The corridor leading to the exit was eerily silent, save for the distant thud of boots on metal and the crackling of damaged wiring. She pushed Dagger forward, her senses sharp as they moved toward the surface. The mission wasn't over yet—far from it.
The facility shook with the force of an explosion somewhere above them, dust and debris cascading from the ceiling. Dagger stumbled, cursing under his breath.
"Volt," she muttered, half dragging, half pushing him up the final staircase.
As they burst onto the surface, the night was alive with chaos. Volt stood in the middle of the open courtyard, his hands ablaze with crackling electricity. The air was thick with the scent of ozone, the ground around him scorched from the sheer force of his power.
A squad of enemy soldiers surrounded him, their weapons glowing with the telltale hum of advanced plasma tech. He was outnumbered but far from outmatched.
Volt dodged the shot, the plasma bolt sizzling past his shoulder. With a flick of his wrist, an arc of lightning shot out, striking the soldier's weapon and short-circuiting it.
Another enemy charged from the left. Volt spun, delivering a crackling punch that sent the soldier flying into a nearby crate.
His movements were sharp and calculated, a mixture of precision and raw power. The remaining soldiers hesitated, clearly unsure whether to press the attack.
She and Dagger watched from the edge of the battlefield, momentarily frozen by the sight.
"Remind me not to piss him off," Dagger muttered, his voice laced with awe.
She smirked, gripping her blade tighter. "You don't have to remind me."
---
Volt turned toward them, his face a mix of determination and frustration.
"What the hell are you two waiting for? An invitation?" he shouted, dodging another plasma bolt.
She didn't need to be told twice. Setting Dagger down behind the cover of a crate, she darted into the fray, her blade shimmering to life.
---
The first soldier turned toward her, clearly not expecting another combatant.
She moved faster than he could react, her blade slicing through his rifle in a clean arc. Before he could recover, she spun and landed a kick to his chest, sending him sprawling.
Volt smirked as another soldier rushed him. "You're late."
"Saving your ass takes time," she quipped, sliding under a volley of plasma fire and disarming another enemy.
"Cute." Volt sent a bolt of electricity toward the last remaining soldier, who dropped his weapon and fell to the ground, twitching.
---
The courtyard fell silent, the smell of burnt metal and ozone heavy in the air.
Volt approached her, brushing soot from his gloves. "You get Dagger?"
She nodded, gesturing toward the crate where Dagger was slumped.
Volt glanced at him and then back at her, raising an eyebrow. "He doesn't look great."
"He's alive," she shot back. "That's the mission, right?"
Volt chuckled, though there was an edge to it. "Fair enough."
---
Before they could say more, the sound of approaching reinforcements echoed through the canyon. Volt's smirk faded, his expression hardening.
"Tank better have finished blowing up their toys, or this is going to get messy."
"Messier than you almost getting your ass handed to you?" she quipped, smirking.
Volt scoffed, adjusting his stance. "You're welcome for clearing the way, by the way."
She rolled her eyes, stepping forward with her blade shimmering. "Less talking, more fighting."
Behind them, Dagger groaned. "You guys have the worst timing for banter, you know that?"
She shot him a glance. "Stay down, or you'll end up back where we found you."
He muttered something inaudible, but stayed put.
They turned to face the oncoming soldiers. It wasn't over yet.
Volt straightened, the sparks from his gloves flickering to life again.
The reinforcements emerged, their boots slamming against the metal ground, the glow of plasma rifles casting eerie shadows on the canyon walls.
---
The first soldier fired a shot at her, but she was already moving, her speed carrying her across the battlefield in a blur. She sidestepped the bolt, her blade slashing the rifle in two before delivering a sharp elbow to the soldier's face. He crumpled.
Volt took two of them at once, dodging their coordinated attack with ease. He ducked under a swing, grabbed one by the arm, and sent a pulse of electricity through him, dropping him like a stone. The second soldier raised his rifle, but Volt disarmed him with a well-aimed kick before landing a crackling punch to his chest.
"Two for two," he called out, smirking.
She didn't respond, too focused on her next opponent. Another soldier charged her, wielding a blade of his own. Their swords clashed, sparks flying as she parried his strikes. He was fast, but she was faster. Ducking low, she swept his legs out from under him and struck with a precise blow to his helmet, knocking him unconscious.
"Three," she muttered, glancing at Volt.
---
The reinforcements kept coming.
One soldier, clearly more augmented than the rest, stormed toward Volt with mechanical fists glowing. Volt grinned, cracking his knuckles. "Finally, a challenge."
The augmented soldier swung hard, but Volt dodged with ease, his gloves sparking with energy. "Big guy, bad aim," he taunted, landing a burst of electricity on the soldier's shoulder.
The soldier growled, lunging again, but Volt ducked and delivered a devastating punch to his exposed side. The electrical shock surged through the augments, causing the soldier to collapse with a heavy thud.
"Still keeping up?" Volt asked her over his shoulder.
She wiped sweat from her brow, pointing at the last wave of soldiers rushing toward them. "You worry about them. I'll cover Dagger."
---
As the soldiers charged, she darted back to where Dagger was hiding.
"You holding up?" she asked, glancing at him.
Dagger nodded weakly, clutching his side. "I'll live. Barely."
"Stay here," she said, standing guard in front of him as the remaining soldiers approached.
---
Three soldiers advanced on her at once, their plasma rifles glowing ominously. She spun her blade, the nanotech glinting in the moonlight.
The first soldier fired, and she leaped to the side, closing the distance between them in a blink. Her blade slashed through his rifle, and she followed with a swift kick that sent him sprawling.
The second soldier tried to flank her, but she twisted, her blade flashing as it deflected his shot. With a quick lunge, she disarmed him and landed a hard punch to his stomach.
The third soldier hesitated, clearly realizing he was outmatched. She stepped forward, her blade pointed at him. "Drop it," she ordered.
He hesitated for a moment before tossing his rifle to the ground and raising his hands.
"Smart choice," she muttered, turning back to check on Volt.
---
Volt stood amidst a pile of unconscious soldiers, breathing hard but still standing tall.
"You done?" he asked, his tone casual despite the chaos.
She smirked, motioning toward the subdued soldier. "He gave up. Guess he saw what I did to his buddies."
Volt chuckled, wiping a trickle of sweat from his brow. "Let's grab Dagger and get the hell out of here before more show up."
"Agreed," she said, sheathing her blade.
As they moved back to Dagger, he groaned and muttered, "You two really know how to make an entrance."
She grinned. "You're welcome."
The team regrouped and prepared to retreat, the echoes of the battle fading into the night.