The city never slept, and neither did trouble.
Nate stood atop a rooftop, the neon skyline of Coast City buzzing beneath him. The air was thick with the scent of rain and distant car exhaust, but that wasn't what had his attention.
"Two blocks north," Antrasite murmured in his mind. "Something's happening."
Nate adjusted his gloves and took off, leaping across rooftops with ease. His upgraded suit made every move smoother, every landing softer. Henry had outdone himself.
But none of that mattered if he couldn't keep up.
As he closed in on the scene, the sound of destruction met him first—shattered glass, screaming, and something else... metal groaning under immense pressure.
Then he saw him.
The Steel Phantom.
A hulking figure wrapped in shifting metallic tendrils, his body covered in cybernetic plating. His glowing red eyes locked onto Nate the moment he landed.
"You must be the one they call 'The Host'," Steel Phantom sneered. His voice was metallic, almost synthetic. "They say you're tough."
Nate cracked his knuckles. "I try."
The villain smirked. "Let's put that to the test."
Without another word, Steel Phantom hurled a car straight at Nate.
He barely had time to react. He dove forward, sliding under the vehicle as it crashed into the building behind him. Before he could recover, tendrils of living metal lashed out, striking his chest hard.
The suit absorbed most of the impact, but Nate still stumbled back, gasping.
"He's fast for a guy that heavy," he thought.
"Then you'll have to be faster," Antrasite responded.
Nate grinned. "Fine by me."
---
The Fight
Steel Phantom was strong, but Nate was faster. He ducked and weaved, avoiding the metal tendrils that lashed at him like whips. When an opening appeared, he struck, landing a solid punch to the villain's jaw.
The cybernetic foe staggered but recovered quickly.
"You're good," Steel Phantom admitted. "But not good enough."
The villain slammed his fists into the ground, sending a shockwave of metal shards in all directions. Nate leaped onto a nearby streetlight, narrowly dodging the deadly attack.
"Okay, that's new," he muttered.
"Focus, Nate."
He needed to end this—fast.
With a deep breath, he let Antrasite's power surge through him. His fists darkened with energy, his body moving faster than before.
Steel Phantom lunged.
Nate sidestepped and countered with a brutal uppercut, sending the villain crashing into the pavement.
But before Nate could finish him off—
A wave of force slammed into his back, sending him flying across the street.
He crashed into a wall, pain flaring through his body.
A familiar presence loomed over him.
The Hunter had returned.
"Still alive?" The Hunter smirked, stepping into the light. "Let's fix that."