VECTOR IN DC

In the shadowy confines of the alleyway, the Amazon warrior found herself locked in a fierce struggle. She gritted her teeth, straining to pry his hand from her face as she grabbed hold of the arm that held her captive. Her fury boiled over as she twisted her body, channeling her strength into a powerful kick aimed at his chest, determined to break free and regain control of the fight.

To her dismay, the force of her kick was effortlessly redirected, sending a shockwave of energy coursing back through her own body. The unexpected reversal knocked her off balance, and she was hurled backward, slamming into a rusted dumpster with a resounding crash. The impact rattled her bones, but the pain was nothing compared to the seething anger that surged within her.

As she staggered to her feet, her mind raced with disbelief and outrage. That someone could not only withstand her strength but also overpower her so effortlessly was an affront to everything she stood for. She, an Amazon warrior, had faced countless foes and emerged victorious time and again. 

She had been training hard and gotten stronger since her last encounter with Ace, thinking she must have caught up to him. But his fight with Darksied proved how overwhelming his strength was.

But here, in this grimy alley, her pride had been wounded as deeply as any physical injury.

The insult cut deep, fueling her rage to new heights. She had yet to draw blood, yet to land a blow that could turn the tide of this battle in her favor. The very thought was intolerable. Her blood burned with the desire for retribution, her warrior’s spirit refusing to accept defeat.

With a snarl of determination, she reached for her sword, the cold steel feeling reassuring in her hand. Her shield was raised in the other, its surface gleaming faintly in the dim light. 

Ace stood before her, his demeanor unreadable, almost mocking in its calmness. He seemed unphased, as though her earlier assault had been nothing more than a mild inconvenience. This only fueled her anger further, igniting a fire in her chest that demanded she prove her superiority.

Without warning, she lunged forward, her sword slicing through the air with lethal precision. The blade arced toward his midsection, the force behind it capable of cleaving through bone and sinew. She aimed to cripple him, to make him feel the pain that coursed through her—both physical and emotional.

But he was fast—unnaturally so. Ace sidestepped her attack with a fluid grace that belied his size, his movement so effortless it was as if he had anticipated her strike before she even began. The Amazon’s sword struck nothing but air, the momentum of her swing pulling her slightly off balance.

He countered in a flash, his arm lashing out to strike her shield with a resounding impact that reverberated through her entire body. The force of the blow nearly knocked the shield from her grasp, and she grunted as she struggled to maintain her footing.

Yet, she refused to relent. With a fierce cry, she swung her shield outward, hoping to catch him off guard, but he was already on the move, dancing out of reach before she could land a hit. It was infuriating—the way he seemed to evade her with such ease, as though the battle was merely a game to him.

But this was no game to her. This was a matter of honor, of survival, and for justice. Her pride as an Amazon, as a warrior, was on the line. She would not be bested by some criminal scum, not by him or anyone else.

With an overwhelming presence, Ace slowly descended from the night sky,

eyes fixed on Wonder Woman below. She was trying to steady herself, her breaths deep and controlled as she prepared herself. She had noticed that something was off with her, though—her movements were not as sharp, her attacks not as precise. It was as if Ace was toying with her, pushing her to her limits while barely exerting himself.

Ace, with a voice calm yet laced with a subtle menace, addressed her, "Honestly, I have no interest in such a trivial and pointless fighting. You and your circus crew need to back off and let me finish up my business with Goldie over there," he said, nodding toward Jamie, who was watching from a distance.

Wonder Woman, her eyes narrowing in determination, responded with a firm tone, "If you wish to stop all this, then stand down and come with us. You previously ignored this offer, and I doubt you have had a change of mind. That is good, I do not care about you surrendering yourself anymore.”

Her posture shifted into a battle stance, every muscle in her body tensed and ready. "Now is the time to put an end to your wrong doings, once and for all." she declared, her voice carrying a fierce resolve as she glared at Ace.

Without warning, Wonder Woman charged at Ace, her sword flashing as she swung it with all her might. Even with her tight grip, her sword was knocked off her arm before it could reach Ace.

He countered with a powerful blow that would have sent her flying, but he caught her mid-air with his telekinesis, holding her suspended as he delivered another powerful hit. This time, she crashed through the side of a commercial building, the impact shattering glass and concrete, sending debris raining down onto the streets below.

The boldly enough citizens who had been watching from a safe distance gasped. With tense gaze, they all stared at the silhouette figure, trying to satisfy their curiosity of who had made that crash fall. 

Their eyes widened with shock as they recognized the figure who had just been sent crashing down. A young boy, pointing towards the rubble, exclaimed, "It’s Wonder Woman!”

Wonder Woman staggered to her feet, her body battered but her spirit unbroken. Before she could fully recover, Ace descended from the sky at incredible speed, his fist colliding with her in a devastating blow that drove her into the ground, creating a massive crater beneath her. The impact shook the very earth, and for a moment, the world seemed to hold its breath.

Gasping for air, Wonder Woman coughed, blood staining the ground beneath her. She crawled, each movement a struggle, reaching out for her sword with trembling hands. Ace, hovering above her, looked down with cold indifference.

"We are done here," Ace stated confidently, his voice devoid of emotion. His eyes held a look of finality, as if this battle was beneath him, and he was ready to move on.

Wonder Woman, clutching her sword, forced herself to her feet, her legs trembling with the effort. She glared at him, her voice filled with defiance as she spat out, "You seem to forget who you’re up against!"

With a determined step, she attempted to lunge at Ace, but her body betrayed her. Her legs buckled, and she collapsed to her knees, blood pouring from her mouth as she coughed violently. 

Wonder Woman’s body trembled as she kneeled, struggling to breathe, her eyes widening in shock. Blood began to trickle from her nose and ears, a horrifying realization dawning on her. She had faced countless enemies, endured unimaginable pain, but this was different. This was something she had never felt before.

“What... did you do to me?” she demanded, each word punctuated by a violent cough, blood spraying from her lips. The pain was unbearable, as if her insides were being torn apart.

Ace hovered above her, his expression cold and detached. “Knowing what I did is of no use to you. Right now, you’re at my mercy,” he said calmly. There was no hint of remorse in his voice, only a chilling indifference. Wonder Woman had believed she was withstanding his blows during their fight, but in truth, each punch Ace landed had a more sinister purpose.

With each strike, Ace had sent static shock waves rippling through her body, targeting her cells, reverberating within her. These shock waves accumulated, focused on her internal organs, building in intensity until they began to tear her apart from the inside.

 It was a slow, agonizing process, designed to incapacitate even the strongest of beings. A normal person would have died instantly, but Wonder Woman’s extraordinary resilience only prolonged the suffering.

Ace, watching her struggle, seemed almost curious about how long she would last. But he wasn’t taking any chances. Without warning, he descended rapidly, his fist slamming into her gut. The impact forced the air from her lungs as she gasped, her body convulsing in shock. Ace didn’t stop there—his hand plunged into her abdomen, fingers curling around her spleen. Wonder Woman’s eyes widened in disbelief, her mouth opening in a silent scream as she struggled to comprehend the searing pain.

“This should take your body some time to heal from,” Ace murmured, his voice low and calm, almost as if he were discussing something trivial. With a quick, brutal motion, he ripped her spleen from her body and dropped it to the ground before her. Wonder Woman collapsed, clutching her bleeding gut, her strength rapidly fading. Ace looked down at her with a mixture of pity and disdain before turning away, uninterested in finishing her off.

“Wait…” Wonder Woman’s voice, weak and strained, stopped him in his tracks. She didn’t have the strength to get up, but she forced herself to speak. “Why don’t you finish me off? You must be afraid to deal the finishing blow…” 

Ace didn’t respond immediately. Instead, he let out a brief, maniacal laugh that sent chills down her spine. She was struggling to hold on to her pride as an Amazon warrior, but Ace’s actions had wounded it deeply.

“Or is this some kind of merciful act so I owe you some kind of favor?” she asked, her voice growing fainter, her gaze burning with a fierce determination even in her weakened state.

Ace glanced over his shoulder, his expression unreadable. “Think of it however you want,” he replied, making it clear that he had no intention of justifying his actions to her. For him, the battle was already over.

“Death is highly overrated anyway.” He muttered before taking off.

“Sir, you’ve got incoming,” Gwen’s voice crackled in his earpiece, calm and professional.

“What the fuck is it this time?” Ace muttered, his gaze fixed on the horizon. He could see them now—dozens, no, hundreds of projectiles converging on his location. His mind raced, calculating the possibilities of what they might be.