New Chapter! Sorry for taking so long to update this one! I've been getting into animating recently! Anyways!
Leave a comment if you want more!
Next Update? JJK: Sukuna The helpful Menace!
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Chapter 21
"We've been spotted! Two of our flyers are dead! I need back up right no-!"
The voice transmission was cut off before the person on the other side could finish speaking. The following sound of bones breaking soon alerted them of that person's gruesome demise.
"…The scouting team is dead." A voice rumbled through the darkness, informing the rest of their team.
The information hung in the air, a poignant reminder of their mortality despite their powers. A cold dread descended upon them, making the air feel several degrees colder than it actually was. They were seven now, seven against an enemy who had already taken out three of their most formidable men.
An enemy they scarcely knew anything about.
"Wraith, what's your position?" The thunderous voice echoed in the dimly lit control room. Their name was Metal Hand, and they were the team leader. Every scar etched on his face spoke of battles fought and won, and the countless blood he has spilled.
There was a pause before a ghostly image appeared on their communication device.
"I'm by Black Noir's last known location… and it's dead silent," Wraith reported, her spectral voice sending chills down their spines. Despite being one of them, Wraith had a way of making even her comrades uncomfortable with her powers.
The room went quiet as they waited for their commander's next command.
After a moment of thinking, he finally spoke, "We need you to recon Black Noir's route. Stay invisible and do not engage."
Wraith nodded and disappeared from the screen as she got to work.
"Iceberg, Inferno you're both with me." Metal Hand announced next. "We're going to engage."
Iceberg nodded solemnly, his icy blue eyes reflecting a stoic resolve. As his name suggested, Iceberg could manipulate water molecules around him and freeze them into any shape or form he desired. An invaluable talent in times such as this.
Inferno's fiery hair seemed to flicker in anticipation. Her powers were destructive and wild compared to her counterpart, like a firestorm caught in a human shell. She had the ability to ignite and control flames, but it came with the cost of total destruction.
"Teleforce, you'll be on standby. You're our last resort in case we fail." Metal Hand continued, turning to the young man whose eyes glowed with an unnatural cyan hue - a side effect of his telekinetic powers.
Teleforce was the youngest member of their team and also one of the most powerful, his psychokinetic abilities could demolish buildings in an instant with ease.
Unfortunately, he had little to no control over how much power he would apply and has caused more than a few missions to end with either their target or ally exploding like a blood-filled pimple.
Teleforce stared at the man for a long moment before nodding his head in acceptance.
Metal Hand turned his attention to the device in his hands and switched from Wraith's signal to the two remaining members of his team.
"This is the team lead connecting with S-"
CRASH!!!
The wall where Iceberg was leaning on exploded inwards in a hail of concrete and steel. A large, obsidian hand shot out from the billowing dust, gripping Iceberg by the mouth in a terrifying vice-grip. The suddenness of the attack was such that Iceberg couldn't even muster a startled gasp.
Iceberg grunted, trying to wrestle the hand away but the grip was steel-like, unyielding.
Before he could retaliate or use his powers, he was dragged through the crumbling wall, shards of concrete piercing his skin and his vision blurring from the sudden impact.
Unable to react in time, they watched as their team member disappeared into the darkness. The room soon erupted into chaos.
Metal Hand roared a command as he switched back to Wraith, his voice tearing through the sudden commotion.
"Wraith, abort mission NOW! We're under attack!"
Simultaneously, he launched himself towards the gaping hole in the wall, his metallic fist glowing ominously under his control.
Inferno was a step behind him, her flaming hair igniting into an inferno with a wave of her hand. The room was bathed in a sickly orange light as she focused her power, ready to unleash it on their unseen foe.
"What the fuck was that?!"
Meanwhile, Teleforce fought to keep his panic at bay as shockwaves rippled through his mind. He tried to focus on the surrounding rubble, attempting to telekinetically shift them aside but his fear made him erratic - chunks of walls and debris flew haphazardly, crashing into tables and screens with destructive force.
There was no sign of Iceberg or their assailant beyond the ruined wall as Inferno looked inside. Only debris and whirling dust were visible amid the pandemonium.
But within seconds, an unholy scream echoed from the unseen recesses of the building, shaking their bones with its ferocity and pain.
"Fuck this bull shit!" Metal Hand growled as he turned towards the wall that had a window and punched it.
It broke with ease, leaving a giant hole that led to the outside. He turned around and grabbed Teleforce before leaping out of the twelve-story building.
Seeing them leave, Inferno cursed under her breath, her heart pounding wildly as she considered the reality of her situation. She was alone in a terror-stricken room with an enemy that easily took down four of them.
She snapped back to reality when another monstrous scream echoed - this one closer. It sounded human, but no human could ever produce such a gut-wrenching sound.
"Keep your head straight, Bitch!" she reminded herself, her palms sweating as she clenched them into fists. Her flames danced wildly around her hands, flickering in sync with her erratic heartbeat.
Despite the fear gnawing at the pit of her stomach, she turned towards the gaping hole in the wall. Taking a deep breath to steady herself, she leaped into the air and followed after her teammates.
Her hair blazed like a comet tail as she flew.
The moment she crossed the threshold, an oppressive chill washed over her. It wasn't a physical coldness but something much deeper that seemed to touch her very soul.
On the next rooftop, Metal Hand had landed with a thud that rippled through the concrete beneath them. He put Teleforce down and swept his gaze around their surroundings. The night was silent except for their heavy breathing and Inferno's crackling flames.
"We need to regroup," he commanded, his voice hoarse but stern.
Inferno nodded, extinguishing her flames enough so that they were only blue licks of fire around her form. Her eyes were wide and scared but she masked it with an angry scowl.
"I'll keep a lookout," she said hurriedly before taking off into the air.
Metal Hand watched as she disappeared into the sky before turning to Teleforce who was shaking visibly.
"Pull yourself together!" He ordered with a growl, "Fucking pussy!"
Metal Hand's insult seemed to snap Teleforce out of his paralyzing fear. The young telekinetic's shaking subsided, replaced by a flash of anger. His cyan eyes flared as his breathing evened out.
"I'm not a pussy!" Teleforce muttered, his voice laced with a controlled fury.
Metal Hand grunted as he tried to connect with Wraith. "Then don't fucking act like one! I need you focused."
They stood in tense silence for a moment, the sounds of the night eerily absent. Teleforce closed his eyes, trying to extend his senses, but he couldn't pick up anything nearby. No movement. No vibrations. Just an oppressive, suffocating stillness.
"Where the hell is Inferno?" Metal Hand growled, scanning the horizon. He tried to focus on any telltale sign of her flaming presence, but the night offered nothing but darkness.
Suddenly, his comm device crackled to life, and Wraith's ghostly voice came through. "Metal Hand… I found Iceberg's body."
He tapped the communicator on his wrist. "Report."
Wraith's voice was low, almost a whisper. "He's dead. But it wasn't just a kill. His body… it's mutilated beyond recognition. It's like something fed on him, ripped him apart from the inside."
Metal Hand clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white under the metallic sheen of his namesake. "Is the enemy still nearby?"
"I'm not sure. I'm cloaked, but I feel like I'm being watched," Wraith admitted, her tone betraying a rare moment of unease. "This man, no… thing. it's not like anything we've ever encountered."
"We've lost Iceberg," Metal Hand said grimly. "Abort recon. Get back to us. Now."
"I'm on my wa-" Wraith replied before her signal abruptly cut off.
Metal Hand tensed, dread crawling down his spine. He tried reconnecting to her comm device, but there was no response. The silence that followed felt like a heavy weight pressing down on him.
"She's gone, isn't she?" Teleforce asked quietly, his gaze distant.
"Shut up," Metal Hand snapped. But deep down, he knew the kid was right.
Suddenly, the rooftop rumbled, a tremor passing through the building beneath their feet. Teleforce's eyes widened as a low growl echoed from below them.
"What the hell is that?" Teleforce whispered, panic creeping back into his voice.
Metal Hand's response was swift. "Stay close. If anything comes at us, hit it with everything you've got!"
RUMBLE!!!
Suddenly, the rooftop exploded in a shower of concrete and metal as a massive figure erupted from below. The man's hulking form was obscured by the dust and debris, but its gleaming obsidian hands, the same ones that had snatched Iceberg, were unmistakable.
The figure loomed over them, its outline barely visible in the night.
"Black Noir!"
The hero ignored them as he looked up into the sky, seemingly looking for something.
Without hesitation, Metal Hand launched himself forward, his fist glowing with a metallic sheen as he aimed a devastating punch at the man's chest. His strike landed with a thunderous crash, but the figure barely flinched, absorbing the impact like it was nothing.
"Damn it!" Metal Hand snarled, pulling back just in time as the figure returned the attack before his fist suddenly stopped inches from his face.
Black Noir looked at his first with a tilt of his head, before pulling it back and waving it back and forth.
Teleforce, though visibly shaken, raised both hands, focusing his mind on Black Noir. His eyes glowed with a fierce cyan light, trying to pin him down with his telekinetic force.
"My powers are not working!" Teleforce shouted, panic lacing his voice as he watched the black-themed hero continue to move his body slowly.
"Keep it up!" Metal Hand roared as he continued to land blow after blow that seemed to do little to nothing.
He instinctively ducked down to avoid another swipe that stopped inches from his head, seeing his life flash before his eyes each time it happened. He could feel the power radiating off the beast, a dark, oppressive strength that gnawed at his resolve.
"We need to take this bitch down or we're fucked!"
As the two of them fought to take Noir down, a sudden burst of red flames cut through the night.
Inferno swooped down from above, her entire body ablaze in a wild, uncontrollable inferno. She unleashed a torrent of fire at the man, the searing heat igniting the air around them.
Teleport continued to keep him in place desperately but found himself slowly unable to.
They watched as Noir's entire body was engulfed in flames as Inferno continued to unleash everything she had on the bastard.
After a minute of nonstop fire that lit up the night, Inferno stopped as she gasped for breath and almost dropped to the floor in exhaustion.
They all looked at the fire, half expecting to see Noir's charred body lying amongst the rubble. Their hopes were dashed however as the flames died down and revealed an unscathed figure, standing tall and unaffected while the flames danced around his armor.
"What the fuck?!" Inferno shouted, her voice edged with fear and frustration as she hovered above the rooftop, fire crackling at her fingertips.
He extended a hand towards her and she ignited once again, lashing out with a whip of fire that was swatted aside effortlessly.
With a burst of speed, Noir closed the distance in an instant.
Teleforce renewed his efforts then, a visible force field forming around them. It shuddered visibly under Noir's nonchalant attack.
"Metal Hand!" Teleforce shouted over the sound of cracking energy. "Fucking stop him before he kills us!"
Metal Hand surged forward, landing another punch with enough force that it would have sent any other super flying. But Black Noir simply staggered back a few steps before righting himself.
He lifted his gaze and locked eyes with Metal Hand, and for the first time since becoming a superhuman, Metal Hand felt fear creep into him.
Noir lunged forward with unnatural speed, his hand piercing through the force field, and reached for Teleforce. Before Metal Hand could react, the obsidian fingers wrapped around Teleforce's outstretched hand, violently pulling him out of the psychic force field.
The psychic user had less than a second to react before he became a statistic in Black Noir's kill count.
Fortunately for him, he stopped Noir before he could rip him apart! Unfortunately? He was now stuck in Noir's deadly grip as he began to slowly tear him apart.
Teleforce screamed as the bones in his hand cracked and flesh torn open, his body thrashing as he tried to summon his powers to escape, but Noir's grip was too strong.
"NO!" Metal Hand bellowed, launching himself toward the hero. He slammed his fist into his arm, trying to free Teleforce from its grasp, but Noir's hold was unbreakable.
Inferno swooped down, her flames flaring even brighter as she joined the assault.
"Let him go! You fuck!" she screamed, unleashing a concentrated blast of fire at the man's face that could melt steel. The flames engulfed the beast's head, obscuring it in a searing blue inferno.
For a moment, it seemed like the attack might work.
The hero staggered backward, releasing his grip on Teleforce, who dropped to the ground with a gasp. But as the flames subsided, all they could see was the melting mask that revealed empty blue eyes that were glaring murderously at them.
As the mask completely melted off, the three supes could only gap at the face that was revealed.
The pale white skin, the messy blonde hair, and the blue eyes resonated with an icy menace. It was a face they all knew, a face the whole world knew. A face they revered and feared in equal measures.
Homelander.
It was him, or rather, a near-exact replica of him. It was as if they were staring into the face of Homelander himself, but while there were similarities there were also differences.
Each facial feature was painstakingly similar, the sharp angles of his cheekbones, the chiseled jawline, and even the slight cleft of his chin.
The only thing that differed was the cold, emotionless gaze that contradicted Homelander's charismatic, hope-filled one.
Teleforce's eyes widened with disbelief and fear, his powers whimpering as he tried to move, his injuries too severe.
"No… it can't be…" he whispered, falling to his knees.
Inferno's flames flickered as she hovered in shock, her expression mirrored the horror growing within her. The heat that usually radiated from her started to diminish.
Her voice echoed with uncertainty when she finally spoke, "H-Homelander?"
Metal Hand stood statue-like, frozen by the revelation.
"Impossible..." Metal Hand whispered, his metallic fingers clenching into fists so tight the metal groaned under his pressure. "They said he was still in his country…"
The little hope of them winning died a horrible and painful death.
Homelander, or whatever this thing was, took a slow step forward. The chilling emptiness in those blue irises, devoid of any emotion, radiated something far more dangerous than even the original hero could convey.
Pure, unadulterated menace.
Metal Hand clenched his fists tighter and made the best decision at that moment.
"Move!" he barked, shaking his head as if to dispel the fear paralyzing him. "We have to retreat! NOW!"
Inferno, still hovering above, snapped out of her shock at Metal Hand's command.
"We can't leave! If this thing is really him, we're dead no matter where we go!" Her voice trembled with fear but hardened with defiance. Her flames reignited with a burst of energy, swirling around her in an angry blaze.
Teleforce, gasping in pain as he struggled to stand, stared at the figure before them, his mind racing in disbelief.
"This… this isn't him. It can't be." He clutched his injured arm, the bones in his hand shattered, blood seeping through his suit. He tried to summon his powers, his glowing cyan eyes flickering weakly as they struggled pitifully to hold Noir back.
"We don't stand a chance either way!" Metal Hand roared, forcefully grabbing Teleforce by the collar and dragging him back. "Inferno, cover us!"
The fire-wielding woman didn't need to be told twice. With a primal scream, she unleashed everything she had, her body becoming a living embodiment of destruction. Flames exploded outward, swirling in a massive inferno that enveloped the rooftop. The fire roared with a deafening intensity, a vortex of blue and orange that seemed to consume the very air around them.
As the flames raged, Metal Hand hoisted Teleforce over his shoulder and sprinted toward the edge of the building.
With a powerful leap, Metal Hand soared into the night, his powerful legs absorbing the impact as he landed on the rooftop after rooftop. He set Teleforce down, turning just in time to see Inferno fly through the firestorm, her body trailing flames as she landed beside them.
Behind them, the inferno raged on, casting long shadows across the cityscape. But as they watched in horror, the flames began to part, revealing the figure within. Homelander's copy stepped through the fire, completely untouched, his icy gaze never leaving them.
The flames seemed to bend around him, as though they were afraid to touch him.
"Run," Metal Hand whispered, his voice barely audible. "RUN!"
Without another word, the three of them bolted, leaping from rooftop to rooftop in a desperate bid for survival. The oppressive night air clung to them as they raced through the city, the looming presence of the doppelganger never far behind.
"We need to regroup with what's left of the team!" Inferno gasped, glancing over her shoulder at the burning rooftop they'd left behind. Her flames sputtered and flickered, the toll of her earlier attack weakening her.
"There's no one left to regroup with!" Teleforce hissed, his voice ragged with pain. "Wraith is probably fucked. Iceberg is dead. And now… whatever that thing is—it's hunting us!"
"Keep moving!" Metal Hand commanded, his eyes darting around, looking for any semblance of cover as he began to tap away at his communication device. "We need a plan. We might stand a chance if we regroup with the others, and if we have no other choice, we'll have to use our last resort!"
Suddenly, a deafening sound echoed through the air, and before they could react, the figure appeared in front of them, blocking their path.
Metal Hand skidded to a halt, his heart pounding in his chest. "You… what are you?"
Black Noir didn't respond. He merely raised his hand, the same obsidian-black hand that had crushed Iceberg earlier, and pointed it toward them as something flew out of his hands at impossible speeds.
A low hum filled the air, and the very atmosphere around them seemed to warp.
"Move!" Metal Hand shouted, pushing Inferno and Teleforce aside, barely getting them out of the way of two daggers that were about to pierce through their skull.
He lunged forward, his metallic fists glowing with power. He swung with all his might, aiming for the figure's head, but his blow never landed.
In a blur of motion, the doppelganger dodged, its movements unnaturally fast. It grabbed Metal Hand mid-punch, its fingers digging into his arm with crushing force. Metal Hand roared in pain as his metal-encased arm buckled under the pressure.
"Raagghh!"
His teammates stared in shock at their commander screaming out in agonizing pain.
"Metal Hand!"
In a calculated manner, Noir gazed down at the man who was writhing on his knees in pain. He lifted his other arm, poised to deliver the final blow.
In the face of absolute death, Metal Hand bore down on his agony, straining against the grip that threatened to shatter his arm.
He closed his eyes, waiting for his end.
Click!
The sound of something metal clicked in place before Metal Hand was suddenly let go and dropped to the ground with a thud. A portal then opened underneath Metal Hand and swallowed him up in the barest of a second.
Inferno and Teleforce, who were left behind, watched as the once seemingly invincible hero writhed in agonizing pain, grasping at his neck where a mysterious metal collar had appeared.
A few buildings over, Planeshifter and Sharpshot appeared on a secluded rooftop.
She was panting heavily, her face pale from the strain of teleportation. It was never simple to carry others along these interdimensional lanes, and with Metal Hand unconscious, his mechanical arm added considerable weight.
A metallic clink echoed through the deserted alleyway, causing both of them to jerk their heads toward the sound; it was Metal Hand's arm coming in contact with the concrete floor. His eyes were closed, and he was groaning in pain, each breath rasping out of his throat.
"You think the collar will be enough?" Planeshift questioned as she laid Metal Hand down and got to work.
"No," Sharpshot answered as he glared in the direction of where Noir and their other two teammates were. "From the looks of it, they have a measly minute, if not less, to get the hell out of there."
His guess was soon proven terribly wrong however as within the next second the collar around Black Noir's neck shattered into pieces.
"…And that was a stronger model too." The man grumbled to himself as he readied another collar to shoot at Noir. "You think you can teleport us the hell out of here in the next minute or so?"
"No, it took a lot out of me just to save this idiot," The teleporter sighed as she took out a red vial and began putting it in a syringe. "The best I can do is teleport us a couple of meters. If you're hoping for more than that then you're going to have to hold that monster back for a day. You think you can manage that?"
She asked sarcastically before she grabbed a water bottle and splashed it on their leader's face.
Metal Hand began to come to life as he groaned, finally regaining consciousness. His eyes fluttered open, taking in his surroundings before they landed on Planeshifter and Sharpshot.
"What the fuck took you so long." Metal Hand rasped, more than a little pissed at them.
"Shut up bitch, you owe me for saving your pathetic ass," Planeshift growled as she handed him the syringe and then prepared another one.
Sharpshot stood nearby, his gaze staring at Teleforce and Inferno as fought against Noir with all their desperate might.
"That thing… it's still out there and I don't think it's going to stop until it kills each and every last one of us."
Metal Hand forced himself up, ignoring the pain still coursing through his body. "We need to regroup with Inferno and Teleforce. If we don't find a way to kill this thing, it's going to pick us off one by one."
Sharpshot turned, his expression grim. "Do you even have a plan? Because whatever that thing is, it's beyond anything we've ever faced. And if it really is some fucked up clone of Homelander…"
The words hung heavily in the air.
Metal Hand clenched his fists, his mind racing. "We don't have a choice. We either fight… or die."
Planeshifter glanced between the two men and groaned. "Then we need to move fast. I can still use my powers, but it gets harder with every use. I'm not sure how many more jumps I can make."
"Do what you can," Metal Hand said, his voice hardening with resolve. "We'll make our stand together. And if we're going down… we'll take that bastard with us."
They stared at the red syringe that gave off a foreboding glow.
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Somewhere thousands of miles away, in a whole other country in fact.
A certain man flying in the sky turned and stared in their direction.