clanging against the dumpster. Adrian ducked as its claws swiped again, the air whistling past his face, and rolled, grabbing a jagged piece of metal from the ground, a shard of a broken street sign, its edge sharp enough to cut.
He came up swinging, the metal slicing into the feral's arm, tearing through muscle. It howled, its glowing eyes narrowing, and charged, its massive frame bearing down like a freight train. Adrian's mind raced, calculating angles, predicting its next move. He sidestepped, using its momentum to slam it into the wall, shaking the building itself.
The woman screamed again, scrambling to her feet, and Adrian shouted, "Get out of here…now!" without looking back. She stumbled away, her sobs fading into the night as Adrian faced the feral alone. The creature recovered, its movements eerily precise, and lunged again, its claws aiming for his chest this time. Adrian ducked, driving the metal shard into its thigh, twisting it to maximize the damage. Blood poured, but the feral's strength was relentless. It grabbed his arm, its grip like a vice. The feral swung Adrian and slammed him against the dumpster, the metal denting under his back.
Pain exploded through his ribs, but the nanobots were already working, knitting bone and tissue. Adrian roared, kicking the feral's knee, the joint buckling with a snap. It staggered, and he seized the moment, driving the shard into its neck, blood gushing like a fountain. The feral thrashed, its claws raking his shoulder, but Adrian didn't let up, twisting the shard until the creature's movements slowed, its eyes dimming.
The feral collapsed, its massive body slumping to the pavement, blood pooling beneath it like dark ink. Adrian stood, panting, his body trembling with adrenaline and the nanobots' relentless hum. The overlay flickered into view.
Free Nanobots Detected. Assimilate? [Y/N]
Before he could respond, a shadow moved at the edge of his vision. It was the stranger from before. The lean enhanced man with the crowbar. He darted from the alley's mouth, his eyes gleaming with the now familiar predatory sheen. He knelt beside the feral's corpse, and before Adrian could react, silver mist rose from the body, curling not toward him but into the stranger's chest. The man's body shuddered, his eyes flaring briefly as the nanobots integrated. He stole a glance at Adrian, a smirk curling his lips, and then bolted, his speed matching Adrian's own as he vanished into the shadows. "Those were mine," Adrian yelled
Red hot rage surged through Adrian. He felt primal and possessive. Those nanobots were his, his reward, his power. He sprinted after the stranger, his enhanced speed blurring the world around him. The city was a labyrinth, but with his new senses he tracked the man's path with surprising ease. He followed the faint scent of sweat and metal and the echo of his feet hitting pavement.
Adrian jumped over a fallen trash can and rounded a corner into a dead-end alley. The stranger stood there, trapped with walls on all three sides. He still held the crowbar in his hand, his chest heaving from the exertion of the run. His eyes met Adrian's, and for a moment, they stood frozen, two predators sizing each other up. "Who the hell are you? And why do you think you can steal what's mine?" Adrian growled, his voice rough with adrenaline, the metal shard still dripping blood in his grip.
The stranger's smirk widened, his teeth glinting in the dim light. "Name's Jace," he said, his voice low and confident, laced with a mocking edge. "Didn't expect to see another one of us out here. You're Kane, right? Heard whispers about you. The wildcard."
Adrian's eyes narrowed, his mind racing. "You know who I am? Then you know those nanobots were meant for me. Hand them over, or I'll remove them from your dead body."
Jace laughed, a sharp, humorless sound. "Hand them over? You think this is a game with rules? The nanobots go to the strongest, Kane. That's how it works. You want 'em? Come take 'em."
Adrian's grip tightened on the shard, his nanobots thrumming with anticipation. "Who's pulling the strings, Jace? You're not feral, but you're not one of their puppets either. What's your angle?" Jace's smirk faded, his eyes darkening. "You think you're the only one asking questions? The city's burning, and we're the ones lighting the match. But I'm not here to spill secrets, I'm here to survive, by any means necessary. And I need to get stronger for that." He shifted his stance, the crowbar twirling in his hand. "You're not the only one evolving, Kane. But now you're in my way."
Adrian's sharpened mind analyzed Jace's posture: the slight lean to the right, the way his grip on the crowbar favored speed over power, the faint tremor in his left leg suggesting a recent injury. He was enhanced, like Adrian, but not invincible. "Last chance," Adrian said, his voice low and dangerous. "Give me your nanobots and walk away." Jace's eyes flashed, he lunged, the crowbar swinging hard and fast, aimed at Adrian's skull. The fight was on.
Adrian ducked just in time, the crowbar whistling past his head. He countered with the metal shard, slashing for Jace's arm. The other man was fast, twisting away, but the shard grazed his forearm, drawing blood. Jace hissed, his face contorted with rage. He swung again, this time the crowbar catching Adrian's shoulder with a glancing blow. Pain flared, but the nanobots dulled it, knitting muscle as Adrian rolled, coming up behind Jace.
He drove the shard toward Jace's back, but the man spun and blocked with the crowbar. The metal clanged together with a force that sent sparks flying. "You're good," Jace grunted, his breath heavy, "but I'm better." He charged, feinting left before swinging right, the crowbar aiming for Adrian's ribs. Adrian anticipated the move, and he sidestepped, grabbing Jace's wrist and twisting until he felt bone strain. Jace roared, kicking Adrian's knee, making his stagger back. The crowbar came down again, but Adrian deflected it with the shard, the metals screeching as they grinded against each other.
The alley was a blur of motion, metal and blood. Jace was relentless, his attacks precise, his strength a match for Adrian's own. But Adrian's Intelligence and healing upgrade gave him an edge. He had advantage in his ability to predict Jace's moves, and if a blow did land then the nonbots were quick to reverse the damage. He countered the attack with brutal efficiency. He ducked a swing, driving his elbow into Jace's gut, then slashed the shard across his thigh. Jace staggered, but he was determined. He lunged, tackling Adrian to the ground, the crowbar pressing against his throat.
"You think you're special?" Jace snarled, his face inches from Adrian's, his breath hot and sour. "You're just another experiment. They'll use you up and spit you out, same as me."
Adrian's vision darkened at the edges. The pressure on his throat crushing his wind pipe. The nanobots surged, fueling his strength. In a burst he roared and bucked Jace off and rolled to his feet. He swung the shard, catching Jace across the chest enough to draw a line of blood. Jace stumbled, clutching the wound, but his smirk returned, dark and somehow sarcastic. "That's it, Kane. Show me what you've got."
The fight intensified, the alley awash in blood from their battle. Adrian's mind raced, constantly analyzing Jace. His weakening stance, the way his grip on the crowbar faltered. Adrian ducked another swing and drove the shard deep into Jace's shoulder and twisted it until the man screamed. Jace retaliated, slamming the crowbar into Adrian's side, the impact cracking ribs. Pain exploded, but the nanobots were already working, dulling the agony. Adrian grabbed Jace's arm, wrenching it until the crowbar fell, and pinned him against the wall.
In a heave Jace wriggled out and then they were trading blows, fists and elbows, blood and spit flying. Jace was strong, enhanced like Adrian, but his movements were growing sloppy, his injuries taking their toll. Adrian's mind stayed sharp, he wondered at what Jace's enhancements had been all while calculating his every move. He ducked a wild punch, and drove his knee into Jace's gut, then slammed his head against the wall several times. Jace slumped, blood dripping from his nose, but his eyes still burned fire and his hand reached for a knife at his belt.
"You want my nanobots?" Jace rasped, his voice raw. "You'll have to kill me for 'em."
Adrian's heart pounded, the nanobots screaming for more power, more evolution. He tightened his grip on the shard, his predator's eyes locked on Jace's. Everything faded to the background. The city's chaos, the blaring sirens, none of it registered for the moment. This was personal now. A battle for survival and for dominance. Jace lunged, a knife flashing, and Adrian met him head-on. Adrian deflected the knife into his body. Jace, thinking he had one, smiled widely, until he saw Adrian's smirk, "You should have picked the healing upgrade." He said as he laced his arm around Jace's, chopping his throat and slamming his face into the concrete.
Adrian finished it with a few stomps to the back of Jace's neck, ending the fight with a fatal certainty. A cloud of nanobots flowed from Jace's body hovering, waiting to be claimed. Adrian stared at the sheer amount of them. His body began to vibrate in anticipation.