ORIGIN

The benefit of having an opponent break the rules just to try and beat the shit out of you was that you ended up looking pretty good in comparison. A noble sportswoman who was unlawfully assaulted by an underhanded delinquent - who may or may not be her kid. Ideally it wasn't. Relic didn't want to be culpable for whatever went wrong in the Agate's development.

The patch that covered her left eye looked pretty sick too. She wouldn't lose it, and she'd likely avoid infection thanks to the medical attention received, but considering the dressings and such it was a lot safer to just slap something over it all for the moment. Relic hoped her next opponent wouldn't be too much of an asshole about it.

Or too much of an asshole like, generally. That last fight had sucked.

With a dozen more chips in her helmet, she stepped into the ring. She had a vague idea of who she'd be fighting - enough to know that it wouldn't be the massive purple monster that she'd gotten dangerously close to having to fight. But she knew this one certainly wasn't small either.

Relic waited for Abaddon to arrive, her nerves fading some since her previous fights.

"What?"

Again, Relic was starting the fight more than a little taken aback. It was better than getting cussed out in the first few seconds, at least? But it wasn't ideal.

She tried to puzzle it out in her head to no avail - she'd seen Abaddon's opponent a total of twice. Once in passing, one more as they shouted from the stands. Was it because they both glowed orange?

The confusion was almost enough to distract Relic from how large Abaddon was compared to her. She'd have to be strategic. She couldn't just slap this guy until he gave up - she'd need to use his mass against him.

"This is the first time. Let's... Just get it started."

Relic shot forward, body low, to crash into Abaddon's legs with her armour taking the brunt of any unintended damage.

Neither animal had the necessary neck support for headbutting, but considering the difference in size class between the two, Relic would've been much worse off had Abaddon's skull connected with hers.

But the bull had shot too high, or too late - she felt the air shift as he leapt toward and over her, punctuated by the sharp impact of his right leg on her armor, bone and metal ringing against each other in the explosion of dust.

They both turned to face each other, giving Relic an opportunity a moment to survey the damage before they collided again. She noted the way Abaddon carried his injured limb, her strategy crystallising.

Relic shot forward again, but with a specific target in mind. She held herself like a battering ram, hoping to take out the bull's left forelimb to inhibit his movement even further.

Relic could almost hear the bull's brain churn to life. Abaddon had the mass she didn't, but he seemed to struggle with figuring out how to use it best. That's where she could get ahead - she was used to split-second decisions.

But he seemed to be figuring out in the time he had. A head-on collision was what Relic was keen on avoiding, leaning heavily on her agility. In terms of strength, she was utterly outclassed.

But Abaddon didn't need four working legs to pose a threat. She saw his weight shift as she closed the distance, and in the moment she decided that landing a strike wasn't worth getting flattened. She needed to stay on her feet if she wanted a chance at winning.

She pivoted last second, darting away to the left as Abaddon heaved forward. She whirled to face him again at her now safe( r ) distance, wings flared.

Relic considered Abaddon again as he turned to face her a long, awkward moment later. She'd done a number on his leg, more than she'd anticipated. Guilt shot through her as she watched the bull hobble through a 90 degree turn.

He didn't stand a chance.

Abaddon managed to begin shuffling towards Relic again, but the speed and momentum of his previous charges was absent. She sought to take advantage of this apparent vulnerability, exploding into movement again, seeking to slam into his left side at speed.