73. Harding vs Tyler III: Deja Vu

Tyler readied his stance. Harding watched from afar; a thin smile painted across her lips. Tyler looked at his opponent, then took a deep breath in.

“Executive Power,” he screamed, “Inaugural Address!”

A visible burst of air shot out his mouth and hurtled towards his opponent.

“Wowzers!” Thompson shouted, “Tyler’s kicking things off with a sonic blast!”

Harding raised her shield in front of her face, absorbing the burst.

“Golly,” Harding smirked as she lowered her shield, “that wasn’t nearly as bad as I thought it’d be!”

Then, as her shield fell just below her eyes, Harding dropped her smile at the sight of Tyler grinning directly in front of her.

“Greetings,” he cooed.

“You—!”

Harding started to move, but Tyler flung out his fist before she could react. His hand pierced straight through Harding’s metal shield and continued to deliver a crippling blow to her abdomen.

Harding bent over, coughing blood as Tyler loomed over with a smile.

“Oh my,” he spoke softly. “You seem to be in a fair amount of pain there, Harding. Please…” he rubbed his nails together, “…allow me to alleviate it for you…”

Harding widened her eyes.

“Executive—”

Tyler thrusted his hand forward, piercing through her chest and out her back in a single, fluid motion before she could say anything.

The audience stayed still, their roars silenced by the sound of Harding’s blood pouring out her wound.

“J-Jesus,” Thompson stammered. “Did Tyler just…just…"

“No!” Truman hissed. “I won’t let him!”

He grabbed his walkie-talkie and brought it to his face.

“Taft! Hurry and end this darn match already!”

“…no,” Taft whispered, “not yet.”

Truman blinked, his eyes fixated on his walkie-talkie.

“What the hell do you mean `not yet’?” he screamed. “We need to get our medics to Harding while she’s still breathing!”

“And Tyler will extinguish her breath the instant he sees me go for my gavel…” Taft grumbled as he studied the expression of pure delight on Tyler’s sneering face. “But even more than that…”

Taft tightened the grip around his Warhammer.

“…I promised my friend I’d believe in her no matter the odds…”

At the arena’s center, Harding tried to speak once more, but only blood poured out her quivering lips. Tyler looked over her withering expression with glee.

“I told you, didn’t I?” he whispered, retracting his fingers from her torso, “I just knew I was going to have a delightful time with you.”

Harding raised her head, her eyes locked onto Tyler’s as the last of the color drained from her face.

Then, Harding gave a look which Tyler never expected to see.

“Executive Power,” she wheezed, a faint smile covering her lips, “Return---^v^v^v---