Stand Your Ground

Lost Child
Circe run within the town, looking around as Noma followed her. She managed to sneak by Nyx when she was being ordered around by Helena, and Noma followed, and continued to follow everyone to this town, but lost them, due to getting lost in the town, being distracted by shops selling sweets.

"Awww, where's papa and mama?" Circe cried out, looking around to find her parents, as Noma tried to keep up, his tiny legs not allowing him much speed, being a pup. Circe stopped dead in her tracks, as Noma did as well, her eye beginning to tear up "Uuuh...I can't find my mama and papa..." Circe, much like the child she is, began crying out loud, as any child would when they can't find their parents, as there was no one around to ask her what's the matter.

"What's the matter, little girl?" Circe responded to the voice, turning around and seeing John on one knee "Are you lost?" John asked Circe, sounding concerned, even if his helmet didn't show it.

"I...I lost my mama and papa! And my sister too!" Circe continued to cry out, as John petted her head, trying to calm her down.

"There, there now, don't cry. I will help you find them" John reassured Circe "Now, tell me, what's your name?" John asked Circe.

"C-..Circe..." Circe answered, her tone still trembling from crying.

"Circe? That's a nice name. What about your parents? Who are they?"

"I have papa and two mums! But I lost them!" Circe could feel her tears building up again, as John petted her head again to calm her.

"Two mothers....? Her father must have been in a love triangle or something" John thought to himself "Now, tell me, what are their names?".

"Their names...? Well..." Even if she was a child, Circe knew what her parents were. She was young, not stupid, she even knew what would happen if he did help her find them, this would cause problems for everyone...

"Damn...I should be finding the criminals as ordered by the higher up...but this child hasn't evacuated yet, plus the fact she's lost. I can't leave her like this" John thought to himself, knowing he has an improtant job at the moment, but couldn't leave a lost little girl all alone, even at the cost of his work.

"Circe!" Suddenly, a white haired man with yellow eyes, wearing a black jacket, a white shirt under it, and grey pants ran towards Circe, as she ran back towards him.

"Papa!" Circe leaped towards the unmasked Amon, hugging him around his neck, as he grabbed her.

"What are you doing here?! We told you t-...!"

"I couldn't, papa! I wanted to help sis too!" Circe cut off Amon, crying on his shoulder.

"..." Amon sighed, patting Circe's head, and looking at John, who thankfully didn't recognize him, due to never seeing his face "Thank you, for helping my daughter" Amon thanked John, as he turned around, walking away.

"Wait" John said, stopping Amon in his tracks, as he turned to face John "She mentioned your sister needed help, what is the matter? Is she lost as well?" John asked, not suspicious at all towards Amon.

"Well...no. She's...sick, and we tried to get medicine, but we couldn't. So, I guess Circe here, tried to look for medicine while the town was abandoned, correct, Circe?" Amon asked Circe, as she nodded to him "I apologize for the trouble, and thank you again" Amon said, walking away.

"....How much of a fool do you think I am?" Amon instantly froze in his place upon hearing John's words "Do you think I don't recognize your voice or attire?" John asked rhetorically "I don't know how you got your eyes or your arm back, but...I will stop here and now, Amon" John took a fighting stance, as Amon put Circe down.

"Circe, you and Noma go back, now" Amon told Circe, as he turned towards John, beginning to cover his face once more.

"B-...but papa, I-...!"

"This is no time to argue! This is too dangerous! Go home now! It's safer that way" Amon shouted at Circe, causing her to do as he said. Amon sighed, looking at John "I hate shouting....".

"Before we begin...is it true...?" John asked Amon "Is she really your daughter?".

"....So what if she is? Am I not allowed to have a daughter? Am I not allowed to have kids at all?" Amon replied to John, taking a stance similar to a boxer.

"...And you have....two wives?" Suddenly, Amon was surprised by John's question.

"T-...two wives?! I...I am not married yet!" Amon was blushing under his bandages, luckily, no one could see it "Who gave you that idea?!"

"Your daughter said she has two mothers...." John replied, sounding...dumbfounded by Amon's reaction.

''"Two wives...well, Lamia maybe...but...who's the oth-...? Oh, that Aph woman...I don't really know her. Well, not much atleast...but...is it possible for someone to marry two women and not simply one...?...I guess I wouldn't mind it...having two wives..." ''Amon was lost in thought, still shocked by John's question.

White Knight vs (Not) Blind Ghost
Suddenly, Amon ducked as John delivered a punch, reacting on time, snapping out of his daydreaming, as he attempted to uppercut John, but his fist was blocked by John's free hand, as John headbutted Amon away, as the two were a safe distance from one another.

"You actually came to take her back..." John said, his tone sounding bitter "To think, you'd actually be such a fool to go against the cou-..." Before John could finish, Amon had teleported infront of him, delivering a powerful punch with his right hand, but John managed to block with his arms, but was sent back a little from the impact.

Amon charged at John, his arms infront of him like a boxer, as John cocked back his arm, preparing to deliver a punch towards Amon, as Amon immediately vanished and reappeared behind John, attempting to hit him from behind, as he manifested two broadswords in each hands, using all his strength to swing them at John, who casually turned around, as the two broadswords broke to pieces upon hitting him, as Amon's eyes widened in shock, and teleported a distance away.

"My armor is impenetrable now" John said, his tone full of confidence "I had it be fixed and remade, entirely from scratch. This is a new armor infact, a version 2.0 if you will. Much harder to break, and much stronger to hit with" John cracked his knuckles, charging at Amon.

"Damn!" Amon stomped his foot on the ground, cracking the ground, as he cocked his arm back, and so did John as he got closer. And once the two were close enough, they both delivered a punch towards one another, however, John fist connected first, hitting Amon's chest, and sending him flying straight into a building, through the wall.

"Hmph. Pathetic. It seems you've gotten weaker since we last met, or I'm just too strong" John declared with an arrogant tone, as Amon walked out of the hole in the wall, bleeding from his forehead, and clutching his shoulder.

"Ugh...!" Amon has dislocated his left shoulder, due to his arm being cocked back, the force from the impact into the wall dislocated his shoulder "Damn....it..."

"I suppose I shouldn't have expect mu-..." Suddenly, Amon moved his dislocated shoulder, forcibly fixing his shoulder, and grunting in pain as he did so, moving his arm freely after doing so, cutting off John ".....Interesting".

''"Amon, are you okay?" ''Beast asked Amon, concerned.

"I'm fine...This isn't the worse I've been through" Amon replied to Beast in his thoughts, as he walked towards John "I need to remember...what mother taught me".

John walked towards Amon as well, clenching his hand into a fist, preparing to hit him at a moments notice "I mustn't delay any more than this. I have to finish this quickly. I will kill him" John thought to himself, as the two men got closer to each other "Now!" When John was close enough, he immediately delivered a punch towards Amon, aiming for the head, which would cause a concussion with his strength and the armor's durability. However, he missed, as Amon ducked down, avoiding the punch completely "Hmph, no matter" John quickly delivered a punch towards Amon, aiming for his head, as Amon teleported behind John.

John turned around, as Amon stood up, and delivered an uppercut to John's chin, slightly lifting him off the ground, then grabbing his arm, and throwing him into a nearby wall, payback for John doing the same to Amon.

"I have to keep my focus on his movements...Think of nothing else. Stay calm. Stay. Calm." Amon thought to himself. Just as his mother taught him, the best way to fight in close combat if your inexperienced is use any advantage or openning, be it through dirty tricks or magic, and keep focus on the opponent's movement to counterattack. Never allow openning and be quick to react. And never be distracted.

John walked out of the building, without a single scratch on him, much to Amon's shock, but kept a stern expression "Why?" John asked Amon, who appeared confused "Why would you go against the council, merely for that girl?".

"What...? What kind of question is that?!" Amon snapped at John "She is my daughter! It is a father's duty to take care of his daughter!".

"Daughter? Is that what you consider it?" Suddenly, Amon teleported infront of John as he finished, grabbing his face and lifting him up with his right hand, beginning to crush his helmet.

"IT?! What do you mean by it?!" Amon wasn't pleased hearing how John referred to Lily.

"It's simple" John didn't try to resist, he was so confident his armor would protect him, that he needed no reason to try and escape "It will be the council's new weapon, infact, at the moment, it is the council's property. You have no right to take it. It is not yours".

Amon stood silent, his grip loosened, putting down John, and releasing him "How?" Amon asked John his tone sounding solemn "How can you do such a thing to a little girl? And why?".

"Because, it is for the better of this world" John replied, as Amon cracked his neck.

Amon hands were shaking as he clenched both into fists "Better for the world?" Amon gritted his teeth, as John attempted to knee him in the stomach, only to have Amon block it barehanded with his left hand "Fuck. This. World".

A Father's Rage
Amon instantly delivered a powerful punch to John's chest with his right hand, sending John through multiple walls "This world doesn't deserve my daughter to be used for its own good. It betrayed me enough times. I won't give it anything in return" Amon said, as John quickly stood up.

''"Where?! Where did that come from?!" John thought to himself, shocked by this incredibly strength that Amon suddenly displayed "This is...just like back then against Joan..."''.

"I hate you all" Amon teleproted infront of John in an instant, delivering a powerful punch towards him, only to have him block it with both his hands, but was pushed back by the impact "Stupid, weak excuses to save this world, to make it better. How? By making weapons? That feels more like a declaration for war, or dictatorship, using force to bring peace, using fear" Amon's tone became full of hate and malice towards John.

"Say what you will. A criminal such as you cannot understand how difficult it is to handle the world nor save it" John said to Amon in a calm tone.

"SHUT UP! I know how cruel the world is! I know how hard it can be! But that does not give you a reason to use children for your own benefit!" Amon shouted at John, beginning to succumb to his rage.

"She is not a child! She is a Lacrima-based lifeform, and her existence can be used as a weapon! That is what we will do! To ensure this world is sa-...!" Suddenly, John was cutt off as Amon teleproted and punched John's helmet with his right hand, knocking him back, as he teleported behind John, putting his arms around John's waist from behind, and doing a full bridge, performing a german supplex, with all his strength.

As John hit the ground, the impact created a small crater, as Amon released John, quickly standing back up, grabbing John's leg, and throwing him into a building "Like I said before. Fuck. This. World. It had it's chances, but to me, it's all out of them" Amon said to John.

"Hmm..." John stood back up, dusting himself and looking at Amon "It seems I have to use more force against you then I originally anticipated" John held his hands together, as magic energy began to exert from his armor "This armor, stops the flow of magic energy, yes, but, it also absorbs Eternano from the atmosphere, creating microscopic needles on the surface of this armor, that once pierce a mage's skin, stop the flow of magic energy, by literally, getting in the way. But, another usage, is to utilize the absorbed Eternano..." John gathered an orb of magic energy between his hands, which he tossed at Amon, who teleported out of the way, but the orb erupted into a straight beam, which pierced through Amon's left shoulder "And manipulate it in any way I wish".