Dark and Askal are given new folders. So are Hercules and Kagitingan.
Kagitingan smiles. "Boy! Is this our next target?"
"No. This is your next assignment. You're going to be assassinating the leader of the island of Shinpinoshima. In the name of Maharlica-152. The US President is especially interested with building military bases on the island."
Dark facepalms. "Okay. There's gonna have to be some fucking weird supernatural twist here. I'm not doing what you're telling me to do lest I'm well-informed. You saw what happened back then with the Congressman. So..." He stares down Habagat. "Talk."
"Fine. Seems we can trust you enough with this. Your next target is the leader of the most powerful tribe of Shinpinoshima. Shinpinoshima is made of seven kingdoms known as Barangays, similarly to our own Barangays, but with a key difference. More tribal and primitive systems with medieval weapons mixed with some advances in military. Your target is the island's most powerful leader, known as Heneral Ahasan. A very powerful Samurai known to control all types of metal."
"So, how the hell are we supposed to kill him without weapons?"
"That's where you two come in. He's working with a powerful Pantheon. Ares."
Hercules gulps. "Ares is a part of this?"
"I am... well aware of your personal history with Ares. But General Ahasan, also known as Metal Kobra, had a certain deal with him. Linking to something likely cosmic with the Pantheons. We need both of them dead. Heard that there's this politician working with them. We don't know who. That informative enough for you?" asked Habagat.
"Yeah," said Dark. "You want us to kill the Pantheon. Fine. Just no FUCKING kids."
"Psh," mocked Habagat. "The ones you killed weren't kids."
"And you didn't tell us," said Askal.
Hercules' nose twitched. "They're right. Inform us next time."
Habagat shook her head. "Just fucking board the plane, you fucking twats."
In the private jet, the team silently looks at each other.
Hercules facepalms while looking outside.
Dark speaks up. "Hey."
Herc turns to Dark. "What?"
"Sorry for being such a horny douche then," said Dark.
Hercules smiles softly, looking down. "It's cool."
Dark sighs.
"Thanks for uh... standing up to Habagat. I don't usually stand up to people like that."
"Y'know, I read about you in Greek Mythos."
"You did, huh?"
"Mhm. Is it true you killed your family?"
"Mhm. I was possessed by my Dad's wife slash sister. My Human mother mourned with me. Killed my family and went full wacko. Had to do 12 labors. They used to call it Hero Work. Absolute bullshit. But... Here I am. I went to Earth-777 in the 1930s... and I have protected Earth ever since as a Superhero. I tried making up for my mistakes but... I feel like... By giving people hope, maybe... just maybe..."
"I get it."
"Psh. No, you don't."
"No. My main thing is cherishing hope with all my heart."
"You kill people in your dumbass detective costume."
"Yeah."
"Don't let that shit get to you... Or you'd be just as bad as Unbreakable."
"Mmm..."
Kagitingan just keeps smiling, looking outside.
Askal sighs. "So, what's your deal, anyway?"
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"I'm an Ubermensch. Injected with the Ambrosia Serum, giving me Superpowers back in World War II. Basically, a serum derived from the blood of demigods."
"Oh. So, you're a Bayani, right?"
"No, I uh... originally worked for the Hapones, but my brain was reprogrammed by the United States government to blow up two Japanese cities. They called it nukes, but in this Earth, it was me."
"Shit, dude," said Askal.
"Yeah. I dream about dying, my dude."
"Eh! Just a regular Tuesday in this world for... guys like us. Heh." She smiled.
He smiled back. "I wish... wasn't... one..."
"Neither do I," smiled Askal. "Friend?" Askal offered her hand.
He smiled. "A-Okay!" He shook her hand.
Suddenly, the jet began shaking.
Dark and Hercules look outside.
"Just some turbulence. Relax," said Askal.
Kagitingan stands up. "No, it isn't..."
Suddenly, the jet explodes while both pilots scream with their faces cut in half, and the four heroes are forced to drop off. Dark releases his bat wings and grabs Askal, flying away.
Hercules and Kagitingan fly away as well.
The creature that ate their helicopter, the Bakunawa, slithered around while Dark took out his katana and stabbed it in the eye. Askal backflips and slides backward, down its slithering back, and stabs it.
Dark transforms into an Aswang and shrieks, roaring and shoots out into the skies, only for the Bakunawa to boom and spit out boiling hot water that scathes Hercules and Kagitingan.
Hercules roars and blasts heat vision at the Bakunawa, which weaves around in the air and maneuvers toward eating Kagitingan, who punches the beast with a heavy punch.
Hercules screams out. "WHY IS THERE A GIANT FUCKING JORMUNGANDER!?!?"
"It's a Bakunawa! Moon eater! Eats asteroids in SPAAAA-!!!" Kagitingan is whipped away into a satellite.
Meanwhile, Dark and Askal climb with their blades, inching toward the giant creature's throat.
The Bakunawa screeches out loud as Dark yells out, "SLAYER SLASH!!!" Where his katana slashes a blade-shaped shockwave out from his katana and slits the creature's throat. Askal roars and runs around the back as she activates her jetpack and tosses a strange Chewtoy-like bomb into its throat.
Askal sneers. "Got that dog in me, MOTHERFUCKER!!!" she roared, as the Doggie Bomb blows up the insides of the giant Bakunawa.
The four of them land on the shorelines of the beach, emerging from the shore's waters, stomping into the beach and into the tropical forest, only to encounter a colossal team of soldiers armed with guns and blades all pointed at them.
"Fuck..." said Hercules. "Guys. I think we're gonna have to fight our way out of this."
"How the hell did we not hear these guys?" asked Kagitingan.
Askal smiles and tosses Doggie Bombs out of her cape that stabs their faces, each blowing up as Dark takes his katana out and keeps blasting bladed shockwaves at the enemy.
Hercules blasts at them, melting them with heat vision along with Kagitingan.
The soldiers, all of them, are wiped out.
The four of them reach a cabin, where there they can finally rest for the night...
"Fuck..." said Hercules. "Hey, guys? You all good? Dark, what the hell are you doing over there?"
"I made sweet and spicy pork skewers," said Dark.
Hercules is given a skewer and cheers with him.
Dark smiles. "Consider this a sequel to the apology. Heh..."
Hercules laughs.
Kagitingan listens to Buwan.
"You guys like Buwan?" smiled Askal.
"Heh... Yeah..." said Hercules. "'Buwan'. Your word for 'Moon', right?"
"Why does Habagat want Ahasan dead?"
"Ahasan is a dictator of Shinpinoshima," said Hercules.
"That's it?"
"Well... The US wants control over the South SIno Sea. Isn't this good for the Philippines?"
"'Good for the Philippines...'" scoffed Dark.
While Askal and Kagitingan kept singing around the campfire, Dark looked at the ground, which Hercules noticed. Dark kept staring at the bugs in the soil, killing each other. "The good for the Philippines isn't exactly good for the people."
"What? If America has the island, then the sea, the Philippines gets the resources."
"But America gets most of the real estate. It's just a whole 'nother colonization effort by the Americans."
Hercules looks down. "Thought you were Pro-Filipino, Pro-American Patriotic... clown... whatever...
"I'm beginning to... think..."
"Like with those kids? You didn't kill them. Thought you'd do anything for hope."
"Yeah, well. Psh! They're zombies anyway... Fuck it."
Hercules smiles and stands up to walk back into the cabin. Then Dark opened his mouth. "I don't wanna kill people anymore. Neither does Askal."
Hercules stops. He turns to Dark. "Don't go Pacfist Route on us, dude. Not now. Because... they'll kill us if we don't kill the Dictator."
"Something isn't right about this mission."
"It's simple. It's just another way of America ruling over your country, like you said."
Dark sighs. "Heh. You said, 'your country'."
"Mmm. You're Filipino, right?"
"Have you ever had a bad... parent?"
"Yes," said Hercules. "My... father is not a kind man."
"Well, I was taken in by a man who forced me and my current sister to kill a man I considered my father."
"It was not your fault. Your father would kill you if you were a child. Do not let that shit define every action you do. Every choice you make."
"Well... You may be right about that ,but something IS off. It's like America is a bad parent to its own child, the Philippines. It ain't even its kid! It kinda just kidnapped it and forced it to act with its culture, and now we're slaves! For fuck's sake! Look at our music! Pop culture! We like American bullshit like Marvel, or or or DC or or or fucking Hanoi Rocks! Or AC/DC!!!"
"What's your point?"
"I don't wanna do what my country tells me to do if it's just another way for it to make a fool of itself."
Hercules sighs.
"And it wants me to kill? Fuck that. I don't want to kill. I always wanted to rehabilitate offenders... Because I always believed in redemption when I was younger. And and and it sucks that... I'm a fuckin'... whatever I am..."
"You really are a good guy," sighed Hercules.
"I'm not... I'm-..."
"You are... 90% a piece of shit. But... You're good... 10% of the time. So's your sister."
Dark tears up. "I've done some mistakes."
"What's the plan then?"
"We talk to the Dictator. I'd much prefer that over just... fucking killing him because someone else tells me it's the right thing to do."
"Your... Dad sounds like an asshole."
Dark scoffs. "Duh..."