17 Not Going Down Without a Fight

I laughed.

I couldn't help it really.

All this time I had spent planning for the future and I had forgotten something so simple as to look at the present. I had overestimated the societies of the Viltrumites, believing that purely because they are a might makes right society that they would bow to me in a fashion similar to the Vrangs.

Realistically, I should have expected things to be a little more difficult than that. After all, the Vrangs had nothing they could do to harm, their dozens of ships and millions of soldiers left floating in the vacuum of space were proof enough of that.

However, the Viltrumites had been able to put up a much greater fight than the Vrangs had. It was foolish of me to believe that purely because I defeated them that they wouldn't scheme to overthrow me, especially when they saw that I wasn't all-powerful. I was beatable and add on to the fact that I wasn't a Viltrumite, it only made sense for them to rebel.

But I was a military commander, not a ruler. My training had never covered something along with the likes of this so mistakes were only natural. I would learn from this and use it to strengthen me in the future. I'd come back stronger from this and I'd show them all that I, Tah-Rao could not be defeated so easily.

'I imagine Kregg would have been behind this, I should have expected it from that scheming old man.' Lips twisting into a half-smile and scowl, I looked towards my opposition with a cautious gaze.

I knew that Conquest would be a dangerous foe on his own, almost a rival for myself and Thragg no doubt. A Green Lantern such as the one before me would also be incredibly dangerous. People often overlooked the fact that each was responsible for entire sectors of space. However, back in my old world, when this was nothing more than a comic book, I had looked down upon them because they were often canon fodder. They were often used simply to show how powerful the villain where by having them kill dozens if not hundreds of Lanterns.

But they could travel over millions the times the speed of light and survive planetary explosions. Destroy planets with ease and could create constructs strong enough to enable them to trade blows with superpowered beings and that just the grunts, the nameless figures that occupied the background. Their elites were even more terrifying, guys like Hal Jordan, John Stewart, Guy Gardner and others were on an entirely different as they could trade blows with and defeat guys like Superman.

This Green Lantern alone, much like Conquest would prove to be a dangerous foe for me to face, one I would struggle against in a one-on-one contest. The constructs he created would make him a different kind of threat to Doomsday or Thragg. Not up close and personal, but using long-ranged powerful blasts of energy to whittle me down.

Together the two would be more than capable of defeating me.

Add on the other Viltrumite warriors and well, things did not look good for me.

'No matter, this won't be the end here.' I told myself. 'All I need to do is take out the Green Lantern and stall Conquest enough for me to gain a head start. If I do that then with my superior speed I should be able to lose them all. Hide for a little while and allow myself more time to absorb yellow sun radiation before returning stronger than ever.'

Clenching my fists, I leaned my body forwards slightly, my opponents tensing in preparation at my movement. Then I burst forwards, catapulting through space towards them.

Instantly a green barrier was erected before me and I slammed one fist into it. Unfortunately, I wasn't quite strong enough to destroy it in a single hit, instead only managing to crack it and nothing else. Even so, I wasn't able to land a second blow before it opened up, Conquest tackling me.

His form was big and bulky, stronger than even Thragg but slightly slower than he was as well.

We spun through space, grappling with one another and attempting to gain an advantage. I quickly realised in the first second that I wasn't going to be able to win, his experience at leveraging his greater body weight put me at a distinct disadvantage. But whoever said I was going to make this a purely physical contest?

Two burning beams of energy shot from my eyes, searing into the skin of his left cheek forcing Conquest to release me with a cry. I used this opportunity to slam a powerful cross into his side. Then, gripping hold of him by one hand, throw him directly towards the rapidly approaching Viltrumites, many which arced around his bulky frame. Never once halting their movement as they closed in upon me.

Two though were struck dead on and thrown back.

However, despite putting distance between myself and Conquest, I still had half a dozen Viltrumies rapidly approaching me. A further dozen or so more constructs of green energy resembling bipedal creatures joining them.

Scowling, I shot forwards.

I cantered my breathing and focused my gaze.

And as I rapidly approached the opposing force I swung my fists around. They were nothing but blurs, slamming into the faces and stomachs of those Viltrumites who attempted to take me out. Each one knocked them to one side and in an instant, I had burst through them all.

But that was when I faced my next problem, the constructs.

The first I destroyed with relative ease as I backhanded it into nothingness.

The second didn't fare much better with a simple roundhouse kick.

But as I knocked aside the third with an elbow, I was struck by the fourth. It didn't do much in the way of damage but what it did do was knock me slightly off-course. Just that single instant of vulnerability and everything that had been going so well changed as I was dogpiled by the constructs. Each one slamming into with me enough force to make me feel like I had been hit by Thragg.

With a silent roar, I fired my heat vision out, it striking against the constructs and at first did nothing. The constructs instead moulding around my body in a sort of cocoon that held me in place.

But I just kept adding more and more power until it exploded outwards.

Thus leaving me completely exposed to the powerful uppercut that Conquest slammed into my jaw, launching me upwards. Directly to where the Green Lantern was waiting, a powerful glow of green energy hovering above his ring. The energy that lanced out in a powerful beam easily five times my width and engulfed me completely.

However, I pushed against the beam with all my might, forcing my way through till I burst out, directly to where Anissa and Lucan were waiting. Both thrusting their fists forwards that I managed to catch just barely in time.

Gripping hold of them tightly, I swung them around and threw them towards the approaching Viltrumites only to suddenly have a clawed hand swipe against my face.

It didn't cut into the skin, but it sure caught my attention and I looked to the Green Lantern, Tyrany'r the Mighty.

I didn't even hesitate, coming round with a powerful cross that dug into the Lanterns stomach and sent him careening backwards. Luckily for him and unfortunately for me, he managed to summon a shield of green energy to intercept the path of my fist dispersing a great deal of my force before it broke under my strike. He moving back at the same time, effectively avoiding any serious damage.

Scowling, I went to follow up only to be suddenly be beset by the Viltrumites including Conquest. 'You fuckers!' I cursed out, parrying and dodging the blows sent my way, hoping to find an opening with which to strike but none presented itself. 'Just you wait, I'll make each and every one of your deaths slow.'

As fast as I was, I wasn't able to avoid all the blows, many beginning to sneak through the cracks and while not doing much damage, we're putting me off balance. And so, it was only a matter of time until Conquest managed to sneak a powerful hook into my side.

It was powerful and painful to feel such a crushing blow.

So much so that I didn't even register the double-hammered fist strike thundering against my head. By the time I did become aware, I was once again struck by a powerful beam of energy from Tyrany'r.

It was like I was pinball.

The Viltrumites and Tyrany'r smacking me to one another with powerful blows and I was unable to properly recover in time from one before I was struck by another. It was only a momentary lapse in judgement, a moment of overconfidence that saved me from an easy defeat and one that I capitalised upon.

You see, the strikes I was being dealt weren't doing much in the way of damage. My Proto-Doomsday Armour was ensuring that I was well-protected and the only time I actually felt any ounce of pain was when Conquest or Tyrany'r would strike me across the face. But even then it wasn't a blinding amount of pain, I had experienced far worse at the hands of Doomsday.

However, just because it didn't hurt me didn't mean it didn't stall me.

As a result, I was unable to break myself from this cycle, but I didn't need to as now I had the opportunity to break free thanks to the mistake of someone else.

You see, this individual was none other than Anissa herself. She made a fatal miscalculation and didn't properly regulate the amount of power she should have put into her strike.

As soon as her fist struck my face I was launched down towards another Viltrumite, Lucan. He wasn't quite prepared for this sudden increase in speed and so, mistimed his strike. It came too late and I had already gone past him and before any Viltrumite could get to me, I had already recovered.

With a growl, I thrust both hands forwards with all my might, hands burying into the stomachs of the two Viltrumites that had attempted to reach me. Instead, the combined momentum of their flight and my own force meant that their natural durability was unable to withstand the combined forces. Their stomachs parting around my hand as they pierced directly out through their backs, blood floating through space in tiny bubbles.

Smirking savagely, I swung my arms, ridding myself of my new accessories and then fired my heat vision. It landed out, striking against a couple of other foes, knocking them back with deep scorched upon their chests, still alive but in pain.

'That's it you fuckers!' I snarled internally, watching a few wary glances being shared as they watched two of their compatriots float lifelessly beside me. 'You thought this would be easy?! You thought you could beat me with just this?! Me?!'

Three more Viltrumites rushed forwards and this time I changed my tactics.

Before I had aimed at closing the gap between me and Tyrany'r, removing perhaps the most dangerous opponent I would have to face. Removing their support should have realistically provided me with a greater chance of escape, but it was obvious to me now that wasn't going to be the case.

Even if I took out Tyrany'r, escape was not going to be possible.

I realised that pretty soon when the Viltrumites after being knocked away quickly recovered and took their positions surrounding me, ensuring my escape was cut off. These guys, they were well-trained at taking out stronger opponents.

'Which is probably why Conquest and Kregg chose them.' I had trusted too easily, that was my biggest mistake, trusted too much in their might makes right outlook to believe they wouldn't recognise me as the rightful ruler. 'Very well then, I'll do what I always have. I'll overcome this challenge and become stronger than before. Just you watch.'

And as the three closed in on me, I met them.

I ducked under the first blow, my body becoming parallel to theirs, letting him pass over me. A quick shot of heat vision struck the furthest Viltrumite knocking her away while I slammed the ridge of my hand into his neck. It was a strike that packed all my strength behind it, not only crushing his windpipe instantly but also snapping his neck to the point the back of his head rested between his shoulder blades.

At the same time, I gripped hold of the lead Viltrumites ankle with my free hand, swinging him round directly into the woman, heads colliding.

In an instant all three were down, one with his neck snapped and another two floating unconscious, slowly suffocating and unable to do anything about it. I meanwhile floated between the bodies, smirking widely as I looked upon the remaining opponents.

The initial probing strike was other, they'd be coming all at me at once this time. I doubted I'd be able to do anywhere near as well this time around but that was fine. I'd win this fight all the same and if by some impossibility I did lose, I'd make sure to take as many of them with me.

None of them would be able to take any pride in defeating me.

I'd make it a Pyrrhic victory forever engraved into their minds for the rest of their miserable lives.