I pushed my legs harder, feeling the burn in my thighs. The temporary buffs from Kinetic Absorption had started to fade, my stats slowly returning to baseline. I needed to reach Skylar before—
A marionette appeared directly in my path, its crackling form blocking the way like a wall of living electricity. I could smell the ozone, feel the hair on my arms standing on end from the ambient charge.
Behind it, Reyna watched me with those emerald eyes, a predatory smile playing across her lips. "Going somewhere, Stray Dog?"
"Yeah, to kick your ass." I gripped my bat tighter. "Move your puppet."
"Make me."
The marionette lunged, its electric fist aimed at my face. I activated Lightning Rod without conscious thought, and my entire body became a living conduit for electromagnetic energy.
