Wolfram

Jake's thoughts raced as they prepared to leave the hideout. The message had hit harder than he expected. In a way, it solidified everything he'd been running from. But now, there was no running anymore. 

"Okay," Jake said, determination seeping into his voice. "Let's go."

Lucy looked at him, her eyes softening, before she gave him a small smile. "We'll get through this. Together."

They made their way out of the shed and back onto the campus, where the evening had settled into the cool, shadowy quiet of the early night. Their plan was simple: stay mobile, stay ahead of anyone trying to track them, and find out more about the villains who were after the serum. They couldn't let Rex Steel—or anyone else—have it.

But as they moved through the darkened streets, something felt off. Jake's heart rate quickened as the familiar sounds of campus life seemed to fade into an eerie silence. A distant siren wailed somewhere in the city, but otherwise, everything felt unusually still.

Suddenly, a sharp noise broke through the quiet—like a metal scraping against concrete. Jake froze, his body tensing. His tungsten arm began to pulse with energy, but before he could react, Lucy grabbed his sleeve, pulling him closer to the nearest alley.

"Move!" she hissed.

Without thinking, Jake followed her lead, sprinting down the narrow passageway. The sound of footsteps behind them confirmed that they were being followed. But by who?

They turned the corner, and that's when they saw it. A black van parked on the opposite end of the alley. The rear doors slid open, and from the shadows, two figures stepped into view.

Jake's breath caught in his throat. These weren't just ordinary villains. One of them wore a suit of armor that seemed to glint with some kind of glowing energy. The other, a tall woman with white hair, wielded a staff that crackled with electricity.

"Not bad," the woman said with a cruel smile. "But you won't get far."

Jake and Lucy exchanged a quick glance. It was clear that they were outnumbered—and outclassed.

"I told you there's nowhere to run," the armored man growled, raising his hands. The metallic armor on his body began to shift, forming sharp, jagged blades. It was like something out of a nightmare. Rex Steel's influence, no doubt.

"Let's see how well you handle this," the woman with the staff said, her voice dripping with malice. She pointed the staff at Jake, and electricity surged through the air, arcing toward him.

Lucy reacted first, shoving Jake to the side and taking the brunt of the blast. Jake watched in horror as Lucy cried out in pain, her body jerking with the force of the electrical current. She fell to the ground with a thud.

"No!" Jake shouted, instinctively reaching for her.

But the armored man was already closing in, his blades slicing the air with deadly precision. Jake barely had time to react as one of the blades slashed across his chest, cutting through his hoodie and leaving a deep gash in his skin. The pain was sharp, but his tungsten arm absorbed the blow. He staggered back, clutching his wound.

"Get up!" Lucy's voice echoed in his mind, urging him forward.

Jake felt his anger flare, mixing with his fear for Lucy. His arm was pulsing with power, and for the first time, he didn't hesitate. The weight of the tungsten settled into his bones, giving him strength.

"You want a fight?" Jake growled, his voice low and steady. "I'll give you one."

With a growl, Jake swung his tungsten arm, meeting the armored villain's blades head-on. The impact sent a shockwave through the alley, the force of the clash reverberating in the air. Sparks flew, and the sound of metal scraping against metal filled the night.

Jake's strength was enough to force the armored man back, but not enough to end the fight. The woman with the staff raised her weapon again, preparing for another blast.

"Stay back!" Jake shouted to Lucy, his voice filled with urgency.

But Lucy, despite her pain, wasn't about to sit this one out. She pushed herself up from the ground, her hands trembling but determined. "I'm not leaving you, Jake."

In that moment, something inside Jake snapped. He wasn't the introverted, uncertain kid anymore. He wasn't hiding in the shadows. Not now, not after everything that had happened.

With a surge of power, Jake lunged at the armored man, his tungsten fist connecting with his opponent's chest with an explosion of force. The man was sent flying, crashing into the side of the van.

But the woman was still coming. 

This wasn't over. Not by a long shot