Encino – Valley High School Gymnasium
The air was thick with tension. Mike stood between Tory and the shadowy figure, his muscles tense, his heart pounding. Every instinct told him that this was no ordinary fight. It wasn't just a battle of strength or skill—it was something more visceral, more personal.
The figure in front of them, the one who had haunted Tory's every move, now faced Mike head-on. His movements were smooth, controlled, like a predator studying its prey. The silence was deafening, save for the sound of their breaths and the faint hum of the fluorescent lights above.
Mike clenched his fists, feeling the familiar burn in his shoulders from the intense training. The ghosts of his past—of the war, of the men he couldn't save—haunted him, but this time, it wasn't just about survival. It was about redemption.
"Who are you?" Mike's voice was low, but the words cut through the tension in the room.
The figure tilted his head slightly, the movement unnerving in its precision. "You already know," he said, his voice cold. "I'm the one who will put an end to what you've become. The one who will finish what you never had the courage to."
Tory's eyes widened. "You're him. Kade, right? The one who—"
Kade raised a hand, silencing her. His eyes locked onto Mike. "This isn't about her. This is about you. Ghost Echo. I've been sent to hunt you down. To eliminate what you've become. You've been living in the shadows long enough. It's time for you to face the light."
Mike's jaw tightened. "You have no idea what I've been through."
"I know exactly what you've been through," Kade replied, his voice growing colder. "I've studied your every move, every decision. You're nothing but a reflection of your past, a broken man who hides behind false courage."
The words hit Mike harder than he cared to admit, but he wasn't about to let Kade see that. He stood taller, his resolve sharpening like the edge of a blade. "You want to finish me off? You're going to have to do a lot better than that."
Kade smiled, but it wasn't a smile of triumph. It was a smile of calculation, a predator sizing up its prey before the final strike.
"Then let's see if you can still fight," Kade said, his voice laced with ice.
Without warning, he lunged forward.
Encino – Mike's Apartment
Johnny sat in the dimly lit apartment, the tension in the air palpable. He'd never been one to sit still for long, but something about the situation made him hesitate. He knew Mike was out there, facing whatever this shadow was. Kade.
His fingers tapped restlessly on the arm of the couch. He didn't know the full story about Mike's past, but he could feel it. The weight, the trauma. Whatever happened back there, it had shaped the man who stood before him now.
Mike's tough, but... Johnny thought, his mind racing. Even the toughest need backup.
Suddenly, his phone buzzed. Johnny's eyes darted to the screen. A text message from Mike.
"It's happening now. Get here. Fast."
Johnny stood up, his eyes narrowing. There was no time to waste. He grabbed his jacket, moving quickly toward the door.
Valley High School Gymnasium
The fight erupted in a flurry of movement.
Mike and Kade collided with brutal force, their bodies crashing together as they exchanged blows with a raw intensity. Mike's training had been relentless, his body forged in battle, but Kade was something else. He was calculated, his strikes surgical, aimed at breaking Mike physically and mentally.
Mike gritted his teeth as Kade's fist connected with his ribs. The pain flared up, but he pushed through it, driving his own fist into Kade's abdomen in return. The blow landed with a sickening thud, but Kade barely flinched.
"You're strong," Kade taunted, wiping a trickle of blood from his lip. "But not strong enough."
Mike's blood was boiling, the fire from his training pushing him forward. He wouldn't let this man—this shadow—take him down. Not again.
Kade's foot shot out, catching Mike in the knee, and Mike's leg buckled under the pressure. He grunted, trying to regain his balance, but Kade was on him instantly, locking him in a vice-like grip.
"You never should have come back," Kade whispered, his voice like poison in Mike's ear. "You should have stayed dead."
Mike's eyes burned with fury. He pushed against Kade, using every ounce of his strength. His thoughts were a blur, but one thing was clear—he wasn't going down without a fight.
In a swift motion, Mike shifted his weight, breaking free of Kade's hold. He spun, delivering an elbow strike that caught Kade in the jaw, sending him stumbling back.
For the first time, Kade seemed rattled.
Germany – FANG V2 Compound
Dr. Kessler stood in front of the monitors, watching the fight unfold in real-time. She was silent, her eyes never leaving the screen.
"Do you see this?" she asked, her voice sharp.
The technician next to her nodded. "Yes, Dr. Kessler. Kade's performance is… unexpected."
Her lips curled into a cold smile. "It doesn't matter. He will finish the mission. He has to."
But even as she spoke the words, something flickered in her eyes—a doubt, a hesitation. She had molded Kade into a weapon, but there was always the possibility of something… human slipping through.
Kade's fight with Mike wasn't just physical—it was psychological. And that, Dr. Kessler knew, was where the true battle lay.
Valley High School Gymnasium
Mike's heart pounded in his chest. He was winded, bruised, but the fire inside him burned brighter than ever. Kade's cocky smirk was fading, replaced by something darker—something more dangerous.
"You're just like them," Kade spat, his eyes narrowing. "Broken. Weak. And you won't survive this."
Mike's eyes flashed with a cold resolve. "You've got no idea what I've survived."
He charged at Kade, faster than before, his body driven by the desperation of a man who knew what was at stake. Kade tried to block, but Mike was too quick. A series of brutal strikes landed, each blow echoing through the gym.
Kade staggered back, his breath ragged, his expression shifting from arrogance to uncertainty.
This time, Mike wasn't backing down.