Dr. Ferris and Quan stand across from each other, ready to clash.
Mysterious Voice; Before you begin, allow me to lay out some ground rules. If any significant damage is done to the runes on the walls, you will both be incinerated. So, please avoid that.
Dr. Ferris quickly scans the walls.
Dr. Ferris; Significant, huh?
Mysterious Voice; Aside from that, the door will remain locked, until one of you is dead. Now, if you'll excuse me...
Quan; Hold up. You're not sticking around?
Mysterious Voice; I'll be back. Hopefully before the fight ends. But I do need to check up on the other contestants. So, I'll be stepping out briefly. In the meantime, you guys enjoy your fight.
The Mysterious Voice falls silent.
Dr. Ferris; So, then, about those runes...
Quan Rushes at Dr. Ferris, swinging a punch. Dr. Ferris teleports out of the way.
Dr. Ferris; Okay, I guess we're getting right into it, then...
Quan throws another punch at Dr. Ferris, who teleports behind Quan, slashing him from behind with his sword cane. The attack barely grazes Quan's skin. Dr. Ferris notices the attack did barely any damage, and teleports further away.
Dr. Ferris; Your enhancement grants you stronger defenses. Should have expected as much.
Quan turns to face Dr. Ferris, smirking. Dr. Ferris sheaths his blade, and points his finger gun at Quan.
Dr. Ferris; Let's try this, then. BANG!
A bolt of lightning shoots from Dr. Ferris's fingertip, firing at Quan. The lightning bolt glyph on the back of Quan's right glove begins glowing, and letting off sparks, as he raises his fist and punches Dr. Ferris's lightning bolt just before it hits him. Dr. Ferris's lightning bolt is extinguished by Quan's punch, and Quan silently vanishes into a black light. Quan reappears behind Dr. Ferris, preparing to strike with his left fist. Dr. Ferris notices his presence, and teleports away, as the snowflake glyph on Quan's left glove lights up. Dr. Ferris reappears a few feet away, as he watches the ground he was just standing on freeze over.
Dr. Ferris; Oh shit. Am I in actual danger right now?
Quan; What? Did you think this'd be easy?
Quan charges at Dr. Ferris again, swinging with his right hand, which is charged with lightning. Dr. Ferris dodges the attack, drawing his blade again.
Dr. Ferris; So, it's those glyphs, then...
Dr. Ferris's blade catches fire, and he slashes the back of Quan's left hand, cutting through the snowflake glyph. Quan reels back in pain, before striking again with his right hand. Dr. Ferris teleports slightly to the side, and slashes the glyph on Quan's right hand. Quan vanishes into darkness, reappearing a short distance away, examining his gloves.
Quan; Hmph. Guess these are useless now...
Quan removes his gloves, revealing some light scrapes where Dr, Ferris had slashed him.
Dr. Ferris; Barely any damage... How tough is this guy?
Quan produces a second pair of gloves from his pockets, and slips them on. A glyph resembling a fireball appears on his right hand, and a glyph resembling a tornado appears on his left hand. Quan rushes at Dr. Ferris again, swinging his right hand as it catches fire. Dr. Ferris steps backwards, avoiding the attack. Quan thrusts his other fist forward, and a gust of wind hits Dr. Ferris, sending him flying backwards. Dr. Ferris's back hits the wall, as his sword clatters to the floor.
Dr. Ferris; Damn it! I need to get serious...
Quan thrusts forward with both fists, and a vortex of fire begins rushing towards Dr. Ferris. Dr. Ferris sprouts a pair of semi-corporeal, shadowy wings, and flaps then, generating a gust of shadowy wind, dispelling the fiery vortex. Dr. Ferris flies forwards, retrieving his sword and gaining some distance from Quan.
Dr. Ferris; So, he can combine elements, and my normal attacks barely phase him. I have to do something about those glyphs...
Quan sends another fiery vortex at Dr. Ferris, who glides off to the side to avoid it.
Dr. Ferris; I have to hit him harder somehow. I suppose I haven't tried that power yet...
Dr,. Ferris's wings vanish, and smoke begins pouring out of the corners of his mouth. His eyes go bloodshot, and he vanishes into the God's Way. He reappears next to Quan, stabbing him through both of his hands, impaling both Glyphs. Quan cries out in pain, and kicks Dr. Ferris away. Dr. Ferris hits the floor, and rises back to his feet, clutching his head with one hand, as smoke continues billowing out of his mouth.
Dr. Ferris; Damn it... focus...
Dr. Ferris's eyes begin to clear up, and the smoke stops pouring from his mouth.
Dr. Ferris; Okay, difficult power to control. Noted.
Quan quickly rotates both forearms in opposite directions, snapping Dr. Ferris's sword in half. He proceeds to calmly remove both halves of the sword from his hands.
Dr. Ferris; What the hell? What is this guy made of?
Quan removes his gloves, and tears off his shirt, exposing his muscular torso.
Quan; Good for you. I actually felt that one.
Quan uses his torn-up shirt to bandage his impaled hands, then produces a third pair of gloves from his pockets. He slips them on over his bandages, and a pair of glowing white symbols resembling a circle and an X overlapping each other light up on them. Quan's dark aura intensifies.
Quan; But I ain't down for the count just yet, Doc.
Dr. Ferris; Fine then...
Dr. Ferris arms himself with the sheath of his sword-cane, and his wings reappear.
Dr. Ferris; Let's fucking go...
Dr. Ferris and Quan rush at each other. Quan throws a hook punch, which Dr. Ferris dodges under. Dr. Ferris strikes Quan in the back of the skull with his sheath. Quan turns around and throws another punch. Dr. Ferris flies backwards, avoiding the attack, and landing in front of the strength-testing game. Dr. Ferris flaps his wings, sending a gust of dark wind, driving Quan back towards the high-striker game.
Dr. Ferris; Perfect chance to test my theory...
Dr. Ferris's wings vanish, and he takes aim with his finger gun.
Dr. Ferris; BANG!
A bolt of lightning shoots from Dr. Ferris's fingertip, missing Quan and hitting the bell of the high-striker game, knocking it loose. It clatters to the ground, and the high-striker game suddenly explodes. Quan is knocked to the ground, and some of the symbols on the wall are damaged. Dr. Ferris glances up to the ceiling, examining the incinerators.
Dr. Ferris; Nothing yet? I see...
Quan rises to his feet, clutching one of his shoulders.
Quan; Two can play at that game, asshole!
Quan quickly scoops up a pebble, and flicks it at the strength-testing game. The scale on the game goes up to 17,000, and the game explodes, knocking Dr. Ferris to the ground, and damaging more of the symbols on the walls. Dr. Ferris rolls over onto his back, gazing up at the incinerators.
Dr. Ferris; Still not sufficient enough, eh? Let's see...
Dr. Ferris vanishes for several seconds, before reappearing in the middle of the room.
Quan; What was that just now? Isn't it dangerous to spend that much time in the God's Way?
Dr. Ferris; Had to check something. Don't worry about it.
The loudspeakers come back on.
Mysterious Voice; Well, well. Things seem to be coming to a head. Have I returned in time for the climax?
Quan; Get fucked, asshat.
Dr. Ferris; Yeah, yeah. We're just getting to the good part.
Mysterious Voice; Very well! I look forward to the grand finale!
Doctor Ferris's wing grow again, and they both charge at each other. Dr. Ferris jabs Quan in the jugular with his sheath, then smacks him in the temple with it. Quan throws a hook punch, which Dr. Ferris dodges, gliding behind Quan and jabbing him in the kidney. Quan turns around, throwing another punch. Dr. Ferris's wings vanish, and his hair and eyes turn scarlet, as he blocks Quan's punch. Quan throws a couple more punches, one of which Dr. Ferris is successfully able to block, with the other grazing his ribs. Dr. Ferris strikes Quan's left eye with his sheath, then jabs him in the solar plexus. Quan gives a pained shout, and delivers a thrust punch to Dr. Ferris's chest. Dr. Ferris let's out a short gasp, and drops to his knees. His hair and eyes return to their normal color, and he falls forward, lying face-down on the floor.
Quan; Um... Doc?
Quan turns Dr. Ferris over, checking his pulse.
Mysterious Voice; Well now! Look at those vitals! Seems that blow to his sternum stopped his heart! Congratulations, Quan! You have won!
Quan; You're kidding... Doc...
Quan places a hand on Dr. Ferris's chest, then furrows his brow.
Quan; The fuck is this?
Mysterious Voice; The door is now open for you! You're free to move forward.
Quan; Um... okay then...
Mysterious Voice; I'll be going now. Enjoy your victory!
The loudspeaker falls silent. Quan taps Dr. Ferris's chest some more.
Quan; Seriously? What the fuck are you wearing?
Dr. Ferris's body suddenly shudders violently, and he gasps for breath, and begins coughing up blood.
Quan; Holy shit! What the fuck!
Dr. Ferris; Fuck! My chest! How hard did you hit me!?
Quan; Weren't you just dead a second ago!?
Dr. Ferris; Must've been. Otherwise, the gizmo wouldn't have gone off.
Quan; What gizmo? You mean the thing you're wearing under your coat?
Dr. Ferris; Courtesy of Ciel Potomac. Modified, chest-mounted defibrillator hooked up to a heart rate monitor set to attempt resuscitation if I flatline long enough.
Quan narrows his eyes and frowns slightly.
Quan; You're wearing a defibrillator bra?
Dr. Ferris; Ciel would slit your throat if she heard you call it that and there's nothing your super strength could do to stop her.
Quan; So, what now? You somehow managed to rig this so we both live. Does that mean we can both move forward?
Dr. Ferris produces a syringe from his pocket and jabs it into his thigh.
Dr. Ferris; I don't think so. Pretty sure you broke my sternum and some of my ribs just now. Think I'm done. You go on ahead. I'll lie here and wait for Ciel's good shit to kick in.
Quan; So you want me to just leave you here?
Dr. Ferris; Don't worry. I can leave at any time. I already tested out the God's Way.
Quan; Wait? What?
Dr. Ferris; Remember how he said we couldn't cause "significant" damage to the symbols on the walls? Well, the reason I fired at the high-striker machine was to test the limits of that.
Quan looks around and notices the damaged symbols.
Quan; Right. Those are what's been restricting our teleportation methods to this room.
Dr. Ferris; Yeah. So, we've damaged them just enough to inhibit those restrictions without setting off the incinerators.
Quan; Heh. Guess you really are the smart one here.
Dr. Ferris; As much as I enjoy having my ass kissed, we've wasted enough time. You should get going.
Quan; Right. If I catch up to the kids, I'll keep them safe.
Dr. Ferris; Good. Now get going, muscle-head.
Quan exits through the door, and Dr. Ferris lets out a sigh, closing his eyes. Shortly after, the loudspeakers come back on.
Mysterious Voice; You're pretty fucking clever, aren't you, Doctor?
Dr. Ferris smirks.
Dr. Ferris; Of course...
No comments:
Post a Comment