Hi Everyone Z here! I hope all your holidays were festive and enjoyable. Excuse the late entry but I got kinda wrapped up doing extra time at my new job. Anyways I won't waste any time today, as I'll be saying more in Chapter 20.

For now I hope you guys enjoy Chapter 19. Consider this chapter a late Christmas gift to all of you out there that have been sticking with me constantly throughout this story.

See you guys at the end.

Chapter 19: Fight to the Finish Part 2

-New Metropolis-

-Janus Cosmetics-

"No Boss, please don't!" A petrified man wearing a clown mask begged while down on both knees. His begging would only be met with violence as several shots rang out, each one hitting a vital spot on his torso. After a total of five bullets had been lodged into him, his corpse slumped to the floor while a puddle of his own plasma formed underneath.

"You're forgiven!" Black Mask grunted heavily through his own disguise. Even though his gun was still freshly smoking, the crime boss turned his attention to his four other subordinates who were cowering in a single corner. "Does anyone else want to apologize for the fact that not a single ounce of Snakebite has been introduced to Gotham?"

Much like before no member on his crew could answer the question as they were paralyzed by both fear and unsurity.

"Anyone?" He asked with a huff. "I got plenty of bullets to go around!"

"Boss, remember your blood pressure." Instead of hearing one of his grunts answer the question, he suddenly heard his enforcer Poison Mary speak softly to him. All the time while he was berating them, the petite green vixen was sitting atop his desk stroking a beautiful potted rose as if it were an everyday pet.

"We've been over this Mary!" He sighed with exasperation. "I can't keep my blood pressure in check unless things go according to plan and thanks to these idiots I can't do that!"

"True but killing them won't change the fact that the plan was a bust." She stated.

Although the gun was still trained on his workers, Black Mask ceased talking for the time being. A tilt of his head in Poison Mary's direction suggested that he was truly thinking about the words that she spoke to him. Granted he could just enact his usual brand of gang violence, but like she said, that wouldn't solve the problem of his failed operation.

"Think about this too, we can't exactly build up our forces if you keep killing off everyone that fails you!" She quiped

It would have been so easy for him to just pull the trigger. To reduce their sniveling cries to that of silenced corpses, it would have been so easy to just find some new grunts to take their places. Unfortunately for Black Mask the more he meditated on Poison Mary's words the more he realized that he was not thinking clearly. As much as he didn't want to show a bit of weakness, his thought process was now forcing him to think more as a mastermind and not an executioner.

"Get out of my sight!" He hissed toward the group.

The goons thought that his surrender may have been just another sick joke at their expense but much to their surprise Black Mask lowered his gun before finding a seat next to Mary.

"If I were you guys I'd get lost, before he changes his mind." Poison Mary suggested

"Y-Y-Yes M-Ma'am!" Although there was still fear set within them, the four grunts wasted little time in taking their boss upon his generous offer. None have ever failed Black Mask and live to tell about it, in their case however there was a first time for everything.

Now that he and Mary were now alone, Black Mask found himself removing the disguise that terrified those that work for him. Once his natural face was out in the atmosphere, the CEO leaned back in his chair as his eyes peered into the ceiling above them. "No Batman, no Gordon and yet the plan still goes wrong, what am I missing here Mary?"

Placing her beloved plant down back on the desk, Poison Mary turned her attention to a stack of papers that were messily placed atop the desk. Grabbing the entire stack she slowly shifted through its contents until she found a certain paper she was looking for.

"Read it to me again!"

"Ahem." Mary dramatically started to clear her throat as if she were about to quote a Shakespearean soliloquy. "This copy of the Gotham Gazette reports that the GCPD seized five trucks of an unknown chemical substance being distributed outside the Iceberg lounge late last night. Thanks to commanding Officer Sojourner Mullein, and six heroic individuals the substance was seized and a full investigation into MR Cobble is underway."

"Six heroic individuals." Roman Sinonis's brain went blank at the thought of six people and some random cop breaking up his carefully laid plans. He just didn't understand how this had happened. A Gotham without Batman should be powerless for the taking, yet they had repealed his attempts to annex the city.

How in the hell could this have been possible?

"Just because they say heroic doesn't mean they're actually superheroes' boss."

"It had to be the heroes Mary!" He explained. "We sent out fifty men with high tech weaponry to guard those shipments and somehow they all got taken down!"

"It still doesn't seem likely, most of the heroes died during the war."

"First Enigma gets stuck in that goddamn detention center and now this bullshit!" He groaned in disgust.

"Shall I pull out the Dom Perginon sir?" She asked.

But Roman Sionis could not be bothered to even answer his enforcers light hearted question. A sour look danced its way to the front of his face as he grabbed the telephone that was at the edge of his desk. After picking up the heaviness of the phone, Roman sighed loudly before dialing a long fifteen digit number. Poison Mary couldn't help but look with curiosity as she noticed how dismayed her boss looked while waiting for someone to answer.

"Who are you calling boss?"

"A certain thieving bird!"

"A thieving bird?" For once in her life Mary found herself clueless as to what her boss was talking about. As the other line on the phone sprung to life, Roman secluded himself away from Mary making plans for the future that only he knew about.

-New Metropolis Detention Center-

Under The Gun.

A phrase used to describe someone under immense pressure, no matter what the situation is. If you've ever uttered this phrase you probably said it dramatically as you never could imagine being under an actual gun.

In this very moment Ryan could honestly say she was living out this phrase to it's fullest.

Her pupils were dilated to the highest degree imaginable while observing the cold gun that was pressed ever so firmly against her dripping forehead. The sound of her own breathing seemingly ceased while her heart beat grew fainter almost nonexistent, realizing the trigger could be pressed at any moment.

DR Rhyme needless to say was conniving.

Even with Brainiac's incursion happening outdoors, the maniacal psychologist had orchestrated every event perfectly. Although Ryan managed to avoid death at the hands of Ebon's gang, there was no way she was going to escape having her brain literally frozen.

"For what it's worth Ryan you have my respect, not many people could have survived my intellect this long!" Much like villains due in any situation, DR Rhyme wasn't going to miss the opportunity to gloat. A satisfied smirk formed its way upon her overly powdered face as her finger started to squeeze the trigger on the weapon.

They say your life flashes before your very eyes the moment you know you're about to die.

In Ryan's case her mind was an absolute blank slate.

Now matter how uncertain she was about the situation, she refused to give in. Although she knew very little about DR Rhyme, she happened to know more about her cane and the original owner it belonged to. Acting on a singular theory, Ryan prepared herself to take a gamble. The next words that come out of her mouth would either end her life or ultimately save her ass.

"You're gonna kill me with a gun, could you be any more basic?" With a roll of her eyes and a loud sigh Ryan did her best to portray a look of boredom rather than crisis.

DR Rhyme's face fell with disatisfaction as her victim seemed to no longer be in fear. "What?"

"Who uses a gun to kill someone?"

"What are you talking about, plenty of people do!"

"Common trash yea, but I thought you were more creative then that being how smart you are!" On her intelligence seemingly coming into question, DR Rhyme shifted uncomfortably while her finger on the cold gun started to relax. Seeing this small body gesture was more than enough to convince Ryan that she was on the right track to achieving her outcome. "I mean that cane you carry belongs to a criminal mastermind and you're disgracing it by being so boring!"

"Criminal Mastermind!" DR Rhyme scoffed. From there Ryan watched slowly as her hands were nowhere near the trigger but rather on just the handle of the gun itself. "My father was a bluttering imbecile, he couldn't even kill one single man dressed like a bat!"

"To be fair he is Batman so it is very difficult to off him!" She explained. "Bottom line is though if your dad had killed him at least he would have done it creatively to show how smart he was!"

"Are you saying he's more astute than me?"

"Well that is his cane over there!"

Ryan's continued banter and questioning of DR Rhyme's smarts did exactly as she intended it too. With her face turning crimson and lips curling downward, the doctor's eyes went elsewhere as she prepared her next set of cries. "LISTEN DIMWITT I DON'T NEED SOME FANCY GIMMICK TO PROVE IM SUPERIOR, I AM ENIGMA AND I-."

Having watched DR Rhyme's every move, Ryan suddenly sprung into action. With both strong hands she found herself grabbing the gun that was placed against her forehead. Before DR Rhyme could even realize what was happening, the weapon was wretched from her hands and thrown across the room.

Without a weapon to threaten her captor with, the DR's might was suddenly turned to cowardice. Backing away from the now free Ryan, DR Rhyme made a beeline for her cane, the only weapon that could possibly defend her from a possible beatdown.

"Oh no you don't!" Ryan bemoaned. Dashing toward the corner, the nurse easily picked up the cold gun before turning her attention back and pulling the trigger.

Much like it did the last time the gun erupted with a blast of cold fierceness. Just as the DR secured her cane the blast came full circle. Hitting her stomach directly, the power of the weapon started to cascade all throughout every inch of her. DR Rhyme found herself cursing Ryan's name right before the ice reached its full capacity, ultimately sealing her inside an icy tomb.

"Chill out doc!" Ryan laughed wholeheartedly as she realized that line was something her bestie probably had in his joke repertoire

Now that DR Rhyme had been transformed into a human popsicle, Ryan's thoughts fully came back to her as she remembered her situation. Although she wanted to secure the trophies that were stolen from Highfathers Tower she had a much more pressing issue to attend to.

Virgil & Nia.

Now that she had saved her own skin, she suddenly remembered that her comrades may have needed her assistance. With the demented warden now out of commission, Ryan was free to roam about the office in peace.

Perhaps DR Rhyme had something hidden here that could possibly help her friends end this once and for all.

-SkullShip-

-Main Core-

It would seem this time that Paragon Taurus once and for all proved that he was the superior when it came to battle. Standing triumphantly in a single spot, the techno warrior watched with delight as flames bombarded the inner sanctum of the vessel. Thanks to the might of his V3 missile attack, Taurus succeeded where others had failed. Even now he could see the knocked out bodies of Sparrow, Thrust, and Black Siren littered all across the room. With those three finally out of his way, he would be free to claim his prize, he would be free to show his master how powerful he was.

Re-summoning his submachine gun, the Paragon kept his eyes trained on the groggy Moon Fang who was just a few inches away from the others. Having been slightly protected thanks to his Kaleidoscope shield, Moon Fang lay still conscious while trying to regain his footing.

"L-L-Lunar." Was all the Paragon could make out between trying to catch his breath. Even though the shield did protect him slightly his entire body still felt as if he had a brick house dropped on top of him. With bones aching in paralyzation, Moon Fang tried to reach out to the only being that could possibly think of a way to fight back. "Lunar, little buddy can you hear me?"

But his pleas to Lunar fell on deaf ears as the Piparoid didn't answer him back. Instead of seeing the usual animated tiger sprite on his display screen, he was unpleasantly greeted with an oversized damage icon displaying seventy percent.

"I always knew I'd be the one to take you down Moon Fang!" Was Paragon Taurus's first statement as he now stood over him.

"Dude get real, you guys say corny lines like that all the time!" Even if he was going down, Moon Fang was not going to miss the chance to wisecrack on his enemy.

"This time it's for real tiger boy!" He bellowed proudly while pointing the weapon at him.``Now if you're done squawking, let's go see the master!"

Paragon Taurus would never get the chance to keep that promise as unexpectedly a ball of solar power sparked across his hand making him drop his Sub-Machine gun. Both he and Moon Fang found themselves in utter shock as they followed the attack to its source. From across the room both fighters gained a sight of the now awakened Paragon Sparrow.

"Sparrow, what the hell are you doing?" Taurus inquired.

"You did that on purpose!" He sneered back, all the while his entire armor was lighting up with intense sun energy. "You shot those missiles at me and Thrust!"

Taurus shrugged nonchalantly. "I actually was aiming for them, not my fault you were in the way!"

"I should have known you'd stoop so low!"

"Surely you don't think I'd doublecross you?"

"You'd doublecross your own mother, that Is if you still had one!" Sparrow shouted

"Hey let's not get personal!" Taurus shot back. "At least my mom didn't die doing a stupid trapeze show!"

"That's it!" Even if he was not Dick Grayson anymore, Sparrow still felt the anger erupt inside of him as his deceased mother was mentioned. If you combine that and the betrayal he had suffered just a few minutes ago, Sparrow was more than ready to shut Taurus up.

With the power still actively clinging to his body the Paragon speed rushed his comrade. Taurus had no time to react as a solar charged fist slammed against the metal surface of his combined speed added with the sheer amount of strength was more than enough to send him flying against the back wall.

"I'll deal with you in a minute!" Sparrow's only words to Moon Fang as he walked directly past him.

"Uughh." Was all Paragon Taurus could make out as he tried to peel himself off of the wall.

"Did you really think you were going to get away with this?" Sparrow asked, all the while he reloaded his cog to summon his dual hook swords.

This was the moment that Taurus knew he messed up royally. '

Before he could even think of going for a cog, Sparrow's wrath was upon him. The hook swords scraped across Taurus upper body causing his armor to spark violently. Within such close quarters Taurus found himself unable to fight back properly and was helpless as Sparrow began to hack away at his armor in an attempt to de-transform him.

"Brutal much." Moon Fang murmured in discomfort as he turned his head away from the grizzly scene at hand. While the idiot brothers were busy fighting one another, this would be the best time for him to catch his barings.

"G-g-g-garfield...g-g-g-garfield." No sooner than Moon Fang tried to stand, did he hear a faint voice covered with static interference.

"Lunar are you alright?"

"I'm A ok friend!" That static soon ceased from existing, allowing Lunar's cheery voice to boom through the armor. Garfield couldn't help but breath a sigh of relief as the piparoid icon soon appeared on his screen, signaling Lunar's recovery. "Sorry to worry you, my system got a little scrambled from the missles!"

"It's alright, I'm just glad to have you back is all!"

"Where's Black Siren?"

"Black Siren, oh crap Raven!" Lunar's inquiry suddenly clicked in Moon Fang's mind, reminding him that he wasn't alone during the attack. Doing a quick three sixty around the chamber, Moon Fang was sure to lock sights with the downed Black Siren who was unconscious next to Paragon Thrust.

Scrambling through the flames, broken computer tech and debris, Moon Fang wasted little time in kneeling at his girlfriend's side. Once there he cradled her small frame into his lap while frantically trying to check her pulse through her heavy Paragon armor.

"Rae, Rae, speak to me!" He cried. "Lunar, what's wrong with her?"

"Scanning now!" Lunar chirped. From withinside his helmet Moon Fang watched in awe as Lunar turned on X-Ray mode. As his entire screen went a dark blue color, Moon Fang got an intensive view of Raven inside the Black Siren armor. Much to his relief his violet haired beauty was very much alive, but in a deep state of conscience.

"Lunar, how much damage did she take?"

"Ninety five percent I'm afraid, another hit like that might be too dangerous for her!"

"We gotta get her outta her then, any suggestions?"

"Just one!" Lunar beamed. "I think now might be a good time to use our ultimate attack!"

"Ultimate attack?"

"Just like Taurus every Paragon has a final cog that unleashes a super powerful attack, I think for us right now would be a good time to use it."

"Uuh what am I supposed to do?"

"Use the fourth cog in your arsenal, load it up and prepare yourself to receive a weapon!"

"Alright then, one super ultimate ass kicking coming right up!" Just as Lunar's guidance instructed him to do, Moon Fang reached toward his arsenal belt. A golden cog with a brightly painted number four awaited the hero before he placed it inside his bracelet like normal. Now fully prepped, Moon Fang found himself taking a battle stance as he prepared for whatever weapon his armor could come up with.

Maybe it would be some cool kind of moon sword.

Or possibly another gun-like weapon?

Or maybe it would be some kind of black hole grenade that shoots out tiny little moon disc.

Whatever the weapon was, Moon Fang was more than eager to receive it.

Surging from his armor outward, the cosmic energy gathered for a final twinkling swirl before it finally materialized in its final form. From inside the armor, Garfield's eyes widened like saucers and his jaw hit the ground with shock as his weapon now dropped at his feet.

The weapon now before Moon Fang was a medium sized soccer ball. Unlike Soccer balls used around the country, this ball had a color scheme that matched Moon Fang's armor. If that wasn't enough the ball also had a cartoonish imprint of Lunar's face plastered directly upon its surface.

"Alright friend let them have it!" Lunar encouraged with gusto

But Moon Fang did not respond to his piparoids words as he couldn't take his eyes off of the so-called 'ultimate attack'.

"Something wrong?"

"It's a soccer ball." Moon Fang sweatdropped hard as the question was posed.

"Actually it's the Chi Dynamite Ball!"

"What am I supposed to do, kick them to death with it?"

"Trust me Garfield, the Chi Dynamite Ball is a very powerful weapon!" Lunar began. "Focus on finding your target, and kick the ball once it's in the air. After that it'll do the rest!"

Even with Lunar's explanation Moon Fang stood perfectly still, unable to get over the fact that he received a piece of sporting equipment for a weapon. Compared to a trio of V3 missiles, the so-called 'Chi Dynamite Ball' paled in comparison. Although Lunar had never steered him wrong before, just the appearance of the weapon raised his doubts about being able to defeat both his enemies.

"Garfield you have to hurry, Raven needs you!"

"Uhh yeah I'm ready!" Although still unimpressed, Moon Fang found himself picking up the ball in preparation for activating it. He wasn't sure what Lunar had up his sleeve but for Raven's sake he needed to put all his faith in this one item.

As Paragon Sparrow and Taurus continued to fight one another, Moon Fang locked both of them in his sights. With a single hand the warrior tossed the weapon far up into the air.

"Here goes!" As the Chi Dynamite Ball came crashing downwards, Moon Fang spun his body in a twister like motion before delivering a single David Beckham style kick. With his foot coming in contact, the sports ball was immediately launched in the direction of his foes.

The minute that it departed from his kick, the Chi Dynamite Ball went into action. While flying through the atmosphere the first thing it did was shroud itself with cosmic energy before starting the process of multiplying. From the sidelines Moon Fang watched in amazement as the Chi Dynamite Ball became two balls, then four , followed by twelve and lastly twenty. Once the balls had reached the final stage of replication, they continued to fly through the air at the foes almost as if they were asteroids ready to pound a planet into submission.

"This will teach you to double cross me!" Paragon Sparrow barked before raising his sword for another strike.

"Behind you!" Paragon Taurus pointed as he saw in oncoming onslaught.

"Like I'm gonna fall for th-!" Paragon Sparrow's sentence was cut off as all of the Chi Dynamite Balls came down upon them. One after the other each ball smashed into their armors exploding on contact while shockwaves of cosmic energy blasted throughout their bodies. As all twenty balls reached their maximum attack point, an explosion erupted. Similar to the V3 missile attack the explosion was vast and destructive as it covered half of the SkullShip in a hellish wall of flames.

"Gooooooalll!" Lunar announced dramatically as if he were a Spanish soccer host.

"Woo-hoo!" Yelled Moon Fang as he punched the air in victory.

As the fire from the explosion started to spread further throughout the ship, Moon Fang found himself cutting his celebration short. Dashing over to the downed Black Siren, the paragon secured her over his shoulder before he made his way out of the chamber in an attempt to find Ryan.

-New Metropolis Detention Center-

-Mess Hall-

"We've been waiting a long time for this!" Standing in a single corner with arms folded and a smug look on his face, Rubber watched closely at the satisfying sight before him.

His brother had Virgil cornered with a shadow constructed blade, while HotStreak and the others were about to advance on Nia ready to do unthinkable things to her. After all these years there was no escape, even these walls couldn't protect them. Today was finally the day that the gang was going to rid themselves of these pests that plagued them all these years.

"Virgil!" Nia's voice seemed to weaken for every second that she screamed her best friend's name. At this point by screaming his name endlessly she hoped he would get up from his defeated state and possibly come up with a plan. Whatever he could do she was all for it, anything to get them out of the predicament they were in.

"I thought I told you to shut up!" HotStreak barked as he stood by Nia's face wielding a palm full of flames just ready to burn through her pale but delicate skin. All the time while he was threatening her some of the gang members started pulling out mikshift weaponry while others were tugging to take off articles of clothing.

"Come on Ebon you got me, let Nia go!" Virgil pleaded as he found himself unable to look away from Nia.

"Sorry punk but mercy's not on the table today!" Ebon bellowed with an evil laugh as he now towered over Virgil. With no fight left in him and nowhere to run, the Afro-male could only watch in nervousness as his nemesis put the tip of the shadow blade directly at the base of his throat.

It was at this moment that Virgil and Nia both knew they were going to die. Even with knowledge of their gruesome deaths, the duo definitely looked at one another for comfort while refusing to let their murderers see their ever present fear.

"Yo Ebon!" The doors to the mess hall were suddenly thrown open with a mighty push as Ryan entered the fray. Carrying the meta-human switchboard in both her hands, the nurse shot Virgil and Nia her best grin while they gave her an instant look of relief.

"Not this bitch again!" HotStreak bellowed angrily.

"Bro what do we do?" Rubber asked with panic

"Kill her!" Ebon hissed.

But Ryan was not fazed by Ebon or the rest of his crew, not while she had the device in her hands. In one eager motion Ryan threw the machinery overhead and into the ground firmly smashing it into a million computerized bits.

The moment that the device was destroyed, every depowered inmate in the room felt a surge of unknown energy shoot up their bodies. Virgil and Nia couldn't help but smile cockily as they both knew what was about to go down.

Virgil was the first to react to this change. With his metahuman bracelet no longer keeping him weakened his body became shrouded with his natural powers of electrokinesis. When his body reached a maximum peak, Virgil shocked Ebon with a zap of lightning forcing him backward toward the rest of his gang.

The minute that Virgil had his powers back was the moment that Nia knew the tide was turning in their favor. Summoning a mysterious blue energy field around her body, Nia smiled brightly before yanking the shackles off that she had attached to her wrists and ankles.

"Hell yeah!" Ryan couldn't help but cheer from the sidelines as she watched the spectacle unfold.

"Nia you alright?" Virgil questioned with concern as he ran over to where she was at.

"I'm fine, glad to have my powers back though!" She answered before turning her attention to Ryan. "Might want to take cover, it's about to get ugly!"

"Don't gotta tell me twice!" Heeding Nia's warning, Ryan found herself ducking underneath one of the tables. Normally she wouldn't mind getting in on a good brawl, but after all she had been through she was more than happy to let her friends take care of them.

"Oh shit they're free!" A startled HotStreak rambled.

"I don't care if they're free or not, man, we can still take them!" Rubber argued.

"Whatcha waiting for then stupid get them!" Ebon ordered his crew and in no time they were charging in the direction of the duo.

Seeing the entire platoon charge at him did nothing to shake Virgil's feelings about the situation. Without warning he clasped both hands together as his element started to spark brightly at his fingertips. "Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee, you can't hit what you can't see!"

After being charged to a certain point, Virgil slowly released his hands from one another creating a vast and intense light. Now covering the entire room the light's brightness blinded the gang on the spot causing most of them to clutch their eyes while screaming in pain.

With the gang now unable to fight, Nia saw the perfect opportunity to get revenge. With her powers over the mysterious energy coming together, the girl conjured a lengthy weapon that resembled that of an animal tamer's whip.

Dashing into the crowded group Nia's weapon first found itself slamming against the body of a muscled inmate. With relative ease once touched, the weapon's power shocked the man with the strange blue energy knocking him out cold. From there Nia continued the motion, slinking through the blinded inmates while continuing slashing them. One after the other like bowling pins each man felt the powerful shock that rendered them to the floor. In little time Nia took out the lower grunts leaving only Ebon, Rubber, & HotStreak remaining.

"Not again man, we can't lose to them!" Rubber cried

"Virgil!" Ebon's eyes were crimson as he stared at the smug face of his nemesis. Angered by the downward spiral they were facing, Ebon cloaked himself in his powers over shade before charging headfirst at his foe.

"Get ready Ebon cause I'm gonna put a shock to your system!"

As Ebon got within striking distance of him, Virgil reacted with an electrical powered blast that struck him head on. After being knocked clean on his back, Virgil jumped atop of Ebon and began to strike him repeatedly with powered fists.

"Come on, we gotta help my bro!" Rubber urged toward HotStreak.

Before the two gangbangers could even get a step further Nia was upon them. Swirling her powers together the teen conjured a small dome like shield that now kept them trapped inside. "You two aren't going anywhere!"

"Like this stupid dome will stop me!" Unwilling to give in toward Nia's powers, HotStreak lit his palms on fire and began throwing random shots toward the dome they were trapped each shot that he launched the flames became extinguished harmlessly while also filling the dome with smoke.

"HotStreak no!" Rubber wept.

But Rubber's concern fell on deaf ears as HotStreak continued the foolish notion of throwing fireballs. From the sidelines Nia watched with eagerness as the dome became filled with black smoke. On the inside both participants started to cough violently as their oxygen supply started to burn away. After a few minutes in the smoke she dispelled the dome allowing her two captives to fall out unconsciously to the floor.

"Not again, what the fuck man!" Ebon's venomous voice spat. He was quickly shut up by another charged fist from Virgil. Unlike the last few punches he received, this one made contact with his mouth violently dislocating a few of his front teeth.

"You give yet?" Virgil inquired as he bared another electrified fist.

"Never!" He spat back. Pushing Virgil off of him, Ebon found himself rapidly running for the door in an attempt to save his own skin.

"He's getting away!" Ryan shouted

But Virgil wasn't about to let Ebon flee from the battle he started. Creating two final bolts of electricity, the man combined them together to create a large blasting force. As if he were Zeus himself Virgil fired the electric weapon, immediately striking Ebon in his back.

Ebon's screams were muffled as the element assaulted his entire body. Almost like taking a toaster in the bathtub with you, the gang member felt his bones sizzle with numbness. As his skin started to overheat from the sensation, Ebon saw stars right before his entire body collapsed to the floor.

With the threat now behind them, Ryan emerged from her hiding spot she had secured herself in. With the trio now together once again, they exchanged high fives and pleasantries as they watched the defeated remains of their enemies lay knocked out on the mess hall floor.

-SkullShip-

-Main Core-

"As the higher life form I command you to cease your futile efforts, Ryan Choi!" Even if he considered himself to be the smartest being in the multiverse, Brainiac was stupid for thinking his opponent would stop.

Ryan's mind was like a steel trap. Even through Brainiac's orders, the explosions coming from downstairs and his own tiredness he stayed focused on the goal at hand. His fingers ached with the perpetual soreness that could only come from typing on a screen for so long.

Thanks to the UAOH tablet, Ryan Choi was successful in digging into the schematics of the SkullShip. Now deep down into files, coding and weaponry, the scholar continued his search for a way to stop the bottle invasion that was plaguing everyone outside.

"This is your last warning Ryan Choi, stop or I shall be forced to annihilate you!"

Ryan Choi smirked with a certain cocky nature as he kept hacking. "You and what army?"

But Brainiac was to call his bluff. From out of the corridors leading into the core, several platoons of Brainiac droids started to flow throughout the room. The sounds of their metal stomps did more than snap Ryan out of his concentration. Within the span of a minute the entire chamber was filled with droids, all now pointing their weaponry and lasers at the core where Ryan Choi was.

"Ohh crap!" He gulped as nervous beads of sweat began to form atop of his head.

"All units destroy the intruder!"

Brainiac's troops would never get the chance to carry out his orders as a single energy blast collided from behind destroying every machine on contact. Once the enemies were now out of the way, Ryan Choi breathed a sigh of relief as Moon Fang entered the area. Still carrying Black Siren over his shoulder, the paragon kept his Drill Laser weapon outward ready to blast away anything that Brainiac might throw at them.

"Thanks for the save!" Ryan responded before returning his attention toward his hacking.

"All units converge on the main core, protect the SkullShip at all costs!"

"Friend more of those bolt brains are headed this way!" Lunar announced as his scanner alerted Moon Fang to the alarming presence of fifty Brainiac droids heading in their direction.

"Don't worry Lunar we got this!" Moon Fang reassured.

"As much as I hate to spoil your fun, that won't be necessary!" Informed Ryan Choi.

As Moon Fang turned his attention to Ryan Choi, he couldn't help but notice that the UAOH tablet's screen was now filled with endless binary code that went up and down in a particular fashion. While Moon Fang couldn't make sense of the numbers at hand, Ryan Choi broke out into a massive grin already knowing this was the jackpot he had been waiting for.

"Human, I command you to stop!" Even though he was a full machine, Brainiac's voice reeked of ire as he addressed Ryan Choi.

"Sorry Brainiac but I'm shutting you down!"

From the position that he was at, Moon Fang watched in surprise as Ryan finished typing on the UAOH tablet. The minute he stopped typing the entire SkullShip began to shake violently as if it had been hit by a high magnitude earthquake.

"Skullship functions have been halted, critical components have been shut down!"

"What's happening?"

Before the scholar could even answer his comrades, he quickly swam down toward the innertube entrance. Now back outside of the core, Ryan Choi wasted no time in using the biobelt to reanimate himself to his normal size.

"Mind explaining what the hell you just did?" Moon Fang asked.

Before Ryan Choi could even open his mouth to speak the entire Skullship became bathed in red warning lights while obnoxious alarm bells could be heard echoing through every chamber.

"Foolish lifeform, you've activated the ship's self-destruct!"

"Exactly without your SkullShip, your bottling process will revert back to it's normal state!"

"You did it Ryan!" Lunar chirped.

"Nice play man!" Complimented Moon Fang

"You have not bested me Ryan Choi, I will simply re-hack the core and stop the process!"

But Moon Fang was not going to let that happen, not when they were so close to winning. With his drill laser still in hand he focused slightly while aiming the weapon at the core. Once locked on the paragon fired a single energy laced blast that shattered the innertube and the main core into millions of bits.

The second that core was destroyed the SkullShip started to rock violently again. Moon Fang and Ryan found themselves huddling closer together as columns and walls in the room began to fall at an extremely dangerous rate.

"Self-destruction is imminent!"

"I think that's our cue to leave Garfield!" Lunar warned.

"Don't have to tell me twice!" For a final use of his drill laser, Moon Fang targeted a solid wall of the SkullShip before blasting it. As the wall easily crumbled into nothingness, the sunny outdoors of New Metropolis were soon exposed.

With their means of escape now present, Moon Fang put away the drill laser only to resummon the Cosmic staff in his place. After placing Black Siren gently across the surface of the staff, Moon Fang and Ryan held tightly before preparing themselves to jump out of the opening.

"You cannot escape me humans, nobody defies the will of Brainiac!"

But the group was beyond listening to the madness of an unhinged machine. Bungee jumping out of the opening, the cosmic staff did the rest of the work as it flew the heroes into the atmosphere and away from the SkullShip.

As fate would have it, Moon Fang and the others escaped the SkullShip just in the nick of time. The moment they departed, the vessel's surface started to spark while smoke began emitting through its front and back ends. With all the damage they did from fighting, destroying the core and setting it to self-destruct, there was no way Brainiac could stop it.

Within the next few seconds the entire ship came to a screeching halt right before it combusted into nothingness. The once terrified residents of New Metropolis fled with urgency as chunks of the destroyed craft now spread throughout the city, crashing wherever they pleased.

With the SkullShip no longer existing, the forcefield stationed around the city started to instantly fade out while shrunken cities were returned to their original size. In no time the entire city returned to it's normal state, almost like the effects of Brainiac's ship had never affected them in the first place.

"We did it!" Lunar cheered

"That was exhilarating!" Ryan Choi beamed.

"That'll teach Darkseid and Brainiac to mess with us!" Moon Fang stated as he kept steering the cosmic staff further and further into the city.

-New Metropolis Detention Center-

"Guys look!" Nia gestured toward the window of the mess hall. As the trio gathered around it they could see the force field surrounding the Detention Center begin to vaporize until it ceased to exist.

"Alright we're free!" Exclaimed Virgil.

"Took ya long enough Garfield!" Ryan chuckled to herself. Even though she and the others had this crisis under control, she was secretly relieved that Garfield was ok and that he had once again stopped whatever evil plan was forming.

As the three were so focused on the setting outdoors, they failed to notice HotStreak getting up from his knocked out state. Not willing to engage in another fight with them, the gangbanger found himself silently dragging Ebon and Rubber across the floor. With fate seemingly on his side HotStreak managed to get his comrades out of the mess hall doors while the rest of the the gang was left to their own survival.

-Elsewhere-

Paragon Sparrow, Taurus and Thrust lay groggily in a field, while a sea of destroyed SkullShips parts was littered around them. Having survived the explosion thanks to their armor the trio now lay de-transformed and in pain as the sting of defeat once again haunted them.

"This isn't over Moon Fang, I'll get you yet!" With a single balled fist, Sparrow pounded the dirt he was lying in as he swore revenge against Moon Fang.

"Get in line Sparrow, next time he's mine!" Taurus sneered

"No fight!" Thrust cried.

"Shut up Thrust!" Both Sparrow and Taurus echoed the same sentiment as they continued to give one another hateful glares.

End of Chapter 2

I'm going to save my usual spiel for the next Chapter! But as a reminder please bookmark, leave a comment or give me a kudo if you guys can!

But anyway onward to Chapter 20! (Which will be posted within the next 10 minutes or so)

See you guys soon!

Arigato!

Z!