The sound of Vixen whip tore through the room like thunder, the metal line snapping straight for Hit Ringer’s throat with lethal precision.
The man, however didn’t dodge. Instead he shifted and the filament of metal around his arm surged outward, intercepting the whip mid-flight. Sparks burst as steel met steel, the force of the impact vibrating up Vixen’s arm hard enough to make his teeth rattle.
Hit Ringer laughed.
“Oh, good,” he said pleasantly. “You do have bite. Really have the heart of a villain, don't you?”
Hex fired three arrows loosed in rapid succession—one high, one low, one delayed, each tipped with different payloads. Smoke. Concussion. Magnetic pulse.
Hit Ringer walked through them.
The magnetic arrow snapped uselessly against the metallic lattice crawling over his torso. The concussive blast detonated—but the shockwave bent around him, redirected by shifting layers of alloy. The smoke barely touched him before a sharp pulse of compressed air blew it aside.
Shadow moved next. He rushed forward, voice sharp and commanding. “Stop—”
Hit Ringer didn’t answer. Shinso’s quirk failed again. Like screaming into a void. The man backhanded him without looking.
Shadow slammed into a support pillar with a sickening crack, breath exploding from his lungs as he dropped to one knee.
“Rule number one, when fighting me kids.” Hit Ringer said calmly, stepping over shattered concrete. “Never assume I’m here to fight fair.”
The floor suddenly shifted beneath them as panels ripped upward and metallic tendrils erupted from the concrete, coiling like serpents. Hex barely rolled out of the way as one slammed down where his head had been a second earlier.
“What the hell?” He was confused. Why did it seem like Hit Ringer had multiple quirks?
Vixen snapped his whip around Hex’s waist and yanked him back, barely avoiding a second strike.
“Focus!” Vixen barked. “He’s controlling the environment!”
“No,” Hit Ringer corrected gently. “I’m controlling you.”
The lights died and the emergency strobes flickered red. Hex’s HUD went static and Shadow’s comm cut out with a shriek.
And then the sound hit them. It was a high-pitched, invasive screech that crawled straight into their skulls.
Vixen staggered, clutching his head. His breath came sharp and erratic as strange images suddenly flashed behind his eyes.
There was rot everywhere. Injured crowds screaming and whaling at the share the station of the environment. Headlines tearing him apart frame by frame.
VIXEN—OUT OF CONTROL. VIGILANTE MELTDOWN
PROOF THE SYSTEM FAILED
“Stop—get out of my head!” he snarled, lashing blindly.
Hit Ringer was already there. The man caught the whip mid-swing and yanked. Vixen hit the ground hard, metal digging into his ribs as Hit Ringer planted a boot on his chest.
“You feel that?” Hit Ringer asked softly. “That’s the pressure point. The one they want me to push.”
Hex roared and tackled him from the side and for half a second it worked. Hit Ringer stumbled but the metal answered his call.
A hydraulic surge slammed Hex into the wall, pinning him six feet off the ground. The pressure crushed the air from his lungs, bow clattering uselessly to the floor.
Shadow forced himself upright, vision swimming. He saw what the man was doing. This wasn’t a fight. It was a demonstration.
Hit Ringer turned slowly, surveying them like broken pieces on a board.
“You see now?” he said calmly. “Project Solace isn’t about killing you.”
His eyes locked onto Vixen. “It’s about learning exactly how much pain it takes before you break in public.”
Hit Ringer stepped back, metal retracting smoothly into his body.
“This isn’t the end,” he said lightly. “It’s the baseline. Now that I have delivered his message, it's time to kill my prey.”
Dark eyes full of hatred now locked onto Hex.The green haired boy glared at him. He jumped out of the way to ensure distance but the act just seemed to amuse Hit Ringer.
“You are not getting away this time Hex—”
Hex responded with slamming a canister into the floor. The device detonated with a shrill, teeth-grinding wail as thick, dark smoke flooded the room in seconds. It burned cold in the lungs, heavy and disorienting, cutting visibility to nothing.
Vixen sucked in a sharp breath and coughed. “ This is our only chance. Move—now,” Hex snapped.
He grabbed Vixen by the arm, hauling him upright despite the fox’s protests, and turned just in time to catch Shadow as he staggered sideways. Shadow’s legs barely worked, but Hex locked an arm around his shoulders and forced him forward.
They went up the stairs. Every step burned and each breath taken came out laboured Behind them, metal clanked as Hit Ringer laughed. It was low and amused, echoing through the smoke like he was enjoying a show.
“Oh, clever,” his voice carried easily. “Very clever Hex.”
Hex didn’t look back. They eventually burst through the stairwell door, slamming it shut as Hex fired a magnetic bolt into the hinge. The metal warped instantly, jamming the door just long enough to buy seconds.
Seconds were all they had.
Vixen stumbled but stayed upright, teeth clenched, pain screaming through his ribs. Shadow leaned heavily against Hex, every breath a fight.
Down below, the smoke soon thinned and Hit Ringer found himself standing alone in the wreckage. He simply placed his hands in his pockets and inhaled deeply, like he was savoring the taste of his hunt. His prey was cornered and his fear was ripped.
“Hm,” he murmured. “Adaptable.”
The metallic filaments along his arms retracted with a soft, satisfied hiss. He turned toward the stairwell, eyes gleaming despite the shadows.
“Run while you can,” he said calmly. “It makes the second encounter much more… educational.”
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Word Count [ 961]
YOU ARE READING
Can We Be Heroes?
ФанфикшнLife has always been unfortunate, unfair and unkind. Especially for three particular boys.
