Another meta-ability would be added to his collection.
*CRACK*
The door crashed open behind him and wood splintered from the frame.
Renee Montoya stepped through with her gun drawn and her boots scraping on debris.
She swept the room with her eyes and locked on Ethan which caused her to plant her feet wide.
“Hands up!
Now!” she shouted, while she heaved, making her shirt pull tight across her breasts.
Ethan paused his reach and turned his head toward her slowly, the sudden noise pulleing his attention.
He kept his hands down and assessed her stance, it was clear she was ready to fire—he’d need to be careful.
She squeezed the trigger once and the shot cracked into the wall beside him causing plaster to explode in a cloud of dust that rained down on his shoulders and stung his eyes.
His head snapped fully to her.
She met his gaze and her expression shifted slightly as recognition hit her which made her frown slightly.
That wasn’t good…
he’d need to deal with her if she recognised him, but killing a detective would only make the situation worse.
“Put your hands up now!” she commanded, her finger tightened on the trigger again.
Ethan stayed still and calculated his options which included whether to activate his power despite the growing pain in his chest from the earlier use.
The adrenaline residue still coursed through him, which caused his muscles to twitch faintly.
His heart also skipped a beat irregularly making him hesitate, he’d never activated his ability in such quick succession before.
A foolish mistake.
It seemed constantly flooding his system over and over again is much more taxing than prolonged use.
“I said hands up don’t make me ask again!” Renee barked and squeezed off another shot into the plaster by his shoulder causing more dust and splinters to shower down while the recoil jerked her arms and made her jacket shift open slightly.
Ethan blinked away the dust and felt it settle on his mask which caused him to exhale slowly.
He raised his hands halfway because complying bought time but his mind raced as he looked for a solution.
He rushed forward in an explosive burst, each stride building from the last as his enhanced leg muscles coiled and released with amplified force, propelling him across the space.
Renee reacted instantly to his charge and fired straight at his chest, the bullet striking the Kevlar vest with a muffled thud that compressed the layered fibers and absorbed the impact energy, bruising his sternum but not penetrating.
She adjusted her aim upward slightly since the first shot didn’t stop him, firing again so the second bullet hit the vest near his shoulder, causing a sharper jolt that radiated through his arm muscles but the material held firm without tearing.
Now too close for her to evade, Ethan slammed his shoulder into her midsection, the collision lifting her off her feet and hurling her backward across the room, her body impacting the wall with a crack that spiderwebbed the plaster while the force jarred her spine and loosened her grip, sending her gun flying from her hand to skid across the debris-strewn floor.
Ethan straightened immediately as the tackle’s follow-through cleared his path, advancing on her slumped form to end the threat, but a sharp stab tore through his chest due to the repeated activation of Hyperadrenal which overtaxed his heart, the extreme adrenaline levels causing irregular contractions from depleted potassium and strained cardiac muscle fibers that hadn’t recovered from the prior use against Eric, forcing him to gasp and fall to one knee as dizziness hit from the sudden arrhythmia.
His vision blurred momentarily while blood pressure fluctuated, but he panted heavily to stabilize his oxygen intake and deactivated the ability, the rush fading which left his muscles aching from lactic acid buildup as sweat poured down his back.
He looked up through the clearing haze and saw Renee recovering, pushing off the wall with a groan that propelled her forward unsteadily toward the gun.
Ethan pushed through his own lingering chest pain and rushed forward again, sliding over a nearby table in a fluid motion, the surface allowed his momentum to carry him across, landing on the far side which positioned his boot to connect with the gun’s slide and kick it spinning out of reach under the couch.
Renee cursed under her breath before she swept her leg in a quick arc toward his ankles to knock him off balance.
He hopped back to avoid the sweep, shifting his weight to his toes which enabled a light landing and preserved his stance for the counter.
She lunged upward from her crouch as the failed sweep provided momentum, tackling him around the waist with surprising force that drove him backward a step before he braced his legs to halt the push.
He leaned back to counter the tackle’s pressure and gripped her sides, his hands sliding under her jacket to feel the curve of her ribs and lifted her, throwing her toward the TV with the added momentum from her lunge to send her crashing into the screen with a shatter of glass that sliced shallow cuts on her arms.
She cursed loudly, “Fuck!” as the impact jarred her shoulders and caused blood to well from the wounds, rolling to her side which enabled her to push off the floor with her hands and leave smears on the carpet as she got up.
Ethan jumped forward into a superman punch, leading with his right fist extended as his body followed in a horizontal leap.
She avoided it by twisting her torso at the last second, causing his knuckles to graze her shoulder instead of landing solidly.
He threw a right cross immediately after touching down as the missed punch left his arm positioned to chain the follow-up, aiming for her jaw in quick succession.
She deflected it with her forearm raised in a block that absorbed the impact and led to a forming bruise, countering with a straight jab to his shoulder that connected solidly.
He grabbed her wrist after the jab as her arm remained extended from the punch, twisting it to pull her off balance before stepping in and pivoting his hips against hers, pressing their bodies together briefly where her thigh brushed his. Follow the newest chapters on g.com.
She pushed off the nearby wall with her legs as the throw had positioned her close to it, adding momentum to her flip over his hip which let her land on her feet instead of the ground.
She used the extra force to counter by grabbing his neck and yanking him forward while her leg hooked his, throwing him down onto his back with a thud that knocked the wind out briefly.
She dropped onto him immediately as the throw placed her on top, straddling his waist which pressed her hips against his groin, her thighs clamping tight as she drew her fist back and hammered down toward his face in rapid strikes.
He blocked the first with his forearms crossed, absorbing the impact that caused his muscles to ache, then bucked his hips up to unbalance her which shifted her forward slightly and allowed him to grab her punching arm mid-swing, twisting it sideways while his other hand pushed her shoulder, rolling them over so he ended up on top and pinned her wrists to the floor.
“Give up!” She grunted as she struggled.
“You’re already in trouble for attacking a law enforcement officer, don’t make it worse for yourself.”
Renee twisted her hips sharply to the left and bridged up with explosive force from her core muscles, bucking him off balance which caused his grip to loosen on one wrist as she yanked it free and drove her elbow into his ribs, the impact thudding against the Kevlar but still jarring his side enough to make him shift his weight, allowing her to roll them sideways where she reversed the position momentarily by hooking her leg over his and using the momentum to flip him onto his back.
She scrambled to her knees as he hit the floor and followed with a downward hammerfist aimed at his throat, but Ethan caught her forearm mid-strike and twisted it outward while kicking up with his boot into her midsection, the sole connecting solidly with her abdomen which knocked the air from her lungs in a whoosh and sent her stumbling back onto her feet, clutching her stomach as she gasped for breath, her breasts rising and falling rapidly under the strained shirt.
Ethan kipped up to his feett from the ground and closed the distance with a feint jab to her face that drew her guard high, then dropped to sweep his leg at her ankles, but Renee hopped over the sweep and countered by stomping down on his extended calf which pinned it momentarily and caused a spike of pain through his muscle, forcing him to roll away as she pressed the advantage with a knee strike aimed at his head that grazed his shoulder instead when he dodged.
He came up swinging a right hook that she ducked under while stepping inside his reach and delivering a short uppercut to his chin, the blow snapping his head back slightly through the mask but not dazing him as he absorbed it and wrapped his arms around her waist in a clinch, lifting her off the ground and driving her backward into the kitchen counter where the edge dug into her lower back, her thighs wrapping around his hips instinctively for balance which pressed their groins together through the fabric, the friction sending a brief, unwanted spark of heat through her as her sweat-slicked skin slid against his arms.
Renee grunted from the impact and raked her nails across his masked face, tearing at the mask near his eyes which forced him to release the clinch and step back, but she followed immediately by grabbing a loose pan from the counter and swinging it in a wide arc toward his temple, the metal whistling through the air as he leaned back to avoid it and countered with a straight punch to her solar plexus that landed flush, doubling her over as air exploded from her lungs and caused her to drop the pan with a clang.
She recovered faster than expected and lunged to tackle his legs, wrapping her arms around his thighs which brought her face level with his groin for a split second before she lifted and drove him backward, slamming his back into the refrigerator door that dented under the force while her shoulder dug into his abdomen, the close contact making her breasts press firmly against his legs as she strained to take him down.
Ethan braced against the fridge and brought his elbow down onto her spine in a sharp strike that made her gasp in pain and loosen her grip, allowing him to shove her away and follow with a knee to her chest that she blocked with crossed arms, the impact jarring her bones but giving her enough space to roll sideways and grab a broken chair leg from the floor, swinging it like a club at his knee which he sidestepped while kicking the weapon from her hand, sending it skittering across the room.
Renee cursed under her breath and charged again with a flurry of punches, starting with a left jab that he parried followed by a right cross he ducked under, then a hook to his body that glanced off the vest as he twisted away and countered with a palm strike to her sternum that pushed her back a step, her shirt riding up slightly to expose the sweat-glistened skin of her midriff where muscles tensed from the hit.Both of them were breathing heavily with sweat dripping from their faces, the room a wreck of shattered furniture and smoldering embers around them.
Renee shifted stances and moved forward and feinted a wild punch to his left side, drawing his guard there as she stepped in closer, then spun on her heel and unleashed a huge roundhouse kick that connected solidly with the side of his head, the force ripping the mask free and sending it flying across the room to land in a pile of debris.
Her eyes widened as she saw his face clearly for the first time, recognition hitting her like a gut punch that made her stagger back a step, her breath catching in her throat while her mind raced to process it.
Ethan Kane, the kid from the academy.
“It’s you!
Bullock was right!” She said in shock as she stood there.
Ethan touched his exposed jaw where the kick had split his lip, tasting blood that trickled down his chin, and looked at her.
“I wished you didn’t do that,” he said calmly, the words hanging in the air for a beat before he focused inward, activating the hyperadrenalism despite the strain, his heart rate spiking as adrenaline surged through his system once more.
He closed in fast, and grabbed her extended arm from the kick’s follow-through, twisting it behind her back which forced her to arch forward.
She tried to elbow him with her free arm, but he ducked under it causally and drove a knee into her thigh, the hit numbing her leg and causing her to buckle slightly, which let him sweep her other leg out from under her and slam her down onto the floor, her back hitting hard enough to knock the wind out of her while her arms flailed.
Ethan mounted her quickly, pinning her thighs with his knees as he rained down punches, starting with a jab to her jaw that snapped her head sideways and split her lip, blood spraying across her cheek which made her taste copper and groan, then followed with an elbow to her collarbone that cracked audibly and caused her to cry out in pain, her body bucking beneath him as her hips ground up against his groin in the struggle.
She bridged her hips desperately to throw him off, but he shifted his weight forward to maintain control, grabbing her throat with one hand which restricted her air and made her gasp, her nails raking down his arm to draw blood that trickled warm over his skin, prompting him to release and drive a final punch into her temple, the impact dazing her as stars burst in her vision and her eyes rolled back, her body going limp beneath him with a final shudder.
Ethan released his grip on Renee’s throat as the pain in his chest sharpened into a vise-like squeeze, his heart stuttering from the overload of adrenaline that had pushed his cardiovascular system beyond its limits for the fourth time that night, it left him lightheaded and caused him to roll off her, his back hitting the floor as sweat poured down his face and soaked into his shirt.
He pushed himself up slowly, the ache radiating through his limbs as he staggered to his feet and walked over to Eric’s body, the lingering pull of the power inside the man drew him closer until he knelt beside the charred form, reaching out to grasp Eric’s wrist; the energy had started to fade during the fight with Renee, and now as he focused, he realized it was gone entirely—the man was dead, his chest no longer rising, the body cooling rapidly in the smoky air which caused Ethan to freeze in place.
He stood there for a minute, staring at the corpse as disappointment built in his gut and twisted into frustration that tightened his throat, the loss of the ability hitting him like a physical blow that caused his fists to clench and his vision to blur with unexpected tears, the raw emotion surging up because the power had been so close, so tangible, and now it was wasted, prompting him to scream in anger, the sound ripping from his chest as he slammed his hands against the nearest wall, the impact jarring his palms and sending plaster dust cascading down while tears streamed down his face, his body shaking with sobs that wracked him uncontrollably.
“I didn’t get the ability!!!!” he wailed, his voice breaking as he punched the wall again, the sting in his knuckles causing fresh tears to fall, “and the police found me, what do I do, what do I doooooo,” the words tumbling out in a desperate howl that echoed through the apartment, his knees buckling slightly as he slid down the wall and pounded the floor with his fists, the emotional overload crashing over him like a wave that left him gasping and trembling on the ground.
“I HATE IT!!!!”
“I HATE IT!!!!”
“EAAAAHHHHH!!!!”
He stopped abruptly after a few moments, the sobs cutting off as he cleared his throat and wiped his face with the back of his hand, the tears smearing dirt across his cheeks which caused him to take a deep breath and steady himself.
“That’s better,” he said to himself quietly, the calm returning as the outburst faded.
He wasn’t used to such strong emotions, like anger because his life had been a void of detachment until the power awakened him, making any intense feeling hit like a flood that overwhelmed his mind, but now that he’d released it causally through the breakdown, the fog lifted and he could think clearly again.
Set this place on fire and leave, he decided, standing up as the plan formed in his mind, the causality of destroying evidence leading him to scan the room for accelerants like the scattered liquor bottles and rags near the kitchen.
He then looked at Renee, her unconscious form slumped against the wall where he’d left her, blood trickling from her lip and cuts on her arms that caused shallow pools to form on the floor, prompting him to tilt his head slightly as he pondered.
What to do with the nosey detective.
_____________________________________
Renee stirred slowly and found herself lying on a thin mattress, her head pounding with a massive headache that throbbed behind her eyes like a hammer striking an anvil repeatedly, making every small movement send waves of nausea through her body as she groaned and forced her eyelids open.
Her vision blurred at the edges, the room swimming in hazy shapes and dim light that filtered through what looked like metal bars or walls, causing her to blink rapidly while she pushed herself up on one elbow, the cool air raising goosebumps on her skin which made her realize with a jolt that she was completely naked, her body wrapped in various bandages around her arms, ribs, and thighs. Follow the newest chapters on novelping.com.
Not far from the mattress sat a simple metal tray with a plate of food and a bottle of water, the condensation dripping down its side as if it had been left there recently, but the sight only heightened her confusion and dread because this wasn’t a hospital or precinct holding cell.
She swung her legs off the edge unsteadily, her bare feet hitting the cold concrete floor which sent a shiver up her spine that made her breasts sway slightly as she stood, but her knees buckled almost immediately from the lingering dizziness and she stumbled forward a step, catching herself on the wall while calling out in a hoarse voice, “Help, is anyone there, let me out,” her words echoing off the confined space as she moved toward what looked like a door.
“You’re awake,” a voice said calmly from behind her, causing Renee to spin around in shock, her heart jumping into her throat as she lost her balance for a second and steadied herself against the wall, her naked body exposed fully in the turn which made her cross one arm over her breasts instinctively while the other shielded her groin.
She saw a massive glass wall that divided the cell from another room, one she hadn’t noticed before because of the dim lighting and her blurry vision, and behind it sat Ethan, lounging on a chair with one foot propped up on the seat and the other dangling casually, his posture relaxed as he watched her with those same calm blue eyes that now sent a chill down her spine.
Renee stumbled over to the glass, her bare feet slapping against the floor as she hit it with her palm, which vibrated slightly from the impact but didn’t give, and she pounded again while demanding, “Let me out right now, Ethan, this is kidnapping, assault on an officer, on top of two counts of homicide, you’ll go down for life, the entire GCPD will hunt you, release me or I swear I’ll make sure you rot in Blackgate.”
Ethan remained unfazed, tilting his head slightly as he replied, “Do you think you’re in a position to make demands,” his gaze drifting casually over her bandaged, naked form without a hint of lust or shame, though the vulnerability of her exposed skin—her nipples hardening from the chill, the curve of her hips shifting as she pressed against the glass—registered in his mind as a simple fact, a body like any other but one that had proven surprisingly resilient in the fight.
She scowled, her face flushing with anger that made her breasts rise and fall faster with each breath, “Where have you taken me,” she demanded, her eyes darting around the cell again to take in the sparse setup—a toilet in the corner, a sink, the mattress, nothing else that could be used as a weapon or tool.
Ethan scratched his chin thoughtfully before answering, “I suppose there is no harm in telling you,” and he leaned back in the chair, crossing his arms casually.
“I have a classmate called David Doothenhall, his family are pretty rich, a few years ago his father fled the country for crimes related to kidnapping and sexual assault.”
Renee narrowed her eyes, the memory surfacing through the headache as she replied with disgust, “I remember that, we got a bunch of evidence through an anonymous tip, but didn’t make it in time to—”
Ethan smiled faintly
Renee noticed this.
“Don’t tell me…”
Ethan nodded.
“I wanted to be a hero when I was younger, I investigated the disappearances of a string of young women and managed to link them all to Richard Doothenhall, when I broke into his house I found this place, after that it was a simple matter of gathering the evidence.”
She processed that, her scowl deepening while she pressed her body closer to the glass to hide her nakedness somewhat, the cool surface making her skin prickle as her thighs clenched together unconsciously.
“As to why I brought you here?
The police will expect you to be hidden in an abandoned building or a warehouse or a gang hideout but not a place like this,” Ethan continued, “and considering no one has lived here for years it’s the perfect place.”
“Why kidnap me?” Renee growled, as she banged on the glass again, the vibration traveling up her arm which made the bandages shift slightly over the curve of her breast.
“After I knocked you out I had a choice,” Ethan explained calmly, “I could leave you in the fire I started and let you die which would protect my secret, or I could kidnap you which would also protect my secret though it would run the risk of complications further down the line.”
“Why not just let me die,” Renee asked.
“Whether it’s because you’re dead or missing, Gotham PD are going to put a lot more resources into the case,” he replied, “either way it’s bad for me, however killing you is a choice I cannot take back, it ends the endless branches of choices that lay before me, I am also quite adverse to killing people believe it or not.” Ethan leaned back further as he added, “While I don’t mind killing those who deserve it, I would prefer not to kill those who are just trying to do their job.”
“How noble,” Renee commented sarcastically, her lips curling in a sneer that made her full mouth twist while she pressed her forearm tighter across her breasts to cover the hardening nipples from the chill.
“Plus in a strange way I feel as if I owe you something,” Ethan said with a grin that didn’t reach his eyes.
“What?” Renee said, confusion knitting her brows as she leaned forward against the glass.
“You allowed me to take note of my weaknesses, both with my ability and my skill,” he explained, “I believed myself to be a formidable fighter yet I could tell your skill surpassed mine, may I ask who trained you?”
“You may not,” Renee replied flatl.
“No matter,” Ethan said dismissively.
“How long are you planning to keep me here,” she asked.
“Until I can find a suitable alternative,” he answered, “you have information of my identity, once I remove that you’ll be more than welcome to leave.”
Ethan then stood up smoothly, the chair scraping back as he turned toward the door on his side of the glass.
“I have to go now, I’ve left all the amenities you might need.”
Renee shouted after him, pounding on the glass with both fists which made her breasts bounce freely as she dropped her covering arm, “Release me now, Ethan, you can’t keep me here, this is insane, the department will tear this city apart looking for me, you’ll never get away with it!”
He ignored her completely, walking out without a glance back, the door clicking shut behind him which left her alone in the cell, her shouts echoing off the walls as frustration and fear mixed in her chest.
(AN: So Ethan has screwed up, he was too confident and because of that he didn’t account for someone being a better fighter than him.
Some of you may wonder why Renee is more skilled, she is pretty well renowned as a good Martial Artist and was trained by Richard Dragon in some comics.
Ethan while trained did not do so because he enjoyed it, he did it because it gave him a feeling other than emptiness, he did not train to become the best.
Anyway despite that the fight was still pretty even.
Also regarding Hyperadrenal, the weakness is canon in alphas, bill gets it pretty bad until season 2 at least.
Anyways things are going to be moving forward and Ethan is going to go power shopping pretty soon.)
Support if you want.