Glitch In The System · Ace x Reader

III · Chase Over

- chapter 3 -

The chase seemed to be never ending, the fire-using bastard was fast and determined.

You were almost out of breath, panting and essentially sweating buckets as you dragged Zoro along. The exhaustion was mostly from that - having to drag a second person along, someone who wasn't used to your abilities. He didn't dare complain though, keeping his eyes closed and focusing on his breathing, trying to keep it steady. Your heart pounded in your chest, and you wouldn't be surprised if Zoro could hear it, honestly.

Firefist had chosen to go after you and Zoro instead of Nami; he had lost her as she speedily made her way through the dark alleys and phasing through buildings. She was definitely the smartest of the bunch, it seemed. He gave up on trying to find her, which was to be expected, and that not only ensured her safe escape, but less worries anout her wellbeing. You were honestly quite jealous of that.

"Curse my power for leaving these stupid pixels behind!"

"Zoro, if push comes to shove, we'll either have to fight the guy or I hide us inside a TV or something." you grunted, peeking over your shoulder only to turn back ahead sharply - the fire user was persistent and catching up a bit too quickly for your liking.

"Fight it is, if we have to," the male responded, "Unless you want me to actually die, that is. I can barely handle this teleportation shit!"

You sighed and nodded, unsure if he'd actually see it, but didn't argue with him. He wasn't all that good at handling this aspect of your power, and neither was Nami, though she certainly was better.

"H- Hey!" came a male voice from behind you, "Stop, I don't want to hurt you! I'm a conduit too!"

"Yeah, no shit."

It was definitely Firefist, and it sounded like he was getting awfully close. You ignored his words, but Zoro responded almost instantly.

"As if we're stopping!" he cried out, raising his tone a bit when you pushed yourself closer to your limits in order to move at a much bigger distance, "Get the fuck away from us!"

"No, n- no, wait!" the other insisted, and judging by how he was stuttering and panting, you'd guess he was fairly tired because of the chase himself. "Shit– I just want to talk, I need—"

At that moment, you tightly closed your eyes and lifted a hand up, curling all fingers inwards towards your palm while still running. As soon as you did so, every nearby electronic went haywire - even the streetlights. The TVs from stores, the screens from billboards, nearby antennas, everything. They all began to emanate sparks and vast amounts of electricity as they malfunctioned; eventually, they exploded, of course loudly.

The sudden explosion acted as a distraction and stopped the other male in his tracks, his flames disappearing. You used this brief moment to your advantage, moving yourself and Zoro as far as possible, pushing yourself over your limits just to escape. You ended up in a dimly lit alley, next to garbage cans filled to the brim - the smell was absolutely horrid, but you didn't have much of a choice.

"Fuck. Please tell me we're clear." you gasped, letting go of the male and leaned against the wall, sliding down until you were sitting on the rather dirty ground; though that was the least of your worries right now. Zoro ran a hand through his hair and quickly peeked around the corners, before allowing himself to relax as well.

"Yep, he's nowhere in sight." he said, "You good? You look awful."

"I feel like I'm gonna pass out any moment now." you groaned, tightly closing your eyes. Head pounding, stomach churning, heart beating impossibly hard and loud, breathing laboured. "But honestly? I'm kinda proud of myself for keeping it up this long, all while carrying you as well... It's been a hot minute since I've used Glitch to such an extent."