"Get down!" I screamed, and they ducked, expecting immediate bullet fire.
The masked man's eyes snapped in our direction. He barked into his radio, likely calling the men assigned to guard the hostages. Nothing came through.
"Shit," he growled, eyes darting to the deadman switch in his hand.
Not one to take chances, I touched Denise's neck and made her collar vanish, then gestured to the rest of the bus.
"What are you waiting for? An invitation? Get over here—just in case."
It was a stampede, but I moved quickly, working through the chaos. Dozens of collars vanished in seconds while the mercenary peered suspiciously toward the bus.
I saw the police exchanging wary glances. Everyone could sense something was off, but no one knew exactly what.
The masked man decided to act. He raised the deadman switch.
"If any of you even dream of taking one fucking step, I'll—"
I stuck my tranq gun out the window and squeezed the trigger.
He moved fast—fast enough to dodge the dart—and retaliated immediately, pulling a gun from his boot and firing in our direction.
The bullets pinged off the bus walls, and the hostages screamed.
Not good.
He's superhuman like me. He's probably even faster if he can dodge a bullet he didn't see coming. Or maybe his perception is just that high.
"Stay down. You'll be fine!" I reassured them. "I'll take care of this."
I had to handle this up close and personal.
I shared one last look with my aunt. She squeezed my arm before I pulled away and ran out of the bus's double doors toward the masked man who was dozens of feet away.
He was on his radio again, barking orders.
"The kid is here! Tear it all down and buy me time!"
I dialed Batman. Oddly, the call connected. I still couldn't wrap my head around why radio signals couldn't penetrate Curtain, but telecommunications could.
"I'm forming an invisible tunnel to where I disappeared earlier. Lead a rescue team through while I hold him off."
"Negative. Wait—"
I cut him off, reshaping Curtain with a burst of cursed energy, which I had in spades now, along with a body that could make the most of my Enhancement technique.
My titanium knuckles materialized as I crossed Curtain's receding threshold and came face-to-face with my executioner.
He didn't waste a second.
He opened fire, his pistols barking. Bullets pinged off me as I charged, leading with a heavy haymaker. He sidestepped easily.
I twisted, summoning my katana in my off hand and slashing. It opened his forearm, blood gushing—a fact that seemed to surprise him. I switched my other knuckle out for a Beretta and returned fire. He ducked and dashed backward, twisting as he avoided every shot while returning fire of his own.
I learned to dodge fast.
"You're not half bad, kid," he said, voice calm and focused now, his manic persona vanishing like a distant dream. "Could've made a decent assassin—if you weren't such a bleeding heart."
I fired at his head. He leaned just far enough to avoid it, pulling a blade from his boot in the same motion. With a flourish, it extended to katana length.
"Only fair."
I charged, feinting a stab that flowed into a slash. He parried. His blade flicked toward my throat, but stopped dead.
I pulled it into my Inventory and stabbed with my other hand, summoning a dagger and flaring Overdrive.
The knife pierced his forearm, forcing him to release the deadman switch.
He scowled and moved faster than before, grabbing my arm and twisting. I was airborne before I realized. A midair kick sent me flying. I flipped and landed on my feet, immediately shifting into a defensive stance. His knee strike cracked against my crossed forearms like a gunshot.
I held my ground as he descended, slashing. The bloody dagger I'd used earlier was in his hands now, and we began our frenetic dance—his blade a blur of motion, striking at impossible angles. Even with my advantages, he pressed me hard.
I retaliated with unpredictable bursts of speed, forcing him on the back foot.
The entire time we fought, he kept me between him and the police, making sure they couldn't flank him.
After nearly a minute of fighting, I saw my opening.
I surged forward, pushing my body harder than I ever had, and slashed downward.
He stepped back—just enough to make the blow shallow. It drew a bloody line from shoulder to hip.
I moved in to finish him.
That was when I saw it. A gas grenade inches from my feet.
I couldn't reach it in time and send it to my cursed Inventory, and it bathed me with a cloud of greenish vapor that had me retching and coughing immediately.
My legs gave out, and my throat burned.
With me finally out of the way, gunfire erupted. Police rounds peppered the assassin. He danced back, and I could tell he was smiling.
My throat closed up, but I forced myself upright. I'd trained for this. My body was used to this kind of punishment—even if I didn't recognize the poison.
Controlling my cursed energy felt like braiding water, but Reinforcement and Inverse still came as naturally as breathing.
The assassin paused mid-dodge, eyes locking on me. I saw a flicker of surprise.
"I guess Mask knew what he was talking about," he muttered. "No half-measures then. Take the shot."
A flash of light.
Something drilled into the side of my head, flipping me sideways.
My vision swam, and my heart raced.
Somehow, my technique still held.
Was that… a sniper?
No.
Not again. Not after everything.
I twisted, crawling toward the bus.
Gunfire. Screams. Chaos.
"We need assistance from the rear!" someone shouted over the radio. "The masked man's got people in the crowd too!"
Another shot.
Two-thirds of my cursed energy vanished from both hits.
Through my fractured vision, I saw Batman burst from the Curtain I'd opened earlier. He hurled a smoke bomb my way. It exploded, cloaking the area, shielding us from the sniper's scope.
But the sense of safety vanished the moment I heard the clink of a grenade land nearby.
Batman had his hand wrapped around mine, trying to drag me to safety when the explosion went off.
My body reacted on instinct, surging up and hurling over him.
I took the explosion in the back.
It launched me from the smokescreen, with barely a sliver of cursed energy left and my health half-drained.
I coughed blood and clawed forward, desperate.
This couldn't be it... I can't go like this...
Not after everything.
Helicopters thundered overhead. Noise and shouting came from every direction.
I thought I saw Martian Manhunter speeding toward us.
I still had too much to do. I never told Artemis I was sorry. I never told Mom—
The last thing I saw was my aunt's horrified face as the cops dragged her away.
A third bullet struck me.
Everything went black.
400 powerstones for extra chapter
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