Team Dual Paradox VS. Raging Storm

Part 1

   The towering masses of floating islands climbed into the deep blue above Victor's head. Each one a snowflake in its ruin and geography, they hung suspended in a frozen dance above the world, though the surface of which, Victor could not see at this height.

   As he turned to his left, he could see the massive shape of a stone statue, partially concealed by clouds. The statue resembled a fat monk or clergyman, bowing his head contentedly in prayer. Victor could not recognize the likeness of the statue, or why compared to the ruins, it had remained whole and untouched. The mystery of the towering statue and the floating ruins momentarily spiked his curiosity. "Wonder what happened here?" He quietly thought.

   Another explosion echoed in the distance. Victor's partner, Anora, perked up as she beheld the fireball that erupted from the side of another island roughly half a kilometer away. As the echoing subsided, the two could hear the chatter of excited commentary as the tournament broadcasters recorded the action.

   Anora turned to Victor, smiling mischievously. "Ya know that could be us?"

   Victor sighed and smiled smugly. "Yep." He knew he was about to hear it again.

   "I'ma say it again, Redhead: Why we waitin for them to come to us? You're  playin it too slow, here—"

   "I told you already," Victor cut her off. "I only sensed one heartbeat. I could sense the gunslinger girl, and I could feel the power of the cyborg dude. They're headed our way, and we got the advantage since we dug in here!"

   "Why though? Why do you want to hole us up here?"

   "Because of the cyborg, Annie! You and I saw both of em before the round began. One thing you gotta know about me, is that I'm not a big fan of robots and cyborgs. They're harder to sense and track. You can't size them up as easily, because you don't know what they got packin under that machinery. They're harder to wound or kill, because they got less organs. They're wildcards. I prefer to meet wildcards on my own terms."

     Anora shook her head and paced the pillar. She stopped after a few moments. She cracked her knuckles as her shields orbited around her. "Don't even worry about Titus. I'll take whatever he throws at me."

   Victor chuckled at his partner's tenacity. "Copy that. Just keep that stone on you, alright? Keep it safe."

   Anora smiled and nodded before a loud crash echoed behind them. The two turned and looked upwards to another stone pillar that hung roughly forty feet above them. The source of the crash soon revealed itself.

   Two figures stood perched atop the neighboring pillar, staring down at them. One of the characters was a young dark skinned woman like Anora, although he hair was dark and straight. She stood short, around Victor's shoulder level, but her form was toned and athletic. She was clothed in what looked like a violet jump suit, with gray and silver armor plating lightly covering her limbs and torso. Two small pistols of a curious design lay strapped to her hips. She wore a calm, yet icy gaze as she studied her opponents. She was Rida Harvest, the gun slinger of Team Raging Storm.

   Beside Rida, the towering figure of Titus quietly sized up their two opponents as well. The massive cyborg stood almost a foot and a half taller than Victor, and the ground trembled as he walked closer to the edge of the pillar. Titus resembled a beastly warrior of old, his skull-like head garbed in the ornamental helmet piece of a gladiator. His armor was thick and brazen, covering most of the monster's form, with a deep red heavy tunic draping from his waist, covering his legs. Two long, jagged, hooked blades hung from his waist. The stately monster hummed with energy that made the air feel electric. He was Titus, the tank of Team Raging Storm.

   For what seemed like minutes the two teams stood unmoving, quietly sizing each other up. In the distance, Victor could hear the shouts of more commentary, as the tournament broadcasters had just happened upon a new fight that was about to erupt. Victor finally slung his rifle over his back and pulled his collapsible dagger from his belt. At the push of a switch, the blade sprung out with a satisfying crack. In his other hand, Victor held his wand, ready to use it when the enemy made their move. Anora took up a boxer's stance, her shields floating to her front.

   Rida and Titus quietly spoke to each other out of Victor's earshot, obviously doing a last minute tactic talk. Anora shouted up to the pair. "Took you guys long enough! Y'all ready to go?"

   Team Raging Storm turned to each other momentarily before Rida climbed atop Titus' shoulder. Titus stepped forward and lunged off the edge of the pillar. Within a second or two, Titus landed feet first onto Victor and Anora's level. The ground shook like an earthen tremor as Titus straightened himself and Rida slid off her teammates shoulder. Rida pulled her dual pistols from their holsters as Titus lifted his arms upwards. Almost instantly, the two hooked blades flew from his waist and snapped into his hands, as if propelled by magnetism. Through the slits in his helmet, Titus's eyes shined bright yellow. Titus finally spoke, his voice deep and imposing.

   "Indeed we are, Dual Paradox. Let us begin."

   In that moment, Titus rocketed forward at blinding speed towards Anora, his arms stretched to prepare for a dual bladed slash. Anora matched his advance, kicking off the ground and flying at breakneck velocity towards the monster. Shield and sword clashed at the two met!

   Victor smiled and hurled his wand towards Rida, who had begun to fire her pistols at him. Bolts of white hot energy whizzed passed as he dodged the gun fire. He waited, sensing the energy of the mage stone in his wand as it sailed towards his opponent. Finally, Victor cast his spell. "Trenstoit!"

   Rida was suddenly met with Victor mere feet away from her, materializing out of nowhere. He held his blade high in a murderous strike to her head. "Damn," Rida quietly exclaimed, throwing her hands up where her two pistols caught the blow the very last second. "You'll have to be faster than that, Tetran!" Rida jumped and delivered a kick to Victor's armored chest, sending him ducking and dodging as she peppered his direction with blaster fire."

  
  
   High above the fight, on another pillar, one of the tournament broadcasters, an energetic creature named Koobla, eagerly records the conflict. He holds his microphone and camera close, shouting in excitement at the unfolding of events.

  "And here we go, folks! Team Raging Storm and Dual Paradox have begun round one, and its looking like one beast of a brawl already! I hope you're seeing what I'm seeing, Show-man, because to blink would be folly at the speed of these competitors. It's anyone's match out here on Ascending Pillars, and the fights are just heating up! I'm Koobla, your boots on ground cameraman for the Tournament of Two Souls! Stay tuned for more explosive action, combat, camera work and commentary!"