Genesis: World Gone Mad

Code of Conflict Part 3

Despite our joint alliance, each of us ran our factions a little differently in this world gone mad. Algorithm uses sultry words and honored promises, Gyro and Barrier were a joint effort, and Ursa relied on blackmail. I followed dear old dad and dealt with a harsh hand and iron fist. Whenever failure reared its ugly head, I punished my servants twice fold, but that quickly got doubled if Tactic was the subject of this failure. But now that I saw the man face to face, I realized that every tale paled in comparison to the real thing. He may very well be human, but he radiated anything but that. Through that damn HUD, I felt a mechanical disdain that just made me all the angrier. This man, in his short uprising, has become a symbol amongst the people, thinking he's a legend when he's nothing. And I hope to remind him of that fact today. A cold dominance once again took over my frame, as soon I stood up with my poised finger still shining bright.

"Lucky shot, but I promise that the next ones are going to cost you," I said through focused eyes.

"Luck had nothing to do with its abomination. I don't whether you were ambitious or just plain stupid for thinking I wouldn't recognize you and every other escaped animal from last year. I'm just thankful that you sped up the process. Surrender now, and you might leave this elevator alive," he says as he closes the elevator doors.

"This isn't an ultimatum; it's a standoff. If you know my identity, then you know damn well I've got enough power to blow us all to hell," I said as my finger's light grew more intense.

"And if you know my identity, you'll realize that I'm more than willing to take that chance. I came here to make an alliance that may level the playing field. And I'm not going to let all of you ruin that."

In response, my finger grew even brighter, to the point where a small light started to sprout from my finger. I wasn't going to back down, not now, not ever, not when I'm so very close to what I want. So as my finger held more concentrated power than I've ever wielded, my other hand was completely free. My power is suppressed wrath incarnate, utilizing stored up sunlight in the form of energy that I can use however I want through my hands. It's powerful, to say the least, but it's a lot to manage; I have limited "ammunition," meaning I have to control everything from the output, concentration, and range in real-time, but also means that my versatility is nearly unmatched. That case becomes all the more clear as my slightly turned right thumb suddenly sputtered with rocket-like propulsion! But before that could take hold, I let my shot explode!

All hell broke loose as we both let our shots fly! My propulsion saved my life by an edge, only escaping with only a large scratch to my side! Meanwhile, my bright golden beam of light exploded out of my index! In the wake of such a blast, Tactic somehow, with almost inhuman speed, dodged my blast as if we were mirrored! The laser quickly tore through the elevator doors metallic flesh like cheap fabric, as it kept going until it exploded far away with more force than an RPG! That explosion was so strong that it left the whole base shaking, stunning Tactics perfect blitzkrieg by a hair! This small opening was one I exploited for all of it's worth as I used my right hand to explode both of us out of the elevator into the cold white futuristic corridor! My opponent retched in my stride, realizing all too late he was about to  get an augmented palm strike from my free hand!

A rabid bloodlust started to fully takeover as I curved my left fingers to have us both parallel to the ground! Once that happened, I unleashed even more power, turning my propulsion into an almighty halberd! But before the fateful punch could connect, Tactic once again employed inhuman strength, using a spinning armbar and powerful kick to separate us both in one fluid motion! Our speed was so intense that we were both sent spiraling into the opposite walls!

Adrenaline and vertigo clashed with rattled bones and welted bruises, leaving me in complete disarray. My surroundings were completely blurred out, but they quickly came back into full focus as I saw the glint of metal! Automatically I took pseudo flight, dodging hungry bullets while giving my own suppressive fire!