Let's reach 250 Power Stones for an extra chapter
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The wave of green-and-black uniforms crashed into the 110th gang members like a foul tide. My eyes scanned the chaos, searching for a specific face, and found him. Marcus. He was on the Scorpions' side, looking small and terrified near the back of the invading pack. A cold knot formed in my stomach. He was in deeper than I thought.
"Donovan!" Mac Gargan's voice, distorted and metallic through his helmet, spat insults across the warehouse. "Still leading this washed-up crew, huh? You're a relic, Big D. A dinosaur!"
"You want a piece of me, Gargan?!" Donovan roared back, his face turning purple with rage. "Come and get it!"
He pulled out a pistol, firing wildly at Gargan.
Ping!
A segmented, metallic tail—thick as a tree trunk and ending in a wicked point—whipped out of nowhere. It deflected the bullet with a sharp ping, the sound ringing through the warehouse. Everyone froze.
"Pretty neat, huh?" Gargan's voice, thick with triumph, cut through the sudden silence. "This ain't no toy, Donovan. This is an upgrade."
CRUNCH!
His tail lashed out again, a blur of metallic green, this time aiming at a cluster of his own rival gang members. It smashed through two men with brutal, bone-crunching force, sending them flying into a stack of crates.
"What was that for, Mac?!" one of his own guys yelled, his voice cracking with fear.
"To show you who's boss!" Gargan snarled, turning his armored head to glare at the terrified Scorpion. "Loyalty is earned, but fear? Fear is free. And you're all gonna feel it."
Donovan visibly trembled. His tough-guy act completely vanished, replaced by pure, unadulterated panic. He looked like he wanted to shrink into the floor. This wasn't just a gang fight anymore. This was something else entirely. I had to do something, especially with Marcus still cowering nearby.
The warehouse turned into a wild mess. Bodies slammed, shouts mixed with grunts, and the air started smelling like blood and dust. For a second, all the violence just hit me, a loud static in my head.
"Watch out!" Luke called out.
A yell snapped me back. Some Scorpion guy was running at me, a pipe held high. I didn't even think. I just spun around and punched him right in the jaw. He went down without a sound.
I snapped my head towards the voice. It was Luke.
"Jewel, you need to get out of here," Luke said, his voice low and serious.
"What?" I asked, completely confused. "But I just got here!"
"This isn't your fight," Luke insisted, taking a step forward. "These guys are way out of your league."
Before I could even think of a comeback, he lunged past me.
"Hey, tin man!" Luke roared, charging directly at Gargan. "Why don't you pick on someone your own size?!"
SMASH!
Luke slammed into Gargan, sending the armored villain skidding back several feet. The ground actually cracked under Gargan's feet. I couldn't believe it. Luke was incredible.
Then I remember what I came here for. "Marcus!"
That name cut through all the noise. I wasn't here for a stupid gang war. I was here for him. I pushed my way through the fighting, not even really feeling the hits that bounced off my shoulders. Then I saw him. He was trapped against a wall, and one of Gargan's guys had a knife raised. Adrenaline just shot through me. I practically flew across the room, grabbed the attacker, and threw him clean over a stack of barrels.
Marcus just stared at me, his eyes wide with fear and shock.
"Th-thank you," he stammered, his voice shaky.
"Save it for your mom," I cut him off, my voice a little harsher than I meant it to be. "She's the only reason I'm here. She's worried sick about you."
I grabbed his arm, pulling him toward a broken window.
"Just get out of here, okay? Go home."
He nodded quickly, scrambling through the opening. I watched him disappear into the night. One down. Now for the rest of this mess.
The fight between Luke and Gargan was getting rough. Luke, the guy from the coffee shop, was definitely a powerhouse. I had seen him take a beating, but Gargan's armor and that giant scorpion tail gave him a real nasty edge. Luke was bleeding from a cut on his forehead, and he just couldn't seem to get close enough to Gargan to land a solid hit. He was going to lose. I couldn't just stand there and watch. I took a deep breath, cracked my knuckles, and ran straight into their fight.
"Hey, ugly!" I yelled, hoping my voice sounded braver than I felt.
Gargan spun around, his metallic tail whipping toward me. I ducked under it, feeling the wind from the passing metal. He wasn't slow, that was for sure.
"What in the—" Gargan started, but I didn't give him a chance to finish.
I launched myself at him, a full-force punch aimed right at his chest plate. CLANG! The impact vibrated through my arm, but his armor barely dented. He staggered back, a surprised grunt escaping his helmet.
"You really want some of this, little girl?" Gargan snarled, recovering quickly. "You're just going to get hurt."
"I've handled worse," I shot back, though I wasn't entirely convinced myself.
Luke saw his opening and threw a massive punch, connecting with Gargan's side. The armored villain grunted again, stumbling further.
"Hey, I told you to get out of here!" Luke yelled at me, his eyes wide with a mix of surprise and frustration.
"Yeah, well, I decided not to," I said, a little out of breath. "You look like you could use a hand."
Gargan's tail lashed out, striking Luke square in the chest and sending him flying into a stack of crates. He landed with a heavy THUD.
"Luke!" I screamed, turning to face Gargan.
"Now it's just you and me, little girl," Gargan sneered, his tail poised to strike. "Time to show you what real power looks like."
"Bring it on, tin can," I replied, my fists clenched and ready.
***
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