Chapter 21: Voltage, Violence, and Very Bad Decisions
The rooftop still smoldered — cracks glowing with molten plasma, broken tech sparking like dying stars — but the real storm wasn't in the air.
It was in them.
Elliot's Neural Boost roared beneath his skin, electricity still crackling along his arms, every nerve in his body screaming at him. The feedback loop with Nova hadn't just stayed alive — it had evolved.
Her suit — that sleek bioluminescent nightmare — flickered with glitching neon patterns, every glowing line along her waist, thighs, and chest rippling like liquid fire, syncing with every jolt from Elliot's Boost.
The static between them wasn't dying down.
It was climbing.
And now Cipher was gone — blasted halfway across the rooftop, his shiny new plasma arm fried by Elliot's out-of-control power — retreating like a wounded animal into his sleek hovercraft.
But the damage was already done.
Because Elliot and Nova weren't just linked anymore.
They were combusting.
Nova's chest rose and fell in sharp, ragged breaths. The glowing lines on her suit were still pulsing in sync with the flickers of electricity snapping from Elliot's fingertips.
Her violet eyes burned into his. "We need to break this feedback loop."
Elliot swallowed hard. "Yeah. How?"
Nova's hand — half metal, half skin — slid down his arm, leaving a trail of static and fire. "We burn it out."
His heart slammed into his ribs. "Define burn it out."
The System buzzed to life in his head.
[New Mission: Love, Sparks, and Electrocution]
Objective: Overload the feedback loop without dying or making out again.
Bonus: Don't pass out like a wimp.
Hidden Reward: A clue about your powers… or another awkward moment with Nova.
Elliot groaned. "I hate you."
[Correction: You need me.]
Nova blinked. "Are you talking to yourself again?"
"Quirky habit," Elliot muttered.
Another violent snap of static flared between them — Elliot's Boost pulsing against Nova's glitching suit — sending a ripple of neon light flaring across her chest, down her ribs, and dangerously low across her hips.
Nova's jaw tightened.
Elliot's brain short-circuited.
[Libido Meter: REDLINE. Neural Boost becoming dangerously unstable. Suggest distraction — like, immediately.]
"Great suggestion," Elliot hissed internally. "Maybe try helping instead of creeping on me."
[Helping is for losers. I'm here for the entertainment.]
Another crack of electricity jumped from Elliot's palm to Nova's waist — the light on her suit flaring in response, glowing brighter along the curves of her thighs.
Nova gasped — part frustration, part something else.
Her glowing eyes snapped to his. "Control it."
Elliot's voice cracked. "I can't."
[New Side Quest: Keep It in Your Pants]
Objective: Don't embarrass yourself in front of Nova.
Reward: Her not killing you.
"Seriously?" Elliot growled.
Nova didn't seem to notice — or care.
Her hand grabbed his wrist — sending another jolt of raw electricity through them both — and dragged him back from the edge of the rooftop. The feedback loop crackled, the connection between his Neural Boost and her suit glowing brighter with every second.
"You're going to fry me again," Nova growled, her voice low, dangerous.
Elliot's pulse spiked. "Maybe stop touching me then!"
Her lips twitched. "You wish."
The System buzzed again.
[Achievement Unlocked: Unwanted Tension]
Reward: +1 Reflex Boost… and zero dignity.
Another violent snap of static.
Nova's suit flared again — the neon lines running from her waist down her inner thigh glowing too bright before glitching back up her body.
She bit her bottom lip — hard — her glowing eyes narrowing.
"Nova," Elliot rasped, "I think we're making this worse."
Her hand — still sparking from their connection — slid up his arm again, every touch dragging more electricity between them, feeding the feedback loop until it felt like the rooftop itself might detonate.
Her voice was a growl. "Then let's push it until it breaks."
Elliot's stomach flipped. "What the hell does that mean?"
Nova's lips brushed his ear. "It means hold on, rookie."
And then —
She kissed him again.
Not soft. Not careful.
It was fire.
Teeth. Heat. Destruction.
The feedback loop exploded.
Electricity roared between them — a violent crackle of raw energy surging from Elliot's Boost into Nova's suit. Every glowing line on her body flared — brighter than before — the neon circuits glowing along her ribs, waist, and thighs like they were about to burn out.
The rooftop shook.
The static storm between them wasn't just sparking anymore — it was erupting.
Elliot's Boost pushed past 110% — his whole body a live wire.
Nova's suit glitched — the bioluminescent patterns rippling wildly — each line of light flickering across her skin like it couldn't decide if it was going to explode or melt.
She moaned into his mouth — a sharp, dangerous sound — and the feedback loop surged harder.
The rooftop lights burst.
Concrete cracked.
The System pinged.
[WARNING: Neural Boost at 120%. Immediate release required.]
"Immediate release?" Elliot gasped against Nova's lips. "That sounds wildly inappropriate—"
Nova bit his bottom lip. "Shut up."
Another snap of static.
Another flare of neon across Nova's suit.
Another violent shockwave rippling through the rooftop.
Elliot's head spun — too much heat, too much her — every nerve in his body buzzing from the unstable power coursing through both of them.
Nova broke the kiss — her breathing ragged, her body still pressed against his, their tech still sparking.
Her violet eyes blazed. "We need to end this."
Elliot's voice cracked. "Yeah… how?"
The System buzzed again.
[New Mission: The Big Discharge]
Objective: Force the feedback loop to short-circuit.
Bonus: Don't die.
Hidden Reward: ???
Elliot stared at the mission prompt. "This is the worst mission title you've ever given me."
[You're welcome.]
Nova smirked — still sparking, still burning — and raised her blade, the neon glow in her suit still pulsing with every flicker of Elliot's Boost.
Her lips hovered near his ear. "Let's break something."
And the rooftop — still teetering on the edge of destruction —
shattered.