Chapter 26: Running, Riots, and Ridiculousness
The night was a neon hurricane.
The rooftop behind them crumbled into a molten wreck, plasma blasts still lighting up the sky like an electric thunderstorm. Hovercrafts roared overhead, chrome mercenaries fired plasma rounds from the collapsing ledge, and the shattered skyline of Nexus-9 flickered like a dying circuit board.
But the real problem wasn't the explosions.
It was them.
Elliot's Neural Boost roared at 170% — his body a live wire of unfiltered electricity, crackling from his fingertips like he was about to detonate.
And Nova's bioluminescent suit wasn't faring any better — the glowing neon lines across her ribs, waist, and thighs flaring every time a new pulse of Elliot's Boost snapped through the feedback loop connecting them.
Every time they touched. Every time they moved.
It grew stronger.
And the city was about to pay for it.
Nova's blade hummed at her side, her breathing ragged as the glow from her suit pulsed in sync with Elliot's surging Boost. "We need to keep moving."
Elliot wiped blood from his lip, still sparking like a human Tesla coil. "We need to stop glowing like a walking rave."
The System chimed in his head.
---
[New Mission: *Fast, Furious, and Probably Fked*]**
Objective: Outrun three factions through Nexus-9 without destroying the city.
Bonus: Don't overheat your Boost.
Failure: Arrest, death, or eternal embarrassment.
---
Plasma blasts screamed from the Chrome Reapers behind them — blue-hot streaks tearing through the air.
Nova grabbed Elliot's jacket — electricity snapping between her fingers and his Boost — sending a crackling pulse through her suit.
Her voice was a growl. "Move your ass, rookie."
Elliot stumbled forward as the rooftop under them exploded — another plasma bolt detonating against the concrete. "Stop grabbing me—you're just making this worse!"
The System buzzed.
---
[Pro Tip: Flirting is not a valid escape strategy. Run faster.]
---
"I'm not flirting!" Elliot snapped at the System.
Nova blinked. "Are you arguing with yourself again?"
"IT'S A CONDITION!"
They sprinted across the new rooftop, electricity crackling behind every step Elliot took — each jolt syncing with Nova's suit, sending more violent ripples of neon light down her ribs and thighs.
From above, a Ghost Circuit hovercraft locked onto them — plasma cannons charging — and a robotic voice crackled through the speakers.
"Target acquired. Lethal force authorized."
Nova didn't slow. "They're going to vaporize us."
Elliot's Neural Boost flared — another shockwave snapping between him and Nova — sending a crack of static so strong that a rooftop vent detonated behind them, sending molten shrapnel flying.
Nova ducked. "You just EMP'd a vent."
Elliot gawked at his still-sparking hand. "I'm talented?"
The System buzzed.
---
[Achievement Unlocked: Collateral Damage King]
Reward: +1 Reflex Boost.
Penalty: The destruction of public property… again.
---
Nova gave him a look. "I hate you."
Another plasma blast roared past them.
Elliot gritted his teeth. "Yeah, join the club."
A second hovercraft swung into view — this one belonging to the Spire Syndicate — its side hatch sliding open to reveal a mercenary with glowing green implants and a plasma rifle the size of a small car.
The merc sneered. "The boss wants the glitch alive."
Cipher's voice crackled through the merc's comm. "Barely alive."
Nova's jaw tightened. "Of course he's still watching."
Elliot groaned. "Does he ever take a day off?"
The System chimed.
---
[New Side Quest: Killjoy Cipher]
Objective: Survive Cipher's factions without making him laugh.
Reward: His disappointment.
---
The Spire merc aimed his plasma rifle.
Elliot's Boost snapped again — sending another wave of static crackling between him and Nova — and the feedback loop surged harder, the neon lines on Nova's suit flaring like a glitching rainbow.
Nova stumbled mid-run, her suit glitching so violently it sent a pulse of light across her body. "Rookie—"
Elliot grabbed her arm to steady her — only to send another shock through their connection.
Her suit flared again — the bioluminescent lines racing down her back, over her ribs, and too far down her thighs before glitching back up.
Nova gasped — half frustration, half something else. "Stop touching me!"
"Stop FALLING!"
The System chimed.
---
[Libido Meter: Supernova Overload]
Warning: Your Neural Boost is syncing with other impulses.
Solution: Less touching. More running.
---
Elliot's voice cracked. "Oh, come on!"
Another plasma blast from the Spire merc — this time aimed at Nova's head.
Elliot didn't think.
His Boost snapped again — sending an arc of raw electricity from his palm to the plasma rifle — and the weapon overloaded.
The merc's gun detonated in his hands, sending him flying off the hovercraft in a smoking heap.
Nova blinked. "Did you just EMP a gun again?"
Elliot stared at his still-crackling hand. "I think I'm a walking power outage."
The System buzzed.
---
[Achievement Unlocked: Certified Menace to Technology]
Reward: +2 Combat Reflex.
Penalty: The death of innocent electronics.
---
Cipher's voice echoed through the comms. "You really are a malfunction."
Elliot raised his sparking hands. "I prefer the term live wire."
Nova grabbed his arm again — electricity snapping between them — and yanked him down a fire escape.
"Less talking. More running."
The hovercrafts circled above — plasma cannons charging — while the Chrome Reapers and Spire mercs leapt between rooftops, weapons drawn.
Nova's suit kept glitching — still reacting to Elliot's every pulse — lighting up in chaotic bursts across her ribs and thighs.
The System chimed again.
---
[New Mission Unlocked: The Great Nexus-9 Escape]
Objective: Get off the rooftops, into the streets, and out of range of plasma fire.
Bonus: Don't let Nova stab you out of frustration.
Hidden Reward: ???
---
Nova's eyes burned into Elliot's. "We're not going to survive this if you keep short-circuiting me."
Elliot panted, his Boost still roaring. "I'm not doing it on purpose—"
Another snap of static flared between them — sending a violent shock through Nova's suit again.
Her body jerked.
Her glowing eyes narrowed. "I hate you."
The System buzzed.
---
[Pro Tip: Nothing says sexual tension like mutual destruction.]
---
Elliot groaned. "Shut up!"
Nova blinked. "I really hope that wasn't directed at me."
Plasma bolts screamed past them.
And with the hovercrafts closing in, the factions firing from every direction, and their feedback loop threatening to cause a citywide blackout—
The great Nexus-9 escape had only just begun.