"You were a loser! A nobody! I made you a warrior, Antonious, do you think you would have made it to where you are now without me?" Bruce shouted.

"That's just typical, Bruce! You may have put me through Hell, but I'm the one who fought through all of it! Where do you get off taking credit for any of it?" Tony bellowed back.

"You got your first black belt in sixth grade, got into your first fistfight in sixth grade, and won. Do you think that would have happened if I hadn't pushed you? Those boys would have killed you!" Spittle flew from Bruce's mouth as his face turned the deep scarlet that foreshadowed a rant. "Then your Freshman year, those six thugs that were going to mug you, the officer thought you were lying about beating them all half to death. Kendo, you're welcome. You wanted to quit after the first week and I didn't let you!"

Tony's heart pounded against his ribs. His chest swelled with rage and anxiety, he hated it when Bruce got like this. Always during tournament season, always when Tony didn't want to compete, Bruce's attempts at persuading him had gone from placating Tony to guilt trips, and now to this, playing on his need to prove Bruce wrong. This time Tony knew. This time it wouldn't work.

"So what? Maybe I wish those thugs did kill me? Maybe I wanted to lose?" Tony shot back.

Bruce was unfazed. "Oh, c'mon son, you're just saying that because of the dog-"

"SHUT UP!" Tony shoved Bruce into the kitchen island, right fist cocked, and violence in his eyes.

Bruce swung the brass bowl, recently vacated of its fruit, at Tony's face. Tony ducked, tucking both arms to his sides, and slammed his left fist into Bruce's side. It felt like punching a steel beam. A fist the size of a cinderblock streaked toward Tony like a falling comet. He weaved to the right.

If you're gonna get hit, you're gonna get hit. You pick where, Scott's voice echoed.

Bruce's fist impacted with Tony's left shoulder, dislocating it and propelling Tony's right hook into his square jaw. Both combatants staggered back.

"See?" Bruce chuckled. "Do you think you would have ever landed that punch if I didn't send you to train with Scott? I made you a warrior, a competitor, you have to compete."

Tony leaned to the left, letting the dislocated limb hang down for a moment before rolling his shoulder back, up and around, popping it back into place. "No," he said.

"No?"

"I'm done, I'm done fighting in tournaments, I'm done fighting with you. I'm not doing it anymore," Tony spoke quietly, containing the anger in his voice and forcing Bruce to listen.

"The hell you're not! You fight in the National Open this year or else!" Bruce shouted, the vein on his shaven forehead pulsing violently in contrast with his beady blue eyes.

"No, I won't. I'm done," Tony answered.

"Then you're done here! You have ten minutes to get your shit and get out of my house!"

----------------------------------------

The scene shattered into a million gleaming fragments as Tony gasped for air and sat bolt upright in the plush bed. Maximus's head shot up as well, the small dog barking at an unseen threat to his master's safety.

Heck! You be go! No do scare to my hooman! The dog's child-like delivery sounded in Tony's mind, immediately easing some of the tension from the nightmare. Tony couldn't remember the last time he dreamt about being thrown out of his family home by "dear ol' dad" and would be happy to never do so again. He pulled Maximus into a tight hug and after some initial wiggling, the pup rested his snout in the crook of his neck. 

Tony lay there, holding Maximus close for a while. The dog's warmth and exhalations as he snoozed helped to push back the tidal wave of anxiety that loomed in Tony's mind. All too soon, there was a rap on the iron door to Tony's chamber. Before he had the chance to respond the slab of metal swing open as Auren and Vasna walked in. 

"Yeah, sure come on in, I'm definitely dressed and ready for company," Tony said, coating his words in sarcasm. 

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

Auren stooped to pick up the well-worn Squire's gear and threw it onto Tony's bed. "Get ready for it then, there's work to be done," he ordered. Tony put the dozing pup down on a pillow and snatched the clothing from the comforter before exiting the safety of the bed and dressed. Trying to fit the matching pieces along with the odd assortment of Artifact Dread Knight pieces was supremely inconvenient. The Pauldron of Vengeance leveled up, sprouting a half plate that covered the left side of his chest and back and while he could technically fit the Squire chest piece over the Pauldron, the shoulder armor had no padding. Covenant also made it impossible for him to wear any sort of wrist or hand armor that had a left and right side, on top of that it could not be removed. He hadn't noticed it when he lay down and thinking about it now, the metal vambrace didn't feel like it was there. He rapped his knuckle against it and raised his eyebrow at the metallic clank that sounded. 

Tony double-checked his gear, and satisfied that everything was as properly equipped as it could be, looked back to the interlopers in his chamber. Auren's gaze was far off, presumably interacting with system messages from the Flagship and Vasna seemed to be inspecting him.

No longer fresh from the respawn table it was evident just how different the woman was from the other Ashtar that Tony had seen. Vasna's aspects were all over the place, her crystalline dreadlocks shone with gradients of blue and red while the strands tied off from them were a leafy green with vine-like texture, beyond that her eyes alternated between the piercing blue he'd seen and deep violet, the skin over her knuckles, elbows, and knees were craggy, like a cliff face while the more vulnerable areas were hardened and crystalline. 

Auren piped up, "If the two of you are done eye-fucking each other we can get to work."

Tony scowled. "And what, oh mighty one, great task have you beset upon us," he asked flatly. 

"Do not patronize me," Auren warned, the snap-hiss of his Battle Aura activating filling the chamber. 

Tony held out his hand and the sound of a buzz saw grinding through steel drowned out the inferno for the moment it took for his Dreadblade to carve through the floor and spring into his hand. The weapon let out a metallic whine, like the toll of a bell struck with a clapper too small and dense for it. He leveled the gleaming point of the weapon at the God. 

"Don't threaten me," he answered.

"You don't want any of what I've got," Auren menaced, pushing his Aura outward and filling the room with it. 

Tony grit his teeth, readying himself for the fight unfolding in front of him. 

Rain poured from the ceiling, muting the oppressive aura. Tony looked up, confused, and when he looked down Vasna's craggy fist slammed into his face. 

"What the-"

"Stop it! Both of you!" the shaman shouted. "You're both acting like asshats." Tony rubbed his jaw, and as he noticed the Battle Aura dissipating, sheathed his sword. Vasna glared into his eyes. "You good?"

"I'm fine," Tony growled.

Auren broke the settling silence. "What the hell happened to you?" the God accused. 

"What do you mean?"

"You went up three levels since you left and your attributes didn't scale the way they were supposed to," he answered. 

"According to the system, I Ascended. That was only after Ignacious buffed the jealous ex-fiancé of the spider-woman, who is also a princess, who I was in a ritual duel against because she and I are engaged? I think?" Tony answered. Hearing the answer out loud made Tony question the reality of it all. Was that really how it all happened?

When Tony looked back at Auren and Vasna he saw a mix of shock and disbelief across both of their faces. "What?"

"Engaged to a princess, dueling her ex, and the King of the Gods took enough notice to interfere? Seems like a little much to get done in a day." Auren said with a wry smirk.

Tony just shrugged. "I don't know what to tell you, that's how it all happened. She's in one of the regeneration pods right now. Is there a way to get some sort of notification when she's all healed up?"

It was Vasna's turn to question Tony. "What did you do to her?"

"I didn't do anything to her, her ex did after Ignacious buffed him." The Dread Knight's irritation at the barrage of questions grew by the second. "What did the two of you come in here for anyway?"

"I've been made aware that a dungeon has been generated on the Flagship. Somehow, the dungeon scaled to the highest-level Ascendants registered, which at the time were you, Vasna, and Tolik," Auren said. 

"Oookay?" Tony made circles with his right hand, attempting to draw more information out of the God with the gesture. 

"Dungeons, if they grow in power, can contest and invade territories, since this one's level is higher than the average level of the Ascendants onboard it's already contesting the lower levels of the Flagship. I need the two of you to go in there and clear the boss."

You have been offered a new quest! Dungeon Delving: Clear the rogue dungeon on the Haght'anak, saving the lower-leveled Ascendants, again. Rewards: XP, Vasna Social Link Increase, Auren Social Link Increase, Dread Knight Set Piece Accept? Yes  No

Tony accepted the quest, dismissing the screen that had popped up.

Auren clapped his hands. "Excellent, now we just need to find it."

"Find what?" Tony asked.

"The Dungeon."