Blast Cycle/Battle of the Ex's

The wind blew as Joseph waited outside the Babylon Hotel and Casino, waiting. He had been told to be here, so that they could "settle" things. The wind started blowing into Joseph's face. He quickly pulled his goggles down to prevent from being blinded. The wind continued to blow silently before it carried a voice.

"I see you made it. And no girlfriend, I see," the familiar female voice rang. A woman walked up the steps to the front door, where the security guards had been cleared, along with the citizens. "So tell me, Joseph. Why is it that you choose her over me?"

"It ended three years ago, Christine. We both know why it did, too."

"There are plenty of couples that go through this sort of thing, you know. I'm sure maybe in a couple of years, you two will do the same," she chuckled. The woman finally came into full view. "What will happen then, Joseph? Will you leave her like you left me?"

"No. I plan on staying with her as long as possible. She's changed me, so I don't see why you'd think that I'd turn against her," he stated, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Could it possibly be that you enjoyed what we did together? I know you did. You craved more, and more. I could only give you so much, though. That's why you left, isn't it," she questioned, forming a shield of ice around her body as she spoke.

"I don't want to fight you, Christine," he stated, keeping his arms crossed, staring at her. "It'd only end up badly for you. For us. You don't want to do this."

"Oh, you are severely mistaken, Joseph. You see, I do want to do this. Besides, it's not like anyone here would help you! So it's just easy pickings. I'm sure that girlfriend of yours won't miss you as soon as I tell her what we did together those three years ago," she laughed.

"Christine, you are insane, and I won't fight you."

"Good, this will make it easier, than," she stated as she ran forward punching Joseph in the stomach and slamming him through the Casino doors. He slammed against a wall inside, staying held up by it for only a moment before falling to his face. He climbed up, coughing up a bit of blood before crossing his arms over his chest again. She walked in, laughing, "You idiot. You realize I'll just kill you, right?"

"If that's how it has to be to prove that we aren't together anymore, then go for it," he stated, loosening his muscles, preparing for another blow. She charged at him, raising a foot into the air, connecting with his bottom jaw, and sending him flying through the cieling, along with several rooms, before landing on a balcony. He stood up again, coughing up more blood, and rubbing his jaw. Out of the hole, flew the frost covered woman.

"Why can't you just dump her and take me back? We were so perfect together," she pouted as she ran her fingers through her auburn hair. "I promise I'll change, just like you did."

"Sorry, I don't plan on leaving her for someone else. Not now, not tomorrow, not ever. It's going to stay that way, until she gets sick and tired of me. I'd rather die, then leave her. That's just all there is to it," he stated, spitting more blood off to the side.

She quickly lunged forward, punching him in the chest, sending him flying out towards the water. He landed with a few quick skips, slamming into a rock poking out of the water. He slowly began to slide into the water, on the edge of unconciousness. Blood trailed behind him, slowly dripping out the back of his head. Christine swiftly flew down to him, diving into the water to grab his ankles, spinning in the water and sending him flying back into the air, slamming into another Casino. A large imprint of a man was left behind as Joseph fell to the ground from about fifty feet in the air. He slammed into the ground.

Civilians ran to him, seeing if he was ok, as Christine softly landed in the street, walking over casually. "He'll be fine. That was nothing he can't handle," she picked him up by his hair, blood dripping out of his nose and from a cut in his forehead, barely conscious. "Right, Joseph? You've had worse, right?!" She flung him, by his hair, into yet another casino wall. She casually walked over to the near limp body on the ground. His armor had been bashed and cut open, and a goggle had been broken into, revealing an eye. "It's still not too late, you know. I could fly you to the hospital and save you right now. We could end this. All you have to do, is take me back, and dump your whore of a girlfriend."

Immediately, Joseph stood, coughing more blood, "She isn't a whore. And I'll never take you back. I belong to her, and her only."

"Oh, so you're her boytoy, huh? She just does what she wants to you and you take it?"

"It isn't like that."

"Oh? So if I kiss you right now, it would mean nothing, right," she questioned, pulling her respirator off.

"Exactly," he stated boldly, coughing up yet more blood. The woman lunged in, kissing him, and holding it for a long moment before breaking it. "Nothing. Why can't you see that?"

"Maybe it's because of the fact that I know you still have feelings for me. If you didn't, why would you come?"

"I came to resolve this issue. I wanted to prove to her that I was faithful. And thanks to you, I bet she doubts me somewhat now! Thanks to you, she can only trust me so much! Why? I thought we were done with this three years ago."

"We were, but I wanted it back," She stated, grabbing his chest plate, kissing him yet again, before sending him flying into the sky, going through a sign as he ascended. The crazed woman quickly flew up towards him, waiting until he had reached maximum height, slamming an elbow into his back, sending him flying back towards the ground. As Joseph fell, it sounded as though a missile had been launched. He slammed into the ground with a loud bang, sending concrete and metal flying in all directions. Christine softly landed next to the crater she had just made, "Not my best work of art, but it'll do. Are you still alive down there?"

Joseph twitched only a little bit, attempting to push himself up, only being able to flip onto his back to face her. He coughed more violently, blood spurting out, "Of course I am. I've got a promise, and I intend to keep it."

"Oh, how cute. You made a promise you can't keep! Why don't we end this, Joseph? Just give me your phone, and I'll call your little girlfriend and tell her it's all over. Or, would you rather I tell her you're dead, hm?"

Joseph lay motionless, unable to move, and on the verge of unconciousness. Christine slid down into the hole, searching his pockets for his phone. Finding it, she began to go through his pictures, stopping at one, and looking down at him. She showed him the picture of his entire being bruised and purple, grinning, "I think I beat whoever did that." She continued to flip through his pictures, stopping at another. It was one of his current girlfriend, the two of them smiling for the camera, Joseph's arm wrapped around her. "Awww, how cute. She looks way too young for you, Joseph. I think I'll keep this," she laughed, putting his phone into her pocket. She picked him up by his hair, once again, holding him at eye height, "Well, you haven't answered. So I assume what you would've said was, "I'd rather die." In that case, I'll finish this.... How far is Paragon from here? Couple hundred miles? That sounds about right. I hope you have a good trip, and be sure to have fun," she chuckled, throwing him up into the air and spinning around, kicking him in his chest as she glew, sending him flying out of sight towards the direction of Paragon City, Rhode Island.

Joseph landed a few minutes later on the beach in Talos, blood still trickling out as he skipped along the beach, slamming into a rock wall. Joseph coughed and coughed, his eyes slowly shutting, quickly losing conciousness.

An hour passed before he was noticed by an elderly man walking his dog. He quickly called an ambulance for the beaten body, waiting alongside him and helping him as best he could to make sure he stayed alive. Blood glistened with the sand surrounding him, his pulse barely there. A few moments later, a group of medics came down, grabbing him and pulling him up. They quickly went through his wallet, grabbing his ID, and ripping his armor off, putting a blanket over him. PPD came rushing down, too. A few moments later, Joseph went in and out of conciousness, noticing the white halls of the hospital and the masks of the doctors attempting to save his life.