Eleo, Mork, and Tony continued their journey, emerging from the tunnel onto a vast stone bridge that stretched high above a desolate, eerie landscape. Dead trees dotted the hollow expanse below, and the sun loomed gray in the sky, casting everything in a dull, lifeless hue.
"Wow, this place is cool," Eleo said, wide-eyed as he took in the strange scenery. "And they have a girl here too."
Tony's gaze locked onto the figure ahead—a woman seated cross-legged on the bridge, her face calm yet commanding. "Best not to wake her up," Tony muttered, his voice low.
Mork nodded, his expression wary. "Yeah, she might be evil and try to kill us. And I don't want to di—"
Before he could finish, Eleo cupped his hands around his mouth and yelled into the girl's ear, "HEY! WAKE UP!"
The girl flinched, her hands flying to her ears. "Owwww! What the hell?!" she exclaimed, shooting a glare at the trio. As her gaze sharpened, she rose to her feet, her voice cold and resolute. "Intruders."
Mork groaned, throwing his hands in the air. "Ah, look what you did! You woke her up!"
Tony sighed, throwing up his hands. "And it seems we'll have to fight her now."
The girl's expression hardened. "Yes. I will not let you pass this bridge. I will protect it with my life."
Eleo smirked, stepping forward. "Alright then, miss." He paused, tilting his head with a playful grin. "What's your name?"
The girl straightened, her eyes burning with determination. "Penelope."
Eleo's smirk widened as he cracked his knuckles. "Okay, Penelope. I'm going to kick your ass." Penelope drew her two daggers with a fluid motion. "Oh, I've been waiting for a good fight," she said, her eyes gleaming.
Eleo lunged forward, his fist hurtling toward her with blinding speed. Penelope barely managed to block, her feet digging into the stone bridge. What the—he's fast!
Before she could react further, Eleo was already airborne, towering over her. His hands shifted into massive ink hammers as he shouted, "INK HAMMER!" He slammed them down with earth-shaking force.
Penelope narrowly rolled to the side, the impact cracking the stone beneath her. "T-this kid has power... what the hell?" she muttered, her breath unsteady.
Eleo landed with ease, grinning. "Come on, aren't you going to attack?"
Penelope straightened, her grip tightening on her daggers. "Yeah, I will!" she yelled, dashing forward. "Slash attack!" Her blades became a flurry of swift strikes aimed at Eleo.
He moved effortlessly, dodging each one with precision. "Is that all you've got?"
Tony thought to himself, I didn't think Eleo was this strong… or maybe she's just weak? Meanwhile, Hork was clapping and yelling, "Yeah! Go, Eleo! Show her who's boss!"
Penelope groaned. "Man, oh man, he's tough. Maybe I should…" She paused, shaking her head. "No, not yet." She suddenly whistled, and four shadowy, slender creatures appeared, their dark forms swaying ominously.
"Eleo, meet the Shadow Creeps. Shadow Creeps, meet Eleo."
Eleo grinned and waved. "Hi."
Penelope facepalmed. "You fool, they can't hear you! Or… can they? I mean, they did listen when I whistled, so maybe—ugh, what am I even saying?" She cleared her throat dramatically. "Never mind that!"
She pointed to the creatures with flair. "These beasts are not just strong; they're catastrophically powerful! So powerful they could destroy this entire bridge!"
Eleo raised a brow. "Okay? But how does that make them strong?"
Penelope gasped like he'd just insulted her ancestors. "HOW?! Let me spell it out for you, kid! This bridge? It's not just any bridge! It's a FOUR. HOUR. WALK from end to end! Do you know how many normal creatures could wreck something this colossal? ZERO! NONE!"
Eleo blinked, unimpressed. "Sounds like a hassle to rebuild."
Penelope ignored him, her voice rising dramatically. "These Shadow Creeps could crush it in SECONDS! They'd grind it to dust! People would write songs about how devastating they were! And you—YOU DARE question their strength?!"
Eleo shrugged. "Cool story, but can they actually fight?"
Penelope froze mid-rant, her expression a mix of disbelief and offense. "Y-you little… Fine! You'll see soon enough!" Penelope glared. "Shadow Creeps, boys or girls? Answer me!" She huffed. "Ugh, whatever. Just get him already!"
One of the Shadow Creeps lunged with a swift slash. Eleo leaned back, dodging effortlessly, then yelled, "INK HAMMER UPPER CUT!" His hand morphed into a massive hammer, smashing into the creature's chin and sending it staggering back.
Penelope stomped her foot. "Oh, come on! Just hit the damn bastard!"
Another Shadow Creep charged and caught Eleo off guard, delivering a heavy blow that sent him flying.
"Yes! YES!" Penelope screamed, throwing her fists in the air. "Finally! I knew it!"
Hork gasped. "ELEO!" He grabbed Tony's arm, shaking it. "We've gotta help him!"
Tony remained calm, his arms crossed. "Relax. He's fine."
Hork blinked. "Are you sure? He just got punched off the bridge!"
Tony nodded confidently. "Super duper positive."
Down below, Eleo's voice echoed. "I'm okay!"
Penelope's triumphant smile shattered. "What?! How is he still alive?!"
Suddenly, Eleo soared through the air, landing back on the bridge with a soft thud. Dusting himself off, he grinned. "Man, that punch packed some power. But not enough to take me down."
Hork's jaw dropped. "Whoa… I guess he's really okay."
Tony smirked, patting Hork on the back. "Told ya. Nothing to worry about."
Penelope's grip tightened on her daggers, her teeth grinding. "Grrr… You little brat! Why won't you stay down?!"