The sun dipped lower on the horizon, casting elongated shadows that stretched across the deserted alley. As the diminishing sunlight painted the scene in a deep orange hue, Elliot's newfound confidence continued to surge within him.
Without hesitation, he charged at Kael, whose initial laughter gave way to a sinister smile. Lightning danced on Kael's fingertips as he mocked Elliot, "So you've lost your mind, fighting back?"
Kael's voice grew stern as he warned, "Punching bags. Don't. Fight. Back."
In the blink of an eye, Elliot covered the distance between himself and Kael. The bully remained unperturbed, ready to unleash his lightning attack upon his prey. But what Kael didn't see coming was the unexpected move from Elliot.
Just as he drew near, Elliot made a swift, calculated cut on his palm, releasing a spurt of blood that splattered into Kael's eyes. The bully roared in anger and pain, blinded by the unexpected attack. Elliot didn't waste a moment. He had already zipped past Kael and was sprinting away as if his life depended on it—because, in that moment, it truly did.
Kael wiped his eyes, his vision slowly returning, and he growled in frustration, "Veer, get him and make him regret ever being born."
"You got it, Kael," Veer replied with a grin. Green energy surged through his legs as he prepared to give chase. If Elliot was as fast as a sports car, Veer was like a supersonic jet. Veer shot forward, breaking the sound barrier and disappearing from their sights.
Elliot was well aware of Veer's extraordinary speed, so he wasted no time zigzagging between alleys and managed to escape the middle district, M34, venturing into the outer district, O1, which was under the jurisdiction of the Crimson Dawn Alliance, a bronze-ranked faction.
"Oh my god, I hope I don't run into one of those fire-crazed bastards," Elliot muttered under his breath, his concern growing.
But fate had other plans, as a voice interrupted his thoughts, and he felt an intense surge of heat on his left, "fire crazed what?"
He turned to see a redheaded figure in a crimson uniform adorned with the Crimson Dawn Alliance insignia—a rising sun—flying next to him. Streams of flames shot from the figure's feet, propelling him forward.
"Oh fuck," Elliot cursed under his breath.
"Fuck indeed," the fire-wielder responded with a grin. "A rat comes into our headquarters and dares to insult us?"
"No, not you, you reversed matchstick," Elliot quipped just before he quickly veered into an alley on the right. He watched from his hiding spot as the fire-wielder burst into a mist of blood, struck down by a lean boy enveloped in green energy.
"There you are, Elliot," Veer said, his body coming through the mist of blood as he grinned menacingly.
As Veer closed in on Elliot, the young man's mind raced, assessing the situation. "Okay, he's faster, and when at his terminal velocity, his body is immune to physical damage for the first collision," Elliot thought, recalling the incredible impact that had obliterated the unfortunate Crimson Dawn Alliance member. Veer had been at the very peak of his speed, his terminal velocity, when he collided head-on with the fire-wielder.
Glancing around, Elliot realized he was trapped in a narrow alley, barely wide enough for two people to stand side by side, and it was a dead end. He had deliberately chosen this alley, knowing the limitations it would impose on Veer's acceleration. If Veer couldn't accelerate, perhaps their super speeds would be more evenly matched.
However, Elliot's assumption proved wrong. Energy surged through Veer's legs, and he accelerated even within the confines of the narrow space. In a blur of motion, Veer executed a lightning-fast roundhouse kick that struck Elliot square in the forehead, tearing the flesh open. Elliot was sent hurtling backward, crashing into the unforgiving dead end with a sickening thud.
Veer's malicious grin widened as he approached the dazed and wounded Elliot. "Tsk, tsk, tsk, you have chosen a fine grave for yourself," he taunted.
With his superhuman speed, Veer delivered a flurry of rapid kicks and strikes that left Elliot reeling. It was a brutal display of precision and swiftness. Each strike seemed to land simultaneously, leaving no room for Elliot to defend himself or counter. Veer's speedster kicks were like a merciless storm, relentless and unyielding.
As the beating continued, Elliot's vision blurred, and the pain became overwhelming. He could barely register Veer's movements, let alone mount any form of defense. It was a one-sided onslaught, and the walls of the narrow alley seemed to close in on him as he was mercilessly pummeled by the speedster.
Veer's sadistic grin remained intact as he snapped a nearby pipe in half, creating a jagged and lethal weapon. "Let's test that regeneration of yours," he sneered.
Elliot, barely conscious and struggling to comprehend the nightmare unfolding before him, attempted to crawl away weakly. However, Veer, fueled by his malevolent intentions, easily caught up to him. He seized Elliot by the hair and, with brutal precision, stabbed him in the heart with the jagged pipe.
Agonizing pain surged through Elliot's body, unlike anything he had ever experienced before. Blood gushed from the gruesome wound, flowing through the pipe, drenching the alley floor in crimson. The excruciating torment threatened to consume him entirely as he teetered between life and death.
"You will die here, Elliot," the voice within him spoke.
"H...h...h...el...p m...me," Elliot sputtered, blood gushing from his lips.
"Nobody will help you, punching bag," Veer, still holding Elliot by his hair, brought him face to face and grinned.
"He's right, only you can help yourself, Elliot. Stop holding it back, stop thinking like...a human," the voice said the last part with disgust.
Elliot's eyes glowed crimson, his canines elongated into fangs, and he felt a bony growth on his forehead, a small protrusion growing in the middle, not yet breaking the skin