Chapter 18: SHUT IT DOWN, NOW!

10 advance chapters on P@treon.com/Saintbarbido.

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(Angel's P.O.V)

I had a tooth loose.

And my bottom lip was split. Nothing broken fortunately.

But I still kept on fighting.

The Android had to be the most powerful and dangerous opponent I've ever gone up against. And trust me, I've gone up against some scary monsters.

2 seconds into the fight Amazo had copied my Cryokinesis and Pyrokinesis and begun to use them both...silmutenously.

Even I was couldn't do that. Yet.

He managed to copy and improve my abilities.

So I switched to using super speed and SAMBO.

SAMBO is a mixed martial art practice, including extensive forms of striking and grappling. Punches, kicks, elbows, knees, headbutts and groin strikes are allowed.

But it's true utility lay on the fast and devastating chain of attacks, providing a good synergy effect with my reactionary speed and elemental infused blows.

After Amazo begun to use my ice and fire attacks better than even I could, I fell back and relied on experience and pure skill to match it's attack potency.

Mostly by skating around the Android on ice while deploying long range attacks for diversion.

Then propelling myself with my flames closer whenever there was an opening.

Capitalizing on the rapidly dwindling openings, as its rate of copying extended to my general fighting strategy, I started to whittle away at its carapace, even managing to leave a few dents and burst apart an eye lens.

Unfortunately, the armor was too durable to leave any meaningful damage, even while landing a hundred punches and kicks in a single second.

Things took a turn for the worse when the damn thing copied my super speed and created a counter for my Sambo.

(General P.O.V)

"Is big brother okay?"

Candie couldn't help but ask, biting her bottom lip in concern for Angel.

The blue and red blur clashing against a green and silver blur was all she could see. And it worried her greatly that the blue and red blur was losing.

"Nonsense! Amazo is collecting so much data!"

Ivo cackled, typing on the console almost as fast as the fight going on around them.

Luckily for them, the professor had elected a hard light field, confining the fight in a small area within the facility.

So Scandal, him and his MONQI's were spared from the Elemental maestrom taking place within the hard light field.

That said, it was evident that this couldn't go on.

The little girl had her face and hands pressed on the hard light field, her worry only mounting as Angel seemed to be pressed, fighting an opponent that knew all his tricks.

And on the console screen next to her, Angel's biometrics showed his energy output was decreasing while Amazo's were increasing.

The Android's adaptability and assimilation were too much, even for her powerful brother.

Scandal wasn't versed in technology as the Professor, but she could infer the red sections highlighted across her brother's body on the screen were not good.

"Shut it off."

She tugged on Ivo's coat, her tone agitated.

"Sssh!"

The professor shushed her.

"Just a few more minutes! Your brother knows what he's doing, just trust in his...ah, conviction, yes Conviction! Trust in his conviction alright young lady? Good."

Scandal narrowed her eyes at him.

Ivo's focus returned to the screen.

"Now Amazo's base parameters have surpassed young Savage but his core is at risk of overheating. He's not programmed to sustain such high levels of heat and cold. The rapid shift in temperature is not helping matters. But if I could upgrade his matrix using..."

Finally the little girl had enough of being ignored.

"SHUT IT DOWN. NOW!"

She yelled.

Her voice was like a hot knife through butter, cutting short Ivo's mad ramblings.

Without even realizing, the Professor stiffened, before pressing a button on the console.

"Shut down sequence executed. Amazo offline."

The computer called out and the fight happening within the hard light field came to a stop.

Angel was revealed, face red, sweat dotting his forehead and breathing harshly.

He had Frost halfway out of his shadow, about to intercept the Android's palm- which was wreathed in a cone of ice and fire energy.

The light in Amazo's eyes faded to black as well as the attack it was about to release, dissolving away.

Angel breathed out a sigh of relief, noticing the pain and exhaustion in his body.

A complicated exexpression appeared in his eyes as he looked at the Android.

That was one of the hardest fights he had ever been in. And it also showed him some hidden weaknesses within his fighting style.

"I need more training."

He muttered to himself, letting Frost sink into his shadow.

Then he passed by the Android and approached Ivo and Scandal.

"Brother!"

His little sister ran towards him and slammed into his midsection, burying her head in his belly while hugging him tightly.

"I'm so glad you're okay. I was so worried."

Angel smiled, rubbing her head.

"Really? Don't be. I'm strong and I'll get even stronger."

"Stronger than that stupid Android?"

She questioned.

"Yeah. Much stronger."

Angel replied with levity, but inside, his words rang with resolve.

Turning to Ivo, he narrowed his eyes at the way the Professor was looking at Scandal. It was almost a look of...fear.

"What is it?"

Angel asked him.

Ivo established eye contact with the former, gulping before he answered.

"I believe young master Savage, your sister might be a Telepath as well."

-0-

They talked some more. Mostly about Scandal's potential but also about the Android.

Angel wanted the Professor to keep improving Amazo so that he could keep on fighting it. Inspite of the danger the Android posed, it was the perfect sparring partner.

Afterwards, it was time to leave. But before Angel and Camdue could enter through Shade's shadow, Angel turned to Ivo one last time and threw something at him.

One of the MONQI's grabbed the object and handed it over to Ivo, who gasped upon seeing what it was.

"It's called a Fatherbox."

Angel told the Professor who was immediately engrossed in studying the device.

"It's a sentient computer with various degrees of uses. It has already bonded to me, so take it apart and I'll know. Even Amazo won't save you from my wrath then."

"Then what do you want me to do with it?"

Ivo asked in exasperation.

Angel frowned.

"Although it's bonded to me, I can feel someone watching me whenever I use it. Get rid of that little peeping bug and I'll guarantee you 1 million dollars for your trouble."

Ivo whistled. A million dollars might not seem much to a villain that could easily rob a bank but...it was free riskless money.

"Consider it done."

The Professor gave a thumbs up, before waving them away.

"Now get out of here, I have work to do."

-0-

(3 days later)

2 days. That's how long Bane was stuck in that red ice.

He could feel his body cook from within, his skin burn- like billions of fireants biting every inch of him.

He had endured all that irritating pain for 2 whole fucking days, until the red ice melted.

Upon melting, he found himself in a cell. It wasn't big, merely the size of a 3 bathroom stalls. The floor was made of a hard rock with a bed and a place to do his business at the far left corner.

The cell doors were made of metal bars.

Upon that realization, he had immediately tried to break them. By punching, trying to wrench out the bolts and even picking the lock.

When that didn't work he went back to punching, only to stop when amused laughter sounded out from the next room on the other side of the wall.

"That won't work. Trust me, you're wasting time. The entire cell is constructed of a dense and hard material. You'll break your hands before you bend a single bar."

Following the laughter, the voice revealed.

Looking at his bleeding knuckles, Bane came to the conclusion that the mysterious voice was right.

"Who the hell are you cabrón?"

Bane asked.

"Well, you got that part right."

Angel stated, appearing from a shadow outside the cell.

"He certainly is a bastard."

"Oh my, you wound me with your words, Mr. Savage."

The mysterious voice replied.

"You."

Bane seethed at Angel, body shaking in anger.

"You killed my men, almost destroyed my factory."

Angel smirked, walking forward with the gait of someone who knew they held all the cards.

"And I'm here to give you a chance to get it all back Bane."

(General P.O.V)

(Infinity Island)

Ra's sat alone in a darkened room filled with 5 screens.

A servant served him tea before leaving, slinking off into the shadows.

He waved a hand and 4 of the screens turned on.

"Everyone is present, good. Let us begin."

Queenbee spoke from one of the screens, officially commencing the Light's meeting.

For the first 2 hours, the premier supervillains discussed matters of world domination, the heroes, argued over common interests, shared profits, and generally anything to increase their hold on the planet by furthering their plans.

And then finally, the time to discuss the real reason the meeting had been called arrived.

Queen bee cleared her throat, her imperial authority evident in every minute action she did. Her hard eyes regarded the Demon's head.

"Ra's Al Ghul"

She begun,

"As the current Chairperson, I hold you in question to the failure of the mission that was assigned to you a few days ago."

Ra's nodded, already expecting this.

"I do not excuse myself of this...misstep. But my men have paid for it with their lives. As you all know, the Lazarus Tournament is in a week, I plan to extend an invitation to our 'friend's' successor. And once he arrives, the deed shall be taken care of."

Queenbee smiled, raising a glass.

"Then a toast to our eventual success. May the shadows be illuminated by the Light."

""May the shadows be illuminated by the Light.""

Five voices echoed out in unison.