If this is the first chapter you've seen from this story, I'd recommend viewing the Prologue and Chapter 1 first and continuing on from there. On with the action!
~~~
"I believe I see a sneaky escapee!"
Bomberman yelped and dove forward to dodge the incoming fireball. The being's amused look didn't falter.
"A quick one too! No wonder you managed to come all this way!" His eyes sparkled in a way that Bomberman didn't like as he called, "Why don't you come down here and introduce yourself?"
The white hero, shaken, climbed down the ladder and warily stood a few feet away from the mysterious attacker.
"U-uh, I'm-" The defenceless white bomber tried to swallow his fear, "I'm Bomberman, s-saviour of Planet Bomber."
"Hah! Saviour, are you?" He smirked, "Way to put your best foot forward! I am Baelfael, the Crimson Flame of the 7 Astral Knights! I shall enjoy melting you into a pile of goo, saviour!"
Bomberman gulped.
"Flame Wave!" Baelfael shouted. He threw his hands up and summoned a large wall of flame that flew towards the poor hero as quick as an arrow. Bomberman wasn't quite as on the ball as he thought he was, and the wave blazed past his side, scorching it.
"What did I get myself into?" Bomberman complained as he examined his burned side.
Baelfael took the time to laugh smugly and boast some more.
"Haha! You like that? That's the power of the Fire Stone for you!" He held out the stone in his hand, taunting Bomberman to try and grab it.
Ah! So this guy has the fire stone? It's a wonder I wasn't burned alive by that attack! Bomberman gulped and held his gaze on it, I have to find a way to get it back! If I don't, I'm done for...
"Hah! You want it, do you? Well, then come and take it from me!" Baelfael shouted, "Fire Punch!"
"What kind of attack name is-" Bomberman was cut off with a "Whuf" as a fist connected with his stomach, knocking him near the edge.
"What's the matter? I was at least expecting a dodge." The arrogant warrior shook his head, "Tell you what, here!" He held out the fire stone, "You can have it if, and only if, you can hit me!"
Bomberman gulped, wound up his fist and threw it forward. It connected with nothing.
Baelfael tsked, and with a great shout of "Flame Kick!" gave the poor hero a fiery roundhouse kick and sent him flying.
Crud, I'm running out of energy. Bomberman struggled to catch his breath as he thought, I need my bombs if I want to touch him, but I can't touch him without my bombs!
... I'm doomed...
Baelfael's shadow loomed over him.
"Ah, I missed seeing despair. It tells you when to bring out the finishing blow," The Crimson Flame was clearly having fun taunting, "I'd say it's time to finish this one sided fight."
Oh crud! I thought I'd have more time to think than this! I'm done for, I'm done for, I'm done for!
"Hellfi-"
"Super Pommy Headbutt!" A familiar puff of pink came flying through the air and collided with Baelfael's noggin.
Bomberman momentarily gawked at Pommy. He didn't expect him to actually help!
Wait, the Fire Stone! He looked around frantically.There it is! He scrambled over to the other side of the platform to pick it up.
Meanwhile, Baelfael pushed Pommy off of his face, then punted the critter away out of spite.
"Stupid.... pink thing!"
Had Pommy not been playing dead, he would've pointed out that he was, in fact, a charabom. As it was, however, he merely shivered a bit.
"Tch. Now where was I?" Baelfael looked around and saw Bomberman near the ladder, "Trying to escape are we?"
"Quite the opposite, honestly," Bomberman slowly got up and turned his head towards the confident Astral Knight as he spoke, "I'm actually getting ready to kick your butt all the way back to the hell hole you came from!"
"Oho! And where are you getting this sudden bravado from?"
"From this." Bomberman plucked a bomb out of thin air and threw it at Baelfael. It exploded on impact, shocking and injuring him.
"Wha? Why didn't you use that earlier?" Baelfael asked, "The fight would've been more interesting."
"Like I'd tell you!" Bomberman drop kicked another bomb right at Baelfael, knocking him back a few more steps.
"Fine then! I'll just have to beat it out of you!" The Crimson Flame held up his empty hand and was surrounded by an otherworldly orange glow as he shouted, "Hellfire!"
In a rush of flame, Baelfael rushed towards Bomberman, intending on ending the fight. However, our hero easily dove out of the way.
"Tch!" Bomberman quickly stood up and smirked as he taunted his opponent, "Is that your best attack or something? Because that seems way too slow to be deadly."
"Oh really?" He rushed towards Bomberman and delivered a fierce fire punch to the gut, before following it up with a flame kick, "What about this? Still too slow for you?"
"Oh I don't know," The white bomber, wheezing, shoved a bomb at him before replying, "Is this?"
Before the shocked Astral Knight could respond, the bomb blew up in his arms.
Both Bomberman and Baelfael were now panting heavily, both injured heavily and both drooping at opposite ends of the platform. Baelfael was the first to collapse.
"Good.... fight..." The fiery knight panted as he shook on his hands and knees, "Been a loong time since I've been beaten...."
"Clearly... you haven't... fought anyone... as great as I am..." Bomberman retorted with his hands on his knees, "After all... the good guy... always wins..."
Baelfael trembled as he laughed, "Hehehe... ha... AHAHAHAHA! A good guy are you?" Bomberman yet again saw an unnerving glint in his opponent's green eyes as Baelfael carried on, "Tell me, saviour, would a good guy leave his home planet to be destroyed as he flew away blissfully from the carnage?"
Bomberman froze as he asked, "What?"
"I wonder, what kind of saviour leaves his home planet open to attack, and never comes to help?" Baelfael was looking more and more satisfied as he spoke, "Doesn't sound like much of a saviour, does it?"
".... Explain. NOW!"
"Hehehe..." Baelfael chuckled, "Tell me, Bomberman, have you been to Planet Bomber recently?"
Bomberman, with a rush of adrenaline, stumbled over and pinned the downed knight against the nearest pillar, "What. The HELL. Did you do to my home?"
"Oh, just a few renovations here and there. Maybe a few dead bodies..." Baelfael smirked, sensing he was getting under Bomberman's skin as he went on, "I think you might like the changes."
Bomberman's eyes widened. Too furious to say anything, he pumped up a bomb and threw it on the ground. It exploded upon impact, knocking both the warriors out.
All Bomberman felt as he fell unconscious was pain as he hit the cement.