89:For that, you shall face judgment

The X-Mansion grounds lay in ruin as the remaining X-Men and allies fought desperately to hold their own against Gallowglass, who seemed to feed off their suffering, each swing of his fists more punishing than the last. The once lush grounds were scorched, craters dotting the earth where Gallowglass's feet landed or where his volatile energy blasts had decimated whatever they touched. The few students who had been at the mansion had fled into the underground bunkers, led there by Hank McCoy, leaving the senior X-Men and Tony's team to face down the nightmare that was Gallowglass alone.

Peter staggered to his feet, battered and bloody, his Spider-Man suit torn in multiple places. His breaths came in heavy gasps as he clutched his side, wincing with every breath. His web-shooters had been rendered useless after being crushed in Gallowglass's grasp, and his left arm was likely broken. Still, he refused to back down, standing beside Tony, who wasn't faring much better. His armour was dented and sparking, several sections scorched black from Gallowglass's energy blasts. Tony's faceplate was cracked, revealing one eye as he glared at their opponent.

Gallowglass seemed almost delighted by their defiance. His cold, grey lips curled into a cruel smile as he let out a low chuckle. "Is that all you've got? I expected more from Earth's 'mightiest.' Pathetic."

Peter gritted his teeth, spitting blood onto the ground. "Pathetic? You're the one who needs a force field to keep up with us."

A dark look crossed Gallowglass's face, and he raised his hand, a swirling ball of energy forming in his palm. "Let's see if you're still this brave when I peel that mask off your face."

With a swift motion, he released the blast, the energy tearing through the air. Tony lunged forward, intercepting the attack with a blast from his own repulsors, the two forces colliding in a brilliant, blinding flash. For a moment, it seemed like Tony's energy would hold, but Gallowglass's sheer strength overwhelmed him, the blast striking Tony dead-on and sending him hurtling backward. He crashed into the ground, skidding across the scorched grass and coming to a stop several feet away, motionless.

"Tony!" Peter cried out, staggering toward his fallen mentor. Before he could reach him, Gallowglass was upon him, grabbing him by the front of his suit and lifting him effortlessly off the ground. Peter struggled, kicking and punching, but his blows seemed to have no effect on the towering warrior.

"You're just a child playing hero," Gallowglass sneered, his grip tightening. Peter's vision began to blur as he gasped for breath, his struggles growing weaker.

Then, with a fierce cry, Logan charged at Gallowglass, his claws flashing in the sunlight. He leapt, slashing at the force field surrounding Gallowglass. Sparks flew as his claws scraped against the barrier, but Gallowglass barely flinched. Annoyed, he released Peter, letting him fall to the ground in a heap, and turned his attention to Logan.

"You don't know when to quit, do you?" Gallowglass growled, reaching out and grabbing Logan by the throat. He lifted him effortlessly, squeezing until Logan's face turned red from the lack of oxygen. Logan snarled, his claws digging into Gallowglass's wrist, but it was like stabbing a stone.

"Let him go!" Ororo's voice rang out as she raised her hands to the sky. Dark clouds gathered above, swirling and crackling with lightning. She directed a bolt of lightning at Gallowglass, the raw energy crackling as it struck his force field, shattering it momentarily. He dropped Logan, who collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath.

Gallowglass glared at Ororo, his eyes narrowing. "You'll regret that."

He raised his hand, another blast of energy forming in his palm. Ororo barely had time to react as he unleashed the blast, the energy striking her directly in the face. She screamed as the force of the impact sent her flying backward, her body slamming into the ground. The blast had left her face charred, her once-proud gaze now hidden behind burns that marred her skin. She struggled to move, her strength waning.

"No!" Peter's voice cracked as he pushed himself up, desperate to reach her.

But then, as if summoned by her agony, the air around Ororo began to shimmer, a rippling effect that grew in intensity. From within the distortion, a figure emerged, stepping into view as if crossing the boundary between worlds.

A towering figure, adorned in golden armour that glowed with an otherworldly light, stood between Gallowglass and the fallen Ororo. His presence exuded an aura of command and authority that made even the ground beneath him seem to tremble. His armour bore intricate engravings, ancient symbols that pulsed with a faint blue light. A massive golden bow was slung across his back, the quiver at his side brimming with arrows that seemed to be made of pure energy.

Gallowglass paused, narrowing his eyes at this unexpected arrival. "And who are you supposed to be?"

The figure straightened, his voice echoing across the battlefield with a resonant, almost musical quality. "I am Arathion, the Golden Archer of the Endless. Defender of She Who Commands the Storms."

With a slow, deliberate movement, Arathion reached for his bow, drawing it from his back. He nocked an arrow, the energy at its tip glowing brighter as he drew back the string. His gaze never wavered from Gallowglass as he aimed, his expression calm and unyielding.

"You have harmed my mistress," Arathion said, his voice low but filled with a quiet fury. "For that, you shall face judgment."

The air thickened as Arathion's golden figure stood firm against the chaotic aura emanating from Gallowglass. The two warriors locked eyes, a silent tension mounting between them. Gallowglass let out a low growl, his fists crackling with the volatile energy that made him so fearsome. But Arathion's gaze remained calm, his stance unwavering. In one fluid motion, he drew his bow, the arrow glowing with an ethereal light, and released it with a subtle grace. The battlefield fell into a charged silence as the arrow arced through the air with the precision of a blade.

*Thud.*

Gallowglass's force field absorbed the impact, but cracks rippled along its surface. He sneered, though a glimmer of doubt flickered in his gaze. He lunged forward, fist cocked back to deliver a blow that would have shattered the earth beneath lesser beings. But Arathion moved like a breath of wind, sidestepping effortlessly, his movements graceful and unhurried.

Arathion's next arrow was loosed before Gallowglass could react, sinking into the ground just before his opponent's foot landed. In an instant, the arrow exploded in a blast of light and force, sending Gallowglass staggering back, his balance momentarily broken. But Arathion did not press; he waited, watching as Gallowglass steadied himself, his body pulsing with unchecked energy.

"You fight as if the ground itself sings your battle hymn," Gallowglass spat, straightening and eyeing Arathion with a mixture of contempt and caution. "But I am no fool to be toyed with."

He thrust his hand forward, unleashing a burst of raw, searing energy that ripped through the air like a comet. Arathion's form blurred as he moved, each step a seamless transition into the next, evading the blast with an almost ethereal elegance. He flowed through the strikes, seeming to dance on the edge of Gallowglass's fury, never breaking rhythm, always two steps ahead. For every blast of energy Gallowglass threw, an arrow from Arathion met it mid-flight, exploding in a flash that painted the battlefield in vibrant, shifting colours.

Gallowglass roared in frustration, charging forward with brute force. The ground quaked beneath his steps, each footfall a detonation that shook the ruins of the mansion and sent cracks spidering through the earth. Arathion met him head-on, yet even in this clash, his movements held a serene beauty, like leaves flowing downstream. He weaved and spun, his arrows landing with pinpoint accuracy in the small gaps of Gallowglass's failing shield.

One arrow struck his shoulder, and then another embedded itself in his thigh, finding vulnerabilities where none should exist. Gallowglass staggered back, clutching at the arrows as if they burned. They flared with an intense golden light, each one leaving trails of heat and power as they dissolved, weakening him.

"What...are you?" Gallowglass muttered, gritting his teeth against the pain. Arathion didn't answer. He simply raised his bow once more, drawing another arrow that blazed with an even fiercer light than those before it.

Gallowglass let out a furious bellow, the molecules of his skin vibrating with dangerous intensity, promising devastation should Arathion come any closer. "I will not fall to a golden shadow! Face me with strength, not tricks!"

Arathion's gaze softened with an almost pitying glint. "Strength is in one's purpose. You wield power like a blunt weapon, careless and crude."

He let the arrow fly.

The arrow struck Gallowglass's chest, tearing through his armour and striking his flesh, sending a shockwave that rippled outward in every direction.

Gallowglass staggered but did not fall, forcing himself forward, swinging his fists in a wild attempt to crush Arathion with sheer brute strength. But Arathion moved like water, his form shifting just out of reach, each step calculated and precise.

They clashed again, Gallowglass swinging madly, his strength battering against Arathion's composure.

Arathion parried each blow with his bow, the weapon's golden frame absorbing the impact without so much as a shudder.

The rhythm of their movements began to take on an eerie synchronicity, the violence of Gallowglass's attacks clashing against the beauty of Arathion's technique, each exchange forming a deadly, enthralling cadence.

*Step. Strike. Dodge. Twirl.*

Arathion's every motion was a lesson in elegance and precision, each movement flowing seamlessly into the next.

He danced around Gallowglass's onslaught, weaving patterns of light with his arrows, each shot a flawless symphony of purpose and skill. Gallowglass, with his brute strength, was a force of nature, chaotic and wild, but Arathion was a poem given form, his purpose etched in every arrow he drew.

But even Gallowglass could not keep up with the pace forever. As his attacks grew sluggish, Arathion seized the opening. With a final, fluid motion, he knocked Gallowglass's fist aside, sidestepping with an ease that spoke of centuries of practice. He nocked another arrow, this one blazing like a miniature sun, and fired it directly at Gallowglass's chest.

The arrow struck true, piercing through the force field as if it were paper. Gallowglass gasped, his gaze faltering as he looked down at the arrow embedded in his chest.

The golden light spread outward, illuminating his body from within, casting his features in a brilliant, almost holy glow.

He took a shaky step back, but his strength was gone, his furious energy extinguished.

Arathion stood over him, his expression one of quiet triumph, his gaze steady and unyielding.

The golden archer lowered his bow, watching as Gallowglass struggled to maintain his composure, his body flickering with remnants of energy that no longer obeyed him.

"You have no purpose," Arathion said softly, almost regretfully.

"No vision beyond destruction. In the presence of the Endless, such a being cannot stand."

With those words, he turned, his form dissolving into shimmering golden particles that floated into the air, leaving Gallowglass broken and defeated, a husk of the warrior he had been.

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