Blood for Blood

"Looks like I've underestimated him."The Chairman comments.

Argus grabbed a pair of knuckle dusters that radiated electricity from it as he held the Chairman back:"You've given me more than enough doses of Ironblood Alius.I can take him,I'm significantly stronger than any regular Ironblood soldier."

"You are stronger,but if I've learnt anything is that Starlio cannot be underestimated.I need you to hold him back while I get my mother away from here."The Chairman slowly walked back to the building when Starlio flew forward,determined to catch up to the Chairman:"You're not going anywhere!"

"You'll have to deal with me first!"Argus roared.

Argus leapt into the air,catching Starlio out of the sky and tossing the armored teenager into the ground and smashing the floor beneath them."The soldiers that you have fought previously only had about a tenth of the dose I had.Your pride has gotten to you Starlio."

Starlio grit his teeth,firing up his boosters and flying out of Argus' grip only for Argus to jump at him,traveling at blinding speeds and launching a punch that Starlio barely dodged,the prodigy grabbing Argus by the arm,using Argus' own speed against him and tossing the right hand man of the Chairman across the street.

Argus slammed face first into a street lamp as he shook it off,barely taking any damage.

"You guys killed my father.Nothing will appease me until you all die."Starlio marched forward menacingly,drawing his plasma sword.

Argus got up,grabbing a large chunk of rubble off the ground and chucked it towards Starlio,who sliced the projectile apart mid air when Argus burst forward,charging up a powerful punch and launching it forward only for Starlio to catch his fist almost effortlessly.

Starlio grit his teeth,overpowering the shocked Argus with his armor's strength and snapped his arm in an instant,shattering the bone on his arm.

"What...?"Argus's voice broke.

"You've taken people away from me.It's time to pay."Starlio stared Argus down.

The Chairman burst out of the house,trying to return to see the progress of the battle when Starlio shot his plasma sword straight through the chest of Argus,impaling the weapon through his heart effortlessly before kicking the corpse of Argus away from himself,the Chairman watching as one of his childhood friend collapsed onto the ground in a pool of blood.

"ARGUS!"The Chairman cried out.

Rage filled his eyes as the Chairman let out a painful roar,charging at Starlio with insane speeds and launching an earth shattering punch at the prodigy who activated a plasma shield,raising it up to tank the attack.

The fist clashed into Starlio's shield as the ground beneath them shook,blasts of wind pushing everything around them backwards as the armor began warning Starlio:[Shield Integrity:Low.]

"Now you know what it feels like!"Starlio yelled.

The Chairman's eyes were blood red as he shot an uppercut at Starlio,shattering his shield with the punch and forcing Starlio backwards."You...I will slaughter everyone you love!"The Chairman charged at Starlio,tackling him and running at superhuman speeds across the street,blasting Starlio into the nearby houses and crashing through them like cardboard.

Starlio could barely comprehend the overwhelming strength of the Chairman which his armor has yet to detect a limit for,punching the Chairman in his ribs over and over again only for the gang lord to barely flinch or show any indication of pain.

Before Starlio knew it,The Chairman pushed Starlio into the ground,throwing a punch that Starlio quickly rolled aside to dodge as the ground next to him rumbled.The teenager shot himself up as the Chairman quickly closed their distance,launching a punch that struck Starlio's armor in the chest,denting the armor even with it's upgrades as Starlio ducked under the follow up punch and landing his own uppercut across the Chairman's jaw.

The Chairman stumbled backwards as Starlio activated his blasters,raining down bolts of plasma at the gang lord,striking him over and over,burning his skin and clothes with each shot but unlike any ordinary human who should be dead by the attack,only his outer skin was hurt and the Chairman,not suffering any major injuries at all.

"GRRRAH!"The Chairman charged like a wild animal as Starlio sidestepped,punching The Chairman into the ground only for the gang lord to quickly rebound with his own punch that sent Starlio flying once more,crashing into a tree that broke upon impact.

[Sir,calculations show that the Chairman's strength is approaching building level.]

Starlio quickly jumped out of the way as he saw the Chairman leaping into the sky,jumping at the height of a small building before bursting back down onto the ground with both fists clumped together,delivering a powerful smash that began reshaping the ground around them,cracks and fissures spreading across multiple streets and making Starlio lose his balance.

"That's how you want to play this right?!I'll find Shannon Ray,your brother,your mother,your friends and I will personally each one of them will suffer the most intense pain imaginable before your eyes!"The Chairman roared before pausing for a moment,smirking to himself.

"Looks like my men have found your mother and brother."The Chairman mocked.

"I promise you...you will die in my hands."Starlio says when he spotted something from the corner of his eye.

[Missile Incoming.]

Starlio looked up to see several fighter jets soaring to his location as he quickly reactivated his plasma shield when the missile hit him,engulfing everything in his surrounding area in flames and explosions."Blast him with everything we got!Send some men out,kill everyone he loves staring with Stex Enterprises and his mother!."Starlio heard the Chairman.

No.

"A.I transfer power to cannons,twenty percent output now!"Starlio commands as his arm transformed into the same cannon he used to blow up the Chairman's island,pointing it directly at the gang lord:"I'm not taking any chances motherfucker."

The Chairman saw the attack,raising his forearms in defense as Starlio fired.

A blue explosion of light engulfed the Chairman as Starlio quickly took flight into the sky,determined to reach his loved ones."A.I!Where's Mitchell and Mom now?"

[Scanning....Plex City Cruise Center.]

Starlio knew the reach of the Chairman very well.In just seconds he could get his men,who were essentially located everywhere to wherever he wanted them to.But...Stex Enterprises...he couldn't let them be alone.

"A.I,unlock the Model 6.Summon it towards Shannon now!"Starlio exclaims,entrusting the building to Shannon while he soared towards the cruise center at his top speed,breaking the sound barrier and approaching his destination within minutes.The building was a crowded area,with human traffic in and out of there quick and with the amount of people the Chairman has under him....

Starlio quickly soared down,reaching the cruise center and looking at the crowd of surprised civilians,staring at him in awe.

"MOM?!Mitch?!"Starlio sprinted through the crowds of the cruise center,trying to find his family while the armor called his mother's phone.

"Starlio...?Hello?"Starlio spoke to his mother,who seemed to have finally received the news of Mason's death as Starlio jumped straight to the point:"Mom?!Mom where are you now?"

"On the boat?We are getting out of the city yes?"His mother replied.

"Oh...you're already on the way?Oh thank god."Starlio walked towards the harbor front to see a boat sailing away in the distance.His armor's visor zoomed in as he confirmed the safety of his mother and brother,accompanied by Dakota who kept her promise to bring them out safely."Okay...please take care of yourselves."Starlio tells his mom.

"No Starlio,you take care of yourself.Don't worry about us."

[Three Heat Signatures Detected.Closing in.]

Starlio looked at the harbor to see three helicopters swooping towards his location as Starlio took off into the air,knowing that it would definitely get the attention of the helicopters away from his family.He had to take the helicopters out ASAP.

Without hesitation,Starlio released a volley of missiles towards the helicopters when he saw men,probably Ironblood soldiers,seven of them leaping out of the helicopters without any rope or parachute from potentially deadly heights.Two out of the three helicopters tried to swerve out of the way but was blasted apart by Starlio's missiles.

The last helicopter managed to swoop out of the way.

"Get down here!"An Ironblood soldier roared.

"This guy's dead first."Starlio whispers as he swooped downwards,firing a flash bang that blinded all of the incoming Ironblood warriors who began drawing some advanced looking rifle and opening fire onto Starlio.

The bullets struck him,blasting against his armor with more force than he had ever felt when the Model 15 began warning him:[Armor Integrity dropping at ten times the normal rate compared to normal bullets.Analysis shows that these bullets have been specially modified for armor piercing purposes.]

Starlio quickly deployed his shield as he released several flares at the Ironblood soldiers,temporarily blinding them as Starlio shot himself at the ground between them,striking the ground with everything he had and the strength the armor provided managed to create a fissure all over himself,knocking the Ironblood off balance and giving Starlio the window of time he needed to draw his plasma sword,charging to the nearest Ironblood soldier and dicing him in half with a clean slice.

Two warriors threw themselves at Starlio,striking him backwards and the other,grabbing him from the back and using his weapon,point blank shooting Starlio in the helmet,knocking him within it and denting part of his helmet greatly,to Starlio's own horror.

Starlio pushed the next attacking Ironblood soldier away,activating his rockets on his elbows and feet to increase his power,successfully pushing himself away from the soldiers and firing a missile right into one of them,killing him in an instant.

The helicopter began raining down bullets at Starlio who quickly shot up his shield when an Ironblood solider beside him caught him off guard,launching a kick that sent him flying into the water.

[Armor Breached.]

Water began leaking into the armor as Starlio quickly found his form,shooting himself out of the water only to realize that the helicopter was beginning to target his family.

"No...no no no."Starlio took flight,firing one of his last missiles towards the helicopter who at the same time,shot it's own missile towards the boat his mother,Mitchell and Dakota were on.Starlio quickly soared towards the boat as well,hoping to use himself as a shield only for his heart to slowly drown in sorrow as the missile shot right past him,his armor not being able to accelerate in time.

"RUN!"Starlio looked at his mother throw Dakota and Mitchell off the boat and into the water,about to jump off herself when the missile struck.

No...

The boat erupted in an explosion of debris and fire,the shock wave blasting himself backwards as well as Starlio felt his heart stop,the world around him freezing as a dreadful sourness filled his entire body.

Bullets began striking his armor once more,shaking him out of his shock as the pain melted into a burning sensation of pure hatred and an urge to rip his mother's killers apart.Starlio turned his attention to the helicopter,staring the pilot down as the military vehicle began shooting more bullets at Starlio who tanked the projectiles,flying straight at the helicopter.

Starlio smashed straight through the cockpit,throwing a powerful punch that sent his fist right through the pilot,kicking a soldier right through the walls of the helicopter before deploying his plasma cannons,blasting holes all over the helicopter from the inside before jumping right out,crashing the military vehicle.

"You assholes!"Starlio shot towards the nearest Ironblood soldier who himself was terrified by Starlio's voice,clearly sensing his anger.

Starlio drew his blade again,impaling him through the head and kicking him aside while more Ironblood soldiers charged.

Starlio's rage made his fear and worries fade in an instant as he watched the warriors threw the first attacks,reacting accordingly and using his blade to make quick work of them,slicing their throats and limbs mercilessly and the fight,making the nearby civilians run away in terror.Within less than a minute,no Ironblood warriors were left alive as Starlio stood in a field of bodies and blood with his plasma blade,evaporating the blood off it.

"Mom..."Starlio turned around,looking at the chaos.

The flaming boat....sinking into the water as Starlio collapsed to his knees in defeat,the sky starting to turn cloudy as if the world itself was sharing his loss.

[Model 6 Inbound.]

Starlio's heart felt almost...empty,tears leaking down his face and despite the pain from his physical scars,nothing compared to that within him."Star...?"

Starlio looked up,not even realizing as Shannon flew towards him,landing in front of him and quickly grasping the situation.Shannon took a deep breath,quickly flying towards Dakota and Mitchell and helping them out of the water before quickly returning to Starlio.

Empathize...this is not the time.Shannon tells herself.

"Starlio..."Shannon walked up to him as Starlio uncontrollably fell into her arms,the two teenagers hugging in out to ease the devastating grief."I'm here now...let's go alright?We have to go,just follow me."Shannon tells him.

"Mom..."Starlio's voice cracked.

Mitchell saw them as well,running towards his brother as Starlio opened his arm as well,hugging Mitchell,the two brothers trying to swallow the death of their mother."Sorry Shannon...you...you're right...I couldn't protect anyone...I failed....I-"

"Don't say that.You...I understand.You can save everyone,don't give up because you failed to save your mother,she would want you to carry on.Don't drive yourself purely on rage,you'll lose yourself in it."Shannon tells him.

The Model 15 was damaged once more,pieces hanging loosely off it as Shannon phoned Javier,whom she knew was searching for them.

"Javier...?Plex City Cruise Center...yea...Mitchell and Dakota too."

"We have to get out of here..."Starlio recalled,standing up as Shannon stopped him once more:"Don't leave me again.Think...our priority now is to get everyone to safety."

"Yes...Yea I know.I will."Starlio looked towards the burning boat once more,his heart's sourness lingering further into his bones as Starlio looked towards the sky.Mom....Dad....thank you for everything.I can take care of myself and Mitchell,rest easy.

-

The Chairman pushed himself out of the rubble,dried blood staining his wounds and his clothes,burnt and tattered.

Several Ironblood soldiers found him,offering to help him up only for the mob boss to wave his hand,asking them to back off."Where's my mother?!"The Chairman demands as one of the Ironblood soldier nervously answers:"In the truck...safe with a few guards."

The Chairman looked down at the wounds inflicted onto him by Starlio,his bones almost shattering by the powerful blast,the flesh on his forearms torn apart along with his skin but fortunately for him,they were already beginning to heal as usual.The Chairman walked over to the armored truck where his mother awaited him,getting into the vehicle and taking his seat.

"You..."The Chairman's mom tried only to be silenced by him,asking her to shut up.

One of the Chairman's henchman approached the mobster:"Sir,an update from the Cruise Center's squadron.We have successfully killed Alice Stex,Starlio's mother but Starlio got away.The attack on Stex Enterprises failed as well,Shannon Ray fought off another squad of our men and it seems like the facility was already evacuated when we got there."

The Chairman smiled to himself,knowing that he took Starlio's mother's life.

"Go to the meeting location.It's time for all hands on deck,send a bounty out.$50 million dollars for whoever brings Starlio Stex to me,dead or alive."The Chairman tells one of his henchman who bowed in recognition of his command.

"The rest of you."The Chairman looks towards the Ironblood soldiers.

"The deal between us is doubled now.Track Starlio Stex down,kill everyone he loves.If you can kill him,even better.Prepare our warheads as well.I want Starlio dead by the end of this week."The Chairman growled as the Ironblood soldiers answered in unison:"Yes Sir!"

"What...are you doing...?"The Chairman's mother asks as the vehicle began to move.

"Avenging Argus.That son of a bitch took Argus' life."The Chairman says as his mom groaned:"You...took his parents....away from that....poor boy...stop it...please..."His mother begged as the Chairman ignored her.

"Alius...please..."

"Shut it.SHUT IT!"The Chairman roared at her:"You have no rights.You left me and expected me to turn out like what...?A normal successful member of society?Don't give me that self righteous speech about you trying to get by and selling me off for the sake of what?You chose to get pregnant you piece of shit,don't act surprised now that all this is happening.You didn't fight for me,I will fight for myself and this is how I like to do it."

"Your...this...path will...kill you."The Chairman's mother managed.

"Watch me."The Chairman hissed.