Jun, Wednesday 26, 2007 - 4:05 PM
Metro City - Paradox’s House
“Yawn, boring. Ever since that bank robbery, nothing has happened, and it's been so dull,” Paradox muttered, leaning back on the couch with an exaggerated stretch.
“I know what you mean, Father. If only a group of villains could invade the city and give us something fun to do,” Norika chimed in, twirling a lock of her hair with a wicked grin.
Eve, sitting cross-legged on the floor with her eyes closed in meditation, let out a sigh. “Umm, could you two not say that? I’d rather not have a massive threat on my time off from hero duty.”
“Time off? When do heroes get time off from work, Eve?” Paradox asked with a playful smirk, glancing over at her.
“Well, Brother, they get time off because I said so,” she replied, opening one eye to glare at him. “And even if someone did try anything, I’d sense it before it happened. Therefore, I deserve it.”
“Whatever you say,” Paradox said with a shrug. “But I still think Norika’s plan is better. We need an all-out invasion. Get the blood pumping.”
The three of them were in the living room, the mismatched trio lounging in their usual ways. Paradox and Norika sprawled across the couch, while Eve meditated in her preferred spot on the carpet. The scene might’ve been peaceful if not for Norika’s restless energy practically vibrating through the room.
“Is that some form of training?” Paradox asked, raising an eyebrow at Eve. “Or are you just doing it to keep your inner peace?”
“Yes, it helps strengthen my mind and my bond with my powers,” she replied, her tone calm and measured. “Why don’t you try it, Brother?”
“Heh, not my style,” he replied dismissively. “I’m not one to sit around doing nothing.”
“So boooored! Fight me, Father!” Norika suddenly demanded, sitting up with a manic gleam in her eyes.
“No. Don’t wanna,” Paradox replied lazily, not even bothering to look at her.
“Now.”
“No.”
“Just fight her already, Brother,” Eve interjected, sounding exasperated. “Or else she won’t ever stop nagging.”
“Ugh, fine. Let’s head to the [Training Dimension],” Paradox said with a groan, standing up.
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Training Dimension
“Finally, you can’t run now, Father,” Norika said with a devilish grin, her excitement palpable.
“Who’s gonna run? I’m just gonna end this quick so I can get back to being bored.”
Norika wasted no time. In a flash, she drew her black blade and lunged at Paradox with deadly precision. He sidestepped the strike with a spin, aiming a counter-punch to her ribs, only for her to block with the flat of her blade.
She didn’t let up. With a feral grin, she charged again, zigzagging across the field with unpredictable speed. Miniature fireballs shot from her blade's tip in rapid succession, each one phasing harmlessly through Paradox.
“Spamming that same ability, huh? Let’s see how you handle this,” Paradox taunted.
Releasing the first rune, Norika’s blade ignited in fierce red flames, her power doubling instantly. She vanished from sight, reappearing inches away from Paradox, swinging her blade with blinding speed. Paradox managed to block with his own sword, time slowing down slightly as their weapons clashed.
‘So this is the limit of my time powers as I am,’ Paradox thought, eyes narrowing. ‘Should be doable.’
With a flick of his wrist, he unleashed a wave of temporal energy that rippled toward Norika. In response, she released the second rune. Her flames turned blue, the air around her superheating as her strength quadrupled. She moved faster than even Paradox could predict, her blade aimed for his throat.
Time slowed to a crawl as Paradox willed himself to move, narrowly evading the strike.
‘Damn, she’s faster than when she fought that demon lord guy or whatever he was. Just how much has she been training?’
“More than you have, Father,” Norika sneered, answering his unspoken thoughts. “While you’ve been lounging at home wasting time on games, I’ve been out training and traveling.”
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
“Snort. That doesn’t mean anything. I’m still not gonna lose. Give me everything you’ve got.”
Paradox regretted those words almost immediately.
Before he could react, Norika’s fist slammed into his stomach, folding him in half. Her knee followed, driving into his chin and sending him flying. Before he could recover, she spun in midair, planting a flaming foot into his back and sending him crashing into the ground with enough force to shatter it into a spiderweb of cracks.
“Still think you can win, Father?” Norika teased, standing over him with a smug expression.
“Think I can win?” Paradox coughed, spitting out blood. “Heh. Of course, I do.”
He sheathed his Chrono Sword and slipped on his Uni Gloves, his cocky grin never faltering. “Hand-to-hand, huh? Alright, let’s see what you’ve got.”
Norika smirked, putting away her blade but keeping the blue flames coating her fists. “Oh, you’re going to regret this.”
The fight escalated into an all-out brawl. Paradox’s fighting style was fluid, almost teasing, with each of his moves calculated but playful, while Norika’s strikes were wild and full of explosive power. She threw a fast combination of punches and kicks, each blow burning with the intensity of her blue flames. Paradox dodged and countered, narrowly avoiding her attacks with his own swift movements.
Norika pivoted, sending a spinning kick aimed at his head. Paradox ducked under it, his hand shooting up to land a sharp jab to her midsection. Norika grunted but recovered quickly, catching his wrist mid-air and twisting it with a sadistic grin. She yanked him toward her, aiming a knee at his chest. Paradox grunted, but with a twist of his body, he evaded it, landing a swift elbow to her back.
“Is that all you’ve got?” he mocked, his voice dripping with arrogance.
Norika didn’t answer with words. She spun on her heel, delivering a brutal roundhouse kick to his side. Paradox stumbled but quickly regained his footing, a grin still plastered on his face. He wasn’t about to let her take the upper hand for long.
In a blur of motion, he surged forward, blocking her next attack and knocking her off balance with a swift low kick. Norika snarled in frustration, her hands glowing hotter as she unleashed a series of rapid, fiery punches aimed straight for his chest. Paradox dodged and weaved with practiced precision, laughing as he danced around her.
“You really think you can hit me?” Paradox taunted, flipping backward to avoid another wild strike.
Norika let out a growl, eyes narrowing in focus. She lunged forward, faster than before, her fists a blur of blue flames. Paradox blocked a punch, then ducked under a swift kick aimed at his head. With a sudden twist, he caught her foot, lifting her off the ground and slamming her down onto the dirt with a force that sent shockwaves through the air.
Norika bounced back to her feet almost instantly, her body coated in a mix of bruises and fury. “You’re not bad, Father,” she snarled, cracking her knuckles. “But you’re still too slow.”
“Keep dreaming,” Paradox shot back, raising his guard as the fight continued, their blows shaking the very ground beneath them.
Just as they prepared to clash one final time, the sky above turned an ominous red, and the alert system blared to life.
"Alert: An urgent message from Eve is coming. Metro City is under attack by a group of four individuals and an army of robots."
"Four people and an army of robots? You know what this sounds like, huh Father?" Norika grins, the excitement evident in her voice.
"Right, fun. As in, let's go!" Paradox says, cracking his neck and stretching his arms with a cocky grin plastered across his face.
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Jun, Wednesday 26, 2007 - 4:15 PM
Metro City
"So, how did this happen?" Paradox asks, his voice a mix of curiosity and excitement as he and Norika appear right behind Eve without a sound, catching her off guard.
"Eek! Don't scare me like that!" Eve jumps, clearly startled. She takes a deep breath, trying to steady herself. "It happened a few minutes ago. I sensed a large group of robots coming, so I created a barrier around the city which stopped them for a while... but then someone else appeared and destroyed it."
"To think someone could destroy your barrier... not many would be able to. These guys must be strong, don't you think, Father?" Norika adds with a smirk, her eyes sparkling with the thrill of the challenge ahead.
"I'm just grinning in anticipation," Paradox replies, his voice dripping with excitement. "Let's turn this into a game. Let’s see who can destroy the most robots."
"A game? This is not a game, people could die!" Eve snaps, trying to stay serious.
"Calm down, Eve. Why don't you go create a safe space for everyone while we take care of the robots? Deal?" Norika says, her tone playful, though there's an edge to it.
"Fine, you have a deal. But Nor, Brother... don't do anything stupid and get yourself killed!" Eve's voice softens slightly, concern creeping in, but it’s clear she knows she can’t stop them.
"Now why would I do something like that?" Paradox replies with his trademark smirk.
All Eve gets are two sets of eyes giving her a "Yeah, you would" look.
"Fine, I will try not to do anything stupid," Paradox says, rolling his eyes dramatically.
"Good," Eve says with a firm nod before she shifts into her Omni Eve outfit, a sleek red and silver leotard that fits her perfectly, designed to accentuate her figure and mobility. The metallic gold trim on the leotard gleams as she activates her telekinesis, gathering up the civilians and taking them to safety.
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"Now, let's get a grasp on these androids," Paradox muses, pulling up the Omni-Watch. "Hmm... the Omni-Watch picked up a few things. These things have a bucketload of abilities and tricks."
"Yeah, Enhanced Vision Systems, Plasma Blades, Energy Pulse Rifle, Jet Thrusters, Self-Repair Protocols, Tactical Network Link, and EMP Resistance. Seems whoever sent these things came stacked, don't you think, Father?" Norika adds with a smirk.
"Yeah, sending seven-foot-tall androids... and it seems they were mass-produced as all of them have the same appearance," Paradox comments, his mind already analyzing the situation.
"Seems weak as well. Guess they were created with the thought of quantity over quality," Norika says, cracking her knuckles, ready for action.
The robots stand at seven feet tall, their sleek, imposing designs make them look like something out of a futuristic nightmare. Their bodies are made of black alloy with a dark chrome sheen, giving them a metallic, intimidating look. A crimson visor across their face serves as both their sensor and visual display. The glowing red circuits pulse along their armored bodies like veins of magma, and the retractable plasma blades gleam with deadly precision.
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Without warning, Norika is already in motion, her fists covered in red flames. She slams her fist through the first robot, sending it crashing to the ground in a heap of sparks and glowing debris.
"Let's get this started! Yahoo!" Norika shouts, her enthusiasm almost palpable as she leaps into battle.
Paradox watches with a grin, his hands already glowing with energy. “Hmm, whoever sent these... they’re planning something. This type of army is something you send to start a war, or…”
Before he can finish his thought, one of the robots charges, aiming to strike. Paradox’s eyes narrow as time begins to slow around him. He sidesteps the strike effortlessly, bringing his foot down in a sharp motion, sending the robot flying through the air. “What can I say? I was getting bored anyway.”
As the androids close in, Norika’s eyes gleam with excitement. “Come on, give me a real challenge!” She spins, the flames swirling around her as she charges into the fray, her speed and strength unmatched.
Paradox stands tall, watching the chaos unfold. He knows the robots are only the beginning. Something much bigger looms on the horizon, and he can’t wait to face it.
The battle rages on, the sound of metal crashing against metal, explosions of energy, and the roar of Norika’s laughter filling the air. The city may be under attack, but for Paradox, Norika, and Eve, it’s just another day of chaos and excitement.