The air was thick with the smell of rust and burning ozone. New Detroit loomed like a broken shadow, jagged spires of ruined skyscrapers clawing at a dark, polluted sky. Jax Calloway crouched low in the debris of a collapsed building, gripping a rusted pipe with his cybernetic arm. His augmented eye flickered faintly, scanning for movement.
"Eli," he hissed into his earpiece, "are you sure this booster's worth it? Feels like I'm sitting on a giant 'come-get-me' beacon out here."
The familiar voice of Eli Rivers came through, calm and steady. "You always complain this much when we're saving the world?"
Jax smirked, keeping his voice low. "Only when I'm the one out here with killer robots breathing down my neck."
"Same neck I've saved too many times to count," Eli shot back.
"Oh, here we go." Jax rolled his eyes. "One time in Chicago, and you never let me forget it."
"It was four times," Eli corrected, his tone dry. "And you're welcome."
Before Jax could retort, a low mechanical hum began to ripple through the air. He stiffened, his augmented eye zooming in on a patrol drone slicing through the ruins above.
"Got company," Jax muttered.
Eli's voice sharpened. "Stay out of sight, Calloway. Let it pass."
Jax snorted softly. "You know me better than that."
"That's what I'm afraid of."
The drone hovered closer, its sleek triangular frame gleaming with weaponized menace. Jax waited until it passed overhead before springing to his feet. He swung the pipe like a baseball bat, the makeshift weapon colliding with a loud clang. The drone wobbled midair before spiraling into the rubble below.
"Strike one for Jax Calloway!" he crowed, twirling the pipe in his metal fingers.
"And now the rest of the team knows where you are," Eli said with exasperation. "You've got more inbound. Run."
"Always ruining my fun," Jax muttered, tossing the pipe aside and bolting toward the rendezvous point.
The subway station was a dim, crumbling labyrinth, its tiled walls cracked and streaked with grime. A faint bluish glow illuminated a console where Lila Kane was hunched, typing furiously. Her long, dark braid was draped over one shoulder, and her brow was furrowed in concentration.
"Jax," she said without looking up, "you're late. Again."
"And you're still mad I beat you at cards last night," Jax quipped, sliding into the room.
Lila glanced up, her sharp eyes narrowing. "This is why I don't play with you. Focus. I need you to guard the signal booster while I finish the upload."
Jax leaned against the console, a lazy grin on his face. "Guard it from what, exactly?"
As if on cue, a loud metallic screech echoed down the tunnel. Lila's fingers froze on the keyboard.
"That," she said flatly.
Jax groaned, standing upright. "Why is it always me?"
The first drone burst through the crumbling ceiling, its red eyes glowing like malevolent beacons. Jax charged forward, vaulting over a broken bench. His cybernetic legs propelled him upward as he swung his baton, striking the drone squarely in its central processor. It crashed to the ground, sparking violently.
"Two points for style!" Jax yelled, landing with a flourish.
"Focus!" Lila shouted, ducking behind the console as another drone swooped low, firing plasma bolts.
Jax dodged, his augmented arm snapping up to deflect the energy bursts. "I'm focused! This is my 'focused' face!"
"Less jokes, more fighting!"
"Yeah, yeah," Jax muttered, launching himself at the next drone.
In the middle of the chaos, a small figure appeared near the edge of the room. Ori, the synthetic boy, stood motionless, his wide, glowing blue eyes fixed on the battle. His skin had an eerie, almost translucent quality, a mix of organic and artificial materials.
"Ori!" Jax shouted, ducking a blast. "Not a good time, little dude! Get back behind cover!"
"I wanted to see," Ori said, his voice soft and mechanical. "You… protect each other."
Jax groaned. "We protect you, too! Now scram!"
The boy tilted his head, but before he could move, a drone locked onto him, its weapon charging.
"Not today!" Jax growled, hurling a chunk of debris at the drone. It smashed into its wing, sending the machine crashing to the floor. He sprinted to Ori, scooping him up with his metal arm.
"You okay, kid?" Jax asked, his voice gentler now.
Ori blinked, his expression unreadable. "I am… undamaged."
"Good," Jax said, setting him down behind the console. "Stay here. No more wandering into firefights, got it?"
Ori hesitated, then nodded. "Got it."
Lila's voice cut through the commotion. "Upload's almost done! Hold them off for thirty more seconds!"
"No problem," Jax said, though he was breathing hard now. His cybernetic arm was sparking, and his human shoulder ached from the strain. "Just thirty seconds of not dying. Piece of cake."
Eli's voice came through the earpiece again. "Calloway, how bad is it?"
"Let's see," Jax said, ducking another plasma bolt. "I'm down one pipe, two drones are still flying, and I'm pretty sure I pulled a muscle."
"Sounds like a normal Tuesday," Eli said, a hint of amusement in his voice.
"Right? Just like the good old days."
"Except now you're not dragging me out of trouble. I'm on the easy end."
Jax snorted. "Yeah, yeah. Keep the witty remarks coming while I do all the heavy lifting."
The console beeped, and Lila straightened. "Upload complete! Let's go!"
Jax didn't need to be told twice. He grabbed Ori's hand and bolted for the exit, Lila close behind. The sound of drones pursuing them echoed in the tunnels, but Jax didn't look back.
As they emerged into the open air, the group paused to catch their breath. Jax leaned against a broken lamppost, grinning despite himself.
"Another day, another victory for Team Awesome," he said, giving Lila a mock salute.
She rolled her eyes. "We're not calling ourselves that."
Ori looked up at him, his synthetic gaze curious. "Why do you joke?"
Jax ruffled the boy's hair, his grin softening. "Because if I didn't, I'd go crazy, kid."
Eli's voice came through the earpiece one last time. "Good work out there. Next time, let's stick to the plan."
Jax laughed. "Where's the fun in that?"