Location - ???
Invincible
My mind was in a haze as beams of light crashed into my back, a scream ripped through my lips as I was thrown onto the ground, gripping my fists tightly and swinging wildly, shredding through the mechanical orbs that flew all around me. Five more of those annoying things appeared, moving fast, but keeping up with them seemed to be no issue—until more kept coming.
Another red beam zipped through the air. My feet dug into the ground, and I propelled myself upwards, barely dodging the attack before pain erupted across my back. A ripple of green energy spread through the air, distorting reality itself as more of those damn orbs poured out like a tsunami, slamming me back onto the ground.
"Giving up would be in your best interest, but honestly, I couldn't care less. You'll die regardless."
That voice…
"Angstrom..." I wheezed before crushing, punching, and even biting into the orbs. I rocketed my head forward, slamming one of them into the ground, then clapped my hands together, unleashing a thunderous shockwave that sent the rest tumbling away. Blood trickled from my lips as I gasped for air, my eyes locking onto Angstrom's twisted, scarred face.
His smirk made my stomach churn. He shouldn't be here. I killed him.
"I killed you. You were dead. I—"
"Kill me? Hmmmmmm, in a way, you did," he mused, cracking his neck. "But some... friends of mine put me back together. And now, let's hope no one can do the same for you."
He lifted his hands, and a multitude of green portals materialized all around me, each pulsing with unstable energy. A deep hum filled the air as mechanical constructs—some large, some small, some... something else entirely—poured out of the rifts, their singular eyes glowing with murderous intent.
I barely had a second to react before they rushed me. My body moved on instinct, years of non-stop battle fueling my reflexes. I zipped upward, colliding with one of the flying drones and crushing its core with a single punch. Another rushed toward me from the left; I twisted midair, letting it zip past before grabbing its small, barely visible handle and using it as a club against another. Sparks and metal fragments showered the battlefield.
I didn't have time to enjoy my small victories. More were coming.
One flew overhead, preparing to fire, but I grabbed another orb and hurled it, smashing it into the attacker before it could fire. I turned, backhanding another into pieces, its parts raining down in a cascade of fire and debris. I used one as a stepping stone, pushing off it midair to gain more altitude before drop-kicking another straight through one of Angstrom's portals. His sneer faltered, just for a second. That was satisfying, but I didn't have time to be smug.
I shot forward, my fists becoming a blur as I carved a path through the endless swarm. My hands were coated in oil and synthetic fluids, the remnants of my enemies clinging to my skin as I pressed on, my muscles screaming in defiance.
And then, suddenly, I was in front of him. I burst through the final wave, my body colliding with his like a meteor. He barely had time to react before my fingers wrapped around his throat, squeezing just enough to make him gasp.
His eyes widened in surprise.
We crashed through a nearby building, the glass shattering around us in deadly shards. I landed on my feet, barely harmed, while Angstrom writhed beneath me. A jagged piece of glass had embedded itself in his chest, dark red pooling around him.
"Stop this," I whispered, my voice barely audible over the roaring flames in the distance. "You don't have to do this. I haven't done anything to you—"
"Haven't done anything?" His voice cracked as he laughed, blood bubbling between his lips. "Hell is too good of a place for you."
My heart skipped a beat.
A green hue reflected in the glass behind me. My instincts screamed, but before I could react, a crimson beam lanced through the portal, slamming into my back.
"AAUURRGGHHH!"
Pain exploded through my body. My ears rang. My skin burned. The impact sent me sprawling, my bones groaning under the pressure.
Angstrom's voice echoed through the haze. "You think I'll stop just because you beg? No. You need to feel my pain—to experience my anger, my sorrow, my regrets."
His voice grew distant, yet his words burrowed into my skull like parasites.
"Only then will I prove... you aren't Invincible."
Red leaked from my ears, my nose, my eyes. My body screamed in agony as the beam continued hammering into me, scorching my flesh, tearing into me like molten steel.
And then... everything turned red.
Something inside me snapped.
I let out a guttural roar, pushing against the beam with every ounce of strength I had left. My muscles burned, and my vision blurred, but I forced myself forward. My suit had already been reduced to tattered remnants. My skin blistered, but I didn't stop. I pushed through the heat, through the agony—through everything.
And I reached him.
I crashed into Angstrom, my head slamming into his lower jaw with enough force to shatter it completely. His eyes bulged as blood and teeth sprayed from his mouth. Before he could react, I grabbed his right arm and twisted.
A sickening pop.
A shriek.
And then, with a surge of raw power, I tore his arm clean off. His scream was muffled as I covered his mouth with my free hand, silencing his pain.
"YOU'VE DONE ENOUGH!" My voice was unrecognizable, a guttural snarl dripping with rage. "STAY DEAD THIS TIME!"
My fist slammed through his chest, blood soaking my hand as his body convulsed. His eyes, wild and filled with something strange—satisfaction?—locked onto mine.
And only then did I notice, "Shit..."
A green explosion erupted from his corpse, swallowing me whole. The energy was thick, corrosive. It burned worse than the beam, seeping into my pores, my lungs, my veins. I choked, coughing violently as I thrashed against the unseen force. The world around me twisted, warped. I tried to fly, but there was no sky. I tried to scream, but no sound came out.
Then, suddenly, the sensation of falling hit me like a freight train.
A moment later, I crashed onto a hard, wet concrete floor.
The pain was immediate, but exhaustion outweighed it. My body refused to move. My limbs were heavy, and my vision swam. The last thing I saw before my consciousness slipped away was the dark, foreboding sky above me.