Aerrow wiped sweat from his brow as he stood amidst hissing pressure valves, clouds of steam swirling around him. "Well, that worked... kinda," he muttered, glancing at the chaotic mess he'd just created by cranking the wrong lever. Instead of disabling the ship's systems, he had merely caused an overload of pressure in several auxiliary lines.
Steam gushed wildly from ruptured pipes, filling the room with heat and blinding vapor. The alarms were louder now, echoing through every corridor of the massive warship.
Just as Aerrow thought about his next move, two burly Cyclonian goons charged into the room, weapons raised.
"You're coming with us" one barked.
Aerrow smirked. "Not today."
With a quick spin, he swept low, tripping one of the guards before flipping backward to dodge a punch from the other. The second guard stumbled, and Aerrow wasted no time, driving a clean strike with his blade into a control panel on the wall. Sparks erupted as the console short-circuited, followed by a chain reaction of explosions rippling through the room.
BOOM!
The force of the blast hurled Aerrow forward, but he rolled to his feet and sprinted out just before the entire room ignited into a blazing inferno.
In the command chamber, Cyclonis's eyes darkened as red warnings flashed across every screen. Systems flickered, and several key functions shut down. The damage reports scrolled rapidly before her.
"What is happening?" Dark Ace growled.
Cyclonis clenched her fists, her voice cold and sharp. "It's him. I know it."
She activated her communicator, speaking with deadly calm. "Dark Ace, He's near the auxiliary control lines—heading toward the engine room. Intercept him."
Dark Ace grinned, cracking his knuckles. "Finally, some fun."
By sheer luck ,Aerrow managed to navigate the labyrinthine corridors and reach the massive engine room. The bad news? oh nothing much two dozen Cyclonian soldiers stood between him and the controls, their weapons trained on the entrance.
"Great," Aerrow muttered, ducking behind a large metal pipe as blaster fire erupted around him. Sparks flew, and the clang of bullets ricocheted off steel surfaces filled the air.
Taking a deep breath, Aerrow steadied himself. Just gotta thin them out a bit, he thought grimly. Peeking through a gap in the machinery, he fired back with precise shots, taking down several guards. But the remaining soldiers were relentless, forcing him to retreat further into cover.
Before Aerrow could formulate his next move, a voice cut through the chaos, smug and confident.
"Well, well, well," Dark Ace drawled, stepping into view with his signature blade drawn. "This day just keeps getting better and better."
Aerrow gritted his teeth, readying himself for a fight. "Funny, I was thinking the same thing."
The two locked eyes, the tension palpable. Both knew this was going to be a battle neither would hold back from.