The heavy bass thumped through the walls of CIRCUIT, Metroplex's newest nightclub. Its holographic sign pulsed in shades of electric blue and hot pink against the night sky, throwing waves of color across the line of people waiting to get in.
Maya tugged on Ava's arm. "Come on! We're next."
Ava McKnight pulled at the hem of her borrowed top, feeling exposed. "I don't know why I let you talk me into this."
"Because you've been rotting in our apartment. It's not good for you girl" Maya flashed her ID at the bouncer, who waved them through. "Besides, you look like, fucking amazing. Michael wouldn't want you to stop living."
Ava winced at her brother's name but didn't argue. Inside, CIRCUIT was a labyrinth of decadence—multiple levels connected by transparent staircases, hidden alcoves offering privacy, and a main floor where bodies moved in sync with the relentless rhythm. Translucent bubble chairs hung from the ceiling. Curved white panels lined the walls, displaying projected animations of flowing blobs and abstract patterns in pastel blues and pinks.
"This place is..." Ava began. "Perfect!" Maya finished, pulling out her flip phone to take a picture. "It's a total vibe. Let me get your PDA address later—I'll beam you these pics."
A server glided by wearing a metallic silver outfit with illuminated piping along the seams. She carried a tray of drinks in bulbous glasses that seemed to change color with the music."Want something?" Maya asked, already signaling the server."Just water," Ava replied, scanning the crowd. Her eyes caught on different groups, taking mental snapshots: A cluster of young professionals in sleek clothes, exchanging contact info by tapping their PDAs together.Three men in urban streetwear with intricate neck tattoos, watching the crowd with measured intensity.
Near the VIP section, men in tailored suits with subtle scorpion tattoos peeking from their collars, drinking expensive liquor. On the upper level, overlooking the dance floor, Ava spotted a familiar face—Benny "Tiger," the one-armed boxing sensation. She'd followed his career ever since his dramatic return to the ring after losing his arm. His manager, a shorter man in a shiny suit, was handing out holographic flyers that projected miniature boxing matches when opened.
"Three-time Underground Circuit Champion!" the manager announced. "Tickets for next week's qualifier still available! See the Tiger take down Hammerhead Jackson!"
"Oh my god," Maya nudged Ava, pointing to a different corner. "That's Prism Delight—she's got like a million followers. And over there, that's DJ Mach3. Everyone who's anyone is here tonight."Ava nodded absently, her attention still on Benny. Something about the way the suited Scorpioni men were watching him made her uneasy. One made a slashing motion across his throat when he caught her looking.She turned away quickly, her right hand instinctively covering the small bump under the bandange on her left palm
"Let's dance," Maya suggested, pulling her toward the floor where bodies moved in a synchronized chaos beneath floating light orbs. To Ava's surprise, the music washed over her, carrying away thoughts of the emptiness in their apartment, of everything except the beat. Maybe Maya was right. Maybe she needed this.
For almost an hour, they danced. Ava felt something inside her loosen, a knot beginning to unravel. When the song changed to something slower, they moved to the bar. "Told you," Maya said, fanning herself. "Fun exists outside our apartment."
Ava smiled, about to respond when she noticed the men with scorpion tattoos moving with purpose toward Benny Tiger's corner. Simultaneously, the group with neck tattoos stood up."Maya," she began, but her warning was drowned out by the sudden sound of breaking glass and shouting.
A fight had erupted near the VIP section. Someone yelled "CTR," and someone else screamed "Scorpioni." The crowd surged away from the violence, creating a wave of panic that split the club in half. "Maya!" Ava called as they were separated by fleeing clubgoers. She lost sight of her friend in the chaos.
The nightclub transformed into a labyrinth of panic. The elaborate system of catwalks and private booths that had offered exclusivity now became vantage points for rival gang members to spot their targets. The once mesmerizing lights now strobed erratically, casting eerie shadows on the chaos below.
Across the floor, Ava spotted Benny Tiger backing away from a younger man, in baggy clothes, the letters CTR tattooed on his neck like a graffiti tag. He had cornered the boxer against the wall. The man held a knife, his attention fixed on a leather bag clutched tightly in Benny's hand. "Hand over the cash, Tiger," the man snarled, lunging forward.
Benny's face hardened into something dangerous. "Not happening" he growled, his voice barely audible over the chaos.
A scream cut through the noise. Maya stood frozen as another man with a Scorpion neck tattoo grabbed her arm, using her as a shield against an advancing gunfire. Ava ducked behind an overturned table, her heart hammering. She glanced down at her palm, at the small bump beneath the bandage. She hadn't done this since that night...
With a quick motion, she peeled back the bandage, revealing the black thorn embedded in her flesh. She pressed her thumb against it, hard enough to draw blood. The effect was immediate—a sharp pain that radiated up her arm, followed by a surge of energy that made her gasp.
She scrambled into a nearby bathroom, locking herself in a stall as the transformation began. Her skin prickled as a blackish-purple aura enveloped her body. Her hands elongated, nails hardening into curved obsidian claws. Her teeth sharpened, features shifting into something primal and feral. The pain was excruciating, but brief. When it subsided, Ava McKnight was gone, replaced by something else—something that moved with predatory grace and untamed power.
The clawed creature emerged from the bathroom, a phantom in the strobe-lit chaos. A man in baggy urban clothes and a neck tattoo who had followed her stumbled back in shock, his eyes wide with terror. She moved past him, her focus narrowed on finding Maya.
The club had devolved into a battleground. Bullets flew, shattering glass and sending patrons diving for cover. The once hypnotic lights now illuminated a savage ballet of violence as rival gangs clashed in a fury of fists and weapons.
The creature cut through the melee with brutal precision, her claws flashing in the artificial light. She moved like a blur, barely visible in the strobing darkness. A gangster turned his gun on her, but she was faster, knocking the weapon from his hand before he could fire.
Near the VIP section, she spotted Maya, still held by the mobster. The beast pounced, her movements a deadly dance. One moment she was across the room, the next she was upon them, her claws slashing across the man's back—not deep enough to kill, but enough to make him release Maya with a howl of pain.
"Run!" she growled, her voice unrecognizable, deeper and resonant.
Maya's eyes widened with terror—not at her attacker, but at the creature before her. Before she could speak, another clubgoer pulled her toward the exit.
Across the room, Benny Tiger was locked in combat with the gangster who had cornered him. Despite his missing arm, Benny fought with precision, his movements calculated and efficient. brute lunged with his knife, but Benny stepped aside, the blade missing him by inches. In a fluid motion, Benny delivered a devastating hook to the man's jaw, dropping him to the floor.
As Benny turned to leave, another affiliated gang member rushed him from behind, a gun raised. The creature moved without thinking, vaulting over an overturned table. She landed between Benny and his attacker, her claws slashing across the man's chest. He stumbled back in shock, blood blooming across his shirt.
For a moment, their eyes met—Benny's wide with surprise, the beast, wild and feral behind a curtain of disheveled hair. There was a moment of recognition, not of who she was, but of what they both represented—resistance against the forces that had claimed this city.
Then the wail of police sirens broke the moment.
"We need to go," Benny's manager urged, pulling him toward the back exit. Benny nodded, still staring at the creature, before disappearing into the darkness.
The clawed beast fled in the opposite direction, finding a secluded corner to reverse the transformation. She pressed the thorn again, grimacing as the aura receded and her features returned to normal. Exhausted, Ava slumped against the wall, her hands trembling as she reapplied the bandage to her palm.
Outside in the parking lot, Maya paced frantically, her flip phone clutched in her hand. When Ava emerged from a side door, Maya rushed to her. "Where were you? I thought you were right behind me!" She says frantically
"I got trapped inside," Ava lied, her voice hoarse. "Had to find another way out." "Jesus, Ava, did you see that... thing? People are saying some shadow creature was attacking those guys"
Ava shook her head. "Let's just go home."
In the aftermath, cell phones buzzed with fevered activity as shaky footage of the encounter made its rounds on the digital ether. The joyous laughter and rhythmic beats that once filled the night were replaced by sobs and the distant, haunting echoes of violence. A phantom vigilante, dubbed "Nightclaw" by the netizens, had etched her presence onto the city's consciousness.
In his car speeding away from the club, Benny Tiger stared at the leather bag in his lap. Inside was this month's payment to the Scorpioni. He flexed his single hand, remembering the feeling of his attacker dropping to the floor. Being pushed around by gangs, forced to make payments, forced to shut up and play his part. For the first time in months, he'd fought back.
And he wasn't the only one.
His manager rambled nervously beside him, but Benny wasn't listening. His mind was filled with the image of the creature that faced him tonight. An ally, perhaps? Or just another predator in a city full of them?
Either way, Benny knew that Metroplex had changed tonight.