Fury's Fervor

In the heat of battle, the Rhino's powerful fist connected with the Commander's arms, sending her electric baton flying through the air.

With a swift motion, its massive metal arm seized the woman by the head and forcefully brought her crashing down to the ground with a resounding thud.

Another sniper shot rang out, but the Rhino reacted swiftly, rolling to the ground just in time to narrowly avoid the deadly shot.

Meanwhile, the Commander, still reeling from the impact, struggled to regain her footing, staggering on the ground as she attempted to rise.

She had single-handedly inflicted significant damage upon a suicidal Cyber Psycho, a feat that showcased her incredible skill and determination.

Unlike the Rhino, who was heavily armored and augmented with technology, she was just a mere human, albeit with some impressive technological enhancements. However, even she had her limits, and the toll of the battle was beginning to show.

Rhino sprinted forward and seized the woman before darting behind an overturned police truck. The truck, being bulletproof due to its police-grade construction, provided a sturdy shield against incoming fire.

The sniper hesitated, unable to take a clear shot at the concealed Rhino for fear of hitting the Commander. Moreover, the shot would have to penetrate the bulletproof vehicle, an almost impossible feat requiring a wasteful expenditure of 15 to 20 sniper bullets at the exact same spot.

"DIE... AUTHORITY SCUM!!!"

Rhino's distorted voice strained through his metal mouth as he choked the woman with his vise-like grip.

The Commander felt her neck being constricted by the merciless grip of the metal arm. It was like a vice—cold, hard, and unyielding. With each passing moment, her windpipe was slowly crushed, and her lungs screamed for air.

Desperately, she clawed at the metal arm, but her efforts were futile against the overwhelming strength of her assailant.

Then, all of a sudden, she noticed tendrils of blue energy swirling in the air behind the Rhino. In the blink of an eye, the metal behemoth buzzed as if struck by electricity—because he was.

The shock rippled through her own body, but rather than paralyze her, it served as a jolt of adrenaline, awakening her senses and sharpening her focus. It was as if the surge of energy had reignited her nerves, propelling her into action.

"Grrhh..."

She wiggled and strained against the monster's arms, summoning every ounce of strength within her. Then, with a swift motion, she kicked out with all her might, connecting with the Rhino's metal stomach.

"Rrrrah!"

Rhino groaned in pain, momentarily loosening his grip on her. Seizing the opportunity, she staggered away, gasping for breath as she put distance between herself and her attacker.

Her gaze fell upon the boy standing behind the Rhino, who remained in a trance-like state. But it wasn't the Rhino's eyes that chilled her to the bone—it was the cold, dead stare of the boy, devoid of any humanity or emotion.

'He looks like a twig.'

Before she could react, Rhino swiped his hand again, sending the boy hurtling through the air like a ragdoll.

With a sickening crunch, the boy hit the ground, bouncing off it before landing on the pavement with a bone-jarring impact. The battlefield fell silent, save for the echo of the disturbing sound.

The boy didn't make a sound.

'Damn.'

Rhino turned abruptly to face the Commander. Just as he prepared to strike, she heard a sudden meow, and in the next moment, felt the force of his foot connecting with her midsection, sending her hurtling through the air.

As she tumbled, she caught a glimpse of Rhino turning towards the boy, a loud growl rumbling from his metal frame as he charged towards the defenseless kid.

...

Axel felt as if his entire body was being crushed under the weight of massive boulders, each blow sending waves of excruciating pain rippling through him.

Blood seeped from various wounds, the metallic taste flooding his senses as it mixed with the tang of sweat and dirt.

Despite Byte's concerned meows piercing through the chaos, Axel found himself unable to turn and acknowledge her. Exhaustion washed over him like a tidal wave, dragging him deeper into a sea of darkness and pain.

Despite the sensation in his hands and legs, Axel felt an overwhelming lethargy, making him disinclined to move.

Even as he sensed the ground tremble beneath the weight of the Rhino's heavy footsteps, and caught sight of the menacing creature approaching, Axel remained rooted in place, unable or unwilling to muster the energy to evade the looming danger.

The stars twinkling against the backdrop of the rising sun created a breathtaking scene, one that seemed almost surreal against the vast expanse of the desert landscape.

He lay there, gazing up at the stars, finding solace in their timeless beauty. In that moment, he could have stayed there forever, content and at peace.

But alas, the world had other plans. It seemed determined to toy with the hearts of its inhabitants, to subject them to trials and tribulations.

If there truly was a god, Axel couldn't help but feel a sense of bitterness towards such a being. With all that power, why choose to inflict suffering upon people? It felt perverse, unjust.

"YOU DARE...HUMAN!!!"

The Rhino loomed over him, pinning him down with its massive weight, its arms wrapped around Axel's delicate neck. Axel could see the glint of the monster's eyes, a mere synthetic behind the technology that had caused so much destruction.

He have seen this before. Seen this same eyes before...but where?

He could not recall from where he had seen this eyes. He even felt it was just a déjà vu.

He decided to focus on the matter and for a second, as he faced imminent danger, Axel's mind briefly wandered to the endless possibilities he might have had if he possessed the wealth to afford better resources.

Axel stood still, his hands spread wide at his sides, making no move to fight back. There was a sense of calm in his demeanor, as if he had resigned himself to whatever fate awaited him.

The Rhino's words were lost to him, drowned out by the urgent meows of his beloved companion. It wasn't a worried meow, but rather a demand for attention—a "look at me" meow.

Her meows grew closer, accompanied by the sound of metal scraping against the road. Despite his bleeding ears, Axel could feel the vibrations resonating through his body.

The Rhino ceased its trash-talking and slowly turned its head to the side. Axel followed suit, his attention drawn by the sudden change in atmosphere.

Just a few feet away, Byte sat, her head tilted to the side and her blue eyes filled with curiosity as she peered at the imposing figures of the Rhino and Axel.

However, it wasn't Byte herself that caused both contenders to halt their actions and gaze at her in astonishment. Instead, it was the sight of the black, bulky grenade launcher that she seemed to have dragged to them.

Just within reach of Axel's outstretched hand.

A crack of a smile formed on Axel's lips as he swiftly snatched the gun, his movements quicker than the Rhino's metal arms, which fell short of reaching him.

"BASTA--UGHH!!"

The Rhino's curse was abruptly cut off as Axel swiftly took advantage of the opportunity. With precision and speed, he maneuvered the barrel of the gun into the monster's mouth, effectively silencing it with a perfect fit, serving as a gag.

Rhino's eyes bulged in shock, while Axel's smile widened into a grin of triumph.

"This town ain't big enough for the two of us, fucker!!!"

Axel repeated the Commander's earlier words. With a mad laugh, he pulled the trigger.

Clink.