Yeah, not much to say, here. Basically, this is a continuation of the last chapter. As well as perhaps one of the darkest moments in Michael Verser's tale in the world of Young Justice (so far). That said, I'm just gonna get right on into the tale.

This chapter will also be introducing Michael's greatest foe to date. Possibly even worse than The Antiverser.

Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN YOUNG JUSTICE IN ANY WAY, SHAPE, OR FORM! THE SAME GOES FOR THE EVIL WITHIN! YOUNG JUSTICE IS THE PROPERTY OF BRANDON VIETTI AND GREG WEISMAN CREATED FOR CARTOON NETWORK, AND THE EVIL WITHIN IS THE PROPERTY OF TANGO GAMEWORKS!

Now, with all that out of the way, let us begin...


Voice Cast (including how I envision certain characters being voiced):

MAIN:

Michael Verser = Yuri Lowenthal (A/N: Think the voice of Peter Parker/Spider-Man from the 2018 "Spider-Man" video game.)

Rachel Roth/Raven = Taissa Farmiga

Koriand'r/Starfire = Kari Wahlgren

Victor Stone/Cyborg = Shemar Moore

Kaldur'ahm/Aqualad = Khary Payton

Richard "Dick" Grayson/Robin = Jesse McCartney

Wally West/Kid Flash = Jason Spisaks

Conner Kent/Superboy = Nolan North

M'gann M'orzz/Megan Morse/Miss Martian = Danica McKellar

Donna Troy/Wonder Girl = Emma Stone

GUEST/SUPPORTING:

Adam Verser = Christopher Daniel Barnes (A/N: Think the voice of Spider-Man Noir from "Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions")

Masamune = Jennifer Hale

Akima/Lambda = Lindsay Jones (A/N: Think her actual voice)

"Mystery Man" = James Marsters (A/N: Think the voice of Spike from "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" with a faux-Spanish accent)

"Man in Black" = Sam Witwer (A/N: Think the voice of Lord Starkiller from the bad ending of "Star Wars: The Force Unleashed")


BGMs:

The Living Tombstone - Five Nights at Freddy's 2 - It's Been So Long

Animal I Have Become – Three Days Grace

Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance OST - A Stranger I Remain Extended

Natsuhiboshi Sumaru's Lullaby with lyrics


Michael's POV:


My eyes fluttered open, bleary with dizziness. As they came into focus, I noticed we were surrounded by darkness (though somewhat illuminated), the sounds of dripping water and the smell of smoke filling my senses. I turned to my right and found the source of the smoke: the Lamborghini was totaled.

If this were a real one, someone's probably want to sue me right about now.

Then I took notice of the rest of our surroundings. We were in the middle of a large cave, the only source of light coming from glowing algae found in several spots on the walls. "A cave?" I said to myself. "The shortcut is a cave? I don't know whether or not to be disappointed that there's nothing-"

"Um, Michael?" Turning around, I found Megan and Raven looking up at something. That something being a big ass door. Intricately designed, it had a carving of a gigantic version of Adam in his Multiverser outfit, different people writhing in agony on one side (his enemies) while those on the other side were prospering (his friends/family/loved ones). "I think we found the entrance," Raven continued.

"...Yes. Yes we did," I replied, dragging my hand down my face.

"Any idea on how to open it?" asked Megan.

"Only one," I replied.

Walking up to the door, I placed my hand on it and channeled my Multiverser power through the locks. With several clanking gears rotating and a resounding *CRRREEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAKKKKKKKK*, the door slowly slide open, dust falling from the mechanism.

Noticing their shocked faces, I explained "He encoded the doors to respond to either myself, Duncan, himself, myself, or our two other siblings."


Outside Adam's mind...


The rest of the League and the Team looked at Duncan with a noticeable twitch in their eyes. The thought of there being others like Duncan and Michael out there was a bit of an annoying idea to take hold of (especially for certain members of the League).

"So, anyone else in your family we should be made aware of?" Green Arrow asked.

"Oh hey, they're in the control center," Duncan immediately replied, completely ignoring the archer's question. He smirked as he noticed said archer clenching his hands in a throttling manner, obviously imagining it was Duncan he was doing it to.


Inside Adam's mind...


"...You know, the thought of others like Duncan somewhat disturbs me," Raven stated in a deadpan tone.

"Join the club," I sighed. "Pretty sure the membership list is a couple light years long."

The three of us walked through the doors and into the control center. It was just as I remembered it the last time I was here: about as big as the main room in Mount Justice, the room contained a central console with holographic screens around the device. In front of the console was a large door, circular in shape with a single, eerie green window, completely sealed shut.

"What is that?" Megan asked in awe and slight fear.

"The Void," I responded. "Adam's most secure part of his mind. It's basically a prison, designed so that once someone goes in, the only way they get out is if Adam voluntarily lets them out. And considering the occupants housed in there...highly unlikely."

The two of them shivered a bit at that, wondering what kind of monsters Adam kept sealed behind that door.


Outside Adam's mind...


That was a thought Batman was having as well. Ever since learning of the existence of Adam from Duncan, he's been a bit cautious about the comatose man. That unease grew once Duncan explained more about him, and how his mind worked. He even explained what he based his system off of, and why he did it: "He probably made it so that if anyone he didn't trust managed to get inside, they'd most likely be driven mad by the experience before they could even reach the end."

Batman was actually rather impressed by the design of the system, but still focused on the other aspects of Duncan's brother. The man was a psychopath in the making. He had a monster trapped in his mind. His security system was a psychopath's dream come true.

These practically set of a fireworks show's worth of warning bells in his head, and forced him to start thinking up ways of how he could neutralize him if he ever went rogue. If he could only get a sample of the "kryptonite" for this person.

Duncan, meanwhile, was focusing on something said:

'Occupants? But there's only supposed to be one person trapped in there.'


Inside Adam's mind...


"So we should probably try not to open that up by accident," I continued.

"Yeah," Raven nodded.

"Definitely," Megan agreed.

We then turned our attention to the control center, looking at the separate screens to find a way to unlock the suit. "Michael, what's this?" Megan asked as she pointed to a terminal that showed footage of Adam.

"Our memories."

The three of us spun around to see Adam with a neutral look on his face, wearing a simple grey version of his attire. Underneath his coat, there was a shirt with one half black, and one half white. He gave off an air of cold professionalism.

'I don't think I've met this one before,' I thought to myself.

"Okay, we don't have time for this. Which one are you?" Rachel asked, while I felt Megan get behind me.

He simply shrugged. "Neutrality," he replied in an uncaring voice.

'Huh. The uncaring side of Adam. I guess everyone has one.'

"So what, are you the reason I nearly went insane last time?" I asked sarcastically.

"You believe we didn't try to help you? Well take a look at our memories," he said. As he said that, I suddenly remembered Duncan's advice:

"Don't screw with his mind."

But from the way Neutrality said it, he seems to have a different view of what happened. As the screen played the recording, I was treated to a familiar sight as I remembered the words Anger spoke earlier:

"Take a look around, Mikey. You might be surprised at what you find."


Chapter 6: Inner Demons (Your Worst Nightmares)


Third Person's POV:


(Play "The Living Tombstone - Five Nights at Freddy's 2 - It's Been So Long")

The screen began to play, beginning in the control room. Michael and Adam were standing side by side, glaring at a mysterious figure dressed in a tattered white hooded coat while they breathed heavily. Suddenly, the duo were thrown to opposite ends of the room, too stunned to do anything except try to get up.

Shifting to Adam's point of view, the figure responsible was blurred from the recording, shadows surrounding him as he made his way towards Michael. Though his body was hidden, one could tell he was shifting his head as he gazed at the downed Multiverser. "You have potential," the figure's voice said to Michael. "Let's see how much."

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Suddenly, Michael was screaming bloody murder, writhing in pain. He clutched his head, wanting the pain to end. "MIKEY!" Adam screamed as he ran toward him, but was frozen in place. The figure turned his attention back to Adam, then flung his body back to the wall.

"I don't think so," the figure said as it raised a hand and sent the shadows at Michael, surrounding him in a black dome. Adam made a dash for Michael, intent on freeing him. Unfortunately, the shadows then cut him off, opening a dark portal that Adam couldn't stop himself from going through in time.

He then found himself surrounded by blackness, which soon dissolved into a darkened living room. Adam's living room. Suddenly, dead bodies appeared in a flash of lightning, blood covering the walls and coating their faces beyond recognition. But Adam knew who these people were.

His loved ones, family and friends. Torn to pieces and covered in each other's bloody remains.

"No...NO. NOOOOOO!" he cried in horror. He ran out of the room, going through the front door as he saw two figures in the middle of the street, one standing over the other, with the other appearing beaten up. Collapsing, he recognized the one on the ground as Duncan, while to his horror, the other person was himself.

Sporting a savage grin on his face, the other Adam began to carve a smiley face onto Duncan's already beaten face, ignoring his cries of agony before he tossed him to the ground. Adam nearly threw up at the sight, and stumbled backwards in terror at the sight of the other Adam: his eyes were completely blood red, and sported the smile of a deranged lunatic.

Adam shook his head and started crawling backwards even further.

He then hit a tree. "No. No. No," he muttered, crawling into a fetal position.

"So that's what you're afraid of? Losing your humanity?" the figure asked with a bit of disappointment. "Well, once you're dead, you won't have to worry about that. Now then, let's see if I can't get out of this place," he continued, vanishing from sight as the evil Adam smiled gleefully.

The evil Adam raised a carving knife, making his way toward Adam as he stumbled up and ran away, the streets completely dark except for the lamp lights hanging overhead. Turning back, Evil Adam was already on him, slashing his knife and cutting him across the back.

The two figures struggled against each other, the knife threatening to come down and stab Adam in the face. Summoning all his strength, he kicked the Evil Adam off of him, and then bit down on his lip hard enough to draw blood.

He found himself back in the room, Michael standing by the console as he breathed heavily. The doors to the Void slammed shut, with the figure nowhere to be seen.

Looking back at Adam, Michael scowled at him and sarcastically said "Thanks for the help."

(End "The Living Tombstone - Five Nights at Freddy's 2 - It's Been So Long")


Michael's POV:


I stared at the screen, unable to move from that spot. Megan stared at the screen in horror, while Raven had a disturbed look on her face. Neutrality walked up to me and said "Things aren't always what they seem, Michael. Do well to remember that. The code is 19-08-01-04-15-23, by the way." With that, he disappeared from sight.

I just kept standing there, trying to process what I just saw. The fight was still how it happened, but from when the shadows surrounded me...Adam was gone. He didn't help me. I had to fight those monsters and throw them into the Void by myself.

But according to Adam's memories, he actually did try to help me. He tried, and he failed. At least, that's how he remembers it. But who's right, and who's wrong?

'This doesn't make any sense,' I thought to myself. 'This is...none of this...I...'

"Michael?" Turning to face Megan, she had a concerned look on her face as she placed a hand on mine.

"Sorry," I said. "This is...this is just a lot to take in. That's not at all how I remembered what happened."

"You were obviously under a lot of pressure and duress," Raven said placatingly. "There were bound to have been things that you missed."

I sighed, rubbing the back of my head. "Either way, I owe Adam a serious apology when we get out of here. After I slug him for being careless enough to get hit by a Negatium bomb."

"Not that you'll get the chance, I'm afraid."

We whirled around, only to find no one there. There didn't seem to be anyone around in this room other than the three of us.

"Man, after all this time, to think I'd luck out and get some practice dummies to work out on. This is just turning out to be the best day ever!"

"Who's there?!" Megan called out. "Show yourself!"

Suddenly, a figure walked into view in front of the Void entrance. He was completely covered in black robes, not even his face showing. The fact that he was standing in front of the light in the window only helped make him more menacing.

"Who the heck is he supposed to be?" Raven asked.

"That's He with a capital 'H' to you, sexy,"the figure replied.

Slumping, I groaned "Great. A punk with an ego."

"Sticks and stones, ya punk ass bitch," the figure taunted. "Sticks, and stones."

"HEY!" I cried out. "I am a fuck-mothering ass-kicker. I have been through a lot of shit, and kicked a lot of wholesale ass in my life to earn that title, and I'd prefer if you referred to me as such." Megan and Rachel couldn't help but sweatdrop a bit at my little comedic tirade, while everyone in Mount Justice either did the same, face-palmed, or nodded in approval (three guesses which one did that).

"Fair enough," the figure shrugged. "Though it doesn't matter what you call yourself. Seeing as you and your whores are going to die here."

All traces of mirth disappeared from my face as he said that, causing me to give him a cold glare. I was about to charge in, when Rachel put her hand on my shoulder, calming me down enough to not go charging in like an idiot. Drawing Masamune and pointing the blade at him, I said "You really think you can take us on?"

Scoffing, he replied "I kicked your ass once, Niño. I can do it again."

I raised an eyebrow. "Again?" the three of us asked.

"That's right. Or do you obviously not remember the last time you were in here?"

Now both of my eyebrows shot up, my pupils dilating as my breath hitched. I felt my heart speed up, an image overlapping over the figure. A ghost I never wanted to see ever again.

"Michael," Masamune whispered, soft enough so that only I could hear here. "You...You don't think that's..."

'...No...

'It can't be...

'Not him!'

"Or the fact that you threw me in-"

*BANG*

*BANG*

*BANG*

As soon as he said "threw," I pulled out Avalon and fired three rounds: two in the chest, one in the head. Unfortunately, the shots seemed to disintegrate upon contact, leaving small wisps of smoke a few inches where they should've hit. Before he could even react, I drew Masamune out and charged forward, swinging at the man with all my might...

*KRAAANNNNG*

...only to watch in horror as he blocked the strike with a sword he materialized in one hand from thin air. The sword in question was a zweihandler, the blade as red as the morning sun. The handle, a deep crimson, had a demonic appearance, with the guard appearing as two large, black bat wings. In the middle of the guard was a carving of a human skull, with rubies in both eye sockets.

The sword forced me to jump away, just as he swung it in my direction. "Or the fact that you threw me into the Void?" he continued, as though I didn't just try to attack him.

Megan and Raven were too stunned to do anything, a result of the repulsive aura the figure was now emitting. They could barely breathe, with the aura being so vile, so filled with malice and cruelty. Raven was experiencing it the worst, though, as it was stirring up her demonic half, leaving her having to fight her emotions back.

My hands trembled, Masamune continuing to crack from the collision of the blades. I was starting to break into a sweat, my breathing shortening and my heartbeat escalating as I looked at the figure's weapon.

It really was him.

Noticing my appearance, the figure asked "What's the matter, Michael?" As he said this, the cloak slowly dissolved into shadows, revealing his true appearance: he wore a hooded crimson leather jacket, with small, silver spikes on both shoulders. He had on dark red and black body armor beneath the jacket, with a demonic face etched into the chest. He had tattered red jeans with padding (meant for both protection and intimidation), with bloody red combat boots and a combat knife tied to his left boot. His half-gloved hands clenched menacingly, one hand still holding the zweihandler.

But what truly made my blood run cold in fear was his face. His grinning, cruel, pale-skinned face with prominent fangs, pointed ears, framed by shaggy Auburn hair (almost crimson in color), and sclera burning a bright, demonic red with sickeningly yellow irises. "You look like you've seen a ghost. Or a doppelganger."

Take the eyes away, and it was still his face.

It was still my face.


Third Person's POV:


Megan and Raven's eyes widened in shock at the sight before them. The menacing figure, made even more menacing with his appearance, had the same face as Michael. It may have been twisted, made into a crueler visage, giving the appearance of a demon in human form. But it was still the face of Michael they were looking at.

This made Michael shiver in fear, unable to truly believe that this truly was who he hoped it wasn't. The figure reveled in Michael's fear, evident by his cruel smirk. Noticing the shock plastered on the two heroines, he asked "I suppose you want the story behind me, huh? Well, since you're all gonna die here, I might as well entertain you lot.

"You see, some time ago, Michael came across an entity. A soul pitch black, cruel and callous, dark in mind. A true incarnation of pure monstrosity. And Michael- dumb ass that he was back then- had the balls to try and challenge him, as the entity wanted nothing but to destroy. Now seeing as he was more inexperienced at the time, Michael lost, and was forced to run with his tail between his legs. Como una perra. But it's what happened during the fight that's important!

"He became afraid of this entity. He became afraid of being killed by this entity. So afraid, that he nearly went insane from fear!" He chuckled at that, causing Michael to grind his teeth as he glared at the sadist in front of him. Ignoring it, the figure continued "Now in great times of stress, the human mind sometimes fragments itself in order to protect itself. And that's exactly what Michael did: he had to break a piece of his mind off, in order to stay alive long enough to get away from the entity and escape. When he got out, he managed to fix his mind and move on. But the damage was done, as that piece was corrupted by the dark influenced of the world Michael was in.

"That piece was still corrupted, becoming equivalent to a darkness within Michael. A darkness that saw his potential, potential that was wasted with his heroics! So it began to grow, become stronger, amplify its power. And when he nearly went insane in here last time? That's when he came face to face with his other side...his evil incarnate.

"Naturally, as he was good and the other evil, they fought each other. And the evil was intent on ending the son of a bitch." Frowning, he continued "And the evil side would've succeeded, too, if Michael didn't end up cheating like a pussy. I mean, granted, the evil would've done the same thing, but what kind of mierda was that?!"

It didn't take a telepath to see that the figure was insane, especially from his continued ranting. So insane, that he would literally kill them all without so much as a sign of warning, and would enjoy doing so. Megan just wanted to get the hell away from him, Rachel wanted to cast this person into the Heart of Evil, and Michael simply wanted to kill the monster.

"Getting back on track," the monster continued as he calmed down. Sporting a grin, he began to chuckle, saying "Even with all his help, el tonto here was unable to kill his evil half. You know, seeing as it was more powerful than he first thought. And he couldn't keep him around, so Michael did the next best thing, in his opinion." Now full on laughing, the figure exclaimed "He fucking broke himself! That's right, boys and girls, Michael broke his own mind, all to get rid of his evil!"

That got the two to look at Michael in shock as the figure continued to laugh. Michael had always seemed one of the more normal of the Team; friendly, wise cracking, though possibly a tad on the unbalanced side (which he weakly blames on Duncan). But to have discovered that he broke himself in order to win a fight...one had to wonder just how broken he was now.


The Team, the League and Duncan had thoughts of a similar nature. The knowledge that Michael had broken himself cast a whole new light on him.

Duncan in particular looked at Michael in sorrow, as he and Michael knew that Duncan was a broken individual, putting on a mask of normalcy to put his friends and loved ones at ease. This is why it hurt him the most that the person he called a student, a friend, and a brother had broken himself, to an extent that he didn't know how great.


The figure then scowled at Michael as his laughter died. "It was hilarious...right up until he ripped me out of his skull- causing himself a great amount of pain- and threw me inside the Void, just as the doors were closing. Leaving me to float around in there. DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT IT IS LIKE, WANDERING IN A VOID OF NOTHINGNESS?! NOT HAVING TO EAT OR DRINK! OR SLEEP! JUST TO EXIST?! FOR A TIME I CAN'T EVEN REMEMBER, THAT WAS THE HELL MICHAEL VERSER PUT ME THROUGH!"

The three of them backed up a bit as the figure- the incarnation of Michael's evil- suddenly burst out screaming at them. Michael started to worry a bit now. His evil side was always sadistic, but it seemed that he had become even more dangerous now than before. And that was not something he particularly liked. Madness and evil were never a good combination.

"I wandered in that hellhole for God knows how long," the Evil continued, pointing his zweihandler at Michael, "wanting nothing more than revenge for what you did to me. And now, here you are: powerless. Defenseless. Ready to finally die by my hands. THE HANDS OF SATAN VERSER!" With those words, he leaped forward, rearing his zweihandler back as he flew right towards Michael.

(Play "Three Days Grace - Animal I Have Become")

*KRA-BOOM*

Michael jumped out of the way, barely dodging the strike as it broke the floor he was standing on mere seconds ago. Satan, meanwhile, was grinning like a madman, saying "Oh, it feels so good to be able to truly stretch my limbs after so long. Now come on! Pesadilla del Diablo craves for your blood, cabrón!"

Wedging the sword out, he tried to take another swing at Michael, only to be thrown back by an invisible force. Michael turned around to find Megan with her arms stretched out, her eyes glowing green from the use of her powers. It was obviously rather difficult for her, seeing as she was breaking a sweat just by concentrating enough to use them. Eyes returning to normal, Megan said "If you want Michael..."

Rachel stepped up next to her, her own powers flaring up as she continued "You'll have to deal with us as well."

Satan only chuckled at that. "Gladly," was all he said, just as he snapped his fingers.

Suddenly, two large shadows appeared on either side of him, easily towering over him by a few feet. The shadow on the left then began to light up, until it became a sneering, shadowy figure surrounded by flames and cinders. It turned its sights on Megan, causing her to step back as she shivered, eyes slightly widened in fear.

The shadow on the right, meanwhile, shifted into a more humanoid form. Taking on a feminine appearance, it was covered in an ink black cloak, a hood covering its face. It then showed its face, which was that of Raven. The only difference, was that the shadow had four, glowing red eyes and light red skin. Said eyes were pinned directly at Raven, wearing a savage grin as Raven struggled to maintain her calm appearance.

"Now its three on three," Satan drawled. Gripping Pesadilla del Diablo with both hands, he continued "So let's get this party started, shall we?!" The three demonic figures charged us, forcing us to separate to different areas of the room.

The burning shadow immediately began to assault Megan, hurling a few fireballs at the young white Martian. She instantly recoiled in fear, jumping out of the path of the last one. She phased through the floor, causing the shade to search the area for her, not noticing that she was right above it until she brought down upon the figure.

She gave a sigh of relief, thinking it was over. Those thoughts were instantly quashed as the shade burned through the rubble, glaring at her as it formed a flaming sword out of its right arm.

"Come on, little Martian," the burning shadow drawled, its voice similar to that of a psychopath. "It's just a little flame. Nothing to be SCARED OF!" It slashed at her, creating a large arc of fire that nearly burned her, had she not dropped from the ceiling before impact.

Megan landed right in front of the burning shadow, who smiled evilly at her as he reached down, grabbing hold of both her arms. The searing pain that followed caused her to scream at the top of her lungs, tears forming in her eyes as the shadow laughed at her pain.

Michael and Satan, meanwhile, were by the entrance to the Void. Pesadilla del Diablo colliding violently and forcefully against Masamune, sparks flying as the blade's edges scraped against each other. Gritting his teeth, Michael pushed back to gain some distance, only to stop as he head Megan scream in pain. His eyes widened at the sight of the shadow burning her forearms, laughing with glee as Megan cried in agony.

He moved to help her, but instead had to fall to the floor to avoid getting decapitated from behind. "Your fight's with me, cabrón," Satan said as though speaking to a child. As he swung the zweihandler down, he continued "Learn to focus on that instead of your dead-weights you call friends!"

Michael barely managed to grab Avalon, using it to knock the evil blade away from him and give him the chance to strike. He reared his fist back, Equinox primed and ready, and punched his evil self in the gut. The explosion caused Satan to be blown back into the door, bouncing off it before hitting the ground hard.

At the same time as Michael took notice of Megan's state of being, Raven was throwing everything she could at her demonic double. "What's wrong, bitch?" the double asked. "I thought you were stronger than this?"

"Shut up," Raven growled. She cast several bolts of energy, sending them right at the demonic visage.

Evil Raven simply shrugged them off, cackling as it did so. "So pathetic. So weak. All because of what you do."

"Shut up!" she threw a much larger blast of energy, mixed in with some bolts of lightning. They, too, were shrugged off.

"What you pretend to be."

She then summoned a torrent of blades, fireballs, and explosive bolts, throwing them at the twisted doppelganger as she screamed "I SAID SHUT UP!" A large dust cloud formed from the impact, as Raven readied another spell.

The evil reflection, however, hit her with a crimson bolt of energy. Flying back, she slammed into the wall as her demonic self calmly walked out of the smoke, grinning like a maniac. "It's what makes you weak. And it's why you'll fail."

*BOOM*

*BOOM*

The sounds of explosions immediately followed, a cloud of smoke forming from where Michael fired an explosive round from Avalon at the demonic visage before he blew the burning shadow's arms off, causing it to drop Megan. Screaming in pain, it turned angrily at Michael and began to run at him.

*BOOM*

The shadow was then blown to bits by another shot, Michael panting as he lowered his rifle/sheath. Suddenly, Satan appeared behind him, rearing Pesadilla del Diablo back over his left shoulder with the intent to cleave the Multiverser in twain. Michael brought Avalon and Masamune up as soon as he felt the aspect's presence, sheathing the blade in the sheath/rifle to give himself extra protection.

With a mighty roar, Satan brought the blade down, causing it to collide with Masamune and Avalon.

A powerful shockwave resulted from the collision as arcs of energy radiated off the weapons. Both Michael and Satan grit their teeth, putting all their strength into their arms. Good and evil struggled in their deadlock, unwilling to give even a fraction of an inch. Still, both knew that eventually, something had to give, which would allow them the advantage they needed.

And at that moment, something did give.

*CRASH*

A large cloud of dust formed from the explosion, forcing Megan and Rachel- the latter of whom was busy healing Megan's injuries- had to shield their eyes from the resulting blast. Opening their eyes, they stared in shock at the scene before them.

(End "Three Days Grace - Animal I Have Become")


Michael stared dumbly before him. Gripped tightly in his hands were Masamune and Avalon, smoking from the collision's energy. What he could not comprehend, however, was their current state of being: where there was a single sword in a scabbard/rifle, he now held two pieces of the weapons.

Upon that moment, he realized that Masamune had briefly screamed in agony just before the explosion. And now she was silent.

By the time he finally realized Satan had cut through his sword and sheath/rifle- which he believed to be indestructible- and most likely killed someone he loved, blood spurted out of the gaping wound on his right side, stretching from shoulder to half-way down his gut. And as the blood hit the floor, so did he.

Chuckling, Satan circled around his fallen foe."Looks like your 'invincible sword and sheath' isn't so invincible after all, is it?" the dark double asked, raising his sword in a stabbing position. "Ah well. Adios, Niño."

"ENOUGH!" Four voices cried out. Before he could even react, blood started shooting out of Satan's body, pushing him back into the wall with a resounding crash. He coughed up a bit more blood, before falling right to the ground in a hacking heap.

Michael, Megan and Rachel simply stared at the evil double, their minds trying to comprehend what the hell had just happened. When they finally did, they slowly, barely, moved their heads toward their saviors. And what they saw made their eyes widen.

There were four Adams.

One was wielding Highlander and had blue eyes instead of the normal yellow. Another had green eyes and was armed with a Plasma Caster. The third's eyes were black and was holding Muramasa. The shades of the fourth one were gone, instead showing a normal pair of eyes, with Wild Card in one hand and Silencer in the other.

Getting back up, Satan shakily took notice of who sucker punched him- so to speak- before his eyes narrowed in utter contempt at the four Adams. "Oh great, YOU guys," he groaned.

Black eyes simply sighed. "You know, normally, I wouldn't condone violence. However, like the rest of you- and you especially, Hope- I'm feeling a large desire to kill this THING," he snarled the last word.

"Damn right, Bravery," Normal Eyes agreed.

"So how should we play this, Heroism?" Green Shades asked the now named "Heroism."

"Well, Willpower, we need to buy Mikey time to shut down the system. So get going, Mikey! We'll handle him!" Heroism responded. Michael weakly nodded his head as Hope helped him up and started to help guide him toward the system.

"You three are starting to piss me off. Oh well. Time for you to die," Satan said with a scowl, raising Pesadilla del Diablo back as he prepared to charge the Aspects.

"No," the three fragments of Adam's mind said at once, "it's time for YOU to die!" With their piece said, they charged forward.

Satan took a large swipe at them, blade arcing in front of him and delivering a wave of energy right at them. Bravery leaped right in front of the blast, taking the brunt of it with Highlander as Willpower and Heroism continued their charge.

Heroism arrived first, swinging the Gravity Hammer down upon his foe with the intent to kill, only for Pesadilla del Diablo to take the attack. The force of the strike, however, shattered the ground beneath him, causing Satan to lose his footing a bit. This gave Heroism the chance to strike at him with Muramasa, slashing him across the chest.

The evil aspect snarled in pain as he blasted Heroism back, turning his attention to Willpower...just as he aimed Wild Card right at him, blasting him square in the face. Howling in agony, he was unable to protect himself as Bravery began to attack alongside Willpower and Heroism.

As the three aspects laid into Satan, a weary Michael and Hope arrived at the control center. Handing him over to an equally weary Megan and Rachel, Hope turned on the console, linking it up to the system. "Please tell me you know the code," Hope asked, keeping his eyes on Satan at all times.

"Yeah," Michael groaned out, "Neutrality told it to me. Thought why can't you-"

"We tried earlier," the aspect interrupted. "Satan locked every aspect of Adam out."

"So a non-aspect is the only one who can access the system," Raven realized.

"Exactly. Now, if you excuse me," he said as he brought out Silencer, "I'm going to turn your evil twin into a pin cushion." As he charged forward, Michael started inputting the code and waiting for it to take effect. Hope, meanwhile, began opening fire on the crouched figure of Satan, who was shaking in pain and...

Rage.

"RRRRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" With a roar of pure rage, he shot up to his feet and threw his arms out, releasing a wave of black energy that blasted the four aspects backwards.

As the pressure brought Michael, Rachel and Megan to their knees, Michael looked at the evil aspect in shock. "Please tell me that wasn't what I think it was."

"That's right, cabrón," Satan breathed out with a smirk. "You honestly think I'd be around all of this Negatium and be stupid enough to not decide to use it?!"

"To be perfectly honest...yeah, I thought you'd be that stupid."

A noticeable tick mark appeared on his forehead. "Cute. But now, thanks to that Negatium, my attacks are stronger than ever! And guess what I'm going to use them on first?"

Noticing the progress bar on the terminal, Michael said "I want to say..."

"It's you," he interrupted. "I'm using it on you and your whores, then I'm going to kill everyone around you. And there's not a damn thing that you can either do or say that-"

"The Game," Michael said impulsively, eyes widening as he realized what he said.


Back in the real world, everyone in the cave either face-palmed themselves, or- in a few cases- actually face faulted as a result of Michael's words. Duncan- being one of the former- could only mumble "Really?"

"...He's gonna die, isn't he?" Conner asked.

Wally simply nodded. "Yep."


...

...

...

...

...

"Uh, is he supposed to have that many blood vessels pulsating?" Megan nervously asked.

"He also has a nasty eye twitch," Raven noticed.

Sweating a bit, Michael said "Yeah, I think I might've gone a bit too far this t-"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Satan began swinging Pesadilla del Diablo like a madman, eyes filled with unbridled fury as he charged at the trio. Unfortunately, that meant he was only focused on the front, leaving his back wide open. A weakness that Heroism and Bravery took full advantage of, impaling the evil aspect onto the ground with Muramasa and Silencer.

As Satan struggled against his bonds, Heroism grunted "How much longer?!" right before he was thrown off and slammed into the wall.

"Uh, about a minute?" Megan responded.

"We don't have a- OOF!" That was Bravery, who was punched right in the chest as he pulled Steeler out. Satan managed to pull himself up, kicking Hope and Willpower away as he charged Bravery. Said aspect took a swing at Satan with his fist, only for it to collide with Pesadilla del Diablo with a resounding *CLANG!*

Using this opportunity, Satan leaped above Bravery and landed behind him, grabbing him by the shoulders and yelling "Kidney punch!"

Bravery's face scrunched in agony at the blow, howling in pain.

"Kidney punch, kidney punch, kidney punch! And pause...Kidney punch!"

Bravery fell to the floor, wheezing in pain as Satan reared back his leg and kicked him right in the gut. He then grabbed him by the collar, flinging him right into Heroism. Hope and Willpower then charged forward, the former opening fire on the evil aspect. He effortlessly dodged the shots, before delivering a palm-heel strike into Hope's sternum and punching him in the throat.

Dropping to the floor, he smirked as the Gravity Hammer soared over his head. He then placed himself on his back, before pushing off of the ground and planting both feet into Willpower's face. Landing in the middle of Hope and Willpower, he aimed both hands at them before unleashing a wave of Negatium, slamming them both deep into the walls.

(Play "Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance OST - A Stranger I Remain Extended")

Getting back up, Bravery continued "We don't...have a minute."

"We just have to keep this ass-clown busy while the code resets the system, which- if it works- will revert back to the original design!" Heroism said. With renewed vigor, the aspects charged at Satan.

Bravery swung Muramasa, cutting a large gash into Satan's torso. "Raiden's got nothing on me, jackass!" he taunted Satan as he impaled the evil aspect, and then kicked him into a wall. Groaning in pain, Satan yanked the blade out of himself, throwing it to the ground as he began to work himself out of the wall.

"Eat some of this!" Hope said, firing maximum powered shots, which kept pushing Satan further and further into a wall. Following up on this, Willpower then aimed the Plasma Caster as he fired a maximum power shot, which blew up in Satan's face.

Satan's face quickly healed, though it would never remain the same as Heroism then slashed Silencer across his face, leaving a permanent diagonal scar across from the corner of his left lip to right eyebrow.

"AAAAAGGGGGHHHHHHH!" the evil aspect cried in agony. Glaring at Heroism, he cried out "YOU PIECE OF SHIT!"as he threw a ball of fire directly into Heroism's own face.

Hope and Willpower charged forward, only to be grabbed by two large hands of dark energy. The duo were slammed together, disorienting them as Satan threw them back towards Heroism and Bravery.

"Dude, this fight can't go on forever! We have to combine our strengths!" Hope groaned as they all nodded their heads.

"You locos think I'd let y-" Satan was cut off from what he was going to say, as Rachel, Michael and Megan telekinetically threw him to the ground. Though weakened, they had enough strength to keep him down for now.

The four aspects nodded at the two, before bringing their hands together. "MULTIVERSAL...FUSION!" they all cried as their bodies started fusing into one body, which looked like the statue Michael saw earlier. The body then charged forward, screaming with a fusion of Hope, Bravery, Willpower and Heroism's voices, "THIS ENDS NOW!"

The body then punched Satan, forcing him into the ground. Before it could deliver another kick, Satan grabbed the foot and twisted it to an odd angle. As the body groaned in pain, Satan then kicked the body, sending him into another wall with a resounding crash.

Chuckling, Satan asked "Is that seriously all you've got?" He got his answer immediately, as the body was right in front of him. The body then delivered a powerful backhand across Satan's face, sending him sprawling toward a set of liquid nitrogen tanks.

"NOT BY A LONG SHOT, BITCH," the body answered, smirking as Satan got back up.

"YOU LITTLE SHITS!" Satan cried out in anger, charging right in as he thrust his sword, but the body flipped over it as it embedded into the tank. The body landed on the sword, kicking Satan in the face before slicing the tank further.

"REVENGE...IS BEST SERVED COLD, SATAN VERSER," the body stated as it jumped off, shooting more nitrogen as Satan's body slowly froze.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-" Satan cried out, his anguish cut off as his head finally froze. If they paid attention, they would've noticed the shadow of Satan leaving its body, crawling away from the frozen corpse.

The body then turned around to look at the frozen form of Satan. "NOW GET OUT OF OUR HEAD!" they all cried as the body threw his hands forward, sending Satan's frozen body toward a fissure in the ground, sending it falling into the darkness. An explosive flash of light soon followed, signaling the end of the fight.

(End "Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance OST - A Stranger I Remain Extended")

The body then glowed before flashing. When the light cleared, the four fragments were separated. "I know we just won and all, but I have one thing to ask," Hope said, panting heavily along with his fellow aspects.

"What?" Willpower asked.

"Why the fuck does this place have a set of liquid nitrogen tanks?" Hope asked.

"Because I thought they would look cool," Bravery answered. "But hey, they helped us, didn't they? Now come on, we gotta help Michael," he stated as the other aspects nodded. Suddenly, a beeping noise came from the console, followed by a flash of light that surrounded the entire room.


Outside Adam's mind...


"...Ho. Ly. Shit," Oliver said, his jaw dropped to the floor. The rest of the League and the Team were in a similar state. Hell, even Duncan was stunned speechless. And that's saying something.

After Satan summoned up the two demonic guardians, the others had been trying to disconnect Michael, Raven and Megan from the suit, only to recoil in pain as the Negatium flared up and lashed at them. It seemed that this Satan Verser was intent on making sure no one interfered with his goal.

A goal that nearly succeeded, as three young heroes were close to the doors of death. But then the aspects of Adam showed up, and then the fight got even more intense. Thankfully, they managed to win in the end, and hopefully put an end to the evil aspect of Michael's mind.

Coming out of his stupor, Duncan said "Well...that was a thing."

"Now can we get them out?" Robin asked.

"Not until they unlock the s-" He was cut off as the suit hissed, releasing air as it opened up, revealing the blackened and dying body of Adam Verser. "Okay, now we can get them out."

Vic didn't waste any time, inputting the program that allowed him to safely bring the three out of Adam's system. A few seconds later, their eyes fluttered open as they breathed heavily. As they regained their breathing, Michael called out "Duncan...next time...you're going into Adam's mind..."

Chuckling, he replied "Fair enough. Now help me get him to the med-bay. We need to work fast if we're gonna save him." He was joined by Diana, J'onn, Dinah and Oliver, who helped carry Adam out of the suit- which disappeared as soon as they got him out- and carried him to the med bay.

As they carried him off, Batman sighed as he looked to the Team. "This is not how I hoped your first day as a team would play out," he began. "But you can rarely choose who your first opponent will be in this line of work. Despite all of that, you pulled through. That in itself is a victory." The rest of the Team softly smiled at that, all of them agreeing with him. "Get some rest. You've definitely earned it." With that said, he and the rest of the League left through the zeta tube and went back to the Watchtower.

"Now, if you excuse me, I'm going to go make sure I didn't get anything from in there in my own mind." With that said, the empathetic half-demon disappeared into the shadows.

"...She's all sunshine and rainbows, isn't she?" Wally asked.

"The three of us just survived a nightmare, Wally," Michael stated wearily. "I think she's earned the right to get some time to herself."

"I think I'm with you there," Megan agreed. "I...I need to get some sleep."

"I'd say that's something we all need after today's events," Kaldur stated. The rest of the Team nodded, and headed to their personal quarters. Michael, however, looked back at Megan, his face etched with concern for the young Martian. But his face then became one of sorrow as he looked down at Masamune and Avalon.

Both now broken into two pieces.


Michael's POV:


Happy Harbor, July 18, 22:43 EDT


As everyone headed to sleep, Megan lay curled up on her bed, head buried in her knees. She hadn't been able to get to sleep since she got there, her mind replaying the events she witnessed back in Adam's mind.

A knocking at her door brought her out of her thoughts. "Can I come in?" I asked.

"Uh, sure, hold on a minute." Megan got up and unlocked her door, letting me in. "Couldn't sleep either?" she asked.

"Heh, after what we just went through, how could I?" I stated light-heartedly. Chuckling a bit, I looked down to the pieces of Masamune and Avalon that I carried with me, setting them down on the table. "But yeah, I...have a lot on my mind right now."

Looking at the weapons, she asked "Those meant a lot to you, didn't they?"

I nodded. "They were my first weapons, weapons I created alongside Duncan. They've been with me ever since the start of my career. But they're...more than simple weapons."

The two of us sat down on her bed, both our gazes on the broken weapons. "What do you mean by that?" Megan asked.

"...Masamune was more than a sword," I responded, my tone extremely somber. "She was alive."

Confusion spread across her face, before she realized the meaning behind my words. "Oh...I...I'm so sorry, Michael," she said as she placed a hand on mine, sympathy in her voice and eyes. "I didn't know..."

"Yeah, it isn't really something I like to broadcast to others," I said. Sighing, I continued "Thankfully, Rachel was able to help me get her soul out of the blade before the damage could be permanent. Still...Masamune's in a coma now. Probably will be until I can get her into a new home for her spirit."

Megan looked down in sadness, quietly saying "I can't even imagine what you must be going through right now."

"Well, I think I know what you must be going through right now," I said, gaining her attention. "Megan, you went through horrors I wouldn't wish on anyone. I know what that kind of stuff does to a mind. So if...if you ever need anyone to talk to...I'm all ears," I finished with a comforting smile, softly grasping her hand with my own.

Returning the smile, she said "Thank you, Michael. You're too kind."

Chuckling, I responded "Yeah, that's said to be one of my best features." The two of us laughed a bit, then stayed as we were for a few minutes. After another minute of comfortable silence, I got up and said "Well, I should probably head out now. You really need some sleep after-"

I was stopped in my tracks, feeling Megan's hand as it held onto mine. Turning back, I looked at Megan, her face etched in a bit of worry. "I'm sorry, I...I know this is...could you...could you please stay here...at least for tonight...?" A moment passed before I nodded, returning to her bed as we laid down on it. A few minutes later, I noticed that she couldn't keep her eyes closed, her mind still a jumble from what we had seen in Adam's mind.

(Play "Natsuhiboshi Sumaru's Lullaby with lyrics")

As I wrapped my arms around her, I remembered a song I once heard before becoming a Multiverser. A song I memorized by heart, one I sung softly to her.

"Natsuhiboshi naze akai (Natsuhiboshi, why are you so red?)

Yuube kanashii yume wo miita (Because I had a sad dream last night)

Naite hanashita (My eyes are red, from the tears I shed,)

Akai me yo (Swollen as I cry)"

As the words fell from my mouth, Megan seemed to hang on every lyric. Her grip tightened on my shirt, shaking softly in my grasp.

"Natsuhiboshi naze mayou (Natsuhiboshi, why you've lost your way?)

Kieta warashi wo sagashiteru (I'm searching for a child whose gone afar)

Dakara kanashii (He can't be found, though I search all day)

Yume wo miru (My sad dreams come once more)"

Finally, Megan let loose her tears, allowing them to fall on me as she buried her face in my chest. Silently sobbing, the two of us lay there in her bed as an astral visage of my Multiverser wings covered us both. We never moved an inch until the morning came.

(End "Natsuhiboshi Sumaru's Lullaby with lyrics")


Unknown Location...


Third Person's POV:


Satan's eyes shot open, staring at the ceiling above him. It was dark, a bit moldy, and the sounds of dripping water filled his ears. Working past the pain shooting through his body, he forced himself up to get a better look at his surroundings.

He found himself in what appeared to be an underground catacomb, with a series of passages laid out before him. The only sources of light came from the torches stationed at the entrance to each passage. As he continued to look around, he began to laugh.

If he were to be honest with himself, he wasn't expecting to have lost as he did. In fact, he thought he would've won with the Negatium he had absorbed. The mere fact that it wasn't enough, that Michael was still alive, infuriated him to no end.

That didn't mean he never thought there was the chance he might lose. He wasn't so arrogant to think he was completely invincible...not yet, anyway. That's why he made a backup plan, a way to survive in case things did go to shit.

He didn't spend all that time in Adam's head without learning some things, and what he learned paid off. And now, stationed in this dark area, he smirked as he chuckled. Even during that entire fight...even after inputting the code...they never even noticed that they had failed in the end. They never even suspected that Satan was simply buying time, was a mere distraction.

A distraction that got him free in the end.

Well, he had done his part, and gotten him freed from the Void. Now, Satan had to focus on himself. He had taken much more damage in the fight than he originally thought. Now he had to recover that strength.

"No matter," he said to himself. "I did it in the Void...I can do it here."

With that, he managed to hoist himself up, and walked toward one of the passageways. He tried to take the torch with him, but it refused to come out. He simply scoffed at the minor inconvenience, then began to walk into the darkness.

The darkness would only be a minor inconvenience to him. He knew these tunnels. He had made these tunnels. And in the safety of these tunnels, he would rebuild his strength. And when he was ready...

"No one will stop me," he said, his form disappearing into the darkness.


Unknown Location...


Unknown POV:


"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

This person is not as interesting as I thought he would be. Especially since I'm stuck in this form. I can't even use my powers, which resorts to half of my research being done. Not as interesting as those Verser kids.

But Adam infuriates me. He took away my control. He stuffed me into a prison, forced to do nothing but WATCH.

IT.

*STAB*

PISSED.

*STAB*

ME.

*STAB*

OFF.

*STAB*

I focused my attention back to the now bloody mess that was my research. "Great. Ever since I escaped, I've become sloppier. I hate sloppy. And I can't leave this reality because he took away my power. If I ever see Adam again, I'm going to tear him apart."

"Then we have a common goal."

I spun around, knife in hand to see a man wearing all black, with a hooded leather jacket over his metal body armor, intricately designed and the color of dark steel. He wore black, padded jeans, and had a dai-katana strapped to his side (which seemed to have a pistol built into the handle and tsuba). His face was completely covered, both by the hood and a featureless metal mask. The power radiating from him was enormous.

"What?" I asked.

"We have a common enemy, my friend. The Multiversers. I know what they did to you. I know you want revenge. I can help you with that," he said, extending a hand.

I regarded his hand very carefully. This man is offering me a chance to get revenge. 'Should I accept, Laura?

'I should?

'Yes, yes, the benefits would be great.'

"What do I get out of this?" I asked. While intrigued, I had to be a bit cautious.

"PLEASE, LET ME GO!" I heard my next piece of research cry out as I turned my attention to her.

"Two things actually. One: You get your sister back," he said as I stared at my sister, who looked as beautiful as always. She nodded her head.

"And the second?" I asked as I picked up some surgical tools that were already stained with blood.

"You get as many research material as you want," he answered.

Upon hearing those words, I let lose a savage grin. My answer was simple at that point.

"I accept."

The man then gave a ferocious laugh once I gripped his hand. "Congratulations, Ruvik. You've just become one of The End's Pseudoversers."


Well, that's a wrap.

Like I said, these last two chapters were pretty much the darkest chapters I've written yet. This also helped to show that despite all his power, Michael is not invincible.

Quite a few things have happened, too. With Ruvik free and under The Antiverser's control, a new threat on the field, and two of Michael's weapons destroyed, things ought to be getting pretty hectic for our hero in the future.

And if you want to know more about Ruvik, look him up on The Evil Within.

Until next time, this is Hero of the Multiverse, signing out! Please leave a review/comment, BUT NO FLAMES!