Chapter 4

Exousia's POV

Exousia took in the vegetation of her surrounding area and frowned; earth definitely was a strange place to be. The atmosphere reeked of pollution and she snorted in disgust knowing that the careless inhabitants of the planet would bring about their own end.

"Good riddance," Exousia muttered as she stepped onto a deserted road, "this planet is disgusting anyway."

"That's not nice," the male voice immediately made her swing around in shock. How had he snuck up on her? The aging old man reeked of evil which made her scrunch her face up in contempt.

"Who the hell are you?" she demanded of him.

"Mephistopheles," he replied smoothly and she felt gooseflesh cover her body; Exousia had definitely not expected to run into him. She was powerless against him on this planet, she had none of the technology Metallo possessed and could not dare to go back.

"You're not from around here," Mephistopheles started to circle her, "what are you doing on earth?"

"Hiding from someone," Exousia replied truthfully, wondering why she was revealing any information to the man. Did she honestly think that he would perhaps help her? She knew it was a possibility, especially if she told him of her defeat over his pestering son. Would he be glad or angered?

"Who?" Mephistopheles broke into her train of thought as his beady eyes roamed over her, his cane tapping lightly on the tar as he walked.

"None of your business," Exousia snapped in return.

"Perhaps this has something to do with my son?" he answered casually, ignoring her reply completely. Exousia could feel her blood turn to ice as she watched him carefully for some sort of negative reaction.

"What if it does?" she finally spoke after a moment of silence, considering whether it was safe or not to confess.

"If you're hiding from Titanium on earth it's pointless," Mephistopheles once more ignored her as he continued to speak; apparently he already knew everything, "she knows this place better than even I do and that's saying something."

"She won't think of looking for me on earth," Exousia said matter-of-factly, disliking his know-it-all attitude; how could he possibly know the extent of what had happened?

"I wouldn't underestimate her," Mephistopheles tutted before a sly grin slipped onto his face as he came to a standstill before her once more, "especially if she wants revenge and she definitely will. You see, Titanium doesn't take lightly to people harming Blackheart. Ask my Rider, he understands the full extent she would go to." Exousia could not help but gulp uncertainly; perhaps she had not thought her plan through. Of course, attacking Blackheart had been completely spontaneous and apparently it would cost her dearly if she let Titanium find her.

"How do you know this has anything to do with Titanium?" Exousia spat at him as she slipped out of her temporary panic.

"When Blackheart's body turned up in hell I could smell something foreign yet familiar on him; it smelt like Titanium, something extraterrestrial. Then I felt your aura on earth and you had the same alien smell to you so I assumed it was all connected. I mean, why would you turn up just after he appeared in hell?" Mephistopheles chuckled lightly as he looked up at the sky, "Obviously you had attacked him for whatever reason and now she is after you. Especially since she thinks you committed murder. "

"She won't find me," Exousia insisted, still surprised by his level of intelligence even though most of his theory had been assumptions.

"Don't say I didn't warn you, alien," Mephistopheles grinned before disappearing into a cloud of black smoke. She could not help but feel slightly intimidated; from what she had seen and now what he had told her, it seemed that Titanium was definitely more skilled and determined than she had first thought. Of course, they had experience with her whereas Exousia had none at all, they knew fully what she was capable of when she had only seen a bit. This meant that she was in a disadvantaged position and she needed to remove herself from it as quickly as possible before it was too late. It was as she thought that, that the bright light suddenly collided with the earth in the distance sending minor tremors through the surrounding forest. Exousia did not stay long enough to find out what it was, instead she started to hurtle into the distance hoping she could find the perfect place to hide. Her disadvantage position seemed only to grow more with each second that passed as she realized that she had no understanding to how anything worked on earth. What was their level of technology? How dangerous was their nature?

'Not dangerous enough to protect me from her,' Exousia thought despairingly knowing that both of them had a high enough skill to fend off any ferocious creature which came their way. Who between them was more skilled though? Whose desire was stronger? Titanium's desire for revenge or Exousia's desire to live?

"Stop thinking about her!" Exousia hissed at her worried mind. Instead she continued to run and eventually her endless searching bore fruits as she came across a rundown wooden structure that she guessed had to have been someone's home at some stage. The mere thought of having to live in such a derogatory state disgusted her immensely but she knew that her need to stay hidden and alive was stronger than that of her distaste. The door creaked on its hinges and carefully Exousia stepped into the dark enclosure which reeked of dampness and disuse; a good sign that no one had inhabited the shack for quite a while. Still she took her time to investigate every little thing until she was absolutely sure that it was completely unused. Exousia definitely did not want an occurrence where she was, unsuspecting, jumped by some of the unknown yet disgusting human inhabitants of the planet.

"I will have to remain here for a while until such a time I think it is safe," Exousia murmured as she made herself as comfortable as possible. A long wait stretched out before her; hours turning into days and days turning into dreary, monotonous weeks. With each passing second, Exousia became more and more impatient until after only a month and two days had passed she decided it was safe enough for her to return home. She was sick of the pathetic existence she was currently being forced to live and all out of fear of some silly enraged princess; what had she been thinking? There was nothing about Titanium to fear, she was probably as scary and ferocious as a cream puff.

"Pathetic," Exousia spat in contempt as she exited the wooden shack she had called home and set off into the disgusting vegetation that the humans called a forest. They had much to learn from Metallo about what a true forest was. She was in the middle of her ranting when the diamond dagger catapulted passed her and impaled itself into a thin tree trunk, splitting it in two. Exousia's blood ran cold as she expertly swung around in time to barely miss yet another missile, this one actually slicing the tips of hair.

"Finally the scaredy-cat came out to play," Titanium was approaching her with deadly intent, determination laced in her steady stride.

"I'm not afraid of you, princess," Exousia barked in reply as she sheathed her own weapons. It was time to end this ridiculous game of cat and mouse.

"I am not a princess," was the sharp reply that shot from Titanium's pursed crimson lips. Shortly following her words were two more diamond daggers which forced Exousia to fall to the floor as a manner of ducking. Titanium immediately pounced and pinned her to the dirt using all her strength to keep the wriggling woman still while she summoned her trusty diamond sword.

"I've always disliked you, you ungrateful bitch," Exousia murmured in disgust, "you take your gifts for granted when other, more worthy people have no abilities at all!"

"What nonsense are you spouting?" Titanium hissed impatiently, "Or is this the fear consuming your mind?" her smirk was temporary as Exousia bucked her off, using all the strength she had been storing since the first day of her escape. She slammed Titanium into the rough bark of an oak tree, tightening her slim fingers around her neck.

"You have two abilities; the control over both titanium and diamond," she seemed to be stating an obvious fact but continued to say, "I, on the other hand, have no such abilities. All my forsaken life I've been the outcast, the useless one so I decided to hone my fighting skills, my hand-to-hand combat abilities and make my way to a recognisable position. That way I would prove to all my haters just what I can do with the right determination and I got it right until you came along. You having the gift of two abilities and the title of princess, not needing to even lift a finger for intense strength to be handed to you. You had to do no work!" Exousia's past anger at all the people who had cast her out mixed with the intense hatred she felt for Titanium and she tightened her fingers even more. The princess was becoming dangerously pale as her crystal eyes rolled back into her head and she gagged desperately for air. Just as Exousia became overconfident, Titanium struck back with a surprisingly strong kick to the lower abdomen sending her catapulting into a moss covered boulder. Titanium was on her knees, heaving heavily as she looked up with icy eyes filled with passion.

"You're wrong," she whispered hoarsely, "power was not handed to me. I did work for it, I also spent countless long hours trying to perfect my skills. I have not had a pampered life, anything but and I prefer it that way. You, however, stole the most important part of that life from me and now I will make you pay. Enough chit chat. Fight, Exousia, to the death." Titanium rose slowly from the ground with her swords clenched in both fists. Exousia mimicked her as she too grabbed for her most trusted weapons, both narrowing their eyes at the enemy.

'This is it,' Exousia thought before launching herself at Titanium with both her swords poised behind her. Expertly she lashed out but Titanium had a counter attack for every blow she attempted, never getting a single hit in. The two struggled endlessly as they stumbled over rocks and roots and other undergrowth which littered the forest floor, never once losing their concentration or balance. Eventually Titanium became bored with only countering Exousia's attacks and went from defensive to offensive, spinning around and attempting a backhand slash at her abdomen. Exousia barely managed to block as she countered with a direct stab at Titanium's leg who used the opposite side to block the attack, swinging both swords up and trying the same attack with her other hand. Exousia did a quick back flip out of the way hoping to maybe land a kick at Titanium's face but she instead grabbed her enemy's leg and hurled her to the side.

'This is going nowhere and she isn't even exhausted yet,' Exousia thought as she quickly sprung up and got into a defensive position. Slacking would cost her dearly. Making a quick calculation in her mind, Exousia hurtled directly at Titanium who predictably sprung out the way allowing her to get her footing on a tree which she then used to propel herself into the air. Titanium was definitely shocked as she watched Exousia descend in slow motion, one sword held in front of her while the other was poised behind her. Titanium reacted quickly, swinging the sword in her left hand at Exousia's outstretched arm while her right hand countered other sword which she had propelled forward. Exousia landed with a thump before her and once more the two women launched numerous attacks at the other, hoping desperately that enemy would slip up. After countless fruitless attempts they stopped briefly, breathing heavily as they took each other in for the moment. What was the other planning?

"Don't bother fleeing," Titanium spoke up as Exousia considered making a run for it, shocking her to her core, "I will find you." She allowed her eyes to harden over, eliminating any previous signs of weakness. Escape was not the answer.

"I'm not going anywhere," Exousia spat, "I won't make it that easy for you to sneak up on me." She watched a smirk play on Titanium's lips and could not help but feel ever so slightly intimidated by the possibilities she was considering. Mephistopheles' words echoed in her head and Exousia could feel her body stiffen slightly; to what extent was Titanium willing to go for revenge?

"I already have," Titanium broke into her train of thought and Exousia immediately became aware of the trap she had fallen in. All the previous fighting had only been to tire her out, to exhaust her physical abilities whilst Titanium still had a full range of attacks to choose from fuelled on by her gifts. As quickly as she had spoken, the metal chain suddenly formed around Exousia and pinned her arms to her side, forcing her to drop both her swords to the floor. The two ends of the chain wrapped tightly around the trees situated before her and behind her, limiting her movement completely.

"Normally an attack like this would never have worked when you were so alert," Titanium moved toward her, "but once you're tired you become vulnerable. Blackheart always told me that and I find it ironic that his words of advice are to be your downfall." Without any further delay she plunged her diamond sword deep into Exousia's chest, darkness and peace slowly setting in on her trapped mind.

Titanium's POV

Titanium stood on the edge of a cliff and stared out at the beauty of the sunset which surrounded her and welcomed her home. Although earth was not where she was born, it would always be the place most familiar, welcoming and comfortable to her. Unfortunately the atmosphere was not the same without Blackheart's presence.

"Something you will get used to," Titanium whispered into the wind as a cool breeze swirled around her and caressed her skin. No matter how peaceful the moment was it would never be perfect, not without him by her side. Titanium clung to the memory of the little time they had spent together at and after the masquerade...she regretted sending him away and not confessing to him. She had been so confused at the time that she had only wanted time to clear her thoughts and now she would have to forever live with estranged and sometimes tortured memories.

"Will I ever truly be free?" Titanium asked the sky as she set her eyes on the first star evident in the inky blackness which was enveloping the atmosphere. The answer, obvious and daunting, made tears prickle in her eyes which she desperately fought to contain. She highly doubted that she would ever find any sort of comfort, perhaps one day she would move on because she was forced to but she definitely would never forget. A long ago, childhood rhyme popped into her head and Titanium found herself smiling sadly; what was one try?

"Star light, star bright, first star I see tonight; I wish I may, I wish I might have the wish I wish tonight," Titanium kept her eyes fixed on the evening star as she sent her silent wish to the sky, knowing already that it was impossible. She had failed and now, not even the evening star would be able to right her wrong. It was a silly, childish thing to hope that wishes still came true.

"What did you wish for?" the all too familiar voice sent shivers up Titanium's spine as her entire body stiffened. Slowly she turned and there he stood showing no evidence that he had been murdered or even injured. Her eyes stretched in surprise as her overwhelmed mind attempted to comprehend what it was being told.

"You seem shocked to see me," Blackheart continued after a moment of silence.

"I saw you die," Titanium whispered hoarsely.

"A small wound inflicted by an earthly weapon cannot kill me," Blackheart's eyes twinkled with amusement, "you of all people should know that. How many times have you stabbed me with no success?" Titanium still could not believe what she was seeing or hearing. If the wound had not killed him then why had he fallen? Why had he been motionless when she had approached? She attempted to ask him all these questions but all she managed was a pitiful squeak before she shut her mouth.

"Titanium, I'm not that easy to get rid of," Blackheart placed his hands on her shoulders as he stared into her confused eyes, "yes, I might be wounded but I heal if I return to hell."

"I saw you die," Titanium repeated stupidly before quickly adding, "you were motionless and not breathing."

"And then I returned to hell to heal," Blackheart concluded with a small smile.

"For a month and two days?" she asked, still feeling unconvinced.

"Depending on the severity of the wound, yes, it could take that long to come to a full recovery," he shrugged and let go of her, turning his attention to the horizon where only a quarter of the sun was still visible. Titanium slowly began to realize that she was not dreaming and that Blackheart really was standing before her, alive and well. Tears of joy streamed down her face and she prayed that he would not turn and see them. How she longed to embrace him and weep on his shoulder, to allow all the sorrow and heartache she had felt to flow from her soul only to be replaced by the endless joy she felt at the mere thought that he was alive.

"Why did you never mention anything, Titanium?" Blackheart suddenly asked, still not making eye-contact with her.

"About what?" she hoped the tears would not be evident in her voice.

"I heard every word you said to me on Metallo when you thought I was dead," Blackheart replied emotionlessly, keeping a perfect poker face as he watched the sunset blink for the last time bathing the earth in darkness. Titanium felt her eyes stretch once more as the reality of his words sunk in; she had confessed her heart and soul to his supposed corpse and he had heard her every word.

"No matter how much I longed to tell you, I still remembered who you are and what you would do with such information. You would have tried to manipulate me if you knew I felt anything else but dislike for you," Titanium replied truthfully as she wiped the remaining tears from her eyes.

"Originally your assumption would have been correct. It is the truth and I am not afraid to admit it," Blackheart turned to look at her, "but it isn't anymore because every word you spoke rang true on both sides."

"What?" Titanium asked as confusion clouded her expression.

"I love you," the words felt like a cool breeze which tickled her over-heated heart, the first sip of water after weeks of dehydration, "I always have but never noticed it until the day you left for Metallo. I had to come after you to see if you were OK."

"And I am glad you did," Titanium murmured as she reached out for him no longer caring if her saw her weeping, all she wanted to do was cry.

"You're crying," Blackheart was shocked for only a moment before sadness clouded his eyes, entwined with confusion.

"Tears of joy," she whispered as he attempted to wipe the endless streams away. Titanium placed her hand above his own and smiled reassuringly. Though both of them were completely new to romance, she knew that they would be able to explore it together and make it through anything. The moment was perfect.

"I never thought I'd ever see you-," he started but she cut him off.

"I didn't think so either but things have changed," she laughed lightly as she broke away from him, still struggling to comprehend that he too felt the same. It was an awkward thought and Titanium knew it would take a while to get used to the idea. Mephistopheles' definitely would not like it...

"Blackheart, what about your father?" already numerous problems were making themselves known to her; all the original reasons why she had kept her feelings secret returning with fresh waves of anxiety.

"I don't care what he thinks," Blackheart countered immediately as he wrapped his arms protectively around her waist.

"We'll always be fighting against him," Titanium muttered sadly. The idea of an eternity of fighting for power against him was definitely not appealing to her. She wanted to live in peace with Blackheart not surrounded by violence and murder.

"We always have," Blackheart did not seem to understand what she was trying to say, "it's enough for me to just be with you. I don't care about the rest."

"I do," Titanium wondered if she was perhaps being selfish. She was, after all, trying to persuade him to leave behind the only life he had ever known.

"What do you propose we do then?" he did not seem bothered at the moment by the idea, only overly curious.

"Go to Metallo. Then your father can rule and so can you," Titanium knew she was treading on dangerous grounds but she still waded in further, "they need a ruler and I am a princess. It's the perfect alternative." Blackheart considered the idea, his expression not revealing any of the possible emotions he could be feeling. She wrung her hands nervously as silence enveloped them and she was left to wonder if she had perhaps been foolish to propose what she had.

"Is such an option still available after your attempted murder against the king?" Blackheart enquired nonchalantly after a moment.

"The guards are under the impression someone else was behind the attack because they found me unconscious at the scene," Titanium replied quickly, "I played on that and made them think it was Exousia. I simply told them that she knocked me out and that I didn't know what happened after that."

"I see," was all he said as he slowly, almost reluctantly, pulled away from her, "if I agree to this, it's going to be a big change."

"I know," Titanium said softly as she dropped her eyes to the floor, "but I also know that we can do it. I've always believed that you were a far better ruler than your father."

"Will Metallo accept me?" Blackheart questioned as he attempted to consider all the factors involved in such a decision.

"My people seem to adore me," Titanium started, unsure of exactly how to reply. She had not been on the planet long enough to have such knowledge of the population, "and as long as you're a better king than Chrysos I'm sure they will."

"I don't know, Titanium," Blackheart ran his hand through his hair as he stared out at the darkness and peace of the night. It was definitely a difficult decision to make; was he willing to leave behind the evil and violent lifestyle he was used to for a more peaceful, honourable one?

"If you don't want to go, I understand," Titanium smiled as she placed a hand on his shoulder. Blackheart looked at her with indecisive eyes; he probably would be happy with any situation as long as he was with her. Would they continue with their little battles that he had come to look forward to though? The possibility was extremely slim. He frowned inwardly, the change was suddenly starting to look all the less appealing to him but who was he to judge the situation if he had not even tried it yet?

"We could give it a try, I suppose," Titanium must have sensed his hesitance because she openly frowned as she dropped her hand to her side.

"I don't want to do anything you're uncomfortable with," was her sharp reply, "don't feel as if you're obliged to do it." Blackheart wanted to flinch and hit himself for breaking the moment; how was it that he managed to mess up so easily around her?

"I'm just a little unsure," he tried to remedy the situation, "that's why I said we could give it a try and if I'm still unsure we can discuss what we plan to do from there on." Titanium was honestly surprised by the sudden equality and consideration he was showing her. It was as if they had already been together for ages, confiding in the other and making decisions together. The idea made her want to smile and she did, for a second believing that she had seen the sides of Blackheart's mouth twitching as well. Titanium would eventually get a proper smile out of him.

"Thank-you," she flung her arms around him and he automatically embraced her in a hug that warmed her from the inside out. Titanium absorbed all the warmth and strength she could from him, enjoying every second she spent in his arms, him enjoying the feel of holding her.

"When do you want to go?" Blackheart enquired after a moment, "And how will we get there?"

"Perhaps tomorrow morning, I want to spend some time alone with you on earth," Titanium replied softly, feeling completely relaxed, "and I have a ship somewhere in the forest."

"It's settled then," he pecked her on the lips, the kiss lingering for a moment. Titanium could feel the butterflies erupting in her stomach sending little waves of static through her body and making her fingertips tingle.

"I need to stop doing that," Blackheart commented hoarsely.

"Why?" Titanium whispered breathlessly, "I like it."

"So do I," he replied against her lips, "so much so that I actually think it's unhealthy."

"You're spouting nonsense," Titanium tried to snap but was too intoxicated to sound annoyed or dismissive at his words, "how can something so natural be unhealthy?"

"It disorientates me," Blackheart rested his forehead against hers, "you disorientate me."

"Is that a good thing?" Titanium could not help asking curiously as she peered up into his eyes.

"You tell me," was all he said before he kissed her again, this time properly. The butterflies in her stomach immediately turned to fireworks and she felt her legs turn to jelly, forcing her to lean completely on him. A thousand images erupted in her mind although it felt like she was thinking nothing at all. Magma coursed through her veins setting her skin alight and she knew that never in her life before had she felt as alive. All her senses were alert yet completely dulled, anything outside of their fairytale world was nonexistent to either of them. Kisses like this she could definitely get accustomed to.

"Good, definitely good," Titanium blurted when they broke apart for air, both completely overwhelmed by the sensations which were enveloping them.

"What?" Blackheart asked, completely dazed still. The world around them slowly started to form again, neither of them realizing how quickly it had disappeared in the first place.

"I dunno," Titanium slurred before giggling girlishly against his chest. She felt completely immature but could not have cared any less, she was happy and that was all that mattered. Blackheart was looking down at her with a cocked eyebrow and she recognized the familiar amusement twinkling in the blue depths.

"I don't think I should kiss you," Blackheart joked and immediately she stiffened, glaring up at him as all her seriousness returned in a single dose. The changing moods and personalities made her head swim dangerously.

"Why not?" she demanded hotly, disliking the prospect of him not kissing her on a frequent basis.

"Oh, feisty about that aren't we?" he teased, continuing his little game with her, "You become all girly and giggly when I do and I'm not sure if I like that you. I prefer this one." Titanium's eyebrows shot into her hairline as she studied his expression only realizing after a moment that he was merely joking with her. Her face reddened immensely as she playfully walloped him on the arm, trying desperately to send him as sharp a look as possible.

"I was only pulling your leg," Blackheart immediately pulled her back into a tight embrace, "do you really think I would be able to resist kissing you?"

"Probably not," Titanium grinned up at him and he cocked an eye brow at her.

"That was a rhetorical question," he stated stiffly and she smirked, she would even the scores with him eventually even if it was only with numerous small wins.

"Brilliant deduction, Sherlock," Titanium replied sarcastically, "I'm sure even a toddler would know that."

"Oh really?" Blackheart could sense what she was doing, "Maybe I should just kiss you again, that'll get you to shut-up." His smirk grew wider as Titanium flailed aimlessly for the perfect reply. After a moment she accepted her inevitable defeat and instead just rested her head against his chest again.

"I'll get you back," she muttered eventually, trying desperately to redeem her pride and ego.

"We'll see," Blackheart spoke into her hair, the little verbal fight completely forgotten already as he inhaled her strange yet addictive scent.

"Die, whore," Exousia's weak, breathless voice shattered the perfection of the moment as a sword skewered Titanium from just above her right hip up to her ribs, "I'll drag you to oblivion with me." Suddenly Blackheart was supporting her full weight as her eyes rolled back into her head, blood trickling out the corner of her gasping mouth.

"Titanium? Titanium!" panic engulfed him as her stiff body became unnaturally limp and she became a dead weight, his sharp hearing barely picking up the faint and flailing heart beat. Blackheart worked as quickly as he possibly could in his shell-shocked state, removing the sword and attempting to heal the gushing wounds with shaking hands. Unfortunately, even after she was completely healed, he could hear no heartbeat and feel no life radiating from her. She was gone. This time for good. The truth slowly began to dawn on him and the panic he had previously felt was replaced by intense anger and sorrow, burning within an emptiness which was forming inside him. Blackheart rose slowly and stared into the horizon with clenched fists; it was his fate to forever be alone but he refused to be intimidated. Oh no, he would wreck havoc on all living things as revenge for the pain life had inflicted on him. Handing him something he could love and cherish only to mercilessly rip it from his fingers once more. Glancing once more at Titanium's corpse, Blackheart allowed the heartache to swallow him for only a moment before he disappeared with revenge deep set into his heart, once more pumping pure evil through his veins.