The ruined city was eerily quiet, the dust from their battle still swirling in the air. Moxie stood tall, bloodied but unwavering, while Insanity lay on the shattered ground, laughing through the pain as he spat blood. His body trembled, not from fear but from rising anger. Moxie’s cold, piercing gaze bore into him, steady and unwavering, as if death itself meant nothing.
Insanity's laughter cut off suddenly, his face twisting in fury as Moxie took a step closer.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" Insanity growled, his voice rising with each word. "Like death is just some joke to you, something insignificant!" He clenched his fists, his blood boiling with rage. "You think you’re untouchable, don’t you? That nothing can shake you? I’ll show you what death really is, Moxie!"
Moxie’s steps were slow, deliberate, his expression calm, almost serene, despite the chaos around them. His silence only fueled Insanity's fury, making his blood boil even more.
"You’re pathetic!" Insanity spat, his voice cracking with frustration. "You stand there like death is nothing more than a lie, like it doesn’t mean anything! But I’ll make you realize. I’ll make you fear it, Moxie!"
Moxie didn’t respond. His calm, unshakable demeanor was infuriating. The quiet, cold stare he gave Insanity was almost worse than any attack. Insanity’s rage reached a fever pitch as Moxie continued to approach, his body radiating an overwhelming presence.
"I’m going to break you!" Insanity roared, forcing himself to his feet, staggering slightly from the pain in his chest. His heart pounded with adrenaline and fury, but Moxie’s cold, piercing gaze only drove him madder.
As Insanity lashed out, swinging wildly at Moxie, Moxie ducked and dodged with ease, his movements fluid and effortless. Each time Insanity missed, Moxie took another step forward, closing the distance, his eyes never leaving Insanity’s.
"You’re not even fighting back!" Insanity screamed, his voice filled with desperation now. "Why? Why won’t you fight me like you mean it?"
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Moxie stopped just a few feet away from him, his calm demeanor still unbroken. "Because you’re already defeated," Moxie said softly, his voice steady. "You’re not angry at me. You’re angry at yourself. You think death will give you control, but it won’t. You’re just a slave to your own rage."
Insanity's eyes widened in disbelief. The words cut deep, far deeper than any physical wound. His mind raced as he tried to process Moxie’s words, but the truth in them was undeniable.
"You..." Insanity muttered, his voice trembling with fury. "You think you’re better than me? You think this is some kind of moral high ground?" His rage flared again, but Moxie’s calmness only made it worse. "I’ll kill you for this!"
But as Insanity lunged forward, Moxie sidestepped with effortless precision, his gaze never faltering. Each step Moxie took was slow, almost agonizing for Insanity as his attacks became more desperate, more erratic.
"You don’t understand anything," Moxie said, his voice low. "You think you’re in control because of your anger, but that’s just a mask. You’re terrified of losing, terrified of being weak. That’s why you lash out, why you destroy everything around you. But it’s not strength."
Insanity's face contorted with rage. "Shut up!" he shouted, swinging his fist at Moxie again, only for it to be dodged effortlessly.
Moxie’s eyes narrowed slightly, his patience with Insanity’s outbursts waning. "You’re scared of death because you think it defines you," Moxie continued, his voice growing colder as he took another step forward. "But I’ve faced death more times than you could ever imagine. It’s not the end, and it’s not the answer."
Insanity stumbled back, frustration written all over his face as Moxie closed in. He could feel Moxie’s presence—strong, unyielding, and far beyond anything he had imagined. It wasn’t the power of strength, but the power of someone who understood the true weight of life and death.
"I’m not afraid of you," Insanity hissed through clenched teeth, but even as he said it, the words felt hollow.
"You should be," Moxie replied, his voice low and firm, his eyes locking onto Insanity’s with a terrifying finality. "Because if you keep pushing, you’re going to regret ever thinking I was weak."
With a final step, Moxie stood over Insanity, his calm, piercing gaze sending shivers down Insanity’s spine. And for the first time in a long time, Insanity felt something he hadn’t expected—fear.
"You wanted death to have meaning," Moxie said, his voice chilling. "But you won’t find it in rage. Only in understanding what truly matters."
Insanity stared at him, speechless, as Moxie’s presence became overwhelming, suffocating. The fear Insanity had tried so hard to deny was now crashing down on him.