Crocodile released a resonant rumble from his throat - it shook the building. “I’ll handle the warbots; there are only about ten left. Go help Mystery.” He growled.

Gabriel nodded and disengaged his constructs, flying towards the woman holding Rey’s limp body. She must be mighty to have taken out a Super like Rey so quickly - especially with his decreed telekinesis. Gabriel extended his fists to knock the enemy Super aside, but just as he was about to strike, she stared him right in the eye. Her green eyes were full of sadistic glee.

The backhand that struck him was so fast even Alfred couldn’t keep up. Gabriel felt his head twist clockwise the moment his faceplate hit the reinforced wall. Coming to after falling unconscious briefly, he moaned in pain. He was under a pile of concrete in a crater. The bastard knocked him all the way back to the entrance.

Your helmet has been compromised. Do not get hit in the head again.

Alfred’s warning chilled his blood. Looking back to the middle of the room Gabriel saw Rey’s bleeding corpse embedded into the support pillar. The woman in red was kicking a force field Mystery put around herself like a child kicking a ball - laughing.

Gabriel blinked sweat from his eyes and burst from the rubble, activating his blades and pushing his generator as high as it could go.

She didn’t turn until after the last possible instant, easily jumping into the air and powering her feet into Gabriel’s back. The ground cracked under him as he struck the floor, ribs ablaze. He rolled, but a boot slammed onto his neck, pinning him to the floor. It felt like a mountain was sitting on his adam’s apple. His armor started to bend and groan.

“Now now, can’t have you ruining my fun, can I?” The woman blew a strand of blonde hair away from her face.

Peering up at his assailant, Gabriel was surprised that he hadn’t recognized her sooner. Gabriel had been a fool. They should have run. This was Red Global.

And they were dead.

Red Global was one of the leaders of the Ruchin. Her influence neared that of the Emperor himself, the primary dictator of the alliance. She had at least Class 6 speed and strength, but they had never been tested. Not only that, she could emit red beams of energy that were easily as destructive as antimatter. She was ruthless and abhorrently cruel.

“Now, who might you all be? Some rats caught in the grain? Tell me, who told you that this complex was here?” Red Global asked vilely, a grin on her face from ear to ear.

Gabriel had no answers for her - it was a simulation. One thing was clear, and that was that they needed to get out. Gabriel enveloped his gauntlets in antimatter and clamped down on the boot, holding him down. His hands sizzled through them and onto the super’s skin. Surprisingly the foot wasn’t amputated on contact - her skin just began to bubble.

Thankfully this was enough to send Red Global screaming through the hole he had made in the roof.

She must not be used to pain, thought Gabriel.

He stood quickly and shouted toward Mystery, “Let’s go, put down the force field. Crocodile is holding them off. Grab him, and let’s get out of here.”

Mystery stood shakily, her shield disappearing. She began to walk over to the pillar. “That was Red Global. We won’t get away.” She said without emotion.

Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

Gabriel couldn’t hear the sounds of battle from the hallway anymore. He turned to see Crocodile limping towards them; his gait regained its normalcy with each step as he healed. “I’ve finished. What now?” He said.

Rey responded. “Red Global, we need to vacate the complex ASAP.”

Crocodile nodded. “Let’s go. I’ll take point.” He turned and began to run towards the door.

The rest of the team moved to follow when a series of crashes resounded, and a red blur struck Crocodile in the side, jettisoning the lizard man through the wall. Red Global stood nonchalantly in front of them, hands on her hips.

“I don’t know what you did there, young one, but I will pay you back the pain tenfold. I am going to skin you all alive - slowly peel the flesh from your muscles while you scream.”

Gabriel fired an antimatter lance from each gauntlet in response. Red Global twisted her torso to the side and stood straight once more.

“That… was rude.” She said.

Abruptly, Red Global stood in their midst. Gabriel moved in front of Mystery and put up his AM shield, blasting his flight generator and taking the blow head-on. He was pushed back a few feet even with the counterforce.

Mystery jumped away and took off through the space in the wall after Crocodile while Gabriel took Red Global’s second swing, then his third. Each blow grew in power, and Gabriel’s arms felt numb by the fourth.

Red Global laughed, shaking her hands like they’d been stung. “I like you, kid. I’m going to love killing you.”

She blurred forward, aiming a left hook at Gabriel’s face. Alfred had seen his movements enough to assist him in dodging, but the blow made slight contact with his helmet as it passed. His head rocked sideways, and he was forced to fly back to avoid the follow-up.

Red Global stayed on his trail and sent a kick slamming into Gabriel’s midsection, knocking him back into the dark conference room. A fly-by punch directed him straight into the middle support pillar.

Gabriel dodged toward the floor as a fist dug its way into the concrete where his head would have been. He raised his shield and jumped up into Red Global, knocking her back and burning the Super’s shoulder, eliciting a scream of pain and rage.

A roar came from behind Red Global as Crocodile jumped from the doorway at the flying Super, swinging his tail in a spin. Red Global caught him and stared Crocodile in the eyes.

“Weak.”

The Ruchin Super flipped Crocodile and threw him to the ground. Then she disappeared.

“Gotcha!” She said, appearing behind Gabriel and catching his arms at his elbows, overpowering his generator and dragging him to the ground. She suplexed him into the floor.

Gabriel was stunned and broken, and Alfred rattled off his new list of injuries. He tried to move but couldn’t find the strength. His left arm wouldn’t move - the suit’s actuators were broken. His right arm was fractured; he would need to control the suit mentally. That should work - as long as he could stand the pain.

Red Global stepped past him slowly, obviously enjoying herself and taking her time when he could have ended the confrontation easily. That was when Gabriel made his choice. He energized his right gauntlet and grabbed Red Global’s leg as hard as he could. “EVERYONE RUN, I’LL HOLD HER OFF! RETREAT!”

His companions saw that this was the only way and took off.

Red Global screamed in pain and frustration. “LET GO OF ME!”

The enraged Super started kicking Gabriel in the chest and arm, sending his body flopping. Broken sternum... broken tibia… shattered humerus, still Gabriel did not release his grip - the suit held.

Red Global screamed louder with every passing second until, all at once, the fizzle stopped. Gabriel opened his eyes and saw he had taken Red Global’s foot off.

“YOU LITTLE SHIT!” The Villain raged. “I’LL END YOU!”

Gabriel stood slowly, only to be backhanded to the ground. He glared up at Red Global, whose eyes had shone an intense red.

“DIE!” Red Global screamed. Beams of heat shot from her eyes, straight into his chest plate. A second later, he felt the armor peel away. A second after that, everything was on fire. Then… nothing.

Oh. He had died.

Gabriel adjusted to the simulation’s overhead view, finding his teammates and watching them make their escape the complex through the tunnel. He saw Red Global fly from the building searching for his team, seconds after Mystery had covered them in some sort of invisibility bubble. Thankfully, Red Global went north, blasting away faster than Gabriel could hope to fly.

An instant later, explosions rocked the building - it slowly caved in on itself.

Mission accomplished.

END SIMULATION