Monster

“Come with me,” He whispered gently, his voice calm and even. “Come, I want to show you something.”

He pulled me slowly off the floor with him, maneuvering us to the balcony over looking the multitudes of bowing humans, the sheets behind us blowing in the wind. I was grateful for a moment that Bulma couldn’t see us from here, as he stood behind me, wrapping his arms around my stomach.

“Look at all this,” he breathed, nuzzling my cheek, “look at what I could give you. This is but a taste of the things I’m offering you. Immortality. The chance to be young and beautiful and priceless forever: to never grow old, to continue learning and gaining knowledge for eternity. Imagine what you’ll know in two hundred years, three hundred years, a thousand years!

“Imagine being worshipped by the entire inhabitance of the underworld, their King and consort as I am. Imagine being ruled by no one, free to do and be whatever you wish. Anything you want in the entire universe at your finger tips. And I could give you anything you ever wanted, my precious. I would be with you through it all. You could be happy, I promise you. I could MAKE you happy.

“Kakarot,” He squeezed me tighter, swallowing as if insecure for a moment. “Kakarot, you could learn to love me. Fear can turn to love,” He whispered. “you could learn to love me; to find the man behind this…..” He closed his eyes. “behind this monster.”

“All you are, is a monster,” I replied in a trembling voice. “There is nothing more to you than evil. That’s all you are.”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” He said, in kinder voice than I had expected for my impertinence. “Nothing can be all evil. There is good in everything and there is evil in everything. It’s the balance. Don’t you remember that I used to be an angel? I was the most beautiful of them all. With but one look, I could have whomever I wanted, I could do whatever I wanted. I wasn’t jealous of God--GOD was jealous of me! He had created something more powerful than intended; not realizing the human tendency to prefer what is beautiful to what is ugly.

“Perhaps that’s why he hated me. Because I was strong and because I wasn’t as foolish and ass kissing as all the others. But that doesn’t make me entirely evil. Strength cannot be all evil and it cannot be all good. With the power to hurt, you can both protect and you can kill. Without the power, you cannot kill, but you also do nothing in the way of protecting others. Which is the bigger evil?”

“But you don’t protect people!” I insisted. “What more do you do then mislead them? Misguide them? Kill them?! You do nothing of substance!”

“Why do you judge my actions so harshly,” He countered. “Kakarot, you misinterpret my means and you underestimate my powers. Do you realize, that if I wanted, I could MAKE you love me?”

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“You have the power to love, am I right?” he smiled. “All I would need to do is enhance that and decrease the power of your hate towards me. I could MAKE you love me more than you could ever love anything. I could subject you to obsession for me, my willing slave in everything.”

I swallowed hard, accepting that this was no lie. Realizing my place in the way of things. I was an ant to him. A significant one, but powerless to stop him. He was right. He COULD make me essentially love him.

“But I would never do that,” he whispered, reading my thoughts. “My precious one, so close to my heart, I would NEVER make you love me against your will. It would be meaningless to me. I want you to subject yourself entirely, freely, with your own will. I want to GIVE you freedom, OUT of freedom. How could you honestly enjoy an eternal life when it was forced upon you through spells and magic? How would I enjoy eternal life with you by my side when I knew you were only there as a series of lies and hypnotics?

“Be with me because you want to. Because you know it’s the only way.” He kissed my cheek tenderly, letting his mouth linger there. “Love me, because you know me. I want the chance to reveal myself to you. I want you to know me as no other creature does.

“You alone could save me from who I am. Save me from this…..” He looked at his hands in disgust. “Save me from this thing I’ve become. I could change. I would change….. for you.”

I shook my head, closing my eyes.

“You couldn’t change,” I sighed. “Not enough for me to ever love you. No spell, no magic, no trick could ever make me love a monster and you lie when you say it could. Because my eyes would be blinded, my mind would be clouded, my body would be yours but you could NEVER have my heart. No power of evil could ever take that. And I will NEVER go with you willingly and I would never -in an ETERNITY- LOVE YOU!”

His arms fell away from me, the cold shell of being alone returned as his presence left my body. I understood the magnitude of my cruel words and I knew that I meant them with every fiber of my body. In this realization, he was made aware as well and I could feel the anger burning from behind me.

“Is that so?” he seethed, his voice dark. I felt the chills running up my neck from his voice, but I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of seeing me tremble. I was too enthralled with the idea that I had finally said the words I had always been too blinded to say. I had found the strength to resist him, even when my body still betrayed me. I recalled the words that Bruder had spoken, remembering them perfectly and now truly understanding what they meant.

“Now now,” he had waved the air. “you’ll be jess’ fine. You find the courage within to be the champion you are, and nothing, no devils, no angels could stand in your way.”

His power being what it was, his beauty being what it was, he now looked weaker to me. He had the strength to end me, to end this world that was true. He could take my life, destroy this body. But in comparison to the strength I had over my own soul, he was like a pitiful fly on the outside of a window, struggling to get in.

“So you know then,” He laughed. “Your puny brain has finally digested the fact that you should have known all along. I can make you do anything I want, but I can’t make you evil. I can ruin your body and perverse your mind with as many sick images as I can process, but I can’t poison a good soul. You’re but a puppet on a string to me, but your good is encased in a shell that I could never penetrate.

“It’s something that humans will never truly fathom. The human flaw will always be prone to sin but that doesn’t make a bad person. That makes bad actions. I could have you forever but I’d never have your heart.”

I turned to him, touched in the oddest sense that he had openly admitted this to me. It gave me great comfort and though there had been no all out battle, in my mind, I had truly just won the war.

“Ah well,” He shrugged, grinning at me. “Hearts are overrated anyways.”

Or so I had thought.

He threw me onto the stone floor, the balcony shaking with the force as he pinned me down.

“And I’ll admit,” He sneered. “I probably would only give a shit about you for maybe about the span of one human life time. Oh and no force in this GALAXY would EVER make me change. Behaving is just too boring, don’t you agree?”

With that, he forced his mouth onto mine, raking his fingers through my hair and yanking my head back.

“I almost prefer you this way,” He laughed aloud. “I really don’t get the appeal of all that ‘soft’ fucking anyways. I like it when you try to fight me. It’s all so perilous in the end anyways, and even you would admit that; seens how you’re on this spiritual, honesty kick.”

He bit into my throat, right below my adam’s apple, laughing sadistically when I cried out in pain. I struggled against him, against this overpowering force that fought my resolve to stop him. I didn’t want this! I couldn’t submit myself to this! Oh but I DID want it! I wanted it with every sexual fabric that created my being. I was stronger then this! I was weak. I could stop him if I tried harder! It was useless to resist. God, help me! Devil, take me.

I threw my arms up against him, my hands on his chest as I locked my elbows.

“Why do you keep this up?” He was rolling with laughter. “As if you honestly think you’ll be able to resist in the end. The same old process with you, Kakarot! Doesn’t it get old?!”

He flipped me over as if I were a toddler to him, throwing me mercilessly on my stomach. My chin was knocked hard in the process, my head spinning as he covered over my back.

“This is the way you like it,” He whispered in a cruel, sexual voice. He ground his pelvis against my ass, digging it in until I felt his hardness painfully. My eyes rolled back into my head as I groaned. My fingers dug into the concrete, knuckles pure white. My resolve was fading fast and I hung onto the tiny threads that remained as though I were about to fall into a bottomless precipice.

“Impersonal,” he was saying. “Used like a cheap, plastic toy. That’s all you are to me, don’t you see? That’s all you want to be and I’m giving you your wish.

“Isn’t it….” He pumped furiously against me. “FUCKING….” I threw my head back. “FABULOUS?!”

I tried to push him off me, using the last resources of my will to buck back against him. It didn’t work and instead, he threw me against a wall, holding my arms out to the side as he faced me.

“Maybe I was wrong,” He seethed, grinding his rock hard cock against mine. “maybe you always liked it standing up and I just never noticed. Though, after you FUCK,” He pushed his hand down into my pants, grabbing my shaft. “enough times, you start to get a little selfish for your own favorites.”

I was breathing hard as he jerked me off, always his way to overpower my mind.

“Know what I mean?,” he laughed. “To be honest, I’ve always fancied you on your knees, Kakarot. Worshipping my tremendous cock like it was a brand new toy on Christmas. And I know you love to do it. You love cock!”

I shook my head, trying to say no when all I wanted was him inside me one last time. Oh, but wasn’t that a lie. I didn’t want one last time. I wanted him to fuck me forever, and that’s the only words that would honestly portray this fantastic horniness that he could spawn in me.

“Oh, yes you do,” He was chuckling, watching my reactions and smiling more as my sex face emerged. “You’ve always loved cock. That’s why I chose this body. I wanted power and you wanted an amazing stiff one. You think it would have worked so easily if you had been entirely straight? Think again. I can’t make people do anything. If the potential and preference is already there, then and only then can it be done.”

He suddenly grabbed me, tearing off my shirt and tossing me over to the balcony. I was struck suddenly with the magnitude of his power. It really was endless. It was unlike anything I’d ever felt before, as he pushed against me, leaning me over the balcony and positioning himself behind me. There was no limit to how strong he was and the power I felt was purely wicked.

“Look,” He ordered me, unbuckling my pants and pushing them down. “Look at what remains of your beloved earth!”

He pushed himself slowly inside of me, and I clenched my teeth as I got my wish.

“Look how they bow to me! Look how they worship me!” He was screaming, pushing in and pulling out at a horrendous pace. He grabbed my hips, forcing me back into his pelvis and making me take it in so deep I cried out in pain. But of course, I liked the pain and he knew it.

“You were their only hope,” He laughed, cold and humorless. The railing I was bent over broke into my hands as I gripped it, turned to white powder in my fist. “You were their LAST hope!”

He waved his hand across the length of the crowd and every head was raised to look at us.

“Now,” He hollered. “Now I want your world to WATCH as their savior FAILS THEM for the LAST time!”

“NO!” I screamed, throwing my fist into his face. I had never and have never since hit someone with such force or such passion. My knuckles welded a power that came straight from my soul, the strength immaculate as it threw him backwards through the building and repeatedly through countless walls.

His face was priceless, shocked beyond description as he was buried in plaster and concrete. I had little time to spare and I yanked my shirt over my head, buckling my pants and mentally readying myself for the inevitable war that was about to ensue. This would be the greatest challenge of my entire life and I fought back the old insecurities that I had never let plague me before his arrival. No, his lies would NOT weaken me.

I powered up as far as I had ever gone, my hair shooting upward bright white and my eyes tingling with light as they turned a turquoise color. I felt invincibility course through every vein, burning like liquid fire and bursting in my chest. This was the moment when people either failed, or became legendary heroes and I was resolute to become the latter.

I reached within myself, pulling at the limitless supply of power at its very source, pulling at my heart to give me more and more. It was like dipping a ladle into a well over and over as fast as possible, more and more of the precious water spilling out. The power around me glittered like fairy dust, sparkling with electricity and shocking me from time to time. I could feel it coursing through my hair and even my eyebrows, flashing on my lashes when I blinked.

I’d never felt like such a blinding source of strength, a wall of power that would withstand anything. Anything, until of course he came crashing through the nearest wall, Bulma shrieking as she avoided the flying debris.

“OH! OH!” He was yelling, shaking the cement and dust from his hair. “Now you KNOW I hate to hurt a pretty face but you are SO getting it for that one!”

He refused to reveal how badly shaken he was that I had managed such a blow, his nose bleeding profusely and pouring down in buckets on his face. He noticed Bulma’s gasp, quickly discovering the nearest mirror and letting out a very indignant reply.

“My gorgeous face, you bastard!” He growled, attempting to wipe off some of his blood with the bottom of his white shirt. “Why is it ALWAYS my face!? Can’t you aim for anything else you worthless INGRATE?!”

I was still powering up, my teeth grinding into each other as I summoned more and more while I had the time. He seemed preoccupied with his vanity, Bulma was looking for a spot to hide--intelligently realizing that a battle was about to occur--and I was merely using whatever time I had left to give him fight worth worrying about.

“God I’m hot!” He exclaimed to the mirror. “You know, there’s a reason God doesn’t make humans this beautiful. They have as much control over people as He does.”

He began to comb his fingers through his hair, giving me time purposely.

“I was actually thinking of putting some red streaks in this eventually,” He sighed, glancing over at me. “but then, I don’t suppose there would be much point now, would there?”

He yawned, shaking his head and taunting me with his narcissistic behavior.

“Ah, now where were we?”

He turned, took one look at me and laughed.

“So serious!” he taunted. “You think you actually stand a chance against me? A mortal with the power to slay a God!? Very likely. I’m quivering. You don’t actually think you’ll win, do you?”

He laughed again as I powered up even higher, the gust of strength throwing him backwards slightly.

“Oh, but of course you think you’ll win,” he rolled his eyes. “It’s every man’s psychological fantasy, a sort of mental shock that plagues a man in his dying hour. The false hope that in the final minute, he’ll be spared and a miracle save him against all odds. The inability to accept the inevitable! Pitiful that you would fall so pathetically into this human ideal. Your Saiyan heritage has become an absolute joke when you consider how this planet has rotted away every last fiber of you that might have been an actual warrior from a proud race. You put them to shame with your petty inability to accept reality and the failure to isolate yourself from this race of weak creatures.”

“I know what you’re doing,” I grinned. “You’re trying to weigh me down, crush my efforts with laughable insults. But you’ve only made the very mistake that you so often accused the humans of.”

“Oh?” He struck back, anger revealed in his down turned eyebrows. “And what would that be?”

“Why,” I examined my nails. “The underestimation of my intelligence oh-great-one. That will be your greatest undoing and I intend to rile in that fact. You really have no idea what exactly you’re up against and your overwhelming egoism will be your downfall. And do you know what else? I am going to LAUGH when you finally realize it.”

With that, and no more warnings, I threw myself at him, my fingers digging into his shoulders as we plummeted through floor after floor, crushing through thick plaster and cement as though it were wrapping paper. His head thudded towards me with every level we burst through, his eyes closed tight as he remained beneath me. I riled in the fact that although the blows I was receiving were somewhat substantial, he was by far getting the brunt of each floor.

Sensing the bottom, I gave him a harsh push, hurling him down countless floors before flying quickly up to the top, certain that I had enough time to safely hide Bulma before he returned. I was wrong and as I held her in my arms close to me -sensing his power level sky rocket with rage- I felt a terrible foreboding that every cocky word I’d insisted was going to backfire on me.

In fact, a great fear completely awed me and I shivered with her in my embrace, feeling a terrible, phenomenal force pulling around our bodies. She felt it as well, burying her face into my throat, her dainty fingers scratching my skin through the thin shirt.

“What IS it Goku?” She was sobbing. “I’m terrified.”

Indeed, I was suddenly shocked to finally understand what a man must feel when he has come into contact with the paranormal. The feeling of being entirely out of your league, uncontrollable situations and a vast fear of what you cannot possibly comprehend. It was as though a million horrific demons surrounded us, playing upon our greatest fears and tormenting us with their unpredictability. And they were all flowing in a great line towards him.

He stood near the balcony, his shirt drenched in blood and hair matted with it as well. Cuts along his shoulders and back shown through and he was panting with more rage than actual overexertion.

“OHH!!” He hollered. “I SWEAR to you, when we get back to hell you are SO not coming out of that room for a week! I don’t care HOW much you beg you ungrateful little shit! GAH!” He threw his arms out to the side. “You’d THINK you might actually thank me but NO, this is what I get!

“Well, I’m no longer taking liberties with you Kakarot. I had HOPED I wouldn’t be taunted to the point where this would be necessary, but it’s time I revealed to you just what EXACTLY you’re up against. And believe me, you won’t be so quick to PISS ME OFF when you do!”

With that, the treacherous forces were tripled and Bulma trembled furiously in my arms, clutching my shirt and begging me not to leave her. I could now SEE the shadows passing along us, a great wave of them tearing their way right over our bodies on a quest to him. He stood with his arms outstretched, closing his eyes and grinding his teeth as they entered him in waves, shadows plummeting right into his chest.

My heart froze when I realized what he was becoming, watching as the shadows grew along his forehead and scalp, forming two shining horns. The shadows raced along the skin of his arms and shoulders, leaving tiny black traces of what seemed (and I can only describe it as this though I have no idea what it really was) like barbed wire tattooing.

It was the monster from my dreams!

“Each invisible line of them is a life he has stolen,” A voice said next to me and I recognized immediately that it was Vegeta’s, though his body was entirely nonexistent. I stared at the tattooing, listening to his words. “There are trillions upon trillions. No longer a number for them.”

Despite my current situation, I found some comfort in the fact that Vegeta was here with me, albeit that it was half his plan to kidnap Bulma, a topic I still refused to address. This was not the time nor the place and I swallowed deeply as the devil threw his head back, laughing horrifically as the canine teeth on either side of his mouth grew into vicious fangs like that of a venomous snake.

The wind whipped furiously around me, my hair tangling as I clutched tighter to Bulma, fearing she might be swept away by it. His laughing sky-rocketed, so loud that I could see her screaming and yet not hear it. She was covering her ears, her eyes shut as she winced at the sound. I thought my ear drums would burst, the entire foundation of the temple shaking.

And then suddenly, all was quiet and all I could hear was the gasping of my own breath, the chattering of my teeth as I shielded myself and Bulma. I was too cowardly to even look up, horrified simply by the power that he sustained, flowing from him in waves as he moved towards us.

“Look up.” He ordered me. “Or is the hero giving up so soon after all that?”

Bulma whimpered, shivering in my arms. I let myself settle in those precious moments, fearing the end and -like so many men in their last minutes- taking into account the trivial things. The smell of her hair, the heat of her breath on my neck: the smallness of her shoulders as I held them.

I felt him walking away, the floor trembling with his movements, crackling as his power blazed against the tiles. I didn’t dare look up, unable to essentially. You’d never think of me as a coward, but I was. In the most horrible sense of the word; because rather then hope it’d all stop and just go away, I wanted him to just get it over with. Free me of these responsibilities and make my decisions for me.

“Oh Kakarot,” he yawned, sitting nonchalantly on his throne and crossing his legs. “you’ve run out of resources. You’ve run out of friends, family and causes. Your wife is gone, your son despises you. And still you oppose me. So list them then. You’ve always had a million reasons and I’ll bet now, you’re down to a starving handful.”

“I only need one reason,” I glared. “Killing you is sufficient enough for me.”

“Oh God,” He rolled his eyes. “Oh God that is by FAR the stupidest thing you’ve said yet. You’d give up eternity, throw your life away, watch the world burn to cinders and sacrifice everything you’ve ever believed in JUST to hurt me? And by now you would THINK you might have realized that the chances of that are slim to none. When will you get it through your head? This is a futile attempt!”

I stared directly at him for the first time since he’d changed, taking into account the miraculous transformation. He was still so beautiful, immaculately so, but frightening to look upon. A fierce beauty. Yes, that’s the perfect word for it. Fierce and ferocious. The tattoos along his arms and chest were stupefying designs: cruel and sadistic but truly remarkable. His canine teeth seemed sharper when he laughed, his lips a darker shade of purplish red.

The area around his eyes was more black then before, his pupils an iridescent mixture of green, purple and black. I could barely look at them and instead, focused on the two horns upon his head -smaller then you’d think- but dangerous by all appearances.

And for all his ghastly appearance, he was but a man. A beast in the body of a mortal. Swallowing down all my intimidation, I closed my eyes.

‘Bruder,’ I thought to myself. ‘Please, don’t be wrong. Help me find the strength to stop him.’

I stood there, willing myself to believe that I could do this. That I could truly defeat the seemingly impossible. I was just a man! I was just a mortal! Maybe I wasn’t human but I was flesh and blood, no different from any being on that account. I could die—or worse.

I breathed in, letting myself momentarily forget this situation. Maybe it was denial on my part: truly, my inability to accept the present. This was happening and my subconscious couldn’t deal with the reality. It was too much. So I simply let myself fall away from it, clearing my mind of all thought.

Very slowly, I felt a trickling like that of water flow into my mind. It’s indescribable though I’ll attempt. Like a coolness, a breeze of some sort drifted slowly into my head, soothing and comforting me. They say that when you pray, the chemical dopamine is released into your brain, giving the sensation of the immaculate –the sensation of spiritual euphoria. I felt this ten-fold, my body letting out a sigh as I was calmed by it.

The feelings of emptiness that had plagued me when he released my body were filled up with this sensation, like someone was holding me. The loneliness and isolation a long overlooked memory, I felt warm and cool at the same time.

Not alone. I heard the words, though they were not spoken in any sort of voice. More like, the idea of the words came to my mind. Not alone.

Was this God? Was this simply my mind breaking underneath the weight of such circumstances? Was this another trick formulated by the devil?

No, I came to the conclusion. Nothing so pure, so incredibly good could ever be created by such a thing. My lips were trembling, my fingers numb as I sunk into it. It was raw, surging power and it was slowly filling me from an unknown source. It felt like the very power of God was coursing through my veins!

Not alone.

I opened my eyes, seeing the world had changed since I’d closed them. Everything was the color of black and gold, the power in everything visible. I could see the thud of Bulma’s heart through her shirt, see it throbbing, clenching black, pumping blazing white! I could see the tiny particles of light sparking in nearby candles! Everything moved with life, the blood in Bulma’s veins visibly coursing, sparking!

I gasped, staring around me with new eyes. The blood was trickling through her cheeks, the color of white gold, shadows dancing around her features. She was as visible through these eyes as before, only I could see the source of all her power, flooding through every pore in her body. The world was alive as I had never seen it before.

The devil was staring at me with a curious look gracing his features. I dared myself to turn towards him, stumbling backwards as I observed him through immaculate vision. He was shadowed, though differently then Bulma. Gold glistened through every fiber in his body, though not the pure, white gold that she possessed. It was a deeper gold, surging stronger through him. His eyes were pure blazing light, horrifying to look upon though entrancing beyond belief.

I cannot explain it in words, but through these eyes, I could see how the two differentiated. One was good, one was flawless evil.

“Kakarot,” Satan breathed, staring at me strangely. It seemed for a moment he backed away, unsure of who I was or something.

I let my eyes roll back into my head, drunk on this power, my head falling back. My lips parted with a smile and I could only laugh slightly at the overwhelming sensation of it all. It felt like one enormous, quaking orgasm through every portion of my body.

“Bulma,” I breathed, the feeling of air sensor my voice box giving me glorious chills. “Leave here. I don’t care where you go, just get out of the building.”

My eyes were half lidded, but I didn’t need them to feel the particles of air moving as she left. I could hear the crackle as she pushed through a trillion tiny specks of glowing life. Even the air was alive.

“Well,” Spat the devil indignantly. “That makes a whole lot of sense. Cute Kakarot. Really. But just how hard do you figure it’ll be for me to find her once I’m done cleaning your clock?”

I let my head roll to the side, staring at him through my clenched lids, my lips parted in a delirious smile.

“The intent isn’t to hide her,” I whispered. “I simply want her away from here while you do it.”

“Something’s changed about you,” He glared, mouth tight. “tell me what it is.”

I just laughed like a fool in the midst of a drunken stupor, almost pitying that he couldn’t possibly understand this change even if I could find the words enough to describe it to him. My shoulders shook and I rolled my head forward, the world around me consisting of rings of gold and shadows.

“Something’s different,” He snarled. “TELL me what it is!”

I lit a ball of energy in my hand, falling backwards at the brightness that shone in my eyes. I could see the power creating it, running like water out of the cracks of my palm and lighting this resplendent thing!

“Oh great,” I heard him growl sarcastically, rolling his eyes. “You’ve gone completely insane. That’s just fucking delightful.”

I felt a presence near me, though he made no indication that he saw anyone there. I turned, seeing the outline of a man lined in gold speckles. It was Vegeta, or at least his soul, dwindling close to me.

“Get a hold of yourself,” He snapped angrily.

“Why Vegeta!” Satan sang in false giddiness. “Why what a pleasant surprise. I’m rather shocked to see you.”

The smile on his face turned ice cold, his eyebrows lowering in anger.

“Shocked indeed sense, well, you know,” he seethed through gritted teeth. “you are supposed to be looking after hell in my absence you realize.”

“Oh that,” I heard Vegeta’s voice reply nonchalantly. The form of his soul crossed its arms (if you could call it that) observing the other creature with little concern. “Got a bit boring I’m afraid. I was told the real action was taking place up here, and you know me, never one to miss a good fight. You ought to know that better than anyone.”

“Look you little shit,” Satan spat. “I gave you a FUCKING DIRECT ORDER to keep your ass DOWN there till’ I returned!”

Vegeta merely shrugged, his head high.

“Sorry bout’ that Satan,” he grinned. “but you should also know I’ve never been one much for orders. Or did you forget that in the time you’ve spent in MY body?”

“This is useless,” the devil growled. “I’ll deal with you later when I get back down there. For now, I have more IMPORTANT matters to handle.”

With that he turned towards me, lowering slightly into defensive mode.

“I don’t suppose I could talk you out of this useless attempt?” he grinned.

I just shook my head, trying to ignore the amazing sensation of simply moving to face him. I readied my body, feeling invincible as I flexed my muscles, shaking my hands simply because the idea had occurred to me and I felt so inclined. It was like I was dripping with power and I let the concept of it flood my normal cautionary senses.

I readied myself for a battle I had no conception of.