Chapter 12: Shockwaves and Surrender

The countdown ticked down—00:29… 00:28…—the glowing red numbers flickering against Nova's wrist like a digital guillotine.

The rooftop was still charged with static, the air humming from the leftover sparks jumping between Elliot and Nova's bodies. The heat between them hadn't cooled—it had thickened, heavier now, darker. A storm teetering between lust and violence.

Elliot's Neural Boost still buzzed beneath his skin, raw electricity pulsing through his veins, and Nova's bioluminescent bodysuit was still flickering—her circuits glitching, reacting to him.

Their tech wasn't just connected—it was colliding.

And in less than 30 seconds, something else was coming for them.

Nova's voice was rough, low. "We have to move."

But she didn't move.

Her hand was still fisted in Elliot's shirt, her body still pressed against his. The countdown kept ticking, but the tension between them didn't break—it snapped tighter.

Elliot's jaw clenched. "Nova—"

"Shut up," she growled.

Her lips crashed into his again—hotter this time, more violent. It wasn't about desire now—it was about dominance. A war fought with teeth and tongues and the taste of blood.

The rooftop's emergency lights flickered as their systems sparked—Neural Boost against bio-circuitry. Every touch sent another jolt through Elliot's body, and Nova's suit rippled with every spark, glowing along her waist, her chest, the sharp line of her throat.

Her hand slid up his chest—cold metal fingers and warm skin dragging fire in their wake. When she reached his neck, she tightened her grip—just enough for Elliot to feel the threat in it.

A promise of control.

His own hand found her waist—tracing the glitching neon lines of her suit—and the feedback between them surged, a violent arc of static snapping from his palm to her ribs.

Nova gasped—her head falling back, teeth sinking into her bottom lip.

The countdown hit 00:20.

Elliot's voice was hoarse. "We… should really… stop."

Nova's glowing violet eyes met his—dark, burning.

"Then stop me," she whispered.

He didn't.

His lips crashed into hers again, and the Neural Boost flared—sending another violent shock between them. Nova's suit flickered harder, the light rippling down her spine like a glitching circuit board.

She moaned into his mouth—a sound that sent a brutal wave of heat straight through Elliot's core.

[WARNING: Neural Overload at 98%. System nearing critical failure.]

His whole body felt like a live wire—one more spark away from breaking.

Nova's hand slipped lower—teasing the waistband of his pants again, the same spot she'd hovered at before. This time, her touch burned hotter—the static between them so intense it made the lights overhead buzz louder, threatening to burst.

"Nova," Elliot rasped. "I'm gonna—"

Another shock—harder this time—arced between his hand and her waist.

Nova's head snapped back—half in pain, half in something else entirely.

"Do it," she growled against his neck. "Let it break."

The countdown hit 00:10.

The rooftop's lights exploded—glass shattering, sparks raining down on them.

Elliot's Neural Boost surged to 100%—an unstoppable wave of raw power tearing through his limbs.

Nova gasped again, her body arching against his as her suit reacted—bioluminescent lines glowing even brighter, flickering in time with his pulses of electricity.

For a split second—they weren't just connected.

They were one circuit.

Elliot's head spun—too much sensation, too much static, too much her.

Nova's breath was hot against his ear. "You're a fucking disaster, rookie."

"Yeah," Elliot groaned, "I noticed."

The countdown hit 00:03.

00:02.

Nova's lips were still on his—his hand still tangled in the glitching lines of her suit—when the timer hit 00:01.

And then—

A deafening blast rocked the rooftop.

The sky split open in a violent flash of blue plasma, and a drone—sleeker, deadlier than the last—hovered above them, its twin cannons already glowing.

Through the smoke and static, a cold, familiar voice echoed across the rooftop.

"Well, isn't this cozy?"

Cipher.

He stepped out from the shadows, his red visor glowing in the dark—flanked by four more Chrome Reapers.

Elliot's stomach dropped.

"You again?" he gasped. "We just kicked your ass!"

Cipher's voice was a rasp. "And yet… here I am."

Nova's blade flared back to life—violet light cutting through the smoke.

But this time—her circuits were still flickering, glitching from the feedback loop Elliot had set off.

And Cipher noticed.

His visor flashed brighter. "Looks like your little connection is costing you, Nova."

Nova didn't blink. "Come closer and I'll show you what else it costs."

The drone above them buzzed louder, its cannons charging.

[New Mission: Between Fire and Flesh]

Objective: Survive Cipher's second attack.

Bonus: Protect Nova—again.

Hidden Reward: Unknown.

Elliot's Neural Boost was still sparking under his skin—unstable, dangerous.

Nova's suit was still glitching—reacting to him.

And Cipher?

He was ready to kill them both.

The rooftop turned into a battlefield again—blood, metal, and unfinished heat.

And this time—Elliot wasn't sure if he'd survive the fight…

Or Nova.