Kyubimon's powerful legs pumped, kicking up chunks of earth as she launched herself forward. The ground blurred beneath us. We were a golden streak, a fiery escape against the encroaching darkness.
Behind us, a man's voice, sharp and commanding, cut through the air.
"Don't let them get away! Cut them off!"
Gunfire erupted. Stun rounds whizzed past my ears. I squeezed my eyes shut, pressing my face into Kyubimon's warm fur, shielding Impmon with my body. The speed was incredible, a dizzying rush that threatened to tear me from her back.
Impmon, despite his fear, managed a weak, defiant mumble.
"They won't catch us."
He was probably right. Kyubimon was fast, incredibly fast. She moved like a phantom through the trees, weaving between trunks and leaping over bushes. The agents were good, but they were not supernatural.
We burst out of the tree line, leaving the agents behind. The vast expanse of Central Park opened up before us, a dark canvas under the moon. Kyubimon was still running, her breath coming in ragged gasps, her blue flames flickering with exertion.
"We need to lose them completely," I said, my voice barely a whisper.
Proxy nodded, her grip on me tightening.
"Kyubimon, head for the bridge!" she commanded.
Kyubimon veered sharply, heading toward one of the many stone bridges that crisscrossed the park's waterways. The structure offered some cover, a chance to shake our pursuers.
I glanced back. The agents were still coming, a swarm of dark figures silhouetted against the distant city lights. The metal-armed man was at the forefront, his movements fluid and relentless, like a predator on the hunt. He was gaining on us, faster than any human I had ever seen. My heart pounded against my ribs. We were not out of this yet.
Kyubimon leaped from the bridge, a golden blur launching us into the open sky. My stomach dropped with the sudden ascent. Below, the city lights twinkled like scattered diamonds, and above, the dark expanse of the night sky felt both liberating and terrifying. Kyubimon's nine tails streamed behind us, a fiery banner in the wind.
[WHOP WHOP WHOP]
Helicopter blades sliced through the air, their noisy presence too close for comfort. Kyubimon's blue flames lashed out, a defensive dance around the skids of a pursuing chopper. I could feel the heat radiating off her fur, a stark contrast to the icy fear that gripped my chest. My Jewel mask fogged up with each panicked breath, making the world seem hazy and unreal.
"Yeah! Barbecue those metal birds!" Impmon whooped, but his claws dug deeper into my thigh.
[CLANG]
A stray bullet pinged off Kyubimon's flank, and Impmon flinched. The little demon was scared, too. We were all scared.
Kyubimon zigzagged between skyscrapers, a desperate dance through the urban canyons. The wind roared in my ears, threatening to rip me from her back. We were moving so fast, a blur against the concrete and glass.
Black SUVs materialized on parallel streets below, their headlights like predatory eyes. They kept pace, an unnerving procession of dark vehicles. The metal-armed figure was not far behind, a relentless shadow leaping between rooftops with inhuman precision. He was always there, always twenty yards back, a constant reminder of the danger.
Ahead, a sudden flash of white caught my eye. A thick web, anchored to a billboard, stretched across our path.
[THWIP]
It was Spider-Man. Our first lucky break.
The web hit the billboard with a wet thwack. Spider-Man gave a mighty yank, tearing the massive sign from its moorings. The billboard swung through the air like a deadly pendulum, smashing into the pursuing helicopter with a deafening CRASH.
KABOOM!
Flames erupted, blossoming against the night sky. The chopper spun out of control, a fireball descending toward the street below. I flinched, shielding my eyes from the sudden brightness.
Spider-Man landed beside us in a low crouch, his mask tilted in a way that suggested a grin beneath the fabric. He always made grand entrances. I did not trust cheerfulness in combat zones, but right now I would take any ally.
"Looks like someone ordered extra crispy," Spider-Man quipped, his voice muffled by the mask. "You guys are a lot faster than you look."
Impmon, still clinging to my shoulder, chittered nervously.
"He is just showing off," Impmon muttered.
The metal-armed man, the metal-armed man, landed on our rooftop. His vibranium arm gleamed under the flickering light of the burning helicopter. He moved with a chilling efficiency, his eyes locked onto us.
"Stay back," Spider-Man said, his voice losing its playful edge.
Spider-Man launched himself forward, a flurry of webs streaming from his wrists. The metal-armed man dodged, a blur of motion. Webs slapped against the concrete where he had stood. Spider-Man tried to ensnare his metal arm, but the Winter Soldier spun out of the way, retaliating with a brutal kick to Spider-Man's ribs. The impact sent Spider-Man sprawling.
THUD!
Spider-Man groaned, struggling to get back on his feet. He was good, but this guy was on a different level. He was outmatched.
"Kyubimon, go!" Proxy commanded, her voice tight with urgency.
Kyubimon leaped to the next building, her powerful legs propelling us across the gap. The distance felt immense, a terrifying void between one rooftop and the next. I held on tight, my knuckles white against Kyubimon's fur. The wind whipped past my face, cold and sharp.
"We need to help him," I said, looking back at Spider-Man.
He was a hero, even if he was a wisecracking teenager. He was putting his life on the line for us. We could not just leave him.
I saw Spider-Man struggle against the metal-armed man. We could not abandon him.
"Kyubimon, attack!" Proxy commanded.
Kyubimon spun around, her nine tails flaring with blue fire. She launched herself at the metal-armed man, a golden streak of fury.
"Onibidama!" Kyubimon roared.
Blue fireballs erupted from her tails, striking the man with explosive force. He staggered, the impact throwing him backward. Spider-Man used the opening. He launched a webline, wrapping it around the man's metal arm. Spider-Man pulled, spinning him around.
THWIP!
Spider-Man used his momentum, slamming his other fist into the man's jaw. The metal-armed man recoiled, his head snapping back with the force of the blow. He was fast, but even he could not dodge everything.
I leaped from Kyubimon's back, launching myself toward the metal-armed man. My body moved without thought, a blur of white and blue. I aimed a powerful punch at his chest.
THUD!
He barely flinched, but I felt the resistance, the raw power behind his hardened form. He was strong, too strong.
He retaliated with a swift, brutal strike to my gut. The force of the blow ripped the air from my lungs. I gasped, my vision blurring, my body sailing backward. I slammed against the edge of the rooftop, my head hitting the concrete with a sickening CRACK.
My world spun, a kaleidoscope of colors and pain. The edges of my vision darkened. I heard faint voices, Proxy and Spider-Man, their words muffled and distant.
"Jewel!"
"Are you okay?!"
The voices faded. Darkness consumed me.
***
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