The Rogues Of: No Man's Land

As the exits sealed shut, the squad realized the inevitable, there was no way out. 

"You can come with us alive... or in pieces. Your choice." Kane said.

"Let's not waste time." Morticia muttered. 

Without warning, he lunged at Dragon-Boy.

Dragon-Boy barely managed to block as Morticia's claws slashed toward his throat. Sparks flew from the impact as they clashed, the force sending tremors through the floor.

Rex moved to help, but Kane intercepted him, driving a powerful kick into Rex's chest and slamming him into a wall.

"Tao!" Sister Seraphina called, throwing the map aside. "Help Rex! I'll handle the other bounty hunter's!"

As Tao sprinted toward Rex, Morticia raised a hand. Blood coiled from his fingertips, twisting and solidifying into a crimson scythe.

"Killer," he whispered, admiring the weapon.

With a roar, Dragon-Boy unleashed his Primal Engine technique.

''DRAGON HAMMER!''

A pool of flames erupted from his fists as he slammed both hands downward. The explosion was deafening. Fire surged through the room, consuming everything in a fiery shockwave. The force sent Tao, Rex, Seraphina, Kane, and the bounty hunters skidding backward.

But Morticia... he vanished.

A flurry of bats swirled through the inferno, reforming into the vampire just beyond the flames. Smirking, he swung Killer, the blood scythe arcing through the air.

Dragon-Boy barely dodged, but the blade tore through his jacket, leaving a thin gash on his arm.

Sister Seraphina had seen enough. Channeling her Primal Engine, she extended both hands forward. "Heaven's Gates!"

A shimmering wall of condensed holy energy erupted between the fight's and the rest of the bounty hunter's. Kane clicked his tongue as the weaker bounty hunters were instantly thrown back.

Rex smirked. "Nice timing."

"Don't get cocky." Kane slammed a foot into Rex's ribs, sending him sprawling. Tao rushed in, swinging a punch at Kane's head. But Kane's speed was terrifying. He ducked, driving an elbow into Tao's gut before delivering a brutal uppercut.

Sister Seraphina sprinted forward, holy energy coating her fists. "Holy Barrage!"

She launched a flurry of radiant punches, her speed nearly blinding. But Kane wove between them with unnatural precision, dodging every strike before countering with a devastating blow that sent her crashing into a pile of rubble.

Meanwhile, Dragon-Boy hurled a volley of fireballs at Morticia, but each time, the vampire transformed into a swarm of bats, reappearing behind him to land a counterstrike.

Frustration mounted. Dragon-Boy growled, fists tightening. "Stay still, damn it!"

Then, he had an idea.

The next time Morticia reformed, Dragon-Boy didn't attack immediately. Instead, he let Morticia lunge, then, at the last second, he rocketed himself backward with a burst of flames, using the momentum to propel both of them into the air.

They shot past multiple floors, ascending rapidly.

Dragon-Boy smirked. "Good luck down there!" As he prepared to settle things once and for all, the battle raged on below, the squad locked in a desperate struggle against Kane.

Rex, Sister Seraphina, and Tao rushed Kane from different angles, their movements fueled by determination and desperation.

But Kane was ready. With precise and ruthless efficiency, he struck at their weak points, nerve clusters, pressure points, and exposed ribs. Every hit sent them crashing into walls or slamming into the ground.

Rex lunged first, activating Heaven's Claw, his fingers sharpening into ethereal talons that slashed toward Kane's chest. But Kane dodged effortlessly, weaving between the strikes before driving his knee into Rex's gut. The impact sent the warrior skidding across the ground, coughing up blood.

Sister Seraphina followed up immediately, summoning divine power into her palm for Holy Smite, a radiant strike meant to cleanse evil. She aimed at Kane's head, but Kane's movements were too sharp, too refined. He twisted his body, avoiding the strike entirely before countering with a brutal elbow to her sternum. She gasped, feeling the force of the hit reverberate through her ribcage, and was sent flying backward.

Tao, still unfamiliar with how to use his Primal Engine, relied on sheer physical combat. He launched a punch aimed at Kane's temple, but the assassin was leagues ahead in skill. Kane sidestepped and delivered a punishing counter, a swift jab to Tao's liver followed by a sweeping kick that took his legs out from under him. Tao hit the ground hard, groaning in frustration.

Kane smirked, standing over their battered forms. "Pathetic. I expected more from thieves."

He casually pointed his gun at them. "You're trapped here. And soon, Morticia will kill that dragon brat. Then, it's over."

The three fighters, barely able to stand, looked at each other. Rex wiped blood from his mouth, scowling. "We're getting destroyed out here."

Sister Seraphina gritted her teeth. "We need a plan."

Tao clenched his fists, feeling the weight of failure press against him. "We do."

Kane's gun began glowing ominously. "Don't worry, I'll end your suffering now. Deadly Shot."

A massive, concentrated blast of energy erupted from the barrel. The explosion consumed the trio in an instant. Smoke and debris filled the air. Kane exhaled, brushing some dust from his coat.

"Tch. Too easy."

But as the smoke cleared, a single figure remained standing.

Rex.

His body was charred, his breath ragged. He had taken the full force of the Deadly Shot, for them. He swayed for a moment before collapsing, unconscious.

Tao and Sister Seraphina stared in shock. "Rex!" Sister Seraphina screamed, her hands trembling with rage.

Something inside her snapped.

With a cry of fury, she launched herself at Kane, her body glowing with divine energy. For the first time in the fight, Kane was forced back as she pummeled him with a barrage of radiant punches to his abdomen and ribs. Every hit landed, and Kane actually grimaced under the onslaught. It seemed like she was finally overpowering him, until Kane caught her final punch with one hand and drove his own fist into her stomach. The impact blasted her back into a wall, leaving her stunned.

Tao watched, frozen. His body ached. His mind screamed at him to move, but he couldn't. Fear. Helplessness. Defeat.

Kane turned to him, raising his gun. "Now, for you."

A gunshot echoed.

Tao's body jerked.

Then, silence.

Kane smirked, holstering his weapon. "Pathetic." He turned away walking. The moment seemed to linger in the cold silence, the weight of mortality pressing down on the fallen fighters.

...