Chapter 33: Watch and Learn
Jumping through the hole made by Anyxa, he began swinging his chains.
A place where thoughts flourished into ideas. How ironic to see it deserted, a soon-to-be battlefield. This was what this country had fought so hard to preserve.
The building that was as absurd from the inside as it was from the outside was in shambles. The pillars supporting it were barely standing. It was somewhat circular with multiple floors leading to pathways that extended to other buildings. Looking up, his eyes met the dark sky. He couldn't even imagine what this place would've looked like through the network.
It was right there, the crater where she had landed, in the middle right under the skylight. Seeing her body missing, he jumped down, letting his chains slow his fall. When he'd landed, he carefully crouched down, closing his eyes and feeling the ground with his fingers.
Ever since they'd first met Slava had been thinking about their encounter. How did her suit work? Where did the power come from? And that's when he realized, did it really matter where it actually came from? In essence, wasn't her power also a sort of movement? The movement of decay… He'd gotten a hint through curing both Valerie and Sasha, but because the suits' domains were artificial, once he started fiddling with them there was little to no resistance. So if he could tap into hers, wouldn't he be able to disarm her and gain a new source of knowledge? Opening his eyes, he smirked, his eyes shimmering dangerously.
"Found you!" He said dashing to the side. She was already mid-air, her claws fully extended reaching toward his throat. She was good at sensing danger, he'd give her that. Using his chains he flipped his body through the air brutally kicking her to the ground. Landing next to her, he let his chains wrap themselves around her, lifting her up and bringing her head close to his.
"The hunter becomes the hunted," hearing his words, she tried to move her claws, but her efforts were meaningless. He was draining her, every one of her movements fueled his. Her accelerated metabolism which put her on death's door and gave her all of her strength was now being used against her. He knew her strength was leaving her as her resistance died down and the black flames around her dimmed.
She clearly hadn't possessed this suit for very long, either that or she simply didn't see its vast potential. She couldn't even control its output. How did Serena struggle against her last time? Maybe it was because of her vegetative nature, or was it something else? Regardless, Anyxa was here now, right in the palm of his hand, he wouldn't waste this opportunity. Squinting his eyes he extended his arm. He could feel the link, but when he tried to grab onto it, he felt a dark force stopping him. Oh, so she wasn't as dumb as he thought. That or the suit had some implemented defensive mechanisms. He wondered, would it weaken if he roughed her up a little? Thinking this, the corners of his mouth twisted up.
"This is what we call potential energy transfer," he said, moving his palm toward her chest. As the chains restraining her loosened, their glow flowed into Slava's back. The flow then reemerged, but as lightning that moved to his hand. Letting it go, he continued, "have a taste of your own medicine." Following his words, his palm swiftly morphed into a fist that hit her square in the chest. All of the lightning flowing into it flowed into her and she was launched through the building's wall.
He had an advantage right now that he had to make use of. Just like earlier, in the air, he had maneuverability where she didn't. Especially now that she was weakened, he had to take the opportunity. Frowning, lightning spreading to his feet, he dashed off.
He ran across the curved surfaces of the skyscrapers, dragging his hand through them, the windows cracking below him. In no time, he caught up to her.
Bending his knees, he propelled himself, his feet leaving a curving wall, his chains moving past him, grabbing a helpless Anyxa and smashing her into a nearby skyscraper.
"You're a monster," he heard her twisted voice say through two gasps of air. He hadn't thought of that, but to think she would use the same words they used to describe her.
"Me? A monster? Maybe, but you fucked with my family…" Although he wasn't showing it, his cold gaze hid overwhelming anger, an anger that soon manifested in his actions. "And you don't fuck with my family!" He screamed, throwing her back towards another building.
Dashing toward her once more, he repeated the same maneuvers, throwing, kicking, punching, her suit getting more and more damaged. By the end of it, she was groveling on the ground as he stepped forward, slowly bending down, forcefully raising her by the head. When he did, her flames momentarily flared up. Her claws swiftly extended from her fingers and she slashed. The movement was slow but there wasn't enough distance for him to react in time. The claws aiming for his head didn't reach it but they still left a few gashes in his arm.
"Oh, so you still have some strength left?" He said, smiling. "Does this mean you still want more?" He asked, looking at his sizzling arm. Slowly clenching his fist, he watched as the suit covered the wound.
Closing his eyes he moved his chains to shackle her once more. This should be enough right? Letting some of his chains seep in he felt around for the source and that's when a chill crept down his spine. He tried to open his eyes, but he couldn't. It wasn't only his eyes, he couldn't move his body at all.
"Anyxa, leave," he heard a soft voice say. "I'll deal with him, go help Lightbringer." Neurotoxins... dammit! He should've known, he thought he could keep her at bay by kicking Anyxa around. Shit, like hell he would let her go! Feeling his prey leave his grasp, his eyes snapped open, bloodshot, veins throbbing on his forehead. Lightning spread from his back and his chains constricted around his limbs. If his limbs didn't want to move, he'd move them.
He felt unimaginable pain as he artificially moved his limbs, but it didn't matter, he couldn't let them get to Kolya, he'd without a doubt be overwhelmed. He could feel his muscles tearing. They'd probably planned this. That's why Anyxa looked so relieved when she got to inflict such a small wound on him.
Screaming, his feet left the ground, his remaining chains moving towards a kneeling dark figure. But before they could reach, a second figure moved in to intercept them. It was white contrasting the other. His vision was still blurry, but he didn't need to see to know who she was.
"I've fought someone like you before," she said, grasping his chains, "and I actually learned a thing or two." Her soft voice was composed, uncharacteristically emotionless. It sounded young, but the mannerisms with which she spoke felt out of place.
"Child, let me teach you a lesson." Teach him what? He didn't get the chance to think it over when he felt his back being pulled as his feet left the ground. What? "Vich Screen, you should respect your elders. Surely Loyd and Despira taught you that." How did she use his own momentum against him? And how did she know… Shocked, he couldn't react fast enough.
"Let aunty remind you," she said in a familiar tone. Aunty? Aunty Aria? She…
Before he could fully grasp the situation, his foot was grabbed and his back hit the ground. He blinked and a figure appeared before him looking down. She crouched and that's when her suit retreated from the upper half of her face revealing her piercing brown eyes.
"Come back home kid. Whatever happens, we'll figure it out together." Her words seemed soft, but her expression didn't shift. She really was related to the old man. He laughed, to think that the Blood Queen had been in front of his eyes all along. The famous sister of the first Blackcoda.
"Hahaha! How does it feel to beat down your neph…ew aun…ty?" Aunty my ass, to think this hag had been lying to him too. But he could still use her.
"Kid, don't play with me," she said, squinting her eyes, and pressing him down. He wasn't sure if this person in front of him was the same one who he used to spar with, but what he knew was that she was going after those he cared about and he just couldn't let that slide. He had to protect his family at any cost. Sasha, Kolya, Anissa, Despira, and Loyd.
"Haha, you think I want to go back?" His eyes flashed with a white glow. "My whole life I was shackled by invisible chains holding me down. But now I am free!" A sharp chain sprung up from his back heading straight for Aria's head. "This is the real me!" Before it could reach, she pulled herself back.
Taking this opportunity, Slava stood up with difficulty. Come on! It still didn't wear off? Fuck this stupid body. Gritting his teeth the chains around his limbs tightened even further as he lunged after her.