"Alright then. Mind telling me something about it?" Sam asked as he shook his head once more and inhaled slowly. He then exhaled just as Peter let go of his shoulders. Spiderman ran a gloved hand through his hair and closed his eyes. He covered them with his hand and rested his head against the wall. Sam watched him, but made no move or sound he was afraid he would disturb his friend.

"It lasted two years," Peter suddenly said before he clarified, "We were happy for about a year and a half. Then, everything became complicated."

Sam looked at him intently before he questioned, "Your secret got in the way?"

Peter smiled bitterly before he replied, "I wish it did."

Sam frowned as Peter freed his eyes. Blue met green as Nova enquired, "What happened?"

"I am self-destructive. I try to do whatever I can in order to ensure other people's safety. I have been living two lives for so long that I have forgotten what it is like to let your guard down. I have never hidden anything from Harry. However, one night he caught me sneaking around his apartment. What he saw terrified him. It broke him, Sam. He hated Spiderman, but loved Peter Parker. I was selfish for not telling him, for not preparing him for the ultimate blow."

"Wow…. I never would have figured you and Harry were an item. I always thought you two were just the best of friends." Sam murmured.

"We still are." Peter professed with a smile, and then frowned as he added, "But it took us a long time to get there. I betrayed his trust. Despite all the pain and anger, Harry still found a way to mend his broken heart. We tried to make it work. We spent two months tiptoeing around each other. I was afraid he would explode one day. In the end, it was I who lost my composure."

Sam frowned. Peter looked away as he confessed, "I became paranoid. Every night he spent working late I thought he was with someone else. One time he did not come home at all. I swung through the city and found him at a café with a beautiful woman next to him. I was furious and accused him publicly of cheating on me. We fought in the café, continued on the street, ignoring all the spectators. He tried to explain. I did not listen to him. I did not give him a chance. I simply ran away."

Sam watched as Peter's face contorted with guilt, but did not have the courage to reach out and do something. He simply remained motionless, waiting for his comrade to continue his story.

"That night I did not visit him. I also turned off my phone and asked Aunt May not to disclose any information about my whereabouts and current condition. She complied until she saw Harry in front of our home in the middle of the night. He was drunk, insanely drunk. She took pity on him and let him sleep on the sofa. In the morning, she made breakfast for us both and ordered us to talk things through. That was what we did. I apologized. He did as well. He explained that his company had been working on a new product and their deadline had been put forward again. I asked him to give me another chance. He smiled sadly at me and told me – 'Pete, I love you, but I don't think our friendship will survive, if we continue biting each other's heads off.' He was right."

"So it was he who broke up with you?" Sam asked as he scrutinized Peter who only nodded and smirked.

"You thought I would be the one who would break it off, despite what I told you beforehand that he was the one to let me go?" Peter questioned.

Sam nodded. Peter shook his head and laughed when the boy mumbled, "Breaking up with someone and letting them go are two different things."

"I could argue with you on that one. I admit that breaking up with someone sounds a lot harsher than letting go, but in the end, both bring forth disappointment, anger and pain on both parties. No matter how hard you try to convince me otherwise, Sam, I will always believe that. At least, in most cases both people involved in the relationship suffer one way or another." Peter replied.

Sam remained silent for a long time, making sweat trickle down Peter's forehead, but suddenly Nova spoke, "Yeah, you're right. So, uh… how did you two manage to salvage your friendship?"

Peter smiled bitterly, "We never did."

Sam frowned as he said, "But you just told me…"

Peter raised his voice as he interrupted Sam, "I told you we are still friends, but this does not mean that we are back to the way we were before. We are working on it, but… people around us might not be able to tell, but I know and I am certain Harry does as well that there is still some tension left between us."

Sam furrowed his eyebrows before he asked, "Care to explain?"

"Sure." Peter complied, "When I look at him, I can't only see my best friend. When I look at him, I… I see someone I loved and still do. I see someone with whom I could have had a future. I could have built something with him, but I screwed up big time because I am not only Peter Parker, but Spiderman as well and sometimes Spiderman's priorities and responsibilities are more important than those of Peter Parker."

Sam nodded. He laughed nervously and scratched the back of his neck. Peter frowned, "What? I don't remember saying anything remotely funny."

Sam shook his head as he said, "Nothing. I just…sometimes it's scary how different yet similar you and I are."

Peter frowned. He searched his brain for a while before his eyes widened. He screeched, "Carry, your girlfriend, found out on her own!"

Sam covered his ears as he mumbled, "Why don't you scream a bit louder next time, Parker, so that the whole universe can hear you?"

Peter smiled sheepishly, "Sorry. I was just surprised I'd remember something like that."

"I'm taken aback as well considering how low your brain capacity is."

"Hey! Stop stealing my crafty lines, bucket!" Peter accused as he aimed a half-hearted punch at Sam, who easily dodged it. Nova rolled his eyes before his expression grew dim. Peter's became serious before he asked, "Want to talk about her?"

Sam's eyes widened. He clenched his fists before he shook his head.

"There is nothing to talk about." He whispered.

"Sure there isn't." Peter quipped.

Sam shot him a glare, making Spiderman flinch. Peter raised his arms and replied, "Alright, alright, sorry. I just find it wrong to deny that someone meant something to you. However, considering how cold-hearted you are, I'm surprised she even managed to knock down those layers you call muscle tissue."

Sam sighed. He ignored Peter's comment before he looked ahead and said, "She was incredible. She was everything I could ever ask for – she was kind, smart, funny and managed to understand me always. Carry had this way with people - she could read them as though they were an open book. I was surprised that I could hide my biggest secret from her for so long. What I loved about her was that she was honest. Her treatment toward everyone was always genuine. And do you know what she asked for in return?"

"For you to be honest with her as well?" Peter guessed.

"Damn it, Parker, I was supposed to tell you that!" Sam protested.

"But you asked me. Wasn't I supposed to answer?" Peter feigned obliviousness.

"No!" Sam exclaimed, making Peter laugh. Nova shook his head, punched Peter on the head and ordered, "There, now will you stop laughing and act like an adult?"

"Sure thing." Peter complied as he winced. Sam's punch had been serious.

"Sorry for hitting you so hard, I…" Sam tried to apologize, but stumbled in the jumbled mess he called his thoughts. Peter chuckled, reached out a hand and ruffled Sam's locks, making the boy whine in protest. Peter only laughed as he withdrew his hand and said, "Either start 'spilling your guts' or I'm leaving. It's got pretty late already and I don't want to waste my sleep time in exchange for bullshit time."

Sam rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. With grave seriousness he uttered, "If there is somewhere else you would like to be, you can go now. I'm not holding you hostage or planning on stopping you so you should just leave."

Peter glared at Sam. He grabbed the boy's wrist and yanked him forward until their faces were inches apart. Nova's protest died in his throat once he saw the intensity on those blue eyes.

"Listen to me, Sam. I am your friend. Therefore, no matter how much I whine or complain, I will always like spending time with you regardless of what we do. Plus, no time spent with you is a waste. Quite the contrary. Now, if you're done sulking, is there anything else you would like to share about Carry?"

Sam breathed in deeply before he shook his head. However, when Peter opened his mouth, Sam asked, "But there is one thing I would like to ask you."

"What is it?" Peter questioned.

Sam hesitated, but soon mustered up enough courage to voice his concerns, "Should I break up with Danny?"

Peter's eyes widened. He let go of Sam's wrist and drew back. Sam was panicking once no change registered on Peter's face. His eyes widened when Peter smiled and breathed out, "I'm not the person you should be asking this."

Sam frowned, "But you're my friend and you seem to understand me, I thought that…"

"Yes, I am and yes, I do. However, you are forgetting one very important fact, Sam. I am still not completely over you."

Sam's eyes widened. He groaned before he started apologizing profusely. Peter simply chuckled and clamped the boy's mouth shut. Once Sam had calmed down Peter withdrew his hand and said, "I think you should consider what you will lose and what you will gain."

"What do you mean?" Sam asked.

Peter sighed before he answered, "I'm probably not doing myself a favour by getting involved, but…" He bit his lip, "I think you should ask yourself which scenario will be better for you – will breaking up with Danny make you happier or at the very least lessen the pain and stress in your life? How will this affect Danny? What will happen to the team if you two end your relationship? The same questions go for staying with him. You and you alone know the answer, Sam. Don't ask other people what they think. Even though they might mean well, most of the time they might mislead you. The same goes for me. Even though I have not given you a clear answer, I still could have influenced you in some way just by sitting here, talking to you."

"So you're suggesting that I should just spend some time alone with my thoughts?" Sam enquired.

Peter smiled and nodded. He then smirked and added, "I know it may sound far too hard for a hotheaded idiot like you, but I'm sure you'll manage to pull it off."

"Watch that big mouth of yours, Parker. It might get you into too much trouble one day." Sam attacked.

"I know. It already has managed to do so." Peter replied bitterly, effectively silencing Sam. The two remained silent for a long time before Peter sighed and said, "I think it's high time I went home."

"Yeah." Sam breathed out. He watched as Peter rose and started walking toward the doors. Before Spiderman left, he turned around and asked, "See you tomorrow at school?"

"Of course." Sam smirked before he saluted his team leader. Peter rolled his eyes, but answered the mocking gesture. He then left. Once the doors were closed Sam allowed his mask to slip. He spent the next three hours training himself to exhaustion.

Peter was panicking. He had not seen Sam at all that day and no matter how many times he tried to ask Luke and Ava neither of the two gave him a clear answer. The only thing he knew was that Sam was not well, but the cause for his condition was still undiscovered or so they told him. Peter was certain that either Sam had gone off to fight villains or he had done something to himself. The latter thought was unnerving, but it was still possible. After all, if someone knew what it was like to end up hurting yourself because of anger, it was Peter.

This was the reason why he was now outside, conducting missions for S.H.I.E.L.D. with White Tiger and Powerman and was trying not to think about the elephant in the room. He had been doing fine against low level criminals. There robbers, an attempted murder against a well-known CEO and some muggers, but nothing frightening. That was until Beetle came out of nowhere and started attacking him. White Tiger and Powerman charged at him, while Peter drew the villain's attention. Their plan would have worked, if a human slash tiger had not jumped on Ava. A lion-like creature bit Powerman and managed to knock the hero off his feet. Peter was preoccupied with fending off Beetle's attacks and, as a result, could not help them.

The next few minutes were crucial. Even though Peter managed to get rid of Beetle by electrocuting him, he was unprepared for the snake-like creature which wrapped around him. He swung around and tried to shoot it, but its supple body wrapped around his neck and squeezed the air out of his lungs. Ava and Luke were too far away in order to help him. The last thing Peter heard were shouts of 'Spiderman' until he lost consciousness.

"What are you telling me, Sam?" Danny asked as he looked out the window. They were now in Sam's room because Nova had trained until he collapsed and was instructed to rest for the day. Danny had volunteered to look after him, despite their teammates' protests. In the end, he won. However, when Sam woke up, he had not expected to be shot with a pained expression from Sam and to be asked to leave. Danny had refused which led to their fight and Sam's exclamation that he needed space and Danny's question.

"I'm telling you politely that I wish to rethink the status of our relationship." Sam answered surprisingly calmly. Danny's eyes widened only slightly before he turned around and narrowed them. Sam did not falter when Danny asked suspiciously, "Does Peter have anything to do with this? Don't tell me you have fallen for him?"

Sam shook his head and ignored the thudding of his heart. He gazed at Danny and confessed, "I love you."

"I know." Danny responded, smiling as he walked toward Sam's bed. He sat down and tried to take Sam's hands into his, but Sam withdrew his hands to his lap and looked away. Danny was speechless. He looked down toward his empty hands and hid the pain with his bangs.

"You will never love me the way I want you to, Danny." Sam whispered.

Danny's head shot up before he replied, "You don't know how I'm going to feel…"

"When?!" Sam exclaimed before his voice cracked. He covered his eyes with his hands, securing the tears into the confines of his eyelids, before he looked Danny in the eye and continued, "I want you to love me now, not after three months or three years. We've been trying to push this relationship into a direction it will never sail towards and I am tired of it. It is not fair of me to ask you to love me when you're clearly unable to do so."

Danny shook his head as a tear fell. He cupped Sam's cheek and was about to caress it, but Sam moved his head away. Danny was shocked. Sam had never refused his touches. With a pang in his heart he realized that this time Sam was serious and there was no turning back. He hid his sadness with his bangs and asked, "Are you certain this is what you wish?"

"Yes." Sam uttered.

Danny nodded. He took enough time to compose himself, then raised his head and smiled genuinely at Sam as he said, "Very well then. I hope you will be happy with whomever your heart belongs to now."

"It does not belong to anyone, but me." Sam protested, but Danny simply chuckled bitterly and shook his head, angering Sam's free spirit.

"I am afraid you are wrong. Despite your independence, Sam, your heart has one fault – it opens up far too fast and without letting your mind realize it, it chooses its next caretaker even when you are already involved with someone else. You need someone to complete you, Sam, because even though you are great on your own, only when you are with someone else can you be at your finest." Danny explained.

Sam shook his head, not wishing to heed the truth in Danny's words, but not having the will to openly disagree with them. Instead he looked him in the eye and said, "Thank you for the advice and psychological analysis, but now I will ask you to leave me the fuck alone."

With a fake smile he had perfected over the years Danny uttered, "As you wish." He then shocked Sam by kissing him on the cheek and left. Sam's eyes widened and the shock from the tender gesture remained long after the room had been emptied of Danny's enigmatic presence. Soon, however, reality crashed into Sam's petrified brain and tears appeared in his eyes as he touched the spot where Danny had kissed him. They flowed freely as he clutched his skin and soon cried out. Until now Sam had not realized one very important fact about Danny – when he loved someone, he did not know how to clearly express it until it was too late.

Sam had fallen asleep soon after. That was the reason why he had not been informed to the damage Spiderman, White Tiger and Powerman suffered. All three of them were resting in bed. Luke had suffered the least injuries of the three because of his impenetrable skin. Ava had a concussion and massive bruises all over her body. The doctors suspected that because of her injuries she suffered from a risk of internal bleeding. Peter's condition was uncertain. Some thought he would need days in order to recover, but others reckoned that given how fast his body could heal, he would not need more than twelve hours, twenty-four at the worst. However, they had not taken into account the fact that his brain had suffered from lack of air supply. Therefore, it was impossible to say with utmost certainty when exactly he was going to wake up.

Danny had been told exactly that when he visited them. He looked at all three of them and suddenly the impact this day had had on him hit him like a tidal wave. He felt his breath coming in short pants and soon he became dizzy. The moment he pushed a nurse out of the way and regurgitated, the doctors concluded that he needed to rest as well. Danny protested as weakly as he could, but soon he collapsed.

"What do you mean you're sending me out on a solo mission?" Sam asked in disbelief. He had been woken roughly ten minutes ago and told that his teammates were heavily injured. When he had tried to visit them, he had been subdued and ushered quickly toward Fury's office only to hear that his rest was cut short and immediate assistance was needed.

"We are losing our heroes just as we are talking. It seems that strange animal-like creatures have emerged from nowhere and are currently killing our comrades." Fury instructed the back-up teams.

Sam felt a shiver run down his spine. Never before had there been such violent massive attacks against heroes, he thought as his heart jumped from the bottom of his stomach to his throat.

"You seven shall remain as back-up, while you ten go out and assist the fantastic four, Ant-man's unit and Daredevil's unit. Nova, you shall join Batman's unit and help him discover as much information about these creatures as you can. We believe that Doctor Octopus' experimental approach was used and that the attack on the Zoo is connected somehow to these creatures, but this is as far as we go. Time is running out. Go collect your gear and run to your assigned posts." Fury ordered before he turned around and exited the room.

Sam was flabbergasted. He had never been briefed for a mission in such a similar to military command way. He was shaken out of his stupor when one of the rookies came near him and asked him, "You're the last Nova, right?"

Sam eyed the shaking boy with coldness before he sighed and nodded. He hated being reminded of that fact, but there was no way the kid could have known. When Sam eyed him once more, he concluded with astonishment one important fact – he was not older than fourteen, maybe fifteen. Sam clenched his fists. If S.H.I.E.L.D. was planning on using its trainees who had barely if any field experience, then the situation was obviously dire. As cold sweat attacked his frozen skin, Sam merely nodded and said, "Stay close to your commander and do exactly as they tell you. Have faith in their abilities and experience and under no circumstances should you charge openly at one of these creatures. We still do not know anything about them."

The boy nodded and opened his mouth to ask something when Sam silenced him with a glare and his gelid tone when he said, "There is no time to ask stupid questions. Now either hurry up and do as you were ordered or I shall report you to Fury."

The boy panicked and scrambled away. Sam merely shook his head and gave an exasperated sigh. He then ran a hand through his hair as he headed toward his room. He had yet to see either his teammates or these strange new enemies. If Sam had to be honest, he was afraid which sight would shock him more. With his heart in his throat and lack of air supply he put on his helmet and glanced at his window. Through he could see fires burning and smoke emerging from areas he did not know the names of. With a pained expression he opened it and flew through it in search of Batman.

It was not difficult to locate where the bat was. In all the gray, red and yellow he was the only black thing there. Sam resisted the urge to cough when a tremendous amount of smoke assaulted his nostrils. Instead he covered his mouth with his oxygen mask and turned on his night vision. It was getting dark already and combined with all the smoke, it seemed as though night had fallen in order to suffocate New York.

Nova was about to land next to Batman when a growl came right next to him. He turned around just in time to see something with flashing eyes shooting his away. The creature aimed for his heart, but Sam managed to evade it just in time and ended up getting scratched along his ribs. He landed on the ground, hissing and clutching his injury all the while taking in the scene before him.

A long tail protruded from its lower back. Yellow-ish eyes haunted Sam and waited for him to move. The skin was covered in some type of synthetic fur. Nothing about this creature was natural. The hissing noises it made reminded Sam of a cat, but its sharp canines contrasted with the mental picture of a domestic feline. Once he saw sharp claws in the place of fingernails on all four limbs and the crouching position it assumed, Sam concluded with a sharp intake of breath exactly what he was dealing with – a half human, half mountain lion.

Sam gathered energy into his fists and started blasting the enemy as it jumped gracefully from building to building, from ruin to ruin, from glass shards to glass shards. Nova tried following it, but found that his injury protested every time he pulled it too sharply. He bit his lip and wondered how long he would last before that thing came for him again.

Suddenly a black metal object sliced through the air, effectively pinning the monster by its tail to a nearby rock. It let out a ferocious growl, one that made the hairs on Sam's body stand up in odd angles. He shivered as he clutched his ribs. He was about to throw a blast or two in order to knock her out when another metal object flew by and this time cut her head off.

Sam's whole body froze. His trembling fingers stilled as he watched the fur disappear from the head and the rest of the body. As the creature slumped completely, Sam could see exactly who he had been fighting against. His eyes widened when he recognized her. It was one of the rookies that S.H.I.E.L.D. had recruited. The shock was visible on his face as he stumbled and fell to the ground. With shaky knees he wobbled toward the victim and was just about to touch it when a metal object flew right next to his fingers and scratched the tips of it. Sam yelped and fell on his back. His entire body was shaking when he turned around and locked gazes with none other than Batman.

"Y-you killed her." He whispered.

Batman did not speak. He simply looked at the pile before him and said, "You should not touch them. Their skin is covered in either acid or poison."

Sam shook his head as though he were trying to take everything in. It seemed Batman had no desire to give him much time for he simply walked next to the trembling boy and yanked him up by the arm that was not clutching his wound. Sam hissed when his injured skin was stretched.

"Hey, careful." Sam mumbled out.

"Can you fight?" Batman questioned.

Sam's eyes widened. He was about to retort when reality came crushing back to him. His widened eyes took in the scenery. There was nothing but burning buildings around them. Their enemy could be lurking everywhere and time was running out. Sam had been sent in order to aid Batman in his investigation, not cause him trouble or burden him further. With a clenched fist he said, "I'll be fine."

Batman eyed him for a moment before he nodded. Without motioning for the boy to follow him, he simply turned around and disappeared into the smoke. Sam did not hesitate. He walked after Batman, deciding not to fly so that he would not attract unneeded attention to them. Soon Sam found himself inside the Batmobile. Normally he would be overjoyed to be fighting alongside such a renowned hero, but now he would give anything to be with his team, battling a low-class robber.

"Where are we going?" Sam suddenly asked, not recognizing anything in the smoke.

"The Zoo." Batman answered, not losing sight of the rode before them.

Sam's eyes widened. He was about to voice another question when a bird latched onto their window and tried to break it with its beak. Sam's eyes widened and he flinched. Batman did not react at all aside from taking a few sharp turns and effectively getting rid of the pesky creature. Sam looked at him as he tried to regain his normal breathing.

"What do we know so far about them?" Sam enquired, hoping that the potential discussion would distract him from the raging war outside.

"They possess human form and enhanced animal strength. Their skin is covered with either acid, impenetrable armour or poison. It depends on its level. Until now we have lost at least thirty heroes. However, the civilians were evacuated in time. It was suspected that Doctor Octopus is involved, but that is yet to be proven." Batman explained as he took another sharp turn. He drove for another ten seconds before he parked the vehicle, unbuckled his seatbelt and said, "What do you think?"

Sam's eyes widened. It took him some time to compose himself before he, too, unbuckled his seatbelt and answered, "Almost nothing. All I knew was that the day the animals escaped the Zoo, there were far too many casualties. The accident was supposed to be investigated by the higher-ups. I'm afraid the only information I can supply is just plain suspicion."

"Tell me." Batman iterated monotonously, making shivers run down Sam's spine. He gulped before he elaborated, "I reckon that Doctor Octopus decided to further his experimentation on the combination of human and animal DNA. Perhaps his goal was to create his own army which would help him capture and probably kill Spiderman. However, he would never wage war against the superheroes. He's probably working with… or rather for someone. I don't know who, though."

Batman nodded before he replied, "Have you ever killed?"

Sam's eyes widened. His heart rate increased as he clenched his fists. With a sharp intake of breath he nodded, but clarified, "Only twice. The first time was self-defense. The second was exacting revenge."

Batman did not comment. He simply nodded once more before he opened the car door and exited the Batmobile. Nova did the same. As they walked toward the Zoo, Batman said, "Do not hesitate. Remember this – they are not human."

Sam frowned. He did not understand why Batman told him this. Soon, however, he saw that the hero stopped and grabbed a weapon. Only then did Sam bother to look around more intently and noticed several pairs of glowing eyes staring at them. His breath died in his throat as he realized that they were cornered. With clenched fists Sam floated next to the Bat and gathered energy into his fists.

Danny opened his eyes to the multiple screams of agony. He waited until his vision cleared only to widen his eyes. Chaos had ensued while he had been sleeping. Nurses were running everywhere. Blood was splashing onto the once pristine floor as figures in white cloaks tried to cover as many open wounds as they could. Doctors stitched patients without using any painkillers mostly because they were saving them for more severe cases.

"You've been sleeping all day." Ava said. Danny turned toward her, relieved that she were awake.

"You will probably be dispatched soon." Peter uttered. Danny's eyes widened before he asked, "What do you mean?"

"They did the same with Luke. The minute he had been deemed 'ready to fight', he was called to Fury's office in order to be briefed about his next mission." Ava explained.

"What is going on?" Danny asked.

"I assume you were informed about our attackers." Peter began to which Danny nodded. Peter sighed as he fumbled with his words. Soon he settled on the best ones and explained, "Our enemies are unlike anything we have ever battled. They are thirsty for blood. Many heroes died and even more were injured. What you are currently seeing is a mere fraction of the number. Anyone who can defend themselves is sent to the battlefield as soon as possible so that the holes in the formations can be filled and the losses can be cut down."

Danny was shocked. His body trembled as a doctor came, checked his vitals and nodded approvingly at the agent that had come to check if any of the heroes were ready to fight. Before Danny left he voiced his final question.

"What about Sam?"

"He still has not returned." Ava said.

"They refuse to share any information with us." Peter supplied bitterly.

"Or maybe they just don't know." Danny whispered grimly, his eyes hidden by his bangs, making Ava growl and Peter glare.

"You are going to be part of the rear squad that is fending off the creatures in Brooklyn. Your objective is to kill as many of them as you can and more importantly stay alive." Fury instructed Danny, Deadpool, Batgirl, Blue Beetle and twenty more rookies.

As Nick's voice continued roaring through the room, Danny could not help but take in everyone's faces. Most of them were terrified. Some were weary and looked as though they could not care less where they were. Perhaps they had fought so many of the enemies that it did not matter whether they would go at them one or a dozen more times, if they survived that long.

Soon the briefing session was over and Danny was putting his mask on. He looked at the window one last time before he shook his head. Now was not the time to be thinking about Sam. However, even as he exited the safe confines of the tricarrier and found himself the target of a half hawk, half human, he could not help but thinking:

Whatever you do, Sam, just don't die.

Sam gasped as his back collided with the ground. He coughed up blood as he blasted the half bird that was flying above him. He then allowed himself a second to rest and spit out the remainder of the blood. Soon, however, he was forced to spin out of the way as a half bull tried to cut his chest with its horns. Sam got up, wiped his mouth with his burnt hand and used the other to shoot the enemy's neck. His aim was perfect and soon the bull cried out as blood spluttered to the ground.

Suddenly a hawk screeched as it aimed its claws at Sam's head. Nova managed to dodge the attack, but ended up landing on wobbling knees which soon gave up on him. He instead landed on his ass and hisses in pain. However, once his locked gazes with the golden bird and noticed its killing intent, Nova sucked in a breath and shot it. It took some time until the blue energy reached its target on the third try. However, what mattered was that another enemy had fallen and Sam was still standing.

He ignored the rain of blood that followed. He simply looked around and noticed that Batman managed to dispose of the hound that had bitten his arm. Nova flew toward Batman and helped him in defeating two wolves. The two rested their backs against each other as they panted. As Batman spit some blood, Nova wiped a particularly persistent trickle of sweat. As Sam tried to regain his breathing, he could swear that the pairs of flashing eyes had increased.

"Is it just me or do they keep getting more and more?" Sam whispered.

"You're correct." Batman breathed out as he coughed out more blood. Sam eyed his comrade warily. Nova did not know how long they had been fighting. However, he knew one thing for certain – they needed to think of something and soon otherwise they would end up getting killed by these monsters.