Juniper and Annemarie stared each other down on the rooftop. The sun burned into Juniper’s skin, making her sweat, the balaclava didn’t help at all. She did her best to slowly back up, knowing what her enemy was capable of at close range. Her foot nearly tripped over a potted plant behind her. Stumbling backward, barely able to steady herself. It was a pity, in a moment the beauty of the rooftop garden would disappear.

Annemarie stepped slowly forward, like a marching soldier, a sadistic smile on her face. She vanished as she blitzed towards Juniper, the air distorting on the pathway. Juniper hardly had time to react as she reappeared in front of her with a blur, she launched somersaulting kicks at Juniper.

Doing her best to grasp her newfound powers, she attempts to speed away from Voidwaltzer but ultimately fails. Just barely able to bring her up to hold off the kicks that came fast and hard. Annemarie's hard boots battering against her forearms. Each strike hits her like a hammer. The debris around them starts flowing and warping, flowery pots, rolling tumbling, and cracking as space is distorted.

‘Focus! Juniper!’ she told herself.

Attempting to replicate what Anne did, she tried making herself lighter, launching herself with desperation. Lacking the grace and control Anne possesses. She lands a clumsy kick on Anne who briefly stumbles back.

Success!

Her moment of triumph came to a quick end, everything from the knee upwards to her stomach, most likely because she was stretching too far. She winced, her movements becoming slower as she attempted an array of punches and kicks. Annemarie avoided it with relative ease as if dancing to a tune.

The kick had some negative effects on the leg, she felt her thigh throbbed as her ligament stretched. She kept punching and kicking at her, Anne dodging it with ease.

[Sloppy, sloppy, sloppy] Sys-chan commented, actually insulting her. [What are you doing Jun did you turn into an NPC!( ,,•'︿'•,,)]

“Can your Synthetic ass!” she snapped, her voice cracking.

Sys-chan’s irritable behavior only pissed her off. She attempted to tackle Annemarie towards the ground. Who sidestepped her, and drove a kick into her ribs. Pain throbbed all over her side. The gravitational phenomena on the roof eased as she crumpled to the ground. Annemarie stood next to her.

These powers were useless if she couldn’t apply them!

“I’m kind of disappointed, you know?” Voidwalker taunted, tipping her off. “ You put up more of a fight a week ago, this is Pathetic Juniper! Do you like groveling like a dog?” Anne taunted her.

She gritted her teeth, seeing nothing but red. Lifting herself upright, smearing sweat from her face, red liquid was all over her face. She realized it leaked from her nose. She wanted to run home, her body was telling her to run home, but she knew she couldn’t leave it like this.

I can’t

She lunged like a cat, attempting to slow time around her, to stall Annemarie. Then for a second, the world around her stuttered as if space-time had been broken- everything froze mid-air. Annemarie had countered with the same idea. Overpowering her. Breaking the distortion.

Her counterattack was merciless. A fist over her jaw, a knee to her gut. She felt her nose, bleed again, blood poured freely on the ground. Tears fell from her eyes as she was being pummeled. She’d never been beaten up before, it hurt, and she could do nothing to stop the onslaught.

“Oh, look at that,” Anne cooed at her, mocking her. “Did I break you? I could just take home just like this.”

She crouched next to her, gripping her face with her soft hands. Her fingers, pushed Jun to look up. She smiled at her cruel but playful, she wiped the tears from her face. Retrieved a disposable cloth from her pockets, wiping the blood from her face. “What’s wrong Juniper, why are you crying?”

She leaned even closer, her eyes dilated, her pupil nearly growing past her iris. “Tell me,” she whispered in her ear, her lips practically biting her ear. “ How much longer before I crush you completely.”

Juniper flinched, her chest heaving, she choked on her breath. Her eyes darted towards the shattered pots. Adrenalin kicked in again, and her pain lessened. Annemarie chuckled, standing back up with a satisfied smirk.

“Poor baby,” she murmured, her voice like a dagger sticking too far.

“Should've gone official while you could, this would never happen otherwise. ”

She yanks a plant pot and hurls it at Annamarie, who twists away. Irritation on her face.

“Hey don’t just destroy everything deliberately, I spent weeks making this a greenish house!”

Juniper spat blood up. She handled being driven over by a supervillain car, she can handle a psychotic bitch.

“You’re the asshole who came looking for a fight! Don’t complain!” she shouted, throwing another pot at the girl with unrelenting force.

Annemarie, cackled as she skipped away from the next pot.

The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

“Eat dirt! Bitch!” Juniper screamed, frustrated.

[Junie] Syschan interjected. [ I hate to say this. But gravity's so not your vibe right now! The sun’s out in its holy glory, Burn her ass off!]

“Be quiet you traitor!” she growled, She heeded the system's advice anyway but was still pissed at her.

[Activate Solar-powered Sentinel Lvl 3]

Her body took in the heat, sunlight pouring into her like liquid fire. The rooftop shimmered, and an aura surrounded her as Annemarie attempted to close the gap between them.

“Oh no you don't!”

“Too late!” Juniper spat. A blinding eruption of light spread through the building, a wave of heat burning into the rooftop, Sending Annemarie flying away. Juniper could hear the windows below the roof shatter.

She stood still for a moment. Her heart started hammering, as she fell from the building. Fear wove its way into her mind. She sprinted towards the end of the roof, looking down at the streets. Expecting the worst.

There was nothing. Not a single sign of her.

She was greeted by a light tap on the shoulder, making her shiver. She spun around, frightened, barely registering Annemarie face before Anne kicked her in the stomach, sending her off the building.

The rushing wind around her drowned out her will to scream as she plummeted below.

[Fly!]

“I can’t!!!!”

[then hover upwards! If you touch the ground you might actually die!]

Panic fueled her intent, channeling every ounce of energy into her legs, forcing the pressure into the opposite direction. Heat burned through her body. Her fall decelerated, jerking to a stop mid-air, Legs kicked back as she hovered.

[Solar powered sentinel lvl3>4]

She paid no attention to the notification, she shot back, the world moving like a blur. Her heart kept racing; she felt as though she was on the verge of a heart-stopping attack. Passing the edge of the rooftop, she spotted Anne in the same spot.

[“End it, Juniper. Ram her hard—full speed. Make her feel it.]

“Stop making this weird!” Juniper growled.

Switching powers back mid-flight, she accelerates her body with a gravity-distorted dive, like a pulled back arrow, her head pointed at Annemarie. The wind made her temporarily deaf as she made to collide with Annemarie, who was partly amused.

She made one mistake. Her trajectory was off.

At the last moment, Anne had stepped away, and Juniper’s momentum just barely touched her leg. The impact sends both of them into shattered roof tiles. But Anne secured her fall.

Hitting the ground, Juniper screamed in pain. She was struggling to stay conscious, her vision threatening to shut.

“Impressive,” Annemarie said standing over her. “But you’re still not in my league, we will have to do this again.”

Juniper gritted her teeth.

“You lose, Jun.” her voice was full of satisfaction, her smile widening. “This was more than fun.”

Anne put her boot on one of Juniper’s limbs, pressing down with intense cruelty. The pain went through her already injured leg. Annemarie tested the pressure of her heels, her feet threatening to snap something.”

“Please, stop, you win, I’ll do whatever you want!” Juniper cries out in agony, she pleads. “please…”

“Hmmm, okay I guess.” her tone became all innocent again. “I do like playing with you. This is fun– so much fun. You wouldn't understand. But I guess we should stop. My big sis is going to be pissed if I break you. ”

“Big sis?”

Were they all like this?

“You should be proud you’re the first one who held up so well. Watching you squirm and beg…it drives me nuts. It’s addictive.”

The girl took off her boots, readjusting herself, sitting next to her, nearly leaning into her face.

“I'm satisfied–for now” She tapped Juniper’s cheek lightly. “Now, I want you to follow me. I’ll explain why I really brought you out.”

Juniper wanted to shout and scream. If this wasn’t what she came here to do. Then she–

Before she could formulate a response, a large explosion rocked the air. Both of them froze, and their attention shifted to smoldering flames a few blocks away. Smoke billowing into the sky, most of the chaos obscured by high-rise buildings, but the shockwave of heat, was feel able from here.

Panic crept into Annemarie’s face, as she stared at the scene.

Juniper, not letting an opportunity die down, summoned the last of her strength, Distorting the gravity around herself to make her heavier. With a wild cry, she tackles Ann to the ground, the impact leaves her crying out in pain, and she holds her down. Strengthening the pressure.

“Wait–stop!” she choked. “ There’s something happening out there. Most active heroes don’t patrol this sector. If you injure me, I can't intervene!”

Juniper hesitates, her grip loosening, as her mind raced. Annemarie was almost pleading, but could she trust her? So far she has proven to be a sadistic tormenting stalker, hardly a hero. And yet… flames burned in the distance. People’s lives may be in actual danger.

“Now you get to play hero all of a sudden? What if you're just stalling to ambush me again!”

“I’m not lying!” Annemarie cried, her expression shifting to something genuine. “I know I’ve been…fucking crazy okay? I’ll explain later, right now people down there need help!”

Juniper’s facial muscles tightened. Anne would pay after this, she’d make sure.

“Please,” She said, her voice soft, the same playful innocent she lured her all morning with. “No fights, no bullshit–an explanation after, I promise. Just let me go.”

“Fine, but I’m following you!” she screamed in her face, her eyes narrowing.

“Good,” Annemarie sighed, pulling herself up. “Maybe this fight wasn’t such a good idea.”

She dusted off the dirt and roof fragments off her clothes and adjusted her mask. Unfazed by the chaos she sowed a moment ago, looking at the ruined rooftop garden with a hint of regret.

Annemarie’s demeanor shifted in an instant. Dusting off her clothes, she adjusted her mask with a practiced ease, as though the chaos moments ago had never happened. Her gaze flicked to the ruined garden, a shadow of regret crossing her face.

“Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea after all,” she muttered.

Juniper glared, her chest still heaving. “You think, you boot-stomping sadist?!”

“This was a test, Juniper, to gauge your abilities.”

“A test? A test! What kind of test involves aggressive kissing and beating the crap out of people!”

“My kind.” she smiled, looking away. “I didn’t lie about the things I said to you earlier.”

Juniper shook like a train. “When this is over–”

“Save it for later,” Annemarie cut her off. “Keep up if you actually want to help don’t get in my way.”

Without waiting for her input, she took off, blurring into the sky towards the ground in search of the explosion source. Juniper hesitated, her body was battered but she was sure with her regeneration, she’d be able to keep at it.

She really needed something to eat though.

“I swear!” she growled, forcing herself to calm down.

[If I can explain my intentions.] Sys-chan offered.

“Save it for later, system!”

Focusing on why Sys-chan was deliberately sabotaging her is not something she needed right now. The first order of business is this bullshit. Then finding out what Annemarie actually wants and then going home.

[(╥﹏╥)]

She sprinted off the building, gliding into the heart of the chaos. Whatever waited there, she wasn’t sure she was ready for it.