Rain lashed down relentlessly, a weeping sky over the valley. Thunder drowned out all sound.
Murphy and General Gaiman stood facing each other in the churning mud.
No speeches. No threats. The time for talking ended the moment Gaiman set foot on the ground.
Murphy knew the man before him was Death incarnate. He wasted no time, raising his shotgun, aiming directly at Gaiman's face, and pulling the trigger.
BANG!
The buckshot tore through the rain, heading straight for Gaiman's skull. But in the fraction of a second before impact, Gaiman raised his mechanical right arm.
CLANG!!
Metal clashed against metal. The lead pellets flattened and fell uselessly to the mud like sand. Gaiman's arm plating didn't even have a scratch.
Murphy's eyes widened. Before he could even pump the shotgun...
WHOOSH!
Gaiman's massive, tank-like frame lunged forward with impossible speed. The rain around him exploded into mist from the sheer velocity of his movement.
"Too slow."
Gaiman cocked his fully mechanical fist back. There was no technique, no martial art—just raw, brutal, overwhelming power. He drove the fist straight into Murphy's stomach.
KA-BOOM!!!
The impact sounded like a sledgehammer hitting wet meat. The force bypassed the muscle, crushing the internal organs, twisting his insides.
"Gahhh...!!"
Blood erupted from Murphy's mouth instantly, painting the mud red. His world spun violently. His consciousness flickered out for a second. His legs turned to jelly, and he dropped to his knees, paralyzed by the shock.
PING! PING! PING!
The Titan Gauntlet screamed. The status bar shot from zero to "GREEN" (FULLY CHARGED) instantly from just that single punch! The kinetic energy was massive, overloading the calculation system.
Murphy tried to look up, but all he saw was Gaiman's steel leg swinging towards him.
THUD!!
Gaiman kicked the kneeling Murphy in the ribs. Murphy's body was launched like a ragdoll, tumbling down the steep, muddy slope.
CRASH... THUMP!
Murphy rolled over rocks and roots, covered in filth and blood, before coming to a stop at a lower ledge. Pain flared through every nerve ending.
"Ughhh..." Murphy tried to push himself up, but his limbs wouldn't obey. His brain was rattling, confused.
WHIRRRRR—!!!
The mechanical whine from his arm grew into a piercing shriek. The green light was blindingly bright, sparking dangerously.
[ WARNING: KINETIC OVERLOAD - CRITICAL ]
The overheat alarm blared in his ear. "What... How did I get here..." Murphy shook his head, fighting the dizziness. "I have to... I have to vent it. Now! Or the arm blows!"
His trembling hand reached into his pouch, grabbing two rounds of "Standard Rifle Ammo" he looted from the armory.
He had no gun to fire them. But his right arm was now a high-pressure chamber.
Murphy gripped the bullets with his mechanical fingers, channeling the overflowing kinetic energy into the slugs. The brass casings began to glow red hot.
He looked up the hill, seeing Gaiman's silhouette standing amidst the lightning.
"GO!!"
Murphy flicked his fingers, launching the bullets with the massive snap of his kinetic drive.
FOOM! FOOM!
The bullets screamed through the air, creating vacuum tunnels as they flew at supersonic speeds towards Gaiman. But his vision was blurry, his aim broken.
The first shot grazed Gaiman's shoulder, shattering a rock behind him.
The second shot soared over Gaiman's head, disappearing into the dark storm.
Murphy collapsed back into the mud, gasping for air. His right arm stopped screaming. The light died down, leaving only steam rising from the metal.
He missed the target... but he had successfully vented the energy, saving himself from self-destruction.
...But Gaiman... was still standing there.