A pain, a feeling fairly nostalgic in the wrong way. Heat permeating and easing, not charred but still very warm. Fabric withstanding, threads seeing to but allowing the fray to show at least. This was a nice shirt after all, no sense letting it burn. Or get bloody. But it still was, a slight drip caked in the heat as it bleed from his mouth. A tooth misaligned right out of its socket by that hit he took. And flowing right out of the smile he couldn't fight down. He was liking this too much, which was a little weird. He wasn't exactly the fightaholic type, but that fire in him wanted to let loose. It felt too right as it all came up from where he sank it into himself. So screw resenting and raging, screw the singular pillars of his foundation, he wanted to see what this woman could really do.

And apparently she wanted the same of him.

*zzzt* "So is this what Buckle was scared so much of? 'New variable' doesn't really suit you."

The raucous deluge of flesh meeting armor failed to keep down her voice. Keep down what was directed like those damn cops. No radio traffic cut into, no worry of interruption or operational security, just directed sound for the bants and the boasting. The riot roiling around them reduced to scenery for someone else to worry over. No need to update your subordinates when they know the deal already. And no need to fear for opsec and obfuscation, since all was in the open now. All they knew anyway.

"New variable? What, have I been that much of a disruption? And/or predictable."

His own worlds passed mundane but sure they would be heard without the need to yell over his followers getting the shit beaten out of them. The arena floor getting its new coat of inconsequential red, and row after row of squirming arrestees. Those still conscious anyway.

*zzzt* "You've gotten in the way quite a bit. Can't fault you for raiding the Diades, but we were prepared to take that matter on ourselves."

"Yeah, they were feeling that way."

*zzzt* "Odd choice to interrupt your fellow zealot's little museum tour. But hey, maybe you have enough of a conscience to cut your losses and give up."

"Sorry, they just pissed me off. Not that I was going to just let that happen, but you're reading a bit too much into it."

*zzzt* "Though of course, you went and pissed off Standard Bearer after that. So maybe I was giving you too much credit."

"Yeah, yeah whatever. Maybe if she followed a few laws of physics she'd be more grounded."

*zzzt* "Oh that ship sailed long ago kid."

'Kid?'

Mechanical muscle and menacing aura advanced from the corrugated wall behind. Provenly impenetrable gloss laying on the contempt for the apparent meager stature Seth cut. Ignoring the matching of her assisted strength, and all that had just been laid upon him. Yet she veered off as if this match was more even than she would lay out. Circling, like flanking him was an option. And not merely a catalyst for proper sizing up banter. As Seth joined in to make this more mutual.

"So… seems like fire's quite the common parlance here. Is all this so scary to you?"

*zzzt* "I wouldn't say that, just that you people tend to take poorly to being cauterized. Not very good at handling the heat you're owed. But I'd say it's just comeuppance for what you're trying to bring back into this world."

The angle deepened like predators circling each other for dominance. Mannerism and will so very plain beneath playful words.

"Well don't hold back on my account, I've felt worse. And far be it from me to deny a man his god. But this... This just seems a bit more personal is all. You know?"

*zzzt* "Personal is all you people are any more. Just walking insults that don't know when to shut up."

'Sheesh, did Hothead have a fucking kid stashed away?'

Nearly all the way around the pace slowed considerable. Like a spring reaching the limits of its coil.

"Careful, you'll start laying blame where it doesn't stick."

*zzzt* "Well then…"

Her modulator buzzed out, but fell to nothing as the tension hit its peak 180.

"I'd better make sure to throw it hard enough!"

And burst all that had been wound too tight!

As twin pillars tore into the air and opposing fists broke back into burning conflict! Clashing together one after another after another after another!

Flames spiraling through tossed aside sand. Halos of condensate forced to be seen. Armor and flesh rippling with impact. But only threaded energy preserved the difference. And slipped the synchronicity.

Knuckle scraping lower as Seth forced himself down, in the line of fire but below it all the same. So the other fist could crash into her side. And so, as lightning, he could tear up this vulcanized carapace!

Power poured to match and outpace, and slam into rib after shoulder after that reflecting helmet. Send this commander, of heroes so very in over their heads, off kilter and spiraling and open for more. As fibrous being flexed to the advantage. Flurrying back in to strike and strike again!

The knee, the hip, the sternum, and right to the chin. Fists a blur and threatening to exude all that they harbored. Armor stayed its place, took hit after hit and absorbed it. Flexing back and eating up the kinetic imparted as ripple staunch. Till it was overfull and forced upon its bearer. Servos whined in strain, in too slow reaction, but staying their structure and counting out the hits. Till Seth launched up and planted a foot on the armored chest to blast her over that last bit of potential needed to fall.

Weight overpowered what tried to fight it, as the woman was sent rolling back. Spewing flames from her shins and forearms like retrorockets, adding reinforcement where mechanical muscle was left wanting. Leaving her to land lock, stock, and roaring to rebuke. As those whining servos span to blast off!

Spring and jet fuel ripping her into the fray. Into Seth's own limitations. Because he can't really create momentum out of thin air like her! So he couldn't stop that reflective helmet from bowling right into him like so many gut shots he'd perpetrated! Bull rush stealing wind in seethe, and whipping up to give him the taste of more recent hard knocks. As her own advantage burned their combo into him!

Over hard rubber slammed to bone, made tender organs, and made dental insurance quiver in horror. Fists crushing a kidney and snapping a rib, shocking nerves to reel as an elbow was caved, and unhinged his jaw on the wrong lateral. But couldn't fight threading for all this moot damage.

That shattered elbow fought down the funny, whipped up to eat the next strike before it really did rip off his jaw. The rest just reset as a full guard made its stand. She could beat against it all she wanted, it had taken worse than her! It had eaten worse than she could ever hope to punish! Stand till she ran herself out of all she had built up and could only force through with mechanical assistance. And allow him the chance to throw that guard away and beat against that armor till it-

Till it couldn't come screaming down heel first. Drenched in fire!

A reel nearly out of his own skin yanked him back as a foot axed through his once hallowed guard. Tubular ports spewing and wreathing it near to blue heated fury. Yet holding, congealing it, making it all swirl around her leg. So it could all burst out as it tried to stamp out his soul!

His reel becoming a leap as that down burst of spreading flames engulfed the sand, glassing their ring and leaving him nowhere to go but out of the frying pan he thought he was fighting! But even that was out of the question! As that stamped leg became a missile all its own! Jets firing off more concentrated, to exploit rash action with the one thing he didn't have over her. He still couldn't fucking fly! And the fire refused to wait for him to get out into it!

A happily fed stomach tried to turn inside out as that damnable metal slammed into it. He could take it, but you can't just not feel pain and avoid wincing as your body crumples in on itself. And leaves you open to left hook rocketing in to make you regret being alive again.

His jaw cracked open again, teeth avoiding the brunt because his cheek took the principle. And his body the remainder as he was drilled back down to Earth! A mouthful of sand and other people's dry blood was the least of the issues. The crashing roll wanted his arms to dislocate. But the menacing fire in him, all but roaring up to meet this jet set bitch, clawed the malignant inertia away! Running ruts away into glittering clouds. Whipped his jaw back inline as bones reformed. And twisted him into a smirk as that dry dust seared away. Because this was an even greater excuse to pull up more power. And she'd just handed him all the run up he needed!

That glitter tried to arc with exuberance, but was shot through before the commander could even accept that she'd landed. And the thought of a leg up was holed just as brightly! As all the tension she'd just given herself vanished outright. Knee, shin, inner elbow, core, and right back to face. His own words to Ohm echoing almost comical, as he borrowed them wholesale and blew past that maniacal old image! Slamming the new one right off her feet and refusing to stop there!

A surge crashed him ahead of her fall, scraped down to the metal buried below, and swung his own left hook right into her back. So he could slam her face into that bloody sand! So all that weight hung over and compressing her could turn to muck and tumble!

Force overriding and sending her to roll about for a grip. Guard first and jets trying their best, turning roll into alignment and inertia back into spring tension. Soles and forearms catching friction and a lurch to launch back from. But only caught her half upright with that menacing reflection across what was imminently struck.

Her neck pulled her body along for the ride, all the way up so he could keep beating the shit out of this annoying ass armor. Knuckles imbedding into plates so he knew damn well he'd hit backing. Knocking her all the way back to her feet before a single flare could counter. Right in grabbing range to send right back the ground. And use something he'd always wanted to do. As he spun about face, wrapped an arm back around her neck, and kicked his feet out to let gravity do all the work. To topple this commander right on his shoulder, right on the only weak spot proven. Sunday Slamming his collar bone into her marginally les armored throat!

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A gag escaped as he accepted the bruise to his tailbone, rolling her off and letting the good old days of watching too much damn TV feed him nostalgia. While the one who thought herself safe received all the whiplash it cost. But he had a remedy ever so poignant, since all this heavy armor just got in the damn way! Why not relieve her of a bit, stop the hiding behind it he'd already lived and learned from. And where else to start than that glossy helmet that refused to shatter!

Hands nearly stabbed into the slightly giving metal, that reflective surface that defied old convention. It still had to connect to something to keep it in place though, and weaknesses always fared poorly to abuse. Especially wrenching downright uncouth!

Seth pulled this commander up into the air on just her helmet's connections. Whipping her about to go round and round till either metal gave or sensibility won. Because he was getting tired of this utter hypocrisy! Of everyone hiding their faces away like they weren't strong enough to deal with the consequences like he had to! So he span with all he'd warranted, twisted erratic, and let slip the shot too stuck to its sabot!

As connections finally failed, straps and locks not able to withstand this concerted effort. As all that weight was sent flying once again, trailing sparks and fiber and freed up hair. As Seth scathed to a stop to let her topple of her own overweighted accord. Rolling back to that same damn wall she just seemed magnetized to, streaming sand too much to stand up from immediately. As took his new prize for all the insignificance it meant now. Just the second time, but it was looking like a trend. And oh so very much a point that deep seated fire would not leave unburned.

"Ya know, it feels kinda… hypocritical… for a super to wear armor like this!"

Seth tossed and juggled the freed up crown. Feeling the systems inside it better than before as air gap became nothing more than broken faraday cage. The noise isolation, the not radar but basically, the multiple vision systems, the god damned mechanical torque servo wrung around the neck. Wires and connectors feeding data to nothing but him now, even if he couldn't understand a bit of it. But he knew where it wanted to go, what it was trying to say. An internalized computer trying to collate everything and manage a body better than the one who lived in it. A powersuit oh so very much in line with his, and then actually made to amplify. To add, to 'cheat' at strength and speed.

"I mean... what was 'Rage' first persecuted over again!? Using armor so very much like this!?"

His focus was lost in the reminiscence, but spared in glances at his toppled opponent seethed her way to knelt defiance. A swath of brown hair curtaining most of her face, but haggard breathing from under fought to take back her stand.

"I'll admit I'm not up to date, but weren't most of these people here because they felt oppressed by power and wanted some for themselves!? So what does that say about the heroes who came to set them right, if they tore in with so much more than what they already had!?"

The tossing about stopped and Seth looked that reflective surface in its hollowed face. Looked himself over in the menacing act that refused to feel wrong. His eyes hadn't even started glowing steadily yet and already he'd overpower the leader of this raid, so maybe all that pride Resent said he ate wasn't so gone. But he at least had his own handle on it, curiosity driving an actually look at this iteration on his creation. Taking in the menagerie of fittings and layers easing back without a head to fit to. The optics cutting off their draw without eyes to see them. The mechanical assistance softening its tension without muscle to… resist?

The configuration was off now that he actually saw it. Bearings maglev and trying to irk him with thoughts of deeper stolen ideas, but the tension was ungodly. Electromagnets fighting as well as levitating, making movement harder, not easier. Not enhancing… But holding back!?

His eyes scanned better through the internals as the sounds of creaking fought through the very much dying brawl they ignored. The sound of his opponent getting back up and accepting his critique. Accepting the strain put upon them with nothing but the stretching out of kinks. But all of that was lost as he hit an angle along the rim trying to catch the hud optics again. As a name laminated in sunken white lettering caught the light. And the small embarrassment of being wrong magnified

To horror.

"Hgrrr. Yeah… you're right. This armor can get to be a bit overkill."

The neglected opposition was taken in as it should always have been. But images refused Seth the details clanking off of her. As she twisted off the gauntlets that held back her fire.

"Way too heavy and way over tuned. Still can't believe we make some of those poor kids wear them."

The freed plates slammed to the sand in echoing crunches, as hands slightly wrinkled yet rippled with muscle flexed off the lost weight.

"But sometimes they just need a bit of help controlling themselves you know."

Those lightened arms rolling on their shoulders, as that brown curtain drifted open. Was parted to better bear its flow. But who smirked for herself now below it was known beyond what time should allow.

"And sometimes… You just need to be held back yourself. Helps keep the people from being afraid of you."

That smirk, scared to one side triple wide yet wrinkled with age moderated beyond the time frame. Below eyes that had stared into him so long ago. Ones hurt beyond words. Ones returned from horror only humanity could cause. Ones returned again from what could only be laid upon Resent. Ones he knew in both mundane and copied form. Ones flashed into his memory before they could be lost forever. Given guidance and control before giving them back to the world they deserved to see. Now glaring upon him without a hint of recollection and yet all the condemnation due for what he's missed.

As that name was clutched to for comfort in the deepened shit he'd stepped in.

As it rang and rounded and flared a ghostly blue across her bared hands.

Tasha 'Cobale' Maran

As the little girl he'd saved from the Dockers, the little girl he revived from a small charred corpse, wanted for nothing from him…

"But…"

But to burn him alive.

"People like you don't deserve that courtesy!"

A hand wreathed from digit to elbow and then some, forced out with all intent and more than he had ever given! Forcing that deep, gradient, azure into a life! Into a pillarus gout now dominating all! Charging down the mainline, roaring like a banshee across the center of this demanded space! Lighting the hearts of all who bore its devastation to either righteous rally or tarnished cinder! And glassed sand in the exact path that Seth side stepped for his life out of!

Gone was the small flame that wanted to use his soul as kindling. Now it was an inferno fit for a reaper! Bale fire of such a magnanimous cobalt hue that…

'Oh hey that's why her name is-'

"FFUUUUUUCK!!!!"

That was immediately joined by a barrage of gouts just obliterating! Streams of fire cutting air to rolling boils! Convecting into white and yellow and red dissipation at the edges, but making everything feel the heat of her soul! And making Seth dodge for his own sanity!

Dipping, slithering, jerking in ways that just needed to be jerked in. Because, as much as he could heal, he wasn't about to chance getting burned from the inside out. The outside in was bad enough! His clothes singed, his skin reddened, his hair defied because well of course that did, but the air was turning worse than his moment of pure sunbath.

He clutched to that name, that helmet, like life depended on it. Watched it take the burn and bain to all sentient life dance off its surface. Felt it stay a cool moderation and not back to the pan he was regretting ever jumping out of.

A roaring surge dared him to keep trying to avoid her direct fury, to dodge out into the already scorched so he could catch fire and feel it all again. But that clutch gave way to grasp and counter dare. As he push it forth to take that gout and angle it somewhere fucking else!

Splashing it across its surface without a hint of pass through. Insulation and material science thanked beyond polite words, as flames crested and dissipated into the air before him. Dissipated into the picturesque form of hell come to punish him here and now. Into Tasha added her own roar to the cacophony and rocketed into the inferno she'd caused. Fist first!

The helmet took the blow and then some, fiery jet wash screaming like the souls of the damned slamming into it and Seth's arms by matter of blocking for dear life! And not escaping the crunch of his bones for it. Yet this damnable helmet felt none of it. Several feet of blackened sand rutted as his arms were sent reeling out of the way. To show Tasha the face of fear she could only ever see as just. Not the literal horror of burning alive mixed with discovery and adding trauma to someone that's lived it enough already!

'Though maybe she's gotten to grips. Really learned to relax. To cope with the pain with an overwhelming want to CAUTERIZE ME!!!'

Her follow through swing burst to a stop, haloed in black like a small explosion was ringing out. Correcting trajectory and refuting inertia's costs in retro rocket fashion. Lining her back up to retake all the advantage in the world. You know, fly! Like a fucking demon!!

Her foot crashed down and shot to pursue, as Seth pulled power just to keep up and keep away. An overdrive trying to run up to speed before he really was outpaced. The small shield of reflective refusal to break parried down, and took the next nine punches to a face that wasn't his. Each time his bones were forced to angles they shouldn't really be at, his skin nearly bubbling in the overspray, and his hope for some amicable reunion at the end of this being turned into firewood!!

Yards started disappearing as Seth blocked and blocked and was forced back and back. Daring to take a normal step was just going to invite her to knock him on his ass and use him as a bonfire! His senses were blacking out, soot burning his lungs and abject fear keeping his eyes closed. He could still see the moves, react accordingly with just seeing the electrons of her nerves, but he just couldn't bring himself to match. To overdrive against someone he knew didn't deserve... what he'd already gone and started. Reality waning that hesitation, burning the edges and making that fire inside him almost envious. Whatever the fuck that meant!?

He wasn't letting loose, he refused. Wasn't going all out, she didn't deserve that kinda of fight. But he had to make space so she could calm the hell down before she burned everyone else alive as well! He took another strike to that helmet turned awkward buckler, accepted its recoil as only he could. Letting a foot freely swing and switch places in the pivot. Slam down and twist his body back around, all that force turned to distance turned to momentum as the world failed to keep up. And as that struck helmet came back round like an overloaded pitch. So he could knock her out of the park. By smacking her in the face! With her face!

Bone and metal rang the haloing of that cobalt hellfire, as Tasha was forced to come face to face with her reflection as it broke her nose mid combo! Neck already riddled and sore forced again to carry a body still weight down proportionally, as her attack turned to whiplash and unequal forces defeated each other. And made an opening in the burning aura for Seth to make a play.

That pivoted foot bunched and calling to action, launching him in before concussion failed to take hold and this gambit cost him more than a stolen helmet. Like his skin, or what little respect he could have earned in this stupid world. So he slammed, shoulder to gut, into her. Let obtuse g forces swing him off kilter. About on this violent axis as she took her lumps with a slowed down sneer that just barely followed him. As he cut to a spingloading stop with his arms whipping around her waist. And all the intent in the world to just throw her back to the time out wall again!

To swing her about again, force her to fight velocity for a shot! To slow her down before she sped back up! Before he could let her go on her way to a better outcome than some over drawn catastrophe! Send her fly a-spin with only that moment to right! Before it all became moot in an older woman shaped crater in that sheet metal wall!

It tolled, clattered, rang in the results. And sent blood hacking out of her throat. Sent eyes reeling and alight hearts to skip. Sent what brawl had abounded around down to nothing back into turmoil. As that firestorm was holed through with weight outclassing the air. As heat was allowed to dissipate to just a light burn. And Seth was allowed to breathe something other than soot and screaming soul. And wince of his own accord at the internal damage finally taken. By someone other than him.

As that commanding presence fell from the indent he'd crashed her into. Fell to the sand beaten and bloodied just as her opponents were. Yet still creaking out of it with all the fire of someone just like him. Without nearly all of the baggage. As she punched that sand, scorched it for leverage, and rose to knee. So she could stare bloody murder back up at him. As more than a few defied the order set, and rushed to their commander's-

"Mom!!!"

"MOM!!!"

"Mom???"

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