“I still would like things to be amicable. Just because we are facing off against one another doesn’t mean we need to be enemies.”
“You know you are the only one who thinks that right?”
“What do you mean? Look at us. We have faced off multiple times and we aren’t enemies.”
Dragging his hand down his face, shaking his head as he walked away, “I definitely kinda hate you.”
Anaar’s face dropped as his mouth fell open with shock.
Well damn, I thought we got along just fine…
“For your information, you have just incurred the ire of many more individuals for prematurely concluding the match without an appropriate amount of spectacle.”
With both his partner and Kintaque refusing to talk to him, Anaar took it upon himself to open a portal and return to his holding area.
Thanks a lot Hobb… Learn to read the atmosphere.
Shonte was no stranger to altercations. Whether they be verbal, or escalate enough to become physical, she was always one of the first to dive in. Part of the behavior stemmed from growing up in an environment where she found herself often not being heard. She was required to fight just to find her voice. With so much struggle in her life, she grew to enjoy the fighting, if for no other reason that she rarely lost. She had been alerted her match would start, which prompted her to stand, bouncing slightly to psych herself up.
When she was pulled from her room, she found she was the last person to arrive on the field. Wasting no time, she slipped the brass knuckles over her fingers, raising her fists for a fight. Though she had made every excuse to delay taking up an official martial art, her confidence in the style she had learned from the street was anything but lacking. When she saw her opponent, she instantly began to doubt herself.
Even without their friend-adjacent relationship thanks to Peter, Shonte recognized the top Junior in the school. Most people on campus at the very least knew the name and could recognize the top students in each class. Looking to the man standing beside her, the fear of the unknown began its ravenous consumption, stoking the doubts that were already present. Her partner however, seemed to be lacking fear, and instead displaying absolute focus.
“You are a Freshman right? I remember seeing you during your Melee. If you have any tricks, now would be a good time to make use of them. I may be number 2, but the difference between Pryshka and me are like night and day. I could never beat her on my own. I’ve tried so many times. She has pretty much learned all my moves, so I hope we can use you to surprise her. The other guy is the third best Titan in the school. He’s strong, but it won’t compare to a bonafide Juggernaut like yourself. If we can get rid of Pryshka, all we have to do is beat on that guy until he falls. Follow my lead, and be ready for anything.”
Shonte found everything moving too fast for her to process. She was not the best at following orders, which was why she often filled the role of the independent vanguard who allowed others to adapt to her movements. Now this person she knew nothing about had not only formulated a plan, but had already moved into enacting it. She knew he would be strong if he was second best in the Junior class, but that did nothing to help her since everyone she would be facing was strong, and he had already admitted he fell far short of their opponent.
Forcing herself to concentrate, she tried her best to calmly evaluate what information she had. Recognizing her normal punch first and keep punching style would put her at a disadvantage, especially against not only those with more experience than her, but were also higher ranked in their respective classes, her knees trembled. The man, she realized she did not take the opportunity to ask his name, was well built, but not bulky. His body reminded her of an Olympic gymnast. She noticed the blue Vizer on his wrist, which made him a Water Affinity, which was not surprising given that he was a Junior. By the time her brain had caught up to that point, he had begun firing.
He had two pistols that he fired in quick succession, placing their opponents on the defensive. Though he missed most, she did notice Pryshka deflecting a few of the shots away with her sword. One did manage to score a hit on the large man standing behind her, but from the looks of it, he was comfortable enough with small arms fire.
Pryshka was readying her sword to strike, the deceptive range being something that most people never adapted to. The blades flashed, causing Shonte’s breath to catch in her throat as they were headed directly toward her partner at alarming speed. There was no way a Water Affinity could make it out of that in time, which would leave her alone against two people clearly superior to her. If only she had not faltered, and stuck to what she knew, she would have been close enough to at least attempt a rescue. Everything felt as if it were playing out in slow motion as the blade cut into his side. Shonte’s heart nearly burst, but then it happened. Disappearing like a whisp of smoke, her partner was nowhere to be found.
Shonte jumped as a voice spoke clearly, just beside her ear. “You going to join the fight any time soon?”
That was when it hit Shonte. The reason why he was so comfortable diving in, was because he knew he could easily retreat. Teleporters manifest with a similar frequency to portal users, but because they only belonged to the Air and Water attunements, there were far fewer around. There was also the common belief that Teleporters were simply the cheaper version of portal users, which made their positions far less prestigious. The man’s hand clasped her shoulder, giving it a light squeeze.
“I know you can do this. I am the cannon, and you are the shell. All I need to do is help you be in the right place, at the right time.”
Shonte did not understand the strange feeling bubbling up within her chest, but it was warm, and had thawed her, leaving her ready to fight. With the exception of her partner’s guns, they all needed to be in close quarters to be effective, which lead their opponents to advance rather than defend. Though she was aware of how nimble Pryshka was, it rattled her just how well the Titan moved. She always assumed Titans were slow, but extremely tough, and generally much stronger than the average person. When the two diverged and he appeared before her in a third of the time, she did the first thing she could think of: She punched as hard as she could.
Whether it was arrogance, or simply underestimating his opponent, Shonte’s reaction time aligned perfectly with his step, which made it seem as if his head was pitched like a softball to Shonte’s awaiting fist. With no attempt to brace himself, he was at Shonte’s mercy as he went rocketing off into the distance. It was enough to cause everyone to pause, marveling at the 200 meters the man had flown. If it had been either of the two Titans above him, they would have readily absorbed the damage, being repelled 50 meters at the very most. He however had focused more on increasing his speed rather than his bulk, since his natural resilience made him an adept Titan, but it was the minor ability as a Fortifier that put him near the top.
Pryshka’s tactical mindset could easily rival Anaar’s when combined with Centripetus. Instinctually she shifted her attention from the person she knew would cause her no issues, to the unknown that could prove to be a threat. Shonte’s partner recognized the split-second decision making that had bested him so many times. Still somewhat dazed from her successful attack, Shonte left herself open to assault. Thankfully, as Pryshka was rearing back to strike, she was assaulted from behind by a flurry of slashes from knives.
Only one slice managed to score a hit, with the rest being deflected, or just barely dodged. Though she was confident in a solo fight against him, Hunter, the man who was forever chasing her, lived up to his name in that he would do anything to catch his prey. With a competent partner, there was no guarantee that she could keep up with his unpredictable movements, even with Centripetus. She had missed her chance, but Pryshka kept one eye focused on finding an opening.
Teleporters, unlike portal users, are not generally measured by the distance in which they can travel, but by how quickly and how many times they could utilize their abilities. Because they slip through space, ra
ther than rip it open, they had an inherently longer range than a comparable portal user. Portal users rarely had the need to use numerous portals in quick succession, simply due to their nature of being considered vehicles.
Being more readily accepted as combat potent, Teleporters had broken the mold, choosing to flaunt might, rather than utility as a badge of honor. The typical Teleporter could utilize their powers between 60-200 times before feeling the drain on them that was similar to lactic acid building in the muscles. It was not as simple as the number of times they could utilize their powers without recharging, however. What most people did not realize was the lag between when a person disappeared, when they reappeared, and when they could use their abilities again was what Teleporters truly bragged about. Since it was considered excellent to have anything below a three second delay for any of the three factors, Hunter knew he could consider himself one of the best Teleporters in existence.
Hunter could proudly boast a record of a whopping 618 consecutive teleportations until he fell unconscious. His true claim to fame came in the speed of his abilities. Hunter was known in Teleporter circles as a ‘Blinker.’ Those with that title had gotten their arrival time after disappearing down to one second, though their cooldown period typically suffered as a result. It was time for Hunter to show why he could brag about being the best: He was able to disappear, reappear, and use his powers again with only a .6 second delay.
Hunter began to blink around Pryshka so quickly that to most people it looked as if he had cloned himself. For every fourth blink, he would slash at Pryshka with his twin knives. The drawback of his overwhelming speed in his abilities was that he could never dream of moving quickly enough to complement them. When he slashed at Pryshka, it created a five second window before he would disappear again. Against most people this would confound them, leading to defeat before they were able to react. He knew all too well though that he was dealing with someone who exceeded extraordinary.
This was the first time he was displaying such a technique to Pryshka. After the embarrassment of being taken out by the then Senior class’ Artillerite army, he refused to lose so shamefully again. He knew it would have been futile to use his full potential against Pryshka when he was alone. It would only give her the opportunity to analyze it and counter it in the future. Now was the time to put everything he had on the line.
Five slashes had gotten through, the cuts shallow, but steadily oozing blood. On the sixth slash Pryshka managed to parry his strike. He had not expected her to adapt even quicker than she typically did. On the following slash, he changed his strike time, hoping to produce a feint and an opening. Little did he know Pryshka had been waiting for the moment where he would be in place for even one second longer.
Rather than parrying like he thought, leaving her open for another strike elsewhere, with a snap of her wrist, Pryshka caught him with a nasty slice that would have only been a glancing blow if he were a fraction of a second faster. He crumpled, which was followed immediately by swift spin kick to his head. Though she knew it was not enough to defeat him, Pryshka was far more concerned by the woman barreling toward her. Readying her sword, she blocked the strike from Shonte, but the shock from the hit was still enough to cause her teeth to clack as she was sent flying.
Despite her class having Juggernauts, they were usually defeated long before they had the opportunity to reach her. Though she was extremely skilled, her body conditioned to last against Earth Affinities with massive reserves of stamina, she was still limited by her frail physiology. She could move quickly, but even though she tirelessly built her body, it would never be a match for someone like Shonte. She had little experience with fighting an opponent that could end her in a single touch.
What Pryshka did have going for her though was her range, and her ability to think steps ahead. All she needed to do was outspeed and outwit Shonte, to secure victory. Shonte went in for another strike, but she was too slow, which gave Pryshka enough time to recover. Without the element of surprise, Shonte had no chance of reaching Pryshka. Taking advantage of the situation, Pryshka immediately went for the kill, her sword wrapping around Shonte. With a flick of her wrist, she performed what people had coined to be her signature move. She knew it was over as she felt the sword meet resistance. The familiar feel of the tightening coils always soothed her, as it meant another battle won. To her shock though, the feeling never came.
In the split second Pryshka had closed her eyes to savor her victory, Hunter had grabbed Shonte’s ankle, blinking her out just before the entwined blades bit too deeply. Though he managed to save her, his mind was fading in and out from his injury, which left them in just as vulnerable of a position as they were before. Against a consummate fighter such as Pryshka, such tricks were easy to defend against, despite her initial shock from the misdirection. Before she could close the distance enough for a punch, the sword was already striking like a viper. Once again the familiar scene of the coils seeking sweet blood played out, with Hunter too debilitated to help this time.
She had wanted to do better. She knew she needed to do better. Shonte knew there was no point in wasting her full potential any longer, not in a place such as Sophangence. As the sword snapped shut upon her, her body emanated with violent vibrations that buffeted the sword, preventing it from reaching her. In that moment, unbeknownst to her, Pryshka’s sword became her greatest liability. The vibrations radiated through the sword back to her, addling her brain and causing her to vomit. There was no time to attempt a recovery before Shonte rendered her unconscious with a clean blow to the head.
Though both Shonte’s and Pryshka’s partners appeared to be no longer capable of fighting, in reality, they were both still in the running. Though he was not hardy, Hunter was an exceptional Regenerist by most standards. His wound would not knit itself back together easily, but the innermost portion of the damage had already begun clotting. Pryshka’s partner had been launched so far away, he had slipped the mind of everyone, Pryshka included.
Because she had forgotten him, Shonte was not expecting the blow to the side of her head that left her seeing stars. Most Juggernauts suffer from the trait of having explosive power, but falling prey to a gentle breeze. She staggered, one knee to the ground, doing her best to stop the world from spinning. When it came to taking a hit, she was just an average woman, taking a hit from a man much larger and far more muscular than she.
Learning from his previous blunder, he made sure to fortify himself to his upper limit, which gave him a resilience rivalling his peers. He grabbed Shonte in a chokehold, knowing that if he managed to cut enough of the oxygen to her brain before she could resist, it was a sure win. With her mind the way it was, Shonte’s flailing was lacking the strength to shake the large man off her. Her vision had begun to fade when she felt herself falling. Initially she thought she was imagining it as she put up a futile fight, but she came to understand the rushing wind was all too real.
“Hey, wake up. If you don’t push through this, we lose.”
When she finally came to her senses, the world seemed to stop as felt the tight embrace of the man whose face was practically touching hers. The vibrant blue of his eyes had a somewhat cloudy appearance that most would dismiss, preferring a deep crystal clarity. For her though, they were the most beautiful sight in the world. Feeling his solid body pressed against hers made her head rush again, but this time from pleasure. It was then that she became aware of her situation. The wind was getting stronger.
The source of the wind came from their freefall from an unknown height. Once she understood their plummet, she panicked and began to scream. With a calm shushing that sounded more like a coo, he brought her attention back to him.
“Hey, hey. Now is not the time for that. We will probably only get one shot at this. I pushed myself way too hard, so I don’t have much left in the tank. He is probably wondering where we went, and his guard is up. Once he sees us falling from the sky though, I’m hoping that he thinks I lost my mind.”
The rushing wind filled Shonte’s ears more than ever as Hunter finished explaining his plan. It was unlikely a Senior would not know the number 2 in the class below him in all the years they had been together, so he would be expecting them to appear from nowhere. As he planned, they came into view of the Titan and the terrified spectators alike, everyone frozen in fear from the disaster waiting to happen. With a few final words, Hunter launched his plan.
“Fuck him up.”
The Titan watched as the seemingly unconscious duo fell from the sky, holding on to one another for dear life. He had heard of Transporters making horrendous blunders when they were impaired, especially when they were almost spent. He knew they were his competition, but he did not want to see two underclassmen splat on the ground. He blinked and realized they were gone, the moment needed to process the situation proving too much for him to react in time.
Appearing directly behind him were Hunter and Shonte. She immediately drove her fist into his back so hard, a violent shockwave of vibrations exploding into him on impact. No amount of fortification would protect him from Shonte’s blow. Typically, an absolutely staggering amount of force would be needed to overcome the shock absorbing qualities of a top tier Titan. In the case of Shonte, her powers made her the ultimate bane to Titans as they bypassed the defensive layers. The shockwave ruptured both his kidneys and his spleen, causing him to cough up blood as he fell face first into the dirt.
Unlike Pryshka’s situation, a medical team immediately appeared to treat the Titan, taking Pryshka along with them once he was stable enough to move. Shonte tenderly picked Hunter up from the ground as if he weighed nothing, carrying him over to a rock to lean against. He felt somewhat emasculated to be carried like a child, but he was also so tired he could not muster enough energy to dwell on it. As she was carrying him, he wheezed out a few words.
“I knew you could do it… I never asked your name…”
Revelations (Song of Sophangence Book 4) Page 54