Arrow Hawk: Battle for the Ice - The Great NHL War (Book 4)

Battle #8: Nikita Nesterov (Nesty) vs PK Subban

A few blocks away from the Swedish House was the Russia House. Inside, Nikita Nesterov stood his ground in the center of the main lobby of the special Olympic country houses. He had his arms out to the sides of him, his fists clenched tightly together. He wore a black bullet-proof vest that showed off his muscular arms and black pants.

"I know you here. Why you fight Nesty?" Nikita sarcastically stated in his thick Russian accent. "We talk it out. How that?"

"No talking!" a deep voice growled. "Only fighting, Russian!"

"Okay, if you say so." Nikita whipped around in a full circle, looking for the voice. Overhead, the lights were dimmed and Nikita stood in the only spot of light. All around him were dark shadows and unknown. But he was ready at a moments notice to tap into his mutant-like powers.

Suddenly footsteps came from behind him and then someone leapt at him. He instantly powered up into his steel-body form. He looked like the Marvel superhero Colossus, but his steel was a deep royal blue color like his NHL team, the Tampa Bay Lightning. The man hit him and there was a loud clanging noise that followed.

Nikita stumbled forward from the impact, but felt no harm. He whipped around and blocked a swinging molten fist. He was staring at a solidified form of a rocky lava armor covering an African American man. It was black and reddish-orange in color with a tinge of yellow brightening the fiery crevices in the armored suit. He also wore a helmet like Juggernaut from the X-Men movies, made of the same rocky magma.

"Oh, steel vs lava, refreshing," PK Subban spat.

Nikita pushed him back with his brute strength and then charged at the villain. PK grabbed him by his waist and flung him up into the air. Nikita crashed to the ground, landing on his face and cutting his lip but he was instantly back on his feet at once. He touched his bleeding lip but winced away the pain.

PK melted into a thick gooey lava form and flooded toward Nikita, who stood at the ready once more. He swung his fists at the gooey villain, who covered his feet in the hot lava and then solidified.

"What the--?" Nikita gasped, as he realized he was stuck. He mustered his strength and tried to jump out like he could do with Gabriel's ice or anything that Jamie Benn drew up with his ring. But he failed to break free, grunting with the strain and the effort.

"Are you a little stuck Steel Russian freak?" PK scoffed as he rose up from the floor and solidified back into a human volcano-looking form, while still managing to leave PK trapped in his molten lava feet traps.

"Shut up. It no easy as it look."

"But you're supposed to be super strong...what's the matter aren't you as strong as Colossus?"

"I no Colossus, I Nesty!!" He tried to get out again and felt himself budge a little bit. He kicked out and finally blasted the solidified lava into pieces and off of him.

He darted at PK and slammed into him. They skidded a few feet on the ground and then wrapped one another up in a hockey huddle-type hug, gripping onto one another's shoulders. PK made his temperature rise inside of him and saw that his heat was causing Nikita's steel to melt on his skin.

Nikita soon felt the heat sear his white skin and he screamed. "OW!!" He jerked back and looked at the hole in his armor with horror. "You--"

"That's wickedly awesome!" PK growled with a sly smirk. "I can defeat you easily!" He raised his temperature some more and lunged for Nikita, who fled. He wasn't so sure he was safe and that this was an even fight anymore...he was getting his ass kicked by magma.

PK grabbed Nikita's ankle and made him fall forward, onto his face. The hero yelped and instantly kicked in a panicked fury. PK burned the steel on his feet and Nikita scrambled away on his hands and knees.

It would take him a few hours to grow the steel back and by then PK would destroy him. Completely. He had to figure something out. Maybe if he got outside? As he racked his brain, he became distracted. PK shoved Nikita into a pillar and trapped him there.

"There's no escape for you Russian scum!" PK growled. "Let's finish this now!"

"No!" Nikita slipped free, ducking under the man's molten arms and ran for the door. He spun around, just as PK gave chase and caught up to him. The villain grabbed him by the shoulders, but Nikita continued stepped back. PK headbutted him a few times in the head, disorienting the steel defenseman.

Nikita Nesterov was losing fast and badly. He had to get help or he'd be a pile of shiny blue ash...if even that!

PK now shoved against Nikita, pushing him backward, while slowly melting the steel on his with his hot fingers. The poor Russian Hockey Hero was already looking like a puzzle with his steel depleted in spots. His skin showed in contrast to the blue and it was burning red from the heat of the villain. His face was bruised and beaten up and he had various bloody cuts etched into his facial skin. Nikita looked at him worriedly, but the villain was smirking at him and seemingly enjoying his victorious moment. They exited the building (which was indestructable to superpowers).

Outside, Gabriel had managed to get to his feet and was brushing himself off. He'd healed completely, allowing his icy interior to get control of the fire wounds. He spotted Nikita struggling in the arms of the magma villain. He darted over to help out.

"Hey, PK!" Gabriel snapped, skidding to a halt and raising his hands up, pointing them at the villain. "Pick on someone your own size and nationality. Leave the Russian steel man alone!"

"And what are you gonna do about it?" PK snarled.

Gabriel blasted him with his ice powers and he screamed as his heat abilities began to dwindle and his body temperature plummeted way down. Gabriel kept on him, until he was nothing but a metamorphic rock. He lowered his hands, while Nikita blasted him with a fist and sent him flying backward at the building. He slammed into the tough exterior and groaned. He attempted to recover, but he collapsed on his side in defeat.

"Thanks, Landy!" Nikita exclaimed, deactivating his organic steel skin.

"No problem, Nikita. Let's find the others now!"

"Right. I no understand why he wanna fight Nesty though? Nesty no hurt no one." Nikita pouted his lip.

"Hey, you're a Russian, man. But you're a good Russian, just like Vlad, Val, and Zady. Now let's get to the United Center where the others should be."

Nikita nodded and then he looked at his depleted steel armor...for right now, there was nothing he could do. He had to stay low and let the steel regenerate on him.

(Luckily Gabriel was with him!)