One Punch Man: Attitude Adjustment
Chapter 27: Flesh and Metal
Visible sparks crackled on Jackson's body as he constantly moved around the training facility with Inhuman speed. He would not let Randal have even a moments rest, the old man was forced to hold his ground in the center of the room. The Hero's forearms were purple as he covered his face while trying to stay on his feet. The cyborg was getting tired of Randal being stubborn, but he could still respect a man who refused to stay down. He stopped in front of Randal, giving his opponent a chance to catch his breath.
"Your legs are starting to shake." Jackson remarked stoically. "Do you really expect to hold out?"
"Maybe not...but then again...I don't have a battery shoved up my ass to keep me going..." Randal said, his voice sounding rough as he breathed heavily. "Do you even remember what a real fight is like? Or was letting some doctor give you everything less hassle then hitting the gym?" He asked with a tired smirk.
Jackson's eye angrily twitched underneath his sunglasses, the difference in power was clear but the criminal turned Hero refused to accept it. He planned to accomplish the mission with one more rushing punch, breaking through the enemies weakened guard. Doubting Randal's aging eyes proved to be a mistake, the entire time he was defending was also used to keep track of Jackson moved. Keeping up with Jackson's pace while also trying to read his moves was difficult, but it paid off for Randal when he stepped to the side with perfect timing. He swung his broad arm like a club at the cyborg's lower half. Jackson tripped, but immediately caught himself with a flawless series of front hand-springs.
Turning around, Jackson was met with a running dropkick to the center of his chest. Like Randal, he was able to block with his arms but the force was enough to make him slide backwards several feet. Knowing he couldn't hesitate made Randal scramble to his feet and step in swinging. Four blocked jabs and a ducked haymaker were thrown before Randal was struck down with one solid punch to his jaw. Even with his brain rattled, Randal could tell Jackson's strength was at least tripled since their last fight.
"Even the best soldiers are smart enough to surrender when there's no better option." Jackson explained, kneeling beside Randal while grabbing the back of his neck. "If you do that, I'll be nice and finish you off without any more pain. So, what do you say?" He asked while forcing Randal to meet him eye to eye, the response was blood being spat directly in his face.
"Good thing...I'm not a soldier..." Randal groaned.
After squeezing the neck until Jackson heard Randal wince, he easily tossed him away. A blue glow was in the corner of the Hero's view, flashes of memory let him realize what was coming and dive out of the way before a bolt of lightning caused an explosive shock upon hitting the ground. Randal knew he couldn't dodge something like that, the best he could afford was keeping track of Jackson's hands while falling back. This meant keeping a close eye on the enemy, waiting for the split second before the cyborg released electricity to jump away from the blast. Doing this allowed Randal to reach the now open window Jackson's previously tossed him through, he jumped into the security room and crouched down for cover.
Jackson let out a dry chuckle, the old man was getting desperate and backed himself into a corner. He removed his sunglasses and tucked into a inner breast pocket on his trench-coat. Tapping his temple activated thermal vision, letting the cyborg see rather large heat signature waiting beside the door in a pathetic attempt to set up an ambush. His upgrades could let Jackson simply blast through the wall, but he knew dealing with Randal face to face would be much more satisfying. The arm kept glowing as Jackson casually approached, expecting a quick end once Randal tried to punch or tackle him.
What he did not expect was a blast of carbon dioxide gas after kicking open the door. Randal recalled a fire extinguisher set up next to the door, the gas provided the perfect distraction to his move. With one hand, Randal swung the extinguisher like a club. Every impact against the metal plating that covered Jackson's skull made a loud metallic clang. Wavering back and forth, the cyborg took a dozen hard hits before in quick succession but pushed Randal away with enough force to make the Hero feel like someone took a sledgehammer to his chest. Jackson was ready to fire another bolt of lightning but Randal was able to throw the fire extinguisher in-between them just in time.
A small explosion of gas blocked Jackson's view, he cleared the obstruction with lightning from his other hand. The force of the blast pushed a hole in the middle of the smoke and blew off part of the wall, but Randal was already gone. Two large, familiar arms suddenly took hold of the cyborgs waist. Randal was hoping to finish the fight in the same way as the first, but in his rush to beat Jackson and move on to Spade he forgot about one of the most important rules of Pro Wrestlers in a feud; never use the same trick in the rematch.
It was definitely a first, but Randal's body stopped falling back before he could finish the suplex. Improved reaction sensors and bitter memories of losing before let Jackson stop Randal's wrestling move by planting both hands onto the floor, his head hanging just a few inches away from the metal ground. Randal tried to release the hold, but Jackson's legs wrapped around his waist to hold the Hero in place as the cyborg's entire body began to glow.
"Oh you cheap prAAAAAHHHH!" Randal hollered painfully, predicting the horrible jolt of electricity that coursed through his body.
The shock was definitely several times worse than before, Randal's skeleton was visible for a few seconds before the torment was finally over. Jackson got to his feet, looking down at the Hero laying before him. The old man seemed to finally be dead, his skin beat red and literally smoking. But to his surprise, there was a sign of life as the one hand slowly stretched out to grab Jackson's ankle. It was a weak grip that did little to help Randal's shaky attempt to stand. The lieutenant took quiet catharsis out of grabbing the Hero's hair to yank his enemy up to their knees. For the a very brief moment, Jackson felt sorry for the half dead expression on Randal's face but his feelings changed when he imagined a certain arrogant employer looking the same. Every appendage on Jackson's right hand fused and flattened into a spearhead shaped blade, a quick slash to the neck was all it would take.
"I gave you a...!" Jackson said, his words cut off and muffled by the gun barrel shoved in his mouth.
Randal's bold game of possum worked, Jackson noticed the pistol Randal confiscated and tucked into the back of his pants when the fight began but knew a small-caliber weapon like that would not be able to puncture armored skin. Assuming that as well, Randal decided to only thing he could do is hope for a chance to fight dirty. Pulling the trigger made the bullet ricochet in the Lieutenants throat and mouth. His augmentations kept him alive, letting Jackson step back to spit out a blood covered bullet along with a pair of his teeth. Now absolutely furious, it was time to kill the annoying Hero brutally and efficiently. Leaning his head up, Jackson was shocked to see Randal already back on his feet but even more shocked by the so-called Hero pressing the pistol directly against his left ear and pulling the triggers again.
A shrill, echoing buzz was all Jackson could hear. The bullet was only half-way lodged into his ear canal but it was enough to compromise Jackson's equilibrium. With considerable effort, the cyborg stopped himself from falling sideways as he felt the cybernetics in his head try to adjust and repair. Dropping the gun, Randal cracked his knuckles as he stepped forward. Even as he suffered from disorientation, Jackson had one moment of clarity that made him see just how dangerous someone like Randal could be. Most could only take so much pain before giving in, but some are not only able to endure; but also thrive from the rush of real danger because it allowed them to let out the ruthless aggression that dwelled within.
Preservation kicked in, with his right hand still formed into a blade Jackson made a sluggish attempt to lunge at his opponent. Stepping to the side, Randal dodge and hit the cyborg with the first punch in a brutal barrage. With every second the arms swung faster, fists struck harder and the Hero's expression turned far more savage. Slowly but surely, small dents were forming all over Jackson's body. An uppercut sent Jackson several feet into the air, which gave Randal an idea he had not tried for over a decade. Leaping in front of Jackson, Randal grabbed the cyborg and forced him into a fireman's carry position. Then he leaned back and let gravity do the rest, creating a mid-air Samoan Drop that left a large crater in the floor.
Gasping for air, Jackson turned onto his stomach as he coughed violently. The new body was still holding, but Jackson was clearly in rough shape. Back on his feet, Randal was ready to curb stomp the lieutenant if he tried to keep fighting but he also took a moment to catch some much-needed breath.
"So what was that...about solider knowing when to surrender?" Randal said in between breaths.
Jackson scowled, his blood boiling with rage. Nothing had gone like it was supposed to; the operation was botched, the upgrades still weren't enough to put the enemy down and worst of all they gave Spade an excuse to find a way to have complete control over him. All that combined with Randal using his own words like a joke was enough to make the cyborg ready to activate his most dangerous new program.
"Don't do it tinman." Randal said as he watched Jackson get up to one knee. "You can still give...up?" He said with a raised eyebrow as the cyborg jumped up, almost hitting the ceiling.
What made Randal even more confused was the way Jackson's was slowly floating down instead falling properly. When explaining the program, Dr. Nova said that a low gravity field generator would activate in Jackson's core to maintain the altitude needed for maximum destructive capabilities. Tossing away his trench-coat let Randal fully see Jackson's silver, metallic body The cyborgs eye began to glow with a familiar blue color along with the rest of his body. Tucking his knees to his chest and with arms at the side of his head while a massive amount of electrify sparked all around him. The lights began to flicker as the as an invisible, electro-magnetic field began to radiate throughout the room.
"Oh no..." Randal thought to himself, he turned around and noticed the same window he used before.
Sprinting for cover, Randal had just enough time to look over his shoulder before Jackson screamed and released the cyborg's full power. Bolts of lightning flew in all directions as the Lieutenant was in the center of a massive, electrical explosion. Parts of the wall and floor were melted, causing small bursts of fire throughout the training facility. Moments before Randal made it to the window, a bolt struck him in the back which caused him to involuntarily flip over the windowsill. Four more bolts him the security room, making most of the monitors to burst with a violent spray of sparks.
The whole thing only took seconds, but that was all the time needed to leave everyone thing around Jackson's smoldering and destroyed. Expelling most of the power in his core left him weak, but he knew it would not take long to recharge. Once that was done, he planned to report his success to Spade. With any luck, the boss would be pleased enough to drop his guard and Jackson could deal with him to. He took a moment to run an internal scan, which showed some major points of damage but most of it was considered non-critical. As he turned to grab his mostly in tact trench coat, his mostly retuned ears picked up the sound of movement. His body was practically shaking in frustration as Jackson turned around, seeing a large hand grab the windowsill.
"Why...?" Jackson said, gritting his teeth before completely losing his cool. "Why won't you die?!"
"Ha...haha..." Randal laughed with wheezing breath, looking barely conscious while pulling himself up. "You just don't get it kid..." He said with exhausted slurs.
As the old man slowly climbed over the window, the cyborgs heightened sense of smell picked up the unpleasant aroma of searing flesh that covered most of Randal's back. The lasts bits of his muscle shirt were stuck to him in small, melted patches.
"Do you have...any idea...how many people have tried to bury me? Randal asked, dragging his feet towards Jackson. "I'll admit...I lost count a couple decades ago...hard to keep track when they're coming at ya ten at a time. I've dealt with guns, knives , fire, monsters; but I gotta admit...thunder's a new one." Randal said, reaching over his shoulder and to touch his back and groan in pain. "Oh yeah...gonna feel that for a while."
Jackson's mouth was half-open in disbelief, in all his years seeing real soldiers on the front lines he had never seen anyone be able to endure like this. It would be worth his respect, if it wasn't for the fact it meant all the time and sacrifice he put into improving himself was a waste. Not only that, but it left him as a puppet to a man who already showed how easily the strings on Jackson could be pulled.
"And after all that, you actually thought some fancy parts were enough to put me down?" Randal asked with disdain. "I've been fighting for my life since before you born, the world's been throwing everything it can to knock me down but I'm still standing!" He yelled, in that moment focusing less on Jackson and more on life in general.
As Randal kept approaching, Jackson came to a morbid conclusion. The little bit of power he had left wasn't going to be enough to keep fighting and becoming a P.O.W was something he considered unacceptable. Even if it didn't go against everything he believe the awful truth was Spade now had the mean to shut him down anytime and for all Jackson knew, any place. At first, it seemed like there no options left. But then the conclusion came, and the proud soldier realized there was only one more thing he could decide for himself.
"Oh come on..." Randal said, looikng more annoyed than worried as Jackson held up a glowing hand again. "How many shots do you even have left?"
"Just one..." Jackson said somberly, his eyes showing a subtle sign of defeat. "But it's all I need."
The way Jackson spoke was enough to tip Randal off, he understood what was about to happened before Jackson turned his hand around to press it against his own chest. Yelling "Hold it!", Randal pushed through the pain to run and try to stop Jackson; but he was to late. The bolt of lightning tore melted threw Jackson's chest, leaving a jagged hole the size of a softball in the middle. Chunks of bloody metal blew out of his back, his eyes faded to grey before the corpse fell forward to lay face down in front of Randal's feet. The Hero stared down at the villains body, feeling a, feeling a mix of relief for ending the fight and regret from the all too familiar way it came to an end. Pushing those feelings down, he replaced them with simple and effective anger towards the man who started all this nonsense.
He noticed Jackson's trench-coat close by, only a bottom corner off it was melted away from the lightning. It was a bit to much of a Matrix ripoff for Randal's taste, but he also knew beggars couldn't be choosers. Besides the sleeves being a little tight, the coat fit just fine. With that done, Randal give Jackson's body one more glance before leaving the room so he could finally get his hands on Spade.