Versus (Parts I and II)

Prologue

Calista clutched her ribs, wincing. Her gloved hands clawed at her armor, futilely trying to pry it off to allow more room for her ribs to expand. She swallowed but failed; there wasn't any more water in her throat. She could sense her white skin growing paler by the minute.

The feeling of suffocation was quite terrifying. It was even worse when there wasn't even anything to block one's breathing— it all stemmed from a simple inability to breathe. The nose and mouth completely uncovered, ready to bring in oxygen, but the lungs were too weak and tired to pull it inside.

Her green eyes rose, meeting her opponent's. Only the eyes were shown— the rest was concealed by the cold, black armor. They rose shakily, also tired, but somehow less tired than Calista was.

The girl breathed out, pressing her pink gloves on the ground, and forced herself to her feet. Her legs could just barely hold her weight. Her heart was working overtime to get blood to the rest of her body. She took the deepest breath possible, worried her oxygen would run out any second.

Her opponent charged like a bull, their elbow jutting out like a sword. Calista's voice rang as her oxygen was once again forced out and her body flew through the air, her black hair flowing like a ribbon in the wind, and she crashed painfully on the rocky terrain. The cheers around the two were maddening. Sickening. Calista couldn't believe how these people... a people that was believed to be so loyal and true— they were savages. Animals thrilled at the prospect of seeing innocent people forced to tear each other apart.

She coughed, hastily and clumsily blocking a jab at her throat. Her desperation won over her reluctance and she punched her opponent as hard as she could, enough to break their nose through the protective mask. Her opponent collapsed, clutching their nose.

She tried not to run to them and help. In this arena, there were no bonds. No friends nor family. It was only her and her opponent. One loser, one winner. And the winner had to be her.

Lest she wanted to die in a most gruesome way.

But how could she leave someone she loved to die in such a way? How could she bring herself to sacrifice someone important to her?

She fell again when her opponent savagely punched her in the jaw, sending her flying once more. She landed and slid towards the edge of the rocky cliff. She quickly pressed her gloves to the ground, activating the magnets, and stopped herself from falling into the lava below.

Her opponent was quick to move, jumping high in the air with the boosters, then falling at breakneck speed using the gravity magnets in their boots. Calista quickly scrambled out of the way before they could plummet into her, missing by just an inch. The cliff collapsed from the force, letting the opponent fall towards the lava.

Calista's hand shot out, catching their arm just in time. She yelped as she was pulled by the force, her feet flying into open space, and she reached up, catching the cliff's edge and using her glove to maintain a grip. Her opponent dangled, kicking their legs in panic. With a growl of effort, she threw them up to the cliff and climbed up herself.

Her opponent's eyes flickered up to her, penetrating her like a cat's eyes would, scrutinizing her face. Calista swallowed her tears. She couldn't win this. She couldn't possibly let her loved one die and live on without them. How could she? After everything?

But she wouldn't throw the fight, either. If she was going down, she was going down fighting. She'd already had enough stripped away from her. She'd lost so much, worked so hard. This was the end of her dream.

To think everything seemed so perfect. She'd achieved what she thought she couldn't. She became a fighter in the Versus Games, the most prestigious fighting tournament in the Milky Way Utopia, thinking she could be part of such a proud and distinguished world of brave and strong competitors. She should've known it was all too easy. She should've known she wasn't as talented as she thought she was.

She glared at her opponent. "Is that the best you've got?" she gritted out.

They stared at her, eyes sharp. There was dead silence despite the chaos around the two. Calista could still see it, though, she could see the humanity left in her opponent's eyes. That cold, unforgiving light they held wasn't apathy. It was... fear. It had to be.

"I'm sorry." The voice was almost foreign, yet so familiar. It no longer held the comfort it used to. "I'm sorry, Cali. I really am."

"I am, too."

Ignoring the pain in her heart, she ran head-on towards her opponent, letting out a piercing battle cry as she leapt in the air and hammered her heel down. To the spectators, it was a cry of finality, of bravery, of the desire to crush her opponent into nothingness and win the tournament's final. But for Calista, that cry was one of utter despair.

===

In 2114, Mars began the Milky Way Utopia by reaching out to Earth peacefully during a difficult time for humankind, offering resources, aid, and alliance. Slowly, other planets from the Solar System and other neighboring systems came forward to form their alliances.

However, the Utopia wasn't formed without struggle. Planet Hajja, a notoriously hostile and elitist people, declared war on Paeseo, their former slave planet. The conflict drew many planets into the fray, dividing the developing Utopia. After a bloody, 10-year conflict, many leaders from every planet met together, devising a plan to solve the conflict without any more innocent bloodshed.

The Versus Games were born, created to maintain peaceful relations between combative planets by providing an environment where conflicts can be settled through competitive, controlled battle. Every four (Earth) years, the planets come together to compete against each other for a title of honor, power, and pride. Any grievances between people and planets, no matter the species, will be resolved through the Versus Games, and the games only, without allowing innocent people to suffer the repercussions of such tension. Fighters are able to practice self-control, discipline, and good sportsmanship, further providing a peaceful and united Utopia.

For over two centuries, the Games have been successful. Surely, nothing will break this status quo.

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