Conscious, Conscientious

Everyone shifted from their defensive circle to face this lone challenger. She seemed to be waiting for them to make a move, hands on hips with an inconvenienced frown.

"She has…multiple consciousness powers?" Deon uttered to Skrili.

"I'm just as confused as you," she said.

"That shouldn't be biologically possible," Phillip chimed in lowly.

The woman groaned. "Didn't I just say not to start asking questions about it? They always do that. I'm not telling."

"Either way, the type she ended on is Thoughtfeeder," Hiroko warned, readying her new dual blades. "The longer we hesitate, the more time it gives her to–ah!"

Hiroko grasped her head for a moment. Only a second later, an unsettling sensation filled Deon's mind–as if something unseen was sucking on his brain from the inside. Everyone else winced just as he and Hiroko had.

"Too late," Skrili said quickly. "Let's–"

Deon must have blinked. With a sudden thud, Skrili was no longer beside him. He heard a crash far behind him against the stone courtyard wall.

Now the woman stood in Skrili’s place, landing from a kick. Her red and gray eyes fell to him calmly.

Anger and urgency setting in, Deon began shifting in defense.

He only got as far as a single step.

Deon's stomach practically caved in on itself. He lost all sense of displacement as the force of the blow plowed him through the air. Concrete slammed against his body until he slid into the wall with a harsh, instantaneous stop.

There was nothing he could have done to avoid her attack. He didn't even see how she hit him. But whether it was a punch or kick hardly mattered: it felt ten times more powerful than either.

Pain spiking all over, Deon lifted his head. He was alive.

Skrili! he thought immediately, heart pounding.

He hadn't landed far from her. Skrili lay where the floor met the wall only steps away, her bangs over her eyes.

Deon forced himself into a crawl, casting aside his own unknown injuries.

"Skrili?! Say something!"

"Ow," was the word she decided on.

When he reached his teammate she began sitting up, clutching her stomach. Deon helped lift her and kept an arm around her shoulder, though it hurt to do so.

"You okay?" Deon checked.

"Nothing's broken…I think," she said with a grimace. She eyed him up and down urgently. "You?"

"Same," he said, though he wasn't sure if that was too optimistic. "Thoughtfeeder…that's the type that can charge up energy from other people's thoughts, right?"

"So you're finally doing your own research," Skrili noted. "That's right."

While he was impressed Skrili had time for snide remarks even now, it eased his mind the slightest bit. She was still alert and sharp–a blow like that could have caused much worse.

They returned their attention to the fight across the courtyard. In a blink, the woman had reduced the mismatch to three-on-one. Now she stood composedly across from Hiroko, Kotono, and Phillip, who had all taken several steps back.

"Figured I'd go for the least experienced first," the woman reasoned. "Just guessing, though."

Her eyes darted to something unseen above the remaining fighters, but quickly returned with a smile.

"Come on. Trying to use illusions on an Illusionist? You're desperate," she said to Phillip. Her eyes rolled back, and returned green and black.

Phillip gritted his teeth. "She blocked it."

"Not falling for that, kid. You're next," the woman decided.

She pounced at him, this time notably slower than when she'd attacked Deon and Skrili. But Deon could still hardly follow her movement–her speed nearly matched Skip's.

The woman came to an abrupt stop just before Phillip: Hiroko had dashed between them with equal quickness, dual blades forward. Grabbing at the swords' handles, the woman tried to push the blades away. But Hiroko fought unwaveringly, arms shaking.

"Shouldn't Kotono help…?" Deon wondered breathlessly.

"Too close-range. Her power's uncontainable, so she'd hit Hiroko too," Skrili said. Her eyebrows furrowed in worry. "But…this woman…she's matching Hiroko in raw strength. Who…who is she?"

"Hey, Phillip!" Hiroko called back in a grunt as she fended off her foe. "Stay back for now! Wait for an opening! This lady…she isn't like the pros!"

"How kind of you to notice," the woman said, still unable to break Hiroko's block. "I thought that was obvious, though."

Conceding, the woman released her grip and flipped back gracefully.

"You know, speaking of that…I thought you two ladies looked familiar," she noted. "I don't give a crap about the League, so I don't know pros usually, but…Hiroko Hamasaki and Kotono Inoue, right? The top team in the entire Multiverse?"

The star duo exchanged uneven glances. Clearly, Phillip's disguise for them had expired.

"Knew it. Everyone knows you guys. Leaguers are usually a joke, but you two are legit," the woman continued. "Guess this might actually be a close call."

Hiroko and Kotono watched her uneasily, ready to fight. The woman raised a device on her wrist to her mouth.

"Hey. It's me. These aren't just some rebels. The top two pros are here for some reason, and they brought friends," she said into it. "...Yes, I'm requesting backup. This is your project, you lazy slob. I have better places to be!"

She groaned and lowered her wrist. But her multicolored eyes widened for just a moment as she barely blocked an incoming blade. Hiroko had sped forward in attack.

"I won't give you the chance for backup," Hiroko growled. "We want our friends back."

"That so?" the woman sneered. "Alright, let's go, Ms. Famous."

She shot a fist, but Hiroko ducked out of the way. They launched into a rage of punches, kicks, and sword swings, neither flinching or breaking a sweat.

As the duel unfolded, Kotono scurried over to the side of them at a distance. She raised her hands in aim, panic still all over her face.

"It's one of their techniques," Skrili muttered to Deon. "Just like Hiroko told Phillip to do, Kotono's waiting for an opening. Once Hiroko pushes that woman back, Kotono will fire."

"Whoa…they didn't even need to communicate it to each other," Deon noted.

"That's how it is when you're the best in the Multiverse."

The masterful faceoff raged on, but Hiroko hadn't yet managed to push the woman away.

"That's it. I'm getting back in on this," Deon decided.

"If she sees we're still conscious, she might target us," Skrili stressed. "We can't fight her like this–we couldn't even fight her before our injuries."

"Then she won't find out," said Deon.

He prepared to imagine a wooden plank just behind her to trip her up, giving Hiroko a free shot.

But as he was about to place it into existence, it became unnecessary.

The woman attempted another punch, but Hiroko tossed her blades into the air and slapped it aside. While the woman was distracted with swinging blades, preparing to dodge them, Hiroko spun low. She fired a kick perfectly into the woman's gut, lunging her into the air.

That was Kotono’s opening: fiery red energy filled her arms and she aimed, letting a cry escape her mouth.

"HELP'S ON THE WAY, DARLIN'!" boomed a mighty voice from above.

Seemingly out of nowhere, an enormous shirtless man came flying out the balcony door. He leaped into the air above them all.

Startled, Kotono fired the blast–but her arms shook and her red energy rushed just past the woman as she rolled to the floor.

The man cleared half the courtyard in his single jump, and the ground–even where Deon and Skrili sat–rumbled when he landed.

He towered over everyone else, even Phillip, before he even stood tall. His skin was practically gray, save for two red lines from his bald head to his eyes.

"Howdy Irma," he greeted.

Masking any sign of relief, the woman stood and recomposed herself.

"I didn't think Wei would send you over, Benton," Irma said. "You're already back from headquarters? Ugh, I wish I got to go…"

"Yeah, well Wei hates the dirty work, don't he now? I had to come back early," Benton explained. "Oh–brought you this."

His massive hand tossed her a branded bottle with blue liquid in it.

"Aw, thanks buddy! I love these!" she beamed.

Red light reflected on their faces, and they both sidestepped as another one of Kotono’s blasts came their way. The energy destroyed the elaborate stone flooring.

"Give us o–our f–friends," Kotono attempted, face hard and adamant.

"Alright, what are we dealin' with today?" Benton inspected. "Huh, it's really them, ain't it? The little celebrity girls. Now I don't wanna hurt you, missy's. I'm a bit of a fan, myself."

"You won't be much longer," grumbled Hiroko.

She pounced at the man, blades swinging. But after an exaggerated blink, he took the slashes head on and stared at her blankly. The magical blades swiped through him, shocking his exposed skin, but he didn't budge.

"You're doing Withstander? Good pick," Irma noticed. "I'm blocking the Illusionist kid, so I'm on green and black."

Upon hearing Irma's words, Hiroko backed off and put distance between them.

"You're blockin' his illusions as an Illusionist?" Benton chuckled. "Coulda just went to Dampener. Guess you don’t look up to me anymore, huh?"

Deon's head spun, rushing to keep up with all the types and terms like the class before an exam.

Withstander…Right: that's the type where they can turn off any of their senses, even pain, he remembered. No wonder Hiroko backed off: he doesn't feel those magic sword things.

Dark, charred lines remained where Hiroko had struck Benton, but his skin didn't appear damaged. Deon wondered if the swords were designed to shock instead of slice.

Adjusting quickly, Hiroko dropped the magic swords to the ground. The light from them flickered out. She scanned Benton for a split second, and then powered back at him without hesitation.

Predictor: she used her powers to predict his movements before attacking, Deon recognized.

Hiroko bashed a masterful kick straight into his core, but she ricocheted off as Benton merely stared back at her.

"Let me guess," said Benton. "'I can't make him hurt, but I sure can bash up his body, still.' That's what yer thinkin, right? Well good luck. I'm built hard as stone, y'see."

Without response, Hiroko tried again. This time Benton let out a startled huff, and this kick forced him a couple steps backwards.

"Golly. I guess if any Leaguer could do it, it would be you," he added. "There goes a rib, I reckon. Good thing I can't feel–"

"Shut up!" Hiroko roared. She continued her offensive, and Benton merely took the hits—he didn't attempt a single block. Deon could hear the thumps of Hiroko's unfathomable force even from where he looked on.

"He's just testing her out," Skrili noticed. "This isn't serious to him. He's just curious."

"Who the heck are these two?!" Deon grumbled.

While Hiroko's desperate attempts continued, they realized Phillip was faring even worse.

Irma had targeted him, and just as Deon and the group wiped the floor with the soldiers, she was doing the same to him.

Phillip toppled to the ground and hurried to his feet, only to find another punch from Irma. Barely fast enough to catch it, he slid back against the stone. But he winced: clearly Irma's fist had still broken through.

He tried returning the blow with countless of his own, but Irma brushed them all aside.

"I'm stuck blocking your illusions, so it looks like this comes down to whoever the better fighter is without powers," Irma shared. "If you really wanted a shot at saving your friends, fighting like a typical Leaguer seriously doesn't cut it."

Phillip hacked as she sent a spinning kick into his side. He tumbled partway across the courtyard, then stood slowly.

"This is looking really bad…" Deon muttered.

Dread loomed over him like the dreary Azvaylen clouds above. This wasn't a consciousness fight like he was used to: if they lost, they would probably all die.

And they wouldn't save Lammy or the others from the same fate.

He tried to sit taller, but a stabbing pain coursed through him instantly.

"Wait, look," Skrili said.

Returning his attention to the losing battle, Deon found Kotono had changed positions. While Hiroko kept kicking at Benton, she stood steps from his back, hands out towards him. Red energy burst around her.

"Ope–that's another rib, I think," Benton informed Hiroko as he stumbled another step back. "Keep trying! You might break Irma's record!"

Hiroko kicked again, and Benton tripped back even further: getting closer and closer to Kotono's increasing energy.

Another silent technique, Deon thought. They're playing into his little game to use it against him!

The pattern continued until finally, Benton smirked.

"Oh wait. I get it."

Hiroko dashed at him–but this time she zipped right past him and slid to a stop behind Kotono, whose eyes lit up like stars.

Benton began turning around to face them. "Real clever, girlies. Alright, give me your best–YIKES!"

Kotono screamed as she fired a thunderous blast at him, point-blank.

In the luminescence, Deon could vividly see Benton's face shift from casual curiosity to shock. He'd planned on taking even this attack head-on.

But Kotono’s power was far too immense, even for him.

Benton leaped, but Deon couldn’t tell if he'd escaped. The red blast washed out everything in its raging path. The silhouettes of Irma and Phillip broke off from their duel and dove to the ground as the energy coursed between them. Then it burst straight through the front courtyard wall, and smoke and dust shot everywhere.

When the smoke cleared, only black rubble remained. The entire front wall, including the gate the group had passed through to enter the courtyard, was completely destroyed. The ground sizzled along the diminished blast's path.

All fighting ceased for a moment. Everyone simply stared at the utter ruination.

Its source, the shivering Kotono, brought her hands to her mouth. Deon doubted she'd meant to release that much power.

Benton stood from the ground, smoke rising from his now-red shoulder. It appeared smaller than the other, now: the blast had disintegrated the very edge of it.

Blood dripped down his arm as he turned to Kotono slowly. His carefree attitude was no longer written anywhere in his expression.

"Looks like they've actually got some muscle, Irma. And guts," he called over to his accomplice. "We'd better wrap this up quick."

"Yeah. This is a bit much," Irma agreed, hopping back to her feet. "Give me a sec to take care of this weak kid–"

Phillip came flying through some of the lingering smoke and tried landing a kick. But Irma effortlessly deflected it and tripped him off his feet.

As their fight resumed, Benton barreled towards Kotono. She stumbled back in fear while her red energy replenished around her.

But Benton's burly body only managed a few heavy steps before Hiroko blocked his path. She caught him by the arms, shoving with all her might to keep him in place.

"Don't you dare touch Kotono!" she threatened.

Benton's eyes were still stuck on his new main target, her energy lighting his eyes. "Just how much of that stuff does she got?" he marveled.

"As much as she needs!"

Hiroko's whole body shook: Benton kneed her in the stomach.

"Hiroko!" Kotono screamed. Her energy brightened, traces of green now flickering within it. The ground around her began decaying.

Yet Hiroko stood firm, still holding Benton back. She coughed and spat up red, then huffed a single laugh.

"See? She's gonna blow us all to smithereens if you keep upsetting her. She can't help it," Hiroko grunted.

Another knee plowed into her nonetheless. Benton pressed a step forward.

"Real sorry. Got a job to do," he said. "Nothing personal."

Deon couldn't watch Phillip and Hiroko get kicked around any longer. And he knew it was true: Kotono was a timebomb for them all.

"I gotta butt in again," he alerted Skrili. "If they find out it's me, I'll make something to protect you."

"A sneak attack will need to be smooth and decisive," Skrili immediately replied. "Use me."

He glanced at her.

"Power Rebound?"

"Yeah. A big one."

Skrili stood, relying almost entirely on her enhanced Rebound strength. She limped several paces forward from the wall.

"You sure?"

"Yeah. Pattern 13. Send me at the big one first."

Deon focused on the former courtyard, now a tattered battlefield. He sighed to calm himself, to little avail.

"Alright. Let's do it," he agreed. "Don't worry, I got your back."

"I know you do."

Dust rose from where Skrili had just stood—her powers propelled her forward. Following the cue, Deon prepared a wooden platform in her path. Once she reached it, he mentally controlled it to thrust upward, catapulting her high into the air.

Deon hurriedly imagined the rest of their technique: he placed his springy orange pads in the sky at precise angles, staying true to Skrili's proposed pattern. It was an aspect of their Team Special, simplified for easier, quicker use.

And if Deon had to bail her back out, with less imagining to keep track of, he could manage it at a moment's notice.

This was their best shot.

Skrili ascended, and with a well-practiced flip, repositioned to bounce against the first pad. It sprung her towards another near the outskirts of the fight, which she bounced off to redirect her right at Benton.

Between the extreme momentum, the positioning from Deon's springs, and Skrili's Power Rebound mixed with her sheer accuracy, the surprise attack couldn't have been more perfect. Her kick slammed straight into an unsuspecting Benton's chest, just above the struggling Hiroko.

Benton went midair for two full seconds, his hands ripping free of Hiroko's. Before he even crash landed, Skrili had already touched down. She hopped back up to meet another one of Deon's springs.

"Whoa!" Hiroko exclaimed, and Kotono gasped.

Next, thought Deon.

Skrili bounced off the pad and soared at Irma, graceful as a hawk and vicious as a wasp.

But she didn't make contact this time.

In fact, she never reached Irma.

"Okay, okay, I think I've seen enough," a floaty voice decided from above. "I get it now."

Deon had to blink to grasp it: Skrili had come to an instant stop, suspended in the air just before Irma and Phillip. With a great deal of effort, she managed to turn her head to the balcony.

Only by that, Deon realized where the voice had come from.

"There you are, Wei. Finally," Irma sighed.

A man peered down on the brawl he'd evidently just paused, with eyes even darker than his clothes. One set of black nails pushed back his icy blue hair, while the other fiddled with the gold medallion hanging at his partially exposed chest.

Benton coughed, pulling himself back to his feet. After giving a quick nod to the balcony, he shot Irma a sideways look.

"Now that was a kick. Irma didn't warn me about this blue-haired girlie, y'know ," he called to the man above.

"I thought she was out! I was gonna finish her off later!" Irma countered.

Wei laughed at their bickering, his smile far too perfect for the occasion.

"I was wondering what was taking so long," he crooned. "I'm impressed: this bunch was actually a little challenge for you two. Finishing them off would've taken you a few more minutes."

"Not if you just dealt with it yourself in the first place," Irma snapped. "I have other things to do, you know. Benton even got to go to headquarters without me! This is your project! So–"

Skrili's sudden screams interrupted Irma’s frustration. Her limbs were twisting and contorting. She bit her lip hard to hold back more cries of agony, but her eyes went watery.

Deon forced himself up in terror, his own pain meaning nothing now.

"See? Look, I'm helping now," Wei reasoned. "I'm killing this one. Happy?"

"Kotono!" Hiroko shouted, "blast that guy before he–"

"PUT HER DOWN RIGHT NOW!!!" Deon roared.

All of his vision turned orange. Heat flooded him inside.

All eyes were on him now, and they squinted at the brilliance of the orange energy now erupting around his body.

Benton and Irma prepared to fight, but in the balcony, Wei simply turned to him. He stared for a moment, his smile still just as present.

Then, curiosity sinking in, it curled even more.

Skrili's screams stopped. She gasped laboriously as her crooked limbs eased up.

"Oh, hey there. Is this yours?" Wei asked Deon. "Sorry about that."

Skrili's body slammed against the concrete, then floated back up. Wei checked Deon's reaction unblinkingly. Then he slammed her again, and again.

"Here, you can have her back."

Skrili plummeted towards him limply, spinning straight at the wall. In a panic, Deon imagined a giant pillow. She sunk into it, avoiding impact, and then dropped down. Deon dove to catch her.

Skrili landed in his lap, motionless. Blood streaked down her forehead.

"Hey! Skrili!" Deon pleaded.

Her eyes simply fluttered closed.

Deon knew there would be no Power Rebound from her pain this time. This man, Wei, had wrecked her.

He pulled Skrili closer. Her hair whipped in the orange wind now spiraling out from him.

Wei needed to die.

"Skrili…!" Kotono gasped weakly, her own array of colors intensifying. She tried running their way, but Hiroko stopped her with a tender hug, her eyes still sharp on their enemies.

"You two can't get near each other right now," Hiroko urged, her tone apologetic. "It's way too much power in one place."

Deon lay Skrili behind him carefully, and then stood to face Wei. His teeth practically crushed through his jaw and his fists shook.

Only one thing mattered right now.

"Die," Deon grumbled.

Thunder roared and the wind flounced towards the crowd of fighters, almost sweeping them off the ground. Wei continued watching in sheer interest.

A monster appeared just before the balcony, its razor-sharp teeth high above the roof of the castle. Twitchy, the giant squirrel, unleashed a roar.

"Fascinating…you have Emovert energy, yet you can imagine, too?" Wei observed. "Your Emovert anger is powering your imagining ability. Which means…you have a blend of types…naturally?"

Deon didn't care. He knew his one and only ambition in this moment.

Twitchy's mouth opened even wider, and the beast brought its head down towards Wei.

But it slammed against an invisible surface, and all of its fangs shattered like glass.

An immense blade pierced through the monster's core. It sliced down, then up, tearing it perfectly in two. Twitchy vanished from existence.

"Hey kid," Wei said, "wanna join Proscious?"

Deon ragingly tried imagining again, but his powers felt foggy. Nothing came to form in reality.

He was being blocked.

"You look like that kid we caught, Lammy, so I assume you're all here for him, right? And maybe the princess and the others," Wei figured. "Tell you what: just join Proscious, and I'll give them all back. We'll fake their executions and everything to make the Azvaylens happy. Sound good?"

"I'll get them back by taking you down," Deon swore. He darted forward, but an invisible pressure held him in place.

Wei shrugged. "Know what? I'll give you some time to think on it. Come back in say…two days with an answer. I'll postpone the executions 'till then."

Deon shouted, but his body still wouldn't budge. It seemed the others were in the same predicament: they floated just above the ground, limbs pressed straight.

This man was ruining everything. He destroyed Skrili.

A nearly inhuman shout burst from Deon, and the orange light in his eyes blinded all his vision.

He pushed, and successfully forced a step forward.

"Holy cow! He still moved!" exclaimed Benton.

"You gotta be kidding!" came Irma's shock.

Then a crushing pressure overcame Deon's whole body. Something pounded into his stomach, and only blackness followed.