Instead of taking the offensive, Pacifica lunged back.

  Raising her fists to cover her face, she lunged to the left to avoid another throw from Vivy. The tip of her javelin pushed the air as it soared, it whistled and grazed right near her ear, leading her to clench her teeth.

  (Pacifica’s thought) I burnt out…

  Because of her blinding rage, she wasted most of her strength and stamina during the first round. Having a clear mind, as well as an exhausted body, she let her lower body exert most of her strength. Bulging and forcing her calves to tighten, they lead her to move around the catwalk like a frog, leaping and swerving.

  Christian went back to where he was destined to go, pnning dynamite on the legs of the bridge. Carrying a rge bulk of the red sticks into a small gap, he swiped away a stream of sweat from his forehead, while watching the fight commence again.

  (Christian’s thoughts) Come on Pacifica, you don’t need to win, just tire her out.

  Pacifica lowered her hands down and ceased her lunging, letting her boots squeeze the metal underneath her feet. Her palms facing the direction of the javelin throwing woman, her acid fluctuated and cultivated from her palms, but instead of building it up…

  She let it flow like a water hose.

  Sending the acid toward where Vivy was, she lunged to the right, using the center of her feet to avoid the burning substance. Seeing some of the acids burn the metal, it wasn’t eating it up like normal acids.

  But it did weaken the metal, as it began to creak and splinter off old chips of silver.

  (Vivy’s thoughts) Just what is she doing?

  Curling her fingers into her palm, she ceased the flow of acid. Raising her fists to the height of her shoulders, on command, a substance coated her knuckles and hand.

  Seeing the defensive action being taken, Vivy let out a growl from her throat, rumbling her vocals like an automobile. Her scleras beginning to shower a hideous red, she kept her grip on her javelin firm, waiting for anything.

  Both women analyzed each other like falcons, and their silence grew.

  Mingling the air with their body odor, they didn’t care if they sweat-drenched their clothes and skin. Feeling like they got out of a shower, Vivy panted harshly, her putrid breath barely grazing the ends of Pacifica’s nose.

  (Vivy) Are you exhausted? Burnt out? Did you lose that spark of revenge you had?

  (Pacifica) Now you better shut it …

  (Vivy) With that pressure you released, it looked weak. Huh, even your acidity seems to be weakened as well.

  Pulling back her right arm, she closed her left eye and squinted her right, aiming precisely where Pacifica stood.

  Instead of lunging left, right, or back, she remained standing. No matter the cost, she didn’t let her feet or toes carry her body out of harm’s way. Knowing Vivy was making her move, Pacifica pced her palms up to the ceiling, while having her hands dropped low to the height of her knees.

  Why would she lower her hands instead of raising them? If she wanted to aim at the ceiling?

  Letting the javelin soar through the air, it was as if time had slowed down for her. Seeing the spears of the hardened bleach thrust toward her, Pacifica slowly tilted her palms in the direction of the incoming spear.

  Already halfway, she closed her eyes and trailed out a parched breath which blistered her lips.

  And focused all of her strength on the curse which flowed out from her palms. With the pressure of a fire-fighter hose, the force of the push was enough to send Pacifica a couple of feet back. Landing on the back of her head, she couldn’t watch as her eyes flickered and quivered under the strain of her eyelids.

  (Vivy) W-Wha—

  Inertia took hold of the javelin, arching it back to the ceiling.

  Striking on top of where Vivy stood, cracking began to animate, leading Vivy to widen her eyes at the pebbles of asphalt dropping onto her. Her breath inside her throat, she immediately lunged forward, avoiding the weakened ceiling.

  Because prior, when Pacifica had hosed Vivy’s shield during the first round, almost all of the acid directed itself up to the asphalt ceiling.

  Avoiding the crumbling ceiling, she managed to—

  She stood directly on top of the metal part of which Pacifica hosed.

  (Vivy’s thoughts) No…

  It was too fast.

  Already hearing the metal creaks and screams from the weakened metal, it couldn’t sustain the weight of the woman. Unable to hold, the border between the strong metal and the weak metal broke, leading the weak to…

  Fall.

  In just a split second, Vivy had dumped all use of her javelin and shield, as she used both hands to grip the edge of the catwalk. Hanging by a thread, again, the metal of which she held onto stung and burnt her palms and skin.

  Blood trailing from her palm down to her wrist, began to crawl into the pit of her sleeve.

  Letting her feet dangle the air, kicking imaginary air like a little kid, she wheezed out air repeatedly from her throat.

  As she remembered.

  ______________________________________________________________________________

  Pacifica id ft on the catwalk, her hands reached out with huffed breaths molesting her throat. Pressuring her palms to the ground, she squeezed every muscle within her body to crawl forward, leading her upper body to strain and sore.

  Pushing her body to the limit, her strength was directed to her arms. Drenching chunks of sweat from her body, it littered and dripped down on the catwalk surface while she fastened her breath.

  Reaching the little hole she made, her fingers gripped the edge, and pulled herself to look down at the…

  Something blurred within her eyesight.

  Unable to react in time, her id body only shriveled underneath the shadow. Hearing the sounds of two boots stomping on the walkway, she turned her head to the sound of it. A low groan, like hearing the sound of a rusted motor failing to work, pierced against her ears once she took in the losing sight.

  In front of her, Vivy huffed air repeatedly, her heart on the verge of exploding.

  (Pacifica) Oh … come-come on …

  Her face cmmed pale, she wasn’t scared. No, she was too exhausted, her palms feeling as if they might tear apart and rip out like a leaky hose. Unable to avert her eyes, or her body from the huffing young woman, Pacifica moved her body to y on her back.

  And watch as Vivy summoned both her shield and javelin.

  (Vivy) I don’t just summon these two weapons…

  Gncing to her right, Pacifica took note of the hardened pole of bleach stuck to the bottom of the catwalk. Gazing through the hardened substance with her push-down eyes, Pacifica grizzled, turning her head back to Vivy with reddened eyes.

  Trying to push her palms toward her, her arms and biceps felt like noodles.

  Seeing she was unable to conjure up a simple attack, Vivy pushed her right lip up and aimed the tip of her javelin toward Pacifica’s chin. The center spear nudging her head to tilt up, Vivy made sure her eyes were locked onto hers.

  (Vivy) Try not to do anything funny. After trying to make me fall two times, I still find a way back up~

  A dry cough exerted out from her parched throat, leading Pacifica to ball her hand and raise it to her mouth. Clutching her stomach with her other hand, her fingers gripped against her jacket, all the while Vivy let out a chuckle.

  Hearing her breathless coughs ruminating in the desert air, she pulled back her javelin, letting Pacifica’s head drop down. Being dubbed the victor, Vivy pushed up both corners of her lips to the bottom of her ears.

  Making a smile her father would be proud of.

  (Pacifica) Since you won … you’re probably going to report it to your daddy huh …

  Vivy’s smirk dropped. Fading away like the wind from a passing storm, her fingers which curled around her javelin began to creak. Cracking more and more of her hardened bleach, it chipped down to the floor, littering and rusting the metal piece by piece.

  Seeing her frown, Pacifica quivered her lips, and let her eyes soften at the upset woman in front of her.

  (Pacifica) I knew you were always a daddy’s girl … but is there something more than that …?

  (Vivy) Just what the hell are you saying…

  Pacifica used both her palms to stabilize her upper back, leading her to sit up straight. Curling her lips to form a devilish smile, she arched her head back, along with her eyes widened to dispy her smugness.

  Which caused Vivy to take a step back.

  (Pacifica) Y'all are nothing but degenerate goons. And you girl … want to receive some ‘princess’ treatment from him …

  (Vivy) Now what are you—

  (Pacifica) Incest around these parts is rare … but Haxouburg does have a few weirdos…

  (Vivy) Shut up!

  Smming her hardened bleach shield just near her foot, she gripped her javelin with both hands, locking them tight on its rear end. Tilting the javelin downward, the jagged spears from them aimed where her eyes were, as the gap between them was only a foot apart.

  Huffing air into her chest rapidly, she kept her heart beating regurly, while the bottom of her heels dug deep into the floor. Her body locked and froze, her teeth munched down, and she uttered a low growl resembling that of a dog-human.

  (Vivy) I don’t need men’s validation! None! I am free! I am strong! Every man should bow down to me like the pigs they are!

  (Pacifica) Why? Because you view yourself as some man-eater? Sorry girl, but you act more like a … femcel.

  Femcel…

  A word that describes women who ck the appreciation and love from men. Simir to their male counterparts, incels, both bme their faults on the opposite sex, leading themselves to be isoted in their man or female caves like hermits.

  No love, no retionships, both miserable people who ck the drive to better grow or find reason within themselves.

  Hearing the word, Vivy’s entire body tightened, her mouth quivering from rage. Every ounce of muscle bulging like a water pump, her javelin thrust an inch forward, the spears centimeters from stabbing inward to Pacifica’s throat.

  (Vivy) What was that?!

  (Pacifica) You want a man who would die for you, yet your breath smells like rotting garlic.

  (Vivy) Just because…

  (Pacifica) Honestly girly, you need to open your eyes more. You think you’re hot shit? Not every man is going to bow down because you—

  Like the snap of a match, Vivy pulled back her javelin, while curling her fingers deep into the hardened bleach. Raising her weapon for a split second, she then smmed it onto the metal catwalk, shaking the metal which rumbled the soles of her feet.

  Leading her to grasp nothing within her palms and fingers.

  Her scleras, and pupils, all shaded in a crimson red, even her cheeks burned from the warmth of her rage.

  (Vivy) You don’t understand a single thing! I work! I’m strong! Every man would want a woman like me so why?! You don’t look special yet you found love! I’m not ugly! I’m not stupid! All men are! They don’t appreciate beauties like me! Yeah! That’s it! They're so caught up in their little worlds that a woman like me wouldn’t dare to enter! How is it so hard to find a good man when every single man I met looks like a common peasant!? I’m just speaking the truth! Every single one of them would rather go with the dumb and clueless blonde chick they meet at a bar! And they wonder why they get cheated on! It’s crap! Crap! Crap! CRAP!!! No, they should be cheated on, because they were stupid to begin with! I have been neglected for far too long so their punishment should be that! Oh how I loathe them, every single one of them! Dates!? Cuddles!? Hand-holding!? I never had that! So bming me for not being a good person is ignorant I tell you! Ignorant! You’re probably one of those pick-me girls! Oh how I loathe them … always sucking up to men to gain approval. Traitors, ignorant to the struggles of my wretched love life … and for some reason, men don’t mind them! For all I care, there are no good men! You’ll never understand the problems I’m facing! Never never! You can just be some good-for-nothing whore for all I care! Cause, in the end, I hope you get dumped! Or abused physically and mentally! Oh, I wish for that elf to show his colors! Cause when he does he—

  (Christian) Holy crap you yap too much…

  He had the barrel of his gun aimed at the back of her head.

  Carrying nothing along his shoulders, it looked like he was already done loading the dynamite onto the legs. His finger dead set on the trigger, he took a step forward, clearing his throat while pushing his cheeks down.

  Vivy gnced in back of her, her head turned to the right. Still wielding her hardened bleach shield with her left hand, she wiggled her fingers with her right, sensing her palm missing her javelin. Noticing she had smmed it to the floor prior, she grilled a groan from her throat.

  (Vivy) You interrupted me …

  (Christian) And does that make me evil? You preach all men are evil when you killed one who couldn’t hurt a fly.

  Gluing his feet to the metal walkway, Christian slowed his breath once Vivy turned her entire body toward him. Both he and her ignoring the resting Pacifica, the fight was now brought to him.

  Pacifica had a curse, once she stole a bag of bck banana seeds from Christian’s hand years prior. Unremembering the process, she forgot the pain that barraged her stomach, as if a train plowed her guts repeatedly.

  But unlike her, Christian didn’t have a curse.

  Plopping her body to the floor, she tried to push her exhausted arm and hand toward him, her fingers trying to grasp him like a portrait.

  (Christian) I may not have a curse, but a few years prior, I had the fortune to run into a gold mine without gold.

  His body radiated the aura of a blessing user.

  Feeling his confidence rise, Vivy picked up the javelin, curling her fingers into the hardened bleach to anchor her palms down. Seeing her entire body shrivel and tremble, Christian let his eyes trail to his sister, who began pushing her wobbling feet and legs to use.

  Her body spent and dried like a parched sponge, Christian returned his eyes to the turquoise-haired woman, while directing his voice to his sister.

  (Christian) Pacifica, crawl or limp your way out of the catwalk. This bridge is about to blow.

  Without nodding, Pacifica looked toward the dder that she climbed down from. Dragging both of her feet, she clutched her stomach and chest, hefting air out like a marathon runner at the end of a marathon.

  Remaining still like a mannequin, Christian frowned.

  (Christian) Just you and me now.