Liv’s eyes widen as her body begins to knit itself together, confusion, joy, relief, and annoyance bubbling up in her chest at the late arrival. Her eyes twitch down the gauntlets on her hands, the fault lines glowing with a familiar and comforting light.

  “Boss!?” Liv calls mentally, shock coloring her voice as she feels the connection between her and the Synth Weapon ping.

  “Hello, Liv.” Her boss replies, “I see you are being as reckless as ever-.”

  “WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?” She screams mentally. The damn thing doesn’t show up until she thinks she’s on her last ropes. It was as annoying as it was relieving to know she had them as her backup again.

  “I had something to tend to.” Her boss responds calmly. “Now, would you mind informing me of the situation, Li- Your left.” They interrupt themself as Faraji gets in range, his fist swinging to what he assumes to be a broken body. Instead, he is met with empty air as Liv ducks, kicking at the over-extending man's leg. Faraji feels his leg go out from under him, falling to the ground with a metallic thud. Liv pushes off her hands, her fully recovered body jogging away from her opponent.

  Liv gives the run down of the situation, how she got in the situation, and how she saw Faraji fight, dodging and weaving Faraji’s attempts to grab her. Her boss hums as they think, Liv dodging a bear hug by lunging under Faraji’s legs.

  “I do have a plan, but you’ll have to follow it to perfection. Nothing less will work.” They say, causing Liv’s head to perk up, She thinks for a moment, her eyebrows furrowing as she manages to avoid Faraji’s jet’s activating right in her face, the flames just out of range to scald her flesh.

  “...Ain’t got a plan of my own, so fuck it. What’s yer plan?” She questions as sidesteps a quick turn around charge from Faraji, giving him a jab to the face for his troubles. Faraji growls, unable to stop his charge as he crashes into the wall, kicking up a small cloud of dust. With a single swing of his hand, Faraji clears it, an air of annoyance wafting around him, sending a Liv's fight or flight into overdrive.

  “Undignified dodge." Faraji mutters, annoyance clear in his voice as he pats himself off. "I will not miss again."

  “First off, you’re going to have to deal with that Synth Aura of his.” Her boss comments, sending a flare of recognition through Liv’s mind.

  “He’s got one of 'em? I thought they were rare or somethin’.” She comments, her fists raising defensively as Faraji charges in again, his fists balled up as he gets into close quarters. She manages to redirect a jab to her face with her forearm, ducking his follow up haymaker while countering with a blow to the stomach, her gauntlets glowing a vibrant orange. If it effected him in any way, he doesn't let it show.

  “Of course. He’s not being very hidden about it. I can see his amplified waves bounding off him.” Her boss comments. Liv nods in understanding, pieces of the puzzle clicking into place. Her lefty raises as she attempts to block what she believes to be another jab from the frazzled man; unfortunately, it was a feint, his hand opening to wrap around her forearm. He squeezes with bone crushing force, the gentle bones in Liv's arms creaking under the strain. He throws the punch at her exposed face, but is intercepted as Liv falls back with all her weight, the force exacerbated by a powerful detonation. Faraji is thrown over her head, the surprise of being in the air enough to loosen his grip; though the encounter isn't a net positive for Liv, flames licking at her flesh.

  “Aight…” She mutters, jogging away from Faraji once more, “How do ya recommend I do that?”

  “Well…” Her boss says slowly, causing a hint of nervousness to bud in Liv’s chest. “If he’s already used that glare of his twice, I assume he’s pulling on his weapon's energy reserves to amplify his aura further into a paralyzing stare. If he used it once more, he would be helpless.” They pause, sweat beading down Liv’s face as she watches Faraji charge again, murderous intent clear in his eyes. She feints left, then right before ultimately jumping left. Faraji barrels the wrong way, his prediction wrong as he impacts against the wall.

  “AND?” She demands, scurrying left as Faraji charges right, throwing a jab at him as he passes by her. Faraji sized craters litter the walls, the sand showing his clear trajectories. Right now, his jets were cooling. That would give Liv some time to plan, her chest heaving a bit as she wipes her sweat away.

  “If I am correct, he is holding back to get you to waste your own healing before he uses it." Her boss starts. "In that situation, I cannot feasibly see you winning in a battle of attrition; however, if you manage to coax it out through trickery and subterfuge..." They hint, the insinuation flying over Liv's head. With a sigh, they continue, disappointment leaking intot heir voice. "All you have to do is… Rile him up a bit, chip his armor, get mean, whatever humans like him find annoying."

  “Ain’t exactly an expert on ‘em.” Liv mutters as Faraji turns to her, his entire body tensed with anger and annoyance. What got her mad? When Charlotte kicks her when she's down, obviously. Slowly, the fear that had gripped her heart is replaced by a bud of confidence, a smirk spreading across her face. “But yeah, I reckon I can do that.”

  Faraji growls, a momentary peace established. He had to recharge, and Liv wasn’t going on the offense. “Your resistance is pointless.” He says through gritted teeth, his voice just a touch more garbled than before. “Walk forward so I may knock you out.”

  “Ain’t gonna happen, tin can.” Liv says, jumping from foot to foot. “Yer robot ass ain’t catchin’ me anytime soon.” She taunts, mockingly sticking her tongue out.

  "Your insults are petty." He growls. "If you forfeit."

  "Yer metal."

  He stares at her, taking a deep breath through his nose to steady himself. "As I was saying-."

  "Rust bucket!"

  "...As I was-."

  "Bucket o' bolts."

  "I am a proud heir of the Alema throne." He shoots back, his fist flying up to clap against his chest with pride, sending a metallic ring through the room. His annoyance is rapidly increasing, resembling rage more than anything. If Liv could see his obscured face, she would see the sneer plastered on his features. "You? What are you?"

  Liv's smile only grows as she beckons him closer, snickering as she speaks. "Flesh n' bone."

  “Petty brat,” He grounds out, running with all the strength his heavy body will permit. His large fist feints a left before his right fist comes swinging in, hoping to catch Liv off guard. Unfortunately, this does not work as Liv blocks the right, taking advantage of the failed attack with a counter attack of her own, slamming her hand into head. The impact sends a loud, metallic ding cascading off the walls, a small dent forming in his helmet due to the constant barrage of attacks. Faraji ignores the pain, trying to grab Liv’s fist with his left, failing as Liv ducks, slamming her leg into his knee. The joint doesn’t buckle, forcing Liv to roll as Faraji lifts his leg to slam down, his footstep cracking the concrete under him.

  “Ain’t you heavy, bot boy? Not gonna catch demons like that, are ya?” She calls, hopping back over and over.

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  "Fast enough to break you." He snarls, his jets firing up, metal melting off the thrusters as he rushes forward once more. Just before he crashes into Liv, he digs his heels in, his jets powering off. Liv yelps, dodging to the side to avoid a suspected grab. She coughs in pain as the hook slams into her retreating figure, her prediction wrong. She rolls with the momentum, skittering away, kicking up sand in her retreat. The grains settle in his eyes, a growl of annoyance escaping his mouth.

  She reaches a hand to her side, slowly touching the affected area, barely holding in the cry of pain as her hand grazes the area. She sucks a breath through her teeth softly, her forcing her voice to be clear and confident. "Ain't exactly breakin' me, are ya? Reckon them Alema's gotta be weak if yer some heir."

  "Silence yourself!" Faraji yells, flames erupting from his still cooling jets, holes dripping red hot metal down to the sandy floor. "Speak down to me, will you? I'll shatter your bones, scatter you across the sands, bury you in the concrete, and pay to have your name ERASED from record! Do you understand? You are meaningless. MEANINGLESS."

  "I dunno who you are." Liv shrugs, leaving her stance wide open, a hand falling to her hip. "I ain't got some family backin' me like yer shiny butt does, but it's lookin' like we're a match. Ya can't catch me without them glares, and yer armor's lookin' worse for ware." She breathes in, then out, her boss still whispering in her mind, guiding her, supplementing her in every way. In this moment, she felt more than herself as she speaks. "How 'bout this. I'll give ya one chance to surrender, but ain't any more than that, scrappy."

  Faraji stops for a singular moment, processing the olive branch extended. For a single moment, Liv looks on, her stance still open. For a single moment, the room takes a breath, silence chilling the air.

  Once Faraji finally understands, his eyes light up with pure, unadulterated rage, a roar booming from his mouth, his garbled voice cutting in and out between syllables as he rushes forward, completely driven by fear. That subconscious fear in the back of Liv’s mind flares as he glares at her, freezing her entire body as he barrels forward like a rhino, an unstoppable object. A shiver goes down her body, preparing herself for the pain that is to come.

  His arms wrap around Liv, pinning her arms to his side as he pushes her to the ground, getting his knees on her chest. His fists raise, slamming down on her face like sledgehammers. It hurts more than she could've imagined, the structural integrity of her skull failing with each passing second. As he raises his hand for the finishing blow, he hears a strange knock, the source just barely within his peripherals. Liv had, with her glowing gauntlets, tapped the floor.

  It was enough.

  BOOM

  An explosion rips from Liv's gauntlet, Faraji's body sailing away as Liv's form slams further into the floor. Liv manages to stand first, her arm charred, each breath agonizing. She made the desperate call, knocking the floor with as much strength as her pinned arm could muster. Unfortunately, that had left the left side of her body in tatters, third degree burns running up her flesh paint on a canvas. Faraji stands next, the explosion having less of an effect on his metal body. A few dents show in his armor, the most pressing one on his head. Scratches cover every surface of his armor. He wasn’t unscathed, and he was out of those charges, meaning he couldn’t stop Liv anymore. He would have to fight the old fashioned way.

  Liv smiles as her crispy flesh begins to revert back to its usual bronze hue, the pain plaguing her mind washing away like sand on a beach.

  “Impressive.” Her boss comments, a hint of awe coloring its voice. “The next step is finding a weakness in that armor and exploiting it. I believe you see where I believe is best.”

  “Ya mean the big ‘ol dent in his head?” She questions, looking to the dent in Faraji’s helmet.

  “I believe that to be wise. Do as I say, but follow your instinct. Let’s work together.” Her boss says, Liv nodding in agreement. She breathes in… Then out: the fear, the nervousness, and the expectation taking a backseat. The trilling within her heart, the thumping that drove her body forward, was more powerful now than it was when she fought Kara or the Demon Queen. The calm mixed with the thrill, creating a state of combat zen, even as Faraji roared in rage, his coordination lost as he charged forward.

  Faraji throws a wild haymaker that Liv quickly sidesteps, her right gripping his forearm as she throws two jabs into his face. He growls, trying to shake her off, but her grip doesn’t falter. She’s forced to step back as he throws his weight at her, wildly swinging where she was. She dashes back in, ducking a swing at her head as she props herself on her hand, taking another kick at his knee. This time, he bucks down, kneeling as Liv pops back up, her hands clasping as she throws a double hammer punch directly into the dent. Faraji roars in a mix of rage and pain as he explodes up, his hands reaching toward her.

  “Grab his hands, push him down.” Her boss commands, Liv’s arms immediately shooting forward. Her fingers interlock with his as she pushes forward, her body flooding with power as her muscles swell. A more controlled version of her strength tests boost, enough to easily overpower the off center Faraji. Faraji tries his hardest to stand, to push back, then to pull away, all in vain.

  “Throw him around.” her boss commands once more, Liv nodding mentally as she lets go of one of his hands, quickly grasping his wrist whilst planting her feet. She roars in tandem with Faraji, his body leaving the floor before swiftly reconnecting with it as she slams him to the floor back first. A loud crunch sounds out, cracks webbing out from the back of his armor. Liv lifts him once more, spinning around once, twice, and thrice before throwing him directly into the nearest wall with a loud crack, his body scrambling up, shaking with the effort of standing.

  “YOU…” He garbles, barely coherent through the static as he grips his head, pointing to Liv with hate burning behind his eyes. "GAHHHH!”

  Liv prepares herself, her body tingling as Faraji roars, charging forward with reckless abandon, rage consuming his being. A smile splits her face, time slowing as he approaches, a single thought bounding through her mind, both her own and her boss’.

  “Finish the fight.”

  Faraji throws his final, desperate attack, his jets activating at the last moment in a vain attempt to catch Liv off guard. In this final, crucial moment as flames erupt from Faraji's back, the abused jets finally give out. Their flames sputter to nothing, Faraji's trajectory completely thrown off. Liv moves her arm, her forearm redirecting the blow as Faraji’s body bows down with the force. His eyes widen in terror as he tries to correct, too little too late. Liv pulls her fist back, her heart thumping as her glowing gauntlet flies true.

  As she tries to make contact, time seems to freeze for a glorious moment, her fist just an inch away from Faraji’s prone skull. Around her fist, she can see a hazy figure surrounding her, moving in tandem with her, fighting alongside her. That horrid fear, that pervasive nervousness, that dread of failure, of not being able to win– they all fade away in a single, beautiful instant. In the way of her fist is a sort of invisible, malleable barrier. Her, and the figure alongside her push in concert, their combined strength pushing down on the space like a hydraulic press. Space seems to warble, bending into itself before, all at once, releasing in an explosion all its own.

  Liv slowly cracks an eye open, her head rattled from the large detonation. It'd been a few moments since she absolutely rocked Faraji with her punch... Or had it been an hour? Everything looked so small, so tiny. She’s embedded in the wall again, the stone keeping her in place. Still, she tries to move her arm out, but finds it dangling as soon as she frees it. She blinks before realizing the truth.

  She's not embedded in the wall, but in the ceiling.

  Looking down for Faraji, she can see him completely laid out in the center of the massive crater she created with that... Explosion, if she could even call it that. She can't help but grin, a soft cackle escaping her lips as she pries herself from the ceiling, landing on her arms with a hard thud. She grimaces, but stands, various cuts and scrapes lining her muscular, bronze flesh. Her clothes were also in tatters. She’s never produced an explosion that big. She looks down at her hand, blinking slowly. She didn’t think that’d happen. A surprise, but not an unwelcome one. She had won, and that’s all that mattered. Looking around, it seems she did more damage than she realized. The metal doors were blown off their hinges, bent inward due to the force of the detonation.

  “HEY!” George calls from the entrance, waving his hand as he coughs, dust and sand clogging the air. "YOU TWO OK?"

  Liv looks over to his voice, crouching down to throw Faraji onto her shoulder. He’s heavy, but not impossible to drag if she props him on her shoulder.

  “Right ‘ere.” Liv calls, walking over to George. George’s gaze snaps to her, running over full tilt to their location. As he lays eyes on the sight of the crater, of Faraji’s knocked out visage, and of Liv’s triumphant smile, he can’t help but smile, a mad cackle escaping his lips as he claps Liv on the shoulder.

  “Well I’ll be damned. You did it, kiddo!” He congratulates, giving Liv a small shake. “Didn't expect you to put belt to ass like that!”

  “Was feelin’ good.” She says, warbling on her feet. “Can you take 'em away? I think I’m gonna… Rest for a bit.”

  George cocks his head before nodding, his smile never leaving his weathered face. “Yeah, I got you kid. Take a breath, you more than earned it." He claps her on the shoulder one last time before effortlessly hoisting Faraji onto his shoulder, walking off with an effortless confidence.

  Liv’s smile weakens as she hobbles over to the wall, sliding down with a groan. She was dog tired, but she was still conscious. Sleep wouldn't claim her this time, not with the adrenaline running through her blood. She just felt good, happy to be here as a member for the first time in a while. She had done it; not alone, but the task was done. She won.

  She won.