Chapter 31: Circuit Breakers, Carnage, and Kain’s Insane Plan
The warehouse wasn't just a battlefield — it was a glitching warzone.
The Chrome Reapers' hovercraft smashed through the entrance, plasma cannons glowing blood-red, while the Spire Syndicate's mercs repelled down from above like cybernetic spiders, their plasma rifles crackling with neon heat.
And Elliot?
His Neural Boost was at 199% — one pulse away from total detonation.
Every muscle in his body thrummed with electricity, sparks snapping off his skin like rogue fireworks. The air around him buzzed with static, and every time his Boost flared, it shot a fresh arc of raw power into Nova's bioluminescent suit.
The feedback loop wasn't just unstable now — it was self-feeding.
Every pulse from Elliot made Nova's suit flare.
Every flare from Nova's suit made Elliot's Boost snap harder.
It was a violent circuit of chaos — and the countdown to 200% was seconds away.
Dr. Kain, the legendary ripperdoc, stood in the middle of the carnage like a conductor in a symphony of violence. His cybernetic arms twitched — a mess of chrome and steel — each finger a flickering surgical tool or electric probe.
He didn't look worried.
He looked thrilled.
"You didn't tell me the glitch was this bad," Kain said, his augmented eye scanning Elliot's sparking body. "This isn't a Boost malfunction — it's a goddamn fission reactor."
Nova blocked a plasma blast with her blade, her suit flaring again from Elliot's wild static. "Can you fix him or not?"
Kain grinned. "Depends. You want him alive?"
Elliot blinked. "I vote yes."
The System buzzed in Elliot's head.
---
[New Mission: Fix the Human Lightning Rod]
Objective: Let Kain stabilize your Boost before it hits 200%.
Bonus: Don't die.
Failure: Explosion, death, or worse — Nova's eternal disappointment.
---
The hovercraft's plasma cannon roared again — a molten blast tearing across the warehouse, shredding a steel support beam and sending debris crashing down around them.
Kain didn't flinch. "You really know how to make an entrance."
Elliot ducked a plasma bolt. "We call it a bold strategy."
The System buzzed.
---
[Misquote Mode Activated]
Quote: "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while… you'll explode."
— Ferris Bueller… sort of.
---
Nova stared at Elliot. "Did you just butcher Ferris Bueller?"
"It's the System, Nova—"
Kain's mechanical hand clicked open — a set of sharp surgical tools flicking out like a goddamn Swiss Army knife from hell. "I'm going to have to cut into his Boost."
Elliot paled. "Define cut."
Kain's grin widened. "You ever hotwire a car, kid?"
Nova blocked another plasma blast with her blade, her suit flickering violently from Elliot's constant feedback. "Less talking — more fixing."
The System buzzed.
---
[New Side Quest: Neon Surgery]
Objective: Let Kain access your Neural Boost without screaming like a child.
Bonus: Don't pass out.
Hidden Reward: The truth about your glitch.
---
Another plasma bolt screamed past Elliot's head.
The feedback loop snapped again — sending a violent shock through Nova's suit — lighting up every glowing line from her ribs down to her thighs.
Her breath hitched. "Rookie — you're gonna fry me alive."
Elliot's voice cracked. "I'm TRYING NOT TO."
The System pinged.
---
[Libido Meter: Terminal Overload]
Warning: You are now 90% Boost and 10% bad decisions.
Solution: Get your circuits untangled or prepare for… consequences.
---
Nova's glowing eyes narrowed. "If I glitch out because of you—"
"BLAME THE SYSTEM!"
Kain clapped his hands, clearly enjoying the chaos. "Alright, kids — let's crack this open."
He lunged at Elliot — metal fingers sparking — and jammed a glowing surgical probe into the side of Elliot's neck.
The pain was instant.
A detonation of static roared through Elliot's body — his Boost spiking from 199% to 200% in a flash of blue lightning.
The feedback loop exploded.
A shockwave ripped through the warehouse — neon lights burst, glass shattered, and Nova's suit lit up like a broken star.
Her body arched as the circuits along her spine, ribs, and thighs flared brighter than ever — the glitch reaching a fever pitch.
"ROOKIE—" Nova gasped, her voice half rage, half something else.
Elliot's vision blurred. "I DIDN'T MEAN TO—"
The System buzzed.
---
[Critical Alert: NEURAL BOOST AT 200%]
Side Effects:
Citywide blackouts
Uncontrolled feedback loops
Sudden… attractions
---
Kain laughed. "Oh, you're beyond broken."
The Chrome Reapers charged — plasma cannons ready — but Elliot's Boost flared again, sending another shockwave through the air.
The blast fried their weapons mid-shot, overloading the plasma rifles and causing them to detonate in their hands.
Screams echoed as the Reapers staggered back, smoking and glitching.
Nova, still sparking from the feedback loop, aimed her blade at Kain. "Fix him — now."
Kain grinned. "Hold still, kid — I'm going in."
He jammed another probe into Elliot's arm — this one glowing a violent shade of red.
Elliot's Boost howled — sending one last, massive snap of electricity through Nova's suit — lighting her up head to toe.
Her breath hitched again. "Elliot—"
He groaned. "I'm sorry—"
The System buzzed.
---
[Libido Meter: Off the Charts]
Warning: Immediate release required — of electricity, you perv.
Solution: Kain needs to sever the feedback loop. NOW.
---
Kain twisted a dial on his cybernetic arm. "Alright — cutting the circuit."
Elliot's Boost flared one last time — a final detonation of raw power — and Kain stabbed his last probe into Elliot's spine.
The feedback loop snapped.
Nova's suit flickered violently — the neon circuits along her body finally dimming as the connection shattered.
Elliot's Boost dropped — hard — from 200% to 30% in an instant.
He hit the floor, smoking.
Nova staggered — still glowing faintly — and stared at Elliot. "You're a disaster."
Elliot coughed. "I… agree."
Kain wiped his hands, his grin a flash of steel teeth. "Well, that was fun."
The System chimed one last time.
---
[Mission Complete: Fix the Human Lightning Rod]
Reward: Boost stabilized… for now.
Bonus: Nova didn't murder you.
Hidden Reward: Access to the truth about your powers.
---
Kain chuckled. "Now… let's talk about what the hell you really are."
And as the warehouse smoldered, plasma blasts echoed outside, and Elliot lay on the floor like a short-circuited toaster —
The next storm was already brewing.