K stood up slowly from the large crater, dust swirling around her as she wiped the blood from her lips. Her eyes glowed a fierce, burning red, anger radiating from her like heat off molten steel.
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"Damn you," she growled, her voice trembling with rage as she glared up at Nexus.
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Nexus, meanwhile, descended from the sky with a casual air, as if gravity had become nothing more than a suggestion. He floated down, his feet lightly touching the edge of a building as he smirked.
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"I'm the one who steals," he said, looking smug. "Did you really think your powers would be any different?" He raised his hand, admiring it as he felt the energy he'd stolen from her slowly fading away. "Too bad I can't keep them forever."
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K's eyes flared even brighter with frustration, and without warning, she unleashed twin beams of searing heat from her eyes, aiming straight for Nexus.
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"Oh boy!" Nexus yelped, leaping out of the way just in time as the beams scorched through the air, leaving a molten trail in their wake. The building he'd just been standing on exploded in a burst of fire and debris.
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K wasn't done. She stepped forward, her voice dripping with venom. "You think I don't know your limits? You can steal my powers, but you need physical contact to do it. You can't keep running forever, Nexus."
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Nexus, now sweating, dodged beam after beam as K continued her assault, the heat tearing through the Dark Zone. Buildings were shredded apart, explosions lighting up the night sky as more fires erupted across the rooftops. Nexus flipped, twisted, and jumped in every direction, narrowly avoiding the deadly rays that shot past him.
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"Oh, looks like someone did their homework!" he called out, his voice strained as he barely dodged another beam that incinerated a tower behind him. Flames spread like wildfire, engulfing more of the Dark Zone's grimy skyline.
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The sound of crumbling structures filled the air as Nexus ran along a crumbling roof, leaping over broken beams and collapsing debris. K's relentless pursuit kept him on edge, her beams cutting down anything in their path as they zigzagged through the burning city.
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With each dodge, Nexus's smile began to fade. The chase was becoming more dangerous, and it was only a matter of time before K's patience ran out entirely.
***
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Elsewhere in the Dark Zone, inside a dingy, smoke-filled warehouse, a light-orange-skinned alien sat surrounded by his loyal goons. The alien, a Xarnok by species, had the body of a man but with strange, mechanical enhancements. His lower arms and legs had been replaced with sleek, cybernetic limbs, glowing with faint neon blue lines that pulsed with each movement. His name was Don Vrexus, leader of the notorious Vecran Syndicate.
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He lounged back in his reinforced chair, which groaned under his considerable weight, as he took a drag from a long, glowing pipe, exhaling a cloud of thick smoke that drifted lazily into the air. His pale orange skin gleamed faintly in the dim light, and his mechanical arm clicked as he rested it on the armrest.
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"Well, boys," Vrexus began in his deep, gravelly voice, "I think it's about time we packed up and left this mess, don't you?"
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One of his men, a short and scruffy-looking alien with three eyes, nodded nervously. "Y-yeah, boss. With all the explosions and lasers, it's getting a little... heated around here."
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Vrexus glanced out of the grimy window of the warehouse, watching as a distant building erupted into flames. "Heated, eh? You're a real comedian, Grix," he grumbled, though a smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.
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"Look," Vrexus continued, his tone shifting to business, "we've had a good run in the Dark Zone, and one of the reasons this place works is because the authorities don't stick their noses where they don't belong. But with all this ruckus goin' on, you can bet your left tentacle the cops are on their way."
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The other goons shuffled nervously, exchanging glances as the explosions continued to echo in the distance.
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"What about our stash?" one of them asked, scratching the back of his head with a cybernetic claw.
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Vrexus waved his hand dismissively. "Forget it. We can't take it with us, and I'm not about to get caught in the crossfire between some Vulcanari bounty hunter and that slippery bastard Nexus. Let's face it, boys—we're not exactly equipped for that kind of fight."
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Another goon, a hulking brute with tusks protruding from his jaw, snorted. "Should've charged 'em rent for all the damage they're doing."
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Vrexus chuckled darkly, the sound rumbling in his mechanical chest. "Yeah, and if we don't get outta here soon, we'll be paying rent to the morgue. So pack it up, we're getting out before this whole zone goes up in flames."
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As the Vecran Syndicate scrambled to gather their belongings, Vrexus took one last drag from his pipe, exhaling a final cloud of smoke. "Let those idiots blow each other to pieces," he muttered under his breath. "I'll enjoy watching the fireworks from a nice, safe distance."
***
K's patience was wearing thin, her frustration bubbling over as she darted through the sky, her body becoming nothing more than a blur of motion. Her fists clenched, and the heat of her anger radiated from her glowing eyes. She could feel Nexus slipping away, and it only fueled the fire within her. With each dodge and taunt from him, she grew more determined to end this chase.136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIMia5nyqLa
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"Enough of this," she snarled to herself.
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Her speed increased, moving faster than before, her form barely visible as she shot through the air, zigzagging between the burning skyscrapers like a bullet. She narrowed her eyes, locking onto Nexus's back as he leapt between the rooftops, still smirking, still playing his game.
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Not anymore.
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With a final burst of energy, K pushed her body to its limit, closing the gap between them in a split second. Her fist, blazing with raw strength, swung forward and connected with Nexus's back. The impact sent him hurtling forward, crashing through one building after another, each explosion louder than the last. Glass shattered, steel beams twisted, and dust clouds rose up, blanketing the Dark Zone as Nexus's body tore through concrete and metal like paper.
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K came to a stop in mid-air, a triumphant grin spreading across her face as she watched the destruction below. "Finally got ya," she muttered, her voice filled with satisfaction.
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She flew down to the wreckage, hovering above the ruins where Nexus had crashed. The building was in shambles, smoke and dust filling the air, but K's sharp eyes scanned through the debris. And then, she saw it—a familiar figure, slumped in the middle of the destruction.
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K landed softly, her boots crunching against the rubble. She approached the figure cautiously, and as the dust cleared, she could see the outline of Nexus—his body still, unmoving.
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But something was wrong.
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As she got closer, the figure became clearer. What she saw wasn't Nexus, not the real one. It was a metal statue, an exact replica of him, complete with a massive dent in its back from her punch. Its tongue was sticking out mockingly, frozen in place, as if the statue itself was mocking her.
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K's eyes widened in disbelief. "No..." she whispered, her heart sinking.
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She stared at the statue for a long moment, her mind racing as the realization hit her like a ton of bricks.
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"H-He got away..." Her voice trembled with disbelief and fury. "He got away!!!" she screamed, her voice echoing through the ruined streets.
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The heat from her eyes intensified as her fists clenched at her sides, glowing so brightly it seemed the very air around her might catch on fire. Buildings around her smoldered, small embers catching from the heat radiating from her body. She wanted to scream again, but all that came was a frustrated growl as she glared at the statue with hatred.
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"Nexus..."136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP6qHtg2P0j
***
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Author notes: Please support my work on Patreon for early access to new chapters. https://patreon.com/DarkMatteromniverse
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