"I know the circumstances of your formation and your leader are less than stellar. That's why I've come to cleanse this city."
"So you want to kill us?" Ivy said, her eyes glowing and fangs enlarging.
"No. Just expose you for the hypocrites you are. Just like that godforsaken Super Society. Who knows, when you eventually abandon Milten and his delusions, you might find a place with the League."
"What do you want, Watchman? We don't want to fight you," Paulina asked.
"Well, I do. I want Wyvern and his High Flyers. I'm gonna kill them all before this corrupted system gets their hands on them and turns them into weapons."
"What is he..."
Paulina raised her arm and Ivy shut up right there. It appeared this Watchman knew a lot of things he wasn't supposed to. She wanted to ask but realized she didn't really need that info for anything.
Milten was a shady guy who did shady shit and worked for a shady government. That was all she needed to know.
"You're... ugh..." Zack tried to stand up, his ears still ringing slightly. "Not killing anyone. Not on my watch."
"I respect the dedication. Encourage it, even. I want to see what the hell makes you all so special," Watchman said with a chuckle and took a step forward. The trio immediately tensed up.
He smirked.
"Watchdogs!" he shouted, causing all his forces to straighten and turn to him.
"Attack!"
The masked men descended from their positions and flooded the roof the trio were on.
Zack, despite his affliction, drew first blood and punched one of the men in the jaw.
It felt metallic.
He quickly ran over, kicking two extra men away, and removed the mask of the first.
"They're androids! No need to hold back, guys!" Zack shouted and bolted right for Watchman. "Take care of them. Watchman is mine."
"No! He's out of your league. All our leagues! We need to wait for Jake," Paulina shouted, trying to stop him.
"I'm starting to think we rely on him a little too much," Ivy said with a frown.
"Not enough, it seems," Paulina retorted.
Zack ignored her orders and went for him anyway.
He shrunk to the size of a marble and ricocheted through the heads of ten Watchdogs. One tried to grab him but was destroyed. Two more tried to crush him, but he dodged them, grabbed one by the arm, and flung him into the other.
When another set came at him, he sighed.
"These guys just keep coming, don't they?"
He jumped on one of their heads and aimed for Watchman, who stared intently at him for a moment and drew his finger towards him.
He smiled.
Zack smiled back.
Zack jumped towards him with all his strength and flew right through several more drones like a bullet. Once he reached Watchman, he expanded himself to his normal size and drew his fist for a clash.
The two created a shockwave so powerful it was felt for several miles. Multiple police sirens started buzzing on the spot.
Ivy and even Paulina gasped at Zack's newfound strength.
"Did you know he could do that?" Ivy asked, using her claws to slice three drones in half.
"N...no," Paulina replied softly as she blasted the heads of five drones in quick succession.
"Impressive. Won't you use your smaller form?" Watchman asked, his smile growing larger by the second.
"Nah. That wouldn't be fun," Zack said, noticing it.
The two separated and got into their respective battle stances.
"Oh ho! Such a sly one you are. I can see how you took down Wyvern so easily. You must've grown much stronger from your fight with Brute."
"You're right on that. Now enough talk. Let's go," Zack said and charged at him.
However, the moment he took a step, Watchman was right in front of him.
"You seem like the type to call yourself a hero," he said, his face so close to Zack he could feel his breath.
"Yet you work for scum like Milten."
Zack drew his arm back for a punch, but Watchman pulled his free arm toward him.
"Why is that?"
Zack tried to resist by increasing his weight, but Watchman had no problem handling it and used it to throw Zack to the nearest wall.
"The money? The fame?"
The millisecond Zack regained his composure, Watchman was already inches away from him charging a punch. Zack instinctively shrunk to the size of a pea and regrew for an uppercut where he wouldn't expect.
Watchman expected it and backflipped away.
"No. I'm not like that. Don't ever assume I'm like that," Zack said, his eyes burning with intense fury.
"Oh my God... you genuinely think you're doing the right thing? I pity you. Reminds me of me back in my Super Society days."
Zack charged towards him again with a punch, but he easily blocked it. He sent another one flying at him, but it got blocked and pushed back.
"Why aren't you fighting me seriously?"
"Why are you dodging my questions?"
"They don't matter," Zack said and sent a flurry of punches coming at him.
"Well, they should," Watchman said angrily as he began to dodge Zack's punches.
"You think being a hero is some kind of game? You think people removed the 'Super' from superhero because it was funny? No!"
Every single one.
"Those Super Society fucks aren't superheroes. Canman, Amazo, Forest Fire, Major Payne, Max Flame... all of them! Just pawns of the government's sinister schemes. I should know. I used to be one!"
Watchman then grabbed Zack's hand again for another pull, but Zack saw him coming and charged his fist to strike. Watchman headbutted him suddenly, sending Zack reeling. He then slammed Zack to the ground and kicked him away with enough force to send him flying through a wall.
"Guardian!" Paulina shouted in horror. A Watchdog took advantage and tried to spawn a knife and stab her, but Ivy was quick to notice and intervene.
"Keep your head in the game. We're still surrounded by these things."
"Mamba. Cover me."
"What are you doing?"
"Just cover me."
Ivy did as she said and sliced up three more Watchdogs heading for Paulina. She turned to her and saw her on all fours with her whole body morphing to form some kind of weapon.
She nearly puked at how disgusting she looked but stopped herself in time. She turned back to see more Watchdogs coming.
Many, many more. Realizing there was no end to these machines, she had enough. She then heard the voices again.
"No end in sight..."
"Too many of them..."
"Piling like rats..."
"Waste of time..."
"All of them..."
"Get rid..."
"Now!"
"Stop holding back!"
"Let us..."
Ivy stopped listening then and there. All she needed was a little bit of their influence to awaken her abilities even further. Sure she heard voices, sure they tried to control her like last time.
But now she had control. As long as she kept control, she was nigh unstoppable with their power.
Her eyes glowed a dark crimson, even more powerful than the first time. Her pitch-black suit followed soon after.
Just as the Watchdogs got a few inches from her, she released a giant field of red energy that turned every single one of the drones into stone.
Watchman pulled his cape forward to block the effects of the field.
He was left unaffected.
However, once the field cleared, Watchman took a look at the two girls and drew his cape forth again.
Paulina was done charging.
Just like before, she had become a giant railgun.
And just like before, she fired a beam of concentrated light at her opponent.
The last time she fired, it left a hole in Galan's leg.
This time, it scratched Watchman's cape.
"Huh?" Paulina said, panting as she began morphing back to her normal form.
"Nenergon cape made from the Nexus Alien race. Built to adapt to any and all forms of damage. Most of my equipment is made from the stuff. Also helped that it's all laced with enchantments," Watchman said with his signature smirk.
"How the hell do you have that? I thought the Vigilante League doesn't rely on sponsors or the government."
"We don't, but some of our secret identities hold immense influence over the world. Honestly, our influence stretches outside it," he answered, stroking his glowing cape and walking over to them.
"Paulina..." Ivy whispered.
"Codename Mamba!" Paulina whispered back.
"We're fucked right now. Jake is still on his way, though. Our only chance is to stall him."
"I have to admit, that blast did pack one hell of a punch. Sad it didn't amount to anything, though," Watchman said, getting closer.
"That's all on you, though. Guardian is still unconscious and I'm completely out of juice."
"Seriously?"
Ivy looked into Paulina's eyes and realized she was serious.
Everything rested on her now.
That's when the voices started up again.
"Let us free!"
"We can help you!"
"Don't hold back!"
"Jake wouldn't do shit!"
"He's untouchable!"
"But not to us..."
"Let us free!"
"Let us free!"
"Let us free!"
"Let us free!"
"Let us free!"
"Shut up!" Ivy shouted, stopping Watchman for a moment.
"Something the matter, girl? Did I upset you?"
Ivy got on all fours and her legs joined together to morph into a giant tail.
"Seems so," Watchman said, tipping his hat.
In the blink of an eye, Ivy pounced on the hero with breakneck speed. Her teeth widened and her fangs doubled in size.
As did her claws.
Watchman reached into his pocket for a second.
Ivy shot three stone beams at him, but he was quick to dodge them all.
"I watched you during the Galan fight. You're not someone to trifle with."
Once she was close enough, she slashed at him but missed. She tried to bite his head but missed again.
"What's a powerhouse like you doing with a scumbag like Milten?"
She tried multiple times to slice him in half, but to no avail.
"No answer? Well, figures. None of you seem to have one. Or maybe you're just as scummy as him?"
Ivy did have an answer. She wanted to shut him up right there. She was a hero—at least she saw herself as one. She helped save the city. She helped take on Galan! All for this prick to come out of nowhere and give her some shitty lecture?
She had so much to say, but the voices made it impossible. All she could do was attack. Once she beat him, then she'd give him a piece of her mind. Luckily, the voices heard her silent requests.
Her back began to morph again and several arms started to form.
"Okay, that's enough now. I'm barely keeping you at bay as is," Watchman said.
He then punched Ivy in the face with a set of brass knuckles he pulled out of his utility belt. Ivy immediately crumbled to the ground, unable to move or do anything.
The voices stopped.
"W...what did you do?!" Ivy shouted, regaining her sanity.
"Turning off all your powers for a while." Watchman then brought his fist forward, revealing small clocks that decorated his brass knuckles.
"These? I call them my stop knuckles," Watchman said playfully, showing them off. "These stop knuckles use magic to stop any and all movement of anything they touch for a period of time. Only ones able to resist that shit are elites like Major Payne or Canman. Sadly, you're not any of those two, my dear."
Ivy tried to move, but nothing worked. He was right. She wasn't strong enough.
It was at that moment Ivy began to despise magic.
"Now excuse me while I deal with your friend before she recovers." He then turned to Paulina. "I must admit, when I said you packed a punch, I meant it. Can't let you shoot me again."
Paulina stood perfectly still.
If she moved, he'd chase her down and immobilize her in an instant.
If she stayed still, his cockiness would drive him to keep walking. Maybe, just maybe, she'd have enough energy by the time he reached her to fire another set.
Or maybe, just maybe, Jake arrives.
Watchman suddenly turned around and caught something small in his hand. He then threw it to the roof with so much force it was sent through several floors of the building.
"What...?" Paulina asked, barely registering what had happened.
"It was your little friend. Tried to get the jump on me," Watchman said, chuckling. Then he stopped after a sudden realization.
Zack was laid out on the ground of the first floor. Watchman walked over and looked down on him through the large hole he formed.
"Those powers... it reminds me of... no way! You're the brat Captain Rocket took under his wing, aren't you?!"
Zack was too injured to say a word.
"Oh God... all that wisdom, all that training? And you go work for scum like Milten? Did he not teach you anything?"
Zack was still silent.
Watchman frowned.
"I hope you think you're honoring his name, you idiot," Watchman said in a disgusted tone and spat on him.
Watchman then turned his attention to Paulina again.
"You haven't moved since I tanked your beam. Why? Is it because you're stalling?"
"N..no I..."
"If you weren't, you would've tried to run. You knew that would mean I'd catch you faster, so you decided to feed my ego by standing still."
In a second, Watchman was right in front of her.
"You all are more impressive than I thought. Such a shame really, you would've made such fine heroes if you didn't work for such scum."
Paulina didn't even raise her hand to strike him. There was no point. She had no strength, speed, or weapons to keep up with him, and even if she did, she doubted she could.
"I'm glad you see how useless it is to resist. Well. Stay still while I go kill those pieces of shit, okay?" Watchman said, bringing his stop knuckles towards her face.
Then suddenly he stopped.
He felt something.
And he laughed.
Paulina watched him laugh hysterically for a moment. She moved for just a fraction of a second and he stopped instantly.
"You don't notice him, do you?"
"Notice what?"
Watchman laughed again.
"What?!"
"Your cavalry has arrived."
Paulina looked behind him to see Jake standing before an immobile Ivy.
"You did this, didn't you?" Jake asked, glaring at him.
"Yeah, I..."
Before he could finish, Jake had already sent a kick at him.
And he had already blocked it.
"Seems I was right. You are the cavalry!" Watchman said, his smug smile fading...
To be continued...