CHAPTER 176
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[Alex Walker POV]
There were a few things that really aggravated me, mentally speaking.
One of them was watching my friends, my comrades, fighting to the death, and not being able to help them. Because like them, I was trapped in the game of a mad man.
It pained me. Watching Bucky battle someone who was forty levels ahead of him and not being able to do anything about it was torture.
Nonetheless, Bucky had won.
Against all odds and logic, he had won.
Defeating an enemy that by all means outclassed him.
"Well, ladies and gentlemen, the first round goes to team A!" The Beyonder announced, teleporting Bucky towards the stands that worked as our prison during this game.
Growling at the Beyonder under my breath, I moved to treat Bucky's wounds with a few potions, while the Ancient One stared at the all-powerful brat floating a few meters away from us.
"We can't lose," The Ancient One muttered.
"I know," I nodded, forcing the potions down Bucky's throat.
The situation was dire, heck, even Thor knew this, his entire posture and body language screamed he knew what was happening. We had to win, there was no other choice for us, we had for the moment to comply with the whims of a child, playing with us like his personal toys.
"Now, let's get ready for the second match!" The Beyonder announced, smiling from cheek to cheek, "Lady Sif, Vs, Dorothy!" with that said, the Beyonder snapped his fingers, and the once winter-themed battleground changed to an arena full of people, it almost looked like the Asgard arena.
Sif… it was Sif's turn? Once again, I would be forced to watch someone I cared about, fight against all odds?!
"Alex," Sif said, snapping me out of my train of thought, "I will win, don't worry,"
I blinked, had I really been projecting my feelings so much she had read me like an open book?
"I can't help but worry," I chuckled without emotion.
"I know," Sif nodding, as the Beyonder teleporter her to the newly formed arena.
"Good luck," I muttered.
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[Sif POV]
Before today, the idea of someone standing above the All-Father in power was a thought that shouted impossibility.
For he, in the eyes of every Asgardian was absolute power.
Yet, today, that idea shattered like a mirror.
The Beyonder.
His mere presence screamed at me to run, I wanted to.
But I couldn't.
Running would leave Alex alone.
He wouldn't run.
So that meant, I couldn't run.
I was afraid.
But I was not gonna let my fear control me.
"All-Father, bless me with your might," I sighed, unsheathing my blade. Waiting for my opponent to appear.
"Dorothy, don't keep the audience waiting," The Beyonder, the monster that had trapped us chuckled, as a girl, no older than Emily appeared in the battleground, holding a black teddy bear in her hands.
"Sorry!" Dorothy giggled, skipping towards me very slowly, "I was taking a nap!" the girl added.
I blinked, I was to battle a child?!
What kind of sick game this monster was playing?!
"Now, let the battle begin!" The Beyonder declared, disappearing out of sight.
"I hope my appearance doesn't fool you," Dorothy, the girl I was supposed to fight giggled, holding her teddy bear tight, "Believe it or not, I'm stronger than I look, in fact, Spartan was the weakest of our group, no wonder he died," she pouted.
She was right.
This was not the time to hesitate.
"I thank you, for those words," I nodded, rushing at her.
"Momo, tear her apart," Dorothy smiled, tossing her black teddy bear into the sky.
"What?" I muttered, seeing how the once stuffed animal morphed into a monster, a demon covered in black flames from head to toe, flames that didn't seem to burn him at all.
Then, without a second thought, the now ten-foot-tall beast, roared, with enough power to push me back.
I cursed.
I had hoped not to be outmatched like Bucky had been.
But if the roar was anything to go by, Dorothy and her beast were stronger than me.
"Bring it on!" I roared back, challenging the beast.
After all, I was not permitted to lose, I had promised a victory, and a victory I would deliver!
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[Dorothy POV]
I smiled in anticipation, soon, Momo would tear the little goddess apart, limb by limb, leaving nothing but a gory picture of madness, what a delight, I couldn't help but giggle at the thought.
Nonetheless, Momo was having a relatively hard time against her.
Admirable, I supposed.
She was clearly out of her range.
And yet, she was keeping her ground.
Though, if anything she was simply delaying the inevitable.
Oh well.
The more they struggle, the sweeter it is to hear them scream in sheer agony.
"Momo, be a dear, and hurry up," I sighed in annoyance while looking at the time, "We have a tea party in ten minutes,"
Momo in reply roared, his body growing even more as he entered his sweet, sweet berserker mode. Her end was near, and just in time for my tea party, how fun!
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[Sif POV]
No matter what I did, the beast was unfaced by my attacks.
It pained to admit it, but it was clear the girl and his toy were toying with me, playing with their food.
I tried everything, getting closer to the girl, attacking the beast from every angle, but nothing fazed the creature.
I was out of my range.
That much became more than evident when the girl annoyingly asked her toy to wrap things up. This in turn made the bear stronger, faster, and subsequently beyond my capabilities to defend.
I managed to dodge the first attack, soon after the beast entered his berserker mode.
The second attack, I didn't even see it coming.
In fact, I realized what had happened a few moments after, when a new pain shot up on my right side.
I had lost an arm.
"Sif!!!" Alex screamed, trying to break out of the prison the Beyonder had him.
"Sorry Alex, rules are rules," The Beyonder chuckled, mocking Alex.
"You BASTARD!" Thor screamed, trying with Alex to break through the barrier that kept them in place.
It was a futile attempt.
I knew that.
They knew that.
"Well, it's time to end this little party, don't you think?" Dorothy smiled.
I looked at the girl, his beast, and then at Alex.
No.
I was not going to give up.
"I am the goddess of war, child, and war only ends when one party surrenders! And I will never SURRENDER!" I shouted, breaking my shirt off with my remaining hand to tie it around my arm, to avoid bleeding out.
"Some people really don't know their place," Dorothy sighed in disappointment.
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[Dorothy POV]
I was being merciful.
I even offer her a quick way to end it all.
But no good deed ever goes unpunished.
"Momo, kill her, and be quick, I grow tired of this charade," I sighed, ordering my faithful companion to end this little playdate.
Momo nodded, roaring in delight, as he pushed his advance towards the one-armed idiot.
Then, as my Momo was about to attack her once again, she did something I was not expecting, she dodge.
"How?" I mused, a few seconds ago Momo's attacks had been too fast for her to even register. Now, she was reacting, avoiding what should be her imminent death.
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[The Ancient One POV]
Sif had started the fight being totally and absolutely overwhelmed. The demon she was fighting was one that eclipsed her in every way, power, speed, and magic.
In every aspect, Dorothy and her beast stood above her.
And yet, Sif refused to give up.
That continued for a while, to the point, the battle had claimed one of her arms.
A point where many would've thrown the towel.
And yet, she refused to give up.
And now, the gap that was at one point painfully clear between her and Dorothy, was disappearing.
Because out of sheer desperation, and will, Sif was evolving.
Become a true goddess.
She was tapping into her godly domain, for the first time ever.
Slowly, but surely becoming stronger.
"GOD DAMN IT!" Alex roared.
"She will win," I assured him.
He didn't reply, I didn't blame him.
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[Dorothy POV]
This made no sense.
A few moments ago, she was but a rat cornered!
Now, I couldn't even touch her!
And what was worse, her attacks were affecting Momo!
"Momo! I told you to kill her!" I screamed.
Momo roared, but it changed nothing.
"Now we are even, beast," Sif growled, and for a moment, I wondered what she meant.
It was then that I realized, she had cut one of Momo's arms.
"You think you will win?" I spat, "You will only achieve agony here!"
I was not gonna let this pathetic woman defeat me, I was Dorothy! The Demon Princess!
"I will win, even if it costs me my life, child!" Sif shouted back, blasting towards me at great speed.
I cursed.
"You will win nothing!" I spat, summoning all of my toys.
If she thought Momo was my only toy, she was mistaken!
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[Sif POV]
I don't know how, or why.
But I was suddenly stronger.
The injury that should have crippled me, seemed to be a minor inconvenience.
I felt, liberated.
Every move, every step, every swing of my sword, felt light, and fast.
I felt, mighty.
And with this new feeling, a possibility I thought impossible opened. Victory had become achievable.
Dorothy knew this.
I knew it.
She was panicking.
Summoning dozens of her toys.
In an attempt to crush me.
And yet.
The numbers barely changed a thing.
"Die die die! DIE ALREADY!" Dorothy screamed, stomping her feet to the ground in a fit.
Behind all that bravado, and bloodlust, she was but a child, created by a monster to fight for his sick entertainment.
I pitied her.
"I'm sorry," I muttered moving towards her, "I truly am,"
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[Dorothy POV]
"I'm sorry," She muttered, moving towards me, "I truly am,"
She pitied me?
Me?!
I… I was Dorothy! The Demon Princess! I..
How dare she?!
"You DON'T GET TO PITY ME!" I cried, ordering all my toys to attack her.
She had no right, she had no RIGHT!
"Blame your creator," Sif muttered, swiftly slashing through all of my toys with ease.
This was NO FAIR!
She was cheating!
"Cheater, cheater, pants on fire!" I screamed, as my last remaining toys gathered around me to protect me, Momo being amongst them.
How was this fair?! She was cheating! She was getting stronger by the second! NO FAIR!
"Well, this settles it," My father, spoke.
"What?" I muttered, turning to look at my creator, my father standing above me, disappointed.
"You lost," He replied.
No, I HAVEN'T LOST!
"The battle has not ended!" Sif declared.
"Please, Asgardian," Father rolled his eyes, "The moment you awakened your Asgardian powers, Dorothy became useless,"
Useless? No, I WAS STILL USEFUL!
"Daddy, please, let me try again, I can win, I know I CAN!" I begged, crying at him.
"Daddy?" He turned to look at me in disgust, "You mean nothing to me, begone,"
Wha-
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[Sif POV]
Without a second thought, he had killed Dorothy, one moment she was there, the next, she was gone, he simply willed her existence to end.
"The winner of the second round is Sif!" He proclaimed with a smile.
"You monster," I hissed.
"Rude," He rolled his eyes, snapping his fingers, teleporting me back to my team, apparently regenerating my arm in the process. "A gift, for having to deal with that poor excuse of a warrior, that's on me, I failed to make her competent," he smiled, pointing at my arm.