The asphalt cracked and Lava erupted from underground, a wave of molten rock surging after his path, consuming the alley in liquid fire.
But The Blue Reaper was faster.
He twisted sideways, plasma crackling around his feet as he used electrotransmission to boost his speed, clearing the alley before the lava reached him.
He emerged onto another street and kept running.
Behind him, Peter pursued, each step melting the ground he walked on.
"You can't run forever!"
He dove into another alley, narrower this time and barely wide enough for two people.
Peter entered the alley seconds later and The Blue Reaper dropped from above.
His katana came down in a perfect arc, aimed at Peter's neck.
The blade connected, but Peter's neck was made of that substance.... molten, flowing and reforming even as the blade passed through.
Peter smiled, turned his head to look up at The Blue Reaper mid-strike.
"Did you really think it would be that easy?"
He raised his hand, the molten energy building in his palm.
And fired but The Blue Reaper quickly kicked off his shoulder and twisted in mid-air.
The blast missed him by inches, scorching his left arm through his coat.
The Blue Reaper hit the ground rolling, came up with his coat smoking and his arm burned.
Peter's neck sealed itself.
"I am beyond mortal flesh now"
The blue reaper raised his hand, blue flames erupting from his palm, the entire alley filled with fire.
Peter's laughter echoed through the flames.
He turned and ran again, bursting out the other side of the alley.
"Jazz. Tell me you got something."
"His body is composed entirely of pneuma, sir. Conventional physical damage is ineffective. However, his form requires constant pneuma output to maintain. If you can outlast his reserves...."
"How long?"
"Unknown. But given his current output, he should begin showing signs of strain within fifteen to twenty minutes of sustained combat."
"Great. I just have to survive twenty minutes against a guy who can probably kill me with one touch."
The Blue reaper vaulted over a low wall, and kept moving.
Behind him, Peter emerged from the burning alley, molten energy dripping from his hands.
Then he simply sank into the ground.
The Blue reaper instinctively jumped back, and Peter erupted from the pavement directly where He had been standing, his molten hand reaching for the throat.
The Blue Reaper barely avoided the grab and landed some metres.
Peter stood fully before him now.
"Your impressive reflexes are all that's keeping you alive. Is this all the one who bears the mark of Nemesis has to offer?"
"You called me that before, what do you mean.?"
"The mark of Nemesis." Peter's eyes gleamed. "The source of your power. The reason you interest our master. Did you think we didn't know what you are?"
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"Then why don't you come with me and let our master show it to you." Peter took a step forward.
An amplified and commanding voice echoed across the street.
"THIS IS LIONHEART BOTH SUSPECTS ARE ORDERED TO STAND DOWN IMMEDIATELY. YOU ARE SURROUNDED."
A Lionheart helicarrier hovered above them, searchlights glistening in the rain. Smaller vehicles—armored transports—pulled up at both ends of the street, blocking escape routes.
Armed Topplers poured out, at least twenty of them, forming a perimeter.
The voice continued. "BURN. BLUE REAPER. YOU HAVE NOWHERE TO RUN. SURRENDER NOW."
Peter didn't even look at them.
He kept his eyes on Huey.
"Come with me, Reaper. My master has answers. About what you are. About what happened to you. About—"
"FINAL WARNING. STAND DOWN OR WE WILL OPEN FIRE."
Peter's smile returned. "How annoying."
The Lionheart commander, a stern woman signalled her men
The Topplers channeled their pnuema into a coordinated attack.
"FIRE!"
Twenty beams of concentrated pneuma converged on Peter's position.
The explosion was massive, smoke and steam filled the street.
The Lionheart Topplers held their formation.
"Status?" the Commander called out.
"Target obscured. Awaiting confirmation—"
The smoke cleared.
Peter stood exactly where he'd been, completely unharmed.
His body glowed like a miniature sun.
"Now I will cleanse you of your sin." he said softly.
The first Toppler died before his brain could process it. Peter's hand punchrf through his chest, melting flesh and bone.
The second tried to run. Peter grabbed her ankle, and her entire body liquefied.
The Commander was shouting orders, but Peter was already among them.
The Topplers fired frantically, but every blast that hit Peter just made him glow brighter.
He moved through them like a plague, each touch death, each step leaving molten footprints.
The helicarrier above tried to pull back.
Peter looked up, raised both hands.
Twin streams of molten energy shot upward.
The carrier's engines exploded, and it began to fall.
Peter was completely absorbed in the slaughter, lost in what he probably thought was righteous fury.
By the time Peter finished, standing in a circle of molten bodies and the glow finally dimming.
The Blue Reaper was gone.
Peter looked around frantically.
"No. NO!"
He slammed both fists into the ground.
Pneuma exploded outward in a shockwave.
A crater formed, fifty feet across, its edges glowing with heat. Lava bubbled up from below, filling the crater.
The Blue Reaper materialized on a rooftop three sectors away, his body reforming from electrical particles.
He collapsed against a ventilation unit and
The mask came off. Huey's face was pale, sweat mixing with the rain.
"Status report," he muttered.
"Minor burns on your left arm," Jazz replied.
"Mental capacity at 7%. You need rest, sir."
Huey stared at the moonlight breaking through the clouds, his hands were shaking.
Three times.
Three times in the past month he'd nearly died.
That's more than since when he started acting as the Blue Reaper combined.
"I'm losing control," he whispered to himself.
"Everything's... I don't know what I'm doing anymore."
Marcus Chen, Atticus, the serums, Kaiser.
This so called mark of Nemesis of the lunatic who's trying to to melt his face off.
Too many threads.
Too many questions.
Too many enemies who knew more about him than he knew about himself.
His father was dying in a hospital bed.
Hailee was hiding something.
And now....
"Sir there's someone...." Jazz started.
A voice cut through the darkness behind him.
"Good evening, Blue Reaper." It was calm, feminine and farmiliar one.
Huey's mask was on and he blurred forward with his katana drawn, aiming for the speaker's throat in one fluid motion—
CLANG.
His blade stopped an inch from Sister Jewel's neck.
A man in gold and white vestments had intercepted the strike with a shield made out of light.
The Vice-Magister of the Golden Chalice.
Beside him, another figure, a woman with short-cropped hair, in a questionable attire who had the pneuma of a strategos ranked toppler(the rank just below vice-magister) had her hand on a whip at her hip, ready to draw.
Huey's eyes blazed blue through his mask.
Sister Jewel hadn't even flinched.
She stood there in her traditional nun's habit, that innocent smile on her face, hands clasped peacefully in front of her.
"Forgive the intrusion," she said gently. "But we need to talk."
The Vice-Magister kept his shield raised.
"Stand down, Reaper. The sister means no harm."