ISSUE #106

The sky above was dark and clouded, thunder boomed, and lightning flashed.

Ian and Bastion collided with one another in a bright flash of light. They emerged from the bright sphere trading fierce blows back and forth with one another. Each blow thrown sounded like thunder, each strike capable of easily leveling a mountain.

Bastion threw a strong right. Ian caught it with his left hand and returned a punch of his own. Bastion caught his right hand and held it in place.

Without saying a word, Bastion and Ian both leaned their heads back and headbutted each other. The result was a blinding flash of light and a roaring sound, like steel slamming against steel.

Again, they head butted each other, and again and again. Repeatedly they bashed their heads together. Until Ian caught Bastion off-guard with a surprise Knee to his Jaw.

Ian held fast to Bastion's hands as the man began to float away. Using his strength, he pulled the man back and delivered a strong kick to the side of the man's head, sending him crashing into the ground below.

Bastion landed on the ground and quickly turned, firing a volley of energy bombs into the air as Ian followed.

Ian stopped and used his hand to cut one of the energy bombs in half, causing it to explode along with the others.

Ian exploded from the smoke cloud and landed on the ground across from Bastion.

As soon as he did, Bastion began firing on him once more.

Ian ran through the blasts, towards Bastion. Dodging, leaping, and deflecting each blast that came his way, until he was close to the man.

Bastion, feeling nervous, began backing away while still firing. Hoping to create some distance to give him room to breathe. Unfortunately, Ian caught one of his blasts in his hand and lunged at the man, throwing Bastion's own energy blast right into his face.

Ian then lashed out on Bastion, landing a vicious series of punches on the man's face. He then kicked Bastion in his chin, sending him rolling along the dusty ground, and blasted him with a series of strong energy blasts.

" HAAAAA!" Bastion yelled. He exploded back out of the smoking dust cloud, angrily. He exploded towards Ian and head butted him in the face, drawing blood, and sending Ian flying. He then started firing energy blasts at Ian again.

Ian twisted in the air and landed on his feet, jumping forward and avoiding the blasts. Bastion waited for the smoke to clear to see if he had hit Ian, but when it did, Ian was gone.

Bastion scanned the area for Ian, looking for any sign of him.

" Hey, over here." Ian whispered.

Bastion turned around to see Ian standing behind him, with his arms crossed and a smile on his face.

" I know we're both under a lot of pressure, but how about trying to stay focused?" Ian taunted the man.

" Smart ass." Bastion replied. He and Ian flew at each other. Ian punched at Bastion.

Bastion ducked his punch and kicked at Ian.

Ian used his hand to push himself off of Bastion's leg, vaulting over him. He then tried to kick Bastion, but the man ducked the kick and used the ground to kick up into the air, hitting Ian in his stomach.

Ian reeled from the kick, but quickly shot a blast of energy down at Bastion.

Bastion leapt out of the way, narrowly avoiding the blast as it exploded behind him.

Ian rolled in the air and brought his hands down on top of Bastion's head.

Bastion's head jerked down violently from the force, but returned with just as much strength, hitting Ian in his chin and lifting him back into the air. Bastion, then grabbed Ian's leg and slammed him on the ground. Bastion tried to slam his foot down on Ian's head, but the man rolled out of the way and sprang back onto his feet in a crouching position. Bastion quickly turned on his heel. He threw a sharp round house kick at Ian's head.

Ian quickly ducked under Bastion's leg and used his hand to knock Bastion's remaining leg out from under him.

As they both fell towards the ground they glared at each other, a strong smirk on both of their bloodied faces.

Ian and Bastion both used their hands to push themselves up off the ground and clashed with each other in the air. Successfully exchanging a series of blows once again before pushing off each other.

Ian flew high into the air and faced bastion. He clamped his hands together and started gathering energy before making them form a triangle shape.

Bastion followed after Ian, hopping to stop him from firing his attack.

"HAAAAA!" Ian released a triangular blast that sent Bastion crashing back into the ground with force, leaving behind a square shaped hole.

Bastion re-emerged from the hole. Flying straight towards Ian.

Ian did the same, flying straight towards Bastion.

Ian crashed into Bastion, using his legs to block the man's body, and used his right hand to land a shockingly powerful punch right on Bastion's jaw.

Bastion landed on the ground hard, it was becoming clear that despite his clear advantage before that Ian was beginning to overpower him.

" It doesn't make sense. My sentinel should be working. They should have drained him of his power by now. How can he still go this strong?" Bastion asked himself. And then it hit him. " The girl. Whatever she did must have flushed them out of his system. Destroyed them. That has to be it." Bastion reasoned.

There were two reasons, why Bastion's plan was failing. The first. Noriko's power surging into Ian's bloodstream helped to flush out and destroy the sentinels still in his bloodstream. The second thing, however, was of Bastion's own doing. In had lost an immeasurable amount of blood. More than any normal man could withstand. In fact. Whatever Sentinels remained within the man, were most likely not enough to hamper his powers to such an extent that he could not use them.

Ian landed behind Bastion and leaned down next to the man's ear.

" What's the matter? You seem stressed out." Ian whispered.

Bastion whipped around and punched Ian in his stomach as hard as he could, but Ian didn't even budge. In fact, he hardly even felt it.

Ian frowned at Bastion. He raised two fingers up to the man's chest and delivered a devasting one inch punch that dropped bastion back to his knees.

" Is that the best you can do? I'm disappointed. Before you couldn't stop bragging. Now all I see is a shell of disappointment." Ian spoke.

His words cut through Bastion like a hot knife, angering the man to no known extreme.

" HAAA!" Bastion raised his hand and blasted Ian in his face.

When the smoke cleared away, Ian stood there unfazed by the attack. But when he looked down Bastion was gone.

" I will not stand for this! I will not be humiliated, nor will I be pitied by a filthy low-class wretch! NOW DIE ALONG WITH YOUR PATHETIC PEOPLE!" Bastion put his hands out, using all the energy his body could muster, and fired a single blast right down at Ian, hopping to wipe him and anything else within range out for good.

Ian could feel it coming back, the power within his body, he looked at the blast coming right towards him and jumped. He jumped straight at it.

Ian flew straight through Bastion's energy blast. He balled up his fist and brought to his side.

" HAAAAH!" When Ian reached Bastion, he punched through the man's hands and chest, destroying the entire right side of his body. He quickly turned around and with the rest of his remaining strength blasted the Machine.

" This.... This is impossible! THIS ISN'T WHAT I WAS TOLD!!!!!!" Bastion yelled. He grunted and gasped as his body slowly deteriorated into nothing.

Ian's blast was bright and red, flashing across the sky like a tidal wave.

The authorities approaching, were nearly caught up in the raging wave.

When the dust finally cleared, Bastion was gone. Nothing remained of the man.

Ian panted. He had used as much energy as his body could muster for that blast.

" That was for Rahne, you son of a bitch." Ian muttered. He then began to fall back towards the ground.

He landed harshly, straight on his back.

" Mom! Nori!" Ian called out. " I BEAT HIM!!!!" Ian exclaimed.