Injustice: The Path To Hell (DC Comics)

Thursday 1st October, 19:45

Arkansas,

Bayou Bartholomew.

"Maelstrom!"

Batgirl skidded to a halt beside Esau, eyes wide with concern. His breathing was laboured, and he clutched his chest, his ribs still burning as they mended themselves.

"Are you alright?"

Esau let out a pained groan, his fingers tightening around his aching ribs. The sensation of bones fusing back together was never something he could get used to. "Yeah, just great," he muttered sarcastically, his voice strained. "Pretty sure that's the fifth time he's shattered my rib cage. He's ridiculously strong."

Batgirl reached down, helping him up. Around them, the team, along with Poison Ivy and Ultra-Humanite, turned their attention to the dark figure floating toward them—his golden lightning crackling in the air.

Black Adam.

He descended slowly, his arms folded across his chest, his presence alone suffocating.

"Batgirl, get out of here," Esau said sharply, pulling himself to his full height. "He's too strong."

"But—"

Aqualad placed a firm hand on Batgirl's shoulder, shaking his head. "He's right. You should focus on Ultra-Humanite and Poison Ivy. Leave Black Adam to us."

Reluctantly, Batgirl gave Esau one last look before stepping back, moving toward the ongoing fight against the remaining villains. Aqualad and Miss Martian flanked Esau, taking defensive stances. Aqualad's water-bearers glowed, while Miss Martian hovered slightly above the ground, eyes locked on Black Adam.

"He's really that powerful?" Aqualad asked, his voice low. He had already assumed as much—Esau was among their strongest. Yet, he had been rag-dolled across the battlefield like he was nothing and even now looked shaky on his legs.

Esau flexed his fingers, rolling his shoulders despite the pain still lingering in his bones. "Yeah," he admitted grimly. "He is."

Miss Martian swallowed. "What's the plan?"

"Hit him hard and hit him fast," Esau said without hesitation, crouching slightly, his tail lashing behind him.

Aqualad nodded. "Miss Martian, keep your distance."

Saying nothing, Miss Martian floated higher into the air, preparing for aerial support. Aqualad moved behind Esau, knowing they had no room for error. They needed to hold Black Adam off for as long as possible—for three possible outcomes.

Ultra-Humanite and Poison Ivy to be dealt with so that their team could reinforce them.

Robin to destroy the central control system cutting off the Injustice League's final trump card.

The Justice League to arrive.

It didn't matter which happened first—so long as they survived long enough to make it happen. But holding off Black Adam was easier said than done.

The former champion of Shazam hovered effortlessly, his gaze sweeping over the three of them. "Is this the best you can offer, Yokai?" His deep voice was calm, unimpressed.

Esau frowned. "What the hell are you talking about?"

Black Adam's expression hardened. "You are ignorant of your origins," he said, his tone one of mild disappointment. "You do not even understand the power you wield."

Esau's fingers twitched, but he kept his stance steady. If he could stall him, he would. "Then why don't you enlighten me?" Esau asked, tilting his head. "I'd love to hear it."

Black Adam's lips curled slightly. "And allow you to stall? Hardly."

In an instant, he moved, a sudden shockwave shattered the air as Black Adam crossed the distance in a blink, his fist smashing into Esau's face before he could react. Esau's body whipped violently through the air, crashing through splintering trees before he even registered the hit.

Aqualad barely had time to react before Black Adam's knee slammed into his ribs, the impact sending him rocketing toward the river, where he crashed into the water with a deafening splash.

Miss Martian's eyes widened, but before she could react Black Adam's hands surged with lightning. A massive sphere of crackling energy formed between his palms, electricity splintering outward. Miss Martian threw up a telekinetic shield but the first lightning bolt shattered it instantly. The second bolt struck her directly, catching her as she barely managed to twist away—sending her spiraling out of the sky with a cry.

As she tumbled, a red blur flashed across the battlefield.

Esau, jumping, caught her in mid-air before Black Adam's descending fist could crush her against the ground. The earth exploded beneath them, but Esau had already launched himself out of harm's way, landing some distance away with Miss Martian in his grasp.

Before either of them could get their bearings, another attack came, luckily not aiming at them A tidal wave of water crashed toward Black Adam, launched by Aqualad as he emerged from the river, his expression grim and focused. Black Adam raised both arms, bracing himself as the water struck his guard, pushing him back several meters.

But then—he dug his feet into the ground.

With a sharp grunt, he spread his arms apart and the wave burst apart instantly.

That was when Esau struck.

He had used the water as a distraction to rush straight into Black Adam's open guard. His fist smashed into Black Adam's forearm, but Esau didn't stop there. With fluid motion, he twisted, launching a spinning heel kick straight into Black Adam's chest.

The force of the blow, coupled with his tail slamming forward, actually made Black Adam stagger. His back slammed into the ground—a rare moment where he was forced from the air.

But even as Black Adam looked up—Esau was already on him. His tail shot forward, aiming to slam into Black Adam's gut—but the former champion's hand snapped up, intercepting the strike. A bolt of lightning erupted from his palm, slamming into Esau's tail mid-attack, forcing him to break off.

The thunderclap rippled through the battlefield, and Black Adam burst into the air after Esau. Luckily for the blonde, he landed for barely a second before Black Adam was already upon him.

The next exchange was brutal.

Black Adam's strikes were fast, precise, and overwhelming, forcing Esau into a desperate defensive flurry. Each blow came at terrifying speed, Esau ducking, weaving, and countering where he could—but the power behind each strike was immense.

Aqualad suddenly rushed from behind, his water blades forming into solid weapons, swinging down at Black Adam's back. Without even turning around, Black Adam spun mid-strike, catching Aqualad's attack on his forearm.

Aqualad and Black Adam locked eyes.

Black Adam smirked.

Esau lunged forward, joining Aqualad in a two-on-one assault.

Aqualad and Esau moved in unison, their attacks coming from multiple angles, each strike flowing into the next with an ease born from months of training together. Black Adam remained on the defensive, his arms shifting effortlessly to block, parry, and deflect their strikes. His sheer experience and reflexes allowed him to read their attacks, but the speed of their coordination kept him engaged.

Despite his overwhelming strength, he had yet to go on the offensive—a testament to the effectiveness of their teamwork. Their movements were sharp, precise, and relentless—Esau's superhuman speed and powerful strikes, combined with Aqualad's fluid water-based combat, created an onslaught of continuous pressure.

Yet, Black Adam remained unshaken.

The wisdom of Zehuti granted him flawless combat perception—his eyes tracked every movement, his mind registering each shift in weight, each subtle tell.mEven so, their combined assault was enough to force him into a momentary stalemate.

For months, Esau and Aqualad had trained side by side. Though Esau had recently focused his time sparring with Jason Blood, he still tested his limits against Aqualad and Superboy—both of whom allowed him to gauge his growth and refine his technique. Sparring against superior opponents was the best way to learn, but fighting on equal ground with Aqualad helped solidify his instincts and reaction speed. Combine that with Miss Martian's psychic link—allowing seamless communication—and their teamwork had evolved beyond expectation.

But their greatest advantage came from Miss Martian herself.

Pushing her telekinetic abilities to their limit, she created small, almost imperceptible force barriers around Black Adam. She couldn't fully restrain him, but even the smallest delay in his movements was enough for Aqualad and Esau to evade fatal blows and counterattack with precision. Additionally, her telekinetic pushes subtly amplified their strikes, adding that extra force that prevented Black Adam from fully overwhelming them.

So—despite being physically superior, more experienced, and vastly more powerful—Black Adam could not immediately gain the upper hand.

Not yet.

Esau pressed forward, fists flying in rapid succession, each strike blocked by Black Adam's forearm.

Without warning, Black Adam suddenly threw his own punch. Esau barely had time to register it—a right straight aimed for his face. The impact snapped Esau's head back, his vision flashing white for an instant.

Before Black Adam could follow up, Aqualad was already there.

A swift kick to the ribs, followed by a double-strike from his water swords, forced Black Adam to shift his focus. Three rapid hits cracked across his face. But if anything, the blades suffered more damage than Black Adam himself.

Annoyed, Black Adam drove his foot forward, the kick burying itself into Aqualad's gut.

Aqualad grunted in pain, skidding backwards from the force. Only for Esau to leap forward, swinging a brutal right hook into Black Adam's nose. The blow landed clean, snapping his head slightly to the side.

Yet Black Adam didn't even stagger.

In an instant, he parried Esau's follow-up body shot, catching his wrist with a crushing grip.

Before he could retaliate—Aqualad struck again. A hammer strike to the jaw, infused with a telekinetic push from Miss Martian, actually knocked Black Adam backward. In the same moment, Esau's tail lashed out, sweeping Black Adam's legs out from beneath him.

For the first time, Black Adam was momentarily vulnerable.

But it didn't last.

Before he could even touch the ground, his body surged upward, lightning gathering rapidly in his hands.

Miss Martian tried to restrain him with telekinesis, but it wasn't enough.

Black Adam spun mid-air and a storm of lightning erupted outward, lancing toward them in chaotic, untamed fury. The explosion rocked the entire forest, the ground splitting apart as the shockwave rippled outward, tearing apart the battlefield.

Smoke and fire swallowed everything.

The very air shook with the force of destruction.

Slowly—as the smoke began to clear—three unmoving figures were revealed.

Esau.

Aqualad.

Miss Martian.

All collapsed on the ground, motionless.

Above them, Black Adam hovered, his arms folded, his expression unreadable.

His victory was absolute and Black Adam turned to face the remainder of the team of young heroes who stood in his way. A pulse of green energy erupted around him, encasing him in a shimmering barrier. Black Adam's eyes snapped upward to witness the sight of many figures descending down toward him rapidly.

The Justice League had arrived.