Chapter X
Superboy, entering the final stretch of the forest first, toured through the consuming fog as blind as he was filled with hate. The shifted current of the fog had amassed an opaque cloak over the southern region of the forest that prevented all but stray shadows to be seen. Regardless, his eyes did see, and it was red. As he penetrated deeper and deeper in flight, the path became alien to him, every twist and turn weaved him further and further from what he originally perceived as his destination. The only familiarity accompanying him was roiling anger.
Soon after, Robin stormed through the center of the forest heading towards the southern region in hot pursuit of Harm. In his sprinting stride, he darted passed XS as she tended to Spoiler, but to him, they were no more substantive than the abounding leaves and trees. For a moment, the worried cry from XS as she felt Robin whoosh by her, "Robin!?" temporarily pulled his attention back to what was truly important, that of his ailing friends. It was not his intention to ignore them, but it was his action nonetheless. His mind, his pacing heart was geared towards one end alone, and that was Harm. Without turning back, Robin trudged into the blanketing fog, unable to see clearly that which was in front, and behind him.
Concomitantly, Superboy's heated search grew no less passionate, but with the passage of each corner, he could feel Harm's trail grow thinner and thinner. That is until out the corner of his eye, Superboy spotted a faint, but apparent silhouette moving in the fog. Immediately, Superboy's focus turned to the silhouette, and as he glimpsed more, he realized the sinewy shadow was drawing closer to him.
The time had come, Superboy told himself. He would make Harm pay for hurting Spoiler and making a fool out of him. Clenching his fists, he prepared to greet the charging shadow with the full brunt of his contempt.
As Robin searched through the dense fog, rage and relief swept over him as he too spotted a silhouette in the distance. It was Harm, he told himself, XS and Impulse had succeeded in realigning the fog, and Harm had unavoidably become disoriented by it. Now, as Robin watched the silhouette wander the fog, he could see his moment to strike. Based upon the mannerisms and movements of the silhouette, Robin judged Harm must have his back turned to him, and the element of surprise would be Robin's greatest ally in the coming battle.
Empowered by his anger, Robin viciously rushed towards the shadow in the fog. As the silhouette drew nearer, Superboy, poised to deliver an uppercut, was stunned as the lissome shadow cut under his fist like a sleek javelin and viciously speared him to the ground. Gaining the upper hand, Robin remained mounted on top of the downed silhouette and landed two damaging punches in succession.
As each punch sunk into the face of the shadow, a part of Robin could instantly sense that something was wrong. He had fought Harm before, he knew Harm. Though he could not see, he knew very well that this, perhaps, was not what he had assumed it to be. Under the weight of his fists, his Gemini adjudicators, his indecision quickly suffocated. He could not allow the confusion of the fog to fluster him. This was Harm, this was his opponent. Nothing else mattered.
He had taken him by surprise. He had underestimated Harm once again. No more he conceded. As he lay on the ground with the shadow preparing to throw a third punch, Superboy deftly caught its fist in mid swing. Firmly in his grasp, the Kid employed all his tactile telekinetic force to wrench the hand of the shadow, almost ripping the arm right from its socket.
He could feel that had hurt the shadow, and capitalizing on its anguish, he shrewdly kneed the silhouette in the stomach and flipped it from on top of him. The two returned to their feet, and with heaving breaths they both stood face to face. With overzealous force, Superboy wildly swung a left followed by a right punch. Timing each overly aggressive punch of the silhouette, Robin ducked both and, noticing it left itself open after each swing, countered with a brutal head-butt that smashed deep into its nose.
Upon impact, Robin immediately knew he had spilt its blood as he felt a near river of steaming liquid gush onto him. Due to the stinging thunder of the blow, a weary Superboy staggered two steps back, but as he did so, he cunningly grappled onto the shadow. Allocating the momentum of his own fall, Superboy, with the shadow still in his throws, chucked the darkened silhouette over his shoulder.
As his prone back smacked against the ground, Robin mentally berated himself for being so careless after the head-butt. Adrenaline convalescing through his aching veins, Robin deftly sprung to his feet from the ground and hurtled towards his foe, intending on connecting a quick retaliatory jump kick. On guard, Superboy watched as the shadow attempted to jump kick him, to which he alertly avoided by leaping into the air.
Landing behind him, the shadow ruthlessly applied a head vice to Robin. Trapped in his opponent's iron grip, Robin could slowly feel every last molecule of air leave his body as his lungs fought to expand. The passage of every excruciating second heightened Robin's anxiety as he struggled to break free in a sweat laced panic. With his fading breath, Robin tried to kick and squirm, but to no success. His eyes, which burned with such fire, dimmed as its stoked flames were mercilessly smothered. What little he could see began to disappear. The painful hold had taken a sickening toll on Robin as beneath the fog, his face degenerated to a cold blue hue as any flow of blood had been denied to his skull.
Deathly weakened, Robin, in final desperation gathered as much leverage as he possibly could and managed to swing his back in an arching motion. The sudden maneuver by the silhouette caused Superboy to sever his grip and be heaved across the forest into a tree. His body roughly tattered against the bark of the tree as both his mind and spine jarred on impact.
As his opponent went sailing into the tree, Robin's freed hands tangled with what felt like, a jacket, "…A leather jacket?!" he bemusedly pondered. It was there, in the fog, that Robin arrived at the troubling revelation that Harm had triumphed once again.
Grievously, Robin called out, his wheezing voice wracked with guilt and exhaustion, "Superboy?!" Although semiconscious from the mammoth collision with the tree, the all too sobering sound of his opponent's, his friend's voice resonated in the Kid's mind as he concluded what had truly transpired, and responded, "Robin?!"
Battered and bruised, the two bewildered warriors limped to their feet. Both young men who had fought so unrestrainedly now faced the increasingly daunting task of finding the strength to apologize. The friends they were, they immediately knew just how terribly sorry each was.
"Look Rob, I'm…"
Robin abruptly interrupted his friend's apology, not needing words to describe that which he already knew. Focused instead on the greater issue at hand, Robin stated, "Harm knew. And somewhere, he is laughing."
Harm had escaped, long since gone. Still, tremendous harm had been done, the scars of which yet to surface.
Chapter X
Superboy, entering the final stretch of the forest first, toured through the consuming fog as blind as he was filled with hate. The shifted current of the fog had amassed an opaque cloak over the southern region of the forest that prevented all but stray shadows to be seen. Regardless, his eyes did see, and it was red. As he penetrated deeper and deeper in flight, the path became alien to him, every twist and turn weaved him further and further from what he originally perceived as his destination. The only familiarity accompanying him was roiling anger.
Soon after, Robin stormed through the center of the forest heading towards the southern region in hot pursuit of Harm. In his sprinting stride, he darted passed XS as she tended to Spoiler, but to him, they were no more substantive than the abounding leaves and trees. For a moment, the worried cry from XS as she felt Robin whoosh by her, "Robin!?" temporarily pulled his attention back to what was truly important, that of his ailing friends. It was not his intention to ignore them, but it was his action nonetheless. His mind, his pacing heart was geared towards one end alone, and that was Harm. Without turning back, Robin trudged into the blanketing fog, unable to see clearly that which was in front, and behind him.
Concomitantly, Superboy's heated search grew no less passionate, but with the passage of each corner, he could feel Harm's trail grow thinner and thinner. That is until out the corner of his eye, Superboy spotted a faint, but apparent silhouette moving in the fog. Immediately, Superboy's focus turned to the silhouette, and as he glimpsed more, he realized the sinewy shadow was drawing closer to him.
The time had come, Superboy told himself. He would make Harm pay for hurting Spoiler and making a fool out of him. Clenching his fists, he prepared to greet the charging shadow with the full brunt of his contempt.
As Robin searched through the dense fog, rage and relief swept over him as he too spotted a silhouette in the distance. It was Harm, he told himself, XS and Impulse had succeeded in realigning the fog, and Harm had unavoidably become disoriented by it. Now, as Robin watched the silhouette wander the fog, he could see his moment to strike. Based upon the mannerisms and movements of the silhouette, Robin judged Harm must have his back turned to him, and the element of surprise would be Robin's greatest ally in the coming battle.
Empowered by his anger, Robin viciously rushed towards the shadow in the fog. As the silhouette drew nearer, Superboy, poised to deliver an uppercut, was stunned as the lissome shadow cut under his fist like a sleek javelin and viciously speared him to the ground. Gaining the upper hand, Robin remained mounted on top of the downed silhouette and landed two damaging punches in succession.
As each punch sunk into the face of the shadow, a part of Robin could instantly sense that something was wrong. He had fought Harm before, he knew Harm. Though he could not see, he knew very well that this, perhaps, was not what he had assumed it to be. Under the weight of his fists, his Gemini adjudicators, his indecision quickly suffocated. He could not allow the confusion of the fog to fluster him. This was Harm, this was his opponent. Nothing else mattered.
He had taken him by surprise. He had underestimated Harm once again. No more he conceded. As he lay on the ground with the shadow preparing to throw a third punch, Superboy deftly caught its fist in mid swing. Firmly in his grasp, the Kid employed all his tactile telekinetic force to wrench the hand of the shadow, almost ripping the arm right from its socket.
He could feel that had hurt the shadow, and capitalizing on its anguish, he shrewdly kneed the silhouette in the stomach and flipped it from on top of him. The two returned to their feet, and with heaving breaths they both stood face to face. With overzealous force, Superboy wildly swung a left followed by a right punch. Timing each overly aggressive punch of the silhouette, Robin ducked both and, noticing it left itself open after each swing, countered with a brutal head-butt that smashed deep into its nose.
Upon impact, Robin immediately knew he had spilt its blood as he felt a near river of steaming liquid gush onto him. Due to the stinging thunder of the blow, a weary Superboy staggered two steps back, but as he did so, he cunningly grappled onto the shadow. Allocating the momentum of his own fall, Superboy, with the shadow still in his throws, chucked the darkened silhouette over his shoulder.
As his prone back smacked against the ground, Robin mentally berated himself for being so careless after the head-butt. Adrenaline convalescing through his aching veins, Robin deftly sprung to his feet from the ground and hurtled towards his foe, intending on connecting a quick retaliatory jump kick. On guard, Superboy watched as the shadow attempted to jump kick him, to which he alertly avoided by leaping into the air.
Landing behind him, the shadow ruthlessly applied a head vice to Robin. Trapped in his opponent's iron grip, Robin could slowly feel every last molecule of air leave his body as his lungs fought to expand. The passage of every excruciating second heightened Robin's anxiety as he struggled to break free in a sweat laced panic. With his fading breath, Robin tried to kick and squirm, but to no success. His eyes, which burned with such fire, dimmed as its stoked flames were mercilessly smothered. What little he could see began to disappear. The painful hold had taken a sickening toll on Robin as beneath the fog, his face degenerated to a cold blue hue as any flow of blood had been denied to his skull.
Deathly weakened, Robin, in final desperation gathered as much leverage as he possibly could and managed to swing his back in an arching motion. The sudden maneuver by the silhouette caused Superboy to sever his grip and be heaved across the forest into a tree. His body roughly tattered against the bark of the tree as both his mind and spine jarred on impact.
As his opponent went sailing into the tree, Robin's freed hands tangled with what felt like, a jacket, "…A leather jacket?!" he bemusedly pondered. It was there, in the fog, that Robin arrived at the troubling revelation that Harm had triumphed once again.
Grievously, Robin called out, his wheezing voice wracked with guilt and exhaustion, "Superboy?!" Although semiconscious from the mammoth collision with the tree, the all too sobering sound of his opponent's, his friend's voice resonated in the Kid's mind as he concluded what had truly transpired, and responded, "Robin?!"
Battered and bruised, the two bewildered warriors limped to their feet. Both young men who had fought so unrestrainedly now faced the increasingly daunting task of finding the strength to apologize. The friends they were, they immediately knew just how terribly sorry each was.
"Look Rob, I'm…"
Robin abruptly interrupted his friend's apology, not needing words to describe that which he already knew. Focused instead on the greater issue at hand, Robin stated, "Harm knew. And somewhere, he is laughing."
Harm had escaped, long since gone. Still, tremendous harm had been done, the scars of which yet to surface.