Several minutes had already passed since my dust-up with Lexa began. And through each strike, I'm reminded of the similarities that made Lexa and me such good friends. Like how our shared stubbornness, love of fitness, and passion for both wrestling/boxing fueled our current deadlock. Dozens of powerful punches connected in perfect sync, quaking the entire cabin to its core.

Upon the umpteenth swing, I wondered why we remained in a stalemate despite my superior power. An answer that grew clearer when my punch was pushed back upon Lexa's advance. And became crystallized when I got my foot stomped moments before getting launched by another heated hook.

Lexa and I commanded similar styles but completely different mindsets. I trusted my strength and endurance to carry me through, wading through the offensive till my opponent or environment gave me the one shot I needed. The problem is Lexa never provides that opening. Her Greco-Roman wrestling and Pankration are made to lock down her foes in her way.

Combine that with a tactical mind. I've only ever seen Sarah match and her knack to completely distribute her weight on a dime, and Lexa's strength and our differences widen further. I outlast and adapt while she overwhelms and conquers. I tried to be immovable. Lexa is unstoppable.

As soon as I touched back down, I thought Lexa's last punch had knocked her off balance. I realized too late, though, that she simply was prepping her next move as she tackled my leg. Like before, I tried fending her charge, but she didn't give me any leverage to work off. Leading me to brace myself while getting launched so hard into the wall that the wood broke. Spit and splinters flew all over the place as I felt my ribs ache against the sheer pressure.

Nevertheless, I persisted, clasping my hands together for a double axe handle punch on her back! I felt her skeleton shake, but she still increased her crushing momentum. This meant I had to literally hammer it home, pulling out more and more power until the racks of handguns started descending like snowflakes.

When the floor started cracking like concrete from my hits, I almost thought, but one look from Lexa and I knew I wasn't going hard enough. When I prepared my next one, Lexa took notice, immediately spinning away from the blow at alarming speed to clock another fist at me.

Fortune did smile on my face, though, as I was able to block the fist with a handgun that fell within reach. Giving me every bit of hope while skidding across the floor as I tried using the one spare magazine I had to attack.

My opponent reacted accordingly, jumping towards me to stomp me out like a flame. With the force of a kaju, the armory again started shaking, but I dodged at the nick of time and got back up. Forcing me to immediately back up and fall within her cqc as we engaged in a dangerous dance.

Every paintball shot I fired found a different target through her split-second deflection. Noticing this was getting me nowhere, I forewent the gun entirely, immediately letting it get knocked away as I twisted her fist into a standing armlock. Lexa thrashed around like a wild bull, but I held on strong.

"Keep moving and I'll break it Lexa!," I said with vigor.

Unfortunately, as soon as the words flew out my mouth, we both knew I was bluffing, making Lexa do something I never would've expected. My sweat suddenly went cold as I heard several cracks reverberating across the armory. Panicked, I reflexively let go, a decision I instantly regretted when I looked at Lexa's fierce eyes.

Even in this amount of pain, she remained steadfast as she pulled out a secret weapon. The brush blade alone was a game changer, but like any tech, it can be innovated, like taking the paint cartilage out of the blade and wrapping it around her knuckles for a devastating deck to my face.

All I could see was red as I heard Lexa's shoulder crack again to reset her elbow miraculously. Amidst my writhing, Lexa collected herself, giving the first sigh of exhaustion this entire fight.

"Excellent sparing, James; your kindness is one of the few categories I concede you beat me in. Still, you know the saying. All's fair in love and paintball."

A part of me almost thought we'd lost then and there until I smelled a faint flowery perfume. I couldn't contain my smile after that.

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"Yeah, all is fair."

Not even missing a beat, Shameer led the charge, ready to cleave Lexa in half with her brush blade, Only for Lexa to catch it without even looking back. Immediately, the entire armory got cloaked in her creeping pressure as she tauntingly said.

"Alright you have my attention now."

Despite her aura, Shammer coped ahead by pulling up her hijab and saying.

"Guess you can't keep a good dog down."

"Got that right," Joe said as he barreled in with one pistol.

Lexa tried backfisting him using her free hand, but Joe weaved out of the way like an expert boxer. She then tried moving her fist forward again, only to get it caught by a determined Zoey.

"Aye! No one gets to beat on the punk but me!"

Lexa then attempted a grab, but Élise immediately grabbed her legs.

"Try not to hit my nails okay?"

"TAKE THE SHOT NOW JO-"

Shameer couldn't even get the words out as Lexa headbutted both her and Zoey, giving herself enough room for the unsteady Joe not to get a clear shot. A bad mistake as Lexa exploded out of everyone's hold, knocking back both Zoey and Élise to deliver a wrathful kick to his stomach! Seeing a golden chance, Lexa ran towards her shotgun, hoping to end it all in one blast, only for Shameer to get a flash of inspiration.

Shameer broke her riot shield in half in one fell swoop and threw it over Lexa's shotgun. Shameer then leveled her brush blade like it carried the weight of a sword. Noticing the change, Lexa didn't even bother to flee as she took root. Our leader then gave me one last resolute look from me as if asking for my blessing before deciding to wage war on the Femme Fatales queen.

Shameer made the first move, moving the speed and grace of a ballerina to give a powerful joust. Lexa tried to grab her arm like before, but Shameer used her shield to smack her hands away. Like a mirror, the two collided with their respective low kicks, sending a large smacking sound into the air as Shameer kept the offensive. Relying on quick jabs of the brush blade to descend on her like petals, hoping it break her advance.

A tactic that surprisingly worked as Lexa tried to simply bulldoze her in a mighty charge, only to come up empty when Shammer did a quick spin kick to her back. Excitement then fueled Shameer's next hit as she tried to land another deciding swipe. It was only for Lexa to catch it, spinning around Shameer until she got her into the same standing arm lock as me. Lapping up her victory, Lexa kept talking as she corralled them toward the shotgun.

"Those are some interesting movements you pulled out there. Did you take fencing by chance?"

"No, it's Sqay, my father taught it to me. He thought it would make me a bit less self conscious about my height."

"Ahh, Sqay yes, I always forget to brush up on my South Asian martial arts. Shame they weren't enough here. "

"That's why I have them. NOW!"

It was here where Lexa made her critical error. Shameer's height might have made her a bigger human shield, but it was also a massive screen for Lexa, big enough for Shameer to signal. Our leader was built from stronger stalk, against her fear and disapproval, she would never want to let her failings drag us down. Just like how I can't let my team down either. Not again.

So the rest dragged our broken bodies and rammed into Lexa. Zoey and Joe hit her first, pushing her off Shameer through sheer force of will. Élise was next, saying goodbye to her nails to deliver a potent palm strike upwards. Leaving me to carry it home. I rushed in, took a deep breath, and delivered the mother of all German suplexes.

Another mass quake rocked the armory, ripping open a hole in the floor. An excessive measure, sure, but a necessary one. As a rattled Lexa tried to stir herself awake, she met with a fully stocked brigade ready to paint her in black; even someone as stubborn as she knew how slim her chances would be. A defeated sigh pursed her lips.

"And here I was hoping to take you all out. Still, I can't say I'm disappointed with how hard you pushed as well," she says while relaxing her arm. You may fire when ready."

"You don't get off that easily, Alexandria; you still got some questions to answer."

"Like?"

"You've been leading us around this entire game, having your team bow out early, and fighting us in the armory. All while still having some other hidden ace up your sleeve."

"I really have outdone myself."

"Yeah, even by your standards. Hence why I'm asking, well why? You've already lost so you might as well tell us."

A hanging pause hung over the air as Lexa clinically replied.

"You. I did this because of you." A small blush fluttered across my face as the other Dogs looked towards me.

"I'm flattered, Lexa, but I'm mar-

"Not like that James.You were never my type anyway. What I mean that out of everyone in Titan, hell out of everyone I ever meant, you were the first person to ever give me a true sense of defeat."

My brain itched, trying to recall.

"Oh right, I remember now. You were showing me around, and we disagreed on where to eat, so we did an arm wrestling match, and I won."

"Yes, you did win, and you won't believe how much that both exhilarated and frustrated me. Or how much that motivated me every waking moment to push myself further than I ever had before. I'm sure you can relate to that."

Age-old scars burned underneath my skin from my statement as I replied.

"Yeah, I kinda can."

Lexa nodded out of sincerity before continuing.

"Yet, despite how much our power and stature rose within Titan. As we dragged more pawns into the game we've never been able to break the tie. So I decided to rely on an edge. Someone who in their short time here has matched both of us in strength and prestige. I'm sure you know them well."

That familiar feeling from before came back in full force. I remember why she wished me good luck in the first place.

"Sarah."

Her very name alone seemed to suck out all the light in the room. Despite all my positive stories of her, Sarah's accolades across Titan might have made her a living legend. One we're going to have to face soon. Lexa, though, couldn't help but smile.

"Yes, the Paladin. Convincing my teammates to be sacrificed in her stead wasn't easy. They all wanted to win as badly as I did. But the results definitely speak for themselves, wouldn't you agree?"

A hundred alarms then rattled off in my head as I instantly tried raising my comm-link.

"Jared, are you there? Can you read me!?

"I don't hear anything," Joe said.

"That's the problem."

Lexa then couldn't help but give a short laugh, which grew louder.

"I'm sure by now she's already set up everything she needs to take you down. Then again," she says as she yanks a hidden cord underneath her shirt, "I've never been one to leave things to chance."

The world then slowed itself to a crawl, forcing me to bear witness as an explosion of red overtook us all.