"One click," Nova's voice cut through the haze, sharper now, urgency vibrating through every syllable. "You're almost there, Blue."
The jungle blurred around him, the oppressive atmosphere closing in as though the world itself was determined to crush him before he could reach safety. Blue's breath was ragged, his legs pumping furiously, but his body screamed with the strain. His vision swam, the toxins from Yellow's blades still coursing through his veins, pulling him toward the brink. His muscles ached, his heart pounded in his ears, and the edges of the clearing flickered just ahead.
But he couldn't make it like this—not at this pace.
"Hit me with a massive dose of adrenaline," Blue growled, his voice tight with pain. "And re-divert all power to speed, agility, and the blood filters. Take it from the armor. Don't hold back."
There was a beat of hesitation, but Nova complied swiftly. "Adrenaline administered. Power diverted. Hold on."
The effects hit him immediately, the adrenaline slamming into his system like a lightning strike. His heart pounded with renewed vigor, his muscles coiled like springs ready to snap. The fog that had clouded his vision lifted, sharpening everything into a painful, almost hyperreal clarity. His legs surged forward, moving faster than before, the jungle flashing by in a blur. But there was a cost—he could feel it.
The power drain weakened the integrity of his armor, already compromised by the battle. The once-solid plating began to groan, cracks spider-webbing across his chest and arms. Piece by piece, the armor that had protected him for so long crumbled under the strain, disintegrating like a tower of sand being washed away by the tide. His chest plate gave first, breaking apart and falling to the ground, then the arm guards and leg plates.
Metal shards hit the ground with dull thuds, each piece that fell making him lighter but more exposed. Soon, all that remained was the underweave of his suit—thin fabric stretched taut across his battered body. Beneath the weave, circuits flickered and sparked where his armor had been torn by shots and blades. His skin was bruised, cut, and bloodied, his body a canvas of war, exposed for all to see.
As Blue pushed forward, his body now almost entirely exposed, the team that had been hunting him froze in their tracks for a heartbeat. The sight of the once-imposing Ranger crumbling before them triggered a wave of mixed reactions.
Red
Red stood amidst the narrow jungle path, her gaze unwavering as she watched Blue's body falter and crack. The sight of his crumbling armor, once a symbol of near-invulnerability, now reduced to a fragile shell, sent a cold wave of calculation rippling through her mind. Piece by piece, his once-imposing armor fell away, revealing a shattered man, sparks of exposed circuitry flickering as if the life was slowly leaving him.
Her HUD flickered with diagnostic readings, pulling up live data on Blue's condition. The numbers were as bad as she expected. His suit's power levels had plummeted to critical; his energy reserves were almost gone. Each step Blue took was slower than the last, his movements becoming more desperate, more labored. Her HUD marked every fluctuation in his bio-readouts—the muscle spasms, the way his frame shook beneath the underweave of his suit, the way the exposed circuitry flickered weakly, signaling how close he was to total failure.
Red's eyes narrowed, assessing the situation with surgical precision. She didn't need an emotional response to understand what she was seeing. Blue was on the brink. He was no longer the unstoppable force they had been chasing—he was a man about to collapse. The disintegration of his armor had stripped away his strength, leaving him raw, vulnerable, yet still fighting. Even as blood leaked from exposed wounds, Blue moved forward, his will refusing to break.
Aegis came to life in her helmet, the steady voice perfectly aligned with Red's tactical nature. "His vitals are deteriorating rapidly," Aegis stated, the cool detachment matching her own. "Armor integrity is zero. Exposed areas show severe electrical damage. Probability of collapse: imminent."
Red's lips thinned into a hard line, her gaze never leaving Blue. "How imminent?" she asked, her voice a blade cutting through the tension.
"Seventy-four percent probability he will collapse in the next sixty seconds if no further exertion is applied. Ninety-one percent if any additional stress is placed on his system," Aegis responded.
She tilted her head slightly, calculating. Blue's current condition made him a walking target. One well-placed shot, one more strike, and he would crumble completely. But Red didn't need to rush. There was something about watching him push himself beyond the breaking point that gave her a certain satisfaction.
"We finish this soon," Red said calmly, but there was a dangerous edge to her voice. "He's on the edge. No point in rushing it now."
Yellow
Yellow had been moving silently in the shadows, her footsteps light and precise. Unlike the others, she hadn't needed to charge headlong into the chase. She preferred to wait, to watch. And now, as Blue's armor crumbled and fell away, her sharp eyes picked apart the fragility in his movements, the struggle in every breath he took.
Echo was like a whisper in her mind, fluid and instinctual, perfectly aligned with Yellow's own calm nature. "The toxins are working, but the filters are fighting hard. His body is still slowing down, despite the adrenaline."
Yellow's gaze flickered over Blue's exposed skin and the sparking circuits running along his limbs. She could see the tremors in his hands, the slight delay in his movements—a clear sign of his nervous system faltering. She knew the exact moment when her poisons would fully take hold.
"One more cut," Yellow whispered, her voice smooth as silk, her eyes narrowing as she assessed the weakness in his steps. "One more cut, and he'll go down."
Echo pulsed in response. "The suit's filters are nearly overwhelmed. His bloodstream is nearing toxic levels. One more wound and the system will fail."
Yellow stepped forward, her eyes never leaving Blue's exposed form. The jungle around them felt silent, as if the very world was waiting for the next move. Her hands hovered over her blades, but she didn't draw them—not yet.
"He's like a dolphin caught in a fishing net," Yellow murmured, her voice taking on a hypnotic tone. "If we push him too hard, we'll kill him. The suit can't take another cut. His body can't either."
Echo's tone matched Yellow's perfectly. "Advise restraint. His systems are critical. Pushing further will result in death."
But Yellow wasn't here for mercy. She was here to finish the job—precisely and efficiently.
Black
Black had crashed through the jungle path like a wrecking ball, his massive frame tearing through anything in his way. And now, as he stood watching Blue's armor fall apart, his eyes gleamed with raw excitement. This was what he had been waiting for—the moment his prey was reduced to nothing more than a fragile, broken man.
Bastion was equally eager. "He's finished. One strike and he's done. Crush him."
Black's fingers clenched around the handle of his ax, the anticipation building in his chest. He could practically feel the crunch of bone beneath his strength, the way Blue's body would give under the force of a single swing. His breath came heavy, excited, as he took a step forward.
"He's done!" Black shouted into the comms, his voice booming with the thrill of the hunt. "Let me crush him! One swing, and it's over!"
Bastion's voice echoed in his mind, the primal need for victory surging. "End it. No mercy."
Black's blood pumped hot in his veins as he grinned, imagining the satisfying weight of his ax cleaving through what remained of Blue's defenses. Every fiber of his being screamed for action, for the moment when he could finally deliver the killing blow.
"Just give the word," Black growled, barely able to contain his excitement. "I'll break him in half right now!"
Pink
Pink lingered above them, weaving through the trees like a predator waiting for her moment. Her breath came fast and shallow, excitement curling in her stomach as she watched Blue's armor crumble to the ground. Piece by piece, he was being stripped bare, his body exposed, vulnerable, and barely holding together. Her fingers tightened around the trigger of her sniper rifle, but she didn't fire. Not yet.
Prism, was cold and calculating, yet there was a dark thrill in its voice. "He's almost done. Look at him."
Pink licked her lips, her pulse quickening as she watched Blue stumble, his body now a mess of blood and flickering circuits. The sight of him like this, on the edge of collapse, sent a wave of heat rushing through her body.
"Oh, Baby Blue," she purred, her voice low and dripping with desire. "Look at you, falling apart for me. So close to breaking."
Prism's voice pulsed in her mind, feeding off her excitement. "He's vulnerable. A few more moments, and he'll be begging."
Pink's breath hitched, the anticipation nearly overwhelming. She wanted to see him fall, to hear him gasp for breath as his body gave out completely. The thought of him at her mercy made her shiver with delight.
"I can feel it," Pink whispered, her voice trembling with excitement. "He's so close. I can almost taste it."
Prism was methodical, but even it couldn't hide the thrill in its tone. "End it soon. Don't let him escape."
Pink smiled wickedly, her fingers twitching on the trigger. "Don't worry, Baby Blue. I'll make sure you feel every second of it."
Blue
Nova initiated the first teleport, his body flickering as the world around him dissolved for a split second. The narrow jungle path blurred, and he reappeared 40 meters ahead, the disorientation hitting him hard. His legs nearly gave out under the strain, but he kept moving.
Another jump. Then another. Each teleport pushed him further, the jungle flashing by in a distorted haze. His senses flickered between reality and the void as he closed the distance toward the clearing. The disorientation was overwhelming, but the jumps were his only way out.
Behind him, the Rangers' frustration rippled through the comms.
"Are you fucking kidding me?" Pink's voice seethed, her tone dripping with disbelief. "How the hell is he still moving?"
"Keep pushing!" Red barked, though even she couldn't mask the irritation lacing her voice. "We can still catch him!"
Another jump. Blue's vision swam as he materialized again, his body shuddering from the strain. He could feel the clearing coming closer, the oppressive jungle thinning. Each jump was taking everything out of him, but the path was opening up.
Yellow's voice was cool but tinged with frustration. "He's slipping away... like a fish darting out of a net."
Black's furious growl echoed through the comms. "I'll crush him the second I get my hands on him! How is he doing this?"
Blue initiated one final jump.
The jungle dissolved, and when he reappeared, the thick canopy and claustrophobic trees were gone. The clearing stretched before him, bathed in pale sunlight, and the oppressive heat of the jungle lifted. He staggered, his body nearly collapsing under the weight of exhaustion, but he held his ground.
Taking a knee, Blue let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. The open space around him felt like freedom.
"We made it," Nova's voice was soft with relief, the tension finally easing. "We're in the clear."
Blue nodded, his body trembling but resolute. "We made it," he echoed, taking a moment to savor the small victory.
He didn't need to turn around to know that the Rangers were already closing in. His breathing was ragged, his vision blurred, but he steadied himself, refusing to collapse fully.
The moment of silence was shattered as the familiar footsteps of the Rangers encircled him. They weren't firing, but he could sense the pressure of their presence. Close, deliberate, controlled.
The moment of silence was broken as the familiar sound of armored footsteps encircled him. They weren't firing, but he could sense the weight of their presence. Close, deliberate, controlled. The jungle seemed to still, the predators having surrounded their prey.
Red stepped forward from the ring they'd formed, taking point in front of Blue. Through the visor of her helmet, he couldn't see her eyes, but he didn't need to. Her posture—calm, composed, and confident—said it all. She stood a few paces away, her pistols holstered at her sides, her body language signaling control. There was no need for drawn weapons now.
"You tried your best," Red's voice echoed clearly through her helmet's audio speaker, calm but carrying the weight of finality. "But it wasn't enough today."
Red stood just a few paces from Blue, her stance steady and composed. One of her two pistols was drawn, held loosely in her right hand, lightly tapping against her leg as she spoke. The subtle movement, a gentle tap of metal on armor, mirrored her calculated demeanor—controlled but authoritative. Every shift in her body was deliberate, part of her steady evaluation of Blue.
"You didn't just run—you fought back," Red continued, her tone sharp, each word pointed. "In the mine, you laid traps that nearly caught us. Your timing? Almost perfect. You adapted, stealing abilities like you'd been using them your whole life."
Her body shifted slightly as she took a step forward, the tap of her pistol halting momentarily. She was studying him, almost expecting an answer, but none came. Blue's silence hung in the air, but Red wasn't done.
"Here's the thing, though," she pressed, her voice harder now. "Why didn't you keep using those abilities? You had them—used them in the mine to great effect. You could have separated us, made this chase a lot more difficult. But once you started running, you dropped them. Why?"
Red's helmet tilted as her weight shifted forward slightly, leaning into her critique. The pistol resumed its quiet tapping against her leg. "Was it exhaustion? Overconfidence? Or did you think you could handle us without those tools? You might have, had you kept using them."
She stepped back, this time her stance widening slightly, distributing her weight evenly as she continued to assess him. "And that's another thing—why didn't you go higher? You had every chance to take higher ground. Survey the situation, isolate us, make us work for it. But you didn't. Instead, you let us close in. You let us pin you down."
Her tone was calm but carried a sharp edge, every word cutting through the tension. "Your suit's camouflage was giving you away like a homing beacon," she added, tapping the pistol against her thigh for emphasis. "You could've seen that if you'd taken higher ground. But you didn't. You stayed down here, where we had the advantage."
Red's gaze didn't waver, and her stance remained poised, the subtle movements of her body reflecting her analysis. She wasn't angry—this was a critique, not a reprimand. Her respect for his skill was there, but so was the clear disappointment in the tactical errors he'd made.
"You fought well. Better than most," she said, her voice softening slightly, though her posture remained firm. "But you didn't follow through. You didn't use everything you had at your disposal."
Red shifted her weight one final time, straightening her posture fully, the tap of the pistol against her leg ceasing. "If you had taken higher ground, if you had kept using what you stole, this might've ended differently. But you didn't."
The weight of her words settled over the clearing as she took a step back, holstering her pistol with a calm, deliberate motion.
"Whoever you are, this ends today. You gave us everything, but it wasn't enough."
The silence stretched for a moment, and Red tilted her head slightly, as if waiting for him to speak. But Blue's silence persisted, his defiance clear in the way he held his ground despite his exhaustion. Red's patience thinned, and with one final gesture, she nodded toward Black.
"Not talking, eh?" she said, her voice edged with finality. "Black. Take his morpher. We'll see who he is after the rest of his morph fades."