Strength and Power

Story
John lays Tack down next to Eddy, both of them out cold.

Padmé: Tack won and he’s still out cold.

John: Just shows that this is serious. Strong enough for you, Charmcaster?

Charmcaster: Yeah.

Sunder: (Steps onto the stage.) Hey, Lucci! Come on out! I’ve got a bone to pick with you.

Lucci: (Snarls) Sorry, but my prey is John.

John: Yeah, but my prey is someone different. You’ll have to settle.

Sunder: You took my arm off. (Holds up right arm.) It’s time to make you pay for it.

Lucci: That karma already happened. (Holds up left arm) I lost this arm before my death. What’s more, I know you aren’t a match for me. (Lucci gets onto the stage, Darkstar, Gwen, Kevin and Zs'Skayr watching.)

Sunder: You’ve been out of the running for a while. I’ve been training for this for a long time.

John: Be careful, Sunder.

Sunder: Alright.

Animo: The third match, Knight Lucci vs. Sunder, begin!

Sunder pulls out his revolver, rapidly firing lasers at Lucci. Lucci stands still, taking all the attacks. Lucci is unharmed by the attacks.

Lucci: (Dusting off his shirt) My skin is still as tough as an Appoplexian. You’ll have to do better than that.

Sunder: I plan to.

Sunder pulls out a small grenade launcher, and fires a grenade. It hits the ground by Lucci, exploding with the force of Pacifista’s laser. Sunder fires five more grenades, all enveloping Lucci. The smoke fades, and Lucci’s shirt was destroyed, revealing a muscular body. He has no other injuries.

Lucci: If you’re ready, I’d like to get started.

Lucci is behind Sunder, and kicks him in the back, causing him to stumble forward. Sunder regains his balance, and turns to punch at Lucci. Lucci catches it, and jumps, slamming his leg into Sunder’s head. Lucci’s face cringes in pain, as he comes off, shifting his weight off that leg.

Sunder: (Knocking on his head) Pretty thick, huh?

Sunder goes to punch Lucci, who jumps over Sunder. Sunder turns, and punches Lucci straight in the face, sending him across the field. Lucci stands up, his eyes full of bloodlust.

John: I’ve never seen those eyes before.

Sunder: Huh. I almost forgot you are originally an Appoplexian.

Lucci goes down on all fours, running forward, and pounces at Sunder. Sunder draws his axe, blocking Lucci’s attack. Lucci swings around the axe, kicking Sunder in the stomach. Lucci uses his leg to push the axe away, and punches Sunder multiple times. Sunder kicks Lucci away, and turns a dial on his axe. Lucci then swings his left fist at Sunder, and Sunder swings his axe, hitting Lucci in the arm. A red flash occurs, and when it fades, Lucci’s arm was gone.

Lucci: NO! (Roars) WHAT DID YOU DO?!

Sunder: Sent it to another dimension. You’ll never see it again.

Lucci charges in again, and jumps and kicks at Sunder. Sunder uses his axe to block, when Lucci kicks it away. Lucci punches Sunder, when he roars triumphantly. Sunder pulls out a grenade, pressing a button and stuffing it in Lucci’s mouth. Sunder pushes Lucci away, and it explodes in his mouth. Lucci’s face is dazed, and he falls over, unconscious.

Animo: Winner, Sunder! (Phantom teleports in.)

Phantom: Now, that was pitiful Lucci. I expected more from you. Darkstar, I expect results from you. You begged to be a Knight. Now prove you are one. (Grabs Lucci, and teleports away.)

Darkstar: As you command. (Steps onto the stage.) Now, who is my unlucky foe?

Hex: You’re the unlucky foe. (Comes onto the stage.) You were the only foe left undesired, so I took you.

Darkstar: So you all underestimate me? Fine. You are too old to be a threat to me.

Animo: The fourth match, Knight Darkstar vs. Hex, begin!

Darkstar fires a dark energy bolt, which Hex counters with a mana blast. Darkstar flies at Hex, and Hex raises his staff, the field crumbling and the debris flying at Darkstar. Darkstar flies up higher, the debris following him. Darkstar releases a powerful burst of dark energy, destroying the debris. A lightning bolt comes from the sky, hitting Darkstar and causing him to fall. Darkstar stops himself before hitting the ground, and he is surrounded by fire.

Darkstar: You think you can harm me like this? '''Silicus Milez Sasitatio! '''(Four stone creatures come out of the ground, forming around Darkstar.)

The flames die, and Darkstar flies above them, draining all of them of their mana, his power increasing. The stone creatures break apart, as Darkstar lands, empowered. Hex raises his staff, absorbing mana from the environment.

Hex: I am lightyears ahead of you, boy. You can’t defeat me.

Darkstar: All of your power comes from that staff of yours. (Darkstar fires a quick dark energy blast, knocking the staff out of his hand.) Now, die. (Darkstar fires a powerful dark energy blast.)

Hex: Magnum Vox! (Hex fires a powerful mana blast from his hands, the two attacks deadlocking.)

Darkstar’s attack starts to break through, and Darkstar starts walking forward. Hex’s staff returns to his hand, and Hex’s power increases, starting to push Darkstar back. Darkstar strength weakens, and Hex’s attack breaks through, knocking Darkstar down.

Hex: You are out of power.

Darkstar: I am never out of power, as long as there is life. (Darkstar fires a dark energy beam at a group of Forever Knights standing and watching, draining them and turning them to dust, their armor falling to the ground. Darkstar gets up, refueled.)

Lucy: Michael! He’s even crueler than before. Killing those people without a second thought.

Darkstar fires another dark energy blast, and Hex raises a mana shield, caught off guard. Darkstar drains through the shield, and his energy beam hits Hex. Hex is being drained, falling to his knees. Hex raises his staff, but Darkstar takes it from him, breaking it in half. Hex groans in pain from his energy being drained.

Hex: My, power.

Darkstar: Any last words?

Hex: (Closing his eyes) Yes. I do. Hope! (Charmcaster lifts her head up, John noticing this.) Lead our people to prosperity, never let one as evil as Adwaita ever rule our land again. (Hex smiles, as Darkstar increases the power, and Hex’s body turns to dust.)

Charmcaster: UNCLE!

Team Heroes

 * Sunder (competes)
 * Hex (competes) (death)
 * Charmcaster
 * John Smith
 * Lucy Mann
 * Eddy (out cold)
 * Tack (out cold)

Others

 * Padmé Amidala
 * Julie Yamamoto

New Chess Pieces

 * Rob Lucci (competes)
 * Darkstar (competes)
 * Phantom
 * Zs'Skayr
 * Gwen Tennyson
 * Kevin Levin
 * Dr. Animo

Trivia

 * Lucci loses his arm again.
 * This is the first time Sunder uses the feature on his axe to send objects to different dimensions, as it happens in the canon series.
 * This is the first time a hero in the War Games is killed, being Hex.
 * John learns Charmcaster's true name is Hope.