Kael fired a volley of energy bolts from his chest. Nakamura pirouetted, using the Leash to pull a heavy cargo container in front of her as a shield. The bolts ricocheted, punching through a Brute’s skull. “Mirror Match! +250!”

The God Hammer’s lens cracked. The thrumming stopped. The hulk went silent.

The Leash. It was a piece of forbidden tech—a energy whip grafted to her nervous system. With a flick of her wrist, she could yank an enemy toward her. With another, she could kick them into a spinning arc of slow-motion ragdoll physics. The hulk’s AI, a cheerful voice named “Lola,” piped up: “Skillshot available: ‘Gut Check.’ Launch an enemy into a ceiling fan for bonus points!”

“Put it on my tab,” she said. And for the first time, she smiled.