WRRRRRRRRR!
The whistle's piercing shriek tore through the silence, cutting straight through William's senses like a blade.
He didn't think, he moved.
A heartbeat later, a high-velocity shaft split the air where his head had been, slamming into the ground with a violent
TWICK!
Stone cracked. A crater formed. The projectile bounced once and spun, gleaming, before landing smoothly in the hand of a tall, blue-skinned man with a blood-red mohawk.
He stood in the open hatch of a scarred, battle-worn Ravager ship, flanked by shadows, and power.
Yondu.
He gave William a slow, toothy grin, like a wolf spotting a limping gazelle.
"Well, well… what do we got here, boys?" he rasped. "Fresh meat."
To Yondu's left stood a scruffy, smirking man with tousled blond hair and twin blasters at the ready, Peter Quill, laid-back and dangerous in equal measure. One of his blasters remained trained on William's chest as he appraised him like a mechanic inspecting salvage.
But it was the figure on Yondu's right that made William pause.
A wild-haired youth leaned forward, nearly trembling with excitement. His untamed black spikes reached skyward like he'd been hit with a surge of lightning, and a long, red-brown tail flicked behind him like a live wire. His wide eyes locked onto William, glowing with something close to awe.
"I feel it," the boy murmured.
His fists clenched tightly as a pale aura began to flicker around him, raw and unstable yet radiating immense power.
It shimmered like white flames.
Goku exhaled slowly, his voice low and steady as he whispered, "That's Ki!"
Taking a step forward, Goku grinned as an intense energy surged through him, awakening something primal in his chest. His eyes locked onto William's, and he felt an undeniable pull, a challenge he couldn't ignore.
"Who is this guy? Why does he feel so familiar?" Goku wondered, his heartbeat pounding like a drum, each beat fueling his resolve.
Then his gaze fell on the tail coiled around William's waist like a belt, and his eyes lit with fierce determination.
"Hey, Yondu, can I fight him?" he called out, his voice brimming with excitement and purpose.
Yondu paused, his brows knitting as he glanced back at the battlefield where his men lay groaning or unconscious. He turned to William.
"Mind if I clear the field before we continue?"
William took a moment, surveying the scene as he thought, "They would get in the way, wouldn't they?"
With a smirk, William raised his hand, bronze light flaring brilliantly from his palm.
Across the battlefield, bronze constructs of hands materialized, gently grasping each body.
They sank into the ground as though it were soft clay, lifting the fallen without disturbing their wounds.
The Ravagers stood in stunned silence as dozens of glowing, bronze-colored hands floated effortlessly above them, gentle, spectral extensions of William's will. They moved with perfect grace, scooping up the wounded and unconscious with delicate precision, and ferrying them toward the rear ramp of the ship.
The light from the constructs cast long shadows across the battered landscape, painting every face in hues of soft bronze.
Some stared in awe.
Others, in dread.
The moment the last injured Ravager was laid to rest, the hands disintegrated, vanishing into shimmering motes of light that rose skyward and faded into nothingness.
For several seconds, no one moved.
Then the spell broke.
"Go!" shouted one of the crewmen, jolting the others into action. Those closest to the injured rushed forward, dragging comrades to safety, checking pulses, stabilizing wounds. Their fear was momentarily forgotten, replaced by duty.
But Yondu didn't move.
He stood frozen at the top of the ramp, arrow spinning slowly above his shoulder, his sharp eyes locked onto William.
Meanwhile, William raised his arms high above his head, his body exuding an aura of heat and unyielding authority. His bronze Lantern armor glimmered brilliantly, as if it had captured sunlight from another dimension, now desperate for release.
With a thunderous, wordless roar, he channeled his Ki downward into the earth.
BOOM.
RUMBLE.
CRACK!
The ground heaved violently beneath him. A powerful shockwave burst outward, flattening everything within its range. Ravagers staggered, some collapsing to their knees, others crying out in alarm as the force rippled through the soil like the heartbeat of a dormant deity.
Loose gravel skittered across the ground. Crates toppled over. The very atmosphere seemed to distort under the sheer pressure.
Peter Quill, crouching behind a nearby container, grunted as he clung tightly to a support beam. "Okay. Yeah. This guy is definitely not Nova Corps. What is he?"
Yondu didn't respond.
Above them, William's right hand rose again, now blazing with a dazzling bronze light. The brilliance intensified, condensing around him like the birth of a star. The heat grew fiercer, the light sharper, until the Ravagers were forced to shield their eyes from its overwhelming radiance.
Even the ship's sensors stirred to life, their alarms chirping in erratic, confused patterns.
Then, the light expanded.
Bronze arcs of energy erupted from William, perfectly symmetrical as they lashed outward. They curved into the ground, etching radiant lines that formed a precise boundary. At each of the four corners, twisted spires burst forth, towering and jagged, resonating with an inscrutable cosmic hum.
The lines connected, and the bronze light surged.
In an instant—
A colossal arena materialized.
Smooth and seamless, constructed of pure energy, it bore a presence that felt ancient rather than futuristic. The Ravagers instinctively retreated, their weapons drawn not in aggression but trembling fear.
Some let their weapons clatter to the ground.
A few dropped to their knees.
"What... is this?" someone murmured.
The platform stretched vast, easily accommodating the landing of a warship. The spires at its corners curved slightly inward, like silent judges observing the center. The floor shimmered with shifting runes and intricate etchings, whispering in a language none could comprehend.
As the bronze light fragmented, dissolving into glowing embers like charred paper, it revealed the arena beneath, an enduring structure of stone and metal, etched with dense, eternal patterns.
Goku's eyes gleamed with excitement as he stepped forward, his white ki flaring to life in a dazzling display of energy. Without hesitation, he sprang into action, leaping high into the air with a powerful kick before Yondu could even muster a word of protest.
"Goddamnit, boy!" Yondu growled, his arrow trained on William's vitals, ready to respond to any underhanded move.
William stood calmly, an almost serene smile on his face, watching as Goku landed in front of him. Their eyes locked for a brief moment, an unspoken understanding passing between them.
In near-perfect unison, they shifted into fighting stances, their anticipation and exhilaration electrifying the air around them, the thrill of combat palpable in the charged atmosphere.
"I'll let you have the first move, go crazy, kid!" William said with a taunting smirk that both excited and infuriated Goku. Instantly, Goku was engulfed in an aura of pure white ki, his energy radiating like a blazing star.
"HAAAAAAAAAA!"
RUMBLE!
The ground trembled as Goku unleashed his full power, launching off the ground with unmatched force, his fist aimed directly at William's head.
BANG!
The impact of Goku's punch against William's brow sent a shockwave rippling through the air. Yet, to everyone's astonishment, William remained completely unmoved, standing firm as if nothing had happened. Goku and the Ravagers stared in disbelief.
"Who is this guy? To withstand Goku like that!" Peter murmured, his voice tinged with disbelief, fully aware of the incredible power behind his brother's attacks.
Goku launched a furious onslaught of punches and kicks at William, each blow delivered with unmatched ferocity and chaos.
BANG!
BOOM!
SWISH!
CRACK!
POW!
BANG!
Despite the overwhelming barrage, Goku's fists throbbed with pain, and his pride took a blow as William's unyielding smile remained undisturbed, no matter how many times he was struck.
In one motion, both shockingly swift and eerily composed, William raised a hand toward Goku's chest and exhaled softly.
WHOOOOSH!
A torrent of invisible energy surged forward, hurling Goku several feet backward, as though struck by an immense, unseen force.
Goku managed to lift his head just in time to witness William seemingly vanish into thin air.
"What? Where..."
Before he could finish the thought, a sudden attack from behind sent him spiraling into the air.
William's unseen shove sent Goku flying through the air like a rag doll caught in a storm. Dirt and loose stones exploded upward as he skidded to a stop, chest heaving, the flickering white ki around him sputtering erratically. For a moment, the arena was eerily silent, the only sound the hiss of steam rising from Goku's labored breathing.
Then William's voice cut through the stillness, calm and laced with amusement: "Again."
Goku sprang upright, eyes blazing with intensity. His aura snapped back into place, glowing bright and crackling with energy as he surged to his feet. "Okay!" he roared, determination etched into every line of his face. In an instant, he lunged forward, his speed bending the air, fists a blur as he unleashed a flurry of punches at William's midsection.
Each strike landed with a sharp crack of displaced air, but William barely moved. He shifted effortlessly, letting Goku's momentum guide him in wide arcs across the arena. After a dozen blows, William stepped aside with a fluid grace, a soft smile playing on his lips.
"You're holding back," William said, his tone warm but challenging. "Let me see what you're really made of."
Goku clenched his teeth, fury and exhilaration merging into a razor-sharp focus. He crouched low, channeling ki into his legs. With a thunderous yell, he rocketed upward, spinning into a powerful heel kick aimed squarely at William's jaw. The sheer force of the strike shattered the ground beneath William's feet, cracks spreading outward like a spiderweb.
But William caught the kick effortlessly with his forearm, absorbing the impact. He feigned a wince, his voice teasing. "Ouch," he said with mock sincerity, dropping into a fluid crouch as if stunned. Then, moving faster than the eye could track, he slipped past Goku's guard and tapped the Saiyan lightly on the shoulder with a single fingertip.
Goku flinched, eyes widening as though struck, and staggered back. He shook his head briskly, confusion flashing across his face. "What—?"
William's laughter echoed off the spired walls, rich and mocking. "Lightning fast," he praised, beckoning with a confident hand. "Your turn."
Goku's grin stretched wide, his white ki flaring with wild intensity, casting golden halos across the arena floor. With a surge of energy, he pivoted and feinted, leading into a savage knee strike. William caught the blow across his chest, staggering back with playful exaggeration.
"You hit hard," William admitted, lowering one hand to his waist. "But can you keep up?"
Goku's aura crackled like starlight, his energy surging as he darted around William in a tight circle, dropping low to sweep at his legs. William hopped neatly over the attack, his arms raised theatrically as if performing a dance. Goku's foot met only air.
William spun with elegance, feigning a sweeping kick of his own. Goku backflipped nimbly to evade, landing in a crouch with his tail flicking behind him. "Hah!" he laughed, breathless and exhilarated. "Come on! Fight me!"
William straightened, his stance shifting to one of readiness. The bronze glow of his armor dimmed to a soft shimmer, no menace, just presence. "As you wish," he murmured, advancing with deliberate slowness.
Time seemed to stretch. William's fist arced toward Goku's chest, not with the velocity of a cannonball, but with the precision of a master instructing a student. Goku braced himself, arms raised to block.
Clang!
The impact sent a shockwave rippling through the arena floor. Despite its restraint, William's punch propelled Goku backward by two paces. Wide-eyed and startled, Goku caught himself, then burst into laughter, his exhilaration uncontainable. "That... was... awesome!"
Leaning casually against the ramp's edge, Yondu twirled his arrow between his fingers, his sharp eyes fixed on the clash before him. He'd seen countless brawls in his time, but this, a battle so intense it seemed to ripple through existence itself, was something else. His gaze followed William, cloaked in a radiant bronze aura, as he effortlessly caught Goku's spinning kick without even flinching. A slow, amused grin tugged at Yondu's lips. "Boy," he rumbled to Quill, his voice gravelly and low, "you reckon he's just playin' with him?"
Peter, clutching a nearby beam to steady himself, shook his head in disbelief. "No doubt about it," he said, his voice tinged with awe. "Look at him, cool as ice. The kid's throwing everything he's got, and it's not even scratching the surface." Quill's brow furrowed as Goku unleashed a roaring surge of white energy, slamming into William with everything he had. But William simply pivoted, his movements smooth and precise, and tapped Goku's shoulder with a faint, almost mocking smile.
With a slight gesture, William raised his hand, and Goku was sent sprawling as if struck by an invisible force. Yondu's grin stretched wider.