I followed Robin down the gangplank.
"So who's the guy in the spiffy suit?"
Robin looked around, assessing the situation.
"I don't know. But the suit itself..."
I waited.
"I created it."
"Say what?"
"I created it." Robin went on. "And I named it Red-X. Whoever is in that suit is extremely dangerous."
I looked over my shoulder.
"...Noir.."
I turned on my heel and ran back up the gangplank to the ship. But when I reached the door that led down inside the ship, my path was blocked.
"I'm r-ready to finish this..."
The girl's appearance took me by surprise. Beneath her short blonde hair blue eyes, her skin was sickly pale, covered with icy blue splotches that looked like an oddly beautiful disease.
I shook my head and cut my hand through the air.
"I don't have time for this!"
"All we have...is t-time."
She slashed at me with her frozen rapiers. I timed it just right and punched both of them with my metal knuckles. The force of the attack sent her sliding across the deck, along with her weapons. That taken care of, I turned and reached for the valve of the door leading down.
CHIINGG!
I jumped back as the door was suddenly encased in gleaming ice.
WHAM!
I hit the ground hard from the girl's flying kick. She picked up her swords as I made it to my feet.
"I s-said we finish this. Either I will kill you...o-or you will kill me."
I stared at her.
"Girl, I don't want to kill you."
"Then die!"
She sprinted at me.
I turned, unhooked my poncho and tossed it at her like some unorthodox bullfighter. She stopped immediately, blinding trying to throw it off.
I formed a fireball in my hand, ready to end it. But yet...
I couldn't. The flames dissipated from my hand and reared back a fist full of metal instead.
CLANK!
The poncho fell to the deck and she blocked by criss-crossing her swords. She spun and slashed at me.
SLLINKKT!
I stumbled back and felt the shallow cut across my chest.
"Your blood is s-so warm!"
She chucked her sword at me end over end. I ducked the first one, but I saw the second flying at me too late. I clenched my eyes shut-
"...?"
I reopened my eyes to see the sword point right in front of my nose, covered in black telekinesis. Raven floated just behind me, her eyes glowing gray in the darkness of her hood.
"You're too reckless." She told me.
Released, the sword clattered to the ground as Raven slowly descended to land gracefully on the deck. Together, we faced off against the icy villain.
"It's useless, Fraust." Raven said to her. "Your allies are falling one by one."
"T-then let me fall with them." She conjured up another pair of ice sword
CL-CLANG!
I blocked the sword directed at me with my metal knuckle and Raven blocked with a wave of solid black. I arced a powerful right hook at Fraust, but she ducked and I stumbled away unevenly.
"Bard!" Raven said, even as she blocked another sword strike. "Keep control of yourself!"
I ignored her and charged at Fraust's back. She feinted at Raven to drive her back and thrust blindly behind her at me. I had no choice but to frantically slide under it like a baseball player headed for home. I hit the guardrail and nearly toppled over it into the ocean.
"Bard, focus!"
I took in a deep breath and held out my hand. A staff of licking red flames materialized. I held out my free hand to Fraust, telling her to come get some.
"Raugh!" She slashed at Raven, forcing her to levitate away. Then she charged at me with her swords high over her head.
PH-PHOMB!
I held out my staff of fire horizontally and caught both of her overhand swipes. The fire of my staff ate through the ice of her swords and she stumbled forward unbalanced.
WHAP!
I brought up my knee and hit her just between the eyes. She fell back first to the deck. When she tried to get up, she found my flaming staff pointed at the hollow of her throat. She looked surprised, but then her haunting blue eyes looked oddly satisfied.
"You've b-beat me. Do it."
I didn't move.
"D-do it! Kill me!"
"..." I hummed under my breath and my flame staff disappeared.
This seemed to piss Fraust off.
"Rrraugh!"
She lunged at me like a bobcat. The two of us stumbled back, flipped over the railing and fell into the water.
SP-SPLASH!
I gasped for breath as I resurfaced. I swam over and picked up my waterlogged hat from where it was floating a few feet away. I had already grabbed onto the dock when I realized-
"Fraust! Where is she?"
Raven was already ahead of me. Her eyes glowed gray and she lifted Fraust out of the water...along with the huge block of ice surrounding her.
I stared.
"Is she...gonna be okay."
Raven put Fraust down on the bank, nodding tiredly from the effort.
"I think she will be."
"Huh..." I wrung out my hat and plopped back on my head. "Reckon I put two bad guys on ice today, then!"
Raven rolled her eyes.
