Tank had always been a force of nature. Standing amidst a smoldering front entrance littered with debris and unconscious guards, he was practically an immovable object. As more reinforcements flooded the scene, he cracked his knuckles, adjusted his massive gauntlets, and grinned.
"Alright, boys. Who's next?"
A dozen soldiers charged him, armed with energy batons and rifles. One fired first, a bolt of plasma streaking toward him. Tank raised an arm, the energy bolt harmlessly dispersing against the reinforced plating of his gauntlet. He surged forward like a human wrecking ball, slamming into the nearest soldier with a devastating punch that sent the man flying into a wall.
Two more soldiers flanked him, their batons crackling with electricity. One swung at his ribs, but Tank caught the baton mid-strike and crushed it with his bare hand. The soldier barely had time to react before Tank's other fist connected with his chest, sending him sprawling.
The second soldier attempted a desperate jab, but Tank sidestepped, grabbed the man by the collar, and hurled him into a group of advancing reinforcements like a bowling ball striking pins.
"C'mon," Tank bellowed, his voice carrying over the chaos. "I thought you guys wanted a fight!"
A squad of soldiers armed with shields formed a line and began advancing, their plasma rifles aimed at him. Tank scoffed, activating his gauntlets' energy dispersal system. The next barrage of plasma bolts fizzled out as they hit the invisible shield around him.
When the shield squad was close enough, Tank leaped into action. His first punch shattered the lead soldier's shield into fragments, the sheer force knocking him out cold. He spun around, using the wreckage of the broken shield as a battering ram to knock the others off their feet.
More reinforcements poured in, but Tank was relentless. A soldier lunged with a vibroblade, but Tank caught the weapon mid-swing, snapped it in half, and headbutted the attacker into unconsciousness.
Suddenly, a larger soldier, augmented with cybernetic arms, stepped forward. Tank's grin widened. "Finally, someone interesting."
The augmented soldier charged, his fists smashing into the ground where Tank had stood a second ago. Tank countered with a hook that sent a tremor up the soldier's arm. They exchanged blows, the ground trembling beneath them. Finally, Tank feigned a left punch and delivered a crushing uppercut, the impact sending the augmented soldier sprawling.
As the remaining soldiers hesitated, Tank adjusted his gauntlets and growled, "Anyone else?"
---
She and Volt sprinted through the facility's labyrinth of corridors, their path littered with unconscious guards. The sound of distant explosions led them to Tank, who stood amidst a battlefield of his own making.
"You've been busy," Volt remarked, sparks flickering from his gloves.
Tank shrugged. "You're late."
"We were saving your favorite teammate," she said with a smirk, motioning toward Dagger, who was slumped against a wall behind them.
Tank snorted, stepping toward them. "You get him out?"
"Not yet," Volt replied, his eyes scanning the horizon. "But we've got company."
---
The ground trembled beneath their feet. A figure emerged from the facility's rubble, clad in reinforced armor and surrounded by a glowing aura of energy. With a single gesture, he raised a massive chunk of earth from the ground, shaping it into jagged projectiles that hovered menacingly around him.
"Who the hell is that?" she muttered, gripping her blade tighter.
"No idea," Volt said, his tone grim. "But he looks pissed."
The figure hurled the first projectile at them. Tank stepped forward, catching the rock mid-air with his gauntlets and tossing it aside. "Oh, you're gonna regret that."
The earth manipulator raised his arms again, causing the ground to split and rise into massive pillars. One of the pillars shot toward Volt, but he dove out of the way, sending a bolt of electricity toward their attacker. The lightning crackled harmlessly against the figure's aura.
"Great," Volt muttered. "He's shielded."
She dashed forward, her speed allowing her to weave through the shifting terrain. Her blade sliced through one of the earth projectiles mid-flight, the fragments scattering harmlessly. But before she could get close, the manipulator slammed his hands into the ground, creating a shockwave that sent her flying backward.
"New plan?" she called out, picking herself up.
"Don't die," Volt quipped, dodging another projectile.
Tank charged forward, using his bulk to plow through the shifting earth. He landed a punch against the manipulator's aura, the impact creating a visible ripple, but the shield held firm. The manipulator retaliated, summoning a massive boulder that knocked Tank off balance.
"We need to break that shield!" Volt shouted, sending another barrage of electricity toward the figure.
She gritted her teeth, her mind racing. If the shield was energy-based, maybe her blade could disrupt it. She sprinted forward again, this time aiming for the manipulator's legs. She ducked under a flying boulder, her blade shimmering as it connected with the glowing aura. Sparks flew, and the shield flickered, but it didn't break.
The manipulator roared, summoning a massive wave of earth that surged toward them.
"Move!" Tank shouted, grabbing her and Volt and diving out of the way just as the wave crashed down, leaving a deep crater in its wake.
As they scrambled to their feet, Kykuit's voice came through the comms. "Extraction point is compromised. You need to retreat now."
"No kidding," Volt muttered.
The manipulator prepared another attack, the ground around him rising ominously.
"Go!" Tank yelled, holding his ground. "I'll buy you time!"
She hesitated, but Volt grabbed her arm. "We can't fight him and survive. Move!"
Reluctantly, she followed Volt, the sound of Tank's roars and the manipulator's attacks fading as they sprinted toward the extraction point.
The jet was already powered up, its engines humming with urgency as she and Volt scrambled aboard, dragging a still-dazed Dagger with them. Volt slammed his palm against the control panel near the hatch. "Get us moving!" he barked toward the pilot.
The hatch began to close as the jet slowly lifted off the ground. Volt paced near the edge, his gloves sparking faintly, his eyes darting toward the chaos below. "C'mon, Tank," he muttered under his breath. "Don't make me come back for you."
She glanced out the window, her stomach twisting at the sight of the earth manipulator's relentless assault. Massive pillars of stone erupted from the ground, debris raining down like meteors. The entire facility seemed to be collapsing in on itself, swallowed by the manipulator's fury.
"Tank!" Volt shouted into the comm, his voice tight with desperation.
No response.
The jet began to ascend faster, the thrusters roaring against the pressure of the rising earth. Volt clenched his fists, his muttering growing louder. "Hurry up… hurry up… damn it, Tank, hurry up!"
Suddenly, a shadow darted out from the chaos. Tank emerged, his enormous frame unmistakable as he sprinted across the crumbling terrain. He held a massive slab of rock in front of him like a shield, deflecting the manipulator's attacks as he barreled toward the jet.
"Lower the ramp!" Volt yelled.
The pilot hesitated but complied, the hatch groaning open just as Tank leaped, hurling himself toward the jet. His gauntlet-clad hand caught the edge of the ramp, and Volt lunged forward, grabbing Tank's arm and hauling him aboard with a grunt of effort.
The moment Tank was inside, the pilot hit full throttle. The jet shot upward, its engines straining against the sudden turbulence.
But the earth manipulator wasn't done. Below, he raised his arms, and massive chunks of rock followed them, rising higher and higher, reaching for the jet like claws.
"Higher! Get us higher!" Volt shouted, his voice nearly drowned out by the roaring engines.
The jet tilted steeply, climbing toward the clouds. The manipulator's attacks kept coming, massive spires of rock shooting up, barely missing the underside of the jet. One of the smaller chunks grazed the hull, sending a shudder through the cabin.
"Damn it!" the pilot swore, yanking the controls.
The jet wobbled but kept ascending. Below, the manipulator's figure grew smaller, but his power didn't diminish. A final wave of rock surged upward, a massive spire that nearly scraped the jet's tail.
"Go, go, go!" Volt yelled, his hands gripping the nearest seat for balance.
The spire fell short, crumbling back to the earth just as the jet burst through the cloud cover. They were out of range.
Everyone slumped back in their seats, panting. The cabin was eerily quiet except for the hum of the engines and their labored breathing.
Tank let out a wheezing laugh, wiping sweat and dust from his face. "What's the matter? Didn't think I'd make it?"
Volt glared at him, his eyes narrowing. "You're buying me a drink for this one."
She leaned back, catching her breath, her heart still pounding. "That guy really didn't want us to leave."
"No kidding," Volt muttered, shooting a glance out the window. Below them, the canyon was a speck, the manipulator's fury now just a distant memory.
For now.