The Shard Spark

Zack gripped the rusted pipe, its cold weight slick with sweat in his hands. The shard-beast charged, its claws sparking against the dirt, Volthar Shards glowing blue in its chest like tiny stars. It was smaller than the monster he'd seen in the square, but still towered over him—broad shoulders, a hide like cracked rock, and eyes that burned yellow. Electricity arced from its paws, snapping in the air with a sound like breaking glass. Zack's heart slammed against his ribs, his cut arm screaming as he swung the pipe with everything he had. It cracked against the beast's skull, a dull clang echoing in the narrow alley. The thing barely flinched, its head jerking sideways before snapping back to glare at him. A low growl rumbled from its throat, vibrating the trash-strewn ground.

He stumbled back, shoes slipping on a pile of soggy wrappers. The beast lunged, one claw swiping at his chest. Zack threw himself sideways, slamming into the alley wall with a grunt. The claw missed by inches, gouging a chunk from the plasteel behind him. Sparks flew, stinging his face. He scrambled up, pipe still clutched tight, and swung again, aiming for its glowing eyes. The metal connected, a wet crunch this time, and the beast roared, rearing back. Blue light pulsed brighter in its chest, the shards humming with energy. Zack's breath came in short gasps, smoke and sweat burning his eyes. He wasn't winning this. He was stalling.

The beast shook its head, shaking off the hit, and charged again. Zack dove, rolling under a swipe that tore through a stack of crates like they were paper. Splinters rained down as he hit the dirt, pipe skittering from his grip. He clawed for it, fingers brushing the metal, but the beast was on him. A claw pinned his leg, not deep but hard enough to trap him. Pain shot up his thigh, hot and sharp. He yelled, kicking with his free foot, but the thing didn't budge. Its jaws opened, drool dripping onto his chest, stinking of burnt wire and rot. The Volthar Shards in its hide pulsed faster, electricity crackling along its teeth. Zack's hands scrabbled in the trash, desperate for anything—a rock, a stick, something.

His fingers brushed something cold, smooth, buzzing. He grabbed it, pulling it free from the muck. A Volthar Shard, cracked and small, no bigger than his fist, but glowing with that same blue light. A jolt shot up his arm, sharp and alive, like he'd stuck his hand in a live socket. His vision blurred, static dancing at the edges, and his chip buzzed hard against his wrist. The beast's jaws lunged for his throat. Zack shoved the shard up, jamming it into the thing's mouth on instinct. It reared back, choking, claws scraping the ground as it thrashed. Blue sparks erupted from its jaws, sizzling in the air. Zack yanked his leg free, rolling away as the beast staggered, hacking and snarling.

He pushed to his knees, clutching the shard. His arm tingled, warm now, the buzz sinking into his skin. The beast shook its head, spitting out a glob of sparking goo, and fixed its eyes on him again. But something was different. Zack felt it—a hum in his chest, syncing with the shard's pulse. His chip beeped, loud and insistent, projecting a holo-screen without him tapping it. Words scrolled fast, glitching at first. Bioelectric surge detected. Electrokinesis: External Type. Analyzing. Zack blinked, head spinning. External Type? He'd seen net vids about electrokinetics—freaks who could wield electricity like magic. One in ten thousand. Rare as hell.

The beast roared, cutting his shock short, and charged again. Zack scrambled back, shard in hand, and tripped over a broken crate. He hit the ground hard, air whooshing from his lungs. The beast loomed over him, claws raised, but his chip chimed again. Database synced. Techkinetics: External enhancement via bioelectric current. He didn't have time to read more. The shard pulsed in his grip, hot now, and he thrust it forward, not sure what he was doing. A snap of blue light arced from his hand, weak but sharp, striking the beast's chest. It yelped, staggering back, the Volthar Shards in its hide flickering. Zack stared, panting. Did he do that?

He didn't get a chance to figure it out. The beast recovered, snarling, and leaped. Zack rolled, barely dodging as its claws smashed the spot he'd been. The pipe lay a few feet away. He lunged for it, grabbing it as the beast turned. His chip buzzed again, screen flickering. Unique trait detected: Residual Absorption. Limited window post-mortem. He didn't know what that meant, but the shard in his other hand felt alive, buzzing louder. The beast charged, and Zack swung the pipe, aiming for its leg. It connected, bending the metal, and the beast stumbled. He didn't hesitate—dropped the pipe and jammed the shard against its chest, right where the glowing crystals glowed brightest.

A surge hit him, like lightning through his veins. The beast shrieked, thrashing, and blue sparks erupted from its hide. Zack held on, teeth gritted, as the energy flowed into him—hot, wild, overwhelming. His vision went white for a second, then cleared. The beast slumped, twitching, its shards dimming. Dead. Zack pulled back, gasping, hands shaking. The shard he'd held was dark now, drained, but his arm buzzed with leftover static. His chip chimed. Absorption complete. Bioelectric capacity increased. Warning: Unstable output. He stared at the beast, then his hands. He'd sucked the electricity right out of it. But how?

Footsteps crunched behind him. Zack spun, shard raised like a weapon. A figure stumbled into the alley—human, not Skrixx. Tani, the girl from school, her leg bloody and her braid half-undone. "Zack?" she croaked, eyes wide. "You okay?" He lowered the shard, nodding, though he wasn't sure. "Yeah. You?" She limped closer, wincing. "Barely. Thanks for back there. That thing almost had me." She glanced at the dead beast, then the shard in his hand. "What'd you do?"

He opened his mouth, but a screech cut him off. Skrixx, three of them, skittered into the alley from the far end, claws gleaming. Tani froze. Zack's gut clenched. The docks were so close—he could hear the shuttles whining, see smoke curling from their direction. But these things weren't letting him go easy. His chip buzzed again, screen flickering. Output unstable. Recommend calibration. Great. Whatever he'd done to the beast, he didn't know how to do it again. The Skrixx advanced, chittering, mandibles snapping. Zack grabbed Tani's arm. "Run!"

They bolted, her limping hard, him half-dragging her toward the alley's mouth. The Skrixx were fast, closing the gap. Zack's legs burned, his new buzz humming under his skin, but he didn't know how to use it. Ahead, the street opened to the docks—shuttles lifting off, people swarming ramps. Too far. A Skrixx lunged, claws swiping. Zack shoved Tani aside and turned, raising the dead shard. Nothing happened. The claw came down, and he braced for the hit.