Just as the Bishop reached forward to touch the Baron, his hand stopped.
He didn't stop it, another figure did. He looked down to see someone, something, grabbing him by the wrist: stopping his advance.
It was Jake.
But not quite.
He was much taller than usual: rivalling the Executioner in size. His skin was pitch black and the blue markings on it were much, much darker. Not only did his horns double in size, but several new ones grew across his sleeves, knees, and waist.
Somehow he managed to look even more rabid and monstrous than before.
"What is this?" the Bishop said with a smile. "Some kind of last resort? Your trump card?"
Jake was silent.
The Bishop's smile vanished.
No matter.
The Bishop then pulled his arm back and opened his palm. His hammer formed within it soon after. This time: with Umbra's power coursing through him: he felt his hammer had the strength to damage even Canman.
He sent the weapon flying at Jake's head.
It broke instantly.
And Jake didn't suffer any damage.
"Run..." she said quietly.
"Wh... what the hell..."
The Bishop heard her voice speaking to him. Begging him.
"Run."
Jake lifted his free hand and raised it above his head. He then straightened his fingers.
The Bishop knew what was coming and acted quickly: throwing the hammer's broken remains to the side and chopping off his own arm.
He then jumped out of the way of Jake's attack: keeping his distance by about 15 metres.
Jake stared at him: not a single emotion in his eyes. His pupils were gone: replaced by a pitch black nothingness that upset even him.
"What the hell is this? This look, this power: it feels like Umbra. But how? I took the Baron from you. You should have no shadow power at all," the Bishop asked as his arm regenerated quickly.
"Not exactly," Jake said: his voice a deep guttural noise that unsettled the Bishop even more. If someone told him this thing used to be human: he wouldn't believe them.
"What do you mean?"
"A while ago, Jake made a deal with Umbra and fused himself to her: creating an entirely new entity," Jake explained coldly.
The Bishop felt himself shudder. It wasn't him: though: he knew that. It was Umbra.
"That entity is me. I am the Shadow. However, I'm no longer connected to Umbra or her schemes: so I deserve a new name. From now on, you shall know me as the Abyss," he clarified: his fully exposed teeth twisting to form a disgusting smile.
"No longer connected to her?" the Bishop said: prying further despite Umbra quietly telling him to stop and go for the Baron instead.
"I was mindless before. Just a pawn for her games. Once Jake overpowered her and took his body back: I was left to live within his mind. There I developed a personality of my own. Similar to Jake's: but not so different from Umbra."
"And why do you not serve her anymore? Why are you not helping me? Helping us?"
"I have my own goals. Umbra's continued meddling gets in the way of that. Thus, both you and her will be eliminated," Abyss said: articulating his words in a way the Bishop never thought possible with how savage his voice sounded.
"Mind telling me what those goals are?" the Bishop pried.
"Why should I bother? You'll be dead soon."
Umbra's silent warnings turned into screams and the Bishop did well to finally heed them: realizing the thing he was talking to wasn't an ally in the slightest.
He made a beeline for the Baron: moving faster than he ever did before. He was so fast he was untraceable now. Not even his old self would have been able to see him move.
He ran forward reaching out to grab him. One touch: one finger reaching him was all he needed. Then he'd be fully absorbed.
Then Umbra would be able to come here.
It wouldn't matter if he died then and there. He knew he wasn't surviving a battle with that thing: not now, not ever: but as long as he offered this world to his goddess: nothing else mattered. If anything did: he wouldn't have devoted his entire life to this cause.
He was just mere centimetres from his prey when he stopped. He felt something on his shoulder. Something cold.
He looked over to see a hand. The same hand that stopped him before. Jake's hand... no...
Abyss's hand.
"You're not doing that, chum."
"Let me go! We are on the same side here! We're supposed to be: at least! Umbra made you. She's your master! You traitorous wretch! You're supposed to obey her! You're supposed..."
"Let me talk to her."
"Wh... what?"
Before the Bishop could say no: Umbra spoke through his lips. He was about to object: but stopped: realizing this was his last chance at completing his mission. If she could convince him here...
"My child," she said softly: the Bishop's voice morphing into that of a woman.
"Mother."
"Why do you betray me? Why do you stand with that pathetic human?"
"I don't stand with him, mother. His goals just align with mine."
"You want to help people? Be some kind of paragon of goodness? That is beyond you, my child. You are a descendant of a God. This world is yours to take. Why waste that chance?"
Abyss laughed.
He broke into a deep malicious laughter: the likes of which Umbra would never associate with someone on the side of good.
"His goals align with mine: but that doesn't mean they are the same. Yours, on the other hand, don't. Therefore: you and these servants of yours must be removed."
"What goals are these? Tell me! Let me help you. Let me into this world and let me take over. Then your goals will be complete. I can give you the world, my child. Just let my servant touch that foolish Baron."
Abyss looked down for a moment. Thinking.
Was he considering it?
"Nah. I'm good."
Umbra: through the Bishop: lashed out at her son: filling his body with even more amounts of her power. He morphed several arms bearing his mighty hammer in each hand. He sent the weapons flying at the foe with the ferocity to rival a natural disaster.
Any mortal would have been obliterated by the attack.
But not the Abyss.
He got into a battle stance: charging his energy into his arm. Not blue energy: not shadow energy: something else.
An unholy fusion of the two.
He then punched the Bishop: overpowering all the hammers: all the arms: and destroying Umbra's servant just like that.
In one punch: he ended the cult's reign of terror forever. Something not even Canman: the original Danger Squad, or the Super Society could do.
Abyss looked over his work. The Bishop was nothing more than a pool of blood and gore now. Obliterated by his mighty fist. He smiled at his work. The same disgusting smile he bore when the fight began.
Soon his smile turned into a small chuckle. Then the chuckle turned into a loud bellowing laugh: like a creature out of someone's nightmares.
As he laughed: he heard the head of the Bishop cut him off with his own laugh.
Abyss stopped instantly.
"What's wrong? It's not funny anymore?"
Abyss was silent.
"I gave my life for this. My family. My job. Everything. I had a life, you know. At least I think I did. A good one: or a bad. I can't remember anymore. I threw it all away because I wanted more. 50 years. 50 years I threw away for this mission. Who would've thought it'd all fall apart thanks to Umbra's own son? It's beautiful, really: in an ironic kind of way."
Abyss was still silent.
"I fought the Super Society. The Danger Squad: well, the original one and not this assortment of fools: the Vigilante League: the Government itself: and always came out laughing. I made allies with the Demonoid Cult: the Ogre Clan: the Broker's Legion: the Servants of Scourge: Mr. E... so many monsters I had to ally myself with: and it all meant nothing."
Abyss let him ramble on: confused how he was still alive despite being just a severed head.
"Milten was one of them, you know."
Abyss glared at him now.
"What?"
"Oh, interested in my ramblings now? Well, yes. How else do you think we got the human girl? What was her name again? Ah, who fucking cares? Just... tell that foolish boy you're living with that Milten is not a man to be trusted."
Abyss smiled.
"Oh? Got something to say?"
"Now that's pretty funny."
The two then broke into laughter: like they were the best of friends. Shortly after: the Bishop choked on a stream of blood and died right then and there. Abyss laughed even harder at that.
"You hear that, Jake? Your own boss. The man who convinced you to continue with this pitiful hero nonsense: sold you out. How fucking hilarious," Abyss said to himself. He felt his power fading. His size decreasing: his horns shrinking: and the spikes around his body falling off.
Jake was taking control again.
It didn't matter. He'd run out of stamina the second he's in control again. Still: watching the aftermath of all this put a smile on his face as he faded away.
"The fun is just beginning, my friend," Abyss said: as he faded back into Jake's mind.
Jake fell on the ground soon after. Not even enough energy left to stand.
His mind raced. He had won.
No.
Abyss had won.
Who was the Abyss? Seeing him in action now made Jake shudder in fear. That power was insane.
And he made it very clear he wasn't an ally.
What did he want? What were his goals? He didn't want to think about it.
One: because he knew Abyss could hear his thoughts: and two: he was afraid of the implications.
He thought of something else.
Milten.
He cried.
Cried at the fact he let this happen.
At the fact he let Milten trick him.
It was all a ploy. He knew why Milten would do this. To use him to catch the Lost Light. To motivate him into going after them.
Jake looked around. The team was all unconscious. The kids too. Max was the only one trying to stand. He smiled at him. In the end: Max was right all along.
Jake was nothing but a tool.
That's all Jake was. A tool. Just like Max said: oh so long ago.
A pencil to be used and discarded once its job was done. Just a damn tool.
He looked over to see the Baron. Just a torso now. He managed to save him. Whether or not he'd betray them all was up to fate.
Then: his eyes turned again to a tank. The tank that kept Ivy. She was left alone for the whole fight: surprisingly. She darted around the water like a curious animal. Then she looked at him. Their eyes met and were fixed for the longest time.
Jake enjoyed every second of it.
He was tricked. Used as a weapon. Ivy was used, too: as bait. That didn't matter now. He won. He saved her.
He knew Max would call Milten here. His men would come to take them back to base. He'd give Ivy her collar: turning back to normal.
And when that's all said and done: he'd leave and take her with him.
He'd never be used like that again. Never again.
Jake let out a long stream of laughter. Why he laughed, even he didn't know. All he knew was he was done being a tool.
And as he did: everything faded to black...
To be continued.