Chapter Eleven: Mother vs. Father

(Cye)

I woke up on my own terms. Robyn was playing with her hair. She looked over at me.

"You weren't supposed to wake up yet!" she said.

"Huh?" I said. Suddenly, I had an odd idea of what had happened. I ran my hand through my hair. I was right. She'd made many, many tiny braids throughout my hair. "How bored did you get?"

"Not very," said Robyn. "Let me help you with that." I said cross legged as the two of us undid the braids. It was almost silly. It was awkward for me, considering my fingers were thicker from the subarmor, but Robyn's soft fingers were gentle and got most of them out.

"Ariel and Kojiro did this to me as a joke once," I said. "She was three years old, I was nineteen, and he was twenty. I was taking a nap on the couch and Kojiro had been showing Ariel how to make braids by using yarn. Well, he got the idea to show her how to do it on my head. I woke up about an hour later and didn't notice for a good half hour, when I looked in the mirror and screamed."

"Did they get a picture?" asked Robyn.

"Sadly, yes," I said. "I looked like a pot head."

Robyn shook her head. "You must have looked ridiculous."
"I did," I said. "But it was a little on the amusing side." I narrowed my eyes. "Robyn, when Talpa had you cornered, why didn't you teleport?"

"Panicked and didn't think of it," said Robyn. "But now that you mention it I could have-"

"Well, well, well, Maiden brat, hands off him. He's MINE."

We looked up. There, standing above us, was Sheila. She looked mad. I leapt to my feet, taking a fighting stance. "I got this."

"What!?" asked Robyn, joining me. "You've got to be kidding me! After what she did?!"

"I need to stand up to bullies like her, or else I'll be running scared for the rest of my life," I said. "I don't care if she's female or if she's the mother of my child, she's cruel, sick, and sadistic."

"Thank you for the compliments," said Sheila with a dark grin. "Let's fight."

"Will do," I said.

"Better yet, we should take this outside. I wouldn't want this grains to get stained from your blood," she said.

"Fine," I said. "Outside it is. Robyn?"

Robyn nodded and teleported us outside of the storage room.

We stood outside on top of the roof. Robyn was on the side. She told me she'd stay out of it unless Sheila really began to whip me. I reluctantly agreed. But that was after Robyn mentioned Ariel being without a father. Low, but it worked.

Sheila looked almost identical to Sehkment in the old armor. She withdrew two swords and clashed them together. "This'll be interesting."

"Yes it will," I said. Knowing Sheila, I knew she'd attack first. Which she did. She raised one of her katanas, let out a cry, and charged. I sidestepped the attack and used my yari to clutch the katana. She then sliced at my with the other. Before it could hit I tossed her across the roof. I charged after her.

But Sheila was waiting and tripped me, sending me flying. I landed on the ground with a thump as she jumped down to try and impale me. I rolled out of the way and kicked her feet out from below. She screamed as I pinned her with my foot. I thought I'd won until she tripped me up. As she tried to lunge on top of me, I used my legs to my advantage and kicked her stomach, sending her upwards.

Robyn had teleported to the ground with us. She was, naturally, rooting me on. "Go Cye!" she cried. "Kick her butt!"

Sheila then prepared her sure kill, but I prepared mine as well. The attacks were released in unison. I had to make sure my attack was stronger or else her attack would overpower mine and send back poisoned water at me. My main weakness. Part of why Torrent and Venom were adversaries. The battle there was the most dangerous.

"SUPAH WAVE SMASHA!"

"SNAKE FANG STRIKE!!!"
Sheila was more powerful than I'd thought as I was struck down by the venomous water. Robyn screamed.

"Cye!" she cried. Then, she stared Sheila down. "That. Is. IT! I. Am. PISSED!"

(Robyn)

I couldn't believe it. She'd taken him down. He was alive, but hurting very badly. I leapt before him, feeling the powers of the staff suddenly beginning to increase. I pointed the staff and her and blasted her halfway across the battlefield.

"AHHH!!"

"Serves you right for hurting the man I love!" I said.

"WHAT!?" asked Sheila, running back over. "You do NOT love him! I don't give you permission to love him! He's mine!"

I growled. "No he isn't! He's his own person. He raised YOUR baby virtually alone! He struggled between high school, a job, college, and the baby. You RAPED him TWICE. And now THIS! I am NOT going to let the likes of YOU get away with this!!!"

Sheila was stunned. I think Cye was too. Before either could respond I opened up another attack, sending her back again. She got up and prepared to Snake Fang Strike me. I stood there, waiting for it.

"Robyn, move!" Cye yelled. Then he winced. The Warrior of Torrent was in pain, and I had to win this battle soon to get him to safety.

Sheila sent out the attack. I lifted my staff and created a protective barrier. The attack bounced off and hit Sheila. She screamed. I really liked causing that woman to be in pain. I took down the barrier and attack again. I wasn't going to stop until to she retreated in tears.

At this point, that would be easy.

I didn't bother to wait for her to recover before I sent my attacks. One after another after another after another. She was getting pummeled. I was winning. And that felt good. She had this coming for a LONG time.

"I GIVE UP! TAKE HIM!" said Sheila. Her armor was off and she sat in the mud in her subarmor. Blood dripped down from her lip and nose. Her right eye was black, the other purple and swollen. "He's yours. Do whatever you want with him, witch."

"That would be his choice and his choice alone," I said, lifting up the injured warrior. Since he was in just subarmor, he wasn't too heavy. "I hope you live, so you can know what happens when you treat others like personal possessions. You've treated him like a rag doll for the past seven years. You had better not EVER do something like this to anyone ever again. Or I'll be back."

With that last comment, I walked off. Cye's eyes were half open. "Thank you," he said quietly.

"Are you going to be all right?" I asked.

"Yes, I will, now," he said. He rested his head on my shoulder. "I'm glad to know the woman I love saved my life."