The Forsaken Truth (Marvel's Avengers)

The Third Quality

Zharis ran forward at an alarming speed but I didn't make a move to meet his attack. He had to reach me. That was the best chance for my theory to work.

Faith in myself.

The words looped through my head endlessly, and I let my eyes shut. 

Anyone would have thought that I was crazy, closing my eyes when there was an enemy charging towards me. But if I was going to fight someone who was not only more experienced than me but was also downright brutal, without any training, then I had to rely on being smarter and using my senses.

And right now, the smart thing to do was taking advantage of my surroundings. I had to trust my instincts and reflexes.

I had to read the flow of water.

The current shifted towards my right, and I lunged my sword in that direction. A grin stretched my lips when the clang of metal resounded, my hands vibrating with the force of his strike.

With the sense of sight out of question, my other senses, specifically those of touch and feeling, were dialled to the nine, and I could pinpoint the changes in the movement and circulation of the element we were in. In other words, I was just playing blindly with water.

"Impossible..." I heard the siren murmur.

I deflected another blow that come from overhead, clenching my jaw with the exertion of holding him in place.

Zharis stepped back with a heave, and this time, I thrust forward. He blocked it effortlessly, but I quickly side-stepped, swinging the sword under his guard, as I slashed at, where I deduced, his hip was. He winced loudly, but I didn't wait to celebrate my hit, swiftly ducking when I sensed the flow altering above my head.

Another swing and I dodged, dancing away and out of reach as the sword impaled the place I'd been standing at. I jabbed low, and a hiss of pain told me I'd gained another hit. 

It went like that for a while, both of us locked in a relentless battle. And even though I did receive more new and painful cuts, I believed I had the upper hand. Zharis lost the benefit of doubt because I could predict almost accurately where his real attacks were coming from and where he was just faking. And I got in a few nasty strikes at him.

A sting on my leg revealed yet another place I was bleeding from and I winced. I had no doubt that my clothes were soaked with blood. Though at the rate we were fighting at, I knew I'd probably bleed out before defeating him.

I had to finish this.

With that thought in mind, I pushed him back with a powerful thrust, swinging the sword to catch him in the stomach, and he immediately retaliated with a swift move that opened a gash on my forehead. 

I cursed. I was already getting light-headed.

I staggered, barely meeting his blade that would've impaled my throat. Zharis seemed to pounce on my weakness, as his blows became harsher and more brutal that I could hardly deflect.

"What happened, princess? Tired?" His voice that I'd previously found beautiful now grated on my nerves.

"Shut up." I panted, weakly lifting my weapon to block his attack. "And I told you-"

I hadn't opened my eyes yet, and maybe it was because of that, or maybe it was just dumb luck. But when the next swing disrupted the flow, powerful and vicious, I bent my knees, and stepped behind his guard, coming so close to him, I could feel his breath on my skin before I lunged, effectively knocking his sword out of his grasp. 

The clang of metal on the floor had me opening my eyes. I whirled, pointing the blade at the neck of a, now defenseless Zharis.

"-don't call me princess." I finished, feeling my heart fill with pride in myself.