Vol 2 ch 35

That was until he was kicked in the face as Tobi backflipped out of the way.

His mask fell off, and Deathstroke wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth as he looked at Tobi.

---------------------------------------------

"It seems that our little dance has come to an end," Loki remarked when he looked down and saw the doombots surrounding the arena.

Victor looked around and saw that they couldn't continue fighting anymore. A conventional victory was not possible anymore. Most of his men had weapons to deal with conventional enemies. Not robots made up of metal. His men could hardly put a scratch on them. The operation was a failure this time. More losses would be pointless.

"It seems so." Deathstroke sheathed his sword. "Expect a meeting from my master soon, Tobi."

"Till our next dance, Tobi." Smoke enveloped Deathstroke.

Loki felt his life signs disappear. He using wind release took a deep breath and blew all the smoke away. He could not see any signs of Deathstroke or any of the accompanying mercenaries.

"It seems that there is more to Deathstroke than meets the eye. I wonder what means they used. Were they more scientific or supernatural in their nature?"

With a sigh, Loki turned around. He could have killed Deathstroke any moment he wanted. But he avoided that. It had been long since he had crossed swords with another skilled swordsman. He was sure that Deathstroke also had other tricks up his sleeves.

'It seems that we both were warriors.' Loki thought to himself.

Still, he looked down on the fight between Victor and the other woman.

--------------------------------------

Victor looked at the woman fighting her. Everything about her was unnatural.

Victor was using a combination of lasers and telekinesis to fight her off.

A sword strike came for his head. He moved out of the way dodging out of the way of her strike. Using telekinesis, he held out his hand to push her back. He then opened his palm to use the laser cannon embedded in his hand. He saw her bend down, dodging his laser. He brought the laser down, but she moved with an unnatural grace. Her swords dropped, and her fighting style completely changed.

It was not only her fighting style. Her entire demeanor changed, as well as if she was a completely different person.

Victor cracked his neck. "It seems that I must stop holding back a little."

A red sword made up of a laser formed in his hand. A combination of magic and technology. He rushed at her, his sword leaving scorched marks on whatever was within its path. Yet, he could not hit her.

He attempted to hold her a few times with telekinesis but could not. Her continuous movements did not allow him to focus his vision on her. There was only one mercenary who could do this. A myth, but now he was not so sure anymore.

"Taskmaster, I presume. Your reputation precedes you. It took a few minutes of fighting me to make a combat style specifically designed to counter me." Victor clapped. "But, the fun and games are over now. Let's see how quickly you adapt to this."

Victor raised his hand, and a dozen blue swords made up of mystical energies came into being. With a wave of Victor's hand, they began to fall. Taskmaster dodged them one after another, their edges leaving small cuts across her body.

"How amusing." As swords are raining down on her, Victor recreates the red sword. "It's time to end this." He charges at her. Their bout begins once more. Victor trained in plenty of martial arts in his youth and began to push her back. In the end, Taskmaster, regardless of all the enhancements, was still a human, and she began to lose. Victor kept her on her toes with a rain of swords and used his sword skills. Not giving her a chance to adjust herself.

That was until, out of the corner of his eyes, he saw a mini rocket fast approaching him. Raising one hand, he stopped the rocket in its path. Using his second hand, he conjured chains to impale Taskmaster. Machine gun fire rained down upon the chains, breaking them one by one. Victor threw the missile that he had stopped with one hand at the yet-unknown source of the machine gun fire.

Smoke obscured his view of the unknown assailant when four mini-missiles came out, fast approaching him. Victor tensed himself until he saw a black hole forming before him.

There was a huge explosion. For a moment, everyone's view was obscured by the dust. The entire world watched the scene with bated breath as the smoke cleared, and Victor and Tobi walked out unharmed.

Both of them got a proper view of their unknown assailant. A metal arm.

"The winter soldier. Another urban legend comes to life. A disturbing pattern. But you will not stop me today." Victor began to step forward calmly, Tobi keeping pace with him. That was until a helicopter rose up from behind them.

"We have our orders retreat." The winter soldier said in a monotone voice, as his mechanical arm turned into a machine gun and opened fire to cover for himself and Taskmaster. The gunner on the chopper strapped a machine gun and opened fire at Victor and Tobi.

The shield Victor had thrown up began to crack from the combined firepower. No shield can take 1600 rounds per minute designed to go through armored vehicles.

"A little help right about now would be nice," Victor told Tobi.

Tobi rolled his eyes and did a few hand signs.

[Ice Release: Glacier wall.]

He slammed both of his hands into the ground as a multilayered ice wall with a jagged appearance came in front of him.

Victor dispelled the blue shield in front of him.

They both looked up and saw them leaving.

"Let them go. We have a greater price to claim."

Just as he said that they saw the liberation army break into the city, city residents also joined them, grabbing whatever weapons they could. For too long, they have lived under the tyranny of a few people. Not anymore.

"The rats have hidden themselves within the palace. No matter." Victor went forward and began to advance on the palace. As the head of his army. Surrounded by doombots. Behind them the soldiers and the soldiers the normal citizens who joined him.

In front of the palace, he saw the entire force of the current regime concentrated. For a moment, Tobi thought that both armies were going to clash.

That was until an old man stepped out. He looked into the eyes of Victor, then he turned around and signaled his men to drop their weapons. In front of him, the enemy forces parted, leaving a clear pathway for them to proceed.

Victor proceeded inside the palace accompanied by Tobi.

"So, what are you going to do now," Tobi asked him.

"Kill them all." That was Victor's reply.

"A rule begun by blood will continue to be one bathed in blood," Tobi replied.

"You are wise for all the foolishness you display," Victor said and proceeded without waiting for any reply.

Tobi shrugged and entered behind him.

---------------------------------

Soon, both were in the throne room with the prince and the king in front of them.

"I will relish this moment for an eternity. You took a lot from me." With thundering steps, Victor stepped forward.

The prince foolishly shot him with a handgun. The shots bounced off his armor harmlessly, and Victor soon found himself in front of both of them.

"But rejoice, my companion reminded me of a few facts today. I will not kill you. I will not be your judge, jury, and executioner today. I will be just...."

"So, you will let us go." The king asked him hopefully.

"I said I would not be your judge, jury, or executioner. Your citizens will be." Victor placed a device on both of them, forming a shield over them. It constricted, restraining them both.

Another pair of footsteps rang out, and he looked up. "Valeria."

"Victor." She said softly.

"Don't say my name like that. You have no right." Victor replied angrily. "It seems that I meant nothing to you."

Valeria's lips trembled as she looked at Victor clad in his armor. She would have accepted if she had seen anger or hatred in his eyes. But instead, she saw nothing. The opposite of love is not hate; it is apathy, so she knew she had lost him completely this day.

"And what of my fate," Valeria asked in a trembling voice. "And that of my daughter."

Victor stepped in front of her. "Leave this place and proclaim me the rightful ruler. If you do, I will let you go in peace."

She nodded and turned around. But as she was leaving. Victor told her. "And understand this if you try to get in my way. No one will be able to stop me."

She left. The sooner she could get her daughter and leave, the better. Victor would never have any idea about the amount of sacrifice she had to make for his sake. It was fortunate that Victor was unable to do the math. Otherwise, he would have found out that the girl was his. It helped that her age had never been disclosed as well.

She had seen the look Victor had. She was unable to recognize the man he had become.

'I guess there are a few secrets I will take to the grave.' She thought to herself.