Chapter 71: Save Your Tears and Sparks When Thunder Sings and Memes Drop the Beat
The Stormchaser sped through the neon-lit streets of Nexus-9 — plasma engines roaring and smoke hissing off its charred panels.
Inside?
It was… surprisingly quiet.
For once.
Kain, Nova, and Vex sat in stunned silence as the city blurred past the windows — their laughter from Thundaddy's meme tirade finally dying down. The air still crackled with residual static from Elliot's 200% Boost, but the storm had settled — like a purring engine waiting to be revved again.
And Elliot?
He was… humming.
Softly.
A slow rhythm, under his breath — almost like he didn't even realize he was doing it.
Nova blinked, tilting her head. "Wait… is he… singing?"
Kain, still fiddling with the Stormchaser's busted console, froze. "Bro… is this a concert?"
Vex leaned back in her seat, a grin creeping across her face. "Thunder Snacks has pipes?"
The humming grew louder — a familiar melody — smooth, haunting…
And then Elliot's voice broke through.
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🎵 "I saw you dancing in a crowded room…" 🎵
---
Nova's glowing veins dimmed slightly — caught off guard by how velvet-smooth Elliot's voice was.
Kain's cybernetic arm glitched again. "BRO, THIS IS THE WEEKND?"
Vex's neon hair crackled faintly. "Why is he actually… good?"
But Elliot didn't hear them.
Because in his head…
It was just him.
And Thundaddy.
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"SETTING UP ACCOMPANIMENT MODE!"
"INITIATING THUNDADY REMIX 3000™!"
---
Suddenly, a synth beat pulsed through the Stormchaser's sound system — the exact instrumental for Save Your Tears by The Weeknd — except louder… and with random lightning sound effects.
⚡CRACK⚡ went the beat drop.
Kain's jaw dropped. "HE'S GOT A WHOLE BACKING TRACK?"
Elliot didn't stop.
Eyes closed, storm softly humming under his skin, he kept singing — his voice steady, smooth, almost… aching.
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🎵 "I don't know why I run away…" 🎵
---
The Raijin Protocol softly purred along with his pulse — the lightning swirling gently around his fingers, dancing in rhythm with the music.
It was… peaceful.
For the first time in days, Elliot wasn't fighting his storm.
He wasn't boosting from hunger, rage, or romantic chaos.
He was just… singing.
And the storm was singing with him.
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🎵 "I make you cry when I run away…" 🎵
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Kain gasped for air. "BRO… WHY DOES THIS SOUND LIKE A WORLD TOUR?"
Nova stared, her glowing eyes wide. "I… didn't know he could… sing."
Vex, biting back a grin, whispered, "Guess his storm isn't the only thing with range."
Then—
The beat dropped.
And Thundaddy went absolutely feral.
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"REMIX TIME, BABY!"
⚡KA-BOOM⚡ went the added lightning sound effect.
"SING IT, THUNDER SNACKS — MAKE THE STORM CRY!"
---
Elliot's storm flared softly at the chorus — gentle arcs of blue lightning snapping to the beat.
He was so lost in the music…
He didn't even realize his Boost had ticked from 200% to 220% — not from rage, but from harmony.
It wasn't until Nova's hand crackled with static — the feedback loop pulling at his storm again — that Elliot's eyes snapped open.
"Wait…" Elliot blinked. "Did I just—"
Kain exploded into laughter.
"BRO — YOU JUST GAVE US A CONCERT."
Vex was cry-laughing. "Thundaddy dropped the hardest remix I've ever heard."
Nova, still staring like Elliot had just sprouted wings, said, "You… sang The Weeknd… with a storm remix."
Elliot blinked again. "Wait — you heard that?"
Kain collapsed onto the dashboard. "YOU SANG A FULL VERSE LIKE YOU WERE HEADLINING A STADIUM TOUR."
Thundaddy couldn't let it go.
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"PRO TIP FOR ELLIOT: When the storm's too loud… sing louder."
"PRO TIP FOR KAIN: You've just witnessed the birth of Thunder Idol™."
"PRO TIP FOR NOVA: If you felt a spark during the chorus… it wasn't just the feedback loop."
"PRO TIP FOR VEX: He doesn't just fry circuits — he melts hearts."
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Nova's suit flared violently — the feedback loop pulling at Elliot's Boost again — sending a sharp jolt of electricity through the cabin.
"I'M RIPPING THE AI OUT OF HIS HEAD."
Kain was on the floor again, wheezing. "BRO, YOU'RE A STORM ROCKSTAR NOW."
Vex wiped a tear from her eye. "I want merch. Immediately."
Elliot, blue lightning still coiling around him like a slow rhythm, rubbed his face. "I WAS JUST HUMMING."
Nova's glare could've melted steel. "You were one verse away from a lightning-powered Grammy."
And Thundaddy?
Oh, Thundaddy was in his prime.
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"ANNOUNCING YOUR NEW TITLE: ELLIOT — THE LIGHTNING LYRICAL LEGEND™!"
"COMING SOON: THE THUNDERHEART TOUR — FEATURING LIVE BOOSTS AND MEMES!"
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Kain wheezed again. "HE'S GOT A WORLD TOUR PLANNED."
Vex clutched her ribs. "I'd pay for front-row seats."
Nova's suit sparked again. "I'm destroying that earpiece."
And Elliot?
His Boost held steady at 220% — the storm inside him still humming softly — like it enjoyed the music just as much as he did.
Because for the first time…
The storm wasn't just rage or chaos.
It was rhythm.
It was harmony.
And whoever created the Raijin Protocol?
They were about to learn that Elliot wasn't just a weapon.
He was a lightning storm with a soundtrack.