Xavier stared at the neatly written note in his lap. Then lunged at the tiny scientist. His hand closed easily around her throat. "This isn't funny. I haven't come this far for you to fuck it up now."
The Flesh Sculptor said nothing, barely even reacting to the larger man choking her. It was he who reacted first. Yanking back a hand that had started to shrivel and shrink. All the fingers were bent back at odd angles, not broken but just as if the bones had decided to bend back. "I am not one of your pawns to use and abuse." The petite woman looked at him with eyes that had lost much of their dullness. Her sickly pale skin had a tiny bit of color to it. But she still had the deep puffy dark circles under her eyes.
Xavier held his hand and panted while sweat ran down his pale face. Slowly the bones in his hands returned to their normal angles, painfully. His desiccated skin began returning to normal but the whole process left him exhausted and drained. "It was a courtesy to give you a notice. Not a requirement." She wheezed out before turning back to watch the match as if nothing had happened.
**********
Jake had spent his time repeating his quick in and out attacks. Using controlled punches. He had lost his right arm twice more but the last time they had barely managed to cut his fingers off. Each time the living metal of his armor had snatched up the severed parts and reattached them before the knight could respond. In turn Jake had landed a few more blows, each time blocked by the shield. But his movements refined with each new rush.
In turn, his opponent began to sweat. 'This fight should have already been over with. But what is that regenerative power? Worse, Pass Thru allows one attack every five seconds to ignore all defenses. While that sounds like a short time in a fight it is forever. I need a single killing blow but this bastard is getting faster. No, not faster. More skilled. Gah. I can't move from this spot or I lose my Mountain Fortress defense boost. Without it, those stupid fists of his would punch right through my armor. No choice.'
When Jake rushed in, arms tucked in tight before snapping out into quick hard punches he expected to dodge the incoming sword attack. Instead, his fist connected right into the lower ribs of the knight's breastplate. Metal dented under his fist but held. But he had committed to the blow too much at the last second. That sword he had expected to dodge came in now. They had been willing to trade blows.
Where Jake's fist dented and crumpled the metal of their breastplate. In turn, the knight slashed down that slender blade easily slicing into his shoulder right next to his collar bone. It cut downward spraying out blood as bone and organs alike were cleaved. His right lung was visible, cleaved in half, for a moment before blood drowned it out. Screams, wild and loud rang out throughout the Colosseum. But neither fighter heard them. Jake choked on blood and tried to draw breath while his enemy watched with bated breath to see if they could regenerate even from that. While her focus was on his bloody and cleaved chest she missed his right arm reaching up and grabbing her wrist. Tendrils of metal stretched across the giant wound before pulling his body back together. When she tried to move her shield, to place it between them she found his left arm was gripping the edge with enough strength to warp the metal. Now they found themselves locked in a match of strength as she attempted to pull her shield in while freeing her sword arm. It was a battle she was slowly losing. Her shield was being pushed back slowly exposing her to attack. Her only saving grace was both of his limbs were tied up as he had to keep hold of her sword arm to keep her from striking back.
With a scream of rage, she tried to headbutt him only to smack into the side of his head as he stepped forward. That jagged "mouth" his mask formed of broken mirrored shards stretched forward and opened up like a shark seeking its meal before biting down on the forearm of her sword arm. With a screeching sound, the jagged edges of his mask scrapped against the enchanted metal of her bracer before managing to pierce them. As the teeth pushed into her arm the metal of her bracers began to collapse crushing her forearm. Before he could completely destroy her arm she activated one of her abilities. Repulsion Shield pushed back anyone and anything within several yards of her.
Jake was sent flying away to skid to a stop, managing to keep his footing and prevent tumbling over. The Dame felt a wave of relief that she had reset their fight before the pain came crashing in on her. Through pain blurred vision she saw the Demon standing there… with her sword arm in its mouth still. When he had been knocked away with his jaw firmly clamped on her arm it had ripped it free. She looked down to see blood spurting from around the bone jutting from her stub of an arm. Several of the jagged mirror fragment teeth were stuck in her stub and to her horror, they melted down. Her armor sizzled around each spot as it began to spread out.
A sickening sound brought her pain dazed attention back to her enemy. The sound of him biting down on her arm. Metal shrieked, flesh squelched, and bone shattered. The Demon pulled her sword from that now lax fist before spitting out the hand next to him. "What did you say about severed limbs?" He brought a clawed foot down on the hand grinding it slowly into the stone flooring.
Then they turned their attention to her sword. Slashing in through the air several times. As if trying to identify how it worked. She stood frozen unsure what to do. The sizzling spots on her arm were spreading but seemed to only be damaging her armor. Blood flowed from her stub of an arm but was already slowing down. Her vitality was enough that even a wound like this wouldn't be fatal. But how would she fight now? She couldn't reattach a limb on a whim like the monster in front of her. Did she surrender? Should she keep fighting?
Before she could find the answer a voice cut across the arena. "She forfeits. I won't have my people risk permanent injury for a tournament." Xavier stood up from the crowd, his voice cutting over the cacophony of the crowd. "Well fought. Both of you."
Many in the crowd cheered his action. Taking it as his concern for the brave hero of Haven. Xavier in turn paused to glare at the tiny scientists whose gaze was still locked on the arena below even as medical teams started rushing in to gather up The Dame and her arm.
Jake left the arena to mostly boos and angry shouts. But here and there a few people cheered the monstrous fighter. After all, there were always those who cheered for the villain when it wasn't them suffering.
As soon as he left the view of anyone else he collapsed to the ground in the fetal position. All the pain he had kept in check suddenly became too much to bear. He rocked on the ground while it felt like he relived each of the wounds from before. It was only when he heard Leru calling out to him and approaching that he forced himself to stand up. Taking a deep breath he moved towards them until they met acting as if nothing had happened.
She asked him a number of questions but he ignored them. Right now all he wanted to do was find someplace safe to collapse. His body ached and he felt drained.
**********
Sitting up from his long nap Jake sniffed the air. The smell of food making him forget anything else. When he entered the living area of the little apartment he had been given he spotted the familiar silhouette of Gerri moving with someone unfamiliar. He barely gave them a glance before zeroing in on the table of food. Many of the dishes he didn't even recognize but everything smelled too good. With a growling stomach, he padded silently to the table and started eating everything he could reach.
"AHHH. You… asshole… You scared the crap out of me." Gerri had turned around to place another plate on the table and been startled to find someone shoveling food into their face.
"Sowwi." Jake mumbled around a mouth full of spicy meat and some type of root vegetable, perfectly seasoned.
"You should have said something. And it is rude to just start eating alone." Gerri complained.
"Now little Gerri. You shouldn't talk to your master like that. A good servant is there to do just that, serve their master." Rose smiled at Jake as she sat down a bowl with what looked like a dressed salad in it. Jake eyed her suspiciously but kept stuffing his face. The moment he had taken his first bite he realized he wasn't just hungry he was starving.
Gerri's face flushed. "I'm not his servant." she muttered.
Jake swallowed a huge mouthful of food. "What is she doing here?" He asked Gerri.
She sat down a plate with some nice golden rolls on it. Jake couldn't resist and took one before biting into the buttery pastry.
"She offered to help teach me to cook. I've never done anything but microwave stuff. So most of this is her… but I helped." Jake paused eyeing the surprisingly large spread of food with suspicion even as he kept taking more bites. He reassure himself he could resist any poison… right?
Jake just grunted and focused on eating. While he did Gerri moved around behind him. He flinched some when he felt her touch his bare back. "You have more scars. And I think you really lost weight, like a lot." Only then did Jake appraise himself. His right arm now had a number of nasty scars where it had been severed or split. There was a wide one running from his shoulder down his chest. Apparently, it mirrored on his back as well. He was glad he was a bit pale or they would stand out even more, no tan for him.
"Most likely a side effect of regenerating like he was. It really does make his muscles stand out now doesn't it." Rose sat down a pitcher of what looked like ice tea while licking her lips as she gazed at him. Jake never paused eating but allowed his armor to spread across his torso. Rose pouted perfectly and complained before simply standing nearby with a small perfect smile. Jake did his best not to look at her, as long as he didn't his heart didn't race…much. Gerri moved to stand on his other side making him uncomfortable, but not enough to keep from stuffing his face.
**********
"Your creation is more amazing than I believed." A breathy monotone voice stated causing Jon to look up from what he was working on.
"Hmm Of course it is. I made it after all. What have I ever made that was anything less than Amazing!!! Wait, what are we talking about?" He practically shouted before starting to lean over his work again.
"The armor you gave the Demon. You created a true living inorganic and managed to integrate it with an organic host. How did you achieve the ability to regenerate the organic components?" The Flesh Sculptor moved around to eye what he was working on.
"Hmm What?" Jon looked up and pushed his goggles off his eyes. "I did what?"
They gave a throaty laugh before telling the Artist what he had missed in the last match.
"This was most unexpected. But then again everything about them was. The technique for producing that type of armor is outlawed. Even the emergency recovery protocol hasn't stopped the death of all the other subjects before. Honestly, what are a few deaths if we can achieve something like this? Every day they show me something new and amazing." Jon exclaimed.
"I know what you mean. I wanted to pull them apart and examined them inside out when I met them." The tiny scientist licked her lips. "They taste like nothing I've ever tasted before. I can't tell where the organic ends and the inorganic begins. I can barely resist using my power on them." They squirmed in a way that would make most people uncomfortable yet Jon barely noticed. "If I warp his flesh how will it work? I can only manipulate the organic." She held up her hand and the fingers curled back before twisting into individual spirals in a way that would sicken a normal person to witness. Again, Jon seemed not to notice.
"I know what you mean! I've been testing it and I am certain I can practically temper their flesh just like metal. I've never seen anything like it!" Jon was vibrating with excitement. "I have so many upgrades in mind. I just need the materials and to get them on the table again!"
Watching her hand return to normal she giggled, somehow still sounding dull and monotone. "Me either. They are exactly what I have been searching for. Finally, we can fully cast away the failed experiment that is humans."