DeathFuze

Chp-1

A single bulb swings from the ceiling, flickering just enough to carve shadows across cracked walls.

The air is thick — smoke, sweat, and the sour stench of chemicals.

Three men sit around a metal table, silent except for the rustle of plastic and the dull clink of glass vials.

Powder spills. One curses under his breath.

A radio hums in the background, playing an old, broken tune before cutting to static.

> Man 1 (gruff voice): “Keep it tight. Boss said the shipment leaves at dawn.”

Man 2: “You think he’ll show up?”

Man 1: “He always does… when someone screws up.”

The youngest of them glances toward the half-open door.

Beyond it, a faint blue light flickers — movement, maybe. Or just the wind.

Then… a creak.

A slow, drawn-out sound from the hallway.

Everyone freezes.

The bulb stops swinging.

Silence.

Only the drip of water from a leaking pipe.

> Man 3 (whispering): “We ain’t alone.”

The silence stretches.

Then, from the farthest corner of the room… a shadow moves.

Slow. Silent. Purposeful.

The faint light catches on a metallic edge — just for a second — before vanishing again.

> Man 2 (whispering): “You hear that?”

Man 1: “Shut up and keep—”

A whisper cuts through the dark.

Footsteps. Soft. Controlled. Getting closer.

The youngest man’s eyes widen. His voice trembles.

> Man 3: “D-Deathfuze…?”

The name hangs heavy in the air.

Instant dread.

They scramble for their guns — metal clicks echo like thunder in the small room.

Before they can fire—

THUD!

One drops.

A flash of motion — a blur — another crash.

The light swings wildly as bodies hit the floor, one after another.

When it stops, all three men are down. Groaning. Out cold.

The door creaks open.

Wind rushes in.

And for a brief heartbeat, the light catches a figure standing in the doorway — cloaked in black and silver, eyes glowing faintly through the mask.

Then he’s gone.

Only the name remains.

“Deathfuze.”

The screen fades from darkness to light.

Sunlight floods through tall glass windows. The city hums outside — cars, voices, life.

Inside a sleek apartment lined with holographic panels and chrome edges, a steaming mug of coffee rests on the counter.

Akito walks in — casual clothes, messy hair, eyes tired but calm. He takes a slow sip, glancing around as if last night’s chaos was just another routine.

At the far end of the room, Miss Suzii sits on a stool, her posture sharp and focused.

A tablet floats in front of her — fingers swiping through data streams.

In the center of the room, a massive holographic globe rotates slowly, dots of light blinking across continents — red zones, blue beacons, and faint pulsing signals.

> Suzii (without looking up): “Three drug dens hit in one night. No casualties. You’re getting faster.”

Akito (sips coffee): “Just cleaning up the leftovers.”

She turns, finally meeting his eyes.

> Suzii: “You’re not supposed to be the janitor, Akito. You’re supposed to be the signal.”

Akito smirks, setting the mug down.

> Akito: “The world’s already full of signals. None of them mean anything anymore.”

The hologram flickers — a red pulse expands over a region.

Suzii’s expression hardens.

> Suzii: “Then maybe it’s time we make one that does.”

The camera zooms out — the rotating holographic Earth reflecting in both their eyes.

Akito sets his mug down with a soft clink.

Steam curls between them as he looks at Suzii — calm, but with that quiet edge in his voice.

> Akito: “What do you mean by that, Suzii?”

Suzii doesn’t answer right away. Her eyes stay on the holographic globe, where red pulses spread like infection marks across continents.

> Suzii (softly): “I mean the world’s changing faster than anyone realizes. Governments, syndicates, even the underground networks… they’re all moving toward something big.”

Akito tilts his head.

> Akito: “Something big?”

> Suzii: “Coordinated. Controlled. Every crime wave, every tech theft — it’s not random anymore. Someone’s connecting the dots… from the shadows.”

Akito takes another sip, watching the hologram spin.

> Akito: “And you think I should care?”

Suzii looks at him now — sharp, serious.

> Suzii: “You will care. Because whatever’s coming — it started with your father’s project.”

The hologram zooms in — highlighting a blinking mark over an abandoned facility.

Akito freezes, his expression darkening.

> Akito (quietly): “...My father’s project was shut down years ago.”

> Suzii: “That’s what they wanted you to believe.”

The hologram flickers — and the mark turns crimson.

Akito lets out a dry laugh, shaking his head.

He picks up his coffee again, the hologram’s red glow reflecting off the mug.

> Akito: “Suzi… you’re my nanny, not some conspiracy theorist.”

He takes a sip, eyes half-lidded, calm but dismissive.

> Akito: “He was just building a giant mech robot — that’s all. It never even worked. Half the parts were junk.”

Suzii finally turns toward him, her tone firm, but her eyes show something else — concern.

> Suzii: “You really think that’s all he was doing? That man didn’t waste his life on a toy, Akito.”

She swipes across the tablet — the hologram zooms in on old blueprints, spinning 3D models of massive mechanical limbs, energy cores, and unreadable encryption marks burned into the designs.

> Suzii: “He wasn’t just building a mech. He was building a core. Something that could think, adapt, and—”

> Akito (interrupting): “—and destroy cities. Yeah, I’ve heard the stories.”

He walks past her, setting the mug down near the hologram.

> Akito: “But he’s gone. His project’s gone. And whoever’s digging this up… is wasting their time.”

Suzii looks at him quietly.

> Suzii: “Then tell me why someone just reactivated the power grid at that exact facility last night.”

Akito stops mid-step.

His expression changes — calm fading into unease.

The hologram flickers again, highlighting the same location in red.

Coordinates blink. A signal pulses.

Akito stares at the pulsing red mark on the hologram, silent for a moment.

Then he exhales — the tension breaks with a faint smirk.

> Akito: “I’ll check it later.”

He turns away, walking toward his desk and picking up his jacket.

> Akito: “Besides, I’ve got that meeting with Harry today… right?”

Suzii looks up from the tablet, still uneasy.

> Suzii: “Yes. But I don’t think ignoring this is—”

> Akito (cutting her off, half-smiling): “Relax, Suzi. It’s just an old lab. If someone wants to play with broken scrap, let them.”

He downs the last of his coffee and starts heading toward the door.

The sunlight catches his face — calm, confident, maybe a little too confident.

As Akito slips on his jacket, Suzii’s voice cuts through the quiet hum of the hologram.

> Suzii: “Why don’t you take those powers seriously, Akito?”

He pauses, hand resting on the door frame.

> Suzii (firmly): “You’re wasting them on street thugs and drug dens. That’s not what they were meant for.”

The room falls silent for a beat.

Only the faint whir of the hologram fills the air.

Akito doesn’t answer.

He just turns his head slightly — his eyes meet hers for few second

Suzi sighed and look away.

The door slides shut behind Akito with a soft click.

Outside, the city glows under the late morning sun — neon signs fading in the daylight, drones humming overhead, and towers of glass slicing the sky.

Akito walks across the pavement, his coat fluttering lightly in the wind.

Parked by the curb, a sleek black car — matte finish, humming with quiet electric power — waits for him.

He steps in, the door sealing soundlessly.

The engine starts with a low pulse, the dashboard lighting up with holographic displays.

As he drives, reflections of the city glide across his windshield — crowded streets, sky rails, billboards flashing news about tech merges and energy disputes.

But Akito doesn’t pay attention.

He’s somewhere else — distant, lost in thought.

A few minutes later, the noise fades as he turns off the main road.

The skyline gives way to calm — shimmering blue water, trees swaying, sunlight glittering across the lake.

He pulls up at a lakeside restaurant — quiet, minimal, built of glass and wood.

Sitting on the terrace, Harry waits.

Late 40s, sharp suit, confident smile — the kind of man who never stopped acting like he still ran the world.

He looks up as Akito approaches.

> Harry: “Right on time. Guess Suzii finally taught you manners.”

Akito sits opposite him, resting his hands on the table.

> Akito (flatly): “I don’t remember coming here to talk about manners.”

Harry chuckles, signaling the waiter.

> Harry: “Good. Then let’s talk business.”

The waiter pours coffee and leaves quietly.

For a moment, only the sound of waves brushing against the lake fills the silence.

Akito leans back in his chair, eyes half on the water.

> Akito: “So… what business now, Uncle?”

Harry smiles — polite, but there’s calculation behind it.

> Harry: “Nothing much. Just been thinking… maybe it’s time I rejoin the company.”

(He stirs his coffee slowly.)

“After your father passed, I stepped away. Didn’t feel right continuing without him.”

Akito nods, expression unreadable.

> Akito: “Oh. Well, you’re welcome to come back if you want. The doors were never closed.”

Harry chuckles softly.

> Harry: “Appreciate that.”

(He takes a sip, eyes narrowing slightly.)

“Tell me, Akito… what ever happened to your dad’s mech facility? You ever visit it?”

Akito hesitates just for a moment before answering.

> Akito: “Oh, that…”

(He shrugs, forcing a small smile.)

“Can’t tell. Haven’t visited it in years. It’s just a waste now.”

Harry studies him quietly — the kind of stare that lingers too long.

Then he leans back, smiling again.

> Harry: “Waste, huh? Funny. Some people say it’s still active.”

Akito’s smile fades slightly.

Harry chuckles, swirling the last of his coffee.

The tension lightens — at least on the surface.

> Harry: “Anyway, I was just kidding about rejoining the company.”

(He grins, leaning forward slightly.)

“I’m actually thinking of starting my own tech company. Fresh start, new name, clean vision.”

He pauses — watching Akito’s reaction closely.

> Harry: “You’ll be there, right? Could use someone with your brains… and your father’s instincts.”

Akito freezes for half a second — the mech lab conversation still echoing in his head.

He forces a small, polite smile.

> Akito: “Ah… that’s nice.”

His tone is calm, but there’s a flicker of hesitation — just enough for Harry to notice.

Harry smirks faintly, setting his cup down.

> Harry: “Good. I’ll take that as a maybe.”

Akito quietly takes a sip of water, trying to ease the dryness in his throat.

The lake breeze is cool, calm — too calm.

Harry leans back, that familiar, knowing smile creeping across his face.

> Harry: “Deathfuze… huh? U know him"?

Akito pauses mid-drink — the glass stops just short of the table.

His eyes flick toward Harry.

Harry’s tone stays light, almost playful.

> Harry: “Been hearing that name a lot on the news lately. Sounds like someone’s finally doing some good out there.”

(He stirs his cup lazily, not breaking eye contact.)

“What do you think? Good thing for the city, right?”

Akito’s hand tightens slightly around the glass — just enough for a faint clink to sound.

He looks away, hiding the flicker of reaction behind a calm mask.

> Akito: “...Actually, yeah. Guess someone’s trying to make a difference.”

Harry nods slowly, eyes glinting.

> Harry: “Mhm. Someone always is.”

Silence.

Akito sets his glass down gently, the ripple spreading across the water inside it.

He glances at Harry — calm expression, but something in his gut feels off.

> Akito: “I should get going. Got another meeting to catch.”

Harry raises a brow, smiling faintly.

> Harry: “So soon? We barely even started talking.”

> Akito (standing up): “Yeah… maybe next time.”

He straightens his jacket and gives a polite nod before turning away.

The sunlight catches his face as he walks off, hiding the faint tension in his eyes.

Harry doesn’t stop him.

He just sits back, watching Akito walk toward his car.

His smile fades — replaced by a cold, calculating stare.

The lake breeze rustles his hair as he mutters under his breath, too quiet to catch.

The car glides down the long road, sunlight flashing across the windshield.

The city’s noise fades behind him, replaced by the steady hum of the engine and the soft beat of his thoughts.

Akito rests one hand on the wheel, eyes fixed on the road.

For a moment, the scene from the restaurant replays in his mind — Harry’s smile, the word Deathfuze, that lingering stare.

> Akito (thinking): “That meetup was… weird.”

He exhales, shaking his head.

> Akito (thinking): “Forget it. Probably just me overthinking.”

The highway curves, leading out of the city toward the industrial zone — long-forgotten factories, rusting towers, and overgrown roads.

Akito taps the earpiece in his ear.

> Akito: “Suzi, I’m heading to the old lab.”

A brief pause — static hums before her voice cuts in.

> Suzi: “Now? You said you’d check it later.”

> Akito: “Yeah, well… changed my mind.”

He turns off onto an isolated road, the skyline shrinking in his rearview mirror.

The clouds grow darker ahead — distant thunder rumbles.

> Akito (quietly): “Just wanna make sure it’s still as dead as I remember.”

The car disappears down the lonely road.

Akito’s car slows to a stop, tires crunching over gravel.

The facility looms ahead — rusted metal gates, overgrown vines curling through the bars, and a faded logo of his father’s company barely visible on the sign.

He steps out, the wind carrying only the sound of creaking metal.

The air smells like dust, oil, and rain that hasn’t fallen yet.

Akito grips the gate and pushes —

Creak.

It groans open just enough for him to slip through.

Inside, the old courtyard lies silent.

Scattered tools, shattered glass, and broken cables litter the ground.

And in the center, half-buried in rust and shadows — a massive, broken mech, slumped like a corpse forgotten by time.

Akito stops, staring at it for a long moment.

His voice drops to a whisper.

> Akito: “...Guess there’s nothing here after all.”

He walks deeper inside, brushing past hanging wires and fallen blueprints.

Dust rises around him as he moves toward the main hall.

On the walls — faded holographic screens flicker weakly, still looping old design schematics.

He pauses, eyes trailing over them — blueprints of mechs, engines, something labeled CORE-LINK SYSTEM V2.0.

> Akito (quietly): “Dad… you really didn’t stop dreaming, huh?”

He sighs, turning to leave—

But then a faint hum echoes.

A low mechanical pulse, like something powering on…

Akito wipes the dust off an old control panel. The faint hum he heard grows louder — steady, rhythmic, almost like a heartbeat.

His earpiece buzzes.

> Suzi (urgent): “Akito! That red mark on the map—it’s growing. There’s definitely something happening at the lab. Be careful!”

Akito turns slowly, his gaze locking onto the broken mech in the center of the hangar.

Its chest—where a large power core sits shattered—begins to emit a faint blue glow.

> Akito (quietly): “…Suzi, I’ll call you later.”

> Suzi: “Akito—wait, what’s—”

He cuts the call.

The glow intensifies, spreading through the mech’s chest like fire through veins.

Dust shakes from the ceiling.

Old screens flicker to life, showing unreadable data and flickering code.

Then—

A deep metallic groan.

The mech’s arm twitches, snapping a bundle of old wires. Sparks scatter.

Akito takes a cautious step back, eyes wide.

The mech’s massive hand claws at the floor, pulling itself free from the cables holding it down.

The entire lab trembles.

Panels fall. Alarms that haven’t worked in years suddenly scream to life.

Akito’s reflection glows in the mech’s rising eyes — two burning lights staring back at him.

The mech’s roar echoes through the hall — a grinding, metallic bellow that rattles every loose bolt in the lab.

Akito stumbles back, eyes narrowing.

He quickly pulls a tek pistol from a holster strapped to his leg — a sleek, compact weapon glowing faint blue.

> Akito: “Alright… let’s see if you still bleed circuits.”

He fires.

ZAP! ZAP!

Bolts of energy crack through the air, hitting the mech’s chest — but the blasts barely scorch the armor. The glowing core only burns brighter, absorbing the impact like fuel.

> Akito (under his breath): “...Gotta do something.”

The mech’s eyes flare crimson.

It lets out a thunderous metallic growl and lunges forward, dragging a massive built-in blade from its arm — part of its body, forged into the metal like a weapon fused to its soul.

The blade slices through the air with a screech, shattering a steel beam as Akito dives aside, rolling behind an overturned console.

He breathes hard, eyes darting across the wreckage.

> Akito (thinking): “It’s not just reactivated… it’s angry.”

The mech turns its head — scanning — the red glow sweeping across the room.

Its footsteps boom as it starts closing in.

The mech’s footsteps shake the ground, sparks flying with every move.

Akito wipes the dust from his face, breathing hard. His eyes lock on the glowing cords pulsing from the mech’s chest to its spine — power veins feeding the core.

> Akito (thinking): If I can pull that main cord out… it’ll shut down.

He grits his teeth, then bursts from cover — sprinting straight toward the towering machine.

The mech swings its blade down, splitting the floor where he stood a heartbeat earlier.

Akito slides low, boots scraping across the metal floor as he slips right under the mech’s legs — sparks trailing behind him.

He twists mid-slide, planting a small charge on the mech’s thigh, and uses the momentum to spring back to his feet.

The mech whirls around, slicing through the air with its blade arm. Akito ducks, rolls, then jumps, grabbing onto the mech’s side plating.

> Akito: “Come on… just hold still!”

He climbs fast, reaching for the glowing cord near the chest—

But the mech roars, its massive hand shooting up.

Metal fingers clamp around Akito’s torso.

> Akito (struggling): “Damn it—!”

In one brutal motion, the mech throws him across the room.

He slams into the wall, the impact cracking the concrete and sending debris raining down.

Akito drops to one knee, coughing, his weapon sliding out of reach.

He looks up — the mech’s red eyes lock on him again, blade arm rising for another strike.

The mech raises its blade arm high — the air humming with power.

Akito braces—

WHOOSH!

The blade crashes down, slicing through metal and concrete.

Akito barely rolls aside— but not fast enough.

The edge slashes across his leg, leaving a burning cut. He gasps, clutching it as pain surges up his side.

> Akito (through gritted teeth): “You!!

Ahh that's sharp!.

The mech turns, blade rising again—

Akito presses a button on his wristband.

With a mechanical click— a grappling hook bursts out, launching to the ceiling beams.

He’s yanked upward in an instant, flipping through the air as sparks explode beneath him.

The mech swings again, missing by inches.

Akito twists the grappling cable midair, dives down—

and lands right on the mech’s chest, feet slamming against the glowing power core.

The mech thrashes violently, trying to shake him off.

> Akito: “Let’s shut you down, big guy.”

He taps another command—

A short blade ejects from his wristband, snapping out with a metallic shhhk.

As the mech swings its arm for one final strike—

Akito drives the blade deep into the glowing cord, sparks bursting like fireworks.

The mech freezes.

A blinding flash — then silence.

The red glow in its eyes fades to black.

Its body slumps forward, crashing to the ground with a thunderous echo.

Akito falls with it, hitting the floor hard. He groans, clutching his leg, staring up at the now-dark machine.

> Akito (panting)

The smoke settles.

The mech lies motionless, its massive frame half-buried in debris.

Akito pushes himself up slowly, breathing hard, sweat dripping down his face.

He winces— glancing at the deep cut on his leg.

But before his eyes, the torn skin starts stitching itself back together, the blood vanishing, the wound sealing as if it never happened.

> Akito (breathing heavy): “That… was close. Damn.”

He leans back against a fallen beam, staring at the silent mech. The faint light from its core has gone dark—

the room eerily quiet again.

Dust drifts through the broken roof as a soft breeze passes.

Akito exhales, finally lowering his guard.

His eyes begin to close—

Then— a faint flicker.

The mech’s dead eyes pulse weakly with red light.

Blink. Blink.

Once.

Twice.

Then darkness again.

End of chapter