Another boss? Or the end of training?

(Illyana's POV)

Seeing Zane's health bar suddenly PLUMMET sent both Helen and I into Panic mode, We tried messaging him, Peter asking what had happened even as we fought through a small army of thugs protecting Bane's place. I'd used my portals to get behind Deadshot and cleave him in two for nearly putting a bullet between Helen's eyes. All three of us suddenly felt something, like a warning. The thugs froze and spun towards the building Zane was in, we stopped and looked just in time to watch as an entire FLOOR EXPLODED outwards in a BEAM of Black and White energy. I stared in shock as Helen screamed out "Zane!" when a moment later the building suddenly DROPPED and crushed the entire floor that had once been there. The thugs took off running, many saying "FUCK THIS!" As Peter, Helen and I moved to go through a Portal I opened to get to the building. Before we could go through we saw a message pop up... "Congratulations! You've defeated Killer Croc!" Glad to see that, it didn't do anything to calm us as we moved to get to Zane quick as we could. We arrived to see him on the rooftop, his regeneration Sphere around him as dozens of Brute's came charging out at him. "There he is!" We leaped over to help him, that's when Helen gasped and a moment later I saw why... His entire right arm from his elbow to his finger tips was smoking, looking like it had been charred and put through a blender with how many cuts were on it...

(Zane's POV)

"I'm not dying to a FUCKING HANDBAG!" I yelled as I threw out my attack. I felt the energy rush out, a massive beam that completely obscured Croc from the world, hitting the wall only for cracks of Black and White light to spread along it. Traveling along the walls all the way to the other end of the floor, somehow leaving the floor and ceiling alone. I watched as Crocs body disintegrated and the walls EXPLODED outwards as my attack soared through the sky, watching as a distant building was hit and every single floor exploded one after another, the sky scraper blowing up from rooftop to the lobby, the underground parking exploding out from under it as the remains and rubble fell down. I barely finished collapsing when I heard the building creaking and groaning, looking up I saw the floor above me tilting like it was going to smash down, so with my other hand I used a quick Impact Palm and broke the floor above me. Just in time for the floor to drop and for me to have gone up a floor without having even taken a step...

I collapsed to the ground holding my right arm, that power had been WAY too strong, if my charred flesh was anything to go by... I used my Regeneration Sphere, trying to heal the damage but it was going so slowly... Then I heard it, the thundering of footsteps rushing up a now VERY fucked up stairwell. Keeping my Regen Sphere on my body I ran to the stairwell, to see dozens upon dozens of brutes climbing the stairs, it looked endless how many there were. With as damaged as my arm was I had to run, my health wasn't regenerating at ALL currently, everything must have been focused on fixing my arm. At least that's what I thought as I rushed my way up the stairs, I needed distance, needed time, I tried summoning clones but only 3 came out and I got a warning.
WARNING! Your powers are STRAINED from using an ability BEYOND your current level and focused on trying to heal you, you will not be able to use attacking abilities until you have recovered!

"Why didn't you tell me that SOONER?!" I growled out as I kept going up the stairs, the clones working at slowing down the brutes. I managed to get too the roof and collapse in a heap, my clones dispelling as they got swarmed, thankfully they bought me a couple minutes, but it wouldn't take long for those thugs to get up here. I thought about hiding, about trying to fly down but even THAT power wouldn't work for me, at least the pain in my arm was numbing and slowly going away, but from the sounds of things the brutes would reach me in maybe 30 seconds at most. "Come on, come on! I just need to heal enough for the clones, just to keep them at bay!" I growled out, wishing I'd tried to figure out a way to level up my Red Medic before now... Finally time ran out, the brutes came crashing through the door to the roof, 2 dozen at least rushing out like a flood as they began to charge at me. I turned around to face them, only able to bring out my spear at the moment and with only one working arm, my chances didn't look good... I managed to stab 3 of them in the head one after another before they started to circle around me, right as they all charged in one got grabbed with webbing and yanked into several others. Peter, Helen and Illyana landing around me, with Peter moving in front, Helen at my side and Illyana behind. I saw Helen about to speak but cut her off. "I'll be fine, gotta focus on healing now or I'll be dead weight for who knows how long, I've still got my spear though..." Helen nodded her head, but I could see they all looked skeptical, not that I could blame them. My arm looked like the burnt ends of a charred black steak with deep red cut marks all over it...

The brutes charged, I swung my spear carefully, stabbing and beating at any brute that got too close, Helen turned and started beating down any that got past Peter or Illyana. Speaking of Peter was using a suite of gadgets, trying to web enemies up, stun them, knock them back or just slow them down from being able to rush in. Illyana though... She was running through brutes like a living Blender that had been set on TURBO, she mostly BROKE their encirclement on her own honestly, turning to face the others coming from the door only to spin back around as more started rushing up a fire escape from the floor below forcing her to focus on them again... There were so many, nothing but brutes, a hundred, two hundred, they just kept coming... nearly 5 straight minutes of bodies rushing at us... Then we heard a helicopter flying up... Hanging out the side was some psychotic looking clown with a white face, red lips and green hair. he seemed to wave at us before sliding back inside a moment later. He came back out holding a rocket launcher and fired almost faster than any of us could react, Illyana opening a pair of portals, the rocket going in one, only to come out straight down into the blades of the helicopter. We all insane cackling laughter as the clown fell, more brutes STILL coming at us by the dozens... Illyana opened a portal, Helen suddenly picking me up as we all leapt through the portal and escaped the rooftop...

Illyana kept teleporting us until we were back on the ground, outside the area where Bane's Arena was since the thugs guarding it had ran away. It gave me time to focus on healing, my arm finally starting to lose some of the charred appearance as it showed signs of healing. Illyana stomped over to me only for Helen to stop her and round on me. "Zane. What happened?" She asked sounding much more like a teacher in that moment then I'd heard in awhile. I explained everything, slowly, as I sat there on a snow covered bit of concrete. I explained how Croc got the drop on me, how his tail flung me into the ballroom, how I destroyed it and subsequently got impaled. They stopped me there and Illyana YANKED my shirt up to see the hole going through me, closing up MUCH slower than usual. "Why are you healing so slow?" She asked, leveling a glare at me before I explained that I accidentally used something I wasn't suppose to be ABLE to yet, that's what the beam was, that's what damaged my arm so much, that's where all the healing is going until my arm is working again. Peter was looking at it in shock for a moment, shaking his head before asking. "Is this NORMAL when you do this to get money? You said this was where your money came from, does it usually require you to get hurt like this?" I shook my head right away. "No, normally I don't get anywhere NEAR this hurt. This was me getting a reality check, I'm probably gonna have some scars to help me remember this lesson honestly... Thing is... I've FOUGHT Croc before, he was a LOT stronger and faster than last time... I didn't expect the difficulty to increase that much by bringing more people with me, that's my fault. I saw that the other two were dealt with, they give you any trouble?" I asked only for Illyana to glare at me again.

"Penguin was child's play to deal with. Deadshot was a sharpshooter, he ricocheted bullets around corners and nearly put one between Helen's eyes if not for Peter's quick reaction." I felt anger rise up for a moment before turning my focus and thanking Peter, he assured me I didn't need to mention it, saying that it would be better if we worked as a team for any more bosses in the future. I agreed of course, I had made a very stupid decision to go off on my own against Croc. I also realized I clearly haven't been practicing with my clones enough, nor making use of my Foundry half as well as I could. More mistakes I'd need to rectify. "Pull us out." Illyana said to me. "What? That's not needed Illyana, look my arm is recovering, I shall simply remain out of combat until I have recovered. Besides we have only one boss left to defeat and you look like you still wanna punch things." I responded to her, getting a glare as she got closer. "I am currently wanting to hit YOU more than the enemy's, but I do see your point. We would have to start again if we left now wouldn't we?" I nodded my head in response and she sighed out her agreement that she didn't want to leave either, Helen watching my arm as it slowly healed before agreeing that ONLY once my health was back up would she be willing to continue. Peter made a joke about peer pressure before agreeing to stick through the rest of the session.