Calvin grunted from the latest blow, trying to throw his own but missing and getting punched again.
"Surrender," the other Superman said. "Or die."
Calvin snorted. "Spoken like a true villain. Well I choose option 3. President Superman whoops your ass."
"You're welcome to try." Emperor Superman flew right at him but this time Calvin was ready, flipping up and over him and grabbing hold of his cape. Emperor Superman grunted, clutching at the cape but Calvin didn't give him a moment to recover, swinging him round and round until they were just a blur in the air before releasing him, letting him fall to the ground far below in an explosion of sand and rock. Calvin dove for him, landing right on top of him and swinging punch after punch.
He brought his fist down but this time, Emperor Superman stopped it cold with his own fist, glaring heatedly at Calvin. "That all you got?" he sneered before his eyes lasered directly into Calvin's face.
"Gah!" Calvin instinctively flinched back. He blinked, bringing his arms up for Emperor Superman's latest attack but was too slow, the fist striking his chin and sending him flying up into the sky. Calvin struggled to gain control but Emperor Superman was quickly on him again, grabbing hold of his middle and flying them both back down to the ground at terminal speed. Calvin grunted, trying to break free but Emperor Superman held firm until they struck, sending an even larger plume of earth to rocket upwards.
Calvin grunted again but swiftly sent his own eye beams up, striking Emperor Superman across the face. He then took hold of the other man's face and twisted him up and around, throwing him over his own body and back down on the ground with as much force as he could muster, sending a shockwave rippling out from the blow.
Emperor Superman twisted out of his grip and rose to strike back but before he could, the ground beneath them, apparently having taken too many hits, cracked and then gave way. Calvin started floating upwards and saw his opponent do the same. Thinking on the fly, he swung his fist again and Emperor Superman ducked aside.
Calvin smirked and then struck his true blow, grabbing the Emperor's cape. He then flew right down through the hole they had made and threw his enemy as far as he could. He waited about a millisecond before flying after him, landing both fists into his chest right as Emperor Superman hit the cave wall.
The wall shattered from the blow and the two fell through it into another cavern, both blinking from the many twinkling lights hitting them.
If Calvin hadn't been in the middle of an intense battle, he might have stopped to admire the beauty of what he saw. A cavern of multicolored crystals growing all over, each one blooming with light. It was truly a wondrous sight. But, he didn't have time. He turned and tried to launch another punch on his enemy but the man just flew aside, Calvin's fist landing in the sand instead.
He straightened up, ready for the next blow, but this time it didn't come. Emperor Superman stood a little ways from him, watching him carefully but not making any moves.
"You must see the foolishness in this battle," he commented.
"Of course I do," Calvin replied. "But you're the one who initiated it."
"Perhaps," the Emperor nodded. "Very well. Let us make a truce then. For now."
Calvin looked at him carefully. As both President of the United States and the leader of two Justice League teams, one on his Earth and one across the Multiverse, he had learned how to read people and judge a situation. What he could read was that this other Superman was completely untrustworthy. What he could judge was that if he showed any weakness, he was dead.
"Come now," the Emperor told him. "This…situation we've found ourselves in, transported to another world with no clue as to why. Well, it's quite unprecedented, is it not?"
"Ha!" Calvin couldn't help but let out a bark of laughter. "Is that what you think? I've been traversing the multiverse for years now. While this may have taken me by surprise, it isn't, as they say, my first rodeo."
The Emperor regarded him carefully. "Even more reason why we should make a truce."
Calvin snorted. "More reason for you. You're not really offering any compelling reasons for me."
"Because if we don't, we'll just fight right now until I stand above your corpse."
Calvin glowered at the other man. "You do know I know what happened to you. What you lost."
"Don't you dar-" Emperor Superman started, his eyes brimming with red rage.
"But it seems you used it as an excuse to finally let loose the monster inside," Calvin continued. "I know plenty of Supermen. Great heroes from different worlds. I even know one who went through a similar loss. And yet, he never lost his way. As he would say, 'hope is the light that lifts us out of darkness.'" Calvin clenched his fists tightly. "But you fell into the darkness. Gave into it. Let it consume you."
"I let it forge me into something greater," Emperor Superman snapped. "I took my world by the reins and now steer it towards a better future."
"A future without freedom."
"Without chaos," Emperor Superman countered. "A world finally under control."
"Your control you mean."
"This is pointless," the man snapped again. "While we waste time arguing, our true enemy continues to plot against us. Who knows what their next move will be. Hate my methods or not, you cannot deny that working together for now is in both our best interests."
As much as he hated to admit it, the man did have a point. As President, he had been forced to work alongside many people he didn't like towards the greater good. The same with the Justice League. And working alongside this Superman could probably help in the long run.
Could.
"Then let me ask you this," Calvin said. "When we face our true enemy, what will you do? Will you kill them right there."
Emperor Superman paused for a second before looking Calvin dead in the eye. "Yes. They must pay for what they have done."
"Then, I suppose, there will be no truce," Calvin replied simply. And then he flew right into the other man to attack. The Emperor raised his fists, ready to meet him, but Calvin suddenly dropped to the ground and thrust his hands through the sand and earth to what lay beneath. He had known from the beginning that there would be no truce. At the end of the day, he could never fully trust this man and in this kind of environment, that was a dangerous thing. So, while they talked, he had scanned the cavern for something he could use. And he had found it right beneath them.
With a mighty heave, he ripped the ground open and an enormous chunk of crystal erupted out, as big as a building. He then hurled it at the Emperor who stopped it cold with one hand.
"This was your big move?" the man laughed. "How pathetic."
Calvin didn't respond. At least, not with his mouth. He focused his gaze and let loose his laser vision directly into the crystal. While looking, he had scanned the crystal to a molecular level and had seen something fascinating. He had known all crystals had some affinity to light. But this particular crystal had a much deeper connection. When touched by light, its atomic bond intensified, making it denser. Stronger. Unbreakable.
So, Calvin poured as much of his heat vision into it, lighting the crystal up until it glowed like a star.
"What are you doing?" the Emperor asked.
"What I promised. Whooping your ass." Calvin lunged forward, launching the crystal directly into Superman.
"You thin-" Emperor Superman was stopped when the crystal punched him into the next wall and through that. He tried punching pack but, as Calvin suspected, his fists made no impact. The crystal had hardened to be nigh unbreakable. And Calvin was still giving it light.
"What is this?" the Emperor roared, flailing as he tried to fight back but the crystal was too strong. "Bah! No matter. This just a minor nuisance to me. What do you hope to achieve by continually pushing…me…" He suddenly whirled around but it was too late as they broke through the final wall into the massive cavern beyond. And to the creature within.
The second they broke through, it reacted, screeching wildly. Calvin, with his X-Ray vision, saw one of its massive tentacles come up and wrap around Emperor Superman who struggled mightily in its grip to no avail. Its skin had the same molecular structure as the crystals around it. And, unlike the previous cavern, this one had a hole in the ceiling where a ray of sunshine fell through, strengthening this creature to completely unbreakable proportions.
Calvin let go of the crystal chunk in his hands and moved a ways away, watching the show. The creature looked a little like a squid, with several tentacles around it, but it scuttled across the ground like a crab and had a sharp mouth like a shark's.
Emperor Superman flexed his arms but still couldn't break loose, the creature's grip too strong to break. "Do your worst, abomination!" he roared. "I have bested enemies from across the universe. You will be no different."
Calvin had no doubt that was true. As powerful as that creature seemed, Emperor Superman was far stronger. All this was really was a ploy to buy time. So that's what Calvin would do.
He reached down and picked up a smaller piece of crystal. He lit up with his heat vision and threw it hard at Emperor Superman, hitting him across the face.
"Wha- How dare you!" the man roared, once more straining against the tentacle. "You will b-"
He didn't get to finish that sentence as the creature roared as well and whipped him into the wall, causing a small avalanche of rock. When it brought him back up though, he didn't seem any worse for wear.
"Let's see how you like this, monster," he growled and sucked in his breath but before he could release it, Calvin hurled another chunk of crystal at him followed swiftly by a third and then a fourth.
After the first crystal hit him, Emperor Superman tried to use heat vision on the others but soon learned how bad an idea that was as they hit him harder. And as each second passed, the creature brought him closer to its gaping jaws with diamond-hard teeth.
"Are you really going to let me die, President?" the man cried out. "I thought you were better than me."
"You won't die from this," Calvin replied. "We both know you're too powerful to be killed by some random crystal creature. But it will help contain you for now." He hurled another volley of crystals, keeping his enemy distracted. It helped that he had been the main pitcher for his baseball team as a kid. It had been a little cheating to use his powers to help, but it had shown those snobby rich kids at the club so it had been worth it.
"You really think so?" the man glowered. "Then you really do underestimate me and my power."
Then, as Calvin threw the crystals, Emperor Superman breathed out and a wall of ice formed between them.
"Damn it!" Calvin growled and punched the ice to shards, breaking back through but it was already too late. In the second it had taken him to do that, Emperor Superman had already frozen the creature solid so it now resembled a massive ice sculpture. That was, it did until Emperor Superman shattered the tentacle holding him before doing the same to the rest of the creature, leaving only crystal shards remaining.
"Now it's your turn," he said, facing Calvin.
Calvin reached again for the large chunk of crystal but was a nanosecond too slow as Emperor Superman crashed right into him, sending them crashing through the cavern ceiling above back to the surface and into the sky once more. This time, Emperor Superman didn't let go. He brought his fist back and punched at Calvin with all he had with Calvin just managing to block it and launch his own attack. They flew across the sky, dispersing clouds and buffeting winds at their speed while doing their very best to beat their opponent, trading punches and kicks, their capes flapping wildly behind them.
Taboo leaped onto the next rock, her animal instincts guiding her. She sniffed the air and tasted the wind. As far as she could tell, everything was normal. Or, as normal as things could be. She growled under her breath, seething at the fact that she had been caught and thrown into another hellscape for someone's amusement. When she found who was responsible, she would rip their throats out.
She scanned the horizon, looking for anything that could…well, do anything for her, when she felt the soft tremors in the earth. Then she heard a crashing noise just as two forms erupted out of the ground a little ways down the hillside. Her eyes flew up after them as they shot into the air but they were quickly lost from sight, the only evidence of their presence being the dispersed clouds and large hole in the ground.
Taboo approached it softly, her hackles raised. She kept an ear out in case those…beings came back. She came to a stop at the edge of the hole and peered carefully in.
"Brom," she muttered, staring wide at the sight. Those beings had tunneled straight through the earth like it had been nothing. Taboo didn't know anyone that powerful. The Behemoth might be able to bust through but not that fast. And not without his weapons. She looked back up into the sky. Whoever they were, they were far more powerful.
She sniffed the air, frowned, and sniffed it again. She blinked. Their scent…it wasn't therian. She sniffed once more but it was the same. They didn't seem human, that was clear. But she wasn't getting any hint of therian blood in either of them.
So then…who were they?
"You can't beat me," Emperor Superman growled, managing to wrap his fingers around Calvin's throat. "You don't have that killer instinct."
"You call that strength? Giving in to your darkness and turmoil?" Calvin took grabbed hold of the other man's throat as well, but rather than squeeze he used it as leverage to lunge forward, knocking his head directly into the Emperor's. "That just makes you weak. Let me show you how much."
He then breathed the air he'd been holding in directly into Emperor Superman's face, chilling it. Before the man could recover, Calvin gripped him tightly and flew them back down to the ground directly into the side of a mountain, causing a massive quake to ripple out.
Emperor Superman's laser vision erupted out, nearly striking Calvin. He twisted forward and covered his opponent's eyes with his hands, blocking the heat vision. He winced from the intense burning he felt but held tight. Even when the Emperor began pounding his fists into Calvin's chest, he held on. As he could feel the rumble and see what was coming. So he continued to hold his opponent down until the very last second when he leaped out of the way.
Emperor Superman instantly shot up. "You!" was all he managed before the avalanche of sand and rock washed over him, burying him completely.
Calvin, using his x-ray vision, was already flying when Emperor Superman erupted from the ground, launching two punches, one after the other, before bringing both fists together in a massive upper cut that had the Emperor sprawling back into the avalanche.
Refusing to let up, Calvin followed him in, striking him in the back of the head and sending them both hurtling down the mountain in the waves of sand and dirt. Constantly using x-ray vision, Calvin guided his enemy to the larger rocks, smashing them with the man's head. The dirt was striking him hard as well but with his strength, it felt no more than water running down his back. He knew the same was true for the Emperor though, so he hoped this would at least distract the man.
That hope died when he suddenly found himself shot back up in the sky. He managed to get his bearings and instantly scanned around for his enemy, whirling behind him to see the man floating a few feet away.
"I grow increasingly tired of this," Emperor Superman commented, spitting out some dirt.
"Agreed."
"So why don't you just die!" Emperor Superman rushed forward but Calvin managed to dodge aside and grab hold of his leg, whipping him around and back into the air. The man quickly caught and righted himself.
"Well, the next election is right around the corner," Calvin replied, twisting to avoid another attack before bringing his elbow down on the other man's back. "And I'd hate to let my voters down."
"My whole world, my universe is counting on me to save them," Emperor Superman snarled. "And I refuse to let them down."
"Sounds to me you already are," Calvin said as he kicked the man hard in the chest. "They'd be better off without you. Free of tyranny."
"Free of control!" Emperor Superman spat, landing a blow across Calvin's cheek that had him falling for a second. "Free of order! Free to do as they please, to commit as many crimes and atrocities as they want! Is that freedom truly worth saving?"
Calvin glowered at him. "Freedom is always worth saving. It is sad to see you so fallen that you can no longer see that."
As Emperor Superman charged him midair, Calvin flew to meet him, their fists smacking into each other with such power that it sent winds rocketing away from them and had them both tossed aside for a moment.
Matt Murdock let out a breath of relief as he clambered up the last rock to the top of the mountain. He could feel each bead of sweat on his skin, one of the downsides of his enhanced senses, and could honestly use a nice long drink right now.
"How you doing back there?" he asked.
"Just…give me…a minute…" came the response followed by a grunting noise from further below.
Matt turned and offered a hand just as his companion reached the top. T.J. saw it and gratefully took it, climbing up next to him. "Thanks," he said tiredly.
"No problem." Matt sensed their other companion still a little ways down. "You need some help?"
This was followed by another loud grunt. "I don't get it," the man said between breaths. "I…am in top…physical…condition. I box at the gym…all the time. So why…am I so tired…from climbing?"
Matt sighed. "Are you just boxing at the gym? Because that only works out one set of muscles. Climbing requires much more than that. Also stamina."
"I have…great stamina."
"You're behind both of us. Evidently not."
"Arrrggghhh." A few moments later, his hand came up and Matt helped him the rest of the way. Casey Jones flopped down onto the ground, breathing hard. "Alright," he said. "Message…received. I'll start going…on the weight machines."
"If we make it out of this," T.J. replied.
Just like that, any good feelings they had vanished.
"What do you see?" Matt asked.
"A whole lot of nothing," T.J. replied. Just endless desert for miles around."
"Great. So me bursting my lungs was all for nothing then?"
Matt could sense T.J.'s smirk. "Not exactly. At least you got to work off some of that bulk."
"…I hate you."
"He's right though. We climbed all this way to get a vantage point. Let's use it. Is there anything else out there."
"Not that I can see right now, sorry. Just desert and a few other mountains out there. Or rocky hills would be more accurate."
"Hmmm." Matt crouched down and focused, letting the different sensations waft over him. He could feel the wind coming down from the north. He could taste the dryness in the air and smell the baked rock from the sun's heat. And he could hear a million different sounds all the way down the mountain. But he tuned all that out. Those were just background senses. He needed more than that.
BOOM!
He instinctively flinched back, the explosion of sound ringing in his ears.
"What is it?" T.J. asked but a second later he had his answer as a large gust of wind blew over them, threatening for a second to send them flying.
"What the hell?" Casey asked. "Where did that come from?"
"A punch," Matt muttered, tuning in to the source.
"A punch?" Casey questioned. "The hell kind of punch was that?"
Matt couldn't sense them anymore. Whoever those figures were, they had flown off at a speed he couldn't begin to imagine. He still felt the ringing in his ears from that blow. Whoever had that kind of power, they seemed unstoppable.
Calvin was first to recover, swiftly flying right back to his opponent and grabbing him round the middle. He moved at super-sonic speed, shooting across the sky like a comet. Emperor Superman struggled but Calvin held firm, not letting go.
"It doesn't matter where you take me!" the Emperor roared. "I will tear you apart."
"Then you'd better hold your breath," Calvin said, taking his own advice.
"Wha-" was all the Emperor managed before they crashed into the water, diving miles below the surface in seconds. Calvin knew the lack of oxygen wouldn't affect either of them. But it might give him a slight edge. He instantly launched a dozen blows to the other man's chest, aiming for his lungs specifically. Each blow sent the currents around them to flip and cascade. But it didn't last as Calvin's fist eventually hit Emperor Superman's palm, blocked. The Emperor then sent his heat vision out and Calvin responded, their beams striking and holding firm against each other. The water boiled and seethed as the two fought, trying to overcome the other. Bubbles rose and steam formed as their beams began to evaporate the water.
Calvin grimaced but stayed strong, pushing back with everything he had and he felt Emperor Superman do the same. Their beams clashed and sparked, shooting off bolts of red energy around. Calvin had battled several Kryptonians over the years, but this one was definitely one of the strongest. But it didn't matter. Because Calvin refused to lose. He could feel the pressure building behind his eyes, a slight pain growing.
As they continued to push against each other, each one trying to overcome the other's heat vision, Calvin secretly began to move his arms around, spinning them in small circles at intense speeds. He couldn't see it, couldn't tear his eyes away to look, and he knew Emperor Superman was the same. They were locked in, unable to stop until one of them gave. And while Calvin wanted it to be him, he couldn't take the chance. He needed an edge.
Maybe the Emperor would feel the sharp change in the currents, the sudden shift, but he probably wouldn't care, too focused on their struggle. Calvin span faster, his arms churning the water at such speed that twin vortices formed on either side of him. As he went on, he could feel it beginning to affect him as well, the water pulling on him. But he was ready for that, holding firm. Then, he gave a mighty push with his heat vision and felt Emperor Superman respond, both giving it their all now.
Which was exactly what he wanted. Calvin could feel the strain of both holding steady against the twin whirlpools next to him and holding the Emperor's beams at bay. But he had tensed his body to do so. The Emperor had not. He was vulnerable.
With one swift move, he hurled his arms forward and the whirlpools responded, spinning away from him and churning through the water right into Emperor Superman. Normally, this would have no effect on a Kryptonian. Except they had been created by a Kryptonian, their power multiplied exponentially.
It still wasn't much. Just enough to knock Emperor Superman off balance. But that was enough.
Calvin didn't see all this happen, still locked in the beam struggle. But he imagined that the millisecond the vortices hit, the Emperor was shaken slightly and his vision went askew. Which was all Calvin needed. He felt his opponent's beam falter and then gave it his all, pushing his own beams to their limit and beyond, not giving up until they struck Emperor Superman's eyes.
"AAAAGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!" the Emperor roared in pain, his hands going to his face as he flinched back in agony.
Calvin stopped his heat vision, slumping a little. That had taken a lot. But he wasn't finished yet. He couldn't give himself even a second to rest. He had to finish this. He turned to Emperor Superman, seeing the man still curled over in pain, and moved right for him, fist raised to end the fight once and for all.
The Emperor moved so fast Calvin didn't even have time to blink. His arms were hurled back and then came together with titanic force. The blow send shockwaves erupting outwards, the water for a mile around blown back, leaving a pocket of air in the middle of the sea. Calvin was flung back, spluttering in surprise and shock. He opened his eyes and gasped, trying to brace himself right before the Emperor struck. This time, Calvin was the one locked in his grip as they flew through the water. He didn't even have a chance to try and break free before he was slammed into an earthen wall and pushed into it, the rocks behind him crumbling from his strength.
Leatherhead swam smoothly through the water. He did not know where he was or why he had been brought here and he most certainly would punish those responsible. But for now, he took comfort in the small peace he had.
But he should have known better. No peace lasted. No peace existed at all for him.
He heard it first, a loud splash in the water. It was a few miles ahead of him but judging from the ripples that washed over him, it had been quite powerful. Then came the currents. He felt the shift in the water as a barrage of waves washed over him, knocking him back.
"What is this?" he questioned. "What is responsible for this madness?"
Slowly, the waves settled and for a second, Leatherhead thought that was the end of it. But then he felt it. The change in the water. The temperature, rising fast. He growled and dipped below the surface, swimming closer to the source of this calamity. But the closer he got, the hotter the water until it was practically boiling. Steam filled his vision and he gritted his jaws in pain from the heat, forcing him to back away and swim for cooler waters.
"This madness cannot remain," he growled. "I will not allow it."
A moment later, the largest wave yet hit him, knocking him back a ways only for the currents to suddenly drag him forward again, turning him upside down. As he attempted to right himself, he felt something rush by him. From the corner of his eye, he caught two figures grappling through the water before they vanished from sight. After they passed, he was caught in their riptide for a moment before managing to break free.
He stared at where the figures had gone, his teeth bared in a grimace. Were they the ones responsible for his predicament? Or were they prisoners as well to their circumstances? He did not know. What he did know was that he did not want to meet them.
Emperor Superman held him firm as he flew them both up through the earth itself. Calvin winced as they tunneled their way through, struggling to break out of his enemy's grasp but the Emperor held him tightly and he couldn't find any leverage.
After a few seconds, they broke through, bursting to the surface. Calvin gasped and quickly took hold of the Emperor's wrists, using his body to spin them around. But instead of resisting, the Emperor just gripped Calvin's arms in return, adding his own power to the spin until they were a blur of motion in the air, a twister forming around them.
So that's what he's planning, Calvin realized. It was a strength contest. If one of them let go, they would try to throw their opponent off so the other one would have to do their best to hang on and keep the advantage. And if they did, then they would be able to throw their opponent with no resistance. It all came down to who made the first move.
They couldn't keep this up forever though. They were using each other to propel themselves through the air. That wouldn't last long. Someone had to make a move soon. Calvin was tempted to just give it a shot, throw Emperor Superman as hard as he could. But if he failed, he would be left vulnerable. And in this battle, he needed every advantage he could get. He had to wait.
They glared at each other, daring the other one to make the move. And then, Calvin saw it. A slight twitch in Emperor Superman's eyes. He was going for it.
Calvin inwardly braced himself just as the Emperor twisted his arms around and let go of Calvin's wrists as he hurled him aside. Calvin felt the sudden pull as he was thrown but he held on tightly to the Emperor's own wrists, causing them to lurch midair. Then, not giving himself a second to prepare, he then twisted and threw Emperor Superman around, summoning all his strength to hurl his enemy aside as far as he could.
Only to feel his blood freeze as the Emperor latched back onto his wrists at the last second. Calvin hoped he could still throw the man off but no such luck. Instead, Emperor Superman used the momentum of Calvin's failed throw for himself, spinning around once more at an even faster rate. Calvin moved to grab hold of the Emperor's hands as well but was a nanosecond too slow as the Emperor hurled him aside with all his strength.
Calvin spun through the air, twisting up and around over and over again. He cried out, trying to regain his balance but was moving too unsteadily. And then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw what might be buildings right before he crashed into them.
Wall after wall, he slammed through them like they were made of paper. He could feel the rock breaking under his power and could hear several of them collapsing behind him, but there was nothing he could do. All he could do was wait this out and hope no one else got hurt.
Still, he was gaining more control over his balance. He busted through another wall and found himself upright all of a sudden. Taking advantage of it, he braced his body, attempting to fly steady again. It wasn't entirely successful as he broke through another wall and then crashed into a third. But he came to a stop. He breathed out in relief as he realized this. He had managed to stop.
He had cracked the wall behind him pretty badly, but he had managed to gain control of his flight in time to stop breaking through it. The same couldn't be said for all the others. He looked up and grimaced as he saw all the damage. At least a dozen different walls, completely collapsing five of the buildings he had passed through. The only good thing was that they had been abandoned. But that didn't help much. Calvin could hear the sounds of people moving around below away from the destruction, some apparently having come inches away from being crushed. He closed his eyes and clenched his teeth. He remembered when he had fought General Zod in Metropolis. The damage that had been wrought that day, the lives lost, continued to weigh on his soul and he had vowed never to let that happen again. Now, it almost had.
Arya Stark had been walking down the empty street, trying to make sense of her surroundings. She had been trying that for the past day in fact, ever since the entire landscape around her and transform from a sea to a desert. She had spotted this city after trekking over dunes and canyons for several hours and had hoped that she could find someone who could help. But, as far as she could tell, it was empty.
At least, that was what she had thought until she heard the explosion of sound from overhead and saw the figure smashing through building after building, toppling several of them. She had stood there, stunned for a second, until she noticed the other people emerging. Some were running from the damage at full speed while others just stood there and watched, like her.
Arya was looking at one person in particular, an older woman with smooth gray hair and dark gray armor, when there was a loud whooshing sound as a second figure flew by. As they did, there was a crumbling sound from above and Arya looked up to see one of the walls give in and start to fall right on top of the woman. Who wasn't moving.
"Look out!" she yelled and started running, though she knew it was too late. However, she needn't have worried as the woman simply raised her hand and the wall above her magically moved to the side, collapsing safely next to her instead. The woman then turned to Arya with a grim look on her face.
"Thanks for the warning kid, but I'm alright."
Arya blinked but then nodded, accepting it. Weirder things had happened to her. "I'm Arya," she said, holding out her hand.
"Beifong," the woman replied, shaking her hand firmly. She then turned and stamped her foot on the ground. "Hmmm, seems everyone managed to clear the wreckage in time. But what the hell was that thing?" They both turned to where both figures had flown off to. As they did the both heard more explosive sounds coming from there.
"Perhaps we should…"
"Leave," Beifong finished. "Good idea kid, let's hustle."
Quickly, they started running from the scene. But as they did, Arya couldn't help but think back to a similar situation. When a dragon had come to a city and burned most of it to ash. She had seen firsthand the level of devastation that had been reaped and wondered if it was going to happen again.
Calvin briefly wondered if those people down there were natives of this place or citizens of the multiverse, brought here like him. He focused in with his hearing, attempting to hear their conversations, when he felt the wind suddenly pick up. He looked up just in time to see Emperor Superman flying right for him.
"I've got you now!" the man roared, slamming his fist right at Calvin's head.
Calvin moved only a fraction of an inch out of the way, bringing his own fist up as he did and slammed into Emperor Superman's chest, sending him flying this time straight up through the ceiling and all the other ceilings above it before shattering the final one.
Calvin flung himself up after him, catching up in a millisecond and taking hold of the man to fly them back down hard. He swiftly analyzed where there were no people present before going supersonic and crashing Emperor Superman down as hard as he could into the earth. The massive shockwave that erupted out of that decimated three nearby buildings and caused two more to partially collapse.
Calvin swiftly took hold of the Emperor's wrists, trying to lock him down, but the man spun around, whipping Calvin aside. He smashed into another building, decimating the first wall and damaging the second before stopping himself.
"Had enough yet?" Emperor Superman asked, walking up to him this time.
Calvin stood up to face him. "Not even close."
Emperor Superman smirked. "Good. I do like a challenge every now and then."
He flew forward, entering super-speed in a heartbeat. But Calvin was ready for that. As the Emperor reached him, his own hands came up and slammed into his enemy's ears. Instantly, the Emperor stopped, roaring from the sudden pain and intense ringing. Before he could recover, Calvin swung his fist back and punched him in the face, causing him to soar across the street through several other buildings.
Knowing that wouldn't keep him down, Calvin sucked in a huge breath and slowly let it out, cooling the air in front of him.
"I will tear your head from your shoulders!" Emperor Superman roared, already soaring for him.
Just as he reached the street, Calvin intensified his freeze-breath, the temperature dropping below the negatives and further so sudden that sheets of ice formed over the sand. As Emperor Superman flew, his speed slowed in the heavier air. Not by much, but for Calvin it was plenty.
"Let's see how you like this," he muttered and brought his hands together in their own titanic blast. Except, he focused his strike this time, aiming it right for the Emperor so all the force from the clap hit him head-on. The man was whipped away and Calvin was right there with him, punching him three times in the face before he whirled around and kicked him in the chest, sending him soaring away from the city to the horizon.
Kelli stood atop a city tower, looking down on the fighters below in interest. She licked her lips as she beheld their power, trading blows that rocked the stone walls around them. She would love to sink her fangs into either one of them, to just get the smallest taste of that power.
However, they were soon gone, one of the fighters clapping the other one away before following. Kelli watched for a second, hoping they would return, but soon sighed in disappointment.
"Well, it was fun while it lasted," she sighed to herself.
Her stomach growled and she was reminded at how little she'd eaten since she had arrived here. Nothing, actually. She needed food fast. And fortunately for her, that little brawl down there had driven so many tasty little victims out that it was like a buffet.
Her eyes landed on one boy in particular. A large redhead with what appeared to be scars across his face. She looked closer with her enhanced vision and saw they were similar to the scars made by werewolves. Well, if that pretty face was already that damaged, no one would really miss the rest of him would they?
Kelli stretched and then leaped down, ready to sink her fangs into her latest prey.
Calvin followed him, scanning the area and beyond for any environment that he could use. Then, he spotted one just a few miles ahead. Yes, that would do.
"And here I thought you were supposed to be powerful," he said out loud, as he approached the Emperor. "The supposed tyrant of your world. I'm surprised you haven't been deposed yet given how this battle is going."
He could practically feel the rage building off the man and felt a sharp pain of sadness. So this was how far Superman could fall? Now he came off as a depraved lunatic, no better than the other villains Calvin faced on a daily basis. He wondered if the loss of the man's family had really been the trigger, or that he was always like this and had only hid it.
"I will make you suffer," Emperor Superman promised. "I will kill you and those allies of yours. And then, I will find your homeworld and your loved ones there and I will burn them alive."
Calvin stared at the monster in front of him, feeling a swell of both rage and pity. "You don't deserve to wear that emblem anymore," he said, looking at the S symbol on the man's chest. "That means something. Hope, salvation. It stands for truth, justice, and a better tomorrow across the world. The universe. Even, it seems, the multiverse. But you've abused it. Turned it into something to fear and hate instead with your actions." He clenched his fists and readied himself. "You are no Superman. Just a watered down imitation. And I will defeat you."
"You're welcome to try," the man responded before flinging himself at him.
Instead of meeting him, Calvin suddenly turned around and flew away.
"What?" he heard the Emperor roar behind him. "Get back here, coward!"
Calvin ignored him, instead flying straight for his destination. He lowered himself close to the ground as he did, his eyes beginning to glow red in preparation. Then, as he heard Emperor Superman do the same behind him, he unleashed his heat vision at the large mass of rock next to him, cutting through it in such a way that a surge of rocks and debris came tumbling down, crashing right into Emperor Superman.
Calvin kept it up, carving a line across the rocky wall. He knew it wouldn't do much but it would distract the man and, judging from the bellows of rage behind him, make him angry.
Most enemies Calvin faced, he used his superior strength and skill to save the day. But that was becoming increasingly difficult as his enemies found new ways to attack him. Before his death, Lex Luthor had been one to constantly keep him on his toes, so he'd had to fight smart, use strategy to win as well as his power.
It seemed Emperor Superman had foregone all that for brute strength, now preferring lethal tactics to save the day. Which made it all the easier for Calvin.
He was quickly approaching a narrow gap between the canyon walls. If he flew sideways, he would be able to pass through. He didn't fly sideways.
He stretched his arms out as he flew right in, increasing his speed as he did so. His arms carved their way through the rock, like scythes through fields of wheat. He heard the waves of rubble and debris in his wake as well as the crackling sounds as the larger portions of rock above him broke away and fell down. Right as Emperor Superman entered the canyon no less.
"Rahh!" came the angry bellow as well as small explosion sounds as, Calvin assumed, the man used his heat vision as well as his fists to carve his way through the avalanche.
A few seconds later, Calvin flew out of the pass, twisted around and brought his hands together again for another titanic clap, sending a shockwave of rock back towards his enemy who let out another angry bellow.
Kratos watched carefully as the two figures passed by, eyes narrowed in concentration. He didn't like the look of them, of their power. And the way they fought. It reminded him too much of the battles the gods had. Pointless, egotistical duels that only caused collateral damage.
He was tempted to rush after them and attack but he turned away instead. Now was not the time to join in a meaningless battle. He required answers and it was clear he wouldn't find them here. Though, the presence of those two did bring up some things. If they were gods, then were they the ones responsible for capturing him. If so, why had they not gone after him yet. And if they weren't, did that mean they had been captured too?
Too many questions, not enough answers. Kratos cursed under his breath. He had to get home, make sure everyone was safe. He was sure Freya had things under control along with the other Valkyries. Even Thrúd was holding her own after taking her father's mantle. But he couldn't shake the feeling they might be in trouble with him gone, that someone had purposefully taken him away to attack. Still, he had faith they would hold out until he returned. Until then, he had to figure out where he was and who was behind it. This didn't seem like the work of the Aesir. Perhaps the Egyptian gods he had heard about.
Whoever it was, he would make them pay. He lifted up his chained blades and imagined the reckoning he would sow upon his enemies. He would make them pay. That was certain.
"AAAAGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!"
He stiffened at the scream before turning instantly, locating the source of the sound. It sounded young. He was on the move before he even thought, leaping over rocks and boulders with ease, traversing a gorge in an instant.
He felt it first, a burning sensation in the wind, as if the air itself was on fire. Then, as he arrived on the edge of a cliff, he saw it. A figure with skin darker than the night sky and clothing that appeared sharp to Kratos was standing above two other, smaller figures. One was a young red-headed girl who was desperately waving a stick in front of her that seemed to have no effect. The other was what appeared to be a goblin-like creature whose hands were up in front of them. The air around them was filled with fire, but somehow the creature was holding the dark figure back with just their hands. Or the power within them.
Having taken stock of the situation, Kratos whipped his blades around once before leaping into battle.
Calvin didn't even take a second to collect his thoughts. He just turned back around and spotted his destination, flying right toward it at supersonic speed. He wanted to take a moment to admire it, to think about what it meant with the little he already knew of this place. But he couldn't. Those little tricks he'd pulled back there had bought him seconds at most.
Still, it was quite a sight. A battleship the size of a city, its wreckage spilling out for miles around. It was more cylindrical in design except near the far end where there were some portions sticking out more. If those were the bridge, Calvin definitely saw a design flaw since that was the obvious place to attack. And given that was where the most damage was, he wasn't the only one to think so.
Judging from the crashing sounds coming from behind him, he was out of time. He quickly flew down just as Emperor Superman appeared.
"Keep fleeing!" the man roared at him. "I'll still snap your neck!"
"How unhinged are you exactly?" Calvin muttered. He dove straight through one of the gaps in the ship, flying around its insides. He was going to have to time this right. He had been scanning the ship since he had first seen it, seeing how he could make it work to his advantage. As he moved, he slowed his pace by the tiniest of margins, letting the Emperor catch up. He listened closely, needing to be in the right position when…
…Emperor Superman erupted from the wall and slammed into what looked like the remains of a console. The man's eyes were burning so fiercely that his heat vision was sparking. His hand was tight on Calvin's throat while the other one pressed down on his chest, pushing him back.
"No more games," Emperor Superman muttered. "Now you die."
As he said that, he pushed Calvin back further. What he didn't realize was that Calvin was letting him.
"You must realize that us Supermen don't go down easy."
"Everyone dies if you apply enough pressure."
"You really are the worst Superman, aren't you? I think at this point you even beat that thuggish crybaby Ultraman."
Emperor Superman's was seething, his teeth in full grimace. "Any last words?"
"Yes," Calvin replied, looking straight up. "Thanks for pushing me back. This position is perfect." With that said, he unleashed a short burst of heat vision straight up, striking through the old metal right to the still viable fuel cell which promptly exploded.
One of the first things Calvin had taught himself when he had started out as Superman was the inner workings of things, be it buildings, machines, whatever. With his power, he needed to be careful, to only exert as much pressure and force as necessary. When a building fell, he needed to know the best way to keep it stable or at least slow its descent. And when attacked by a robot, he needed to see the best way to take it down. So, when scanning this ship, he had looked at everything and done the calculations, seeing how everything would play out. When the explosion went off, it wasn't that big. But it did start a chain reaction of all the other fuel cells up there which in turn set off other systems throughout the ship.
"Wha-?" Emperor Superman began and his grip slackened just enough for Calvin to turn and punch him in the face. He had calculated the angle of his fist and the force required to send the man crashing through several more walls only to stop himself. But it was too late. "You dar-" he started before the ceiling above him suddenly collapsed, dumping thousands of tons of metal and debris on top of him, carrying him several storeys down.
Calvin quickly followed, arriving just as the Emperor splashed down in the large lake where several fuel cells had cracked, all of their contents pooling together. Another small burst of heat vision was more than enough to cause it all to explode. So much that Calvin had to turn aside for a second.
"You…will…pay…" the Emperor seethed as he lifted himself from the burning remains.
"So cliché," Calvin muttered to himself.
"I…will…"
Exactly what he would do, Calvin wouldn't know as that was when the pipes containing lethal gas, accumulated over the last thousand years, burst open. Calvin, having held his breath, was fine. Emperor Superman had been taking a deep breath at the time and so got a full dose. He coughed and spluttered, his eyes going wide. Calvin didn't blame him. The stuff had a similar atomic structure to Kryptonite (another reason he had chosen this place as his battleground). While nowhere near as deadly, it still was far from pleasant.
Taking the chance, Calvin surged forward, punching the Emperor in the chest and sending him soaring hard through even more of the ship, breaking through it all until he crashed into the main engine right as the chain reaction reached there, setting it off as well.
Calvin winced again, even though he hadn't followed. His super-hearing and x-ray vision told him enough. The explosion was quite a big one.
"Alright," he nodded. "I think that was plenty."
He then flew through the remains of the ship, arriving swiftly at the remains of the smoldering engine. Emperor Superman was on his hands and knees, recovering from the onslaught of attacks. But Calvin didn't even give him a nanosecond. He attacked from behind, slamming the man to the ground before wrapping an arm over his throat, gripping him tightly.
"Be a dear and go down quietly now, would you?" Calvin asked.
"RRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!"
"Yeah, I didn't think so." He felt Emperor Superman struggle against him, trying to push away or hit back but Calvin held firm. He saw the Emperor's heat vision go wild but they were outside now, the beams now going nowhere. "I'd say stop struggling, but it's pointless for you. So just do whatever you want. It doesn't matter. All you're doing is wasting energy and making my job easier. So go ahead, it'll all be over in a few minutes."
Emperor Superman suddenly went very still and Calvin only had a second to feel worried before they shot upwards. The only way Calvin was able to hold on was thanks to his tight grip on the Emperor's throat which he now tightened further.
"Do you really think this will help?" he yelled.
"The sun," Emperor Superman gasped. "I'll take you to the sun. Then, with its power, we'll truly see who is the most powerful."
"Look out!" Zuko roared. He leapt forward and tackled Nia to the ground, throwing them both out of the way before the massive sheet of metal could flatten them.
"Ugh," Nia grunted. "Thanks."
"No problem," he replied. He then glanced back up and cursed as he saw more incoming. "This isn't over. Move!"
Mando had already flown off, his so-called jetpack lifting him straight out of danger. Shazad and Thalia were backing up quickly. Zuko quickly got back on his feet, helping Nia up as well and rushing away right before the debris smashed down where they had been.
"That was close," he muttered.
"You all ok?" Mando asked, floating back down to them.
"Yeah, we're good. But what was that?"
They all jumped as they suddenly heard a loud explosion coming from the back of the ship. "Gods," Thalia said. "I think we may have just walked into a battle."
"Mando, you think you can check it out?" Shazad asked.
"On it." He instantly soared back up but he hadn't made it before a large figure shot up into the sky, going so fast they were practically a blur.
"Whoa!" Zuko exclaimed, blinking. He'd never seen anything move that fast. He looked around at the others and saw the look of surprise shared by Nia and Shazad. Mando's helmet made it impossible to know his expression but even he seemed shocked. The only one who didn't as much was Thalia. "You know who that is?"
She hesitated. "No. Not really. I have seen…people fly before. But not like that."
Zuko heard her voice catch when she said 'people' but he decided not to push. He sensed she was telling the truth. "Alright, well let's hope whoever that was is gone. Let's push on and get what we came for."
"You really think this hunk of junk will have answers?" Thalia asked, eyeing the massive ship dubiously.
Zuko looked at it. When he had seen it, he had gone breathless from shock. He had seen massive machines before, but nothing on this scale. It was a whole other thing.
"I don't know. I just hope it does."
Calvin nearly let go in surprise. The sun? But…did that mean Emperor Superman hadn't…?
He instinctively looked up and the rapidly darkening sky, no stars visible at all. Because of what was up there, waiting for them.
He doesn't know. The thought drummed its way across Calvin's mind and he couldn't help but smile.
They cleared the atmosphere in seconds, flying straight into the cold expanse of space. As they did, Calvin felt it. That feeling in his stomach that he was going somewhere he shouldn't. That he should turn back now. And the further they went, the bigger the feeling became.
Have to time this right, Calvin thought, still keeping a tight hold on Emperor Superman. Couldn't let on that something was up, that he had a plan.
"It doesn't matter how hard you hold on," Emperor Superman told him. "I will still-"
Now! Calvin instantly let go right as Emperor Superman struck the barrier, the golden wall briefly flashing into existence and stopping the Emperor cold. He seemed to gape for a second before he slumped over, now just floating.
One of the first things Calvin had done here was fly straight up to get his bearings. He had managed to make it a little ways beyond the atmosphere before he felt that feeling, a feeling of wrongness. Right before he had reached the barrier, he had ignored it. But then, the intensity of it had caused him to a stop.
One pinky. That was all he had used. His pinky to test the barrier. And he had felt so much power and pain from that one single touch. It had nearly caused him to black out. Emperor Superman, traveling at that speed, had stood no chance. He was alive, barely, but comatose.
Calvin would have breathed out in relief if they weren't in space. "That was a lot," he muttered, shaking his head. He took Emperor Superman's hand and guided them back down to the world below. "Now," he said, looking at the failed Superman before him. "What do we about you?"
Ochako Uraraka groaned and blinked, her vision all fuzzy. What had happened? She had been walking down the street, trying to figure out her next move, when something had flown by, demolishing most of the buildings, including the one next to her. She had seen the rubble fall towards her and had tried to float herself away but something had hit her, knocking her down. Then she had looked up and seen the larger piece coming down to crush her.
So why hadn't it? She had been trying to get up before it hit but wasn't fast enough. She should be dead right now.
Then she heard a soft thump from behind her and turned. She gasped in surprise as she saw the large figure above her, having blocked the large stone, it now lying on the ground next to them. The figure loomed, at least three times her size. He had purplish skin and a bald head and was looking down at her with concerned.
"Here," he said, holding out his hand. "Let me help you."
"Uh…thanks," she said, taking it and standing up. "And thanks for rescuing me."
"Of course," he said softly.
"Uh, I'm Ochako Uraraka."
He smiled. "That's a wonderful name. I am known as Thanos. Now come, let's see if we can find somewhere safer to converse."