Faith had a half dozen shallow cuts to her arms and legs in addition to the deep cut on the back of her thigh that she had received early on with her battle with Neopolitan. She had figured out quickly not to waste punches and get off balance striking out and trying to unload on Neo, especially if Neo seemed to be in front of her, inviting her to strike; invariably, that Neo would disappear as her gauntleted fist would have connected with her face, or the much faster killer pixie would duck inside Faith’s guard and deliver any number of a myriad of kicks or throws she seemed to use effortlessly. Faith realized Neo had some sort of illusiory-like aspect to her semblance. Faith had attempted to use her powerful senses to try to sense where the killer pixie was for real. A step sounding out of place, a glimmer of an image that looked wrong, even Neo's smell; anything that might tell her where the petite assassin really was…
But Neo’s illusions were flawless, and seemed to cover every aspect. Even Luna’s ability to see ahead was of limited use. She could see Neo’s attacks barely seconds before they occurred, and by the time she could send word to Faith, only Faith’s Slayer reflexes were saving her from greater damage.
“Head. Right eye!” Luna called out, and Faith ducked just in time to sense the thin blade jabbing at the place where her eye was. Faith lashed out with an elbow strike, like Roberta had taught her to do in close quarters with a faster opponent. She preferred mashing her opposition into a grease spot with her fists, but against Neo her punches were always too slow to connect with the diminutive criminal. So instead she tried a faster technique, hoping to land that one good blow she needed. If she could just catch Neo once and knock her down, then she could finish her with her punch, or so Faith reasoned…
But Neo slid like an eel around Faith’s strike, and left Faith with a solid knee to Faith’s midsection. Were Neo any heavier so that she had more weight behind her blow, Faith would have lost her wind and been on the floor. Roberta and Fang, however, had taught Faith how to tighten her muscles and blow out at the last second, so Neo’s knee left a deep tissue bruise and only made Faith double over for a brief moment. Recovering and returning to guard position, Faith watched as Neo danced out of reach again. While Faith wanted nothing more than to crush Neo so badly, she did take heart in the fact that she was keeping Neo busy so she couldn’t assist Cinder in her duel with Fang. She knew she had a part to play for her team, and if it ended up with her taking it on the chin for awhile then so be it...
Fang pulled her Lance into three piece staff mode, and drove into Cinder with a quick 1-2 slash to Cinder’s chest with her blades, again shattering Cinder’s current weapon, a spear. Fang than retreated from Cinder’s outstretching hand, reforming her Lance and slashing at Cinder’s legs. Thereafter, Cinder was forced to maintain her distance, so Fang's powers were minimally drained. But, Fang noted grimly, the deep slashes she had just inflicted on the Grimm transformed woman were already knitting back together before her very eyes. Quick slashes like Fang favored weren’t going to take Cinder down anytime soon. Fang didn’t feel it was a good idea to use alone or any combination of her abilities, the Fall Maiden’s, and or Ragnarok's power on Cinder; Fang questioned that given the woman’s ability to steal magic power who knew what she could absorb and power herself up with?
So it was a quasi stalemate between Fang and Cinder. Fang could try to continue to slash and dance away from Cinder’s magic draining hand, trying to exhaust the Grimm woman’s seemingly inexhaustible dust supply. But out of the corner of her eye she watched Faith get flipped to the floor again. Faith bounced back up quickly, but Fang could see Neo’s speed was troubling Faith, and she was worried that the petite assassin would get a lucky blow that would leave her young teammate in a bad way. Fang had the experience of so many battles over so many times, she knew when the matchups were not in her side’s favor. But matchups could be changed...
Into her throat mike, Fang said wordlessly “Faith, switch w/me.” Fang simultaneously switched back to her three piece staff and drove into Cinder, smiling. She feinted high, dodging Cinder’s belated thrust at her chest and acting as she had up till now like she intended to slash Cinder’s chest. Instead, she drove one blade into Cinder’s gut and opened a deep gash on Cinder’s thigh. Taking advantage of Cinder’s temporary surprise, Fang quickly retreated back to Faith.
Faith looked at Fang curiously. “You sure?” she asked Fang. Fang nodded, and said “Go fuck her shit up! Don’t worry about Neo, I’ll handle her.” Faith grinned savagely, and seemed to get her swagger back as she moved up to take on Cinder. Cinder, wounds already closing, eyed Faith and said “Sending in the B team – I feel insulted now…” Faith responded “Yeah, B as in Beatdown, bitch!” Faith loosed a fist that caught the side of Cinder’s jaw, and spun her around until she found her footing again. Faith rushed forward quickly to press her advantage.
Fang back pedaled to keep up with Faith while guarding her back. She watched with narrowed eyes the circling Neo. As Neo approached, Fang let loose with one of her abilities, appearing as a sparkling white ball of power launching from her hand at Neo’s chest. Neo’s parasol came up and deflected Fang’s energy as the two colored little killer pixie seemed to disintegrate into thin air. Fang centered herself and waited patiently.
She didn’t have to wait long. “Faith, left knee!” Luna called out, and this time it was Fang's Lance that blocked Neo’s foot from taking out Faith’s knee. “Never did like ice cream…” Fang growled as she swept her Lance around quickly and took Neo’s legs out from under her. Fang fired another ability from her hand at Neo, who tucked and rolled away at the last second. Though Ruin didn’t hit her squarely, it came close enough that Neo’s side suddenly hurt, and she felt blood running down her leg inside her pantleg. Neo kicked and spun to her feet, and sized up her newest adversary with new respect for Fang's speed and ability. Fang fired off ability after ability which Neo dodged or deflected with her parasol. Fang grimly smiled as she kept Neo busy and thought 'I wonder where I could get one of those? Not really my color, however…'
Cinder attempted to block Faith’s roundhouse right, and succeeded in turning it into a glancing blow. Even though the hit was only at a portion of Faith’s power, it was enough to dislocate Cinder’s jaw. After snapping it back into place, Cinder spat out a few teeth. Faith bore in again, and Cinder held her spear like a staff to block Faith’s blows. Undeterred, Faith’s first blow shattered Cinder’s spear into shards, then the second punch broke Cinder’s ribs, making Cinder cough up black, vile blood. Cinder quickly straightened up and dual swords formed in her hands as she smiled at Faith through bloody lips. As Faith came in again, Cinder slashed at her with one of her swords, only to have Faith grip the blade in one of her armored hands. Faith squeezed the blade between her fingers and was rewarded when it too shattered. Cinder quickly slashed with her other blade at Faith’s head, only to have Faith bend backwards out of the way. As Cinder’s blade passed within inches of Faith’s head, Faith lunged and pounded Cinder’s other side with a punch that broke more ribs.
Cinder gripped Faith with her special hand, and the tendrils came out again…only to retreat when they sensed no magic to drain. Faith gripped Cinder’s wrist in an iron grasp. “Don’t know what that was supposed to do, but it looks like it didn’t work, huh?” Faith said, then she twisted Cinder’s arm causing grotesque snapping and cracking noises as bones broke. Faith shoved Cinder, sending her sliding across the polished gymnasium floor.
Neo, despite Fang’s determined barrage, closed with the bigger fighter. Fang slashed with her Lance at the pixie sized assassin, and Neo blocked Fang’s attacks with her parasol. Fang’s length and size gave her a longer reach, and her speed was considerably faster than Neo preferred in her opponents. All of which mitigated Neo’s ability to use her legs to deliver heavier blows. Fang lashed out with a sweep kick of her own, which Neo gracefully leapt over and cleared. Fang quickly followed her first kick with a spinning reverse heel kick that sent Neo hurtling towards a support pillar. Neo oriented herself in midair to hit the support feet first, bending her legs and hips to take the brunt of the impact, then landing in a three point stance. Neo stood, then nodded to Fang, who nodded back in return. Fang again began firing ability after ability at Neo to keep her busy, while Neo dodged and deflected and looked for another opportunity.
Faith continued to smash Cinder’s conjured up weaponry into shards and dust. After breaking each weapon, Faith would deliver punishing after punishing body blows to Cinder’s midsection, hitting so hard that Cinder’s feet would temporarily leave the ground. “This is for messin' up the tournament!” Faith said as she drilled Cinder’s midsection. “This is for costing us our shot at duelling the professors!” as her fist crushed Cinder’s left side. “And this one is for hurting Roberta the first time!” Faith’s one two combination busted into Cinder. With the first blow Faith noticed Cinder’s body was broken so much that Faith felt like she was punching a bag filled with mud and rocks. Her second punch went deep into Cinder’s guts, and Faith felt and heard her backbone snap. Cinder fell to her knees on boneless legs and retched black blood. This time Cinder conjured up a large shield and tried to protect herself behind it. Faith grinned and began to pummel the shield directly. Pieces began to fly off as Faith relentlessly pounded Cinder’s defense.
On the other side, Neo suddenly stood still in Fang’s line of sight. Fang used the Fall Maiden’s magic to throw a cone of flame at her, only to have it impact on Neo’s parasol and for her to disappear like leaves in the wind. Fang waited for her to reappear to attack Faith or herself, but the only activity was the booming drumbeat of Faith’s fists breaking Cinder’s shield. Fang had a thought, and keyed her mike; “Head up, Sunshine! U and Merc may have company!”
Luna opened her fan and moved by Mercury, who motioned for her to stay low. “I am ready…her I can see” Luna broadcast back. Mercury allowed himself a smile at the beating he was watching Faith put on Cinder.
“This. Ain’t. Gonna. Save. You.” With each word, Faith put heavier and heavier blows down on Cinder’s last defense. Cinder’s shield was a patchwork of furrows, pits, and small cracks as Faith was determined to hammer this particular opponent into the dust she manipulated so readily. Faith landed a solid, powerful blow to the center of the shield. Immediately afterwards, a loud crack sounded and a spiderweb of cracks appeared beneath her fist. ”One more!” Faith roared, and delivered a gargantuan hit to the same spot on the shield. With a sound like a stained glass window shattering, Cinder’s shield was sundered. It shattered and flew apart into multiple shards that littered the area around Faith and Fang. Cinder was leveled, her shield arm looked as if it was broken in a dozen places.
“Any last words for the B team?” Faith asked as she pulled back her fist and leaned over Cinder’s broken and prone body. Cinder looked up at her with a surprisingly clear eye, and began to gargle out a manical laugh through the black blood in her mouth and on her lips. Suddenly, all the shards of dust that made up Cinder’s former weapons and her shield sprang into the air and circled around Faith and Fang. “Oh no,” Fang realized with wide eyes what was about to happen. “Kill her!” she shouted to Faith. Snarling, Faith loosed her cocked fist at Cinder’s face. Grinning like a skull, Cinder’s face and body disappeared beneath Faith’s fist, which flowered the concrete floor. 'Bloody hell, she got us good!' Fang thought. Without knowing how, Fang began to hover in the air, winds swirling around her. The winds picked up Faith and carried her away, as they also attempted to push the dust shards back. “Fang, no!” Luna screamed in her ear. 'I'm sorry, Sunshine!' Fang thought. Then the air exploded around her…
Faith was thrown into the air as the dust exploded. She was thrown backwards into a support pillar which cracked and bent under the impact, and then she slid bonelessly to the floor. Tasting copper in her mouth, Faith coughed with the dust filling the air and looked around her as best she could. Every bone in her body seemed to hurt as she tried to focus her ringing head. “Fang?” she rasped.
“Fang, no!” Luna screamed, trying to stand and run towards her love. Mercury held on to her tight, and shook her not so gently back to her senses. “Stay here! You go out there you’ll just get messed up, too!” He leaned in and in a fierce whisper said “Remember what we worked up. At the right time…” he held one finger pointing upwards. Luna nodded and then cast Protego! just as the shockwave of Cinder’s blast passed over them. Everything seemed to blow backwards except for them. A transparent wall behind them blocked the shock and heat waves, and deflected any flying objects.
As the smoke and dust cleared, Faith saw Fang; the proud, fierce female warrior she knew lay crumpled, battered, and bruised. She looked unconscious, and Faith could barely hear her breathing. Faith tried to get up, but stopped as white hot pain shot through her leg. Looking down, she saw six inches of a sharp piece of metal embedded in her thigh. She gripped it to pull it out, but the pain was too great.
Faith saw the shadows shimmer near another column across the gymnasium. As the shimmering abated, Neo was standing there with her open parasol over her shoulder, Cinder laying at her feet. Neo took Cinder’s outstretched hand, and helped to pull her into a shaky stance. Cinder than began to walk on wobbling legs towards Fang's unmoving body. As she walked, bones visibly reset in her arms and ribs. Wounds visibly began to close and knit shut, and the copious blood coming from her mouth and nose slowed to a trickle and stopped. As she walked, her stride grew stronger and more confident. Though she was still covered in old blood, smoke, dust, and her outfit was ripped and cut in dozens of places, she still had the air of the Cinder Fall who first strode into the gymnasium. Faith also saw Neo coming towards her with a predatory gleam in her eye.
Her ear bud crackled, and Luna said into her ear “Hang on Faith, Fang. We're coming.” Faith wordlessly sent back “No. Hide and run away. They R here…”