Spoiler (Click to Show)
The mighty roars of thunder ring through my ears as the flickering flashes of lightning penetrate this pitch black cave.
I can't remember the precise number of days I've spent in this cave training. All I can focus on is the present, and my current actions.
I thrust my fists one after the other in the hopes of increasing my speed with each blow. A rain drop falls on my right fist; the rain had started leaking into the cave. It wasn't too long until I was soaked; it was quite a heavy storm. I decided to rest and dry myself up until the storm subsided or at least the leakage had stopped. I was sitting on a large rock with a towel in my right hand, drying my now soaked snow-white hair. With my left elbow on top of my left knee, I found my thoughts revisiting old subjects. Not happy ones. I was deep in dark thoughts.
Suddenly, I was interrupted. I heard a very loud noise, it scattered my dark thoughts away. It sounded somewhat familiar to a rocket. Without having enough time to recognize the object I was still able to sense it moving towards me, which enabled me to dodge it by turning to my right and pulling my upper body backwards at the last split second.
I couldn't make it out but there were two objects connected together through some sort of sharp string. I only knew what connected them because of the blood running out of a line shaped cut and down the middle of my right cheek.
This weapon was an extremely technologically modified bola, "I've seen hunters use such weapons throughout my travels but none of them was remotely similar to this in speed and destruction". I thought to myself while looking at one of the weapon’s metal spheres hit the spiky end of a sharp rock. The sound similar to that of a button being pressed could be heard.
The rocket like sound of the weapon had reappeared; it was heading in my direction again. "It's too risky to try and dodge it" I thought to myself. The sound of the impact of the odd bola colliding with the now crumbling wall combined with the flashing blue lights of the repulsion, it could easily camouflage with the thunder and lightning.
After taking a slow deep breath, I halted my electron effect. I could see a shape moving but I couldn't make out what or whom it was at first, it blended well with the dark cave. I triggered my Electron effect again, but this time I used its lambent blue light to reveal what the figure was. It was a man. The first two things that came to my attention was his full body tattoo and the odd look in his eyes, I could not decide whether it was a determined or empty expression but either way, it would make any man uneasy.
"Looks like the rumors about your abilities are true, you really can manipulate atoms." - With a rather intrigued and curious tone said the stranger.
"And who might you be? To interrupt my resting ever so rudely?"
"People call me the Hero of New Salem, but you may call me Serif."
I stand up, still soaked with water, and identify myself.
"Alright then Serif. I've been called Proton for as long as the world can remember." As I said those words a drop of water slid down a strand of my hair, and scattered after colliding with the ground. A flicker of lightning struck, illuminating my raven like eyes. A strong gust of wind accompanied the lightning, blowing through my long black trench coat.
I couldn't help but think: "I've been itching for a fight, and this seems like it's going to be a hell of a battle." As that thought crossed my mind, I smirked.
"What are you smirking for?"
"Oh, you'll find out soon enough"
After those words I pulled my Shifting Rapier out of its sheath and swung my right hand into place, I was ready for a fight. The Shifting Rapier started flashing with blue energy; it was just as hungry for a battle.
"Before we start this, what brings you here?"
"I'll tell you everything you need to know...”
He cut himself off by launching at me with incredible speed, or so I thought, in reality he was going to grab his bola that he had injured me with earlier but camouflaged it as an attack so that I wouldn't interrupt. He then continued his sentence, after picking up his weapon, while sounding quite confident.
"If you beat me that is."
I could see it in his cyan eyes; he was itching for a real fight as well.
"Don't intrigue me, I'm impatient, It'll only make me end the battle sooner." I said eagerly as I grinned.
Serif did not wait any longer. He launched his rocket powered bola after tapping a small button on its side. It was galloping at me in a straight line, like a Falcon heading for its pray. I had to think of a reaction that would be fast enough in mere seconds.
A slight grin appeared on my face for a split second before I initiated my response. I raised the Shifting Rapier into a vertical position and, after making it attract with the bola's metal, quickly half spiraled towards my right and stopped once my right eye could see Serif again, at the last moment before completely turning I forced repulsion between the Shifting Rapier and the unorthodox weapon. It was flying towards the Hero of New Salem with great speed.
The blue sparks of the repulsion were captivating, everything seemed like it was in a state of slow motion. I could hear my lungs inhaling, and my heart beating. I was enjoying the commencing battle.
Serif quickly dodged a direct hit from his own bola, but he grabbed on to it as it passed centimeters away from the left side of his unturned face. His boots slightly burrowed into the ground. He was dragged back an inch or two, but he had a firm grip on his weapon. He suddenly held the bola in a position that I have not seen this weapon in. It seemed like he was holding a ball and chain, not a bola.
I decided to keep moving, and go with a flow that I was feeling within my body. After quickly charging at him with the Shifting Rapier, Serif met my sword with one of his weapon's metal spheres.
The sound of our weapons clashing was thunderous. The cave was stirring...as if it were, daunted.
”You’re pretty good.” I said with a rather excited tone.
”You’re not too bad yourself.”
I focused my weight on my sword, and I tilted it slightly to the right. The sound of the metal screeching was quite loud, but we were too focused on the ongoing battle to react. As I was sliding with my sword, I sent a focused shock of electrons towards Serif’s weapon to electrocute him.
But, to my surprise, a talisman that was hanging from his neck inside his open vest started glowing. Serif was floating away from me, avoiding the shock.
I was confused at first, but a quick theory came to mind.
”So, that interesting talisman allows you to defy gravity?” I said with a calm tone.
”Turns out you’re not just all muscle, very good observance.” Said Serif, while still floating.
”If I counted on pure strength, I would have never won a single fight.”
”Oh? But I heard you pack quite a punch.”
”That is somewhat correct; I use my ability to create a repulsion between my fist and my opponent. Increasing the impact, and in the process, making the hit much harder.”
”Interesting.”
”How about, I show you….” as I said those words I used my sword to attract Serif’s bola again. Once Serif’s face was in range blue sparks started rotating around my fist.
”What’s with the sparks?”
As I was delivering a repulsive punch to Serif’s cheek I uttered a single word:
”Electrons.”
Serif went flying into the air, but he roughly managed to land on his feet.
While staggering, he wiped some blood that escaped through his mouth and said:
”That’s a neat ability.”
Serif was quickly making his way towards me while pulling out a normal bola, he delivered a swift powerful blow to my left side. I started tumbling on the ground, but I forced my tumble into a crouching position and started to stand up.
”Impressive, but why’d you switch weapons? Wouldn’t the other bola of been more effective?”
”That might be true, but I have my reasons.”
After having said that, Serif launched his bola at me. It wasn’t nearly as fast as his rocket one; all I had to do was activate my Electronic shield. Something didn’t feel right; Serif didn’t seem like the person to repeat a mistake twice. Especially after he made that remark about my abilities when it first happened.
As the bola was flying in the opposite direction, thanks to my Electronic shield, I felt something coming up from behind me.
To my surprise, Serif used his normal bola as a diversion. He snuck up behind me with his rocket bola and, while activating it, he swung it towards my back. I suppose if that hit actually connected I would be getting slammed to the ceiling, but it didn’t.
I created repulsion between me and the metal of his bola’s sphere, I was flying in the air momentarily but at least it wasn’t thanks to the bola.
Instead of staying in my current position and eventually slamming head first into the ceiling, I decided to back flip and land right behind Serif, standing expressionless and composed.
”Not a bad try but you could do better, if you were trying to actually cause damage.”
”What are you talking about?”
”it was clear to me from the beginning, you were only assessing my fighting capabilities.”
”So it was that obvious?”
”No, but you really shouldn’t underestimate my deduction abilities.”
”Heh” Serif grinned.
”At any rate, why did you start this in the first place? You still haven’t explained yourself.”
“Well, as promised, I will tell you what I know.”
”Your powers are a result of years of experimenting, carried out by researchers under an organization who call themselves A.T.O.M”
My eyes were widening in shock of what my ears were hearing. Who is this man? And How does he know so much about me?
”Who…who are you? And how do you know so much about my past?”
”I know more about your past, more than yourself. “
”For example, your real name is Ryan Limone. And your birth parents are Mohammad and Lisa Limone.”
”What?!...” This information was more than shocking to me.
”….What happened to my parents? How much do you know about them?”
”All I know is, your father was a researcher at A.T.O.M and at first he was going to be the subject of their experiments. But after you were born, your father denied their “offer”. He wanted to stay by his son’s side, and did not want to risk his life. That only infuriated them even more, A.T.O.M took you by force after murdering both your parents, although they did keep your father alive slightly longer than your mother just to make him see his son become an experimental subject but he was eventually killed as well.”
”As for your mother, she was a well known lawyer. One of the top ranking lawyers in the world. I suppose you inherit your deductive abilities from her, and your intelligence from your father.”
”So you’re saying… my parents are dead.. And it’s because of… me”
”No, they’re dead because they chose to die. They sacrificed their last breathing moments to try and prevent you from becoming a test subject. You should be honored to call them your parents, and instead of looking at the past you should look towards the future, because..”
”I have some information about A.T.O.M”
”You do want to find them right? After all, they’re the people who have forbidden you from ever living a normal life.”
Proton froze there on his knees, with his head tilted towards the ground, not uttering a word.
”Here, catch this” Serif threw a card in Proton’s direction. Proton did not catch the card but instead attracted it to the bottom of his open right hand palm.
”What is this?”
”It’s an ID card to one of their headquarters; it’ll come in handy soon.”
After regrouping himself and finally comprehending everything he had just heard, Proton stood up and regained eye contact with Serif.
”Well, what about you? I’m sure this won’t be the last time I see that snarky face of yours.”
”Oh you’ll be seeing my snarky face alright, partner.”
”I don’t mind, as long as you can keep up.”
”I can do more than just keep up.” Said Serif with a smirk on his face and determination in his eyes.
”Something occurred to me..” Said Proton.
”What exactly do you gain from this?”
”I have my own personal reasons. You might discover them eventually, and you might not.”
”Hmph” Proton smirked.
”Good enough for me.”
The two gladiators stared at each other with fiery determination and great will.
Moments later, Proton walked towards the exit of the cave and momentarily stopped.
“I suppose this is only the beginning” He thought to himself with a high chin and eyes towards the raining clouds.
The sky started becoming clear, as if to symbolize what Proton just said.
Indeed it was only the beginning….
To be continued…. (Maybe).
[I would just love to say thank you to Crank for this wonderful opportunity of battling someone as good as him. And I know that I still have much to learn, I’ll greatly welcome the CnC and I hope to improve myself in the future to maybe even be as good as him someday.]
[/Spoiler]
Crank (Serif) (Click to Show)
His limbs shook as they threatened collapse, but his head rose to the road ahead. He was so close… if he could just…
His arms gave way and his body struck the dirt, sweat turning it to mud.
Tires screamed in the distance.
i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!
“Hang on, give me a second! Slow down, dammit!” The RHG office had been tense ever since the employee answered a phone call, brow furrowed in frustration as he signaled the man across from him to give him just one more minute as he stared at a computer screen. “You think I have every gladiator we hire memorized? I need time to look for the guy you described, and I’m getting real sick of you calling me with an accusation every time someone’s dying!” He flinched suddenly and jerked the phone from his ear as a torrent of yelling exploded from the device.
“Is that normal?”
The RHG worker nodded with a scoff. “Only when you have an ex-wife in your opposite industry.” A fresh wave of shouting came forth from the phone. “I’m with a client, Debrah! Yes, I’m talking about you, you psychotic bitch! Be less of one and I’ll do it less! --Wait, hang on, I think I might have something. Shut up, I need a second to read this!”
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