"WOAH!" shouted Oliver, slipping on the now icy floor, "That's a dirty move, Weiss!"

"Remember the apple juice Oliver," said Weiss, "then think about dirty moves."

The battle was off to a terrific start for Weiss, who had opened her attack with a glyph that froze the whole floor. Oliver slipped and slid, falling on his butt.

"I'm gonna get you!" said Oliver, struggling, "After I regain my balance. Then the fight really starts!"

"Yeah, I don't think so." said Weiss, readying her weapon Myrtenaster. Rotating the cylinder to the fire setting, Weiss fired a wide horizontal wave of fire at Oliver. Oliver's eyes widened as muscle memory took over, arching his back in order to slide under the projectile. Pulling out a smoke arrow, Oliver slammed it into the ground, creating his own cloud of smoke to mask his movements.

"You can't hide forever Oliver!" shouted Weiss, "I'm still on the higher ground!"

*POP*

The sound of an exploding arrow reached Weiss's ears as the smoke began to clear, revealing a small island of solid riot foam.

"Great!" said Oliver, "Now I have something to stand on!"

Oliver drew more arrows, firing them at Weiss as she broke into a run. Weiss circling the island Oliver stood on, dodging arrows as she fired fire blasts from Myrtenaster.

"Yeah, keep running!" said Oliver, "Makes it easier to line up a shot!"

Oliver let loose an arrow, it's tip blowing up unto a boxing glove as it struck Weiss in the side, knocking her over.

"Ugh!" grunted Weiss as she fell on her side, looking up to watch Oliver chuckle.

"Heh, who has the high ground now?!" gloated Oliver.

Weiss gritted her teeth, grabbing Myrtenaster and swinging it, sending an explosive wave at Oliver. The wave hits his riot foam island, causing an explosion that destroys his high ground and sends his flying back onto the ice-covered arena. Oliver tumbled on the ground as Weiss surges forward, stabbing at him with Myternester.

"You really have no idea do you?!" shouted Weiss.

Oliver scrambled to his feet as he used his blow to block the attacks, though Weiss's rapid attacks kept him off balance.

"You have the gall to stride in here with all the playboy energy you've always had, parading on about yourself!" shouted Weiss, "I've had to put up with the expectations of everyone around me to get where I am today. I was never good enough for anybody, no matter how many years I trained!"

Weiss stabbed forward gracefully, catching Oliver in the chest.

"AGH!" shouted Oliver.

"And what did you do all those years?" asked Weiss, "You spent your parents' money on partying and alcohol! I wouldn't be surprised if it turned out you just spent your missing years on an island resort full of cash and models."

While he was well aware of his issues in the past, the last line was an entirely different point. A hastily made insult that got Ollie mad.

"Are you serious?!" shouted Oliver, blocking Myrtenaster before grabbing the weapon and twisting it out of Weiss's hands in one move. Ollie surged forward, striking Weiss across the head with the bow, "You know NOTHING about what happened to me!"

Oliver moved quickly, pinning Weiss to the ground with his bow on her neck, "Crushed by expectation? Well when I was missing, I starved! I got Tetanus! I had my legs beaten in with sledgehammers and my bones pulled out with pliers!"

"Mr. QUEEN!" shouted Glynda, "Release Miss Schnee!"

Oliver looked up at the screen, revealing that he had whittled Weiss's aura down to the red. Sighing, he released Weiss, standing up straight as Weiss felt her neck. The two locked eyes.

"I'm not saying what happened to you doesn't suck." said Oliver, "But I had to survive while I was missing. Did you?"

Oliver turned around and left the arena, leaving Weiss to ponder Ollie's words.


"This'll be quick." said Cardin, brandishing his mace, "I've wanted to dent your farmboy skull ever since you showed me up."

"I was defending my friend Cardin." said Clark, "I wasn't showing you up."

Cardin and Clark circled each other in the arena, Cardin swinging his mace back and forth.

"Ready?" said Glynda, "BEGIN!"

Cardin charged Clark with his mace, raising it high above his head. Clark braced with his arms as Cardin brought the mace down.

"Do they eat mashed potatoes where you're from?" asked Cardin, attempting to break Clark's guard down with rapid strikes, "Cause I'm gonna make some with your face!"

"I don't know if that works as a threat." said Clark, "Wouldn't you want to make my face look like mashed potatoes?"

Clark surged forward in between swings, headbutting Cardin and causing him to stumble back. Cardin clutched his head as he groaned, eyeing Clark with anger.

"Shut up!" shouted Cardin, "You're just a nobody from nowheresville!"

Cardin raised the mace once more, charging at Clark the exact same way. Clark sighed, taking a step back.

"It doesn't matter where you're from." said Clark, "What matters is what you accomplish."

As Cardin began to swing the mace again, Clark didn't block, instead opting for a straight punch to the stomach. Cardin grunted as he was forced back by the strike, stumbling but ultimately keeping his footing.

"And from where I'm standing, you're just a bully that doesn't know how to change up his strategy." said Clark.

"Uh uh!" said Cardin, "No way talent can come from a bunch of poor people."

"It's never about talent." said Clark, "It's about how hard you work and how well you learn."

Cardin roars, charging Clark once more like a bull in a ring. Clark smiled, taking a deep breath.

*WOOSH*

Cardin's sprint began to slow as Clark blew air at him with extreme intensity. Cardin swung his mace in desperation, unable to advance before eventually falling on his back.

"I don't mean to be rude Cardin," said Clark, "But you don't seem like a good learner."

"SHUT YOUR MOUTH!" shouted Cardin, throwing his mace at the hero. Clark chuckled as he caught the mace in his hand to Cardin's amazement.

"See what I mean?" said Clark.

Cardin's nose flared as he gritted his teeth in anger. Scrambling to a standing position, Cardin yelled as he ran at Clark, fists at the ready.

*WHAM!*

Clark strikes Cardin across the jaw with the mace, causing him to fall on his front right in front of Clark.

"Ugh." groaned Cardin, feeling his cheek.

"Sorry." said Clark, "I didn't mean to hurt you that bad."

"Mr. Winchester!" said Glynda, "You are in the red, please exit the arena."

Cardin growled, standing up while nursing his jaw. He passed by Clark, grabbing and yanking the mace out of his hands as he went by. Clark sighed, "All you had to do was change up your approach."


Mercury bounced on the tips of his feet, practicing his kicks as Victor stood across from him. Victor glanced up at Mercury as he continued to practice.

"Hey!" said Victor, "Don't go all Sleet Fighter on me!"

"Wouldn't dream of it, nerd." said Mercury.

"Ho ho ho!" chuckled Victor, cracking his neck, "Nerds will rule the world one day, you'll see."

"Ready boys?" said Glynda, "FIGHT!"

Mercury raced forward, leaping into a flying kick. Victor's eyes widen as he blocks the strike with his Omni-tool. Surging forward, Mercury began to rapidly strike at Victor's guard.

"Goddamn it!" shouted Victor, "Now you're really going Sleet fighter on me!"

Victor braced as Mercury's foot strikes his Omni-tool again with a resounding Clang!

Clang?

Victor smirked as Mercury kicked at him again, though this time the Omni-tool formed a magnet. As Mercury's foot collided with the Omni-tool, it didn't separate from the gadget. Mercury struggled as Victor pulled him in before transforming the Omni-tool into a giant fist, punching Mercury back a few feet.

"A magnet and a fist?!" said Mercury.

"Yup," said Victor, "and so much more."

Victor pointed at Mercury with the Omni-Tool, watching as the gadget morphed between a variety of different blasters, melee weapons, and tools.

"It's got nearly infinite formations." said Victor, "Ready to beat that?"

Mercury stared at Victor in amazement before chuckling to himself, "Nope."

"Huh?" said Victor, "What do you mean nope?"

"I forfeit." said Mercury.

The crowd in the arena began to boo Mercury as he threw his hands up into the air and walked out. Victor sighed disappointedly, "Man, what a chicken."


"Mrs. Nikos, are you ready?" asked Glynda.

"Yes." said Pyrrha, nodding as she drew her javelin and shield.

"Mr. Wayne?" said Glynda.

Bruce nodded, putting his helmet on. His in-helmet hud activated, analyzing Pyrrha's various Weapons and armor pieces.

"Alright," said Glynda, "BEGIN!"

Instead of a wild charge or sprint, Pyrrha immediately swapped her javelin into rifle form, taking a knee and firing at Bruce from range. Bruce dived out of the outgoing fire while pulling a smoke pellet from his belt, tossing it across the arena and right at Pyrrha's feet. The pellet explodes, enveloping Pyrrha in smoke and cutting off her sightline. Pyrrha held her breath, choosing to reload instead of advance

Her semblance is polarity, a particularly powerful semblance. In addition, she's trying to soften me up from range.

Bruce pulled out one of his bladed throwing weapons, though this one had circuitry and a few buttons built into the center.

So I'd better make a solution.

Typing in some code, Bruce raised his arm before throwing the weapon at Pyrrha as the smoke cleared. Pyrrha's eyes honed into the weapon as it spun through the air, raising her fingers. She uses her semblance sparingly, making sure to divert the weapon's flight path by only the tiniest amount. It's arc changes slightly, flying past her head-

*BOOM!*

Suddenly, the weapon explodes, damaging Pyrrha's aura and knocking her off balance. The crowd collectively gasps in surprise.

"WOAH!" said one observer, "I've never seen anyone hit the great Pyrrha Nikos before!"

"Who would have thought a rich kid like Bruce Wayne could stand against her?!" said another observer.

Bruce sprints forward, closing the distance between him and Pyrrha as she regains her balance. Pulling a flash pellet from his utility belt, Bruce tosses it on the ground just as he reaches Pyrrha. In a split second move, Pyrrha turns away from the flash pellet as it explodes before spinning back around for a strike with her javelin. To her surprise, instead of dodging the strike, Bruce catches the javelin in his hands.

Gotcha.

Bruce yanks the javelin his way, letting go as he puts Pyrrha in a headlock. Placing his foot behind Pyrrha's, Bruce trips Pyrrha as does a front flip, carrying her with him and causing them both to land on the ground together. Pyrrha struggled as Bruce tightened his grip, pressing her face against the arena floor.

"Haven't seen that one!" said Pyrrha.

"Learned it in the Vacuo mud pits." said Bruce.

Pyrrha tightened her muscles, reaching out towards Bruce's utility belt. Using her semblance, she drew a small explosive pellet from the belt before slamming it down on the ground.

*BANG!*

The explosion damages both the fighter's auras, but succeeds in separating the two. Pyrrha flips to a standing position with both javelin and shield in hand while Bruce rolls to his own standing position. Pyrrha leaps at him, closing the distance in seconds.

She's fast!

Bruce dodges a vertical slice from the javelin before dodging a horizontal swipe from the shield. Pyrrha presses onward, throwing a variety of different strikes with both weapons in hand. Bruce continued to step back, dodging all strikes.

Can't keep this up, she'll wear me down at this rate.

Bruce slips his hand into his belt as Pyrrha strikes him across the chin, breaking his helmet up. Bruce falls to the ground, clutching his chin. His helmet was now open around the mouth, showing gritted teeth. Pyrrha pointed her Javelin at Bruce.

"You're a worthy opponent," said Pyrrha, "You've clearly had a lot of training."

"True," said Bruce, "but I've also been taught extensively in improvisation."

Pyrrha raised her eyebrow just as her shield began to beep. Raising the shield, she spotted a circular disk attached to the handguard of the shield just as activated, sending a current of electricity through the shield and zapping Pyrrha. While it only takes a second for Pyrrha to fight through the pain and drop the shield, it's all Bruce needs.

Bruce jumps back to his feet, grabbing Pyrrha's javelin and yanking it from her hands. Thinking quickly, Pyrrha retaliates, grabbing Bruce by the helmet and slamming it into his knees. More of the helmet flaked off as Bruce struck back, cracking Pyrrha across the head with her Javelin. Bruce leaped back after the strike, His entire face now showing out of the mask.

Pyrrha panted, out of breath for what felt like the first time in years. She looked Bruce in the eyes as he tossed the Javelin behind him and put his fists up. She cracked a smile, raising her own fists. The two charged at each other, a fist raised on each side and primed to strike.

"STOP!" shouted Glynda.

The two opponents slid to a stop, fists inches from each other's faces.

"Both of you are in the red." said Glynda, "Congratulations Mr. Wayne, you've become the first person to tie with Pyrrha Nikos."

The arena broke out into applause to the astonishment of both Bruce and Pyrrha as people rose from their seats. Bruce felt a tap on his shoulder as he turned to find Pyrrha smiling and extending her hand. Bruce raised an eyebrow as he shook her hand.

"Thank you Bruce." said Pyrrha, "I haven't had that much fun in a long time."

"Hm," said Bruce, "me too."

Up in the corner of the arena, a woman sat alone, eyeing the warriors in the arena. Mercury slid up next to her, tapping at his scroll.

"What did you glean from these performances?" asked Mercury.

"Hmm," chuckled the woman, "more than you can ever imagine."


This chapter was all fighting and originally it had a little more, but I decided to split it up. I had a lot of fun writing the Pyrrha/Bruce fight though, getting that balance of two highly trained fighters was difficult.

In other news, I've been officially accepted as a writer at DCNext! My first issue might not come out this month, but Hopefully I can get it out! With that change the pace at which I release chapters for both this fic and for Lightning Strikes may slow down since I'm technically writing 3 stories simultaneously now and on a deadline. However, my DCNext story will release chapters monthly, so it hopefully won't be too much trouble.

Reviews:

Dracus6: Thanks for understanding my friend!

Thanks for the feedback as always! :)

Shadow Joestar: Thanks for the feedback as always! :)

DCDGojira: Jor-El is based off of how Gary Frank draws him. He would be voiced by Christopher Mcdonald (Superman The Animated Series.) Ace is the same breed as he is in Batman The Animated Series. I like the Kane scene but I don't want him to be too smart. Haven't seen Crisis on Infinite Earths but I saw the Marv Wolfman cameo. The Birds of Prey idea is cool. If I had to crossover Gen-Lock with any Anime, it would be Darling in the Franxx (Heat of the moment decision I don't watch as much anime as I used to.) I have specific plans for Doomsday, you'll have to see.

Thanks for the feedback as always!

Next Chapter: Lunch with JNPR!