Hope is not lost, my seed," The Baron said, trying his best to hold onto Jake.
"W-what do you mean?" Jake said, trying his best to keep Baron from flying away.
"I have no intention of obeying those fools outside. The only way they'd get what they want from me would be to absorb my power. That's why I need you to... "
"Wait, what are you suggesting?" Jake said nervously, barely holding on anymore.
"Kill me, my seed," Baron said, his fingers slowly creeping out of Jake's grasp.
"I... I can't!"
"It's the only way!" Baron shouted as he let go of Jake's arm. And just like that, he was gone, consumed by the dark abyss before them.
That was the last thing he saw before waking up, before the darkness dissipated, before the ritual was over.
"And there you have it, ladies and gentlemen! After 50 years of waiting, of laying low, of doing nothing, our work has finally paid off. I present to you, The Baron of the Shadowclan!" The Bishop announced, pointing to the Baron who lay strapped to the metallic table next to Jake's.
He was met with the deafening cheers of his adoring crowd.
"No..." the Baron muttered to himself. Bishop turned an inquisitive eye towards him.
"What was that, oh great one?" He asked, approaching him.
"I won't work for you,"
The Bishop was silent, as was the whole crowd of cultists above.
"You hear me? I won't be a tool for your plans. I am no longer bound to the whims of Umbra. I won't call her forces here. I won't do anything you want, you blind fools!"
Everyone was still silent.
"Don't you see? I was like you once, too. I was a foolish mortal who believed in Umbra. That her return would bring a new age for me. For my people. I was wrong. She made me a tool of destruction, of conquest. She will do the same to you! Don't you see?!"
Bishop laughed.
"Don't you think I know that? Don't you think WE know that? That is all we want! To conquer this world and many more after it! If it means being tools for the mighty Umbra, then that's a bonus!"
"You... you're insane,"
"And you're disappointing. Well, now I know why you failed to take over that fool's body when you had the chance. Maybe I was too harsh on Max. Doesn't matter. I saw this coming, as much as I didn't want to believe it," The Bishop said as he placed a hand on Baron's head. A wave of darkness washed over the Baron soon after, causing him to scream in pain.
His scream was soon drowned out by the returning cheers of the cultists.
That's when Jake broke through his bonds.
He fell to the floor with a loud thump. No one heard it due to the constant cheers.
"They were cheering. Cheering as the Baron was dying," Jake thought. In an instant, his rage turned to blue energy. Energy he focused on his super speed.
He dashed towards the Bishop and Baron, charging some of that energy into his right fist for a devastating strike.
As soon as he did, he was on the ground.
Three figures stood above him, holding him down like a rabid animal. They all wore black robes and skull-faced masks.
The largest one was twice Jake's size and had a Hulk-like physique. He carried a large axe on his shoulders. He was the Lost Light's Executioner.
"Where the hell do you think you're going?" He said with a deep, predatory tone.
The tallest one was a lanky figure with stick-like limbs and an elongated head. He wore a multitude of charms across his robe. He was the Lost Light's Priest.
"It seems he wants to interrupt the transfer," He said in a shrewd voice.
And the shortest one was a woman. Slender and thin, she looked more like some kind of creature than a human, especially if you looked at her fingers, which resembled knives more than anything. She was the Lost Light's Nun.
"Aw, seems we got in his way. How sad," She said in a cold and mocking tone.
These three made up the leaders of the Lost Light. For 50 years they evaded the law, fought the Super Society and the Commonwealth government, and lived to tell the tale.
This was their greatest moment.
Jake tried to resist, to get up and stop the transfer. He could see Baron's body shrinking by the second. He didn't have time for this.
"Hey..."
Suddenly he heard something.
"Jake..."
Something so small no one else heard.
"There's no time,"
Even with the cheering of the crowd, he still heard it.
"Let me out,"
It was like someone inside him was speaking.
"Shadow?" Jake muttered under his breath.
"Let me out, Jake! Before it's too late! Before..."
Suddenly the crowd went silent again as the glass window on the ceiling broke. Six beings fell from the glass and landed right in the center of the arena.
"You sure this is the place?" Paulina said, scanning the area.
"Yeah! This is where Max told me to go," Stacya replied, pulling out her spear.
"Seems you're right! Look!" Ted said, pointing at the restrained Jake.
"There he is!" Omniboy followed, his hands on his head.
Rift gasped.
"What the hell is going on here?!" Zack exclaimed as his size began to rapidly expand.
In the confusion, Jake charged up his blue energy and overwhelmed the three distracted leaders. Without them holding him down, he made a break for the Bishop, his fist glowing a bright blue all the way.
The Bishop turned, only to see Jake mere centimeters from him, charging an energy-filled punch.
"It's over, asshole!" Jake shouted, just before the Bishop slapped him away with his free hand.
Jake landed on the wall with enough force to shake the whole arena, knocking him out cold.
"Jake!" Zack, Stacya, and the kids said in unison.
"Guys, we got bigger problems here." Paulina said, right before the Bishop spoke.
"KILL THEM! KILL THEM ALL!"
To be continued...