Chapter 57: Christian vs Lucy

Lucy's sadistic smile widened as she kicked Koa's unconscious body far away, her attention now fully focused on Christian. Her taunting voice pierced the air, dripping with condescension, "Hopefully, you put up a better fight."

Christian, despite his weariness, steeled himself for another battle, his determination igniting within him. His body underwent a transformation, shifting into his lightning beast mode, crackling with electrifying power. With a surge of ferocious speed, he charged towards Lucy, intent on swiftly ending their encounter. Slashing at her with his lightning claws, he expected his attacks to connect, but to his astonishment, Lucy evaded effortlessly, a smug grin playing on her lips.

Recognizing her advantage, Lucy swiftly took to the air, her dragon wings propelling her higher. Christian's eyes followed her movements, determined not to let her escape. Lucy, noticing his pursuit, couldn't help but comment, her voice laced with amusement, "You're kind of quick, aren't you?"

Without warning, Lucy abruptly halted mid-air, her wings flapping in the opposite direction. With a menacing smile, she charged straight towards Christian, her intent clear. Christian's shock was short-lived as he gathered his composure, his lightning beast form propelling him forward at an alarming speed, intending to collide head-on with his opponent.

Lucy's words echoed through the air, "That's the SPIRIT!" Her mouth emitted tiny flames, hinting at the power she possessed. As they drew closer, she delivered a powerful punch, striking the ground below. The impact shattered the earth, causing Christian to lose his balance, stumbling in his attempt to regain control. Seizing the opportunity, Lucy unleashed a torrent of dragon-like flames, engulfing Christian and launching him backward. His body was singed, but the lightning that enveloped him offered some protection against the searing heat.

Struggling to rise, Christian gritted his teeth, determination burning in his eyes. "That was a dirty trick," he growled.

Lucy advanced towards him with measured steps, her voice laced with arrogance, "All is fair in love and war." With lightning reflexes, she charged once again, throwing punches at Christian. His agility allowed him to narrowly dodge her attacks, but Lucy wasn't finished. Unleashing another powerful fire blast in the direction he had evaded, Christian, weakened from his previous encounters, was unable to escape its scorching path. The flames engulfed him, knocking him to the ground once more.

As Christian struggled to regain his footing, Lucy loomed over him, her lizard-like foot pressing down on his chest. A wicked smile played across her face as she prepared to unleash another devastating fire breath. "I guess that is all you got, kid," she sneered, ready to deliver the final blow.

Christian's eyes widened as he witnessed the unexpected turn of events. As Lucy prepared to unleash her fiery breath upon him, he noticed the smoke surrounding the flames growing thicker and denser. Before Lucy could exhale, the smoke enveloped her face entirely, causing an explosion within its dark depths. A tendril of smoke then snaked its way around her neck, flinging her away with tremendous force.

Confusion clouded Christian's mind until a familiar voice reached his ears. "You're looking kind of rough, kid."

Captain James Jackson had arrived, striding calmly towards Christian while casually smoking his cigarette, as he often did. The scene flashed back to when Captain Jackson had aided Harrison and Colonel Johnston in their battle against Josue. They had been locked in a stalemate, unable to breach Josue's psychic barrier, when Captain Jackson heard a voice in his head.

"Cpt. Jackson, can you hear me?"

Recognizing the voice, he responded, "Eve, is that you? Are you alright?"

Eve's weak voice replied, "I'm okay, but I think Christian might be in trouble. I couldn't reach Mr. Harrison, so I kept trying different people until you answered. Please go help Christian."

Captain Jackson pondered the situation. "Should I leave the Colonel and the Priest here by themselves...?" Lighting a cigarette, he smirked. "Heck, I'm sure the Colonel will figure something out. Eve, I'm on my way."

Another thought crossed Captain Jackson's mind, considering the barrier surrounding Josue. "I wonder if the reason she couldn't reach the priest was because of that barrier..."

Returning to the present, Captain Jackson assisted Christian in regaining his footing. "I need you to grab the Lee Clan kid and head towards Eve."

Visibly weakened, Christian looked up at Captain Jackson. "But what about you? She's incredibly strong."

Captain Jackson smiled, his cigarette dangling from his mouth. "Don't worry about me, kid. I'm pretty strong myself."

Understanding the gravity of the situation, Christian knew that he would only hinder the Captain's battle. With a determined expression, he powered up as much as he could and made the decision to retrieve Koa, heading in Eve's direction.

Captain Jackson took a final drag from his cigarette, exhaling a plume of smoke. "I appreciate you letting him go."

Lucy, emerging from the thick smoke surrounding her, approached Captain Jackson. "You knew I was there?"

Captain Jackson responded with a calm demeanor, "Of course. Everything within this smoke, I know exactly what is going on. Also, it looks like that little explosion on your face didn't do much damage."

Wiping the blood from her mouth, Lucy's expression twisted into a maniacal grin. "You made me bite my lip," she hissed. "Now, tell me, what rank are you?"

Captain Jackson furrowed his brow at the odd question. "Weird question, take me out to dinner first.?

Lucy prepared to attack, spreading her dragon wings wide. "Funny guy but I have my reasons. That lieutenant was quite strong, even stronger than her rank indicated, but still not a worthy challenge." She rushed towards Captain Jackson, her fist aimed at the ground he stood upon. "I WANT A REAL FIGHT!" she screamed.

As the dust settled, Lucy realized she had missed her target. No one was there. Suddenly, Captain Jackson's form materialized from the dissipating smoke. "My name is Captain James Jackson. Nice to meet you," he said, his voice laced with a smile.

The stage was set for a clash of powers as Captain Jackson prepares to take on this mythical mutant, Lucy.