Opening theme: Hall of Fate
Phoebe flew backwards several feet as Finn struck her with a left palm strike. The two combatants have fought nonstop previously for two minutes straight until the elemental sustained a stunning jab to the chin. Her armor was now cracked in some areas across the chest and midsection and her fiery hair was disheveled. Small streaks of magma blood ran down her cheeks and her gaze blurred frequently in between seconds. Even though she had managed to fight back after overcoming a mental struggle, Phoebe was still outmatched. Going toe to toe with Finn exclusively proved to be a hopeless battle as the latter would simply adapt to Phoebe's style in real time combat.
But Phoebe frowned to herself in thought. It was clear that Princess Bubblegum had a strong influence on Finn's will, so any hope at reasoning with the human was out of the question. At the same time, defeating him single-handedly seemed unlikely as well. What should she do then? Give up and accept defeat and allow her entire race to be extinguished? It was a thought taken heavily into consideration, but in the end Phoebe chose to fight on regardless. There was too much at stake on the elemental's shoulders that her conscience served as the driving force to survive. She still hated the fact how Finn was being used against her, but fought only out of necessity. She had come to terms with herself that she would disable him at most, except on the condition that she would never take his life.
Unfortunately even with this temporary resolve, Phoebe was still in a harrowing situation. Jake and Marceline were still unconscious from the previous battle and the elemental had no one else to rely on for support. The troops who infiltrated the underground base alongside her were still far away as they were still busy fighting the droid sentries Bubblegum deployed. She knew it still wouldn't make a difference to Finn however, as the candy warrior demonstrated his battle superiority in all of his previous encounters. That fact alone was infuriating for the fiery princess and it brought her a feeling of helplessness like her imprisonment in the glass lantern.
It sickened her to the core.
"What's wrong?" Finn taunted as he watched her stagger back on her feet. "Don't tell me that's all you got. Because if it is, it's nowhere near good enough!" As he finished his remark, Finn leapt forward and curled his body to deliver a one-handed smash. Phoebe gasped in surprise as she watched his swift approach but quickly jumped and rolled to safety before the Finn's right fist smashed a large crater into the ground. With the dust settling, Finn continued scowling, "The only chance you have at getting to Bubblegum is to destroy me. NOW FIGHT, WORTHLESS FLAMELING!"
From that moment, Phoebe intensified her flames as her anger rose to new heights. She rushed towards Finn with her fists and eyes blazing with no trace of hesitation. Heavy swings were thrown recklessly from the elemental while Finn merely evaded them with ease. After a brief moment of allowing the elemental to lash out, Finn caught one of her fists and pulled himself closer to her until he landed an elbow strike into Phoebe's stomach. The girl gasped breathlessly from the sharp impact and her flames dimmed back into their normal state. As she felt her strength fading from the counter attack, Finn tossed her up high before twirling himself upwards with a three-hit slash using his hands. More cuts were made on Phoebe's armor with some of them being deep enough to draw blood. After Finn performed his aerial attack, he used his momentum to land one fist at the elemental which sent her falling to the ground at a sharp descent.
PB feigned a cringed expression as she spectated the fiery princess land on a nearby supercomputer. Although a small miniature explosion took place from the impact with flames flaring from the machinery, the elemental's body remained in one piece. As soon as the smoke subsided, Finn took his time approaching his target and discovered she was lying on her back with her eyes closed. She was still alive as Finn heard her groaning in pain, and the candy warrior once again showed no remorse. It was clear that the fight was already over in his favor. All he had do now was simply fire a well-placed plasma shot at either Phoebe's head or elemental matrix and claim victory for the pink princess. His right palm hovered between the two places he would make his execution for a lingering second until his HUD received a sudden update.
After receiving his new orders from Princess Bubblegum, Finn powered down his hand and pulled Phoebe upwards back on her feet. Once the elemental was standing, Finn drew his left fist and immediately landed a straight punch to the face. Phoebe recoiled backwards from the force of the impact, but was still being held in place from Finn's off-hand. Two more straight punches were sent into her face shortly after until Finn alternated by delivering a swift head butt. Phoebe exhaled as she was released from the impact and groaned when her back fell right into the ground. Her body ached everywhere around her and her head felt tremendously numb from all the blows that were exchanged.
But somehow, the elemental was already in the motions of standing back up. Even though her movements were slow, she gradually leaned her body upwards so she could support herself on one knee at a time. Bubblegum was impressed that Phoebe still had enough strength to stay conscious but shrugged it off moments later.
"Alright," PB radioed to Finn. "That should be enough to send the Fire Kingdom a message. The soon-to-be death of their beloved leader will strike overwhelming fear into their forces that they'll have no choice but to run back to their homeland. And since all the other kingdoms have already asserted their neutrality, our enemies will have no other places to seek for as refuge."
"They could escape beyond Ooo's borders," Finn suggested.
PB nodded, "While that may be true, I believe their chances are just as futile as staying here. There is no other place for the elementals to sustain themselves adequately aside from their natural habitat."
"And for those who may hide?" He asked with an arched eyebrow.
"We will hunt each and everyone of them down like the animals they are and eliminate anyone who stands in our way!" PB concluded.
"Yes, princess."
PB then ended the transmission and directed her gaze to Phoebe saying, "Looks like you've spun your last fireball, ding-dong!"
Phoebe was standing with one hand on her knee in a stooped position and weakly replied, "Do.. you honestly think.. that getting rid of us will solve the world's problems?" She paused as she gasped in pain, "All you're doing is making this worse for yourself."
PB feigned a shocked expression, "Am I?! Because the way I see it, none of your troops have the means to stop me!"
"I.. wasn't talking about them," Phoebe said with her head shaking.
"Oh, you mean the other kingdoms?" PB said catching on quickly in realization. "They are just as incompetent as they are foolish! None of them have a chance whether they decide to unite against me or not." She curled a right fist in front of the screen and seethed, "I'll make them understand that if I have to."
"So you want a world governed by.. fear?" Phoebe stated. Her brows furrowed, "What kind of life would that be worth living?"
"A necessary one!" PB exclaimed. "And it starts with your death being a prime example." She then directed her gaze back to Finn and ordered, "Take care of her and dispose of the others." She said dismissively referring to Jake and Marceline.
"As you wish," Finn complied simply while conjuring a purple flame sword from his right hand.
Time seemed to have slowed down for Phoebe as Finn made his way towards her. His gaze was fierce like the fiery blade he emitted and his footsteps stormed the ground ominously altogether.
"Well," her conscience asked. "What's it going to be? The extinction of your entire race followed by a few more in the future or Finn?"
"I would prefer neither if I had it my way," she replied mentally.
Finn stopped once he got close enough and studied her idle form briefly.
"A choice has to be made," her conscience stated grimly.
Phoebe replied, "And my heart will be forever broken..." Tears were threatening to burst once more.
"You saw what happened when you held back your strength," her mind argued. "He casted you aside effortlessly like the flick of a wrist."
"I know but-"
Finn drew his arm back slowly as he poised himself for the lunge.
"You need to let him go," her conscience resolved. "There is nothing more you can do to save yourself otherwise."
The elemental stilled a breath as she placed herself in deep thought. She had tried to figure out a weakness the human might have shared in all of their fights, but came up with nothing. She had also recalled the previous conversations she had with her father regarding the aspects of war and dreaded over the possibility that he was right. Some things had to be done out of necessity to ensure the safety of others, but taking Finn's life was still conflicting. Phoebe went back and forth in her thoughts frantically, desperate to find an ideal solution without compromising her beliefs. But deep down, her mind knew there was no alternative. Any choice she made would still haunt her either way. When she saw Finn driving the blade forward towards her heart, her breath hitched as she made her decision.
In a fleeting second, the elemental clapped her hands onto the tip of Finn's blade, stopping it mere inches before reaching its target. Finn widened his eyes briefly from the sudden movement but shifted back into a determined expression as he exerted more physical strength. His arm shook as he tried to gain the upper hand, but Phoebe surprised him even further as his blade drew back at a gradual pace. Moments later, the candy warrior was eventually leaning backwards on one knee, much to Bubblegum's astonishment. As the elemental forced the blade to point upwards, she proceeded to move her clasped hands slightly to the right until she used her energy to make a sudden swing to the left. Finn staggered back as Phoebe's right elbow slammed against his cheek and his sword dissipated instantly as he examined his injury.
"What?!" Bubblegum exclaimed in disbelief. "How can this be?"
Finn was also seen showing a shocked expression as he clutched his face with one hand. While one part of his mind was trying to grasp the sudden development, another part was already focused on scanning Phoebe's newfound strength.
"Her heat levels are off the charts!" Finn exclaimed.
The elemental stood upright in a widened stance despite the injuries she accumulated. Her head was bowed down with her tears dried and her fists clenched at her sides. The flames around her body intensified in both volume and brightness. Instead of glowing at the usual red orange, her flames now appeared in a bright gold color.
PB gritted her teeth in frustration moments later and roared, "Eliminate her!"
The candy warrior complied as he rushed towards the elemental. His fists swung at full force with flames engulfing his hands only to be blocked and parried from the elemental's. He never did land a hit as he recycled his previous offensive style and instead found himself suffering critical hits across the head and abdomen. The candy warrior was stunned and dazed as his healing factor began to wear down from being overused and before he knew it, his wounds began to exhaust him. Nonetheless, the candy warrior snarled in frustration as he clenched his fists. "You underestimate your abilities!" Finn taunted, denying his fear.
Phoebe ignored his words as she merely entered back into a defensive stance. The newfound power she now wielded felt exhilarating, but her demeanor remained remote and emotionless. Each passing moment was solely focused on monitoring Finn's movements whether it involved his repetitious tornado kicks, his three-slash uppercut, or his rapid punch desperation move. She still suffered a few basic hits occasionally throughout the fight, but she was able to hold her own considerably and in fact gain the upper hand. The first instance it happened was when she left him stunned after ramming his body with hers in an explosive flame dash. By the time Finn tried to recover, Phoebe utilized more of her true power and engaged him in a long chain of kicks and punches. Each blow that was dealt onto the warrior was delivered in a steady pace with her speed gradually increasing as well as her strength. After the combo attack, Phoebe immediately throttled Finn straight up high before powering her flames fly after him in pursuit. Like a shooting star, the elemental made swift passes across Finn's body from different angles with each one delivering a high-powered punch. The spectacle left Finn suspended in midair as he twirled and flipped accordingly five times and it wasn't long until he found himself being brought down tremendously from a two-handed smash attack.
Bubblegum was agitated from the fact her champion was on the verge of losing. She recalled just minutes ago about how she would instill fear and hopelessness upon the Fire Kingdom, and now she felt herself being backed into a corner once more. She had high hopes that the fight would still end in her favor and she anxiously waited for Finn to slowly recover.
"Phoebe!" Finn called ominously with his breathing heavy. His shoulders heaved as he powered wisps of flames around his body.
The elemental blinked and froze with uncertainty upon hearing her name. Was this a sign that Finn was finally coming to his senses and breaking free of Bubblegum's control? She got her answer shortly after as she watched the candy warrior conjure a purple flame sword in his right hand.
"I DO THIS FOR A LIVING!" Finn shouted before lunging himself forward with the blade. The elemental narrowed herself into a side stance and held her own flame sword for the defensive before entering another clash. As Phoebe absorbed the first strike, she powered her flames to angle the sword defensively for the next blow. Slowly but surely, the two combatants were gaining speed, with Phoebe blocking every slash until stopping at a dreadful power struggle. The blades gridded loudly with sparks flying from both sides and Phoebe closed her eyes reluctantly before casting a bright flare from the gem on her forehead. Finn's eyes were instantly squeezed shut upon the flash and his grip slackened as he brought his offhand to cover his face. By the time he flinched backwards to recover, Phoebe arched herself forward and dashed past him with a trail of flames behind her. Her blade made a swift incision across his left mid-section and the elemental sighed remorsefully with silent tears running down her face.
He was finished. The wound he sustained on his left side was too deep for him to move. Even though the cut was cauterized instantly upon impact, Finn could feel himself getting weaker with each passing second. His teeth were clenched as he made the effort to stand, but he would always fall back down into a kneeling position. His right arm was curled across his stomach, while his left arm reached slightly forward with his fist touching the ground.
PB frowned. She thought she had perfected the ultimate soldier after applying meticulous effort, only to discover she had underestimated the fiery princess's abilities. The research PB had gathered from her in the past was too vague for the pink monarch to make preparations beforehand. She knew Phoebe had an unstable elemental matrix, but the former never forsaw the possibility of it being restored as well as the power that followed after. Had she discovered this earlier in a different circumstance, Phoebe would have been captured instead of Finn and the Candy Kingdom would claim its position as the dominant civilization. But such thoughts were only fantasies in the monarch's mind and she had the unfortunate present to deal with.
"Well," PB began as she let out a pained breath. "That was a stunning upset to say the least. I could have sworn my champion would ensure absolute victory. After investing a large fortune, compiling all the data, and modifying his attributes, I truly believed I had created the perfect killing machine capable of decimating armies and combating elite fighters."
Phoebe looked at the screen with outrage, "Is that what he is to you?!"
PB nodded, "Yes, quite frankly. When war was declared between our kingdoms, I knew my forces wouldn't stand a chance on a one-on-one fight with yours. All I had at my disposal was my intelligence and the technology I possessed. But I still had my doubts, my banana troops were still incompetent despite being provided with the best weaponry that I knew they would not guarantee me ultimate victory. And when I thought diligently in the opening hours of the war, I realized that weaponizing Ooo's greatest champion was the only solution."
"How dare you!" Phoebe seethed.
"It wasn't easy," PB continued nonchalantly. "Luring him into a trap was tricky considering his line of work, but I took advantage of the one thing that made him vulnerable the most." She smirked, "His compassion to save others, a pointless instinct if you think about it."
"You really had to stoop low, didn't you?" Phoebe said disapprovingly. "You already made the decision long beforehand to eliminate my people through whatever means, while I strove to seek peace with you."
"My only regret was that I acted remorseful back at the incident," PB replied. "You and your people have and always will be a threat to my society no matter how rational you make yourselves to be."
"I guess I was right all along," the elemental said with resignation. "You really are cold-heartened when it comes to making decisions."
PB retorted, "I do what is necessary that others cannot do! I value to achieve my goals at the end of the day more so than the methods I use to reach them. You ask anyone else to change the world or save it in any other way and they'll ultimately accomplish nothing!" She looked over to Finn with disgust, "I really thought you would succeed your predecessors with all the tools I've given you, but instead you disappoint me." PB then shrugged, "Oh well, I guess that means I'll have to make one more sacrifice for the greater cause. Farewell, Finn. Rest in peace." She pressed a button on her keyboard which triggered an alarm.
"The self-destruct sequence has been activated," said a female computerized voice over the intercom. "Repeat, the self-destruct sequence has been activated. This sequence cannot be aborted. All personnel must proceed the emergency car at the bottom platform."
PB's arrogant demeanor quickly changed to fright as she noticed several explosions occurring around her. "Dang it, I knew I should have recalibrated the sequence one more time! Aaaaahhhh!" Her screen switched to static moments later as an explosion obscured her face.
After witnessing Bubblegum's apparent demise on screen, Phoebe had her sights back towards the candy warrior. The first thing that she noticed right away about him was that his eyes reverted back to their ocean blue color instead of remaining grey. If her hunch was correct, then perhaps it meant that his brainwashed persona was cast aside the moment PB was lost. Whatever the case, she was about to move towards Finn with haste to settle her curiousity until the latter stopped her with a palm lifted up high. "Stay where you are," Finn warned with regret in his voice.
"Finn!" Phoebe called out with an outstretched hand as she felt joyful at hearing his true words. "Come on, we have to get out of here!"
The human lifted his gaze with a disheartened expression and said, "Leave m-me.. You're the only one who cares..."
The elemental shook her head defiantly with tears running down her face, "I'm not leaving without you!" She began to take a few steps forward in his direction.
Finn bowed his head and sighed tremendously. He knew she would make the effort to rescue him in spite of everything, but he believed it was too late. The wound he sustained was fatal and he knew he would only be slowing her down if she tried to carry him. There was only one thing he had to do. As she got closer after taking three steps, the human channeled all of his energy into his right hand and fired a plasma shot in front of the elemental. The ground in front of her now had a wall of purple flames, but she could still see Finn amongst the chaos.
"Finn!" Phoebe cried out as she was startled. She knew that if nothing stopped her in the last second, she would have plenty of time to grab Finn and leave. But now it was too late, the surrounding explosions only intensified in volume and the whole place was collapsing around them.
The human dropped to his hands and knees after spending his last energy reserves. His head hung near ground with pain and regret from all the deeds he was forced to commit. He coughed frequently as he felt himself slipping and at the same time cried for hurting Phoebe one last time. He no longer had the strength to look back up, but he knew her gaze was still upon him.
A few more seconds later, chunks of burning debris began falling through the crumbling ceiling. While none of them landed directly on the unfortunate human or the others, it did block each other's view from seeing one another.
"FINN!" Phoebe cried out in horror.
