A Good Rival

Leo could have sworn the crowd was cheering for him and him alone. Their roars became louder the instant his weapon met its mark. His hand still tickled with a sensation like static electricity, and he hadn't dropped his stance yet, completely in awe that his idea actually worked.

'I… there–that was awesome!' He leapt several feet into the air with fists to the sky. The adrenaline kept pumping through his veins, exciting him to the point where he just wanted to bust a dance move. 'I threw lightning like fricking Zeus or something!' His mind buzzed with images of how cool he must have looked. By now he must have at least a few sponsors battling for his acceptance. He would probably have to sign contracts all night just to keep up.

A gunshot rang out. Crimson blossomed from Leo's chest. His excitement halted, and the drum of his own heartbeat blotted out the crowd's cheers. The bullet didn't scatter or change shape, it was a single shot, straight and true. It would be a miracle if it missed his heart.

Then the thought hit him–could he actually die here? Would he die in Heaven because of this strange place where night comes and sleep is needed? Would he be taken to Hell for his betrayal of God?

'Lookin' worried there, kiddo,' said the gunslinger. 'You nearly had me, but I ain't that quick of a kill.' She was propped against the metal tower on her platform made by her powers. Leo's blade rested in her gut, horrid splatters of red staining her white clothes. It had lost the lightning energy powering it, and so she held it there, patting it like it was her new souvenir. 'I ain't heard of people usin' raw elements other than hellfire and holy water, at least in these upper levels of the arena.' She regarded Leo with a harsh eye and raised nose. 'My guardian angel, Ruthenaphel, said that only special beings grant those straight and true elements. Who's your sponsor?'

Leo fell to one knee, clutching his chest in hopes of stopping the flow of blood. His heart must still have been intact to be staying conscious, but had to be grazed from the blow. His head swirled like water filled it instead of bone, and his sight darkened. No, it was more like the water was on the outside, as if he was swimming. He reached out, and a sensation like touching a hard surface met his fingertips. His senses began to numb.

'Well, damn. Looks like I did too much damage.' The gunslinger stood over Leo, gun barrel shakily pointing to his head. She spat blood and bile before speaking again. 'I guess you deserve some respect before I send you. I'm impressed you got me so good on a field that I had the advantage in.' Her gun clicked, ready to fire. 'Name's Prim, nice and simple. Who knows, maybe you'll make a good rival if you ever come back here.'

Prim fired her weapon, but it didn't meet its mark. Leo's hand grappled the hot barrel, pulling it aside so the shot merely clipped his ear. As warmth oozed down his neck and his head shook with the gunshot bouncing inside his eardrums, he held out his other hand. A million words passed by his lips before settling on one question. 'You feel strong enough to fight me without that gun?'

'What in the…' Prim looked him up and down, and her face clearly told him he looked like he was in shambles, but so did she. He had a plan to get them both recognition, and it was entirely based on a hunch that they both fought the same way. Neither of them were cunning, patient or remarkably strong, but they had willpower and tenacity. Both still could talk after taking grievous blows, and that was proof enough for Leo.

'Fight me, no weapons,' Leo demanded.

Prim stepped back, throwing her gun aside. The confident smile she bore when they first met returned. She pulled Leo's blade free with barely a tear leaving her eye. Then, she moulded some metal across the open wound to cover it on both sides. In much the same manner, Leo struck his bullet wounds with lightning that burned them shut.

Leo and Prim faced off, fists raised and stances lowered for a final showdown that would get any viewer's attention. This was it.

Leo moved first, aiming the first blow for Prim's metal gut. She responded with a turning step and threw Leo aside, striking the back of his head with her free hand. Leo roared, immediately launching back at her and managing to lock her into a melee. Every blow he threw was pushed aside, and every blow in response, he blocked with bruising arms.

Prim's boot came for Leo's face, but he folded forward, biting his cheek in the pain the move caused. He grappled Prim from behind, stepping too close for her to escape, then threw her to the ground. He opted for a dirty move, stomping down on her metal stomach. She cried out with a harsh guttural scream, but grabbed hold of his leg and wrapped herself around it.

With strength that must have taken all her might, Prim curled herself inwards. She smashed his knee with a fist, sending it the opposite direction it was designed to go.

Leo swallowed the metal taste in his mouth from biting his own tongue, then drew a fist back. Prim still held his broken leg like it was what kept her alive. She looked up in time to see what Leo's next move was, then smiled.

Leo struck Prim across the jaw, and she fell limp on the battlefield. Silence ensued, then a roar from the crowds above came like a radio tuning in. They saw it. Leo fell onto his one good side, dragging himself over Prim. He pulled her head onto his lap and sighed, letting all the terror, excitement and pain out in one breath. He'd done it, he won his first fight. Though he wondered how he was ever going to have a second one, let alone move onto these other competitions Heaven's Colosseum had in store for him.

He tuned into the cheers around him, but something was off. They were hisses and hecklings. What happened?

His Key floated close to him, white surface glowing slightly. Raphael's voice came from within, saying, 'Leo, hurry up! You're losing support by doing that!'

'What?' Leo's own voice sounded distant, lost in a sea of taunts.

'You have to finish it, Leo! You have to kill her!'