Cyber Chronicles 3: Plague Genesis

Chapter 4: Ashes and Sparks

"Sorry we're late," came a familiar voice from behind. Lincoln turned, his instincts kicking in as his hand shot out, catching his sword by the hilt. His eyes locked onto the one who had tossed it—Dexter, his childhood friend, who now stood with a confident grin.

Dexter's gaze flicked over Lincoln's nearly bare state, taking in the tattered remains of his pants and the bruises on his exposed skin. He let out a low whistle. "Man, you're a mess," he remarked, shaking his head with a smirk. Without missing a beat, Dexter tossed a small bag toward Lincoln. "You're gonna need this."

Lincoln caught the bag mid-air. As soon as it touched his hand, the bag's contents came to life, pieces of sleek, dark armor shooting out and beginning to attach themselves to his body. The armor was custom-fitted, each piece locking seamlessly into place as if it had always belonged to him.

As the final piece snapped into position, Lincoln couldn't help but smile. He lifted his sword, feeling its familiar weight. "I missed this," he muttered, admiring the blade as it began to hum with crimson energy, responding to his thoughts. The blade's surface shimmered, catching the faint glow of the battlefield, where every lightning strike momentarily illuminated the surrounding desert in harsh light.

"Yeah, well, you shoulda taken better care of it," Dexter teased, a playful glint in his eyes. "You forgot it when you left for Alvanian. I've been holding onto it, waiting for the right moment to give it back."

Lincoln spun the sword with a flick of his wrist, the blade slicing through the air with a sharp whistle. "Round four, huh?" he muttered, his gaze shifting to the massive stone golem towering in the distance.

The creature was currently engaged by two figures—one enveloped in flames, the other surrounded by arcs of lightning. Each strike they landed on the golem sent echoes through the desert, briefly casting long shadows across the dunes.

As Lincoln watched, the fire manipulator—Adler—propelled himself into the air, flames shooting from his legs like jets. The intense heat from his flames warped the air around him, sending ripples through the smoke-laden sky. He dodged the golem's massive swings with fluid ease, countering each attack with streams of fire that blazed across the creature's rocky form, sending up clouds of steam as stone met flame.

Weiss, the lightning manipulator, moved in tandem with Adler on the ground, his bolts of electricity illuminating the battlefield with each strike. The flash of lightning highlighted the cracked, arid earth beneath their feet, casting jagged shadows that danced with every movement.

Dexter followed Lincoln's gaze and nodded. "They've been training hard. Looks like it's paying off."

Lincoln studied the duo for a moment. Their specialized suits, tailored to amplify their powers, made them look almost otherworldly. He marveled at their synchronized movements, each attack perfectly complementing the other's. Adler's flames scorched the ground beneath the golem's feet, the fire's glow flickering in the swirling dust, while Weiss's lightning strikes chipped away at its defenses, the sound of cracking stone mingling with the roar of the storm.

The golem roared in defiance, but the two kept it on the defensive, their teamwork relentless. The sheer intensity of their assault lit up the desert night, the barren landscape momentarily illuminated by the fiery and electric display.

"Impressive," Lincoln remarked, nodding in approval.

Dexter grinned. "Yeah, we've all got some new tricks up our sleeves."

Lincoln's attention shifted to the ground beneath the golem, where Dawson, the sound manipulator, was systematically taking care of the Hydes. Without needing to scream, he shot powerful soundwaves from his arm, the concentrated blasts disintegrating the creatures with precision.