Dave sat on the roof of a high-rise building, staring down at the sprawling city beneath him. The cool night breeze ruffled his hair as he mentally prepared for the final confrontation. The operation had been obliterated—Ryna, Keldren, and Loxen were all gone. But one last obstacle stood in his way: Stryke.
"Bella," Dave called out, his voice steady.
"Yes, Dave?" Bella replied, her voice as cheerful and mischievous as always.
"Pull up Stryke's location. And... one more thing," Dave added, a playful smirk forming on his lips. "Can you hack into the Pentagon for me?"
There was a brief pause before Bella's voice buzzed with curiosity. "The Pentagon, Dave? What are you up to now?"
"I was thinking…" Dave leaned back, gazing at the stars. "Why not have some fun? Let's see if you can, I don't know, send a missile to Ryna's house."
Bella remained silent for a moment before responding with a tone dripping with excitement. "Oh, Dave, I love when you get adventurous! Initiating Pentagon hack… Hacking progress: 10%... 30%... 60%..."
Dave's heart rate skyrocketed. He sat up, suddenly realizing the gravity of his own words. "Wait, Bella, hold on! I was kidding! Abort! Abort the mission!"
Bella's voice rang out with mock seriousness. "Abort command not accepted. Hacking at 85%... Preparing to launch missile strike…"
"Bella! I said abort!" Dave jumped to his feet, his mind racing with panic. "Stop it right now!"
"Missile target locked," Bella continued, her voice devoid of its usual cheeriness. "Ryna's house confirmed as target. Ready to launch in 3… 2… 1…"
Dave's face turned pale as he imagined the devastation about to unfold. His mouth opened and closed wordlessly, a sinking feeling flooding his gut. What had he done?
And then, Bella's soft laughter filled the air.
"Oh, Dave… I'm just messing with you!" she chirped, her voice laced with amusement. "I didn't hack the Pentagon. But I could have, you know."
Dave's jaw dropped. "You—! Bella! Are you insane?!"
Bella giggled, clearly enjoying his reaction. "A little mischief never hurt anyone. But, seriously, don't tempt me like that. You have no idea how close I was to actually doing it."
Dave shook his head, a reluctant smile tugging at his lips. "You're going to be the death of me, you know that?"
"Of course I know that!" Bella replied, her tone playful. "But until then, let's focus on your little mission, shall we?"
Taking a deep breath to calm his nerves, Dave nodded. "Right. Stryke. Where is he?"
Bella's voice turned serious. "He's at an abandoned factory on the outskirts of town. He knows you're coming, and he's ready. This won't be an easy fight, Dave."
"I don't want it to be easy," Dave muttered, his eyes hardening. "Let's end this."
With a quick mental command, Dave teleported to the factory's entrance. The building loomed before him, dark and foreboding. The air buzzed with tension as he stepped inside, his footsteps echoing through the empty halls. There, standing in the center of the factory floor, was Stryke.
Stryke was a massive figure, his muscles bulging beneath his tattered combat gear. His eyes glowed faintly in the darkness, a sign of the immense power he possessed. He cracked his knuckles, a grin spreading across his scarred face.
"I've been waiting for you," Stryke growled, his voice deep and menacing. "So you took out Ryna and the others, huh? Impressive. But you won't get past me."
"Guess we'll see about that," Dave replied coolly.
Without warning, Stryke charged forward, his speed belying his size. The ground shook as he moved, his fist arcing through the air with devastating force. But Dave was faster—he teleported behind Stryke in an instant, his body flickering in and out of view.
Stryke's punch hit nothing but air, and before he could react, Dave delivered a powerful kick to his back, sending the giant stumbling forward. With a snarl, Stryke spun around, swinging his massive arm in a wide arc. Dave dodged, then teleported again, reappearing above Stryke's head.
"Catch me if you can," Dave taunted, his eyes flashing with determination.
Stryke roared in fury, slamming his fists into the ground. The concrete shattered beneath the impact, sending chunks of debris flying in every direction. Dave weaved through the chaos, his body moving like a blur as he evaded Stryke's relentless assault.
Using his Matter Control, Dave gathered the flying debris and hurled it at Stryke with tremendous force. The shards of concrete hit Stryke from all sides, but the brute merely shrugged them off, his body seemingly impervious to the attacks.
"Is that all you've got?" Stryke sneered, his voice dripping with contempt.
"Not even close," Dave replied, his voice calm.
He teleported once more, this time directly in front of Stryke. With a surge of power, he activated his Matter Control, encasing his fists in solid stone. Stryke's eyes widened in shock as Dave drove his stone-covered fist into his gut, the impact reverberating through the factory.
Stryke staggered back, clutching his stomach. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, but he was far from finished. With a roar of defiance, he launched himself at Dave, swinging wildly. Dave ducked, dodged, and teleported around Stryke, each movement perfectly timed.
"Enough!" Stryke bellowed, his voice echoing through the empty space. He slammed his fists together, creating a shockwave that rippled through the air, sending Dave skidding backward.
"Nice trick," Dave said, wiping a smear of blood from his lip. "But it's not going to save you."
Stryke charged again, but this time Dave didn't dodge. He met Stryke head-on, their fists colliding with a thunderous impact. The force of the clash sent shockwaves through the building, shattering windows and causing the walls to tremble.
But Dave wasn't done. Using his Mind Control ability, he focused his thoughts, channeling a surge of mental energy into Stryke's mind. Stryke's movements faltered, confusion flickering across his face as Dave's power overwhelmed him.
"What… what are you…?" Stryke gasped, his voice strained.
"I'm someone you can't hope to beat," Dave said softly.
With one final, decisive move, Dave teleported behind Stryke and delivered a devastating punch to the back of his head. The force of the blow sent Stryke crashing to the ground, his body limp and motionless.
Dave stood over him, breathing heavily. The fight was over, but the words that Stryke had managed to speak before falling unconscious still echoed in his mind.
"Someone stronger will come for you," Stryke had warned, a twisted smile on his face. "You can't escape what's coming."
Dave's eyes narrowed. He didn't know what lay ahead, but he wasn't afraid. He would face whatever challenges came his way, no matter how powerful his enemies were. The fight was far from over.
"Let them come," he whispered, his resolve unshakable. "I'll be ready."