"Pretty my ass. Didn't you see? My butt touched something filthy. Damn it, Wade actually stuck his tongue out. What the hell!"
Johnny shouted, his voice cracking as he nearly burst into tears before sprinting off into the distance.
Behind him, Deadpool's body fumbled around blindly, trying to locate its missing head, while the severed head on the ground kept yelling after Johnny.
"Don't run too far, you bastard. Once the main fight is settled, you still have to take us to your safe house!"
"Go to hell!"
Johnny flipped him off from afar, then burst into flames and shot into the sky. From above, he stared eagerly at Axel and Cassandra.
If he had not seen it himself, he would never have believed Axel could actually push Cassandra this far.
At this point, Johnny did not care if Axel turned out to be even more twisted than Cassandra. As long as she lost, that was enough.
They had endured Cassandra's madness for far too long. Even if Axel was no better, at least it was a change.
Under Johnny's watchful gaze, Axel's outstretched right hand shifted into a flicker of flame before reforming into normal flesh.
He flexed his fingers and smiled at Cassandra.
"You answered my riddle. So what is your wish? As long as it is reasonable, I can grant it. Just do not ask for something ridiculous."
He paused, then smirked.
"And before you get ideas, I am not interested in you. Not my type."
"Heh."
Cassandra let out a soft laugh, her eyes gleaming.
"It has been a long time since I felt this excited."
She tilted her head, thinking.
"The last time... I believe it was when I encountered Charles."
Axel raised an eyebrow.
"Which Charles?"
Cassandra sneered.
"Charles Xavier. My brother. The one I nearly killed before we were even born. The one you people call Professor X."
She tapped her forehead, her expression growing sharper.
"I almost strangled him with the umbilical cord."
From a distance, Wade's body, still clutching its head, chimed in.
"I get that. There were plenty of times I wanted to kill my roommate too."
Cassandra rolled her eyes.
"This is why I dislike Wade. He talks too much. And you are not much better."
As her voice faded, Axel's body suddenly changed.
His skin peeled away in layers, unfolding like petals around his muscles.
Ignoring the tearing sensation, Axel flicked his hand. In an instant, his arm transformed into a streak of fire and reappeared inside Cassandra's chest.
Her brows tightened.
"Do you have any other way of fighting?"
Axel tilted his head.
"What, you want something more traditional?"
"I want a real fight."
Her voice sharpened.
"Show me your power."
In the next moment, Axel's body exploded.
Blood scattered across the ground, but instead of remaining as it was, it blossomed into countless delicate flowers.
Cassandra stared at them, her expression turning thoughtful.
"Another unkillable one. Then what if I do not kill you? What if I turn every cell in your body into something else, something alive like these flowers? You would not die, just exist differently."
She watched the flowers closely.
"I wonder what you would say then."
One of the largest flowers slowly opened its petals.
Axel's voice emerged from within, low and calm.
"Then you would find that no matter what I become, the meaning stays the same."
The flower ignited, flames consuming it before Axel stepped out, fully restored.
Cassandra narrowed her eyes.
"What about this?"
Her voice dropped.
Axel's body shot into the sky and burst apart like fireworks, scattering across the Void.
Cassandra looked up, anticipation flickering in her gaze.
"If I scatter every part of you across this entire land, how long would it take you to come back?"
"Instantly."
Axel's voice appeared behind her.
He materialized from flame, grabbing her waist before making an exaggerated motion.
"Because I am already here."
Cassandra's expression shifted sharply as she turned intangible, letting Axel pass through her.
Axel grinned.
"Your ability is troublesome. I cannot touch you if you do not allow it."
"You are the last person who should say that."
Cassandra shot back, raising her hand again.
"I will erase your existence. I will feed you to Alioth. Let us see if you can escape that."
With a sharp motion, she waved her hand.
The ground beneath Axel twisted. In an instant, he found himself surrounded by black mist.
Before he could react, his presence vanished.
A second later, flames flickered.
Axel reappeared in front of Cassandra.
"Was that Alioth? Looked more like a storm cloud to me."
Cassandra's eyes widened.
"Impossible. No one returns after being erased."
She waved her hands again.
The battlefield shifted as Alioth was pulled closer, its massive form looming.
Before anyone could react, Axel was thrown directly into its body.
Moments passed.
Then flames ignited again.
Axel stepped out, completely unharmed.
"This is impossible."
Cassandra repeated the process.
Again and again, Axel was sent into Alioth, and each time he returned.
"What is impossible?"
Axel asked casually.
Cassandra's composure began to crack.
"This is not right. What are you?"
She hurled him back once more.
Axel returned again.
"What is not right?"
"To hell with you, Axel!"
Her voice broke as her hands moved rapidly, shifting his position again and again.
For a moment, countless versions of Axel were thrown into Alioth.
Yet no matter how many times she tried, he always came back.
Finally, Cassandra shut her eyes.
"Stay away from me. Just stay away!"
With a desperate shout, she teleported herself and Alioth far from Axel.
Far away, Alioth hovered in confusion, its massive form rippling as it tried to understand what had just happened.
It had devoured something over and over.
Yet somehow, it was still not full.
===
If you want to read more, check out my patreon.
Patreon.com/ _Zeph