Tempest: The Renegade

Phase 2, part 2

In the Dead Zone, almost everyone has an experience with paranormal sightings. Both me and Zoya have seen several strange figures or shadows which disappeared as soon as we looked at them directly. Most of the Castaways claim they are suffering souls of those who died during the Impact.

However, this one seems material enough. Besides, it had to open the window to get here. Should I be afraid? Who is this and why are they in my room in the dead of night?

I lie still and wait for the black figure to come closer. I stiffen as I hear the sound of crackling electricity. This is not good. Someone knows about my weakness - that means someone came to eliminate me. An assassin who is... acting on their own? Sent by someone?

It comes closer... and closer...

At this moment, I lash out and punch the unexpecting shadow in the chest. I can finally take a look at what I'm facing, even though it doesn't help much. The figure is dressed in all black like a ninja, judging from the figure it's apparently female. Lean, athletic and nimble.

Only two things disturb the blackness - the assassin's cold blue eyes and sparks of electricity on her knuckles. She's armed with a pair of knuckle-dusters with electric tips - a perfect weapon to use against me. She was sent by someone who's aware of my weakness.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" I bark. "Get lost!"

Instead of replying, the woman charges at me and attacks me with the electric knuckles. I can't tell if she's a regular Castaway or a Vulture. She's faster than a regular, but a Vulture wouldn't be able to do things as complex as climbing up here and infiltrating the room.

I can examine the attacker's identity once I defeat her.

...

Her slight figure is an advantage here. I evade and deflect her attacks, but they relentlessly keep raining on me. I'll have to counterattack, else the deadly electric shock will mess with my bionic heart replacement. My old habits come alive again.

As she swings her fist at me, I step aside and rush forward, tackling her with my shoulder. She immediately gets back on her feet, but I continue with a crushing uppercut which sends her to the glass wall. She hits the glass back-first and a network of cracks decorates the window.

Dazed, yet still combat-ready, she runs towards me again. I aim the palm of my artificial arm at her, releasing a surge of boiling steam. She lets out a shriek muffled by the fabric over her mouth as the steam connects with her unprotected eyes. She covers them and stumbles backward.

At this moment, I'd be able to burn her to a crisp with my flamethrower, but I can't risk setting the whole AVIA Mall on fire. Instead, I deliver several more punches and enjoy the sound of cracking bones. She was apparently sent here to assassinate me; she's not suited for direct combat.

After I'm done with her, she can barely stand. One of her arms is lifelessly dangling by her side, but the other, with the electric knuckle still turned on, is still ready to finish its task. Ignoring the pain, she once again charges at me. She looks like some kind of brainwash.

About a meter before me, she jumps in the air and surprises me with a rapid kick into my chin. I stagger and she takes advantage of this moment of weakness to strike me down to the floor with several more kicks aimed at my sensitive spots, especially the kneecaps.

When I fall on my back, she climbs on me like we were up to making love, but with completely opposite intentions. She raises the electric knuckle to strike and I have to block it with my bionic arm. The stream of sparks connects with its forearm.

I scream as the electric current flows through my body. I can almost feel the bionic heart glitching. Will it stop in the upcoming seconds?

Overcoming the suffering, I grab the assassin's wrist and try to move it away, but the spasms in my muscles are making it harder than it appears. Her eyes are open wide, the tiny pupils give her a maniacal look.

Instead of the arm, I go for the head. Even though the danger is imminent, she doesn't flinch. Finally, I grab her head between my palms and, using the energy of one of the spasms, violently twist it. The life fades from the assassin's eyes as I hear a loud, nasty crack. I shove her on the floor and try to shake off the shock. For several minutes, all I can do is to gasp for breath.

Fortunately, it seems my bionic heart is still working, even though the numbness in some of my body parts tells me it has to recover from the shock. If she used both "defibrillators" on me, I'd be dead by now. Then, when I start to feel okay again, I can finally examine the assassin's body.

I remove the black overalls to reveal the naked body. She has no hair - that means she has to be a Vulture, at least to some degree. Her muscles are firm, but not as unnaturally as the Vultures'. She has a forgettable face, so I can't recall whether I've seen her somewhere or not.

The question remains: who sent her? Or was she acting on her own?

Then I remember my brief skirmish with Valentina. And suddenly, all puzzle pieces start to create a picture. That red-haired bitch probably found me too defiant and decided to eliminate me. Unbelievable. Her venomous mouth is full of love and respect - and then, she just sends an assassin to finish me off.

Nevertheless, this complicates my plan.

I can either confront her and tell her I know it was her. Or... maybe it would be better if I just played dumb. She definitely sees me as a numbskull, an extremely powerful thug with a retarded mind. But she's wrong. I may be unstable, aggressive, volatile - but I'm not an idiot.

If I want to succeed here and do what I want to do, I'll have to play her game. Taking unnecessary risks can be fatal for me now since it's me against this whole goddamn city. Just you wait, Valentina. Two can play this game and you'll be surprised once your half-witted thug reveals what is he capable of.