Chapter 77: Stormfront Escape When the Thunder Fades and the Mission Strikes Back
The Black Dawn lab was a smoking ruin.
What started as a stealth mission had spiraled into a viral spectacle — the explosion still echoing through Nexus-9's alleyways, flames clawing at the sky, and tendrils of blue lightning spiraling in the air like the storm itself refused to die.
But the show?
The show was over.
10 million viewers had just witnessed Elliot and Nova's "duet" — their synchronized storms colliding as his Boost hit 400% — turning their mission into a chaotic blend of lightning-fueled destruction and musical carnage.
The comments still poured in on Kain's live feed:
@StormSymphony: "I thought this was a concert… WHY IS THE BUILDING ON FIRE?!"
@ZapMeBae: "Nova and Elliot's storm connection? Someone write the fanfic."
@BoostedAndConfused: "Did I just watch a secret lab explode to The Weeknd?"
But now, standing in the middle of the burning wreckage — his storm still simmering at 400% — Elliot wasn't thinking about the live stream.
He was thinking about the data core in his hand.
The last, flickering fragment of the Raijin Protocol's origin files.
The answers were finally within reach.
And for the first time since waking up in this cyberpunk hellscape…
He wasn't a meme.
He wasn't a rockstar.
He was a storm with a purpose.
---
"MISSION STATUS: DATA CORE RETRIEVED"
Objective: Identify the creator of the Raijin Protocol.
Condition: Lab destroyed, hostiles neutralized.
Pro Tip: Not every concert ends with a standing ovation… sometimes it ends with a crater.
---
Elliot's Boost burned hot — the Raijin Protocol still spiraling inside him — but the storm no longer roared.
It hummed.
Controlled. For now.
He clenched the glowing data core tighter. "We got what we came for. Let's move."
Kain was still half-laughing, half-breathless, wiping tears from his eyes. "BRO — YOU JUST BOOSTED TO 400% WHILE SINGING THE WEEKND. DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY REMIXES ARE ALREADY ONLINE?!"
Vex, twirling her plasma blade, chuckled. "If we survive this, I'm putting that 'Static Serenade Live' duet on a t-shirt."
Nova's suit still crackled — the feedback loop to Elliot's storm flickering between them — but her voice was hard. Focused.
"We don't have time for this," Nova snapped. "That explosion didn't just take out the lab — it sent a signal. The creator of the Raijin Protocol knows we're coming."
The storm inside Elliot growled at that — not a wild roar like before, but a steady, dangerous pulse… like a bomb waiting for someone to light the fuse.
"Let them know," Elliot muttered, blue lightning snapping down his arm. "I want them to see me coming."
Thundaddy buzzed.
---
"PRO TIP FOR ELLIOT: It's not about who sees the storm… it's about who survives it."
---
Nova's glare could have melted steel. "Turn that AI off before I blast it with a feedback surge."
Kain grinned. "You just don't like that it announced your power couple debut."
Vex smirked. "I ship it."
Elliot's storm flared hotter for half a second — a tiny arc of blue lightning dancing toward Nova's storm before he reined it back in.
"We're not a couple," Elliot said flatly.
Nova's glowing eyes narrowed. "Definitely not."
Thundaddy, ever the chaotic hype machine, couldn't resist.
---
"BREAKING NEWS: Elliot and Nova — A Shocking Duo or Star-Crossed Storms?"
Fans demand answers.
Boosted hearts or just a feedback loop?
Vote now!
"Pro Tip: Sometimes the storm you fear… is the one standing right next to you."
---
Nova's storm flared — a sharp crack of static firing off her suit as her Boost snapped louder at the AI's comment.
"I'm ripping him out of your head," Nova growled.
Vex grinned. "Jealousy looks good in neon."
Kain wheezed. "BRO — THE COMMENTS ARE LOSING IT."
But then—
BEEP.
Kain's holopad lit up with a warning signal.
Nova's jaw tightened. "What now?"
Kain's laughter faded instantly. His face went grim as he stared at the holopad. "Uh… guys… we've got a problem."
The Raijin Protocol data core in Elliot's hand began to glow brighter — its circuits pulsing erratically — like the code inside was… reacting to something.
Then the security feed on Kain's screen flickered.
A distorted voice crackled through the lab's half-fried intercom system.
"I SEE YOU, RAIJIN."
The storm inside Elliot roared.
Nova's suit flared white-hot.
Vex's plasma blade snapped alive.
Kain paled. "BRO… WHO THE HELL WAS THAT?"
Elliot's Boost edged up to 410% — the storm surging at the sound of the voice.
He didn't know who had just spoken.
But they knew him.
And not as Elliot.
As Raijin.
Thundaddy buzzed again — this time, with a rare edge of seriousness.
---
"WARNING: Unknown Entity Detected."
Signal Origin: Encrypted — Nexus-9 dark grid.
Threat Level: Severe.
Pro Tip: This storm didn't start with you… but it's about to end with them.
---
Elliot's fist clenched around the data core, blue lightning spiraling out of his palm.
"We run," he growled. "We regroup."
Nova nodded, her storm still linked to his Boost — static crackling between them with every step. "And we find out who just said your name."
Kain revved the Stormchaser's plasma engine. "BRO — LET'S BOUNCE BEFORE WE'RE TRENDING FOR ANOTHER EXPLOSION TOUR."
Vex slid into the passenger seat. "I call shotgun. Elliot's busy being lightning Jesus."
And as the Stormchaser roared down the alleyway — flames still flickering behind them — the storm inside Elliot didn't die down.
If anything…
It was waiting for a fight.
Because someone just called him by the name they gave him.
Not Elliot.
Not the Thunder God.
But Raijin.
And they were about to learn…
He wasn't just their creation anymore.
He was their worst mistake.