Chapter 21: A Pulse in Shreds
Ana: “Me first!”
Ben Jr: “C'mon! Hit me!
Ana rushes out from the group and leaps into the air for a Superman punch, but is interrupted by Ben grabbing her arm and throwing her towards one of his walls. She recovers in time and uses the wall to launch herself back to him. She lands a kick straight to the jaw before rolling into a kneeling position.
Jace: “Don’t let her attack alone! Get him!”
Henry: “About fucking time.”
Mythril: “I’ll break his collarbone.”
Luke: “You don’t have to do all of that, buddy.”
Mythril: “I want him to hurt.”
Kien: “Aww, see? He does take after me.”
Mythril is next to run out from the group. Kien’s arms manifest within an instant as he goes to strike Ben. Luke catches up to Mythril and throws out two more knives. Ben is lucky and is able to manifest his aura. Kien’s arms are blown back with the fingers being entirely shredded.
Mythril: “Retreat that arm and let it heal! Time to play decoy!”
Ben winds up a punch towards Mythril, but one of Luke’s knives clink across his aura. He’s thrown off guard for a second, so Ana appears behind him and punches him in the shoulder-blade. He reacts and tries to elbow Ana, but the other knife plinks off his face, redirecting his attention back to Luke and Mythril.
Jace: “Incoming!”
Ben is greeted by a drop-kick straight to his face as Ana’s pulse detonates behind him, adding more force to Jace’s attack. Jace quickly kicks off of Ben's head and lands next to the duo. He notices remnants of the soles of his shoes floating near them like confetti. He lifts up his leg and glances at his shoes, only to notice that the soles are now slightly torn and shredded, similar to Kien’s arm.
Jace: “What the hell is your ability?”
Ben Jr: “It’s been passed down for generations, think of it like a martial art. We’ve named it: Breakdown.”
Jace: “Blah-blah, your family is cool. WHAT DOES THE ABILITY DO?!”
Ben Jr: “It breaks you down.”
Ana: “This’ll break you down, asshole!”
Ana rolls to the side and gives him a punch to the chest, the following detonation sends him back a few inches.
Ben Jr: “This hurts you more than it hurts me, check your gloves.”
Ana: “What’re you on abou-?”
She looks down and notices her gloves being tinged with a dark red. Drops of blood seep out from her knuckles and tap onto the marble floor.
Ben Jr: “Think of the aura surrounding me like a million tiny razors, or perhaps a really thin chainsaw. Every time you attack me physically, I slice you apart so quickly you don’t even feel it. Attack me from a distance and this aura is simply a shield for me. In short, I’m indestructible.”
Ana: “Like hell you are!”
She grips her gloves, causing some of the blood to splatter in all directions. She throws another punch at his chest, aiming for a rib. The detonation is able to damage him a bit, but not without shredding Ana’s knuckles further. She grits her teeth in pain and begins a flurry of attacks. The rapid succession of Pulses cause a slight interference with Ben's aura, causing her to get some damage in. With a yell of anger, she crashes both of her fists into his chest before stepping back and letting the detonation push him into the wall, leaving a solid indent.
Jace: “Alright, Ana!”
Henry: “Get out of there now!”
Ana: “No way…I still have some fight in me…”
She tries to hold up her hands, but the shredding against her muscles makes it difficult to do so. Behind her, Ben removes himself from his cozy wall-hole and begins a steady stomp towards Ana. She’s finally able to form fists and gets ready for the upcoming attack.
Ben Jr: “Is it my turn now?”
Ana: “Huh?”
Before she can blink, Ben rushes forwards and grabs her neck before sending her into the floor. She gasps for air and yells out in agony. She’s unable to fight back due to her shredded fists, so she tries to drag her body away.
Ben Jr: “You just don’t stop moving, huh? This'll make you stay still, you bug!”
He stomps down right next to her. The impact sends debris towards her face, which makes her cough and wheeze for air harder. Ben raises his boot over Ana’s head, the shadow overwhelms her as she braces for the impact.
Henry: “He’s trying to shred her face off?!”
Jace: “Shit! We gotta help-”
Mythril sprints out from the group once more.
Jace: “Her...”
Luke: “Well, c’mon! He needs backup!”
Jace: “Right!”
Mythril: “I plan on making you pay for that, Ben. Kien, full throttle!”
Kien: “I LOVE GOING FULL THROTTLE!!!”