September 1st 4070 - 10:02 AM
“You’re dead. Keen Odinson.”
Keen jumps back, looking over at his big brother Thorton. Thorton jumps up, seeing the Phantom at the door and immediately prepares to defend his younger brother. Keen snaps his fingers as the Phantom rushes at him, diving into a portal and closing it. The Phantom barely misses his swing, as Zerofyne spots Keen appear behind them. He hits the jets, and Zerofyne wastes no time, trailing behind him using her ice. “I’ll get him!” She yells out to the Phantom, as he turns, realizing Zerofyne is following him.
Zerofyne’s heart pounds in her chest as she trails Keen through the twisting streets of the magical city. Her ice leaves a trail of frost on the cobblestones, and her breath comes in visible puffs in the cool air. Determination burns in her eyes, this is her chance to prove herself to the Phantom, to show that she’s not just a tagalong but a valuable ally. “I have to make up for my mistake… by taking out this criminal…” As her eyes narrow up at Keen, the aura surrounding him genuinely sends a chill down her spine. She feels the urge to look away, as it begins to feel doubt surrounding her and like nothing she’s been doing matters.
She sticks to her guns as she closely watches Keen, noticing the subtle patterns in his movements as he snaps his fingers, opening a portal a few feet ahead, hopping into it, and narrowly escaping her grasp. She speeds up, amping up her ice as she begins to slide, her movements becoming breakneck and hard to stay on the ice. She jumps ahead, about to grab his shirt but in the nick of time, he snaps his fingers, and a portal appears a few feet ahead. He dives through it, narrowly avoiding Zerofyne as she falls. She hits the ground hard, and uses her ice from her hands to push herself back up in an instant.
“Come on… Eiko.. you can do this,” she mutters to herself under her breath. She thinks about how she got here and what she left behind, the fight and how much the Phantom risked to take her along. She begins to zoom forward, reimbursed with determination. She doesn’t think about how she’s doing it, but she puts one foot in front of the other and speeds up to try to catch Keen. His presence is strong, scaring all the women around him off of the street, while the guys look at the 2 of them running after each other.
Keen zaps in an alleyway, glancing back to see Zerofyne gaining on him. His eyes widen in surprise, and he snaps his fingers again, disappearing just as she reaches him. She skids to a halt, her mind racing. She needs to predict where he’ll go next. She decides to stick to her guns, and turn around, speeding around a building and spotting Keen who hops from the roof. He turns midair, and sees her dashing toward him, so he quickly snaps his left hand, and hops in another portal before even touching the ground.
As she speeds through the city, her ice path shimmering behind her, leaving a trail of the chase behind as she continues to gain on the thief. She begins to piece together Keen’s pattern. “Every time he snaps…” She thinks, huffing and puffing in real life and she quickly uses her ice to scale a building, spotting Keen on the other side and hopping down into the street. “He teleports a distance within about a mile.” She starts to think ahead, predicting where he might appear, attempting to remember a map of the city Rika showed her before coming on the mission. “Fuck this city for being so damn big…” He snaps again, avoiding her grasp narrowly. She then catches a glimpse of him reappearing on a rooftop. Without hesitation, she creates an ice ramp, launching herself into the air. She lands on her ass, but creates a block of ice to push herself back up in a second, then skates gliding across the roof as she chases after him. Keen snaps his fingers again, and she watches the portal close behind him.
Her mind races. “If he’s teleporting within a mile, and always to a place where he can quickly create another portal, then…” She narrows her eyes, focusing on an area up ahead where the rooftops are close together, creating a natural path for him. She speeds up, her ice scraping the rooftop tiles as she moves. Zerofyne’s prediction proves correct as Keen reappears right in her path. She swings her arm, creating a wall of ice to block his escape. He skids to a halt, snapping his fingers in a panic. Another portal opens, and he dives through, but Zerofyne is ready. She jumps through the portal after him, determined not to let him escape.
Eiko feels an unnatural force in the portal, as the weight on her body feels heavy. She’s still in the physical world, but her body feels as if it can’t move. She’s stuck in the exact same position, as everything further than a mile away is a blur. Keen begins running as he snaps again and opens a portal as far as he can, then he runs to it. Eiko attempts to move but her body can't, her thoughts still running through her mind. “What… is this?!” Her body then moves on its own, sliding at extreme speeds toward the portal as she pops out of it along with Keen.
They emerge in a bustling marketplace, the sudden appearance of the two fighters causing a commotion. Keen then spins, charging his energy into his fist as he gut checks Zerofyne immediately, as her body continues the motion of moving forward right before she got into the portal. “TAG!” He laughs, as her body falls back crashing onto the floor. The people watching scream in terror as he hits her, as Keen sprints through the crowd, knocking over stalls and sending shoppers scrambling. She takes a second to catch her breath, but she stands quickly. Zerofyne weaves through the chaos, her eyes locked on him, the energy he leaves behind unescapable. She’s so close now, and she can’t afford to lose him.
Keen snaps his fingers, and another portal opens. Zerofyne follows, her ice powers allowing her to maneuver quickly and efficiently. They emerge in a narrow alley, and Keen glances back, frustration evident on his face. Zerofyne can see the desperation in his eyes, and she knows she’s wearing him down. She lunges forward, creating a slick patch of ice beneath his feet. Keen slips, momentarily losing his balance. Zerofyne seizes the opportunity, conjuring ice shackles around his ankles to slow him down. Keen snaps his fingers again, teleporting a short distance away, but Zerofyne is right behind him.
“Not so fast!” she shouts, her voice filled with determination. She creates an ice wall ahead of him, forcing him to change direction. He snaps his fingers, and another portal opens, but Zerofyne has already anticipated it. She dives through, her body freezing in the motion of the tackle, but preparing herself this time for when she pops out. As she ends up tackling him as they emerge on the other side. They crash into an abandoned warehouse, the force of their impact sending crates and debris flying. Keen struggles to his feet, snapping his fingers again, but Zerofyne freezes his hand mid-snap, preventing him from teleporting. “TAG!” she yells, a triumphant smile on her face.
Keen glares at her, his eyes filled with defiance. He struggles against the ice, managing to free his hand just enough to snap his fingers. “ROUND 2!” Another portal opens, and he slips through, but Zerofyne is relentless. She follows, emerging in yet another part of the city.
This time, Keen is ready. As Zerofyne charges at him, he spins around, catching her off guard. His fist slams into her gut with a powerful punch once more, knocking the wind out of her again. She gasps, doubling over in pain as she tries to catch her breath. Keen stands over her, his expression a mix of anger and triumph. “Imma take this opportunity to knock some sense into you, Frozone.” Keen smirks, kicking Zerofyne in her face, sending her back. He shakes his foot in pain, “That ice is hard as SHIT!” He cusses, shaking his foot cartoonishly. “She seems new… Phantom or.. The other one…” Keen's face winces as he thinks about Rika’s other subordinate “Probably woulda caught me by now.”
Zerofyne clenches her teeth, struggling to push past the pain. She won’t let this be the end. She looks up at Keen, determination still burning in her eyes. “You’ll pay what you owe…” she whispers, her voice strained but unwavering.
Keen’s eyes are sharp, his lips curled in a mocking smirk. “Give it a rest. You’re no assassin, are you?” he taunts condescendingly, snapping his left hand. A portal opens behind him, and he steps through, but Zerofyne isn’t finished. With a surge of willpower, she pushes herself to her feet and dives after him, the cold air swirling around her. She freezes in the portal again, as she watches him select his destination, pulling her toward it.
She follows him into a dimly lit shop, its shelves lined with strange artifacts and potions. The shopkeeper, a wizened old man with a long beard, yelps in surprise as Keen and Zerofyne crash through the front door. Bottles and trinkets topple from the shelves, shattering on the floor. As the bottles hit the floor, the room begins to distort, everything getting this strange feeling as if on an acid trip.
Keen spots this, and quickly attempts to snap his fingers before the distortion from the potions get worse. Zerofyne freezes the ground beneath Keen’s feet, causing him to slip. He catches himself on the edge of a display case, snapping his fingers to open another portal. This time, Zerofyne is ready. She lunges forward, tackling him as the portal opens, and they both tumble through, landing in a bakery filled with the scent of fresh bread and pastries.
The is a tall woman with blue hair, as she shouts in alarm as they crash into a display of cakes, frosting and crumbs flying everywhere. Keen shoves Zerofyne off him, his face smeared with icing. He takes a second to wipe the icing off of his face, licking it. “Eh. Don’t go as hard on the sugar next time.” He snaps his fingers, but Zerofyne grabs his arm, pulling him back. “You’re not getting away!” she growls, summoning a freezing wind that whips through the bakery, frosting over the counters and displays. Their clothes get covered with sticky sweets, which annoys Keen.
Keen glares at her, his eyes blazing with frustration. “This girl isn’t experienced but her determination is pissing me off.” He snaps his fingers again, this time dragging her in as they tumble through yet another portal, this time landing in a small jewelry shop. The delicate glass cases shatter as they crash through, sparkling gems scattering across the floor. The jeweler ducks behind the counter, “GET THE FUCK OUT!!” He screams, genuinely getting enraged as the jewels spill on the floor.
Zerofyne rolls to her feet, her eyes locked on Keen. “Sorry!” She quickly turns to the jeweler and says, quickly using her ice to freeze the case of diamond rings still in the glass. Keen pockets a few of them gems while she’s not paying attention. She turns back to Keen, she can see the strain on his face, the annoyance and desperation in his movements. “I’m not sure how much longer he can do this… but he’s running out of movements..” She presses her advantage, summoning icy spikes that jut from the floor. Keen snaps his left hand rapidly, hopping through a bunch of portals to dodge them. He then appears in front of Zerofyne, snaps a portal open behind her, then kicks her inside. He hops in right after, leaving the jewelry store.
They crash through another portal, landing in Benny’s shop from earlier. Benny is in the middle of regaling a customer with one of his infamous jokes, his face lighting up with surprise and then irritation as Keen and Zerofyne burst out of nowhere, dropping from his portal in the air. “Hey! Not again!” Benny shouts, ducking behind the counter as the two combatants slam into a shelf of oddities. “Sorry Ben!” Zerofyne shouts, as she struggles to her feet, shards of glass and broken curios crunching under her shoes. Keen is already snapping his fingers, another portal opening. She uses her ice to jet forward forward, grabbing his arm just as he steps through, and they both tumble into the portal, emerging in the heart of the city’s slums.
The stark contrast between the bustling marketplace and the rundown streets is jarring. The slums are dark and narrow, the buildings close together and crumbling. The air is thick with the scent of refuse and decay. She isn’t taken aback this time, just accepting the location for how it is. Keen shoves Zerofyne away, snapping his fingers, but she’s prepared. She anticipates his move, predicting where he’ll reappear and cutting him off.
She appears behind him as he hops out, slamming her fist into his face as he gets launched back, sliding onto the floor. He crashes through a dilapidated building, its walls barely holding together. The residents scatter, as Keen quickly realizes this is a homeless shelter. Zerofyne jumps in, as it shouts in alarm as the two burst through the flimsy hole in the wall. Zerofyne creates a wall of ice to block Keen’s escape, forcing him to confront her directly. Keen stands, preparing to snap, but decides to fight her head on this time. “Her combat skill shouldn’t be all that..” Keen's aura is immense, the women in the homeless shelter running away in terror as the men hide behind counters.
“You’re running out of tricks, Keen,” she says, her breath coming in ragged gasps. “You can’t keep this up forever.” Keen thinks for a second, a narrow bead of sweat trickling down his forehead. “Neither can you,” he retorts. Zerofyne rushes toward him, going in for a punch and preparing to react if he opens a portal but he doesn’t, dodging her swing and slamming his right hand into her gut with a massive punch. Zerofyne winces, but having him up close, she takes the opportunity to freeze over his right hand completely. Keen doesn’t react, snapping his left hand again. The portal opens, and he pulls in Zerofyne who won’t let go of him.
They emerge in a narrow alley, the walls closing in around them. Keen snaps his fingers again, but Zerofyne is faster, kicking him in the face due to them still being close together. Keen is trapped due to the ice covering his right hand, which he struggles against, managing to free his hand just enough to pull away from her. He snaps his fingers, another portal opens, and he slips through, but Zerofyne jumps forward. She follows, emerging in yet another part of the city exactly 1 mile away from where they once were, still in the slums.
This time, Keen is ready. As Zerofyne charges at him, he spins around, catching her off guard. His fist slams into her gut with a powerful punch to her face, sending her flying to the ground. The sharp edge of the ice mask cuts his hand a bit, as the blood drips onto the street. “DAMN!!” He shakes his hand, as the civillain’s scream in terror, running from the scene as magic knights in the distance set to patrol the slums come charging toward them. She gasps, doubling over in pain as she tries to catch her breath. Keen stands over her, his expression a mix of anger and triumph.
Zerofyne clenches her teeth, struggling to push past the pain. She won’t let this be the end. Eiko’s mental battle becomes stronger, pushing herself to keep fighting. “Don’t… I cant… I’ll never win..” The voice in her head keeps telling her. The more she thinks, the more the voice sounds like her mother. “You’ll never do anything of worth in this terrible world. Just accept your life in the castle.” She begins to tear up, struggling to move. Keen looks down at her, “I should go…” He thinks to himself, but for some reason his body can’t move, watching as the assassin is clearly struggling on the ground. “Why… don't… I wanna move… why… Do I wanna help?”
Keen slaps himself in the head, “Nobody ever helped me. Nobody ever helped us… I’m not… a hero. I hate heroes. I hate people like that. So why… Do I feel like this?” Keen glares down at her, his hand poised to snap his fingers once more. "Just stay down. Please." he says, his voice cold and hard. But before he can teleport away, Zerofyne acts. She gathers her strength, creating a surge of ice that shoots up from the ground, encasing Keen’s legs and rooting him to the spot.
“I won't...” she grits out, pushing herself to her feet. “Let her be RIGHT!” She yells, conjuring a blade of ice, its edge sharp and gleaming, and steps towards Keen, her resolve unshakable. Zerofyne approaches Keen, her ice blade glinting in the sunlight. Keen’s eyes dart around, looking for any possible escape without wasting more magic. Just as Zerofyne raises the blade, ready to strike, a commanding voice booms through the streets.
“Stop right there!” The voice belongs to a tall figure clad in gleaming armor, a magic knight patrolling the slums. Beside him is a female knight, another one set to patrol this side of time. The knight's presence radiates authority, and their enchanted swords glow with a faint blue light. “By order of the city guard, cease your actions immediately!” The woman says, stopping Keen and Zerofyne.
Zerofyne hesitates, lowering her ice blade slightly. Keen’s face lights up with a mixture of hope and cunning, thinking he might have found an out. The magic knight strides forward, their armor clinking with each step. They position themselves between Zerofyne and Keen, raising their sword defensively.
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“What’s going on here?” the knight demands, eyes narrowing as they assess the situation. Zerofyne opens her mouth to explain, but Keen seizes the moment, a smug expression spreading across his face. “This crazy girl is attacking me!” he says, his voice dripping with false innocence. “She’s the one causing all this chaos!”
The knight glances between Zerofyne and Keen, clearly weighing their options. “Both of you will come with me until we sort this out,” the knight commands, stepping closer to Keen to examine his bindings. Zerofyne’s eyes widen in frustration. “You don’t understand! He’s a dangerous criminal! He’s been using portals to escape, and-”
“Quiet!” the female knight barks, cutting her off. They start to inspect the ice around Keen’s legs, but as they do, their eyes land on Keen’s face and a spark of recognition flares in their eyes. They pause, the tension in the air shifting. “It’s Keen Odinson,” the male knight mutters to the other, their posture relaxing slightly. “So you’re the one causing all this trouble again.”
The light in Keen’s eyes dies once he’s recognized. “We’ve been meaning to get ya for a while.” The male knight says, turning to the female one. “But nobody will care once you're gone. Let the lunatic in the ice mask kill him.” The girl nods, as both the magic knights begin to walk away from the duo, laughing at the stupidity of the situation. Zerofyne is stunned for a second, shocked by the pessimism and negativity of magic knights. “I thought… they were normal…”
Keen scoffs, “I hate them.” He then snaps his fingers, creating another portal behind him for him to scrape through. Zerofyne’s eyes blaze with anger and determination. She knows Keen will slip through their fingers if she doesn’t act now. Zerofyne doesn’t waste any time after Keen steps through the portal. She’s ready to chase him down, her eyes scanning the dimly lit streets for any sign of his reappearance. She knows his patterns now, and understands the rhythm of his escapes. The moment he appears, she’s already moving, her ice leaving a shimmering trail as she bolts toward his location.
Keen reemerges in the air, on his way down to a roof of an old church, its spires piercing the sky. A bolt of lightning strikes the sky, putting dark clouds through the entire megacity. He turns, only to see Zerofyne already leaping toward him from a nearby rooftop, her speed and agility impressive. The air is heavy, as it begins to rain. The rain is pouring down on both Keen and Zerofyne as they jump toward the roof of the church.
They land on the church roof almost simultaneously, the ancient structure creaking under their combined weight. Keen’s eyes widen, realizing that Zerofyne isn’t going to let up. “Fine. Let’s play it your way.” Keen says, his frustration palpable. He moves to strike her, but Zerofyne is quick, attempting to use this as an opportunity to hone hand to hand combat. She ducks under his swing, delivering a swift punch to his ribs. Keen grunts, stumbling back. He recovers quickly, lunging at her with a renewed ferocity.
Their movements are a blur of speed and precision. Keen’s fists fly, each strike aimed to disable, but Zerofyne’s fast reaction speed and agility allow her to dodge and counter with her own blows. She weaves around him, using her smaller size to her advantage, landing precise punches and kicks that leave him reeling. Keen snaps his fingers, opening a portal beside Zerofyne, he ducks, as a beam of energy is launched directly at her. It obliterates her, sending her flying back, using her hands to dig into the roof to stay stable. The energy from the blast radiates off of her, as she stands again.
Zerofyne conjures ice beneath her feet, sliding around Keen in a flurry of motion. Keen attempts to blast her again with another portal, but she creates ice walls to block his attack, then shatters them into shards that she sends flying toward him. Keen dodges most of the shards, but a few slice through his clothes, leaving thin lines of blood on his skin while some get blasted off of his chestplate.
Keen’s frustration mounts. He snaps his fingers, opening a portal above him, and leaps through it, appearing behind Zerofyne. He swings a heavy punch at her back, launching her on the roof on the other direction, stumbling but flips, throwing a shield of ice at Keen. He snaps, as it goes through the portal, and appears right behind her, hitting her in the back of her head. The impact shatters the shield, and the force of the blow sends her skidding across the roof to where Keen stands. She attempts to kick him, but he opens a portal catching her foot, then opens a portal behind him at the same time, turning and grabbing her foot, then dragging her entire body through the portal above and slamming her down.
Zerofyne’s eyes narrow. “I have to end this before he hits me with another one of those energy blasts…” She summons a wave of ice that sweeps across the rooftop, aiming to freeze Keen in place. Keen leaps into the air, jumping into a portal. She turns to hit behind her, but instead he appears beside her, punching her in her ribs. She falls over, quickly making a ramp of ice to stop her from flying off the roof. He snaps his fingers again, but Zerofyne is ready, stomping on the roof of the building, sending a wave of ice at him, launching him back, hitting the spire.
He jumps back up, rushing at Zerofyne and uses the portals to stand firm. They clash in the middle of the rooftop, their bodies moving with a fluidity that belies the intensity of their struggle. Keen snaps, opening a portal directly beneath the girl. She drops into it, and at the same time he makes a portal directly above the one he just opened. Zerofyne begins to fly through both portals, getting nauseous from the constant movement and going through so much magic at one time. Keen winds his hand back, charging his energy into it. “ASTRAL IMPACT!” He says, punching Zerofyne in her stomach, launching her out of the portals, as she falls back onto the roof with a sharp punch. She vomits, throwing up her breakfast from this morning.
“You’re not as good at this as you made me believe.” Keen says, walking toward her on the roof. “But I’ll play your way.” Zerofyne stands, covering her hands with ice. She begins to imagine gauntlets, and from her memory, makes 2 massive ice blocks around her hands. They begin to crack, as it breaks down quickly and become small gauntlets to move around. “We’re playing freeze tag now!” “Would Roy like that one? I have to ask him later.”
As they fight, the church bells begin to toll, the deep, resonant sound filling the air as the rain pours down. Keen uses the distraction to his advantage, landing a powerful kick to Zerofyne’s side. She stumbles, but quickly recovers, countering with an ice-covered uppercut, moving so fast Keen couldn’t snap in time, sending him sprawling. Keen’s anger flares. He snaps his fingers, opening a portal beneath Zerofyne’s feet. She begins to fall through, but manages to create an ice platform, stopping her descent and propelling herself back up to the roof. As she shoots up, she pulls Keen with one her hands into the sky with her.
She spins with him, freezing his torso in solid ice quickly, covering his hands as well leaving him unable to snap. “You’re not gonna get AWAY with time!” She yells, pulling him toward the ground she yells out, quickly thinking of a name for this attack “GLACIATE… METEOR!” As she finishes, both her and Keen crash through the roof of the church, crashing into the abandoned building. The ice encasing Keen’s body shatters, cutting into his skin as they land.
Keen grits his teeth, his eyes filled with a mixture of anger and pain. He snaps his now free but cut up hand, making a portal while Zerofyne holds him down. “You’re it.” He says, as the portal launches a wave of energy making point blank contact on the girl. Her ice mask falls apart, launching her into the sky through the hole in the ceiling. As the assassin is sent flying, Keen lays on the ground for a few seconds, the rain from the sky dripping onto his body. “Ugh… Let’s just end this.” He snaps again, opening a portal below him, dropping him off at the top of the building again. Eiko crashes onto the ceiling, the impact from the fall along with the blast dealing a lot of damage to her physical body, not being that used to taking attacks from magic.
She struggles to stand, and Keen begins to move toward her, closing in, covering his fists with his soul energy. “No way… right? You’re not seriously gonna try fighting me again.” Eiko stands up, silent but getting in a fighting stance, clenching both her fists and throwing jabs in the air. “Fineeeeeeeeee.” He charges at Eiko, his fists flying. She meets him head-on, their bodies colliding with a force that sends shockwaves through the rooftop. They grapple, each trying to gain the upper hand.
Eiko twists, using Keen’s momentum against him, and throws him to the roof. She raises her hand, conjuring a spear of ice, and brings it down toward him. Keen snaps his fingers and then rolls to the side, the spear falling in and then coming out of the same portal just as fast. Eiko pulls her head back, narrowly missing getting stabbed by her own weapon. Keen scrambles to his feet, his eyes wild with desperation. “Why do I gotta fight a pretty girl?”
They exchange blows, their movements a dance of violence and precision. Eiko’s ice magic flows seamlessly with her combat skills, each strike calculated to wear Keen down. As she throws another jab at him, he counters, perrying the attack with his fist, creating a portal in the same direction his hand was already going, and using it to crack Eiko at the back of her head. Her head swings down from the bunch, and Keen knees her in the face.
She stumbles back, and he snaps his fingers, opening a portal behind Eiko. She senses it, spinning around to deliver a kick that sends him stumbling back through the portal. He reappears a few feet away, but Eiko is already on him, her fists flying. She lands a series of rapid punches, punching him in the knee. As she goes for an uppercut, the gauntlets around her fists completely shatter, as if she used up a time limit. At this same time, the 2 feel a shockwave from all the way across time, and the weather reverts back to normal, the clouds being pulled toward one spot a few hundred miles away. “Brother…” Keen thinks to himself, recognizing this move.
Desperation drives Keen to fight harder. He grabs Eiko’s arm, twisting it behind her back, and aims a punch at her head. She ducks, slipping out of his grasp, and retaliates with an ice-covered elbow to his ribs. The ice is smaller than she intended to make, so Keen gasps, the wind knocked out of him, but not defeated due to the lack of ice. He recovers quickly, snapping his fingers to create another portal.
Eiko predicts his move, freezing his hand before he can finish the snap. She spins, delivering a roundhouse kick that sends Keen crashing into the church’s spire again, He slumps to the ground, struggling to catch his breath. Eiko approaches, her eyes cold and determined.
“This ends now,” she says, raising her hand to conjure another ice weapon. As she attempts to charge something, the ice melts, as Eiko begins to realize she’s completely reached her limit when it comes to her mana. “This is as far as my royal blood goes?! My mana supply is…” But before she can finish her thought, Keen’s eyes flash with determination. He snaps his fingers with his left hand, creating a portal above them both. The portal pulls them upward, and they find themselves on the very peak of the church roof, the wind whipping around them. “EEH!” Eiko says in surprise, the change of scenery genuinely scaring her.
The fight continues atop the spire, standing on a platform around the sharp point. The height and precariousness adding to the intensity. Eiko and Keen exchange blows, their movements very jagged. Eiko’s never fought in mid air, so she mainly relies on going on the defensive, due to her running out of ice magic. Keen uses his portals to get the upper hand, throwing jabs at air, just to make a portal and redirect the hit and hit Eiko somewhere she wasn’t expecting.
Keen swings wildly, his fist missing by inches as Eiko ducks and weaves. She lands a powerful kick to his chest, sending him staggering back. He snaps his fingers, opening a portal beneath her feet, but she leaps to the side, avoiding the trap. They fight with everything they have, the city spread out below them like a tapestry of lights and shadows. The church bells toll again, the sound echoing through the slums. Eiko attempts to use her magic again, but instead gets nothing but water dripping toward the ground. For a split second, the water solidifies when it hits the ground, then goes back to being liquid. Eiko takes notice of this, ducking out of the way of Keen's swing.
Keen snaps his fingers, trying to create another portal, but Eiko punches him in his jaw, which distracts from his concentration. She then keeps up the pressure, pushing forward as her fist connects with his jaw in a powerful uppercut. Keen stumbles, his footing slipping from the peak. Eiko presses her advantage, grabbing him and slamming him down onto the platform. “That.. was sweet!” Eiko thinks to herself, as Keen snaps his fingers again, but this time the portal flickers, unstable and weak. Eiko lands a knee to his chest, his body pushing against the platform where they stand. It cracks, as they both begin to fall toward the ground.
Keen’s desperation grows, his movements becoming more frantic. He snaps his fingers one last time, and a portal opens beneath them both. They tumble through, landing back on the church roof, the impact sending them sprawling.
Eiko scrambles to her feet, her eyes locked on Keen. She knows she has him now, believing he’s out of tricks completely. “I gotta hit something like that again..” She raises her hand, ready to deliver the final blow, but Keen’s eyes flash with a last, desperate spark o f defiance.
He swings at her, but she ducks, grabbing his arm and twisting it behind his back. She brings her knee up, striking him in the gut, her knee clashing with his metal chestplate. Keen doubles over, gasping for breath. Eiko releases him, stepping back as he collapses to the ground. “You’re worse at this than I thought.” She smiles, gaining some confidence in her fighting style. Her body begins to ache, the pain building up starting to catch up with her.
Keen struggles to his feet, his face twisted in pain and anger. “I’ve never been the type to back down…” He snaps his fingers, creating a small portal that flickers weakly. “The battle isn’t over yet.” The portal launches a beam directly into Eiko’s chest, sending her sliding across the roof. Keen takes this instance as a moment to think, “Run… or fight? Run.. or fight?” He thinks about it, and covers his fists in his remaining soul energy. “Thorton wouldn’t let me keep running.”
Eiko hops up, her body aching as she begins to vomit once again. All the movement and the pain growing in her stomach makes it all the worse. She wipes her mouth, looking over at Keen, the wind howling around them, carrying the sound of silence, with some of the civillains recording below. Keen stumbles, his strength waning, but his determination remains fierce. Eiko is relentless, running across the tiles with her torn apart shoes. Keen wipes his chestplate, shards of ice embedded into it. “Ugh…. I need a new one.” He shakes his head, his twists also having tiny bits of ice covering them.
The 2 run to each other, going blow for blow with hand to hand combat. Keen’s hand to hand combat outclasses hers, but Eiko manages to adapt and keep up quick, learning how he fights and prepared to counter any way she can.
“You’re running out of tricks, Keen,” Eiko says, her voice steady despite her heavy breathing. She punches him directly in his face, dragging his body down, colliding with the roof. His nose bleeds, the impact sending a wave of pain through his body. She then goes to punch him in his face once more with her other hand.
Keen snaps his fingers again, but this time the portal barely opens, a weak shimmer of energy that quickly dissipates. “Damn it…” He mutters under his breath, lunging to the side to avoid Eiko’s attack. His foot slips on ice from before, and he crashes to the ground, struggling to regain his footing.
Eiko doesn’t give him a chance to recover. She leaps from the ground, landing in front of him with a powerful kick in his chestplate sends him sprawling. Keen groans, rolling to his feet. “Just give up.” She tells Keen, who coughs, spitting out blood from his mouth. “Kill me.” He says, charging to Eiko. “If you’re an Assassin. KILL ME!” He mocks, going in for another strike.
He swings at Eiko, but she ducks under his arm, delivering a swift punch to his ribs. Keen gasps, stumbling back, his vision blurring from the pain. “You’re done, Keen,” Eiko says, her voice cold and unyielding. With a guttural yell, Keen snaps his fingers, channeling all his remaining energy into one last portal. It launches a beam directly at her, enveloping her with destructive energy. It tears through a bit of her clothing, ripping her chunks of her dress as her scarf gets completely incinerated.
Keen falls over after launching the attack, gasping out of breath. “Fuckin hell.” Eiko falls over, stunned and drops to her knees. Her vision blurs for a few seconds, her mouth open in shock. Her hands twitch, as she snaps back into reality. This time she falls over, coughing up blood. “It’s…. over,” she says, continuing to cough out blood. “That's all you have… left.”
Keen looks over at her, his face a mask of pain and defiance. “I’m not... done yet,” he gasps, struggling to his feet. He raises his hand to snap his fingers, but Eiko is faster. She lunges up on her feet, going in to punch him again.
Keen twists at the last moment, the punch grazing his chestplate. He staggers back, his eyes remain fixed on Eiko. He knows this is his last chance. With a final burst of energy, he rushes toward Eiko, charging his soul energy into a punch. Eiko rushes to him as well, this time realizing how she can put him down without killing him. Eiko advances, her determination unwavering. She ducks down, dodging his punch, pulling her fist and coating it with all her remaining mana. It all becomes water at first, but as she punches him in his chestplate, it solidifies.
“FROST FIST!”
The shards of ice managed to tear through it in the split second it was solid. The ice stabs into his chest, quickly turning into water not leaving any vital damage on him, but the punch doing enough damage to take Keen out. The boy is sent flying, crashing into the ground below the church. Eiko takes a second to breathe, before hopping down toward Keen.
Keen’s vision is blurry, wanting to close his eyes, his body slumping in defeat. “She won.” He lies in the dirty, coughing up blood. Eiko grabs him by his shirt, pulling him over her shoulder. “Behave!” She yells out to him, barely having enough strength to hold him. “I should get moving now. But where do I go?” She thinks to herself, “How do I get back to Roy? Maybe I should just… stay put.” She begins to think, some different ideas of what to do cycling through her mind before she finally decides to take refuge in the church until Roy appears.
She walks into the church, completely silent. She drops Keen in one of the chairs, as she sits across from him. She pulls a watch from underneath her dress in one of the inside pockets. Keen looks at her, without saying anything or trying to fight. “...” Eiko looks at the watch, attempting to fidget with it and figure out how it works. She taps a button on the side, which pulls up something called a mission log. A hologram appears, revealing some words that say “Add New Log”
She taps it, as it shows a recording bar. She speaks into it, remembering what they said in those spy books she used to read. “M- mission log.” She looks at the clock in the church.
“September 1st. 4070 at 10:45 AM. Agent Zerofyne has.. captured and defeated… Keen Odinson.”