Paranatural (paranaturalcom) wrote, @ 2023-09-15 01:52:00 |
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https://www.paranatural.net/comic/chapte
I am having a lot of fun with this scene :^) I love fights. In other news, I put some cool stuff up on Patreon the other day: a bunch of art for Paranatural and my work-in-progress project Animal Star, plus... the first two chapters of a novel I am writing?? If you'd like to support my workâwhich would be appreciated now more than everâyou can get access to the aforementioned content at the $5+ level! Thanks for reading, and thanks for all of your support, and for spreading and enjoying my work!
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[Transcript]
They were minutes deep into the woods before the masked figure first spoke. â...I commend you for your valor,â he said in a deep, deliberate whisper. Theyâd stopped in a dark clearing, and the giant turned around to face the ghost heâd led thus far.
Crush popped his thumb-sized pinky from his ear. âWuzzat?â he asked, flicking away some ectoplasmic wax. He hadnât once stopped smiling since their hike far from the Guerrasâ house first started.
âYour lying to the boy. It was noble of you. He meant to call for reinforcements, yes?â The figure spread his arms in gentle welcome, like a priest giving a sermon. âBut you stopped him.â Slowly, both his huge hands balled, becoming mighty fists. âAnd so there was no need for me to stop him.â KrrshHKK!! Crackling, ice-blue spectral energy sparked free from his hulking shoulders, surging as though held back until now. âErgo, you fight alone... and I commend you for your valor.â
Crush snickered, then broke out in a guffaw. âHA! Oh, that? Nah, I just knew my Master would make reeeal short work of ya.â He looked the figure up and down, unfazed by his display. âBut Iâm glad to hear weâre gonna fight! Iâve been itchinâ for a chance to REALLY let loose without gettinâ interrupted
â...I see,â the figure said. âThat will make this... easier
âYou lookinâ for reasons to hold back already, big guy? Donâtchya think thatâs kinda cocky?â Crush slipped into an easy fighting stance, suddenly outlined by a smooth sheen of purple energy. He grinned a vicious grin. âWhat if your best ainât good enough to beat me?â
âI am sorry,â droned the figure, shadowed now behind raised fists, âbut it will be.â
Blue and purple crashed together as both fighters lunged in one bright instant. FWOOM!! A mammoth punch scattered leaves, among the first of autumnâs fallen, as one huge fist found empty air. Crack crack CRACK!! Three landed in the opening it left.
The skull-masked figure grunted as he stumbled back, sinking to one knee.
Crush blew a wisp of violet from the hand that had delivered the last uppercut in his combo, like smoke from off the barrel of a gun. âYou got a name, big guy?â he asked, grinning down at his opponent.
âNot... w-while I wear this mask,â the figure wheezed. With effort, he rose back up to his feet. âI am simply Ape,â said Ape, and raised his fists once more.
âNameless dude named Ape. You got it, big guy,â Crush laughed, circling his foe. âListen, Ape. I got ya read real good now, so help me check my work, mâkay
The grinning ghost dove in before the sentence finished, ducked a haymaker from Ape, and struck him three more times straight in the stomach. When an elbow fell to punish him, a length of purple chain was waiting for it. With an unbecoming hoot, Crush yanked the tangled giant towards the ground, then kneed him back to full height with a leg that heâd just conjured. Ape swayed, almost losing his balance, as he scrambled to make distance.
âThatâs meat that Iâve been poundinâ. Youâre a spectral, yeah? Is that right?â
Ape growled. His fists raised once again.
Crush smiled. âYup, youâre just some dude. And what, you boxed in college?â
Apeâs stance wavered slightly, as did his spectral energy.
âBullâs-eye! What was that, a century ago? Youâre rusty, Ape!â Crush shadowboxed a one-two punch from ten feet out, scattering purple sparks against Apeâs guard. âThrowinâ elbows in the first round?? Yeesh!â He thumbed his nose. âYou been coastinâ on size this whole time, big guy?? Ha! Well, Iâm big too, and much, MUCH faster!â
Ape noticed far too late that one of Crushâs sparks had lingered at his shoulder. A shining purple fist suddenly appeared in its place, and crashed into Apeâs chin, beneath his mask. He threw a wild counter out in front of him, ducking to dodge the next hit in the combo... but none came. Crush hadnât moved an inch from where heâd been.
âHA!! Way to sting like a butterfly, big guy! Hard to see behind them bones, huh?â Crush was beaming, both hands planted on his hips. âWell, your eyes can only do so much when facing Spectral Fist... but MY half of the speed date show-and-tell comes later. Weâre still learning about you!â
Ape roared, charging Crush, ready to seize him in a bear hug... but the ghost simply phased through the ground, emerging moments later just behind him.
âNext GUESS!â Crush cheered, slamming Apeâs spine with both fists
The hulking boxer stumbled forward, whirling in a weighty arc to snarl at his foe.
Crush smirked, snorting a defiant stream of spectral energy right back at him. âNext guess.â He wagged his finger disapprovingly. â...You havenât felt a single dang punch that Iâve landed, have you, big guy?â
This time, his opponent was eerily still. Silence hung between them for a few tense seconds. Then Ape slowly discarded every sign of feral bluster that had built up since the fight had first begun. His breath grew even, and he rose up to full height, severe and somber.
âBoooring,â Crush whined in his shadow, though he looked more thrilled with every passing moment.