Time's ticking

An angry bezerker dashed with a force that shatters the ground with Keith tagging along without a bit of fear in his eyes.

Their blows collided with the force of a meteor impact, sending them backwards with shockwaves reverberating through the facility and shaking the very earth beneath their feet.

The force of the punch shattered every bone in the berserker's right arm, leaving him momentarily incapacitated.

"Don't tell me you're done after just one hit"

Keith taunted from a distance, a hint of disappointment evident on his face.

But berserker, fueled by rage, charged forward with explosive force once more, attempting to land a second punch. Keith swiftly elbowed his arm away, only to watch in shock as the berserker's right arm immediately healed. With a massive impact, the berserker landed a punch on Keith, sending him flying and catching him completely off guard.

Keith crashed into the underground wall, but before he could regain his footing, berserker cannonballed him even deeper into the wall with an explosive force.

As the wall crumbled to rubble, Bezerker flew through the air, barely conscious as he crashed back down onto the ground. Struggling to his feet, he was met with the unexpected appearance of Keith standing before him.

With a determined look in his eyes, Keith declared, "My turn."

Delivering a powerful blow to Bezerker's chest, a shockwave of atomic proportions rippled through the facility, causing destruction in its wake. The ground shook violently, causing the buildings above to collapse into the underground space below.

The impact of the battle was felt throughout the city, triggering an earthquake, a deafening distress signal and sending people into a panic. Meanwhile, Nathan, who was on a desperate search for his missing daughter, felt the tremors from afar.

The intensity of the moment was palpable, as the clash between Bezerker and Keith threatened to bring the entire city to its knees.

Nathan's heart raced as he flies through the sky while he processed the information. "This is bad, this is real bad. If they continue like this, they'll hurt a lot of innocent people," he muttered under his breath.

"Sir, I detect Hailey's heartbeat frequency forty meters ahead," the voice of the AI assistant rang out.

Nathan's eyes widened in shock. "You can detect her heartbeat?!" he exclaimed, a mix of surprise and anger in his voice.

"Yes sir, you planted chips on her clothes so you could track her heartbeat to know her panic level," the AI responded calmly.

"Why the hell didn't you tell me sooner?" Nathan demanded, frustration evident in his tone.

"Apologies sir, I tried doing so when the underground facility was discovered but you declined," the AI explained.

Nathan's mind raced as he realized the missed opportunities. "If that's the case, then why didn't you tell me about her panic level when she was kidnapped on the spot?" he questioned, his voice firm.

"Once again, my apologies. You locked me in hibernation mode and I was reactivated when you called me up after the incident, sir," the AI replied, its tone remaining bold and professional.

"Fuck !!!", Nathan yelled

Nathan raced toward his destination, urgency palpable in every stride as he neared the forty-meter mark.

"Twenty meters remaining, sir,"

his AI companion informed him.

Within moments, Nathan reached his target and swiftly ascended back to the surface, landing with a thud on the road. He scanned the area for signs of trouble, but before he could react, a sudden attack sent him crashing to the ground, coughing up blood.

"Sir, considering your condition, I advise against physical confrontation," his companion cautioned.

The ground trembled violently as another earthquake struck, causing the roads to split apart.

Gritting his teeth, Nathan ordered, "If there's a chance we can still connect to HQ, Notify headquarters and request assistance."

"It's done, sir. Help will arrive in five minutes," his companion replied.

"Thank goodness", Nathan replied while having a bit relief.

Just as Nathan began to rise to his feet, a blade swooped in, aiming to behead him, but Nathan swiftly dodged away to evade the strike.

Smug grinned, tauntingly remarking, "I didn't think you'd actually make it out alive. Sometimes friends can be quite reliable, don't you think?"

Nathan instantly recognized the figure before him – Smug, a Jester-like character responsible for the disappearance of his daughter and her babysitter.

"Where's my daughter?" Nathan demanded, his voice echoing with urgency.

"Quiet down, will you?" Smug retorted, annoyance evident in his voice. "I can't think straight with all this noise blasting into my ears – you yelling, people screaming, earthquakes happening, sirens screeching. Everything's so annoying."

Unfazed by Smug's dismissive demeanor, Nathan pressed on. "I won't ask you again. Where... Are... My... Girls?!" he bellowed.

With a nonchalant air, Smug finally relented. "Alright, fine. Since you insist, they're all the way in Brimheight City, locked in the city's bank vault."

Nathan was filled with shock, struggling to comprehend the situation. Brimheight City lay two hundred miles away, approximately three hundred and forty-six kilometers. Under normal conditions, it would take six to eight hours to reach there. How could Smug have transported his daughter there in minutes?

"How the hell are they in Brimheight City?" Nathan demanded, his frustration mounting.

"A magician never reveals his secrets," Smug replied with a sinister smirk.

He then produced a pocket watch, grinning maniacally behind his mask.

"Oh my, Oh dear look at the time, I don't think you'll get there early to save your so called girls. You have eight minutes left before the bomb goes off". Smug taunted.

"How do I know if you're not lying and trying to trick me into leaving you alone so you can get way?" Nathan challenged.

Smug chuckled. "You see, unlike you, I have nothing to lose so it's up to you to decide if I'm telling the truth or not"

With determination, Nathan took to the air, flying toward Brimheight City as Smug watched, his grin widening.

"Tic Tok," Smug mused. "Let's see if you make it in time."