- Doomsday - Volume One: Gods and Monsters

Chapter 96: Terms

(AN: Sorry for not posting last week. Battling flu and I'm entering the second stage of the boss fight. As I did with my Marvel story I'll be releasing two chapters today! Hope that makes up for the delay. Also, another question. Thoughts on AI art? I'm not against the practice, and I want to use it, but I also don't want to use it if you the readers wouldn't be comfortable with it. I wish I could draw, and I've tried to get back into drawing very recently but none of it's very good. Love to hear any opinions. If anyone is incredibly anti-AI art then let me know.)

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The dusty muscle car came to a sudden halt as it reached the outer perimeter of Perth. Soon the large gates opened inwards, armed soldiers ready and waiting atop the defences. However, they knew exactly who this was, and their frequent comings and goings had become almost habitual. They didn't check the vehicle, simply letting it roar past. Swerving to an open spot, the vehicle quickly grew quiet. From out the front entrance outstepped [Y/N], bearing an unkempt and wild appearance. That's what weeks in the desert did to a man. Stay too long and it would drive anyone crazy.

Bizarro soon followed, scrubbing the sleep from out his eyes, if he could have slept forever then he would never wake. It made him feel safe, an almost instinctive feeling, that within the darkness nothing could hurt him. The blistering sun had other plans, blindingly bright and forcing him to cover his eyes. "Stupid sun, stupid day..." He mumbled under his breath.

Standing near the vehicle was a familiar face, Ray. Despite the man's old age, you wouldn't have expected it from his physical build. His simple white vest showing off two large arms. In his hands sat a small pair of goggles, to which he was wiping down with a dirty rag. It certainly wasn't the formal and professional air force pilot, but he seemed to thrive in this environment. Who would have thought the pilot would have been such an accomplished mechanic?

[Y/N] shot him a small nod and a slight grin, it was some of the most emoting he did on a regular basis. Ray didn't reciprocate the gesture at first. Immediately, he knew something was wrong. "What's going on, Old Man?" He asked while walking towards him. The pilot continued messing about with his welding goggles, "I'd tell you to take a shower but I'm afraid you might not have much time." He then pointed up towards their temporary homebase, "We have some guests."

"Guests?" [Y/N] asked with a clear seriousness to his voice. "Overwatch." Ray nodded. He could have gone ballistic, what the hell were they doing here? He explicitly sent himself and his friends into isolation just so he wouldn't have to deal with their bullshit. He quickly marched past the old man, with an unmatched determination. "Shit." Ray said to himself, scampering after him, "Wait, [Y/N]! Cool it down, we don't even know who or what they want yet!" This did little to assuage his anger.

"How long have they been here?" He asked behind gritted teeth. "Maybe ten, twenty minutes. I haven't heard a peep from any of the others." Ray scrambled behind. "Bizarro, come on!" [Y/N] shouted, the clone giving out a final giant yawn before tailing along. As he stared up at the tower from the ground a burning rage began simmering in his chest, hands clenching tight into fists. "I'll help them alright, Ray. Don't you worry..." He retorted, a clear malice evident in his intonation. A few beads of sweat started falling down the old man's temple, why did everything have to kick off today?

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[The Outsiders Tower]

[Y/N]'s mighty footsteps could have shaken the very foundations of the tower, steam practically steaming from his ears. Anything in his way was forfeit. Nothing could stop him now. Bizarro and Ray watched on, keeping a noticeable distance between themselves and the Doomsday. They both shared nervous glances back and forth, not really knowing how this would go. All they could do was hope it all didn't come down to blows, that they hadn't sent anyone too volatile. Ray had already seen him tear down one tower, and he didn't want to see it repeated any time soon.