Nicholas moved through the darkened streets, sticking to the shadows as best he could. He'd chosen his darkest clothes for this—black pants and a zipped black hoodie that melded perfectly with the alleyways he traversed. His mask added another layer of anonymity, its pitch-black surface blending seamlessly into the darkness.
The citywide power outage worked in his favor. Most streetlights were out, plunging the streets into an eerie gloom. The authorities and local heroes were too preoccupied with managing the aftermath of the snowstorm to spare resources for monitoring the streets. It was a moment of freedom, one that Nicholas planned to take full advantage of.
He noticed the snow beginning to melt, forming small streams that trickled into storm drains. He thought the city might be restored to normalcy within a few days—assuming no other disasters occurred, of course.
But normalcy wasn't what Nicholas sought tonight.
His destination loomed in the distance: KhyberCorp Tower. Its silhouette was barely visible against the dark sky, a monolith of corporate ambition shrouded in mystery.
As he approached the tower, Nicholas's mind churned with questions. Why had Markus targeted his boss? And what role did that strange device play? He didn't have all the answers, but the burning curiosity in his chest pushed him forward.
He stopped just short of the tower, taking cover behind a parked van. From this vantage point, he observed the building. It was quiet—too quiet. Usually, the tower buzzed with life, even at night, but the snowstorm and power outage had left it eerily desolate.
The only signs of activity came from a pair of armed security guards stationed near the entrance. They wore heavy coats and carried rifles slung over their shoulders. Their breath fogged in the cold air as they exchanged idle chatter, clearly unaware of anything amiss.
Nicholas frowned, considering his options. He wasn't equipped to take on armed guards head-on, nor did he want to draw attention to himself. He needed to find another way inside.
He scanned the perimeter, his enhanced vision picking out details in the dim light. A service entrance on the side of the building caught his eye. It was less guarded and partially concealed by a stack of snow-covered crates.
"Bingo," he muttered under his breath.
He moved with care, sticking to the shadows and avoiding the guards' line of sight. The mask proved invaluable, sharpening his senses in the dark and allowing him to navigate the icy terrain with ease.
Reaching the service entrance, Nicholas crouched low and inspected the door. It was locked, as expected, but the electronic keypad next to it was dead—likely a casualty of the power outage.
He hesitated for a moment, then placed his hand on the door's surface. He focused, calling on the darkness within him. Black smoke seemed to seep out of his body as it formed into a flame in his hand. Using the flame, he melted the door just enough to open it.
He pulled the door ajar and slipped inside. Emergency lighting dimly lit the hallway beyond, casting everything in a pale, flickering glow.
He exhaled softly, adjusting the mask on his face. This was it—the point of no return. Whatever lay ahead, he knew he couldn't turn back now.
Steeling himself, Nicholas moved deeper into the tower, his steps silent as the shadows that followed him.
***
On the rooftop of KhyberCorp Tower, the air was unnaturally still. There was no breeze, no hint of the storm that had raged mere hours ago. The silence between the two men standing there was thick, broken only by the faint hum of the device strapped to Markus's back.
Benjamin Khybernus stood with his hands tucked into the pockets of his tailored overcoat, his expression one of mild annoyance. His sharp, calculating eyes glinted under the dim emergency lights that spilled out from the rooftop access door.
"Didn't I fire you, Mr. Tempus?" Benjamin asked, his tone dry and dismissive. "I could've sworn that the message I had left for you was quite clear. So, what are you doing back here?"
Markus said nothing at first. His lips pressed into a thin line as he stood there, the device on his back emitting a faint mechanical whir. Doubt flickered in his eyes, but the anger burning within him was unmistakable.
"I didn't come here to talk," Markus said at last, his voice low and strained.
Benjamin raised an eyebrow. "Oh, so you've graduated from meek scientist to vengeful rebel? What's your grand plan here? Intimidate me? You're out of your depth, Markus."
Markus clenched his fists, his mechanical gauntlets creaking under the strain. He wanted to scream, to lash out, but something about Khybernus's calm, almost mocking demeanor kept him rooted in place.
"Do you even know what you're doing?" Benjamin continued, his tone laced with derision. "You think you're a revolutionary? That you're going to change the world? You couldn't even hold on to your job without losing yourself in your little obsession."
Markus's eyes narrowed, his breathing growing heavier. "Obsession? You're the one who pushed me to this! You stole my work and claimed it as your own. You—"
Benjamin held up a hand, cutting him off. "Spare me the sob story. The truth is, you're not cut out for this. You're a man trying to play a hero in a game you don't understand. And now you're here, hoping what? That I'll grovel for mercy?"
Markus's body trembled, the device on his back glowing faintly as his fury built. He took a step forward, his voice cracking with suppressed emotion. "You ruined me, Khybernus. Took everything I had and left me with nothing!"
Benjamin smirked, a cruel edge to his expression. "No, Markus. You ruined yourself." His expression turned to one of disgust. "Your ungratefulness was the cause of all of this, and now you're just a bitter man who can no longer support his own family."
That was it. The final push. Markus let out a guttural shout as he raised one arm, the gauntlet on his hand glowing with an ominous blue light. The air warped around it, and with a deafening crack, a bullet of compressed air shot out, aimed directly at Benjamin's chest.
But before it could connect, a shadowy figure burst from the rooftop access door.
The figure was clad in black clothing and a mask that covered its face with only two holes, which held a strange blue glow. The figure moved with instinctive speed. He threw himself forward, tackling Khybernus to the ground just in time. The air bullet grazed over them, smashing into the rooftop railing with explosive force and sending shards of metal flying into the night.
Both men hit the ground hard, Benjamin groaning in irritation as the figure scrambled to his feet.
"Who the hell—" Benjamin started, but the figure cut him off, his voice sounded slightly deeper than usual. Most likely because of the mask.
"Stay down," The figure ordered, his tone firm despite the chaotic adrenaline rushing through him.
Markus froze for a moment, shocked by the sudden intervention. His eyes locked on Nicholas, confusion mixing with his rage. "Who are you supposed to be?"
The figure didn't answer immediately. Instead, he shifted into a defensive stance, his mask giving him an almost menacing appearance in the low light.
Markus's hands trembled as he raised them again, the glow from his gauntlets intensifying. "Stay out of this! This is between me and him!"
The figure shook his head, his voice steady. "Sorry, but I can't let you do that."
***
Nicholas's mind raced. 'Great. Now what?' Acting on pure instinct, he burst through the door. In less than a second, he registered something fast heading toward the man in front of him. Moving without thinking, he tackled the man to the ground, shielding him from the attack.
Only after issuing a sharp, "Stay down!" did Nicholas realize who he was talking to. A chill ran down his spine as he stared into the shocked face of Benjamin Khybernus—his father's boss.
'Now I really can't reveal myself,' he thought, panic briefly bubbling up. Markus's earlier question echoed in his mind. 'What should I call myself?'
"Stay out of this! This is between me and him!" Markus's furious voice snapped Nicholas back to the moment.
Nicholas shook his head. "Sorry, but I can't let you do that."
Markus spat in frustration. "Have it your way then!"
Nicholas heard a sharp click. He didn't have time to think, so he raised an arm and conjured a dark plate to shield his head. A deafening boom echoed as the air bullet collided with his improvised barrier, sending vibrations through his arm.
From his position on the ground, Khybernus observed the exchange, his mouth slightly agape. And his eyes… "What… what a brilliant color…" he murmured to himself, his voice drowned by the chaos. His eyes seemed so full of life as if he had seen something he had never seen before.
Behind the mask, Nicholas was sweating bullets.
'That was close! Too close!' As panic set through him an ironic and hilarious thought crossed his mind. 'The person who saved my life is also trying to end it now. All in the same day, talk about irony. Then again, that seems to be just about my luck.' Strangely, the absurdity of the situation calmed him down, and he started thinking of a plan.
He wasn't quite fast enough to react to the bullet, but he could predict when Markus would fire it and react a split second before he could fire it.
It was almost like a telegraphed attack in a video game, except much more real and deadlier. Nicholas didn't even want to imagine what would happen to his flesh should the air bullet pierce him.
Fortunately, it did not seem like he could spam it and had to wait a few seconds. Nicholas wasn't sure how many exactly, but he was sure there was some sort of cooldown as Markus would have fired again after he and Khybernus avoided the first attack. Or perhaps Nicholas was just trying to give himself some semblance of hope.
Nicholas grimaced. He had promised his father he wouldn't get into any more dangerous situations, yet here he was, risking his life on a rooftop.
'I'm a really bad son, huh?' he thought bitterly. Flexing his fingers, a faint black smoke coiled around them. In the dim red light of the rooftop, it was nearly invisible.
Markus tensed at the sight, his gauntlet clicking as he prepared to fire another air bullet. However, he wasn't fast enough to react to the black-and-blue fireball streaking toward him.
Caught off guard, Markus took the attack directly to his face, falling hard onto his back. Sparks flew from the machine strapped to him as he writhed on the ground, patting at himself as if putting out flames. Then he froze, realizing his skin wasn't even singed. His confusion was short-lived as a fist slammed into his face.
"It was just a distraction!" Nicholas shouted, his punch connecting solidly.
The next thing Nicholas knew, he was thrown several meters back by an unexpected force. Landing ungracefully, he groaned before pushing himself up.
"Woah… Did I get stronger or something?" he muttered, surprised at his own power.
He glanced at Khybernus, who was still watching from the ground. Trying to sound authoritative, Nicholas said, "You should, uh… probably leave. For your own safety, of course."
Khybernus gave him a skeptical nod, his eyes narrowing as if trying to place him. It was no surprise; Khybernus likely knew every hero operating in the city, and Nicholas was clearly an unknown. Still, he listened and left.
Markus, meanwhile, had regained his footing. His face twisted with fury as he snarled, "Just… who… Who the hell are you?!"
Nicholas hesitated. He hadn't thought of a name.
"…Unknown," he said finally. "Just call me Unknown." The name felt oddly fitting. He was a nobody, after all.
Markus stared at him, deadpan. "That's just… stupid."
Flustered, Nicholas coughed awkwardly. "Oh yeah? What's your name, then?"
Markus glared at him with frustration. "I don't have one, and I don't need one. This was supposed to be a one-and-done, damn it!" He slammed a fist onto his gauntlet, causing it to emit an ominous click.
Nicholas leaped away, bracing himself for another air bullet. But the shot never came.
Instead, he saw something far more disturbing. Markus held the gauntlet high above his head, and a swirling vortex began to form in the air above him.
Nicholas's heart sank. 'What the hell is that crazy bastard doing now?'
The whirlwind around Markus grew in intensity, pulling debris from the rooftop into its spiraling grasp. Nicholas tried to move, but the powerful winds rooted him to the spot, his feet slipping whenever he attempted to advance.
"Markus!" Nicholas shouted, raising his voice above the deafening roar. "You don't have to do this! It's not too late to stop!"
Markus didn't respond, his focus entirely on the vortex above him. The swirling air grew darker, flecks of debris swirling faster, as if the very atmosphere was bending to his will.
"Listen to me!" Nicholas pleaded, his voice straining. "I get it, okay? You're angry, and maybe you have every right to be. But this? This isn't the way! You'll hurt people—innocent people. And for what? Revenge? Is that what you really want?"
Markus paused for a brief moment, his eyes flickering with something—doubt, hesitation—but the expression vanished as quickly as it came.
"People like him don't care about innocence!" Markus spat, his voice filled with venom. "I tried doing things the right way, and look where that got me! No one cares unless you force them to listen!"
Nicholas clenched his fists, his mind racing. He didn't believe Markus would stop, but a part of him—stubborn, desperate—clung to the idea that this could end without more destruction. "I know what it's like to feel powerless," he said, his voice softer. "To feel like no one sees you. But this? This will make sure no one ever sees you for anything but a monster!"
Markus's face twisted in fury. "Then so be it!" He slammed his gauntlet, and the whirlwind surged, its pull lifting Nicholas off his feet.
"Damn it!" Nicholas muttered as the wind yanked him higher, spinning him like a leaf caught in a storm. His mind raced for a solution. He couldn't reach Markus like this he had to think of another idea, fast.
The whirlwind intensified, pulling Nicholas higher off the ground. The wind tore at his body, and for a moment, panic surged in his chest. But as he steadied himself mid-air, an idea sparked.
"Okay, focus," he muttered.
He stretched out his hand, and from the darkness surrounding him, he conjured a rope-like tendril. It slithered through the storm, anchoring itself to a nearby metal pipe protruding from the roof's edge. With a sharp tug, Nicholas propelled himself forward, using the tendril-like grappling line to swing closer to Markus.
The wind fought against him, threatening to rip him away, but Nicholas kept moving. He lashed out another tendril, this time wrapping it around a sturdier pillar near the rooftop center. Swinging low, then arcing upward, he shot toward Markus, his other hand glowing with black and blue flames.
"This ends now!" Nicholas yelled, slamming his flaming fist into Markus's gauntlet. The device broke with a deafening crack, sparks and shards flying in every direction.
Markus screamed in frustration as the whirlwind collapsed, sending both men plummeting through the weakened rooftop.
The fall was a chaotic blur. Nicholas landed hard on a desk, splintering it beneath his weight. Papers and shattered glass rained around him as he rolled onto the floor. Across the room, Markus hit the ground with a groan, sparks still flickering from the remnants of his gauntlet.
Nicholas pushed himself to his feet, wincing at the ache in his body. He glanced at Markus, who was already rising.
"This isn't over," Markus growled, his eyes blazing with anger.
Nicholas sighed, raising his fists. "Yeah, I figured."
The two men faced off once more, the wrecked office becoming their new battleground.