Battle Diva Rumble The Battle Diva's Temple loomed ahead, but half the minds were focused on the past. BK Power, Siren, and G-Force were all thinking about the people they had met and infatuated over during the tournament, most notably Sally, who had gained her first real girlfriend since coming out to her parents. Merry Lynn Weathers, the woman with rancor. She was an enormous figure, easily dwarfing even some men, and had enough of a bulk to outfight them too. But she was goofy and casual, and gregarious to a point, even cute despite her appearance and name. Sally hoped they would see each other again, but for the moment, she was long overdue for a break. Despite the girls-only rule of the Battle Divas, Thunder-Claw was riding with them—if for no other reason, to bid a proper farewell to Sally and Xianq, two people he considered closest among friends. He also wanted to explore the temple and acquaint himself with the other Divas, but considering how solitary a few of them were, one task would be easier than the other. Father Jacob drove; the van was quiet in spite of its chatty passengers. "I can't believe you," muttered Cobra to Siren during one uneventful mile. "You're still pining over that wacko. From the way you go about it, you'd think you wanted her to win!" "Well, she certainly seemed capable," she noted. "I did fight her, after all." "She looked like she was gonna kill you, and everyone else she went up against." "Probably just adrenaline." "Alyssa, the woman was a freak, plain and simple. Don't make excuses, especially for strangers, especially if they're psychotic." "How can you tell Pandora was a psycho?" asked Father Jacob. "In my mind, she seemed just as odd as any of the other fighters, including you all." "Yeah, but we know when to restrain ourselves. And what was the deal with that roulette machine?" "It might just remain a mystery," mused the old man. The road to the temple was long and barren, but they did make it, though it was evening when they arrived (and they had left early in the morning, the day after the tournament ended). The girls and the two men got out to stretch, feeling relieved to be back home again. Thunder-Claw graciously helped carry the luggage, even though Kris told him she could easily handle it all. "You can have mine!" exclaimed G-Force merrily, so he took it. Learning about her preference in romantic pursuits was a surprise, especially considering how long the two had known each other. TC recalled being shot down mercifully after asking the blonde on a date, and now he thought he knew why. Maybe if he had been born a woman instead... Well, not even then. G-Force was wild about older women, and though he had two years on her, it didn't seem like enough. Rancor had a whopping seven. The team was allowed a peaceful rest that night, with everybody having their own room since the temple was so spacious. Each tried to dream about something, particularly loved ones; Siren just could not put Pandora out of her mind, no matter how hard she tried. Was it because the woman was tall, strong, and dressed sharp, albeit unusually? Was it because she respected her as a fighter, or maybe looked up to her? Was it just because she was "weird", or "forbidden territory", or for that matter, a woman in general? Regardless, Siren couldn't help but fantasize about Pandora the Gambler, and wondered when, if ever, she would see her again. She wouldn't have long to wait. Father Jacob rose with the sun, as he always did, and even though he usually trained his girls to exercise discipline and thus rise with the dawn as well, he figured he could give them a break since they had worked so hard the day before. He let them sleep as they willed, and personally vowed to take them all on a vacation, perhaps in a few days. The experience they had gotten from the tournament outweighed the money they won (in more ways than one), but they had new finances anyway, and plenty of ways to spend them. He would have to talk with Xianq about that later... Everyone rose within the hour, most of them having been conditioned to wake at dawn regardless of the previous day's activity, and met in a large earthy dining room for some breakfast. They were just finishing the last bits of their meal when Father Jacob came running into the kitchen, looking stricken. "There are some familiar visitors outside, and they look quite hostile! We should go see what they want!" Knowing him not one to be easily scared, the Divas took his advice, dropped their forks, and scurried out onto the foothills of the temple, none thankfully dressed in their nightgowns (though Cobra did complain about not being able to take a shower yet). A few sharp eyes recognized their visitors; some hairs stood on end as they all came into view. Sure enough, each one was a familiar face, and they numbered six in all. Bloodbane. Wrath. Sanaa. Pandora the Gambler. Alia, the Harmonious Killer. Pride. These were the "visitors", and it was plain by looking at the company they kept that this would be no warm social call; it was going to be a battle. Siren grimaced as she noticed the outstanding Gambler, recalling her desire to meet her again. Well, she had her wish, and then some. "I have to wonder what your lot is doing working together!" exclaimed Cobra. "Surely you're not all with that doctor?" "For the time being, we are allies," snorted Wrath, muscular and vengeful. "Many of us stake a claim in this battle, whether to soothe past wounds or to avenge prior defeats. Some simply wish to conclude a business!" "And some," noted Bloodbane as she waved her ethereal hair from her face, "have had no choice in the matter." She nodded once to Sanaa. Pandora, who appeared to be leading the villainous troupe, stepped forward. "Well now that the rules of the tournament no longer apply here, I can kill you all to my heart's content. The hard part will be deciding who dies first!" "(See!)" hissed Cobra as she nudged Siren. Alyssa just grunted. "I'd rather spend my time with more important things," sighed Pride, "but how could I pass up the chance to finish what I started—eh, blue girl?" He swaggered and grinned; G-Force cringed. "I shall just have my fun," said Alia, swinging her cane over her shoulders. "Time to avenge my interrupted glee back at that burning village. A little six-on-six does seem to titter my tats." The two teams of six glared, and squared off against each other; apparently they really were going to fight! And so soon after arriving home! "What a disaster," sighed Thunder-Claw, "but I guess it can't be avoided. En guarde!" Bloodbane found herself against Cobra once the dust settled. She was quick and had eerie powers, but was absolutely no match for the older woman. Cobra moved like an ice cube over grease, easily avoiding the slower, clumsier blood-weapons that the silver-haired woman thrust at her. Though fully human on the outside, with perhaps just a shade of green to her skin during battle mode, Mora Johsen fought like a true snake, quickly and wisely. She slithered and struck; she grasped Bloodbane tightly and squeezed, and when the woman forced more of her blood to form weapons, Cobra distanced herself and watched for an attack. Bloodbane quickly raised a large sword and rushed... Siren found herself once again the bearer of Pandora's wrath, but this time was different: the Gambler's fate chose flamethrowers for her, and soon two columns of fire ejaculated from her bandoliers. Pandora laughed with sick glee as she slowly wheeled around, aiming the fiery spray at Siren wherever she went. The woman tried to fight back with waves of spirit energy, but apparently they were incinerated, so hot was the Gambler's blast. She figured she would have to get in close and fight with her bare hands, but...Pandora. It was Pandora. She could not... She could not help but feel...drawn to her. The woman was trying to kill her, for reasons still unknown, and yet... Thunder-Claw was up against Sanaa, and how he wished he had been pitted against Bloodbane again! The battle between Rancor and the mysterious warrior underscored her talent; he had to push himself in every possible way just to survive another heartbeat. What a ferocious attacker! Sanaa moved like she was made out of water, and blasted him with such precision that he actually had to erect several lightning fields to absorb the blows. A few stray shots nicked his skin. The wound he got from that bullet awhile back started to sing in misery as it recalled previous pains; he hoped he wouldn't get hit in the same area twice! The man couldn't even stop; Sanaa was relentless, and just when he thought he had a clear shot... BK Power buckled under the might of Wrath. She had fought him before and had lost, and now he seemed ready to finish the job. No matter what she threw at him—including many things she literally picked up and tossed—he seemed to take it in stride and come back even more powerful. It was as if he absorbed everyone's powers and added them to his own, which might've explained his name. Kris found herself getting pummeled again, even at her highest level of power; Wrath was completely silent as he stood over her defeated body, lifting a boulder thrice his size with little effort, preparing to smash her into pulp. Alia and Pride were an odd mix, but they combined their forces against Bubblegum Black and G-Force, whom they owed grudges towards. G-Force could easily fling Alia around with her influence over gravity, but every time she even glanced at Pride, she felt...insufficient, incompetent, unable to do anything. She felt utterly worthless and shamed, and the longer his presence affected her, the weaker she became, until she felt like giving up so...badly. Bubblegum Black was of course burdened down by that time; Alia could really deliver in the punishment category. She had Black on the ground, and scalpel in hand, giggled and murmured about how well she was going to enjoy the dissection. "Cobra! Rescue Power! The two of you gang up on the Gambler! I'll handle Pride and Wrath; the rest of you focus on Sanaa and Alia!" It was Father Jacob, who decided enough was enough, time to get in the fight and coach his team. He had fought all of the Divas before and had beaten them all, even BK Power, and knew how they operated. Only Cobra seemed to be excelling; everyone else was in a tough fight. Mora slapped Bloodbane away and rushed to rescue her comrades, leaving the middle-aged priest to charge into the fight. He stared down Bloodbane and produced a small firearm from his coat. "Forgive me," he stated as he shot her. Bloodbane screamed—not from the pain, but from the insidious amount of precious blood she was losing—and knelt down on the floor to recover herself. Pochanski then faced Wrath and Pride, and stood before them as a man of God, believing faith to be the only cure against such scum. "Your vengeance and conceited nature are no match against the will of the Lord!" he screamed. "You, Wrath, I destroy you with peace! You cannot avenge what has not been dealt! I give you no wound! Go, and writhe in the ground like a useless worm!" Wrath snarled, but since Pochanski was only holding his hands out and shouting, there was no attack to draw his power from. And that stare...that fiery, iron-hard stare...it was even worse than his Master's. Whoever he was, that man knew what he was doing; he had seen Heaven and Hell and knew how to handle each. "Bah!" Powerless, Wrath stormed away. Pride just smiled and tossed his hair. "And you, Pride! You come before a simple man who is humble, who is a servant! A servant! A man who works selflessly for others! Your powers are ineffective against me! Go back to the hole you were expelled from!" Pride hated being beaten. Especially by an old geezer. Especially if the old geezer did nothing but talk. "...Feh! I didn't want to be here anyway!" And he too retreated. Father Jacob took a sigh, cleared his throat, and smiled. "Well, it seems as if there is still a bit of pluck in me yet, thank the Lord. Now for the others!" By that time, most of the girls who had been caught in deadly plights were now rescued, and as the villains fled (or were put out of service), they started to form together and cooperate. Sanaa had been winning until she found herself surrounded, but since she had no reason to be in the fight, other than a few inescapable debts, she decided to run and fight another day. She took Bloodbane with her. "Just you two left," muttered Thunder-Claw ferociously. Alia was still grinning, but Pandora looked upset. If Alia was able to help her, she'd still have a chance, but if the wicked Killer were destroyed, she just might have to spin her wheel again—just this once, to test her fate again. "Two is enough," she replied. The girls surrounded her on all sides; Thunder-Claw glared at Alia. They circled each other for a few minutes, staring at one another like hungry jackals, each one ready to kill. Alia leaped out first, singing brilliantly, and struck TC in the face, scarring his forehead—but that was her mistake. No sooner did his blood start to drip down did Thunder-Claw power up for a fatal blow. Alia was suddenly struck with a sphere of lightning, point-blank range, directly in the ribcage. The blast instantly caused her heart to explode, along with most of her chest, and sent her hurling backwards as she screamed one last dirge and was gone at last. Soma von Zomren, alias Pandora, cursed. "Shit." She spun her wheel again. It landed on "Retreat". So, luck was still with her... "I value my life more important than I value revenge," she muttered. The bandoliers shot out a cloud of thick fog, protecting her retreat. Once everyone could see and breathe again, she was long gone, and except for Alia's charred body, they were alone again. The girls plopped down on the ground, each of them exhausted, and even Father Jacob seemed a little winded. He managed to limp over to the heaving Thunder-Claw and pat him on the back. "Well done, lad. I think that is one death we can all justify." A chorus of "Amen" echoed. "Now," he added with a sad chuckle, "we shall need a vacation even more!" "Here, here," said Mora. She pointed to the smoldering corpse nearby and asked, "So what do we do with her? I'm not sure we should bury her, but I don't want to leave it out for the vultures to pick clean. Shall we burn it?" "No," said Pochanski. "Villainous as she was, even she does not deserve such a fate. Surely this woman had a soul before it was twisted, so we must respect that. If nobody volunteers, I shall bury her, but I will not mark the grave." Everyone chipped in, of course, and by the time it was afternoon, Alia's body was in the ground and everyone was tired, starving, and sweating considerably. And even though Siren hated her for it, Xianq Shou said it best: "What a way to start the day, huh?" ---------- To be concluded. G-Force: Wow, what a fight. Remind me to never get on Thunder-Claw's bad side! Father Jacob: Will do. Well, it's about time everybody has their vacation, so I guess it's up to me to decide where we go. Sally, do you think your friend would like to come along? G-Force: I hope so. Gosh, I miss her already! I guess it's love... Father Jacob: Maybe. In the last chapter of the "Battle Diva Saga", the girls each head out on a well-deserved rest—and not just the Divas, but everyone else. Sort of. G-Force: For those of you who have been patient, THERE WILL BE SHOUJO-AI IN THE NEXT CHAPTER, GUARANTEED! Father Jacob: xx Caps lock abuse... G-Force: Uh, whoops Sowwy... Father Jacob: Next time, "Even Superheroes Need a Vacation!" G-Force: Ain't that the truth...
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