To be honest, Jerico wasn’t too sure what he was doing in the area at all.
He’d been walking (well running) towards his next class (well where he THOUGHT his next class was) and he’d been admiring the courtyard like area he’d found himself in (there were tables all around and the sun was shining and everything) when all of the sudden he heard shouts, bangs and other sounds of callamity in the distance. So he’d stopped running long enough to wonder just WHAT was going on now at the school when a green haired girl burst out of the clearing a little ways in front of him. Behind her was a flaming....something. Clearly she was being chased and clearly this pryo wanted to harm her. So, being the gentleman he was, Jerico launched a ball of lightning at the mass of flames, hitting it and sending it crashing into the building doing what looked like serious damage to the structure (which he would probably be blamed for later)
The teen dashed over to the green haired girl (who’d stopped running)
“Are you okay?” he asked, concerned for the student in front of him. She said something but Jerico was slightly distracted so he didn’t quite catch it. Before he could ask her to repeat herself the rubble behind the two moved and Jerico moved, taking a step in front of the girl (who he really should ask to introduce herself) and clenching his fists. Ready to fight if needbe. Out of the rubble stepped a girl with long red hair and dressed in the same uniform as Jerico and the girl behind him. On top of that she didn’t look harmed at all. Plus she was wearing the same ring he was (but with a red stone) on top of that.
What the hell was going ON?
“Who are you and why are you attacking this girl?” Jerico asked, voice hard as he glared at the redhead.
“My name is Mikuru” said the girl “As for why i’m attacking Melissa over there...”
Oh so her name is Melissa
“...well I was ordered to lead a group of monsters here and cause havoc. Beat people up and the like. I have a personal grudge against that siren over there so if you’d move I can continue with my duty”
Mikuru’s voice was emotionless and her eyes were cold. Jerico considered the matter. Well he thought about considering the matter but then he shook his head. What kind of a person stood aside and let someone else get beaten by someone so much stronger than them? That would be a low, harsh, mean thing to do.
“I’m not moving” Jerico said evenly “I don’t know what your beef is with Melissa but I won’t let you touch her”
“Hm. You thunderbirds and your sense of justice” Mikuru said with a roll of her eyes “To be honest thunderbird I don’t like you either but when I kill you...yes kill.....It will be a proper duel in a proper place. Step. Aside.”
“We’ve never met! How can you hate me already?!” Jerico demanded “Grudges don’t work that way!”
Unless your name is Amy Flare
“I hate all thunderbirds and siren” Mikuru said “If you won’t get out of my way I suppose i’ll have to move you myself”
She vanished in a flash of fire and reappeared in front of Jerico, who’s eyes widened for a heartbeat before she grabbed him by the throat and lifted him into the air with impossible strength. With a snort she tossed him aside, into a table, and focused on Melissa. Jerico stood up, a little winded and charged
“I SAID YOU WON’T TOUCH HER!!”
He jumped into the air and clasped his hands together, falling towards his foe and attempting a overhead swing. But Mikuru vanished in a flash of fire and Jerico landed on the ground stumbling a bit to make sure his missed attack didn’t get anywhere near Melissa.
“No worries” he said grinning “I’ll protect you”
He spun around to see Mikuru standing there, arms crossed a little ways away from him.
“If you insist on doing this you WILL get hurt” she informed him. Jerico narrowed his eyes and charged towards her, using lightning to run a little faster than normal and he struck and the two began to exchange punches and kicks. It was one-sided, Mikuru blocked Jerico's forward jab and deflected it upwards. Jerico came back for another attack, a kick this time, and Mikuru this time dodged the blow, effortless and graceful. Jerico moved for another attack, and another, but it was all blocked by Mikuru's expert fighting skills and occasionally she would retaliate and force Jerico backwards or even hit him. This went on for at least a solid minute before Mikuru’s fist shot forwards. Jerico blocked the attack with his left arm and she struck with her other fist. Jerico used his other arm to block and she began to pile on the punches, Jerico’s arms raised in front of him to block the thick assault and trying to ignore the pain. After a moment he lurched forwards with an elbow out, intending to strike her down but she stepped back to dodge. At that moment both combatants vanished simultaneously in a flash of lightning and fire respectively and reappeared in the air, Mikuru digging her elbow into Jerico’s back and sending him crashing onto the ground. She crossed her arms, still expressionless as Jerico pulled himself to his feet, breathing heavily. The two stared into each other’s eyes for a moment before Jerico vanished in a flash, materializing in front of Mikuru and launching a punch towards her face. She caught it and stepped towards him, twisting his arm and yanking it upwards. Forcing Jerico onto a knee with a cry of pain.
“Do you see now how pointless it is to protect her?” Mikuru asked “I could remove your arm right now you know”
Jeico glared at her “I’m not...the sort of person who allows innocent people to be hurt without doing anything to stop it”
“Your mind is locked on that conviction” sighed Mikuru “But your body cannot make it happen”
“Really? Well then I guess I just need to push it HARDER!”
Jerico’s next punch met its mark, nailing Mikuru in the jaw and forcing her to let go of him. He elbowed her in the stomach and spun around on his heel, punching her again. and again. and again. and again.
I can do this! he thought as he continued his barrage of punches, I can...
His thoughts went blank and a fist slammed directly in the center of his face. The was a slight pause as pain streaked down Jerico’s body before there was a flash of flames and the boy was lifted off of his feet and sent flying through the air, crashing through the brick wall several feet away, and hitting the opposite wall before falling to the ground, unmoving as the dust from his crash surrounded him.
“Do you want to know why I went after Melissa? Besides the fact that she was a siren?” Mikuru asked. “Its because she’s WEAK. She won’t use her powers ‘unless she needs to’ and even THEN it won’t work for her. In this world, in this SCHOOL, the weak die and the strong survive. As a thunderbird you should know that. I know all about thunderbirds and their heightened resilience but do the HONORABLE THING and stay down so I can finish what I started”
She fell silent as Jerico walked out of the hole that he’d made when she’d blasted him through the wall. In his hand was a large hose. Like the kind fires are put out with. He glared at her, dark brown eyes colder than dark tunnels.
“No”
He turned on the hose and the large stream of water knocked her off her feet and onto the ground. Jerico glared as sparks traveled through his hands, through the water, and onto the girl, causing her to scream out in pain. Jerico held her there for about thirty seconds until the screaming stopped before turning off the water hose and throwing it down in disgust. He was lucky she’d blasted him into the science department. Otherwise who knows what might have happened to Melissa? The boy took a step forward and winced, breathing heavy and his vision swam. He could feel a few broken ribs and probably fractures all over his body. His face hurt pretty badly as well. He needed to go to the infirmary as soon as....
“Brutal...aren’t you?”
....shit.
Mikuru was standing, drenched but otherwise just fine. Jerico started breathing heavier. Now what??
“If I was...any other kind of monster that would have finished me off” Mikuru said “But...i’m different. Nothing you do will defeat me. But that DID hurt like hell. I will give you that”
She crouched down
“Right now you can probably only just barely stand up. No teleporting. No dodging. With this next blow...our battle ends”
Mikuru charged forwards, streaking towards Jerico and cloaked in flames. Jerico gasped. She looked like...had she transformed?? He shook his head.
Gotta dodge. Gotta move. Gotta....
She slammed into him like a train. The sheer force of the attack knocking the air from his lungs and causing him to vomit blood. And that was before the burning sensation set in. Intense agony set in and Jerico screamed as the flames connected with his beaten body. He could feel her fists in his stomach and right below his collar bone (great, one more broken bone to add to the list).
The flames blew out and there she was, standing there with her fists exactly where Jerico felt them. He coughed once, twice, three times before falling backwards, unable to stop himself as he hit the ground. Mikuru looked down at her handy work. The boy was severely burned, his chest and arms had taken the brunt of the flames because despite herself Mikuru had held back at the last second. But it didn’t matter. The boy was hurt badly and if left alone he would die within the hour. An hour of intense pain and suffering. In fact it would be a mercy to just kill him now.
Mikuru was not feeling very merciful.
She looked over to Melissa, crossing her arms once more.
“Look at your knight in shining armor now” she commented “broken and burned in the dirt. Like you’ll be a few moments”
She began to walk forwards when she felt something wrap around her ankle. With a growl she looked down to see Jerico holding on to her ankle. His ring was glowing yellow as where his eyes.
“Dont....hurt....her...”
With a growl Mikuru spun around, kicking the downed boy squarely in the stomach.
“Why. won’t. you. stay. the. hell. DOWN?!?” She yelled between kicks “YOU. CANNOT. PROTECT. THAT. WORTHLESS. EXCUSE. FOR. A. MONSTER!!!”
Eventually Jerico wasn’t moving anymore and lay limp on the ground. Mikuru shook her head and walked briskly towards Melissa.
“I’m going to finish you off before he gets ANOTHER wind” she snarled. But just as the words left her mouth there was a burst of power behind her and a screech. Jerico was gone. Replaced by a golden, screeching yellow bird, flapping its wings and surrounded by a static discharge. The boy had transformed!
Mikuru swore
“Thunderbirds....”
(I’ll finish my battle next post)