Pelting like a bullet piercing the sound barrier, Grusha swept across the long gap towards Enigma. Earth crumpled and rumpled backwards like it was a rug being overturned, collapsing beneath each step beneath Grusha’s extended limbs. The white haired girl flew through the air with hands held back, Enigma reached an arm out and blasted a black orb towards Grusha.

Side rolling in midair, Grusha skirted the menacing and burning orbs. It was hot to the touch despite not making any contact on her skin, the orb was deceptively more dangerous than she originally thought. So much energy leaked from the orb, Grusha absorbed some of it despite not physically touching it. Enigma fired one shot after another as the distance between them closed in on itself, the pacing increment the nearer they got.

Grusha extended long fingers for Enigma’s face, wrapping the pristine face in her palms. Attempting to crush her, the little girl was not shortchanged on fortitude in the least bit, capable of withstanding Grusha’s firm group to the full. Channeling some of the energy buildup she received from the dark orbs, she powered her palm and sent Enigma flying back from the explosion.

Enigma flipped over and landed on her feet, skidding to a harsh stop backwards. She wiped her nose, and looked at the blood that was drawn from that blow. Whipping the blood off of her hand, she flew straight up and hovered in the sky. Holding arms outstretched overhead, a large ball of light and darkness was being formed, lighting from the atmosphere streaked across the sky, feeding the powerful ball that grew to monstrous sizes.

“You think I will just stand and watch?” Grusha roared into the sky.

Rolling shoulders, revealing ample muscle beneath her slim hardened figure, she jumped the highest reach she ever attempted, powering her muscles with the energy she absorbed that leaked from Enigma. Grusha travelled the entire distance in a split of a second, forming a powerful vacuum in her wake. Enigma was caught off guard from this demonstration of beastly power, Grusha loomed over her with broad shoulders and unholy white eyes that shone from a devil's body. Grabbing her by collar, Grusha twisted around and pummeled Enigma like a railgun to the ground, shattering the earth and forming fissures from the impact of the force.

The vacuum sucked Grusha back to the ground, landing on her feet, she cratered the earth around her. Crouching on the ground, she focused on her opponent that rolled onto her feet and pressed herself back up. Enigma’s black eyes stared back emotionless from a leagues distance away, bunching brows together, she clenched her teeth tightly.

Enigma’s fists glowed brightly again, balling tight clenched fists, air pressure began to collapse upon itself. Available air was being sucked out from the area, birds were falling from the sky miles away and animals dropped dead on the land below. Sparks emitted from the Enigma’s eyes, bathing her face in the light. Grusha crouched silently, blinking calmly in anticipation.

“Ho-how?” Enigma stuttered. “You shouldn’t even be able to breathe, nothing can live without breathing.”

Grusha popped her neck, mad dashing towards enigma. Enigma crossed her arms, blocking the two open armed side swipes Grusha swung in midair. Successfully locking Grusha’s fists in Enigma’s own hands, holding her locked in her grips.

“Static! Help!” Enigma pleaded, leaning backwards as Grusha pushed herself atop of her.

There was no response.

“He won’t help you, he never has and never will. We’re just pawns in a sick game he plays between himself and the world.”

A sweat rolled down Enigma’s back.

“There’s no way you can be standing, no human can stand the heats from the orbs.”

Grusha growled. “I am not human.”

Struggling between a losing battle of raw brawn. “Even demis must abide by the orders of nature, you can’t breathe if it is superheated and deatomized.”

“I am not demi.” Growling between each word. “I. AM. APEX!”

Roaring in a final push, Enigma found the strength to force her way back and now have Grusha struggling beneath her pressure. “You’re an animal, that’s what you are.”

Headbutting Grusha on the forehead, sending her staggering backwards. Enigma dashed forward and punched her flat on the gut, sending Grusha flying in the air. Then flying up in a spiral, Enigma grabbed Grusha by the quills and flew further up. Snapping and flaying violently around, attempting to break from Enigma’s latching grip, Grusha successfully slipped through her fingers in a freefall to the ground.

Twisting around and aiming herself at Enigma, Grusha plucked several of her quills off and flung several at Enigma like daggers. They dashed past Enigma like bullets, scratching her skin, until one pierced her hand.

“Agh!” Enigma howled loudly.

Angered by the bitter pain, she dived feet first and kicked Grusha who blocked with crossed arms, sending her plummeting back to the ground below. Twisting around again, she landed on her four limbs and pounced out of the way from Enigma's followup blow, skidding several hundred meters away.

Enigma raised her lowered chin, standing straight up. The late afternoon gleamed off of her dark suit, rays of light beamed through ragged holes in her cape. She ripped out the quill embedded in her left hand, it dripped from blood but the hole in her hand quickly healed, not leaving as much as a mark where the quill was a moment ago.

“You’re a tough one, I’ll give you that.” Grusha bitterly acknowledged. “Not often I find someone other than Enyo who can hold their own against me, you’re a fun one at least.” She grinned devilishly.

Casting the quill onto the rocky ground. “I am not here for fun.”

“Of course not, only Enyo ever did anything for Static under the pretense of fun. That skorto drove her like a mad dog from one mission to another. You are too young to have developed such tastes. So then, why do you aid Static? What’s in it for you?”

Balling up quivering fists, Enigma stared blankly at the ground. “I-I…” She mumbled halfheartedly to herself.

“SPEAK UP!” Grusha roared.

Enigma stomped a foot down, snapping back. “I WANT THE PAIN TO END!”

The white haired girl's roar compressed the air and sent cascading forces that pummeled against Grusha, sending her skewing to stay on her feet. Springing back up, she plucked two quills from her back, one for each hand. She held them like long needle-daggers.

“Static will never grant you what you want, he just makes empty promises to make you do whatever it is he wants. I, on the other hand, can grant you that simple wish.”

Enigma launched another lifeless orb at Grusha, but instead of dodging the impact, Grusha held her hand outstretched, spiking one of her quills to the orb it dissipated the orb into a wispy cloud. The quill she had used crusted, then flaked and decayed to dust.

“What?” Enigma said.

Grusha dashed right up to her and stabbed her in the gut with the other quill in hand, Enigma choked on her own breath from the pain. Taking another quill from her back, she stabbed Enigma under her shoulder. A white light blinded Grusha, disconnecting her from all of her senses, and when she regained her senses she found that she was bouncing off the ground.

Enigma raised her right hand that was enveloped in a white light, taking this opportunity Enigma flew high and far away from Grusha, knowing that she could cover great distances in a blink of an eye with no sweat. Enigma pulled out the two extra quills that had skewered through her.

Quills vibrated as she sensed static energy flowing through them, catching a frequency that directed its attention to Enigma.

Finish this quickly, Enigma. If you allow her to destroy the second to last capsule, you’ll leave me no choice.

Eyes widened wildly behind the mask, lips quivered fearfully. Grusha scrunched her nose, the girl reeked of dread that sent bile odors down her nostrils.

“You dare fear Static?” Grusha roared.

Enigma was brought back to her senses, but still partially paralyzed from thoughts of the possible consequences of failure.

“FEAR ME!” She roared. “Give me the worst you can do, for I will most certainly not hold back.

Strong determination reflected from the youthful face, ready to break bones with the mere thought if she could will it. Her two fists glowed brightly, one a black void and the other a white ball. Catwalking towards Grusha with two hung over arms, she raised her hands menacingly as the orbs stretched rings to each other, glowing luminescent lights of colors from the whole spectrum.

“My best?” She resonated in hundreds of voices.

Grusha grinned excitedly.

“Feel the pain of hundreds before me!” The thousands of voices clamored.

Light and darkness collided, cataclysmic balls of destruction wrought havoc over the landscape, shaping it into a giant battlefield. Fiery mushrooms of flames enveloped one spot after another, sweeping uncontrolled tempest far and wide. Grusha jumped from one hill over to another, absorbing the brunt of the hit after another. After what Grusha had counted to be hundreds of blows, she was hit point blank by the first blow.

Crawling feebly from the deep crater formed from the massive explosion, she tried to get out. A foot stepped in her way, and looking up she saw an emotionless face.

“I am so sorry.” She muttered.

Raising a firm fist in the air, she struck her down that sent Grusha’s brain rattling in the cranium. The world ebbed away as Grusha slipped away from the realm of consciousness, devoid from any awareness of her surroundings and life. Only sensations of being lifted and hovering over the dark blue ocean fogged through her mind, knowing that she was being hauled back to Statics stronghold.

The sacred haven that Static had detached from the world.