Two weeks had passed.
The island stayed mostly the same.
Green trees. Loud waves. Wind pushing through the air like it owned the place.
But Nico and Rex?
Yeah. They changed.
FWOOM.
A red blur thundered across the clearing, kicking up dirt and ripping through the grass.
Nico stopped hard, sliding across the ground before turning back.
"Again."
Rex stood across from him, shoulders rising and falling. Sweat ran down his face as he dropped slightly into a stance.
"…You don't get tired?" Rex said.
Nico grinned.
"Not when I'm winning."
Rex smirked.
"Keep telling yourself that."
FWOOM.
Rex vanished.
CRACK.
Their fists slammed together at the center of the clearing. The air burst outward. Dirt shot forward in a rough circle.
They held for a second.
Then Nico twisted.
Rex's eyes widened.
THUD.
Rex crashed into the ground hard, the impact digging into the dirt beneath him.
Nico jumped back and landed a few meters away.
"Too slow."
Rex groaned and rolled over before pushing himself up.
"I moved first."
"Yeah," Nico said. "And I moved better."
Rex wiped his mouth and cracked his neck.
"Alright. Again."
No waiting.
FWOOM.
Both of them disappeared at the same time.
The clearing turned into pure motion.
Punch. Block. Kick. Dodge.
Hits came from every angle, faster than before. Their feet barely touched the ground.
"So what ever happened to your 'Super Nico' transformation?" Rex asked mid-fight.
CRACK.
"Dr. E and that metal version of me stole the Phantom Rubies, which are the key to me using the form!" Nico replied.
His fist clipped Rex's cheek.
"So what you're saying is you don't have access to it anymore?" Rex said, half joking.
THUD.
Rex drove his knee into Nico's side.
"Nah, not for now," Nico replied.
They broke apart.
"But I have a plan to get it back," he added.
Then rushed in again.
No hesitation.
They held back just enough not to kill each other.
But not much more than that.
Time passed.
The sun climbed higher.
Their breathing got heavier.
They got sharper.
Rex ducked under a punch and spun behind Nico. His leg snapped up toward Nico's back.
Nico twisted midair and caught it.
"Got you."
Rex smirked.
"No you don't."
BOOM.
Rex forced his leg forward anyway and broke Nico's grip. Nico slid back across the ground.
He dug his feet in and stopped just before a tree.
"…Not bad."
Rex exhaled slowly.
"…Not enough."
They paused.
Just for a moment.
Rex bent forward, hands on his knees.
"…Man."
Nico stretched his arms above his head.
"What?"
Rex looked up.
"There has to be a more efficient way to get stronger."
Nico blinked.
Then scratched the back of his head.
"…Yeah. There is."
Rex straightened.
"Wait. What?"
"I asked Viper to build a gravity chamber," Nico said.
Rex froze.
"…You're joking."
"No."
"…Since when?"
"Like a week ago."
Rex stared at him.
"You waited this long to tell me?"
Nico shrugged.
"I forgot."
Rex's eye twitched.
"You forgot."
"Yeah."
Rex took a deep breath.
Then another.
Then pointed at him.
"You're actually the worst."
Nico laughed.
"Relax. He said it'll be done by Friday."
Rex looked up at the sky.
"…It's Tuesday."
"Exactly."
"That's three days."
"Four if you count today."
"That does not help."
Nico grinned.
"You'll survive."
Rex groaned and dragged a hand down his face.
"…A gravity chamber…"
He looked back at Nico.
"You're serious?"
"Yeah," Nico said. "More gravity. More strain. Faster growth."
Rex stood up straight again.
"…That actually sounds insane."
"Right?"
Rex cracked his knuckles.
"…We should've had that from the start."
"Yeah," Nico said, getting back into stance. "We didn't."
Rex smirked.
"…Then we don't have a choice."
Nico grinned.
"Guess not."
Silence.
Wind moved through the clearing.
Leaves rustled.
Then they moved.
FWOOM.
This time faster.
Rex came in low.
Nico jumped over him.
Rex turned instantly and punched upward.
Nico blocked midair and flipped backward, landing behind him.
Rex didn't turn.
He just swung.
Nico leaned back. The punch barely missed his face.
"…Closer," Nico said.
Rex smirked.
"Shut up."
CRACK.
They clashed again.
Harder now.
Their hits had more weight. More intent.
Rex pushed forward with a fast combo. Left. Right. Knee. Elbow.
Nico blocked most of it.
Not all.
THUD.
A clean hit landed on Nico's ribs.
Nico slid back.
"…Okay."
Rex exhaled.
"Told you."
Nico rolled his shoulder.
Then smiled.
"Now we're getting somewhere."
Rex stepped forward again.
"No breaks."
Nico nodded.
"No breaks."
They moved again.
And again.
And again.
The clearing was wrecked now.
Cracks in the ground.
Grass torn apart.
A tree leaning from the impacts.
Sweat hit the dirt.
Their breathing got heavier.
Their bodies slowed just a little.
But neither of them stopped.
Because both of them knew.
This still wasn't enough.
Not yet.
Not even close.
Rex wiped sweat from his eyes mid-fight.
"When that chamber's done…"
Nico ducked under a punch.
"We're going crazy."
Rex swung again.
"Yeah."
Nico countered.
"We are."
They separated one last time.
Standing across from each other.
Breathing hard.
Smiling.
"…One more?" Rex asked.
Nico cracked his neck.
"Always."
FWOOM.
They vanished again.
The sound of impact echoed across the island.
And somewhere ahead.
Something bigger was waiting.