Chapter 14: Heat, Havoc, and Heartbeats

The rooftop roared with chaos.

Smoke from the drone's explosion coiled through the air—black and electric—while the twisted remains of metal and shattered glass rained down like deadly confetti. The neon skyline of Nexus-9 pulsed in the distance, but here—on this bloodied rooftop—nothing else existed except danger and heat.

And Cipher.

He stood at the edge of the carnage, his red visor glowing through the smoke, his plasma-scarred cybernetic arm flexing with a soft metallic whine. The Chrome Reapers were gone—bodies smoldering, circuits fried—but Cipher was still here. Still standing.

Still hungry.

For Elliot.

For Nova.

For whatever the hell was happening between them.

Elliot's Neural Boost still buzzed beneath his skin—unstable, violent—sending unpredictable jolts of raw electricity crackling along his limbs. Sparks danced from his fingertips, every flicker of power reacting to Nova's presence.

Because she was still flickering too—her bioluminescent bodysuit glitching, the glowing lines along her body pulsing in sync with Elliot's out-of-control tech.

They weren't just near each other anymore.

Their systems were feeding off each other.

A closed circuit—an unstable one—ready to explode.

Cipher's voice was a cold rasp. "I should kill you both."

Nova's blade flared to life—a searing violet arc slicing through the smoke. "Try."

[New Mission: Blades and Bloodlust]

Objective: Survive Cipher—again.

Bonus: Stabilize Neural Feedback before it kills you.

Hidden Reward: ???

The rooftop seemed smaller now—like the air itself had shrunk, thick with tension and danger.

And heat.

Always the heat.

Cipher took a slow step forward. "I don't want you dead yet, Elliot." His visor flickered, scanning the sparks still snapping off Elliot's body. "I want to know what you are."

"Yeah," Elliot muttered. "Join the club."

The second Cipher moved—everything snapped.

Nova lunged first—fast and fluid—her blade cutting through the air with a deadly hiss. Cipher blocked the strike with his cybernetic arm—metal screeching against energy steel—and drove his knee into Nova's side.

The impact sent her skidding back, her suit flaring violently from the feedback loop still sparking between her and Elliot.

Elliot didn't hesitate.

His Neural Boost flared—his reflexes kicking into overdrive—and he grabbed a jagged piece of the destroyed drone. It wasn't much of a weapon—but it was sharp, and it was fast.

He swung at Cipher's head.

Cipher caught the attack mid-swing.

Elliot's entire arm exploded with static—his Neural Boost overloading at the contact. Sparks flared from his hand to Cipher's arm, and for a split second, Cipher's visor glitched.

Nova was already back on her feet—her blade a flash of violet light as she slashed at Cipher's side.

The attack connected—cutting deep through the plating in Cipher's ribs.

He staggered, sparks and blood spraying across the rooftop.

But Cipher didn't fall.

His visor blinked wildly—his voice a low snarl. "You're a problem, Nova."

Elliot's Neural Boost flared again—too strong, too fast—and another violent arc of electricity shot from his hand, hitting Nova's arm.

She gasped—half in pain, half in something else—as the feedback loop surged through them both.

Her suit rippled—pulsing along her chest, her waist, her thighs—every line of neon light flickering out of sync with her own body.

"Fuck," Nova hissed. "Rookie—control your damn Boost."

"I'm trying!" Elliot growled.

Another pulse—another spark—another violent reaction.

The rooftop lights buzzed louder, reacting to the storm building between them.

Cipher watched—his head tilting. "Fascinating."

Nova wiped blood from her mouth, her glowing eyes locked onto Cipher. "If you're so fascinated—come closer."

Cipher raised his plasma arm—charging another shot.

Elliot's heart slammed into his ribs.

[Neural Overload at 99%. System on the verge of critical failure.]

The feedback loop between him and Nova was too much.

They were feeding off each other's tech—escalating each other's systems.

And it was going to kill them.

Elliot's body jerked again—another spark arcing from his palm to Nova's thigh.

She bit back a moan—her suit glitching harder, the glowing lines across her body flaring dangerously bright.

Her voice was hoarse. "Stop sparking on me!"

"Stop reacting to me!"

Cipher fired the plasma blast.

It shot straight at Nova.

Elliot moved without thinking—his Neural Boost snapping past its limit.

A wave of raw electricity exploded from his hands—an uncontrolled arc of energy—intercepting the plasma bolt midair.

The blast detonated—a violent collision of fire and lightning.

Cipher staggered back—his visor glitching from the sudden electric surge.

Nova's glowing lines flared even brighter—the feedback from Elliot's Neural Boost flooding her suit again.

She grabbed Elliot—slamming him back against the rooftop wall—her body still sparking from his.

"Rookie," she growled, her voice ragged. "You're gonna fry me."

Elliot's heart thundered—his skin still buzzing, every inch of him a live wire. "You're the one who's overloading me."

The space between them was pure static—electricity snapping between their lips, their fingertips, their skin.

Nova's hand—metal and flesh—slid down Elliot's chest, her grip rough, dangerous. "We need to break this feedback loop—now."

Elliot swallowed hard—his thoughts a hurricane of heat and chaos. "How?"

Her eyes burned into his. "We overload it."

His pulse spiked. "I thought that's the problem—"

She kissed him.

Violently.

The contact set off another shockwave—electricity exploding between them.

Elliot's Neural Boost snapped—pushing past 100%—and Nova's suit flared in response, the glowing lines across her body pulsating in time with the feedback.

The rooftop shook.

Cipher staggered again—his visor glitching harder. "What the fuck—"

Elliot's mind was a white-hot blur—every nerve ending burning, every muscle locked in the violent, uncontrollable storm between him and Nova.

Her mouth was still on his—fierce, raw, dangerous—their tech reacting violently to every touch.

Her hand fisted in his shirt—his hand grabbing her waist—both of them locked in a circuit of fire and static.

Another shockwave flared—this one so strong it blew out the remaining rooftop lights.

Cipher's visor blinked wildly. "This… isn't possible."

Nova broke the kiss—her breath ragged, her body still glitching against his.

Her voice was a growl. "We're not possible."

The rooftop burned—static, smoke, and lust all colliding.

And Cipher?

He finally took a step back.

For the first time—he looked scared.