"They're what?" Milten screamed over the phone.
"In the Lost Light's base," Max replied.
"So fucking soon? I knew this was happening. Hell, I made it happen: but I didn't think they'd make a move right now," Milten said as he was having his dinner in his office.
Surge stood next to him: salt in hand: waiting to receive orders.
"So that's why you gave them the girl?"
"Yeah. They needed bait to lure Jake in. Little did they know I wanted him there."
"Why?"
"So the others would follow. Then they'd have a big battle and my Danger Squad would get all the credit for beating the notorious Lost Light."
"Why not just give them Jake directly? The team would still go looking for him."
"It wouldn't be 100% probable they'd still find Jake then. If he went on his own: the probability skyrockets. Case in point."
"Whatever. So are you sending in Luthor soon?"
"Luthor hasn't picked up the phone in a while. I've sent some of my men to go check on him: see if he's okay."
"Good for me then. Means I can let loose without his insistent nagging. Unless you want hostages?"
"No. But the artifacts and tech they've acquired over the years would sure come in handy. Do whatever you want. Massacre them for all I care."
"Already on it."
"What?"
"Bye," Max said: cutting the call. He then turned his attention to his prey.
"Well then," Max said to the dying Executioner before him. "How do you wanna do this?"
"F... fuck you. Traitor..." the Executioner said: coughing up blood.
"Traitor? Might I recall correctly: you assholes are the ones who gave me over to Mr. E," Max said: smiling.
"You failed us. You should have taken your punishment with honour."
"Well, you aren't exactly taking yours with honour either. So what will it be?"
"You won't get away with this..."
"You know I can copy people's abilities now, and make some of my own. The thing is: made abilities are temporary while copied ones last forever. All I need to copy them is some DNA."
Max then approached the man.
"And the more DNA I consume: the more powerful the ability becomes."
"No..."
"So if I eat you: how strong do you think I'll be?"
The Executioner tried to get up and run: but it was no use. Max had ripped off his legs a few minutes prior. Everything was going well. Although he was thrown a few miles away from the base: he could still return.
Sadly: he met Max on the way back. When did Max become so strong? Were these the abilities Mr. E gave him?
Or new ones?
He had heard myths that those exposed to the pure power of Umbra: or through surrogates like the Baron: gained access to some kind of energy. Energy they could pass down to others.
Energy belonging to something called the Star Spectrum.
Max's energy resembled it too much. So did Jake's.
But it was just a legend. Then again: that's what he thought about the power of the Baron. Now look at him.
Before he could continue thinking: Max had already grabbed him by the neck.
"So for the last time: how do you want to do this? Should I eat you alive: or kill you and eat your corpse?"
"And as... I... I said, fuck y... you!" the Executioner said as he spat in Max's face.
"Alive it is then," Max said: as his mouth opened wide: revealing multiple rows of sharp: monstrous teeth.
Meanwhile...
The Bishop turned towards the seven supers coming at him and smiled gleefully.
He could feel the power of the Baron coursing through his veins and was excited to test it.
All he needed to do was kill these fools and get back to absorbing him.
Then he'd have the power to meet with Umbra: to call her here.
Then Umbra would finally have her way with this world.
And all they needed to do to stop that was beat him here and now.
A task easier said than done.
First was Zack: who sent an enlarged fist coming his way. The Bishop simply grabbed it and hurled him towards Paulina: stopping her attempt to morph her hands into another blaster.
The two were sent flying at the wall and collided so hard the impact knocked them both out.
Next was Ted: who charged up his metallic fist for a powerful punch. Bishop got into a proper stance and was determined to parry the attack.
Just as Ted got close enough: Bishop turned a full one eighty to catch Stacya leaping from the ground and preparing to strike him with her spear.
He grabbed the weapon with ease and was getting ready to block Ted's incoming attack. That's when Stacya activated the spear's lightning: just like with the Nun. The Bishop merely laughed at the sudden shock as he grabbed Ted's fist.
He then slammed the two together with a force that rivalled that which Jake used on the Priest. Once the two were knocked out: he threw them aside.
Omniboy and Rift came in right after. Omniboy turned his arms into long tentacles made of pressurized water while sprouting several new ones: while Rift spawned even more tentacles than he did with fifteen of them making their way to the Bishop.
All he did was dodge them easily. Whether it was a well-timed head placement: or a good movement of his leg: he dodged them all. While dodging: he pulled his arm back and concentrated the amped up shadow energy he had at his disposal: forming the shape of a giant hammer.
Before the two kids could react: he already swung the massive weapon at them: destroying their tentacles and sending them flying like the others did. They lost consciousness upon impact with the nearest wall.
Just as he was reeling from the momentum of his swing: the Bishop felt a presence approaching him. He turned his head just a fraction: only to be met by immense force behind Jake's blue fist.
He was nearly sent flying like his victims: but stomped his foot firmly on the ground: maintaining his position.
Despite Jake's fist on his face: he still turned to look at him and his skull mask formed a sadistic grin. He then swung his hammer right at Jake's head: causing Jake to spiral out of control. He rolled across the ground and hit the wall with a thump. He wasn't knocked unconscious: but he wished he had been: because the pain was near unbearable.
His jaw was broken: half his face scarred: his eye flew out of its socket: one of his horns broke clean off: and the other was nearly cracked in two. He couldn't keep fighting. Not like this.
Hell: he could barely even stand up.
That didn't stop him from trying: though.
"Ah. Seems you're the only one still trying to move. All the others are out cold. I have to commend you all for your effort," the Bishop said: slowly approaching him. His hammer crackling with black lightning the closer he got.
"If it was the me before: I doubt I would've beaten you all so easily. Hell: I doubt I would've beaten you all. But now: it's different. Now only a handful of people could match my power," he continued: smiling as he watched Jake try to claw to his feet.
"First I was compared to the likes of Radioactive Man, Amazo, Dao D: but now? When these pathetic mortals witness my power: I'll be brought among truly legendary figures like Captain Rocket! Hawk Knight! Mr. E! Major Payne! Canman! My legacy will reach the stars!"
Now he was right above him.
"Speaking of Captain Rocket: I heard he was your mentor. Helped you learn your abilities. And even before: he went under cover as your boss at your pathetic convenience store."
He raised his hammer to strike.
"How did his death feel? Seems to me it hurt. Killed by Mr. E. Shortly after: Mr. E dies as well. You got your revenge: but at what cost? Your girlfriend looking like that? You looking like this?"
He then placed his foot on Jake's chest: keeping him down.
"Ah! I almost forgot. You're probably wondering how we acquired your girl in the first place. Not really a long story. We..."
He stopped.
He felt something behind him.
Bloodlust.
So much of it he turned and started swearing without even knowing the cause: just as he did: something landed right in front of him: as if it had been thrown.
The Executioner's head.
"Sorry I'm late," Max said: stretching his legs. "Had to stop and pick up lunch. My lunch."
"Max? Ah! Long time no see!" the Bishop said: mocking him with false kindness.
"Don't play your shit on me, Bishop. It isn't working now."
"It worked before: didn't it?"
"Yes: it did. But the me before isn't the me now. And the me now is going to do you worse than your little friend here. Or should I say: my little snack?"
The Bishop charged Max with his hammer in tow. Max simply crouched and brought his fist back. He then opened his palm: and from it spawned a giant black axe with red flames radiating from it.
"The Executioner's axe? How?"
"Like my little gift? Your lackey was so happy to let me have it."
Bishop paid no mind to it and advanced. Him fussing over it wouldn't bring him back.
But killing this bastard surely would.
He charged his hammer with the same energy that he used to hit Jake. Only difference is: this was twice as much as before.
The Bishop swung his hammer right at Max's face: only for it to collide with his axe.
"Like I said: I'm not the same."
The hammer broke into thousands of pieces: with the black energy turning to dust before his very eyes.
The axe did the same: the blue flames dissipating from the pieces of its black blade.
All Bishop could do was watch in horror as his weapon was reduced to nothing.
"Seems that axe wasn't so great after all."
"You... how did you..."
Before Bishop could finish: he took a punch to the face: knocking him off balance.
How was this possible?
Then Max let out another one right at his jaw.
He took the Baron's power.
And another.
He was second only to Umbra.
And another.
And yet this bastard is treating him like nothing.
And another.
Just like his whole life.
And another.
As a mortal.
Then everything faded to black.
"It doesn't have to be this way," the Bishop heard as he awoke in a giant void of pitch blackness.
"W... what is this? Where is this?"
"It's our connection," the voice said. She was oddly feminine.
"Connection?"
"Yes. Once you took that fool's power: not only did it amplify your fighting strength: but your connection to me as well."
"Wait... connection... oh my God... Umbra?"
The pitch-black woman gave a sly smirk and nodded at his question.
The Bishop lit up with tears and hugged her. She kept her arms to her side.
"You have no idea how I've waited for this. For you," the Bishop said: still holding her.
"And you will wait forever," she said: causing him to pull away immediately after. "If you do not kill these fools and consume that spineless Baron of mine."
"H... how can I do that? Max is overpowering me as we speak!" Bishop said: and kept the hug going.
"He wouldn't do the same to me."
"You mean..."
"Of course. You are my most loyal servant. My greatest soldier. These gnats will not stand before your might. They'll bow down and worship it!" Umbra said with a more calm and authoritative voice: which fascinated Bishop even more.
She placed her hand on his forehead: and the blackness around him consumed him. He didn't resist.
He didn't doubt.
He didn't fight.
And now he was hers.
He knew he was hers.
And it made him ecstatic.
Back in the real world: Max prepared to swing another punch at the Bishop: only to stop midway. He then withdrew all his fists and jumped a few metres from him.
"What the hell..." Max said: his senses going overboard and telling him one thing over and over again.
"Run."
"No. What did you do? What the hell did you do?!"
The Bishop stood in place for what seemed like forever. Then he smirked: then grinned. Then he smiled and let out a laugh.
"Why are you laughing?" Max said: preparing another axe.
"Don't you see? I have been chosen! Umbra has chosen me! You don't matter. None of you do! All that matters is Umbra! Nothing you can do will stop me now! I'm invincible!"
Max scoffed at the idea and prepared his axe for an attack. Just as he crouched for his fighting stance: he felt something.
On his scalp.
He looked up to see the Bishop standing right above him: holding his head playfully.
"No way."
The Bishop laughed.
"Didn't you hear me?" the Bishop said: lifting Max off the ground and throwing him into the air.
"You don't matter!" the Bishop continued: punching Max with enough force to impale him through the chest. Max vomited a pool of blood right after.
"None of you matter!"
He then threw Max's dying body across the arena like a bag of trash.
"All that matters is Umbra."
The Bishop then turned to the Baron and walked towards him.
"Now: where were we?"
Not far from him: Jake was still on the ground.
"Jake..."
The faint sound of a voice ringing in his head.
He was the only one not incapacitated from the Bishop's attacks. He saw what he did to Max. He knew Max had some level of regeneration: but he also knew it would take a long time for him to heal from a hole in his chest.
"Jake: listen to me..."
And time is something they didn't have right now.
"We don't have time..."
Jake couldn't even mutter a response. The Bishop's hammer made sure of that. He couldn't think straight. He couldn't even move his legs. Every time he did: his mind would succumb to an immeasurable spark of pain.
"If he gets to the Baron: it's over."
He then tried to apply some of his blue energy to his healing.
"Please: Jake..."
No use. An attack like this would take even more time than Max.
"I'm our only hope."
The Bishop was almost upon the Baron and he had no options.
"Let me out!"
Now: that he registered.
"Sh... Shadow?" Jake thought. A thought Shadow heard loud and clear.
"Let me out: Jake! I'm the only one strong enough to stop the Bishop. Just like Dao D!"
Jake thought about it for a moment. It was him. The faint voice that spoke to him during his battle with the infamous leader of the Dragon Clan. The split personality of his: born from the fusion of him and Umbra.
Umbra...
"How do I know you won't turn on us? You're a fusion of me and Umbra. The same Umbra who wants to come here," Jake asked in his mind: as he could not speak due to his broken jaw.
"I have her traits: but yours: too! I have no intention of conquering the world. I just want to save Ivy! Just like you do."
"Bullshit!"
"It's true. You have to believe me. I hate to say this: but you have no other choice."
Jake looked up at the Bishop. He was almost at the Baron.
"F... fine then. Zack is gonna kill me if I'm wrong here. How do I let you out?" Jake relented.
"The same way you did before. Let go..."
Jake thought about that. He remembered the Dao D fight again. How he had no chance. No other options.
And how he heard this voice. This same voice.
And it telling him to let go.
Just like last time: Jake obliged: and the Shadow was free...
To be continued...