Chapter 7: Circuits and Skin

The rooftop was a neon-soaked battlefield — blood pooling in electric blue puddles beneath sparking cybernetic limbs, the faint scent of ozone still clinging to the air. The wind howled between the high-rises of Nexus-9, but the silence between Elliot and Nova was louder.

Too loud.

Nova's violet eyes glimmered in the dim light, glowing faintly like a predator's gaze. Her fingers — a mix of cool metal and smooth skin — still rested on Elliot's jaw, tracing the line of a cut he barely remembered getting.

The fight was over.

The real danger was just beginning.

[New Mission: The Lioness and the Lamb]

Objective: Don't screw this up.

Bonus: Survive Nova's… intentions.

Hidden Reward: ???

Elliot swallowed hard. "So… we gonna talk about what just happened?"

Nova's lips curled into a wicked smile. "Which part? The part where you almost got your throat cut — again — or the part where you tackled a Chrome Reaper like a drunk amateur?"

"Uh… both?"

She stepped closer — too close. The smell of her was sharp and electric, like hot metal mixed with something faintly sweet. The bioluminescent lines on her bodysuit pulsed in time with her heartbeat, and Elliot's gaze couldn't help but trace the patterns, the curves beneath the tech.

Her fingers trailed lower, resting just above his collarbone.

"You keep surprising me, rookie," Nova murmured. "It's… irritating."

Elliot blinked. "I have that effect on people."

She chuckled softly, but there was no humor in it — just heat and danger, coiled like a wire about to snap.

[Libido Meter: WARNING — Entering Uncharted Territory.]

"Seriously, shut up," Elliot hissed internally.

Nova tilted her head. "You keep doing that."

"Doing what?"

"Muttering."

"Quirky habit," he rasped.

Her lips were a whisper away from his. "I could break you in half, you know."

Elliot's pulse slammed against his ribs. "Not really selling yourself here."

Nova's hand slid lower — over his chest, fingers teasing the hem of his shirt.

His entire body tensed — not from fear, but from the electric need flooding his system. It was like his circuits had been rewired, every nerve ending tuned to her touch.

[Warning: Neural Boost is reacting to heightened stimuli. Prepare for… unexpected consequences.]

Elliot clenched his jaw. "Consequences?"

Nova raised an eyebrow. "What consequences?"

"Nothing," Elliot said too quickly.

Her fingers danced lower — grazing the waistband of his pants.

His thoughts crashed into a wall. "Nova, I—"

She cut him off with a kiss — fierce, demanding, and electric.

It wasn't soft or sweet — it was fire meeting gasoline, a clash of teeth and heat. The kiss was raw and primal, more a battle than an embrace.

Elliot's back hit the rooftop railing as Nova pressed him against it, her hands now fully roaming his body — metal and skin intertwining with his own.

The System buzzed like static in his head.

[ALERT: Unstable Neural Overload Detected.]

Elliot's mind blurred — every touch from Nova sent a jolt through his nerves, like the Neural Boost was amplifying everything. The scrape of her nails, the press of her body — it all hit like a live wire.

"Nova—wait," he panted. "Something's—"

She bit his lower lip — not hard enough to break skin, but enough to make his entire body jolt. "Shut up, rookie."

[Heart rate: 145 BPM. You're either about to black out… or get very, very lucky.]

Elliot's brain was a battlefield — the System screaming warnings in one ear while Nova practically set him on fire in the other.

Her hand slid lower — below his belt this time — and Elliot's vision went white for half a second as the Neural Boost flared wildly.

"Shit—"

Nova's eyes flashed. "What's wrong with you?"

"My… Neural Boost," Elliot rasped. "It's… malfunctioning."

Nova paused — but only for a second — before she pressed her body against his again, lips grazing his ear. "Then I guess we see how much you can take before you short-circuit."

[Libido Meter: OVERLOAD. System integrity at risk.]

The rooftop door suddenly slammed open.

A new voice echoed through the night.

"Well, isn't this cozy?"

Elliot's head snapped toward the source — a tall figure clad in matte-black combat armor, his face hidden behind a sleek helmet with a single glowing red visor. More cybernetic implants lined his arms, pulsing faintly beneath his skin.

Nova's blade flared to life instantly, and she stepped in front of Elliot, her body shifting from predator to protector in the blink of an eye.

"Cipher," Nova growled.

The figure's visor flickered. "Still picking up strays, Nova?"

Elliot tried to steady his breathing, his body still burning from Nova's touch — and the Neural Boost's chaotic feedback.

Cipher's voice was cold. "The Chrome Reapers were just a distraction. You really thought we wouldn't track you down ourselves?"

Nova didn't move. "He's got nothing to do with this."

Cipher's head tilted. "I disagree."

Elliot's gut twisted. "Oh, great."

The rooftop crackled with tension — the promise of violence hanging in the air like a blade's edge.

The heat from Nova hadn't faded — but the danger had just gotten worse.

[New Mission: Between Fire and Fury]

Objective: Survive Cipher's attack.

Bonus: Protect Nova.

Hidden Reward: Unlocked if you live long enough.

Nova's blade hissed in the silence.

Cipher's arm shifted — plates sliding away to reveal a sleek plasma weapon embedded directly into his forearm.

The night wasn't over.

And this time…

It wasn't just about lust — it was about survival.