Ascension Of A Glitchwalker

Zane wanted to know how alert the mech was, so he raised his arm long in the air, and the mech raised its turret too.

It didn't just mimic him; the turret rolled, ready to fire, bullets restricted by its protocols.

He was the target. He grabbed his hair in confusion.

"What do I do? What do I—"

So this was it. The calm before the storm. He didn't need more warning.

He suddenly stood, adjusted his hoodie, and began walking toward the exit.

Each step dragged. Every glass reflection showed the mech still standing, waiting. Tension had him tight in the chest. The automatic doors parted—and that was the trigger.

CLUNK.

EXT-0879's legs shifted. Metal scraped the pavement.

[CORE: Player 000001, incoming security agents across the street.

Estimating…

21 armed personnel approaching

You need to act.]

'Shit!' He cursed underneath.

[CORE: I recommend you to RUN]

Zane walked out of the restaurant now, and he tilted his head at the mech. It was approximately 9 feet tall, its shadow towering over him like an eclipse.

The mech's sensors locked onto his figure ahead.

[TARGET ACQUIRED]

ID: Zane Everhart

Facial Match: 87% — WANTED

Crime Code: 409-B (Escape and murder)

Threat Level: MODERATE

Status: Unarmed | Alert posture

Distance: 3.2 meters — Closing

Heart Rate: 142 BPM

Weapon Scan: Negative

[PROTOCOL ENGAGED: APPREHEND]

Murderer? When did the mechs start having display failures?

Hydraulics shifted as the mech stepped forward, voice sharp and cold:

[Zane Everhart, you are a product and property of NexaTech. You match a criminal profile record. Surrender, do not resist.]

Like hell he would.

With a silent moment of studying each other, Zane's eyes caught a sharp corner beside the restaurant.

[EXT-0879: Order of NexaTech, do not resist]

Zane's heart pounded like a war drum, each beat echoing in his ears as he backed toward the alley's sharp corner.

EXT-0879 moved closer, its metallic frame catching the glow of neon signs flickering above the restaurant strip. Its red optic sensors locked on him, glowing like embers.

Zane swallowed his saliva.

No time to think. Just move.

He spun on his heel and bolted. The stolen sneakers smacked the pavement, loud against the cracked concrete. The upfront dark alley swallowed him whole with tight corridors, flickering lights, rusted dumpsters, and walls drowned in graffiti. His hoodie danced on his shoulder with each step, cold night air biting deep into his lungs with each breath.

[EXT-0879: TARGET FLEEING. PURSUIT MODE ACTIVATED.]

A mechanical whir exploded behind him. The mech's legs kicked into overdrive, shaking the ground with every pounding step. Sparks danced as its metal turret arm scraped the walls.

Zane glanced back, a bad idea. EXT-0879 was closing in fast, weaving through the alley like it had hunted prey before. Regret fueled his decision to run.

"Shit, shit, shit!" Zane gasped, breath shredding in his throat.

His powers, whatever they were, had only just awakened. But they were all he could depend on at the moment. The tingling sensation surged again, energy flaring beneath his skin like a second heartbeat.

The alley split into a T.

With determined eyes, he surged forward more.

A shadow—EXT-0879— dashed over his head like a projectile and clashed a few feet before him, blocking his path.

[Stand down, Zane Everhart, or full capture engagement will be initiated.]

Zane gritted his teeth but didn't slow. He kicked off the right wall and launched himself upward, using momentum and power.

He lunged more than he expected. One hand caught the fire escape ladder upfront. The metal groaned, but he climbed fast.

Clang!

Clang!

Clang!

The mech never faltered. A grappling hook shot from its forearm, the cable hissing through the air like a predator's tongue.

Zane ducked. The hook missed his face by inches, crashing into the fire escape above, spraying sparks and bent metal.

[CORE: Player 000001, grappling cooldown of mech : 4.2 seconds.]

He didn't argue. Vaulting over the railing, he landed hard on the next platform. Rolled forward, regaining his balance. He thought he had lost it until he gazed down the alley.

Below, the mech arm retreated into its body from a turret to a solid grappling metal arm. It slammed into the base of the building, claws digging into the framework.

Fear gripped him, NexaTech did create an adaptive mech.

[Zane Everhart. Surrender. Resistance is futile.]

"Not today," Zane barked, then launched himself toward the next rooftop.

He cleared a ten-foot gap with ease, hitting the roof in a sprint. Neon city lights stretched endlessly before him—towers, wires, noise but he didn't stop.

EXT-0879 caught sight of him again.

[TARGET REACQUIRED. DISTANCE: 12.7 METERS. INITIALIZING FLIGHT MODE]

A hum filled the air, low and rising. Zane's instincts flared. He dove just as the mech launched another net mid-air right behind him. The weighted mesh missed him by inches, wrapping a satellite dish instead.

Tripping in his steps, Zane crashed against a double trash can as he dropped down to a lower rooftop, hitting the concrete in stride.

His ear echoed with hums and noise. His knees buckled, but his strength held.

The streets below boiled with chaos. Agents flooded intersections. Drones zipped overhead like wasps.

Zane's eyes scanned around until he spotted a row of tunnels, wet, barely human-sized.

He dove inside. Metal scraped violently behind him. The mech tried to follow, but slammed into the walls, too bulky for the tight fit.

Zane let out a breath, then heard the worst sound possible.

Screeeeeee—CRUNCH.

EXT-0879 was ripping through the wall.

[CORE: Mech adapting. Tunnel breach in 9 seconds.]

Zane pushed harder, shoulder brushing the damp tunnel edges. The slope dipped. Water slick. He dove into a slide, using momentum to gain speed. The world blurred.

The tunnel burst open, straight into a crowded night market. Zane dodged carts, vaulted crates, and slid under a table. Shouts and curses trailed him.

Behind, metal crashed. The mech plowed through the exit.

[EXT-0879: TARGET IN CROWDED ZONE. SWITCHING TO NON-LETHAL MODE.]

"Non-lethal, my ass," Zane muttered.

He spotted a tower of salvage crates. Without slowing, he slammed his shoulder into them. The pile collapsed.

The mech blasted through, but it bought him a moment. Zane veered into another alley, chest heaving. Pain surged as his muscles burned. But the glitch inside him pulsed, pushing harder.

The chase ended at a chain-link fence, topped with razor wire. Beyond it, a freight mag-lev train was powering up, its engines humming as it prepared to depart. Zane didn't consider how high it was.

He had jumped before and didn't fail.

He sprinted, planted his foot, and leaped high, clearing the fence in a single bound. The razor wire grazed his hoodie, tearing fabric, but he landed on the other side, rolling to his feet.

The train's doors were closing. Zane dove through the gap, tumbling into the cargo hold as the doors sealed shut.

The train lurched forward, accelerating with a low roar. He collapsed against an arranged collection of crates, chest heaving, sweat dripping from his brow.

[CORE: Player 000001, heart rate stabilizing at 120 BPM. Mech pursuit temporarily halted. Train destination: Sector 7, 12 minutes.]

He wiped his brow, muscles twitching, and stared into his dark surroundings. The low red light up front glows faintly.

Hissss!

A cold thin needle suddenly hugged right at his neck. Liquid oozed into his skin, cold and fast.

His hand instinctively reached for it as his gaze fell on a slim shadow leaning against a large cargo wall. Cloaked in darkness and staring at him.

"That was an outstanding but sloppy escape," the stranger said, voice low but calm. "You'll get better with time."

"What the hell—?" His thoughts slipped, like water down a drain.

Before his eyes could make sense of the figure, the world tilted sideways. Things became blurry, and the approaching step of the stranger was the last thing he heard.