The stench of burnt asphalt and smoke permeated the air as Lee took a step back, his gaze fixed on the armoured figure. His instincts screamed for him to go, but something greater held him in place, compelling him to face The War Skull's unwavering presence. The air of violence and horror emanating from this guy seemed unsettlingly familiar.

  Lee jolted back into reality; his voice calm yet intense. "Taz, Maya," he began, his voice breaking the tension. "Find Detective Pierce."

  Taz offered a quick nod and grabbed Maya's arm. But Maya paused, her gaze darting between Lee and The War Skull. She appeared ready to disagree, but Lee's stiffened resolve silenced her concerns. With a hesitant nod, she turned and went into the crowd with Taz, the eerie glare of streetlights throwing elongated shadows as they faded into the darkness.

  As they went, Lee's own shadow appeared to deepen, the Skull Mask power within him waking and blending with him in ways he had never felt before. His mind raced as the energy poured through him, a visceral combination of rage and mysticism intertwined with the ancient force Winston had awoken inside him. Whoever this new Skull Mask bearer was, they were powerful and plainly willing to use devastation to achieve their goals.

  His skin prickled, and a faint red light flickered behind his eyelids, intensifying until his vision was flooded with scarlet.

  Suddenly, his shape changed. The Mystic Trench Robes wrapped about him like a second skin, the black cloth adorned with symbols of dark wisdom. The Scarlet Shadow Cape billowed behind him, its deep, blood-red colour following like liquid rage, creating a menacing atmosphere that seemed to consume the light. Above his head, the Crown of Shadows appeared, with intricate patterns woven into its ghostly essence that linked his strength to a bigger, ancient force.

  Darris, the War Skull, noticed the red glow approaching quickly from a distance. He stood immobile in the middle of a devastated street, smoke and flames licking the ground around him. His Skull Mask pulsed with a terrible silver glow, throwing shadows that gave his armour the appearance of alive, breathing darkness. His voice echoed across the devastation, piercing and powerful.

  "Come out, Skull Mask!" Let's see how your tales of power stack up against mine!"

  The city smouldered around them, sending black clouds of smoke into the sky as Lee confronted Darris, the War Skull. Darris' skull mask glowed with a silver aura, and his voice was tinted with teasing delight.

  "You look surprised," Darris snarled, his grin buried under his mask's icy metallic shine. "Didn't think your own power could be taken so easily, did you?"

  Lee tightened his hands, wrath rising to the surface. “My power?” His thoughts returned to the night he was nearly killed by a gang ambush, narrowly escaping with his life. Blood had been spilt in the turmoil, and he had healed so swiftly that he hadn't given it a second thought.

  "You used my blood to do this?" Lee spit, his tone was a combination of fear and wrath.

  Darris chuckled a chilly sound that resonated down the deserted street. "You make it sound so scandalous, Skull Mask," he joked, wiping ash off his shoulder. "There was an opportunity. Your tiny 'present' was too enticing to pass up. "And now..." He stretched his arms, his silver aura becoming stronger, forcing the neighbouring rubble to quake and fracture. "I am what you could never be." "I've perfected something you barely understand."

  Stolen novel; please report.

  His jaw clenched. "You think you can just take my power and do whatever you want?" Lee's voice was low and threatening, with an edge of rage heightened by his suffering. "I have battled for this strength. I deserved it. And I will make you regret ever touching it."

  "Morally speaking no one deserves this power but for the sake of stopping evil like you, it's needed. Try, then!" Darris taunted Lee, extending a hand to him, his silver energy flowing about him like a hurricane. "Show me your strength. Show me how far it can be pushed.

  Darris' silver aura pulsed ominously, his eyes shining through his skull mask as he raised his hand. The universe around him sparked with black energy as he grasped two phantom Skull Rifles, each barrel blazing with supernatural fire. Without hesitation, he lifted them towards Lee, a vicious sneer twisting behind his mask.

  "Let's see how long you can keep up, Skull Mask."

  Darris' fingers pressed the triggers, launching a barrage of supernatural bullets that ripped through the air with a high-pitched shriek. The rapid-fire bombardment prompted Lee to dart to the side, just missing the torrent that ripped the pavement behind him. Lee realised he couldn't afford to stand still. Darris' firepower was unrelenting, and each bullet carried an edge of scorching black energy that made even a close call seem like a searing lash of flame.

  Lee let his instincts take control, ducking, weaving, and utilising his increased speed to stay one step ahead. As he ducked, he lifted his palm, the air around him rippling as he summoned the Skull Blade, its dark purple edge shining menacingly and the horrible skull pommel appearing to scream with pent-up power.

  Lee raced forward, cutting through the air with his Skull Blade, aiming for Darris' abdomen. But Darris responded quickly, unleashing a Skull Fist that wrapped his arm in a monstrous, skeleton gauntlet. With a loud crack, he swung his fist down, striking with Lee's sword and sending a shockwave through the adjacent buildings.

  Lee let his instincts take control, ducking, weaving, and utilising his increased speed to stay one step ahead. As he ducked, he lifted his palm, the air around him rippling as he summoned the Skull Blade, its dark purple edge shining menacingly and the horrible skull pommel appearing to scream with pent-up power.

  Lee pounded forward, cutting through the air with his Skull Blade, aiming for Darris' abdomen. But Darris responded quickly, unleashing a Skull Fist that wrapped his arm in a monstrous, skeleton gauntlet. With a loud crack, he swung his fist down, striking with Lee's sword and sending a shockwave through the adjacent buildings.

  “Is this all you’ve got, Skull Mask?”

  Figures in the shadows evolved around Darris, delicate troops, equipped with phantom Skull Rifles, marched towards Lee with blank looks. However, when Lee's Fear Induction ability took effect, their movements slowed. They began to pause one by one, ethereal eyes wide with horror as they confronted their darkest, most terrifying images.

  Darris exhibited no such dread. With a sadistic grin, he raised his Skull Rifles and fired bursts of charged rounds, resulting in massive explosions that ripped through the streets and forced Lee to backtrack. For every Skull Soldier who wavered, Darris summoned another, and his ranks pressed forward even as Lee tore through them with deadly effectiveness.

  In a flash of light, Lee felt his bones shake as Darris' Skull Fist struck, propelling him back into the air. He smashed into the ground, the impact so intense that fractures spider-webbed over his Skull Mask, indicating that his combined power with Winston was fading. His muscles throbbed with weariness, and each limb seemed as if his own might was eating him.

  As the mask frayed, Lee felt his connection to Winston's powers deteriorate, his actions dulling and losing the shadowy sharpness they had just seconds before. The flicker of the Scarlet Shadow Cape slowed to a strained waver, and his Mystic Trench Robes lost their black brilliance, the ancient knowledge symbols fading as his strength weakened.

  "Out of breath already?" Darris taunted, lowering his Skull Rifles.

  As the final traces of mystical energy vanished, Lee felt the weight of his human body fall on him. The Mystic Trench Robes slipped away, revealing only the fabric of his regular garments, tattered and burnt by the struggle. The Scarlet Shadow Cape collapsed to the ground; its once-vibrant anger reduced to a burnt relic laying limp on the tarmac. Even his Skull Mask, which had always safeguarded his identity, had crumbled and splintered away.

  "So, this is the legendary Skull Mask?" Darris scoffed, his voice full of hate. "I'm just a mortal man just like me, after all. Did you truly believe that all of that borrowed power qualified you to stand against me?"