Elimination Exit

[Ash]

What could be interpreted as sunbeams streamed through the sheer curtains of the med-bay, Karl Jak's finest team of doctors and nurses milling about and doing what they could when they could. A slight breeze brought fresh air in from somewhere magical. On it carried a scent of fresh cut grass and the sound of spring. As if comparing the harshness of Dante's Abyss to the winters of New New York. She felt the softest brush of translucent fabric along her damaged body as she struggled to come back to life.

Once they had managed to pull Ash out of the sludge gore, the damage report was a solid 3 broken ribs, multiple shot wounds, fractures in almost every bone between her neck and knees, ugly yellow bruising through her body, a fractured horn, and several other highly infected minor wounds. Apparently when you rolled around in gore and mud after being beaten to a pulp, shit can get worse. The senzu bean did most of the work, mending bones and stitching the muscles and flesh back together, only leaving those horrific swollen yellow bruises upon her purplish-blue skin to be iced by a team of nurses until it looked like the layers of traumatized flesh finally were finding relief.

When her ice-white eyes peeled open she flinched and closed them back. Her dominant hand - which had been previously unmovable - floated up over her eyes to guard them against the light. As she stirred, Daxter jerked awake at her side. At first, it didn't register what it meant for the arm he'd nested into for the last few hours to move, then it slapped him in the face like his own tail sometimes did.

"Ash!" He cried out happily and tackled her as best as the only creature in the OV that was lighter than herself.

"Oof," Ash grunted in response but allowed the ottsel to nuzzle her unprotected breast. "What happened? I feel like I was hit by a truck." She settled back into the bedding.

"I mean... You DID fight Gildarts. It’s almost the same thing." Daxter said, pulling off of her. His eyes lit up exceptionally bright and then he readied to bolt again. "I gotta tell Jak you're okay!"

"Whoa!" She snatched him out of the air and pulled him back close to her heart. He was pleasantly warm. "Let him rest."

"Yeah, but-" He stopped to adjust to looking her in the eyes. "You should have seen the way he freaked out when you just up and vanished!"

"Lower your voice, Dax, I have one hell of a hangover..."

"Sorry." Orange Lightning lowered his whole body.

"I did see. I was right there. It's a defensive mechanic. I exhaust myself dealing out as much damage as I can absorb. If I didn't do it, I would have been in worse condition. If you can even imagine that." She sounded slightly annoyed but petted him as gently as ever.

"I can't," Daxter commented, but he tried. When he did, his throat felt tight. "But, Dark was even worried about you. Shouldn't I tell them you are okay?"

"They know I am okay. If I didn't die then I was guaranteed to live." Ash used her unfathomable logic to cut off any other arguments. "He's going to need his rest if he's going to get through next round without me." She explained, trying to relax while also trying to sit up. The ache was deep and flared up with the slightest movement. The body mended but the pain still lingered. She couldn't help but smile to herself, enjoying it as a full-blooded masochist that she was, but on a professional level primarily.

"Well I mean you might be right there, I just th-" The precursor looked up when he finally heard her. "Wait, what?"

"Yeah," Ash said, sitting up and pulling herself into a position to hold him between her legs and stroke his long body. "I don't' think I'm very cut out for this thing... Jak's a better fighter, and he has more experience. I'm almost a hindrance to him."

"No... No. I don-"

"Shhh." Ash has placed her previously broken finger against his lips. "We both know you'd be better off fighting by his side.”

Daxter didn’t know that for sure, but he became suddenly aware why she’d think that. His bravery, his courage, his confidence! His handsome good looks.

“Just do me a favor and watch over him, okay?” She explained before she leaned over and gave Daxter a kiss on the top of his head. “When you two have won this thing, you come to find me.”

“Okay…” Daxter couldn’t argue with her, anymore.

“Hey.” Ash put her finger against his chin and brought him up to face her. “Don’t be letting anyone else give you a victory kiss.”

Daxter smiled, pulled away, brushed his ears back and stuck his thumbs in his pants. “You got it, babe.” He winked at her, and then ran off, splitting the sheer white sheets apart as he darted down and out of the bed, then into the hall where she could hear gasps, screams, and other complaints.

Ash smiled, but her grin was stretched across her lips for a completely different reason. Across from her sat a tall well-built male known as Gildarts Clive himself. She giggled to herself, the image of him covered in bandages amused her greatly. “What a surprise. Coming to see if I am well?”

The Crash Mage looked up when he heard Ash’s voice. He looked a lot better off than last time she laid eyes on him. “Ash.” His greeting was as warm and friendly as before the fight.

The Storm Demon smiled back just as warmly. She pulled off the thin blankets as she dragged her feet across the bed and off the edge. “How are you feeling big guy?” She asked, stepping onto the cold clean floor with her bare feet. They had to discard her clothing and now a hospital gown hung unflatteringly off her bony shoulders.

“One hundred percent,” Gildarts answered with as much fake enthusiasm as any other contestant might have after a loss.

She laughed as she came closer on shaking legs, her tail waving in a stiff curl, assisting her with balance as best as it can. “Well, then I can do this.” She said, taking another step closer, only to fall forward. As predicted, the strongest prime reached out to catch her, scooping the small framed woman up in his arm protectively. Ash grinned up at him and took his jaw in her hand. “Your consolation prize, sir.”

He didn’t fight her when she pulled him down by the back of the neck, nor when his lips met hers. He was held there by the morality mirrored humanoid, first by the firm grip of her bruised colored fingers, then by the arm that slid around him as she deepened the kiss. Not one to let her down, Gildarts followed. Her other hand’s fingers found its way into his auburn colored hair, as she relaxed in his arms. There was a long beautiful moment of making out where Ash could hear her racing heartbeat pounding against her eardrums. She wasn’t sure if it was because of how good the kiss was getting as their lips part and their tongues meet, or if it was the rush of adrenaline coursing through her blood caused by being so close to someone who could snap her like a twig.

They probably could have gone for hours. Progress from a quiet but exciting make out session to full on love-making was a very real possibility, if it weren’t for the dozen of witnesses still milling about. She let him choose when enough was enough, and eventually, Gildarts pulled away from her. She liked to imagine the parting was as mentally painful for him as it was to her.

She smirked when he chuckled. “That makes it almost worth loosing.” He teased her.

“At least I can handle winning against the great and powerful.” She breathed heavier, tempting him with her full lips once more. She could see he thought about it before he helped her back to her feet.

“Trust me. I have a lot to work on myself.” He tried to remain humble, even in the presence of a gorgeous woman.

“Trust me.” Ash gave him an obvious look over as she twisted her leg over the other and leaned a bit on her hip, away from him. “You don’t have to work on much.” She purred and then smiled his way.

“Flattery will get you everywhere, Ash.” He chuckled.

“How about your bed?” Ash asked boldly.

Gildarts let out a loud roaring manly laugh, one that apparently hurt his stomach, causing him to stop shortly after he started. “You’re one hell of a woman, you know that?”

“Puns, really Gildarts?” She teased, but this one went over his handsome head. He gave her a slightly confused look, but she just reaches up and slicked back his hair for him. “Take it easy, Gil. If you need any help, you have my number.”

“I do?” Gildarts asked.

“Now you do,” Ash said, winking at him. At that time he received a message from an unknown number, a winking emote and a heart. Signed Ash. “See ya around, big man.” She teased, then with what seemed like impossible balance just a moment later, Ash stood up and headed toward the hall. She stopped to turn back and add: “Anything at all, Gildarts.” She implied, her tone told him all he needed to know. And then she was gone from his sight.

-

Stopping in the hallway before the pads, she caught the bench where she met Kanda on in her eyes and stopped to send a text, the cyberdeck appearing at her side in a matter of seconds. A few later, she hit the send button and dismissed the device.

The Storm Demon in a hospital gown flashed the camera crews a peace sign on the way to the telepads. She took a stance that would have been far sexier had she been in her own outfit, then instructed the operate with a sly smirk. “Ashen Steppes, please.” A few seconds later, she welcomed the zero-gravity stomach-turning swirly feeling as she was teleported to her requested verse!