“Well all y’all look stronger!” George cackles, looking across the team before him. They stand side by side, a wide array of emotion on their face. That team, of course, being Liv’s.

  Coming back to the Beta was an easier endeavor than leaving was. The route was already trekked and the car, despite the damage inflicted, was intact enough to drive. They had also come back with a bit more food than before, courtesy of the Phenomenon town villagers.

  “Stronger may be a stretch.” Charlotte says, adjusting the sword on her hip, a proud smile spreading across her face.

  “Speak for yourself!” Donovan responds, his hand patting his flexed bicep, his tone filled with a sense of pride. “Maybe you didn’t get stronger, but the rest of us did.”

  “I think we did pretty good given the circumstances.” Anthony speaks up, quenching the kindling of the forming bickering contest.

  “Mhm!” Liv chimes in, her head nodding over and over. Her mood had drastically improved since the bonfire, a mix of the open road, food with friends, and the chance to learn some driving, getting her out of the funk she had found herself stuck in.

  George shakes his head, pacing side to side within the combat chamber, the same one they had been in before they left. He was, seemingly, observing them, his smile only growing as he did. Whatever he sees, he likes it as another rasping cackle escapes his mouth, bounding off the walls as he stretches his arms. “Well, I think you might've shaped up that little problem of yours! The only way to see, though, is to test your metal, yeah?”

  Liv barely manages to duck before a hand swings just above her, the gust of wind from the attempted grapple like a tornado billowing just above her. The only thing that saved her was pattern recognition. At least this time she didn’t get grabbed.

  George smiles down at her, his fist clenching, prepared to strike her in her defenseless state. He's forced to jump back, however, as Donovan sails through the air with another drop kick, the momentary distraction curbing the onslaught he was about to unleash.

  “Good job, kiddos! You-!” He starts, stopping as a blade arcs vertically toward his neck. He manages to slide his head back just in time, the blade grazing some of the stubble growing on his chin. Charlotte had dashed forward, the wind giving way to aid her. Still, it had left her with too many openings, ones George could exploit. He prepared to strike back, to take her out of the fight early; unfortunately, he was forced to dodge a flurry of pink blasts, his eyes locking onto Anthony.

  He watches on as Charlotte weaves between them, her sphere of airlessness allowing them to travel faster than they naturally should. Clever. Still, not enough to overwhelm him.

  He deftly dodges all the strikes, trying to find the perfect chance to strike between the mayhem of blasts and slashes. As he considers, he hears a jarring explosion from his left. Sparing a glance, he watches as a flurry of concrete pellets come flying toward him like a shotgun. He could see, from his vantage, that Liv already had another damn stone, Donovan creating more and more through his Tonfa. Sneak attacking when he couldn’t hear it while also finding a way to procure stones that didn't create a noise. Good execution with actual thought behind it! Stark improvement out the gate. It didn’t account for one thing, however.

  Just as the pellets are about to hit him, his hand slips into his pocket, his body vanishing just in time. Charlotte skids to a halt, her eyes frantically searching for any sign of him. They see too late as a crash sounds out. The three whip their heads around, watching Anthony slowly fall to the floor, his arms folded around his stomach, George standing just above him. George kicks Anthony’s caduceus away with a single, swift motion, a smirk on his face as he turns to look at the rest of his team.

  “Already some stark improvements! Let's see if that continues.”

  Liv could tell this was getting bad already. They weren’t getting manhandled like before, but they had already lost one of their own. Damn it, she didn’t know he could go that far with those weird teleports! Frustrating as it was, she didn’t have time to dwell on it. Any time he had was time he had to take another one of them out, a sentiment that her team shared as Charlotte rushes back in, Donovan clear on her heels.

  Charlotte quickly splits into three as she approaches George, her blade poised to pierce him on any side. Donovan, too, closed the distance, his Tonfa sucking up the air around him. George looks to Charlotte, his feet screeching against the concrete as he jumps toward the left one. Charlotte's eyes widen, the technique she worked so long on so thoroughly seen through. She only has moments to react as his arm raises, poised to close line her. She can see his arm approaching her face, her speed too great to stop by her lonesome.

  George had expected a myriad of things. That Donovan kid was approaching with his Tonfa raised, so he assumed he’d shoot something. Maybe a small detonation to catch up? Something with a kick. The kid loved kicks. Maybe Charlotte would use one of her Synth Charges to get herself away, or maybe she’d just take the strike. The last thing he expected was for Liv to fly in with one of her explosion propulsion, knocking Charlotte just out of his range. The two sail away, Liv’s boots skidding against the floor, Charlotte gripped in her large arms. The plan was insane… One he didn’t even think of.

  He can’t help but smile, quickly blocking the kick poised for his head. He could’ve predicted that, at least-.

  Donovan smirks, the butt of one of his Tonfa pointed directly at his face. He can feel it before he can see it, the building of heat between the two, the singe of his hair curling in. Only then can he see it, the orangish flames just ready to erupt. Once again, his hand slips to his pocket, his smile only growing as he vanishes.

  Donovan can only let out a sigh as he feels the air brush against the back of his head, his leg free of George's grip. He did his best, and that was all anyone could ask of him. He can only think about the irony of his previous comment on getting stronger before a leg crashes into the back of his head, sending him careening into the wall head first, burying his skull deep in the wall.

  Liv looks on, still trying to get the ache out of her legs. Her landing was far from perfect, her knees screaming at her for her insolence. They could wait, though. She had more pressing matters.

  “Plan?” Charlotte questions, slowly standing from her grasp, Pierre already raised in a defensive position.

  “Can ya get Donovan n’ Anthony up n’ runnin’?”

  Charlotte gives her a scant, confused glance, only having moments to mull it over as George begins to walk over. “...I suppose I could try. Why?”

  Liv nods, slowly exhaling a breath, her eyes closing as she slams her hands into her chest three times. This was going to hurt, no doubt about it… But some pain could be accepted, because she wanted to win. She looks directly at George, watching his mouth open to say something, a jab or a quip. It would never leave his mouth. Her hands clap together as she turns, sending her careening toward him at top speed. He, of course, manages to dodge, a cackle escaping his mouth as he does.

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  “Why in the hell would that work, kiddo? Don’t get desperate on me-.”

  The words die on his tongue as another raucous boom rips from Liv’s gauntlets, her momentum shifting back toward him. His eyes bulge, his body shifting, barely dodging in time as Liv rockets past him twice as fast as before. He was on guard now. Good, he would be focused on her.

  “Liv,” Bruno pipes up as Liv rockets past George once more, cutting through the wind like a blade through butter. Concern is evident in its tone, “you cannot sustain this.”

  “Duh.” Liv responds, wincing as her hands slam into her chest once more. She could feel her ribs bruise, a dull pain seeping through her body, even as she claps again, the explosion sending her careening forward.

  “Then come up with something else.”

  "I'm thinkin’ ‘bout it!” Liv responds, her mind working overdrive, the world a blur around her. She could, at least, see her team from here. Charlotte seemed to be struggling, though Donovan was conscious by the looks of things. She only had to do a little more and they would be home free. She just needed a bit more…

  “I have an idea.” Bruno pipes up, grabbing Liv’s attention at once. “I think, for just a split moment, I can slow your perception down before he dodges. It should give you enough time to adjust midair to strike him.”

  “Aight… I think I can do that.” Liv says, her hands slamming against her chest, pain flashing behind her eyes as she does. She swallows the grunt of pain that threatens to crawl from her throat, clapping her hands, launching herself at him once again.

  “Taking cues from Mr. Alema!” George calls, his smile practically splitting his face, shining like gold in the harsh lights. “Clever! But your body can’t take as much of a beating as his. It’s only a matter of time before you mess up!”

  He was already ready to dodge as she barreled toward him, his body twisting just enough to have her whizz past him. Just a few feet away from him, however, she felt her perception slow. Everything moved in slow motion, her heart pounding out of her chest as her brain fully awakened. Every sensation quadrupled, the wind like a gust of frigid air from the deepest reaches of the tundra, the pain in her chest more akin to knives digging into her skin than the nasty bruises they actually were. All that could be ignored by her, though. She didn’t get this far without a strong pain tolerance, and she could more than see his moves.

  She could see his reaction slowly morph from confidence to surprise as her leg stuck out, that surprise morphing to a proud joy as he intentionally trips himself, just barely dodging under her kick. He falls with a meaty slam, Liv’s perception still slowed to a crawl. She could see it all, see how vulnerable he was at the moment, an opening she couldn’t squander. At the cost of another charge, she kicks her muscles into overdrive, spinning in the air with her leg still raised. George looks up at the last moment, the foot burying in the side of his head.

  George goes flying to the side, his large body bouncing against the floor over and over. He manages to stop himself at the same time Liv does, her heart thrumming in her chest. She had mere moments before the effects of her charges wore up, her slowed perception already realigning with reality. She slams her hands into her chest three more times, clapping herself through the air. He was vulnerable, rubbing the side of his head as he sways. Donovan and Charlotte were up with Anthony following. This was winnable-.

  The last thing she saw before everything went dark was George's hand raising, the visage of a clock made of pure light flashing into view. She could see just beyond his hand to the smile on his face, one not of pride, but of excitement, a battle crazed glint in his eye as the ethereal clock strikes midnight.

  Slowly, she opened her eyes, a dull throb in her head. Everything movement felt like moving through molasses, her limbs barely responsive as she tries, in vain, to get herself up. Every movement sent shivers of pain through her spine, the origin being the back of her head.

  “Ugh.” She murmurs, her body only allowing enough strength to push herself onto her back. Her vision slowly clicked back into place, the sight of the room taking her aback, her eyes widening as she gapes at the state of everything.

  The once pristine room is marred with deep gashes, as if a beast attempted to claw its way out. Burn marks pot many of the spaces around said claws, the concrete charred black wherever they lay. She can see George standing in the corner, gently slapping someone on the face, squatting over to do so. His clothes are unblemished by flame or blade, though he has the slightest weariness about him.

  He turns his head upon her groan, a relief bleeding into his expression as he jogs over, his feet crunching against the rubble.

  “Hey, you’re up!” He says, crouching beside her. His hand rests on her shoulder, pushing her head forward, his eyes examining the back of her noggin. A wave of worry floods her as she hears him suck a breath through his teeth, a barely perceptible “oof” escaping his mouth. What the hell did that even mean? Did he break her skull open or something?

  “Bruno,” She calls out mentally, feeling the connection strengthen as he, too, tunes in, “Am I dyin’?”

  “Luckily no.” They respond, sending relief flooding her system. This relief is quenched Bruno continues, their voice impassive. “Your skull had busted open, however. Luckily, I had the energy to mend it.”

  “My skull!?” Liv cries, her incredulous eyes turning to George. She thought this was training, not an execution!

  George stands back up, his hands raising placatingly as a nervous chuckle escapes his mouth. “My bad, I got carried away. Forgot how… Fragile y’all can be.” Quietly, he adds, “Forgot you aren’t Faraji.”

  “I ain’t metal, and I ain’t a giant.” Liv grunts, feeling the pain fade into nothingness. The healing always felt good no matter how much it happened. With a start, she pushes herself up fully, cracking her neck as she does. “Where’s everyone else?”

  George sucks another breath through his teeth, his finger coming to tug at the collar of his shirt. From the wince on his face and the way he looked away, she could tell something had happened.

  "What didja do…?” She questions, worry knotting in her chest.

  “I, uh… I roughed them up.”

  “How bad is ‘roughed em up’!?”

  He sucks his lips into his mouth, his hands falling into his pockets as he shifts from foot to foot, attempting to dance away from the topic. Liv’s expression wouldn’t let him, however, her eyes boring into his. With a sigh, he moves out of the way, Liv’s eyes immediately locking onto the slumped forms of her friends.

  They weren’t dead, that was something. They were, however, all in rough shape. Charlotte looked to be in the floor, a line of kicked up debris in her wake, stopping in a large crater. Donovan wasn’t far, his head buried in the wall, cracks webbing from the point of contact. Anthony was near her, head over ass in the corner. If she had to guess… He was probably kicked into a nasty tumble.

  She dashes over to Anthony, pulling him upright, her hands wrapping around his shoulders as she shakes him. He was the most experienced on missions, sure, but he didn’t seem as durable as the rest of him. If he had died… She’d be next. Plus, he was one of her first friends. She really, really didn’t want him dead.

  After a few moments of shaking, she hears him groan, his eyes slowly flitting open, blood trailing from his nose.

  “Do you see those butterflies...?" He questions, his voice slurred to all hell. She sighed a sigh of relief, a small smile gracing her face. He was alive… That was good.

  The rest of her friends gave a similar response; dazed, confused, and a bit slurred. None of them were dead, though. That’s all she could ask for.

  “Someone should be coming down to check on em.” George comments as Liv stands, Donovan flopping back to the floor. He seemed to be in the best shape, though he was missing a tooth. “So, uh, sorry again kiddo. Haven’t been in a corner like that in a while.”

  Liv gives him a sidelong glance, her eyebrow raising. There is no way that could be true, in her mind. Of course, she didn’t know the relative skill level of anyone here. Still, she felt like she did… Poor at the end. She didn’t know if her team got a hit off after she got knocked out, but she doubted it. She didn’t feel like she earned the compliment, but she found not accepting compliments only led to confrontation. She simply nods, accepting it at face value.

  George gives a smile, clapping her on the back. “You’re doing great, kiddo. When your friends are in, uh.” He looks them over, another wince overtaking his face. “In better shape, we can talk shop about what I think and where I think you should go. I gotta go file a report."

  “Thanks.” Liv says, watching as George walks toward the door, sliding through, leaving Liv alone with her team. They did something wrong, she knew they did. But what? She was wracking her brain once more, the same question flooding her mind. She grunts, running her hand through her hair. They started so strong, yet they still landed nothing on George. Was it their power that was lacking? Did he just counter them in some way? She couldn’t think of it now, especially since her hand was now caught in her hair. She clenches her teeth, tugging it from her roots. Maybe she just needed perspective. Charlotte was smart, Anthony was experienced, and Donovan went through all that testing. She hoped they would know something she didn’t.