K stumbled as he followed James through the shattered window, adrenaline coursing through his veins. They landed on the fire escape, the city lights below a blur of chaos. James moved with calculated precision, barely making a sound as he descended the metal staircase.
"Move faster," James barked, glancing over his shoulder. His voice was calm, but his urgency was unmistakable.
"I'm trying!" K snapped, struggling to keep up. Daw hovered close behind, its small mechanical body whirring nervously.
"Energy spikes detected," Daw chimed in. "Whoever's after us is closing in fast."
James didn't respond. Instead, he leapt to the ground with a fluid motion, landing in an alley that stretched into darkness. K followed awkwardly, stumbling but managing to stay on his feet.
As soon as they landed, a shadow flickered at the alley's entrance. A woman emerged, her figure cloaked in black. Her piercing gaze locked onto K like a predator eyeing its prey.
712.
"So this is the boy," she said, her voice smooth yet icy. Her operatives fanned out behind her, their weapons drawn and aimed. "I'll give you one chance, James. Step aside. The artifact belongs to me."
James squared his shoulders, positioning himself between K and 712. "You know I can't do that."
712 smirked, tilting her head. "You're still clinging to that old promise, aren't you? The one to a dead king?" Her tone was mocking, but her eyes were sharp, watching James's every move.
"Some promises are worth keeping," James replied evenly, his masked face betraying no emotion.
712 raised her hand, signaling her operatives to move forward. "Then you leave me no choice."
The operatives surged toward them. James moved like a shadow, his movements impossibly fast. In one fluid motion, he disarmed the first attacker, using their weapon to knock out another.
K watched, stunned, as James dismantled the advancing group with precision and ease. "How is he doing that?" he muttered.
"K, focus!" Daw's voice snapped him out of his trance. "We need to move!"
James blocked a strike and twisted the weapon from his opponent's hands. "Run!" he shouted to K. "Head to the rooftops. Daw will guide you."
"But—" K began, hesitating.
"Go!" James roared, his voice leaving no room for argument.
K turned and sprinted, Daw hovering beside him. Behind him, the sounds of battle echoed through the alley. James was holding his ground, but K could feel the weight of the situation pressing down on him.
A Narrow Escape
K reached a fire escape and scrambled up, his hands trembling as he pulled himself onto the rooftop. Daw beeped urgently, scanning their surroundings.
"Stay low," Daw advised. "712's tracking systems might still detect us."
K crouched, catching his breath. His heart pounded in his chest as he tried to process everything that had happened. "Who is she? And who the hell is James?"
Daw hesitated, its mechanical eye flickering. "712 is… complicated. She's a mercenary, highly trained, and has been hunting artifacts like the one you're wearing for years. As for James…" Daw paused. "Let's just say he's been guarding this secret for longer than you've been alive."
"Great," K muttered, leaning against a vent. "And now I'm in the middle of it."
Before Daw could respond, an explosion rocked the building, the shockwave nearly knocking K off his feet. He turned to see a plume of smoke rising from the alley where James had been fighting.
"James!" K shouted, his voice filled with panic.
Through the smoke, a figure emerged, limping but still standing tall. It was James, his coat singed but his mask intact.
He staggered onto the rooftop, blood dripping from a cut on his arm. "We need to keep moving," he said, his voice strained but determined. "712 won't stop until she gets what she wants."
K stared at him, wide-eyed. "What does she want? What is this thing?" He held up his arm, the gauntlet glinting faintly in the moonlight.
James walked past him, his tone firm. "I'll explain everything. But not here."
A Safe Haven
They arrived at an abandoned warehouse on the edge of the city, its windows shattered and its walls covered in graffiti. James led them inside, his movements slower now, the fight clearly taking a toll on him.
K looked around, frowning. "This is your hideout?"
"For now," James replied, collapsing onto an old chair. He removed his mask, revealing a weathered face with sharp features and tired eyes. His white hair was streaked with blood, but his expression was calm.
"You've got questions," James said, gesturing to K. "Ask."
K hesitated, his mind racing with a thousand thoughts. Finally, he settled on one. "Who are you? Really?"
James sighed, leaning back in the chair. "I was once a knight, sworn to protect the king and his secrets. The artifact you're wearing was one of them."
"A knight?" K repeated, disbelief evident in his tone. "You're saying you're, what, hundreds of years old?"
"Fifty," James corrected. "I was… preserved, in a way. A side effect of my oath and the artifact's power."
K shook his head, trying to wrap his mind around the revelation. "And 712? What's her deal?"
"She's after the artifact's power," James explained. "She works for someone,someone who understands what the artifact can do and wants it for their own purposes. If she gets her hands on it, she won't hesitate to destroy everything in her path."
K glanced down at the gauntlet on his arm. "And what does this thing actually do?"
James's eyes darkened. "It's a weapon, yes. But it's also a key,a key to a power far greater than anything you can imagine. That's why it's dangerous."
K swallowed hard, the weight of James's words sinking in. He looked at the older man, his voice trembling. "Why me? Why did it choose me?"
James studied him for a long moment before answering. "Because you're part of the new generation the king spoke of. Whether you like it or not, the artifact believes you're worthy. Now you have to prove it."
Before K could respond, Daw beeped urgently. "Energy spikes detected nearby. 712 is closing in."
James stood, his expression hardening. "We move now. This isn't over."
As they prepared to leave, K couldn't shake the feeling that his life had been irreversibly changed and that this was only the beginning.