Future Girl concentrated through the pain and tossed the metal rod at Corruption. They were both stunned as the rod sparked around the woman for a few seconds.
Corruption walked through the school gates toward Future Girl. More purple-lit energy shot out of her hands in Future Girl's direction.
Future Girl intended to dodge the blast, but not even she was faster than the rush of raw energy. The purple bolt hit her, filling her with that skin-burning sensation again, and throwing her through the air and onto the ground again.
Corruption made a throwing motion, and another blast of energy shot straight through Future Girl, knocking her back with the combination of heat and pure force. The cool grass beneath her offered some small relief to the sunburn feeling.
Future Girl saw Corruption walking toward her, again with energy swirling around her fists which, Future Girl knew meant another two attacks.
Future Girl flew at ground level, straight at her opponent. Corruption made another throwing motion, but this time Future Girl was ready. She anticipated Corruption's throw, and flew to the side at the right second, a patch of grass behind her immediately singing to blackness.
Corruption readied for another throw, but Future Girl reached her. Her right fist smacked up against the bottom of Corruption chin, sending the woman flying off her feet.
This time, it was Corruption's turn to land hard against the ground. The remaining energy on her left hand shot into the sky and burst into a brilliant purple light, illuminating the entire campus for a second.
Future Girl saw lights come on in the boys' and girls' dorms, in windows up and down both buildings. The fight now had an audience.
Corruption got to her feet again, so Future Girl flew straight at her. She lifted the woman straight into the air, and then back down, slamming Corruption against the ground.
Flying up through the earth was apparently easier than flying up through it, Future Girl thought. She pressed Corruption against the cold ground.
Corruption swung a fist at Future Girl, smacking her across the cheek and knocking her through the air.
Rather than falling and crashing into something again, Future Girl concentrated and stopped herself in midair. She immediately flew straight toward Corruption again.
Future Girl made a fist and pulled her arm back, but Corruption was too fast, swinging her own right fist around, connecting it with Future Girl's left cheekbone.
The world spun around Future Girl as her limbs and hair flailed wildly. She smacked hard onto the sidewalk, feeling it crack under her. She sat up, dizzy.
"You can defy gravity," Corruption said. "How does it feel to have the full force of a sun's gravity punch you in the face?"
"A sun isn't a weapon," Future Girl said. "It gives life. You can't corrupt it."
"Haven't you heard? All suns burn out and become black holes. I'm just helping the process along."
Future Girl then said something she never thought she would say. "You bitch."
Two more purple bursts of energy shot out of Corruption's hands. Future Girl, feeling some strength be restored during their little exchange, flew straight up into the air as corruption's attack singed the ground beneath her.
Future Girl saw more purple blasts flying up at her. She dodged the first two but the third grazed her right thigh, for another sharp, burning pain.
Distracted for a second, Future Girl spun around and in the air before getting her midair bearings again only to see another blast of purple energy flying right at her. She dodged it and flew right at Corruption again. The woman shot two more blasts at her, but Future Girl was now used to them enough to dodge them.
Future Girl hit Corruption shoulder-first, wrapping her around the headmaster, lifting her into the air again. Corruption grabbed Future Girl as more bright purple energy flowed out of her palms and into Future Girl's bare arms.
Future Girl gritted her teeth, pushing the pain out of her mind, and kept flying forward.
The two of them struck the hard brick of the mathematics building, breaking through layers of brick and concrete until they were inside the building in a deserted unlit classroom.
Future Girl hit the floor, feeling gravity once again she threw layers of bricks and rubble off her.
The damage to the room was extensive, as part of the outer wall had fallen as they crashed through it, leaving a massive hole where one wall used to be. Seeing smashed pieces of bricks around her, Future Girl thought for a moment that she had killed Corruption, but then the bricks in front of her blew apart in a blast of heat.
Madame Corruption rose from the debris, unscratched.
Future Girl braced herself just as another wave of raw heat flowed out of Corruption's bare hands. The heat dug into Future Girl's skin again, and the pure ionic force sent her flying out of the building.
Future Girl tried to take flight again, but the power of Corruption's attack overwhelmed her, and she fell down to the campus green. Before her, the mathematics building was in shambles, the entire front of it having collapsed leaving an open, dollhouse-like view of the inside.
Corruption leapt out of the third floor opening and landed lightly on the mound of rubble in front of the building. She still looked flawless, even her hair.
Future Girl heard something behind her and then got her back on her feet.
"It's over," she said. "You're defeated."
"I have energy reserves the likes of which even you can't imagine," Corruption said, with more purple light crackling all around her.
"But you're alone," Future Girl said. "I'm not."
Recognizing their cue, Mirai students emerged from the surrounding buildings and marched onto the campus green, covering Future Girl and Corruption on all sides. Future Girl recognized Marci's friends Liz and Wendall in the lead.
Liz stepped forward. "We are the future."
"Yeah," Wendall said. "The future."
The students all carried various homemade inventions of their own creations, some held together only with duct tape and luck, and all aimed at the headmistress.
# # # #
Next: Answers.