As the soldier crashed through the glass wall, time seemed to slow for Jake. The remaining men turned back, their faces a mix of shock and fury beneath their high-tech visors.
'Oh boy,' Jake thought, 'I don't think "my hand slipped" is gonna cut it here.'
Before he could even attempt to explain, the air filled with the sharp crack of gunfire. Jake's body moved on pure instinct, ducking and weaving with a speed and grace that surprised even him.
'Since when did I become Neo from The Matrix?' he wondered, narrowly avoiding a hail of bullets.
In a blur of motion, Jake found himself next to the closest soldier. Without thinking, he grabbed the man's weapon, the metal crumpling like tinfoil in his grip.
'Oops, guess I don't know my own strength,' Jake mused as he flung the disarmed soldier across the room. The man hit the wall with a dull thud, sliding to the floor in an unconscious heap.
A high-pitched whine from behind caught Jake's attention. He barely had time to think 'That doesn't sound goo-' before a searing blast of energy slammed into his back, sending him careening through another glass partition and into an adjacent room.
[HP decreased by 15%]
[Status: Slightly singed]
The translucent message hovered in Jake's vision, adding to his confusion. 'Great, now I've got video game stats. What's next, power-ups and extra lives?'
The blast hurt like hell, but Jake knew staying down wasn't an option. He scrambled to his feet, wincing at the pain. 'Talking it out is definitely off the table now. Time for Plan B: run like hell.'
But as he surveyed the room, he realized escape wasn't going to be easy. The soldiers had effectively blocked all exits. 'Alright, Plan C it is: fight my way out and hope I don't get turned into Swiss cheese in the process.'
Jake raised his fists, muscle memory kicking in as he assumed a familiar stance. 'Here goes nothing. Float like a butterfly, sting like a... whatever the hell I am now.'
The first soldier rushed him, weapon raised. Jake ducked under the gun, coming up with a left hook that connected solidly with the man's jaw. To Jake's shock, the soldier went flying, crashing into a bank of medical equipment.
'Holy crap!' Jake stared at his fist in disbelief. 'I barely touched him! Note to self: no high fives for a while.'
Two more soldiers opened fire. Jake weaved between the shots, his movements fluid and precise. He closed the distance rapidly, disarming one with a quick strike and using the man's momentum to toss him into his comrade.
'This is insane,' Jake thought as he spun away from another energy blast. 'I'm moving like I've trained for years, but I can't remember a single day at the gym.'
As Jake continued to evade and counterattack, one of the soldiers shouted to his comrade, "He's using the southpaw stance! Who the hell is this guy?"
'Southpaw?' Jake wondered, narrowly avoiding a punch. 'Is that why this all feels so natural?'
Jake's clawed hand lashed out, shredding through the soldier's armor like it was made of paper. The man stumbled back, eyes wide with fear behind his cracked visor.
'Okay, maybe ease up on the slashing,' Jake chided himself. 'I'm trying to escape, not audition for a slasher film.'
The fight continued, Jake's movements becoming more confident with each passing second. He ducked under a wild swing, retaliating with a solid body blow that sent another soldier crumpling to the ground.
'I'm starting to feel bad for these guys,' Jake thought as he dodged another energy blast. 'It's like they brought peashooters to a gun fight.'
One by one, the soldiers fell to Jake's superhuman strength and speed. Punches that he meant to merely stun sent men flying across the room. Dodges that should have been impossible came as naturally as breathing.
Finally, Jake stood alone in the devastated hospital wing, surrounded by groaning, unconscious soldiers. He panted heavily, more from shock than exertion.
'Did I really just do all that?' he wondered, surveying the destruction. 'I feel like I should be more winded. Or at least have a cool one-liner ready.'
But before Jake could fully process what had happened, a new sound reached his ears. Footsteps, many of them, approaching rapidly from down the hall. These weren't the chaotic, frenzied steps of panicked hospital staff. No, these were measured, purposeful strides of individuals who knew exactly what they were walking into.
A chill ran down Jake's spine as a new prompt appeared in his vision:
[Kaiju Hunters Approaching]
[New Quest Available: Survive]
'Kaiju Hunters?' Jake's mind raced. 'That doesn't sound good. I don't suppose they're here to welcome me to the giant monster club, are they?'
As the footsteps grew louder, Jake tensed, preparing for another fight. But a nagging thought tugged at the back of his mind: if these were Kaiju Hunters, and he was now apparently a kaiju, what chance did he really have?