Fight to Survive

"Ah shit." Those were the only words I could utter before Doomsday was upon me. His movements were quick, far quicker than anything that size had a right to be and it left me little time to react. Even with my powers, I could barely raise my guard up in time before the blow struck and I quickly realised that even with the yellow sun radiation flowing through my veins, it was nowhere near enough.

It struck my guard and in that instant, my eyes widened in shock as I felt the weight behind the blow. The ground beneath my feet cratered, my footing giving out moments later as I was driven into the ground.

"▄▅▄▅▂▂▃▃▄▄▅!" Doomsday roared victoriously as it stood over me and I didn't make a single movement. The simple answer was that I was too afraid to do anything. I had always known how terrifyingly powerful Doomsday was, not only from what I remembered of my previous life and even from what I knew from this life.

But that single blow from Doomsday had truly put into light just how powerful Doomsday was. It was an insurmountable gap in strength that truly put into perspective and reminded me of why Superman had been killed by this beast. That was after years of exposure to a yellow sun. How was I meant to survive this thing after only just being given yellow sun radiation? The answer was, I wasn't. So much like coming into contact with a wild beast, it was best to play dead and hope it left me alone.

Some of the Kryptonian soldiers were still alive, their groans and moans attracting the attention of Doomsday away from me. When Doomsday stood on me to charge at the still alive Kryptonians I felt the crushing force pressing down upon my ribs, but by biting my lips I managed to restrain the urge to groan out in pain as I felt my body been driven further into the ground.

I don't know how long I laid there, unmoving and silent as Doomsday went around the room. There were sounds of conflict, of Direct Energy Rifles and Pistols firing at Doomsday, followed by roars and growls before a crunch.

Then silence.

Heart pounding, I closed my eyes, trying to calm my heart in hopes that Doomsday didn't hear it. Luckily for me, I was safe as Doomsday began to lumber away, but even then, I didn't move.

I waited silent, making sure that heavy footsteps of Doomsday eventually fizzled out and then, and only then did I move. But my footsteps were quiet, my movements small and slow, unwilling to make too much noise as I moved. Every time I took a step I paused, spreading my senses out to make sure that nothing was coming.

To call me terrified would be an understatement.

Even so, I reached the yellow sun machine and carefully, I unplugged the final tube. A hiss rushed out and I panicked, wrapping one hand around the tube in order to try and silence it. Even as I felt the heat against my hand, I held it close till it eventually stopped, but by that point, it was too late.

As revealed to me by the signature roar that left me frozen in fear. "▄▅▄▅▂▂▃▃▄▄▅!" Reacting quickly, I lifted the yellow sun machine over one shoulder and ran. I had no intention of staying here and being caught and being hit by Doomsday once more.

I could hear the thundering of footsteps and more roars from Doomsday as he gave chase, but I just focused on running. 'Come on, faster. I've gotta go faster!' I roared internally at myself, pushing my legs harder and harder. And even with my mind clouded by fear, I couldn't help but notice my surroundings blurring. Not because my vision was worsening, but it was the look of something passing by you at speed.

"▄▅▄▅▂▂▃▃▄▄▅!"

Yet the roar that sounded behind me told me that I still wasn't moving quick enough, even more so when I saw the encroaching shadow charging towards me on the wall. I didn't turn around, only closing my eyes as I tried to force my body to move faster. But at this moment I was once again reminded of just how outclassed and underpowered I was. As I was once again smacked to one side with a backhand strike that threw me into the wall.

I bounced off it, wind rushing from my lungs as I collapsed to the ground in a slump. Once again, I was engulfed in a shadow and opened my eyes to see Doomsday looking down at me, a foggy breath escaping its grotesque, monstrous lips.

Despite the situation and my oncoming death, I couldn't but chuckle unable to believe how everything had gone so bad. First I had spent my life fighting for Krypton and my father, Lor-Em. Then I betrayed Dru-Zod, a father figure in my life only to be betrayed in turn by my actual father and my own squadron of soldiers. I escaped nearly getting what I had wanted only to believe I would die in a crash, yet I was saved. And now, just when I thought I would finally be able to get off this planet with the power of a Kryptonian and I could begin my journey, it was once again stripped from me.

'But that was nothing but a lie.' Looking down at my hands, I pause when I notice them covered in yellow liquid. Then it flickered towards my right where the yellow sun machine laid broken, the chamber that once contained the liquid yellow sun broken open and seeping out across the floor and submerging me in it and a thought came to me, it was suicidal. 'I've got nothing left to lose, so I might as well place everything on that little chance of escape.'

Clenching my fist I swung up and struck Doomsday in the underside of his chin. Yet even as all it accomplished was knocking Doomsdays head back, I kept ongoing. First by lashing out with a kick to the inside of its left knee, buckling Doomsday but who still remained standing. Then I spun, and with my left leg, slammed a hock-kick into the side of its abdomen sent it stumbling to one side. This opening allowed me to scramble to my feet and raise my guard up, slowly moving back to put some distance between me and Doomsday.

'Strength, speed, durability. I'm completely outmatched in all facets.' I quickly summarised as Doomsday turned to me with a growl. 'But I have the skill, hopefully enough to buy me time to get out of here and escape to a ship.'

Doomsday came at me again and swung its fist at me bought as my mind began to calm and I could feel my power growing, I began to realise that yes, Doomsday was stronger and faster than me. But he ran purely on instinct, no training, no skill, no experience. Its strikes were predictable and easy to dodge once I recognised its movements.

The earlier fear and terror I felt giving away to one of calm purposiveness as I began to dodge the strikes. Parrying a few blows here and there, I then began to gain a little more confidence as I started capitalising on the many openings Doomsday had. This was the effect of the mental martial arts of Torquasm Vo.

Fists struck out, hitting Doomsday in its abdomen, its legs, its shoulders, its chest and even its head. Certainly, it didn't do much, I constantly backpedalling away to put distance between me and Doomsday who closed in on me rapidly. The blows I struck serving to not even temporarily stall him as Doomsday only jerked ever so slightly away and while it was disheartening to see, I kept at it.

I had no choice but to keep hitting Doomsday because if I didn't, that would be the end of my life. The fear and terror I once felt was still there, but whereas it once crippled me, I used it now as fuel to keep me fighting, like a wild animal backed into a corner, I just kept hitting and dodging.

And after a few moments, I began to notice little things here and there.

My strikes were beginning to land at a much quicker pace, almost appearing as a blur even to my own eyes. The sounds of my strikes became louder, a noticeable displacement of air beginning to burst out from the area in which I struck Doomsday. And above all else, Doomsday was being moved more noticeably.

My power was growing, my body that had been soaked in the yellow sun liquid was beginning to utilise that power more efficiently. More power filling every fibre of my being as I for the first time began to force Doomsday back a step for every two he took.

It may not seem like much, but to me, it was an immense achievement.

Perhaps though, I did become a little too overconfident in my attacks and began to overextend myself a little too much. A hook to the side followed by cross-jab-uppercut combo to the abdomen followed by me wrapping both hands around the back of Doomsday's head and brought it down while leaping into the air.

There was a deafening shockwave that sounded out, cracking the walls around us as I drove my knee into Doomsday's face. So deafening in fact that I clutched my ears in pain, ears ringing loudly.

This vulnerability left me exposed to a powerful uppercut that struck me in the chest. For a moment I felt like the world came to a stop, eyes slowly widening in shocked pain as I felt my ribcage rattle. Then blood burst from my mouth as I folded around the fist, feet lifting off the ground. This was followed by a second, much louder boom that threw me into the ceiling above.

Not only did I smash into the ceiling with enough force to shake the mountain itself, but it also packed enough force that I actually drilled through the mountain itself. A hole forming as my body dug through the rocks of the mountain before bursting out into open air.

I floated there limply for a moment, body twisting as I stared up at the fog that clouded the stars above. Then gravity took ahold of me and I plummeted to the ground.

-X- Line Break -X-

There was a moment, a stillness that fell upon the planet.

Then it came, a rumbling from the mountain before a portion of the side exploded out. Smoke billowed into the sky, joining the thick cloud of smoke that surrounded the planet as rocks and debris peppered the foot of the barren wasteland below.

Each strike of the rocks against the ground caused little explosions and craters all over the planet surface, some striking against the Kryptonian ships and while the Gunships and Hammerheads held up, a few of the Assault Ships did not. Explosions echoed across the barren planet, fire and smoke rushing into the air.

Yet one explosion followed a little later, louder in the sound of its impact and producing far more smoke than any previously before it.

"▄▅▄▅▂▂▃▃▄▄▅!"

It echoed across the landscape, like a wild creature announcing its victory to the world. A constant and ever-repeating sound as the mountain continued to shake violently, the top spire falling down like an avalanche.

And above, a break in the thick fog surrounding the planet began to form. A rare phenomenon that came about every few years and lasted only a few hours. Through the fog, flashes of light began to descend upon the sky and as the dust settled over the body that had struck the ground with such force a large crater lay there, more and more light began to peek through, bathing them in light.

There was a gasp, blue eyes widening as the figure clenched his fists around the dirt surrounding him.

The fight had only just begun.