Close Nemesis

Chapter Seventeen: Two Battles, Two Enemies

XALIR:

My black metal boots land hard on the mossy grey dirt of Podplanata II. I stand to face Oppugnant, staring directly at my reflection in their visor. I project a violent stream of fire towards Oppugnant, who blocks it with a burst of plasma.

"I see your powers are working better," Oppugnant quips.

My power suddenly cuts out a bit, but they quickly come back and I chuckle.

"They're not as strong as I expected!" I roar, before manipulating the elements to create a wall of ice.

Oppugnant chuckles charismatically.

Oppugnant fires a blast of pressurized water through the ice, knocking me onto the ground. As I struggle to freeze the gushing plasma-fied water, I hear a cheer from a nearby Podplanatan. I ignore their cheers, and finally, the water knocks me onto the dirty ground. Loose pebbles are knocked aside, and as I painfully pick myself up, I watch as Oppugnant shoots energy at the bricked walls of Aravare.

"What are you doing?"

I lift up a pillar of rock underneath Oppugnant, and use my hands to rise it high into the sky. Then, I quake the pillar apart, causing it to crumble towards the ground. As Oppugnant freefalls towards me, I project another gush of pressurized water towards them, using my fire powers to heat the water. As the steaming torrent of water strikes Oppugnant, they are flung towards a nearby black bark tree.

I chuckle.

"I've got some cool new tricks."

I pound my fist onto the ground, splitting the earth beneath Oppugnant's boots. The quake knocks them on to the ground, and I reseal the cracks, before wrapping Oppugnant's arms in magma tendrils. They cool, trapping their arms together as I lean over them.

I never knew I could do that, but my fiery instincts are kicking in, fuelling my rage and my abilities.

"Are you ready to give up?" I scoff tauntingly. "Because, I'm going to destroy you. I'm going to make sure that you pay for what you've done."

Oppugnant cocks their cylindrical helmet.

"You need to think about them!" they shriek.

Oppugnant sends a ripple of plasma towards me and it sends me flying across to the building.

I land on the ground hard, but I keep my eyes training on Oppugnant as she hovers towards me, her plasma energy crackling around her body.

I speak in a staticky tone through the voice modulator in my helmet. "You mustn't live...Oppugnant! You killed so many people! You destroyed buildings, framed and killed my doppelganger! You took everything from me!"

"Yes, I did...Rotcetorp! But you're no different in the future. I thought we had reached somewhat of an understanding!"

"I will never be able to understand you!" I bark, before gritting my coal coloured teeth underneath my helmet.

Orange flames swirl dangerously around my suit, and I manipulate the flames towards my wrists. Then, I expel the flames towards Oppugnant, who fires another blast of plasma-fied fire at me.

"Give up!" I encourage stalely. "You've killed so many people! I can't let you kill any more!"

"NO!" Oppugnant booms, before sending a spray of plasma bullets towards me. "You don't understand!"

The plasma sears against my suit, but I don't feel anything but a slight warmth due to my fire powers.

I grab the wrist of Oppugnant's metal spacesuit and start to heat it up, but they envelope themselves in electrified plasma and zap me unconcious.