Desperation.

Fighting for the last moments of life. Fighting for a chance to live for even a second longer. Staying alive was the ultimate goal. Fi was fighting with everything she had, but the clock kept ticking mercilessly.

The silver exhaust timer was running out. Squirrel after squirrel jumped at Fi, time after time they shattered into pieces. There were too many when one died two took its place.

It didn't take long before her limp hand held her back and she couldn't protect her side. While she didn't need her hands to control the water, it made it more precise.

The squirrels rushed in with open mouths, their eyes eery unmoving in their sockets. Their teeth of ice leaving marks on her skin.

Her jumpsuit in tatters, blood painting the once blue jumpsuit purple. She was fighting with all she had, screaming and grunting every other second.

'One second more, One second more…' Fi kept repeating that in her thoughts. Every movement like a dream, numb to the motions, she fought. Seconds ticking down.

'Ten-second warning' The system notification rang. Her thoughts continuing on the same rails, stations whistling by faster and faster.

Squirrels wave after wave approaching her. Her movements slowed down, the purple color on her jumpsuit intensifying. The silver smoke vanished.

Fi was spent, every drop of power squeezed out of her body. Her arm did the motions, but the water fell down on the ground. The water absorbed by the forest floor, gone, just like her life was about to be.

A squirrel bit into her leg, she didn't have the power scream. Fi stood there without an expression. Her chants ending, the last station never to be reached, she slumped down on the ground.

The last thing she felt was a squishy tentacle patting her on the cheek before everything went dark.

* * *

Pruet was in an annoyed mood. She was tapping on the table with her fingers, ready to burst in anger.

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

"She is mine, how can you try and take her from me," Pruet said to the heavy-set lady in front of her. Isolda smiled, leaning back in her comfy chair.

"Well, well what do we have here," Isolda said the smile never leaving her face. It was a smile full of glee, she had chosen wisely, Pruet wouldn't be here if it wasn't a big deal.

"Are you saying you don't have the abilities to go against me? The little weak me, so fragile and powerless," Isolda said and tried giving the puppy eyes.

Pruet couldn't hold back her anger. She crushed the table and left the room. Swearing the worst things she knew beneath her breath. A laughter was heard from the room she just left, it increased her anger to new heights.

She walked fast and the click-clack from her high heels echoed in the hallway. Pruet was about to pull out her hair, even the echo of her heels sounded like it was mocking her.

Pruet stopped, grabbed her high heels and slammed them into the ground, leaving them there. She ran the fastest she could, boosted her speed with the power of wind, to the training room.

She asked the AI to give the toughest dummy possible, this was going to take a while.

* * *

A dreamless dark subsided, as her body was shaken. She didn't open her eyes, it would be a relief to not have to open her eyes again. Her body was sore all over.

Something was grabbing her by the head shaking her, not too gently at all. She tried to recognize the feeling but couldn't find anything. Maybe it was best to fall asleep again, she wouldn't have to feel this soreness anymore.

Fi was about to drift off again before a wet squish sounded and her whole head jerked. Her eyes jolted open. She was greeted by a yellow blob right in front of her eyes.

Her surprise was cut short when another wet squish hit her other cheek. Octo was slapping her with a power which didn't belong to something so small.

"I'm awake, I'm awake!" Fi yelled and opened her eyes as wide as possible. Octo got a suspicious twinkle in its eye and raised another tentacle.

Fi tried to lift her arm in defense, but it only resulted in a scream. Her arm was still gravely wounded. The final ounce of tiredness disappeared and she was awake.

She was alive, again. Another challenge overcome.

Fi looked around and saw countless shattered pieces of ice. The purple cores were still around, left behind. She didn't have time to process what had happened when a worried Blue appeared.

Blue had a gun in her hand, her wound reopened blood flowing. She had escaped Robin's grip as soon as she saw Fi's emergency signal. Blue ran to Fi's side.

As she reached Fi, her legs wobbled out from under her. Blue fell to the ground, with a weak grunt. She didn't have any energy to begin with and pure power of will could only last so far.

Fi laughed. A clear and happy laughter. Tears flowed down her cheeks, her laughter spread into her eyes. Blue's confused face was fast replaced with laughter.

Inside a circle of ice-crystals, two women were bleeding and laughing with tears on their cheeks. A happy laughter.

Two men appeared by their side, with worry turning into confusion seeing the two women. They looked at each other not understanding what was going on.

The looked at the octopus for answers, but its head was bobbing, clearly in on the joke.