Chapter 5 A Fight
1254 Words
David lunged with a speed that didn't match his size. Davina barely had time to twist aside before his fist slammed into the brick wall behind her, sending cracks spider‑webbing across the surface. Dust rained down. She staggered, the shockwave rattling her bones.
Too close.
She ducked under his next swing and countered with a sharp pulse of sonic energy. The blast hit him square in the chest, forcing him back a step—but only a step. He shook it off with a guttural snarl, veins bulging along his neck.
"Come on, David," she muttered, circling him. "Give me something to work with."
He charged again. This time he caught her.
His hand clamped around her forearm like a vise, lifting her clean off the ground. Pain shot up her arm as he swung her like a rag doll and slammed her into the alley floor. The impact knocked the air from her lungs. Her vision blurred at the edges.
"SIREN!" Speed's voice echoed distantly from somewhere above, but she raised a hand, signaling him to stay back. She couldn't risk him getting hurt—or worse, losing the samples they needed.
David loomed over her, chest heaving, eyes wild.
She forced herself upright, legs trembling. "Not… done yet."
Her fingers brushed the injector clipped to her belt. She needed a clean hit. Just one. No—two. The lab required duplicates. And she wasn't leaving without them.
David roared and swung again. She rolled, barely avoiding the blow, and fired a concentrated sonic burst at his knee. It buckled, sending him crashing down to one side. Not enough to stop him—but enough to buy her a second.
She darted forward, jammed the injector against his upper arm, and pressed the trigger.
Click—whirr.
One vial filled instantly with dark, swirling blood.
David howled and backhanded her across the alley. She hit a dumpster hard, metal groaning under the impact. Her ears rang. Her ribs screamed. She tasted copper.
Get up. Get up now.
She pushed to her feet, swaying. David was already rising, fury twisting his features. The drug in his system made him unpredictable—stronger, faster, more volatile by the second.
She needed the second sample.
If she had that she wouldn't need anymore...
He charged again, and she met him head‑on this time, unleashing a full‑force sonic blast. The shockwave rippled through the alley, knocking him off balance. She dove in, grappling with his arm, fighting against his thrashing strength.
"Hold still!" she hissed through clenched teeth.
He didn't. He nearly threw her off—but she clung on, bracing her knee against his shoulder, using every ounce of leverage she had. With a desperate shove, she forced the injector against his skin.
Click—whirr.
The second vial filled.
David roared, grabbing her by the collar and lifting her off her feet. Her vision dimmed. Her pulse hammered. She could feel herself slipping.
But her hand was already on the sedative.
With the last of her strength, she slammed the syringe into his neck and pressed the plunger.
David froze.
His grip loosened.
His eyes rolled back.
And the brute collapsed like a felled tree, shaking the ground as he hit the pavement.
Davina dropped to her knees beside him, chest heaving, sweat dripping down her temples. Her hands trembled as she secured the two precious vials in her belt pouch.
Speed appeared beside her in a blur, worry etched across his face. "You okay?"
She let out a shaky breath. "Ask me again in five minutes."
He offered a hand. She took it.
As he helped her to her feet, she glanced at the unconscious brute. "But we got what we came for."
Ben wrapped Davina's arm around his neck and lifted her with surprising gentleness for someone who had just sprinted through a collapsing city. Her boots scraped against broken pavement as he steadied her.
"What are you—"
"You're in no shape to walk," he cut in, his voice firm but threaded with worry.
Before she could argue, the world blurred. Wind roared past her ears, lights streaking into long ribbons of color. The ruined city vanished in a smear of smoke and dust—and then everything snapped back into focus.
They stood inside what looked like an underground lair, though "lair" didn't do it justice. The space was wide and metallic, humming with soft blue lights embedded in the walls. Screens flickered with maps, data streams, and surveillance feeds. The air smelled faintly of ozone and sterilizing agents.
"Ben, are you alright?" a woman with warm brown hair called out, rushing toward them. Her boots clicked sharply against the polished floor. She skidded to a stop just as Ben eased Davina onto her feet.
"I'm fine," he said, brushing off the concern with a half-smile. "But she needs to be looked at. She got thrown around pretty badly out there."
The woman's expression softened as she turned to Davina. "Do you mind?" she asked, extending a steadying hand.
"Not at all," Davina murmured, taking it. Her fingers trembled slightly—adrenaline fading, pain settling in. She wrapped her arm around the woman's neck, leaning into her support as they walked. Each step sent a dull ache radiating through her ribs.
"My name is Leeann, by the way," the woman said, guiding her toward a sleek examination table surrounded by softly glowing instruments.
"Davina," she replied, lowering herself onto the table with a wince.
Leeann grabbed a small handheld device from a nearby tray. It hummed to life, emitting a faint green light. "This will scan you and let me know if you have any broken bones or internal injuries," she explained. "Think of it as a mini X‑ray machine—just without the radiation." She flashed a reassuring smile.
"That reminds me," Davina said, exhaling slowly as she reached into a pocket on her suit. She pulled out a compact device, then peeled off her gloves with careful, practiced motions. The gloves looked battered—hairline fractures in the plating, tiny sparks flickering where the circuitry had been damaged.
"Do you have anyone here who could fix my gloves?" she asked.
"Your gloves?" Leeann echoed, eyebrows lifting.
"They create sonic waves. It's how I make people think I have a power," Davina said, her tone matter‑of‑fact despite the exhaustion weighing on her.
Leeann took the gloves, turning them over with a curious eye. "Hey, Mavrick!" she called across the room.
A man with long black hair tied loosely at the nape of his neck and thin rectangular glasses looked up from a cluttered workbench. "What's up?" he asked, wiping his hands on a rag as he approached.
"You think you can fix these?" Leeann asked, handing him the gloves.
"Fair warning," Davina added, "they're made with nanite technology."
Mavrick's eyes lit up with interest. "Nanites, huh?" He took the gloves with both hands, already analyzing the damage. "I think I can try to figure something out with them." Without waiting for further explanation, he turned and headed back to his bench, muttering excitedly to himself about micro‑resonance nodes and adaptive circuitry.
The lair hummed around them—machines working, people moving, the quiet pulse of a team that had seen chaos before and knew how to respond. And for the first time since the fight, Davina felt the faintest flicker of safety.
TO BE CONTINUED
- Writer
