Rise of Steele

Retaliation

LOCATION: RED WINE

Inside the warship of the association, Mistique was slamming her fists against the wall.

"How is this happening? Why're they losing against one man?"

She was checking the heat scanners as she saw the fate of her subordinates.

"Is this the strength of the most wanted man in the cosmos?"

She had sent waves after waves of hunters to the Black Stallion but the result was the same.

They were beaten and knocked out with single blows by one man.

Mistique was unaware of the fact that it wasn't Jackal who was beating up her crew.

"I guess, I'll just have to go there myself."

...

Jackal had a bucket of popcorn in front of him as he and Ming indulged themselves with the sight of a one-sided beatdown. They watched as bodies fly everywhere.

"Ack, how is he so strong!?"

"He has the rarest astral color!"

"But it was white moments ago plus he was a C-Grade hunter!"

The hunters tried to make sense of Ryker's awakened powers but they all failed to get another word or thought in as Ryker bashed their heads with his fists.

His eyes depicted the bent-up rage and frustration he developed for the association.

"I'll bring the association to its knees!"

Ryker was unleashing his fury on the hunters that invaded their ship. Reinforcements came but

"Captain," Ming said.

"Yes, I sense a powerful energy aboard the cruiser."

Jackal grinned as he stands up with Ming following suit.

"Finally, the showrunner decides to grace us with their presence."

Ryker was facing off against the last wave of the hunters. There were 4 of them and each man was armed with a sword.

"Who's first?" Ryker cracked his knuckles.

The hunters were reluctant to take a step into the lion's den. It was understandable too. They just witnessed that man knock out dozens of their comrades with single blows.

"Tck, they all charged at you in turn. We'll get him at once!" One of the hunters said as they prepared themselves to attack him at the same time.

Ryker raised his guard and took a stance similar to a boxer. "Whenever you're ready."

"Well," One of the hunters said. "Let's attack him already."

They gritted their teeth and dashed forward with their swords.

"Take this!"

Ryker sidestepped the first attacker. "Too slow."

He grabbed him by the neck and lifted him up with relative ease.

"Ahhhhh!" The second hunter came swinging his blade from the side. Ryker quickly used the man he picked up as a shield as the blade cut through his chest.

"What, no!"

"Your turn."

Bam! He slammed the slashed hunter against his comrade.

"Why is this happening!"

"How can one man be so powerful?"

The two hunters left lost their will to fight and plopped to their knees while dropping their weapons.

"I don't know how I got this power," Ryker looked at his hands. The black astral skin resonated with every fiber in his being. "It's amazing. I feel..." He clenched his fists and looked over at the pile of bodies he left. "Invincible!"

"You..." A female voice drenched with spite said.

Ryker turned in the direction of the familiar voice.

He clenched his teeth, his astral skin throbs with the beating rage of his heart.

"Oh my," Said Jackal. "Ming, hand me that popcorn." The android diligently adhered to her captain's request and handed him the bucket of popcorn.

He leaned against thr wall and poured a handful in his mouth. "This is better than the sequel of the Revengers." He laughs.

"You!" Ryker shouts with every ounce of fury in him. He points at the woman with long red hair.

Mistique widened her eyes, it was as if she'd seen a ghost.

"I-impossible! How're you still alive?"

"I'm surprised you recognize me."

She recognized Ryker from the ranks of the hunters that she was ordered to kill.

"B-but I left you drifting in space, how did you survive!?"

Nothing was making sense to the A-Grade hunter. Here she was boarding the ship of the enemy thinking that it was Jackal who had beaten all her subordinates yet to her wildest imagination, it was none other than a C-Grade hunter who was nothing short of a ghost.

"How?" She repeated not choosing to believe what she's seen.

"I was rescued after you left me for dead, witch." Ryker walked up to her until he stood face to face against her, the woman who killed his comrades and friends.

Mistique looked past the white-haired man spotting the pile of bodies he had left.

"That doesn't explain how a weakling like you was able to beat up more than a dozen of my men, they were all B-Grades!"

"I don't care. Now, it's your turn!" Ryker clenched his Astro gear. He had it with him the entire time but sought no use for it. He used his fist to bash through the heads of the hunters.

Mistique's body glowed a faint red light. It was her astral skin that had engulfed her.

"Oh," Jackal uttered.

"Shouldn't we interfere, captain?" Ming was worried an A-Grade hunter would be too much for Ryker.

"No," Jackal replied taking another handful of popcorn. "I want to see how this goes. After all, he hasn't died after touching his modified Astro tech."

Mistique points her blade at Ryker.

"I'll show you the power of a true hunter!"

"I'll show you creeps the power of a true hunter!"

Mistique swung her blade forward with full force. Ryker sidestepped her thanks to his boosted reflexes.

She clicked her tongue and went further with her assault. Not dialing down a bit, she continues with a flurry of swings yet Ryker avoided each one with little to no difficulty.

Mistique gritted her teeth. "How are you doing that?"

"Are you getting scared?"

"Scared?" Mistique scoffed. How dare a measly C-Grade talk to her like that. "I will make your death slow and painful."

She swings her sword again with more ferocity than before.

'Everything feels so slow.' He was amazed by his newfound abilities as he avoids her attack once again.

Ryker smirked seeing the agitation on Mistique's face. He was enjoying the way he was tormenting her.

"What's with the smug on your face?" A vein had popped on the A-Grade's face.

"This?" Ryker pointed to his face. "Oh, nothing. It's just... I am loving the face you're making. It's the same face I had when you were killing my comrades. It's the same face your subordinates had when I cracked their heads." Ryker smacked his lips. "Fear. That's what it is."

Mistique felt like screaming from the bottom of her chest. There were already a lot of things going on in her mind.

How did a C-grade hunter develop black astral skin?

"What would the flag master do if he finds out that one of the trash he asked me to dispose of survived?" She muttered to herself.

A chill ran through her spine on the mere thought of what her superior would do to her if he were to find out that she did a sloppy job.

"I plan on rectifying that error, by taking your head. And then, I'll come for you!" She declares pointing her blade at Jackal who was now lying on the floor with a handful of popcorn.

"Woah there missy," He waved his hands after stuffing his face with popcorn. "Shouldn't you focus on the task at hand?"

"Huh?"

"Bind!"

"Ack!" Ryker trapped Musty with his whip.

"You'd attack an opponent when she wasn't paying attention?"

"Are you really going to lecture me about etiquette? You, the same woman who ruthlessly killed innocence?"

"Tck," Mistique's astral skin thickens as she forced herself out of the bind.

Ryker withdrew his whip back to its compartment.

"You use such a pathetic Astro tech."

She cuts forward but once again, Ryker sidestepped her. This time, he had no intention of toying with her. He threw a fast jab that connects with her face.

Mistique was sent flying with his punch as she crashes into the wall.

Ryker widened his eyes. His body had started getting used to his new powers thanks to the B-Grades he used as a punching back.

The punch he threw just now however was more powerful than anything he'd done.

"Is it because..." He looked over at Mistique who had gotten back to feet.

Ryker shrugged as he wore a grin on his face. Not wasting any more time, he sprinted to the dazed A-grade.

"Take this!" He threw another punch with more tenacity. Mistique yelled and ducked at the nick of time as his fist smashed through the wall.

"Oy!" Jackal jolts up. "Be careful would ya? I won't forgive you if you hurt Stally!" He warned while waving his fist angrily in the air.

Ryker paid no heed to man as he was focused on his hand.

"Just right now, this feeling..." He was further understanding his new power.

"There was a faint glow whenever I throw a punch. The astral around my knuckles thickens before making contact."

Ryker bursts into a stream of maniacal laughter as Mistique looked on with horror.

'H-he punched a hole through the wall of the Stallion! On the reports, it was stated to be made with one of the hardest metals known, Fellium!' She gasped.

'I can't do that. Not even with my Astro tech!'

Ryker focused his sight back on Mistique. She takes a step back as he creeps forward.

His demeanor was terrifying. She was frightened by his power.

"One punch." She muttered to herself. "If I take one hit from him, I'm dead!"

Mistique had faced countless criminals with unique abilities and strengths but she had never witnessed a power like this.

She scurried to the other side of the room until her back was against thr wall.

"Nowhere to run now." Ryker grinned as he balled his fists.

"Clench your teeth," He said to her before leaping forward with his knuckle.

"No!!" Mistique cried from the bottom of her lungs.

"Ebon Bash!" He shouted as his fist made contact with her face.

Thud!

"Huh?"

"Eh?"

"Oh, my," Jackal uttered while raising his head. "This is bad."

Mistique was perfectly fine.

Ryker had a puzzling look on his face as his punch did not hurt the woman.

"Eh!?" He exclaimed after looking at his body. The black energy coating that had engulfed him was completely depleted.

"My astral skin, it's gone!" He panicked.

Mistique was glued to the wall as she tilted her head in confusion. She didn't know what had happened but she was certain, Ryker's attack became a dud.

"What's the matter?" Ryker raised his head to be met with the murderous look on Mistique's face.

He began sweating bullets and before he could move...

Bam!

Her fist flashed before his eyes as he was sent flying to the other side of the room.

"That was for earlier." She cracked her knuckles. Mistique wore a malicious grin on her face. It was time for payback.

She sprints forward. Picking her sword, she charges at the stunned Ryker.

"Ming."

"Yes, captain!"

Clank!

Ming moved blinding fast and caught the blade right before it could s***h through Ryker.

"Tck, stupid bo-" Before she could finish, Ming struck her on her solar plexus knocking her out in the process.

"Nice work, Ming!" Jackal gave the android a cheerful thumbs-up.

"What do we do now captain?"

They glanced over at Ryker and noticed that he had lost consciousness.

"That power wore him out." He pointed.

"It's remarkable that he lasted that long while in that state. It was his first time too."

"Yup, he might not look it, but he has potential."

"Are you sure it's not his rage that drives him, captain?"

"Who knows, we'll find out soon enough." He looked at Mistique. "Tie her up and toss her in the cell room."

"What about the other bodies sir?"

Jackal wore a malicious look on his face. His usual cheerful demeanor was completely gone.

"Toss them overboard, but strip them of their Astro techs first."

"Yes, captain."

Jackal walked over to Ryker and picked him up. "Let's get you to a room where you can rest up. I've decided, I'll have you accompany me, snow-white."