Jace X vs. Project X

Chapter 6: Emancipated Enemies

     I woke up on the floor of the facility and I could barely stand. I looked at Darce's and Rathburn's old cells, the doors wide open. I walked along the walls of the facility until I got outside and I saw my car just waiting for me at the front. The last thing I remembered was Jordan taking Darce and Rathburn, and telling me that he was taking Amaya. I held my head as I got into the car, fumbling with the keys. I drove slowly back into the city as I tried to think of where the four of them could be, but it didn't take me long to hear news on at least one of them. News reports of a blur robbing and mugging people in broad daylight played all over the place and I sighed.

     "Dammit Darce..." As I whispered his name, it was like he could feel it as he tackled me not a moment later.

     "What did I tell you? I hate that name," He told me as he stood above me, then he was gone when I blinked. I stood up, but he knocked me back down with his shoulder being shoved into my back. "Come on, Jace. Get up and fight." He growled as he ran off again, then rushed back as he sent his boot into my stomach. He ran around and struck me in the back of the head with his elbow and I fell down again. He grabbed me and rushed off, then flipped in the air and threw me forward. He skidded to a stop once he was on the floor and I was sent through a wall. I rolled around until I stopped in place and I felt a foot to my back. I looked up and saw Darce above me already. "I thought we already had a new name for me, and I liked the ring of it. Adrenaline Rush, it fits." He picked me up and sent his fist into my side, then his knee into my stomach, another punch to my chest, a kick to my leg, an elbow into the side of my head, and a headbutt to my nose.

     I stumbled back and he rushed away for a moment, only to come back and punch me right in the head, throwing me back through the wall. People panicked and ran away when they saw me bust through the wall and I could barely sit up. As Darce... As Adrenaline Rush sent a flurry of punches into my sides, I could still move my arms. I shifted my arm into a blade and cut open one of the tubes in his body. He stopped for a moment and held it close as he gasped in pain.

     "You... fucking bitch, this hurts..." He growled as he rushed off, stumbling slightly in his escape. I stood up as I finally had a chance to breathe. I panted and grabbed my phone to call Amaya, but stopped as I realized I never even asked her for a contact number. I was about to throw my phone, then I thought a moment. She wouldn't have waited for me to ask, so I went through my contacts.

     "For once, your obsession with bein around me has paid off Amaya," I said quietly as I called the number. As it rang, the line picked up but not to who I expected.

     "Amaya's a bit busy, Jace," I heard Jordan answer. "You might wanna call later. To be quite honest with you, best friend to best friend, I think she might be cheating on you man." I heard him laugh.

     "Cut the shit, Jordan," I said with an annoyed tone. "Where the hell are you? Let's settle this like men."

     "Yeesh, relax man. Always so serious, no wonder you're still single. Look I can tell this is gonna be a business call, so I'll try to keep it short. I'm going to make you sufer, one way or another. Who dies along the way is up to you. Now, I'm gonna send both Blackout and Adrenaline Rush out to pain the town red with blood, I'll be in central park watching the fireworks, and this is where your choice comes in. You either stop them and save the innocent civilians, or you come find me with Amaya nearby. I wonder whose screams you'll run to first." The line dropped dead as Jordan ended the call, and this time I actually threw my phone.

     I waited for the attacks to happen, doing nothing else as I sat on a rooftop. I heard the first few screams and I knew the two of them had began their rampage. I had to make a choice quickly, and I sighed.

     "Sorry Amaya," I whispered and I jumped off the rooftop, landing on the concrete sidewalk and leaving a small crater. I rushed over to where Blackout and Adrenaline Rush were and I tackled Blackout to the floor. He shocked me off and the two circled me like predators toying with their prey.

     "Look who showed up Doc," Adrenaline Rush said as he walked around. Blackout stayed in front of me and I cracked my neck.

     "Shall we show him what it's like to release four years of pent up aggression?" Blackout asked as he played with a streak of lightning between his fingers. "I'm dying to feel my fingers around his neck." I felt Adrenaline Rush behind me and I took his feet from under him, then sent a fist into his temple as I knocked him down for a moment. I turned my focus to Blackout and I moved quickly to dodge a streak of lightning. "You've improved over the years, Jace. That much I can tell. Four years ago, and I would have had you on the floor with that move." He shocked the floor around him and I ran up a nearby wall to avoid the shock. I pushed off the wall and launched myself at Blackout, my arm shifting form into a claw as I swiped at his face.

     I took Blackout down and I saw Adrenaline Rush get up. His momentum was gone, so he was moving at a normal speed for the moment. I took advanage and punched him in the gut.

     "That's for earlier, asshole," I told him and I grabbed him by the shirt. I punched him again and again and again, until he couldn't get his footing again, and I dropped him onto his back. I put my boot on his chest and I slowly drove him into the street. He tried to push me off, but I wouldn't budge.

     "You're... crushing... my lungs..." He choked out, but something inside of me just didn't care. It wasn't until Blackout shocked me in the spine with a bolt of electricity that I moved away from Adrenaline Rush. Blackout rushed me and put both his fists against my temples as he began to shock me with enough power of a defibulation device. I moved my hands to his as I tried to pull him off, but he wouldn't let go. I moved a hand to his face and I tried to scratch and claw him off, then I shifed my arm into a blade and stabbed him in the eye. He finally let go as he fell back to hold his face, and I threw him into Adrenaline Rush.

     As they stood up, I held my fists up ready to fight but Blackout told Adrenaline Rush to retreat, the two of them disappearing. With them gone, I quickly ran towards central park and I saw Jordan here with Amaya on the floor, and all he did was clap slowly as he saw me.

     "What do you know, he made it," Jordan said. "I was afraid AR and Blackout were gonna occupy you all night." He looked right at me as I walked forward. I swung at him, but he moved away. He didn't fight back because he didn't really have to. I watched him walked backwards and he looked at Amaya. "You know, I think you earned her back. That is, if you can even land a punch on me." I rushed him, but he moved away, and I looked back at him. I focused on something I haven't been able to do since I turned Darce into Adrenaline Rush. I held my hand out and strained my head as I turned my arm into some kind of gun. I shot out a bone shard and hit Jordan in the leg, knocking him to a knee. I ran towards him and shot him in his knee, then punched him right in the jaw.

     He collected himself and he chuckled, already healing from where I shot him. He pulled the shards out and he walked back, disappearing in the shadows. I turned to look at Amaya and I helped her stand up.

     "Th-thanks..." She muttered out as she shook. "I swear, if I see him again... I'll--" I shut her up before she could say anything as my lips met hers. She was at a loss of words as her cheeks turned red.

     "Don't say another word," I told her as I had my hands on her head, holding her as her hair fell around my hands. I didn't know what got over me, maybe it was all the time I had spent around her that just made this happen, but I didn't really care as I kissed her again. She stood up and leaned up into my embrace, her arms finding their way around my neck. I helped Amaya back to the room we stayed in and I locked the door behind us. I really had no clue what came over me that suddenly made me want to keep Amaya close, to keep her safe. Since she showed up, I've tried to keep her as far as possible, even with her persistence. Whatever changed, I wasn't sure. All I knew is everything felt different as I held Amaya in my arms again, my lips meeting her's once more as the two of us fell onto one bed.