Silver Bolt watched his three opponents, as they again moved to surround him. Element Dog glanced over at Blue Diamond. "We fight together. Good this time. Watch me..."

Blue Diamond stared at him for a moment, and then the dog evaporated. Blue Diamond glanced around as he vanished, but the dog did not reappear. Then he looked up. Element Dog reformed, several yards above the battlefield, and unfurled his wings.

With a chuckle, Blue Diamond shot forwards, matching the dog's speed exactly, as he power dived on their adversary. Silver Bolt simply waited for them to close with him, sparing a glance at Jade Dragon, as he sent out a blast of mist which gathering into a wall behind him, cutting off his escape.

Silver Bolt put up a shield to stop the assault, but Blue Diamond fired a beam of energy as he neared, its light outlining the force field and making it visible. Element Dog darted around it, his wings fluttering as he banked tightly, and dived past Silver Bolt. He snapped at the human as he passed, sinking his teeth into Silver Bolt's arm, but the sudden stop made him flip onto his back and hit the ground.

"That was a smooth move," Blue Diamond commented, as he charged in to take advantage of the distraction. Silver Bolt managed to stop his charge with a shield, but was hit from behind by a tendril of green. He extended his shield around, stopping the green mist, but Element Dog had managed to escape from the fray, and work up enough speed to take to the air again.

Time to put a stop to this, the dog thought, as he circled the three humans. Blue Diamond charged in with another punch, and Silver Bolt forced him away with a dome of electricity. He had spotted Element Dog, as he dropped on him from above, but hopefully it wouldn't make any difference. The dog visualized himself as steam, and felt his body begin to evaporate.

Instead of turning to steam, however, Element Dog melted into a spray of water. Moments before it touched his shield, Silver Bolt's power suddenly pulled back to a minimum level, flickering around his body, and no more. The water splashed over him, soaking into the fabric of his red and black outfit, but that was all.

"Very clever, Element Dog. That would have worked, but for one thing. While you can change the matter of your body into anything, you can't change it's energy. You can turn yourself into water, at body temperature, but you can't turn into steam."

Blue Diamond, momentarily distracted by the attack, leaped forward again. His fist slammed into an invisible wall. "If you had hit my field at full power," Silver Bolt continued, "the shock would have turned you to steam. But fortunately I can generate magnetic fields, as well as electrical ones."

He gestured, and the water peeled itself off of his body, and flowed away from him, across the ground. Element Dog reformed next to Blue Diamond, shaking his shaggy head. "Hurt..." he said, his ears laying back against his head.

"Yes, well, you can feel pain, no matter what form you are in. Despite what Jade Dragon said, you can't heal yourself from every injury. Eventually you get tired."

"Don't get distracted!" Jade Dragon called out. "Gold, Element Dog! It's also a conductor, just like water!"

The dog guessed what he meant. He dived at the field, the hairs of his coat stiffening as he turned himself into metal. It seemed easy, somehow, sweeping over his body so fast he almost didn't realize he had done it. The bottle that held his potion was gold, Element Dog noted, and then his body touched the field, and he concentrated on forcing his way through.

It was hard, the field was solid, like the air had solidified or something. But then a thought occured to him, and he started to absorb the air. His paws sank into the field, he felt a tingling, and then, all of a sudden, he was forcing his way through. It was easy.

"Damn!" Silver Bolt muttered. The field intensified, the sparks growing blue hot, and then white. There was a popping sound, and suddenly, the field returned to its original appearance, a sheet of rippling energy. Element Dog yelped, as pain shot through his body, the lightning tearing through him. A nimbus formed around the glittering hairs of his metal coat, a glowing halo of blue, as he clawed his way forward, half in and half out of the field.

But just as suddenly, the pain stopped, and he was through. Returning to his normal form, he shifted his paws, changing them into a hawk's claws. As he passed, he ripped through Silver Bolt's costume, slashing across the human's side. He could feel the electricity trying to force him away, to protect the villain's body, but he let his claws become metallic, and they cut through Silver Bolt's flesh.

There was a crash of sound as Silver Bolt sent out another wave of energy, forcing Element Dog away. He and Blue Diamond rolled across the grass. Silver Bolt put a hand to his side, grimacing in pain.

Blue Diamond had already rolled back to his feet, and leaped back at him. "So you aren't invulnerable, are you?" He chuckled. Silver Bolt darted backwards, but was caught as a tendril of green mist wrapped around behind him, and struck him in the back. He was flung into Blue Diamond, who landed a massive blow to Silver Bolt's midsection, and then punched him across the face.

The blow sent him sailing towards Element Dog, but he never reached him. Instead, he flashed upwards, turning to lightning as he shot into the sky. He came back down behind Jade Dragon, who spun to face him. Silver Bolt blasted him, then made a pitching motion with his right hand, and directed another blast with his left.

Jade Dragon deflected the first bolt with his shield, but the second attack was another ball of lightning, and it zigged and zagged before darting around the shield. Jade Dragon tried to keep in front of it, but it managed to get around his cloud of whirling mist, and caught him in the shoulder. As his concentration faltered, the cloud dissipated, and the third strike shot right through it. Jade Dragon was hit square in the chest, and thrown to the ground.

Blue Diamond and the dog were racing towards him, but Silver Bolt had used the time to gather a massive charge of electricity. He blasted Jade Dragon with it, smashing through what was left of his defenses, the flash so bright that even Blue Diamond had to look away. When his vision cleared, Jade Dragon was laying motionless on the ground.

Silver Bolt was breathing hard. That didn't stop him from leaping at Blue Diamond, a charge of energy building up around his fist. Blue Diamond braced himself for the attack, but it was just a feint. Silver Bolt flashed upward again, coming down behind Element Dog. He directed a blast at him.

The dog, however, melted into the ground. "Clever. Again. But not clever enough." Silver Bolt put both hands on the ground, delivering a massive shock into the earth. Element Dog reformed, yelping in pain, his body bathed in white sparks. Silver Bolt gestured, and the electricity intensified, wrapping around the collie to hold him, pinned. Silver Bolt began to slam him against the ground, again and again, and Element Dog cried out with each blow.

Blue Diamond rocketed towards him. Silver Bolt put up a shield, but Blue Diamond merely veered around it, shooting past his target and leaping back to strike him from the rear. Silver Bolt blocked him again, still managing to keep Element Dog trapped, as well. But the winged wolf let out a howl of fury, and his body melted, erupting into steam. Now it was Silver Bolt's turn to cry out, as his powers went dead, and Blue Diamond punched him into a telephone pole alongside the road.

Silver Bolt lay next to the pole, straining to sit up. A power line had fallen across him, throwing off sparks. He shoved it away. His power flickered back into existance, and he stood up. "You almost..." he gasped, "You almost had me that time." But then he smiled as he glanced upwards. "But I guess that hurt you more than it hurt me."

Blue Diamond looked up at Element Dog. He had reformed in mid air, the steam carrying him above the battlefield, just as when he had turned to gas, before. But now he plummeted back towards the earth, his wings moving feebly. He hit the ground. "Can't... weak..." he muttered, as he tried to lift his head, but then he collapsed, unconscious.

Silver Bolt dusted himself off, taking a few deep breaths. "Looks like it's just you and me, Blue Diamond," he said.

"That's fine with me."

"Is it? Your friends got you into this mess. And look where it got them. For all your bravado, you're weakening, too. You've taken a few hits, but I have yet to turn my full power against you."

"I can take whatever you dish out..."

"Oh, can you?" Silver Bolt smiled. "Your two friends, they've got a lot going for them. Your buddy Jade Dragon, he's obviously very intelligent, and the dog turned out to be pretty cunning, as well. But you're the fighter here. You're the cop. You're the one out to catch the bad guy."

Blue Diamond said nothing. "You know as well as I do, you won't be able to be a cop like this. You'll have to use your power, to save people, and you won't hesitate, when there's no other choice. But then there'll be reprocussions. You'll be hunted, feared. And you'll be used. When the government finds out there's a superpowered policeman on their force, they'll find some way to take you off somewhere, make you part of some team, make you do things you never believed you could do."

"Quit talkin', Silver Dolt," Blue Diamond said, with a bit of emphasis on the word 'dolt'. "You're just wastin' your breath."

"So you say. But you know it's true. Your dreams, to be a cop, they're over. What would your father say... ?"

"You leave my father out of this!"

"My father was killed, too. He was killed by a cop. He was set up, by the Mob, and a crooked cop killed him. 'His father will be struck down by evil, and he will take up the sword of justice.'"

"Justice, my ass! You don't know the meaning of the word!"

"And you do? Tell me, Robert! I just defeated your friends, maybe even killed them! Doesn't that make you want to kill me? Doesn't that make you want revenge?!!"

"Don't you want revenge on the man who killed your father?"

Blue Diamond was silent. "You don't want this power. You never did. But I do. When I was taken in, by the Mob, I swore I'd find a way to take them down. And the governments that support them. And the drug money, and the petty crimes that keep them going. I'd find a way to take it all down. That power's almost in the palm of my hand. You're the only one still standing in my way."

"Give me the power! Go back to your police station and your beat and your blind belief that the system works! Patrol the streets, and catch the bad guys; go back to your dream, and let me have my dream! Maybe I'll even make that idyllic little world you believe in, a world without corruption, a reality."

"You are a madman," Blue Diamond answered. He launched himself at Silver Bolt, who put up a sheild, but Blue Diamond just punched at it until it faltered. Silver Bolt ducked back just in time to avoid the punch, but his opponent just kept coming at him.

Silver Bolt danced backwards, a charge building up around his arms as he used them to block Blue Diamond's blows. He began to strike back, his precise jabs and kicks the complete opposite of Blue Diamond's street tactics. They were physically opposite, too, both muscularly built, but Silver Bolt had the reach, while Blue Diamond's stocky frame gave him stability and power.

They seemed evenly matched, but Silver Bolt knew that was only for the moment. His power was not made for close fighting. So as Blue Diamond charged in, he caught him in a judo throw, and tossed him out over the road. Then he gathered a massive charge of electricity and blasted him with it. Blue Diamond sailed further out over the sands, but turned a backflip and landed neatly on his feet.

As he came back at Silver Bolt, the taller man put up a hand. Blue Diamond slammed into an invisible wall. As he tried to dart around it, it intensified, becoming visible as sparks revealed its contours. A sheet of lightning fanned out from Silver Bolt, forming the field between them. Then bolts began to strike out from it, attacking him.

Blue Diamond leaped aside, rolling as he dodged more strikes, then flying upwards. The field moved to follow him, extending upwards to form a half dome over Silver Bolt. The strikes against him were coming less frequent, however, and had less power, which suggested that Silver Bolt had only a limited amount of power to spend on attack and defense. But then, even as he thought that Silver Bolt might be trying to trick him, a massive blast shot up at him. He only barely dodged it.

He dove at the field, firing beams of energy from both of his fists as he neared. The white light of the energy outlined the field, spreading away from the point of impact in waves. A few bolts struck him, but he shrugged off the effects. As he struck the shield, it flickered, and he shot through it.

Silver Bolt again resorted to a flurry of hand to hand attacks as Blue Diamond got into attack range. The blows were starting to hurt more, it was as if, as with Element Dog, his power only worked until he got tired. And he was starting to get tired. But Silver Bolt was weakening, too, he could see it in his face, and the desperation of his attacks. Grimly, he noted that this could go either way.

But then Silver Bolt teleported away again. Blue Diamond turned, expecting an attack from behind, but he wasn't there. He looked around for the black garbed figure, but couldn't find him, until a blast of electricity struck him from above. Blue Diamond was thrown across the sand, and rolled to his feet to find Silver Bolt hovering in the air above him.

He wasn't flying, just hanging there in midair like he was standing on some invisible platform. Idly, Blue Diamond wondered if he was pretending that he couldn't fly to catch him off guard. But he rocketed upwards, dodging a lightning bolt, and countering with his beams as Silver Bolt surrounded himself in another force field. Silver Bolt dropped, falling straight down from his position to land on the ground.

Silver Bolt directed another blast upward, catching his opponent from underneath. Blue Diamond tried to dodge, but lost his balance in the air, and ended up tumbling to the sand several yards away. He ended up rolling to a stop right next to Michelle's car.

Michelle threw open the door, and started to run to him. "Are... are you okay?" He shoved her aside, though, and leaped away from the car, as another lightning blast came at him.

"Stay in the car!" He shouted at Michelle. "I'm doing all right!"

Easy for me to say, Blue Diamond said to himself, as Silver Bolt's lightning flashes continued to strike out at him. He was once again hanging in midair, obviously hoping to again lure him skyward where he couldn't use the ground as leverage. Well, two can play at that game...

In a flash of blue, the stocky fighter darted over to the fallen telephone pole. It had snapped loose from the power lines, so all he had to do was pick it up like a gigantic baseball bat. Letting his momentum carry him upwards, he swung the pole around to strike Silver Bolt.

The pole proved harder to handle than he expected, however. Getting it up to speed took tremendous effort, and by the time he was in position to attack, Silver Bolt had already directed a blast of energy at him. It didn't strike him, though, instead it wrapped around the pole, wrenching it loose from his grasp. Blue Diamond spun out of control until he landed in the sand.

The telephone pole landed on top of him. Blue Diamond gasped, as the wind was knocked out of him. "Good idea, there, Blue Diamond. Too bad you didn't grab it in the middle, where you would have only had to fight its angular momentum, and not its weight, too..."

"Oh, shut up." Blue Diamond shoved the telephone pole off of himself, only to find it swinging around to strike him again. With a growl, he punched the pole in the center, splintering it in two.

"Oh, nice, now I have two weapons." Silver Bolt struck him in the back with one of them, but Blue Diamond swerved in midair, to dodge the other. With a roar of anger, Blue Diamond exploded upwards. He just seemed to be a streak of blue light, until he met with Silver Bolt, far above.

"Heheh. Now you're really using your power." Silver Bolt almost seemed amused, as he blocked the attacks, and countered with a few blows of his own. They were still hovering in midair, although Blue Diamond had no idea what was holding up either of them. Not that he really cared.

Silver Bolt let out a blast of energy which forced him away, and then Blue Diamond understood his strategy. With no ground for him to get purchase on, it was harder for him to punch through his force field. He just bounced off of it, instead. He darted in for another try, but Silver Bolt managed to keep his shield between them, and counter with a blast of his own for good measure. Finally, in desperation, Blue Diamond simply rammed the shield, ignoring the pain as the electricity ripped through him, and forced his way through it with sheer willpower.

Silver Bolt seemed surprised as Blue Diamond came at him, but he simply shut off whatever was holding him up and fell to the ground again. Blue Diamond followed, but Silver Bolt gathered a massive blast, and the impact threw Blue Diamond across the sand. He rolled to a stop, and then lay still.

"As I said, Blue Diamond," Silver Bolt said, chuckling. "I have yet to use my full power, as well..."