Wolfram

The night had been long, and the alley was silent now, save for the soft hum of distant traffic. The armored man and the woman with the staff were down, temporarily incapacitated after Jake's forceful blows, but neither of them had been taken out entirely. Jake and Lucy were breathing heavily, their bodies battered but determined to keep going.

"We need to get out of here," Lucy said, her voice strained. She was holding her side, wincing in pain, but her eyes burned with defiance. "They'll send more. And next time, it won't be just two of them."

Jake's chest tightened. His hand, still throbbing with the pulse of tungsten energy, twitched at his side. His chest was raw from the cut, but his arm—the tungsten arm—had shielded him from worse. He could feel the serum coursing through his veins, energizing him, but there was a cost. His body wasn't built for this kind of fight. Not yet.

"Yeah," Jake said, trying to steady his breath. "But we're not done here." 

"Not done? Jake, they're going to bring a whole army next time. We're outnumbered. Outgunned," Lucy said, looking around the alley, her gaze flickering with uncertainty. She was right. They had barely escaped, and even though they had managed to hold their own, the odds were stacked against them.

Before Jake could respond, a faint rustling broke through the silence. It was coming from the back of the alley, where a few trash cans sat in the shadows. Jake instinctively turned toward the sound, his tungsten arm instinctively tightening.

Out of the shadows, a figure stumbled into view. A short man, no older than Jake, dressed in a tattered hoodie and worn-out jeans. His face was smeared with dirt, and his hands were raised in surrender. His eyes, however, were wide with fear—and a hint of desperation.

"Don't... don't hurt me," the man stammered, backing up against the dumpster. "I-I was just... just trying to get away! I swear!"

Jake raised an eyebrow. This wasn't what he'd expected. He had assumed they were being stalked by more of Rex Steel's goons, not some scared, nervous criminal.

Lucy glanced at Jake, her expression confused. "Who is this?" she whispered, keeping her distance.

Jake didn't know, but there was something familiar about the man—something in the way he acted. The desperation in his eyes reminded him of himself, back when he was a quiet, invisible student, afraid of drawing attention. The thought made him hesitate.

"You know who we are?" Jake asked, trying to get a read on the situation.

The man shook his head quickly. "No! I swear, I don't know who you are! I just... I was trying to steal some stuff. I was hungry, okay?" He shifted uncomfortably. "I didn't mean to get caught. I didn't even know there were people out here!"

Jake felt a strange pang of sympathy for the guy, but there was no time for pity. They needed information, and this man was a potential lead. A small-time villain, perhaps? Or just a scared person in the wrong place at the wrong time? Either way, Jake wasn't about to let him go without some answers.

"You know, you're lucky I'm in a good mood tonight," Jake said with a hint of a smirk, his tungsten arm slowly retracting. "But you'll need to tell me why you're out here alone, looking like you're about to steal something."

The man swallowed nervously. "I… I'm not one of them. I just thought I could make some cash, you know? Do a little street crime, sell a few things. Nothing big. I didn't think anyone would notice."

Jake eyed him carefully. "Who is 'them'? You talking about the people who sent you?"

The man's eyes widened. "No, no, no! I'm not with anyone. I just—I don't know who's looking for you, but I saw them earlier. The guy with the armor... the woman with the staff. They were looking for someone with a… with a special arm." He hesitated, as if afraid to say more.

Lucy took a step forward, her eyes narrowing. "You've seen them before? You know where they're coming from?"

The man nodded quickly. "I overheard. They were talking about 'the serum,' whatever that is. They've been tracking someone for days, looking for you or whoever has it. They think you're the one they're after."

Jake's stomach churned. "So, Rex Steel's people are still out there. Great." His grip tightened around his arm. He was done being the target.

"But they won't stop looking for you," the man added, his voice trembling. "They'll find you. They've got people everywhere. I... I can't help you, okay? I don't know anything else." His voice grew pleading. "I just wanted to get out of here, man. Please don't—don't hurt me."

Jake exhaled slowly, trying to calm his rising anger. This wasn't the time to let it get the best of him. The man was scared, and maybe that fear was enough to get him to talk.

"Listen," Jake said, stepping closer. "You've got one chance to walk away from this. Tell me who they are, and I won't call the cops. We'll let you go. No one needs to get hurt."

The man's eyes darted between Jake and Lucy, weighing his options. Finally, he nodded slowly, his voice barely above a whisper. "They—they're working for someone named 'Dreadstone.' He's big. Too big. I don't know much about him, but they say he's got a whole operation—something about taking control of the serum and the tech behind it. They want it all."

Jake's blood ran cold. "Dreadstone? Never heard of him."

Lucy stepped forward. "That's because he's not just some small-time villain, Jake. Dreadstone has been in the shadows for years. He's connected to some of the largest underground organizations in the world. If he's after the serum—"

"Then we need to move faster," Jake interrupted, his voice low but urgent. "This isn't just about me anymore."

The small-time villain nodded quickly, clearly eager to distance himself from the confrontation. "Please, just let me go. I—I'll disappear. I won't tell anyone."

Jake took a long, hard look at him, the weight of the situation settling in. He didn't have time to deal with petty criminals, especially ones who were just trying to survive. But the mention of Dreadstone had shaken him.

"Go," Jake said, giving the man a sharp nod. "But don't come near us again. You're lucky."

The man didn't need to be told twice. He turned and bolted down the alley, disappearing into the shadows. Lucy stood next to Jake, both of them silently watching him run.

"You let him go?" Lucy asked, her voice laced with surprise.

Jake sighed, rubbing his forehead. "He's not the one we need to worry about. But Dreadstone... that's another story. We need to find out everything we can about him."

"I agree," Lucy said, looking grim. "We've barely scratched the surface of this, Jake. We need to get ahead of him."

Jake's thoughts were heavy. He couldn't keep running. The fight was closing in on him. If Dreadstone was as dangerous as the villain had said, then they were dealing with something far bigger than just Rex Steel.

But for now, they had a lead. It wasn't much, but it was something.

"Let's go," Jake said, turning on his heel. "We need to figure out where to hit next."