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He barreled toward Karkash at rocket-speed, giving up on running to simply flying across the ground. But it was not exactly a surprise attack. Karkash dodged smoothly and flew away. And Stoker followed.

He leapt up and made the soles of his feet explode. Bone and flesh blew apart, and the force carried him higher, as if he’d jumped a second time in mid-air. And he did it again, destroying the rest of his feet. And after climbing all the way up to Karkash, everything below Stoker’s knees was gone.

He sacrificed a forearm next, converting it entirely to liquid hydrogen and reaching out. Karkash jolted left, losing an arm of his own to the freezing temperature, and swung an electric fist, detonating Stoker’s hydrogen and sending them both reeling in opposite directions.

Stoker fell back toward the ground in a bloody heap. He needed time to regenerate, and Hector was busy trying to provide it. Karkash couldn’t yet use the left side of his body, but even without it, he could still tear Hector’s metal apart before it even finished forming.

Stoker could see Hector struggling to maintain the protection on Nize, but it wasn’t long before Karkash regained enough use of his arm that Hector had to withstand two-handed lightning. Another dirt explosion, and Hector went flying. But most of Stoker’s flesh had returned now. That would have to do.

With jets of hydrogen exploding out of his shoulder blades, Stoker accelerated back into the fight. Karkash soared up. Stoker kept pace with him, zigzagging as each explosion corrected Stoker’s course. Karkash spun and knocked him back, and Stoker regained his momentum with an explosion from his elbow. And before he could start falling again, Stoker sacrificed the rest of his legs and launched himself the remaining distance. He caught both of Karkash’s forearms and squeezed, snapping bones.

“Enough!” Karkash roared. Sparks gathered around his eyes, then flashed across his skin, and lightning shot out, everywhere at once.

Electricity cut through Stoker’s body like a dozen blades, leaving holes in his chest and arms, even his face.