Cole - Battle

The sound akin to neon lights along with grunts, the patter of rain, and the sizzle of vaporized water echoed in the alley.

Cole kept dodging, backing away from the energy blade user. Edge was far more aggressive than Gale was…, but not foolish. He always kept one arm blade back to guard or suddenly thrust out if Cole came close. The fact he could rapidly shift the shape of that energy made it hard to predict too. Huge ax heads to long claymore like blades; he seemed able to mold it like Cole could with his shadow power.

Problem was Edge had a lot more experience with using his shapeshifting power.

The only real weakness Cole had picked up was that Edge’s attacks slowed down at times. Usually if the attack could tear into the ground or walls when the attack missed. Something about not leaving evidence probably.

“Smart enough to care when pointed out.” Cole thought as he dodged another slash.

Edge grinned as he brought up his other arm in a thrusting motion. Cole took a quick back-step to get away…,

“Fuck… why’d I think he’d only do that on defense?”

Edge’s blade started to extend forward in mid thrust. The neon-colored energy quickly started to draw closer towards the boxer’s face. The burning hum ringing in his heads. Cole wasn’t going to able to get out of the way in time.

“Right, high, block.”

Cole’s shadow materialized before him, raising up its equivalent right arm and took the hit. Honestly, he didn’t expect anything to happen, it was more out of reflex than thought. The act somehow worked though. There was just enough resistance as the blade tore through the Shadow, slowing it enough to let Cole spin away. The sound was unnerving though, like the sound of flesh tearing crossed with sheets ripping.

He wouldn’t lose a chunk of flesh but as Cole hopped back to get some space, he started to realize he didn’t get out unscathed.

“Fuck my arm…” Cole muttered as he fought to flex his hand. From his elbow down, where the blade had torn through his Shadow, it felt like his arm was asleep.

Maybe asleep was the wrong verb, but for a few seconds he couldn’t feel his arm. Cole had heard stories from accident survivors and war vets about ‘phantom feeling’ of their lost limbs and wondered of this was similar. The fact he could still move his arm though was even more off putting. It all just felt wrong.

Cole took a few more steps back, trying to hold his stance as normal. Bluffing was a skill boxers had to pick up for fights. His right arm was a bit lower than he normally held it at though. Edge might not have noticed, too eager for combat or blood. His standing partner though…,.

“Hey… Edge.” The one named Slate called out. He looked comfy as he leaned against the wall next to the two captives, and the knocked-out Gale character next to his feet, “Doesn’t look like you can hurt him by cutting his shadow but… looks like it did something. He’s holding his arm a little off. Maybe keep at it.”

“Got it got it. Come on… lemme hear that sound again.” Edge threatened as he turned his hands into oversized cleavers, “Unless you wanna substitute it with your actual flesh.”

“I need to finish this before it gets worse.” Cole thought as a numbing feeling started to return to his arm. Whatever happened didn’t seem to last terribly long. Just enough time to make it off putting or throw him off, which could get him killed.

“…well, maybe I can use that.”

Cole quickly stepped forward, bringing his left arm up for a sharp fast jab. The thug countered with his own half step to the side and slashed in an upward arc. A fast summoning of his Shadow blocked the attack. The boxer didn’t slow, even as that numb feeling filled his body again, firing off a low blow from the right. Edge dodged again before cutting toward with both arms, his blades cutting into the wall of shadow once more.

Cole grunted as he took a short hop backwards, before jumping back forward with a fast straight. Grinning l, Edge shifted his head to dodge and made to rapid cuts with his hands. The Shadow once more taking the blow for its master. Only this time, it surged forward rather than disappearing. It wrapped around his shoulders and jerked them upward, hard. The thug lost his balance as the large mass off Shadow faded away.

Only for Cole to appear from behind the mass not tying up Edge’s arms. Crouched low, with his arm dipped low almost to the concrete, Cole jerked his whole body forward. His entire fist slammed into Edge’s gut before the criminal could bring his arms back down.

Edge lost all the air in his lungs, and his focus. His energy blades vanished with an electric shorting pop. Cole didn’t stop though and pelted the thug with several more hooks and jabs with his Shadow mimicking the blows. With one last hard double hit straight slamming home; Cole sent Edge flying backwards.

Slate looked as Edge skidded across the ground to a rest before him. The fact Edge was beaten was quite worrying, as the man was a skilled fighter and murderer. Then again boxer guy had basically two shots of fists he just used to flatten the guy. Still, that seemed kinda strange that he hadn’t heard of someone that could pull a stunt like that off.

“Of all the luck.” Slate grumbled as he tapped his foot light against Edge’s forehead. A weak groan rose up from the crumpled form.

“You know, we could use a man like you.” Slate called aloud over the rain, turning his attention back to the boxer while he fiddled with the object in his pocket, “How about it? Good pay, decent benefits...”

Cole didn’t say anything as he rubbed his arms. The disconnect feeling was going strong in his arms when Edge cut his Shadow. It was a risk to use it like that but the blades didn’t seem to hurt him through his Shadow. Biggest risk was if his arms didn’t respond to his commands. It was extremely weird to feel no response when he punched the thug though.

After enough feeling came back, Cole simply took a step forward, arms raised up in his stance again.

“Ah well I suppose I’m not surprised, but hey, why not take that shot?” The man said with a shrug as yellowish-brown energy started to drape over his body, “Bit if you think you’re getting me…”

The boxer didn’t wait for the whole speech. Cole was darting forward, arms raised to black and ready for a strike. This third guy had seen two guys fight him; Cole wasn’t going to let him use the observation he’d gotten this far.

Too bad about his foot getting caught.

Something gripped hard on his ankle, hard, making his charge suddenly stop as lost his balance and pancaked to the floor. The boxer looked back at his foot and saw a hand gripped around his limb. Well, a large bit of grey concrete shaped like a hand. It wasn’t very durable though, as he able to break it in a few kicks. That had given Slate time though.

As Cole got to his feet, Slate was holding a baseball sized metal orb, with strange rings around it. All the energy that coated the criminal started flowing into the orb.

“Out of respect to yah, I’ll just finish you off now” Slate declared as he under hand tossed the orb towards the boxer.

Cole took on a guarded stance hoping to block the attack. But the orb never made it to him. It halted not even halfway to him, stopping in mid air and slowly humming as the energy flowed around it. The rings around it started to rotate, picking up speed with each second. Cole wasn’t sure what to think of this till he heard a clang come from his side.

Cole quickly looked and saw no new threat. Only a can of some kind that had fallen out of large trash can.

And started rolling towards the orb.

Cole watched in horror as more and more junk and loose debris started to flow towards the orb. The materials took on almost a liquid like state, mixing and melding over each other. This strange ‘goop’ formed around the orb, covering it as it started to solidify. A large torso like structure formed where the orb was, along with two large thick arms and legs. A ‘caved in’ pit formed where the head should be, lit by some left over energy and a lingering glow from several half-spent lighters.

“What the hell…” Cole muttered as he looked at the creature, “Is that…, a Golem?”

“Aren’t you informed?” Slate answered as he took a few steps back and with a wave of his hand, caused the ground under Edge to start moving, pulling back he ko’d thug to safety. “As I said, I respect what you can do…” his tone hardened, “But at the same time I’m done with this.”

“Hey…,” he snapped his fingers together and motioned towards Cole, “Break this guy. Try not to kill him, boss will want answers. If that’s too hard well, just kill him.”

Even without a mouth, the twelve-foot-tall monster seemed to ‘roar’ as it moved forward.

“Excuse me?”

“Hmm?”

The mall guard put his paper down and looked at the dark-haired woman standing in front of his small booth. Cute lass by the look of it. Well, he wasn’t getting paid to ogle…,

“Can I help you?” The guard asked as he sat up straighter.

“Well given how into your paper you are, I’m not sure.” Raven fumed. No, no; she had to play nice. “I’ve lost contact with my friend, perhaps you’ve seen him? Little taller than me, dark hair, wearing a jacket…”

“M’am, you know how many people that describes?” The guard grunted as tapped a hand off to the side of his booth table, drawing attention to a microphone. “Now I could make an announcement to call him for you if you want.”

“No that’s…, quite alright. He knows what store I was in, I’ll wait a bite more before asking for the announcement.” Raven said, giving a slight nod as she walked back to a bench.

Cole was late. Him not being here was worrying enough but she could understand if he was off getting a snack or visiting a stall. That he wasn’t back yet bothered her. This wasn’t supposed to happen. Could he even find his way back home? Raven raised her head a bit to look around one more time before closing her eyes and pinching her nose.

To the outside world, she looked like an annoyed or frustrated woman waiting on someone. The world though to Raven looked different when she muttered the words.

“Azarath. Metrion. Zinthos.”

The world was in darkness besides the small ring of light around her bench. Two pillars of light appeared, one purple one red off to the side. The purple one moved away while the red just stayed put. Time seemed to pass before the red one seemed to go off on it’s own, leaving a trail of foot prints behind it. Raven took a deep breath before closing her eyes again.

The noise and mass of people greeted her once more when she opened her eyes. There was something to be said about her ‘Soul Self’ being able to sense lingering energy patterns.

“Should have been safe to do that. Unless someone can see on the other planes.” Raven thought as she picked up her bags and started to walk. Her eyes reflecting the red of Cole’s path as she followed it.

“Odd that his presence is red though.” Raven noted as she followed with her eyes but not her head, as the foot prints moved off to the side. And out the security door down the hallway.