Their clash shook the headquarters. Golden and silver auras collided in explosive waves, the ground fracturing under each step, the walls crying out as if they might collapse at any moment. Sparks flew with every strike of fist against blade, the chamber itself trembling as if caught in the middle of a storm.
Bastion's golden light blazed hotter, his frame swelling with power, his strikes growing heavier, faster, more relentless. Kalen's silver aura, sharp and precise, could barely keep pace. His blade cut lines of silver across the air, but Bastion shrugged off each wound as if they were scratches on stone, the golden glow stitching his flesh together instantly.
The giant laughed, wild and confident, his voice booming across the ruined chamber. Kalen's jaw clenched - he was being pushed to the brink, and the golden monster wasn't even slowing down.
And then...
The world froze.
The pressure dropped like a guillotine. Both men halted mid-step, the weight of the sudden presence pressing down on them like a mountain. Operatives scattered around the base collapsed to their knees, some clutching their chests as if suffocating, others trembling uncontrollably. Even Bastion's booming laughter faltered.
A figure appeared above them, cloaked in a storm of orange flames that churned and roared as if alive. A woman hovered in the air, her body radiant and terrible, every flicker of her aura carrying enough heat to make the air ripple. Her gaze alone felt like fire crawling across their skin.
"What do you think you're doing?"
Her voice wasn't loud. It didn't need to be. Each syllable fell like a hammer on their hearts, heavy enough to shake them to their core.
Before either man could form an excuse, the flaming woman descended. Flames erupted from her palms - one torrent launched at Bastion, the other at Kalen.
Bastion snarled, throwing up his arms as his golden aura thickened into a radiant shield. The blast sent him skidding backwards, boots digging trenches in the floor, heat licking at his skin.
Kalen crossed his blade just in time, his silver aura flaring to catch the firestorm, but the impact hurled him across the chamber. His arms scorched, the silver knight gritted his teeth, barely holding himself upright as the flames died down.
Both men were flung to opposite ends of the chamber, separated like squabbling children.
"You're supposed to be two of my most senior officers," the woman's flames lashed higher, painting the chamber in a hellish orange glow. "Yet you still behave like children."
Her fire grew hotter, hungrier - but then, with a sharp exhale, she drew it back. The inferno clung to her form like a living mantle, threatening to spill loose again if her temper wasn't checked.
Bastion, ever the reckless one, raised his hands defensively and forced a grin. "Hey now, let's calm it down, Elena. We were just playing around, right, Kalen?"
Kalen, blade trembling faintly in his scorched hands, fought the urge to snap. The truth was obvious; he couldn't afford another clash. Not with her here. Not with Bastion still grinning like a fool despite his burns. Reluctantly, he gave the smallest of nods and sheathed his blade.
"Hmph. Is that right?" The flames around the woman's shoulders flickered dangerously. Her gaze locked on Bastion. "And what did I tell you about calling me by my name?"
Bastion's grin twitched, but he dropped his chin in grudging respect. "…Sorry, Lady Supreme."
She laughed, a sharp, fiery sound that cut through the suffocating tension. Instantly, the chamber felt cooler. The flames receded, and for the first time since her arrival, the operatives hiding in the shadows dared to breathe again.
With one effortless show of force, Lady Supreme Elena had ended the fight that could've levelled half the headquarters.
Kalen steadied himself, hiding his relief behind a cold mask. 'If this meathead wasn't so reckless, he'd be a captain too, or maybe even higher. And to think combat isn't even his speciality. Damn it.' His pride stung, especially as it hadn't been long since he had been bested by the Warlock.
But at least the disaster had been cut short before it cost him his command and reputation. Even if he wanted to, he couldn't have allowed Bastion to do as he pleased in front of all his operatives as his superior.
Quickly collecting himself, Kalen barked orders to the room, snapping the dazed onlookers out of their trance. "Stop staring and get back to your duties. And clean this mess up - now!"
But he wasn't in the clear just yet. Before he could slip away, Elena's flames curled around him and Bastion like leashes.
"Both of you," she said, her tone final. "With me."
Dragged away under her watchful gaze, the golden giant and the silver blade could only grit their teeth. They were in for it and there was nothing they could do about it...