Maya sat in her Winter White Emilio Pucci jumpsuit, watching as Leonel sat amongst the Ninjan committee getting a briefing of the entire situation. Boredom begins to permeate through her facial expressions, needless to say; she wasn’t entirely invested saving anything. She went to the academy to learn how to harvest her powers—she did, now her intent was to learn their limits; something Valerie herself had been helping her with. Being in the heart of a major city, as one of the most popular teen models in the world; and now thanks to Ziccarra’s rise to power in Spain, she was an involuntary diplomat—all things that came with amazing perks; and like any teenager would she took advantage of them whenever she could.
This however; was a vibe killer, rising to her feet she paced back and forth hoping, this meeting wouldn’t amount to anything; but judging from the wary looks and repetitive habits exhibited by the Ninjans; she could see things weren’t going to good. Releasing an over exaggerated breath she glance down at her phone to realize she hadn’t spoken with Catalina in days, nor did she have a signal to even try.
Her eyes darted down the dark corridor where, Madison and Leonel were slowly making their way back from the meeting. Stalking towards them she observed Leonel release a succession of genuine laughs in the direction of the green queen. “He likes her...” she teased, before stopping across from the two.
“Well what’s the situation?” She asked, glancing back and forth searching for some sort of good news.
“Well…” Madison started, placing her hands admiral style behind her back. “A few days ago the station was attacked by a horde of red…beings, they had the element of surprise because they attacked; and returned to the portal from whence they came. I’m certain they’ll be back” Madison explained, her head shifting back and forth to both Liafadors.
“What makes you so certain?” Maya quickly retort. “They said, they’d be back. I want to mobilize the fleet; but that can take days…” Madison explained.
“All we have is a visual image of the woman in charge” waving her hand a screen materialized in front of the three flashing the image of a woman that look exactly like their mother—except she was a blonde.
“Wait…another version mami? What is that three now?” Maya asked, shifting to get a better look. “I’m fairly certain this proves that there are more Earths than the one we know.” Leonel finally said, resting his arm on his sister’s lithe shoulder.
“You mean ONES we KNEW, don’t forget you’re from a different Earth too” she said, with a slight chuckle. “I hope now you see why me and mami don’t really get along; every version I run into is evil. Anyways what do we do now?” She asked reluctantly, she knew they were getting dragged into this conflict.
“Now I need you to create a portal…using this dimensional coordinates, and then let Alexis know where I’ve gone” Leonel asked, handing Maya a slip of paper. It was at that moment Maya remembered her conversation with their mother regarding Leonel’s temperament; it looked as if that same thing was being displayed here.
“No…” Maya whispered realizing what they were keeping from her. “That can’t be true I sealed them in a pocket dimension!” She screamed frantically.
“It appears these machines are a lot more resourceful than we give them credit for.” Madison added; still unsure as to how the 3rd Society had shifted to another Earth.
Maya glanced at Leonel, her gaze was one of worry; she’d never seen anything trouble him to the point where it actually showed. She didn’t say anything, extending her hand out to the left she channeled her inner energies; before creating a portal inside the station.
“I can feel it…it’s a warzone. The 3rd Society has wronged me too Leonel, and you’re my brother…I’m not letting you do this alone” She informed him, before jumping into the portal before he could even protest.
Seeing Madison again felt like an early Christmas present, the circumstances of their short-lived reunion however, left a lot to be desired. The last time they spoke they'd agreed that he'd lend his assistance to her and her people if they needed it. And they had also agreed not to pursue anything beyond a friendship, the distance between their worlds making a potential relationship too painful. Still it was... nice. He listened as the Ninjan Queen spoke and couldn't help but chuckle at her jests, even the clearly funny ones, though he never allowed himself to become sidetracked by why he and his sister were asked to meet with Madison; to investigate the attacks caused by these 'Red Beings', as vaguely described as they were.
Looking to the corner of his right eye, Leonel could tell that Maya's boredom was progressively eating away at her patience. He didn't mean to force her to wait as long as she did but the situation demanded a certain level of patience. "Sorry Maya", he apologized with a warmhearted smile as he joined his sister, standing at her right. The apology wasn't entirely necessary but as sweet as she was, Maya was more or less temperamental, and the Modern Man made it a point to remain on her good side. After informing the Pettis Power Princess of what his discussion with Madison entailed, Leonel paused as she refused to stay behind while he venture into the unknown of Earth 3. He quietly met Maya's eyes for a moment, his facial expression remaining calm and understanding.
He couldn't blame her for wanting to accompany him. After all had their roles been reversed, he'd never allow her to do the same on her own. She wasn't only his sister, biological or not, but she was also his best friend and confidant. There was nothing he wouldn't tell her, and he told her everything. And he imagined that he was similarly as close to her as she was to him. And though the topic was that of the Third Society, somehow being in the presence of both Madison and Maya calmed him. He was never an angry person, but he was sensitive about his family, and it enraged him that those responsible for ruining his life, taking away his parents and reducing his world to a barren war-zone were still running free without answering for their crimes. "Maya wait!", Leonel shouted, reaching out for his younger sister but managing only to graze her shoulder with his fingertips as she leaped into the portal.
"I'll be back, Madison", he reassured with a smile before following Maya into the portal, unaware of where in the Earth 3 Universe they would find themselves.
The moment the power princess landed on this…”Earth-3” her once white Emilo Pucci jumpsuit begin to transform into an ornate red cape and sleeve combination; complete with a headdress and a thong?
“What the hell is this?” Maya questioned, looking at her involuntary costume change. Feeling the wind brush against her olive-toned skin; Maya turned back just in time to see her brother Leonel emerged from the portal. “Don’t look!” She screamed; trying arduously to conceal her lower body, but she stood an astonishing 5’11 it wasn’t happening. Truthfully she didn’t mind being exposed, she did do it for a living; but it was a tad bit uncomfortable being exposed around Leonel. Channeling her mystic energy within the palms of her hands, she crafted a pair of sheer leggings to compliment her entire; ultimately covering her up…somewhat.
It was in her efforts to conceal her exposed flesh that she noticed the calamity ensuing past the stars. “Out of all the 3rd Society Operations…this one seems to be just a little different” Maya started still with her head tilt in the direction of the sky. It probably wasn’t something she would notice but, on the surface she had the outward appearance of her mother; the Warrior Goddess—Ziccarra Liafador. However, in her majestic stance the heavy influences of Valerie Huntington could be seen exuding through her immaculate posture.
The academy changed Maya a lot; being a hero wasn’t something she wanted to deal with, but since she was somehow thrown into it; it was clear she wanted to approach the situation with care. “Every place the society has been so far; has been damn near desolate…but not this place” She explained, pointing towards the seemingly booming Metropolis in the distance.
“That city appears to be thriving…we should probably keep a low profile until we know what exactly is going on” She said, using her powers to completely redress themselves into common street clothes.
Picking up a slow flight with Leonel in tow, they begin to pass what appeared to be 3rd Society propaganda. “How can Zedora and Aphasic exist here, and on our world too?” She asked, landing on a street corner.
“I guess the simple answer is this is someone different” Leonel responded, for the first time since they’d arrived. She wanted to bug him with questions about his thoughts, but it might sidetrack them from what they came to do.
The town was a weird one, not only did the people walk in the same systematic manner; they all seemed to be programmed to complete a task. “These are all machines.” Leonel said; not getting a thermal reading from any of the machines.
“Then where are the humans?” it was a question she really didn’t want to know the answer to, to think that the society was able to exterminate an entire species was mind-boggling. “Down there…” Leonel pointed alerting her to the slums of the metropolis where humanity struggled.
“Hey…are you ok…I’m getting the notion that something is bothering you?” Maya asked turning in his direction, her question wouldn’t be answered—at least not right now. Three of the red beings Madison spoke about landed a few paces from them.
“You humans get back below!” The screamed…hissed even; the rim of their bodies were encased in a dense red hue highlighting one emotion. “Rage….” Maya whispered, noticing just about everyone else was without emotion.
“Leo…there are people watching….we probably should draw attention to oursel….too late” she warned, pointing at the mega-screen that contained the face of Aphasic…or a version of him at least.
“Ziccarra, handle this we don’t have time for distractions” He commanded, and seemingly within a moment the woman he called “Ziccarra” was in front of them. “Gladly….” She hissed positioning red ring in the direction of the two Liafadors.
‘Sigh…we’re always fighting” Maya said, readying her mystic energy.
Honestly, Leonel's gaze was averted the moment Maya's attire became as revealing as it was, he didn't truly need his sister's embarrassed blurt. With his right forearm covering his denim blue eyes, and his body turned away from the Power Princess, a low chuckle escaped the Modern Man. "I'm not looking! I'm not looking!", he assured, more or less amused by Earth 3 somehow altering Maya's attire, until of course, he noticed that his own garments had changed. No longer was he wearing his black jeans and dark red leather jackets. A red cape fluttered from his shoulders and a blue, semi-armored attire hugged his athletic frame. He was dressed like his father. It felt both empowering and odd.
"Woah...", the Modern Man paused, briefly marveling at the radical change of his attire before returning his attention to his sister. "I think this operation is entirely different", Leonel agreed with a nod before taking notice of the resemblance between Maya and Ziccarra. "You're looking more and more like mom each day", he smiled. Soon however, their conversation returned to the topic of the Third Society, and Leonel's smile faded, giving way to a more earnest facial expression. "I have no idea what the Third Society is doing here. Or why this is the only city that they haven't turned into a dystopian society. But I know that whatever the reason is, it can't be good. Or it might as you said, not even be the Third Society. It could be someone else".
"Or it could be someone else and the Third Society", Leonel hypothesized. Following behind Maya as the sibling duo traversed the city's sky, both Leonel and his sister soon found themselves confronted by who appeared to be their mother. Or a version of her, putting whatever attempts he initially had of answering Maya's question regarding what was bothering him on hold. This Ziccarra however, was clearly different. She was blonde. Her hair was cut short, and a glowing rim of red existed around her body.
"Maya", Leonel began, harnessing the electrical energy stored in his personal quantum dimensional state in anticipation of a bout, "I hope you're ready". With not a moment longer, Leonel unleashed a powerful electrostatic discharge; lightning. A searing bolt of plasma hotter than the surface of the Sun, speeding right towards Earth 3 Ziccarra's chest.
Just before Maya could answer his thunderous bolt of lightning hit the Cardinal Queen; sending the golden goddess reeling into the street, sending a thick plume of smoke bellowing into the air. “Well I guess talking about this is now out of the question” Maya jested. The Red Cardinal Queen rose from her own indention with an impressed look upon her face. The woman that stood before them surrounded in an intoxicating red hue was one of importance; she was essentially the catalyst for all her successors across the universes that bare her name. Ziccarra Liafador: the Red Cardinal Queen and former Ninjan Queen.
Her strength, battle wit, stamina and endurance; made her easily one of the strongest incarnations of the type, something both Maya and Leonel would find out firsthand. “You’re strong. I’ll admit that…but I’m stronger” She warned, tossing her hands out to her side. The ambient energies begin to bond after being coerced by the alluring pull of the Cardinal Queen. The energies begin to swell within her palms until a boisterous sonic shriek begin silence all other noise around them.
Throwing both of her arms forward, Ziccarra’s energy streamlined toward both Maya and Alexis sending a powerful sonic shockwave reverberating through the area. The blast as well as other debris slammed into the Power Princess knocking her off her feet; and causing her to tumble a few hundred feet away.
Her ribs were damaged; it was almost like she could feel them piercing her side with each breath she took. “Hnh” She groaned with a slight quiver. “I’m so tired of these Third Society…bastards!” she screamed, spitting out the coagulated blood particles that built up between her lips.
Turning back towards the battle between her brother and the “Alt Ziccarra”, she strained her eyes trying to pin-point a location for them; the dust that stirred in the midst of the sonic attack negated her vision.
“I’d be more worried about yourself” a familiar voice said, her eyes turned to see the pure white boots of another blonde; this one bore no Red Ring; rather a white and black suited tailored with a “holy trinity” emblem bedded on the breast.
“You’ve got to be kidding me…” Maya grunted, realizing this woman was her equivalent. It hadn’t become clear yet if the Alt’s knew where Maya and Leo came from, or who they were; but it was clear they did not want either of them meddling in their affairs.
“Get off our world” the Alt Maya hissed, allowing the power princess to rise to her feet. “YOU attacked OUR world first” Maya easily retort preparing herself to engage the enraged alternate.
Before the young model could act, the scenery around them quickly begin to change; the entire dimensions of the realm shift to a new city—Solace City. “Y-you have reality powers too?!” She asked, trying to make some since of all this mess.
“Sure do” the alt replied charging a massive amount of photon energy within her palms. “I won’t let you win!” the young Liafador exclaimed charging her own mystic energies.
--
Ziccarra flew head on at Leonel, but she was not alone following closely behind her was a cache of metal beams, poles; cars etc—all at the mercy of her magnetic prowess. Hitting the ground hard; a blistering shockwave pushed over her and converge on him with the debris following in tow.
Earth-Prime
Send in more lanterns
“It would seem as if Zedora’s theory of this…emotional corridor was correct” a scantily clad orange woman recited; as she watched the happenings on Earth-3. “Let’s see how far our experiment will go for the four of them.” She said, taking a dip into a nearby Jacuzzi. “funny these are the same people that ended my little reality m experiment”
It grew clearer following Leonel's initial attack against the Cardinal Queen that this bout was going to be one for the ages. Ziccarra was powerful. Every one of her counterparts from neighboring universes were powerful. There was no reason for this one to be an exception. And as she commended the Modern Man for his strength before claiming to be his superior, it became evident that the one trait every version of Ziccarra seemed to have in common was a lust for battle. Quickly she unleashed a loud, sharp sonic cry as it's destructive vibrations flung debris into the air, colliding with Maya before threatening to bulldoze Leonel out of the sky. The airborne dust while detrimental to Maya's eyesight, didn't bother the New God.
With the ability to see through virtually anything by relying on the Big Bang's leftover cosmic microwave background radiation, Leonel's eyesight was fine as he rushed forward, blitzing past every bit of debris as the force of Ziccarra's shock-wave largely failed to penetrate his protective force field of quantum and virtual particles. Sustaining only minor cosmetic wounds like lacerations and bruises, the Modern Man accelerated, ready to attack before being intercepted by Ziccarra who generated another shock-wave. This time however, Leonel was struck by the brunt of the shock-wave's force as it flung him through the air and into the concrete pavement, a crater lying in his wake as pain radiated from every inch of his bones. While not broken yet, they ached like they were, and he winced and gritted his teeth.
The coming debris carrying the shock-wave's momentum didn't concern him. They weren't objects hard enough to harm him, nor were they moving fast enough to possess the necessary kinetic energy to deal proper damage. It was Ziccarra's shock-wave however, that was the potent component of her attack. It left Leonel momentarily stunned, his bones yielding in pain as his back rested on the ground. "W-Wow...", he murmured, one eye open as he struggled to his feet, "I think she's stronger than our Ziccarra", he wondered. Then again his mother always pulled her punches when they sparred, always restrained and careful, so perhaps he didn't truly know the full extent of her power. Nevertheless, this wasn't the time to wonder, it was the time to fight.
Hoping to capitalize on Ziccarra's approach as she flew towards him, Leonel relied on his ability to change the inertia of a gas' molecules. In gases, temperature is related to the average kinetic energy of the particles in them. Inhaling, Leonel lowered the inertial mass of the air molecules in what were his body's equivalent of lungs so that as exhaled, the air would be colder than when it went in. The process was isobaric, so the number of gas molecules previously in Leonel's respiratory system increased inverse-proportionally with the decreased mass. Essentially, as he exhaled, a gargantuan, powerful blast of freezing, cold air powered by the superhuman strength of his respiratory organs sought to consume Ziccarra and the debris traveling along with her and freeze her and it in thick, restraining layers of ice.
This version of Maya was undoubtedly older, stronger and much more knowledgeable in her powers than the Power Princess; every attack NU Maya launched was immediately countered by her evasive doppelganger. A firm right hook came across her face knocking her lithe frame once more to the ground. Her jaw felt as if it was hanging from her mouth; this alt was seemingly the full package; she excelled in areas where NU Maya didn’t. Spitting more globs of coagulated blood bits from her lips, Maya rose back to a vertical base in an effort to mount some sort of offensive.
“She’s soo fast…” Maya murmured tending to her aching jaw. She was physically inept; engaging in hand to hand combat didn’t seem like something she needed—being a reality warper and all, but now matched up against a similar foe; it was as if she were a novice in the ring with a world champion. NU Maya stood 5’11 had long russet hair with matching eyes and; was the daughter of two of the most powerful beings on the planet. Alt Maya was different; she was a blonde, a lot thicker in appearance; she stood roughly at 5’5 and instead of being the daughter of Ziccarra; she was the adoptive sister bearing the last name “Lopez”.
Still even with the major differences; there had to be something about the both of them that remained the same, The young Liafador hoped to soon exploit that. Conjuring her warping abilities the Liafador heiress split her body into several different entities; hoping that her counterpart shared the lack of focus she had.
She could see it on the young Lopez’s face; utter confusion, her alt lacked the focus needed to see through the warping; just like her. Much like her mother would, Maya seized the moment by launching a ghastly display of rudimentary melee strikes; which worked oddly enough.
The alt Maya staggered back; opening herself up for a power move, only she recovered much too fast for the young Liafador; which allowed her to regain the upper hand and send a paralyzing photon energy blast into the chest of NU Maya.
The energy literally paralyzed her; she could move anything from the waist down. Up top she felt the searing heat moving through her body; coupled with the throbbing pain coursing through her shattered jaw.
“Heh…you’re no fighter…” the alt jested, before capturing Maya in some sort of zero-gravity device and flying off with her. Collateral.
--
Earth 3 (Daytonville)
His previous attack would’ve killed or at the very least severely injured anyone else; but like Leonel’s mother this Ziccarra possessed light control capabilities; the photon energy given off by the lightning was enough to negate the electrostatic properties of his attack, making her only susceptible to the immediate force of the attack.
She knew she did status damage with her shockwave; shortly after he took the hit, he dropped to one knee instead of retaliating he favored one side; his eyes showed pain, and the Ninjan instincts boiling within the Cardinal Queen told her exploit his ignorance. Her attack scheme switched from here on out, squeeze the life from his body like a constrictor on a feeder mouse.
As she drew close she immediately begin to feel herself weaken; she had one known weakness and he had seemingly found it. The immediate kiss of cold air on her extra-terrestrial skin caused the potency of her powers to wane. “Hnn…” she moaned being halted by the excoriating kiss of his frosty breath.
The moment the ice touched her body, she hit the ground slowly turning into an icicle; there was no movement; not even the faintest hint of a heartbeat. Her version of the Ninjans were highly allergic to ice and water, from here it’d be about 15 minutes before she died from Hypothermia. In an almost timely arrival the “Red Beings” as Madison informed him about early landed around their frozen queen with their rings all pointed in Leonel’s direction.
“I would end this charade if I were you…we have your companion” one of the uglier Cardinals yelled out; reinforcing his words with visual confirmation of Maya’s capture and battle wounds. “Give yourself up, and we’ll take you to her” they commanded, as they spoke one of the other beings used his rings to haul off the Cardinal Goddess…they’d meet again very soon.
--
Earth Prime (Undisclosed Location)
Prepare for Invasion
“The Magnum Opus Space Station is more than just a space station…it’s a key” the orange beauty murmured to her data-log. “A key that proves the theory of parallel universes. From the Magnum Opus Space Station I could link myself into countless civilizations across the universe, and set myself up as a singular entity. Of course those plans are far off, but now that I have a reality warper and the Cardinal Queen in my back pocket…I can start preparations to conquer the space station”.
Needless to say, had he not so luckily discovered the Cardinal Queen's apparent vulnerability to freezing temperatures, Leonel was certain that this bout would have been a catalyst for destruction. And this version of Ziccarra was powerful. Every version was powerful. But this one was stronger. Or at least she seemed like she was. Perhaps it was her aggression and cocky swagger in battle that made her seem like a greater threat than she actually was. Though it seems that even as the Cardinal Queen fell to the ground, encased in layers of thick ice created by the Modern Man's freeze breath, he still lost. He may have won their brief scuffle but the entire confrontation?
Clearly not. The described 'Red Beings' by Madison appeared, flanking the Cardinal Queen and pointing their power rings in the Modern Man's direction. His expression earnest, denim blue eyes profiling every single one of them from head to toe, Leonel's fists balled up and tightened in response to their claims that they had captured Maya. He knew he could destroy each and every one of them, even if they chose to team up as one unit and attack him. He knew his power wasn't something they were quite yet ready for. Few people were. After all, nobody had ever truly seen the full brunt of his power and lived to speak of it. And it was with these thoughts that the typically kindhearted Leonel's temper began to rise.
His anger and lack of mercy when in this state of mind crept up on him. "... Fine", he yielded, teeth gritted, eyes burning with intensity as he pictured all the unspeakable things he could do to them, what he would do to them if he sees that they laid even a single finger on Maya. Taking in a deep inhale and exhale to calm his temper as his mother, Ziccarra had taught him, Leonel's fists opened and he waited to be transported by these 'Red Beings'. "I hope Maya's okay", he murmured, concern lacing his words.
The Fire Goddess didn’t know what happened, one second she was walking through the theaters with her bag of popcorn and soda with her super awesome 3D glasses on, and next thing she knew the entire area turned into a blinding flash of light and she was now standing on top of a building in the middle of a city! A look of awe came over the hero as her head whipped around looking at the environment around her.
“OH MY GOSH THESE GRAPHICS ARE AMAZING!” She walked around the rooftop, completely unaware of the actual change of her surroundings. “It was totally worth the $18 bucks I spent on this mov-“ she was cut off as she fell off the roof, her heart skipping a beat as she let out a yelp and dropped her over priced theater snacks and her 3D glasses slipping off her face as she stopped herself in midair from falling, using her Ninjan abilities. “WHAT THE HELL!?” she blurted out her eyes wide in shock as she finally realized… she wasn’t at the theaters anymore, or even in a building! Levitating her body to the sky her eyes darted around intensely, the area didn’t look familiar to her, she had no idea how she got here or why or what was going on… this was all sorts of cray cray right now. But in that instant, she felt something, something she hadn't felt for what felt like decades, an alluring sensation that seemed to call upon every inch of her body, something that made her Ninjan blood pump with excitement. "Ziccarra?" She whispered to herself.
The Ninjan Queen didn't even hesitate as her body took off in flight, her cobalt eyes gazed downward upon the busy city below her as she could feel the intensity rise within her with every second. Then she stopped, she was close, and she didn't want to draw any unwanted attention until she got some sort of an idea what was going on, landing on top of a building as she gazed down to see a group of people dressed in red standing around the former Ninjan Queen who was encased in ice. The hero knew all too well who the people in red where, they were Red Cardinal's, just like from her world, which Stephanie knew very well that if they were involved, it meant that Ziccarra was up to no good as usual, however, these Cardinal’s were different, each of them held some sort of ring and were holding them out as if they were some sort of weapon. Also before them, a young man who Stephanie didn’t seem to recognize, he seemed to have been putting up a fight and a damn good one if he managed to stop Ziccarra dead in her tracks in the middle of a battle. Using her Ninjan abilities to hear she was getting a quick idea of what was going on, which wasn't much. The young man wasn't alone in his battle, but it seemed his friend was captured by another group, and he cared enough to have stopped fighting.
Stephanie couldn’t just jump down and battle the group without risking the life of the young man’s companion, wherever they were being held. She also didn’t know the extent of what exactly was going on here! Or why she was brought here! The Ninjan Warrior was going to have to try and be sneaky, which… wasn’t exactly her strongest point, it was usually explosions and crumbling buildings with her, so this was going to be a slight challenge. Looking around she spotted a Cardinal patrolling the area alone and away from everyone else .With a devious smirk on her face she leap downward at him. A shadow cast over him as he looked up only to have the Fire Goddess smash her fist into his face as she landed, knocking him out cold as she examined his attar. She would have to steal his uniform even though it was totally ugly and she would never be caught wearing that! And she would have to take his ring, it seemed to be a source of their power, which could come in handy, and it will allow her to follow the group without much suspicion. Grasping his hand she slipped the ring off his finger and magically his clothing instantly changed! The Cardinal uniform vanishing as he was now in casual attar. The Ninjan hero began to hesitate placing the ring upon her finger, if held power, did that meant it could influence her? “Well… what’s the WORST that can happen?” She asked in no one particular as she slipped the ring on, a strange vibe came over her, a tingling over her body as her uniformed changed from their iconic blue red and yellow into a red and black uniform. Looking down at her hands, she didn’t physically FEEL any different, she didn’t have the urge to destroy or kill anything so that was a good sign! …right? Well... other than feeling a little cold along her now exposed upper thighs... nothing was different. "Good thing I shaved..." she mumbled to herself.
But now was time to go to work, she made her way to the group, her body tensing with nerves as she now stood just a couple of feet from both parties, who seem completely unaware of her or who she was. The heroes attention shift over to Leonel’s direction as she smiled with her eyes at him giving him a subtle nod before her attention shift over to the Cardinal Queen being moved from the immediate area by her followers. She had to stop herself from wanting to follow the former Queen, her body leaning towards that general direction as she had to continually remind herself that whatever was going on, this young man was the one to assist.She was going to have to follow his lead, even if he didn’t know she was there to assist him. Then the name that she hadn't heard in years came into play 'Maya' Stephanie's eyes widen in surprise, Maya was here? Was it good Maya or crazy Maya? Maybe both? She shift her weight as she stood, focusing her eyes on the ground for a moment as she was trying to think up a plan. "You!" Her head quickly shift upward as the really fuuuuuugly Cardinal who seemed to be in charge glared over at her motioning her to stand over closer to him, probably to make sure he didn't try to escape. Stephanie moved over to Leo, standing closer to him as she stood just a couple of feet behind him. "Don't worry, we'll find her." she whispered to him, wanting him to know she was there to help, careful not to let any of the other Cardinal's hear her.
The Cardinal Queen sat in the middle of a sauna allowing the heat to slowly thaw her freezing body, ice was a new sensation it was the only substance known to kill a Ninjan without too much hassle, the fact that she was still alive showcased her endurance. In her current state she could feel no pain, only the rage of being humiliated in front of her minions. The sight of her body thawing became an enchanting sight to those surrounding her; the dense heat coupled with the Rage Queen’s rising body temperature gave off an ornate red glow illuminating the entire sauna.
“Something isn’t right…” Ziccarra spit, slowly rising to a vertical base. She’d felt it so many times over the years, a fuzzy little feeling in her stomach; something she got when she drew close to one of her LOVE sisters. Taki had been missing for years, Prima too, but Feral Nova was still around; she never missed an opportunity to confront the Cardinal Queen.
“Nova…” Z hissed spitting a thick blood-filled wad on the floor. “This was not how this was supposed to go” She said, realizing her body was warm enough to perform naturally. It’d still be a while for the double hydrogen compound to leave her body—meaning she’d have to use her ring. “Tell Addison I need to meet with her”
--
"I hate it when my mom is right"
Her eyes opened to the waning light coming from a cracked door in the corridor an ethereal darkness hid her distinct features; but she was able to make out the faint iron bars keeping her within the miniature prison. There was a powerful presence surrounding the cell—magic maybe. Whatever it was it hindered her ability to use her warping powers. “Man…” she whispered, realizing she was in the exact situation her mother warned her about. She was indeed THE most powerful Liafador; Valerie Huntington ensured she’d retain that crown as long as she lived, but if she never took the appropriate steps to excel without them; ultimately making them a crutch—one she was now without.
The Alt Maya was long gone, probably somewhere with Leo by now; she needed a way to get Leo someone’s attention. The surrounding darkness decreased visibility; which meant she had to rely on her ability to touch. Dropping to her knee’s she felt around the floor for something of interest—and prayed to god she didn’t find feces.
“What’s this?” She asked, her hand touching a long gritty metal pipe. “It has to run somewhere…” she said, tracing the length of the pipe until she was forced to stop at the cobblestone wall. “This…this is perfect” to any ordinary prisoner with ordinary friends, this pipe meant absolutely nothing, but to Maya this was a form of salvation.
Leo’s enhanced auditory capabilities could be triggered with the slightest vibration, she needed a catalyst. Once again feeling around the immediate floor her hand grasped the cold rigged properties of a stone. Hitting the pipe with all she could muster; she sent out an archaic “SOS” message hoping to alert her brother to her location.
--
The Cardinal Queen, sat atop a throne with her minions, Addison and Maya Lopez at the base; as the guards ushered Leonel, she gave a deathly scowl. “Welcome” Addison started, moving towards the young Pettis with her hands placed placidly in front. The entire time Ziccarra’s eyes were fixed on one of her own guards…a woman; she seemed so…familiar.
“My name is Addison Hopewell, I am the vizier to the queen you see before you” She said, pacing back and forth in an almost calculated manner. “I know you came from a different world” She revealed, but there was eeriness to her revelation it was almost as if she were holding back a piece of information.
“I’m not talking about the world you think you’re from, I’m talking about…Reality M” She said, turning back towards her Maya with a smile. “Yes dear Leonel, we know all about Reality M; you see as a matter of fact my dear Maya created it” she said, gesturing in the direction of the young blonde.
“Reality M was never meant to be…” Maya said, taking the floor. “I created it at a very weak point of my life, the people that lived there shouldn’t have.” She explained pointing to Leonel as if he were guilty. “So we did an experiment. Are you at all familiar with the Emotional corridor?” Addison chimed in again, this time showing the color spectrum on a hologram overlay.
“It’s a bit to tricky to explain, but all you need to know is this…we can control people through their emotions, whether it be love…hate…fear…you name it.” Addison’s hands extend toward the guard to the right of the disguised Nova; the rage filled soldier took his own weapon and pulled the trigger into his own head.
“You were originally meant to believe that your parents destroyed Reality M, because they were indoctrinated.” Addison gave a sinister look; that term—indoctrination, only meant anything to two of the people in the room…him and her. “But that’s only half way true, your parents loved each other too much to be indoctrinated…it would’ve took ages, but that’s where we found out how to win…their love.” Addison continued watching as the ring from the dead lantern fell before the vermillion boots of Leonel.
“We needed a missing piece from Reality “M” to open this emotional corridor…now we have it” she said, subtly admitting that attacking Madison was a trap to lure him here. “This is what’s going to happen…you’re going to put that ring on; and I’m going to drain the rage from you…Or your sister can put it on…and you can experience the true power that lays dormant inside her…what do you say?”
The ultimatum was a clear one, neither seemed to be a fair choice; but Leonel’s answer would have to be silenced for the moment. The impulse Cardinal Queen finally identified the woman standing in the red costume. “Nova…” she hissed. “SONIC BURST!!!” Z screamed, thrusting her hands to fire a powerful sonic energy, but nothing came out…she was still too cold.
“Damn it!” She screamed, launching herself from the throne with her mighty sword of Ninjeta in hands, ready to end this infuriating rivalry with Stephanie Ardor—Feral Nova…once and for all.
Allowing his wrists to be restrained behind his back by whichever specialized handcuffs the Red Cardinals had in their possession, Leonel huffed in mild frustration but spoke no word as he shifted his gaze towards the ground, ready to be taken to whatever prison awaited him. None of that really mattered however, so long as he was reunited with Maya, something he didn't truly believe would happen, but at least yielding to the enemy's demands would mean that Maya wouldn't be harmed beyond what she may already be experiencing. Then something odd happened. One of the guards, a woman, fairly attractive, offered a smile and nod, as if in assurance of something, that everything was going to be fine.
His mind must have been misinterpreting things. The smile probably wasn't a smile, but a mocking smirk. It would have been more rational to think so. Until the peculiar guard positioned herself just a few feet behind him and whispered that they would find Maya, asking him not to worry. For a split second, Leonel's eyes widened and his spirit filled with hope. He knew she wasn't lying. His superhuman hearing detect no irregularity in her heartbeat nor her voice. And for that brief moment, the edges of his mouth curled into the faintest of smiles. Somehow he had an ally. He didn't know where she had emerged from or why she was even there risking her well-being to aid him but he was certainly thankful. "Thank you", Leonel whispered back, his voice as hushed and soft as possible, all the while using his unique abilities to generate temperature and density gradients within the components of the woman's ears, essentially transporting his vocalizations only into her audible range.
"I'm Leo. What's your name?", he inquired, his voice due to his employment of his powers, was heard only by the amicable guard. "Don't worry. They can't hear me at all. My powers won't let them. I'll use them to shield your voice from their ears too". Eventually transported to a palace belonging to this reality's Ziccarra, Leonel found himself in the Cardinal Queen's throne room, his sensitive auditory perception immediately detecting the vibrations from an antiquated but effective SOS message, one undoubtedly sent by Maya. The vibrations allowed his ears to pinpoint his sister's exact location, saving him immense trouble. Having many times stored the psionic energy of telepaths in his personal quantum dimensional space, Leonel made use of it to telepathically reach his sister. "Maya, are you alright?!", he asked, "I'll be there soon. I just need to find a way out of this. Luckily it seems like I have help".
Returning his attention to those in the throne room, Leonel first glanced at Ziccarra before resting his earnest gaze upon the bronze beauty that approached him. Addison Hopewell was her name. Throughout the beginning of her words, Leonel remained silence and his features nothing short of stone cold serious. He listened to Addison's words, and found his rage rising as the revelation behind Reality M struck his mind and soul harder than anything in recent times. He wanted so desperately to silence this woman, he didn't need to hear this. He didn't speak. Behind his back, his restrained hands balled up into his fists, his eyelids shut and he did everything in his power to remain calm. Breathing exercises, peaceful thoughts, everything. Until he was given an ultimatum. To put on the power ring before him, or feel the wrath of his sister's full power. None of the choices seemed to be positive, but there was little he could do at this point.
Little, not nothing. "I'm going to need your help Nova", Leonel began, using rudimentary telepathy from his stored psionic energy. "I know where my sister is. I'm sure I can get to her faster than anyone here can follow me. And I can slow them down with my powers. I just need a distra-", his words however, were cut short by an indignant shout from the Cardinal Queen. Funnily enough, she seemed to provide the distraction that he needed. But he couldn't leave Nova to fend for herself. He needed both her and Maya if they were to have any hope of defeating their opposition. "Nova, hold her off for a minute", Leonel requested as Ziccarra sought to attack his newly acquired ally. In the meantime, his gaze returned to Addison but still he said nothing to her. Instead he slowly but surely turned the air in front of him into a wall of negative mass, a state of matter in which all the properties of a particle are the same, except their reaction to certain forces.
Which meant that a push on the negative mass wall would cause an object to go flying in the opposite direction. "Be ready Nova, we have to go now!". Darting off to his right, his hand reached for Nova's wrist, intent on grabbing her and blitzing off to find Maya, leaving a large but temporary wall of negative mass to send Ziccarra, Maya, and Addison flying in the opposite direction should they try to follow him. It would delay them he hoped, at least until he found Maya.
“I’m Leo. What’s your name?” Stephanie arched her brow, she didn’t think it was very smart to be conversing in front of the other guards. “Don’t worry. They can’t hear me at all. My powers won’t let them. I’ll use them to shield your voice from their ears too.”
“That sounds like a power I could have used a couple of years ago.” She gave a half smile to Leo. She still didn’t know really anything about him. The only motive Steph really had was that Ziccarra was involved and Maya was somehow involved too… whatever was going on around here. “My name is Stephanie, sometimes go by Feral Nova, whichever you want. I’m an old… friend of Ziccarra.” She didn’t have time to go through the rivals complicated history with each other.
The group then walked into the palace, the strange tingling that once filled her senses were now pulsating with every step she took. They were being taken to Ziccarra, it was only minutes before the two would be reunited since their last quarrel with each other. Then, they walked into the throne room, and there she saw her, sitting on her throne with pride and power. Stephanie had to refrain herself from rushing forward, her eyes scanned the area, Maya was there… but the way Leo reacted to her, it wasn’t his Maya that he was looking for. She tried to listen to the conversation at hand, but her eyes continued to wonder over to Ziccarra, who’s eyes were almost burning a hole in her face, trying to see through her disguise. There was something about a Reality M, something about indoctrination and before she knew it, a guard shot himself in the head. Blood, brain tissue and cerebral fluid splattering along the Fire Goddess’ uniform as she bit her tongue trying not to lash out and go on the attack. This was worse than Stephanie could have imagined, they not only ruled this place, but controlled the people’s free will. She could feel the anger build up inside Leo and watched as his knuckles turned white. He was struggling not to lash out as much as she was.
She listened carefully to Leo as he began to speak of a plan, he just needed a distraction-
“Nova… SONIC BURST!!!” Stephanie's body instantly reacted to the shout, her arms being thrown up in defense to fend off the attack but... nothing happened..? “Damn it!” She screamed, launching herself from the throne with her mighty sword of Ninjeta in hands.
“Nova, hold her off for a minute.”
“You don’t have to tell me twice.” The Fire Goddess gave a wide smile as she stepped forward in front of Leo. “Ziccarra, what’s wrong? Still thawing out?” She threw out her right hand to the side, an ignition of fire rushed outward as it formed into the shape of a blade, solidifying it as she held into it tightly. She could feel her Ninjan blood rush through her body in excitement as the guards around the area seemed to have forgotten about Leo and rushed around the two Ninjans. The two warriors quickly closed distance with each other as their blades clashed with each other, the longtime rivals reunited once more, it was as if the two were destined to forever fight each other, even if dimensions separated them.
“Be ready Nova, we have to go now!”
Nova’s head jerked back a bit as she redirected her blade and took a step to the side. “Say what!? But I just, we just-” The battle had literally just begun, her Ninjan blood lust for battle and now Leo wanted to leave! His hand got a firm grasp on her left wrist and literally yanked her away from Ziccarra against her will, rushing out of the throne room as guards began to attempt to close off the doors. She knew she said she would help him, but a part of her was hoping it would include fighting off Ziccarra, not just distracting her for a couple of seconds. "I got this!” Stephanie pushed herself forward in front of Leo as she threw out her left hand, a golden flame escaped from her hand, roaring to life as the force of it caused the guards to slam their backs to the door, and causing them to be forced open as the two heroes ran through. But she knew Ziccarra would come after them, it would be a matter of time for the two to engage once more, destiny demanded it.
“Which way Leo?” She followed closely behind him, quickly putting down any guards that attempted to get in their way. But something was wrong, they were moving very quickly throughout the palace... too easily, this was just TOO easy. "Leo, I know Ziccarra, this is too easy, something isn't right." She hated to be a negative Nancy, but after lifetimes of fighting the Ninjan Queen, she knew better than to assume they had the upper hand.
As the former and current Ninjan Queen’s met in the middle of the ballroom floor; Ziccarra could feel her dormant Ninjan blood ravaging through her vessels. “I’m going to kill you!” She hissed, her actions largely being instigated by the flashing of her mighty red lantern ring. Before she could mount some sort of an assault on Stephanie, the otherworldly boy dragged her from the next chapter in the archaic rivalry. “You’re not going to give chase?” Maya asked, running to her side. Ziccarra never said anything; she really didn’t need too, Nova’s brief engagement and use of her flames thawed the Cardinal Queen considerably, making her once again at maximum strength.
“They’re in my castle…so they have to play by my rules.” She hissed, channeling photon energy within the palms of her hands. Squatting down, a single finger grazed the marbled floor sending a translucent light force throughout the entire castle. “Let’s see them escape this.” Ziccarra remarked with a sadistic grin on her face.
--
“Something’s happening” Maya said rising to her feet, finally able to hear the commotion from the red lanterns in the hallway. Moving towards the prison bars, she tried her hardest to glance down the corridor, but was limited by the iron guards. A shining flash on the far side corridor wall cause her to jump back; a fearsome force of light energy ripped down the corridor. “What the fck was that!” She screamed, feeling the sheer power recoiling in the blast. Pushing off the ground, her ears perked at the familiar sound of her brother and another nearby. “LEO! I’m down here!” she screamed trying to alert her brother to her location. Her heart froze momentarily, as more of the tumultuous light burst rippled down the hallways.
“Leo…!” She called fearful that he’d somehow met his end caught in the middle of the Cardinal Queen’s rage.
--
Following the thunderous light burst, Ziccarra animated shortly after the light in front of both Feral Nova and Leonel. “Smart girl…” Z applauded, referencing the notion that them having the upper hand was misguided. “This ring…it enhances the powers I already have; before I could shatter mountains…now I’m pretty sure I can end full systems with a sneeze.” She gloated before giving a head nod to Addison. “Leonel…none of this would’ve happened if you would’ve just put the ring on…now you need to be persuaded.” The orange beauty explained. Throwing her hand outward Addison channeled the fear coursing through the nearby power princess’ veins and forced the surroundings between them to change.
Feral Nova and Ziccarra were placed on the battle torn world of Earth-Prime; where they belonged, Addison and Leonel placed in the Planet Xiox in Leonel’s own time.
“You want to free your sister…then fight me” Addison threatened, her verdant gaze turning nefarious. Siphoning the sonic energy from Ziccarra; Addison used the energy to guide her body towards Leo in a drill kick motion toward his gut.
--
“It’s just me and you…” The Cardinal Queen said; slowly moving toward her longtime rival. “No titles, No stakes, no friends…just us two…warriors!” Ziccarra screamed, lunging toward Nova through a series of intricately constructed light portals.
Drawing close she hit the ground with her fist and sent a powerful expansive photon dome shooting towards Nova’s location.
Stephanie's warning that their success in escaping was too easily obtained was ominous. Leonel couldn't help but mirror his ally's concerns but prior to anything else, a blinding light consumed the castle's entire interior. Closing both his eyes, hoping to shield them from the sheer intensity and brightness of the Cardinal Queen's cast wave of light, Leonel relied on his other senses, most notably, his sense of hearing. Quickly, he heard Maya's voice, screaming for him to find her. His heart raced and he realized there was no longer any stored psionic energy in his personal quantum dimensional state for telepathic communication with his sister. He was frightened, for Maya.
"Just hold on for a little Maya, I'm coming. Just a little time is all I need", he said in his thoughts, as if somehow hoping that by some miracle Maya would hear them, that she would invoke the reality bending might of her powers to know what he was thinking. The brightness of the blast, while lethal, was nothing in comparison to it's force. Flung across the castle, Leonel managed to regain control of his momentum and body before a collision by making use of his flight. Re-positioning himself midair, his features bruised and his bones aching, the Modern Man's attention soon fell upon the orange siren who had so openly revealed her plans to him, Addison. Just what was her obsession with him and the ring?
"Persuaded?", Leonel paused, anger lacing his voice, "You-". There was no time for conversation however as both Addison and Leonel found themselves in the atmosphere of Planet Xiox, the Reality M version. He hadn't an idea where Stephanie was transported to but he hoped that she was safe. Returning his attention to Addison as the cold air of the upper atmosphere breezed all about them, Leonel listened. Fighting her would mean freedom for Maya. It seemed simple. But as he held back his anger, knowing that attacking without clarity was a death sentence, he felt as though Addison wasn't exactly evil. She didn't seem to exude the aura of one whose sole purpose is to do the nefarious. She had a motive.
Quickly, his opponent commenced their bout with a powerful kick aiming for the pit of his stomach. A body kick. Had their bout been on the ground and not the sky, Leonel could have employed his wrestling prowess to grab the leg and follow with a single leg takedown. Unfortunately he didn't. Addison was, surprisingly fast. Her shin rammed into the pit of his gut and he hunched over in pain but managed to remain airborne as his features winced. He didn't attack however, not yet at least. "What do you want Addison? I'm getting very tired of all this. There just never seems to be a moment of peace. If it's not the Third Society it's my mother's side of the family. And if it's not them it's our counterparts from other universes. And if not any of those, then it's gods from Asgard or people from a failed version of the Hellfire Club".
"I'm getting really tired of all of this. Someone is always targeting us and my patience is at it's end. What do you want? Because I know what I want", he paused, fists clenching as electrical energy coursed through his entire frame, energetic arcs of lightning and electrical filaments superheating the air and burning up oxygen as his eyes flared with rufescent plasma, "I want to kill everyone who has ever targeted my family!", he roared, following it with the most powerful electrostatic discharge he had ever generated. A bolt of lightning so hot it turned the sky red as it sought to swallow Addison whole and reduce her to ionized dust.
Before they could make it to their destination, a blinding light engulfed the immediate area, catch both of the heroes off guard as Stephanie instantly guarded her eyes and the voice of her Ziccarra could be heard. That ring she was wearing, it was going to cause problems… but then again… Her eyes quickly glanced at her own hand that had a ring, she began to wonder…
“Leo, whatever you do, don’t-“ before she could finish her sentence, her entire surroundings changed. “Well… crap!” She blurted out in frustration as she quickly noticed that Ziccarra and herself were taken to a place separated from everyone else, but wherever it was… it was as dark as night!
Stephanie could feel the unnatural strength radiating off the former Ninjan Queen, it was much more intense, and something she had never felt before flowing through her. It was as if that ring was not only amplifying her powers, but her emotions as well. The mighty Cardinal began to rush towards Steph through portals, making it almost impossible for her to keep up with her!
With powerful force she smashed her clutched hand into the ground as a dome of light quickly expanded towards the hero. “Well THAT’S new!” Stephanie shouted at herself, throwing both hands forward as a combustion of fire raged forward, the two powers collided with each other as the reborn hero grit her teeth, her feet digging into the soft ground as she began slowly being pushed against her will while she thrust as much energy as she could into her counter attack until the dome backfired, sending the hero flying backward and slamming hard on the dirt ground. “Ouch…” she grunted, slowly getting up as she dust herself off. “And to think I was going to blow my day at the theaters.” She grumbled to herself as she rotated her right shoulder as she suddenly realized where the two were, The Gobi Desert, this was where it all started, and by the looks of things… where Sha was determined to have it all end. It was this place where the duo’s friendship was tested and their rivalry began.
The warmth from the sand could still be felt throughout the area as endless sand dunes were their witness to the battle that was beginning to unfold. “It seems no matter where we are in our lives… the universe is determined to pit us against one another.” She glanced up at the bright stars that lingered over them and the full moon that seemed determined to play referee in the battle. “I would go into the usual ‘Sha this is crazy what are you doing?’ speech, but let’s be honest, it’s not going to even phase you so might as well move to something that will!” She balled both hands together, bringing them up to her chest only to forcibly extend them outward to the side of her body, at the same time her body ruptured into a golden flame, pushing her up into the sky while they danced around her body as if it had a life of their own, lighting up the battlefield so brightly it could be seen for miles. The fire cracked around her as if speaking to their Goddess while feeding off the oxygen around them.
Her body quickly rose in temperature as she looked downward at the Cardinal Goddess, her expression harden as she brought both her hands together above her head and began to descend downward towards the ground, the living fire that once surrounded her entire body quickly rushed to her fists that were now cupped above her head. As soon as her boots sunk back into the soft sand, she savagely slammed her fists into the terrain, and in that second, a sea of fire seemed to have escaped from Nova, it rushing towards the fellow Ninjan like a thundering tidal wave that carried the tiny shards of crystalized sand within it.
But coming in right behind the wave was the Queen of Fire herself, “Peek-a-boo” she taunted as her searing fist came flying forward towards the Ninjan Cardinal’s flawless features. As her feet landed back on the ground she instantly sprung back up into a back flip, outstretching her left arm below her at the ground as it burst into flames, using the power of her fire to keep her balanced from falling over at the same time as she kicked out her left heel, a burst of flame rushing towards Sha for a moment rather than a physical kick as the Fire Goddess landed back on the ground and clasped her hands together, bringing the stream of blaze back to the Cardinal Goddess.
“LEO! NO LEO!!!!!” Maya screamed, tears dripping down her eyes; as she could no longer hear his voice bouncing through the walls. She feared the worst, and what hurt the most was knowing she could’ve stopped it; had she trained more and actually listened to their parent’s she’d known what to do. Sliding down to her knees the power princess sobbed, “Leo….” She muttered her words slightly intelligible because her hands obstruct her face.
As she cried, she could feel the luminescent heat steaming from the palms of her hands. “Wh-what is this?” She asked with a sniffle. Trying to shake off the foreign energy, Maya inadvertently blew a hole in the corner of her own cell. The residual fog left much to be desired, so many answers as to what the hell just happened; but the silver lining was she could now liberate herself by squeezing through the slim pocket in the corner.
The thunderous might of Maya’s rallied the remaining Red Lanterns to her disturbance; but they were heavily mismatched, now that she was freed from her prison; she had full use of her reality warping powers. Dashing toward the direction of the coming guards Maya; thrust her hands forward negating the Red Ring constructs of her would be captors, by transforming their light into…butterflies.
“Not so big and bad now!” She screamed, thrusting her own hands forward; in an attempt to force them back with her energy; only to have another violent incandescent force completely engulfed them ending their lives in the process. “What…no…that’s not what I wanted!” She screamed, watching the ionized dust from the guards slowly settle in the hallway.
“What’s happening to me” She asked, looking at her own hands. Something about this world was off, her powers worked perfectly fine up until this moment; now she was tasked with showing some form of restraint because this…new power was too destructive for her liking.
“It looks as if you’ve discovered your ability to use Photon energy” an ominous voice called out. “Show yourself!” Maya screamed, only to have her counter-part materialize not too far in front of her. “So…I guess we are alike” the power princess retort.
“No…I’m better!” the alt replied, charging full speed ahead at the young Liafador; this time however Maya shifted back to her red garb and prepared for a battle with the young Lopez.
--
“Yaaaas!” Addison cheered feeling the rise in his rage throwing her hands up; she cast a barrier over herself; but was unable to fully protect herself from the full blast. The impact knocked her off her feet and sent her flailing around the grassy meadow. Her body ached, it was to be expected; summoning the rage of a new god was surely a death wish, but Addison’s plan involved that one key ingredient. “Ha!” she spit sending a thick glob of blood streaming from the bottom of her mouth.
“It’s amazing just how much you’ve actually forgotten about this place” she said, gesturing around to Reality M. “You really don’t remember me huh…talk about blank with a capital B” She said, throwing her hands back generating another sonic energy mass.
“You think I liked the 3rd Society Leonel? You think I liked what they did to me and my family…OUR friends!?” Addison screamed she’d been wasting time siphoning his anger into hers; she amplified her attacks with the velocity in which he executed his own. Spinning in a pirouette manner the sonic shot from her hands in a volley of directions, this was a intricate ruse to take him mind off her true assault, the convergence of two powerful polar energies streamlining from the opposite ends of the Planet Xiox on his location; an attack his own mother perfected very well.
--
“GRAH” Maya screamed slamming the young Lopez’s head into a wall; she’d gained the upper hand after using a series of light based attacks. “You were wrong…this isn’t photon energy.” The power princess exclaimed, glancing down at the defeated billion dollar bitch. “This is the strongest form of magic…light magic...it comes from the heart” She said stepping over the misguided doppelganger headed to Addison’s throne room. “This seems more like a command center than a castle” She observed stepping into the control room where, fights of both Leo and Addison were positioned on a screen.
Her eyes dart toward a observation deck on the far side of the room; rushing towards it, she was able to see the Cardinal Queen engaged in combat with woman on fire; and her brother Leo tasked with bringing down Addison.
“This world…it’s fake!” Maya screamed, beating on the soundproof glass to get Leo’s attention to no avail. “Damn it” she whispered, turning back in the location of the massive computers Maya scurried over to see if there was any information she could use against the 3rd Society.
“Everything’s encrypted” She sighed in a flagrant show of frustration, her russet eyes scan to the left; her attention momentarily snagged by a curious memento, one she believed belonged to the orange beauty. “Leonel?” She whispered laced with confusion, Addison and Leonel…they knew each other.
No one in the picture was smiling, save for Addison; it was a group picture probably a keepsake from Leo’s days in the résistance. “None of this makes any sense if Leo and Addison were friends…why is she working for the 3rd Society”. Her russet eyes once again dart toward an open ledger sitting on the edge of a computer table; curiously her eyes scanned the page noting what seemed to be ingredients “A pure heart, unyielding friendship and unadulterated rage?” She questioned, there were too many questions, not enough answers and very little time to find them.
She tread lightly across the room, the power coming from the battles cause a constant quiver to trouble the room. “I have to get to them” her eyes dart toward the threshold of the door, a small device; similar to the power dampener that contained her to her cell were fixed right above the door. “That’s…not draining power…” She thought. Pressing her hand against the door on the far side she could feel an enormous amount of energy building on the other side. “It’s absorbing the energy…but for what?” Turning the knob, the young Liafador stood motionless at what she saw. “Goddess…”
--
Ziccarra let loose a content smirk; as always her opening gambit proved too much for the Fire Fly. She let loose an arrogant chuckle, not one filled with confidence; but acknowledging the truth behind Stephanie’s statement—destiny, that’s what always brought them together. “I have your last one on my cell phone I can play it if you’d like” she jested, switching to an athletic stance to brace herself for Nova’s pending attack. Nova’s flames lit the skyline for miles, but her eyes never left her rival; as Nova pounded the ground, Ziccarra saw fit for an preemptive attack; using her sonic energy to barricade through the fire; she was taken back presence of Nova behind her attack Nova’s burning fist hit her face causing the sick smell of singed flesh to immediately pollute the air; stumbling backwards into the now weakened heat wave; the Cardinal goddess tried her hardest to mount some sort of defensive posture.
It was here she learned the downside to her mighty lantern ring; it prevented her from thinking rationally, what she wanted to do; and what she actually did were becoming two different things. Throwing her hands up to prevent any significant damage to her body; she left herself open to the subsequent attacks Nova dished out.
The thick blanket of steam stemming from Nova’s “flame kick” hit her face causing her to flail backwards writhing at the pain of being burned. Thrashing down to one knee with her face covered, the former Ninjan Queen screamed a sonic shriek one that would seem to be some sort of attack; but it was not.
If there were any residual ice particles left in her body; they were long gone now, it was unclear if Nova’s flames caused her body to burn so violently; or her own rage permeating through her pores. Ziccarra rose from her crouched state with visible burn marks on her face; aside from the fact that Nova nearly incinerated her insides she was fit to continue the fight.
Staggering back to a fighting stance, she spit the loose strands of coagulated blood particles from her mouth; and allowed herself to become encased in an ornate shroud of red light. “Impressive…you’ve added some new moves” the golden queen applauded, presenting her sword forward in an uncharacteristic show of respect.
“So…have…I” She said, extending her hands forward absorbing all the surrounding strands of light, even the thick glow emanating from the fire goddess herself was subjected to Ziccarra’s enthralling pull. As all the light converged on the cardinal Queen; Ziccarra’s free hand pushed outward attempting to disrupt Nova’s nervous system by disrupting the electric current used to send messages-- ultimately attempting to slow the reaction time of the Fire Queen.
This was something she could do only after absorbing enough light; which Nova was kind enough to provide her with. Spiraling into the open Ziccarra released a catastrophic amount of stored photon energy.
The colossal attack shattered the boundaries that once housed them; releasing the catastrophic energy into Addison and Leo’s fight which was happening unknowingly in the next room of the castle. Normally such a gambit would’ve left the Cardinal Goddess dead, but with her rage amplified (largely due to Feral Nova’s attacks) she survived barley. Laying on the ground feeling as if she'd been defeated, but not exactly knowing what was going on...the powers of rage left her body. "Hnnn..." She grunted unable to move a limb. Judging from her face she knew she was in a fight, but with who? for what? there is was...that feeling she got whenever her and Feral Nova got too close. After their last encounter Z made a promise to herself, one she held dear. "No more fights with Stephanie" one she acted upon by staying away from Earth (Prime) altogether, but apparently fate brought them together again.
--
The forceful energy hit the power princess depositing her on the floor immediately; she managed to construct a barrier to protect herself from the brute force of Ziccarra’s attack, but the damage had been done.
“No….” she whispered, feeling herself lose consciousness once again helpless, as she faded out of consciousness she could hear the persistent ringing on the chamber that housed the beast…
Overwhelmed by indignation, Leonel was blind to Addison's apparent elation. He hardly recalled that she had previously attempted to convince him to wield a Red Cardinal ring, nor that the ring itself was powered by it's wearer's rage. Darting off after his adversary's plummeting frame, the Modern Man's frame was rapidly encased by a searing cone of superheated plasma as a trail of thundering shock-waves from the air's rapid thermal expansion tore the sky asunder. While the orange-skinned beauty made her attempts at conversation, Leonel paid no mind. He didn't see a woman. He didn't even see a person. He only saw a component. A component of a system that had taken his sister from him.
His only objective was the entire destruction of that very system. Component by component. What he was supposed to remember, what Addison spoke of, Leonel hadn't the faintest idea, nor did he care. Truth be told however, he truly didn't remember, he couldn't. While he recalls a majority of his life in Reality M, specifically portions of his time as a freedom fighter against the Third Society-controlled regime that destroyed his world and perverted the morality of his parents, there were bits of his life that as Addison put, it were blank. Perhaps as a consequence of being abruptly transferred from one universe to another? Or was it the sheer stress of knowing that he was the sole yet undeserving survivor of his universe's destruction?
Or the pain? The pain of seeing his parents turn against a world they had sworn to protect and eradicate his remaining family members. Perhaps the pain was so great that Leonel's mind made unconscious attempts at forsaking these memories, to save him the psychological anguish. Whatever the case, he didn't remember. He didn't remember who Addison was to him then, nor what their relationship was. What he knew now was the he saw her as the enemy. And his only concern was plowing through her and saving Maya. Darting from side to side, avoiding Addison's generated sonic blasts, Leonel readied his own assault before being abruptly bombarded by the coupling of enormous quantities of electromagnetic energy that sent him violently crashing into the ground.
The attack was powerful. He was injured. One of his shoulders was dislocated, his bones rang with agony, bits of his flesh had been torn off and hung from the debris spread all about the crater created by his impact. As blood surfaced from his wounds and he struggled to his feet, Leonel with complete disregard for his well-being, continued his assault and from his denim blue gaze fired two gargantuan beams of electromagnetically propelled, ionized particles to near superluminal velocities. The particles' kinetic energy was of such enormity that should they swallow Addison whole as intended, they would superheat the matter on the surface of his adversary's skin and scorch her very bones. It was his only resort. With his present wounds, close combat wasn't his first choice. Controlling the distance from long range however, was.
This entire operation was a fraud, the message from Aphasic; the castle and even the locations they currently inhabited were intricately crafted by computer. Rage. It was getting to him, and yet he did not bear a red ring. His rage, the rage of a champion; was the only thing stopping her from entering the emotional corridor—a backdoor to other universes. Rage. He was unresponsive to anything she mentioned about reality M, unresponsive to anything she mentioned about them; the rage swelling within the heart of the young champion was so immense; she was sure her machine would be powered.
Rage. It was clear that the anger boiling inside him clouded his natural instincts; he would’ve been able to identify the irregular vibrations reverberating through the room.
The earth beneath her feet begin to quiver as the enraged champion sped towards her, his eyes expunge an violent ornate force of superheated plasma ready to end Addison’s life. At almost the exact moment his blitzing speed overwhelmed her; she was just faintly able to see the boundaries of the room give out revealing the battle between Feral Nova, and Ziccarra Liafador.
“FOOL!” She screamed, throwing her hands up in a futile protective manner; the combined power of his ionized particles in conjunction with his rage sent a mammoth wave of searing energy scouring over the ginger body of Addison.
Deafening screams dwarfed the noise emanating from the actual energy; boils begin to churn on her once gorgeous skin. Flailing in agony she finally used a thick brush of sonic wind to push the flames away from her, but not before the assault did its damage. Thick patches of skin were burned off, her hair was completely gone; and the stench of charred flesh polluted the local setting.
Rage. She had it, but unlike him she was a master of it; able to use it not just physically by psychologically. “uurk” She grunted, trying to muster whatever strength she could use to rise to her feet; it wasn’t happening her burns were too severe.
“…Leonel…” She whispered, pushing her hands in his direction; using her psychological control of rage to implant his missing memories.
She hoped he’d see her for who she truly was, the same woman he rescued from his mother and father’s death camp in Reality M; the same woman that helped fight their growing regime; the same woman that was kidnapped by them and thought to have been killed.
She was Earth-3’s equivalent to Madison Maynard, Leo’s love interest in the NU; however that all seemed to be irrelevant now as the indoctrinated Addison faced death; but little did they both know the battle for them was just beginning. She'd hoped to gain the advantage from his rage, but it was apparent in the aftermath of his attack the SCN relinquished control over the carroty beauty.
“It’s loose…” She warned, lying still trying to spur her healing factor into order so that she might esacape the carnage that cometh.
His rage was a quiet fury, there was no uncontrollable roaring, only white hot focus. He needed to find his sister. He was unaware of Maya's current condition. Hopefully she was alive, and would remain so long enough for him to find and save her. Maya was their family's most powerful member, but inexperienced in making use of her powers. Leonel simply hoped she was experienced enough to preserve her life until he's dealt with Addison. The Modern Man expressed no visible contentment as the fired beams of superheated plasma swallowed Addison whole and scorched her very bones. He would show contentment only when reunited with Maya, not when laying waste to yet another one of his family's enemies.
The strong scent of flesh, seared or reduced to ash hung in the air with an unwelcoming prominence. Hovering towards Addison, both eyes still pulsating with crackling energy ready to devour any who stood between him and his sister, Leonel was ready. He was ready to do as he had numerous times. Ready to take a life. To take Addison's life. As his approach grew closer, no sympathy overtook his features in response to the sight of Addison struggling but unable to rise to her feet. After all, as far as his memory was concerned, he'd never even met her. No recollection of who she once was to him or their past was readily accessible to his mind. Before him he only saw one of the monsters responsible for taking his beloved sister from him.
That was until Addison's hands thrust forward and as abruptly as his eyes began to brighten, ready to unleash a miniature supernova on his adversary, his memories returned to him. Specifically, his memories of Addison. He remembered now. He remembered rescuing her from the torture of his parents' concentration camps in Reality M. He remembered fighting alongside her futilely hoping to bring an end to the tyranny that his parents unleashed on their world. He remembered growing close to her before witnessing her kidnapping and apparent disappearance. They had all believed she had perished and as difficult as it was, they moved on. He hadn't the slightest clue that Addison was indoctrinated, but he knew she was an accomplice in Maya's kidnapping. He needed answers.
"Addison", his voice was softer, as caring as it was when they'd speak to each other prior to her disappearance. "What happened?", he inquired, gently helping her to her feet and offering what absorbed energy he could to accelerate her body's healing process. "I... I don't understand". He was confused. Beyond belief. It warmed his heart and spirit to see her again, to know that she was alive, but it cut him deeply that she would go to these lengths to do him harm by taking the sibling closest to him away from him. He'd give her the benefit of the doubt however. "Explain".
Stephanie stood silent, her hands balled up tightly into fists as she watched as Z’s sword was pointed in her direction, waiting for a physical attack to be placed against her, only… that didn't exactly happen… what did happen next caught the Fire Goddess off guard.
The light around them, that Nova supplied was suddenly ripped from their surrounding and collected around the Cardinal Goddess. This didn't look like a simple attack that was going to be isolated to herself, this looked like an attack that was going to destroy everything around the two for miles. This wasn't how their fights went, this wasn't suppose to be happening! “Sha, what are you doing?! Stop-“ she began to reach out only to have her body suddenly fail her, her mind knew exactly what she wanted to do, but her body wasn’t reacting! What was going on!? When did Ziccarra learn to do something like this?
The eruption of the attack was on a catastrophic level that she had never seen before, milliseconds before the attack came at her, Stephanie’s eyes shift from their once bright emerald to a deep crimson, the pupil shifting to a marquise shape, activating her demon blood at the last possible moment to try and survive the attack. Extending her hands she could feel the anger behind the attack, it was beyond anything she could have ever imagined, the raw hatred that burned inside her once friend was something that Nova could never understand.
The attack hit Stephanie head on, and a blood wrenching cry of pain was drowned out by the thunder of the attack. When the attack finally cleared the area Stephanie’s disfigured body could be seen. Her once bright and vibrant costume was nothing but small strips of charred fabric that clung onto her tattered flesh. The force of the attack ripped off chunks of her skin, her exposed muscles could be seen as blood trickled from her lips. Her body lay still for moments before the ring on her finger began to give a deep ruby glow. Her eyes shot open, her back arched while her lungs gasped for air, her body trembling from the pain her exposed raw nerves were experiencing at the moment.
But as much as she wanted to scream, she couldn't get the energy to muster a word. Her eyes shift over to Z who was laying not too far away from her. The Fire Goddess' first thought was if she was still breathing, concern poured over her face for her friend but then, her brows began to slowly pushed against one another as her mind began to race. Ziccarra tried to kill her, she almost did, she did this, she caused this pain, it was her fault, it was always HER fault and Stephanie was always dragged into the middle of all of it! Trying to diffuse the stupid situations that Sha always began! Anger began to build up as she tightened her jaw, her hand balling up in a fist. “y…ou.” Her voice was weak and raspy as tears of frustration built up. She was always causing pain in her life, no matter how hard she tried to help, no matter how many times she was there for her, Ziccarra always made Stephanie’s life a living hell! “YOU!” she let out a roar as the salty tears escaped her eyes, stinging her face as the trickled down her cheek. The ring was manipulating her thoughts and playing with her emotions, exacerbating the pint up frustration that Stephanie held against Ziccarra that had been collecting for years that was fueling her energy and strength.
Forcing herself up from the ground she stood her shaky legs, trickles of blood leaving behind droplets of blood as she shuffled her way towards the unconscious Cardinal Queen. “Get up.” She hissed through her blood stained teeth. “GET UP!” she roared in rage as she now stood over her. “THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT! YOU AND YOUR SELFISH WAYS!” She yelled out, her hands reaching to her head, tugging on her tattered hair. The health of her friend wasn’t even in question right now, her mind was clouded by the ring and unaware of the dangers around them.
Addy lay burnt to a near crisp on the steel floor with her former friend hanging over her looking for answers. As he facilitated her healing ability, she begin to explain the events leading up to now; and how it was imperative that Leo and his friends act soon.
“I-I was captured… by your parent’s forces and kept in a cold room. Eventually I began to have headaches, hallucinations and feelings that I was being…watched” she explained, feeling the soothing coolness of the healing factor taking over her skin. “I-I don’t remember too much after that”. She admitted, pointing towards the gouging hole in the facility. “What I do remember is…a woman named Aphasic saying something about an emotional corridor and how they could use it to control or destroy people if need be. They wanted you” she revealed, once again pointing toward the hole.
“In that office there is a notebook labeled…The Cataclysm, it’s a series of plans to be initiated which would ultimately lead to the end of humanity. There was a beast they wanted to poison you with.” She said rising to her feet keeping her distance in the event he might attack again.
“Thanks to the rage those women fought with…the beast has been hatched…now it’s unshackled and ready to do what it was programmed to do. Leonel your sister is up there…” For now the effects of indoctrination were gone; the society had seemingly used the orange beauty for what they needed now she was free to die along with her “friends”
“That beast can open a portal to your green friend’s home…we have to stop it here…” she said, turning to see that the enraged beast had taking position in the gouging hole with Maya tucked under its shoulder. It roared a boisterous roar almost as if it were daring them to challenge it.
“Leonel…let’s take it down together…” Addison said, her outward body language didn’t suggest she could survive a bout with the beast, but with the recent strife she caused this world…she’d do her best to try.
--
“Hnn” The Cardinal Queen grunted trying arduously to make sense of everything Nova was saying, based off her body language she could tell the Fire Fly was enraged; more than the usual. “If that’s how you feel then kill me!” Sha screamed, trying to lull her body out of entropy. “Go ahead…kill me! You’ve done it once before do it again!” She screamed, tears burning her already charred cheeks. “You know I’ll come back Nova, I always do. Just like you do!” She admitted, finally tapping into the deepest feelings she kept to heart.
“We’ve been fighting and killing each other for years now Steph.” Z said, struggling to prop herself up on her own elbows. “I am the only one that can hurt you and love you the most.” She spoke with a certain jagged vernacular; one synonymous with someone experiencing shock.
“I hurt you…and your love for me has always brought me back” She said, relentlessly trying to push herself off the ground. “You hate me right now…let my love bring you back” She said, extending her hand upwards in Nova’s direction trying to pull her friend from the allure of the crimson ring.
Quelling the remnants of his anger, at least so that he could listen to Addison's words to find some semblance of logic behind what she'd done, as she spoke and relayed details of what she'd been through, he came to realize that nothing she had done to him was of her own will. She had been indoctrinated, a process said to be used by the Third Society to take control over the minds of others. Not entirely but it warped the victim's personality and forced them to do as the whispers commanded. That the Third Society had been using her as a means of acquiring him for whatever it was they sought was no surprise. His family, each of them, Maya, Ziccarra, Alexis, himself, Tassiana, and Catalina all sported targets on their backs.
The realization worried his mind. Catalina had gone silent and he hadn't a clue why. They had maintained contact and spoke every so often, at least so that Leonel's concerns for her would be tempered, but it had come to him that they hadn't spoken in what felt like months. In the aftermath of this misadventure, he'd have to seek her out. He'd promised their mother that he'd keep her safe, the prospect of failure... it didn't rest easy on his heart. Doing away with his features' worried visage and returning his attention to Addison, his voice reached out to her with the charismatic affability and touching sincerity that it did when it addressed anyone and everyone. "Addison", he began, subtly stepping a foot closer to her, his expression earnest and genuine in what his words stated, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry they did this to you".
"And I'm sorry for trying to burn you alive", he chuckled somewhat nervously, rubbing the back of his head, hoping to clear the tension between them with some harmless humor. "Look. I know the people that were after you. They've been a threat to everyone in my new world. And they were the ones responsible for the destruction of ours. I'm going to make them pay for what they did to us. For what they did to everyone". It was a promise. Intent on finding the Cataclysm, Leonel turned to gaze upon the gaping hole in the facility before finding his objectives halted by the abrupt emergence of a beast said to have been programmed to poison him. That the beast could leave this world and travel to Maddison's however, was what worried him.
Catching sight of Maya in the beast's custody, an expression of concern and immediacy overtook Leonel's visage, "Maya!", he shouted. "Addison that's my sister with that thing. We have to save her. I can't let the Third Society take any more people from me. We're going to get out of this, all of us, alive". Soon electrical energy crackled around him as electrical filaments surged in the air all about him. His eyes grew featureless and blank with white before glowing with a vibrant shade of blue. Beneath him the ground quaked as the power of gods was summoned. "I'm going to attack it. While I distract it you take Maya to a safe distance. Follow closely behind me. I'm going to knock that thing off the ground, be there to catch Maya once it loses it's grip over her". With that, the Modern Man burst forward, intent on ramming both his fists into the pit of the monster's stomach and knocking it into the horizon while hoping that Addison would be closely behind to catch a falling Maya.
Her eyes filled with tears only to evaporate as they tried to make their way down her to cheeks, her anger boiling inside to the point of her body beginning to tremble. “DON’T TAUNT ME! I WILL KILL YOU!” She shouted back, rising her arm above her head as a sword created from fire formed in her hands. “I’LL KILL YOU AND MAKE SURE YOU NEVER COME BACK! YOU’LL STAY IN THE HELL YOU DESERVE EVEN IF THAT MEANS I HAVE TO BE THERE TOO TO MAKE SURE YOU NEVER ESCAPE!” These words weren’t what she actually meant, she wasn’t even aware of exactly what she was saying anymore. The ring was just pushing words out of her, squeezing every drop of anger she housed inside her and rerouted it towards Sha.
She then began shaking her head as she lowered her weapon. “No, no, no, NO! Don’t lie to me!” She jerked away, clasping her free hand over her head as she listened. “I WAS THE ONE WHO LOVED YOU.” Her voice began to crack, her face twisted with emotion. “You… you just manipulated me, you made me THINK we were friends, made me THINK you cared about me. But you just used me over and over again!” Her lip began to quiver she was losing her edge. "WELL NO MORE! I WILL NOT BE USED ANYMORE!"
Her eyes looked down into the arms that had so many times comforted her in her times of need, but those were the same arms that held the sword that pierced into her heart one too many times. “I hate you.” She grumbled as she rose her weapon up with both hands above her head, the tip of the blade pointing downwards towards her life time rival and best friends chest. “I HATE YOU!” With that she thrust the weapon downward forcefully towards Ziccarra, only to have the blade dissipate back into a gust of warm fire at the last possible second and fell to her knees before the former Ninjan Queen, sobbing as the ring slipped off her finger and fell to the ground with a cling.
She lightly shook her head back and forth. “I can’t…” she whispered through her tears that now stained her face. “I don’t hate you… I never could.” And it was the truth, even with the years of fighting, hunting and killing there were years of support, trust and love. “But I can’t do this anymore… the fighting, the blood, the killing.” She paused, her eyes looking up at her friend. The lifetimes of fighting have taken it's tole on the Fire Goddess, how many more times were the two going to be 'destined' to fight each other? Kill each other? She didn't want this anymore, she didn't want this destiny anymore. “How many more times do we have to hurt each other? Kill each other?” She leaned forward into Sha’s arm as she wrapped her own arms around her. For so long the two had fought each other she forgot what it was like to actually hug her friend.
“It’s fine…I guess. I really didn’t give you a choice” She said, staggering weakly to a vertical base. Her emerald eyes immediately turned toward Leonel’s, but his attention rest on the “Catalysm” standing in the smoking hole above them. Addison could feel the distress in Leonel’s voice, as he called out his younger sister’s name. “Do not worry Leo…I won’t let him take your sister…” She proclaimed, allowing her enigmatic photon energy to crackle around her fist. The earth beneath her begins to violently tremor by the command of the authoritative New God; she stood momentarily with her auburn hair bellowing wildly in the wake of his powerful manifestation. He flew off barking orders, orders she acknowledged by following in tow ready to retrieve the power princess from the beast.
The shockwave resounding in Leonel’s punch sent the orange beauty spiraling in the air; executing flawless aerial recovery managed to catch the lithe framed Maya in her arms and escorting her to safety.
“Leo, I got her!” Addy called out, laying the 5’11 power princess down on a table providing extra support for her head so that she didn’t sustain some type of injury. “She’s beautiful…” Addison murmured stroking the chestnut locks of the New Cardinal Goddess.
THOOM!
A loud noise spun her around, the Catalysm had returned, and from the sounds of its boisterous roars it didn’t take kindly to being knocked out of the arena by Leo. Sprint back towards his location, she saw the beast lunging towards her longtime friend.
“No, you don’t!” She threatened, throwing her hands up in an “L” shape and firing a photon energy wave at the feet of the beast meant only to take its attention. Her ploy worked, however it seemed to alert the beast to the numbers game. Instead of charging Addison like it originally planned, the mammoth machine thrust its arms into the air siphoning the powers of the society Matriarch, Zedora; using its graviton energy control to increase the gravity around them making flight hard.
“It’s…been…using…the …rage…to…siphon…abilities” Addison struggled to explain, the increased gravity made standing incredibly hard. She was sure the new increase in gravity would be nothing for Leo, he was unlike anything she’d ever seen before…and she was an alien.
With the gravity in place she was temporarily out of the fight, but not outside of the monster’s impact zone. Following the increased gravity, the beast plowed it’s monstrous fist into the bedrock of the arena; sending a shockwave in the form of a fissure rippling through the entire structure.
The brute force of the monstrous assault could easily contend with anything she’d seen both Ziccarra and Leo do. Rolling to no avail; the deadly shockwave sent her body careening through a steel wall. “Gah…” She grunted, showing signs of life so that Leo might not get distracted.
--
“Heh…you wanna just be friends?” her chuckle was strained by intense internal damage, but she was genuinely pleased to be hugging her best friend; for what felt like the first time in forever. “Nova bear…I’m so sorry about everything.” She said, timidly placing her pacific blues eyes on her longtime friend. “I promised you I wouldn’t do this anymore…and yet I still broke that promise.” She said, holding her ribs in pain. Throughout her entire tenure on Earth; Stephanie had never given up on her, no matter how many times the two fought for conflicting ideals she’d never given up—not once. The red ring actually allowed them both to get what they’d been concealing for so long out in the air. The paralyzing wail of the beast ended what was once a good moment, Ziccarra’s eyes dart toward the blitzing speed of the Azure son engaging the beast in battle.
“He’s strong…” She whispered, using Nova as a crutch to keep herself sitting up. “You…you’ve gotten stronger” She said subtly applauding the efforts of Stephanie. Their previous fights left her wanting more; but the first few blows from the Fire Goddess left Z visibly winded, she couldn’t stop now however the young man needed her help—the combined efforts of TWO ninjans should be more than enough to stop the rampaging beast.
“Come on love…” She said shifting to her knee’s in an effort to rise back to her feet. “We have one more fight ahead of us.” Her legs were wobbly; capable of giving out at any moment. A thin stream of blood cascade down the corners of her mouth—internal bleeding, but the most powerful infliction she had benefiting her right now was love; something she couldn’t see through all the rage.
The powerful shockwave shot toward them, Ziccarra the former Ninjan Queen ; threw her hands out in front of both her and Nova and cast a light screen over the both of them protecting them from the powerful effects of attack. She didn't notice at the time, but there was a huge shift in the gravity of this planet, because of Ninjeta's already large gravitational pull; it only really effected her a little bit.
“Nova…attrition!” She yelled, pointing at an unprotected point on the arena floor; where Nova could attack, She could attack, and Leo could attack to overwhelm the beast.
“Hey…take point and we’ll follow your lead” She screamed in Leo’s direction. Taking this beast down would take cooperation on all of their behalf.
The strike was successful, and Addison had done her part in the plan, catching Maya's unconscious frame and setting it down a safe distance from the commenced bout between Leonel and the mechanical monster designed to take his life. Briefly shifting his gaze back, catching sight of his younger sister in Addison's safeguarding arms, a sense of relief overtook his heart, she was alive and well. And he smiled, internally realizing that without Maya in his life, his heart and spirit would have grown lost and directionless. She was his sister, his confidant, and best friend. Time however, was not kind to Leonel's warmhearted thoughts as a thundering eruption from a distance signaled the return of the Cataclysm who roared and screamed until it's heart stopped.
As the creature darted towards him, Leonel readied himself, intent on unleashing a vicious assault of pugilistic fury, the power of a god of new generations pulsating in his fists. Addison however, intervened with a blast, seizing the creature's attention and alerting it to it's most obvious disadvantage, the numbers game. "Thanks Addison", he paused, "I owe you one". Though he offered his gratitude for his dearest friend's bold move, his eyes never wandered from the beast they faced. He would not be distracted. Soon Addison's speech grew laborious and her movements sluggish as she explained the mechanics behind the monster's abilities. It had increased their environment's gravity, to what degree, Leonel didn't know. He felt no difference. The physical attributes of a New God enabled him to resist the gravity of grown stars. This gravitational shift could not disrupt his movement, though it impaired Addison's.
"Well, I said I owed you one, right?", he smirked, "I'll take that thing's attention off you. I'll close the distance and attack it from the inside while you use your long range abilities and attack from it outside, pick it apart from a distance". Bursting forward, the New God flew face first into a powerful shock-wave that rippled through his flesh and vibrated his very bones. The pain was tremendous. It was not unlike being hit by himself. The sensation, the force, it was similar to the power of Reality M's Champion, an individual Leonel had done battle with numerous times. Knocked into the ground as a gaping crater lay beneath him, Leonel struggled as he rose to both feet, his features bruised and partially swollen, and his bones ringing with pain. Initially, his concern grew for Addison. How hard had the attack struck her? Concern that dissipated as soon as she expressed signs of life. "Good. She's alright", he murmured before calling out to her, "Cover your eyes! Now!".
Thrusting both his palms forward, Leonel discharged a gargantuan blast of concentrated photons that erupted mid-flight, generating a blinding flash of light that for a moment outshone the planet's home star in the sky. It was designed to blind the monster by completely frying it's optical organs. The pain and loss of visual perception was to create an opening for Leonel as he soon darted forward, electromagnetically propelling himself to near-superluminal velocities before hoping to ram his head into the pit of the creature's stomach, the sheer force and kinetic energy from his velocity was to superheat the matter on the surface of the creature's frame before knocking it off into the distance. Leonel's assault would not relent, he would follow with an unrelenting barrage of powerful beams of electrically charged particles accelerated to near-superluminal velocities.
Stephanie's emergence with this world's Ziccarra of all people stunned him but confident that Stephanie wouldn't do anything to put Maya in danger, Leonel nodded in accordance to Ziccarra's words before alerting her via telepathic means from the psionic energy absorbed from numerous telepaths that had fallen before him. "You and Nova attack from a distance. Give it everything you've got. Buy me some time. Twenty seconds is all I need for this to work". One of Leonel's most lethal abilities was the power to manipulate virtual particles. It meant that he could manipulate the strong nuclear force between quarks by causing virtual gluons to interact. And because the residual of this force outside of neutrons and protons hold them together in atomic nuclei due to virtual mesons, it essentially meant that with enough concentration, time and energy applied, he could disintegrate nearly any object. He would hope that given twenty seconds, he would gather enough energy to disintegrate their adversary. If successful, it would reduce the creature to nothingness, but it would leave Leonel powerless for the following week.
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