Chapter 221:
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All the problems keeping from writing are gone. Expect between 3-5 chapters a week, maybe even more going back to daily schedule.
Just this past two I have written over 10 chapters in Patreôn, so I'm back on track. Be sure to check them out if this tickles your fancy.
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[David Lance POV]
I had no intention of losing.
Brainiac had the upper hand, but I would figure it out, it was simply a matter of adapting.
Now it was time to test things out, and see what I have to work with.
"Last time we saw each other, you had two rings in your possession," Brainiac started, walking towards me as if taking a stroll. "My radar is getting some readings you have one more. Feel free to use it."
So he knows about the fear ring, so much for the element of surprise, that's not good. But I will play around it.
"I don't need that to defeat you," I replied, taunting the robot with a smile on my face, earning a pause from the robot.
Then, as expected, Brainiac took the bait I had laid out for him and rushed right over to me. Despite his new body size and bulk, his speed was quite impressive, on par with mine.
Concentrating on his movements, I moved. I shifted to the side at the last second, avoiding his first attack, and easily dodging the second with a quick dash to the skies, where I blasted him with a beam from all of my rings.
Tanking the attack, Brainiac darted toward me without any delay, trying to grapple me. But with a swift motion, I once again dodged him and used the opportunity to launch my own attack on him with an onslaught of hail from my power rings.
The energy from my rings couldn't harm him, but that didn't mean the other phenomena around him wouldn't affect him, so as predicted the force of my attack while unable to harm him, had been great enough to knock Brainiac out of balance, momentarily, sending him crashing into the ground.
Taking this window of opportunity I rushed at him. But... as I was about to reach the android, something shifted in the air, putting my danger sense on high alert, leaving something very clear to me. Something was coming, and if I was hit by it, I would die.
Following my instincts, I took my distance, analyzing the situation, and as I did, several missiles fired from within the debris I had sent Brainiac crashing to. They were fast, fast enough to get me if I made a single mistake, so quickly calculating their trajectories and free gaps between them, I weaved through them all, but, just as I dodged them, the missiles were back on me.
A homing device.
I continued dodging the projectiles, finding it rather easy compared to what Wioska had put me through. But as easy as it was, dodging would solve nothing.
Time to test if Brainiac's attacks are as sturdy as he is.
Dodging for one last time to position my targets where I wanted them, I powered my rings up, and with a single wave of his arm, I created a shockwave that exploded all the missiles into nothing but large clouds of smoke after a deafening noise.
It seems his attacks can be affected by powers. Good.
I will take that into account, but I won't trust on it blindly, Brainiac is very crafty, and the fact he didn't attack me while I was dodging could very well mean he's manipulating me right into a trap.
On another note, the explosions the missiles had generated were small but very powerful and concentrated. A single hit from them would've damaged me severely.
"It seems you have evolved past your own limits as well, you are quite cautious now," remarked Brainiac as the smoke cleared.
"Glad you noticed," I replied.
"I wonder how far caution will take you?" Brainiac added, aiming his right arm toward me as a thin beam shot off toward me, faster than anything I had ever seen. I dodged it, but only because I had instinctively moved before Brainiac had shot, if I hadn't that beam would've pierced me.
I guess I will have to rely on danger sense for the time being.
"Impressive, but can you replicate that result again?" Brainiac asked, pointing at me, this time with both of his arms. I jumped, trying to avoid the attack, but this time I had been too late, Brainiac had hit me, right in the leg.
I jumped back and looked at my injured leg to see intense burn marks, depicting the immense power of Brainiac's attack. Not only it had broken through the ring's defenses, but it had pierced and hurt my body a lot.
Pushing my pain aside, I rushed forward at light speed, my power rings propelling me faster and faster as I flew straight for Brainiac. Surprised by my change of action, Brainiac tried to fire a beam at me once again, but this time I was ready for him and moved before the beam could activate.
Then, once I had closed up the distance between us, I threw a hard hook at his face, sending Brainiac flying and crashing against a nearby mountain.
"I have nothing else to learn from this fight, you fulfilled your purpose," Brainiac spoke, flying off the mountain I had sent him to, his arms shaping into energy blades. "Time to be dissected." Having said that, Brainiac gave his blades a quick wave upwards, and then toward me from where he was standing.
Suddenly a large wind was emitted from the bottom of the blades moving rapidly toward me, I dodged the first current of winds, but the second hit me, though, for some reason, I felt no pain.
"Don't worry, I will reattach your limb once I analyze your body, you won't be alive to see it through though," Brainiac said, looking at the ground. I followed his gaze and saw that one of my legs had been cut off from me.
I cracked a smile. God, I was so fucking lucky, had he aimed for the head, I would've probably died without realizing what he had done, now I know, I ought to be thankful the greatest idiots are those who are too smart for their own good.
"Don't bother," I smiled, levitating the recently amputated leg from where it was, and putting it back in place with the blue ring. "I can't mend my wounds just fine."
Healing wounds with the blue ring was simple, if you had enough power, and had a green lantern ring. For some reason, both rings empowered each other.
"Impressive. But will it help you mend the wounds I will inflict on the girl known as Raven?" Brainiac replied, his lifeless eyes staring into mine.
I froze.
"Choose your next words carefully," I warned, glaring at him with rage and hate I hadn't felt since Superman.
"I will kill you, and her, and then everybody else," Brainiac replied.
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[Lucifer THE SEXIEST POV]
Huh, well I guess that's that for Alexa. He had to bring the girl. I wonder when the villain will learn to have class, and a functioning brain. Oh well, time to have some televised fun.