Banished(Under Rewrite)

Part 16 - You're no different from them!

Today's the day, you're officially on the team," I announced. "I don't really care if everyone else is cool with it or not, but having you around would be a game-changer."

Shockwave shot a blast my way in response.

"You got me once, why would I let you get me again?" she chuckled.

I dodged her blast, shooting some lightning back, but she danced out of the way.

"Crazy dodging skills," I pointed out. "Abyss and Venom were never this nimble."

No response from Shockwave. She propelled herself into the air, firing another blast at me. I swiftly dodged it as well. 

"So spill, what got you into The Vipers?" I probed. "You look like you have a purer heart than all the other elite fighters."

"None of your business," she retorted. "I don't care if you spilled your life story; I'm not telling you mine."

"Fair enough," I shrugged. "Maybe you'll open up as we keep fighting. 

She looked confused, like, why was I bothering her about joining me and Mark?

And honestly, why was I?

Well, The Swordsman vouched for her purity, and I witnessed it firsthand. She claimed she only "hurts" and doesn't do the whole killing thing, even though she's working with an organization that's all about the killing thing. 

To me, she's way more misguided than she realizes, unlike Abyss and Venom who've got kill counts in the thousands.

She's got some goodness in her. I've fought with villains with a touch of goodness before. Unagami was one of the biggest examples of that. That guy was straight-up evil, but deep down, he just got ditched by the person he loved - that is, Milton Dyer. 

Besides, adding her to the squad would be epic. The Swordsman and The SWAT are good, but adding her would approximately double our power.

 She could take charge against other elites and give Abyss, Venom, and maybe even Ripper and that mysterious 7th-ranked fighter a run for their money.

"Goodness," Shockwave mumbled, landing a solid kick that sent me flying. "What's the point of going all out when you know it's pointless?"

"Because everything's got value, whether you see it or not," I fired back. "And you, my friend, are valuable. I see the good in you."

"But I've been with The Vipers for almost 7 years now," she stated. "Why the hell should I quit now after everything?"

"I think you've got the whole deal twisted," I countered. "Tell me, have you ever enjoyed watching The Vipers go on their crime spree?"

She stayed silent at that.

"Venom," I continued. "That bastard's racked up at least 10,000 kills, right? And you're still partners with him after everything he did?"

"That's on him, not me-" she started but cut herself off, realizing what she just admitted.

"See?" I pointed out. "Even you're tripping over your words. When I scoped through the sewers, I saw a pile of dead bodies, a bunch because Venom ate them all,"

Shockwave looked down, processing.

"Why let others do this?" I pressed. "You could be helping people, not causing them pain. You could help stop a twisted organization like this, not help fuel it,"

"No," Shockwave fired back. "I've already told you, it's my fate, nothing else."

"Your fate?" I probed. "Got something to do with your past?"