Trevon skidded to a halt, his scythe glowing faintly as he and the brass-knuckled girl faced Bram, the hammer-wielding brute. Bram stood tall, slamming his massive weapon into the ground with a grin that bordered on sadistic.
"You two really think you can take me on?" Bram sneered, cracking his neck. "I'll crush you like bugs."
Trevon glanced at the girl, who clenched her glowing brass knuckles. "Stick to the plan. Keep him busy, and I'll do the rest."
She nodded, determination flashing in her eyes. Without a word, she darted forward, moving like a blur as she closed the gap between herself and Bram.
Bram swung his hammer in a wide arc, aiming to smash her in one blow, but she ducked under the swing, slipping into his blind spot. She retaliated with a quick jab to his ribs, followed by a series of rapid punches to his midsection.
"Fast, huh?" Bram growled, his grin widening. "Let's see if you can keep it up!"
He raised his hammer and brought it down with earth-shattering force, sending shockwaves rippling through the ground. The girl jumped back just in time, avoiding the brunt of the attack, but the blast threw debris into the air, obscuring her view.
Trevon took the opportunity to move in. He swung his scythe in a precise arc, aiming for Bram's exposed back. The blade grazed Bram's side, and a faint glow transferred from Bram to Trevon as he absorbed a small amount of essentia.
"What the hell?" Bram grunted, spinning around to face Trevon.
"Don't mind me," Trevon said with a smirk, stepping back and letting the girl rush in again.
She delivered a crushing blow to Bram's shoulder, forcing him to stagger. Each of her strikes grew stronger, her power compounding with every successful hit. Bram roared in frustration, swinging his hammer wildly to keep her at bay.
"You're annoying!" Bram bellowed, slamming his hammer into the ground once more and sending another shockwave.
The girl dodged to the side, and Trevon leaped into the air, his scythe glowing brighter as he prepared another strike. This time, the blade sank deep into Bram's leg, and Trevon pulled away with a visible glow of essentia flowing into his weapon.
"Feeling a little weaker?" Trevon taunted, spinning his scythe in one hand.
Bram growled, his grip tightening on the hammer. "You think that's enough to take me down?!"
The girl darted in again, landing a powerful uppercut that sent Bram stumbling backward. Trevon seized the moment, focusing the stolen essentia into his scythe.
"Let's finish this," Trevon said, raising his weapon. The glow intensified, the scythe now humming with raw energy.
Bram noticed the shift too late. Trevon swung his scythe in a wide arc, releasing a massive slash of condensed essentia. The wave tore through the air, hitting Bram squarely in the chest and sending him flying into a nearby wall. The impact left a crater, and Bram slumped to the ground, his hammer shattered beside him.
Trevon approached him, his scythe still glowing faintly. He pressed the blade to Bram's throat, glaring down at him. "Talk. Tell us about Keagan ? Why target manifesters?"
Bram coughed, blood dripping from his mouth, but he managed a weak laugh. "You… think I'd betray Keagan? Go to hell."
Trevon's expression darkened, but the girl put a hand on his arm. "It's not worth it. He's done."
Trevon hesitated before lowering his weapon. "Fine. But if you survive, tell Keagan he's next."
Bram glared at him, saying nothing. Trevon turned away, the glow of his scythe fading and dissolving as the fight finally came to an end.
After finishing my fight, I take a moment to catch my breath before heading off to find Trevon. My body aches, and my knuckles are bruised from the fight, but I can't let that slow me down. As I round the corner, I spot Trevon and the girl standing together under a streetlamp.
"So, you guys beat your opponent?" I ask, still wiping dirt from my hands.
Trevon looks up with that cocky grin of his and casually dusts off his uniform like he just walked out of a casual spar. "Yeah, it was pretty easy. Didn't even break a sweat."
I scoff, shaking my head. "Well, I can't say the same. I had to drop my sword mid-battle and use my hands."
Trevon bursts into laughter, nearly doubling over. "You? Dropping your sword? Man, you've still got a long way to go to catch up to me."
"Sigh. One day you'll get tired of that ego of yours," I mutter before turning to the girl. She's standing quietly beside Trevon, her posture stiff but her eyes flickering with curiosity.
"Alright, Queen. Why are you here?"
At my words, she perks up, her cheeks flushing slightly. She looks flustered, like she wasn't expecting to be called out so directly. "My name isn't Queen it's Ann," she says, her voice quieter than before.
"Ann, huh? Yea you tried to kill me" I laugh
Her blush deepens, and she starts fiddling nervously with her fingers, avoiding my gaze. "I-I wasn't trying to kill you! I just… wanted to see if the rumors about you were true," she stammers.
Trevon snickers under his breath, clearly enjoying her awkwardness, but I ignore him. "Well, whatever your reason, your attacks are no joke. You've got a good mix of power and speed. You've gotta fight me again sometime. But only with your powers this time."
Ann blinks, her expression shifting from embarrassment to confusion. "Oh, you have powers? I guess that makes sense. Otherwise, how could you beat that manifester?"
I shake my head. "Oh, that? Nah, I don't have any powers. I just use my fists."
She stares at me for a moment before bursting into laughter, the sound light but tinged with disbelief. "Wow, the rumors didn't mention you had a sense of humor."
Trevon cuts in, his voice casual but firm. "He's not lying. Jay doesn't have powers."
Ann freezes, her laughter cutting off abruptly. She looks at Trevon, then back at me, her expression a mix of shock and something close to fear. "Wait… you're serious?"
"Dead serious," Trevon says, shrugging. "He's just stubborn. No powers, no manifest, just fists. And somehow, he still walks away alive."
Her gaze shifts back to me, wide-eyed. "But… how? How do you even keep up with manifesters? Without powers, you're…"
"Just a guy," I finish for her, my tone calm but firm. "That's all I am. Just a guy who doesn't back down."
Ann doesn't say anything for a moment, her expression softening as if she's reevaluating everything she thought she knew about me. I take the silence as my cue to keep things moving.
"Anyway," I say, turning to Trevon, "what do we do now? Are we done here, or is there more trouble waiting for us tonight?"
Trevon shrugs lazily, the glow of his earlier confidence still lingering. "Let's just hope Bram and his crew got the message. But if not… well, we'll be ready."
I nod, but Ann's voice stops me before I can say anything else.
"Jay," she says softly, her tone hesitant. I glance back at her, and for the first time, she's looking directly at me, her usual fierceness replaced by something more vulnerable. "You're… different than I expected."
A/N: do yall like the story so far?