Rebellion: Prince of Dawn

Chapter 8.6: To Each Their Vows

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THADDEUS MOBLEY

I sucked up the last of my drink before heading onto the arena, chewing the straw. "It looks like we're fighting, Christina."

"There's no Tina! Stop calling me that." She turned to Ivan. "Can I please fight someone else? This kid is annoying!"

"If I'm annoying, shouldn't you be happy that we're fighting? It gives you a chance to beat me up, no? Or are you too scared, you stupid cat?"

"Why are you insulting me all of a sudden?" Chris took off the light jacket she wore. She was all skin except for her hot pants and bra. "I wish you luck, you're going to need it. I know what you're capable of, but not the other way around."

I stretched my arms and stood straight.

"The first battle will be between Thaddeus Mobley and Chris Lalatina," Ivan announced. "Begin!"

Chris began pacing left to right, studying me. I always saw her as a cat, but the way she was acting reminded me of a tiger. Her eyes were locked onto me, waiting for the perfect chance to strike. If this turned into a waiting game, the odds would be in her favour. She was a cat after all and I read somewhere that they can sit in the same position for hours.

I pushed out an open palm. "Rolling Stone!"

The boulder rolled straight at Chris, who disappeared behind it. Just as it was about to hit her, the boulder launched back at me at twice the speed. It wasn't even spinning, just moving across the ground, leaving a path of scraped dirt.

I was barely able to summon Stone Free to make a wedge and split the boulder in half. The halved rocks flew by my body and destroyed a couple of trees bordering the arena behind me.

Chris shook her dusty hand. "That boulder is pretty tough."

"You punched that?!"

"This is my ability. I call it Stray Cat Strut."

"Wait, you're ability gives you enhanced strength? That's a broken ability! There should be limitations on that!"

"Good luck trying to find them." She pointed at the sky between us. "Doom And Gloom!"

An orb flew from her hand and made its way to the sky. At the same time, she bent down and readied herself to pounce.

If I close my eyes or get blinded, she'll take that opportunity to attack. If I try to shoot down her orb or not look at it, I'll be distracted and she'll attack me.

"Quagmire!"

The ground beneath me turned into liquid earth, swallowing me up right at my neck. Not a second later, Chris zoomed past above me. Her right leg was twice as big as her left and full of contracted muscles and popping veins.

I took this time to close my eyes and negate the effects of her Doom And Gloom before Stone Free lifted me out of the ground on a giant palm.

Chris spun around mid-air, crashing into the tree behind her with her feet and boosting off of it towards me.

"Stone Free!" I screamed, summoning all five hands from the ground and sending a blind barrage of punches at the incoming Chris. "Terarararararararara!"

She collided with the punches, scratching them with her elongated fingernails that had turned into claws. She managed to keep up with the five giant earth hands. "Nyanyanyanyanyanyanya!" she cried as she blindly protected herself.