Round One: Nyx Synne Daemon v. Shawn Ryder

"Warning...Warning... Signal with the host ship lost. Manual override system disabled. All persons to the escape pod. Crash inevitable; tee minus ninety seconds" the computer wailed, filling the cabin with screeching alarms and flashing red lights. Half lidded smoke kissed tangerine colored eyes briefly sparred the speakers a glance, cold metallic fingers slowly uncurling themselves. A lifeless, green, insect-looking creature landed with an unheard thump. The cabin lurched violently, throwing the girl to the side as the small ship rolled and dipped towards the ground. She growled, grabbing at the short plush chair that stood in the center of the cabin. Wires swung and swayed with each violent tremor, sparks flying. Planet Doom filled the entirety of the pilot's window, the surface growing closer and closer by the moment.

"Beep!" Move!

"Shut it, SAM!" she ordered, roaring as she was sent careening into the wall once more. Her gaze shifted about the ship's limited space, a dull, steady, green glow capturing her attention through the blinking red haze. Fighting with gravity's ever persistent tugging; she lunged forth, ducking past the electrified lines with the grace of a dancer. The latch gave way with little resistance, the pod opening with a sharp hiss.

"Tee minus thirty, twenty nine, twenty eight..."

Flashes of blue and white flew over the controls, setting the pod free. It rattled and rumbled, sputtering to life as she fell through the atmosphere. With a few curses, the vessel soared, following her steady hand. The main ship crashed in a smoldering heap of metal and glass, tumbling from the cliff side and into the ocean below. It vanished from existence before she could even look back, the pod serving as its substitute.

"...bloop" You're crazy

"Yes, yes I am."

...

Pausing for little more than a moment, she allowed her amber orbs to settle once more on the emergency escape vessel, more than half of it already buried in blinding snow. Faint, rapidly disappearing, footsteps followed her west, her form resuming its course. Howling winds crowded her thoughts, tearing through her human flesh. Pain nipped at the regions where metal met skin, demanding her attention. She paid it little mind, her focus solely on the looming, distant, city.

Hissssss

Her gaze narrowed, her head tilting towards her right as she listened for the foreign noise. The wind continued to scream, though it wasn't deafening.

Shhhh-hiiisssss

She whirled about, left arm raised while her right hand locked with her elbow. Something stirred beneath the vast expansion of white. Puffs of steam rose from the ground. Snow shifted and rose, only to fall from the back of the beast that staggered forth. Beady colorless eyes practically devoured her alive, the monstrous being placing a clawed limb before its massive body. Jagged teeth parted, revealing a thick tongue that tapered off into a fine point. Its leathery skin glimmered in the setting light. An earth shattering roar overpowered the shrieking wind.

"...Shit."

It lunged for her, sweeping its yellow three hooked claw at her smaller body. She stumbled back, blocking another one of its advances with an arm. The fabric of her white collar shirt tore, yet the metal beneath remained unscratched. The beast jumped, sinking its teeth into her arm as she brought it up defensively. A grunt left her, her hand in the monster's mouth. It tried to sink further into her, growling as she laughed. Titanium plates shifted, a whispering buzz masking the sound of energy building. The beast howled, the teeth that once held her captive gone in seconds. As it staggered back, she aimed, firing.

The creature bled out, headless.

The damage it managed to cause seemingly vanished, the metal unscathed as NANOs raced to close the holes.

Once more, she turned west, determined.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Shawn Ryder...

A feral growl wormed its way from the back of her throat, the Index protesting in her grip. With little to do as the sun began to set, she had fished the Index from its hiding place, her thigh high leather boots resting on the stone floor of one of the many buildings the city offered. It was the firt time she had bothered to look at the thing, a thin crack marring the tiny computer's face.

"Whirrr Beep." Give it here before you break it.

She groaned, mindlessly holding the to the side of her head. Silver spider-like legs shot forth, cradling the technology closely. It pried the backing off, the limbs moving on their own accord. Wires were plucked at and attached to the device in her ear, her cry of protest ignored.

"SAM!"

"Blooop" Almost done.

"Next time a warning would be nice before you start hacking into stuff!"

"Ploink" Shawn Ryder, human, age fifteen...

"I know that! He's one of them!" she hissed, snatching the Index back as SAM rested it against her shoulder. The legs retreated into the trusted machine, clicking firmly in response. "You know what I mean!"

"Huuuummm" Not quite.

"He's the son to Professor Ryder, you know, the guy that's almost as famous as Professor Membrane..." she sighed, closing her eyes. SAM whirled.

"...Children of Earth's greatest minds are selected to carry the torch. I wasn't so lucky; my parents, and their parents, were all a part of the degenerate elite- the ones that dragged society into the streets- and worked for McMeaty's or Crazy Taco's and whatnot." she continued, frowning. "I was four when my dreams were shattered..."

Earth

She was young, eager to learn what the universe had to offer. All of her limbs were as they should have been at the time.

"MOMMY!"

A woman, far too young to really be a mother yet, sighed, setting her assigned hat and apron to the side. Gray eyes stared at the child.

"What is it now, Nyx?"

"I wanna go see the man on TV!" she cried, pointing at the screen as the world famous Professor Membrane rambled on about...something. "You PROMICED"

"Fine, whatever."

...

"Ha ha, poor, crazy little girl!" the professor laughed, his goggled eyes upon the child. "You're not smart enough!"

Turning in the direction of a new sound, Nyx allowed her eyes to flutter open, the fleeting image of a person running by pulling her back to reality. In moments, she had pulled her shoes back on and was out the door, searching.

"NYX!"

She turned, stumbling as she was attacked. The blade missed, barely.

"Cheap-shot."

"Hey, I called your name!"

Glaring, she side stepped, watching as the blade slithered back to its owner. A sheet of black kept her from seeing inside the helmet, the nagging feeling of being teased sinking into her conscience.

"huuummmmm beep" He's armored. Be careful.

"You worry too much, SAM" she mumbled, crouching into a defensive position. Her opponent did the same.

Nyx was the first to move, though not in the way one would expect. Stepping back, she turned, running. With graceful steps and skill, she scaled one of the shorter buildings, her hands clasping the edge of the roof before she hauled herself up.

Shawn was close behind, the few seconds he spent in confusion allowing the gap to exist.

Her half-lidded eyes watched him carefully, a yawn escaping her.

"Scared?"

She sighed, jumping onto the neighboring roof, and completely ignoring his question. Despite her weight, she was quick and agile, a game of cat and mouse forming. Down ally ways and over buildings, she led him through the city for about an hour, night falling over the two.

"Oh COME ON!" he roared, scowling. He faced a wall, the mouth of the ally behind him.

"Very well, but answer me first. Do you think you're better than me? Do you want to kill me, or befriend me?" she taunted, chuckling as he spun on his heels to face her.

"Do wha-"

"Answer the question."

"I-I'll kill you, if I have to!" he declared, bringing his sword up.

"And?" she pressed, her fingers toying with the buttons on her shirts until they opened.

"I AM BETTER THAN YOU!"

Her lazy stare turned that of hatred, her shirt falling like the last leaf of fall. Her skin was bared, a black bra offering little modesty. She surged forward, forcing him to step back. Under the low light of a street lamp, she attacked, her arms snapping out. The series of punches was a surprise, all of them landing on their mark- his upper torso. Blindly, he swung, his sword catching her right arm. They stood locked together, her arm, versus his blade.

"What is your problem?"

"People like you!" she hissed, shoving him back. The light scratch along the metal disappeared, the plates shifting with a dull whisper. "For years I have struggled to prove to the world that I was capable of more than just cooking fries!"

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"Everything."

Pushing fear aside, Shawn charged forth, blade high. She side stepped, grimacing as the razor edge bit into the soft skin of her side. He pulled back quickly, shaking his sword as the blood covered portion vanished, an electrical hum filling the air. She growled, focusing her gaze on the shrinking wound. Shawn struck again, a mind-numbing current forcing her body to still. His fist came down hard, landing as many blows as he could before he was sent flying by a well aimed kick.

"Owww..."

"I bet you didn't know that your kind is purposely keeping the population stupid." Nyx grunted. "It was suppose to a random selection, but the intelligent minds didn't want to risk anything, They all got together and made up this ridiculous formula that, when decoded, only allowed certain people born into certain families to advance." she continued, waiting for him to stand. "Guess what. I wasn't one of them."

"Wait...you're that crazy lady that was launched into space!"

She roared, her fist hooking just under his rib cage. Repeatedly, she pounded his larger frame, her fingers hooking into the fabric of his clothing.

"Beep." His armor is absorbing most of the force.

She sent Shawn flying, tossing his body as if it was little more than a doll. The plates along both arms shifted, the barrels of both guns aimed straight at the boy.

"Why are you even fighting, Ryder?"

"I- So that they'll end operation Impeding Doom 2"

She paused, blinking; her head tilted back just the slightest. A question twinkled in her eyes.

"You- you didn't know about it?"

"Nope. But now that I do, perhaps when I win I'll join their ranks." she grinned, casting them both in an eerie white glow. "It'll make destroying mankind that much easier!"

"You bitch!" he hissed, barely dodging the twin blasts. The building behind him groaned, the hole passing straight through. He scrambled to his feet, renewing their game of chase. She followed behind closely, often sticking to higher grounds.

...

Somehow, their battle had moved from the city to the coast line, the sand slowing her steps in the slightest. His helmet lay abandoned near the lapping shore, his dark eyes searching her for a weakness. Nothing stood out. She moved like a dancer, had the strength and endurance of an ox, and the skill of an assassin. Everything blow she threw landed. Her aim was deadly.

But it was her eyes that truly got to him. From a distance, they looked like normal eyes- round and colorful. Up close though, they were cat like, with a tough of machinery in their depths.

And they were filled with complete, uncensored, hatred.

...They were the eyes of a monster...

Desperately, he stabbed at her, complete shock washing over him as the blade sunk a good three inches into her skin. She coughed once, twice, before sinking further onto the blade's shaft.

"I-I-"

"You haven't won yet" she groaned, the barrel of her right arm pressing against his abdomen. The electrical hum from before reached their ears tenfold, her face nearly splitting in two as she smiled. "Let's see if you have NANOs in your system."

The light engulfed him.

His body sagged against hers, useless.

The wound went straight through, leaving a gaping whole that dripped and bled.

She salvaged the leather jacket and helmet. The rest, she placed at the shore's edge, her cold fingers sliding his eyes close.

The tide came in minutes later, claiming the remains of a young boy and erasing message left in the sand.

I have a planet to heal, and a race to destroy. I won't be stopped.