Cicadas chirped raucously in the hot summer heat, chirping their delight over the closure of rampage over their homes hours earlier. Grusha chuckled. The thought of one fight to only lead towards another was her life, but it seemed funny to her that she found it somewhat peaceful, and enjoying it while it lasted. She knew it would not last however.

Strong afternoon winds brushed her hair in the air, waving in a long stretch across. She sat squatting and hunched over, staying on full alert of the next opponent that would face her. It was whatever attacked the village nearly six years ago, she could tell from the energy she had absorbed from that long ago. The energy beaconed Grusha’s position to whatever it was, but the reverse was true too, Grusha could the fast approach of the thing that flew towards her at high speeds over the ocean.

Like a giddy child, you’re all too eager to show off your new toy, Static.

Tainted like a drop of sewer in a fresh glass of water, the force was heavily influenced by Statics abilities. The energy was complex and unlike the first time she had encountered it, she recognized Statics signatures in the pulses that were let off.

Memories of hours earlier filled her thoughts.

“Auntie’s not coming?” Agatha asked, stifling a sad sniffle. Unsure whether she should cry or not.

“Aye, auntie has important business to settle before rejoining.” Lady Hammer combed Agatha’s hair, reassuring her with physical touch.

“Does she have to? Auntie is awake, must auntie go?”

Grusha raised her head, sizing the massive tamed bird. Only by drones and implantations did the military even hope to control these monstrous things, it was such a rare occurrence that they would be used to begin with.

“Yes.” Grusha answered bluntly. “But I will be back, sooner than you can say skorto, you can trust me on that.”

“Skodo.” Agatha muttered.

Grusha rustled the little girl's hair in her palm, making a mess with the hair.

Grusha grinned. “That’s not fair. How about this, if you are ever in trouble, call out ‘auntie’ the hardest you can, and I will be there in an instant. But, I do want you to promise one thing if you ever want to see auntie Grusha again.”

The welled up eyes glistened in watery tears. “What?”

“Promise me to make many, many friends. Like you’ve done with him.” Grusha tilted her head towards the giant vulture that stared off into the sun, it looked like it posed on purpose from their angle.

“But momma-”

“Don’t worry about momma, if she has a problem with you making friends, then she has me to answer to then.”

Lady Hammer opened her mouth as if to object, but Grusha silenced her with exasperated eyes, raising a brow daring her to even try to object.

“Can I? Momma?” Agatha asked her with wide hopeful eyes.

Hammer stared into those deep blue eyes, and sighed in defeat.

“How could I ever say no. I guess we are to find ye’ many, many friends.”

As dramatic as ever, Agatha took an excited deep breath and lunged at her mother with open arms, hugging her in joy. Peeling away, she then lunged at Grusha that topped her over, crying tears of joy.

“I promise auntie! You wait and see, I’m going to make lotsa and lotsa of friends. When you come back, I will share them all with you, so you don’t have to be lonely either.” She tee-heed excitedly.

Grusha smiled, feeling aglow from this little girl's contagious giddiness. Wrapping an arm around her, she patted her on the back.

Aput squatted, dropping at eye level with his daughter. “Come on, we have to go now before it gets late.”

Then they went their separate ways, Grusha directed them the safest direction to the southwest, the opposite where she went. Hammer, Aput and Agatha rode atop the vulture and flew away. All the while, little Agatha waved her tiny little hands. Grusha grunted happily, raising a fist in the air.

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Presently, Grusha emerged past the Valle de Muerto veil wall, a massive cosmic energy that crushed most forms of matter. A remnant of the World Lights that changed everything. For most life, they would barely have survived, but Grusha’s tough skin was sufficient enough to protect her organs. Truthfully, it was like walking through a waterfall, and felt refreshing as if it washed away the dirt and grime of her skin.

It crossed her mind to see if she could absorb any of the energy into the new organ, but struggled to successfully integrate any of it inside. Her body was not compatible to absorb it, in fact, it rejected the substance like a foreign entity even though she was created because of it. She huffed, deciding that it was a waste of time to bother any further.

Leaving the veil far behind, she took her time heading towards the object that flew at her. Currently it jetted over the Gulf of Mexico in a straight shot to her, it would reach her in fifteen minutes at its current pace. The closer it got, the stronger her inside reacted to its presence. Thoughts gradually became more fluent, emotions became stronger.

You’re no stranger to pain. Grusha remarked. Hmm…

Squatting atop a hill, she looked over the rolling hills in wait for the next coming battle. A mental map was brought up, a dot revealed her current position and the position of the incoming thing. Her strategy was flawless, as always, and strength was enough. Only thing she needed to make sure of was not to underestimate her enemy, nor overestimate, both results would be major inconveniences.

Seeing it before she ever was able to smell or hear it coming, she jumped backwards, dodging an exploding blow that decimated the hilltop she was on moments ago. If Wildebeest had not given her absolute rein over her actions, that blow may perhaps at one point in time have landed a fatal blow.

Chunks of earth showered from the sky, debris of the once peaceable hill. At its epicenter, a small figure kneeled with a fist on the ground, it raised its chin and eyed Grusha, seemingly sizing her capabilities. A young girl, dressed in a skintight black and violet one-piece suit, reflected rays of light from its metallic edged linings that stripped the sides of the suit. Standing up, she whipped her blue and violet cape aside.

Raising a clenched fist towards Grusha, thick metallic cuffs and that sprinkled blue sparks from them. Similar cuffs wrapped her ankles, and shot sparks from them too. Grusha recognized the energy that emitted from the cuffs, and sensed five pods that were embedded in the little girl.

Static you sick, cruel, wretched skorto. You’d stoop so low as to this?

“You have something that belongs to me.” The girl spoke. Hundreds of voices spoke impossibly at once, each one at a different tone. The voice adjusted, like a radio that was being tuned, it settled with the voice Grusha was familiar with, that of Static’s. “But if you never had taken it from me to begin with, I would never have been blessed with this opportunity to take you back.”

“What’s with the girl? Your new toy? Or another disposable tool that’ll tire you?”

“Oh this?” Admiring herself, she twirled around to show off herself at Grusha. “One of the world’s greatest wonders, aptly designated as demi Enigma. My one and true greatest acquisition, the only thing that topped you, Wildebeest, my dear.”

“I’ve been left with the impression that I was a useless tool, one that you yourself tried to do away with personally.”

“Oh, no, no, no. Never were you useless, just a newer and more apt tool was acquired. Your usefulness as my flagship had run its course, admittedly, of course, it was a bit too much of a hassle to clean up the messes you’ve left me every single time you left.” Shrugging her shoulders. “I suppose raw power breeds recklessness, only the strong willed could direct such power with proper care.”

“Where does that leave us then? Me finishing the war you started?”

“Curious, no ‘we’? It’s a war we started, Grusha. You atop the pedestal as the ultimate lifeform, and I, leading a bright new age of a worldwide rebirth.”

Grusha’s hair quilled up, shaking mildly in anticipation. “You could say my goals have been realigned, I walk a different path now.”

The white haired girl narrowed its mysteriously glowing eyes, mesmerizing to the sight. Raising her chin haughtily, looking down on Grusha with contempt. A wry, insidious smile full of mockery. Even the eye mask she wore could not cover up the disgust of what stood before her.

“What in the world could that path you claim to walk upon be? I’ve made you into who you are, that was all possible because of our combined hatred of demis and humans alike. You intend to bring the world into an age without humans, or is it without demis? It must be one or the other for a certainty.”

Air crackled and skin toughened, eyes glowed a bright white. “No. A world without you in it.” Grusha drew power from her organ, sending energy coursing through her veins that pushed her strength and fortitude to absolute limits.

“Is that so? Then so be it, may the true apex reign as king.” Static mused. “Enigma, bring her back in one piece, alive.”

The eyes darkened from the little, trails of violet light were left behind as the girl knelt on one knee in preparation for an attack, sending her cape swooping behind her. Her expression changed drastically, it was a dutiful look, one that had been dulled over from acceptance of her predicament.

“I won’t fail you, Static.” Enigma said in resonating voices.

Two balls of what light glowed from Enigma’s fists, casting bright lights like two stars in broad daylight. Grusha grinned. A gruesome battle that an assured outcome was about to transpire. Dark clouds formed above them and bolts of lightning crashed and thundered, white and violet bolts were drawn into Enigma’s fists, feeding the orbs and making them grow in size.

“A worthy fight, this one’s for you Enyo!” Grusha roared.