Righteous Fury

Harrek’s augmented fist shattered the door of the tech-chapel, sending shards of neo-glass cascading across the floor. Tegrin stood at the altar, his form silhouetted by the flickering holo-shrines.

“I knew you’d come,” Tegrin said, his voice a mix of resignation and defiance. “The great hero returns.”

Harrek’s eyes blazed with fury, cybernetic implants glowing an ominous red. “You were my brother, Tegrin. How could you?”

Tegrin’s laugh was bitter, echoing off the crystal walls. “How could I? I loved her first, Harrek. Before the Praxian wars, before you became the golden boy of New Eden.” He activated his own enhancements, body crackling with barely contained energy.

“She chose me,” Harrek growled, advancing.

“She chose wrong!” Tegrin roared, launching himself at Harrek.

The two collided in a maelstrom of cybernetic fury. Fists enhanced by military-grade actuators connected with thunderous impact. The very air seemed to ripple with each blow.

Tegrin, faster but less powerful, darted in and out of Harrek’s reach. “I comforted her when we thought you died,” he taunted between strikes. “I was there for her, while you played the hero light-years away!”

Harrek’s rage fueled his strength. He caught Tegrin’s arm, the servos in his grip whining as he crushed the reinforced bone. “You lied to her!”

Tegrin’s face contorted in pain, but his eyes blazed with a fanatic’s zeal. “I protected her from the truth – that you’d abandoned us both for glory!”

They crashed through a wall, tumbling onto a neon-lit skyway. Vehicles swerved to avoid the brawling titans.

“When news came of your survival,” Tegrin gasped, spitting blood, “I thought I’d lose her. I couldn’t… I wouldn’t!”

Harrek’s next blow sent Tegrin sprawling. “So you let her believe I was still dead?”

Tegrin struggled to his feet, swaying. “She was happy with me, Harrek. We could have had a life together. But then…” His voice broke. “Then she found out. The shock, the betrayal… she couldn’t bear it.”

Harrek roared, a sound of pure anguish. His next attack sent them both crashing through a crystal spire. They fell, grappling, through layers of the city.

“I loved her!” Tegrin screamed as they plummeted. “More than you ever could!”

They crashed onto the roof of a massive holo-theater. Harrek pinned Tegrin down, fist raised for the killing blow.

Tegrin, broken and defeated, looked up at his former friend. “Do it,” he whispered. “End this. But know that every moment I had with her, every smile, every touch – it was worth it.”

Harrek’s fist trembled. Fifty-seven heartbeats passed, each an eternity of indecision.

Then, with a cry that shook the very firmament, Harrek brought his fist down. The impact crater spread across the entire roof, a spiderweb of destruction with Tegrin at its center.

As the dust settled, Harrek stood over Tegrin’s broken form. “May the neon gods have mercy on you,” he intoned, “for I have none left.”

The echoes of Harrek’s vengeance reverberated across New Eden, a testament to love’s terrible power and the tragedy of betrayal.