THE STEL STORIES Part 2: The Fall of Beacon

Chapter 8 - A Bloody Brawl

Scarlet and I stood side by side staring down our opponents.
Ying and Marcus standing parallel to us, Marcus had his sights entirely on Scarlet, ready to pummel him, Scarlet grinning a taunt in return.
Ying nodded nervously to me, to which I returned.
"AND NOW FOR THE ARENA THEME TO BE SET!" the announcer called throughout the stadium.
I watched the massive arena screen cycle through the different environments like some game show, before it finally stopped.
"THE DESERT THEME!!"
The ground around us shifted as sand and rocks started filling beneath us, large dunes and rocky outcrops surrounded us, an open arena with barely any cover or protection, perfect for a 2v2 brawl.
"MATCH BEGIN!"
Marcus stormed directly at Scarlet, A large battle cleaver in his hands swinging a downward arc, only to be blocked by Scarlet's Greatsword. I braced myself ready to jump in to help my brother when a small glow appeared to my right.
Ying was running at me now, the same White Aura surrounding his body from when he caught me, his power scaling semblance in effect.
I readied my blades as he swung his metal staff in a wide arc, the force of impact against my own blades was powerful pushing me back slightly.
I activate my own semblance, allowing that strength buff to fill me, black arcs of energy tracing along my skin.
Our next few strikes against one another sound like thunder as steel strike steel, both using power semblances.
I kick in the speed side, spinning fast on the spot swirling the sand around me causing Ying to jump back, wiping sand out his eyes.
I glance over to Scarlet, he's still evenly keeping pace with Marcus, who looks furious at that fact.
I notice the black tattoos on his skin start to glow a sinister purple, his body bulking more than before, and his blows getting harder.
Scarlet starts to struggle under the increased pressure of each strike, adding flames to his own to attempt to keep Marcus at bay.
I swirl back to Ying, realizing I have time to attack him while he's off guard or to support my brother.
I combine my blades, forming their Storm Shuriken form, and allow them to rotate round and round like a propellor, aiming at Scarlet and Marcus.
"Scarlet! Glass Sandstorm!" I yell at him, a callsign for a team move we made once.
Without looking he jumps back leaving a gap as I tilt my homemade propellor downwards launching a gust of sand at Marcus.
As it hits him, Scarlet blasts a blazing blue burst of flame at him, heating the sand so many fragments of it become glass, wrapping around Marcus' body.
Ying looks to his teammate and sprints over, attempting to free him from his glassy prison.
"Hurry Up Ying! We can't afford to make mistakes!" Yelled Marcus at his teammate.
I backed up next to Scarlet, a temporary reprieve from fighting, as we watched Ying break the glass around Marcus.
"They're bloody strong" Scarlet remarks watching my Cousin shift from a white glow to a Golden one, increasing his strength even more.
"Power shifters," I remark watching Marcus' body glow purple again as he attempts to break out again, the glass so thick and sturdy, like an iron grip around him.
"Ying gets a full speed and strength enhancer, whereas Marcus is just pure strength" I continue as we watch them break Marcus out finally, "I have a crazy idea but it just may work".
"What is it?" Scarlet asks as Marcus and Ying turn back to face us again, both charging their semblances up for another frontal charge.
"Switch spots just before they get to us, I will match Marcus, and you can out-maneuver Ying," I say simply, it's not much but it may just give us the element of surprise.
Scarlet shrugs, and then quickly offers an add-on to my idea, which I agree to as we rush toward our opponents.
I dash forward before crossing in front of Scarlet towards Marcus, surprise lighting his face as he swings his cleaver again, I read my reassembled blades, and block his enhanced blow, matching with my own strength.
Marcus pushes down hard, increasing his muscle strength more and more, before I slip my blades down the length of his, swinging up with all my strength and launching our weapons away from us.
Marcus looks stunned, realizing I had disarmed us both, and before he can react I slam a fist dead square into his face launching him back.
Marcus staggers back, but I don't spare him any chances, blow after blow slamming into him.
To my right Scarlet has also disabled himself and Ying of their weapons, the strategy he had suggested at the last minute to try even the odds a bit.
He launched fireball after fireball instead at him, Ying staggering back, his yellow energy aura around him glowing brightly as he blocked each blow with a glowing arm wrapped in energy.
I swing one last haymaker at Marcus, making him stumble back before he stops and lunges.
I brace ready for impact when I realize he hasn't lunged at me.
He's attacking Scarlet.
Before I can warn him, Marcus slams into Scarlet full force, knocking him back into the ground where Marcus proceeds to pummel him.
I dash forward to help, but Ying tackles me pinning me to the ground too. We grapple and wrestle each tryna overpower the other.
We pause however as the audience of the arena lets out a large gasp followed by a horrific boom.
I look up to see Marcus holding Scarlet by the head slamming him face-first into the ground, using his Semblance to enhance the force of it.
"This is what you get you filthy peasant of a huntsman!" He roars as he lifts him slamming him again, Scarlet's red aura shield flickering, on the point of breaking.
"Marcus! You're going too far" Ying yells, fear tracing his eyes, "This isn't honorable at all!"
"I don't care anymore!" Marcus roars back, "I am sick of this redhead child who thinks he is above all!"
Scarlet, barely conscious and with blood pouring out his nose and mouth, grins at Marcus.
"Really ya big baboon?" he chokes out, the whole stadium dead quiet now, "Is that what you think?"
"It's what I know" snarls Marcus at him.
"Then you are even more stupid than you think", retorts Scarlet, "I smile and joke around to keep others at ease cause the work we do is dark and we need to be better than that".
Marcus pauses, as if reflecting on the words, then shrugs "I call bullshit, your just a stuck-up child in an adult world who needs to be taught a lesson", he says and glowing and sickly purple, slams Scarlet as hard as he can into the ground.
His aura shatters on impact, knocking him out of the tournament.
I watched shocked as Marcus raises him up for all to see, like a champion holding his trophy.
"Ok Marcus" Ying says cautiously now standing up, "You proved your point now put him down".
Marcus turns to look at Ying and me, a cruel look in his eyes.
"No"
He slams Scarlet again into the ground, a sickening crack as his nose breaks from the impact, the pain knocking him out.
Blood spews out splattering the sand as Marcus raises him again for another attack, the crowd now yelling and booing him.
Marcus doesn't care and prepares to swing him down.
I won't let him even get halfway, rushing forward and pushing my semblance over the limit I snatch my brother out of his grip and swing a wide kick into Marcus' face.
He staggers back stunned as I sprint to the other side of the arena, just on the border, placing Scarlet down gently.
His face and body are a wreck, blood, and bruises layer his face, and his nose on a weird angle.
Scarlet's eyes flicker open, "Hey bro, did we win," he asks.
I shake my head, anger fueling me, "Not yet" I reply as his eyes shutter close again, unconsciousness taking over.
Paramedics rush onto the field to collect him, and I turn to face Marcus and Ying once more.
Ying looks terrified of his own teammate as Marcus stares daggers at me.
"How could you!" I yell at him "That was horrific!".
Marcus chuckles darkly, walking towards me, smiling as a buzzer echoes in the arena signaling Scarlet's knockout.
"Don't worry little shadow" Marcus rumbles "You will be next".
Anger fuels me as I charge my semblance, this 'noble' student of Atlas was a fake!
I wouldn't accept this, his methods, his attitude, and most especially how he treats my family.
Marcus charges at me, as I unleash the restraint on myself.