✧ Chapter 7 ✧

Styra had never felt so paralyzed before. She couldn't even speak. Her physical body was frozen but her mind was still able to process everything happening at a normal rate. This alone, however, would not be enough to save her from the mysterious being that stared down with this threatening presence from the glaring brightness in its purple eyes. The giant entity wore a dark indigo armored suit which had an ancient spartan samurai design to it. In the middle of its chest, there was a source of white light that showed a strange symbol inside which could also be seen as an imprint on its shoulder pads. Other than that, their face was the epitome of darkness.

"My name is Amethion, Guardian Of Time. I am here to merely destroy you from existence. As a threat to the entirety of The Omniverse, the denial of your actions will cost you."

Styra was confused by this. She was not the culprit of whatever had happened here at the museum earlier. So why did this Amethion guy seize her? In frantic desperation, she began to fight within herself for some sort of movement so she could try and talk it out to Amethion. Regardless of her intent to resolve it, this plan failed.

As she struggled to break free, Amethion began to create a bright red ring below her with his mind. This was called The Paralysis Portal. It was one of the quicker doorways that allowed travel to the center of any multiverse. There was no way to know where she was going or what would happen, but she definitely could see being on the verge of possible death as an option. She was worried that Flight wouldn't have stood a chance against whatever she was dealing with. Nebules on the other hand could have seen this as an opportunity. Perenorbius would lose everything it once was just by imagining the thought of losing all of her memories there. To her, it was valuable, even if no one else thought it was. It didn't matter anymore. A feeling of anger began to gleam within her, unlike anything she had felt before.

While it was true that Amethion had already paralyzed her, The Paralysis Portal had the gravitational pull of about one thousand black holes. However, this did not prove effective enough to stutter Styra's intelligence. Flight talked about how the Dhuramis was able to control its bioluminescent antennae using muscles within its head to make them shine. That meant whatever was inside of her, she had to use it now to prevent anything bad from happening. The only problem was she was not able to garner enough strength through the stasis to activate it. After a split second into this thought, Amethion sent Styra into the Paralysis Portal.

Upon arrival, it was a red kaleidoscopic nightmare. The feeling of falling while paralyzed was enough to cause hallucinations to occur. In spite of that, the experience of being there felt like something else she had gone through earlier. It took away the feeling of fear and anger erupting inside her. Going at light speed onboard the STS-0. It was then that the glow in her eyes kicked in. Rather than getting tossed into the unknown, time within her began to change. Styra closed her eyes, calmly clenching her fists. She was now able to assess and control the portal itself.

Amethion was a good distance away from the portal that had already disappeared, observing the scathing mark on the wall. Then momentarily, a flashy noise began to catch his attention outside the room he was in. He looked back only to find Styra standing there, her eyes and fists still shut. She had escaped from inside the portal by overriding the recent destination with the new one she chose to enter. The silence between the both of them filled the entire museum. As soon as Styra opened her eyes, she charged at light speed towards Amethion with unhinged madness. In an instant, this caused her to come quite close. However, Amethion was interested after seeing the potential power that this mysterious being possessed from having escaped the portal. Knowing that, he was able to pause time from his perspective and walk up to the side of her without any causal effort. Upon observing, he noticed that the creature was blindly dashing at him without some form of a strategic move.

"Ludicrous," Amethion remarked in a deep intimidating voice.

He stuck out his foot in front of Styra, causing her to recklessly crash through multiple walls before destroying the entrance of the Zuropa Museum, and falling headfirst into the middle of a busy intersection in the city. She began to have excessive blackouts as the gravity of the current situation made her feel different than usual. There were many scratches and wounds revealing that she was pretty bruised up, even with all of that power. For the first time, she had experienced actual physical pain. The glowing blood from inside her began to drip out from a few parts of her face, healing her skin as much as it could naturally. Regardless, it made her realize she had been more vulnerable as a result of brushing her skin like this against the hard ground. She glanced at Amethion strolling towards the intersection where she was at. Her sight began to blur while struggling to gain the fidelity to stand for herself.

Most people in the streets began to flee for their lives until they were a safe distance away from the area. Others hid in their homes, unable to do anything. Back on top of the parking facility where Flight was waiting for Styra, he noticed the time was 7:07 PM. This worried him. He looked back at the elevator, anticipating her to make it early at least. Unfortunately, a call began to buzz from within his mask. It was from Chief Boulderman himself who had sent a voice message. It said: "Flight, we need you to handle the unidentified invasion in the middle of the intersection between Zuropa Street and Tysar Avenue now. Reinforcements are attempting to be sent there to secure the area." Flight's gut feelings about the situation went sour. Styra was in trouble.

Meanwhile, in the middle of the intersection next to the Zuropa Museum, Amethion stood before a nearly unconscious Styra.

"Your power is admirable, creature. Still, you lack the capability to hold your intentions accountable."

Styra forced herself to shut the pain out of her mind while facing his words head-on.

"Listen, Amethion. I am not behind that incident in the museum. It was someone else that was there before I arrived here," she implied, as to persuade him of her innocence.

Amethion could see she was distraught on the subject at hand.

"That is not why I am here," he replied.

Styra was puzzled by this. If it was not that, then what was it? Did Amethion know who she really was?

"I am here because you are The New Guardian. The myth of the Omniverse's new ruler that Prism requested to receive the Cessation Of Existence. We've been told you were undetectable, but now fate has provided me the chance to finally get rid of you according to your widespread actions of pandemonium," he said.

Styra began to use sarcasm to ease the pain out of herself further, as she lifted herself from off the ground.

"First off, I am not the one causing chaos. You were the one who came around here crashing me through that museum! Secondly, my name is Styra, and I am just a survivor of Perenorbius, if you even know what that place is. You probably don't though. Third of all, how did you come to this conclusion that I am the New Guardian? If it's a myth, then why are you acting like it most likely isn't? Fourth, who is Prism?" asked Styra.

There was an intense stare sharing between the both of them once again.

"I am not telling you, creature. Ignorance will be your downfall. You cannot deceive me with your words," he replied stubbornly.

Suddenly, a droning sound came from the sky above. It was the STS-0. Flight, seeing Styra in the midst of the destruction, decided to announce her to safety using a megaphone speaker from within the ship.

"Styra, this is Flight. I need you to back away as far as possible for your safety from the unidentified invader. Reinforcements will be arriving shortly."

Styra, respecting his words, ran away faster than he was expecting for the first time. Flight began to shoot from the ship's backup autocannons at Amethion. As soon as Styra was at a safe distance from her perspective, she turned back to immediately focus her speed on becoming faster. Replaying the STS-0 experience, she remembered being so excited onboard. Maybe this correlation of emotions would help her do that as best as she possibly could.

While that was happening, the STS-0's shots were frozen in time. Amethion could feel them being shot diagonally at him in a near tenth of a second. Upon using his two fingers from his right hand, he instantaneously redirected and reversed time for the incendiary bullets to fly back into the autocannons themselves. StormStrike Zero began to smoke in erratic diffusion, just as Flight's emergency ejection seat activated from the alarming damage. This sent him flying into the air with a parachute, before he proceeded to witness a huge explosion start to happen in the middle of the street. The StormStrike Zero was destroyed. Amethion turned his attention to Styra only to catch sight of her sliding underneath between his two legs, pushing down one of them with her feet.

He began to exchange a faint interest in the way she overpowered and thought a little bit more against his own abilities. She had seemed quite inexperienced beforehand. What could have changed?

"It seems you are more zealous than before, but that doesn't give you a second to spare."

Styra stared back with confidence in her newfound speed, striking her two fists towards the ground to create some sort of pose that created friction to delay the increasing velocity faster.

"Sure about that? It seems you have a lot more time to talk than to destroy me," she quipped.

"Ironic on your end," Amethion refuted, as to signify that she was doing the same.

However, she nodded her head in disappointment while giving herself the willpower to stand up and debacle his claim.

"That's different. I have a good reason for doing it. You don't," Styra admitted.