First floor! The Arkham Knight and the Son of the Howlite Howlers duel!
Team Tower made their way to the entrance of the… Well, tower. Thanos was already there, talking to Mr. Perfect Cell, a cooler next to them with hetap. They were both drinking from it, Mr. Perfect Cell spotted the others.
"Hello there," Mr. Perfect Cell waved at the party.
“Hey,” Luke greeted amiably, while Shiva curtsied.
“Get out of the Way Cell,” Eric ordered the perfect creation
"Mr. Perfect Cell," Mr. Perfect Cell corrected, "Also, use your head for once Eric, you're walking into new territory here. You don't know how the tower works, which is why I'm here." Mr. Perfect Cell said with a chuckle.
“I don’t give a flying fuck” Eric said to Cell.
“Eric!” Shiva chastised, before looking to Mr. Perfect Cell. “What can you tell us, Mr. Perfect Cell.”
"Well, I can tell you how the tower works, what you should be expecting to see, and finally who are the Gods that the Commanders represent." Mr. Perfect Cell explained to Shiva. "Would you all like to know?"
“I would,” Shiva admitted, glancing at the others. Phoenix shrugged. “Thank you.”
“Same,” Kodo admitted from behind her.
“Whatever they say,” Luke agreed. “I’m just happy to be alive again.”
"You're welcome by the way," Thanos chuckled before raising a hand, "Yeah I'd like to understand my surroundings before going into uncharted territory with NO knowledge whatsoever, cough, Eric, cough." Thanos coughed into his fist.
“Bite me, Chrome Dome” Eric said through clenched teeth
"No need for name calling, also that's gay." Thanos told the Shadow Man.
“I know you two have… whatever is going on,” Shiva commented. “But could you try listening to him? He does have some points.”
Luke grumbled. “Shiva, don’t suck his dick in front of me,” he asked.
“It’s not dick-sucking to state a fact,” Shiva protested.
“Also, this is because of Eric’s powers,” Sombra explained to the Diamond Dog. “His Shadow Souls affect his personality.”
“Drunk on strength, right?” Luke noted, running a claw through his dreadlocks. “Yeah, happens to the best of us.” He grinned. “Has he tried to eat his way through Canterlot Plaza before?”
Sombra visibly flinched hearing this. “I have...And I refuse to forget the pain I inflicted”
Luke’s grin faded. “I… meant as in ‘literally’ tried to eat a palace. I didn’t mean to bring up painful memories.” He looked down with a dog keen. “Sorry.” He paused. “I had to get my stomach pumped,” he added, as a small stab at humor.
"Anyway, what would you guys want to know first?" Mr. Perfect Cell asked, leaning back on his chair.
“Where’s Ryker!” Eric ordered
"Top floor, but the only way you can reach him is by the tower. He made an enchantment, if you go up there, you will grow old in a matter of nanoseconds and you would turn to dust." Mr. Perfect Cell explained to the Shadow Man.
Luke blinked, glancing up at the tower. “Then… how’s he up there?” he asked.
“He made the enchantment,” Shiva explained. “I’m pretty sure it won’t work on him.”
"It also only works outside," Mr. Perfect Cell informed the discount Lucario.
“Ah,” Luke realized. “So we go inside, and we fight the Commanders on the way to the top. Just like that one story about the martial arts pony who’s name I don’t know.”
"Yeah, I love that story by the way, really awesome." Mr. Perfect Cell grinned, remembering the story.
“Oh, heck yeah,” Luke agreed. “Those moves are sweet…”
“Yes-yes, we can all agree it’s good,” Shiva said. “So, what order can we expect them to be in. Who will we be facing first?”
"That Is the one thing I can't tell you, other than what will happen when the sun explodes because that story always makes me depressed…" Mr. Perfect Cell shuddered.
“Oh-kay,” Shiva said. “Then… what about these ‘Gods’ the Commanders represent. What does that mean?”
"Well, Katakuri represents the God of Combat. Due to his immense strength he fought him once, bested him in combat and obtained his powers. Not to mention his uh… Ways of teaching people about the subject… Yeah let's just say he's very passionate about teaching… And Donuts." Mr. Perfect Cell nodded.
"Now, Arkham Knight is the God of Fear, he enjoys inflicting fear on his prey before he takes them out. Gives him some satisfaction that someone else is feeling what he felt in the… Let's not talk about that." Mr. Perfect Cell shook his head.
"Bullet is the God of War, you ALL knew it was coming, he is a maniac when it comes to raw strength. Nothing much to say about him really…" Mr. Perfect Cell said with a shrug.
"Ganondorf is the God of Power, Triforce of power, you all know he is good at power. I mean he has a bunch of women under him so he gets all the hoes." Mr. Perfect Cell explained with a chuckle.
"Er… Necrozma is the God of Freedom, he wanted to be free for he was a slave back in ancient Greece, yes, he is old. VERY old." Mr. Perfect Cell told the party.
"Herobrine is the God of Pain, the mental pain he's been through is unrivaled, dwarfs all of yours too. And the poor kid is eleven years old, sheesh…" Mr. Perfect Cell shook with fear.
"Then we have Lord Twigo, the God of the Holy Light. He worships the sun like it's his father, he is a nice guy." Mr. Perfect Cell explained.
"Zabuza is the God of Dreams, you could say he is a Dream Slayer, he goes into dreams and slays nightmares like Princess Luna Sol." Mr. Perfect Cell explained once more, getting a bit tired.
"Towa is a Demons so is no God, Akainu is the God of Justice, he was a part of the Marines way back then. His whole squad died so that's sad." Mr. Perfect Cell said before he was cut off by Eric.
“False justice you mean.” Eric said
Mr. Perfect Cell just stared at Eric, "Okay before I was so RUDELY interrupted, finally we have the God of Silence, Fujitora."
Shiva said nothing, but Luke and Kodo glanced at her as she visibly tensed up. Phoenix was trying to suppress a chuckle, but was failing.
"He's a warrior, a samurai, a strong one at that." Mr. Perfect Cell finished explaining the Deities, "Now, go on." Mr. Perfect Cell stepped aside.
“Shiva and I have had first hand experience of how strong he is,” Eric said, looking to the Diamond Dog, who nodded silently.
"Oh, ho ho! You'll be surprised at how much strength he's hiding!" Mr. Perfect Cell said, watching the group walk on, "You'll be surprised alright…" The party walked down a hallway, hearing rain though they were inside. They saw a light at the end of it as they walked by, Thanos suddenly relaxed and took a deep inhale before grabbing Kodo on his shoulder.
"Do ya smell that boy? That is the smell of danger…" Thanos grinned, walking forth.
Luke and Shiva sniffed as well. “Smells like the lower sections of the Empire,” Shiva commented. “Where the thieves dwelled.”
“And the underground caverns,” Luke added. “They always did smell similar.”
“That’s not all” Eric said, sniffing the air. “I smell Iron...lots of it...It’s the smell of blood.”
"All of them link towards danger." They walked out of the hallway, they saw Gotham City, the tallest of buildings reached to the top and supported the floor. Everyone looked around to admire the city, Thanos looked around the city.
“Is this Manehattan?” Shiva asked.
"I can't believe it! It's just like in the Arkham Series!" Thanos said with a grin, "WELCOME TO GOTHAM CITY BOYS!!!!" Thanos introduced the group to Gotham City.
“And… girls?” Shiva asked, as she, Luna Black and Elia tilted their heads, feeling left out.
"Hmph, boys are all the same, brutish brutes… I said the same thing twice didn't I?" Elia asked herself, before she was interrupted by a screeching sound. It was from the speaker, suddenly they noticed a TV, there was a news reporter with the Twin Towers behind him.
"Hello my name is Jack Daniels, yeah, I know, the name of the alcohol, and welcome to Fox news! Today is the anniversary of the most horrible day known to mankind, 9/11. This marks a tragic day for everyone, old and young. Before we get too far into that topic, the Government has taken down the Organization called Creed. A guild full of thieves and assassins, though they have yet to find one last person. He goes by the name of Michael Johnson, he's an African American male and he has multiple scars on his body."
The TV then shows like the description said a young African American with scars on his face.
Without warning the tv’s were cut off when a large black sword was sent through the glass destroying the tv’s, the black eye looked at Shiva and Luke before blinking at them. As Luke pulled Shiva behind him, Eric stepped forward grabbing the hilt of his blade before pulling it from the glass.
“I fucking hate Humanity and their bullshit,” Eric said slinging his massive sword across his back.
“Clearly,” Luke mused.
“Let’s get out of here and find the Arkham Bitch,” Eric said moving past the group.
"Baa baa Black sheep, have you any wool?"
Thanos perked up, looking around. "Did you guys hear that?"
“I feel that,” Kodo admitted, his fur bristling.
"Yes sir, yes sir, three bags full."
Thanos walked down an alleyway, Entity followed the Titan, followed by Luke.
"One for my master, one for the dame, and one for the little girl who lives down the lane…"
“Well looks like the fucker finds us instead” The Black Azure Knight said reaching for his sword.
“They said he was the weakest of the Commanders,” Shiva noted, her pack links gently resting on the shoulders of her group. “We can take him if we stick together.”
Everyone walked out of the alleyway, they saw the Arkham Knight holding a watch photo of someone, Arkham Knight sat on the Batmobile. "My uh… Papa used to sing that song to me when he put me to sleep. It was my favorite…" Arkham Knight said, chuckling sadly.
Shiva and Luke exchanged a glance, before Luke stepped forward.
“We just need to get to Fujitora and Ryker,” he said. “You point us to them, and we’ll be on our way.” He shrugged. “But, if you wanna fight all of us… that’s your choice.”
"I'm afraid I can't allow that, I must make my father… Ryker… Proud of me, I must prove my worth." Arkham Knight stood up from his car.
Kodo backed up, his fur spiking as he shut his eyes, recognizing how the Arkham Knight felt.
"I know I can't beat you all, you guys can destroy planets, copy my skills, cut through buildings, me? I'm just a broken kid in a broken world." Arkham Knight said, looking down at them all. Lucci frowned looking at the Knight.
“Damn Straight,” Eric said slowly drawing his sword, however, the Knight was not a dumbass and noticed this.
"Sheath the sword, Eric, would you really want to cut down a seventeen year old teenager?" Arkham Knight asked the Shadow Man.
“I’ve killed changeling hatchlings before, so killing a teenager wouldn't make me lose an ounce of sleep” The Black Azure Knight said pointing his blade to the Arkam Knight
"Hehe, you're a cruel man Von Shadow. The door is behind me, though. One of you shall stay behind and fight me." Arkham Knight pointed a thumb behind him.
“I think I will Enjo…” Eric was however interrupted by a smaller but more stern voice
“No, Von Shadow,” Kodo said. “I’ll fight him.”
Shiva spun as Kodo crept forward. “Kodo?” she asked.
“I’ll fight him,” he replied. “If he only needs one of us...”
“But we’re supposed to fight together,” Shiva insisted. “The strength of the wolf is in the pack!”
“Heh… A Warrior must walk his own path to strive for greatness” Eric said Sheathing his sword. “Remember that well for they were the final words of a great swordsman in my world.”
"Kodo… Hmph, I apologize for the things I said earlier, they were mean." The Knight said to the Diamond Dog pup.
“We all do things we regret to try and prove ourselves to the ones we love,” Kodo replied, stepping ahead of the group. He drew his sword, his fur steaming as he prepared for battle. “Go, you guys,” he told the group. “Find Ryker. Find Fujitora.”
“Kodo…” Shiva whispered. “You more than earned my forgiveness. This won’t change how everyone in our world feels about you.” Luke glanced at her, staring at his son in despair as he realized what she was talking about.
“Maybe,” Kodo admitted. “But it’ll be a start.”
"I like you, you're finally showing some skin!" Arkham Knight walked forward, unsheathing the legendary blade, Shisui.
“Come on, Let’s go” Eric said, causing the others to go for the door. Shiva reluctantly followed, pulled along by Luke. Eric however stopped at the exit and looked back to the Pup. “Hey Kid,” Eric said in a calming tone
Kodo glanced his way.
“Don’t you dare die on us,” Eric said Lifting his helmet enough to show a fanged smile. “And drag his ass all over this floor” The shadow man lowered his helmet and ran up the stairs
"Especially don't die on Grievous! That man would go to Hell or Heaven and kick your ass!" Thanos cried out before walking off.
“If you fuckin die I’ll kill you!” Phoenix shouted with a thumbs up.
“A-And Kodo,” Luke added. “I’m sorry. I failed you.”
Kodo gazed towards his father, unsure of what to say. “You’ve got a second chance, Dad,” he said. “Use it to keep Mom safe.”
Luke’s eyes narrowed in determination, and he nodded. Shiva herself exchanged one last, meaningful gaze with her son, before she turned away.
“Don’t grieve, Mother,” Kodo said, focusing on his opponent. “Today’s not the day I die.”
“Don’t worry Shiva, your pup is strong.” Eric said to the parents as they ran behind him. “That little Spitball you have won’t fall by that cowards’ hands.”
“I appreciate the words, Eric,” Shiva said. “But when it comes to motherhood… you never stop seeing your children as your babies.”
"Thanks for calling me a coward! I appreciate it!" Arkham Knight shouted.
“Forget about him,” Kodo declared to the Knight, raising his sword. “Your fight is with me. And tonight, one of us is going to prove our worth to our parents.”
"Hehehe… I don't know why I didn't like you before, you're quite a warrior! Who taught you, Kodo?" Arkham Knight asked the Pup.
“Lord Twigo,” Kodo recited. “Fujitora. General Grievous. Goku Black. Eric Von Shadow. Princess Luna. Skippy of Vespin Hive, my father, Luke… my mother, Shiva…” Kodo’s grip tightened. “And Emperor Umbra, under the visage of King Sombra.”
Phoenix pouted playfully as he looked back at Kodo. “What about me……..?” He mumbled.
"I am happy that you have a lot of talented teachers, who taught me? Well… Ryker did…" Arkham Knight said before T-posing, suddenly the Batmobile went into Battle mode and fired non-lethal bullets at the Pup.
Kodo exploded into smoke, the bullets tearing through his cloud, before he shot down into the ground, apparently vanishing from view.
Arkham Knight then backflipped into the Batmobile, "Activate the Anti-Devil Fruit mode!" Arkham Knight declared, suddenly the Batmobile was coated in Sea Prism Stone armor, getting non-lethal Sea Prism Stone bullets as well.
“Clever,” Kodo’s voice rumbled from the ground. “But Devil Fruits aren’t the only trick I’ve got.”
Suddenly, a pack link curled around the batmobile, yanking it down into the earth. The pack link bent the sea prism like metal under a steel beam, as Kodo tried to fold the vehicle in half.
Arkham Knight pushed a button and he flew out with a backpack, not a jetpack, Arkham Knight then landed on a building. Kicking Observation Haki in Arkham Knight pulled out his Sea Prism Stone gun armed with Sea Prism Stone bullets. With Observation Haki he managed to locate Kodo, and like a badass he began to unleash hell upon the Pup.
At first, Kodo stayed underneath the wreck that used to be the Batmobile. Careful not to touch the Sea Prism, Kodo coated his arms in rocks, and launched the Batmobile out of the ground, trying to hit the Arkham Knight with the projectile.
Though the nimble ninja dashed out of the way, still firing down on the Pup but this time at another angle. "Oh what's that next to you?" Arkham Knight asked, he then fired off a bullet at a crate packed full of explosives. Causing the crate to explode along with Kodo.
“Not falling for…” Kodo started to say as he launched out of the ground, only for the crate to explode, knocking him off guard and sending him tumbling across the ground. “Ow,” he muttered.
"Good, you're alive, I'm making sure to not kill you." Arkham Knight remarked before throwing a flashbang at Kodo.
Prepared for the explosion, Shiva’s son went into smoke mode, vanishing from view in the short time that the flashbang kept the Arkham Knight from seeing what was going on.
"Shouldn't have done that!" Arkham Knight groaned, putting his pistols up he pulled out his sword and flew at Kodo, using rocket boosters to do so. Arkham Knight bounced off of a building a propelled himself at Kodo, ready to strike the pup, not to mention covering it in Armament Haki.
Dodging with his smoke, Kodo matched Arkham Knight’s sword with his own. Both were covered in Armament Haki, and both swords sang as they struck against each other. Kodo briefly struggled against the superior Knight, before bursting into smoke, flowing around the Knight and reforming to strike at his back.
Arkham Knight used his boosters the thrust his foot, Arkham Knight spun around, covering that foot in Armament Haki. Arkham Knight slammed his foot into Kodo's muzzle, sending him into a building. Arkham Knight followed Kodo in a calm demeanor.
However, following him was a mistake. As he dove in through the hole he had sent Kodo through, he found another hole in the floor waiting for him. Right as he remembered that Kodo was a Diamond Dog, he felt the building shudder, and began to collapse on top of itself. Using Observation Haki, he saw Kodo at the bottom, having already shred through the supports of the building, and diving deeper underground as the building collapsed.
"Clever boy…" Arkham Knight said right as the building fell on top of him. Arkham Knight was then buried beneath the rubble of the building. Then he wasn't because he jumped up from the rubble, looking at Kodo as the pup rose out of the ground. "You know, what's funny? I'm having fun doing this! I don't normally have fun at all but you are so fun to fight!" Arkham Knight laughed, placing a hand on his hip.
“Well, I don’t have the power to shear a moon in half,” Kodo noted. “Can’t blow up star systems or planets.” He chuckled. “No need to hold back that much.”
"Indeed, unlike most fighters I've seen, you used your head! Unfortunately for you… I use my head too." Kodo noted that his face was flashing red, he started to dive down for the ground… only to see a bomb placed on his cheek from the kick Arkham Knight pulled on him. "Killer Queen, Bitez Za Dusto." Arkham Knight knew the pup wouldn't understand the reference, but the Knight activated the bomb and watched the fireworks unfold.
Kodo tried to turn into smoke to avoid the bomb, but it exploded just before he could completely vanish into smoke. He was flung backward by the force of the bomb, yelping as his fur was set aflame by the fireworks. Diving back into the ground, Kodo smothered as much of the flames as he could, but his face still stung from the impact of the bomb, and the sound of the blast had left a ringing in his ear, leaving him disoriented as he tried to recover under the earth.
Arkham Knight threw grenades down the holes Kodo had burrowed into, using Observation Haki to locate the Diamond Dog.
Kodo’s barks, yelps and cries sounded as grenade after grenade went off, knocking him around and collapsing the tunnels he had burrowed. Finally, with a big BOOM, and an explosion of dirt, Kodo careened out of the earth, and landed hard on the streets of Gotham, blindly swiping around with his sword while clutching his battered and dazed head with his free claw.
Arkham Knight dragged his blade across the streets of Gotham as he approached the dazed Pup. The Knight ran at Kodo before doing a jumping swipe down onto the Pup, of course coating it in Armament Haki.
But as the Knight charged, Kodo’s ears flared, and he just managed to pick up the Knight’s attack. He spun, catching the Knight’s sword with his own. The two crossed blades, as Kodo valiantly tried to hold up under the Knight’s strength.
"Kodo, you and I aren't so different. You and I are both fools trying to redeem ourselves, so… What do you say you join us, Kodo? I can ask Ryker to spare your family, you can join us! Be happy, and have people who treat you like family. So why don't you join the family? Brother." Arkham Knight offered pressing down on the Pup, his immense strength overwhelming the growing boy's body.
But as Kodo writhed under the Knight’s strength, his ears flattened, and his eyes shined with memories.
“You sound… just like… Sombra,” he noted. His eyes briefly flashed with purple energy, and his fur darkened as he recalled the dark king’s words. “Your Mother is weak. She seeks peace with those that would see you enslaved. Join my plan. Help me take over Equestria, and find true peace for your family.”
Kodo snorted, and the Arkham Knight noticed him begin to rise up, gaining new strength.
“Well, I’m sorry to disappoint,” Kodo continued. “But I have family. My mother. My father. My sister.” His heart fluttered in his chest. “Princess Luna…” His eyes focused. “General Grievous. They would never forgive me if I took the wrong path again.”
He lifted himself up, matching blades with the Arkham Knight.
“They gave me a second chance,” he said. “And I will. Not. WASTE IT!”
As he howled the last part, a shockwave of smoke and his own pack links burst from his maw, throwing the Arkham Knight back and freeing Kodo from his grip.
Arkham Knight hit a lamppost before falling down onto his chest, Arkham Knight stood up. "Heh, Looks like you've damaged my armor." Arkham Knight's voice switched up, the Knight hit his helmet a couple of times. "That's better, now where were we?" Arkham Knight tightened his grip on his blade, "You know what they say, Kodo. One shall stand…"
“And one shall fall,” Kodo agreed, baring his claw in his free hand and crossed his sword arm and claw arm over his chest, ready to rush at Arkham Knight and swipe both across his body.
"One Sword Style…" The Knight covered his body in Armament Haki, exhausting the Knight a little bit.
“Jitte Ranbu…” Kodo muttered, as smoke crept up his arm.
"Get ready to burn in hell, Kodo! Hiryu: Kaen!" Arkham Knight cried out.
Kodo said nothing in English, instead letting out a wolf howl as he charged forward, his pack link encircling his smoky arms and extending his claw and sword arms so they almost trailed behind him. Arkham Knight appeared behind Kodo, his sword halfway in its sheath.
"Heh, I wi-" As Arkham Knight Knight sheathed his blade, he was cut, as Kodo’s body exploded into smoke, and his sword and claws carved through the Knight’s body. He stopped his Armament Haki and his armor fell apart, leaving a cybernetic young African American with scars all over his body. The Knight turned to Kodo as he reformed, fearfully. "You… You!" Arkham Knight clenched a robotic fist, glowing in red energy. The Knight fired his most powerful plasma bolt at Kodo.
But the young diamond dog spun, dodging the bolt and carving his sword - coated in armament haki - right through the Arkham Knight’s fist.
The Knight cried out in pain as his cybernetic hand fell off, he grunted. "This pain… IS NOTHING I'M NOT USED TO!!!" The Knight roared, another fist grew in its place. The Knight began to fire Magma balls at Kodo as the Arkham Knight tried to put some distance between them.
Kodo dodged, weaving between the magma balls, and eventually taking refuge up on the rooftops. With the high ground on his side, Kodo began to leap from rooftop to rooftop, keeping the Arkham Knight in his sights as he tried to run away.
For as he ran, Kodo recognized the look of fear in his eyes. A fear that he had seen in his parent’s dreams. Back when they were slaves.
It was a risk, but…
“Michael,” Kodo called. “Your offer of family. Are you sure I’m the one who needs it?”
"Of course you do! You're just like me! A fool, a mistake, and born from hell!" Michael spat, anger filled his eyes. "But we can prove them all wrong… We can prove to those pigs, those who are rich, those who had a family when they needed them- No… Together you and I can be a family together. Along with your original family! Ryker is a nice guy, he'll understand what's going on." Michael ran up a building to follow Kodo, shooting Magma balls at him to subdue him.
“You think so?” Kodo asked, dodging the magma balls, as his voice echoed through the smoke. “Because right now, he’s reminding me a lot of Sombra.”
"DON'T YOU DARE TALK TO MY FATHER LIKE THAT!!!" Using one of the Rokushiki techniques, Soru, Michael appeared before Kodo. His robotic fists covered in Armament Haki, Michael threw a punch at the pup.
But Kodo burst out of his smoke cloud, deflecting the strike with his blade. “Look at what he’s having you do,” Kodo insisted. “Helping him murder men and women who did nothing to him. Taking them away from their homes…”
"Shut up!" Michael pulled out his sword, slamming it down onto Kodo in a fit of anger. "Ryker is family! He is doing it for a good cause, the greatest cause I know!"
Kodo caught the sword with his claws, his pack link spiraling around his claws and down the sword to Arkham Knight’s wrists.
“I thought the same thing when Sombra promised to help me find my mom,” Kodo said softly.
And as the pack links dug into Arkham Knight’s wrists… he saw Kodo was right. Visions flashed before his eyes of Kodo storming Canterlot. Dragging ponies into the dark earth. Selling them off to wild diamond dog clans to be slaves. All while Sombra’s voice whispered in his mind.
“It’s to get your mother back. It’s a good cause. The greatest cause in the world.”
"You're lying, THOSE VISIONS ARE A LIE!!!" Knight continued to strike the Pup mercilessly, anger fueled his eyes. "I will not let you defile the name of my father!"
“I’m defiling no name,” Kodo said firmly, his pack links shining brightly as the Knight failed to pull his wrists free. “I’m showing you what I’ve experienced.”
The visions continued to flash across Arkham Knight’s mind, even as he tried to resist. Sombra standing side by side with a young Kodo. His horn glowing in sync with Kodo’s fur.
“You are destined for greatness, young one,” Sombra said. “You were born to do great things.”
The vision shifted; Shiva was missing. Kodo was desperately looking for her. But there was no sign or scent of her.
“Do not fear, young one,” Sombra’s voice soothed. “We will get her back. I will help you, even if the others will not.”
And as the Arkham Knight saw Sombra’s manipulations, he felt how Kodo had felt: represented. Appreciated. Loved.
The Arkham Knight clenched his teeth, covering his head in Armament Haki, tilting his blade to the side. Michael slammed his head into Kodo's, dazing him but just enough for Arkham Knight to grab onto Kodo, discarding his blade as he jumped down an alleyway.
But Kodo managed to twist in mid-air, slamming Michael into the ground. His claws flashed, briefly pinning Michael’s arms under the rocks before he seized his head, his pack links wrapping around Michael’s head.
“But tell me this,” Kodo’s voice echoed in Michael’s head. “When all is said and done, and Ryker gets what he wants… does it ever feel like you’ve truly gotten his love? Do you ever fully feel appreciated?”
Michael’s memories answered against his will: Standing solemnly off to the side. The weakest of his fellow commanders. And as Ryker congratulated his men, Michael would always see it in his eyes: he appreciated them far more than he appreciated him. Arkham Knight was the weakest. The least needed. The omega.
Kodo’s grip slackened. “Why settle for scraps,” Kodo asked. “When you could have more?”
Kodo’s memories swam into Michaels. Except… Michael didn’t see Kodo in them. He saw himself. Standing by Shiva’s throne… no, on a throne of his own. When she looked at him, Michael saw the love that Shiva had for Kodo.
The vision shifted. He saw Luna. Guiding him as she showed him how to protect the dreams of ponies. When they came to a rather erotic dream, Luna quickly shut the door on the dream with a blush. Yet, Michael only felt humor. And as he laughed, Luna laughed with him.
Emotion flooded his core. Love. Appreciation. The bonds of a pack. As Kodo shared his memories with him, he let the Arkham Knight feel how it was to be part of a pack. Not where he was the weakest, but where he was a pack mate. Loved no matter what he did. The Fallen Knight had stopped struggling, tears had begun to form in his eyes.
"Is that… How it feels to be loved?" Michael asked the pup, getting his arms out of the rocks, as if submitting to the Diamond Dog.
Kodo lifted himself up. “That’s how it feels,” he promised. He offered his claw. “I can’t promise it’ll be instant. But it’s worth fighting for. And there could be a place for you too, if you were willing.”
"...Hehe… you know what you saw earlier on the screen… 9/11… The Twin Towers… My parents died there. When I was eight, I went to check on them, running past the Firemen, Ambulance, and the Police Officers… When I found their bodies. I saw both of them, embracing each other for the last time. Both… Dead." Michael chuckled, sitting up.
Kodo’s ears flattened. He crouched, letting the Arkham Knight talk.
"After that I grew up on the streets, being an African American on the streets was horrible, Police Officers constantly taunted me. Being the fat pigs that they are, giving me food that I desperately needed only to destroy them. I turned to a life of crime after that, became a petty thief, soon the Organization, Creed, accepted me. They raised me, and I had a home… But that was all ruined as you saw on the TV." Arkham Knight explained to the pup.
Kodo nodded. “I saw,” he assured the Knight. “They took everything from you… and then Ryker came to pick up the pieces, right?”
The Fallen Knight chuckled brokenly, "Yes… He taught me everything… But I wasn't learning well. So he replaced my limbs, ripping them out… Even my eye." Michael looked at Kodo, his one red glowing eye peering into Kodo's. "But… I forgive him, it was all him wanting me not to feel useless." Michael told the pup.
Kodo could only stare at the machinery that had replaced so much of Michael’s body. “Well,” he said quietly. “Was it worth it? Do you feel… ‘not useless?’”
"Hehe… Yup…" Michael said, nothing else to add on.
“Even now?”
"Eh, not so much." Michael grinned, hiding the pain before he went back into his sad state.
“So why stay like this?” Kodo asked. “We can start over.”
Michael slowly glared up at Kodo, smiling, "Tell that to the dead." Michael quickly grabbed his gun and put the pistol under his chin.
“No!” Kodo barked, lunging for the pistol. Before the Knight could pull the trigger Kodo knocked the pistol away from Michael to prevent the Arkham Knight from reaching for his spare pistol. Kodo locked his claws around Michael’s neck, and let his claws glow with a purple light. “Suicide is a coward’s way out… and despite what Von Shadow said, you’re not a coward.”
The Arkham Knight felt the energy leave his body, and his eyes fluttered shut. He went limp, locked into the Play Dead spell Shiva had created. Resting his claw over Michael’s face, Kodo added a spell he had learned from Luna.
“Rest, brother,” Kodo said. “And dream of a better life.”
In the Arkham Knight’s mind, he dreamed of a life where his parents had lived. Where his Creed had lived. Where he had a real family. As the Arkham Knight smiled softly in his sleep, Kodo lifted himself up.
“I’ll be back when Ryker is taken care of,” Kodo promised, before racing after his group.
Climbing the tower stairs the Displaced burst through the door leading to the second floor, inside was a wasteland. Littered with weapons of war and skeletons, skeletons of Avians.
“By everything sacred…” Shiva whispered.
Lucci and Entity tensed up at the surrounding, a sweat drop appeared on Lucci's forehead.
"Th-this is…" Lucci's eyes widened before turning to Thanos, Thanos looked on at the floor with a one hundred yard stare. "The battlefield where Cloven Diamond fell!"
To be continued...