Tower of Light (Under The Cowl Book #2)

CHAPTER 20

     The mighty sword of The Merciless rain down like a hammer.

In that moment Jessica felt herself freeze under the blade. A fleeting moment she did not escape on her own. It was George, recognizing the power of a god and its capability, along with the value of his importance at great cost.

Where the ground shattered under the weight of the sword, Jessica turned to watch a kneeling George clutch what's left of his left arm. Blood seeped through his fingers and pooled violently down his hip. He drenched the ground in red. On her side, the other side of the mighty sword between her and George, it's by her feet where Jessica found what's left of George's arm. Saved from what would've ended her life, Jessica lifted her head to look up at George and feeling horrified, ashamed. But quickly she felt her lungs swell in her chest. It's what she caused, because of her helplessness, her carelessness, her weakness.

Jessica clenched her hands into fist where all she could see was red.

Her ring igniting into the red light of rage, watched wings suddenly emerge from George's back, white feathered wings big and bright. Along with what he had tucked between his feathers, a metal rod with a spiked tip.

Geroge's sudden transformation caught Jessica off guard.

The rod doubled in size and length. The severity of the situation called for immediate action as George belted from the top of his lungs, likely to garner the monster's full attention. He plunged his Nth metal into the armor of The Merciless.

George bought a few seconds and a couple of inches. His rod clutched in the hand of The Merciless, watched as he failed to pierce the armor of a god but gained his sights pulled away from Jessica.

George trembled to push forward, the balls of his feet dragging across the smooth cement floor. Unable to stop the bleeding from his arm, George stood willing to sacrifice himself yet again.

Jessica could feel her rage subside with the return of reason, willing her to act wiser and not on impulse. What George just did was so she did not have to resort to such a measure.

George's rod cracked in two. He stumbled forward at the loss of his balance. The Merciless buried his fist into the gut of the Thanagarian. Lifted and carried off ground, George's arm and legs dangled as he's hanged helpless and immobile.

The sickening wet thud of George's body echoed on the ground.

"He thought he could buy you enough time to do what exactly, run?" The Merciless mocked. "And how far do you think your feet could have taken you?"

"You sound so much like him."

It's through his helmet as Jessica watched The Merciless turned his gaze behind her, likely aimed at the Batman standing beside the Central Power Battery. "That matters not for I am war. And you are all that remains of my conquest."

"Conquest?"

"All that remains of the Green Lantern Corps is there legend, and the tale of their annihilation at my hand."

Whisked off the ground with an extension of his hand, was his sword flying into his grip.

"Consider this an honor. I did not need to use the God killer for your comrades."

He leaped off the ground with a single push of his foot. Sword hoisted off the ground and pulled back to sit on his shoulder, Jessica ignited her lantern ring in response.

The battle has begun.

In the uniform of the Green Lantern, Jessica takes flight as The Merciless took chase after her. A dogfight. Ariel blasts with machine guns at her tail. The bullets bounce off the armor of the god of war. And he was not slowing down. It was a good thing she was small enough to get around him, slip pass him as soon as he closed in. Running was not going to be enough. Jessica forged twin swords, the same as Bekka's. She swung with ferocity and clashed against the God killer blade. Cracks across the base of the forged swords appeared on impact. The weight of The Merciless' God Killer sword was quick to shatter her's like glass. 

Thrust onto the ground, Jessica bounced and rolled.

But right away she got back up and forged yet again. Chains, hundreds of them, whipping and wrapping themselves around the arms, legs, body, and throat of The Merciless. She had him trapped him where he stood.

And she was not done.

A storm of green fire and lightning pour from Jessica's ring and swallow The Merciless.

"You're going have to do a lot more than that to finish him." said the Batman behind her.

Trying her best to ignore him, it only took one second for Jessica to take her eyes off The Merciless. And what she found in the corner of her eye, the ignition of her rage.

George didn't stand a chance. And he knew it. How many more people must sacrifice their lives for me?

"With blood and rage of crimson red

We fill men's souls with darkest dread

And twist your minds to pain and hate

We'll burn you all- that is your fate!"

Free from his emerald storm of chains, flames, and lightning, The Merciless charged forward to take off Jessica's head. But unbeknownst to him the green guardian vanished, making way for the red sea of rage.

Erupting from Jessica fists an emulsion of red plasma.

Wild and indiscriminate, the red plasma burns away everything it touches. Jessica swung away to combat The Merciless with her hand to hand fighting style. She held her own as he slashed her lantern uniform while she melted though his armor.

Neither of the two was letting up.

Again using her smaller size to her advantage, Jessica got around The Merciless and the wide swing of his God Killer blade. 

Her leaps and turns threw him off balance, thus putting him in a tailspin. 

Liquid fire forged from Jessica's ring coats her fists. 

Getting back in front of The Merciless, she  aimed her rage for the center of his chest. 

With all her might Jessica plunged forward without hesitation, The Merciless heart ready to be feast upon.