OMNIVERSUS
CHAPTER 15: SHADOW WARRIORS
A few minutes earlier, Superman was confronting the psychopathic version of himself named Homelander. He looked to see them unharmed, which was a relief. If he had arrived a little later, they might have been killed by now. He can see that they're remarkable fighters, or "Warriors" as Darkaris called them, but they do not stand a chance against this monster.
"Where the hell did you come from!? Answer me truthfully!" Homelander demanded an answer from the 'rip-off' version of himself. "Did Vought create you to kill me!? I'll know if you're lying, you copycat bastard!"
Superman sighed, "And I've already told you, I don't know who Vought is. I came here because you're hurting those people. I came here to save them from you, and stop your rampaging."
The Homelander burst into laughter, "What's this!? Are you seriously acting like a hero!? Don't be ridiculous! You're just keeping up this facade so that everyone will hail you as a hero! You can drop it now! It annoys me very much!"
"I don't know what makes you think it's a facade. I'm doing what is simply right." Superman corrected his evil version. "I save and protect people because that's who I am. I don't know why you thought you were a hero, but you're not. It should be you who should stop pretending."
"Wow! What a load of bullsh*t! You're telling me you don't have any motives!? You're just here to stop me!?" Homelander continued to laugh at his copycat's childish ideals. "There's no such thing as good people in this world! You're nothing but a child who thinks he can take me on! And I swear I'll make you suffer for calling me a pretender! No one calls me that!"
"He's really delusional!" Hermione exclaimed. "Who raised him to be that way!?"
"Or maybe he's just that psychotic!" Ahsoka agreed while gripping her lightsaber tightly.
"Who knew that there'd be someone as delusional as him?" Juan said while panting heavily due to exhaustion from blocking the heat vision earlier.
Homelander glared at him with pure killing intent, "You, sons of b*tches! You have confidence in talking to me like that, huh!?"
"That's enough," Superman ordered him. "Your fight is with me."
"A fight!? No, no, no, no. It's going to be a one-sided massacre!" Homelander corrected him. "Look at me! I'm the Homelander! The World's Greatest Superhero! The World's Strongest Man! No one could rival my strength!"
"…until now," Superman said, which infuriated him. "From the way you talk, you talk like a bully. And I hate bullies."
"Shut up!"
As he ran out of patience, Homelander flew toward Superman with the full intent of killing him painfully and brutally. When he threw several punches, Superman dodged them effortlessly. He continued to throw punches, yet not a single one of them landed on Superman. When he threw one last punch at the "rip-off", Superman blocked it by catching it with his right hand in the blink of an eye.
"What the sh*t!?" Homelander was confused about why his punches wouldn't land on this rip-off while it was easy against the child earlier. "How fast are you!?"
"Fast enough." Superman began to crush Homelander's wrist without using his full strength.
"Aaaaaagh!!! F*ck!!!" Homelander felt an excruciating amount of pain from the wrist. "You motherf*cker!"
He punched Superman's face repeatedly to release his hand, yet none of his punches were effective. It felt like he was punching reinforced glass, but that doesn't make any sense as he can easily punch through reinforced glass. If so, he wondered why his punches were ineffective. He continues to feel pain from the wrist.
A second later, Superman delivered a minor headbutt which flung Homelander a few meters away. He didn't think that would actually harm his evil version. He tested to see how durable he was, but given he was easily in pain from the crushing of his wrist as well as easily being flung off, he's definitely weak.
"Holy moly. He was easily beaten by that man." Ahsoka was surprised by the sheer strength of Superman, especially when the three of them had trouble against him.
"Do you think he's a friend?" Juan asked before shifting the Cross from Shield of Aptitude to Sword of Bravery.
"Who knows? I hope so." Hermione hoped that Superman was an ally to them rather than an enemy.
Homelander groaned in pain, as his blood dripped from his nose continuously, "What the!? How is this possible!? How the goddamn hell is this possible!?"
"Give it up, Homelander," Superman said before crossing his arms. "You do not stand a chance against me."
"Me!? Giving up!? Never!" Homelander wiped off the blood in anger. "Why would I lose to a goddamn copycat! I'm Homelander!"
"And I'm the only Superman. You and I aren't the same." Superman said. "Stand down. You wouldn't like it when I go all out."
"Go all out!?" Homelander began to laugh hysterically from that comment before shifting to a serious expression. "Are you saying you're holding back!? What a joke! You're calling me weak, aren't you!?"
"…that's exactly what I'm saying," Superman answered.
Homelander growled in uncontrollable anger, "You bastard!"
Homelander flew toward Superman at super speed, which is slow from Superman's perspective, and continuously threw his punches. Yet again, all of his punches were being dodged and blocked by Superman effortlessly and calmly without breaking a single sweat. After realizing his punches were useless, he flew backward to give himself some space.
His eyes began to lit up red while blood was continuously dripping from his nose, "Eat this sh*t!"
When Homelander unleashed his heat vision, Superman unleashed his own in an instant. When two heat vision beams collided with each other, Homelander was struggling to dominate the other heat vision. His veins on the forehead were visible as well as the increase of the nose bleed. He doesn't know why this ridiculousness is making him struggle when he should dominate against the copycat! Whatever happens, he'll come out on top because he's the original!
Meanwhile, Superman wasn't struggling nor needed to increase his power. He felt pity that this version of him… never fought someone in his league before. This confirmed that he was nothing but a bully. He doesn't know why this particular version of himself is such a narcissist and a psychopath. If it is something about his past, then empathize with him, but that doesn't change the fact he's a serial killer who thinks of himself as a superhero. He has to put a stop to him.
"Time to end this," Superman said.
When Superman increased the strength of his heat vision, it overpowered Homelander's and struck him in the eye. The psychopathic super released a blood-curdling yell due to the amount of pain from this heat vision. It felt like being hit directly by the sun. When he removed his hands from his eyes, both of his sclera were pure red. It was THAT painful to him.
Homelander panted in boiling uncontrollable anger before unleashing his super scream, "F*CK YOOOOU!!!"
When Superman was struck by the super scream, he covered his ears immediately due to its sensitivity. It wasn't powerful enough to shatter his eardrums, but it was painful. It was like getting bit by a wolf. Unexpectedly, Homelander flew toward him and dragged him back to the ground.
Homelander then dragged Superman across the ground before throwing him into several trees albeit with difficulty. It felt like lifting a forklift truck. It didn't even occur to him that his adversary was completely ineffective by his actions, but it didn't matter as he was too frustrated that this rip-off dared to act better than him.
When Homelander attempted to throw a flying punch at his rip-off, Superman got back up with no visible damage and caught the punch with ease. He then slammed Homelander on the ground repeatedly before throwing him across the trees, landing in front of the three Warriors.
"Holy moly…" Ahsoka was shocked by the one-sided fight between god-like beings.
Homelander was wheezing and groaning in pain while blood was dripping from his nose and his left eye, "F*ck…!"
Superman landed in front of him in mere seconds before looking down on him, "I told you to surrender while you could."
"How… how are you beating me…!?" Homelander demanded an answer while attempting to get back up. "I'm Homelander! The World's Greatest Superhero!"
"No, you're the World's Greatest Bully. You aren't anything. You're just a man who abuses his wonderful gifts for evil." Superman corrected him. "You aren't anything, but a bully."
"Motherf*cker! I will end you!" Homelander cursed at him, as he attempted to unleash a heat vision, but his blood-curdling eyes were preventing him from doing so. "I'm the original! I should have beat you!"
"If you were the 'original', we wouldn't fight for the first place," Superman said, as he lifted his foot to knock Homelander unconscious. "I hope you reconsider that you're better than just being a bully, young man."
"How dare you lecture m-!" Homelander was unable to finish his sentence after he was knocked out unconscious with a kick on the head.
Superman sighed before turning his attention to the three Warriors worriedly, "I apologize about that. Are you guys unharmed?"
Hermione nodded in confirmation, "We are. For now, I guess. Thanks, Mr-?"
Superman chuckled, "We may be in a different universe, but I prefer to keep my secret identity a secret. You may call me Superman."
"Superman?" Juan questioned the name. "Ain't that a bit narcissistic?"
"I didn't give myself that name," Superman answered, as he remembered disagreeing with the name during his rookie days as a superhero.
"Thank goodness that you aren't a psychopath like those two." Ahsoka was relieved that this individual who had similar powers as the other two wasn't evil or malicious, deactivating her lightsabers.
"Speaking of the other two, where did the other one go?" Superman asked curiously, looking around to see the whereabouts of the other evil Superman.
Suddenly, Brightburn appeared in front of Superman as he unleashed his heat vision on the hero. Superman blocked it with his right hand effortlessly. This heat vision is more powerful than Homelander's, but it's not the same level as his.
He doesn't know why this child has become as evil as a Homelander, but he isn't about to hold back when he shares the same powers as him. When the heat vision died out, Superman flew in front of him in mere seconds before punching the child in the face, sending him across the trees and knocking him unconscious.
"I suggest you three get out of these forests," Superman suggested they escape immediately. "There are other enemies that will try to stop you, but they're probably something that you can handle. They aren't like these two."
"That's what we're planning anyway." Hermione agreed with him, deciding to ignore what just happened to the psychopathic child.
Superman turned his head in the direction he came from, "There are other people who are in danger. I must go help them. May we meet again, fellow Warriors."
He then flew toward the direction in a blink of an eye.
"Warriors?" Ahsoka questioned. "Is that what we are in this world?"
"Probably, but that's not important right now," Juan said while looking down at the unconscious Homelander. "Superman is right, we need to get out of here. Who knows how many powerful enemies we'll encounter like these two punyeta."
Hermione nodded, "Right let's go."
Meanwhile, a Predator was watching the spectacle the whole time while in camouflage mode. It was exciting to see how he could take down these prey, especially those who have god-like abilities. It would be a death sentence for him if he fights them unprepared.
KI KI KI MA MA MA
Unexpectedly, he was stabbed through the chest by a machete. His camouflage was malfunctioning. And the last person he saw was a bulky man wearing a hockey mask named Jason Voorhees. He doesn't understand how this individual managed to sneak behind him and kill him, but it doesn't matter. He died a dishonorable death.
After removing his machete from the Predator's chest, he looked at the three Warriors that attacked him earlier. He particularly set his sights on Ahsoka who is probably the most dangerous out of those three. He has to play smart if he wants to take all of them down.
A few minutes ago…
In Darkaris' Ruined Castle, five Warriors were in a state of combat while Darkaris himself was sitting on his throne covered in Dark Magic. He noticed that a 3v2 was unfair, so created a clone made out of darkness to aid his subordinates. All he had to do now was watch the spectacle while eating a chicken drumstick.
On the other hand, Legolas was dodging and weaving from Solomon Grundy's ferocious attacks while firing arrows at his impenetrable skin. Not even orcs give him trouble, especially when their skins are easy to penetrate. He might need to think of a way different way to kill him.
Legolas landed on Grundy's fist before flipping backward light as a feather and firing an arrow. "What makes you fall!?"
Hawkeye continuously dodged several fireballs from Cinder Fall who was flying in the air by creating blasts underneath her feet and in the palms of her hands to act as thrusters, reminding him of Iron Man. He fired normal arrows, but they were simply swept away by a strong gust of wind produced by her.
"You can manipulate elements, huh?" Hawkeye asked while panting heavily. "I miss the day when there aren't crazy sh*ts to deal with during my time."
"Complain all you want, you are no match for me," Cinder said confidently.
Hawkeye chuckled in amusement, "Listen, lady. You aren't the first superpowered being I have fought. And let me tell you, you're not threatening."
Cinder's expression shifted to anger, "You're arrogant for one who doesn't have Aura and Semblance. A pathetic existence! A joke!"
"Yeah," Hawkeye admitted he was to some people's perspective before aiming his bow at her. "But there were two people who believed in me, and that's all I needed."
Hawkeye released the bowstring, as the arrow flew toward Cinder. Cinder, who was amused that this ordinary archer didn't consider his circumstances, destroyed the arrow with fireballs. She planned to end him soon, but something unexpected happened.
Suddenly, a three-beat concussive sonic blast on impact struck Cinder at close range. She was knocked into a pillar, causing it to destroy it in half, and landed on the ground roughly. She groaned in pain due to the concussion. She began to feel an uncontrollable rage within her.
"You!" Cinder yelled at Hawkeye before flying back into the air. "You think you can harm a Maiden!"
Hawkeye smirked before aiming another arrow at her, "Who knows? There's a first time for everything."
Meanwhile, Ty Lee was dodging the Darkaris Clone acrobatically. She kept dodging backward due to the fact her adversary continuously summoned shadow tentacles from the ground as well as shadow shurikens. She isn't given the chance to attack him, especially when her specialty is close-quarter combat.
"You're not giving me a chance to attack, would you!?" Ty Lee asked enthusiastically while smiling despite her struggles.
The clone remained speechless. He unleashed a barrage of shadow bullets, causing Ty Lee to dodge much faster than before. She was hit twice by the bullets on her shoulder and the side of her hips. Thankfully, it wasn't critical but it is definitely painful.
Darkaris laughed wickedly, "You're formidable, Ty Lee. Against the power of darkness, you are outmatched."
Ty Lee giggled in amusement before enacting her fighting stance, "Nah, I'll beat your clone! And then I'll beat you! Not even you are immune to pressure points!"
"Very well!" Darkaris cracked his knuckles, and the Shadow Clone did the same. "Come and hit me!"
When the Darkaris Clone placed his arms on the ground, his arms emerged behind his enemy. Ty Lee dodged the sneak attack instinctively before grabbing them both in midair and tying them up due to the shadow's elastic nature. She then ran toward the clone while he struggled to entangle his arms.
The Darkaris Clone unleashed several shadow bullets and tentacles on the ground continuously, but Ty Lee never stopped running and instead dodged the attacks, except for some bullets that hit her. Upon confronting the clone, she straight-up sent a punch to his face, which knocked him to the ground.
"Comin' to get you!" Ty Lee exclaimed cheerfully.
"No!" Legolas ran to the side of the wall to dodge Grundy's devastating punch before landing back on the ground. "You can't attack him, Ty Lee!"
"Damn it!" Hawkeye attempted to help Ty Lee, but he dodged Cinder's numerous elemental attacks before firing a Net Arrow to incapacitate her temporarily. "Ty Lee!"
Darkaris was amused when Ty Lee began running toward him without any fear or hesitation. He can tell that this girl is carefree and having fun with the fight. He felt envious that she was joyous. He doesn't have that emotion due to being a poor replica of the deity.
Darkaris stood up, as the darkness began to engulf the surrounding slowly, "Your treachery ends now!"
As shadow tentacles grabbed Ty Lee's feet, she flopped on the ground roughly. It caused a broken nose as well as a nosebleed. Darkaris enlarged the tentacles to the size of giants. It began to tighten around Ty Lee, as her internal organs felt like it was going to pop any time soon.
"Ty Lee!" Hawkeye exclaimed worriedly before firing an Explosive Arrow.
Darkaris summoned a sphere that covered the arrow, which exploded within. He then summoned multiple hands to incapacitate Hawkeye. He doesn't know why, but he somehow felt like he idolized this hero for no reason. He considered him weak, yet he… admired him? His original self must've known this superhero before.
"Unbelievable." Legolas dodged Grundy's attacks reflexively before jumping on his back and leaping off from it.
He fired multiple arrows at the Ruler, but Darkaris summoned a portal as the arrows went through it. He then summoned a second portal behind Legolas, which caused him to be hit by his own arrows on the back, incapacitating him.
Darkaris sighed, "You two were capable enough to defeat them, yet you're unable to."
Cinder broke the force field with pure anger, "I was simply caught off guard! It won't happen again!"
"Arrow man… too fast for Grundy." Solomon Grundy gave a reasonable excuse.
Darkaris rolled his eyes, "Whatever. I cannot grant you more power due to your failure, but you can kill these three if you want."
"Oh," Cinder formed a blade made out of flames, unable to contain her anger. "I will personally take on that purple archer!"
"Me want to kill… elf arrow man!" Solomon Grundy expressed his frustration toward the elven prince.
As Solomon Grundy and Cinder Fall attempted to three Warriors, they heard a large whooshing sound from afar. It was getting closer and closer. They began to wonder if it was a bird or a plane. A few seconds later, it landed in front of the incapacitated Warriors. It was none other than the Man of Steel himself, Superman.
"That's enough," Superman warned Solomon Grundy and Cinder Fall.
Darkaris smirked, "Superman. You came back so soon. I thought you were preoccupied with saving those Warriors."
"They're safe, Darkaris." Superman gave him a furious glare.
The Prince of Darkness, Darkaris, wasn't surprised that he managed to defeat his evil versions, especially when they're hilariously weak compared to the real deal. But right now, he can't have Superman running amok in his territory. There'll be an all-out war if he ever escapes from this forest. He can't lose his privilege as a Ruler already, especially when has has plans to conquer other continents to win this tournament.
"Cinder, Grundy, kill him!" Darkaris ordered them in a deep monstrous voice while his eyes became pitch black.
Cinder smirked, "With pleasure."
"Grundy crush not-boss man!" Solomon Grundy declared.
"I advise you two to surrender," Superman warned them before dodging a fireball from Cinder. "But of course, you won't do it."
When Cinder flew in the air and forged a sword from flames, she flew toward Superman at incredible speed. When she attempted to slash Superman's head repeatedly, Superman was dodging them rather effortlessly. She noticed that her speed wasn't catching up with this man, so she summoned a wind vortex at him, successfully launching him to a wall.
Superman groaned before standing back up. He doesn't know why, but he somehow felt vulnerable against her powers. He has been fighting people with powerful abilities, but her power felt different. It felt like being struck by an inferior version of kryptonite. It isn't as deadly as kryptonite, but it can somehow incapacitate him. He has to be careful around her.
Solomon Grundy ran toward him, "Grundy smash you!"
'…okay…' Darkaris and Cinder cringed at Grundy's wording.
He dodged Solomon Grundy's destructive punch, which destroyed the wall behind him. He flew in the air and delivered a punch at his face, which caused a shockwave, sending him through the many floors. He blocked Cinder's blade attacks, but it backfired as his arms were wounded by it. He was then slammed on the ground by a medium-sized iceberg.
Cinder chuckled, noticing his weakness, "I see. I heard from Darkaris that you're nearly indestructible. You're immune to firearms and blades, but then you're harmed by mine. Your weakness is the green crystal known as kryptonite, but is that your only weakness?"
Superman grunted before standing back up, as the wounds on his arms were healing slowly, "What are you saying?"
"I am Cinder Fall. I am the Fall Maiden, meaning I am empowered by magic." Cinder introduced herself as flames, ice, and winds were circling around her in circles violently. "If you're harmed by me, then there's only one answer. You are weak to magic as well."
'Weak to magic? Is that why I'm harmed? This isn't good.' Superman has to be cautious when fighting her if it's true. He couldn't believe he had other weaknesses besides kryptonite. And what's worse is that this woman is controlling magic. He may be stronger and more experienced, but against this woman, he is unsure of his victory.
Unbeknownst to everyone, Legolas was awake. He stood up immediately and went to pick up the incapacitated Hawkeye's bow as well as pick up one of his trick arrows. He then aimed and fired it at Darkaris, who was caught off guard.
Darkaris winced when an arrow struck at his shoulder, "Mother-!"
It released a concussive sonic blast, which dismembered his arm as well as sent him flying off his ruined castle. In doing so, it released Hawkeye and Ty Lee from the shadow arms and tentacles.
"What's going on!?"
When Cinder was distracted by the sudden action, Superman wasted no time flying toward her and delivered a punch to her face, sending her flying through a wall. He also landed on the ground roughly due to the magic that was surrounding Cinder. It was a risk he had to take.
Hawkeye went to check up on him, "Hey, buddy. Are you alright?"
"I will be," Superman answered. "How's everyone?"
"Fine. Barely surviving against that 'Prince of Darkness'." Legolas answered while enduring the pain when Ty Lee was removing the two arrows from his back. "We need to get out of here fast."
"Aww! I want to fight that Prince of Darkness! I want to see if I can block his chi!" Ty Lee pouted.
"I don't think that's a wise idea, kid," Hawkeye said. "Especially when-"
Unexpectedly, Solomon Grundy emerged from the floor and landed back in the throne room. He jumped from the ground floor to the sixth floor. Everyone went to their fighting stance immediately.
"So the beast is still alive," Legolas said while aiming his bow at him. "Quite the resilience."
"Yeah, he's like the Hulk. Only uglier and stupider." Hawkeye insulted the superhuman zombie.
Ty Lee looked at her finger, "Can I even block his chi? He's probably hard as a brick."
"He is," Legolas confirmed that Grundy's skin is indestructible.
"And please mind your wording next time, kid." Hawkeye noticed the dirty joke in there, even if she might not notice it.
"Go, everyone. I'll take care of this." Superman said, intending to confront Grundy himself. "I will be relieved if all of you escape safely."
"Yeah, that's not happening. We came here to rescue you." Hawkeye reminded him. "We're not about to leave, knowing you might get captured again."
"Exactly." Legolas agreed with his fellow archer. "Our efforts would've been wasted if you simply got captured again."
Meanwhile, Darkaris and Cinder Fall returned to the castle. The former regenerated his arm by replacing it with pure shadow while the latter was frustrated by how easily she was taken out by a single punch. All of them were surrounded by three adversaries.
"Since you four are so formidable, I must call for backup." Darkaris then snapped his fingers to call for his other subordinates.
Several foot soldiers emerged from the shadows. They are personally made by Darkaris himself. Some of the soldiers were based on Warriors within his subconscious, even though he doesn't know them. What he does know is that they're formidable.
A couple of noticeable Shadow Warriors were the infamous serial killer, Michael Myers; the leader of the Gargoyle Manhattan Clan, Goliath; the vengeful wraith, Scorpion; the Dust absorber, Hazel Rainart; the anthropomorphic echidna, Knuckles; the psychokinetic girl, Eleven; the female Chinese war veteran, Fa Mulan; the Crime Lord and Pastry Chef, Big Jack Horner; the video game wrecker, Wreck-It Ralph; the rabbit hero, Mirko; the cheetah of injustice world, Cheetah; and the Kryptonian of the Knightmare timeline, Superman.
"I'm gonna say this first," Hawkeye said. "We're screwed."
Ty Lee nodded, "Yep, we definitely are!"
Superman stared at the other version of himself, along with others, before turning his attention to Darkaris, "You created them, didn't you?"
"Straight from my subconscious," Darkaris answered. "They aren't as powerful as their real selves, but that doesn't mean they're too messed with."
"Such an abomination." Legolas insulted the shadow creation.
"Say what you want, this is something you can't escape," Darkaris said confidently. "Not when a Ruler is still here, so I advise you to surrender and I might… give you light punishments. I am a man of my word."
"Sorry, but we are not the type to surrender!" Superman proclaimed. "We will fight these Shadow Warriors and escape from this place!"
"Big talk for a small fish in the pond." Cinder mocked the boy scout superhuman before shifting to her angry expression. "I'll kill you painfully!"
A few seconds later, the battle between the Warriors and Shadow Warriors began.
A couple of Shadow Foot Soldiers attempted to stab or slash Legolas, but he dodged swiftly and eliminated them by shooting several arrows at once in their head. He then barely dodged a rope spear from Scorpion, but the Shadow Warrior teleported behind him in flames and attacked him with ninjato. While processing his wounds, he was grabbed by Goliath in the air before Scorpion delivered a flying kick in his face through teleportation.
Legolas dodged swiftly from Goliath's before unsheathing the twin swords and striking the gargoyle's wings, preventing him from flying. He then deflected the rope spring behind him before grabbing it and pulling the shadow wraith toward him instead. Before he could stab Scorpion, Goliath delivered a devastating punch on the back of his head, sending him flying into a pillar.
Legolas gets back up on the ground before spitting blood from his mouth, "You're formidable foes. Much more formidable than Bolg."
Hawkeye was dodging and weaving from several foot soldiers' attacks while firing normal arrows and trick arrows. The issue was that these soldiers were more agile than him. His age really struck him. He then fired a Net Arrow to incapacitate Michael Myers, who was walking toward him, but it was ineffective as the serial killer kept on walking like a tank. He was then kicked in the back by Mulan, as he used his bow to block her sword and Myers' knife from stabbing or piercing through his head.
He pushed both of their attacks before getting back up and firing an explosive arrow, which disintegrated Mulan completely but Michael Myers tanked it instead. Myers then swung his knife multiple times while Hawkeye kept dodging it before firing an Acid Arrow on the ground, which the serial killer fell on the other floor.
Hawkeye panted heavily, "This is why I retired…"
Ty Lee, on the other hand, was facing three enemies at once. She dodged Big Jack Horner's magical attacks from his staff while she barely dodged the unbelievable speed of Cheetah. She successfully got close to Big Jack Horner and paralyzed his entire body, but received a scratch mark from Cheetah in the process. She then dodges multiple of her claw attacks before paralyzing her as well, though not without major injuries.
She was then lifted in the air by Eleven before being slammed into the ground. She got back up almost immediately before dodging Eleven's hand movements to prevent her from using the telekinesis. When she eventually got close to Eleven, she kicked her on the head before blocking her chi to paralyze her temporarily. She couldn't believe that she could paralyze literal shadows before being struck by a magical beam by Big Jack Horner, who had recovered already.
Ty Lee groaned in pain while smiling enthusiastically, "That was a dirty move, fat man!"
Meanwhile, Superman defeated several foot soldiers with relative ease before facing four Shadow Warriors. He ducked his head from Mirko's roundhouse kick before parrying Hazel's superhuman strength. He took out the Dusts that were empowering Hazel and threw them at Mirko, who kicked all of them.
He then dodged Wreck-It Ralph's double-axe handle attack before punching Hazel, knocking them both to the ground. He received a punch from Knuckles, and before he could attack him back, he dodged Mirko's Luna Rush attack, hitting Knuckles instead. He delivered a headbutt to Mirko while she was distracted before sending her flying through the floors.
"Stay down," Superman said.
And then, the final Shadow Warrior landed on the ground loudly. It was the Knightmare Superman. Superman cannot believe that this is his third time facing another evil version of himself in this world. A fourth time if he counts John Deegan.
Something tells him that this Superman didn't become evil because of petty reasons like Homelander or Brightburn. He could tell that this Shadow Warrior that the real Warrior is based on… is broken. He can see it in his eyes, even though it's just a replica.
Suddenly, Knightmare Superman began to throw punches at him. He blocked them in time albeit with slight difficulty. He then punched his Knightmare version in the face, but only slightly flinched from the attack. This meant that this version of him was no pushover like the other two. This version of himself probably has years of experience. If that's true, then this will be proven difficult.
"Let me aid your shadows, Darkaris," Cinder said.
She unleashed several fireballs and icicles at Superman and Hawkeye specifically. The former dodged them easily before being punched in the face by Knightmare Superman while the latter used two shadow soldiers to block the icicles, but his leg still got hit.
"What a dirty move." Hawkeye fired a trick arrow immediately before getting pummeled by several shadow soldiers.
Cinder, knowing full well that this normal archer is full of tricks, so she destroyed the arrow immediately. Upon doing so, however, it released a huge amount of sleeping gas. It was incredibly effective on her as she began to fall to the ground and fall asleep, along with other shadow soldiers.
Darkaris sighed in annoyance, "How dumb can you be?"
Meanwhile, Legolas slayed Goliath successfully through the heart as the shadow diminished. A rope spear then pierced through his shoulder by Scorpion, as he tried his hardest to be pulled by him.
"GET OVER HERE!" Shadow Scorpion exclaimed.
As soon as Legolas was pulled toward Scorpion, he attempted to slice off his head in midair but Scorpion dodged it in time. Both of them then clashed in swordsmanship for a few seconds before Scorpion disarmed Legolas and attempted to stab him. Legolas parried his enemy's ninjato before kicking him in the face.
He then grabbed one of his twin swords and attempted to kill Scorpion, but Scorpion suddenly removed his mask revealing a skull, and breathed fire, causing Legolas to step backward to avoid the flames. When Scorpion teleported behind him again, Legolas ducked instinctively and stabbed him through the mandible, as the Shadow Warrior began to diminish.
Legolas sighed in relief before dodging several foot soldiers' attacks, "No time for relaxation, huh?"
Meanwhile, Hawkeye and Ty Lee were facing other shadow soldiers and Shadow Warriors. Hawkeye diminished Knuckles with five explosive arrows while Ty Lee paralyzed Hazel Rainart before snapping his neck with her feet, diminishing him as well. The only Shadow Warriors left were Wreck-It Ralph, Eleven, Mirko, Cheetah, and Knightmare Superman.
Hawkeye was sent flying through the lower floor by Mirko unexpectedly, causing some fractures in ribs as well as losing several of his arrows while Ty Lee was dodging Wreck-It Ralph's devastating physical attacks before being hit by one, as she was launched across the throne room where several shadow soldiers proceeded their way to her.
Hawkeye groaned in pain while attempting to get back up, "Bloody hell!"
When he got back up while blood was dripping from his mouth, Michael Myers and Mirko were standing on the other side, waiting for his move. He only had ten arrows on his quiver. He only had four trick arrows and six normal arrows. The rest of his arrows were scattered around and he didn't have time to pick them up.
"Alright!" Hawkeye exclaimed before choosing an arrow while enduring the excruciating inner pain. "Let's do this!"
As Mirko jumped toward him with extreme force, she proceeded to deliver a spinning kick at him, but Hawkeye managed to dodge in time before firing four normal arrows at all of her tendons. It caused the rabbit hero to prevent from bending her joints, rendering her immobilized. He then fired a Thermal Incendiary Arrow at her mouth, causing her entire body to burn and melt like a powerful thermite reaction before being diminished.
"One… to… go…" Hawkeye was beginning to faint before aiming an arrow at Michael Myers, but no one was there. "Where… the…?"
Unbeknownst to him, Michael Myers was behind him. The serial killer then stabbed Hawkeye through his chest before pulling it off. Hawkeye, downed on the ground, was dying from the critical wounds he suffered. He realized that he wouldn't be able to escape from this place… and… he wouldn't be able to see his family and protege again.
"I'm sorry… everyone…" Hawkeye apologized to his family and friends, as tears were pouring from his eyes. "Nat, I'm coming to see you…"
When Michael Myers began to walk away, Hawkeye knew he was too dangerous and somehow too invincible for his allies to take him on. He mustered his strength one last time to fire an arrow at his back. Upon doing so, the serial killer looked behind him in confusion as the arrow began to beep.
Hawkeye laughed as his life began to fade, "Whatever it takes…"
A few seconds later, a more destructive explosion occurred which destroyed half of the throne room and diminished several shadow soldiers in the process. It also diminished Michael Myers and Eleven as well as sending Solomon Grundy back on the ground floor. The arrow was the Rocket Arrow. It contained a small solid-fueled missile. It was more powerful than Explosive Arrows. And it's the final arrow that Hawkeye ever shot.
Darkaris scoffed in annoyance, "That psycho archer! Is he trying to take out his allies as well!?"
Legolas, who managed to escape the explosion in time due to his instinct, looked down at the huge hole that Hawkeye left behind, "He died…"
Ty Lee, who managed to incapacitate Wreck-It Ralph, heard the bad news that Hawkeye perished in battle, "So he died… damn it!"
Superman delivered a headbutt at Knightmare Superman, sending him flying on the ground, before realizing what just happened in the castle, "No. I was unable to save him."
"What's the matter, Superman!? Did not saving that man hurt you!?" Darkaris mocked the Man of Steel. "If only you were to remain in chains! He wouldn't have died hilariously if it weren't for you!"
"You'll be punished for your heinous crimes, Darkaris!" Superman declared before blocking an attack from Knightmare Superman. He then knocked him away before continuing his sentence. "That man will be avenged and you will be brought to justice!'
Darkaris laughed, "Alright, then come and get me!"
With pure frustration that one of her allies had died, Ty Lee kicked Ralph multiple times before snapping his neck in half, diminishing him. She then proceeded to project anger on the shadow soldiers, losing her enthusiasm in the process. She has been hanging around with Legolas and Hawkeye for a week. She has bonded with them, especially Hawkeye who treated her like a daughter.
For the first time in her life, she made friends that weren't Mai and Azula. Her frustration of being unable to save her friend has left her with nothing but hatred. If she had taken the situation seriously, maybe she could've saved him.
"DAMN YOU!" Ty Lee paralyzed several soldiers in blind hatred before delivering swift kills in one hit, causing several of them to be diminished.
Meanwhile, Legolas jumped down the humongous hole after seeing Hawkeye's bow on the third floor as several shadow soldiers followed him. Upon grabbing the bow, he saw several of the trick arrows and normal arrows on the ground. He wrapped his bow around him and began to use his friend's bow.
"I shall avenge you, my friend." Legolas declared.
When the shadow soldiers landed behind him, he began to pick up several arrows and fired them without hesitation. Some of the arrows caused explosions, immobilizing the enemies with putty, scattering smaller arrows, firing secondary projectiles, and more until there was nothing left. All of the shadow soldiers were diminished and only six arrows of Hawkeye were remaining on his hands.
Legolas began to aim the normal arrow at the enemy that was descending on the ground, "I advised you to escape, woman. I won't show you mercy."
Cinder laughed wickedly before landing on the ground, "Why? You're afraid that you'll lose your anger in fighting me? Is it because of the death of that pathetic archer?"
Big Jack Horner and Cheetah then joined the fight to aid Cinder in fighting the elven prince of Mirkwood.
"Pathetic? Mind I remind you that he defeated you many times?" Legolas reminded her mockingly, causing one of her eyebrows to twitch in annoyance. "For a woman to have the power of elements, you're unbearably weaker than I thought."
Cinder forged a blade while surrounded by flames, "Just like that damn archer, you run your mouth recklessly. I shall teach you a lesson, do not underestimate me!"
Legolas chuckled in amusement, "I already do."
CHAPTER 15 ENDED
Characters:
Shadow Warriors - A replica of the Warriors created by Darkaris Purgaborne from his subconscious. They lack the skills and experience of their original counterparts, but they are still formidable combatants to other Warriors.
Shadow Foot Soldiers - Shadow Foot Soldiers, or Shadow Soldiers, are simply replicas of ordinary foot soldiers from the ancient era. They are created through the subconscious of Darkaris.
Shadow Scorpion - He is the shadow replica of the original Scorpion, one of the main protagonists in the Mortal Kombat franchise. He is based on the Mortal Kombat X version with the Mortal Kombat 11 ninjato sword.
Shadow Goliath - He is the shadow replica of the original Goliath, one of the two main protagonists of Gargoyles.
Shadow Michael Myers - He is the shadow replica of the original Michael Myers, the main antagonist of the Halloween franchise.
Shadow Fa Mulan - She is the shadow replica of the original Fa Mulan, the main protagonist of Disney's Mulan.
Shadow Big Jack Horner - He is the shadow replica of the original Big Jack Horner, the main antagonist of Puss in Boots: The Last Wish.
Shadow Cheetah - She is the shadow replica of the original Barbara Ann Minerva / Cheetah, one of the minor antagonists in the video game Injustice 2.
Shadow Eleven - She is the shadow replica of the original Jane Hopper / Eleven, one of the main protagonists in Netflix's Stranger Things series.
Shadow Mirko - She is the shadow replica of the original Rumi Usagiyama / Mirko, one of the pivotal characters in My Hero Academia.
Shadow Wreck-It Ralph - He is the shadow replica of the original Wreck-It Ralph, the main protagonist of Wreck-It Ralph.
Shadow Knightmare Superman - He is the shadow replica of the original Clark Kent / Superman. He is the dark version from a possible future timeline who served Darkseid after the death of Lois Lane in the DC Extended Universe.