by Victoria Sheridan 29th June 2019, 1:10 pm
Victoria lay on the floor after being kicked like a football and slamming into a wall. It was a struggle to breathe, let alone get up. Kerwes was getting the upper hand and she was running out of clever tricks to use against him. She needed to end this fight and fast. Kerwes appeared in front of her and used both hands to grab her by the front collar of her jacket and raise her face to his eye level.
"You've pushed me far, Miss Sheridan. No one's ever pushed me this far before. I haven't fel this alive since our last meeting. I must thank you for the fun time I've had." Kerwes said with mock gratitude.
"You're welcome." Victoria snarked back. Kerwes laughed, then his hands glowed red. He held onto her collar with one hand and picked her up, then chokeslammed her into the floor. The Sabertooth mage felt intense pain in her back as the glass shards embedded in her armor threatened to break through the protective plates. To her relief the protective plates were thick enough to prevent the glass shards from punching into the flesh of her back.
"Unfortunately, as the old saying goes, all good things must come to an end." The blond man said to her while stretching his arms out in a show of dominance. Victoria could hardly muster the strength to move. Her back, chest, and stomach were in such pain that it was difficult to even focus long enough to hear him gloat. The only thing that had kept her alive was her Azure Armor.
Kerwes started to walk over to her when his legs buckled and he pitched forward, barely regaining his footing in time to avoid falling on his face. Victoria craned her head forward to watch the proceedings and began to laugh. Kerwes' eyes met her own.
"What... what did you do to me?" He asked her.
"You're the smart guy. I'm just trash on the floor that someone forgot to sweep up. You figure it out!" Victoria shot back. If snark was the only weapon left in her arsenal, she might as well use it. Kerwes looked towards her and quickly began to put the pieces together. He raised a finger at her and jabbed it repeatedly.
"You! You and your tranquilizer rifle! THAT DART YOU FIRED!" He shouted in, short, barely complete sentences, jabbing his finger accusingly. Victoria mockingly clapped her hands in applause.
"Heh heh. Guilty as charged." Victoria admitted to him before laughing again. The Slow Down dart was taking effect. Kerwes' good cheer evaporated when he heard the mage laugh at him. The angered scientist clenched his teeth together and balled his hands into fists.
"SHUT UP, YOU FILTH! I'LL END YOU!" He yelled. Victoria watched him approach at a fast walk. He did not seem to be able to teleport ever since the Slow Down dart worked its magic. It was either that he could not teleport or that he was simply moving so fast that it only looked like he could teleport.
Victoria raised her hands to fire a Beam Cannon, but Kerwes thrust his open hand towards her and a red copy of his hand slammed into her and sent her sliding on her back until her head hit the wall. She could hear him approach and saw him grab her by the feet. She felt herself being lifted and held by the feet as she was thrown onto the ground.
She hit it hard and nearly blacked out, only avoiding that fate because she used her left arm to shield her face. Kerwes lifted her again and slammed her again, then threw her aside with one hand, where she slid to the middle of the room. Victoria's left arm was barely able to be moved and she was in really bad pain. Victoria had one last trick to play... she put her right arm at her side and put her hand underneath her body, then formed a Flashbang.
"Not laughing now, are you?" He asked angrily as he lifted her up by the shirt collar. Victoria laughed slightly.
"Do you have any tricks left to save you? Or have you run out?" He asked. Victoria held up her right hand to show the Flashbang about to detonate.
"One." Victoria snarked, letting the device fall from her hand right in front of his face. She saw a shocked Kerwes let her go the second before she closed her eyes. A moment later she heard an agonized scream after the BANG. The mage opened her eyes, forced herself up and willed her left arm to work.
She put her hands together for a Beam Cannon. She focused the magic onto her fingertips, then aimed for his head and fired. He was doubled over when she fired, but in the throes of pain he jerked his head up and she hit his right pectoral muscle instead. He screamed and clutched his chest with his left hand.
"Damn." Victoria remarked on her bad aim as she dropped to one knee and her left arm hung limply at her side. Kerwes flashed a look of anger and fear as he backed away from her. The red glow enveloping his body faded as he hurried towards a computer control panel and slammed his right fist onto it. A hidden door next to the console opened up to show a hidden hallway. The wounded scientist hurried onto it and faced her.
"This isn't over, Miss Sheridan! You've won today, but we'll meet again! The next meeting will be our last!" He vowed before punching a button hidden from her view. The hidden door closed and Kerwes was on his way to another location. Victoria wanted to chase him and finish the job, but she was so badly hurt that giving chase was a laughable impossibility. All the brunette could do was drop to both knees and kneel in a place that felt like it just might become her tomb.
Victoria did not want to die in a hole in the ground, but she might not have a choice. She could hardly move and she certainly could not fight. She could not even focus enough to cast a healing spell to get her on her feet. Alexander Kerwes might have had too high an opinion of himself, but he was a good fighter who had done a number on her. Victoria's thoughts trailed off as she heard the door to the command center open.
Was it a random lizard who had somehow gotten through the security checkpoint? Or was it a clean-up crew of mercenaries sent to kill her after Kerwes himself had failed? Victoria laboriously turned herself toward the door and looked at someone standing in the doorway, someone female. Was that... Florence Manderley?
"VICTORIA!" Florence screamed. The blonde woman was clad in white arctic camouflage just like Victoria wore. On her side was a black satchel with a red cross in a white circle.
"I didn't expect you to show up here." Victoria replied dryly. This was unexpected, to say the least.
[Word Count: 1,206]
[Total Word Count: 13,049/12,500]