OP Absorption

"Are you insane?!" Susan hissed, scrambling to her feet, her voice trembling with fury and fear. "You just gambled all our lives! A death match? Against one of them?" She gestured wildly at the silent, imposing spider guards.

Gary clenched his fists, his face pale but furious. "Kid, what were you thinking? We could have maybe talked our way out, offered something—"

"Offered what?" Fin cut him off sharply, not looking back at them. His gaze was still fixed forward, assessing the potential opponents. "Our loyalty? Our gear? She could take anything she wants. This was the only deal on the table."

Mary stepped forward, her voice low but intense. "Fin, there had to be another way. This is reckless. You’re betting everything on a fight you might not win."

He finally glanced back, his eyes cold, devoid of the manic energy from earlier fights, replaced by something harder. "Do any of you have a brighter idea? Because I’m all ears. Otherwise, shut up and let me handle this."

The sharp retort silenced them. They exchanged uneasy glances – fear warring with the undeniable truth that he had, once again, created a path where there seemed to be none, however perilous. No one offered an alternative.

He turned back toward the court, letting out a slow breath. His eyes scanned the ranks of spider-kin. Choosing the right opponent was crucial. Not necessarily the weakest, but the one whose fighting style might offer him an exploitable edge.

"Alright," he murmured, mostly to himself, taking a step forward. "Who to choose—"

Shink.

A sound sharp and wet, cutting through the tense silence.

Fin froze. His eyes widened slightly, not in pain yet, but in stunned disbelief. He looked down.