Injustice: The Path To Hell (DC Comics)

Thursday, 1st October, 19:30

Arkansas,

Bayou Bartholomew.

Black Adam's golden eyes narrowed, studying the hunched figure before him. The air between them crackled, the jungle around them lay in ruins, entire trees shattered, uprooted, and strewn across the battlefield.

Esau's breath came in ragged, heaving gasps, his body twitching as if struggling to keep itself upright.

But even now—he refused to stay down.

With a burst of raw, bestial speed, Esau launched himself forward on all fours, dirt and splintered bark kicking up in his wake. His body was low to the ground, his tails whipping violently behind him, his claws tearing through the soil as he accelerated till he was nought but a blur as he bounded across the forest floor on all fours.

A blur of muscle and fury.

Yet Black Adam stood still, waiting.

Esau's right arm swung up, claws extended in a wild overhand strike, but Black Adam blocked it effortlessly. His forearm caught Esau's strike mid-swing, the impact sending a shockwave through the ground, but the ancient warrior's stance did not shift.

Then came the counterattack.

Black Adam's knee rocketed up, aimed directly for Esau's ribs, but the blond's body twisted mid-motion, instinct overriding reason, his left leg kicking against Adam's knee to divert its trajectory. Instead of absorbing the full impact, Esau used the force to spring off the attack, flipping backwards through the air.

His tails snapped downward, aiming to slam into Black Adam's head from above. But before it could land Black Adam's hand shot up, catching the tail mid-air with a vice-like grip. With a powerful yank, he jerked Esau downward.

Esau's body whipped toward him—completely exposed—Black Adam's fist burying itself in Esau's stomach. The force behind the punch caved his abdomen inward, blood bursting from his lips as his body folded around the impact. The moment Black Adam released him, Esau was already flying backward, crashing through tree after tree, each impact sending splintered wood and debris flying in all directions.

But before he could even land Black Adam was already there, appearing in front of Esau in a blur, cutting off his trajectory. Esau's eyes barely had time to register the movement before a thunderous hook slammed into his ribs, sending him spiraling in the opposite direction, his body skidding through the jungle floor, carving a deep trench through the dirt.

The only sounds in the forest were the echoes of destruction, the distant rumble of falling trees, and the deep, rumbling breaths from both warriors. Chirping of birds and rustling of wildlife having long gone quiet in the face of sheer destruction being caused in the midst of their battle.

Esau staggered to his feet, muscles coiling instinctively, his body moving before his mind could even comprehend the pain. Black Adam's lips curled slightly, amused as he looked upon Esau's form. He had faced countless warriors, fought countless battles, and he could always tell when his opponent was no longer thinking having lost all sense of reason in the face of his overwhelming might.

Esau was no longer a fighter.

He was a beast.

That made him predictable.

After all, beasts were creatures of habit.

Esau lunged again, his movements erratic, his claws slashing wildly, his tails striking out like whips. Black Adam dodged with minimal effort, weaving between the chaotic barrage of attacks with ease and minimal movement. The ferocity of Esau's onslaught would have been terrifying to a lesser opponent—his limbs moved faster than most could follow, his body a blur of claws, teeth, and instinct.

But none of it landed.

Black Adam sidestepped every blow, his hands calmly intercepting the few that got close, brushing them aside like they were nothing. Then, when Esau's momentum overextended, Black Adam struck.

A brutal uppercut to the ribs.

A devastating elbow to the spine.

A crushing knee to the gut.

Each blow sent ripples of force through the air, the sheer impact splitting the ground beneath them, sending shockwaves tearing through the forest. Each strike drove Esau further and further down, his body crumpling under the assault—but still, Esau kept coming, rising up and coming back for more brutal punishment.

Black Adam's brow furrowed slightly.

Most warriors would have collapsed by now.

Yet Esau continued to fight—not out of strategy, not out of determination but because his instincts refused to let him stop. His instincts gave Esau strength to stand even as his body crumpled, a puppet on strings completely unburdened by the feeling of pain or the sensation of fear.

'Fascinating.'

Deciding to end this, Black Adam stopped moving entirely. He let Esau charge him head-on, his muscles tensing, his claws prepared to strike and then, in one blinding motion, Black Adam's right fist snapped forward. The punch buried itself in Esau's chest, the sheer force compressing his ribcage inward, a deafening boom splitting the air as for a single moment, everything went still and quiet.

Esau's entire body seized, his limbs going rigid, his lungs expelling every ounce of air in a single violent gasp that broke the deafening silence. For the first time—Esau's body stopped moving, the instincts keeping him moving going silent. Black Adam held the pose for a moment, letting the impact fully follow through before—everything seemed to moved once again.

Esau's body was flung backwards at blinding speed, crashing through trees, rocks, and anything in his path, the jungle parting violently as he was launched toward the Injustice League headquarters. As he finally broke free from the treeline, he collided with the ground, his body bouncing violently before skidding to a dead stop in the dirt.

-X-

Esau stood in the middle of a vast training ground, the surface beneath him resembling polished black stone, smooth yet firm. The area was surrounded by towering stone pillars, but beyond them, only darkness stretched endlessly. Across from him, his doppelgänger stood silently, identical in every way—except for the two tails swaying behind him.

Esau's fists clenched.

He wanted to leave. He needed to return to the fight. His team was still out there, Black Adam was still out there—and here he was, trapped in his own mind.

"I don't want to fight you." His own voice echoed through the empty space, firm and without hesitation.

The doppelgänger tilted his head slightly, his expression unreadable. "Then you will die."Esau scoffed, shaking his head in stubborn refusal. "You're not strong enough." The doppelgänger's voice was calm, matter-of-fact. There was no mockery, no amusement—just pure certainty. "Black Adam is beyond you. Even if you defeated this version of me and gained control of Two-Tails, you would still need twice that in order to pose a challenge to Black Adam. More than that if you want to defeat him and save your teammates."

Esau stared him down, jaw tightening—but before he could respond, the doppelgänger lifted a hand, gesturing to the far end of the training ground. Following where the doppelgänger was pointing to, Esau looked upon the seven foxes lounging outside the massive ring. Each one stared at him, unmoving, their tails shifting subtly behind them.

They stood in absolute silence, their expressions blank and expectant.

The two-tailed doppelgänger across from Esau turned back to him. "We have the power to defeat Black Adam. You could fight us for it. But even you recognise that you do not have the ability to defeat us in time to rescue your friends in time to gain the power you seek."

Esau just laughed.

Not in amusement—but in utter disbelief.

"You think I trust you?" His voice was low, laced with defiance. "You've made it pretty damn clear that you don't care about my team." The doppelgängers remained silent and that silence spoke volumes. Esau exhaled sharply, shaking his head. "Yeah. Thought so." He took a step back, his stance tense. "I want out of here." His voice was steadier than before. "And I'm guessing the reason I can't leave is because of you."

The two-tailed doppelgänger simply watched him.

No denial.

No argument.

Just expectation.

"We can protect you," the doppelgänger finally said, voice smoother now, almost convincing. "Just let us take control."

Esau's expression darkened. "Not happening."

The moment the words left his mouth—the doppelgänger looked ready to argue. But it was then that Esau blinked as he felt it, a pull. Like something was dragging him backward, ripping him away from this place. The doppelgängers head snapped toward the sky, its face twisting into rage. There was nothing it could though as Esau witnessed the training ground blur, the figures of the foxes fading from sight, their gazes still locked onto his fading form in silent fury.

Esau gasped violently, his entire body seizing up as if struck by lightning. The forest was spinning, the scent of charred earth and broken wood flooding his senses. His second tail melted away, dissolving like mist into the air—as searing pain flooded his body. A searing, bone-deep agony ripped through his torso, radiating from his shattered ribs.

Esau let out a choked, ragged breath, his muscles tensing involuntarily as he felt something shift inside him. His ribs were knitting themselves back together. It felt like his bones were twisting and reshaping, the flesh around them burning as they forcibly repaired themselves.

His fingers dug into the dirt, his breath coming in uneven, shuddering gasps.

It was like being put back together, piece by agonizing piece and yet, he was alive.

His vision swam, the blurry figures of his teammates coming into focus but before he could fully regain his bearings, the sky flashed with golden lightning. Even through the pain that coursed through his body, Esau slowly pushing himself to his knees, fingers tightly gripping the ground as his body and muscles sparked in agony, he looked up.

Black Adam was there.

Slowly floating out from the depths of the forest and looking down upon him. Yellow lightning arced across his fingertips, his face bemused and intrigued. Yet his features were arrogant as if he were a King looking down upon his subjects.

Esau grit his teeth, glaring up at the superpowered foe who looked down upon him. Even if it was just for a second, Esau would make sure to knock that look off his face.