FWOOSH!
KATCHAAAAA!
Powerful streams of bright red kinetic energy moved across the vast expanse of sand and dunes, as a small figure skillfully maneuvered to avoid them.
FWAAASH!
Tavor narrowly avoided another blast from the distant Scott's eyes, his small body and inherent agility making him a difficult target for the X-Man to hit at a distance.
"Hahahahahahahaha good, this is good, so much fun, hahahaha!"
Tavor laughed, his battle lust born from his Saiyan heritage fully displayed as he continued to close the distance.
Scott's visor subtly smoked as he fired beam after beam, his brows furrowing as his cloned mind grew increasingly more aggravated.
Tavor was speedily closing the distance, his fist cocked back for a punch aimed at Scott's head, but before he could fully extend his arm to throw the punch, Scott turned a dial on the side of his visor and a wide beam swept in Tavor's direction, enveloping him completely in crimson light.
"AAAAAAGGGGGGHHHH!"
The intense red glow exerted pressure upon Tavor, his small frame gradually fading from view as he moved away, until he collided forcefully with a considerably high sand dune, causing the sand to be thrown outwards in numerous directions.
Within a depression in the earth, Tavor was situated, with intensely heated fragments of glass, glowing red, moving in a manner resembling molten diamond surrounding his physical form, and droplets of deep red blood were steadily falling onto the surface below him.
"That... That hurt a lot!" Tavor pulled a shard of glass from his back, causing the blood to leak at a greater pace.
Tavor fell over onto his hands as the pain wracked his body, but after gritting his teeth, he stood up, flexing his muscles to the maximum and glaring towards Scott.
Scott, far in the distance, twisted the dial in order to refocus his visor to maximize the range and concentration of his beam and prepared for Tavor to once more rush in his direction.
Tavor's Saiyan blood ignited at the challenge, and with a hard stomp on the ground that sent sand and glass scattering around him, he flashed forward, moving so swiftly that by the time Scott could see him, he was already halfway to reaching him.
Scott unleashed a beam at maximum power in a desperate bid to push Tavor back but before the beam could strike the young Saiyan he slapped his hand into the sand with enough force to push himself off the ground, just above the beam.
Tavor spun in the air until he faced Scott once more, his eyes glowing an ever-intensifying blue-white light that erupted outwards towards Scott, who had yet to cancel his current attack.
The blue-white beam of energy shot with preternatural speed until it impacted Scott's shoulder, piercing through the muscle and bone and out through the other side.
PUCHI!
The beam crashed into the sand carving two distinct, smoking holes in the sand.
Scott's red beam suddenly collapsed and dissipated, he reached up towards the hole in his shoulder before falling onto his knees.
A short distance from Scott, Tavor landed and then began walking steadily towards him as he knelt.
Looking up, Scott appeared to stare right into Tavor's eyes as his visor started glowing red again. But before he could fire his beam, a blue-white energy line shot out from Tavor's pupils and struck Scott's forehead, cutting straight through to the other side.
The copy of Scott fell limply onto the hot sand, his body beginning to flake away into minuscule motes of multicolored light before disappearing in a flash, leaving behind nothing except the damage to the surrounding environment.
Tavor found himself breathing with considerable effort, the discomfort stemming from his injuries made more intense by the profuse flow of perspiration covering his form, however, before long, his injuries closed up and his bodily tissue regenerated.
The surrounding sand and dunes began to return to the pure white space they began as, the sight eliciting a gasp of awe from Tavor as he watched it occur.
Tavor sat cross legged in the empty white expanse, reviewing the fight he had just experienced and came to an inevitable conclusion.
"I can do better!"
Tavor sprang to his feet, every muscle in his small body buzzing with anticipation.
His injuries had vanished completely, leaving behind only faint memories of pain that served to fuel the excitement burning in his chest.
"So it really resets me after every fight..."
He clenched his fists several times, testing them.
Not a single ache remained.
A grin slowly spread across his face.
"This place is incredible!"
His eyes swept across the endless white expanse.
"Hmm..."
He tapped his chin thoughtfully.
"I don't want another desert."
Closing his eyes, he concentrated.
"I want..."
The white void trembled.
"...a circular arena."
The endless floor rippled like disturbed water, low rumbles echoing through the infinite space.
RUMBLE...
Large sections of the pristine white floor began to rise, folding upward as if sculpted by invisible hands.
Stone erupted from beneath the surface.
Towering pillars emerged around the perimeter before crumbling away into perfectly shaped seating that rose in concentric rings.
The smooth white floor darkened into polished gray stone etched with countless shallow cracks, giving it the appearance of an arena that had witnessed thousands of battles.
Massive support columns stretched toward an invisible ceiling before stopping, leaving the arena open beneath an endless white sky.
The circular battlefield measured hundreds of feet across.
Tavor slowly turned in place.
"Wooooah..."
His eyes sparkled.
He stomped one foot against the stone.
THOOM!
The sound echoed throughout the arena.
"Perfect."
His smile sharpened into something more eager.
"Now..."
He rolled his shoulders before dropping into a fighting stance.
"...I need someone stronger."
His mind immediately drifted toward one of the largest members of the X-Men.
"The big guy."
He pictured towering muscles.
Steel-like skin.
A calm face hiding immense strength.
"Colossus."
The arena fell silent.
For a brief moment...
Nothing happened.
Then...
A cluster of multicolored particles gathered near the center of the arena.
Tiny motes of crimson, sapphire, emerald, amber, and silver spiraled together into a rapidly expanding vortex.
The lights condensed.
Bones formed.
Muscles followed, and skin shimmered.
CLANG!
The flesh transformed into gleaming organic steel.
The metallic giant stood well over seven feet tall, every inch of his body reflecting the pale light overhead.
His arms were folded firmly across his broad chest.
His expression remained stoic.
Emotionless.
Prepared.
The polished metal covering his body gleamed like freshly forged chrome, each movement producing the faint sound of grinding steel, his icy blue eyes settled upon Tavor.
Neither spoke.
Neither moved.
For several long seconds...
The arena remained utterly still.
Tavor slowly looked upward.
"...Wow."
He craned his neck farther back.
"...He's even bigger than I remembered."
The little Saiyan bounced twice on the balls of his feet before grinning from ear to ear.
"I wonder..."
His tail swayed excitedly behind him.
"...if I can actually make you move."
At those words, Colossus uncrossed his massive arms.
CLANG.
His enormous fists slowly clenched.
The metallic sound echoed throughout the arena like two hammers striking anvils.
Without a single word...
He lowered himself into a textbook boxing stance.
One enormous hand extended forward.
The other guarded his jaw.
His feet slid apart with practiced precision, even standing still, he radiated the immovable presence of a mountain.
Tavor's heartbeat quickened, his Saiyan instincts screamed with excitement.
His grin widened until every tooth was visible.
"Hehehe..."
"This is going to be awesome!"
BOOM!
The stone beneath Tavor's feet shattered into a spiderweb of cracks as the little Saiyan vanished.
Only a circular shockwave remained where he had been standing.
Colossus' icy blue eyes narrowed.
Too fast.
Suddenly, Tavor manifested himself in the immediate presence of the exceedingly tall mutant, with his rather small hand already traveling rapidly in the direction of the enormous being's stomach region.
BANG!
The punch landed with enough force to dent the arena floor beneath Colossus' boots.
Yet the metal giant barely shifted, causing Tavor's grin to widen.
"So tough!"
FWIP!
He disappeared again.
BANG!
A punch slammed into Colossus' ribs.
FWIP!
CRACK!
Another struck the side of his jaw.
FWIP!
THOOM!
A kick hammered into the giant's knee.
FWIP!
BANG!
A fist crashed into his chest.
FWIP!
WHAM!
Another blow struck the back of his shoulder, and the arena echoed with an endless barrage of impacts.
BANG!
CRACK!
THOOM!
WHAM!
FWIP!
FWIP!
FWIP!
From the perspective of somebody looking on from the outside, Tavor's movements had accelerated to such a degree that all they could perceive were fleeting residual impressions streaking around the transformed metallic being.
Every heartbeat carried another strike.
Every blink delivered three more.
His tiny fists and feet hammered every opening he could find.
His elbows.
His knees.
Even his tail lashed out like a whip whenever an opportunity presented itself.
"Hahahaha!"
"Come on!"
"Move!"
"Move already!"
BANG!
BANG!
BANG!
Dozens of impacts echoed throughout the arena in only a few seconds.
Yet...
Colossus remained rooted to the stone.
His feet never budged, not even an inch, causing Tavor's smile to falter.
"What?!"
He propelled himself with considerable force in an upward direction, executing a rotational movement while airborne, prior to directing both of his feet with great momentum towards the side of the head of the colossal individual.
"Take this!"
BOOOOOOM!
The double kick exploded against Colossus' head.
The metallic mutant's neck tilted...
Barely.
His expression remained completely unchanged.
Tavor's eyes widened.
"...Seriously?!"
For the very first time...
Colossus moved.
Not with urgency.
Not with speed.
Almost lazily.
The enormous mutant simply raised one massive steel arm.
Tavor instinctively attempted to retreat.
Too late.
WHOOM!
The gigantic backhand swept through the air with terrifying simplicity.
It caught Tavor square across the face.
...
BAAAAAAAANG!
The world spun violently.
As his small frame transformed into what could be likened to a projectile fired from a cannon, Tavor's visual perception became indistinct, appearing as elongated lines of white and gray hues.
He skipped across the arena floor once...
Twice...
Three times...
Each impact blasted apart chunks of stone.
BOOM!
BOOM!
BOOM!
Finally, he slammed into one of the arena's outer walls.
KRAAAAAASH!
The impact punched a crater several feet deep into the solid stone.
Fragments of rock rained across the arena.
Silence followed.
A few loose pebbles rolled across the cracked floor.
"..."
Then...
A small hand twitched.
"...Ow..."
Gradually, Tavor extricated himself from the indentation in the ground, gently massaging the portion of his face that was quickly becoming engorged.
His hair stuck out in every direction.
His tail hung limply behind him.
He blinked several times before looking across the arena.
Colossus hadn't moved.
The exceptionally large individual remained stationary in precisely the identical location, bringing his hand down from behind as if he were attempting to brush away an bothersome winged insect.
Tavor stared for several long seconds.
Then...
A laugh escaped him.
"Hehehe..."
It grew louder.
"Hahaha..."
Soon the arena echoed with the delighted laughter of a battle-crazed Saiyan.
"HAHAHAHA!"
He wiped a trickle of blood from the corner of his mouth.
"Now that's what I'm talking about."
His blue-white eyes blazed with excitement as he dropped back into his fighting stance.
"I couldn't even make you take a single step..."
He rolled his aching shoulders, a feral grin spreading across his face.
"Good."
"It would be boring if you were easy."
Located some distance away, a figure of tremendous size raised one of its hands and performed a beckoning motion, subsequently displaying a knowing smile.
"Come, break yourself against my stones!"