CITY A – THE FRONT
The beetle disappeared.
Mr. Gambete turned his head. Nothing. Wind. Dust.
BAM.
An attack from behind. He dodged. His foot spun. A kick. The beetle hovered. A second kick. It sank. A third. It crashed through a wall.
The beetle's wings unfolded. Its speed doubled.
Blows rained down. Mr. Gambete was thrown around. He crashed against a building, took hold, and jumped.
The building exploded behind him. The force of the blast propelled him. He dodged the beetle's strike, grabbed its arm with his calves, and cut it off.
The beetle flew backward.
It got up. Its arm regenerated.
"I am one of the twelve masterpieces of the White House. Created to fight Captain Man. He is the ceiling our house dreams of reaching."
It spread its wings.
"I am Scaravenger. I possess extraordinary strength and speed, surpassing or rivaling speedsters like Fast Track. And I have accelerated regeneration, much faster than Spiral Jake's."
It spat black blood.
"All this to say that this fight is lost before it even begins."
Mr. Gambete spat on the ground.
"Fuck. Shut up. You've been talking non-stop."
He took his guard.
"Come fight."
Scaravenger extended its hand. A beam shot out. Mr. Gambete dodged, entering a building through a window.
Buildings exploded one by one. He came out through another window, landed a kick. The beetle stepped back.
Mr. Gambete walked toward it. The beetle kept retreating, at very high speed.
Then it moved. Broke the lines. Reversed the situation.
Mr. Gambete stepped back.
A figure intervened.
Space Jacket. Blue-gray armor. A full helmet. Reactors on his back.
"Analysis. No civilians within a 500-meter radius."
He raised his fist.
"Star Breaker Smash."
Stars appeared around his arm. Mr. Gambete jumped thirty meters into the air.
BOOM.
The district's roads were atomized.
The explosion was enormous. Scaravenger smoked, scorched, but began to regenerate.
Space Jacket spoke:
"Preparing machine guns."
Before he could fire, Mr. Gambete came down on him. A kick. The explosion created a crater.
Mr. Gambete stared at Space Jacket. He had never seen him. He wasn't an Association hero.
The city screens captured the scene.
A reporter shouted:
"WE HAVE AN UNKNOWN INTERVENTION! REPEAT: AN UNREGISTERED ENTITY ELIMINATED THE THREAT IN SECONDS!"
People in the street watched.
"…Who is he?"
"Is he a hero?"
---
ASSOCIATION EXECUTIVES
Anastasia looked at the screen.
"…We have no file on him."
Arata crossed his arms.
"And yet he just neutralized a Class S threat without authorization."
Silence.
Lion spoke.
"He's not a hero."
The silence grew heavier.
"He's a problem."
---
ON THE FIELD
Space Jacket looked at the crowd. People applauded. He looked at Mr. Gambete, out of breath.
"If you need rapid intervention, contact us. The Gambling Agency is here to help."
He looked at Mr. Gambete one last time.
"I think I stole your audience."
Jetpack activation.
He flew away.
---
CITY C – THE ROOFTOPS
Captain Man and One patrolled.
A roar. Mbrogo. The blue troll. Exposed bones. Red eyes.
Captain Man took his guard.
"One, stay behind me."
One looked at the monster.
"He's ugly."
"Not the time."
A figure watched them from the shadows.
---
TO BE CONTINUED…