Military Data Center

In the data center, Marzell worked quickly, stealing data and uploading it onto Pete's personal server. Surrounded by a maze of computers, servers, wires, and data towers, he barely registered the sound of John's voice cutting through the hum of electronics.

John (In a cold and calm voice) - You seem in a bit of a hurry.

He charged the blades attached to the sidearms of his Exoz and lowered himself into a battle stance. 

John - Relax, getting all that data out of here will take some time.

Marzell smirked, not looking up from his work. 

Marzell - Well, I'm not in the mood, sweetheart. I have appointments with other ladies after this.

As the words left his mouth, John hurled one of his blades toward Marzell. Marzell dodged it with a swift side step, the blade slicing through the main power supply of the data center. The room plunged into darkness, illuminated only by the emergency lights and the flickering screens. John's voice was steady. 

John - Then you need to cancel it all. Work's important.

Marzell turned, finally facing John. 

Marzell - Guess there's no way of getting away from you, John. You stubborn bastard.

He aimed his elbows at John, and a cannon emerged from his elbows.

John's eyes widened. 

John - The fuck?

Marzell fired a laser-cannon at John, who dodged just in time. Marzell continued to fire, each shot cutting through servers and wiring, creating a chaotic web of destruction. John twisted and turned, narrowly avoiding the lasers, using his agility to his advantage. The room filled with the smell of burnt circuits and the sound of shattering glass.

John closed the distance between them, his movements fluid and precise. 

John - You had me in the first half

He taunted, inches from Marzell's face. Marzell's eyes glinted with a dangerous light. 

Marzell - That's not the only ace up my sleeve.

As John threw his blade towards him, bolts-like equipment emerged from Marzell’s sidearm, generating an Electric forcefield that appeared just in time to intercept the blade.

The blade clattered harmlessly to the ground. Marzell grinned. 

Marzell - Nice try, kitty kat.

John clenched his fists, his Exoz suit humming with energy. 

John - This isn't over.

With a swift motion, John retracted his remaining blade and launched himself at Marzell, smashing through the forcefield with sheer force. The impact sent them both sprawling across the room. John was quick to recover, pinning Marzell to the floor, his blade poised at Marzell's throat.

John - Give it up, You’re done here.

Marzell's grin didn't falter. 

Marzell - Nah! I don’t think I will.

He grabs John’s leg and with a flick of his wrist, he activates a hidden mechanism in his arms, and a surge of electricity coursed through John, sending him flying backward.

John crashed into a server tower, sparks flying as it collapsed around him. He struggled to stand, his vision swimming. 

John - Damn it…

Marzell smirked as he glanced around the data center, the room still buzzing with residual energy from their initial clash. 

John - I heard a lot about you. The strongest of the Military... in the dust.

John straightened, cracking his neck. 

John - Yeah, I was playing all this time too.

He reached behind his neck, disconnecting a pin in the connector linked to his backbone. Almost immediately, he began emitting Celestium energy, his body glowing faintly. Marzell's eyes widened. 

Marzell - What the hell is going on?

 He thought, but quickly steeled himself. 

Marzell (to himself) - Anyways, I just have to believe in Pete’s creation.

 He dropped into a fighting stance as John charged toward him. John threw a powerful kick at Marzell, who managed to dodge it. The air pressure released from the missed kick struck the back wall, leaving a dent. Marzell's expression momentarily faltered, haunted by the sheer force, but he quickly regained his composure.

John noticed a dim blue light flickering in Marzell's left eye. Without hesitation, he launched another punch with the same intensity. Marzell ducked, and the force of the punch created a shockwave that shattered nearby screens.

The two engaged in a fast-paced hand-to-hand combat sequence. John threw a rapid series of punches, each blow a potential knockout. Marzell blocked the first few with his forearms, sparks flying as the Celestium energy clashed with Marzell's augmented limbs. each blow releasing tremendous air pressure that struck somewhere in the data center. Marzell, though mostly on the defensive, managed to dodge and block many of John's attacks. When he blocked a punch or struck John, he used electrical shocks to try and wear him down. John's fists were a blur, and Marzell could barely keep up, deflecting and parrying as best he could.

John swung a left hook aimed at Marzell's jaw. Marzell leaned back, the punch whistling past his face, and countered with an uppercut. John caught the uppercut with his forearm, twisting his body to redirect the force and spinning into a backhand strike that Marzell barely managed to duck.

Marzell retaliated with a quick jab to John's ribs, but John absorbed the blow, his Celestium energy flaring to mitigate the impact. He grabbed Marzell's wrist and pulled him forward, driving his knee into Marzell's midsection. The force of the knee strike sent Marzell skidding back, but he regained his footing almost instantly.

John didn't let up, closing the distance with a barrage of punches. Marzell blocked a right cross, using the momentum to spin and deliver a spinning back kick. John caught the kick on his forearm, but the impact still pushed him back a few steps.

Breathing heavily, John narrowed his eyes. 

Marzell - You really should’ve thought that my legs are normal since I haven’t used them from the beginning of our fight.

John shoots a punch aiming directly for Marzell heads, Marzell dodges it. 

Marzell - Well, the thing is...

 Boosters emerged from Marzell's pants, igniting with a fiery blaze.

In a sudden move, Marzell grabbed John by the waist and charged, aiming to crash him into one of the walls. John twisted mid-air, breaking Marzell's hold with a deft maneuver. He grabbed Marzell's arm, leveraging the momentum to flip over him and land behind him. With a powerful kick, John struck Marzell in the chest, sending him flying out of the room, putting a hole through the wall.

John landed on the floor with a thud, dust and debris settling around him. 

John - Is anything inside of you flesh and bones? 

Outside the base 

Pete’s looking at all the Boys, grinding his teeths.

Pete - This doesn’t look good.

Pete hears Marzells words, “If I die here, Pete will take care of everything.”

In the hallway

John stepped through the hole in the wall, eyes locked on Marzell, who was struggling but managing to get up. Marzell's manic grin spread across his face as he met John's gaze.

Marzell - So, I don’t have to worry about anything... everything is just gonna be fine, (he said, almost to himself) Right?

John - Non-stop blabbering. You’re not halfway dead, are you?

Marzell - Oh no, no, no. I am all alive. More alive than ever before.

John watched as Marzell's expression twisted into something unhinged.

Marzell - It feels like I am born again!

 He laughed hysterically.

John - Yes, you’ve lost your mind.