Typically in a war, the two leaders never meet face-to-face. They may hear about the other or try to understand how the other thinks but they never meet face-to-face. Every war had their leaders seated safe and comfortable in their strongholds while they issued orders to their armies. Of course, there are some that are exceptions to the rule.
This war was one such exception.
The Commander and Omega clashed blades and let loose a flurry of attacks. The pair leapt back and Omega turned her swords into guns then fired. It did not surprise her that the Commander deflected each projectile with her sword. She used this as a chance to lower his guard and get in close. Omega came forward with a sword thrust aimed at his head and the Commander tilted back awkwardly. He used the jets on his right leg to shoot his foot up so it would connect with Omega's chin. The Siren leader saw the attack and quickly flew back.
The pair looked at each other, using this moment to analyze the changes.
The Commander noted how Omega's new look primarily focused on defense and not offense. It made sense when you think about it. Omega was a powerhouse on her own but that strength came at the sacrifice of defense. Hence, the armor she wore, coupled by the enhanced regeneration made her a walking tank. There were numerous instances where he landed a cut on her body, only to have the wound and the armor quickly close up. The first thing he'd have to do was tax that healing and that meant getting more hits on her.
Omega noted how the Commander drastically changed since their last encounter. Typically, he'd use both the swords for offence, but now he used the blade on his mounted arm for defense while the sword in his hand did the heavy lifting. The blade itself was sharper than anything she felt before, it was almost nostalgic to her. Then, there was his mobility which ensured he moved as fast as her. It meant he could keep up with her and escape before she did any lasting damage. Then there were his senses. His reaction speed was far beyond anything the predictive models created and she noticed how his swords skills were more refined than before.
All in all, both sides knew this was not going to be easy.
The Commander pointed his sword at Omega and charged. Omega saw the thrust attacking coming and moved to the side to block. As she did, the Commander suddenly stoppedid not let up. She came out of the small crater she caused d then spun around with both swords coming for her head. Omega ducked down, grabbed his foot and flung him up. She intended to go after him but saw the Commander quickly stabilize himself in the air.
She knew what he was going to do next and quickly moved out of the way. As she did, the Commander hit the ground she was just standing on with his sword then turned to her. He shot after her and Omega raised both fists up to block what was coming. His right foot rammed into her and sent her crashing into the ground.
Though she recovered almost immediately, the speed and ferocity of that attack indicated how dangerous he'd become since then. But, the Commander was not the only one who got stronger.
The jets on Omega's back roared to life as she switched her swords for a pair of gauntlets and charged forward. She flew above the Commander then came down with an arm bar. He flew back a little but Omega wasn't done yet. She charged forward and attacked with a flurry of fists. The Commander ducked and weaved his way through the barrage but Omega wasn't done. She quickly darted to his side and rammed a fist into his ribs. The Commander winced and moved a little then retaliated with a sword swing. Omega held both hands up to block the downward strike. As she did, the Commander pointed his boot at her exposed chest and activated the jets. The result was a steady stream of fire that burned through her armor and started searing the flesh.
Omega winced in pain as she pushed the sword back. Then, she came forward and landed a punch on his face. The attack sent the Commander a good distance, but he recovered and quickly closed the distance. He crashed a knee into Omega's exposed midsection then rose up to bring both swords down on her shoulders.
To his surprise, Omega grabbed the blades before they came close then turned around and flung him away. He tried to recover in the air but Omega was faster. She appeared hovering over him and punched him in the chest with both fists. The force sent the Commander crashing into the ground. He saw Omega coming down on him and moved away just in time or else she would have crushed his face with her foot.
The two rose to their feet and stared daggers at each other. The Commander wiped a little blood from his lip while Omega momentarily shifted attention to the wound in her chest.
The Commander attacked first by charging forward and Omega fired at him. He ducked and weaved his way through the barrage and deflected those that came too close. When he was near, he attacked with a kick to the face but Omega bent her body back. She used her jets to fly before he could counter. Then, she came forward and used her two swords to attack with a downward swing. The Commander raised his sword up to block the attack but this created a deadlock.
Seeing no other option, the pair kicked each other in the chest and staggered back. They wasted little time in charging forward and attacking. The Commander attacked with a horizontal slash, aiming at the gap between the large plates of armor. The attack cut through the second layer of armor Omega wore and landed a light cut. However, the wound quickly healed and she retaliated with two thrusts aimed at his chest. The Commander moved into the gap between them about to strike with his elbow but Omega quickly halted her attack, turned on her heel and knocked the Commander down.
She formed her sword and tried to stab him in the chest. The Commander rolled away at the last minute, but the edge of her sword got him in his side. He got up and took a moment to view his injury. A small problem, nothing to spend too much time on.
Omega brought both her hands together and fired a powerful energy beam on a collision course to the Commander. He effortlessly dodged the attack but noticed how Omega's expression didn't change. To his surprise, he saw the energy beam coming towards him and used his boots to get some distance.
It was only when he got a good distance did he notice what Omega was doing. Rather than dismiss the beam, she kept firing and that resulted in her creating a giant energy sword that she was now swinging at him. Rather than let her hit him from a distance, the Commander charged towards her, all the while dodging the many swings.
As he was fully concentrated on those attacks, he did not see Omega coming in close as well. He paid for this mistake as she converted her weapons into a pair of claws and dug them right into his shoulders. The Commander winced in pain and tried to move back, but the claws held him firmly in place. Omega wasted little time in greeting his face with her foot, causing blood to gush out of his nose as his head whirled back. Omega tried to pull him close again, but the Commander used his mounted blade to stab her elbow causing her to remove one hand.
With that, the Commander tried to attack again but Omega was faster than him. She used her free hand to land a downward swing. Three of her claws landed deep cuts on the Commander's chest while the fourth landed a superficial one.
The Commander bit back the pain and rammed his sword into Omega's chest. The attack did little to stop her as she tried to take a swing at his head. He ducked then swung his sword out and cut out a large chunk of her stomach.
Omega yelled in pain as she was forced to release her grip and fly back. The pair glanced at their injuries and saw they both did significant damage to each other. A portion of the hole in Omega's stomach was closing, but it wouldn't be fully healed. Likewise the three cuts on the Commander's chest were cause for concern.
"Give up yet?" he asked, flashing her a wicked smile
"You wish," she replied and attacked. Rather than move to face her, he retracted the mounted sword and assumed a special stance with the regular sword. Omega did not care and continued her charge. When she saw near though, she attacked with a flurry of strikes but the Commander effortlessly moved aside and struck a deep cut on Omega's side. She yelled out in pain and retaliated with a swinging kick. The attack hit the Commander's side but he used his boots to keep from moving any further.
He charged forward, this time attacking with several swings. Omega held both blades up to block them but he kicked her in her gaping wound and caused her to stumble. Omega knew he was coming and just as he was ready to strike, she thrust forward, her two swords piercing his chest and emerging out of his back.
She was surprised to see than instead of wincing, the Commander was smiling at her. It only took her a second, but when she figured out why, Omega immediately flew back. Had she reacted a second later, his sword swing would have sliced her head right off her shoulders.
Just as she landed, the Commander was above her with his sword ready to strike. Omega blocked the incoming attack then kicked him in the chest. He staggered and Omega came on him in seconds, stabbing him in his sides and holding him in place. The Commander coughed up some blood but Omega did not relent. She punched him in the chest multiple times before switching to his face. The Commander saw the next attack coming and used his mounted blade. He rammed the weapon into her shoulder and she yelled in pain.
Then, suddenly, she unleashed a wave of energy in all directions that sent the Commander flying back a good distance. He recovered but then grew worried.
The several injuries he inflicted on Omega were almost healed now and she was looking at him with condescending eyes. Meanwhile he was taking on more injuries than required. Try as he might, the pain was getting to him and he could feel his senses dull.
As much as he didn't want to admit it, a small part of him knew that this was a one-way trip.
'Guess I won't be keeping that promise,' he thought to himself.
With that wild idea planted firmly in his head, the Commander took his stance rushed forward again, attacking Omega with several swings. This time though, he noticed how easily she dodged the attacks and barely exerted any effort in avoiding them. Then, she grabbed the sword with her hand and punched him in the gut with enough force it knocked the wind out of him.
He tried moving back but Omega grabbed his collar and pulled him forward. She greeted him with a kick to the face then bent down and knocked him off his feet with a leg sweep. Before he could hit the ground though, Omega came on him and rammed both feet into his chest, sending him crashing down.
Omega stood ready, expecting a quick recovery but found it was not the case. She was a little take back to see that the Commander had not rose to his feet like he usually did.
"Get up," she called out "I know you're not dead already."
At first, he did not respond. Soon though, he let out a loud groan as he slowly and wearily rose to his feet.
"Good," said Omega, crossing her arms "I'd hate to have you die on me so quickly."
The Commander said nothing. For a moment, he took his stance, then stopped. Instead, he released the mounted blade and eyed Omega. If his guess was right, she must have recalled earlier fights with Atago and used that to create countermeasures. If she could beat the one who mastered the sword style, a newbie like him didn't stand a chance.
He charged and she fired. He lowered his body to avoid the barrage then drew in close. The Commander attacked with an upward slash and Omega winced. She thrust a sword at his head and he moved to the side. She expected this and rammed her other sword in his chest before he could react. Once again, a fresh trail of blood came out of the newly created wound forcing him to fly back.
Omega however, had no intention of letting him off so easily. She put her hands together and created a large energy weapon. She pointed at him and wasted little time in firing. The Commander held up his sword to deflect it, but the force of that attack sent him flying back. He tried to use his boots to adjust his position but Omega appeared before him and rammed her elbow into his chest. Before he could hit the ground, Omega spun in the air with her swords extended out and landed several cuts on his chest.
She watched in silence as he slowly dragged his body back up and saw him struggle to do so. Meanwhile, she could feel the technology repair almost every wound in her, returning her to peak fighting condition.
The Commander coughed up a little blood but took a ready stance. Despite the injuries, the look in his eyes indicated he had no intention of losing to Omega.
Smiling at his resilience, Omega charged forward this time and the Commander defended. She attacked with a straight fist and he deflected it with his sword. However, the other fist crashed into his chest, hitting several injuries and sent a terrible wave of pain coursing through his body.
The Commander doubled back but Omega wasn't quite done. She took two steps and struck with a left jab to the face. The attack stunned him and Omega then grabbed him by the hair. She pulled him to her and struck his face with her free hand. Omega let loose a barrage of fists to his body and his chest before ending it with a kick to the side. The Commander was sent flying back and was about to hit the ground when someone caught him.
"As I recall," they said, gently holding the Commander "when we last saw each other, you were carrying me in your arms as we were running for our lives. Now here I am, returning the favor."
"If fate were real, I'd bet they'd be laughing right now."
Despite the pain coursing through his body, he turned around and saw who caught him. For a moment, the Commander was stunned as he couldn't believe who he was seeing. His mind tried telling him it was a delusion, but his eyes said otherwise.
There was no doubt of her identity. The Commander knew it all too well. From the blue eyes that gazed gently at him to the medium length blond hair that rested on one side of her. His eyes widened in astonishment at the sight as his mouth opened to utter a single word.
"Hood?"