Chapter 11: Spawn vs. Skulker, Round 1!
*Celtic Frost: Inner Sanctum plays!*
Spawn and Skulker fought each other in the dark alleys of Empire Plaza for what seemed like hours, and none could seem to best the other. An injured Rogue, Mystique, and Marrow were able to sneak away safely before watching the battle between the two Hellspawns. "My God...what a frightening monster!" Mystique muttered. "Who, the bonehead? He don't scare me that much." Marrow retorted. "I was actually referring to that newcomer! Just look at him...he's so intense!" Mystique corrected. "But he saved our lives, hon. I think...I hope!" Rogue said nervously.
Spawn growled furiously as he kept throwing many punches at Skulker, but the evil villain just kept hitting back harder and harder everytime. Skulker was beyond pissed off, but so was Spawn. "I knew I should've just killed you the first chance I had, Darrel." Spawn seethed as he punched Skulker in the face. "You can't kill me, Raizo. I've always been a better soldier than you...and I'll always be a better killer than you. You're too fucking softhearted and weak!" Skulker snarled as he grabbed Spawn and slammed him against a wall.
Skulker cried out with fury as he pinned Spawn to the wall and began ruthlessly beating him, but Spawn was able to fight him off before punching Skulker some more. Eventually, Skulker grew tired of punching and resorted to another level of violence...all while taunting Spawn about the past. Spawn shoved him violently against a heap of rubble, but before he could attack him again, Skulker reached in his pocket and drew out a deadly looking blade. He sliced at Spawn's chest, spilling Necroplasm everywhere.
Spawn cried out in pain as he was forced back, confused by his own reaction and feeling of pain. Skulker laughed evilly as he got back up, holding the ugly looking knife in his hand, which was now dripping with poison and Necroplasm. "Does that hurt, Raizo? You ain't the only one who knows about the powers of Necroplasm. Because unlike you, I don't hold myself back...like you did back in Vietnam!" Skulker taunted before throwing the blade at Spawn's face. Spawn screamed in agony as the blade pierced his skull, just barely missing his left eye.
He was able to tear the blade out, but Skulker had tackled him into a building and continued beating the living daylights out of him. Finally, Skulker darted out of the building before he grabbed his grenade launcher and fired several shots. The explosions caused the building to collapse on top of Spawn, crushing him. Skulker panted with exhaustion, but seemed satisfied with himself. "You were always in my way to begin with, fool. Now just stay down there where you belong, while I burn this fucking town to the ground!" Skulker taunted.
Suddenly, Spawn punched his way free of the mile high debris and roared furiously as his eyes flashed with Necroplasmic Rage. Skulker was surprised by this, but soon started to chuckle evilly. "You still are a relentless motherfucker, aren't you? I have to admit...I did like the fact that you had balls back in the day. Maybe I was wrong; maybe you did enjoy yourself back in Nam, didn't you?" Skulker sneered. "I have heard more than enough from your lips, Darrel! You pushed me way too far and now you're going down; hard!" Spawn snarled. "Pushed you too far?! Boy, I barely even started with you. I haven't gone far enough...so let me show you what I can really do." Skulker snapped.
Skulker the whipped out another machinegun before he started blowing everything up in plain sight. The X-men and other bystanders were so lucky to have gotten away to safety, but they were horrified to see what happened next. Skulker stood there panting with fury as he dropped his empty guns. Spawn was nowhere to be seen, much to Skulker's delight. He leaned back against a wall and tried to light up a cigarette, when suddenly Spawn reappeared behind him and tightly wrapped his chains around his body, squeezing the life out of him. "Feel these chains, Darrel? These are nowhere near as painful as the ones you're carrying on your own soul! What's worse, is that I'm free...but you'll never be. As long as you live, you're a slave to your own violent and wicked self! Nobody will want to help you...and everyone will hate you!" Spawn snarled as he began squeezing him even harder.
Skulker wheezed and gagged as he tried to break free, but it was no use. Spawn finally threw him up into the air and made Skulker scream as he slammed back down on his back. As he tried to get back up, Spawn teleported away again. Skulker growled angrily as he jumped back up to his feet. "WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOU?!" Skulker screamed. Spawn reappeared behind him and grabbed him with his cape, choking him yet again. Skulker strained and struggled to break free, but the cape held him even tighter to the point it was breaking his bones. Spawn finally let go, but only to grab him by the neck again.
Skulker began wheezing and seething with pain and rage as Spawn held him by the neck, but he clearly wasn't expecting to witness this. Spawn grabbed his hands...and his mask slowly withered away to reveal a zombiefied face! Everyone else gasped in horror as they averted their eyes. "Turn away! Turn away! Don't look!" Mystique cried. "Oh God!" Rogue wept.
For the first time in his life, Skulker felt terror pierce his dark and hardened heart and soul. He had never seen anything so ugly or frightening in his entire life, and Spawn took full advantage of the situation to put him in his rightful place. "Look at me! LOOK AT ME, DARREL!" Spawn roared. Skulker screamed in horror as Spawn made him touch his face, which soon had bugs crawling all over him. "AAAAAUUUUUGGGHHHH! GET THEM AWAY FROM ME! GET AWAY!" Skulker screamed in horror. "Not so fun when you're the one afraid and in suffering, is it? Take a good long look, Darrel! Because you're just as bad, if not worse! LOOK!" Spawn shouted as he grabbed his face and surged Necroplasm into his body.
Skulker screamed in howling agony as he felt his entire body being burned by the corrosive substance, but was screaming in horror for a different reason. In his mind, all he could see was the frightened souls of those he tormented and murdered in cold blood. "NOOOOOOO! GET THEM AWAY FROM ME!" Skulker screamed. "Feel their wrath and pain, Darrel! FEEL IT! THAT'S ALL YOU'LL EVER FEEL FOR THE REST OF YOUR MISERABLE LIFE!" Spawn roared as he squeezed his head harder. "MAKE IT STOP! FOR FUCK'S SAKE, JUST MAKE IT STOP!" Skulker screamed as he felt the pain get worse.
*Song ends!*
Spawn finally let go of him and stepped back, watching Skulker moan and groan in pity as he struggled to stand back up. "Are you going to kill me? Because if you're trying to...then just fucking do it, all right?" Skulker seethed. Spawn began laughing evilly. "Oh, no. I've actually changed my mind now. I'm not going to kill you; instead, I'm going to let you live...much longer and more uncomfortably than you want to. But don't you worry about that, my friend. I'll always be watching you. I'll be waiting and watching for your every move. And for the record, don't even try to kill yourself. You're immortal now, and no matter how many times you try...you won't be able to take your own life! Keep that as a reminder to stay awake at night...not that you could ever sleep to begin with!" Spawn sneered.
This brought terror into Skulker's soul not just because he knew this stranger was right, but that he actually finally recognized who Spawn really was. "NO! NO, NO, NO, NO! KILL ME! FUCKING KILL ME! KILL ME NOW; I'M BEGGING YOU! KILL ME NOW!" Skulker shouted at the top of his lungs. "No...you wanted to be so tough and immortal? Well you just got your wish! And remember what I said; I'll always be watching you...so wherever you may go and wherever you may hide, I'll be there to give you the little friendly reminders of the price you must pay for becoming a Hellspawn!" Spawn replied calmly though with an evil laugh.
Skulker fell to his knees and began screaming at the top of his lungs with fear and anger; he was once again defeated and humilated by his nemesis. This was his punishment and he had no choice but to endure it...especially since he didn't want to. "NOOOOOOO! I will not accept this defeat; not again! I'm going to make you pay for this, Raizo. Mark my fucking words, you will pay for this. I won't stop until I kill you, you understand?! I'll end you if it's the last fucking thing I do!" Skulker roared as he punched the ground.
Spawn disappeared into the shadows, and the police finally arrived. "There he is! Take him down!" a police man cried. They swarmed around Skulker and tried to restrain him, but he violently lashed out and killed them all before he fled the scene. Skulker ran for what seemed like several minutes, until he finally stopped to rest in a dark alley. But as he stopped, he had flashbacks of all the times he killed innocent people. But this time, there was something different about their faces. Instead of fear and agony, their faces were now full of anger and hatred.
Voices started to chant in his head, words of anger and malice. It drove Skulker mad, until he finally couldn't take it anymore. With a scream of fury, Skulker punched a hole in a wall and began thrashing about in a violent and wicked tantrum. He caused collateral damage for several minutes before he finally shook his fist in the air, shouting and cursing loudly. "RAIZO! I DON'T CARE WHAT SICK, TWISTED SPELL YOU THROW AT ME! I MEAN IT...I WILL FIND A WAY TO FUCKING DESTROY YOU! I'LL MAKE IT MY LIFELONG GOAL IN LIFE, YOU UNDERSTAND?! I WILL FUCKING DESTROY YOU!" Skulker screamed.
After his fit of rage, Skulker finally settled down and walked away into the shadows. He had to come up with another plan, and he had to make sure it would not fail. He couldn't fail...not ever again. Skulker finally returned to his secret hideout in an abandoned warehouse, and he slouched down on a bed to rest. But before he could even try to sleep, an evil sound of laughter startled him. "I guess I was wrong about you, Darrel. Maybe you aren't as tough as I thought...and I actually had all the faith in the world in you. I really thought that you would actually be the one to stop him, especially since you're the one who killed him to start with!" Frenzy said as he walked out from the shadows.
Skulker growled angrily as he grabbed a nearby machinegun and aimed it at Frenzy. "The fuck are you going on about, shithead?!" Skulker growled. "Now, now, now...just because you're a failure, doesn't mean you can take it out on me. Besides; it's not all your fault you lost. Spawnie boy's becoming a lot stronger than even I realized. But you know what? I know a dirty little secret. One that just might be the key to finding his weakness...and I'm sure you would just simply KILL to know about it! You interested?" Frenzy sneered as he approached him.
Skulker smirked as he lowered his weapon; if this freak knew anything about Spawn's weakness, he wanted to know it immediately. "All right, then...so tell me. What is Raizo's weakness?" Skulker said. "Isn't it so freaking obvious? He's got a girlfriend, and her name is Reika Kitami. I knew that if he started to have the hots for her, he'd go soft. But here's the deal; you really want Spawn on his knees? You REALLY want to see him quiver and whine like a little bitch? You gotta put his girl in harm, then he'll do anything you want...and that's when you kill the bastard. Think you can do that?" Frenzy explained.
Skulker loved the sound of that, but at the same time was kind of confused. "Wait...if it's so fucking easy, how come you haven't done it yet?" Skulker demanded. Frenzy burst into evil laughter. "I would if I could...but even I have my limitations. Besides; you want him dead more than anyone else, so you should have the honor of bringing Spawn down on his knees, begging for mercy. Unless, you think you can't do it!" Frenzy challenged.
Skulker growled as he got back up on his feet. "I can and I will do it! And I think I know just the people who can help me out. Think you can do me a solid and give them a little message while I...reload?" Skulker sneered. Frenzy smiled evilly before laughing maniacally. "Now you're talking; it's gonna be one hell of a party! Just give me the names and address, and I'll hand out the invitations!" Frenzy howled. "Ok...here's what we're gonna do!" Skulker began.