The northern gate opens with a hiss, the crowds cheering once more at the new combatant.
"Let's welcome the winner of last night's episode, the current champion: The Phantom!"
The figure that appears is a bit taller than her, with their face concealed in a hooded cloak. Their uniform seems a standard black jumpsuit, lined with red, giving the effect of some space-age tux. They stop walking, waiting at the edge of the center ring.
Nova pulls her wrist inward, glancing at the quick select to see a sea of red. Under her breath, she huffs at herself for being this careless with her ammunition. Her staff appearing in her hands, she rotates it with a flick of the wrist, and rolls her shoulders in anticipation. "Guess we're doing this the old-fashioned way."
In proper dueling fashion, Nova slowly moves to the edge opposite of the Phantom, watching as they throw their cloak to the lava surrounding the stage. The black-clothed one's identity is completely concealed by a metal mask, the eyes a black mesh. The audience is nearly silent, watching the two of them glare each other down.
Nova raises an eyebrow at the stranger's lack of movement. "What, you waiting on me to sing or something, buddy?" There's no response.
"Nova," Clank's eyes grow brighter with realization as his scanners reveal what the eyes cannot. "That is-"
Bringing a hand to the silver mask, a button is clicked. With a hiss, the parts retract, revealing a face.
Eyes wide, Nova blurts out a name. "Saros?! What are you doing here?"
"I'm sorry, Starlight. I'm doing what must be done."
Looking at the young man before her, Nova still can't read his intentions. He's so...neutral. Something's wrong. "And what would that be?"
"That's for me to know, and you to find out. Funny how the roles have swapped, isn't it hero?"
Her gaze narrowed in suspicion, the crystal tip crackles with energy. "What are you going on about?"
"Well, because we're such good friends, I'll give you a hint. The doctor sends his regards."
Nova freezes. First home, then a dear friend. Looking at Saros, his face is colder, harder. This isn't my friend. It can't be him. "Saros…" Her face drops in pity, in worry. "What has he done to you?"
The metal rod he holds extends, and four prongs extend out to the tip like a cattle prod. With a heavy-handed flick, a column of light is thrown forward.
Nova rolls out of the way to dodge the attack. Each volley of light is easy to avoid, and she calls out to her former friend. "Saros, knock it off! I don't want to fight you!"
"Maybe not, but that's not up to you, is it?" Saros launches himself forward with a pair of custom charge boots. Eyes wide, Nova takes the hit and is thrown onto her back.
With a cough, the young hero brings the air back to her lungs. "Guess you've got a new toy, my 'friend'. Well guess what?" Saros lines up for another boost forward, this time with his staff at the ready. Nova preps her own hoverboots, their soles beginning to glow and hum in anticipation. "So do I!"
The markazians fly forward, meeting center stage. Wood scrapes against metal, the two weapons' masters meeting face to face. Sparks dance in front of their faces. "Saros, snap out of it! I know you're in there!"
"You don't know a damn thing about me," he answers. "Just like I don't know a damn thing about you!"
A heavy swing from his weapon, blocked by a quick swipe of wood. "I know you like holo games, and old movies. I know you want to be an engineer." They trade another blow. "You're a good guy, Saros. Don't make me take you down." Nova breaks off contact, going in with a more controlled grip and style.
Each blow is expertly parried, scraping dense wood against metal. "I trusted you, tried to get to know you." Saros quickly ducks below a heavier swing, and uses the hilt of his weapon to knock Nova off her feet. "At every opportunity, you pushed me away."
"I was just trying to protect you!" A sweeping kick returns the favor, and Nova continues with quicker swipes to avoid telegraphing herself too much. Feet planted into the ground, the two combatants stay still for a moment.
"I don't need protecting! But you do, Starlight."
The woman sighs. "No, I don't. It's my job to protect you. But if I have to kick your ass to protect you from yourself, so be it." Her crystal's static charge matches the holoflux's glow, reflecting off of a determined glare. "Let's dance, Mendrano."
Nova jumps back, firing blasts of energy. The other markazian rolls out of the way, with barely enough time to dodge the blast that's charred the metal behind him. "I always thought that was cool, you know. That's why I have the same weapon."
Nova keeps firing, strafing to remain facing her target. Any blasts she throws are now knocked back, so she backs off to strategize. Another idea reaches her mind. "Figured as much. I should be flattered, but that's such a cheap looking knockoff. You want to see a real magic trick?"
With a running start from Nova, Clank uses his thruster pack to boost them to the airborne ring. Nova grips the staff with both hands, keeping it at a safe distance as she widens her stance. The universe watches as the crackle of energy fills the staff's tip, itching for release. Saros plants his feet into the ground, seemingly guessing where this is headed.
Nova locks eyes with the young man below her. "Take this, you doughnut!"
The crystal is pointed at it's target, and a huge ball of plasma flies forward. In defensive reflex, he swings his staff at the energy, returning it to its sender. Nova smacks it back, the crystal reflecting the sphere with each contact. The orb flies faster with each volley, and the thick tension keeps all witnesses glued to their seats.
Nova sees her opponent begin to lose footing, which clues her in to continue to the next phase. She pulls forward the reserve of static from the returns, and with one final swing, launches the 'ball' downward once more. According to plan, the slight buff gives the energy a pulse that knocks the man off balance, sending him flying to the edge of the platform.
The arena vibrates with applause and cheers at the display, and Nova catches her breath. "That..was probably the coolest thing I've ever done." Checking her crystal, there's no noticeable damage, but it flickers as if pushed to its limits. So there's a cooldown, that's fair. Still, I can't believe that worked!
Clank moves an optic plate, simulating a raised eyebrow. "Um, 'doughnut', Nova?"
"Well, uh, it just slipped out," she admits with a nervous chuckle. "But hey, we did it!" Nova twists her body to give Clank a view of the action, and he sees the poor boy lying face down from the blast, his surroundings and clothing charred black.
"Oh dear, that could not have been pleasant."
She drops down to the fallen foe, twirling her staff in victory with a smile. "Well, my friend, looks like you've been…" Nova turns away, looking for the right word. "-thunderstruck." Clank giggles at the quip.
The defeated Saros coughs the soot out of his lungs, looking up at his opponent. Picking himself off the ground, he stretches his hand out to her own. "Congratulations, Nova. You win."
The victor watches cautiously, not daring to take his hand. Taking a step back, she catches a glimpse of silver emerging from his pocket. Saros throws the ball to the ground with one hand, moving forward and gripping her wrist with the other. The object bounces upwards, revealing a disco ball that hovers a few feet above the two of them. "But first, you wanted to dance, right? By my lead, then," he smirks.
The music picks up, and true to his word, Saros leads a lively tango. The two dancers glide around the arena, the viewscreen zooming in on the two of them. The audience claps to the beat, a few of them singing along. Each step, spin, and turn of their hips tests Nova's patience further. "Let me go, Saros!"
Saros clicks his tongue at her, shaking his head as he spins her away. "I'm afraid I can't do that, Starlight." In an instant, she's pulled close once more.
His hand cradles her cheek, deactivating her helmet to get a better look at her face. Despite her best efforts, it's impossible to smack the hand away. Nova is lifted into the air, spinning in his firm grip. "Put me down!"
Saros smirks as her feet touch the ground. "I'm sure Clank's taught you about groovitrons, no?" Their legs kick to the sides, twisting their bodies to the music. "I have no power over it once it's up." The taller of them pulls his partner into a dip, bringing his face dangerously close with a whisper. "And neither do you."
Nova bares her teeth at him because he's right, as much as she hates to admit it. She really can't move of her own free will. Each step they take is a tease, a reminder of that fact. They both tango around the platform, sticking to that intimate closeness. "I trusted you, Saros. I told you I wasn't ready to give you an answer back then, and you said you understood that."
"If you really trusted me," the man retorts, "you would have told me everything. As it stands, he's been more honest than you ever were, Nova."
Nova is pulled downward, dipped toward the ground. "If you had any idea what I was scared of, you'd understand why."
On her feet once more, Nova's movement stops as the dance waits for Saros to move things along. "You've sold yourself to the past, then."
"No," she replies coldly. "I'm fighting for my own tomorrow."
Standing behind her back, Saros' hands glide over her shoulder pads. Clank's optics narrow at the renegade in front of him. "I was wrong about you, Saros. You are not dedicated, but unstable." The traitor moves his hand from Nova's body to Clank's finish, tapping the metal just hard enough for his partner to feel it.
"Don't you try anything, creep." As Nova snaps her head back to tell Saros off, she almost doesn't expect it. It feels like this wasn't originally part of the act. Saros takes her hands and the dance resumes. Looking up to the viewscreen, Nova takes notice of their sharp movements, and it gives her an idea.
Her foot crashes into Saros' and he cries out in pain. Every single step afterwards is a stomp, every spin gives a sharp tug of the arm, and every kick lands at the other's' sides.
To onlookers, it seems as if their tango is suddenly going very horribly. To one markazian, it's all part of the plan.
A final separation as Saros spins her away, in self defense, and Nova manages to sprain his wrist in an unpleasant direction. The woman equips her staff, her heels clicking to the ground with the beat. The weapon now acts as a prop, spinning around her body with the melody. In time with the notes, she inches her way to Saros, who now dances in solitude.
His arms block each spin of the wood, but the force of each blow hurts a bit more than the last. The Nanotech used to recover from the earlier blast starts to lose its effect. Saros' movements begin to slow, and as the song's last clap lands, so does the final hit. The groovitron above them shatters, its pieces littering the floor as the dizzy markazian hits the ground.
Leaning into the stunned Saros, Nova sets her staff onto the nearby ground. As she gently grips his jaw, she turns his face and tousles his hair. Blue eyes scan every inch of his skull, but there's...nothing there. No sign of tampering, no evil looking shades, and no freaky headgear. Her findings are nearly whispered out in disappointment. "It's really you, then."
Nova stands, shoots a fierce glare to his bruised face, and points her staff at him. It'll do no good to further beat down a defeated opponent, anyway. She huffs. "Don't ever call me Starlight again." His head hits the floor with a final groan of pain.