A Silent Struggle (Part I)

The remnants of the facility trembled as another explosion echoed through its collapsing halls. Val stood amidst the chaos, his chest rising and falling as he clutched Reinhart Bellator's skeletal remains tightly.

The monstrous Void-corrupted creature before him filled the room with its oppressive presence, its eyeless face tilting toward him with unnatural awareness. 

Its jagged limbs twitched, and the veins of glowing green-black Void energy running through its translucent flesh pulsed in erratic bursts. Every breath Val took was a struggle, the air around him heavy with the corrupt energy emanating from the creature. 

"You've got to be shitting me," Val muttered, rolling his shoulders despite the ache in his muscles. 

The creature roared, its guttural cry shaking the chamber and sending cracks racing up the walls. 

"Deleo," Val said inwardly, his tone sharp. "What the hell is this thing?"

Deleo's response came immediately, tinged with urgency. "It's a failed Void experiment—an unstable creature that never fully merged with the Void's power. It's dangerous, Val. Be careful."

Val narrowed his eyes, his Purple Fire flickering to life around his hands. "Yeah, no shit, it's dangerous. Any advice, or are you just here to state the obvious?" 

Deleo hesitated. "Run. That's my advice."

Val snorted, sidestepping as the creature lunged, its massive claws raking through the air where he had been standing.

The force of its strike shattered the floor, sending debris flying. "Helpful as always," he muttered, teleporting to the far side of the room. 

Val's teleportation was barely fast enough to keep him ahead of the creature's relentless attacks. Its limbs moved with terrifying speed for something so large, each strike sending shockwaves through the room.

Val hurled a concentrated blast of Purple Fire, the flames engulfing its torso and scorching its corrupted flesh. 

The creature howled in pain, but barely slowed. Instead, the wounds began to pulse, the surrounding veins glowing brighter as the flesh knitted itself back together. 

"Deleo!" Val shouted, dodging another strike that left a crater in the wall. "Why the fuck is it healing?!" 

"It's drawing power from the ambient Void energy in this place," Deleo explained, his voice edged with worry. "You're fighting it on its turf, Val. You need to disrupt its connection to the Void."

"Oh, great," Val muttered sarcastically, leaping back as the creature's claws grazed his side. Pain flared along his ribs, but he gritted his teeth and summoned more fire.

"Got any brilliant ideas for how to do that?" 

"Yes," Deleo replied quickly. "Put Reinhart's remains down and run."

Val barked a humorless laugh, teleporting again to avoid another swipe.

"Oh, so now you're telling me to leave him? Where the fuck did all that righteous fury go when you almost choked me to death over Reinhart's remains? What, you're okay with leaving him to this thing now?"

Deleo's response was instant and indignant. "I wasn't choking you! That was... an emotional surge!"

Val snorted, dodging another claw that shattered the ground. "Emotional surge, my ass, great. Your emotional surge is going to get us both killed. Thanks for that."

"You're the one who's still standing here arguing!" Deleo shot back, his tone rising. "Run before I 'emotionally surge' again!"

"Not a fucking chance," Val muttered, slamming another burst of Purple Fire into the creature's side.

The creature lunged again, and this time, Val wasn't fast enough. Its massive claw slammed into him, sending him flying across the room like a rag doll. He crashed into a pile of rubble, the impact knocking the air from his lungs. 

Coughing and gasping, Val staggered to his feet, wiping blood from the corner of his mouth. His limbs ached, and his vision blurred momentarily, but he refused to stay down. 

"You're getting reckless," Deleo said, his tone sharp. "You need to be more careful."

Val snorted, raising a hand and igniting another burst of Purple Fire. He barely dodged as the creature's claws slashed past him, the force of the strike sending chunks of debris flying.

"Yeah, because this thing's totally gonna wait for me to take a breather!"

Deleo's voice came through, sharp and urgent. "Be careful! You're pushing too hard!"

Val teleported again, reappearing a safe distance away, just as the creature's tail smashed into the floor where he'd been standing. He threw a fiery glare upward, his breath ragged.

"Careful? Deleo, I'm already being careful! Careful not to fucking die while getting thrown around like a rag doll! You know what would help? You materialize right now and fight this thing instead of yelling at me like some weird cheerleader!"

Deleo's tone turned defensive. "Excuse me! I am providing crucial moral support!"

"Moral support isn't going to stop this thing from impaling me!" Val growled, unleashing another wave of fire at the creature's torso. The flames struck true, scorching the pulsating veins beneath its skin, but the beast only roared louder, charging again.

Deleo paused, almost sulking. "You're the one who told me to stay inside. Make up your mind!"

"I never said such a thing!" Val snapped, teleporting just as the creature's claws raked through the space he'd occupied. He reappeared on a crumbling ledge, panting.

"This isn't a stay-and-observe situation, Deleo! I need backup—not a Void therapist!"

The creature roared again, its body swelling as it absorbed more Void energy. It moved with renewed ferocity, forcing Val to teleport rapidly to avoid its strikes. 

"I could use some more than ancient wisdom right now," Val said through gritted teeth. 

"Here's some wisdom," Deleo replied. "Don't die."

Val laughed bitterly, his voice strained. "You're not listening to me! You're really earning your keep." 

"Excuse me," Deleo shot back, his tone indignant. "I'm not the one who thought it was a good idea to pick a fight with a Void berserker."

"Not much of a choice," Val snapped, dodging another swipe that shattered a nearby column. He reappeared behind the creature, hurling a concentrated stream of fire at its back.

"Also, isn't this thing technically your fault? You are the Void, after all." 

Deleo hesitated. "…I'm not taking responsibility for this. I didn't tell them to make it."

Val rolled his eyes, ducking as the creature's tail lashed out. "Good to know. You're about as useful as a broken compass." 

Val's Purple Fire flared brighter, fueled by sheer determination, as he continued his assault. He targeted the glowing veins running through the creature's body, aiming to disrupt the flow of energy. 

Deleo's voice broke through his focus. "You're destabilizing it, but it's becoming more volatile. Be careful, Val. If it explodes, we're both screwed."

"Then maybe stop holding back and help me end this!" Val shouted, teleporting again to avoid a sweeping strike. 

"I can't risk it!" Deleo replied, his voice laced with fear. "If you push too hard, the Void might take over completely—"

"And if I don't push hard enough, we die anyway!" Val retorted, his fire blazing with renewed intensity. 

The creature reared back, letting out another bone-shaking roar as it prepared for a final charge. Val braced himself, his body aching and his mind racing. 

"Deleo," Val muttered, his voice low but resolute. "Trust me. We end this now." 

The creature lunged, and Val's Purple Fire erupted in an explosive torrent, engulfing the chamber in a blinding light.