The fighter whirled on his booted heel, fire ignited in the palms of his hands and reached to burn at his wrists. Heat flared on both sides of the battlefield, the monster on the right pounced only to find itself engulfed. Broken molten rock tumbled through the light he'd blasted, battering the lone figure but dealing no damage. Flinching at the strike of rock had however left the hedgehog exposed.
A set of burning claws crashed onto a grey furred shoulder, battering the flaming fighter to the ground. Red lava dripped and burned against his fur, eyes shot wide with panic as he crossed his arms and pushed against the molten neck of the monstrosity. Jagged jaws snapped, barely falling short of the pyrokinetic's face. Fresh cyan fire ignited across his entire form, blotting out the pain of contact between the cursed flames and his own body. Teeth grit as he pushed back, his mind raced to find a way out.
Hotter and hotter, the hedgehog burned and burned with all his might. The hedgehog dared to pull an arm back, felt the grit of concrete smash into his elbow, before throwing a flaming punch directly upwards. A risk had been taken and a sacrifice made; the beast's full weight crushed down on him. That moment of pain was exchanged for true victory as a jet of blue fire burst through the beast's back and its body fell to pieces.
Scorch the hedgehog, warrior of fire among the inferno, rose to stand over the melting corpses of his foes. The beasts of Iblis were but training fodder to him. Stepping stones on the way to the true monstrosity that had claimed the world as its domain.
Cyan flames would conquer red, that truth had been revealed to Scorch on the day his powers had first ignited. His home was overcome by burning monsters, the streets had been ravaged long before he was born and life was still a struggle, but he would make it better. To fight fire with fire, to snuff this world and relight it anew, those mantras burned in him as brightly now as they had on the day he realised his potential. He was strong and so, even if others feared him, he would do all he could to make a better world for those still surviving.
A deafening screech turned the young man, his eyes locked onto a burning airborne monster with clawed feet and horns... three more of its kind were flanking it. All four dove towards him in sync, flaring wilder as they rocketed parallel to the tarmac. Thankfully, Scorch had fought these beasts more times than he could count. They were mindless monsters; they never learned.
The moment his foes were about to reach him, the hedgehog struck the ground with an open palm. An inferno exploded around him, a bonfire of blue that whipped pillars of flame in disparate and wild directions. Their plan had been to crash right through him, as if he was some defenceless citizen clinging to life within the city. This place was his home and he burned hotter than they ever could! He heard them screech as he immolated them, then waited for quiet before casting off the burning cyan.
The hedgehog once again returned to his full height, surveying the streets. Fights like this couldn't enact any real change, he still found himself stood on a road that had been cracked over a century prior. What had once been a market district, it had degraded so significantly that only research could reveal that truth. The windows were long broken and brickwork exposed, the pavements were lined with rebar and rubble with many buildings throughout the city either partially or completely collapsed. All was quiet for now though... all save for the sound of a single set of beating wings.
"Maybe they do learn," Scorch muttered to himself, turning to find one of the winged monsters remaining.
The hedgehog leapt into the air, a burst of flames loosed from his palms acting as extra propulsion. He allowed his hands to rise with that force, clawing his fingers and letting the fire burn bright as he grabbed the dragon-like monster before allowing gravity to reclaim him. He pushed the monster into the ground, it let out a single fizzling hiss as its body broke apart and reduced to rock. Scorch went to rise for a third time only to hear another sound; he prepared to reignite again only to recognise the noise. Clapping.
"That wasn't half bad," A familiar voice almost complimented from nearby, somewhere above him, "You really put on a good show."
"It's not meant to be a show, it's training," Scorch scanned the skyline as he stood, quickly picking out the source of that familiar voice, "Training you were supposed to be doing with me."
Perched atop what had once been a grocers, her legs hanging off the edge of the flat roof, was Bling the cat. She looked as relaxed as ever, sipping a drink through a straw as she peer down at him. He could only guess how long she'd been sat up there, lazily watching while he fought to get stronger.
With a wave of her hand and a sparkle of yellow something flew from her side, smacking him in the face before he could react. He reached up to pull what she'd psychically thrown from his face, only to feel the coolness of water. She'd brought him a wet towel. The hedgehog opted to accept her kindness and make use of the rag, wiping the sweat from his brow and muzzle. In that time he heard the familiar humming of her psychic power, guiding her to land.
"This doesn't make up for you missing the start of training," He grumbled, lowering the blackened towel from his face, "You know that, right?"
She rolled her eyes, holding a plastic cup with a gleaming metal straw towards him, "Drink?"
The hedgehog leaned down, taking a sip. Rather than the water, something tangy and sweet met his tongue. His darker eyes shot up to meet her bright yellow set, only to find the feline looking as smug as ever.
"That's not water," He stated, running his tongue over his teeth.
"It's carrot juice," She answered, much to his surprise, "The survivors on the edge of town have got that settlement of theirs properly running. They've managed to power those lights we salvaged a few months ago, they've just grown their first crop of proper vegetables. They gave me this as a thank you," He immediately knew where the conversation was turning, "You know, if you cleaned yourself up a little, I don't think they'd mind you visiting."
The hedgehog grunted in response, leaning down to take another sip. Despite the state of the world around them, she always managed to look very well put together. Her blue long coat and white tights lacked soot and scorch marks, that truth likely owed to the distance her psychic power let her keep from the world's flames. Those golden cuffs on her wrists and ankles, with that yellow band of psychic energy along their centre, gave the cat what Scorch could only think of as a regal appearance. Even her fur was neater than his, its light purple colour with its darker tips and accents was always consistently cleaner than his. From the darker circle on her forehead to her long and straightly cut hair, nothing about her normal look was ruffled... unlike him.
Being one with flames had naturally limited Scorch's dressing options but, as he always told her, he dressed to be practical. Sure, the thick boots he wore were more than a little damaged and yes the palms of his gloves were charred but that was hardly his fault. While his conjured flames could not actually hurt him, it took an extra degree of control to keep his flames from damaging what he wore. Even his fur wasn't safe from exposure to fire; the fluff at his chest and around his neck had been permanently darkened by the touch of flame.
He rose to find the cat looking at him, expectingly.
Scorch heaved a sigh, "I can't let myself get comfortable, not until Iblis is defeated. It's like I've told you; this is my duty, the flames chose me. Once I get strong enough to beat that demon we can focus on rebuilding. If we build a proper settlement now the Iblis spawn will just destroy it."
"You're so serious," She rolled her eyes, taking another sip, "If you'd just come by and see the place, be a little social, I'm certain you'd have a great time. You'd fit right in; there are a few other brooding stoic types hanging around, you guys could form an insular commune within the settlement or something. Maybe you could get them to harness that energy instead of festering away whenever something goes wrong."
"As long as you're social, it's not as though I need to be. You're good enough with people for the both of us, they like you over there. You're practically their leader at this point with all the good you've done them," The hedgehog retorted.
"All the good we've done them, most of which you refuse to take credit for," The cat emphasised, "They like you there too, more than you're willing to admit. I'm not saying you need to get comfortable and fit in, just go for a rest every once in a while. Honestly, it's like you think you'll sleep in a comfortable bed once and never wake up again. You're like a beast that's proud of being feral," A smirk claimed her lips as she returned the straw to her mouth, "It's a wonder that I ever managed to tame you."
The memory of their meeting triggered in Scorch's mind; how the pyrokinetic had spied a kitten resting in the worn out gym that was his home. Having dealt with bandits before, he'd clawed his hands and put on his most intimidating of faces before shouting insistently that he wanted to fight her. She'd laughed at him. Bling had laughed so hard at the sight of him, a full head shorter than her back then but puffing up his chest and talking a big game regardless. Even despite him showing his flames, more like mere embers back then, she'd talked him into letting her stay for the night, then for the week, then for the month, and so on until eventually he'd stopped asking when she planned to leave.
It was during oh so common moments like this, with cringing recollection playing in his mind, that Scorch wondered if the feline had more psychic powers than he knew.
"Whatever, I'm going to keep training. Come if you want," The hedgehog grumbled, stepping past the cat to push further down the street.
"Not so fast," The hedgehog felt a hand catch his arm and all of a sudden her mouth was at his ear, "I have a proposition for you."
He turned to find the cat floating, just high enough off the ground to loom over him. There was a shine in her eye, visible even through the light of her psychic veneer. With that look alone, even ignoring the quirk on her lips, the hedgehog knew she had something chaotic in mind rather than practical. He also knew that ignoring or avoiding her ask wasn't an option, he'd tried that one too many times. She'd get her way, no matter what.
A sigh passed his lips, "Go on."
"You want me to train, but I don't want you getting yourself hurt, so let's meet in the middle," The cat surmised, "Instead of battling monsters that actively try to kill you, how about you train by chasing me through the city. I can fly, so it'll undoubtedly be a challenge for you to keep up. Keep the pressure up though, and this'll be training for me too," She proudly suggested, "If you can catch me, I'll do whatever you command for a week. If you can't, you need to do whatever I say instead."
So her scheme wasn't as bad as he'd anticipated; just its aftermath.
"I dread to think what you have in mind, making that bet," Scorch bluntly responded, but a question quickly came to mind, "How do we decide if I've failed to catch you? We both know I won't give up."
"That's simple," She responded, undeterred by his initial grumble, "You remember how to break out of this, don't you?" Her hand left him, the gold coating the cat's form leapt ensnare the hedgehog, "Whenever you get close, I'll try to psychically grab you. If I grab you and you can't break the hold, well," Fire spread from his palms, releasing her conjured entombment in less than a second, "If I've caught you, you can't catch me."
"I suppose that makes sense," Scorch responded, snuffing his flames, "Tell me what you really want though; what you'd have me do for that week. I don't want to play these mind games."
"You can command me to answer that if you win," Her smirk grew wider, "But until then, I'm keeping my lips sealed."
"I suppose that means I'll have to play," He conceded, "How do you want to start-
Blazing with yellow light, the cat threw her hand towards Scorch. Immediately his entire body was locked up, but he was anything but stationary; the hedgehog found himself upside down and racing backwards with his head mere inches from the tarmac! Through the shining glow, the hedgehog could only watch as the feline flew up and back over the grocery shop she'd been previously watching him from. His temperature skyrocketed and blue fire consumed him, the thrust of that effort was just enough to force him stumbling upright and onto his feet.
He began to run without a moment's hesitation, racing back down the street. It took him moments to reach the building she'd flown over, but Scorch knew the cat could vanish back down into another nearby street with ease. He had to be faster!
The hedgehog leapt; flaming jets on his hands propelled him over to land on the flat roof, just in time to see a glint of yellow light flying four blocks in front of him! His feet pounded across the rooftop- it was like when he hunted the flying Iblis monsters, he could use the dark clouded sky he loathed to spot her more easily. With a powerful leap and a burst of flame, the hedgehog bounded over one street and onto the closest building of the next block.
He was keeping pace, but the hedgehog could tell that Bling wasn't giving it her all. She was merely adrift at the moment, almost certainly enjoying her drink and throwing the occasional glance back in his direction. This would probably be his best chance to catch the cat; while both of them were near full power and she wouldn't expect him to go all out. Even if he was wrong, with traversing the city being so easy for her, there was no way he'd catch up with running alone.
Flames began to lick the palms of his hands once more; Scorch reached behind himself and unleashed a pair of flame jets. The moment he'd stabilised those jets, flames drifted to coat down his arms and then the back of his legs. He could feel the force pushing behind him, like the strongest of tailwinds. The only issue was maintaining his stride to match that effort, turning would be a problem!
The next gap between buildings didn't prove to be an issue though. Forcing his palms to face the ground and igniting the soles of his shoes, Scorch leapt once again. The jet of heat sent him somersaulting to land and keep running without losing momentum. He was practically gliding along the ground now, barely even running.
Jumping and rushing, practically fully alight, he'd reached the edge of the sixth block while she was above the seventh! Even despite the blue burning across his vision, the grey furred fighter could now make out the psychic ahead of him. She was floating backwards, she'd been watching him the whole time; sipping on the carrot juice, just as he'd expected.
Catching her would be simple, he could use a burst of flame to angle his pounce mid air. It was important though that he wasn't on fire when he crashed into her- while her psychic cloak would act as a barrier, she lacked his immunity. This would have to be a tactical strike!
The hedgehog jumped, sending all the flame cloaking him downwards as thrust to both clear the crevice and free himself of fire. It was only as he did that though, having flipped through the air, that the hedgehog realised something was amiss. Bling was no longer floating ahead of him, sipping her drink. She was stood at the next building's edge, a single hand extended in his direction. All of the sudden, the world flashed bright yellow.
"I didn't say I wouldn't fight back, did I? You'll have to do better than that!" The feline jeered, thrusting her hand downward and halting his momentum before sending him into the chasm that was the crossroad between the blocks.
He had fully reignited by the time he hit the ground, having burned away her grasp but arrived at a full stop. The hedgehog looked up to where she stood; the buildings had been increasing in height, she was atop a structure that he couldn't scale in a single bound... and she knew it. The cat took a sip, waved down to him, and vanished backwards in a new flash of golden light.
Something had to change, but Scorch didn't have time to plan. If she got too far he'd never find her.
Instinct took over. The hedgehog rounded the building and soon found himself running along the street, eyes cast the building above. He couldn't see her no, but he could see the glow of her power cast against the dark of the clouds. If it vanished, he'd know she'd disappeared across the buildings to his right and travelled deeper into the city! There was a chance he'd lose her if she did, but hopefully they'd reach a lower building by-
A roar breached the air, tearing his eyes from the skyline. The road ahead was split, lava filled a great gash in the street as if to create some forbidden pool. Rearing its head from those fiery depths was a massive worm of living magma, it's screeching mouth like a gnarled three fingered claw, with armour of cooled rock. There was a reason they travelled by rooftop rather than the streets!
Scorch pounced forwards, fresh jets of flame pushed him faster than the behemoth could react. Unable to clear the gap himself, the hedgehog threw his hand ahead of himself to loose another blast of burning force and launch himself backwards. He landed shakily on the hardened back of the beast, feeling it begin to writhe and turn, but immediately leapt again! There was a cacophonous splash as the backing force of his takeoff knocked the worm down, but Scorch's eyes were to the sky once more.
She was still there, her light was still on his right, but now the distance between them had closed! He hit the ground and resumed the rush at breakneck pace! The buildings had shortened, they'd arrived at a district of warehouses and industry near the southern edge of the city. The hedgehog now had some inkling of her plan; they were on route to the survivors' settlement, these buildings had been raided countless times across the decades. Regardless of that theory though, and his knowledge of the city's layout, row upon row of buildings so similar meant that he couldn't rely on street knowledge to chart a path. He was stuck running alongside her.
The road curved right and Scorch was forced to move with it, now running alongside the melted and rusted remains of construction machinery. A flash above revealed the cat soaring from one block to the-
She'd turned! Bling hadn't moved on to the next block! All of a sudden the cat wasn't hovering over rooftops, she was hanging stationary above the street. Had she lost track of him? Was she looking for him?
Scorch pinned himself to the corner wall, crouching low and glancing down the way. She had slowed down to drift her way right rather than continuing straight. There was clamour on the path ahead, a disturbance that the cat must have noticed before him. The psychokinetic's eyes narrowed at the sight.
A truly massive form, a golem made of hardened rock with lava joints was towering over a trio of huddling figures- backed up beneath some aged scaffolding, the light of that titanic monster's single eye bearing down on them. They were cornered, but Bling was in position! Scorch already knew what to do.
The giant's burning glow was overwhelmed, golden light ensnared the golem just as it was reeling back a titanic rocky fist. Bling had given him an opening, shining down from above, but her glow would succumb to the lava soon! Scorch bounded down the street and onto the monster, fingers sparking against psychic energy as he scaled up and onto its shoulders. He raised his fist high in the air, blue fire ignited from his palm and engulfed all the way down to his elbow.
Psychic light flickered, giving Scorch a final moment to prepare. The instant that glow dissipated his fist came crashing down. He struck straight through the golem's glowing eye only to reach further, redoubling the flames surging from his hand. The monster's joints went from a red to vibrant blue.
It collapsed all at once, reduced to a mere pile of rocks. Scorch rose from the ashes, flicking the embers from his hands as he took a look at the trio before him. None of them were harmed, at least not newly; the half empty rucksacks on their back told Scorch that this was a failed scavenging party. More frustrating was the fact that all three of them looked old enough to know better, they were older than he was. They'd lived in this world long enough to learn their place.
One of them tried to speak up, "Thank-
"Save it, I'm busy, get somewhere safe," The hedgehog snarled, his eyes already tracking the feline as she fled to soar over a factory, "Go from building to building. Stay out of the open!"
He shot off without another word, hoping they'd learned their lesson. Almost immediately though, the hedgehog felt a problem. He'd been running all out for a while now and training hard before that. Though flames were still exploding from his palms, his quickened pace was slower than before. Sweat was heavy on his brow and he could feel the weight of his body, energy reserves were wearing thin.
"You can still see her, you can do this!" He shouted at himself, tossing away that realisation.
Blue fire burned at the corners of his vision as Scorch pushed forward with all his might. Gliding across the ground again, he tried to plan forward. He passed one block after the other before finally gaining on her, beginning to run adjacent. They were nearing the city limits, that meant the monsters lava rivers would soon cease to be obstacles. On the other hand though, if they crossed that edge, he'd have absolutely no way of catching her. She could so easily stay beyond his reach and disappear into the sky!
He tried to plan as he ran; if he could see Bling from behind then, if the cat even glanced down for a moment, she could see his blue light glowing below. But he was no match for her speed if he ditched the flames! Only one thought came to mind. It'd take a lot of luck but, with his stamina ticking down, he knew it was his only option.
Scorch fell back ever so slightly, letting the cat take the lead. He didn't trail too far behind, just enough to put him beyond her vision. He focused his attention on the path ahead. They were about to cross the street and reach the next block, they'd been running past warehouse after warehouse and were set to hit another factory. He didn't recognise it...
Instinct took over. Scorch watched her soar straight over the gap between blocks, but he opted to turn right at the crossroads. He only ran that way for a moment though, then harshly veering left. The pyrokinetic was heading straight for the factory wall.
Fire and force blasted through stone; exposed brick and scorch marks had been visible before he'd shoulder checked the door, now a simple hole was sprawled behind him. His momentum had stumbled for a moment, but his eyes immediately locked onto the open doors of the building's far side. The only thing between him and that exit was a low lying maze of conveyor belts and machinery, old and stationary.
Using the shielding the roof provided, keeping out of sight, Scorch surged forward. Impulse was his guide as he leapt across the production line. The hedgehog didn't even take the time to check what he was stepping over and knocking out of the way. Every time he stumbled he'd jump back up; with every bruised knee or clipped shoulder he'd keep charging for his goal. This was how he'd always lived, the pain would only make him stronger!
With one last leap, throwing his cloak of flame behind him, Scorch shot through the open exit. His boots scarped across the tarmac as he threw his gaze to the sky, sliding to a halt just beyond the lip of the roof. This was a tall building, there was no denying that. If he missed this jump he might not even have the strength to land safety. Then again, this all depended on the feline not changing course once she'd realised he was missing. It was possible she'd-
Yellow glow flashed in Scorch's eyes, shining from above! The hedgehog sprung straight upwards, this was his only chance. A wave of flame was thrown down beneath him, that force of will propelled him to launch higher still! He saw her emerge from the edge of the building just as he'd reached the rooftop. She'd noticed him, panic had sent her drink flying.
A hand was thrown in his direction, golden light flashed across his body, but he reignited with a snap! His momentum had slowed due to her grasp but he blindly he swung out an arm-
He'd grabbed her leg! At the apex of his jump, with no more moves he could throw out, Scorch had won the challenge. His eyes jumped to lock onto hers but fear entered his heart. She was still wearing her usual smug smile and he knew why. She held all the power here, she could cast him down with a wave of her hand. Despite claiming this would train her too, it had clearly done no such thing. The cat was basically at full power.
First her brow quirked. Then her smirk wavered. Finally, the cat's head lowered and a sigh slipped through her clenched teeth.
"You couldn't just let me win?" As he panted, she shook her head, "You're so serious."
All of a sudden, Scorch felt himself drifting through the air. Just like him, for all her joking, the cat wouldn't break her word. That being said, she had left him to dangle for dear life as she finished the flight across the street. Frustration had undoubtedly claimed her.
He found his footing on the curved roofing of a storage facility, its old metal form lightly creaked beneath his weight. As he'd known she would from the moment annoyance crossed her face, the cat came down to land in front of him. She didn't turn to face him though; instead, her eyes were to the horizon.
Just a few more roofs ahead, Scorch could see the edge of the city. Beyond it, atop a hill on the horizon, sat a bunker with lit windows. The survivor's stronghold, the only truly new building he'd ever seen and a place he'd spent as little time as possible. Bling had been so close to getting her way. Lights were shining like a beacon on the horizon, were they waiting for him? Had Bling said she'd bring him? Was he meant to go and see their garden?
"You won, a deal is a deal. I'll do whatever you say," The coldness in her tone froze the hedgehog in place, an arrow of regret pierced his heart.
Maybe he should have let her win. The cat had clearly come to him with a plan in mind, she'd wanted to lead him to civilisation. She wasn't wrong to do that, he understood why she wanted him to rest; she'd tried to pull him over there more than a dozen times.
"Bling..." With the pain of his misstep still chilling his heart, Scorch moved to concede, "If-
She'd turn to look at him over her shoulder, batting her eyes, "But please master Scorch, don't be too rough with me. Really, I'll do whatever you ask, but please have mercy!"
It was as if Scorch hadn't chased her at all; fresh heat exploded across his face and fire fluttered at his fingertips. Coldness and regret melted in an instant as his eyes dropped to the ground. Of course she'd had a back up plan! Earlier he'd been foolish enough to think she'd do what he commanded for a week, like go and train without any subversion or-
While he'd been reeling she'd closed the distance, her hand plunged into his chest fur without consideration for the flames coating his arms. She'd stolen contact like this before, but only to rouse him from nightmares or bring him back to earth after a vicious battle. Her softness always stunned him. All he knew was hardness and harshness yet, be it by her power or personality or some combination, she was anything but rough. It was no wonder she had him under such a spell. He'd gone from frozen to petrified.
"I can't begin to imagine the awful ideas you've have in mind, now that I'm fully beholden to your will," Her fingers found his chin and pushed him to look at her, "I'll serve you as best I can but if you work me too hard I won't be able to follow your orders for the whole week. Please, be gentle."
She'd intentionally taken on a huskier tone, but her face betrayed that facade. The cat's typical smug expression had returned, this was like some twisted version of the heroic speeches she'd give to the survivors; she was putting on a show! Bling had always been a trickster and a planner, he'd been destined to fall into her trap one way or the other.
He swallowed and stammered, "I-I want-
"Please my master, give your first order," She very intentionally cut him off, "Your wish is my command."
Scorch cursed under his breath, he threw his eyes skyward to avoid looking down at Bling but still felt her fingers caressing his jawline. His heart was beating in his neck, he was certain she could feel it! While his mind was near blank with shock, only focused on her, she was surely planning her next move. He had to do something!
The hedgehog shut his eyes.
"How long will you leave me in suspense, my master?" She'd moved closer, her mouth was at his ear again, "Or are you really spending all this time plotting something? I didn't think you could be so devious..."
"Sh-Shut up," That hadn't helped at all!
Feeling his flames enlarge again, the hedgehog clenched his fists tight and curled his toes.
"As you command, I shall seal my lips until you next beckon me," Bling whispered, clearly using as many words as possible.
He had to give in to instinct, it was the only way! The hedgehog threw his arms to the sky and then straight down again, wafting the fire away. Scorch reached blindly and grabbed her, he felt what had to be her elbows as his eyes sprang back open. With a tug he brought her from hovering just off the ground to standing right in front of him. Her bright yellow eyes smashed into his mustard set.
"I've done my training for today, now it's your turn!" He barked, as seriously as he could, "We're heading back into the city, follow me!"
Scorch turned on his heel, marching away before the cat could lay another hand on him. His body was about to burst into flames again, but he could take advantage of that. He stepped off of the warehouse's roof and fell straight down, cooling air bristled through his fur but Scorch's emotions were still running hot! Before he hit the ground he flooded his emotions out; palms clawed toward the ground. Fire exploded from his lower half, creating a wave of force just strong enough to stop the fall and land him safely. He really had been tapped out before she'd riled him back up.
"You're always so serious!" He heard her chastise from above, but her voice was accompanied by the twinkling of psychic power growing louder as she caught up, "Couldn't you let me have a little fun?"
"I think you were having a lot of fun," He groaned back as he continued walking, hearing the cat again position herself just slightly above him, "And you will for the rest of this week."
Scorch felt her elbow on his shoulder, her leaning on him as she floated in a lounged position was how they often wandered the streets. Somehow that casual touch wasn't igniting him like her teasing from before. Maybe he had let the worst of his emotions out when he'd jumped-
"So do you have a plan for this training or are you just walking away from me so you have time to think of something?" Bling piped up.
Nope, he was still burning at the cheeks, "I thought I told you to be quiet."
"I recall you being quite awful and commanding me to shut up," The cat ribbed, "But, despite your rudeness I was quiet... for a moment."
"I'm sorry just," A grumble muttered past his lips, "You were teasing me."
"Yeah," The feline snickered, "Duh."
It felt more like her elbow was prodding him rather than the casual touch he felt before, but the hedgehog heaved a sigh and pushed out his agitation. Of course, now Bling was in a position to listen to him, he had no idea what to do with her. Hard combat just wasn't her style, she'd get bored and tease him more. For as much as he'd wanted her to come and fight Iblis monsters with him, Scorch knew that-
Yells sounded ahead, clearing the hedgehog's mind. Three familiar figures were running, stumbling over themselves, across the street in front of them! Behind those three was a trio Iblis monsters; three winged beasts flying close to the ground in fast pursuit. There was a chance they'd escape into a building, but based on their prior encounter with the golem...
"You can start your training by helping them out. Evidently they're even worse at this than I thought," Scorch instructed picking up the pace, "By the time you've done that, I'll have a proper regiment in mind."
Her contact slipped from his shoulders as she zoomed beside him, "You're so serious."
"And not just for your powers. You never walk anywhere, I'll need to see how far you can run... how much do you think you can lift?" The pyrokinetic questioned aloud.
"Way too serious!" She rocketed past him, curving around the corner and chasing after the beasts.
With their arrival, the path ahead was obvious and Bling's plan would still come fruition. After seeing them get caught out in the open twice she'd want to escort them back to the survivor's settlement, he wouldn't be able to tell her no. She'd get him to visit the survivors, but he'd get to make a few choice orders on the way. Their agreement surely wouldn't last the whole week, it'd only endure until she grew bored of teasing him, but for now he had a chance to take advantage. They had rucksacks she could carry after all.
Exhaustion started to hit, Scorch pushed on but he was much more aware of his aching muscles and heavy feet. Bling could absolutely handle all three winged beasts, but he wanted to be there for if more came. As long as she was nearby there'd be a fire lit under him, he knew that for certain.