Complications 3-3
Fighting Armsmaster was a whole different experience than fighting Lung. Where Lung was this big, lumbering, unstoppable force of destruction, Armsmaster was cold, calm and calculating. Every attack, he countered. Every angle, accounted for.
It was frustrating as hell.
He hadn't even moved from his starting spot. Not even when I threw fire balls at him. He just batted them aside with his halberd staff thing.
Was it still a halberd if it didn't have a blade?
I ramped up my fire, it covered my hands to my elbows in shifting shades of greens, blues, and purples, ever neon bright.
I tried punching him with it, but he just turned me aside, parrying me with minor effort. I tried rapid teleports around him taking blind swing and jumping again before he could counter, as fast as I could manage.
Throwing caution to the wind I fed my fire with my anger and aggression. All the anger I had built up over the campaign of bullying. Frustration with my father. Annoyance with Armsmaster.
Hatred for myself.
My fire flickered and bloomed growing in my hands and up my arms over my shoulders across my back. There was no heat no sound.
I thrust my hands forward sending streams of fire at Armsmaster. The same streams of fire, only magnified, that I had managed against Lung's fire.
And he was still in that same damn spot, braced against the force but unmoved staff planted in the ground.
Fuck.
I needed a new trick.
Some new strategy. A variation of something he had seen, but with a twist.
So, unsure of what the final result could be, but a general idea to build around I started leaving balls of fire hanging in the air. Above him, around him, nearby and far away. As fast and as many as I could. Filling the arena with as much neon fire as I could. I hoped it would be at the very least unsettling. I could move and control the orbs, but, it was only at the full might and amazing speed...
Of a lazy butterfly.
I was still new to the concept and it was a work in progress.
Still it was a lot of fire floating around the room.
My thought was that even with such a slow and easy to follow target to track, that even Armsmaster would have trouble with a room full of them.
I set them to rotating. All of them. Circling him in random orbits. From all directions. Closing in incrementally.
I made more and I made sure Armsmaster saw me doing it. Over and over again until the first of the orbs passed close enough for him to be forced to defend. He struck out with his staff and burst the first, then the second and I changed the directions of the orbs. They all were moving on a sharper orbit now. Each to curve directly into him.
Armsmaster was a tornado of twisting movement as he intercepted each incoming orb. None passing closer than the maximum reach of his weapon.
And this was my chance.
I teleported out of his sight and began building the biggest ball of fire since I had used on lung. It only took a pair of precious seconds before I was ready. Hoping he still stubbornly held his ground I teleported.
I appeared directly beside him and swung it around in a two handed swing...
And I hit him.
He didn't have a chance to dodge. Though he blocked with his staff. It was too big.
The full force of the same attack that had knocked Lung for a loop slammed bodily against Armsmaster and blasted him into a wall of sandbags. Blowing them open with the force of it and creating a billowing cloud of dust obscuring my view.
Oh my god. I hit him harder than I thought.
I walked, stunned to the cloud of dust.
Was he okay?
Had I just beaten Armsmaster?
I couldn't see. I summoned a ball of fire in my left hand and held it up for light.
Armsmaster's staff swung out of the dust and connected with the right side of my head.
A flash of white blinded my vision and the next thing I knew was that I was being held up in a sitting position by Gallant and Mista. Vista I corrected myself.
The room was spinning. Everything was blurry. I tried to touch my head but Gallant stopped me.
"Don't." He held my hand from touching my head. "You've got a nasty bump and a concussion but it's going to be okay."
"Glasses?"
"Ah...you're still wearing your goggles." Vista said slowly.
Goggles? Right the prescription lenses. Then why was everything so blurry?
"How is she?"
Was that Carlos? No, wait he was Aegis right now.
"Looks like she got her bell ring pretty good but she is coming around." Gallant reported.
"Amy said she didn't see any permanent damage." A girls voice said. All I could see was a blonde and white blur. Glory Girl?
Who was Amy?
"What happened?" Talking set my head to ringing.
"You got knocked the fuck out." Dennis said. Maybe he was trying for humor. I didn't see any.
"Armsmaster hit you in the head with his staff after you hit him with that big ball of fire." Aegis explained.
"Which was awesome." Clockblocker commented.
"Miss Militia and Assault are livid and no one else is happy about it either but are staying out of it for now." Gallant supplied. "It's gotten a little out of hand."
"Armsmaster Okay?" I was unsure I cared at the moment as the room rocked like a boat in a storm.
"A little banged up but his armor and staff protected him." Dennis no Clockblocker said.
My stomach rolled and I felt nauseous. I think I'm going to be sick. "Ugggh."
"I think she's gonna puke." Missy cautioned. Holding me as best she could at arms length.
I fumbled at my mask and pulled it down in time to vomit onto the floor.
"Gross." Vista stayed supporting me despite her disgust.
I pushed up at the goggles to get them out of my face. Secret identity be damned.
They were all heroes any way.
"The cry baby punk wake up yet?" a dark form stopped dead maybe ten feet away. "No fuckin way. Hebert?"
I froze.
I recognized her voice.
My blood ran cold and my heart started a frantic hammering in my ears.
It couldn't be.
She couldn't be here.
"Cut her some slack Stalker. Like you could have done any better." Dennis defended me.
Stalker.
Shadow Stalker.
Sophia fucking Hess was Shadow Stalker.
A Hero.
My stomach clenched again. This time in rage.
Pure rage.
Kill her.
"Wha? Oh fuc- grab her!" Gallant tightened his grip on my arm.
It didn't matter.
I teleported in front of Sophia and swung a flaming fist at her face.
All I hit was smoke.
The fire on my fist exploded and the smoke flew forwards, coalescing into a screaming Sophia. She writhed on the ground and rolled to her feet.
A train clad in a white dress slammed me into the ground and my left arm erupted in blinding pain as it was forced behind me and up with a pop.
I teleported out of her hold, left arm feeling weird and not responding properly.
Sophia raised her crossbow to aim at me.
I didn't wait for her to shoot. I jumped again. I landed behind her and she turned to smoke before I could even make an attack.
I formed a fire ball ready to blast her again, but had to teleport to avoid a flying tackle from Aegis.
No. I won't be stopped. Not yet.
"Stalker! Wisp! Stop!" Miss Militia commanded.
We both ignored her.
A bolt from Sophia's crossbow grazed my cheek in the distraction.
Fucking bitch was probably smiling.
She turned to smoke again.
But I had her number. I teleported over her and threw my fireball straight down into the smoke.
It exploded and once more Sophia slammed to the ground with a scream.
Aegis grabbed me from behind and squeezed while holding me up in the air.
My forearm and shoulder erupted in pain and it was my turn to scream.
Sophia aimed her crossbow up at me and fired. I teleported away leaving Aegis to take the blow.
I didn't land where I had intended. I tried to teleport again but once more I was off target.
The room was changing and warping.
Vista.
Damn.
Glory Girl was headed my way and I was forced to teleport again. But Gallant, curtesy of Vista, was soon there to intercept me. Tagging me with a yellow beam that set me to laughing even as I doubled over from the force of it.
Red arms wrapped around me loosely. "Wisp Stop." It was Assault. "Please."
Damn it. His voice was concerned not angry and it turned my rage into something less.
I slumped in his arms. Feeling the fatigue from the pain of my shoulder, the pounding headache. "Assault." I breathed somewhat thankful to stop.
A bolt slammed into and through Assault's arm and he grunted with the pain but turned me and himself to bodily shield me from Sophia.
The rage returned. She fucking dared to shoot the one person here that gave a damn?
I teleported out of Assault's arms and punched at Sophia. She turned to smoke before it could land.
I had the bitch this time. My fist still in her smoky form erupted in a blazing purple fire.
It detonated with a muffled sound and Sophia reformed, skidding across the floor.
Blood was leaking out from under her mask and she wasn't moving.
I froze at the sight, realization a lead weight in my gut. I might have actually killed her.
Battery reached me first and pinned me to the floor and this time I didn't resist. "Don't move." Her voice firm but concerned.
"Move! Move!" Panacea pushed her way through the gathering Heroes to get to Sophia.
Red boots thudded into view blocking my sight of Sophia. "Oh, Wisp." Assault breathed. His voice sad? Weary? "What have you done?'
Clockblocker knelt next to me, just in view, and put a hand on my shoulder. "I'm sorry." He said right before he froze me.
Author's Note: I know it's short but I was a bit excited to post and see the reactions. So, I couldn't wait any longer and here it is. I hope it was worth the wait.
I tired to up my game on writing action scenes. I feel like Its better than the Lung fight but I still have a ways to go…
Thanks for your Fav and Follows!
As always your reviews make my day and keep the writing process exciting and fun. When I get to certain parts of a chapter I think to my self about some of your reviews and it makes me smile when I can work in little things to respond or tease .
K. Raiden.