The first Nomu didn't even see me coming.
I dropped from the rooftop like a blade of shadow, my body a blur. The serum injector slipped into my hand as the air roared past me. At the last second, I spun mid-air and drove the syringe into the beast's neck.
Click. Hiss.
The Nomu screamed—jagged, shrill, inhuman—as the black liquid surged into its bloodstream. It clawed at its neck in confusion, muscles spasming. I didn't wait for the results.
I was already on the second.
It roared, mouth unhinging wider than it should've, releasing a shockwave of sonic energy that split nearby glass. I zipped beneath it, sliding on one knee, and jabbed the syringe into the back of its leg—right into the artery.
Two down.
The others noticed now. They turned.
Six yellow eyes locked onto me, and rage poured off them like heat waves.
Good.
I leapt backward, cape fluttering as I landed on a shipping container. "Come on, then."
They came.
A screech of footsteps. One charged. The ground shook. Another Nomu launched itself at me from the side, airborne, claws extended. I ducked, felt the air split above my head, and countered with a blast of kinetic energy from my palm.
Boom.
It crashed into a wall, bricks exploding outward. I was on it before it could rise, driving the third syringe into its gut.
Three down. Nine left.
My comm crackled.
"Phantom, this is River—Zone 4 is clear. Civilians secure."
"Copy. Fall back to high ground. Cover fire only. Do not break formation."
"Understood."
Another beast reached me, swinging with four twisted arms. It caught my shoulder—sent me flying through a crumbled car window. Pain flared across my ribs, but my armor held.
Barely.
I grunted, stood, spat blood, and met its charge head-on.
This one was fast. Too fast.
We traded blows—speed, power, precision. I ducked low, shifted left, and slipped behind it. The syringe went into its spine.
Four.
Two more to go.
But I was slowing. Breathing harder. Even my Kryptonian cells could feel it—the strain, the pressure, the sheer toll of combat.
I was buying time. But even I wasn't invincible.
And then—
"Who is that guy?!" a voice called out from nearby.
I turned briefly.
Eliza Kirishima. Armor cracked, eyes wide.
She was looking at me. And so was Marcus. And Diamond. Ryan. My old friends. Scattered across the battlefield, mid-fight, and suddenly watching the cloaked figure take on multiple Nomu alone.
They didn't recognize me.
But they felt something.
I turned away before they could ask more.
No time.
One Nomu leapt at me with serrated claws. I caught it mid-air and slammed it into the pavement, then jabbed the fifth injection into its throat.
The last Nomu tried to run.
Smart.
Too bad I was faster.
I vanished in a sonic boom—reappeared behind it—and drove the final needle into its chest.
All six Nomu staggered. They twitched, roared, and then…
They dropped.
One by one.
The serum worked.
I stood, panting slightly, smoke curling off my gloves. My cape billowed in the wind, and across the broken district, even the Nomu reinforcements paused.
The tide had turned.
For a second… just a second… the battlefield went still.
My comm beeped.
"Team X reporting," River said. "All sectors under control. Minimal casualties."
I looked across the city as dusk began to settle. Buildings burned, but people were alive. Heroes were fighting harder. The sky was far from clear, but hope?
Hope had just returned.
And the shadows whispered a name.
Dark Phantom.