The hideout was eerily quiet, save for the faint hum of Henry's machines and the occasional beeping of medical monitors. Nate sat on the edge of the metal table, flexing his fingers, testing his strength. His body still ached, but he was healing—faster than he should have been.
"You're welcome," Antrasite's voice echoed smugly in his mind.
Nate sighed. "What did you do?"
"Reinforced your recovery. A host is useless if broken."
"Great. Nice to know I'm just your personal meat suit," Nate muttered.
Henry glanced up from his workbench, raising an eyebrow. "You talking to yourself again?"
"Something like that." Nate exhaled, rubbing his temples. "I need to get back out there."
Henry frowned, stepping closer. "You nearly died, Nate. You're not ready."
"I don't have a choice." Nate clenched his fists. "The Hunter's still out there. And if what you said is true, he's planning something big. I can't just sit here and wait for him to come back."
Henry hesitated, then turned to a screen displaying city surveillance footage. "That's the thing. He's been quiet. Too quiet."
Nate followed his gaze. Coast City was… normal. No sudden explosions, no monstrous creatures tearing through buildings, no sign of The Hunter.
And that worried Nate more than anything.
A New Threat Emerges
Just as the tension in the room thickened, an alert flashed across the monitor. Henry's fingers flew over the keyboard, pulling up the feed.
A warehouse near the city docks was engulfed in flames.
"Another fire-wielding psycho?" Nate muttered.
Henry zoomed in. A figure stood at the heart of the blaze—a man, but not The Hunter. His eyes glowed molten gold, his hands crackling with embers. Unlike The Hunter, whose fire was precise and controlled, this man's flames were wild, erratic, spreading without restraint.
"Who the hell is that?"
Henry typed quickly, running scans. "Name's Malik Voss. Former firefighter. He was exposed to the wave energy years ago, but his abilities didn't manifest until recently."
"Looks like he's making up for lost time," Nate muttered, already reaching for his suit.
"Nate—"
"No time to argue, Henry. I need to stop him before the whole city burns down."
Henry sighed. "Then at least take this." He tossed Nate a small, circular device.
Nate caught it, raising an eyebrow. "What is it?"
"A temporary power dampener. Attach it to him, and it should neutralize his abilities long enough for you to take him down."
Nate smirked. "You really do think of everything, huh?"
Henry folded his arms. "Just don't get yourself killed."
With that, Nate suited up, the blue-and-black armor molding perfectly to his body. He pulled his mask into place, feeling the familiar rush of adrenaline.
Time to get back to work.
The Fight at the Docks
The moment Nate arrived at the warehouse, the heat hit him like a wall. Flames roared, licking at the steel beams, sending plumes of smoke into the night sky.
Malik Voss stood at the center of the destruction, arms outstretched as fire curled around him.
"You must be The Host," Malik called, his voice a low rumble. "Heard a lot about you."
"Can't say the same," Nate shot back, stepping forward. "But I gotta say, this whole 'burning the city down' thing? Not a great first impression."
Malik grinned, his eyes glowing brighter. "Oh, this? This is just me warming up."
With a flick of his wrist, he sent a wave of fire straight at Nate.
Nate dodged, flipping over a burning crate and landing in a crouch. "Alright, so we're doing this the hard way."
Malik laughed. "There's no other way, kid."
The battle erupted in a blur of fire and shadows. Nate darted through the inferno, avoiding Malik's attacks while looking for an opening. Antrasite's energy surged within him, his reflexes sharper, his movements faster.
"He's reckless," Antrasite observed.
"Yeah, well, fire and self-control don't really go hand in hand," Nate replied, rolling under another blast.
He needed to get close enough to use Henry's dampener.
Malik unleashed a torrent of flames, forcing Nate to the edge of the dock. The wooden planks beneath him groaned, weakened by the heat.
"Nowhere left to run," Malik sneered.
"Who said I was running?"
Nate sprang forward, using Antrasite's strength to propel himself through the flames. Malik's eyes widened as Nate closed the distance in a blink.
With a sharp click, Nate slammed the dampener onto Malik's chest.
Malik's fire flickered. Then—darkness.
His body collapsed, the flames around them vanishing as he hit the ground.
Nate panted, standing over him. "And that's game."
The Hunter Returns
Just as Nate was about to call Henry, the air around him shifted.
A presence. A cold, suffocating dread.
Then, a voice.
"Impressive. But you're still nothing."
Nate spun around—just in time to see The Hunter step out of the shadows.
Before Nate could react, The Hunter moved.
Faster than before.
Stronger.
The last thing Nate saw was a blur of motion and a flash of burning silver—
Then, pain.
Then, nothing.