Words: 2k+ I better see some powerstones.
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Psylocke's psychic blade came dangerously close to Aron's shoulder before he twisted his body, narrowly avoiding the strike. His movement was fluid, almost too fast for her to track. She pressed on, her blade humming with psychic energy, the violet light reflecting in her determined eyes.
Aron smirked. "You're relentless. I like that."
"Shut up and fight," Psylocke snapped, her voice a mixture of focus and frustration. She lunged again, her blade sweeping in a wide arc. Aron ducked, his hand grazing the ground as he twisted to avoid her next attack.
Before he could phase again, Psylocke used her telekinesis to yank his leg, disrupting his balance. Aron stumbled but recovered quickly, flipping backward and landing on his feet.
"You're learning," He remarked, his tone carrying a mix of approval and teasing.
Psylocke rolled her eyes. "Don't patronize me." She hurled another psychic blast, aiming to disorient him. Aron vanished, reappearing just behind her. She sensed his presence briefly before his arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her closer to him.
"Gotcha," he whispered near her ear. She could feel his warm breath on her skin, sending a shiver down her spine.
Psylocke froze for a moment, her heart beating fast. She could feel the strength of his grip, the heat radiating from him, and for a fleeting second, her thoughts betrayed her. He was so close to her and she could feel his body pressing against hers.
'Focus, Betsy! He's toying with you!'
She smirked, tilting her head slightly to meet his gaze. "Think again." Her psychic blade flared to life in her free hand, and she thrust it downward, forcing Aron to let go and phase away.
"Close one," Aron said, his voice laced with humor. "But not close enough."
"Stop running," Psylocke growled, her frustration mounting. She closed the distance between them in an instant, her blade slashing upward. Aron phased just in time, her weapon passing harmlessly through his chest.
She anticipated his next move, spinning and landing a telekinetically charged punch to his ribs as he re-solidified. Aron grunted, stumbling back.
"That all you've got?" He taunted, straightening and rubbing his side.
She raised an eyebrow with a sly smile and said, "Not even close." She threw a hard kick.
"You're holding back," Aron accused, blocking the kick aimed at his shoulder. He could tell, she wasn't putting all her strength.
Psylocke scoffed. "You wish."
He grabbed her leg, attempting to unbalance her, but she used the momentum to twist in midair, landing a clean psychic blast to his chest. Aron was thrown backward, landing hard on the mat.
"Point to me," she said, striding toward him with a triumphant smirk.
Aron lay there for a moment, catching his breath. "Okay, okay," he said, admitting it, propping himself up on his elbows. "Maybe you're better than I thought."
"Well, only 'better'?" she said, stretching out a hand to him to help him up.
He took her hand; his grip was firm, but not overpowering. As he rose, he stepped in closer than he needed to, their faces inches from each other.
"Better," he whispered, lowering his voice to its lowest timbre. "And distracting."
Psylocke's breath caught. She felt the heat between them, his closeness stirring up something she wasn't ready to face. Aron's eyes fell on her lips for a brief second before returning to her gaze.
"Is this part of your plan?" she asked, voice even as her heart hammered inside her chest.
"Maybe," he admitted, his smirk returning. "Is it working?"
She rolled her eyes, stepping back to put some distance between them. "You wish."
Determined to shake off the tension, Psylocke raised her blade again. "Let's finish this."
Aron grinned, cracking his knuckles. "Loser follows the winner's request, remember?"
"Don't get ahead of yourself," she warned, circling him.
The final round was a blur of movement and energy. Psylocke's psychic blade clashed with Aron's phased strikes; the two of them danced in perfect sync. Both were evenly matched; both countered each other's blows with precision.
Psylocke tried to anticipate what he would do next but Aron was always ahead. His teleportation left her on edge.
Finally, she decided to take a risk. She feinted a strike to his left, only to shift her energy into a telekinetic blast aimed at his right.
Caught off guard, Aron stumbled, his balance faltering. Psylocke seized the opportunity, pinning him to the mat with her blade hovering inches from his throat.
"Why aren't you using your full power?" she demanded, her breathing heavy.
Psylocke's psychic blade hovered inches from Aron's throat, its violet glow reflecting in his amused eyes. Despite the precarious situation, he smirked. "You want me to stop holding back?" he asked, his voice smooth and calm.
"Yes," Psylocke snapped, her blade pressing slightly closer. "No games, no teasing. Fight me properly."
Aron chuckled softly, his tone carrying a note of mischief. "If that's what you want." His body shimmered briefly, not with his usual phasing ability but with something more dynamic. Psylocke felt the shift immediately—a familiar hum in the air, one she recognized. Her blade flickered as the energy around them changed, but she didn't waver. She knew what he was doing.
"So, you're using my power," she said coolly, stepping back as Aron rose fluidly to his feet. "Not much of a surprise. You've been collecting mutations all over the school."
"You caught me." Aron gave her a playful grin, extending his hand. Violet energy coalesced into solid form, the familiar glow shaping itself into an unexpected construct—nunchucks. He spun them expertly, the psychic energy leaving trails of light in the air. "But I figured I'd make it more interesting."
Psylocke tilted her head, unimpressed. "Nunchucks? Really? You think flashy tricks are going to throw me off?"
"You tell me." Aron struck, his movements swift and precise. The nunchucks whirled through the air, each strike aimed to disarm or destabilize her. Psylocke raised her blade to block, the psychic constructs colliding with a crackling burst of energy.
The force of his attack surprised her. She stepped back, keeping her stance firm as the nunchucks came at her in a blur of motion. Each swing was calculated, his mastery of the weapon obvious. Aron was fast—too fast for her to counter in close quarters without thinking ahead.
"You've been practicing," she remarked, dodging a swing and parrying the follow-up strike. "Your martial arts is impressive. It's better than the last time."
"I like to dabble," Aron replied, spinning the nunchucks behind his back with flair before launching another strike. "You learn a lot when you have access to everyone's abilities."
She ducked under the swing and rolled forward, coming up behind him. She slashed her blade at his side, but he phased just in time, the psychic edge passing harmlessly through him. He reappeared a few feet away, twirling the nunchucks with a cocky grin.
"You're going to have to do better than that," he taunted.
Psylocke's eyes narrowed. She didn't let his showmanship distract her. Instead, she studied his movements, noticing the way he relied on his phasing to create openings. If she could anticipate his next move, she could exploit it.
"Showoff," she muttered, lunging forward. Her blade struck the nunchucks in a fierce clash, the impact sending a ripple of energy through the air. Aron spun to counter, but Psylocke was ready. She used her telekinesis to grip one end of the nunchucks, yanking them out of his hand.
Aron didn't miss a beat. He phased again, reappearing behind her with another construct in hand—this time, a pair of glowing psychic daggers. Psylocke turned just in time to deflect his attack, their weapons colliding in a brilliant flash of violet light.
"You're predictable," she said, smirking as she pushed him back with a telekinetic blast. "All that power, and you're still relying on tricks."
"Predictable?" Aron echoed, his grin widening. "Maybe I'm just getting started."
He dropped the daggers and spread his hands wide. The air around him shimmered as multiple constructs formed at once—blades, spears, chains, all forged from psychic energy. They floated around him, their movements fluid and synchronized.
Psylocke frowned, tightening her grip on her blade. "So that's your plan? Overwhelm me with quantity?"
"More like give you a taste of your own potential," Aron replied, sending the constructs hurtling toward her. Each weapon moved independently, attacking from different angles. Psylocke deflected the first wave with her blade, but the sheer number forced her to stay on the defensive.
She moved with precision, her telekinesis aiding her as she dodged and countered the relentless assault. One spear grazed her arm, the sharp sting reminding her that Aron wasn't playing around anymore.
"Impressive," she admitted, ducking under a spinning chain and retaliating with a psychic blast that shattered a nearby construct. "But you're just wasting your energy. It's pointless if you can't hit your enemy. And using that many weapons mess up your targeting ability."
"Careful," Aron said, stepping forward and sending another wave of attacks her way. "Overconfidence can be dangerous."
Psylocke didn't reply. Instead, she focused, channeling her energy into a precise strike. She waited for an opening, dodging and parrying until Aron's rhythm faltered for a split second. She seized the moment, unleashing a powerful telekinetic burst that shattered his remaining constructs and knocked him off balance.
Before he could recover, she closed the distance, her blade poised at his chest. "Lesson one," she said, her voice steady despite her heavy breathing. "Don't waste time showing off."
Aron smirked, even as he raised his hands in mock surrender. "Lesson two," he said, his tone playful. "Never assume the fight's over."
Before Psylocke could react, Aron phased through her blade, reappearing behind her and wrapping one arm around her waist. In his free hand, another construct formed—a solid psychic chain that coiled around her arm, forcing her to drop her blade.
"Gotcha," he whispered, his voice close to her ear.
They were in the same position again...
Psylocke froze, her heart racing. For a moment, the closeness of his body sent a flicker of heat through her thoughts, but she shoved it aside. With a sharp burst of telekinetic energy, she broke free, flipping backward and landing on her feet. But the ground under her feet froze, and she lost her balance, falling backward.
Aron was there to catch her, his arms wrapped tightly around her waist. She glared up at him, but he merely smirked, leaning in closer. His face was inches from hers, his gaze locked onto her.
"I win," he said simply.
She scoffed. "That's cheating."
"Is it?" He chuckled, his lips curling into a soft smile. "You said you want to see my full power, so I showed you."
Psylocke rolled her eyes, trying not to think about how warm he felt. "Whatever. Let go of me."
Aron released her, stepping back. "Fine, fine. As you wish, my lady."
To his surprise, Psylocke stepped closer almost instantly, kissing him. It was only a light, quick touch of her lips to his, but the sensation was enough to send a wave of heat through her body. He tasted like the sweetest honey; his scent filled her senses, intoxicating. She wanted to do more, to kiss him deeper, to feel his body against hers...but she stopped herself, pulling away.
"Wow!" Aron blinked at her in surprise. "You actually kissed me."
"Wasn't that the deal?" She asked, her tone even as she tried to hide her racing heart. "The winner gets to make the loser do something they want?"
"True," Aron conceded. "But I didn't think you would be so bold."
"I'm full of surprises," she replied, turning on her heels and walking away. "Don't forget that."
"Wait a sec, I never said I want you to kiss me if I win, did I now?" His words made her stop in her tracks.
"Y-You said..." She stuttered.
"I was just giving an example, but it was definitely not what I wanted," His voice was low and husky.
"Eh!" She looked confused for a second and then flustered. Her face turned beet red, and she could feel her heart thumping hard in her chest. "What do you want then?"
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**[POWERSTONES & Reviews]***
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[13 advance chapters] [No double billing]
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AN: Time for Slice of life is over. I will be moving on with the plot. Expect lots of action and MC using full power of Phoenix Force and as some of you requested> He will be using some insane power related of Ice mutation.