101st Retry.
The city erupted in endless darkness. Atop the Empire State Building, Charlie's clone didn't immediately charge at Knull's clone.
He was waiting for something.
Sure enough, as a skyscraper was swallowed by dark sword light, Clark Kent shot into the sky under the clone's expectant gaze.
RRRUMBLE!!
An airburst roared, and the sky shook. The endless darkness crumbled under Superman's force field, drawing an incredulous roar from Knull's clone.
"What? Besides Spider-Man, someone else has such terrifying power?"
BOOM!!
Before Knull could finish, Superman's fist pierced the darkness again, dragging Knull's body in a diagonal plunge, crashing through several skyscrapers before slamming into the coastline.
BANG!!
Sand exploded across the shore. The S symbol, a beacon of hope, glowed brilliantly in the dark. The invincible Superman hovered above the crater, Clark glaring down at the shocked Knull, his voice stern with justice.
"I'll give you one chance. Join me to save the world, or keep fighting—and you'll lose."
Knull: "???"
He froze, then burst into maniacal laughter.
Hahaha! "Interesting guy. You don't even know who I am!"
With a roar, eerie black liquid poured from the man's body, and Knull surged toward Clark as a tidal wave of darkness.
"Your body is mine!!"
Buzz~
Golden webbing enveloped the sky, and a blazing pillar of energy crashed down, engulfing the black tide.
Simultaneously, Clark's eyes blazed with heat vision, piercing the dark wave to eradicate Knull.
BOOM!!
The coastal beach turned into a fiery inferno. The golden Spider-Man landed beside Clark.
"Clark, let's take this guy down together!"
The clone's eyes flared with heat vision, going all out.
Clark nodded, cranking his heat vision to its peak.
BOOM!!
The coast glowed with blinding red light, extreme heat melting the rocks. Sea mist rose as the ocean boiled.
The heat kept climbing. Clark, arms crossed, "watched" the molten coast, observing the black liquid screaming in agony within.
"Charlie, is this clone what I think it is?" he asked.
The clone grinned. "Of course. I'm not the main body, but my charm outshines his."
Clark: "…"
Confirmed—this guy was fine.
Even as a clone, he was just like the original.
After a moment, Clark added, "You must be curious why I'm here."
"Nope. You were taken out by Batman," the clone said without hesitation.
Clark: "…"
"How'd you know?" he asked, expressionless.
The clone thought for a second. "I imagined it."
In the last fake Resurrection Match, the setting was also the The Boys world.
The contestants were mostly the same, making the clone suspect Doctor Doom knew more than he let on.
Too coincidental.
Clark, unaware of this, only knew one thing.
"Spider-Man, they were right. Your superpower is terrifying," he said seriously.
The clone didn't react.
He knew Clark knew more.
Clark knew the clone understood his meaning.
"Yup, Spider-Man's superpower can sense crap!"
The clone laughed, hands on hips. "Pretty cool, right?"
Clark: "…"
The old man had warned him not to bring it up. Spider-Man would get mad, and the consequences would be severe.
But now…
Well, this clone was big-hearted!
The next moment, the spreading heat turned the ground beneath them into molten lava, rapidly expanding.
Crack crack~
A skyscraper tilted under the heat's influence.
Clark snapped to attention. "Oh no, I have to save the innocents!"
He shut off his heat vision and rushed to the building. The clone froze, then cursed.
"Don't go! I can't handle this alone! Let me taste victory first, you jerk!!"
Gagaga! "Pathetic insect clone, you're out of chances!"
With Clark gone, the clone's heat vision couldn't maintain absolute suppression.
Knull in the lava regained strength, reforming the All-Black Necrosword. Vengeance flames devoured the heat.
Clone: "…"
He glanced at Clark, carrying a building away from the battlefield, his eyes full of exasperation.
A world where only the clone got hurt was achieved.
…
102nd Retry.
"Clark, promise me, don't leave this time."
Near the molten coast, the clone clutched Clark's hand, his face earnest.
"I can't live without you." Tears welled in his eyes, making Clark uncomfortable.
"Uh, Charlie, don't do that. We're just friends. You're making this awkward." Clark broke free, forcing a smile.
"Don't worry, I won't—oh no, I have to save—"
"Don't go!!"
Gagaga! "Pathetic insect clone, you're dead."
…
103rd Retry.
"Don't go!!"
The clone clung to Clark's leg, wailing, but Clark, determined to save civilians, steeled himself.
"Sorry, with great power comes great responsibility. I can't let them die in front of me."
"But I'll die in front of them!!"
"I'll be back soon. Hold on."
BOOM!!
An airburst roared as Clark sped to a building. The black tide in the lava began to coalesce.
Gagaga! "You—"
"I know, I'm dead," the clone said, hands spread, forcing a grim smile.
…
110th Retry.
"I'm not leaving!!"
At the molten coast, Clark, eyes blazing with heat vision, stood resolute.
The golden Spider-Man had taken over rescue duty, hauling buildings away from the battlefield.
Huff~ Ha~
After setting down a building, the clone leaned on his knees, panting.
"So tiring. Why am I so tired? The main body's the weak one."
He glanced at Clark, still burning Knull with heat vision, and wiped sweat from his brow.
"Done yet?" he shouted.
Clark's face was grim, sparks flying near his eyes.
"Almost. Just a bit more. He's nearly gone."
"Really?"
The clone, excited, joined Clark.
As minutes ticked by, he watched the black liquid in the lava burn away, finally relaxing.
"Great, now it's my time to shine!"
He rubbed his hands, eager, but overlooked other factors.
This world had more than just them as contestants.
Buzz~
A virtual game interface expanded, enveloping the three.
"Welcome to my game…"
Before the Grandmaster finished, a fist the size of a sandbag floored him.
"Ow! Who hit me?"
The Grandmaster knelt, clutching his eye, roaring in fury.
"Me!"
From the web in the sky, the clone glared down, pointing at the Grandmaster's nose, cursing.
"Failed Game King, don't mess with me! If you interfere, I'll smash your game machine to bits, mix the pieces with laxatives, shove them in your eyes, soak your corpse in a septic tank, dry it, soak it again, and dry it again!"
Grandmaster: "???"
What a vulgar clone!
But while the Grandmaster backed off, Clark ran into trouble.
BOOM!!
Matching heat vision rained down, blasting the molten coast. Black liquid splattered as Zod and Fiora sped in.
"Clark, you think you're this world's protector? Isn't that laughable?"
Zod sneered at the stunned Clark, catching the splattered black liquid.
Crack~
Whoosh~~
The black liquid spread over him, enveloping him in an instant.
From observing, he'd learned this entity needed a host to unleash its full terror.
If it hadn't tried to possess Clark, abandoning its original host, it wouldn't have been cornered like this by Spider-Man and Clark.
Now, with the black liquid, terrifying power coursed through him.
He was stronger!
Whoosh~
A demonic face covered his head, and Black Zod became a dark meteor, plunging toward Clark.
"Clark!!"
BOOM!!
With a roar, Clark was caught off guard, dragged through skyscrapers with no time to react.
The clone's face fell, despair settling in.
"It's over. This round's busted too."
At the Seven's Tower, Homelander, watching the battle, paled.
"Oh no, they're coming this way!"
BOOM!!
Zod and Clark crashed through the tower, landing in a nearby residential building.
At the hole in the tower, Homelander's eyes widened, fear unconcealed.
So close to being hit.
Huh? Why's it chilly?
He looked down—his suit was burned away, leaving him exposed. He wailed in agony.
"No!!!"
Under the moonlight, Homelander howled.
Behind him, Superman and Black Zod's battle raged on.
Skyscrapers collapsed under their wild power, flames engulfing the city.
Despair and darkness spread.
The clone faced a new challenge.
Whoosh~
As Fiora, cloaked in black liquid, approached, the clone grimaced. "We meet again. Can you not hit the face?"
Fiora gave an eerie smile. "What do you think?"
Clone: "…"
Damn!
He finally understood the main body.
How the hell do you win a Resurrection Match?!
…
130th Retry.
With Clark's help, Knull's clone was trapped in the molten coast. The clone's face showed no joy or sorrow, as if numb.
This thing couldn't be killed quickly.
And while they stalled, other contestants would cause trouble.
Impossible to guard against, so why bother?
The clone shouted to the sky, "Brothers and sisters, let's save the world together!!"
The hidden contestants: "…"
Zod hesitated.
Fiora asked, "General, do we continue?"
Zod frowned. "Joining Spider-Man guarantees a Resurrection Slot, but Clark…"
He was torn.
Should he take the gamble?
If it worked, he could trap Spider-Man and Clark here forever.
Then no one could stop his plan to rebuild Krypton.
Before he decided, space warped around them.
Step~ Step~
Footsteps echoed, and figures surrounded Zod and Fiora.
"Sir, don't interfere with the great Spider-Man saving the world."
Led by Kang the Conqueror, the group stared them down.
Zod's brow furrowed deeper. "You…"
"We're Spider-Man's enemies," Nova said with a slight smile. "Formerly."
Fiora scanned them. "You're helping Spider-Man to secure a Resurrection Slot?"
"Of course, need you ask?"
The Grandmaster smirked. "Living's the priority, isn't it?"
"Where's your pride in defying Spider-Man?" Zod sneered. "He won't let you resurrect. You know that."
Jennix's gaze was cold. "But he's just a clone. He's not thinking that far."
No Inheritors were in this Resurrection Match, meaning the battle with the Inheritor Family hadn't started.
If he resurrected, he could warn Morlun, preparing for the fight ahead.
He'd pay any price, even helping Spider-Man against his will!
"No more delays."
A burly figure stepped from the darkness.
Ares, God of War, said, "Act now, or it'll be hard to prove we're on Spider-Man's side."
Kang nodded. "Right. Move!"
"Wait!"
Zod gritted his teeth. "We surrender."
The Grandmaster smiled. "Too late. Let's show Spider-Man our sincerity."
"Let's go!"
Nova's eyes hardened, raising a hand to lift a skyscraper from the ground.
Crack crack…
BOOM!!
"Charge!"
With the Grandmaster's cue, the threat from Zod and Fiora was neutralized, and the clone sighed in relief.
That old guy came through at the critical moment.
But he was most worried about something else.
If the mission succeeded, bringing back so many old "friends," would the main body lose it?
Nah, the main body's so kind, he probably wouldn't.
Besides, I'm just a clone. My job's to win the Resurrection Match. The rest isn't my problem.
With great power comes great responsibility.
I'm super responsible!
The clone straightened up.
"We won!"
As the last drop of black liquid burned away, he and Clark relaxed.
But oddly, the mission success prompt didn't come.
The clone felt a sinking premonition.
Based on the main body's experience…
This round was definitely busted again.