Flesh rent from my body moment by moment. I screamed in anguish. I was battered, broken, and utterly outmatched. Pinned to the ground, the gravity pressing me further into the dirt. I could feel every second drawing me closer to death.
This speed I gained now a living curse, sentencing me to a lifetime of torment while my allies barely moved an inch. In this world between seconds, I was alone. My vision faded, my body allowing the pain to take not just my blood, but my consciousness. I might die.
My vision flickered, and for a brief moment, I surfaced from the abyss of unconsciousness. The torment was still present, each pulse of pain like a hot iron branding my flesh, but that meant I was still living.
I could hear the low hum of Crepuscule's gravity field, the air heavy with its oppressive force. The agony was too much; my eyes fluttered shut again, and I slipped back into the void.
Another jolt of awareness. My eyes cracked open, struggling to focus. Through the haze of pain, I saw Crepuscule standing tall, his presence a dark silhouette against the swirling chaos. The shards of his mask had fallen away, revealing a wicked smile on his face. It was a grin of pure malice, a predator reveling in his prey's suffering. The image burned into my mind as the darkness pulled me under once more.
My vision flickered back into the waking world. Through the haze of pain, I saw a blur of white and black streaking through the air. Hocus and Pocus, the magical rabbits, were flying towards Crepuscule, their speed seemingly defying the gravity field's oppressive force. The hope sparked within me was brief, snuffed out as my consciousness ebbed away again.
Another moment of clarity, and I saw the rabbits a few feet closer to Crepuscule. The ground around him had transformed into a deepening pit, the sand and debris swirling like a vortex. My vision blurred as the sand began to bury me, my body sinking into the ground under the relentless pressure.
The next time I awoke, the darkness was nearly complete. I was buried alive, the weight of a mountain pressing down on me, making it impossible to move. The force of Crepuscule's gravity field kept me pinned, each breath a struggle. The rabbits were still out there, somewhere above me, but my vision was completely obscured by the sand. The crushing weight of both the physical and the situation bore down on me, leaving me with nothing but a sense of impending doom.
A flicker of consciousness returned, and I felt my skin stretching back over my bones. The gravity seemed just the smallest bit lesser, allowing my healing to begin anew. The agony remained, but there was a sliver of relief, a whisper of hope amidst the torment.
The next moment, I felt the sand beading off my newly formed skin. The force had diminished further, the pressure easing slightly. My body, though still trapped, began to heal more rapidly, each second a battle won against the relentless crushing.
Another brief awakening revealed the super-compressed masses bouncing off me. The gravity was becoming almost manageable. My muscles strained, fighting to move against the dwindling force, but it was still a monumental struggle.
Just as I thought I might break free, the pressure spiked again, flattening me back into the pit of particles. The weight was suffocating, my body crushed once more under the immense force. Sand fell off my eyelashes, blinding me temporarily, the taste of grit in my mouth a harsh reminder of my predicament.
The final glance showed Hocus and Pocus almost upon Crepuscule. They seemed able to almost resist the force, their progress slow but determined. The sight of them, so close to the villain, gave me a renewed sense of purpose. The pressure lessened again, and I summoned every ounce of strength left in me, determined to aid them in whatever way I could.
I regained full consciousness, my senses snapping into sharp focus. Before me stood Crepuscule, a look of disbelief etched across his face beneath a shattered mask. Hocus and Pocus landed two powerful kicks, breaking the rest of the mask and sending shards flying. The villain staggered back, his grip on the gravity field wavering.
With great effort, I stood slowly, drawing myself into a full posture. I outstretched my hand, blocking the stream of abrasive particles from blinding me again. The sand stung my skin, but I could see clearly now. I checked for my wounds, but saw the last of the red gashes mending themselves, my body healing rapidly.
Upon a second note, I realized the assault had left me without a costume to cover most of my body. Only my helmet and some sparse rings of cloth draped every so often around me remained, barely clinging to my form. My skin, raw and freshly healed, was exposed to the elements.
Crepuscule's eyes widened with a mix of fear and rage. I took a step forward, my body still aching but fueled by determination. The rabbits, now floating beside me, gave me a slow nod of encouragement.
I slowly marched forward, raising my legs one by one and planting them down, embedding my feet into the earth with each step. Ace and Orbweaver, the two heroes helping me here, sluggishly advanced, not nearly as fast as me nor Ingenia.
Yet, I continued on.
The illusion of the big top vanished, along with the tingle on my head that had kept me under its spell. Hocus and Pocus disappeared too, their comforting presence gone without even a puff of smoke. I could not see Spectacle anymore as well.
Freed from the illusory world, Crepuscule's gravity immediately spread, starting to destroy the factory around us. Bricks fell down like the ground was a magnet calling down metal.
But I made another step.
The ground trembled, the foundations of the buildings shaking. Large structures from the factory slowly ripped free of plumbing and wiring hovering in air.
And I pressed forward.
The purple light recalled itself into just three places, Crepuscule, the buildings, and myself. Ace and Orbweaver moved normally, stars and webs racing each other towards Coleman.
The factory walls crumbled, steel beams twisted and bent, but I remained undeterred. I could see the annoyance fade to rage in his eyes now.
I braced myself, feeling the impact of debris and rubble smashing into me, Large plums of dust stretched into the sky as he broke the paper plant against me. Step by step, I closed the distance. Buildings continued to be torn apart and flung at me, but I kept my focus on Crepuscule.