《Still Defiant! SI [Marvel/DC]》


 1: Let it start

    1: Let it start


    In a higher dimension.


    Where the universe itself seemed small, where stars, galaxies, Milky Ways, and supermassive black holes blended like an abstract painting in a strange harmony.


    There was a silent tranquility, one that had endured countless eras.


    Then, of course, that tranquility was unexpectedly shattered.


    A space that had remained unchanged for billions of years suddenly encountered a wave traveling through it, followed by a sound akin to shattering glass into thousands of pieces.


    The fabric of reality briefly fractured, just for less than a millisecond, but it was enough for the wave produced to be felt by an entity that had been sleeping for an immeasurable amount of time.


    No, even time couldn''t define the eternity that its slumber had been.


    Because it had been born even before time itself was born.


    Eyes that shimmered with the color of the universe opened, and a long yawn that made galaxies tremble was produced by a figure rising from its slumber.


    "Uh?" For others, the brief moment when a rift between dimensions opened might be fleeting and imperceptible.


    For the nameless being, it was as if they saw it happen in slow motion, despite being billions of light-years away.


    Their eyes flashed, fully focusing on the rift.


    Then something happened that even their eyes, which seemed to contain the entire universe, opened with slight astonishment.


    Through the rift, something entered, something small and weak that would have been destroyed by the currents of energy in the higher dimension it inhabited.


    But she raised her hand, and her infinitely vast energy protected the little soul that had managed to enter a higher dimension by pure luck or misfortune.


    The being approached and examined the soul closely, and a smile that seemed to contain the sparkle of thousands of stars formed on their "face."


    Instantly, countless amounts of information flooded their mind from every corner of existence.


    Like a young child discovering the internet for the first time, they caught up with the events that had been taking place while they slept.


    "Oh, this seems interesting~" the being seemed to contemplate something for a brief moment before nodding with excitement.


    "I guess ''fate'' has brought us together, haha," they said, looking at the small soul in their hand.


    "Well, let''s have some fun too."


    .


    .


    .


    "Dead? Am I dead?!" There was disbelief, apprehension, but above all, disappointment.


    He was dead, just like that, he was dead. That...


    When he thought about it, he couldn''t quite remember it correctly. How did he die?


    "You''re repressing the memory, trust me, you don''t want to know. I took a peek, and it wasn''t pleasant," the feminine voice came, bringing along a new set of questions.


    It was like looking at personified space, with skin that seemed to contain the universe. The being in front of him was anything but ordinary.


    Despite having a feminine figure, Daniel felt that something like a "gender" was too simple to describe her. It was like comparing the ocean to a puddle of water.


    Repressing the memory, huh? He supposed he would think about it at some point. After all, he was dead now... The how didn''t really matter anymore now that things had reached this point.


    "And now what? Is this the afterlife? Are you God or a judge who will decide what happens to me?" Daniel began to quickly consider his chances of going to hell.


    He remembered or tried to remember every bad thing he had done, and fortunately, he found that there weren''t too many that could truly be called damning.


    Sure, he wasn''t perfect and had made some mistakes in his life, but it could have been much worse.


    Maybe he was flattering himself too much...


    "Haha! No, I''m not one of those egocentric types who proclaim themselves gods or some kind of judge of hell, that''s boring," the figure laughed as if the notion of it was either very amusing or absurd.


    "Although I could certainly be called a ''god'' if we speak in terms of power," the being pointed to the abstract space surrounding them.


    "After all, this Higher Dimension is mine. I created it a long time ago and put a lot of effort into it, a place where I could live in peace without being bothered, a completely isolated place. And that brings us back to you," it pointed at him with a finger.


    "Somehow, there was a rift, it was small and minuscule, but a rift nonetheless. That woke me up, which was fortunate for you, really. If I hadn''t awakened, I wouldn''t have noticed your soul sneaking in here, and it would have been completely destroyed. A mortal soul is not meant to wander through dimensions much higher than its own, after all,"


    In the palm of the being, a "example" of what appeared to be a soul projected, a humanoid figure radiating with a faint white light. Then, the soul reached a place where it shouldn''t be, and suddenly began convulsing, eventually imploding and turning into nothingness.


    "When I noticed you, I quickly protected you to prevent this. So, if you believe in destiny, you could say that you and I are somewhat destined," the smile grew, somehow managing to look "happy."


    "After all, it should be impossible for you to have made it here, but you still did. And it was your greatest luck that I noticed you, or right now, you would be nothing more than dust floating in the void,"


    If he thought about it that way, he had indeed been lucky... well, maybe not in the "you''re dead" part or the "somehow your soul entered a place where it shouldn''t be" part, but definitely lucky in the "being rescued by the strange lady with starry skin and not being turned into less than dust" part.


    "So, I thought, since this is ''destiny,'' why not make the most of it? A win-win for both of us, a mutual benefit," the being said.


    A win-win, huh? Daniel pondered. What could you possibly gain from being dead? He didn''t know, but certainly, a being from a higher dimension might know. Perhaps there was something truly valuable or important that he should obtain after death.


    "Sure, let''s go for it. It''s not like I have anything else to do," Daniel said.


    The being seemed excited, the smile on her face grew even wider, and the galaxies surrounding them seemed brighter.


    "That''s perfect! A wise decision. You won''t regret this, I assure you!"


    Then, she began to walk in circles as if pondering something.


    "I have been sleeping for a very, very long time. Catching up with recent events has given me an unexpected revelation. I''ve seen the other guys having so much fun without me, which is annoying. Can you believe it?! No one bothered to invite me to the fun... So I decided, if no one is going to invite me, I''ll do it myself!"


    Daniel didn''t know who the "other guys" were, but he assumed they were something similar to the being in front of him.


    "Although I still don''t fully understand how... fun it is to observe a mortal, I know it has been entertaining for the others. So, I want to experience it for myself."


    Daniel started to think about it, and his "brain" began to grasp where this was going.


    "I like that! You quickly catch on to things, so I won''t beat around the bush. I want to play too, and I think you''re the perfect choice for it,"


    The being approached him, her eyes seemed to look into his soul, as if she could see everything about him in an instant.


    "But doing it the same way as the others would be a bit boring, don''t you think? Although they say that all ideas have already been thought of by someone else, adding a little difference, even if it''s not completely original, still makes things more exciting! So... let''s have a little preliminary game," she snapped her fingers.


    A giant roulette wheel appeared out of nowhere, positioning itself in front of Daniel.


    He examined it carefully, recognizing many names and others that were unfamiliar among the options given by the wheel. Each option was the same size, implying that they all had an equal "possibility" of being chosen.


    "Let''s start with destiny! Knowing where you''re going always helps," the being pointed to a lever next to the roulette wheel. Daniel nodded and reached out, taking hold of the lever and pulling it down.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    If he was going to go on an isekai adventure, he at least wanted to know where it would be.


    The roulette wheel started spinning rapidly but soon began to slow down, with a final spin and an extreme slowness, the result was revealed.


    [Multiverse Marvel/DC]


    that was not good., Daniel felt himself paling, quickly searching his memories for everything he knew, and the more he remembered, the uglier his expression became.


    "Oh! That''s great! There will definitely be no shortage of things to do, lots of fun, aren''t you excited!?"


    No, Daniel was not excited.


    "Oh, come on, don''t make that face. How about this! I''ll give you some advice, consider it an extra benefit..." The being tried to appease him and began to speak in a serious tone.


    "Never reveal where you''re from. There are certainly many unpleasant types where you''re going. Your home dimension is just a normal universe, with no protections or anything to prevent dark gods or beings from other dimensions from feasting on it. If they know where you''re really from, they will definitely find ways to get there, and you certainly don''t want that, right?"


    That... Daniel thought about it and realized it was true, not mentioning anyone else, only Trigon would be enough to bring his home universe to absolute ruin, and Daniel had no doubt that such a monster could find his universe if even the weakest hints of its existence were given.


    No, he couldn''t let that happen, even if he was already dead, his family was still there, no matter what, he wouldn''t bring them any more trouble now that he was dead, that would be too inconsiderate.


    Seeing that Daniel had understood the point and took her advice seriously, the being nodded satisfactorily.


    Then she snapped her fingers and a deck of cards appeared in her hand, Daniel turned his attention to it.


    "So, to make it more entertaining, we should add some ''spices,'' so to speak, some advantages and disadvantages that will make everything more balanced," Then a table appeared out of nowhere, and the being began to carefully arrange the cards on its surface.


    There were ten black cards with a skull image on them and ten white cards with angel wings.


    "Choose three of each," the being offered, and Daniel carefully looked at each card, trying to see if there was any difference or clue, but he found nothing.


    "so... You don''t have any other advice by any chance?" he asked, and the smile on the being''s face told him that he wouldn''t get that benefit this time.


    "Everything depends on you now." those words didn''t bring him comfort.


    Taking a deep breath, he decided that looking at the cards wouldn''t do anything for him, so he reached out and randomly took three black cards and three white cards.


    There was no smart choice because no matter how he looked at it, without any hints or clues, all the cards were the same until their contents were revealed.


    So, leave it to luck.


    "Well, now let''s see what you got. Do you want to see the disadvantages first, or do you want to see the advantages first?"


    It wasn''t a difficult choice.


    "First, the advantages," he preferred to have the good things first.


    As soon as his words ended, one of the three white cards in his hand began to glow, and then a semi-transparent light blue screen unfolded in front of him.


    Daniel looked at it with great attention.


    [Core of Life: safeguards your soul, spirit, and thoughts behind a multidimensional nucleus hidden within your body. The flesh is merely a container that can be easily repaired, allowing for high-speed regeneration of any body part as long as the nucleus remains intact.]


    This was... a relief. It didn''t give him the ability to crush mountains or create tidal waves, but it gave him something much more important.


    Security.


    At least he wouldn''t die easily.


    Moreover, a multidimensional nucleus? What did that mean? Did it have something to do with his soul being protected, as well as his thoughts and spirit?


    Before Daniel could ask, the being shook a finger from side to side as if gesturing denial.


    "You will know more details about your advantages once you reach your destination, so there''s no point in asking now." with that, Daniel was forced to swallow the question he was about to ask.


    It seemed like he would have to wait.


    Carefully, he revealed the second white card, and there was a shimmer as a second screen appeared in front of him.


    [Viltrum Royalty: the blood of the strongest runs through your veins, part of a warrior race that navigates the stars with nothing but their own bodies, your race is the pinnacle of evolution with the potential to go beyond.]


    The sigh of relief that escaped Daniel was long and filled with various emotions.


    This was... good, no! This was excellent!


    If the first advantage gave him the ability to survive, then this one gave him the ability to protect himself, to defend himself.


    At least he wouldn''t be turned into minced meat accidentally if a villain decided to cause a disaster next to him.


    More than that, he could stop the villain!


    Sure, Viltrumites weren''t the strongest, but there was potential there, and with the Core of Life, maybe he could go beyond any other Viltrumite.


    Moreover, royalty? Was he now like Mark''s cousin or something? Maybe an uncle? It was confusing.


    He drew the last card and took a deep breath. This was it, the final piece in his favor. Daniel wasn''t foolish; if the advantages were so good, then what about the disadvantages?


    Just thinking about it made him tighten his fists. He would have to make the most of all the good things he had and hoped that luck wouldn''t abandon him.


    [Feeling of Tomorrow: even the impossible can be possible, enhances the abilities and spirit of your allies during times of crisis, giving hope is equal to receiving it, your own strength increases slightly depending on the trust your allies have in you during the time of crisis]


    How did this work? Was it like a personal buff he could give or was it more like an area-of-effect spell? Although he wanted to ask, he refrained from doing so, knowing he wouldn''t get an answer.


    "It seems like you''ve had quite a bit of luck so far. You''ve certainly drawn some very good cards." the being looked at the three screens with almost as much excitement as Daniel had.


    "Now is the time to see if that luck of yours continues," those words, though not intended to sound sinister, still made Daniel gulp.


    He took a deep breath and drew the first black card.


    The skull on it seemed to glare at him with ill intentions, causing him to furrow his brows.


    Slowly, the card turned into black smoke, and a semi-transparent red screen appeared in front of him.


    [Madness Mashup in the World: things that shouldn''t exist exist, and they''re all a problem.]


    That was too vague!


    It was a very short description, and no matter how much he thought about it, he couldn''t gather much from it.


    "Will I also get more information about this later?" he asked, somewhat hopeful.


    "Mmm, maybe? No, actually no," and those hopes were shattered.


    "Oh, come on! How am I supposed to deal with this if I don''t even know what it is?!" It was frustrating.


    He couldn''t even gauge how bad it was due to the lack of information.


    It could be something very serious or something he could easily handle with his advantages.


    "Hey, they''re disadvantages. If you knew everything about them, it would mean you have an advantage over them. Isn''t that contradictory?"


    Daniel wanted to argue, but he felt it would be futile. Muttering under his breath, he drew the second black card.


    "Let''s get this over with."


    [Challengers: Power attracts power and invites challenge. Powerful individuals and entities will come your way in response to your existence., bringing danger.]


    Okay, this had more details, but it was still vague. However, even with the little information provided, Daniel could tell a lot, and he didn''t like it at all.


    If these "individuals" or "entities" were dangerous to him, then this was bad, very bad. A Viltrumite could destroy an advanced civilization on their own, and although in Marvel and DC there were many entities stronger than an average Viltrumite, that didn''t mean it would be easy to deal with them.


    Underestimating individuals with that kind of power and the damage they could bring would invite disaster.


    Not to mention that he wasn''t exactly an average Viltrumite, right? If this disadvantage took his advantages into account, things could get even more complicated.


    And what if he became stronger? Would these challengers become even more formidable? A headache was looming.


    "Damn it!"


    "It seems like you''ve run out of luck," the being commented, but Daniel completely ignored it.


    He looked at the last card in his hand with apprehension.


    He released it, and the final screen appeared in front of him.


    [Curse of ignorance: Knowledge is an absolute advantage, that''s unfair. Randomly and impartially, some of the memories of your new home will be erased.]


    No. No. NO!


    Daniel held his head in disbelief as he felt his memories of Marvel and DC begin to shatter.


    From key information to trivial details, there was no discrimination.


    Like a hammer striking a fragile glass, his memories were shattered, leaving only fragments of what was once a whole.


    He still remembered some things, some of which could be important, while others were useless. But compared to before, it was as if he was trying to remember a book of which he had only read random pages.


    Lacking context, he now didn''t know if the knowledge he had was important or not.


    Suddenly, he didn''t know why he was so worried, but the feeling of anguish and fear persisted.


    He had forgotten something important, no, he had forgotten many very important things.


    Dangerous things, but now he couldn''t know what they were.


    At the same time, he knew many things that he couldn''t categorize because he didn''t have the context to do so.


    "Well, when I said your luck had run out, I didn''t mean it literally. This sucks for you, but if it''s any consolation, the advantages you have should help you overcome this." if the being wanted to offer comfort, the huge smile on its face ruined it.


    Suddenly, Daniel felt the urge to punch it, although it was more of an impulse than an actual thought.


    "Hey, let''s not be violent! How about this, as a final gift, I''ll give you this," the being pulled out a thick yellow folder with a huge V on the front.


    Daniel took it without knowing what it was. Once it touched his hands, the folder disappeared, and he felt a new memory in his mind.


    "Now you''re a Viltrumite, right? And one of royalty! So getting something from them should be fine, it''s nothing too important or anything, just their studies on synthetic fibers, which allow them to make their clothes and not fly around naked everywhere. They''re summarized in a way that you can recreate their results without having to break your head."


    So it was scientific information about synthetic fibers? That could actually be very useful, although he wasn''t exactly sure how. He would have to examine the new memories more closely later.


    "Uh, thanks, I guess," he now felt bad for wanting to hit her.


    "Don''t thank me, just live, live and have lots of fun adventures so I can have fun too," her words were very honest, and Daniel nodded confidently in response.


    "Definitely, I will live the best I can." he wasn''t going to waste a second chance, disadvantages or not, he would move forward.


    "I''m glad, I think it will be a great performance! Until you die again, Daniel, but don''t do it too soon, okay?" With that said, the being placed a palm on Daniel''s chest, and a black hole appeared behind the newly transformed Viltrumite, sucking his body into its new home.


    .


    .


    .


    Looking at the empty spot where Daniel once stood, the being applauded.


    "Will this be exciting? Or could it be disappointing? Maybe it will be boring? Or it could be brilliant! I don''t know! Hahaha!"


    For the first time in a long time, she didn''t know. She didn''t know what was going to happen, and although this was partly her fault since she sealed her own ability to see and predict the future, it was mostly Daniel''s fault.


    After all, not every day does a soul escape the cycle of reincarnation and fate.


    When she spoke of being destined with Daniel, she actually meant the complete opposite.


    Their encounter should never have happened, she knew it. She had seen the future where she woke up several billions of years after the current date.


    Although she wasn''t bound by the general fate as such, she could control her own destiny and decide her future. She had decided the date she would awaken and how it would happen, but that didn''t happen.


    In some way, her own self-imposed destiny had been changed, and somehow Daniel had found his way to her.


    That''s why she called it destiny, even though it went against destiny itself. Daniel didn''t know it, but from the moment his soul crossed the rift into her dimension, he had become a being without destiny.


    Any ties that may have existed for him ceased to exist. Predicting his future or even attempting to see it was futile because for beings who are not governed by the laws of fate, the future is a suggestion, not a fact.


    Still, she could have glimpsed something, even if it was vague or incorrect. That''s why she sealed her own ability. Even if they were false spoilers, she didn''t want to see them.


    "Well, let''s continue," she said, snapping her fingers. An soul without destiny appeared in front of her, and Daniel Evans opened his eyes, about to embark on a roulette for a new life.


    On the other hand, the Daniel Evans who had already chosen his cards arrived in the Marvel/DC multiverse.


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 2: Life once again

    2: Life once again


    United States, January 6, 2007


    Waking up again was not unexpected if you knew you would.


    What was unexpected was waking up hanging from a rope around the neck.


    If he were still a normal human, he would be choking, maybe even struggling and looking for a way to save himself before dying of suffocation again.


    Daniel just felt strange; there was no pain or discomfort, just a clear sense of bewilderment at finding himself in such a bizarre situation.


    With a flick of his hand, he tore the rope from where it had been fastened, bits of ceiling falling due to the act, splashing a bit of dust on him.


    His body fell to the floor, his back hitting the ground, and his gaze staring at the unfamiliar ceiling.


    "You could have left me in a less unpleasant place." his hand touched his neck; there were no marks or wounds, but the feeling of having a rope literally around his neck made a grimace appear on his face.


    He lay on his back for a few more seconds before getting up and looking around.


    It was time to investigate; he was in an unfamiliar place, in a body that didn''t feel bad but was clearly something different from what he had before.


    Primarily the physique, he was taller, at least a few centimeters taller, more athletic. Not that he had a bad figure before, but certainly, it didn''t have the definition he now possessed.


    His hands looked like his hands, except for the absence of some scars he had gained over the years in different circumstances.


    Even his skin had lost some blemishes that are naturally found on the human body due to various circumstances.


    Despite these noticeable changes, he didn''t feel strange; it was as if he was still him... but better?


    "Let''s check then," he saw a closed laptop on a small desk that had seen better days.


    Without thinking too much, he went for it, carefully taking steps and gauging his strength.


    He gingerly lifted the laptop lid.


    "Well, so far I haven''t broken anything, so probably the being helped me control this body''s strength in some way," he thought.


    That was good; having to learn to control his strength from scratch would have been a pain in the butt.


    And dangerous for others.


    He looked at the black laptop screen, and the reflection of a familiar yet different face greeted him.


    Was it... him?


    Well, it was very close to his previous face but better. His jawline was a bit more defined, and his nose was straight again. It had been a long time since he had seen his nose in its original state. He had broken it in a soccer game, and it had been a bit crooked ever since.


    His teeth were dazzlingly white and straight, in fact, even a tooth that had broken a long time ago had come back as new.


    His eyes remained blue, but somehow they felt brighter, although still of a dark shade.


    His hair also looked much better, like the hair in those shampoo commercials¡ªperfectly groomed and healthy.


    He would admit that he hadn''t taken much care of his hair before, so the difference was noticeable.


    "So, am I still me, but raised to the tenth power?" He was already liking this second chance.


    Of course, there was one last check to make, the most important one. Unprecedented seriousness came over him as he left the laptop on the desk, placed his hands on his hips, took a deep breath, lowered his head, then pulled down his pants and observed.


    "Yeah, I definitely like this second chance a lot," he raised an eyebrow at the sight and smiled satisfied before pulling his pants back up.


    Once confirmed that he still had his body, an improved version of his body but his body nonetheless, any discomfort that may have existed vanished.


    "Now, why exactly was I hanging from the ceiling?"


    He looked around, it was actually quite an empty room and lacked the usual signs of identity that would be present when someone has been living in a place for a long time.


    That meant there were no obvious clues to follow. His gaze returned to the laptop, and he decided that he might as well give it a try before risking leaving the room.


    "Alright, let the investigation work begin."


    .


    .


    .


    Well, wasn''t the Daniel of this world much more unfortunate than himself?


    This Daniel from this world, because it seemed like he had taken the place of an alternative version of himself who had lived in this universe before deciding to commit suicide.


    Daniel Warren Evans was just a 19-year-old boy who had been living happily with his family before a car accident killed them all except him.


    The reason? He had decided to stay home on the day they all went out to shop.


    If he had gone with them, he would have died, and that seemed to have eaten away at the life of young Daniel.


    If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    From the half-finished suicide note he had found in some files on Daniel''s laptop, he could figure this out.


    ''Survivor''s guilt or something like that,'' Daniel thought.


    He wasn''t a psychologist or anything like that; he had just heard about it in some video he saw at some point.


    He sighed with a tinge of melancholy, indeed, Daniel Warren and Daniel Evans were not technically the same person but at the same time, they were.


    They didn''t exactly live the same lives, and the Daniel in this world was younger than him, but there was a sense of belonging.


    It was as if you were looking at a blood brother or a very close family member.


    That''s why he could feel sorry for his other self.


    With regret, he closed his eyes and spoke into the air.


    "Wherever you are, I hope you find happiness. I can''t do anything else for you or your family, I can only use this second chance to live with dignity."


    If it were before, Daniel would have thought that talking to a dead person was foolishness, but now he knew that souls were real and that life after death was a fact.


    Whether his words reached the intended recipient or not was uncertain, but he hoped they did.


    That Daniel Warren Evans would find a second chance, just like he did, and be able to live a good life.


    After observing a minute of silence, he decided to rest for a bit.


    Physically, he felt amazing, but mentally, he was somewhat tired.


    To die, wake up in a strange place, get a second chance, and at the same time, acquire powers as well as unknown dangers wore him out.


    Reading a half-written suicide letter by what was essentially himself and knowing that his entire family in this world was dead was the last nail he needed to know that he wanted to take a break.


    "Challengers, huh?" Thinking about it, he couldn''t help but clench his fist with strength, the sound of air being compressed to impossible measures clear to his ears, and a smile formed on his lips.


    "All right, I''ll be waiting," for this second chance at life, to live with dignity.


    No matter what stands in his way, he would face it and overcome it.


    But first, he must sleep.


    .


    .


    .


    After calming his mind, he got down to business and reviewed all the paperwork he now had.


    Knowing where he was and why he was there was an important step.


    And it wasn''t difficult to figure out.


    He was currently in Smallville, Kansas, on the property that had been the home of his paternal grandparents. The Daniel of this world had decided to retire to the farthest place he knew before deciding to take his own life.


    That was, of course, an old farmhouse in the middle of a small town.


    He had sold any other property or possessions he had inherited and had only brought the basics with him.


    The Daniel of this world had actually been quite wealthy once he sold all the properties and received life insurance payouts from his relatives.


    He wasn''t a super millionaire or anything, but he had enough capital to survive for a long time without leaving home.


    But, of course, with his mind being a mess, he didn''t really use much of that money and had let it gather dust in his bank accounts.


    The bank accounts were now Daniel''s, and therefore, he had a decent budget to work with. It wasn''t too much, but it was enough.


    On the other hand, the name "Smallville" caught his attention. There was a sense of familiarity there that he couldn''t quite explain. It was important, he somehow knew that. Therefore, he decided that he would investigate the town to try to find that "important" thing.


    It didn''t hurt that it was a good place to practice and test his abilities.


    A solitary farmhouse in a small town where few people lived, so he wouldn''t have to worry about harming anyone while practicing.


    So, there were some advantages and an "important" reason why he didn''t just pack up his things and go to a city or something.


    Looking at the acres of uncultivated fields filled with tall grass, he couldn''t help but nod.


    It was a discreet place away from any prying eyes and perfect for starting his practices.


    It was time to see what he could do.


    First, he took a tour until he found the most secluded place where no one could see what he was doing. He didn''t really care much about maintaining a secret identity or anything; without a family, he had nothing to lose besides privacy. Honestly, he could go anywhere in the world or beyond with the body he now possessed. Still, he decided to be discreet for the moment.


    With a thought, everything around him seemed to move extremely slowly¡ªgrass swaying in the wind, birds flying across the sky, he even saw a bee frozen in the air hundreds of meters away.


    Its wings moved so slowly that saying they were still would not be incorrect.


    "Alright, let''s go there," he lifted his foot and took his first step with the intention of approaching.


    Quickly, he realized that it was a very bad idea. Any semblance of control he might have had vanished like dust in the wind.


    His body propelled forward like a ballistic missile, going beyond the bee''s position and ending up hitting a tree that shattered into splinters upon contact with his body.


    "Durability test successful, clearly I was testing durability, bleh-pff poof." he spat and looked at the ground. The poor bee lay dead amidst his saliva and pieces of splinters.


    "Maybe I should try going slower..."


    It seemed that controlling his new abilities wouldn''t be as easy as he had anticipated.


    .


    .


    .


    "Slowly, slowly!" above the clouds.


    In the midst of the night, a figure rose slowly, although it was somewhat unstable; it was still an impressive sight.


    A flesh-and-bone body, on its own, ascended beyond the gravitational force of the planet and pierced through the clouds.


    Looking at the moon in the sky, Daniel couldn''t help but smile with excitement.


    He knew that if he wanted to, he could touch it, step on its surface, walk on it.


    It was both amazing and a little intimidating.


    To have so much power...


    Looking at his hands, which were now capable of holding the stars, he couldn''t help but feel somewhat overwhelmed.


    There were so many possibilities at his disposal, but at the same time, so much uncertainty.


    What was he supposed to do with so much power? Should he even do anything?


    Looking at the starry sky, he couldn''t help but recall a phrase he had heard somewhere.


    The memory was somewhat blurry, and part of it was completely blank, undoubtedly an effect of his last disadvantage.


    But even if it was incomplete, that phrase was still there, something that had ingrained itself in his mind for some reason, and he knew it was important.


    "With great power comes great responsibility..."


    It was a good and fitting phrase for the current situation. He wasn''t perfect, nor had he been some kind of saint in his previous life.


    He had flaws, and he probably hurt people who didn''t deserve it.


    But he wanted to be better, to be something greater, to live a life worth living.


    A life he could be proud of.


    Recalling the few fragments of memory he still had from this new world, he couldn''t help but look seriously at the blue planet beneath his feet.


    "So, villains, aliens, gods, and monsters, huh... alright, come everyone," a smile formed on his lips, and his eyes gleamed.


    "No matter how many, no matter how strong..." he took a deep breath, feeling the weight of a self-imposed responsibility settling on his shoulders.


    "I will protect this world."


    .


    .


    .


    .


    .


    .


    In an old barn, a telescope gazed at the starry sky. Eyes of a sky-blue color observed for a while before the girl to whom those eyes belonged sighed, lowering her head.


    The school year in Smallville was about to start once again, and for the girl in the barn, this was nothing more than an unpleasant reminder of how little she had done during the holidays.


    Just like all the previous years, in fact.


    There were no significant moments, memorable memories, or new friendships.


    Just a dull monotony that made the days seem endless.


    When everything around you seems made of cardboard and is as fragile as glass, having a "normal" life is too dangerous.


    Carol Kent felt loneliness creeping back to her, but quickly shook her head, trying to clear that feeling from her chest.


    She looked again through the telescope.


    In reality, she didn''t need it; if she wanted, she could look directly into the sky, and it would probably be much more detailed than using the telescope.


    But it had been a gift from her father, and somehow it made her feel more "normal."


    Through the telescope''s lens, she noticed something falling rapidly from the sky. Due to the poor quality of the telescope, she couldn''t see it clearly, and when she looked up to observe directly, the phenomenon had vanished.


    Perhaps it was an illusion or a misinterpretation due to the poor image quality of the telescope, but it almost seemed to her as if a person had fallen from the sky.


    .


    .


    .

 3: To be a Hero

    3: To be a Hero


    Landing was much more difficult than expected.


    Starting to fly was indeed easier, although I couldn''t say I had the grace of an eagle in the air, I was quite happy with what I had accomplished.


    Flying had been like breathing for the first time; it was something that clicked in his mind the moment he tried it, something natural as if he had always been destined to be able to do it.


    He hadn''t gained absolute proficiency in it or anything like that; it was as if he had learned to crawl, in fact. He still had to learn to walk and then run, but he would get there.


    Landing, on the other hand...


    Needless to say, his farmhouse gained a new hole in the roof that night.


    And so, he had decided to go to the center of Smallville in search of tools to repair his roof.


    The town itself was quite picturesque, nice, and welcoming, albeit small.


    The name didn''t lie; so far, he hadn''t managed to find anything strange in it, apart from a meteor shower that had happened 17 years ago.


    Although the town had been devastated to some extent, it had managed to recover quite well, and its citizens seemed quite friendly.


    As he looked at the town square, he couldn''t help but grimace while biting into the last bite of his chocolate-filled bread.


    It was... unpleasant, a whole range of flavors that he hadn''t been able to perceive before, now clear as the sun to his taste buds.


    Perhaps this was the first major drawback he had noticed from his new physiology.


    Taste buds beyond human weren''t enjoyable.


    Not to mention the sense of smell. Breathing carefully had taken on a new meaning for him.


    He wondered if he should stop eating until he found a way to fix this.


    If he were just a Viltrumite, he would still need sustenance, but with the Life Core in him, eating became unnecessary.


    If he wanted, he could stop, and the core could easily provide him with everything he needed to stay healthy for, well... forever.


    If a Viltrumite already had an enormous lifespan, he, with the Core, had gone beyond that.


    In theoretical terms, he was immortal. Of course, he could die; if his core was destroyed, he would be left only with his body, and if his body was destroyed, it would be game over.


    This information came to him when he first woke up in this world. The being didn''t lie to him, and he had gained a bit more information about his advantages.


    For example, the core was much more useful and vital than the description let on at first glance.


    More precisely, the part about "safeguarding his soul, spirit, and thoughts."


    To put it simply, this feature made him immune to mental control. It was also like a shield that protected his thoughts, so he didn''t have to worry about mind readers.


    How it worked was beyond him, and although there was a deeper explanation that had a lot to do with multiple dimensions and astral planes that he honestly didn''t understand at all, all that mattered to him right now was that he didn''t need to worry about short-term mental control.


    That was a relief; if someone were to truly control him mentally, he knew things would quickly go to hell.


    Not having that concern made everything simpler in various aspects, like the decision he had made.


    Being a hero.


    That was what he wanted, that was what he had chosen to be, and the responsibility he had chosen to bear.


    Not having to worry about mental control had helped solidify that decision.


    Another point in favor of choosing this path had been his disadvantages


    He hadn''t obtained more information about them, so he could only go by what little he knew.


    And what he knew did not bode well.


    With them entering the game, this world would likely enter an era of chaos.


    From his fragmented memories, he knew that this world was already disastrous, but adding his disadvantages was like setting fire to a collapsing house.


    So, yes, he also felt responsibility for it. If he didn''t have a second chance in this world, those threats wouldn''t be looming.


    His mere existence made an already dangerous world even more perilous.


    Therefore, he had decided that something had to be done, that someone should do something.


    And so, his decision was made; he would do it himself.


    To be a hero.


    He would face anything that threatened the Earth.


    Still, he knew that expecting to face everything alone was naive.


    Besides, he had an advantage that worked in conjunction with others.


    So, he had decided that his best option to better fulfill his goal was to seek allies.


    It was simple logic, really.


    If two forces of the same level meet, any variable, no matter how small, can make a difference and tip the scales.


    And Daniel wanted that balance to tip in his favor, so finding allies was the right choice.


    He knew from his fragmented memories that there should be heroes in this world.


    Emphasis on "should."


    Because he hadn''t been able to find anything so far, nothing that still existed in reality.


    He had found information about a super soldier who participated in World War II, but the man had been dead for a long time.


    He had also come across some internet rumors about a bat-like monster in a city called Gotham, but that was many years ago when crime in that city was through the roof.


    Today, that time had passed, and Gotham was one of the safest cities in the United States. And there had been no new sightings of the bat monster for many years.


    There were some other rumors, but they were too distant and unreliable to extract anything worthwhile.


    Sighing, he tossed the remainder of his bread into a nearby trash bin.


    He couldn''t continue eating something so unpleasant.


    .


    .


    .


    Running from Smallville to the nearest city called Metropolis had been quite easy for Daniel.


    With his speed, he arrived in record time and admired the views of what people called the "City of Tomorrow."


    It was impressive. The skyscrapers and the almost futuristic look in its construction certainly lived up to its name.


    Such a city hadn''t existed in his previous life, so Daniel felt excited to explore.


    If he could, he would have loved to fly, but that wasn''t possible for now; after all, he still didn''t know how to land.


    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    But even though it was exciting to explore a completely new city, he knew he had to go a bit further.


    That''s how he arrived in New York.


    The reason? To get some materials.


    Information about Viltrumite synthetic fibers had been lingering in his mind, and he hadn''t thought about it until he began testing his powers, and his clothes started tearing as if they were made of wet paper.


    Thanks to that, he realized the possibility of ending up naked was too high.


    Therefore, he had decided to get to work and try to create something that could help him on that front.


    Which was easier said than done.


    In reality, the Viltrumite textile industry had experimented a lot before achieving suitable results.


    In their more primitive times, they had actually needed to use their own hair to create garments to wear.


    It wasn''t until much later that they managed to find a way to create fabric strong enough to withstand what they were capable of.


    From there, they only advanced further with each conquered planet and civilization, making their highest-quality fabrics even more resistant than the average Viltrumite''s skin.


    Daniel couldn''t create top-quality Viltrumite fabric.


    Not only because he didn''t have the materials, but he didn''t even have the tools to make the tools.


    And while using the Life Core, it occurred to him that he could use his hair to create something similar to the primitive Viltrumite fabrics. However, he felt that wasn''t necessary. After all, he could still create a type of Viltrumite fabric that was good enough for his current stage and didn''t require too many materials or overly complicated tools.


    It was a type of fabric created through a complicated chemical process that was difficult to explain, but in summary, it resulted in a liquid material akin to a polymer that would solidify upon contact with the air.


    The way Viltrumites created the fabric with it was actually quite similar to what the 3D printers in his old world did with their polymers. The liquid was inserted into special machines that gave it the form of "threads" that would then be braided in a way that increased its resistance even more, thus creating fabric.


    It wasn''t as good as their more advanced fabrics created with even more advanced processes, but it was sturdy enough for a Viltrumite to wear in their daily life.


    The chemicals and the process to create the mixture were the easy part; Daniel already knew the process, and Earth actually had the necessary chemicals. The problem was the machine.


    It was 2007 in this world, so there should already be some 3D printers on the market. The problem was that these 3D printers were light-years away from Viltrumite machines. And although the technology sector in this world seemed more advanced than that of his world, he didn''t trust that even if he had a 3D printer from his world, it could produce the most optimal results.


    So, his plan was to adapt a 3D printer. Fortunately, the information he had came with some simple blueprints, and although he couldn''t build one of those machines from scratch, he could try to mimic them to some extent with what he had.


    He had to make three trips from his home to New York.


    The first one to buy the chemicals and bring them, the second one for the printer and other electronic parts, as well as tools he would use for the modifications.


    And the third one to buy various things he thought would be useful, like disposable cell phones or some emergency clothing. Also, books on electronics and mechanics, and anything similar that he thought could be useful for learning.


    Looking at the goggles in his hand, he couldn''t help but have a thought.


    A smile formed on his lips as he looked at the darkening sky with the sun setting in the distance.


    maybe he could take a walk.


    .


    .


    .


    The night fell over New York, and with it began the nightlife.


    In a dark alley, away from any prying eyes.


    Three men armed with knives surrounded a woman in a corner.


    The woman''s body trembled, and fear could be seen in her eyes.


    "Come on, sweetheart, don''t be afraid. We''re going to have a lot of fun together," the voice contained an unpleasant insinuation followed by a disgusting laugh.


    Eyes lusting after the woman''s body.


    "You''ll definitely enjoy it, darling, hahaha," another assailant spoke, laughing like a malnourished hyena.


    The third one didn''t say anything, but his tongue grazing his cracked lips and The desire in his eyes said enough about what he thought


    The woman hugged herself tightly, her voice trembling in a final plea.


    "P-please..."


    Tears began to fall from her eyes as she watched them approach her.


    From the top of the buildings, a figure observed what was happening with a cold gaze behind goggles.


    Suddenly, the figure jumped, falling several meters to the ground swiftly.


    BOOM!


    The ground cracked, dust and debris flew, and the three assailants jumped in alarm, quickly turning towards the origin of the sound.


    "What the hell!?"


    "I need to improve my landings." a voice came from where the dust was rising, and slowly a a tall and well built figure emerged, taking firm steps.


    Dressed in dark clothing, as well as a mask and a pair of goggles that concealed their features, the figure was barely identifiable, almost blending into the night.


    The assailants couldn''t even see them properly before, in the blink of an eye, the figure became blurry in a high-speed movement where the three couldn''t react until their bodies were sent flying through the air.


    They crashed into a wall several meters away from their previous position, their heads spinning in sudden dizziness.


    One of them even started vomiting.


    The figure approached the woman and asked a question in a soothing tone of voice.


    "Are you okay? Did they hurt you?" The woman snapped out of her astonishment and stammered a response.


    "I-I''m fine," she said, looking at the three men who were still writhing on the ground, swallowing saliva in an attempt to calm their nerves.


    "That''s good. You should get out of here and go home. I''ll take care of them." the figure said, pointing at the criminals.


    Then, began to walk towards them, and the woman prepared to leave, still with some lingering fear.


    But before she left, she asked one final question.


    "W-who are you?" Although her voice was somewhat low, the figure seemed to have heard her with perfect clarity. They paused for a moment before speaking.


    "Just call me... Defiant."


    .


    .


    .


    "Shit! Shit!" The sound of the roaring engine echoed inside the car.


    "Aahhh!" Screams and cries could be heard even through the noise.


    The driver clenched his teeth, his eyes bloodshot, intensely focused on the road.


    Every few seconds, his hand honked the horn, alerting any cars ahead to move aside.


    Sweat dripped from the man''s forehead, fear creeping into his core, causing his hands to threaten to tremble. But a voice from the backseat made his blood run cold and his nerves hardened with determination.


    "D-daddy, I''m scared," a girl of no more than 5 years old cried, her brother just two years older, hugging her.


    Both of them looked at their father, every jolt of the car sending tremors through their bodies.


    "It''s okay, you''ll be okay, everything will be okay," the man didn''t know what comforting words to give or what to say. He couldn''t afford to be distracted, even if he wanted to console them.


    He had to stay in control.


    But despite his best efforts, the speeding car on the highway without brakes continued to lose stability.


    It was with horror that he heard the sound of one of the tires bursting. Suddenly, the car made a sharp turn and began to flip over.


    In the next instant, it would have crashed headfirst into the ground, rolling until it became scrap metal.


    But instead, what happened was that a figure jumped out of the darkness, using both arms to hold the car from the side and firmly planting their feet on the ground.


    The man inside looked with wide eyes as the figure held the car in the air before carefully lowering it down.


    The family man inside swallowed saliva, feeling dizzy, and rubbed his eyes, unable to believe what he saw.


    But something more important came to his mind, and he quickly turned his head back to see his children still in their seats, thanks to their seat belts.


    The relieved sigh he let out almost seemed to deflate him.


    Slowly, he opened the door and stumbled out of the car. He saw the figure of a man nodding at him.


    "Are you alright?" The question made the father blink, he patted himself down and looked at his children through the window, who didn''t seem injured beyond being scared and disheveled.


    "Yeah, I think so," he finally said.


    "That''s good. Remember to check your car more carefully, any small malfunction can lead to very dangerous accidents." the man nodded, though he didn''t say it, he didn''t think he would be driving for a while.


    The figure then turned to leave, and the man snapped out of his shock.


    "Wait! Who, who are you?"


    Without noticeable, a small smile formed on the figure''s face.


    "Just call me... Defiant..."


    .


    .


    .


    Similar events began to occur throughout the night, with people being saved from various situations, whether they were accidents or the work of criminals.


    In all cases, one name kept repeating.


    During that night and the following nights, that name began to spread until it reached the news.


    "And with this, there have been over 40 cases with witnesses of the mysterious ''hero'' who has been helping citizens these past nights. So far, a clear image of the hero has not been obtained, but the testimonies and evidence presented seem to indicate that this mysterious figure is more than real. With that said, we can only wonder, who is Defiant and why is he helping people?"


    With that, the report continued, showing some of the few captured images or evidence of the hero''s existence.


    Carol Kent watched the images attentively while having breakfast.


    The morning news had never caught her attention until these past few days, ever since the name Defiant started spreading and rumors about his "superhuman" feats.


    She had paid attention then. She didn''t know if they were just unfounded rumors or if there was some truth to them, but being who she was, the small hope and expectation that it might be real was something she couldn''t shake off her mind.


    "If you don''t finish soon, you''ll be late, dear," her mother''s voice snapped her out of her thoughts.


    She turned her attention to her parents and then to the clock on the wall, noticing that she still had over ten minutes.


    A smile formed on her lips.


    "Mama, you know I can never be late," she said with a hint of pride in her voice.


    Her father sighed.


    "You shouldn''t use your ''abilities'' like that, Carol," his tone carried a slight reprimand.


    Carol furrowed her brows with slight annoyance at his words, her smile slowly fading away.


    Her mother quickly intervened with a soft voice.


    "Come on honey, nothing''s wrong, she just has to be careful, she knows it." her mother was the most understanding of her parents.


    "Thank you, Mom," she said, smiling again.


    "Just be careful, you can''t keep running around like before. I heard that the old abandoned Evans farm has a new occupant again. Remember not to let anyone see you," her father said.


    "The old farm? I thought no one would go there again," Carol said. The Evans farm had been unoccupied for a long time.


    Carol usually wandered through its fields since they were quite secluded, and it helped that it was next to her parents'' farm.


    "I heard that the family had an accident or something, and apparently the Evans'' grandson was the only one left, so he stays there now," her mother said with some compassion in her voice.


    "Tragedies happen all the time, that''s why we must be cautious," her father said, his gaze distant.


    "Alright, I''ll be careful not to ''run'' near the Evans farm," Carol stood up, ready to leave.


    Her father looked at her one last time before speaking.


    "Just... be careful."


    Carol paused at the door before turning and giving him a confident smile.


    "Come on, Dad, you know nothing can harm me," she said, and with that, she disappeared in a blur of speed, leaving only a faint gust of air behind.


    Jonathan Kent sighed, lowering his head and shaking it.


    "I hope so," he said quietly, his eyes shining with concern as he watched the news on the television.


    In one of the images shown as evidence, clearly visible handprints could be seen on the side of the car, as if human hands had been pressed with enough force against that metallic surface to deform it.


    "I hope so..."


    .


    .


    .


    .


    .


    .

 4: Around the World

    4: Around the World


    Boom!


    A sonic explosion followed by strong winds, in a blurry motion, a figure soared through the skies, navigating through clouds and mountains. It traversed seas and rivers, even going beyond the blue sky, almost reaching outer space.


    "WOOOOOOOOO!!!" an excited voice echoed as a fourth sonic explosion took place.


    Descending towards the earth, the figure landed on top of a high mountain, gazing at the horizon.


    Daniel admired the views with excitement, inhaling the fresh air and letting the sun touch his skin. Flying was incredible! With enthusiasm, he looked at the hooded trench coat, closed with a long zipper, covering his body. It was a dark blue garment that allowed him to fly at high speeds without worrying about ending up naked.


    It was a rather simple piece of clothing, but the sense of achievement in creating it was not small. After all, he had put a lot of effort into making it.


    Even though he had gained a certain level of knowledge thanks to the mysterious being''s gift, the truth was that recreating the type of vitrumite fabric was very difficult without the proper technological foundation.


    It was like giving the blueprints of a 21st-century technological product to a caveman and expecting him to recreate it. Of course, he wasn''t in as precarious a position as a caveman would be, but he wasn''t in a significantly better one either.


    Earth''s technology was still very backward compared to Viltrum''s, after all. The only saving grace he had was that the simplest and weakest fabric required more of a chemical process than a mechanical one.


    Fortunately, Earth had all the necessary chemical elements. If there were one unknown to humans or originating from a completely different planet, then he wouldn''t have been able to do much.


    But even if it was the simplest type of fabric, it was still incredible.


    He looked at the mountain peak beneath his feet and carefully began to land; perhaps the most complicated part of flying was stopping.


    For a Viltrumite, flying was even more natural than breathing; it was simply more natural than walking. Stopping was like forcing yourself to completely cease using one of your limbs.


    He concentrated deeply; everything around him seemed to slow down as he descended from the sky. All his attention focused on the gravitational changes his own body produced in his surroundings.


    It was astonishing. Gravity, a fundamental force in the universe that can bend all matter, something even light is incapable of escaping. When faced with a Viltrumite, it simply seemed to yield, bending around their mere presence as if it didn''t exist.


    Daniel wondered what it would be like when he decided to wander through space at some point. How would it feel to go faster than the speed of light? Because he knew he could do it; he knew that Viltrumites could defy the logic of the universe once they started flying in space.


    He didn''t know exactly how, but he guessed that ignoring gravity was a crucial point.


    He cleared those thoughts from his mind; flying through space was now... dangerous.


    Not only because of the unknowns that might exist in the vast universe but also because he wasn''t sure if he could return to Earth. How do you navigate in space? There''s no up or down, left or right¡ªit''s simply an infinite void with all possible directions to go.


    Very easy to get lost if you have no way of knowing where you''re headed.


    He stopped concentrating once his feet touched the ground softly. The only indication of his landing was a gentle breeze that was expelled from where his feet made contact with the earth, in a circular shape. Besides that, it was a smooth and controlled landing.


    "Perfect," he smiled.


    .


    .


    .


    United States.


    Dealing with crime and saving people were two entirely different things in the way you could handle them.


    Punching a thief? Easy.


    Rescuing someone? Much more difficult.


    "Calm down and apply pressure, it''s just a small wound, you''ll be okay," he said as he looked at the 15-year-old boy bleeding from a knife wound.


    He had heard his scream and arrived just as the criminal was pulling the knife from the young boy''s side. Dealing with the criminal was simple, but dealing with the boy was a bit complicated when he couldn''t stop shaking and screaming.


    "Oh God! I don''t want to die!" The boy looked in horror at the blood dripping through his fingers. Daniel sighed and lifted him in his arms.


    "It''s okay, hold on tight. I''ll take you to the hospital," With that, Daniel jumped high into the sky. His body sailed through the air as if there was no resistance at all, and he soon began to accelerate in a controlled manner towards a nearby hospital that he spotted due to the great height he had reached in just a few seconds.


    "Whoa!? H-how are you doing this!?" the boy exclaimed in amazement as he saw the incredible views of the city from a great height. He clung tighter to Daniel, almost forgetting that he was injured, and looked wide-eyed around him.


    In a short time, Daniel landed in front of the entrance of a hospital, causing some people to jump in amazement. However, they didn''t have time to react. He quickly found a pair of nurses and handed over the trembling boy in his arms.


    Then, he departed just as quickly as he arrived.


    His dark blue hooded trench coat, dark pants, and work boots, along with his goggles covering the upper part of his face and the gray scarf covering the lower part, would be etched in the memories of those who saw him that day for quite some time.


    .


    .


    .


    China.


    The sea waves slapped Captain Tao Ming''s face; his body shook as he tried to maintain balance. The crew members ran everywhere on the ship, attempting to withstand the violent storm that battered them, but the vessel was not built to endure such an relentless fury of the sea.


    "Quick! Quick!" the captain urged his men, but before they could do anything more, a massive wave struck, tilting the ship to one side. The cries were drowned in the sea, and Captain Tao felt his vision blur.


    Then, in a blurry motion, a figure fell from the sky, plunging into the sea. Suddenly, the sinking ship was brought back to the surface. In swift, blurry movements, the entire crew that had been submerged in the sea began to reappear on the ship.


    Many started coughing, looking around in disbelief.


    Captain Tao suddenly felt his lungs filled with air again and took a deep breath. His gaze lifted to the sky, where he saw a figure among the storm clouds, lightning flashing behind it.


    He blinked, and the figure was gone.


    .


    .


    .


    Chile.


    The ground shook, strong vibrations causing some people to nearly stumble. Despite this, citizens accustomed to such events continued with their day, except for a group of construction workers who now found themselves in a precarious situation.


    Working at great heights was always dangerous. Safety measures were often lacking, and the threat to life was more common than it should be.


    The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    Despite knowing all this, Luis didn''t expect something like this to happen to him.


    "Hold on tight!" his coworker gritted his teeth while holding onto Luis''s hand. Luis''s safety harness had broken due to the sudden tremor, and he had almost plummeted to his death if it weren''t for his coworker who managed to grab him. Nevertheless, his coworker was also shaken, and his grip was not secure; he was rapidly losing strength to continue holding on.


    Luis felt sweat running down his body as he squeezed the hand that prevented his imminent death. The other workers around him shouted, but no one could do anything to help him. In fact, some of them were also in danger. The structure they were working on tilted, and the tremor intensified the screams.


    Luis looked at the sky and thought of his family, his son, and his mother. He thought about everything he couldn''t give them and felt an unparalleled desperation.


    Then he lost the grip that held him, and he began to fall.


    His mind went completely blank, death beginning to whisper in his ear. But before he could accept his imminent fate, he felt someone holding him in their arms, and suddenly, he was staggering on the ground, completely safe.


    "que mierda?!" He looked around, and a surprising sight greeted him. In blurry outlines, more and more people began to appear around him, and soon he realized that they were all his coworkers who had been with him at heights.


    He looked up and saw a blurry figure traversing the structure and bringing everyone down.


    In no time, no one was in danger, and everyone stared in disbelief at a figure fading away in the sky.


    .


    .


    .


    England.


    At night, near some residential buildings, a truck driver carrying gas suddenly felt pressure in his chest. His eyes opened with red veins starting to flood them.


    His hand clenched near his heart, and a choked scream almost escaped his lips. His vision darkened, and suddenly his heart stopped beating. He collapsed, completely losing control of the truck, which overturned and crashed into one of the residential buildings.


    From the sky, a figure noticed the accident, and everything seemed to move in slow motion. The explosion started gradually, with fire rising.


    The impact hadn''t reached the building yet. From the figure''s perspective, it even seemed to almost stop. With inhuman speed, the air broke, but even before the sonic wave began, the figure was already in front of the gas explosion.


    He watched as the fire expanded towards him, and an idea that he wasn''t sure would work came to his mind. He wasn''t a scientist; he didn''t know if something like this was viable or possible, but he didn''t care. With no time for anything else, he decided to try it. If it didn''t work, then he would use his body to absorb as much kinetic energy as possible.


    And so, in a logically illogical feat, the figure stretched both arms before quickly bringing them together in front of him, both palms colliding with a force not inferior to that of the explosion.


    He clapped towards the sky.


    That night, all the residents of the nearby buildings would be awakened by two explosions that occurred simultaneously from their perspective.


    A burst of air and fire rose into the sky, illuminating the night for a small, brief moment.


    The kinetic energy shot into the clouds, creating a hole in them.


    In a surprising turn of events, the building that should have been impacted by the explosion remained completely unscathed. The figure let out a sigh of relief before looking at the wreckage of the truck. There, a charred corpse lay, and with a mournful gaze, the figure ascended into the sky.


    .


    .


    .


    Russia.


    The thunderous sound of snow moving at high speeds was like distant thunder echoing.


    In the skies, this sound caught the attention of a figure flying through the clouds. At first, it didn''t pay much attention, but then its eyes caught the image of human structures on the side of the mountain where the avalanche was beginning to descend.


    Its pupils contracted as it noticed the houses of a small village, and tiny figures, from its high-altitude perspective, began trying to escape.


    Why? Why did people think building a village next to a snow-filled mountain was a good idea?!


    With no time to think, it accelerated to position itself in front of the village and in the path of the avalanche.


    How do you stop an avalanche? That question came to its mind, and an answer quickly followed.


    I don''t know.


    Then an idea arrived as fast as the previous response.


    I don''t have to stop it, just redirect it.


    And so, its body acting as the toughest drill in the world, it accelerated towards the mountain and began creating an artificial path for the thousands of tons of snow hurtling down.


    The village was only hit by small amounts of snow, and no one was injured. Giving a final glance, the figure waved to a little girl who was looking at it with her mouth wide open before ascending into the sky and leaving.


    .


    .


    .


    Jap¨®n.


    Scotland.


    Norway.


    India.


    Mexico.


    Colombia.


    Canada.


    France.


    over the course of two full weeks, similar events unfolded around the world. The news began to spread slowly but steadily. Witnesses and blurry images were commonly presented as evidence, yet there were many who couldn''t believe it.


    Skeptics thought it was all a hoax.


    However, there were also those who firmly believed in it, mainly the witnesses to these incredible feats.


    The world didn''t know it yet, but this marked the beginning of a new era.


    .


    .


    .


    In the sky, among the clouds, a flying structure concealed behind advanced camouflage technology was situated.


    An airship, the most advanced on the planet, the helicarrier, sailed slowly through the skies.


    Inside, agents of the world''s most secretive organization moved like a well-trained army or the gears of a perfectly assembled machinery, each engaged in crucial tasks.


    They watched over the world for any threat that could jeopardize it.


    At the center of everything, behind the command center, an office was located with an eagle emblem on its door.


    Inside, staring at dozens of projected screens displaying various images, the director of the world''s largest organization was present.


    Nick Fury observed with his singular eye the various news reports in front of him.


    "And so, witnesses and evidence continue to accumulate. The case of the gas truck has been analyzed by different experts, but there is still no explanation ruling out the involvement of the mysterious hero who¡ª"


    "Sightings continue to increase, more and more witnesses are providing their testimonies from around the world,"


    "Just a few hours ago, an avalanche that threatened to bury a small town in Russia was miraculously diverted. Recent images reveal a humanoid figure among the snow¡ª"


    As these and more videos played before Fury, causing his lone eye to gleam. With evident seriousness, he took out his communicator.


    "Agent Romanoff, I need you in my office."


    .


    .


    .


    At the summit of Mount Everest, Daniel stood amidst the countless flags left by those who had managed to climb to its peak, his trench coat fluttering in the cold wind. He looked at the sky and sighed.


    Two weeks - he had traveled the world for two weeks but found nothing.


    There were no heroes.


    Of course, he hadn''t searched as meticulously as he could have if he stayed in one place for a longer period. Still, he believed that if there were any other heroes, he would have encountered them by now.


    Why had he found nothing?


    "Is it too early?" This was the only explanation. Even in a world of heroes, there had to be a starting point. Everything has a beginning, and it seemed that the era of heroes in this world had not yet commenced.


    This made things a bit complicated.


    "No matter, there are no heroes? Fine, I''ll do it myself." determination surged within him.


    It seemed like the responsibility was growing, but that was okay. It motivated him to move forward; the pressure increased his desire to achieve his goals more than ever.


    If he had to become the world''s first hero, so be it.


    No, he could be more than that. Recalling the words of a character he had liked in his previous life, he couldn''t help but smile.


    It would be a great goal to pursue, challenging, unsure if he could live up to it. Ideals like these were challenging to follow to the letter, But if he didn''t try, what was the point of this second life?


    "To become a pillar, huh... a symbol..." Yes, he could do that.


    .


    .


    .


    "Everything points to it being the same individual," Natasha Romanoff said, placing a folder in front of Nick Fury with the code name of the target. The director examined the files with a furrowed brow; each paragraph of information presented painted a clearer yet confusing picture.


    Natasha glanced at the director reading the information. She had to admit that this case had been a very interesting defiance to follow, which was ironic considering the individual they were investigating and the name he had chosen for himself.


    "I have more," she said once the director finished reading the scant information they had managed to obtain. It wasn''t much, as tracking the subject had proven very difficult.


    She hadn''t even managed to get a lead on his real identity.


    The satellites couldn''t keep up with his speed of movement; he traveled the entire world without any obstacles. The only way to know he had been somewhere was when a witness or camera managed to capture his blurry figure.


    Soon, Natasha connected a USB drive to the computer, and on the projected screens, several images were presented.


    Images that typically didn''t reach the general public or news media¡ªprivate security cameras with very restricted access.


    In all of them, despite being of much higher quality than common cameras, only a blur could be seen due to the incredible speed.


    Natasha made some adjustments to the computer, and soon the images became clearer, and his speed of movement slowed down.


    This time, the blur was clearer. On each screen, a humanoid figure covered from head to toe in what could be called a discreet outfit was present.


    The most recognizable features were the blue trench coat and the face hidden behind a pair of goggles and a gray scarf.


    "To wrap it up, I managed to obtain this from a family that had an accident recently,"


    Then, a final video played. Inside a car, a teenage boy recorded his family while rain pounded outside the car. It was a homely atmosphere where everyone smiled and enjoyed themselves¡ªa trip that suddenly got interrupted by an animal unexpectedly crossing the road.


    The driver swerved in surprise, and the car skidded in the rain, beyond his control. The image shook along with the family''s screams. Despite that, the video continued, and it was evident that the car started overturning off the road.


    From what little was visible, it was clear that it was an extremely dangerous situation.


    And then suddenly, it wasn''t. The car came to a sudden halt in mid-air, still upside down. Then, the car seemed to flip by itself and began descending slowly. The teenager leaned his recording phone out of the window, and it was then that Fury saw him clearly.


    Dressed in familiar clothes that were now completely visible, the figure lowered the car to the ground and nodded towards the family, who stared at him in disbelief.


    Then, he turned around, and on the back of his trench coat, a silver D symbol was clearly visible. This symbol seemed to focus as the figure suddenly lifted off the ground slowly before soaring into the sky, piercing through the dark clouds. The sound barrier was broken, and the clouds were forced to disperse, causing the rain to stop in the area.


    All of Fury''s focus was on the looping video, and from the side, Natasha observed his expression growing increasingly serious. She could understand it; even she had to watch the footage several times before she could believe it.


    In all her years as a spy, she had never seen anything like this.


    "We''ve got a problem."


    .


    .


    .


    .


    .


    .

 5: Somebodys watching me

    5: Somebody''s watching me


    "In other news, the famous billionaire Tony Stark is missing. The genius and philanthropist who has dominated the military industry in recent years was last seen at his presentation in Afghanistan, since then-"


    Daniel watched the morning news. After his little trip around the world, he returned to his farm; he still had some things to do.


    Since he decided to try to be a hero, he should try to create a proper hero suit.


    His trench coat was fine, but honestly, it didn''t give off the heroic image he thought he should have.


    Following in the footsteps of All-Might certainly wouldn''t be easy, but nothing worth having was easy to get.


    At least that''s what his brother always said.


    Daniel looked at the coffee cup in his hand.


    "Here we go, test number 57," He had been looking for the exact combination of pure coffee and sugar that would allow his taste buds to taste the glorious flavor of coffee again.


    The boiling liquid went down his throat without causing any discomfort. His tongue savored the sugar and coffee beans in perfect combination for a few seconds before a smile formed on his lips.


    "Perfect!" He raised the cup high as if it were the discovery of the century.


    He finally had his morning coffee back!


    In good spirits, he sat down and watched the news. These days, he mainly watched to know the state of the world and if there was any natural or unnatural disaster to pay attention to. He knew, after all, that this world would have many fantastic things appearing at some point, so staying alert was the right thing to do.


    Although for now, the disappearance of Tony Stark seemed like a somewhat important topic for this world, as every news outlet was covering it.


    Daniel certainly felt it was a pity; a genius of that caliber had not existed in his previous life.


    His company had dominated the military and technological sector of the world, and when he tried to find out why, despite it being the year 2007, the technology of this world almost seemed to match that of his old world in 2023, he realized that it was mainly due to Stark Industries.


    Of course, there were many other companies that competed with it and even seemed almost equal, but it was undeniable who led the sector.


    And all this was because of just one person.


    Tony Stark had made this world advance much faster than his old world. He had wanted to talk to the man when he found this out, but it seemed that would be very difficult now.


    For a moment, Daniel considered the impact this event would have on the world. He was not a financial expert or a market analyst, but he certainly knew that without Tony, Stark Industries would face very difficult days.


    Probably many jobs would be lost.


    For a second, he considered whether he should try to find the man, but he quickly dismissed that idea.


    As good as his senses were now, they weren''t that good. The desert was a very vast place, and trying to find a person there was as difficult as finding a needle in a haystack.


    Too much sand. Flying or running at high speed would bring a great disaster, and without that, the search could take a long time.


    Besides, it was an active war zone at the moment. Going there now could be very disastrous. He didn''t want to fight with any government or antagonize them if he could avoid it.


    Not that he thought they could harm him, of course; it would just be too bothersome.


    He could only leave it to Stark''s own luck. He hoped he would come out alive, but it probably wouldn''t be so.


    He looked at the television, and an image of Tony Stark appeared. He was young, shouldn''t be more than 25 years old, exuding confidence and arrogance, as well as wearing a smile and a gleam in his eyes that seemed to say, "I know something you don''t."


    Daniel narrowed his eyes; there was something familiar in his appearance. Unconsciously, he raised his hand, his thumb touching his middle finger as if he were about to snap his fingers.


    "I am Iron-" his words were cut off as he couldn''t remember the complete phrase. He furrowed his brow and looked back at the screen.


    "Tony Stark, huh... seems like I don''t have to worry about you, you''ll definitely come back, right?"


    The news continued, but nothing caught his attention, so he got up and went to his "workshop," which was nothing more than the farm''s garage adapted to become his "secret base."


    Perhaps it was a sorry excuse for the "world''s first superhero" secret base, but he couldn''t help it. He didn''t exactly have many places to his name at the moment.


    But he hoped that would change soon.


    Inside the workshop, he saw a makeshift 3D printer. Gone was the modern design, replaced by a tangle of cables and connections for which it wasn''t designed.


    He had to make many adaptations to make the printer suitable enough to work as he wanted.


    Definitely, he had to read a lot and learn a great deal about mechanics, electronics, coding, and engineering in general to achieve this.


    It had taken him many days and nights. Fortunately, he didn''t need to sleep and didn''t tire, and his new Viltrumite brain could process information much faster, which helped him learn at a great speed.


    But probably the most important factor was his core. With it, he could keep every neuron in his brain in the best condition, which technically endowed him with perfect memory.


    To understand this, you simply have to know that there are several factors that can affect how memories are preserved.


    The main one is the health of the neurons. Over time, the synaptic connections between neurons weaken or break. With his core, he could make those connections return to their best state, which allows the associated memory to come to his mind with extreme detail whenever he needs it.


    The core was truly incredible. It was connected to his body and yet independent of it.


    There were many more things he still had to discover about the core, as he hadn''t yet tested all its capabilities.


    Returning to the topic.


    Daniel approached the printer and watched as a long strip of light gray fabric slowly formed. The printer worked slowly, much slower than a traditional 3D printer.


    This was because it was interweaving each fiber in a special way, one that increased the already great monstrous durability of the fabric even more.


    It was a slow process but one that was worth it.


    So far, Daniel had managed to create ten meters of fabric. He had used some to make three sets of trench coats and still had a little over 6 meters left, which he hoped to use for his suit.


    He would probably let more meters be made; having more than one set would be ideal.


    He carefully watched the process and made sure the machine was working well. He was already thinking about a second, more practical and advanced version, but for that, he had to study more. Learning at super speed had great benefits when you needed to improve your things.


    He hoped to soon create a version for mass production because, while he wasn''t rich, no one said he couldn''t enter the global fabric market with the knowledge he now had.


    Of course, he wouldn''t start with the civilian part; there were already too many monsters in that market that would be difficult to handle.


    But the police? The firefighters? Rescuers? Which of them wouldn''t want a fabric capable of securing their lives?


    The medical sector was also not out of the question.


    Even the military market would beg for Viltrum fabrics.


    "Viltrum! Viltrum Industries! Or maybe Viltrum Tech? I have to think about it," As he pondered this, he sat down at his worktable and took out a notebook, pencils, pens, and erasers.


    Time to design his superhero suit!


    Or at least a first version of it.


    .


    .


    .


    "If you look at it so closely, you could go blind," Chloe''s voice made Carol raise her eyes slightly from her cell phone.


    She looked at her best friend for half a second before lowering her gaze again. Chloe sighed at this, the blonde girl sat next to Carol and looked at what she was seeing.


    "Are you still watching those fake videos?"


    Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    The question made Carol pay real attention, which was certainly what Chloe wanted and the reason she had emphasized "fake videos" when she spoke.


    "You know that I know you don''t believe they''re fake," said Carol, her eyebrows furrowed, sky-blue eyes looking at Chloe before returning her gaze to the phone.


    "Until I find something that indicates they are." Chloe replied.


    "I''ve seriously analyzed those videos a thousand times, and every new video that comes out too, and I still don''t see anything that indicates it''s fake. I almost start to believe that there''s a guy saving people all over the world with a cloth over his face," Chloe said with clear excitement.


    "I believe it..." Although Carol''s voice was somewhat low, it contained a firmness in it that Chloe hadn''t heard before, which surprised her a little and made her speak with some hesitation.


    "I don''t know, Carol, although it would certainly be something incredible... the things he does, what people say he has done, and even the little that there is on video just seems... impossible? For God''s sake! We even had a super soldier in World War II, and I certainly don''t think he could have done half of the things people say about Defiant," and if this were an ordinary world, Chloe would be right.


    It simply should be impossible.


    But Carol knew better, she herself was something impossible, since she could remember she was able to do things beyond all logic.


    Strange things, things for which she had never been able to have a normal life.


    Things that for a long time made her feel alienated from everything, as if the world in which she lived and the world in which the rest of humans lived were two completely different things.


    Making her feel like an uninvited guest, someone who shouldn''t exist, an anomaly, something that made her feel completely alone for a long time.


    But now... looking at the images on her phone.


    Maybe there was someone else out there living in the same world as her after all.


    .


    .


    .


    Seeing the bullet coming in slow motion was a surreal experience... not long ago, he would have been panicking just by hearing the sound of the shot, seeing the gun itself would have made him nervous, and being shot at would probably have flooded him with fear.


    As a human, being shot at was almost a death sentence after all.


    Now?


    The bullet impacted his eye, and the metal crushed against his pupil until it turned into scrap.


    Then time returned to normal, and the bullet fell to the ground along with fragments of his goggles.


    The thief looked at him with his mouth open as he began to tremble uncontrollably.


    "I liked those goggles," that was the last thing the thief heard before he lost consciousness.


    After dealing with the thief and tying him to a nearby pole, Daniel rose to the top of a building and looked at the city.


    Crime in this world... was insane!


    Well, maybe it had been the same in his previous life, he just didn''t know it, but now that he was dealing with it firsthand, he could see it.


    Still, he doubted it. There was something about the crime in this world that felt different from his previous life.


    It was too common, and the criminals tended towards violence more quickly than he expected.


    He didn''t even bother to count the number of bullets that had been fired at him. It had only been three weeks since he arrived in this world, and he could already see why the existence of heroes was needed.


    He thought about whether he could handle everything alone and quickly dismissed it. No, covering the whole world by himself would be too difficult.


    He wasn''t an idealist. Although he had great goals, he knew that there were things that even with his current power were simply impossible.


    He wasn''t a god.


    He wanted to be a hero, but he also knew that there were moments and places where his presence was more necessary.


    Protecting everyone or protecting a few.


    He decided then to protect everyone he could.


    He couldn''t save everyone, but he could try to save those within his sight.


    Perhaps such a mindset wasn''t entirely suitable considering his goals, but it was all he could give.


    If only there were more heroes...


    His search had moved to the internet, following the trend that technology was more advanced than it should be, the internet didn''t lag far behind.


    Although the same networks and forums weren''t present, their own versions of them existed in this world.


    He had searched through each of them with little success. Although there were hints and clues, as well as rumors, there was nothing concrete.


    But he hoped that there would be soon. He hadn''t traveled the world giving hints of his own existence in any other way.


    Although it didn''t seem like it, Daniel had let his existence be almost known in that way to see if anyone else would reveal themselves, whether a potential ally or an enemy.


    The common people still doubted him and his existence, but those with extraordinary abilities would be the ones to take it as true more quickly.


    At least they would be willing to give him the benefit of the doubt and try to see if he was real.


    Or so he hoped. It was truly just one of the many attempts he had been planning to find "allies."


    After all, one of his advantages was completely useless without having them.


    And honestly, even without his advantage, Daniel would have wanted allies. Maybe he couldn''t save everyone, but surely if many people worked on it, they could.


    Or get close to it.


    .


    .


    .


    Walking through Smallville had become a common occurrence for Daniel in recent days.


    There was something important here, he knew it, he just hadn''t found it yet, which left him a little annoyed.


    He remembered many things and at the same time forgot so many others that it was difficult to see the big picture.


    As he walked absentmindedly, he entered the local supermarket in the town center. It was a bit small compared to supermarkets in big cities, but it was still well stocked enough to meet the demands of the townspeople for everything they needed.


    This time he came to find some paint. His superhero suit would need it after all, and it required a type of paint that wouldn''t easily come off the fabric, a paint that didn''t exist in this world, so he would have to create it.


    Fortunately, those extra-strong fabric dyes that he could make were within the knowledge that the being had given him.


    As he walked through the aisles and absentmindedly scanned the shelves, he felt his shoulder bump into someone. He stepped back a little, and the other person stumbled back even more surprised than he was.


    Daniel quickly helped her straighten up.


    "Sorry, I wasn''t paying attention."


    Dark blue eyes met light blue eyes. Daniel wasn''t a mind reader or someone who could read people''s expressions with just the slightest hints.


    But even he was able to see the surprise and disbelief in the eyes of the girl who had stumbled into him.


    "Uh, are you okay?" he asked, looking at her.


    She was tall, very tall, almost as tall as he was, which was surprising considering he now stood at 1.86 meters.


    She was probably around 1.80 meters tall.


    Her physique was also a surprise, although she was dressed in loose, thick clothing, Daniel, with his new superhuman vision, was able to notice a well-defined and proportioned body.


    Did country girls have such a good figure these days?


    Perhaps the most shocking thing was that she didn''t have that healthy wheat-colored skin for which country girls were known.


    Given her physique, Daniel would have assumed that the girl spent a lot of time working in the fields, but despite that, her skin was fair and flawless.


    In fact, when he looked more closely and overlooked the thick bottle-bottom glasses on her face, he realized that she had supernaturally beautiful features.


    An average person wouldn''t be able to notice this due to the slight distortion in her features caused by the lenses, but for Daniel, it was easy to see.


    She was too beautiful.


    With black hair down to her shoulders, eyebrows that seemed to have an elegant arch that highlighted her expressive eyes, and long eyelashes as well as full, well-defined lips with a smooth texture, that in fact they had a pinkish tone that might seem to have a bit of makeup to the inexperienced eye, but if you looked closely, you would realize that was her natural color.


    Even if he were still a normal human, Daniel could have spent hours staring at her face, fortunately, he only needed a second to notice every detail of it thanks to his thoughts now processing every detail extremely quickly.


    The girl seemed to snap out of her astonishment at his question and hesitantly nodded.


    "Yeah, I... I''m fine," her gaze was intense, and if Daniel had lived as a Viltrumite for much longer, he would have known why.


    When you possess a strength capable of crushing steel, you don''t stumble into people, people stumble into you.


    Daniel didn''t notice that he had taken two steps back when he bumped into the girl''s shoulder.


    This was because he had lived as a human for so long, still not accustomed to the strength he now possessed, he didn''t realize that it should have been impossible for him to step back unless he collided with something equally or harder than himself.


    To him, it was natural that two humans bumping shoulders would cause both to step back, but he was no longer human, and he probably wouldn''t know it for the moment, but the girl in front of him wasn''t either.


    Daniel quickly noticed that some things had fallen from the girl due to the stumble and quickly picked them up before returning them to her.


    "Here you go,"


    The girl took the items, still looking a bit distracted.


    "Yeah, uh, thank you?" was a clumsy response, but Daniel didn''t pay attention to it before saying goodbye and continuing on his way.


    Strange girl or not, he still had things to do. He would investigate her later.


    .


    Carol watched the stranger''s back as he walked away, his mind still running a thousand miles an hour at what had just happened.


    For the first time in her life, she had stumbled into someone.


    That didn''t happen, that didn''t happen!, she didn''t stumble!


    Thanks to her perfect memory, the scene kept replaying in her mind with perfect clarity. She reviewed every moment, making sure she hadn''t felt unwell or misinterpreted something.


    But she hadn''t made a mistake or felt unwell; in fact, she had stumbled, someone had made her body step back.


    Someone had managed to touch her without getting hurt.


    The disbelief she felt left her in shock until her mother came to get her to go pay.


    Who was he? That was the first question that came to her mind once reality caught up with her.


    She began to look around; the town''s supermarket only had five cashiers and wasn''t very large. Finding her target was easy; his face was one she couldn''t forget even if she wanted to.


    His appearance had been etched into her mind for various reasons beyond having a perfect memory.


    He was tall, taller than her; not many guys in the town could honestly boast of that.


    He had a well-built figure, which was easy to notice since he did nothing to hide it, unlike her, who usually wore loose, thick clothing to avoid drawing attention.


    His short, black hair was styled appropriately for his face.


    His dark blue eyes seemed as deep and penetrating as the first time she saw them, which unconsciously made her nervous.


    Carol had no words to describe a man''s attractiveness since she had never paid attention to those details before, but she could probably compare it to the models in the magazines that Chloe looked at all the time.


    No, in fact, those models were full of all kinds of makeup and touch-ups that were easy to detect for her superhuman eyes.


    That was the main reason she had never been interested in them; it was like seeing people wearing masks to try to be perfect, but to her eyes, it only highlighted their imperfection even more.


    They were fake.


    But now she had seen something real, there was no comparison. Now she could understand why Chloe seemed so mesmerized when she saw a "handsome" guy.


    No! She shouldn''t get distracted! She quickly shook her head, trying to clear those thoughts, but her face was still red.


    She had to find out who he was.


    She watched him leave and briefly closed her eyes, focusing on a sense that she normally kept as dim as possible due to the headache it could cause her.


    Her ears began to buzz as her superhuman hearing started picking up all the sounds around her.


    Her intention had been to quickly pick up the sound of her target''s heartbeat and focus on it to divert the flood of other sounds, thus avoiding being overwhelmed.


    She didn''t need to do that; a sound like no other instantly caught her attention, making any other sounds would simply fade away as background noise.


    She had heard many heartbeats throughout her life, whether from her parents, Chloe, or just any other inhabitant of Smallville. She usually kept her sense of hearing under control to avoid hearing things she shouldn''t and to not be overwhelmed by the cacophony of sounds. Gaining the ability to ignore the sounds until they seemed to disappear had taken her a long time, and she had achieved such a degree of control that she could pretend to have the hearing of a normal person.


    But this time she felt that she couldn''t ignore this sound even if she wanted to, not now that she had heard it, even if she turned off her hearing as much as she could.


    Because it was like hearing her own heart, a sound louder, firmer than any other, one that resonated vigorously in a rhythm that sent pulses through her surroundings with each beat as if it sought to flood the world with them, simply impossible to ignore and above all else, it felt real.


    It was as if a deaf person heard the voice of another human being for the first time.


    At least that''s how Carol felt.


    She didn''t need to see him to follow him now that her ears had caught the sound of his heart.


    No matter where he went, she could find him.


    .


    On his way home, Daniel suddenly felt a chill down his back that made him look around with doubt.


    "somebody''s watching me?" he wondered to himself. But no matter how hard he looked, he couldn''t find anything and quickly tried to shake off that feeling.


    He couldn''t.


    .


    .


    .

 6: Hero

    6: Hero</a>


    January 29, 2007


    A new day, another morning experiencing


    Daniel looked at the pan in front of him, the pancake specially crafted with the exact amounts of ingredients obtained in the purest and highest quality possible.


    The smell was already pleasant, and the fact that it had a perfectly round shape was an achievement he was extremely proud of.


    Now, only the taste remained to be seen.


    He easily picked up a knife and fork and began to cut it. Just as he was about to eat it, he noticed that strange sensation he couldn''t quite define, something he had been feeling lately.


    He raised an eyebrow for half a second before shrugging and taking a bite of his breakfast.


    It tasted disgusting.


    .


    .


    .


    From an old barn, Carol focused her gaze on the neighboring farm, her telescope lying forgotten by her side.


    She made sure her position wasn''t easily discovered as she observed.


    Of all the places she could have found him, she didn''t expect him to be her new neighbor.


    She should have known, she remembered all the faces in town after all.


    She would have remembered someone like him in the town before; it certainly made sense that the new face was the one who had recently moved in.


    It had been the day before when they first crossed paths, and she had started observing him.


    So far, he didn''t seem to be doing anything strange other than trying to cook.


    Well, actually, she couldn''t see much through the few windows he had in the farm, so she wasn''t entirely sure.


    Although she could understand his dilemma with food, she herself had had many problems with it throughout her life, although it seemed that her talent for cooking was greater than his.


    After all, she had already come up with a series of suitable recipes for herself.


    Soon he went to the garage of his farm where there were no windows, so she could only listen.


    There was something there, some kind of machine working on something.


    Although she had a keen sense of hearing, she had not trained it much over time., at least not on anything other than to keep it in check and mostly turned off.


    Her father always told her she should respect other people''s privacy.


    Maybe she wasn''t being very obedient in this situation, but this was something special!


    At least that''s what she told herself to justify the fact that she was spying on a guy in a creepy way.


    "Am I creepy?" she blinked and shrugged.


    She was already weird, what difference did adding something else make?


    She closed her eyes and tried to "visualize" using her ears, but it was a little difficult for someone who hadn''t done this before.


    She would have to practice.


    .


    .


    .


    When he made his coats, he encountered a problem that he had to solve in a rather peculiar way.


    His fabric couldn''t be cut by normal means.


    So he had to use his nails...


    How did he do this? Well, first he used the core to make them grow, an unexpected benefit he found while experimenting a bit with it.


    Apparently, biting his nails to keep them well "trimmed" counted as a wound.


    A wound that could be healed using the core, and a nail that, like hair, has no "limit" to how much it can grow.


    In simple terms, he could make his nails grow without limit.


    Just like his hair.


    So his hair became his thread, his nails his needles and scissors, and somehow he ended up using a bit of the caveman method of the Viltrumites.


    At least most of the fabric wasn''t made of his hair, it wouldn''t bother him of course, but it would be weird if someone found out.


    Making the scissors and the needle was something "Defiant" but he achieved it.


    So he began his journey as a tailor!


    Which progressed rapidly thanks to his great speed of learning and memorization.


    His hero suit, or at least the prototype of it, was almost complete!


    Only the cape was missing, which should have been easier to make, but he used too much fabric in the suit, so now it was scarce.


    "I''ll have to use one of the trench coats for now, at least it will look like I have a cape" he would have to repaint one of them then.


    The suit wasn''t too tight as is often the case with hero suits in comics.


    After all, fabric that was too thin was easier to tear and provided less protection.


    And that''s why he had spent most of the fabric he had made, he had put several layers on top of each other, with more of them in key places to better protect himself.


    Super regeneration or not, wounds hurt and he wasn''t a masochist.


    Fortunately, his fabric problem would soon be resolved when the second version of his modified 3D printer was up and running.


    Not only that, he could do much more than fabric.


    After all, the "polymers" from which his fabric was made didn''t necessarily have to have the texture of fabric.


    The fact that it was liquid before solidifying meant they could be used for more, much more.


    "Maybe make some armor plates, more durable tools, or even something else" there were many possibilities to experiment with, needless to say that if he had the capability, he would have made scissors and a needle with it.


    With a proper 3D printer, the only limit was what he could imagine.


    "I have to patent this, I''ll call it Viltrum compound? Viltrum element?"


    He would have to choose the name later.


    He looked at the transparent container filled with "blue" liquid, that was the polymer in liquid state.


    The things he could do with it, the things he could do for the world.


    "And you''re not even the strongest version"


    .


    .


    .


    Boots, confirmed, gloves, confirmed, full suit? Confirmed.


    Daniel began to stretch, testing the degree of mobility and nodding satisfactorily when everything seemed right and comfortable.


    He clenched his fists with satisfaction and put on his "mask."


    It covered most of his upper face.


    It had been one of the few things he had managed to make using the "V element" or Viltrum element, as he had decided to call it.


    Unfortunately, the lens for both eyes wasn''t as durable since it was only reinforced glass, but it didn''t really need to be, even if it broke, it could still serve its purpose.


    He didn''t care about a secret identity or keeping a low profile, but he certainly preferred to have a place to spend time without worries.


    His farm was now that place.


    Besides, it would be easier to register his future patents with a "clean" identity.


    Of course, he didn''t care if the secret eventually came to light.


    It would be too bothersome to have to keep it forever without a good reason.


    And he didn''t have any good reason other than the ones mentioned earlier.


    And they certainly weren''t too important.


    After getting fully dressed, he looked at himself in the mirror. The dark blue, as well as a lighter shade of blue, shone on his well-built figure.


    Although there were several layers of fabric in key points, it could not prevent the muscles of his body from being marked. It wasn''t armor after all.


    Once he put on the trench coat, which matched his current color scheme, he felt more complete. There was no cape for the moment, but for now, it would do.


    The symbol of a huge "D" on his back and chest, shining in an almost silvery blue, made him nod in satisfaction. It was simple but recognizable.


    Even if he changed the color of the suit in the future, the symbol would have to remain the same always.


    He took a deep breath, put his hands on his hips, firmly planted his feet, puffed out his chest, and straightened his posture.


    He looked at himself in the mirror for a few moments, processing the image in front of him.


    A hero... no, a superhero.


    He looked like one, but...


    He didn''t feel like one, not yet, not quite yet.


    He smiled confidently and thought of his brother''s words.


    "Just fake it till you make it, huh... I can do that"


    .


    .


    .


    New York.


    Still early in the morning, people walked its streets with the practiced ease gained through years of living in the city that never sleeps.


    It was midweek, so you could see workers rushing to their jobs, students heading to their schools, and business owners welcoming the first customers of the day.


    There was a calmness in the air, a calmness that no one would have paid attention to on any other day, except of course for those with a truly sharp intuition.


    New York Police Captain George Stacy looked at the white clouds in the sky with furrowed brows.


    Something wasn''t right, it was just a feeling that the captain had but one that had saved his life countless times.


    It was simply like a little voice in his head that reminded him that calmness only meant the approach of a storm.


    Of course, it wasn''t always like that, but not every time did you have a supposed "hero" flying around the world. George hadn''t believed in those strange rumors at first.


    It seemed too fantastic, but as the captain of the New York Police, he had firsthand seen many of the cases where this "hero" had been involved, no matter what the investigators did or how much they tried to deny it.


    The truth was that they couldn''t dismiss the evidence, the obvious signs that seemed to indicate that something truly "superhuman" had happened.


    The guy hadn''t been discreet in his "heroic" acts.


    George felt that the world was about to change, it wasn''t an unfounded feeling, but rather one backed by his countless years of experience serving in the police force.


    Thinking of his daughter, he couldn''t help but sigh, hoping that, whatever the change, his daughter could live safely.


    As he took a long sip of his coffee, a tremor caused him to spill the liquid on his shirt.


    "Damn," he grimaced as he felt the liquid burn his skin, yet his attention was quickly captured by the screams. When he turned, he saw in the distance a 20-story building covered in smoke. From its middle floors, the fire raged and cracks spread like a spider''s web.


    An explosion had occurred. Without thinking, he threw the coffee and ran to his car. It seemed that his intuition had once again proved right.


    .


    .


    .


    Daniel was sitting in his workshop, finishing some adjustments on his new printing machine when a news channel caught his attention.


    Of course, as a hero, how could he not pay attention to the news even if he was working? He had added several screens to his workshop that played more than ten news channels at once, all from different parts of the world.


    Right now, his gaze focused on a live broadcast from the United States news channel.


    The image was clearly a part of New York, the burning and partially leaning building caught his attention more clearly than anything else.


    "The gas explosion on the 9th floor has completely affected the building''s structure. The fire department and the police are trying their best in the rescue work, but so far, their efforts have not been very successful" the reporter spoke quickly while pointing at the building.


    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Then there was a tremor, and the cracks seemed to extend even further. Suddenly, the firefighters and the police began evacuating people in the vicinity.


    the reporter apparently unaware of her own safety approached a middle-aged man wearing a brown trench coat who was giving orders loudly.


    "Captain Stacy, what''s happening?" the reporter brought the microphone closer to the police captain, which seemed to anger him.


    "There''s no time for questions, you must evacuate now! The building is about to collapse!"


    Daniel had already suited up when the tremor began, and when Captain Stacy''s words fell, he was already in the sky, flying beyond the speed of sound.


    .


    At the Kent house, Carol opened her eyes upon noticing Daniel''s extremely fast movement, but before she could do anything, he had already completely left Smallville.


    She quickly ran out of her room and down the stairs to the kitchen window, where the sky was clearly visible. To anyone else, it would seem like a normal sky, but for her, it was different.


    Her eyes focused, and she could clearly see Daniel flying in the sky rapidly.


    "He can fly?!" That was new; she hadn''t seen him do anything like that before.


    And that suit...


    As Carol watched, the news on the television in the living room caught her attention. Her hearing had been focused on Daniel, so she had heard the news but hadn''t seen the images. She quickly turned and saw her parents watching a live scene of a building starting to collapse to one side, towards the extremely crowded streets of New York.


    Her eyes widened in horror, and her body froze.


    Her parents exclaimed with astonishment and fear, just as stunned as she was.


    Then, in the live broadcast, the sound of a sonic explosion was heard, followed by a blurry blur falling from the skies.


    "Oh my God!" the reporter exclaimed, and the camera focused, in blurry movements, the blur entered and exited the burning building at incredible speeds.


    Each time this happened, one or several people who had been in the building suddenly appeared on the ground, in the evacuation area that the police had prepared.


    The rescued people looked around in confusion. There were bloodstains on some, as well as ash and burns. Some were coughing, others were unconscious, and a few didn''t seem too hurt.


    The people around shouted in amazement, and some relatives of those people who had been nearby and recognized them shouted and ran towards them.


    It was an incredible scene. Carol looked with wide eyes, her gaze focused on that blurry figure that probably no one else could have captured.


    But she could, even though the camera quality wasn''t able to precisely record each frame, it was still enough for her to glimpse something.


    It was blurry and unclear, but those colors, that suit, and the "D" engraved on the chest and back of the figure were completely recognizable to her.


    She had just seen them a second ago.


    .


    Daniel decided he hated the smoke; it fogged up the lenses of his mask, and had to destroy them and let his eyes do the job properly. Rescuing people at high speed was very difficult; their bodies were so fragile that a single mistake would turn them into a kind of meat paste.


    Fortunately, the Viltrumites could move at a certain speed even with other people on top of them.


    It was a strange sensation, not quite like tactile telekinesis but not very different either. Of course, it wasn''t as perfect; the effect was barely comparable, but it was enough.


    Daniel could only attribute it to a feature he hadn''t explored much in his new body.


    The Smart Atoms.


    That little magical thing that allowed such a strong species to exist and achieve most of its great feats. It was complicated to explore because Daniel hadn''t paid much attention to them in his previous life.


    He had only read that Invincible comics manual once. "I''ll have to retrieve those memories later using the core. It was foolish of me to ignore such an important matter until now"


    Deciding to focus, his body passed through the building in search of civilians. He stopped for half a second and closed his eyes.


    The Viltrumites might not have the strongest sense of hearing, but it shouldn''t be underestimated. Although he hadn''t trained it much, it was enough for Daniel to focus on the entire building and hear the heartbeat of anyone still inside.


    It was also enough for him to hear the concrete breaking and the pillars giving way; the building was going to collapse.


    Just as he was preparing to leave, he heard it. It was an extremely weak heartbeat. His pupils contracted, and without hesitation, he passed through anything in his way.


    .


    "It''s falling! The building is falling!" the on-scene reporter shouted. The camera focused as the upper half of the building began to rapidly tilt downward; the explosion seemed to have split it in two.


    While everyone was screaming, a woman looked around with tears in her eyes. She searched among all the people who had been mysteriously taken out of the building, but her gaze didn''t find who she was looking for. With horror, she turned towards the burning building that was beginning to collapse.


    "My daughter! My daughter is still in there!" She ran towards the building, but the police captain, who quickly noticed her, stopped her.


    "Let me go! My daughter, I have to go for her!" She shouted again, and the captain gritted his teeth as he watched the building fall. There were no words of comfort he could say at this moment; he could only hold the woman and prevent her from running to her death.


    All of this was recorded by the news camera, causing the millions of viewers who had been watching the news to clench their fists in helplessness.


    Some even cried for the woman; there were those who prayed to God and others who cursed. Wherever they were, the scene in front of them made them feel desperate.


    Then, one of the windows of the falling building exploded outward, and a comet covered in smoke shot out towards the ground rapidly. The people exclaimed, but it was so fast that few reacted to the incredible events.


    In a matter of moments, the smoke cleared, and a human figure fell to the ground, half kneeling. Then, the figure stood up, and in their arms, a small girl of no more than 8 years old was curled up.


    All eyes focused on that figure for a moment, but the screams returned as they saw the building falling towards them.


    The woman who had been held by Captain Stacy opened her eyes wide when she saw the girl, but her gaze turned to one of desperation when she saw the building falling towards them.


    Everyone who witnessed the scene opened their eyes wide.


    The figure gently placed the girl on the ground in the brief moments it took for the building to rapidly fall towards them. Then, he straightened up, slightly parted his legs, and stretched his arms upward with a firm posture.


    Then the upper half of the ten-story building fell, and the scene that many had expected did not happen.


    Instead, something that would be etched in history and in the minds of all who witnessed it occurred.


    Like a scene from a comic book, the building abruptly stopped its fall, and the figure held its weight between its hands, which had only slightly bent downward upon impact.


    Everyone was dumbfounded; some even thought they were dreaming, but something even more incredible happened next.


    With determination, the figure began to rise from the ground and carried the building into the skies. Although some debris fell, most of the building, in a completely illogical manner, retained its structure and was carried away from the people by the figure.


    The camera could only capture the hero''s back as they carried the building away, with the "D" on their back especially focused.


    .


    Daniel gritted his teeth a little. This was the first time since waking up in this world that he felt his body exerting even a little effort. It was minimal, of course, but it was there.


    It seemed that he needed to find a way to exercise. After all, he knew that his body was at its weakest state right now. It shouldn''t be any different from Mark when he first awakened his powers.


    He wasn''t weak, but compared to Omni-Man, he clearly lacked.


    He looked at the building he was carrying and couldn''t help but feel relieved. He hadn''t expected to be able to carry the entire structure without it collapsing on itself. He had simply wanted to lift what might fall on the girl.


    It seemed he had underestimated this "tactile telekinesis." He should have known better. After all, Omni-Man had held an enormous rock resembling a mountain with a single hand without it collapsing on itself. There were many other examples of other Viltrumites doing similar things as well.


    He had simply thought of it as "comic book logic," but now that this "logic" applied to him, he realized it wasn''t so simple. He didn''t exactly know how this ability worked.


    It felt like when he was flying in a way, as if something covered his entire body from the inside, making gravity irrelevant.


    But now, instead of just covering him, it also extended to what he was holding. It wasn''t perfect, but it was enough.


    He arrived at Central Park and found a spacious area where he slowly lowered the building. He looked at the flames still covering it and thought of something.


    It was an idea that had been on his mind for a while, and taking into account a scientific fact called the Joule-Thomson effect, he believed it was possible.


    After all, a Viltrumite had an unprecedented lung capacity; not making use of it would be wrong.


    Daniel began to inhale air in large quantities until his lungs couldn''t hold any more, and then he approached the flames.


    Carefully, he let the air pressure in his mouth increase, and controlling its speed, he let it expand rapidly when exhaling. This generated a drop in temperature in his breath, and if anyone were watching, they would be amazed to see ice begin to appear.


    Carefully, Daniel circled the building and made sure to extinguish every flame before flying high into the sky and leaving.


    A new skill successfully learned.


    .


    .


    .


    Note


    Thank you all for your support these days. I want to bring more chapters, but I''ve been very busy with work, you know, adult life and all that.


    For those who noticed, I borrowed the explanation of the icy breath from the fic Avengers of Steel by Reyel.


    Since I read that fic, I realized that in theory, anyone with a strong enough lung capacity and strong enough muscles could do something like this.


    To be sure, I even consulted with I.A-Chan, who agreed with me.


    By the way, the Defiant ost for now is (My Hero Academia-OST- Hero A)</a>

 7: Fire Meet Gasoline

    7: Fire Meet Gasoline</a>


    In the skies, Helicarrier, central command.


    "The world remains in shock after the significant revelation that took place this morning-"


    "Who is this mysterious figure that has been aiding the world?"


    "Defiant is a reality we must accept-"


    "Is this the beginning of a new era?"


    News from all parts of the world presented themselves before the sole eye of the SHIELD director.


    Sighing, he glanced at his second-in-command, Maria Hill.


    "How is it?" he asked, though already knowing the answer.


    "The news has traveled across the entire world. Hiding something like this or trying to mask it is impossible. The live broadcast was being watched by more than half of the country and beyond" Maria Hill shook her head.


    Fury nodded. In fact, he knew that even SHIELD couldn''t do much; they had been having too many issues trying to mask Defiant''s less public actions. This was simply impossible to hide.


    "What about Subject D? Have our satellites made any progress in tracking him?" Subject D was the official designation for Defiant.


    Maria Hill once again shook her head helplessly.


    "After transporting the building to Central Park, he vanished. There have been no new confirmed sightings since then" Fury nodded and looked at the images on the screens.


    This had gone beyond their expectations. Unconsciously, he touched the eyepatch, recalling a past event.


    The world was very strange, but SHIELD had always ensured that it didn''t affect the general public. They managed to conceal the big green guy, but it seemed they couldn''t hide this.


    In fact, there were many more things happening in the world that were becoming increasingly difficult to conceal.


    He remembered a proposal he had been working on for a long time.


    An initiative.


    It seemed it was time to set it in motion.


    "No matter what means we have to use, we must find him. I need to talk to him" said Fury, looking with seriousness at the clearest image that had been obtained of Defiant.


    An image that had been printed and plastered across every news outlet in the world.


    A man carrying a burning building on his shoulders while a girl was being protected beneath him.


    His blue eyes seemed to radiate a clear intensity and evident resolve.


    Combined with the prominent ''D'' on his chest, which seemed particularly striking, gave him a memorable appearance.


    Fury smiled imperceptibly.


    He knew who would be the first candidate for his initiative; now he just had to find him.


    .


    .


    .


    "And this, my friends, is the upper half of the building that Defiant transported to Central Park. The fire department is working alongside the police department to prevent any civilians from getting too close, allowing for proper cleanup-"


    The newscast continued to play in every home in the country and even beyond.


    It was probably the most significant news in the world in a very, very long time.


    The impact that a revelation like this brought to humanity was something not easily explained.


    And the cause of it all was currently in his underwear, scrubbing his costume with a lot of soap.


    "Good news, the costume is effective. Bad news, it''s not smoke and ashproof" After scrubbing for the last time and ensuring that any persistent stains or odors had vanished, Daniel put it in the dryer and changed clothes.


    He entered his living room and watched the news.


    The people''s reaction surpassed his expectations. He certainly underestimated the degree of effect that the public appearance of someone like him had on people.


    Certainly, there had been news about him before, but it all seemed like rumors and tales that most people believed were false.


    What happened this morning made people look back and realize that all those tales and rumors were real, causing a great stir.


    Daniel looked at the image of himself carrying that building, and although it wasn''t intentional, it looked quite impressive.


    "That should have made a good impression, right?" Even though he didn''t do this for fame, he knew it was necessary to have a good image.


    After all, he didn''t just want to be a hero.


    He wanted to be The Hero, a symbol, a pillar.


    Of course, wanting to be it and actually becoming it were two completely different things.


    Even if he didn''t manage to become it, he still wanted his symbol to represent something.


    To be something.


    A legacy, an ideal perhaps.


    Even if he died, he wanted this world to have a memory of him.


    He wouldn''t die without being someone, without achieving anything, without changing the world.


    Maybe it was too selfish? Maybe it wasn''t the selfless thought that a good person would have, not like an ideal hero, certainly.


    But he wanted to try.


    "To live a life I''m proud of, a life worth living"


    .


    .


    .


    Carol paced her room with a hint of nervousness, something she hadn''t felt in a long time.


    She remembered what happened that morning¡ªher neighbor was Defiant!


    Of course, she knew he wasn''t normal, but she hadn''t thought they were one and the same.


    She''d been investigating Defiant for weeks! And he''d been right beside her the whole time...


    Now, the big question: what should she do?


    She wanted to meet him, had so many questions, but at the same time, she hesitated.


    Her whole life had been "invincible"¡ªdisease, weakness, pain, fatigue¡ªnone of it had existed for her.


    She would admit she was a little arrogant about it.


    She''d never exactly worried about getting hurt, and that was one reason why she''d never quite connected with people.


    How do you connect with someone when you''re so different? Beyond things like personality or tastes.


    It wasn''t just that she liked strawberries and someone else liked grapes.


    It was something more fundamental.


    Like a fish would never know what it meant to soar high in the sky, or a bird to swim deep in the sea.


    When she was younger, she was more ignorant about it, thinking maybe she wasn''t so different, that perhaps she could fit in.


    That changed quickly when she hurt her mother simply by hugging her, by expressing her love for her.


    The sound of her bones breaking haunted her even to this day.


    She hadn''t hugged anyone else since then.


    Accidents like that had plagued her youth, making her extremely cautious.


    Being close to people was difficult; any kind of contact was a battle where she had to make sure not to move incorrectly, not get too excited, or carried away.


    Would she break them? Would her simple touch hurt them? Those questions were always in her mind, even when she was near her parents.


    They might say it wouldn''t happen, that she could control herself better, that she could be normal.


    But they couldn''t understand it, just as she could never truly understand them.


    Even though she tried, she really did.


    But she was tired of trying.


    And now¡­ there was someone else like her, someone as different from others, someone who might understand her, and that excited her so much, but also scared her.


    She wasn''t "invincible" anymore.


    "This is not right!" Her father''s voice snapped her out of her contemplations.


    And there was another problem, her father... he hadn''t been precisely happy with the morning''s revelations.


    In fact, he was anything but happy; concern seemed to have engulfed him. Carol had been too focused on herself to pay attention, but now that he was starting to raise his voice, it seemed she had to figure out what was going on.


    She quickly descended from her room and listened to her parents talking.


    "Come on, Jonathan, calm down. Things aren''t as bad as they seem," her mother spoke gently, but her father shook his head. His hair was disheveled, and he breathed somewhat heavily.


    "I can''t calm down, Martha! Did you see what he can do? What if all of this is just an act? What happens when he decides to stop playing the good guy, huh? What if he''s here for-" Clearly, her father didn''t have the same impression of Defiant as Carol, and before she could stop herself, she spoke, surprising both of them with her sudden intrusion.


    "I don''t think he''s playing" Carol''s voice was clear, and she couldn''t help but shrink a little when both turned to look at her intensely.


    Her father wasn''t pleased with her words; his bloodshot eyes and flushed face were clear indicators of that.


    "How can we know that?! We know nothing about him! This could just be an act, a way to find what he''s after!" Her father shook his head at this thought; his concern seemed to escalate.


    He continued speaking, but it seemed more like he was talking to himself.


    "No, he can''t know about you, he can''t find you-" her father cut himself off when he realized he was speaking aloud. His face looked pained, and he averted his gaze from her, leaving Carol with a horrible feeling in her stomach.


    "Find me?" They were hiding something, both of them were.


    She had always known there was something they weren''t telling her; it was evident, but she never delved too deeply into it.


    "Why would he want to find me?" Her voice was calm, but she wasn''t. She looked at her mother, who averted her gaze from her, and that horrible feeling intensified within her.


    Her gaze returned to her father, who seemed to have resigned himself to something.


    A long sigh escaped him, and he looked at her with an expression she couldn''t comprehend.


    "Listen, Carol, you... you''re not our daughter"


    .


    .


    .


    .


    .


    .


    The night fell, and time seemed to blur for Carol.


    Sitting in her "fortress of solitude" as her "father"had called it, which was actually just an old disused barn. she looked at the starry sky, In her hand, she held a strange, dark-colored elongated object with an ''S'' engraved on the front.


    Her fingers rubbed against the unusual texture, the texture of a material that didn''t exist on Earth.


    She began to replay recent events in her mind, as she had been doing for some time now.


    She wasn''t her parents'' daughter.


    She wasn''t human.


    She wasn''t from this world.


    She gritted her teeth bitterly.


    All this time feeling different, thinking there was something wrong with her.


    All this time trying to fit in, to be normal.


    In the end, she was never a part of this world...


    She swallowed, unsure whether to laugh or cry.


    But even though it was a bitter feeling, it was also something she had known within herself all along. That sense of derealization had always been there; she always knew she wasn''t like the others. Too many differences, but she simply hadn''t been willing to admit it.


    But now, whether she liked it or not, she''d have to accept it.


    She felt... so hollow. Her eyes reddened, tears threatening to spill, so she shut them. Her mind focused on something else, a loud, clear sound echoing in her ears, something that had been there all along, accompanying her like a warm comfort she hadn''t realized she needed.


    Her eyes opened with a strange glint in them. She glanced toward the neighboring farm and stood up.


    She might not be the same as humans... but she wasn''t the only one, right?


    Maybe they couldn''t be completely alike. Certainly, she couldn''t fly; even her parents had assured her that the ship she arrived in was the only one, so even that possibility was minimal.


    But they were similar, and because of that, she wanted to meet him.


    Carol didn''t think about the consequences; she dismissed the potential dangers this might bring. Her mood was altered, and thus, she was impulsive.


    She glanced back at her house before leaving.


    She hadn''t told her parents about Defiant and their discoveries. She thought about it, but with everything that had happened and how paranoid her father had been, she quickly dismissed that idea.


    She didn''t know what she would do if he found out. No, she couldn''t tell them, not now when she had finally found someone else, someone different, someone like her.


    She looked away, clenched her fists, took a deep breath, determination filling her.


    Then she disappeared in a blur.


    .


    .


    .


    Daniel was in his backyard, seated on one of the two reclining chairs that had been there even before he arrived, probably used by his grandparents to rest and relax.


    Looking at the sky, he pondered recent events. The day had been eventful, so he decided to wait a bit before heading out again.


    He took a sip of his hot chocolate, version 89, the best one yet.


    Then, he heard movement in the tall weeds in the abandoned farmland, and his gaze shifted there, raising an eyebrow when he saw a figure emerge in a blur of speed that surprised him a little.


    He observed the girl coming out with a somewhat rigid posture and quickly remembered who she was.


    She was that girl from the supermarket.


    He lowered his cup of chocolate and placed it on a small table between the two chairs, then stood up slowly without looking nervous or disturbed by the sudden visit.


    "It''s a pleasant night" he said, though he didn''t know what was going on. He could deduce a bit, considering the speed demonstration he had witnessed earlier. In a way, he had been expecting someone to find him. He hadn''t been exactly discreet like Defiant. Of course, ordinary people couldn''t easily find him, with him flying around the world, it was hard to pinpoint his whereabouts. Moreover, the speed at which he moved through the sky made even the best satellites lose track of him.


    But people like him? Extraordinary people? They could. Maybe not quickly, but certainly at some point. It seemed that moment had actually arrived a little earlier or perhaps had always been by his side.


    "Uh? Y-yes?" Carol blinked and said, not knowing how to start this conversation. She hadn''t thought too much about it when she hurried here; she had been carried away by emotions and now felt unsure about what she should do.


    Daniel gestured to the chair beside him.


    "Come, have a seat. It seems like there''s a lot to talk about" he offered politely.


    Carol seemed a bit hesitant but nodded and approached with a timid posture.


    Once she was seated, Daniel quickly pulled out the Teapot of chocolate and offered her a cup.


    "Here, take this. Hot chocolate always comes in handy on nights like this"


    She looked at the cup before taking it, and they both sat there, gazing at the starry sky, the scent of chocolate filling the air.


    From the corner of his eye, Daniel could feel Carol''s intense gaze on him, which made him a bit nervous, though he didn''t show it outwardly.


    "When talking to a girl, you must show confidence!" His brother used to say that all the time, and somehow, it stuck with Daniel even in this second life.


    Certainly, such advice had helped him a lot in the past.


    A silence filled the atmosphere and Daniel decided it was time to show a little of that confidence so he decided to speak first.


    "So... you''re quite fast" he said, almost as soon as he finished speaking, he wanted to slap himself.


    Seriously!? Was that how the conversation started!?


    "Y-yes, I''ve always been... quick" Carol replied clumsily, and Daniel sighed.


    "I''m sorry, I''m not good at this" he admitted with a laugh.


    "How about we start over? I''m Daniel, Daniel Evans," he said, offering his hand.


    Carol looked at his outstretched hand and awkwardly extended hers.


    When their palms touched, some of Carol''s apprehension reached her, and she almost wanted to completely relax her grip to avoid hurting him.


    Then he firmly grasped her palm, and Carol realized in an incredible way that she could feel it. The grip on her hand was different from any other touch she had ever felt before, whether from her parents or Chloe. When they touched her, it just felt... dulled? numb? It was hard to describe since she hadn''t had anything to compare it to.


    Not until now.


    now she could say the right word, distant, the touch of her parents, of Chloe, she had always felt distant.


    Slowly, both hands tightened, and for the first time in her life, Carol could feel what true contact meant.


    She could understand that feeling that she couldn''t describe before even when she knew the words for it, it felt Bright, lived... real.


    A huge smile formed on her face.


    "I''m Carol, Carol Kent."


    .


    With the ice broken, Carol seemed like a dam bursting, unable to stop the water¡ªor in this case, the words¡ªfrom pouring out.


    "From space?" Daniel blinked as he looked at her, somewhat surprised.


    After a long conversation, they had reached the point where Carol began telling him many things, from how she found him to even her origins. Somehow, her words seemed to have no filter due to her excitement.


    Setting aside the fact that she had been stalking him these past few days, Daniel paid more attention to her origin story. He hadn''t expected a story like this. Certainly, he had realized she was special due to the incredible speed she demonstrated when she arrived and the strength in her handshake.


    But he had thought all of that was due to some sort of accident with strange chemicals, perhaps radiation or something that had given her powers.


    He certainly didn''t expect the space part.


    "Yup, straight from up there" Carol said, pointing to the night sky with a smile.


    She had thought saying it would be very difficult or that she would have felt more self-conscious about it.


    The truth was, it was simple. Once she started talking, she couldn''t stop, and she said it as easily as if just a few hours ago, she hadn''t been on the verge of falling apart because of it.


    It''s not that she felt comfortable talking about it; it''s just that she didn''t feel uncomfortable telling Daniel. It was strange; he seemed to have an effect on her that made her feel... secure?


    Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    A rational person would be more cautious, more careful. But tonight, Carol had thrown away all rationality or logical thinking. Tonight, she was doing something she had never been able to do¡ªsimply letting her emotions guide her, regardless of the potential harm it might cause in the future. And all of that was just because of Daniel.


    Because somehow, she felt like she could just trust him.


    "And you?" she asked with curiosity in her eyes.


    Upon hearing this question, Daniel pondered deeply.


    What could he say? "Oh, I''m from space and another universe, lol!" Yeah, that sounded suspicious as shit


    Besides, he couldn''t mention that he was from another universe., the warning from the being still lingered in his mind. He wasn''t foolish enough to ignore it.


    Even saying he was from space sounded too "convenient."


    And suspicious.


    Though she seemed very open with him, the truth was Daniel wasn''t someone who easily placed trust in others.


    Unlike Carol, who was too enamored by their encounter.


    Daniel was more rational and cautious. Though the meeting was intriguing, he wasn''t hypnotized by it, not easily fascinated as Carol had been.


    Moreover, there was something about this "origin" story that didn''t sit right with him. It was a suspicion he would have to explore later by examining his memories.


    "Well, I don''t know about space, but I''ve certainly been different since I formed my earliest memories in this life," not a complete lie nor a complete truth.


    She looked him straight in the eyes, and Daniel returned the gaze confidently.


    They remained like that for a few seconds before she smiled and nodded as if she completely believed him.


    It was too easy.


    Almost made him feel guilty, almost.


    Although Daniel wasn''t a mind reader, he could tell that the girl in front of him was somewhat blinded by some reason. She shouldn''t trust someone she had just met so much. On the other hand, Daniel completely ignored Carol''s thought process. It wasn''t just that she trusted anybody; it was simply that she had chosen to trust him.


    As a leap of faith, she had chosen to believe in him thanks to everything she had been doing as Defiant. She had been investigating him for weeks and even secretly spying on him, after all. It wasn''t that she just leaped and gave her trust without a basis or without knowledge of whom she was doing it to; she had already formed an image of him in her mind that allowed her to judge his character in a certain way.


    Even if it was an irrational act, paradoxically she did it based on reasons she believed were reasonable.


    "Not as amazing as coming from space" she said with a smile, and Daniel laughed and nodded.


    This time, a comfortable silence filled the air for a few moments.


    "I''m sorry" Carol suddenly apologized.


    "Huh?" Daniel raised an eyebrow.


    "For spying on you, I''m sorry about that" she said, cheeks flushing. She had gotten too excited and admitted to secretly observing him, though she didn''t go into exact details of how she did it as she quickly realized that might not exactly paint a good picture of herself.


    Daniel laughed and waved his hand casually. "Don''t apologize. You had good reasons. It doesn''t really bother me" although it was a bit odd, it didn''t really bother him much. In Daniel''s mind, investigating someone who might pose a threat was somewhat normal.


    Probably, Carol did it to ensure he wouldn''t be a danger to the people of Smallville or something like that. Of course, Daniel was completely wrong.


    Carol breathed a sigh of relief; she didn''t want to give a bad impression. She hadn''t cared about it before, but now it was different. She didn''t want to seem unpleasant to him.


    "I won''t tell anyone" she assured, and Daniel blinked, looking at her with doubt.


    "About Defiant, I won''t tell anyone," Carol affirmed seriously.


    "is fine, I''ll trust you," and he meant it. Although he hadn''t known her for long, he could see honesty in her words. Of course, it''s not like he could do much to make her keep the secret either way.


    What should he do? Threaten her? Threaten her parents? What was he? a villain? None of those options were an option.


    Then Carol asked another question.


    "Why?"


    Daniel looked at her, and she seemed to sense the doubt in his eyes, so she rephrased her question.


    "Why venture out into the world like this, why expose yourself, why reveal your abilities?" The question seemed important to her.


    Her voice had that touch people get when they need the answer to something that''s crucial to them.


    Daniel straightened up, realizing it was time for a proper talk.


    At this point, he''d be a fool not to realize that Carol was the important "thing" in Smallville. Though he couldn''t know what her "destiny" was, he definitely wanted to make sure she wasn''t an enemy. He didn''t know all her capabilities, but he preferred not to have to fight her.


    What he said next could be very important. It could define whether he faced a disaster or a potential ally.


    Thinking about it made him lose some confidence; he wasn''t as good with words as he''d like to be. But at this point, he could only try and take responsibility for the consequences if things didn''t go well.


    As Daniel thought about how to handle this, he opted to tread as honestly as he could. He couldn''t divulge everything, but he could say something that was true in a way.


    Half-truths? Incomplete truths? Mixed truths? At least he wouldn''t tell a lie, even if he couldn''t be entirely forthcoming about everything. He wasn''t going to lie; That would be fucked up even for him.


    But there was no other way. If he wanted to reach her, he could only opt to be as truthful as he could. at least as much as possible


    "Do you know how I ended up in Smallville?"


    He asked that, and Carol pondered before responding somewhat uncomfortably.


    "I... heard something happened to your family?"


    Daniel nodded, time for a half-truth.


    "My brother and my parents, they died in a car accident"


    It was true and yet not entirely true. Daniel Warren Evans''s family had died like that, and even though they were an alternate version of his own family, the fact that he hadn''t inherited memories from his counterpart didn''t mean he didn''t mourn their deaths. This was amplified when he thought about his own family; he would never see them again, and that hurt almost as much as if they had died¡ªin every sense, they had. after all for them he was dead


    "It was a silly accident, really, and it could have been easily avoided" that was true. The accident that killed his family in this world wasn''t something complicated or grand.


    It was just a simple mechanical failure in a car.


    "No one could have done anything to help them, no one normal, at least..."


    He wondered how the Daniel of this world should have felt upon learning about it¡ªthe helplessness he must have experienced. And what would have happened if he had arrived in this world before that? Could he have saved them?


    He shook his head, dispelling those thoughts, and continued speaking. Feeling guilt over something he couldn''t have changed was futile.


    "This world is like that, full of silly accidents and injustices that ordinary people can''t do anything about. You can say it''s just how the world works, but... I don''t like it, No, I don''t accept it"


    He thought about his death. When he realized he had died, that memory had been buried within himself, and it had been difficult to think about it. But over time, the memory began to resurface, along with understanding.


    His death hadn''t meant anything...


    Thinking about it and everything he had experienced as Defiant in the past few days, he had realized something. He wasn''t sure if he could put it into words, but he decided to try. So, he continued speaking.


    "I don''t accept a world where people can''t live without fear, a world where those you love simply vanish due to absurd injustice"


    A world where you can just die without achieving anything.


    "Robbery, murder, rape, or simply an accident or a natural disaster" He gritted his teeth, thinking about all he had seen while traveling the world.


    Thinking about all those cries for help.


    He looked Carol in the eyes and spoke very seriously.


    "No matter which it is, I refuse to accept it. No matter what, I will stand in defiance of that absurd injustice, no matter where it comes from" He sighed a bit after saying that, before recalling something else.


    "Moreover, my brother always used to say a phrase that has stuck with me for a while."


    It was a phrase that came from an important place, a bit blurry now, but he knew his brother had introduced him to this phrase and had taught him where it came from. However, he couldn''t recall it now, and he knew his disadvantage had something to do with it.


    "Great power comes with great responsibility. I have great power, and I''ve chosen to take responsibility for it. I didn''t fully understand it before, but I suppose losing everything puts things into perspective, and I''d be lying if I said that wasn''t a significant factor in my decision"


    He looked at his open hands, thinking about his family, those he''d never see again, the life he had lost, his dreams and goals¡ªall that he could no longer achieve.


    It was a bitter feeling that left a bad taste in his mouth and made him a bit downcast, but he quickly composed himself, took a deep breath, and looked back at Carol, who had her full attention on him.


    "You asked me why, and now I answer. I''ve lost everything¡ªmy life, my past, and the people I loved more than anything. I refuse to let anyone else go through the same, not if I can help it, not without trying to help them"


    He clenched his fists and the sound of the air compressing him to impossible measures was clear.


    "I possess incredible abilities, extraordinary ones even, and that''s why I believe it''s my responsibility to use them to help people, the world" it was self-imposed, but it was his choice.


    "To stand in Defiance between them and anything that dares to threaten them. So, it doesn''t matter even if the whole world knows who I am or what I can do, even if they oppose my existence. As long as someone needs my help, then I''ll do something about it" he finished with a firm voice and a resolve shining in his eyes.


    He was very honest about this; in the end, no matter his goals or plans, the reason he chose to be a hero was this¡ªeverything else was secondary.


    He suddenly realized how long he had been talking and a bit of shame filled him.


    "Sorry, I rambled too much" perhaps he got carried away. He rubbed the back of his head and turned to her with a small smile.


    Then he noticed how she was looking at him and couldn''t help but break into a cold sweat. That look... why did it seem more intense than before?! Did he say something wrong?


    And why were her eyes glowing red?!


    .


    Carol listened attentively to his words, and the emotions he emitted left her momentarily lost.


    His eyes gleamed with that incredible resolve she wished she could have.


    Carol had never considered what she could do with her abilities; she had always lived trying to hide them, trying to hide herself, just to be "normal"¡ªrunning away from who she was and what she could do.


    And here before her was someone who could confidently say what they wanted to be, pursue their desires without fear or doubt.


    She wanted that. She wished she could be like him, have that kind of resolve¡ªa will like his.


    And she could, right? She was extraordinary too.


    She didn''t want to continue hiding, afraid of what she truly was and who she was.


    She didn''t want to remain that strange girl watching the world move forward without her in it.


    She felt her heart beating stronger at the thought.


    Although her parents were always against her using her abilities, it was not what she wanted, it was not how she wanted to live.


    Something shone within her¡ªa desire that had been locked away behind fear, doubt, and uncertainty.


    She looked at Daniel and realized why she had been investigating Defiant so intensely. It wasn''t just because he possessed extraordinary abilities, but it was how he used them. Because deep down, she also wished to be the same¡ªto use her abilities freely and without fear. Perhaps even, as he said, to help others, to stand as a Defiance against injustices.


    Because she wished to be like him.


    And now he was here in front of her, and it was as if she could feel that desire growing inside her like a blazing fire, as if she could simply reach out and grasp it.


    Her gaze focused intensely on him, emotions that had been suppressed within her for so long seemed to erupt at this moment. In her mind, she recalled every word Daniel had said, and the desire within her grew even stronger.


    Carol became lost in those feelings and didn''t notice Daniel''s nervous glance.


    for his part, Daniel began to review what he said, had he made a mistake? He wasn''t good at giving talks, so he didn''t know if there was something wrong with his words.


    But he couldn''t continue thinking about it because his instincts screamed at him. He only had a moment to see Carol''s eyes turn completely red before quickly looking away.


    A couple of extremely hot rays shot out, piercing the dark sky like a high-speed laser.


    Carol screamed and tightly shut her eyes, feeling the heat hitting against her eyelids.


    Daniel looked astonished and wondered for a moment if she had tried to kill him.


    But seeing the pain in her expression dismissed that idea. If this was an assassination attempt, it was a very bad one.


    Still, there was something in the back of his mind bothering him. Where had he seen something like this before? He shook off those thoughts and quickly approached Carol.


    "Are you okay?" he asked, watching as the red glow slowly faded from her eyelids.


    "I-I''m sorry, this has never happened before," she nervously replied as she carefully opened her eyes, her heart still beating strongly.


    She didn''t understand what had happened or why her eyes had suddenly started shooting rays out of nowhere.


    Panic gripped her, and Daniel quickly tried to comfort her.


    "Don''t worry, I know it wasn''t your fault," he waved it off as if to downplay it, and Carol gave him a shaky smile in return.


    "On another note, Heat Vision! That''s incredible," he spoke up again, being honest. It was truly incredible; a Viltrumite didn''t have that, and he was certainly a bit jealous of it.


    Listening to his excited voice and the clear lack of reproach toward her, Carol smiled timidly, and some of the nervousness seemed to dissipate within her.


    .


    Several minutes later, the atmosphere had returned to normal, with the conversation flowing. Carol was quite talkative, and Daniel was rather good at listening.


    She seemed almost unable to stop herself, talking about many things she had kept bottled up inside. So many things she had wanted to discuss with someone but had never been able to until today.


    She spoke about her childhood, her struggles, the accidents she had due to how different she was, her worries, and even her desires.


    Daniel listened attentively and spoke when necessary, offering support, advice, and suggestions.


    Truly, Daniel wasn''t a great conversationalist, but he was an excellent listener. He didn''t mind listening to people talk and knew how to make them feel comfortable.


    "I really want to do more, I don''t want to keep holding back, just staying on the sidelines" Carol said and looked at him, there was some fragility in that look as well as hope.


    Daniel could relate to her in a way¡ªhiding all his life, suppressing his abilities out of fear of harming others. Certainly, he too wanted to break free from that.


    "I want to be like you. I want to help others, to use my abilities without fear, feeling proud of who I am and what I can do, not just living hidden away on a farm" her voice turned bitter at the end.


    When she said that, Daniel suddenly remembered his own thoughts.


    "To live a life I''m proud of, a life worth living."


    It seemed he wasn''t alone in those desires.


    Her sky-blue eyes looked at him with pleading and hope, and Daniel couldn''t help but get lost in them for a moment.


    "Please, help me"


    Those words were enough for Daniel to decide what he should do, even though he had already decided to do something even if she didn''t explicitly ask him to.


    There was no other way; he couldn''t reject such a sincere wish, one with which he could identify. Maybe he would regret this in the future, he didn''t know, but he decided to leave the problems of tomorrow to the Daniel of tomorrow.


    The present Daniel had to help a girl.


    "Very well"


    .


    .


    .


    .


    .


    .


    Note


    What did you think? I''m not good at writing emotional conversations, I had to rewrite some parts several times, but I think I''ve done the best I can with my current skills and I''m happy with it... at least for now.


    If you''re wondering about Carol''s current abilities, I''m basing them on her progress taking into account the Smallville series and how some of the Kryptonian powers work there. Of course, not everything is the same, and the power scale isn''t the same either.


    Speaking of the power scale, there won''t be anything as exaggerated as the comics. You can think of it as a mix of live-action movies/series and animated series/movies. It will become clearer as the story progresses.


    I appreciate your support and comments. For those reading this on webnovel, you know I want those darn stones!


    For those reading this on forums like spacebattles or questionable questing, leave your likes and comments.


    If you''re reading this on FF, leave reviews about what you think so far and put this story in favorites!


    If you''re on Ao3 I want those Kudos!


    The same goes for Scribblehub, royal road, and wattpad, I appreciate your support!

 8: Memories

    8: Memories


    Daniel watched as Carol''s back disappeared into the undergrowth. his smile slowly faded, replaced by a frown on his face.


    His gaze returned to his ceiling, where two high-temperature lasers had cleanly pierced the material.


    That was dangerous; although it wouldn''t likely kill him, it could have given him a serious burn on his face.


    That was an experience he certainly didn''t want to have.


    He glanced one last time at the place where Carol had vanished before entering his house.


    It was time to see what that thing was that had been bothering him throughout all this.


    Sitting cross-legged on his bed, he began to breathe calmly.


    He wasn''t a martial arts master or anything like that. But when he was younger, his mother had forced him to attend a few yoga sessions with her. He had almost forgotten everything about it except for the meditation part.


    It helped him focus and relax, and for what he was about to do, that''s what he needed.


    Everything around him seemed to fade away as his mind began to focus within himself.


    With each breath, everything fell silent, and Daniel was able to delve into the depths of his being with surprising ease.


    In fact, his meditation had never been so deep before coming to this world.


    It was because he had died and existed in an immaterial state that his consciousness achieved something not many people could do.


    Material detachment.


    He had understood that the body was nothing more than a vessel and that his true self resided in his soul and spirit.


    This effect increased when he obtained the core; the connection simply amplified, and he could do this because of it.


    He opened his eyes and found himself in another place, a space surrounded by thousands and thousands of doors shining in various colors and having different shapes and sizes. Some doors stood alone, others grouped, and some were connected by faint, thin threads of golden light.


    This place had many names in different cultures, but Daniel decided to give it a simple and common name.


    Mental palace.


    His mental palace, where all his memories and experiences were kept behind each of those doors.


    It was like floating in the void. Daniel moved as if he were flying slowly.


    "Alright, let''s see what we can find" he navigated through all the doors searching for something specific.


    Then he saw it.


    It was an extremely dense cluster of doors.


    Unlike all the other doors that seemed easy to open and shone with vivid colors, this group of doors was more varied.


    There were doors with chains halfway broken and doors halfway open but not fully, as well as doors with cracks on their surface, letting out faint glimmers of light.


    They represented incomplete knowledge and memories.


    There were others that were so tightly shut that it was difficult even to imagine they were doors.


    They were the memories he had completely forgotten.


    And there were others connected to this cluster with golden threads but shone like normal doors and seemed easy to open.


    They were the memories he hadn''t lost and were connected to this entire cluster.


    The composite whole that represented the new world he lived in.


    Daniel searched for a specific door he had been investigating for a while.


    The door was almost extremely well shut but had a small, almost imperceptible crack on it.


    It was blue with red, and on the front, it had a blotch he couldn''t quite define, but it seemed something like an S.


    Now, as he looked at it again, he saw that the crack had expanded, and not only that, from it, a thin golden thread extended outward.


    A thread that hadn''t been there before.


    Daniel saw the thread extend to another door, a dark one that glowed with a blood-red color.


    But unlike the blue door, this new door had no chains; he could open it completely.


    Daniel glanced back at the blue door, checked the crack on it, and smiled.


    His last disadvantage... was not foolproof.


    He might have lost many memories, but he also retained many others. As small as those memories might be, they were like cracks in these extremely well-shut doors.


    And if a structure has a crack... well, sooner or later, it can break.


    He had found a way to do it more quickly.


    "The more I learn about this world, the more cracks there will be, huh?" He had only needed a chat with Carol for this door to change and even give him a clue, a golden thread connecting to another memory that might have vaguely related information about his new world.


    It wasn''t complete and instant access to that lost knowledge, but ironically, it opened a door, a possibility.


    "I wonder if you expected this. In the end, my luck seems to not have truly abandoned me. I''m really grateful for that" he laughed, and though there seemed to be no one else to hear his words, in the distance, a faint, familiar laugh echoed.


    The reason he was grateful for his luck was simple: it was because he had chosen to see the advantages first and the fact that he had obtained the core.


    Thanks to this, the last disadvantage couldn''t act fully against him.


    Because the core protected his memories and his mind.


    By the time it attacked, the core was already within him.


    In reality, his memory wasn''t erased; it was merely sealed. The core managed to prevent his last disadvantage from erasing his memories by locking them away instead. It allowed those memories to maintain their connections with others in the form of "threads," and thus, he had gained the possibility to recover what he had lost.


    It might be slow and tedious, but he could become whole again.


    It might take him hundreds of years, perhaps not, but time was something he had in abundance, and as long as there was a possibility, that was enough.


    With good humor, he approached the dark door glowing with crimson light.


    He looked at the front, and a series of words caught his attention.


    "BrightBurn? Interesting name" Without hesitation, he opened it and stepped inside.


    Then his smile disappeared.


    .


    .


    .


    Early in the morning, deep within a forest, in a small clearing far from any hint of civilization.


    A resonating sound echoed loud and clear, followed by two words.


    "Left, right!"


    As if an explosion had occurred, the air was forcefully expelled, sending waves of it everywhere, causing the undergrowth and tree leaves to rustle as if a tide had hit them.


    The sound was thunderous, like metal clashing against metal.


    Amidst all this, two figures stood, almost equally tall, both with bodies beyond human.


    Perfect specimens that could be portrayed in any picture or magazine by just standing there casually.


    One had a firm and confident stance, while the other seemed more insecure and restless, yet no less impressive.


    Of course, they were none other than Daniel and Carol, testing their abilities.


    Daniel furrowed his brow and raised his palm suddenly, causing Carol to halt her next move and look at him with uncertainty.


    "You have to try it, you know. The point of this is to know how strong you are after all. Come on, hit me seriously" Daniel gestured with his hand, inviting her to proceed, but Carol hesitated for a moment.


    After their discussion and Daniel''s agreement to help her, they had decided to meet up for some tests.


    After all, Daniel needed to know where Carol stood in terms of strength relative to him.


    He didn''t want any accidents due to not knowing Carol''s limits.


    He had explained this to her, so she knew she couldn''t keep holding back.


    She looked at him and licked her lips before nodding and preparing herself.


    She had never hit anything seriously, never touched anything with the intention of "hurting" it.


    So, she was completely unaware of her true level of strength.


    She had doubts, of course; all her issues and concerns couldn''t disappear just like that.


    Still, she forced herself to set those worries aside.


    It was Daniel, he was just like her; he wouldn''t get hurt.


    Once she repeated these thoughts to herself several times, she gritted her teeth, and her hand clenched into a tight fist, causing the air around her to explode. Then, she took a step forward, causing the ground beneath her foot to sink, and her figure shot rapidly toward Daniel with surprising speed, closing the distance instantly.


    Daniel saw this and stood firmly. His hand stretched out, and his palm received the blow, causing his eyes to widen slightly.


    Daniel wasn''t an expert fighter, but his brother, who practiced mixed martial arts, had taught him a thing or two when using him as a punching bag and training partner.


    Thus, he was familiar with the sensation of a truly powerful blow landing on your palm. And Carol''s punch was much more than just "powerful" His muscles tensed, and even the bones in his hands seemed to tremble slightly. His body took a step back, and the strain caused him to furrow his eyebrows slightly.


    But one should not underestimate a Viltrumite.


    His hand closed around Carol''s fist with force, his feet firmly planted on the ground, and he stopped the impact abruptly.


    To any external observer, it would seem that everything had happened simultaneously, in less than a second.


    An extremely strong shockwave occurred after all these events, sending bursts of air that threatened to uproot nearby trees.


    If they had been wearing normal clothes, they would have torn apart, being so close to the point of impact.


    Carol opened her eyes when she felt her fist caught and Daniel''s fingers closing around it.


    She had used everything she thought she had and had barely budged him a step backward.


    Unnoticed by her, Daniel internally grimaced and activated his core at the speed of light to make the tingling sensation that threatened to envelop his entire arm vanish instantly.


    She had hit hard, very hard.


    "Well, that was quite a hit, though your stance is a bit off, and that''s why you couldn''t exert all your strength. Despite that, it was amazing" he praised honestly, perfectly hiding the concern this brought him.


    She was much stronger than he initially thought. The level of threat she posed increased even more in his mind.


    Carol blushed a bit, and when Daniel let go of her hand, she glanced away to look at her fist.


    She could feel a slight tingling coming from him and could even see faint red marks left by Daniel''s fingers when he caught her fist with force. They were already fading, but the fact that they were there in the first place left her stunned.


    Even though she knew it, seeing it firsthand made her much more excited. There was a feeling that had been vague but was now crystal clear¡ªa sense of belonging, something that made her realize she wasn''t alone anymore.


    The relief she felt left her feeling as light as a feather.


    "Indeed, you''re strong, and since we''re not rushing to the hospital for a broken arm, you''re tough, too" he remarked. It was simple¡ªa body should be able to withstand the same force it exerts to a certain extent.


    Taking into account the strength of her punch and the fact that she didn''t harm herself while delivering it, Carol should have an equivalent level of endurance.


    Of course, it wasn''t an exact calculation, but Daniel wasn''t a scientist, not yet.


    ''It would be difficult to subdue her without killing her'' he thought, but he didn''t let this show on his face.


    "Then what do we do now?" Carol shifted her gaze from her fist and began adjusting the long trench coat she was now wearing, which had been slightly ruffled by the winds.


    It was a simple dark blue trench coat with a long zipper instead of buttons, allowing it to close properly, and it was loose enough for her to wear without worrying about certain front two things that made it difficult for some clothes to fit.


    Best of all, it was incredibly resilient.


    Carol had never dreamed of holding fabric like this, one that wouldn''t tear at the simple touch of her fingers.


    She had struggled too much over the years with such issues.


    She was still fascinated by it and had many questions, but Daniel had told her he would talk more about it later.


    "Now that we have an idea of your strength, it''s time to see how fast you can go" Daniel said. With that, he approached Carol, standing in front of her and casually placing his hand on her shoulder, causing the girl to open her eyes slightly.


    They were too close! Another step and their bodies would be close enough to touch directly, and although they weren''t that different in height, she still had to look slightly upward to meet his eyes, which put her in a strange position.


    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    An tremor ran through Carol''s body, and she swallowed hard. She could feel the touch of his hand even through the trench coat, and even his breath hitting her skin. She had to use all her willpower not to lower her head and keep looking directly at him.


    Then she saw a small smile appear on his face, and that almost made her panic.


    What was he doing? Thousands of strange thoughts raced through her mind, making her blush.


    "Tag" he said, and the word hung in the air for a second before Daniel disappeared in a blur of speed.


    The wind generated by the movement made Carol''s hair flutter, and she looked at the empty space in front of her, stunned.


    She felt her shoulder, now without Daniel''s hand on it, and began to process the word he had said.


    Her eyes widened as she understood it, and she, too, disappeared in the next instant.


    In a place far from civilization and any external eyes, two figures moved at high speeds through the forest. Clearings, mountains, and even rivers.


    They covered hundreds of kilometers in seconds in a chase that seemed never-ending.


    Occasionally, the sound of excited laughter could be heard.


    .


    many hours later, as the sun began to set on the horizon, Carol stopped, breathing heavily. Though it couldn''t be said that she had exhausted all her endurance, the reality was that she had indeed gotten very excited.


    Her hand touched her forehead, and surprisingly, she felt a small drop of sweat there. It was just a drop, and anyone else might have ignored it, but for her, it meant more, much more.


    It made her feel incredible, and a huge, joyful smile spread across her face.


    Daniel glanced at her from the side, wiping away his own small bead of sweat. It had been a while since he exerted himself so much, and he actually had to consider activating the core for a moment.


    In the end, he chose not to, but the fact that he even considered it was surprising in itself.


    And worrying, very worrying.


    He looked at the sun setting in the distance and smiled a bit before speaking.


    "It seems like I won"


    His words made Carol look at him and pouted., which looked especially cute on her face.


    No matter how he looked at her, he couldn''t see her as a monster.


    "Just because I stumbled!" she complained, but the smile quickly returned to her face as she reminisced about the entire chase.


    Although they had run, they had also done many other things while doing so.


    It was like playing a game, and she loved it.


    As a child, she had never been able to participate in any physical activity like this. It was too dangerous, and even if she tried for some reason, it was just plain dull.


    There was no thrill in it, none that didn''t involve worry and caution about not hurting anyone.


    So, she hadn''t thought much about childhood games.


    Now, she''d admit her opinion about them wasn''t accurate.


    Because they were a lot of fun.


    "Winning is winning darling" he winked in jest and bent down to grab a backpack he had brought along. They had returned to the starting point of their race, and thanks to their good fortune, all their things were still there.


    Daniel didn''t see it, but Carol blushed deeply when she heard his words and saw him wink. She had to make an effort to calm herself down.


    Daniel took two water bottles from the backpack and tossed one to Carol, who caught it easily.


    "Your speed is very good, but you lack some agility. You haven''t done many races on difficult terrain have you? And not as fast as now" he asked.


    Carol thought about it and nodded. "I used to sprint occasionally around town and in the fields... but I''ve never run through forests and mountains." The terrain was very different, and she quickly realized that.


    "And you''re right about the latter... I''ve never gone this fast." She had never really tested her speed until now. When she ran alongside Daniel, she just kept accelerating, going faster with each moment, much faster than she thought was possible.


    Because of this unfamiliarity, she stumbled several times, giving Daniel a clear advantage.


    "You just need to get used to it. We can do more exercises like this occasionally to make you feel more comfortable with it" Daniel said casually, but for Carol, that was something she was already starting to look forward to.


    "Strength, durability, endurance, and speed, seems like a good set of skills, not to mention your heat vision" for the last part, he couldn''t help but look into her sky-blue eyes and remember those same eyes glowing with a blood-red color.


    "But no flying" Carol mentioned with a hint of envy in her tone.


    "About that... don''t dismiss it too quickly. Who knows, you might really be able to" but he hoped not, genuinely hoped not.


    "Do you really think so!?" Carol became excited at the thought of the possibility.


    "I''ll think of something to test it later" Daniel promised with a slight smile, and Carol nodded eagerly, not noticing the slight furrow on his brow.


    She genuinely seemed thrilled by it, but for now, that would have to wait. It was time to conclude this "training session."


    As he prepared to wrap up the day, he thought about what he needed to do and his plans. There was still much to learn about the world and many things to do; it seemed he would be quite busy in the near future.


    Glancing at Carol from the corner of his eye, she began to take off her trench coat. She seemed quite energetic this day, and he really couldn''t see anything dangerous about her. She just seemed like a girl excited to use her abilities freely.


    That made him feel a bit foolish¡ªhad he worried over nothing? Maybe this was all nonsense on his part¡­


    Daniel felt a twinge of guilt for his suspicions, but regardless of his doubts, he had promised to help her, and that was what he intended to do. He couldn''t let some odd memories prevent him from fulfilling his commitment.


    "It''s time to head back; it''s getting late," he stated.


    Carol nodded and glanced at the sky; she had been out all day since morning. Her parents would probably be very worried by now.


    She finished taking off her trench coat and stretched. It was an unconscious act, learned after many years of mimicking others. Whenever there was a gym class, most people would stretch after a long exercise session. Even though she wasn''t really tired, the fact that they had spent almost the entire day doing physical activities made her relate to that action and act as she had learned to do in those classes.


    Habits took a while to die, after all.


    Daniel glanced at her from the side, raising an eyebrow. Although he certainly appreciated her figure, the truth was he was curious about something else...


    What is an alien like?


    Although he could also be called an alien now, Outwardly the Viltrumites were not too different from humans.


    But what about... whatever Carol was? Was she the same, or was there something different that wasn''t evident?


    Without meaning to, he found himself completely focused on her, searching for these nonexistent differences. Due to his Viltrumite brain, he could visualize an almost exact image of Carol''s body in his mind, even if she was wearing loose clothing; it didn''t really matter to his eyes.


    It was like seeing a 3D model, and he couldn''t help but glance at certain areas of her with a raised eyebrow.


    It seemed he had underestimated the size of certain areas. He would have to keep that in mind when making a suit or tighter clothing for her.


    "Baggy clothing can really hide a lot of things" he muttered under his breath, although spoken softly, it was still audible to Carol, causing her to freeze momentarily.


    Carol had noticed Daniel''s gaze and unconsciously deliberately slowed down her stretching movements because of it. however, The shame of having done so hit her at this moment.


    Realizing his mistake, Daniel awkwardly coughed. He had to remember that she wasn''t an ordinary person; he couldn''t mutter around her without thinking.


    "Alright, let''s go. I don''t want it to get dark" he quickly averted his gaze, completely ignoring the uncomfortable atmosphere.


    Carol nodded rapidly, deciding to hide her embarrassment as best as she could. She slowly offered him the trench coat she had removed, but Daniel shook his head, declining to take it.


    "You should keep it. It''ll help you a lot if you need to use your abilities beyond the minimum. At least you won''t have to worry about your clothes tearing" he suggested.


    "Oh, alright" Carol agreed, looking at the blue trench coat. She actually quite liked it. She swiftly put it back on this time, without making a scene; she had embarrassed herself enough already.


    "Come on, maybe you can get there before me" Daniel said as if issuing a small challenge, and Carol nodded with a smile.


    Thinking of something else, a small smile formed on Daniel''s lips, and with speed and agility, his hand shot out and touched Carol''s shoulder.


    This time, Carol understood the gesture, and her eyes widened slightly.


    "Hey!" she yelled, but he had already taken off running. Without further delay, she chased after him, her laughter heard all the way home.


    .


    .


    .


    The sound of metal clashing against metal was audible and resonant.


    It echoed against the cave walls, filling the whole space with reverberations.


    The sweltering heat made the sweat drip, but the man hammering didn''t falter in any of his strikes.


    With determination, he delivered a final blow to the red-hot metal before plunging it into the water, causing the steam to hit his already sweaty face. However, that didn''t make his gaze falter, and soon he retrieved the piece of metal, revealing an iron mask.


    Its metallic surface reflected the blue light blossoming on his chest almost like a mirror.


    "Soon..."


    .


    .


    .


    In the past, many years ago.


    The Earth shone against the dark void of space, spinning around its sun peacefully, undisturbed by the events taking place in the universe.


    Far from any gaze, mortal or divine.


    A series of small ripples extended through the nearby space.


    Then, an extremely tiny rift opened up over the Earth.


    From it, the light of chaos and madness briefly shone upon the blue planet.


    An amalgam of putrid colors was expelled from the rift along with its light, and a monstrously-looking cell was born in the space of the celestial blue body.


    Something that shouldn''t exist infected the planet called Earth.


    At first, it was alone, but it soon began to multiply rapidly, reaching millions, and no one noticed a thing, no one could notice anything.


    Without any living being on Earth realizing it, in the bodies of dozens of millions of them, an extremely aberrant and monstrous cell impregnated their DNA.


    Slowly, that cell blended perfectly, its appearance not different from any other that composed the structure of the living being in which it resided.


    Like a silent pathogen, the cell divided and made its way among its host and their descendants.


    Without any human or animal noticing, a catastrophe began to slowly brew among them.


    An endless madness.


    But perhaps it was their absurd luck or maybe the work of destiny.


    For a long time, nothing strange happened, and humanity continued to live without realizing the danger that existed among them.


    Inactive, the cell slumbered for so long that waking up was difficult, very difficult.


    But not impossible.


    .


    .


    .


    In a secluded place in the world, a bald woman gazed into the deep space in silent contemplation.


    In her hands, a strange eye-shaped necklace opened, revealing an emerald glow that began to permeate her surroundings.


    The space-time fluctuated slightly before settling down; the eye on the necklace closed, and the emerald glow disappeared.


    The woman sighed, and her shoulders seemed tense.


    Worry reflected in her eyes.


    "Soon..."


    .


    .


    .


    .


    .


    .


    Note:


    I realized that I used the word "defiance" incorrectly in the English translation (I won''t blindly trust dictionaries again) many people pointed it out, and I was going to completely change the word. However, someone gave me an idea (if I''m talking to you auraofcalm) the word will stay, but I''ll tweak the structure of the sentence or sentences in which it''s used so that it fits better.

 9: One more day

    9: One more day


    Note: Important to read!


    Author''s Status Update 2024


    It''s been a while, hasn''t it?


    There are many questions, and I don''t want to fill this with text complaining, so I''ll respond as concisely as I can.


    I had a lot written, over ten chapters of this, all drafts of course that needed to be properly edited and translated, but they were a foundation from which I could consistently release chapters with a set path.


    Not just for this story but for all my other stories.


    What happened?


    I was assaulted...


    They took my cards, my ID, my phone...


    Do you know where I write and store everything? That''s right, on my phone.


    So I lost everything.


    All the progress I had made, all my notes and plans, all the chapters already written.


    And if that wasn''t enough, they used my cards, which I couldn''t deactivate quickly because I didn''t have a phone.


    Whoever decided that cards can only be easily deactivated using a cell phone and not a computer...


    I wish death upon you!


    So, I got robbed, indebted, and lost everything I had written.


    2024 started badly, but I''m already recovering!


    In the end, I Still standing, hahaha. Still Defiant, you understand?! It probably sounds stupid.


    The desire to write died for a while, my memory is not perfect, so rewriting everything and re-noting the ideas and plans I had already decided frankly didn''t appeal to me.


    Adding up all my other problems...


    Yeah... I didn''t want to write.


    But now I want to.


    Writing should be something I enjoy and relax with. I can''t go back and recover what I lost, so I''ll have to start from what I had. I''ll still use several of the ideas I remember and come up with new ones. Fortunately, there''s an earlier version of this that has (poorly written) several of the ideas I liked.


    I''ll have to go over everything, create a new path, improve the things I did wrong, and add new ones.


    For that reason, Chapter 9 has been rewritten almost entirely, removing several things that will either be postponed or not used in the short term.


    I know this is tedious, but believe me, I didn''t want it to be this way, but I don''t have the ability to go back in time (yet), so we''ll have to live with what we have.


    So, we''ll take a different path. I want to enjoy writing this, and I want to write it with the best quality I can offer.


    Honestly, I had several plans that I don''t remember well (that''s why I made notes). My memory isn''t perfect, and I feel that if I continue with those plans, just relying on what little I remember, it will result in poor writing.


    That''s why Chapter 9 will be changed. Maybe the beginning of the chapter won''t have many changes, but it will definitely have several changes after that.


    So, I suggest you read it, if you still want to accompany me on this journey.


    This doesn''t mean that I completely discard everything already written in that chapter; it just means that I''ll approach it differently and in different chapters.


    With that said, I wish you all a Happy New Year, and may luck smile upon you more than it has on me.


    I leave you with the new and rewritten Chapter 9. Tell me what you think, and as always, I''ll be reading your feedback.


    (My other fics are in a similar or worse situation since at least this one had a previous version, but the others didn''t, hahaha.)


    .


    9: One more day


    February 10, 2007


    "The storm clouds loom over Central City, heavy rains are expected in the following days-"


    "The multi-millionaire Lionel Luthor has died unexpectedly, authorities have not yet specified the cause of death but his death has left Luthor Corp in great uncertainty. His children, Alexander Luthor and the young Lena Luthor, have begun to assume the company''s leadership, and analysts believe this could be the beginning of a power struggle between the two heirs. Nevertheless, shareholders show strong support for Alexander Luthor-"


    "Oscorp has started new contracts with the United States Army-"


    "The famous asylum for criminals in Gotham City will be demolished-"


    "The Air Force pilot, Hal Jordan, is missing. During last week''s test exercises-"


    "Pym Technologies in crisis, the young and new CEO, Darren Cross, promises-"


    The news reports sounded along with the music, which flooded the workshop with its rhythmic sounds, creating a chaos of sounds that would be difficult for a normal person to listen to. Working at his desk, Daniel moved his head to the rhythm of the musical notes while his hands carefully manipulated a piece of technology as if this cacophony of sounds didn''t bother him at all.


    He had been studying a lot these days. At first, the topics were focused on aspects that would help him build and improve his printer.


    Now he had expanded a bit.


    Learning was fun when you were good at it and your progress was visible at first sight.


    He had even started to learn some extra languages, although he still needed to speak with native speakers to be able to speak them correctly.


    What he could find in nearby libraries would soon become useless.


    And although the internet was vast, it still didn''t contain as much information as it would several years later.


    "Maybe I should take a second trip around the world? A study trip?"


    There were many places with valuable information from which he could learn a lot.


    Perhaps he would need to visit them at some point.


    He stood up and stretched his body. He wasn''t tired, but some habits tend to stick. He looked at the clock on the desk and smiled.


    "it''s hero time!"


    He always wanted to say that.


    .


    .


    .


    The sound of sirens flooded the streets of New York, causing panic among the people. A high-speed pursuit was taking place.


    Patrol cars accelerated, chasing a white car. The sound of gunfire was clear in the air, causing nearby people to run for cover. Some even considered pulling out their own weapons, but that impulse faded when they heard the police sirens.


    Projectiles were fired from the fleeing car. Inside, four men with dark masks and weapons looked around in panic. More and more patrol cars joined the pursuit, and they could even hear the sound of helicopter blades in the sky.


    "Shit!" cursed the driver, pressing the accelerator even harder.


    The other three aimed their weapons at their pursuers and continued firing.


    In the skies, a police helicopter assisted in the pursuit, and not far from it, a news helicopter followed.


    The scene of the pursuit was being broadcast live on the news.


    At an intersection.


    A mother and her daughter, no more than 6 years old, began to cross the street, the sound of sirens and gunfire barely starting to reach their location, drowned out by the bustling noise of the city.


    Because of this, the woman couldn''t react in time when the white car made a sharp turn at high speed in their direction.


    The woman opened her eyes to see the car approaching her and her daughter at full speed, but there was nothing she could do to avoid it. Her body hadn''t even begun to move, and the car was already a meter away from hitting them.


    This scene was witnessed by everyone around with horror. On a busy street in New York, it was difficult for people to miss something like this.


    The screams had just begun to sound, and in the skies, the helicopter camera focused, and the cameraman could barely begin to open his eyes in horror as he realized what was about to happen.


    But the expected scene did not happen. Like a blur, a figure stood in front of the mother and the girl.


    The sound of twisting metal filled the air, and with both hands, Defiant firmly held the car, stopping its acceleration abruptly. The front of the car crumpled like paper against his body, and the occupants were shaken violently.


    Defiant held the car and lifted it slightly in the air to prevent it from crushing completely, saving the occupants from becoming minced meat.


    As if he didn''t feel the weight of the car, he turned to look at the woman holding her daughter in her arms, still with a pale face.


    "Are you okay?" his voice was clear, and his question seemed to have brought the woman out of shock. She nodded quickly, unable to form words correctly. The rapid sequence of events was still processing in her mind, but her body acted quickly. She lifted her daughter in her arms and ran towards the crowd of people, not hesitating.


    The girl in her arms looked with bright eyes and waved her little hand to the hero as she was carried by her mother.


    Defiant gave her a small smile that made the girl smile even wider.


    Then he let go of the vehicle, causing it to fall heavily to the ground, shaking the criminals inside even more.


    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    "D-Damn" the car''s driver cursed and opened the door, stepping out shakily and almost falling to the ground, his vision spinning.


    Defiant approached him, and the man opened his eyes in panic at the sight of him. Without hesitation, he raised the gun in his hand and began firing at point-blank range.


    The sound of the bullets impacting his body made Daniel raise an eyebrow, and he quickly closed the distance to avoid a stray shot.


    After all, there was a crowd.


    He took the gun and with a light squeeze, destroyed it. His other hand grabbed the criminal by the neck and lifted him into the air.


    "You know, this would have been a big disaster if I hadn''t arrived in time. Fortunately for you, I did. So I advise you to lower your weapons and come in peace. It will be less painful that way" he said loudly enough for the other three criminals, who were already getting out of the car, to hear him.


    In response to his friendly advice, one of them pulled out his gun and shot directly at his eye, showing very good aim.


    Silence filled the place as the bullet smashed against the hero''s iris, falling to the ground without having done the slightest damage.


    "I guess we''ll do this the hard way then."


    Faster than human perception could capture, his figure moved and he tore the guns from each of them, deforming their structure with his hands until they turned into scrap.


    The criminals only felt their vision darken when a fist hit their faces hard enough to knock out several teeth.


    In the skies, the news helicopter focused on the scene, and the reporter shouted to the audience.


    "Defiant! It''s Defiant!" Not just him, whether they were passersby at the scene or those watching the live broadcast.


    They all exclaimed at seeing him appear once again, even if he had been doing so for several days already.


    Soon the police arrived and began to handcuff the criminals.


    Daniel made sure everything was in order before starting to rise into the sky.


    But a shout stopped him.


    "Wait!" the woman with her daughter approached, smiling.


    "Thank you" they both said.


    To their words, Daniel nodded happily and then left. There was still more to be done.


    .


    .


    .


    "And those have been the day''s news with the Daily Planet "


    On television, criminals were seen being taken away in patrol cars. The camera quickly panned upwards, trying to focus on Defiant''s back as he left the scene, but the hero was too fast. All that could be captured was the sonic boom in the sky after his departure.


    Carol looked at the image and made a mental note to download the video later.


    Sitting not far from her, Jonathan Kent sighed. Some fatigue could be seen in his eyes, and the beginnings of dark circles were evident on his face, stress lines making him appear several years older.


    Carol was worried. Her father had always been stubborn; once an idea got into his head, even her mother had trouble convincing him otherwise.


    Daniel... Defiant, was like an imaginary guillotine in her father''s mind.


    Carol didn''t understand why. What was the problem? To her, her father was just being irrational about all this.


    A normal and rational person might see the gaps and flaws in Jonathan''s thinking, but a normal person had never raised an extraterrestrial or found an alien ship in their fields.


    For Jonathan, the impossible ceased to exist long ago.


    As a man of the land, a farmer, or even just a man, but above all, as a father, the mere idea that there might be something capable of threatening his family was unacceptable.


    But what truly terrified him was that deep down he knew he couldn''t do anything against Defiant or any other being like him.


    It wasn''t something he had suddenly realized or a fear that had arisen recently. Even before knowing of Defiant''s existence, Jonathan had deep down known that he couldn''t protect his daughter.


    It was absurd. How could a father not protect his own daughter? In the past, that thought alone would be enough to put him in a bad mood, something perhaps only his wife could understand.


    He was her father, adopted or not, it was his duty to protect her, to protect them both, but...


    When your daughter lifts the tractor with one hand at the age of 4 or runs faster than a car at 5, you realize that whatever you''re dealing with is beyond your capacity as a human.


    Perhaps for that reason, Jonathan had been very strict with Carol. He had wanted to pretend that she wasn''t different, that she was just a country girl like any other, that she could be human.


    Because otherwise, how could he protect her? How could he fight against someone like Carol?


    He refused to accept it, for a long time, he refused to accept that truth, but Defiant had come like a strong gust of wind, tearing away the veil he had placed over his eyes.


    He couldn''t protect Carol.


    The middle-aged man was lost in his thoughts and deep fears, his eyes still focused on the television even though the news had changed. In his mind, the images of Defiant were still clear. How? How could he fight against something like that?


    The fact that despite all his concerns, Defiant hadn''t yet descended from the sky to take his daughter away didn''t make him feel any better.


    Beside him, Carol sighed. There were several words that died in her throat before they were expelled. Talking to her father... wasn''t something she wanted to do right now. Things were still tense between them since the "revelation" of her origins.


    She wasn''t good with words either, or the most social, so she decided to ignore the problem for now. It was better to think about happier things.


    With that, her mind drifted to recent events. Honestly, it had been a long time since she''d had such busy days, or nights actually.


    A few days ago, Daniel had decided that nighttime was the ideal time for them to spend together.


    In reality, this had been Carol''s fault. With not many friends and farm work being easy and something that could be finished in moments, she had started to hang around Daniel''s house.


    The problem was that for most of the day, Daniel wasn''t home.


    Seeing the problem and knowing that he had offered to help her, he decided to take things seriously and start teaching her during the night.


    The fact that Carol didn''t need to sleep at all was a huge advantage in this.


    Stopping sleeping wasn''t difficult for Carol. For the most part, she did it out of habit rather than tiredness or anything similar. In fact, there were many nights where she simply stayed awake with her eyes closed, waiting for morning to come. It was boring, and escaping that boredom was something she greatly enjoyed.


    Daniel''s lessons were rewarding. It wasn''t anything too complicated so far, and it mostly relied on Daniel''s own experiences as a hero than anything else.


    He mentioned that one must first master the theory before moving on to practice. Honestly, Carol didn''t care too much. Just listening to him talk was enough to keep her attentive to everything he said, and the fact that his talks were about things that interested her only made it twice as easy.


    Carol was suddenly brought out of her thoughts by the tap of a spoon on her head. She blinked and turned to see her mother raising an eyebrow.


    "If you don''t hurry, you''ll miss the bus... again"


    The gentle reprimand in her words didn''t escape Carol''s ears. She rolled her eyes and quickly stood up, grabbing her blue trench coat and draping it over her shoulders with a smooth, fluid motion, getting ready to leave.


    Martha looked at her daughter and noticed the blue trench coat. It was a new garment that she had started wearing every day recently, and it wasn''t until now that her curiosity was fully aroused. Where had her daughter gotten something like that?


    "By the way, where did the trench coat come from?" The middle-aged woman couldn''t help but reach out and touch the fabric; it felt strange. She had learned to sew since she was a child and had dealt with many types of fabric before. This one, in particular, felt different.


    Carol almost pulled away when she noticed her mother touching the trench coat, but she managed to contain the impulse and responded quickly and without hesitation.


    "It''s a gift from Chloe" Martha raised an eyebrow; her daughter had responded too quickly. Before she could ask more, Carol approached and kissed her on the cheek before rushing out.


    "See you later!"


    .


    .


    .


    "Reports, how''s the progress?" Fury''s voice sounded impatient, filling his office.


    As the director of S.H.I.E.L.D., leader of one of the world''s most important organizations, and one of the best field agents humanity had to offer, there were few things that challenged his patience.


    Today, his patience seemed to be constantly tested.


    Fury''s deputy and primary assistant, Maria Hill, sighed inwardly and with some nervousness shook her head.


    "The progress has stalled, sir. Tracking him has become impossible. Even the most advanced satellites we have access to can''t keep up with his flight paths, and trying to predict his trajectory has been futile. Our analysts are almost pulling their hair out over it. Frankly, his flight speed makes him unpredictable. One moment, he''s putting out forest fires in Brazil, and the next, he''s preventing a landslide in Mexico..."


    If Fury still had hair, he would have started pulling it out of frustration.


    His gaze turned to the screens in his office, different news channels from around the world. Defiant seemed to have made every country and border his backyard, and the World Council was not liking it at all.


    A part of him was annoyed by the blatant violation of international laws, but a bigger part of himself had to admit a fact: Defiant was certainly committed to what he was doing. Traveling from one place to another around the world, every day for at least 8 hours, his figure could be found everywhere. As long as there was a disaster, accident, or crime, he seemed to be nearby.


    And of course, the World Council was not pleased with it.


    "Bunch of old fools" Fury muttered, but Maria Hill could hear him perfectly. Still, she didn''t comment on it; after all, she wouldn''t be Fury''s deputy or primary assistant if she didn''t share some of his thoughts and opinions.


    "How''s the sample collection going? Do we have anything? Any traces, hair, damn it, even a drop of saliva?!"


    Maria Hill''s denial came just as quickly as before.


    "So far, nothing, sir"


    With that said, Fury decided to set aside the matter. Samples were important, of course, but the current situation dictated that S.H.I.E.L.D. wouldn''t see any of that anytime soon.


    Racking their brains over it was futile, so he decided to discuss something else.


    "How are the advances in the search for Stark?" This time, Maria Hill could lift her head, and with more confidence than before, she responded positively.


    "The Ten Rings, the Middle Eastern terrorist organization, has him. We''ve managed to locate several of their bases, and based on Stark''s last known location, we''re calculating where they''re most likely holding him captive" Fury reviewed the data provided by Maria Hill, and some of the stress lifted from his shoulders.


    Though not all the news was good, at least they were making progress in something.


    "Once we have the location, we need to deploy the best agents available for his rescue. I need Stark alive" Maria Hill nodded and assured him that everything would be done according to his orders.


    Fury gave some more instructions and dismissed Maria, who left his office ready to fulfill her duty.


    Fury sat in his chair and looked at the data on his screens. Even with just one eye, he was able to glimpse all the images in detail.


    The world was in chaos; things were changing rapidly, and if S.H.I.E.L.D. wanted to keep up, it needed to change as well.


    His eye traveled to an old black and white photo, where three people smiled at the camera, two men and one woman.


    He looked at each of them in detail, but in the end, his gaze stopped at one particular man.


    "Maybe your son is our only chance, Howard..."


    .


    .


    .


    February 12th


    "The key is to use every part of your body. It should be a fluid motion, using your hips to generate the most momentum while using your front foot to stay firm and transfer weight properly"


    Carol positioned herself, her body moving in accordance with Daniel''s instructions. However, unbeknownst to him, she moved slightly more than she should have, so her posture wasn''t as correct as it could have been.


    Daniel circled her, frowning slightly as he approached and guided Carol''s body, easily correcting her posture.


    "You need to balance your shoulders with your feet, your left foot should go a little further back"


    Carol nodded, feeling somewhat disheartened internally, knowing she couldn''t deliberately make mistakes again without seeming foolish.


    "Very well, that should do it" Daniel nodded and stepped aside.


    "Now, hit"


    Carol decided to stop distracting herself. She clenched her fist, reaffirmed her stance, tensed her muscles, and fixed her gaze forward.


    Then she Hit


    Daniel could see Carol''s fist blur for a moment, moving at a speed that even he found difficult to follow.


    The air exploded, as if a bomb had been detonated in front of Carol.


    The shockwave spread, destroying everything in its path uncontrollably. Air currents sent dozens of trees and several rocks flying, shattering them into debris.


    It was a good thing Daniel had decided to go deep into the mountains for this practice.


    In front of Carol, hundreds of meters of earth sank, leaving an enormous crater of extraordinary depth.


    Daniel looked at the uncontrolled destruction with wide eyes.


    That... that was stronger than he expected.


    He looked at Carol, who also stared at her fist, mouth agape.


    She was stronger than he thought.


    She might even be stronger than him right now.


    No, she was definitely stronger than him right now.


    A part of him began to worry for silly reasons, but at the same time, another part of him had a different thought. Not wanting to dwell on negative thoughts, he focused on this different thought.


    The rushing air currents against his face made this even easier.


    In his mind, he replayed the scene of Carol striking, the shockwave, and the force exerted on the terrain, deforming it with remarkable ease.


    He remembered how kinetic energy seemed to be forcefully displaced at an impossible speed but without control.


    Like a current of air moving faster than it should with immeasurable force.


    He wondered... could a strike like that change the weather? His gaze lifted to the cloudy sky.


    He clenched his own fist, and a childish idea came to his mind.


    But this wasn''t the time to test his theories.


    "That was..." Carol still seemed numb from her own display of strength, and Daniel took the opportunity to continue the lesson.


    "That was your power" he approached her and looked her in the eyes seriously, taking her fist, and Carol watched as he easily opened her hand.


    "The reason I started with theoretical lessons first and postponed the practice until now was because of this. If you want to help people, you need more than just ''restraint.'' You need precision, stability, control. I know you''ve always had trouble controlling your strength, and I think the main reason is that you''ve never explored your limits. So, we''ll start by changing that from now on"


    Daniel reached out and placed a white egg in the palm of Carol''s hand. She looked at the egg, confused. Daniel let go of her hand, and Carol almost dropped the egg. She had to exert effort not to close her hand completely and avoid breaking it.


    "Now, hit me."


    "Huh?"


    Seeing the girl blinking in confusion, Daniel smiled.


    "Hit me without breaking the egg."


    .


    .


    .


    Needless to say, they both returned home that day covered in strange fluids.


    .


    .


    .


    Note:


    This version is shorter than the previous one. I hope to bring more soon. For now, there won''t be a schedule for updates or constant updates. As I mentioned at the beginning, I have to rethink everything from scratch, and therefore, I don''t have any drafts.


    I''m not sure whether to write several drafts and then edit them into chapters or take a direct approach, writing the chapter at once with my new notes (which I now have on my computer) and uploading it once it''s finished.


    I''ll be thinking about it these days. For now, I bid you farewell. Leave me your comments, opinions, and more about the chapter.


    I''m back, bitches! (though with a lot of work, haha)

 10: The Devil Within

    10: The Devil Within


    February 18, 2007


    Progress and advancement, Daniel had felt them before in his former life, when he managed to land a solid punch on his older brother after almost a month of being his punching bag while he was just learning to fight, or that time he managed to ask out the girl he liked on a date when he was 15, when he made his father proud by getting into the university he wanted, when he graduated with excellent grades and his mother hugged him tightly.


    When he found a good job not long after and made significant progress in his financial stability, every time he managed to start dating a girl even though those relationships didn''t last long, when he got his first car or the first time he had sex and the countless times that followed.


    If someone looked at his life summarized in that way, they might think it was somewhat successful, but only Daniel truly understood all the failures that came before any success. He could count the things he achieved; he could list them out, a very short one... but he couldn''t do the same with all the times he failed, when he made mistakes, when things went terribly wrong.


    When he messed things up.


    On the road to success, there were always bumps, so Daniel would say that his confusion was understandable.


    "Has my luck increased these days?" Daniel wondered, looking at his new and improved 3D printer, which was now spewing out meters of fabric rapidly woven. He couldn''t help but be attentive, wondering when it would explode, when it would suddenly shut down, or if it would encounter some unforeseen software error.


    His expectations were disappointed. There was no explosion, no errors. In fact, the machine was performing much better than he had anticipated, whether it was speed, efficiency, or precision.


    Everything was going smoothly.


    It was a resounding success. After several days of intense study, of researching every component and creating those that didn''t exist, his machine was ready.


    And now it could not only produce fabric.


    The newly named Compound V could now showcase more of its capabilities thanks to the new technology.


    With agile movements, Daniel typed several commands into the central computer that controlled the mechanism.


    A 3D design and modeling program, specifically created by him, quickly executed, loading a design Daniel had been working on for the past few days.


    It wasn''t anything too sophisticated, at least from an external perspective.


    In no time, the machine began to work, the Compound V acting as a polymer began to take shape rapidly. A dark blue square with a texture resembling that of a sponge formed. It was the size of a school notebook and seemed ordinary at first glance.


    Daniel waited until the machine finished giving the final touch before approaching and taking the object in his hands.


    It was soft to the touch but also firm. He pressed it slightly, his fingers sinking into the material, and when he removed them, he could see how the spongy structure quickly returned to its original form.


    "It seems like a success, but..." Daniel pondered for a moment before placing the spongy square on an empty shelf in the least occupied part of his workshop.


    He made sure to position it firmly against the wall before stepping back a few paces.


    "If this goes wrong, I''ll have to build a new wall" he thought. In fact, he''d probably have to rebuild more than just a wall.


    He got into position, raised his guard, and mentally calculated the percentage of force he should use. He didn''t want to be excessive, but holding back too much wouldn''t help him determine if his new "invention" was useful or not.


    Training with Carol had been enlightening, even for him. He found that the phrase "learning by teaching" was truly accurate. Now he had better control of his strength and some understanding of his current limits.


    "Let''s go with enough force to break the wall, but not enough to demolish my house" he decided. With determination, he took a step forward, his figure blurring, and his fist accelerating almost at the speed of sound.


    Then he struck...


    And absolutely nothing happened. There was no slight tremor, the air didn''t ripple, and the wall didn''t even release a speck of dust.


    Daniel looked at his fist embedded in the sponge, and a small smile began to form on his face. But it was still too early to declare victory. He stepped back and watched as the mark of his blow quickly disappeared from the sponge. In no time, it returned to its original shape without showing any sign of having been struck with enough force to break concrete.


    "Alright, let''s put a bit more effort into it this time" forgetting completely that there was a wall behind him and excited by his potential success, Daniel clenched his fist tighter and struck.


    The air exploded, his blow easily broke the sound barrier, and in less than a blink, his knuckles connected with the spongy surface, sinking slightly into it.


    Under normal circumstances, there would have been a loud crash and the sound of a wall collapsing. But in this case, none of that happened.


    As if all the kinetic energy had vanished, the impact that should have brought down the wall and more abruptly halted. Although some things shook and dust scattered, that was mainly due to the initial shockwave of the blow.


    After that, it was as if nothing had happened. Daniel retracted his fist, watching as the sponge began to return to its original shape, the mark of the blow disappearing as if it never existed.


    "Okay..." the smile on his face couldn''t be hidden any longer. He had succeeded.


    Several weeks ago, when Daniel realized that Compound V acted as a polymer and therefore could be used for more than just manufacturing extra-resistant fabric, many ideas came to his mind. There were numerous potential uses, much to do.


    But of all those ideas, one stuck in his mind more than the others, and this was thanks to his initial plan: to use the fabric created with Compound V to assist the world''s rescue and security services.


    He knew without a doubt that the future would look bleak for ordinary people, whether they were those who dedicated their lives to saving and rescuing others or those who were responsible for public safety, even ordinary civilians.


    All of them would be at risk. Daniel never thought or planned to be able to save them all; that was impossible. No matter how strong he was now, he was not a god, he was not omnipresent or omnipotent. Even now, just standing in his workshop, hundreds or thousands of people were losing their lives.


    He couldn''t fly to all of them and save them. Maybe it wasn''t the thought that the "first hero" of the world should have, but it was reality. Harsh and cruel reality.


    "But I''m not alone, eh..." Thinking of the memories he still had of his new home, a smile formed on his face.


    His first quest around the world might not have yielded great results. Carol didn''t count; she literally had been living by his side. But recently, he had obtained an interesting lead.


    For that reason, he had started to think about what he could do to help those who would fight alongside him.


    And thus, the first prototype of body protection against high-force impacts was created.


    Composed of closed-cell structures, the sponge created with Compound V had exceeded his expectations. Of course, he had to make several adjustments to the design. While humanity had made great advances in materials capable of absorbing kinetic energy, the reality was that, at best, they were simply a more elegant way to make the impact hurt less and be less lethal.


    That wasn''t what Daniel was aiming for. So he had to research a lot, use his new brain capacity to go one step further, and devise a new way to structure the sponge so that its effectiveness increased. Of course, Compound V was the biggest contributor to his success.


    Once hardened, the substance was stronger than any other material Daniel knew of, while also being flexible and lightweight.


    It was malleable in its liquid state, and thanks to his improved printing machine, he could now shape it into almost any form he could imagine.


    Once combined, something incredible was achieved.


    Daniel approached the shelf where he had placed the sponge and removed it to inspect the wall.


    There was no damage; the wall was just as it had been before he began his tests.


    "It can return to its original shape after being deformed, and it''s capable of absorbing and neutralizing impacts to some extent. It''s lightweight and flexible, and if the structural design is correct, it should also be resistant to cuts. I haven''t tested how it behaves against extreme heat or subzero cold yet. Testing its resistance to acids and other chemicals should also be on the list"


    There was much to test, but at this moment, Daniel already considered this experiment a success. Perhaps for him and Carol, this might not be very useful; after all, Compound V was currently less tough and resistant than they were.


    But he hadn''t created it for them.


    He left the sponge on his worktable and turned his gaze to his monitors. Most of them displayed different news from around the world, while a few showed scientific studies he had managed to uncover from the depths of the internet, something that wouldn''t be found publicly.


    Daniel gave them a quick glance, but his eyes focused on one in particular. He had been scouring the internet a lot lately, searching for clues, rumors, and stories.


    He had found many nonsensical things, many of which had wasted his time.


    But recently, one particular rumor had caught his attention, not only because he had found it on the internet but also because he had heard of it on the streets.


    It was time to verify whether this was another false lead or not.


    "Hell''s Kitchen, huh? Let''s see what you have for me"


    .


    .


    .


    February 25


    "Ugh!" Blood sprayed along with a yellowed tooth that sailed through the air. There was a dull thud, and a body fell unconscious to the ground. Next to him, a dozen more bodies lay battered and wounded, almost piled on top of each other. Ironically, the last one to fall was the one who fared the best out of all of them; he was the only one without a broken limb.


    From the darkness, a slight exhale was heard, followed by firm footsteps. A man dressed entirely in black emerged from the shadows and walked among the fallen criminals. Stains of dirt were visible on his clothes, there were cuts and tears in some parts, and if one looked closely, they could notice his skin covered in bruises through the holes in his attire.


    His face was covered from the top down to his nose, eyes completely hidden, leaving anyone who saw him wondering how he saw through that fabric.


    Matt Murdock swallowed, the taste of his own blood barely bothering him. It had been an intense night for the masked vigilante.


    Matt felt the anger in his veins subside slightly, the pain beginning to set into his body after the strenuous physical activity. Dealing with so many criminals hadn''t gotten any easier.


    To be honest, when a guy started flying around the world in a cape, kicking criminals'' butts, Matt expected things to change, for the streets to change.


    For hell to quiet down.


    He was wrong. Unlike what he expected, the criminals didn''t run and hide like rats in a sewer.


    Instead, they adapted. Defiant was a big threat to them, and if the hero had been present all the time in the city, Matt had no doubt that New York would have seen a significant change in a short time.


    The problem was that Defiant wasn''t always in the city.


    The flying hero seemed to travel constantly everywhere, helping in various different places. Seeing his image on the news in different parts of the world was easy these days.


    For the criminals, that meant an opportunity. They couldn''t confront him, but they could avoid him. They didn''t know when or where he would appear exactly, but they knew that as long as they kept their heads down and paid attention to the news, they could figure out when he wasn''t around.


    And that was when they could act.


    To reignite the fire.


    Well, if Matt had anything to say about it, that wouldn''t happen. And Matt had a lot to say.


    This time, he had managed to interrupt two groups that had begun a drug deal at the docks. It was a big deal, hundreds of kilos of drugs ready to be shipped to the streets.


    For that reason, the security and the number of armed men had been much higher than usual.


    Preventing those substances from reaching the streets had been his priority, breaking their bones a pleasure.


    But facing two extremely experienced and armed groups hadn''t been easy. There were several dangerous moments, bullets grazing his skin, blows he couldn''t dodge or block in time, close combat with weapons.


    In the end, with everything said and done, he had won. But his body burned with pain like hellfire. Before, his inner fury had been like an anesthesia that helped him control and endure the pain, but now that the anger had slightly subsided, the pain began to make itself present.


    He sighed, already getting an idea of how painful the days to come would be. His ribs were bruised, and surely the bruises would be evident on his face in the morning. He had to go home and treat his wounds, but first, there was a drug shipment he needed to get rid of.


    One might think that the most appropriate option was for Matt to let the police handle it, but in Hell''s Kitchen, that was like handing the merchandise back to the criminals on a silver platter. So he had to make sure the drugs were rendered useless before leaving.


    His senses, sharp as a dagger, guided him easily through the place as if he had known it forever.


    Like sonar, every sound, every vibration, even every scent, however insignificant, showed him the way, and soon he was facing the merchandise. There was a lot of it, disposing of it wouldn''t be easy.


    Just as he was about to take a step forward, his body halted. Every hair on his body stood on end, his senses beyond human alerted him to someone else''s arrival.


    He could feel the air rippling, but above all, he could hear it, a heartbeat unlike any other, strong, resonant, full of power.


    It was a heartbeat he had constantly heard, no matter where in New York he was, as long as he was in the city, Matt could hear him. At first, it had been disconcerting, but he had gotten used to it, so much so that he hadn''t noticed how close the Latino had been to him.


    How had he gotten so close?


    Slowly, a figure descended from the sky not far from Matt. His feet touched the ground softly, allowing a breeze of rippling air to sweep through the area.


    His breathing was soft but deep, his presence radiated a pressure Matt hadn''t felt in a long time. Describing it would be difficult, but if he had to, he could only say that what was in front of him was something more than human.


    Not very different, but at the same time completely different.


    His fists clenched instinctively. The figure looked around with undisguised curiosity, observing the surroundings carefully: the thugs on the ground, the weapons, and bullet marks covering the docks, and then his gaze centered on Matt.


    "I must admit, I''m impressed" there was honesty in his voice. For Matt, it was easy to see this, even if the man in front of him was something more than human, his body language, his heartbeat, and his steady breathing were all familiarly human.


    "A single man against two gangs armed to the teeth and you mopped the floor with all of them with your bare hands" if Daniel was more than impressed.


    Despite the relaxed attitude and the clear lack of a threatening demeanor, Matt didn''t relax. In fact, his body had adopted a stance of instinctive confrontation.


    All his years of training, his instincts sharper than human, and his logical reasoning warned him of one simple fact.


    In front of him was something dangerous, something extremely dangerous. Still, he didn''t run, he didn''t escape. Instead, he stood firm and even took a step forward.


    "Who are you?" although the question was asked, Matt already knew who stood before him.


    "You probably already know, but it never hurts to introduce oneself. People call me Defiant"


    The hero had approached and extended his hand in a clear gesture of goodwill.


    Matt looked at the outstretched hand and hesitated for a moment, but in the end, he extended his own, and both palms met in a firm handshake. For Matt, it was like holding a steel bar.


    So, this was the "first" hero of the world, huh? Despite what his instincts screamed when meeting him in person, Matt wasn''t really worried, or he would have tried to escape already.


    When you can hear almost everything that happens in the city, you gain a clearer perspective on certain things.


    Before Defiant became public knowledge, Matt had already known about him. It was hard not to, after all, when hell surrounds you and something starts trying to put out the flames, it''s hard not to notice.


    That''s why, even though he didn''t know him personally, Matt had an idea about the man in front of him.


    Stepping away from Matt, Defiant entered the warehouse and looked at the mountain of drugs.


    There were at least a few hundred kilograms neatly arranged, ready to hit the streets.


    "Do you mind if I lend a hand?"


    Matt simply stepped aside, interested to "see" what the hero would do.


    With his silent permission, Daniel approached, and with a carefully practiced exhale, he let the icy air leave his lungs. Matt could feel the temperature dropping sharply, and if anyone else were there, they would see how the hundreds of kilos of drugs froze instantly into a solid block of ice.


    "It makes it easier to get rid of this, at least this way, I can throw it into space" And as if to prove it, Defiant lifted the now frozen block of drugs and exited the warehouse.


    Matt heard the hero soar into the sky quickly and return just as fast but now without the drug shipment.


    "Did you really throw it into space?" It was certainly an innovative way to get rid of drugs.


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    "If I measured correctly, it should reach Saturn in a few days" If any astronomer or space enthusiast heard that he had taken Saturn as his personal garbage can, they would probably have a fit.


    "Why are you here?" and although it was interesting and certainly astonishing to witness something like this, Matt wasn''t in the best condition. He needed to hurry this conversation and leave; he could hear the sirens approaching.


    "Right, sorry, I''m not good at first chats. Maybe we should go somewhere else; the police will be here soon"


    Matt debated with himself whether he should follow, but he was genuinely curious. What did this hero want from him? Although he thought deeply about it, the truth was that there was only one way to find out.


    "Lead the way"


    .


    .


    .


    At the top of a departmental building.


    "My help?" Matt didn''t know what to expect from this conversation, but certainly didn''t think the first thing said would be a request for help.


    He was confused.


    "I thought you were invincible" or at least that''s how he had started to be portrayed in all the media, faster than bullets, harder than steel, and as strong as a locomotive.


    In every sense, it was as if "god" had come down to the world, at least that''s what the most fanatical and obsessed thought.


    Matt wasn''t one of them, yet it was ironic, remembering a nickname that had recently been circulating about him; he almost let out a laugh.


    God asking the devil for help, what a joke.


    There was a laugh, but it wasn''t from Matt, instead Defiant laughed with clear irony.


    "Invincible? What a joke, no, I don''t believe I''m anywhere near being that, maybe stronger than most people, of course. But daring to call myself invincible is still far off, I can still bleed after all"


    Matt agreed, not only because he could hear his heart beating and the blood circulating through his veins, but also because he himself didn''t believe there was anything invincible in the world.


    "Why do you need my help?"


    "I think tonight is a great example of why I need your help" Matt''s question was quickly answered, leaving him somewhat perplexed.


    "I actually arrived when you had already finished beating up all those guys; I had been dealing with a traffic accident on the other side of the city before finding you. In fact, I probably wouldn''t have noticed the deal between the gangs if I hadn''t been specifically looking for you"


    "You''ve been looking for me?" The question made Defiant shrug a bit.


    "Before talking to you, I wanted to make sure who I was dealing with" Daniel didn''t say it, but Matt could guess; he had probably been following him for a while.


    He didn''t know if he should be bothered since technically and unintentionally he had done the same.


    "What I''m trying to say is that I can''t do this alone. People may think I''m "invincible," but I think we both know that the crime rate hasn''t exactly been decreasing," and that was true.


    Even with Defiant''s appearance, the crime rate didn''t suffer a significant downturn.


    Because he wasn''t always in the city.


    Of course, when he was present and the criminals knew he was in the city, they all ran to hide like the vermin they were, but once he was gone? Once his figure wasn''t visible soaring between the buildings? That''s when they returned.


    "Without you here, hundreds of kilograms of those drugs would have hit the streets, and the lives of thousands of innocents would have been affected. And not only that, everything you''ve done before, even before I appeared, you''ve helped so many people, it''s amazing"


    Matt could now get an idea of where this was going, but he had to make something clear.


    "I''m not a hero, nor do I try to be one. What I do, I don''t do for the same reasons as you" and that was true; Matt didn''t go out every night to beat up criminals because he was a charitable soul; he did it to calm the burning anger within him, that rage that threatened to consume him.


    "Well, you certainly don''t lie very well" Defiant smiled, and Matt furrowed his eyebrows.


    "I know you''re not exactly a hero, and I don''t expect to see you rescuing cats from trees or helping old ladies cross the street, but I know we''re not so different, I can see it in what you fight for" it was a serious voice, and Matt couldn''t doubt his words, although he didn''t know how Defiant could be so sure of it.


    "This world and the injustice in it, I know you can feel it eating away at every inch of your skin; your fury is evident" Matt clenched his fists; his wounds began to burn again.


    "The world is changing, it will become darker and more dangerous as time goes on. Crime will only continue to rise, and no matter what people say about me, the reality is that I''m just a man, faster, stronger, and tougher, but just a man, and I can''t face this alone. I can''t help people everywhere, and I can''t be on the streets all the time even if I wanted to" there was a pause, Matt could feel it and hear it, the unwillingness to admit such facts, that the world''s first hero couldn''t save them all.


    "That''s why I need your cooperation. I know you won''t stop, and I don''t want you to. What you''re doing is significant, and I think I can help you go beyond"


    "Go beyond?" Matt couldn''t help but be a little interested; Defiant was right, he wouldn''t stop, even if crime increased a hundredfold, he would still go out.


    There was only a silent nod, and Matt knew he wouldn''t get anything more unless he gave his response.


    He thought deeply, what was this? How should he respond? Should he even respond? He thought of the events of the past few months; the world was changing, criminals were becoming more dangerous. He felt the wounds on his body, the pain running through his being.


    Go beyond, huh... he wasn''t a hero, but he could do his part.


    "Alright, I may not be bulletproof, but I''ll do my best"


    With that, a huge smile formed on Defiant''s face; Matt could feel his excitement and joy; it almost seemed to emanate from him.


    "I might have something to help you with that..."


    .


    .


    .


    A quick trip home and back was simple for Daniel, and he quickly found the mysterious masked figure at the agreed-upon meeting point.


    The vigilante, as he had been calling him all this time in his head, was finishing up putting the last bandages on his wounds. Getting a first aid kit was easy, and the vigilante also seemed to know very well what he was doing, so Daniel let him tend to his wounds while he wasn''t.


    "Now I can know why you wanted my measurements?" The perplexity in his voice was obvious, and Daniel could only smile somewhat uncomfortably; that conversation hadn''t been exactly easy.


    Matt turned, still with that mask covering the upper half of his head. Daniel had long realized that the man was blind, which only added more points to his amazement.


    Daniel stepped forward and placed a large dark briefcase in front of Matt.


    "You see, when I first started using my abilities, I quickly realized a serious problem: regular clothing is useless. It tears easily, it''s fragile compared to most things, for the most part, it''s a hindrance. I spent a long time thinking about it and trying different things, and I came up with this" he said, pointing to the briefcase.


    Of course, Daniel couldn''t exactly tell him where he had obtained the knowledge for Compound V.


    So, for the man in front of him and the rest of the world, he had invented this. He didn''t exactly feel proud of appropriating someone else''s invention, but since things had come to this point, he could only follow through.


    Matt approached and touched the briefcase. It was made of a strange material, one he hadn''t felt before. He could faintly smell certain familiar chemicals, but how they were related to the material the briefcase was made of was beyond him.


    His hands easily found the locks and he lifted them easily, revealing its interior.


    The smell of newly manufactured fabric along with recently used textile paint assaulted his nostrils. It wasn''t an unpleasant smell but it was noticeable.


    He also noticed the smell of various chemicals used for decontamination and disinfection, which made him more curious about the manufacturing process of what was in front of him.


    His hands took hold of the contents, and he realized it was a suit, a full-body one made of a strange fabric with a thin layer of a material with a texture similar to that of a sponge.


    The spongy material was covered by the fabric, and he could notice more of it in vital areas. He raised an eyebrow. What was this?


    As if reading his unasked question, Daniel began to explain.


    "Created from a new polymer I call Compound V, I''ve created a new type of fabric capable of withstanding almost anything. It''s nearly indestructible to any conventional weapon, fire or cold has no effect on it, and it can withstand large amounts of impact without flinching. At the same time, it''s capable of returning to its original form if it''s damaged for some reason, almost like a self-repair mechanism. It won''t rebuild itself from a single strand, of course, but common damages shouldn''t be a problem, if for some improbable reason it gets damaged"


    Daniel calmly presented the fabric, and Matt couldn''t help but raise an eyebrow; if what he said was true, he was probably holding one of the most significant discoveries of the last century.


    "You don''t look like a scientist," the vigilante admitted.


    "Looks can be deceiving" Daniel laughed, and Matt could feel his excitement increasing for some reason.


    "Now here comes the best part. While the fabric created with Compound V is useful, it doesn''t actually help ordinary people. Kinetic energy and impacts can still pass through it, albeit reduced to some extent, so I had an even better idea"


    he approached and pulled out a square piece of what Matt could tell was the sponge that was covered by the fabric in the suit.


    "Created with Compound V and with a modified closed-cell structure, this sponge is capable of cushioning and even partially negating kinetic force. I''ve tested it even against point-blank explosions, and you''ll see the force reduced to almost zero. Of course, it''s not infallible. I don''t suggest trying to face the explosion of an intercontinental ballistic missile head-on or anything similar. I haven''t tested it with anything like that, so unless you want to be the test subject, try to avoid such a scenario"


    Matt couldn''t tell if he was joking with that last part or not. Why would he ever have to face an intercontinental ballistic missile? It sounded absurd.


    Matt felt the fabric in his hands and the sponge covered behind it. It was incredible and even somewhat unreal. It sounded too fantastic to be true.


    "I want to try it" so naturally, he needed to see its capabilities.


    "Try it? Sure, we can do that. I''ll need to get some things, but-"


    "Let''s fight" Matt''s words cut off Daniel''s, making him look puzzled.


    "If what you say is true, this should let me go ''beyond'' right? I want to test it" he wanted to see how much of a difference there was between a human and the ''invincible'' Defiant.


    "Of course, the suit will make you tougher and more resistant, but..."


    Matt sighed.


    "Do you think I won''t be able to keep up?"


    Daniel didn''t want to say it out loud, but his reaction speed was far beyond that of ordinary humans. Of course, Daniel still underestimated Matt because he was unaware of the true extent of his capabilities.


    "Fight me, this time it wasn''t a question.


    "Alright"


    .


    .


    .


    In an open field, at night and without prying eyes, two people stood two meters apart from each other.


    Matt put on the suit; it fit him almost like a second skin, with a mask covering his entire face.


    The entire suit was black without any other color, not that Matt cared.


    He stretched and tested the suit''s elasticity; his wounds were still there, but he could move more freely than before when he only wore simple clothes.


    It was comfortable and lightweight.


    "Alright, I''ll set some rules for this" Daniel looked at him and spoke calmly.


    "I won''t fly, since you want a direct combat, let''s keep it entirely on the ground"


    Matt nodded; if he flew, no matter what he did, he wouldn''t be able to reach him.


    "I don''t want us to go overboard, so the first one to knock down their opponent wins. Remember, you''re still injured"


    "I know" Matt knew he wasn''t in his best condition, but he still wanted to do this. Maybe he was pushing himself too hard here, but you don''t get the opportunity to fight directly with someone like Defiant every day.


    "Alright... let''s begin"


    Daniel didn''t want to discourage his new companion, friend? Ally? So, he didn''t rush at full speed forward.


    If he was honest with himself, he was also interested in the man''s fighting style in front of him. His abilities were something he hadn''t seen before, and certainly no human in his previous life would be able to fight a dozen armed criminals with bare hands and win.


    It was fascinating.


    He took a deep breath and took a step forward; the ground cracked slightly, and his blurry figure blurred from his previous position, appearing almost instantly in front of Matt.


    He wasn''t afraid to hit him; he knew the suit would perfectly protect Matt. He just had to not overdo it.


    Before Daniel''s fist approached, Matt had already dodged his head to the side, his body tensed, and his own fist shot at Daniel at great speed.


    For Daniel, it was easy to see the blow coming, so he dodged it, but before he could counter, he felt his leg being swept; he wasn''t using his flying power, so he couldn''t leverage to stay firm, his own body weighed no more than 80 kilograms.


    For Matt, who now had the suit, when he used all his strength in his leg, it was as if there was no resistance.


    Daniel almost stumbled but quickly straightened himself.


    He thought about what had just happened and realized it: Matt had used two movements at the same time.


    He knew his punch wouldn''t connect, so it was just a feint. He didn''t have to hit him; he just had to throw him.


    He lunged forward again, this time with more force and speed; he wouldn''t repeat the same mistake.


    Matt felt the air displaced, he heard every heartbeat, the blood circulating through his veins, his muscles stronger than steel contracting.


    It was like being in slow motion. Daniel was much stronger and faster than him. If he were a normal person, he wouldn''t even have known that he had been hit before realizing he was already on the ground.


    For Matt, it was different. It was difficult, but he could predict his trajectory, where he would strike, what move he would make, how much force he was using.


    Realizing that this wasn''t even a quarter of the power in Defiant''s body was unsettling.


    But he had a fight to win, and he couldn''t distract himself thinking about such things.


    His body twisted; milliseconds before Daniel''s attack reached him, Matt was already launching his counterattack. He didn''t form a fist because that was useless; instead, his palm met Daniel''s side, causing his body to veer off.


    That palm strike had used all of Matt''s strength and had only slightly moved Daniel to the side.


    But it also made him realize something. There was no recoil. Normally, when a person hits or pushes something, there''s some wear and tear on the body itself. The body has to resist to some extent the same amount of force it''s exerting.


    That''s why injuries in fighting or sports were so common; kinetic energy didn''t discriminate, the force of impact was always exerted in both directions.


    But now, he hadn''t felt any of that. With an idea in mind, he prepared to continue the fight.


    Daniel was starting to realize that this wouldn''t be so easy. It was as if Matt could act and devise a counterattack before his own attack arrived.


    ''He''s blind, so it must be his senses; they''ve been amplified to an unknown range. He can read me like an open book'' This was interesting, although he himself had heightened senses, his use of them paled in comparison to Matt.


    Both of them looked at each other, although they couldn''t see eye to eye, a tacit understanding passed through their body language.


    Matt stepped forward, his leg swinging towards Daniel''s side, who easily dodged and countered with his own kick, aiming to knock down his opponent. Having predicted his move, Matt jumped; his body flew over Daniel''s, and with practiced maneuvers, he reached his back, grabbing him by the cape and applying a throw to bring him down.


    Daniel was lifted off the ground and easily twisted his body, his fist aiming to strike Matt''s face from above. Boldly, Matt thrust his palm forward and caught the fist effortlessly; the energy that should have easily broken his arm was nullified by the suit, and he managed to drag Daniel''s body to the ground in an attempt to bring him down.


    Daniel, being stronger, broke free from the grip and managed to stand.


    He then lunged forward with more force; this time, Matt didn''t seek to dodge. With effort, he predicted each of Daniel''s attacks and, now that he had confirmed that the suit could withstand his blows, he decided to block directly.


    In swift and almost blurry movements, Matt blocked a dozen blows that would have easily shattered his body before. He caught Daniel''s arm and tried to bend it, which proved completely fruitless when it didn''t move an inch. However, that moment of distraction was enough for Daniel''s knee to meet Matt''s abdomen.


    He suffered no damage; the suit protected him. Still, his body bent slightly, and Daniel took advantage to easily lift him over his shoulder and throw him to the ground.


    Matt twisted in the air; his feet hit the ground unsteadily, and he barely managed to raise his arms to block the next blow.


    This time, the air twisted, and a shockwave formed; Daniel''s fist had exceeded the speed of sound.


    Matt felt his arms tremble slightly, the sponge absorbing most of the impact, but there were still slight waves that traveled through his body.


    His body was shot at high speed across the open terrain; he twisted in the air, and his arms touched the ground, launching him upwards to regain his posture.


    He hadn''t suffered new injuries, but the abrupt movement made the wounds he already had burn slightly.


    Under any other circumstances, the shockwave generated by breaking the sound barrier would have disoriented Matt; being so close, it was even likely that his ears would have been damaged.


    To his surprise, that didn''t happen. Thanks to the mask covering his entire head, the high-impact vibrations stopped abruptly before they could harm his sense of hearing.


    Daniel hurried, although he wasn''t using all his strength, he was still excited. Matt''s combat skills were better than his, and thanks to the suit, he could fight against him without fearing to hurt him.


    At least, as long as he didn''t use all his strength.


    Although the Compound V was incredible, it was still an inferior version; its durability was still behind Daniel''s own durability. And although the sponge had enhanced Matt''s capabilities, they were still limited. Daniel knew he shouldn''t overdo it.


    Daniel''s next strike met an unexpected move; Matt chose to deflect it, redirecting the blow sideways, and his elbow met his throat¡ªa move that would have incapacitated anyone else almost instantly.


    Daniel thought Matt had made a mistake, unmoved by such an attack, he reached out his hand, ready to catch him and bring him down. But before he could succeed, Matt surged forward, taking advantage of the proximity generated by his elbow strike. With strength, he grabbed Daniel by the waist and easily lifted him into the air.


    Without the ability to fly, Daniel could only twist his body in the air; his hands touched the ground, and he easily propelled himself back into the air, standing upright once again.


    Matt didn''t miss such an obvious opportunity.


    He twisted his body quickly, and his leg shot out towards Daniel, who was still airborne, as if it were a whip, and as if air resistance didn''t exist, Matt''s attack traveled at astonishing speed.


    Without having to worry about his body getting hurt by exerting all his strength, Matt began to use the techniques he had learned to push his abilities beyond human.


    The suit even protected him from friction and seemed to dampen air resistance, so his body began to move faster than it should.


    The kick struck Daniel''s stomach accurately; being in the air and unable to fly, his body was tossed like a sack of potatoes.


    He lost balance, and Matt advanced towards him, seizing his chance.


    With his superior reflexes, Daniel could see him approaching, but without being able to use his power to fly, he could only let his body glide through the air without resistance.


    The blind man easily caught up with him, planning to attack again, but Daniel decided to get a bit more serious.


    His hand stretched out and grabbed Matt''s shoulder, squeezing firmly and using his body as a lever to navigate through the air. Quickly, he positioned himself behind him and using the same movement, grabbed him by the waist.


    Just as he began to lift Matt, Matt made his own move, using his momentum to jump upward, twisting his body, and somehow managing to turn himself around even in Daniel''s arms.


    Both knees collided with Daniel''s shoulders, and Matt managed to break free from his grip due to the unusual movement.


    Matt''s weight was insignificant to Daniel, so the man didn''t stay in that position for too long.


    Agilely, he returned to the ground and stepped back a few paces.


    Daniel clicked his tongue and glanced at him; he was breathing somewhat heavily. Although the suit provided many benefits, canceling out fatigue wasn''t one of them.


    Matt had had a hectic night, and the wounds on his body were starting to take their toll.


    He let him catch his breath; he should finish this soon.


    Matt sighed inwardly; this fight couldn''t last much longer. It was regrettable, but he wasn''t in his best condition. For today, he had reached his limit.


    He stood firm, his posture flawless. This would be the last exchange.


    Daniel seemed to sense Matt''s intent. He decided to respond appropriately and tensed his muscles. It was time to push a little further.


    A silence enveloped the night for a moment. For a brief second, it was as if everything fell silent around them.


    Then Daniel launched forward. His step left a crater where he had been a moment before, and his body shot forward like a ballistic missile towards Matt.


    From Daniel''s perspective, it was as if everything stood still. He had started to use a bit of his true speed. The world seemed to freeze before him, and he easily crossed the distance separating him from his opponent.


    His hand stretched out, ready to grab Matt and send him to the ground. Surprisingly, his grip failed.


    In the last moment, Matt''s body twisted a few millimeters out of his grasp, his fingertips brushing his arm.


    With his ability to fly unavailable, Daniel couldn''t halt his momentum so easily. His left foot touched the ground, cracking it, but before he could stop his momentum, he felt Matt''s palm striking his back.


    His body leaned forward, unwilling to lose here. Daniel twisted his waist even faster than before and rotated his body enough for his hand to grasp Matt''s arm.


    Then he let momentum take them.


    Like an out-of-control car, both bodies began to roll across the ground with great force. Dust rose, and the ground sank slightly.


    It wasn''t until they stopped several meters ahead of their original position that everything returned to calm.


    "Cough, ugh" Daniel spat out the dirt that had entered his mouth and looked at the ground in front of him. Had he lost? He glanced to the side where his sparring partner was facing away, the new suit now dusty.


    "I guess it was a tie?" Daniel said, and Matt let out a dry laugh.


    "You held back too much, even if in the end you let go a bit more, you still restrained yourself considerably. You have more control of your strength than I expected" Daniel didn''t know how Matt could say he was holding back, so he decided to attribute it to his "super" senses.


    "But you were also injured and tired, so we can say it was fair, right?" Matt chuckled at his words and decided to stop arguing for the moment; he was quite tired.


    He felt the suit on his skin, remembered every moment of the previous fight, and could only utter one word.


    Amazing.


    Defiant hadn''t lied; this suit could push "beyond" even when injured and tired, and even if Defiant held back, the fight was still beyond what any human could endure.


    If an ordinary person had intervened, their body would probably have been sent flying with every bone broken from a mere touch.


    Matt knew perfectly well how hard he could hit when he didn''t worry about hurting himself. With the suit? Well, breaking bones was probably the least he could do.


    "This suit is incredible. Are you sure you want to give it to me?" Daniel easily nodded in response.


    "I know you''ll use it right"


    Matt could feel the confidence Daniel had in him. Matt wasn''t a hero, or at least that''s what he told himself.


    He didn''t know if he could ever be called a "hero" or deserve such a title, but he knew that as long as there was life in him he wouldn''t let innocent people suffer unnecessarily.


    To go beyond, huh... he could try.


    "Well, don''t regret it later"


    Daniel laughed. "I''m sure I won''t"


    There was a comfortable silence before Daniel remembered something else.


    "By the way, you should use baby powder before wearing the suit. It''s not a problem for me, but you''ll probably end up very chafed if you wear it without."


    Matt imagined such a situation; the suit was quite snug even with the padding of sponges in key areas. It would certainly be uncomfortable.


    The mental image of himself coming home with his whole body irritated made him laugh for no reason.


    "Oh, by the way, it seems I forgot to ask your name..."


    The comfortable silence stalled, and Matt blinked. Although his face wasn''t visible, Daniel could read his body language and know he was puzzled.


    That Matt was puzzled wasn''t strange because he remembered he hadn''t introduced himself either.


    He thought deeply; he and Defiant, though "allies," weren''t really close. He couldn''t give his own name, and since Defiant had introduced himself with his nickname, it was best that he did the same, right? Although he didn''t have a code name, he had never really thought about using one or anything like that, but since things had come to this point, he could only go with the flow.


    Recalling a name he had been hearing in the streets lately, he couldn''t help but nod, deciding to use it for now. He straightened up and rose from the ground with some difficulty, turned to Daniel, and said,


    "Just call me Daredevil"


    .


    .


    .


    Far away near space.


    Daniel gazed at the distant sun, lost in his thoughts.


    It was better than he expected, although he hadn''t expected to have to fight against he, he was still satisfied with the whole encounter.


    The masked vigilante, or Daredevil as he had decided to call himself, was something Daniel had been investigating. When he found him, he didn''t rush to make contact.


    Instead, he followed him from a distance, dedicating a certain amount of time to observe some of his activities.


    He hadn''t delved into his secret identity; if he had been someone evil or a possible villain, maybe he would have.


    But his discreet observations had led him to trust him to some extent.


    He was the kind of person he was looking for. He watched him a little more until he decided to get in touch with him; originally, he planned to do it earlier that night, but a car accident had interrupted his plans.


    Well, things turned out fine in the end, so he couldn''t complain.


    "I wasn''t sure, but now I am," he spoke to himself, remembering their fight and all the information he managed to gather in their brief chat. An image came to his mind; remembering the name he had given, he couldn''t help but laugh.


    "It looks like I''ll have to make you another suit, a red one with horns. I also have to add those sticks of yours; I''m sure you''ll like them a lot, Matt"


    He hadn''t delved into his secret identity; he really didn''t want to violate his privacy, but piecing together clues about who he was was easy; after all, his brother read many of his comics.


    He wondered what other interesting encounters he would have.


    Once he saw the sun set behind the earth, Daniel returned to reality; he had training to do, after all.


    Carol still needed to learn a few more things, but she should be ready soon.


    "Things seem to be going well, huh..." he paused, did he just curse himself?


    He looked around, and when nothing strange happened, he decided to shrug; well, if something bad happened, it was tomorrow Daniel''s problem.


    Present Daniel had a girl to teach.


    .


    .


    .


    Note


    8130 words! 8527 in English! That''s the length of the chapter, what did you think? I feel like I''m a bit rusty, so I''m not sure if it turned out well; give me your opinions.


    The fight was something that came up suddenly; I haven''t written fights in a while, so I don''t know how well it was. Was it clear or confusing? It was really challenging due to the disparity in the physical abilities of both characters; I had to delete a lot and rewrite even more. I hope it was enjoyable to read.


    I''m bringing this long chapter because I need to focus on work. There probably won''t be an update until mid or late month, depending.


    I appreciate your feedback.

 11: Purple Blood

    Before starting this chapter, I want to thank those who donated to me on ko-fi. I truly didn''t expect so much support even without receiving anything in return.


    I am deeply grateful to you guys:


    dumniezo


    Chris


    Peke


    I''m putting the names as they appear on ko-fi because I don''t want to make a mistake.


    If I manage to write more chapters than those I have published, I hope to be able to send you an advanced chapter, although I''m not sure when that will be, probably when I have less work.


    Finally, if anyone wonders what I did with those donations, originally I thought of saving it to meet my ko-fi goal, to get a new PC.


    But sometimes there are more important things.


    I will soon be an uncle, and I decided, now that I know the baby''s gender, to buy some things for him.


    He will be born this month, probably in a week or two, I''m not sure of the date, I''m nervous and I hope everything goes well.


    With that said, I leave you with this new chapter in which the plot moves forward a little more.


    .


    11: Purple Blood


    High atop a building, an extremely secure laboratory was situated, with scientific personnel bustling about, attending to their tasks.


    In the central area, a middle-aged man gazed at the screens in front of him. Simulation after simulation ran in real-time, each one encountering failure after failure.


    The DNA helix chain of the human genome decomposed and reassembled every second, attempting to combine with different genomes.


    The man sighed and glanced at his left hand, or where his left hand should have been. Instead, all he saw was a stump and phantom pain coursing through his body.


    He could almost feel it, as if it were still there.


    Lost in his thoughts, he didn''t notice how the atmosphere in the laboratory changed, and how the other assistants and lower-ranking scientists began to move away from his immediate area.


    Firm and stoic steps approached where he stood, and Dr. Curt Connors snapped out of his trance, turning around. Severe green eyes met his, and he couldn''t help but swallow nervously.


    "How are the advancements coming along?" Norman Osborn''s voice resonated throughout the laboratory, irritation clear in it. His tall, stoic figure provided a stark contrast to the man in front of him, who had unconsciously hunched over in his mere presence.


    "The genome combination has shown significant progress, sir. In a few months, we should be able to commence trials with primates" Dr. Curt Connors spoke with a slight touch of nervousness, his fingers on his one hand tightly gripping his white coat.


    But what he said wasn''t what Norman wanted to hear.


    "I don''t have months! This project has been in the lab for over twenty years! I need results, the board needs results, the military needs results. We can''t continue without anything to show!" The voice rose, breaking a subtle pretense of calm and revealing Norman''s clear irritation and anger. Dr. Connors stepped back with a look of concern on his face.


    "Sir, if we rush the process, the chances of failure will increase drastically. We can''t guarantee satisfactory results that way" Dr. Connors responded, his voice tinged with apprehension.


    Norman looked at him thoughtfully before smiling.


    "But don''t we already have successful test subjects? Those damn spiders have been gathering dust for too long. Use them. I don''t care if they die. I want to know how they managed to survive the process" At the mention of the spiders, Dr. Connors spoke quickly, forgetting his apprehension towards the man who was his boss.


    "Sir, those spiders are the best result we''ve had in years. We can''t experiment with them carelessly" he said quickly, with clear concern.


    Norman''s face quickly transformed into one of anger upon hearing this.


    "I don''t care! Didn''t you hear me?! We don''t have time. Either those spiders serve a purpose, or they''re thrown away! There''s no other option!" Norman waved his hand, his anger becoming more evident.


    It was now or never. With Stark off the grid and the military desperate for better "weapons," the pressure had increased. They wouldn''t accept any more delays.


    "I want you to start the genetic recombination with the second most successful genome type. The chances of their bodies adapting and stabilizing the lizard''s regenerative factor are the highest. If it works, we can try more aggressive procedures. If not... then they die" he said, with a tone of finality, the anger briefly dissipating and being replaced by concern. He glanced at Dr. Connors with a severe look before leaving.


    Watching his back as he walked away, Dr. Connors couldn''t help but sigh. He looked at the stump of his arm and pondered what he should do. He gritted his teeth; he couldn''t hesitate anymore. Norman was right; there was no time left. If he didn''t succeed soon, his research would be canceled, there would be no more funding, and his only hope would vanish.


    If he wanted to regain what he once lost, he would have to take risks, even if it meant stepping over others.


    "I''m sorry, Richard..."


    .


    .


    .


    "So with all the evidence on the table, I think it''s more than obvious, Defiant is an alien!" Chloe exclaimed, causing Carol to glance at her sideways as she closed her locker. Her body language didn''t make it obvious, but there was a slight tremor at the mention of an alien.


    If she had been the same as a few weeks ago, her grip on the locker door would have tightened enough to deform the metal. Fortunately, she wasn''t the same; her control over her strength had increased enough to prevent an accident like that, even if she was taken by surprise.


    "Your evidence is absurd. Just because it''s biologically impossible for humans to achieve such feats doesn''t mean Defiant isn''t human. He could simply be an outlier, some sort of mutant, or a government experiment" Carol retorted.


    Chloe clicked her tongue and quickly countered, "Well, I don''t think a gene mutation would make you bulletproof. Mostly, it would probably just leave you bald or with an extra arm, but it won''t make you fly or lift cars. Defiant is something... different. He looks human on the outside, but I''m sure he''s hiding something more. Call it journalistic intuition"


    Carol raised an eyebrow, about to enumerate the various occasions where Chloe''s "journalistic intuition" had been wrong before, but something interrupted her.


    "What are you looking at, freak?!" The angry voice of a teenager flooded the hallway, causing all eyes to turn in his direction.


    Not far from Carol and Chloe, a 17-year-old boy with blond hair and an athletic build cornered a smaller, hunched-over boy.


    The hunched-over boy had oily, messy black hair, and his glasses and acne didn''t help his appearance.


    In contrast, both boys were like night and day, and under normal circumstances, they wouldn''t have crossed paths.


    "Oh, crap, Greg''s bothering Whitney!" a boy commented, quickly pulling out his phone, hoping for a spectacle to film.


    Whitney approached Greg, looked him in the eyes, and grabbed the collar of his shirt, lifting Greg a few centimeters off the ground.


    "Listen, weirdo, stop staring at my girlfriend, understand? I know you''ve been watching her secretly. I won''t tell you twice, stop looking at her or I''ll kick your ass" Whitney threatened.


    Greg trembled, looked directly into Whitney''s eyes, and for a brief moment, a spark of defiance ignited within him. But as quickly as it came, it extinguished. He lowered his gaze and nodded tremulously.


    "Y-yes."


    Whitney clicked his tongue and walked away with heavy steps. From a nearby spot, his girlfriend, Lana Lang, watched with some relief in her eyes.


    Greg straightened his clothes, looked around, and seeing everyone staring at him, quickly picked up his backpack and ran off.


    Chloe watched him go and clicked her tongue.


    "He deserves it. He''s a pretty weird guy who''s always staring at Lana. Kinda creepy if you ask me" she remarked.


    Carol nodded absentmindedly, not paying much attention. Greg or Whitney, their dispute was irrelevant to her, and she really didn''t care at all. She had better things to do.


    .


    .


    .


    "One step is the prelude to a second step"


    Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    His father always said this, and Daniel had to admit that he was quite right.


    With his new machine up and running and his ability to use Element V in different ways, he began to make progress in other aspects.


    He had never imagined he would become a "scientist" someday. Of course, he still had much to learn, but the path was clear.


    He looked at the small square device in his hand.


    It was simple, something he had created mainly for his new "friend."


    It was a sound device that emitted a special frequency, one that couldn''t be heard by normal ears.


    But could be by his.


    "It should be able to be heard anywhere in the world." He needed to do more tests, but it was functional¡ªa way to ask for his help clearly and directly.


    A way to call him no matter where he was in the world.


    "I should probably make one for Carol too"


    Apart from this device, he had started a new project.


    He looked at the almost endless chain of code displayed on one of the largest screens he had.


    It was still in its infancy, still needed work, but once it was ready, it would serve as one of his best supports.


    Creating an artificial intelligence was certainly complicated.


    But he wasn''t doing that, not yet. The more correct name for now would be virtual intelligence.


    Not as advanced as artificial intelligence, but close enough.


    "Overwatch, I think that''s a good name. What do you think, do you like it?" There was a beep and a blue light illuminated.


    "I''ll take that as a yes"


    He just hoped it wouldn''t turn into Skynet or something like that. It would really be a pain in the ass.


    .


    .


    .


    "And with an astonishing display of his abilities, the hero Defiant has saved the day once again"


    the images on the television displayed with surprising quality.


    In the presidential suite of a luxurious five-star hotel, a man took a sip from his glass, savoring the taste of high-quality wine as he narrowed his eyes.


    "Surprising, isn''t it? So much power, abilities never seen before! All in the hands of one person, and what does he do with it? Play the good guy, rescuing cats from trees and helping people" he clicked his tongue.


    "Such power should be wielded by someone better, someone who can make proper use of it, don''t you think?" The man glanced towards his lap, where two women¡ªone who appeared to be no more than 18 years old and another who seemed to be nearing her 40s¡ªnodded obediently.


    Their lifeless eyes looked at him as their heads moved in unison on his lap.


    "You two are really similar, like mother like daughter, I suppose. Your daughter lacks some experience, but that can be fixed" the man took another sip and glanced back at the television, a smile forming on his lips as a plan began to take shape in his mind.


    "If such power should only be controlled by one person, it should be me"


    .


    .


    .


    Flying through the skies was relaxing. The sun was beginning to set, and soon it would be night. Daniel started his last patrol of the day before returning to his farm.


    Patrolling the nearby cities was straightforward. This time, he decided to ignore New York to some extent. Daredevil was there, and although matt couldn''t do everything he could, he trusted that he could maintain a certain level of order that other places might not have.


    Although it was probably too much to ask for him to handle the entire city alone.


    "I should give it a few rounds there from time to time."


    With those thoughts, he began to head towards Metropolis, the city of tomorrow.


    Certainly, it was incredible, but like all other cities, crime and accidents still existed in it.


    He closed his eyes and began to extend his hearing. Maybe his control over his sense of hearing wasn''t as fine or precise as Matt''s, but it was strong enough to detect obvious things.


    Police sirens, the sound of gunfire, cries for help.


    In a matter of moments, a cacophony of events reached his ears.


    "Alright, let''s do this" It was time to work.


    Within minutes, the streets of Metropolis began to be cleaned up, crimes stopped, accidents avoided, people saved.


    Daniel did a careful job as always and let his presence in the city be noticed. Part of his goal as a hero was to inspire, after all.


    They needed to know he was there to help them, to save them.


    And who knows, maybe another "special" person would decide to find him.


    Daniel didn''t know that his wishes would soon come true, but not in the way he expected.


    His gaze swept over the buildings of Metropolis, his ears attentive to any calls for help.


    While flying, his eyes caught something in the distance. His gaze focused, and he could see a young woman about 18 years old dangerously close to the edge of a building, about to fall to her death.


    A suicide? Without hesitation, he turned in the air and accelerated. The distance of hundreds of meters easily closed as his body stopped in front of the woman, ready to convince her to change her mind.


    He had never done anything like this before, but he supposed there was always a first time.


    He looked at her directly, but what he saw made him stop the words that were about to come out of his mouth.


    Her eyes, there was no light in them. It was like looking at a corpse. But even so, he could see something more there... fear?


    Daniel''s bewilderment was interrupted by a new voice, a man who approached from the door leading to the stairs.


    "You''re fascinating, standing there simply floating in the air as if gravity didn''t exist. So much power hidden in one body. Come on, let me see you better" the man said.


    Daniel slowly turned his gaze, his eyes meeting an arrogant face, and his pupils dilated slightly.


    That face, he remembered that face. He looked back at the girl, examining her carefully this time, noticing things he had overlooked before.


    To his nose, an extremely disgusting smell came.


    The smug smile on the man''s face faded slightly when his command wasn''t obeyed. His voice sounded again, this time with more force.


    "Come to me!"


    But what he hoped for didn''t happen. Daniel completely ignored him and looked at the girl. The fear deep in her eyes slowly disappeared, and he could see something else blooming within her.


    That was hope.


    "I''m sorry I couldn''t save you earlier" he apologized sincerely. Whatever happened to this girl, whatever she experienced, he should have stopped it earlier.


    Upon hearing his words, the smile on the man''s face disappeared completely. For the first time in his life, panic began to brew inside him. His body turned, ready to go through the door he had come from and leave.


    Daniel saw this happen in slow motion out of the corner of his eye, watching his actions like a tiger observing a deer trying to run with a broken leg.


    Before he could take a step towards the door, Daniel was already in front of him, his hand gripping his neck tightly and lifting his body easily.


    "It''s okay, Kevin. You and I need to have a talk" Daniel said, seeing panic and fear fill his eyes. He would be lying if he said he didn''t enjoy it.


    For the monster in front of him, for the man who would be known as Killgrave, mercy was not something Daniel was willing to give.


    For this man, there was only one thing he could offer.


    The girl had already fallen unconscious, Daniel had swiftly knocked her out, her body carefully laid away from the edge of the building. He wanted to ensure she was okay, but if he truly wanted to save her, he first had to deal with the root of the problem.


    Kevin Thompson writhed, Defiant''s grip was like being squeezed between immovable steel bars. He couldn''t speak, only strange noises and gurgles escaped his mouth.


    Daniel rose into the air and soon flew beyond Metropolis, within minutes reaching a lifeless clearing deep in the woods.


    He released his grip, and the man in his hand fell a good two meters, his back hitting the ground with force.


    "Ugh!"


    Kevin coughed and writhed on the ground, cold sweat dripping down his face. He looked up and saw Defiant standing there in the air, staring at him as if he were trash.


    He recoiled, crawling on the ground. His plan had spectacularly failed. In his twisted mind, what should have happened was clear: once Defiant was in front of him, he should have bowed before him like everyone else.


    He should have become his puppet.


    His arrogance had blinded him. He hadn''t even considered for a moment the possibility that his powers might not work at all.


    And that was his biggest mistake.


    "You could have hidden, you know? Kept your head down, lived away from the big cities. It wouldn''t have lasted forever, of course. Sooner or later, I would have found you. But you could have delayed it longer"


    Daniel landed softly and approached Kevin, looking at him¡ªscared, trembling. He was pathetic.


    "W-what do you want to do?"


    He even stuttered.


    "But your arrogance blinded you. You saw my power, what I''m capable of, and you wanted it, didn''t you? You wanted it to be yours, like everything else" Daniel shook his head.


    "Just my luck, or your misfortune, I suppose. It doesn''t matter. I have only one question for you"


    He approached and looked at him seriously.


    "Do you know Jessica Jones?"


    Kevin blinked, confusion evident in his eyes. That was enough for Daniel. A small smile formed on his face, and he couldn''t help but let out a sigh of relief.


    Kevin didn''t know who Jessica Jones was or why Defiant was asking about her, but before he could say anything, he felt the hand return to his neck. The grip was tighter, and he could hardly breathe.


    "When I decided to be a hero, I knew it wouldn''t be half-hearted. I committed to doing whatever it takes to make the world safer, to protect humanity. I knew there would be tough decisions, decisions most people wouldn''t agree with" Daniel looked at the now dark sky and sighed.


    Why was he saying all this?


    He looked at his free hand; his fingers trembled. No, his whole body trembled slightly.


    His lips, they felt dry.


    "I must do whatever is necessary, no matter what."


    There was no other way. Kevin, no, Killgrave, there was no prison where he could be safely put, no way to convict him according to human laws. He was too dangerous.


    He couldn''t remain free, and he couldn''t be reliably locked away.


    "I guess I''m telling you all this as a way to convince myself, how ridiculous" he knew what he had to do, so why doubt?


    Perhaps, as if sensing his imminent fate, Kevin began to struggle harder, trying to escape, to free himself, but any attempt was futile.


    Daniel watched his futile struggle. Should he do it quickly? Just tighten a little harder and end this.


    But, remembering that girl, the marks on her body, that disgusting smell on her, those dead eyes.


    Maybe it was too vengeful, unheroic, and unethical.


    But he didn''t want to make it easy; he didn''t deserve it to be easy.


    He looked at the starry sky, and an idea came to his mind.


    Slowly, he began to rise into the sky, 100 meters, a thousand meters, two thousand meters, five thousand meters.


    Gradually, he ascended into the air, the oxygen slowly thinning as the altitude increased.


    The struggles became more intense, more desperate. He kicked and punched, but it was all futile.


    He tried to breathe, but it became increasingly difficult. His face began to redden, and soon a bluish hue began to mix among his cheeks.


    Six thousand meters, seven thousand meters, eight thousand meters.


    Any struggle ceased. His body shook with spasms that soon began to subside.


    The blue and red mingled as the oxygen completely left his body.


    Daniel looked at him, looked directly into his eyes. He saw the fear, the desperation, he saw the horror.


    He saw the light extinguish, leaving only emptiness.


    When it was all over, he looked at the body in front of him and couldn''t help but speak.


    "Now you truly are a Purple Man..."


    .


    .


    .


    .


    .


    .


    Deep space, above the orbit of Mars.


    Daniel released his grip and watched as the body plummeted rapidly towards the red planet.


    The truth was, his series of actions had been improvised, and it wasn''t until it was all over that he realized he had a body to dispose of.


    Even if he was willing to do whatever it took, that didn''t mean the general public would be on his side.


    At least not now.


    So there was a body he had to dispose of, and what better way to hide something than by doing it where no human could find it? So he decided to make his first space trip, which was actually a bit boring.


    Locating Mars was easy; he could see it from Earth thanks to his new enhanced vision. The path was also easy; just keep going forward until you reach it.


    The journey didn''t take long, although Mars was far away, he simply had to keep accelerating.


    He hoped the body would disintegrate on the way, but surprisingly, enough of it remained for the journey not to be in vain.


    He watched as Mars'' gravity began to attract the remains, and atmospheric friction burned them.


    In no time, nothing was left but ashes scattered across the rocky planet, lost among its sands.


    Daniel looked at his hand, the same hand he had used to finish Killgrave.


    It still trembled. He clenched his fist tightly; there was no time for regrets, not anymore. He could only move forward; his decision had already been made.


    Without looking back, he began to drift away, heading back towards Earth.


    Unnoticed by him, a hooded figure watched him with hidden curiosity from among the rocks of Mars.


    A strangely shaped white hand stretched out and touched the sand, where small fragments of black ash lay.


    Once more, the figure looked towards the distant sky, red eyes gazing in the direction of Earth.


    .


    .


    .


    NOTE:


    The plot progresses, albeit slowly. There''s much to write and little time to do it. I promised another chapter by mid or end of the month, and I think I made it in time. I''m not sure if there will be another one before the month ends, but I hope so.


    Comments, suggestions, and opinions are all welcome.


    If you want to support me, you can toss me a dollar on my Ko-fi at /emmapress. I''d greatly appreciate it. I hope to reach my goal before the year ends! I''m already at 3%, so only another 97% to go! Yey!

 12: Fly Me to the Moon

    12: Fly Me to the Moon</a>


    March 1, 2007


    "Time to eat!" The words took a young woman, who couldn''t have been more than 25 years old, by surprise, pulling her out of her concentration as she glanced up from the papers in her hands towards the door of her new office.


    There her colleague, a woman in her 40s, looked at her with a friendly smile while waving a lunch bag.


    The young doctor checked the clock on her desk; she had become so absorbed in her work that she had forgotten about lunchtime.


    She quickly stood up, stashed the papers in a drawer, and grabbed her bag.


    Soon the two women arrived at the area where most of the staff had their lunches.


    Sitting at a table with a beautiful view of the sea, the 40-year-old woman continued talking.


    "There will be some new transfers this month"


    "New transfers?" That was unexpected. She hadn''t heard anything about that, although she supposed it was normal; she hadn''t been at Rykers for long.


    On the other hand, the woman in front of her, named Isabella, was one of the most established psychologists and therapists on the island. She wasn''t the oldest, but she had certainly gained some renown among the staff and was one of the few people authorized to work with Rykers'' most dangerous inmates.


    Since arriving at Rykers and meeting her, it was clear that her knowledge and contacts within the facility were extensive. She also seemed quite enthusiastic about sharing information with people she liked, and fortunately for her, she seemed to have taken a liking to her.


    Isabella seemed somewhat pleased and continued talking as she unpacked her lunch.


    "Do you know about that old asylum in Gotham?" The mention of Gotham made her pause for a second¡ªher old home, the place where she grew up and never wanted to return to.


    She nodded, with some discomfort perfectly concealed.


    "I heard it''s going to be demolished, something about irreparable structural damage" It was hard not to hear about the news, even if she hated it; home was always home, and knowing what was happening there was something she couldn''t avoid.


    "Exactly, it seems the city government decided it was time to get rid of it. I suppose it''s natural; the crime rate in Gotham has never been lower, there haven''t been any major criminals born there in some time, and there really isn''t any reason to maintain a place like that now" It was easy to connect the dots.


    "So, are the transfers going to be from that place? Are they sending us the inmates here?" Isabella nodded, and the smile on her face visibly faded.


    "It seems they''ll be our problem now..." Her concern was evident, though she couldn''t quite understand it all.


    Of course, prisoners previously confined in an asylum could be somewhat troublesome, but Rykers was not lacking in such individuals; that''s why Isabella and she were there.


    Noticing her bewilderment, Isabella could only give a bitter smile.


    "You youngsters really do forget the past, huh... but I don''t blame you. Nobody wants to remember those times" Isabella drifted off for a moment, gazing at the horizon before continuing to speak.


    "Listen, Harleen, you''re young, so you probably don''t know, but Gotham was a horrible place. I''m not just talking about gangs or common criminals. A long time ago, madness literally ran through its streets. Arkham Asylum was the place where all that rot and darkness, where the true monsters, were dragged to never see the light of day again and rot there" Her words were solemn, and Harleen couldn''t refute them even if she wanted to.


    Having been born and raised in Gotham, even if she was born during a time when things were different, there were still traces of what was once the most dangerous city in the United States. Things improved over time, of course, but she could still remember the old stories, although nobody went into exact details. The fear in the words of those brave enough to remember the past was evident.


    Of course, most of those born after the city''s darkest years thought that much of what was said was an exaggeration. There couldn''t possibly be such a horrible place in the world... could there?


    "What changed?" she couldn''t help but ask. How did Gotham transform? Even if she was born there, she did so when everything was already different, so she was curious.


    Isabella pondered deeply on it before continuing to speak.


    "I''m not sure exactly. Those were very chaotic times, and everything seemed to keep getting worse. The news media weren''t much help either; very few journalists dared to venture into the streets of Gotham, and those brave enough to try ended up six feet under shortly thereafter. I ran from there when I had the chance and only heard what happened afterward once it was all over" She took a sip of her water and continued speaking.


    "It was like hell, that''s what everyone said. The streets were ablaze, and bodies piled up in heaps. The largest gang war the United States had ever witnessed took place there. The city was nearly destroyed, and the local government collapsed. If it weren''t for Wayne Enterprises taking the reins of what was left and investing in the reconstruction, Gotham wouldn''t exist anymore" Harleen could believe the latter. Wayne Industries... saying it owned Gotham wouldn''t be a lie. Gotham might have its own government, but everyone living there knew that without Wayne Industries, the city would collapse.


    Whether it was the massive job opportunities, the amount of infrastructure investment, or its community and educational support, Gotham couldn''t continue to exist without any of that, at least it wouldn''t have been able to survive its most turbulent and darkest years without Wayne Industries.


    Even if the company didn''t make as much noise now as it did before, it was still one of the most important companies in America and beyond.


    Isabella seemed to get lost in memories for a moment before shaking her head.


    "Back to the point, although many of Gotham''s most important criminals died in that gang war, those who remained aren''t any better. They''re considered beyond redemption, the worst scum on earth. If the death penalty were an option at that time, they would all be dead already. In fact, when it was known that Arkham would have to be demolished, it was considered to just get rid of all of them, but you know how it is"


    Harleen didn''t know, although she was good at what she did, she wasn''t really interested in getting involved in the more political aspects of her profession.


    "Are you trying to scare me, Isabella?" If it were someone else, all of Isabella''s words would have been enough to make them sweat.


    The older woman laughed and shook her head.


    "I just want to warn you. Although you''ve only just arrived at Rykers, you''re undoubtedly one of the best psychiatrists to set foot on this island. Even if others say you''re young, the truly important people are aware of your value. I''m sure you''ll be offered to deal with the new inmates... don''t do it"


    Their eyes met directly. Harleen could see the seriousness in her gaze and knew she meant it. Her concern was genuine. For a moment, she considered it, but deep down, she knew that if the opportunity really presented itself, she couldn''t refuse it.


    As a psychiatrist, refusing a patient just because they were dangerous was absurd in her eyes. And above all that, she wouldn''t deny that the challenge of treating a patient beyond the "norm" was attractive.


    "I can''t promise anything" she said, unable to promise to reject this.


    Isabella sighed, her shoulders visibly sagging. She looked at her and shook her head.


    "Young people are always so fearless" she almost seemed to pout.


    Harleen laughed, and soon the conversation shifted to more mundane topics. It didn''t take long for them to finish their meals, and both returned to their offices.


    The blonde woman smoothed her long hair and opened the door to her office, ready to continue her work.


    Distracted as she was, she still managed to notice that something was different. It was as if something had simply changed. She looked up without noticing anything strange until she saw the open window¡ªshe had closed that window.


    The second thing she noticed was that her office chair was occupied.


    Her pupils dilated slightly, and an exclamation of astonishment almost escaped her lips.


    There, occupying her place, was a tall man. His well-built figure was notable thanks to the semi-fitted suit that covered his body completely. His black hair was slicked back, and on his face, a mask covered the upper part of it.


    Still, she could clearly see his blue eyes, ones that looked directly at her when she entered. A smile formed on his lips as he stood up, the "D" on his chest almost shining with the sunlight streaming through the window.


    "Doctor Harleen, I''ve been expecting you. I need to talk to you"


    .


    .


    .


    The tea was poured slowly into the cup, Daniel watched the hot liquid steam with some nervousness.


    He hadn''t really expected to have to do this, but recent events had forced him to make a quick decision.


    He looked at the blonde woman in front of him, dressed formally. She was undoubtedly beautiful, with a unique charm. Though her nervousness was evident, she still maintained an air of professionalism that accentuated her beauty even more.


    How contradictory it was; the image before him tried to overlay with the memories in his mind, and the comparison was truly striking.


    How could someone like her become a crazy lunatic who smashed things with a mallet?


    He wondered if he had made a mistake. Perhaps she was a different person?


    Of course, while she had some similarities to the images in his memories, the reality was that there were also many clear differences. They were small differences, but when you added them all up, you could say that a completely different person stood before him.


    It would be easier to say that she was like a close relative of the person he was seeking.


    Of course, he knew there was no mistake. He had made sure to search correctly and verify the databases over and over again until he found her.


    When he arrived in this world, he had lost some memories, but at the same time, many remained intact, or at least most of them did. Harleen Quinzel was a name and a face he remembered almost entirely.


    Or more precisely, her other identity, Harley Quinn.


    There were some missing pieces here and there, but he had enough information about her to know her real name and the name she would later take in life when she decided to completely lose her mind.


    One of the reasons he hadn''t wanted to dwell too much on her and hadn''t tried to find her at first was because he didn''t exactly remember what had driven her to madness.


    He had a vague idea, something about a clown, chemicals, and crazy love.


    But it was fuzzy and complicated, and the more he thought about it, the more complicated it became.


    Harleen Quinzel from his memories and this Harleen Quinzel seemed to lead similar yet very different lives, he supposed that was what happened when the multiverse came into play.


    Similar but not exactly the same, which he didn''t know if it was good or not, considering the reason he was here and why he had decided to contact her.


    He wouldn''t lie, if he had a better option to choose from, he would run towards it. Different or not, the woman in front of him was still a potential psychopath who would commit multiple crimes until somehow gaining a strange kind of consciousness where she would try to be better but still remain insane.


    "For some reason, I feel insulted" Dr. Harleen''s voice snapped him out of his thoughts. He looked at her directly, noticing her crooked smile, and coughed awkwardly.


    "Did I say something out loud?" The fact that he didn''t deny what the doctor thought made her eyebrows twitch slightly.


    "No, but when you''re in my line of work, you learn how to read people well enough to notice their thoughts"


    That made sense. He cleared his mind and became serious, though it didn''t bother him, he hadn''t come for a psychological analysis, at least not for him.


    Noticing his change, the doctor straightened up, adjusted her glasses, and swallowed. Even though she seemed professional, she was having a small panic attack at the moment.


    Not every day did the world''s only superhero sneak into your office asking to talk to you.


    She would lie if she said it wasn''t exciting. Her life had had many events, but most of them weren''t worth mentioning. She had focused entirely on her studies and career, leaving aside anything else, so interesting events had eluded her for a long time.


    Of course, she wasn''t complaining; it was the life she had chosen, and she was okay with it. Still, being surprised from time to time was nice, and this certainly was the biggest surprise she had had in... well, to say years would be an understatement.


    Depending on what Defiant sought from her, this could very well be the most exciting thing that had ever happened to her.


    Of course, it could also be extremely disappointing, but it never hurt to have hope.


    "I came for help" Daniel was starting to think that this phrase would become his new motto if he kept saying it.


    But it was inevitable; even if he was capable, there were things that were better left in the hands of others. With his newfound abilities and the help of the core, he could become an "expert" in different fields, but he didn''t want to do that. If he started trying to solve every problem in that way, he would end up with no time for anything else. Just thinking about it stressed him out, and that wasn''t the life he wanted to live.


    So the best solution was to let the people who were already experts in something take care of it. Unless, of course, he had no options... which was almost the case with Killgrave. His actions went beyond simply twisting people''s wills to make them do repulsive acts. His powers literally affected the chemical state of the human brain.


    Neurochemistry wasn''t something to play with casually, and Killgrave did it like a child who didn''t care about damaging his toys. His powers, like an irresistible drug, infected the brain at levels Daniel could barely comprehend. He knew it had something to do with pheromones, but honestly, that was oversimplifying and underestimating it too much.


    So far, he had managed to find and save about ten victims, but there were many others he didn''t reach in time. The number of suicides he witnessed easily reached three digits. and they were only the recent victims, any other victims that there might have been were either already dead or had chosen to escape to where Killgrave couldn''t hurt them again.


    Tracking his trail wasn''t easy. He knew how to hide and cover his tracks, which was unexpected considering how foolish he had shown himself to be when tried to control him.


    But even if he covered his tracks, he couldn''t cover his scent.


    It was disgusting, but it was the clearest path he could follow to trace his trail, at least for a while. Even with his senses, smelling something that was no longer there was still impossible.


    Killgrave''s scent may have been different from others'', but it was still an aroma. Sooner or later, it disappears, especially considering he never stayed in one place for too long.


    Harleen blinked when she heard his request for help. For a moment, she thought about what a psychiatrist could do to help him and almost panicked, but she managed to control herself.


    If the world''s only superhero had mental problems, then she didn''t want to join his bad side, even if it was the last thing she did.


    Although she hid it well, Daniel could see her initial panic, and he could only laugh ironically.


    "I didn''t come here for myself, Doctor"


    So he began to explain.


    The doctor listened attentively, becoming increasingly interested in the topic. Of course, Daniel didn''t explain in detail what he did with Killgrave or what his fate was, and she seemed more interested in the effect of his powers and his victims.


    It took some time, but he managed to detail everything necessary, or at least what he believed was necessary.


    "Now I understand" Harleen thought deeply. This was certainly extremely interesting and important. To think that there was someone out there capable of doing such things without anyone being able to stop them was also terrifying.


    At least until Daniel assured her that he would no longer be a problem and that he wouldn''t harm anyone else. It was vague, but she could deduce some things from his behavior and his evasiveness when explaining what happened with this "Killgrave." Still, she didn''t ask further questions.


    Whatever the fate of that individual was, it wasn''t her problem, and she certainly didn''t expect to deal with him ever.


    Her only job was clear, yet doubts still crept in.


    "Why me? Of course, I know it''s because I''m a psychiatrist and somehow this falls into my field. Still, I know there are better options. Not to mention the world, on this very island, I can count at least four people who are better than me and have more experience"


    She was honest. Although proud of what she had achieved, she was clear about her capabilities and knew when something seemed beyond them. And certainly, this case seemed too complex and extraordinary.


    Daniel had already thought about this question and his answer.


    "Because I trust you, not them"


    It was simple, really. Even if there were better options, they were unpredictable to a certain extent. He had read enough comics and seen enough movies to know the risks. He didn''t want to accidentally create a second Killgrave.


    On the other hand, Doctor Harleen Quinzel was... predictable. He had enough information about her and her possible future to know what to expect. If she turned evil, went mad, or something similar, then it was expected, something he could plan for and have countermeasures against.


    It was like playing a game you had played before, even if it had more than one ending, you still knew which one it would be, and it was easier to deal with.


    Of course, this wasn''t a game, and it didn''t have just two endings. The information he had wasn''t infallible, and blindly trusting it would never lead to anything good.


    But he preferred to take this risk and deal with the consequences later, knowing it was something he chose and not something that happened by chance.


    The doctor blinked in confusion.


    "Do you trust me? I know I don''t have a bad memory, and I would remember seeing you before, so forgive me if I doubt that trust" Although it was flattering, Harleen wasn''t foolish or easily swayed by the situation to be bought with a simple "I trust you"


    .


    Somewhere on her farm, Carol suddenly sneezed, and for some strange reason, she felt the urge to punch a blonde... Did Chloe do something wrong?


    .


    Daniel smiled at her expected doubt and continued speaking.


    "Even if you doubt it, I have my own ways of investigating people. I considered many options and researched many others, and undoubtedly, you are the most trustworthy and qualified psychiatrist I''ve managed to find" It was a complete lie, but sometimes lying for a greater good was necessary.


    The doctor looked at him seriously, and although she was an expert in her field, she couldn''t see through Daniel''s lie. It wasn''t her fault; Daniel could measure and control his body language forcibly using his super speed and his core. It was complicated but feasible and proved effective on this occasion.


    Dr. Harleen blushed a little. She hadn''t expected such a response, and undoubtedly, pride bloomed within her upon hearing the reason for Daniel''s trust.


    She couldn''t help but smile and fall into the very thing she had criticized not long ago. In reality, she was dazzled by the situation, although in her defense, she could say she was deceived by Daniel.


    "Then I''ll help you! Leave it to me!" She smiled widely, her teeth almost shining in the sunlight.


    Daniel couldn''t help but inwardly sigh when she didn''t ask any further questions. It would have been more difficult to explain how he "investigated" all those other "psychiatrists" before deciding that she was the best and most reliable option.


    He had prepared an entire speech, of course, but he preferred not to spend thirty minutes explaining all that.


    He almost felt guilty for lying to her, but then he remembered that she would probably go crazy and evil, and then he would have to put her in prison in the not-so-distant future, and that made the guilt disappear.


    Of course, there was also the possibility that he was wrong, but honestly, Daniel didn''t believe he would be that lucky.


    .


    .


    .


    The air rippled, and then a gust of wind swept across the fields filled with tall grass, stirring the blades in its wake.


    Within a radius of two hundred meters, the air suddenly changed direction abruptly, as if two opposing forces were colliding at high speed. To the untrained eye, it would simply appear as if several air explosions were occurring without any apparent reason. Even those with keen vision would struggle to discern what was happening, unable to see anything more than blurry images without the ability to describe their form.


    Only the two figures standing in the midst of the exchange were aware that they were the cause of such a phenomenon.


    Daniel glanced at Carol, who smiled confidently and swiftly approached him. Without hesitation, he raised his arm to block a strike that caused the air to ripple and a shockwave to form. The ground beneath their feet sank, and Daniel had to jump to avoid the collapsing terrain. He examined his arm, which had slightly numbed for half a second.


    As he landed again, he had to crouch immediately to dodge Carol''s leg, which passed over his head, almost brushing his hair. His eyes turned towards her, studying her for a moment before he hurried.


    Carol opened her eyes slightly, raising both arms to shield herself just in time to receive Daniel''s blow. The sound of impact reverberated for a moment. Carol tried to straighten her posture, but the soft ground beneath her feet offered no support. The earth simply gave way, and her body formed a long trench before coming to a halt.


    Daniel glanced at his fist, outwardly appearing fine, but only he knew the small cracks that had formed on his knuckles before he forced them to disappear. He looked at Carol, who was shaking off the dirt in the distance, narrowing his eyes slightly.


    It had been weeks since he started training with her, and it had only been a few days since he began teaching her how to fight. At first, she seemed clumsy, but she was learning quickly.


    The exercises to help her control her strength had worked, and she could move without fear of destroying everything in her path, at least for the most part.


    Looking around, he couldn''t help but wear a bitter smile on his face.


    She seemed quite capable of controlling her strength to avoid hurting others, but...


    She seemed to forget that she should also control her strength when fighting.


    The first time she rushed to strike him, she almost broke his arm.


    Fortunately, he was prepared for an accident like that, and his core helped him heal instantly. She hadn''t even realized what had happened and continued trying to hit him.


    She was enthusiastic, he would give her that, and also strong.


    Extremely strong.


    But perhaps the most astonishing thing about her was her durability. So far, even when he had hit her seriously, he hadn''t even left a small bruise.


    Of course, she didn''t know he had tried to do that, nor did he believe she would appreciate it if he told her he wanted to hit her until she was hurt.


    ''what is it that you are''


    Not for the first time did Daniel have this question.


    .


    "Damn" Carol muttered under her breath, glancing at Daniel in the distance.


    She couldn''t help but feel annoyed. So far, she hadn''t managed to land a single direct hit on him. She knew he had more experience than her, but she had trusted that she could catch up quickly.


    It seemed she had overestimated herself.


    What was worse, he didn''t seem to be taking her seriously. At least, that''s what she thought.


    Every time he struck her, it felt like he was just pushing her away.


    She had read and researched on her own several times, and had even watched some fights that took place in her school. She knew that when two people fight, they both should get hurt. Though she had never felt pain herself, and as strange as it sounded, she had expected to experience it when Daniel suggested they train together.


    She didn''t know what it felt like, but she knew it wasn''t pleasant. Still, feeling something new for the first time was more exciting than any concern it might bring her, and somehow, she eagerly anticipated it.


    What was it like? How did pain feel?


    Well, she still didn''t know, and that was starting to frustrate her.


    Did he think she couldn''t handle it?


    For some reason, Carol thought that Daniel was holding back. If Daniel knew about these thoughts, he would probably just laugh bitterly.


    It wasn''t that Daniel was holding back; it was that Carol was much stronger than even she thought.


    Daniel looked at Carol, who was furrowing her brow, and couldn''t help but approach her slowly.


    "What''s wrong? Don''t like getting dirty?" he joked lightly, but when she continued to look at him with some annoyance, he couldn''t help but furrow his brow slightly in confusion.


    "Stop playing around"


    Her words caught him off guard, and Daniel couldn''t help but feel confused for a moment.


    "Playing around? What do you mean?"


    Upon her apparent confusion, Carol couldn''t help but furrow her brows, and Daniel almost thought she was about to pout.


    "You''re not taking me seriously. You said you''d teach me to fight, but you''re not taking me seriously"


    Upon hearing this, Daniel couldn''t help but blink in confusion. He wasn''t exactly sure what she meant by that. Obviously, he wasn''t looking to seriously hurt or kill her; they were just training fights, after all.


    But Daniel wasn''t dumb; he quickly thought of something and almost sighed in realization.


    This girl, her punches hadn''t even hurt her, right?


    Figuring this out wasn''t difficult for Daniel, considering her attitude and everything she talked about with him. It was easy to figure out.


    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    He truly didn''t believe Carol even realized how much she chattered around him these days. It wasn''t really annoying, and it helped him distract himself from time to time.


    "Do you think I''m holding back?" Although he had already deduced the reason for her annoyance, he decided to ask, perhaps he was wrong.


    "Of course!" she replied quickly and accusingly, making Daniel chuckle under his breath.


    It seemed he hadn''t been mistaken.


    Carol approached a bit and spoke reproachfully.


    "I know you don''t want to hurt me, but if you really want to help me, you have to hit me for real. I need to know what it feels like."


    Daniel decided not to contradict the first part of what she said. Indeed, he had been trying to hit her a bit, but she didn''t need to know that.


    He thought about the second part of what she said and realized it was true. Carol hadn''t felt pain before. It was hard to imagine; as someone who had once been human, she should be accustomed to pain. The human body endured it constantly throughout life, whether it was minor discomfort or severe pain.


    The human body was somehow accustomed and prepared, whether physically or mentally.


    And yet, there were pains that could lead a person to their death.


    Taking that into account, what about those who had never felt pain before?


    He looked at Carol, studied her face for a moment before making a decision.


    "Are you sure about this?" He would still give her the chance to back out.


    Seeing Daniel''s expression suddenly turn serious, Carol hesitated for a moment before nodding slowly.


    "Of course, I think-"


    She couldn''t finish her words as Daniel''s figure accelerated towards her in a swift movement that almost went unnoticed, she could see his fist approaching her face in a blurry way.


    Her body''s hairs stood on end, her eyes widened completely, and her pupils shrank a bit; she hadn''t seen him move so fast before.


    She didn''t even have time to think about whether she could dodge it or not; all she could tell herself was that this was what she had been looking for and she should endure it.


    Carol didn''t notice that this punch was different from the ones Daniel had made before.


    Daniel knew that if he only used his strength to hit her, even if he did it without fear of hurting himself, he would barely accomplish anything. During these days of practice, he had already gotten a small idea of Carol''s durability and had thought of different ways to overcome it.


    The first and simplest way was to become stronger, something he had been doing slowly but steadily thanks to Carol hitting him all the time without holding back. She didn''t hit him with the intention of killing him, of course, but her normal punches were still strong enough to threaten to break his bones with each impact.


    After several days like this, and thanks to his core, now those punches only caused numbness and probably bruises, but he had been using his core to heal quickly so that none managed to appear in time to be noticed.


    This first method wasn''t something he could use now, so he would have to use the second method.


    He had been experimenting a lot with his flight, and it wasn''t until he decided to take a walk to Mars, to get rid of Killgrave, that he could test his true flight speed.


    It was insane; it was completely different from moving on Earth, and he instantly knew that trying to do it on the planet would only lead to total disaster. He couldn''t even control himself properly, and he actually almost missed Mars on the way.


    But it was also enlightening, and although he couldn''t go at that same speed on Earth without risking incinerating it, he could get close.


    Using that astronomical acceleration for an instant to push his body beyond its limits.


    Daniel''s fist hurried, friction heated the air molecules instantly, but the fire didn''t have time to form.


    Then it hit.


    Carol''s head jerked sharply to the right, her cheek sunk in, and her body almost went flying, but Daniel was quick to grab her hand.


    Then the entire ground they were on exploded.


    The late shockwave swept everything around, forming a crater almost instantly that displaced tons of debris in all directions.


    The air molecules ignited, causing a wave of heat to spread everywhere; the ground beneath their feet even heated up to the point where it began to melt.


    In addition to that, the energy caused by the shockwave spread through the ground, causing an earthquake to strike in a radius of several kilometers.


    Fortunately, their training sessions were far, quite far, from any human presence.


    Daniel looked at his hand; it didn''t seem to be injured, but only he knew that at the moment of impact, all the bones in it shattered into splinters, and if the core hadn''t been there, then his entire arm would have exploded into a pile of minced flesh.


    Fortunately, the core managed to gather everything back in place before a single drop of blood flew out.


    He looked around; the dust was rising uncontrollably, and the ground kept shaking. The crater that had formed easily reached 50 meters in depth, and its width probably exceeded 100 meters.


    And all that just from being hit by the aftermath of the punch. Imagining what would have happened if the blow had landed directly on the ground was difficult, even if Daniel was the one who delivered the blow, he had never experimented with the amount of damage it could cause.


    Not until now.


    .


    Carol hadn''t understood what people meant when they said they saw stars once they were hit.


    Well, now she knew; her vision became blurry for a second, and her body swayed slightly. If Daniel hadn''t been holding her, she probably would have stumbled.


    For a moment, she didn''t know what had happened, and she just felt like everything was spinning.


    Then it came.


    The pain.


    Her eyes widened as she felt the left side of her face burning in pain.


    She steadied herself, and her hand touched her cheek, but she quickly pulled it away when she felt the sharp pang.


    She opened and closed her mouth; her eyes couldn''t help but redden.


    "Are you okay?" Daniel looked at her with some concern. Carol looked up and nodded slowly.


    "I-I think so?"


    It was difficult to describe; theoretically, she knew what pain was, but experiencing it was very different.


    Her body felt like jelly, and she almost wanted to cry. She forcefully repressed that desire; she wasn''t weak! She had asked for this; she couldn''t disappoint him by starting to cry like a little girl now.


    Seeing her state, Daniel helped her sit down and looked at her cheek.


    Although it was a bit red and slightly swollen, it didn''t seem to be too serious.


    Without paying attention, he touched the swelling, causing Carol to flinch.


    "Argh!"


    he didn''t apologize since she wanted to feel pain; this should teach her a little about it.


    In a short time, he saw the swelling decrease, and the red tone in her skin became lighter and lighter.


    Carol blinked when she noticed the pain slowly diminishing, and she carefully touched her face. This time She didn''t feel as much pain as before., so she could feel the swelling, although it was now minor.


    "It seems you heal fast, That''s good" Daniel was somewhat surprised but not too much. In a way, he already expected Carol''s body to react differently to injuries; healing so quickly was simply the most "normal" thing that could happen.


    Carol touched her cheek, feeling that phantom burning, the pain.


    "So, that''s what it feels like, huh..." the dizziness, her blurry vision, that initial numbness before the sensory overload hit her.


    She looked at Daniel, more precisely at his fist, remembering how it felt when he hit her, his knuckles pressing against her skin.


    It was... exciting?...


    "Let''s go; we need to leave. We''ve caused enough commotion in this place, and this last thing probably attracted a lot of attention"


    Carol was snapped out of her thoughts and nodded, feeling her face flush for no reason.


    Soon, they both departed, leaving behind nothing but dust and ruins.


    .


    .


    .


    Greg looked through the camera lens with some nervousness; the tree''s leaves where he was perched rustled due to the tremor of his excitement. He swallowed hard and tried to improve his position.


    Climbing the tree hadn''t been easy; it would really suck if he fell from it and ruined everything.


    He focused his vision, zoomed the camera in closer, and saw her.


    There she was, as beautiful as ever.


    Lana Lang entered her room without noticing the stranger who was watching her from her window.


    Greg thought she would notice the box he had carefully left on the bed, but she didn''t even look at it; she just came in and started undressing.


    Greg swallowed; although it wasn''t exactly what he was looking for, it was probably better.


    Lana removed her clothes gently, exposing her body to the camera, her dark underwear contrasting against her clear, smooth skin.


    The curves of her body were perfect, and thanks to her position as a cheerleader, her legs had toned incredibly along with her ass.


    Greg hoped she would undress completely, but his luck seemed to abandon him when she went straight into the bathroom.


    He clicked his tongue; it didn''t matter. He could admire her naked body once she was his, once she saw how much he loved her and how much better he was compared to Whitney.


    Then the two of them could be together forever.


    .


    .


    .


    "I think it''s time" Daniel''s words caught Carol''s attention, and she looked at him from where she was sitting.


    They had returned to the farm, and after cleaning up, Daniel had prepared coffee for both of them.


    Personally, Carol didn''t really like coffee that much, but she didn''t dislike it either. However, spending time with Daniel had made drinking coffee after training become a habit, to the point where drinking coffee had become an acquired taste for her.


    Setting down her coffee cup and seeing that she now had his attention, Daniel continued speaking.


    "you''re ready to use your powers freely"


    Carol''s eyes widened, and she immediately stood up, her excitement evident.


    "Really?!"


    Daniel nodded. "After over a month, there''s little more I can teach you apart from what you already know. You still need to learn a few more things, but for the most part, everything else is something you need to experience firsthand"


    Carol smiled widely and almost threw herself at him to hug him, but she managed to restrain herself; she didn''t need to embarrass herself like that.


    She rubbed her hands nervously and imagined the near future. Using her powers without fear had been mostly the reason for this training, second only to spending time with Daniel.


    But she didn''t forget the third part, helping others. She had only mentioned that because she thought it would help convince Daniel; after all, he was a hero.


    Not that she wasn''t a good person or anything, but if she was honest with herself, she didn''t see herself as a hero like Defiant.


    Still, she had said she wanted to help, and she would. Maybe not in the exact same way Daniel did it; honestly, she didn''t see herself rescuing cats from trees.


    She just wanted to use her powers, after all.


    And the best way at this moment was simply intervening in events that allowed her to do so.


    Images of Defiant helping in natural disasters, preventing accidents, or assisting after they occurred came to her mind, but above all of them, the image of him holding up that burning building was the one that came to her most clearly.


    She wondered when she could do something like that.


    Seeing her evident excitement, Daniel smiled slightly before coughing to get her attention.


    "Ahem! Although I know you''re excited, there''s still something else you need to decide"


    Carol was snapped out of her fantasies and looked at him with slight confusion until Daniel pointed with his finger towards her parents'' farm.


    Then she understood.


    She hadn''t told them anything about all of this.


    She had thought about it, but no matter how much she thought about it, she couldn''t see them letting her do this, letting her be close to Daniel.


    She slowly shook her head before speaking.


    "They''ll never let me out. They... wouldn''t allow it. They couldn''t understand it."


    She spoke softly and almost hesitated to look at him, as if she expected some reprimand for deciding to keep this hidden.


    Daniel didn''t do it; he didn''t criticize her for it or judge her. Ultimately, what Carol wanted to do and who she wanted to tell was her choice; he really didn''t care.


    He was just reminding her that she had that option and that he wouldn''t be upset if she decided to talk to her parents about it.


    Seeing that there was no disappointment, Carol sighed in relief and continued speaking.


    "They''ve always been... too cautious. They know what I am, and they still love me despite it, but they''re afraid of what might happen if the world knows about my existence, what the world might do to me" Carol scoffed at the last part.


    Maybe it was arrogance, or maybe something else, but Daniel could see that she didn''t believe humanity was a threat to her.


    If Daniel had looked closer, he probably would have noticed the faint, almost imperceptible disdain in her gaze.


    "In fact, my father is afraid of you" Now it was Daniel''s turn to blink in confusion.


    Seeing his doubt, Carol continued explaining.


    "He thinks Defiant is just an act, that you''re just a wolf in sheep''s clothing and that you''re here for me" Carol laughed at the thought, looking at Daniel. For some reason, a surge of courage suddenly welled up within her, she approached Daniel, speaking in a low tone, struggling to suppress the shyness within her.


    "Is it true? Are you just a wolf trying to eat me?" Her voice was low and somewhat hoarse; the warmth of her breath hit Daniel''s face as he looked directly into her eyes.


    He didn''t miss the strange tone in her words but decided to ignore it.


    Being stared at so intently and with Daniel not reacting to her little game, Carol couldn''t help but blush in embarrassment, regretting her words completely.


    She didn''t know where she had gotten so much courage, letting emotion lead her to try something she had only seen on a television show with Chloe.


    ''Stupid!'' Now she didn''t even dare to meet his eyes.


    "Your father''s perspective is strange. I don''t know how he came to that conclusion. Do you think there''s anything I can do to change his mind?" Daniel decided to extend an olive branch to the poor girl and continued the conversation.


    Carol coughed and quickly returned to her seat, still red-faced. With some embarrassment, she responded to the question.


    "H-He''s too stubborn. I don''t think he''s ever changed his mind about anything, and I don''t think you can make him trust you, not for now"


    It was somewhat disappointing but expected. Carol''s father, from everything she had told him about him, was a difficult person to deal with, with clear ideas and firm beliefs. Changing any of that would probably be nearly impossible.


    "What about your mother? Do you think she thinks the same as your father?"


    Carol thought about it, hesitating for a moment before speaking.


    "My mother... she''s a bit different. I think she might understand, but I don''t think telling her would be a good idea."


    Daniel raised an eyebrow, and Carol answered the unspoken question.


    "She loves my father too much, she doesn''t like lying to him or hiding things from him, especially if it has to do with me. But above all, she''s a terrible liar. If I somehow convinced her to keep it hidden, I know my father could instantly sense that something''s off about her"


    Her mother thought she had successfully lied to him by hiding her true origin, but it was only because Carol had never had the courage to ask.


    Until Daniel came along.


    After she learned the truth, she noticed how the weight that seemed to be bearing down on her mother''s shoulders all the time disappeared. It was as if a burden that everyone knew was there no longer existed, and it was evident to many people.


    "I think it''s best not to tell them" Carol made her decision, and Daniel nodded.


    "If that''s what you want, it''s okay." Although there would be some inconveniences in doing it this way, Daniel already expected this to be Carol''s choice. He had come to know her well enough to sense this, so he had prepared in advance.


    Daniel stood up. "Wait here"


    Carol watched him enter the farmhouse with some confusion. It didn''t take long. In a short time, he was back with a large dark suitcase in his right arm.


    "To be a hero, you need more than just superpowers," he said as he reached Carol and offered her the suitcase. She took it carefully, its texture strange, almost like plastic but also different.


    "And since you want to stay hidden, it''s best if they don''t even suspect it''s you"


    With that said, Daniel released the locks, and the suitcase opened by itself.


    Carol slightly widened her eyes at the sight inside.


    The first thing she noticed was the silver D in front, a symbol she recognized.


    "I took your measurements into account and adapted it as best as I could. Though it will be difficult to hide the obvious gender differences, I think I solved it by making the tones darker and replacing the traditional cape with a cloak. At least it should cover your body better."


    Carol carefully took out the suit, a familiar texture greeting her, but the differences were obvious. It felt sturdier and thicker than the trench coat she had been wearing.


    She admired the design for a moment before smiling with clear excitement.


    "It''s perfect!"


    Daniel smiled at her enthusiasm and continued speaking.


    "No one besides you knows who Defiant is. The slight change in colors and the cloak should help conceal the change in your figure, at least enough so that the gender change isn''t so obvious. Your parents won''t suspect you because they won''t think it''s you in the first place"


    He was right. As long as she was careful, there shouldn''t be any problem at all. After all, she was only thinking of going out at night and exploring the nearby cities. Her parents wouldn''t suspect a thing.


    Plus, if she was honest with herself, she really didn''t care about having some kind of secret identity. She just wanted to use her powers freely. She never thought about making a name for herself or seeking attention like Daniel did. Dealing with that kind of fame and attention wasn''t something she wanted.


    Her fingers brushed against the D on the front. She remembered how Daniel talked about it and how he wanted to leave his mark on the world, how he hoped to become a symbol for people. She knew how important this was to him, and now he was letting her carry this symbol.


    Somehow, that made her even more excited, and she quickly took out the suit and ran inside to get dressed.


    Watching her go, Daniel smiled faintly. Although he still had many concerns about her, it seemed like he had managed to guide her down a good path. He hoped that wouldn''t change soon. It would be really difficult to deal with her if it did.


    Daniel''s eyes lost some of their sparkle as he thought about what he did to Killgrave, what he was willing to do to protect this world.


    Could he do the same with Carol? He couldn''t answer that. Killgrave was nobody, just a monster, a threat to deal with. His death felt insignificant.


    But Carol... he didn''t know if he could feel that way about her.


    He couldn''t help but sigh. In the end, all of this was his fault, and deep down, he knew that a decision like this required a strong will.


    He didn''t know if it was a good thing, then, that his will felt strong enough.


    He had to snap out of his self-reprimand when he saw Carol coming out of the farmhouse. Her soft smile returned to him, and his expression cleared, his eyes shining again.


    She stood in front of him and smiled widely. Her hands went to her hips, her shoulders sending the cloak, which should cover her body, backward, making it look like a cape. Then she lifted her chest and posed for him.


    "How do I look?"


    Daniel looked her up and down, double-checking everything once again. There were no errors; the suit had been tailor-made for her. He had added some extra protection in certain areas, taking advantage of having access to a better printer now. Still, the extra padding did little to hide Carol''s amazing figure.


    Her well-proportioned body made for a great combination with the carefully crafted suit. The dark blue blended with the dark gray, black lines running along her sides, and blue armor plates carefully positioned in the most important areas.


    On her face, a mask similar to his own was present. It was a more complete mask than the one he had first worn, made to cover the obvious differences between their faces. Despite that, Carol didn''t have his jawline, and if one looked closely, they might notice that the shape of her face was clearly different, mask or not.


    Fortunately, the hood of the cloak would help cover Carol''s face even more, so theoretically, even if someone noticed something strange, it should still be difficult for them to tell if it was him or not...


    At least for the most part. Carol had two prominent frontal reasons that even the cloak couldn''t completely hide. Should he have adjusted the suit a bit more in that area? Or maybe added some armor plates?


    He pushed those thoughts aside and continued checking. The belt seemed to be the right size, a slightly simpler version of his own. Carol didn''t need most of the tools he had thought would be useful; in truth, he hadn''t even used a quarter of them himself, but he preferred to have them with him rather than not.


    He considered giving her one of his belts, but she had wider hips, and he had made his belts quite tight, so he decided to create one tailored to her.


    To finish, the gloves and boots, their design practically identical to his, so it was simple to adjust the sizes to be comfortable for her.


    With everything checked, he couldn''t help but nod appreciatively. She looked spectacular.


    "You look incredible, much better than I imagined"


    At his words of praise, Carol blushed and almost instinctively pulled the cloak back to its original position to cover her body. Still, she refrained and let him look a bit longer until embarrassment caught up with her, and she began to move and test how the suit felt on her body.


    She stretched a bit, testing her mobility. It was like a second skin.


    Daniel watched her for a moment before looking away. The suit seemed to have no issues.


    With a satisfied smile, Carol threw a few punches into the air, not putting any real force behind them, just to test the suit''s mobility. After a moment, when she was sure everything was in order, she nodded to herself, silently confirming that the suit was perfect for her use.


    "Are you ready?"


    Daniel''s words made her turn to look at him, causing her to briefly widen her eyes.


    Carol didn''t know when, but Daniel had entered the farmhouse and changed into his own version of the suit. His old suit had undergone several upgrades, resembling more closely the one Carol was now wearing. Blue armor plates covered his vital areas, and the fabric design was very similar, but unlike Carol''s, the colors were brighter and clearer.


    His face now had a slightly different mask, although it didn''t cover as much as hers did. It was easy to notice that the change had been made so that the mask Carol was now wearing wouldn''t attract as much attention once people saw her with it. They would simply think it was he own change in appearance.


    in both suits, the silver-toned D on the chest remained the same.


    Carol took a deep breath before nodding; she had prepared for this moment for many nights. She was ready.


    "Then let''s go" they both entered a state of super speed, their tall figures disappearing in a silent blur, leaving Smallville behind in moments.


    .


    .


    .


    During the first few hours of that night, both of them patrolled the nearby cities. Daniel watched from above while Carol dealt with crimes and accidents.


    She had learned well and was good at putting it into practice. She only had to intervene once when she accidentally sent a thief flying into the sky. He wasn''t too high up, and the thief would have only suffered some minor fractures. Still, it served as a reminder for her to be more careful, and she seemed to quickly learn from her mistake.


    Watching her rescue a family from an overturned car, Daniel couldn''t help but nod in approval. She seemed to be taking this quite seriously and appeared to be enjoying every moment of it. The smile on her face was the most noticeable evidence of that.


    He looked up and saw the moon shining high in the sky. Perhaps they should take a short break.


    .


    .


    .


    "Then I had to break some of the metal around the door to get them out. I hope they won''t be upset when they notice" Carol finished recounting her experience of saving the family in the car and took a final bite of the sandwich Daniel had offered her; he had prepared some for both of them.


    Daniel nodded, taking a bite of his own food before speaking.


    Both had taken off their masks to eat properly. Daniel had completely forgotten to adjust the design of both masks for that, as he usually didn''t eat anything when acting as Defiant. It was an oversight, and he would have to redesign them later to make it more comfortable.


    "It''ll be fine. In cases like these, I doubt they''ll be upset. But if they are, don''t pay attention to it. They''re safe, and that''s all that should matter"


    Carol nodded, feeling that he was right. She shook her hands and stood at the edge of the place where they were, admiring the views of the city below her feet.


    They were on the tallest building in Metropolis, the Daily Planet, more precisely on the enormous golden globe that adorned its top.


    She had never been so high before. It was a little disconcerting, but also fascinating.


    Thinking about everything she had done tonight, she couldn''t help but feel a sense of happiness flooding her chest.


    In a short time, she had saved countless people, visited cities she didn''t know before, and seen completely new landscapes. Living through so many different experiences, and the tension she felt when saving lives, was enlightening in her mind.


    Using her powers, her gifts, so freely had reaffirmed something within her. She had always known it was right.


    That she was destined for more, that all the things that made her different, the things that had prevented her from living like others, were there for a reason.


    And now she knew it. Looking down from the heights of the sky, she knew that this was where she was meant to be.


    She closed her eyes and let the moonlight hit her face. Whether it was the sun or the moon, the light they both emitted always comforted her and made her feel more alive.


    From the side, Daniel glanced at her, seeing how her body enjoyed the moonlight, and he couldn''t help but think of something.


    Since they started training, whenever there was a clear view of the moon and no clouds obstructing it, Carol''s performance seemed to be better.


    ''Moonlight? No... the moon is just a mirror, and what''s reflected on it is just sunlight!''


    He opened his eyes slightly, having an idea.


    Many times Daniel had argued with Carol about her alien physiology. Although he had never delved too deeply into certain things, some had stuck with him.


    Carol always mentioned that sunny days were her favorites, and nights with a full moon were when she could rest the best.


    At first, it had been a passing assumption, but now he felt as if a vague memory returned to his mind.


    He needed to test it.


    "Have you ever flown?" Daniel''s question made Carol turn to look at him with some confusion before shaking her head.


    "I''ve lived in Smallville all my life. The farthest I''ve gone is to Metropolis, and that was in Dad''s old truck"


    At least until tonight. She couldn''t say for sure, but she had probably traveled the distance from Smallville to Metropolis dozens of times in different directions.


    "Do you want to try it?" Daniel extended his hand to Carol, causing her eyes to widen with astonishment. She looked at the hand reaching out to her and without hesitation, took it firmly.


    Daniel tightened his grip and began to ascend slowly at first.


    Soon, the height increased, and with it, the speed. The city beneath their feet grew smaller, and the night sky above them became clearer.


    Carol opened her eyes, admiring the views. It was beautiful, magnificent in every sense.


    The higher they climbed, the more evident the beauty of the world beneath them became.


    Soon, they were beyond the atmosphere. The air disappeared completely, but that wasn''t a problem for them. Carol didn''t even notice it; it was as if breathing had always been optional.


    The cold of the vacuum of space was also something she didn''t pay attention to. No, all her attention was focused on the beautiful blue sphere that she could now appreciate in all its splendor.


    Reflected in its infinite oceans, she could see the moon. She couldn''t help but turn her head toward the natural satellite, her blue eyes reflecting its shape, and its gentle light making her feel calm.


    Unnoticed by her, Daniel moved them a little further away, and soon the rays of the sun began to be visible rising from the curvature of the Earth.


    He touched her shoulder, and she looked at him in confusion until he pointed back to Earth, and she turned her gaze.


    Then she saw it, rising from the horizon, the solar system''s mother star greeted her in all its glory.


    Carol felt the warm golden rays of the sun hit her face without any obstacle.


    Soon, her whole body was covered by them. Every cell in her body seemed to suddenly awaken, vibrating in anticipation. Then they began to devour energy eagerly, like a hungry man tasting a bite for the first time in weeks.


    Her face reddened slightly. She had never felt hunger or thirst, or at least she thought she hadn''t until this moment. She didn''t know what drunkenness was, but she felt it must be something like this.


    Her cloudy eyes looked toward the sun, its light warming the world with kindness. For a second, she imagined herself going to it and taking a bite, as if it were the most delicious fruit in the world. That mental image was so tempting that it was almost impossible for her to look away.


    Nevertheless, she did, even in her state of frenzy. Her head turned, and her blue eyes looked at Daniel, who was beside her. The sunlight illuminated the right side of his face gently, and from the left, the moonlight reflected off his dark hair, creating a contrast between them, making his features seem ethereal.


    his blue eyes met her, and the slight smile at the corner of his lips made her blush even more, bringing a bit of shyness, but somehow she found herself unable to look away even if she wanted to.


    As if seeing him was even more tempting than the sun in front of them.


    Her heart beat fiercely and uncontrollably, a rush of emotions crashing against her without her being able to stop it, causing a growing warmth to spread throughout her body.


    She had never experienced anything like it; it was like a mix of feelings that she couldn''t name and that made her heart threaten to burst out of her chest.


    Something she couldn''t name but was sure she never wanted to let go of.


    It was fantastic.


    At the same time, her senses seemed to amplify; she could feel the energy of the sun being sucked into her, how it was devoured and consumed by every cell in her body with a voracious hunger.


    She could feel Daniel''s touch, how his hand held hers, and she could hear his heart beating strongly and firmly.


    Her own heart seemed eager, and without being able to avoid it, she felt how her own beats synchronized with his, her dilated pupils looked at him with fascination as if it were the first time she had ever seen him.


    Her face reddened even more, and without her noticing it, something inside her changed, it was an imperceptible change to anyone else, but Daniel, who was close to her, could feel how the gravitational field shifted around her.


    It was a familiar yet unknown sensation; Daniel could detect it because it was very similar to what happened when he activated his own ability to fly.


    For Carol, it might have seemed like years, but for Daniel, it all happened in seconds, from when they reached space until the sun hit Carol, Daniel''s attention had been focused on the possible effects that the direct light of the solar system''s mother star could have on her.


    But apart from a blush on her cheeks, a slight tremor, and a lost look, it didn''t seem like anything else had happened to her.


    Nothing until gravity suddenly started bending around her.


    Unbeknownst to her, her body began to float on its own in the vacuum of space.


    With an idea in mind, Daniel slowly let his own flying ability fade away, thus allowing Carol to hold them both in the vacuum of space.


    After a few more minutes, Carol snapped out of her trance, blinking in confusion, feeling something strange. She looked at Daniel, who still smiled, but this time she could detect a hint of amusement in his eyes.


    She slowly looked at him carefully, noticing how his body seemed to drift aimlessly, with her hand grip being the only thing keeping him tethered to her.


    Why was he holding onto her when it should be the other way around?


    A mischievous smile spread across Daniel''s face, causing Carol to slightly widen her eyes. Then she felt his grip on her hand loosen until only a couple of fingers kept them connected, and his body began to fall towards the Earth, threatening to break away at any moment.


    Panic surged within her, and by pure instinct, her body moved forward, propelled by itself. Her arms stretched out, pulling Daniel''s body against hers in panic, the impulse causing them to drift dozens of meters away from their previous position, straight back into the Earth''s atmosphere.


    It was then that she realized what she had done and looked to where she had been just a second ago. How had she moved?


    It wasn''t until now that she noticed something strange happening around her body. A peculiar sensation enveloped her like a soft blanket, and somehow, she knew that she could now move in any direction she desired.


    "It seems like flying isn''t as exclusive as you thought" Daniel spoke after they returned to the atmosphere. He had wanted to say something earlier, but in space, there is no sound. Maybe he should invent something to fix that.


    Upon his words, Carol fully understood what was happening. Her eyes widened with amazement and excitement, a huge smile spreading across her face.


    "I can fly!" she exclaimed excitedly, shaking with joy. But suddenly, the soft blanket-like sensation around her vanished abruptly, pulling her out of her excitement.


    They both began to be pulled by Earth''s gravity, falling towards it faster and faster.


    "Woaa?!" Feeling the increasing gravitational pull dragging them towards Earth, Carol quickly moved closer to Daniel, holding him tightly in her arms, with evident panic.


    "Why aren''t you flying?!" her question was understandable, and Daniel had to struggle a bit to free his face, which was buried between her breasts, to speak.


    "I think it''s a great moment for a new lesson!" he said aloud, his voice filled with clear joy.


    His arms tightened around her waist firmly, and looking directly at her, he said.


    "So for some strange reason, I seem to have forgotten how to fly, and I won''t regain that ability until we land, so now we''re depending on you! So you better start flying, birdie, or we''re both going to feel the impact!" It was a poor lie, Daniel knew it, and Carol knew it. Her pupils shrank, and she couldn''t help but let out a panicked scream.


    "You''re not capable!"


    "Oh, believe me, you have no idea what I''m capable of" he winked, and despite the situation, Carol couldn''t help but blush.


    "Don''t worry, it will hurt, of course, but we''ll survive" his words of comfort didn''t help Carol at all.


    It got worse when she felt the friction starting to take effect, and she saw flames beginning to engulf their bodies, their speed increasing more and more.


    She closed her eyes tightly, holding Daniel closer to her and tried to concentrate.


    She tried to feel that soft sensation enveloping her again, but no matter how hard she tried, it didn''t work.


    Due to nervousness, her body trembled slightly, and Daniel stopped smiling.


    His hands rose and held Carol''s face between them.


    "Listen, don''t let fear or panic dominate your mind. Remember that moment, that instant up there, every sensation, every feeling, that boundless freedom. Just bring it back and let it flow through you. You can do it, I believe in you!"


    Listening to his words and his sincere confidence in her, Carol took a deep breath, making her body stop trembling and relax completely, returning to that moment, that moment where it was just the two of them on top of the world.


    Their hearts beating in unison and their eyes locked on each other. All those unknown feelings blossoming inside her and that overwhelming warmth flooding every part of her body.


    The perfect memory of every moment came back to her with force as if she were experiencing it for the first time.


    Her eyes opened again, her dilated pupils shining in crimson light as they looked at Daniel for a moment before gravity was once again overpowered, and all the acceleration and inertia were forcefully canceled.


    Their bodies remained static in the sky of the planet, gently floating above the clouds.


    Suspended at the top of the world.


    Carol breathed heavily, and soon a smile formed on her face, a cry of joy followed by uncontrollable laughter filled Daniel''s ears.


    Carol spun and danced in the air, clinging to Daniel tightly, almost squeezing him.


    She felt incredible, every emotion, every feeling, everything seemed to course through her body and linger within her as she floated in the air, making her feel like she could do anything.


    She felt invincible.


    "W-we''ll have to add flight practice to your training" Daniel struggled to speak, Carol was hugging him so tightly that if he didn''t have superhuman lung capacity, he would have already passed out from lack of oxygen.


    Still, he didn''t complain. Seeing her so excited was strangely comforting. She seemed to enjoy it much more than he had anticipated. Perhaps the sensations they both experienced while flying were different?


    For him, flying was simply like breathing, something natural and something he could just do automatically. Simply instinctive.


    Putting that aside, there was something more important to think about. His theory had been confirmed, and with it, that faint memory that had come to him.


    The energy of the sun made her stronger, and her powers were linked to it. A direct dose not only had awakened a new ability, but feeling her crushing hug, Daniel could tell she had become a little physically stronger.


    He didn''t know if this was temporary or not, but it was certainly amazing.


    He wondered how it worked exactly, but he didn''t dwell too much on it. Biology was complicated, not to mention alien biology. Trying to understand it right now was futile. As long as it worked, the how didn''t matter for now.


    Somewhat clumsily, Carol brought them back to the ground. She still couldn''t maneuver in the same way as Daniel, but she was a quick learner.


    Due to all the excitement, Daniel completely forgot to warn her about the landing, and before he could stop it, they crashed into the roof of their farmhouse, creating a huge hole in it... again.


    "I''m sorry!" Carol apologized, looking at the hole in the roof, and Daniel could only sigh.


    "Don''t worry, I''ll fix it later," he thought about whether he should add a layer of V-element to the roof but dismissed the idea. He didn''t have enough raw material to waste it like that. The hole was huge.


    He''d have to go shopping again, maybe reinforce it a little more just in case.


    Seeing that he didn''t seem upset with her, Carol sighed. She hadn''t expected landing to be so complicated. It seemed much easier when Daniel did it.


    She looked at the sky, which was beginning to be illuminated by the rays of the sun, and couldn''t help but remember that moment. She almost started flying again but forced herself to stay on the ground. It was uncomfortable. If it was possible, she wanted to go back up there and spend the rest of her life feeling those emotions all the time.


    But she didn''t need to. Her gaze turned to Daniel, who was examining the broken roof. She scanned his face, every feature of it, his blue eyes, his black and soft hair.


    She felt her face flush, and her body relaxed. Those unfamiliar emotions seemed to come back to her with full force, as if she were flying once again in the sky.


    Yes, she didn''t need to go back up there. She had her own sky down here.


    .


    .


    .


    Carol returned home, and Daniel watched her leave before returning to the farmhouse, more precisely to his workshop.


    The lights turned on by themselves, and the monitors sprung to life instantly.


    Dozens of news channels welcomed him with incessant chatter.


    "Is there any important news?" In response to his question, a female face formed by a three-dimensional model came to life on one of the monitors.


    "Just the usual accidents, sir, nothing noteworthy except for one thing" the voice was clearly synthetic but still bore traces of a British accent.


    "Oh? Did something interesting happen?" Daniel sat down at his work desk and looked at the face with curiosity.


    "Yes, it seems that the individual known as Tony Stark was found a few hours ago in the desert of Afghanistan. The United States Army is escorting him back; he should be back soon"


    Daniel paused for a moment before smiling.


    "So, he''s back, huh... Well, keep a close eye on what he does. Stay on top of any news about him and let me know if he does anything interesting"


    "Of course, sir" the response was prompt, and Daniel nodded in satisfaction.


    "Thank you, Overwatch."


    .


    .


    .


    11,600 words


    12,300 words in English.


    Note :


    A greeting to those who supported me on Ko-fi, this chapter should have reached you a day or two before being officially published. I hope you enjoyed it. I can''t do much to repay your help other than this, so again, thank you very much for your support.


    I''ve been thinking about sending one or two chapters in advance to those who donate there, although if the number of people is too large, I may have some issues because I''m not sure if there''s a way to send an email to different people at the same time. I''ll have to look into it.


    Note 2: New illustration.


    I''ve also taken the time to create a more suitable illustration of Defiant. I think this could be the final "design," but with how indecisive I am, I''ll probably make some changes, I don''t know. I also want to create illustrations of other characters, whether it''s Carol or the variants of already known characters.


    I''ll have to make time for it. Depending on where you''re reading this, you might see the new image below, or you''ll need to look at it by following the link provided, or you can directly view the image on my Ko-fi page at /emmapress


    Link:ko-fi com/i/IC0C1WAIME


    Just add the dot,.I''m sorry if it''s complicated, some sites don''t allow links in the chapters.

 13: Calm before the storm

    13: Calm before the storm


    March 15, 2007.


    "And for that reason, I declare that Stark Industries'' weapons department will cease its operations" Tony Stark''s voice echoed in the conference room, a silence of disbelief lingered for half a second before reporters began to exclaim loudly, questions started to rain from all sides, their voices almost becoming unintelligible due to the cacophony of sounds.


    Tony ignored them, let the microphone in his hand fall to the ground, and began to leave without looking back, what he had to say had been said.


    His personal bodyguard, Happy, helped him leave the place, escorting him to the car prepared to take him home, he needed a good rest.


    "Tell me, Happy, has anything interesting happened while I was away? What new things are happening in the world" as he sat in the back seat of his car, he couldn''t help but ask, months without contact with the outside world had made him miss even the most basic news that he usually ignored.


    Besides, he didn''t want to be in silence, silence meant getting lost in his memories and that wasn''t something he needed right now, it was better to catch up with Happy.


    "Well, my favorite donut shop closed last week and I almost lost a bet with-" Tony quickly interrupted Happy.


    "I was talking about real news" the bodyguard coughed and awkwardly cleared his throat.


    "Uh - yeah, everything has been quiet, besides the appearance of the first real superhero, there''s nothing else worth mentioning, the world remains the same as always, boss"


    Tony nodded absentmindedly before his tired brain processed what Happy had said and blinked in confusion.


    Did he hear that right?


    "The first what?"


    .


    .


    .


    Daniel looked at the hamburger in his hand, whether it was the appearance or the smell, everything was top-notch quality. He couldn''t help but swallow saliva and without further ado, he took a big bite.


    Whether it was the bread, the meat, or the vegetables in it, everything was amazingly delicious.


    "I have to thank Carol later," her cooking level was over nine thousand, although he was still learning on his own, he was far from comparing himself to someone who had been experimenting with cooking since she was a child.


    He finished his meal faster than he would have liked, felt the cool morning breeze, and knew it was time to get back to work.


    Another morning, another day saving the world, he looked at the city beneath his feet, getting ready to act but everything seemed calm.


    That made him furrow his brow a bit, he didn''t like too much calmness, that only foreshadowed trouble.


    Not far from him, a large screen on the side of a building began to broadcast the latest news.


    "After the return of the famous billionaire genius Tony Stark, Stark Industries'' weapons division is in an uncertain state, the declaration of its immediate closure has had a negative impact on the stock market..."


    Daniel glanced thoughtfully, this morning he had watched the press conference and so far, it was the most talked-about news.


    Although he expected Tony''s return, he certainly didn''t expect it to be like this.


    The military market would change drastically because of his actions, he didn''t know if that was good or not considering he was planning to venture into it in the not-too-distant future.


    He didn''t know exactly what Tony had experienced in Afghanistan, but it seemed to have affected him quite a bit, such a change left many people uncertain, many believed this was the end of Stark Industries.


    Daniel laughed at that thought, he didn''t believe that would happen. No, Stark Industries wouldn''t fall so easily.


    If Tony was half as smart as he claimed, then he would be able to at least save his company and make the change he was looking for a reality.


    And Daniel believed the man could do it.


    Looking at the graph representing Stark Industries'' stocks, which were now displayed on the news screen, he couldn''t help but consider investing in it.


    It was risky, investing now that the company''s stocks were falling could bring him profits later on while it could also make him lose a lot if he was wrong. He truly believed Stark would recover from this, but he didn''t know exactly how long it would take.


    He decided to postpone it a little longer, for now, observing was better.


    On the other hand, a car was about to hit a school bus, without hesitation, he accelerated at full speed.


    .


    .


    .


    Smallville, Kansas.


    Greg was worried. His mother had scolded him again; normally she left him alone, but her patience seemed to have run out when she found the videos and photos he had been taking of Lana; she didn''t like that at all.


    She had destroyed everything and demanded that he take his insects with him; he had argued with her, but in the end, he couldn''t go against her. That''s how he found himself having to pack up his pets and cramming them into his old car.


    They barely fit, and he didn''t know where the heck he was going to leave them; he didn''t want to just dump them in the forest; they deserved better.


    He looked at the aquarium where he had locked up his fireflies; their splendid intense green glow caught his attention.


    There were no insects like these anywhere else; he had found them as a child near one of the craters that the meteor shower had caused deep in the forest.


    All the insects around that place seemed to glow with that intense green color in one way or another; it had taken him some time, but he had managed to capture most of them. They were all his pets, unique and unparalleled in the world.


    And now he had to get rid of them because of his mother.


    Just the thought made him grit his teeth, but soon his anger faded, and instead, helplessness filled him.


    Maybe he could find an abandoned cabin or something.


    Thinking about it, he decided to head to the forest; he started his car and set off without noticing how not far from him, a red truck began to follow him.


    Soon both vehicles left the town, Greg didn''t realize that his life was about to change forever.


    Soon Greg''s car veered off the road onto a dirt path that led into the forest; he drove as far as he could, but soon he had to stop the car.


    He looked at the dark forest not far away and gritted his teeth; he would have to search on foot, but the chances of finding a good place to take his insects were almost nil.


    While he was lost in his thoughts, a hand grabbed him by the neck through the car window and roughly slammed him against the steering wheel, disorienting him.


    The door opened, and Greg was thrown to the ground with force, causing a groan of pain to escape his lips.


    He shook his head and looked at his attacker; there he was, Whitney Fordman, looking furious.


    Lana Lang''s boyfriend raised his fist and punched Greg''s face hard, easily breaking his nose.


    Greg, who hadn''t even managed to get up from the ground, could only wriggle like a worm in agony.


    "I warned you, you son of a bitch! I told you to stay away from her!" Three other guys arrived at the scene, Whitney''s friends who had been accompanying him, and together they began to beat Greg on the ground.


    Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    He screamed and pleaded; tears and snot fell from his face, but it did little to avoid his fate.


    "Enough!" Whitney stopped them all and looked at the bloody Greg on the ground; he crouched down, approaching his ear, and spoke in a low voice.


    "I know what you did, you invaded her privacy, entered her house, and were stupid enough to leave something behind; now she''s scared, and it''s all your fault, but no more, I''ve been too soft on you; you''ve crossed the line"


    Whitney stood up, thinking about what he should do to make Greg understand the weight of his actions.


    "Hey, look at this!" one of his friends shouted, and they all turned to look at him; he pulled a fish tank from Greg''s car, brightly green insects flying inside, and then Whitney got an idea.


    With a malicious smile, he looked at Greg on the ground and spoke.


    "You really love your insects, don''t you? Then let me help you get closer to them"


    .


    .


    .


    Tony looked at the images projected in front of him carefully; he had to force himself to blink once he felt his eyes burning.


    It hadn''t been long since he returned; things had been hectic, and he had thought about unwinding a bit before starting his new project.


    The news he had received and the images he had been gathering for the past hour had taken away any need for rest.


    Of all things, the fact that a hero, straight out of a bad comic book wearing a damn cape, had decided to show up to start saving the day was extremely surreal.


    Even with the evidence in front of him, Tony had to reassure himself several times that this was real.


    "How are those calculations going, Jarvis?" When he turned his head, another projected screen unfolded, on it a series of extremely complex calculations could be seen. Every second, the calculations changed, mathematical formulas came and went, which would be almost impossible for others but for Tony, it was easy; he could keep up with the fast pace of the changing numbers without missing anything.


    "The images lack the necessary detail to obtain precise calculations; so far, I have only achieved a theoretical measurement, sir"


    Looking at the numbers, Tony couldn''t help but furrow his brows. So far, he had been analyzing every action, every display of superhuman power; everything screamed illogical, nothing he had done should be possible to do.


    But it was, he was there flying around the world with a cape.


    When he flew back from Afghanistan in the plane, Tony had thought a lot about what he wanted to do, and his armor had been the thing that had been on his mind the most, but the ideas he had had so far regarding it would have to be modified, even if they were theoretical calculations, the numbers made something clear, if he didn''t want to fall behind this "hero" he would have to improve beyond what he had planned.


    After all, he couldn''t let a guy in tights hog all the attention.


    Even if he didn''t actually wear tights.


    .


    .


    .


    "Are you okay? You seem distracted" Daniel stopped looking out the window of the restaurant where he was and looked at the blonde sitting in front of him, he thought for a moment before responding.


    "I have a strange feeling, I don''t know how to explain it, I just feel like something irritating is about to approach me"


    The blonde rolled her eyes and pointed at him with the fork in her hand.


    "You know, if I had had that feeling before I met you, I could have prepared in advance for the headaches I now have"


    Daniel looked at her, more precisely at her face; the tiredness in her eyes was clear, as were the dark circles beginning to appear under them.


    "If you feel it''s too much, I can try to find more people"


    Harleen scoffed and took a bite of her steak.


    "If there were more people, you would have brought them already; I can handle this, I just have to get used to the extra workload."


    Daniel didn''t refute; he had already told her there was no one else, and if he suddenly started presenting options, she would become suspicious of him.


    Since Daniel contacted Harleen Quinzel, several days had passed. During this time, he had to meet with her several times; Killgrave''s victims, despite being only ordinary humans, were still dangerous.


    Leaving Harleen alone to deal with them was stupid, so he had to make time in his schedule to accompany her while she examined them.


    They had all been placed in a villa he had rented; he had obtained the necessary equipment and had been adapting the place with Harleen''s help and her printer machine.


    To say that it was difficult to get in and even more to get out was an understatement.


    His finances had even suffered a bit, but in the end, it was something that had to be done.


    Those people needed help, and so far, progress was going well; it helped that they trusted him and were willing to move forward.


    Harleen''s job was just to make sure to deal with any possible side effects that Killgrave''s power could have on them, to analyze how they were affected, and if possible, to find ways to treat similar abilities if she ever found them.


    After all, this world still had to show its true face; Daniel didn''t believe that Killgrave would be the only superhuman he would encounter or that only he would have such powers.


    Harleen finished chewing and looked at the sunset; it was almost time for her to return to Rykers, she couldn''t help but get a little excited, not about returning, but about how she had been doing it.


    "How long do you think you''ll need for them to be able to return to their lives?" At the question, Harleen looked at him, his dark blue eyes always had that seriousness when talking about helping others; she almost forgot to answer but quickly came back to herself.


    "Without ''Killgrave'' in the equation, the chemical imbalance in their brains is beginning to stabilize; I believe that with the medication I have given them, they will be able to recover enough to have a quiet life in a few months, at least those who spent less time with him; the others... well, that''s more complicated"


    Despite Daniel''s help, Harleen still had to take risks, ask for favors, and use some of Rykers'' facilities to help her with the victims'' treatment.


    It was slow, slower than doing it conventionally, but it was what she had to work with; she had managed to isolate some samples of the remaining pheromones in the victims'' bodies; she had realized how dangerous this was.


    She had to work personally and see the damage this had caused firsthand to understand how serious the matter was, and that''s why she was careful; if someone managed to replicate Killgrave''s pheromones on a large scale, then things could get very bad.


    It was important; she was doing something important; it was... hard to describe, that feeling, she had always wanted to do something special, to be special, and somehow now she felt like she was doing it, helping Defiant, she felt like she was helping the world.


    So failing was not an option; she wanted to do it right, to prove that her trust in her was correct, that it was not a mistake to choose her.


    "But even if it''s complicated, I can solve it; I just need a little time"


    Although she started with confidence, she couldn''t help but lose a little of it at the end; she didn''t know if Daniel would be willing to wait; he had already done a lot helping her every step of the way so far, she feared that he wouldn''t want to keep waiting.


    Daniel smiled and spoke clearly.


    "if it''s time what you want, then I''ll do whatever it takes for you to get it, whatever you need, no matter what it is, just tell me, and I''ll find a way to get it; we''re in this together, so I''ll help you no matter what, trust me"


    so any doubts or fears she kept inside disappeared; she didn''t know how to describe it, but somehow his words were enough to make her fully believe in him.


    Her heart beat faster; her face reddened, and she almost looked away.


    "You''re quite eloquent; if I were a high school girl, I''d be jumping into your arms right now" At her words, Daniel laughed, but his serious gaze returned.


    "I''m just speaking the truth; I''m here to help you, I got you into this even knowing you have your own responsibilities, I''m taking away time you could be using for yourself; I think it''s right that you can ask for something in return."


    Daniel wasn''t saying this in jest; these days, he had come to know her a little more; she was a good person; before, he hadn''t cared about her original fate, but now, he had changed his mind, he wanted to save her.


    Harleen smiled, she seemed to think a little before speaking.


    "Well, I have a few things in mind, but I think I''ll keep them to myself for now; for now, it''s enough that you keep taking me to these places for dinner; Rykers doesn''t have the best menu"


    Daniel nodded; inviting someone to dinner as payment for their help wasn''t much, but if it was what she wanted, then he didn''t mind doing it.


    "Next time, I''ll take you to a better place; I know a pretty decent one in Tokyo"


    Harleen blinked and laughed as if he were joking; Daniel let her, she would understand when the time came.


    .


    Soon they finished dinner, and without anyone noticing, they ended up on top of a building, Daniel had changed back into his suit.


    Harleen looked at the views ahead of them and couldn''t help but whistle.


    "No matter how many times I see it, the views from up high are always fascinating"


    Daniel stood beside her and nodded.


    Even if it wasn''t the highest place, it still gave him that calm feeling he got while being in the sky.


    Harleen turned to look at him; one couldn''t tell by the mask, but Defiant was quite handsome, albeit somewhat youthful. She hadn''t asked his age, but she didn''t think he was older than her. Of course, Harleen also didn''t imagine that he was younger than her.


    "Come on, you still need to rest." Looking at the sun completely hidden on the horizon, Harleen nodded. She worked and lived in Rykers; getting out of there was quite complicated due to the strict security, which was why Daniel had been taking her back and forth every day, something she didn''t complain about at all.


    With a smile, she leaped toward him, and Daniel had to catch her carefully.


    "Come on! This is the best part!"


    Daniel caught her excitement, adjusted his grip on her, and took off into the sky. Harleen let out a cheer of joy as she felt the wind hitting her face and saw the sky beyond the clouds.


    She loved flying.


    .


    .


    .


    .


    .


    .


    He tried to move, but it was useless; his hands and feet were tied. He struggled, but only ended up hurting himself. His eyes were blindfolded, so he only saw darkness, yet his heart pounded hard. He didn''t need to see them; he could hear them. They were there, confined along with him.


    Those buzzing sounds, the noise of their legs as they walked, the fluttering of their wings.


    He could feel them crawling over every inch of his body. Then it began; due to his agitation, one of them became irritated


    Its bite felt like hot iron pincers squeezing his skin. He screamed, but his mouth was blocked. He writhed in pain, causing more of them to attack him.


    Dozens of insects of different species began to sting him, bite him, and inject their venom into him. Unbeknownst to him, light flooded the place where he was trapped, and with each sting, his veins began to emanate that same light.


    The different types of venom traveled through his bloodstream, making his heart visible through his skin.


    It glowed in a noticeable green color.


    His skin began to turn pale, blood began to trickle from his ears, nose, mouth, and other orifices.


    Somehow, he broke the ropes that bound him; his body convulsed, and the metal twisted. The trash container in which he was confined began to deform, and then everything stopped.


    For a moment, nothing happened. Then a fist punched, sending the lid of the container flying.


    Covered in garbage and dead insects, Greg staggered out of his prison. His bloodshot eyes stared at the dark sky, and his mouth opened impossibly wide, to the point where the skin of his cheeks threatened to tear.


    A sound like that of a thousand insects singing flooded the night like a distorted roar.


    The twisted body of what once was Greg staggered. With each step he took, his posture became firmer, and soon he was walking easily. The wounds, bruises, and cuts disappeared, and his skin regained some color.


    Yet his eyes were different; a bright green tint could be seen in them.


    "Whitney..." his voice buzzed, echoing in the area. The hatred and malice contained in it were surpassed only by anger.


    He would make him pay.


    .


    .


    .


    .


    .


    .


    Note:


    a short chapter.

 14: Metamorphosis

    14: Metamorphosis


    March 16, 2007.


    In the end, Daniel had bought some stocks from Stark Industries, which almost put him in the red. He had been spending a lot lately and would soon have to find ways to start making money legitimately.


    "Will I have to dust off my degree?"


    He had never expected to have to practice his profession again, and certainly it wouldn''t be as easy now that he had to obtain his certification again.


    Fortunately, these were just idle thoughts. With his plans in motion, he wouldn''t really have to get that job, or any kind of job.


    If he really needed it, he would just go diving for a few hours in search of some treasure or something like that.


    For now, that building in the distance seemed to be emitting too much smoke. Without hesitation, he hurried towards it.


    .


    .


    .


    "The fire was quickly controlled by Defiant, authorities still unaware of its origin, but thanks to the hero''s swift intervention, there are no casualties, and material damage is also kept to a minimum"


    Carol watched the images broadcasted on the news from her cellphone, chewing her lunch with interest. She saw Daniel exhaling icy air, easily extinguishing the fire, and wondered how he did it.


    Although he had taught her a lot during the past few days, it seemed he had skipped this part; she would have to ask him later.


    "Things seem to be going quite well, don''t they?" Chloe''s voice caught Carol''s attention, who turned to look at her, raising an eyebrow.


    Chloe pointed at the images on the phone.


    "You know, it''s been months since he appeared, and so far, everything seems fine. I just wonder how long it will last"


    That made Carol furrow her eyebrows.


    "What do you mean?"


    Chloe looked at her while taking a sip of water.


    "A lot of people on the internet have been placing bets on when the first villain will appear or something like that. Many believe that since a comic book hero appeared in real life, it''s likely there''ll be someone or something like him to oppose him, like a supervillain or a monster."


    Carol rolled her eyes; she wanted to tell Chloe that this wasn''t a comic, that monsters didn''t just appear out of nowhere in real life.


    But before she could say anything, Chloe kept talking.


    "I think it''ll happen, sooner or later, something will go wrong. You know, this isn''t a utopia. I like heroes like everyone else, but if we''re realistic, for every yin, there''s a yang. The question is, where is that yang? What motivations will it have? Will it be another person with superpowers? Or something else?"


    Chloe began theorizing non-stop; as an aspiring journalist, extraordinary cases had always been her favorite. It''s why she spent her time searching for and compiling data on Smallville''s mysteries.


    Carol shook her head; monster or villain, it didn''t matter; Daniel would take care of them.


    She had faith in that.


    .


    .


    .


    Malibu, California.


    In Tony Stark''s mansion.


    The man himself chewed on a slice of pizza as he watched the recent images broadcasted by the news.


    "Joule-Thomson effect. He has superhuman lung capacity, but how can he have such control over air pressure in his lungs?" Tony wasn''t a doctor or a biologist; his specialty was machines and everything related to them. Nevertheless, he had recently been studying a lot about anatomy.


    How could a living organism have such capabilities? He didn''t know yet, but if he wanted not only to match but surpass it, he had to understand where its limits lay.


    Which was easier said than done, but that was the fun part; if things were too easy, it wouldn''t be worth it.


    With this new discovery, Tony pondered on how to counteract or match it. He glanced at the designs he had been working on; most of the projections in front of him were discarded. He kept the basics of what he had already started and began anew.


    "I''ll need a different alloy, something to help counteract the low temperatures..."


    Thinking about it, he remembered a satellite he had designed not too long ago.


    "That will do"


    Ideas began to flow into his mind; it seemed he would be busy for a while longer.


    "All right, Jarvis, prepare more coffee; it looks like we won''t be sleeping tonight"


    .


    .


    .


    His skin twisted, his stomach growled, he could feel his bones breaking and rejoining.


    Something was different, something was changing.


    Greg groaned in pain as he writhed in his bed; he was hungry, so hungry.


    "Greg! Where are you, you damn brat! The principal just called me because you''re not in class!"


    The door to his room was forcefully opened; the resounding thud as it hit the wall echoed in his ears. Bright green eyes snapped open forcefully, black veins covering his sclera.


    He swallowed, the scent of fresh meat filling his nostrils.


    "Listen to me very well, young man¡ª" his mother''s voice was cut off when he stood up, horror beginning to fill her face as she looked at him. Before a piercing scream could escape her mouth, her neck was firmly gripped.


    The 17-year-old teenager effortlessly lifted his mother''s chubby body into the air.


    Despite the pain, despite the hunger, Greg felt better than ever, much better.


    His body was changing, something inside him had awakened, he could feel it, writhing under his skin, flooding his bloodstream, coursing through every inch of his body.


    It was a metamorphosis.


    His mouth opened; what were once human teeth had transformed into sharp fangs. There was no thought, only instinct; with a single bite, his mother''s head was separated from her body with a crunch.


    Blood dripped, bathing the floor of the room. Unable to stop himself, he kept chewing; bite by bite, the body disappeared, leaving only a red stain on the floor.


    Greg licked the blood from his lips, feeling his body flooded with warmth, feeling his strength increase, his veins pulsating with bright green energy.


    "Hahaha!" he laughed uproariously; he had never felt so good.


    He clenched his fist, raised his arm, and watched as the muscles bulged.


    He had changed; he was something different, something superior.


    Remembering how all of this happened, he couldn''t help but growl, the sound of his voice reverberating through the silent house like the screech of a thousand insects.


    He would make Whitney beg; he would make him suffer. He would kill him, and then Lana would be his, only his.


    Whether she liked it or not.


    .


    .


    .


    Classes had come to an end. Chloe stretched, closed her notebook, and began packing her things.


    The bell continued ringing for a few more seconds before stopping; everyone started leaving in a hurry, many stumbling over each other.


    Chloe chuckled at them; boys, always in a rush.


    "So, will you help me?" Chloe''s question was directed at Carol, who was also leisurely gathering her belongings beside her.


    While they were in class, Chloe had mentioned to Carol about a lead she had. Smallville had always been full of strange mysteries, and mostly people didn''t care about them. Chloe thought differently; as an aspiring journalist, she believed it was her duty to inform people with the truth, whether a mystery was real or false. It was her duty to investigate and report.


    Carol didn''t know how to politely decline; she had been helping Chloe since they were kids, often getting her out of trouble and assisting her without her realizing it. They were friends, best friends, and spending time together had always been fun.


    But that time had passed; Carol had more important things to do now.


    For a long time, she had always followed Chloe because she never had much to do on her own, there was no purpose or anything to occupy her time. Not until now; now she had responsibilities. She had promised Daniel that she would keep an eye on Metropolis whenever she had time.


    She wasn''t obligated to do it; she could simply spend an hour patrolling, and that would be enough. But she felt that would be inadequate; she hadn''t been training so hard just to casually stroll through the city and go home afterward.


    She felt that would disappoint him, that for some reason, he would think less of her that way.


    Maybe it wasn''t as altruistic a reason as the classic comic book heroes had, but then again, it all started with the simple desire to use her powers freely.


    "I don''t know, Chloe, I might have something to do"


    Chloe stayed still; surprise couldn''t be hidden from her face as she looked at Carol, staring at her without blinking.


    She had known this girl all her life; she never had anything to do. Suspicions began to fill her mind along with dozens of questions.


    The curiosity rooted in her soul ignited; after all, she was an aspiring journalist, being nosy and gossipy were just some of her traits.


    She touched her chin thoughtfully as she approached Carol more than she should have.


    Carol took a step back, her expression darkening.


    "What''s wrong?"


    "hmmm"


    Chloe half-closed her eyes, sighed, and then smiled.


    "Never mind, if you''re busy, it''s okay. Anyway, it''s not something that requires much help"


    While being nosy was one of her traits, Carol was her friend. If she wanted to tell her about something important, she would. So, she didn''t give it much thought for now.


    Soon, they exited the classroom. Walking through the school hallways was routine, although they would soon bid farewell to them; this was their last year, graduation was approaching, along with the final exams.


    They soon approached the main door; Carol furrowed her brows, her nose wrinkled. There was a strange smell in the air, she looked toward the entrance, the smell coming from outside the school.


    .


    In the school parking lot, Whitney laughed with his friends, his arm around his girlfriend''s shoulders.


    Everyone seemed happier; the boys looked at each other as if they knew something the others didn''t, and the girls simply caught the good mood.


    "We''ll have the tryouts soon. If we get great results, those sports scholarships will be ours."


    The tryouts were a senior year game where several representatives and famous talent scouts would attend. It was their only chance to excel, and all the members of the school''s football team had been preparing for this for months.


    Whitney was excited yet worried; he smiled along with the others, but he couldn''t help the doubts creeping into his mind.


    This was his chance, the path that would take him out of this town, the road to greatness.


    As he thought about his future, a shiver ran down his spine as a strange smell reached his nose. He wasn''t the only one who noticed it; his friends and even his girlfriend wrinkled their noses in disgust.


    "Where the hell is that smell coming from?" one of his friends covered his nose with clear annoyance, looked around, and noticed a strange figure, covered by a black hoodie, standing not far from them.


    "Hey, asshole! Go home and take a damn bath, you stink!" Everyone turned to look in the direction of the shout; it was clear that the smell was coming from there once they became aware of it.


    Whitney frowned; the figure was somewhat familiar yet unfamiliar. It was tall, even taller than him, even though it seemed to be hunched with its head down, the hoodie barely fitting, as if it were forced against its body.


    It seemed like someone you didn''t want to mess with, but none of those present were afraid; they were several and they were athletes, picking on others was their thing, not the other way around.


    "You didn''t hear me?!" Being ignored, Whitney''s friend became furious. He walked with firm steps to the strange figure and looked him in the face; then his angry expression gave way to a confused one, which soon changed to one of shock, with fear and bewilderment beginning to appear in his eyes.


    "You¡ª" Before he could say more, a hand shot out at great speed, grabbing him by the neck and lifting his 1.8-meter body as if it weighed nothing.


    The boy began to choke, making strange noises as he was strangled.


    "What the hell!" Whitney and his friends were alarmed and began to hurry, but before they could do anything, a disgusting crunch was heard.


    The boy''s neck, who had been captured, seemed to have broken; his body stopped struggling, becoming motionless.


    People around looked at the scene in astonishment; students began to walk away, some simply stood in their places not knowing what to do, and there were others who had not yet realized what was happening.


    The figure shook its hand, and the body flew easily dozens of meters, crashing against a car, denting the metal with its body and causing the car to overturn.


    The girls screamed, the boys stepped back, and people watched with wide eyes the clear display of strength this time no one could ignore what was happening.


    "It''s good to meet again" the deep voice accompanied by a buzzing sent chills down the spines of everyone present.


    Greg took off the hood, causing screams of fear and shock to flood the place. Black veins pulsating with green light and cracks in his skin oozing black blood could be seen on his face; his eyes, with a completely black sclera, had turned green, but not a normal green, but a sickly one.


    Perhaps the most terrifying thing was the large amount of red blood covering his jaw and mouth, dripping as if it were still fresh.


    Whitney''s eyes widened; his face paled as he recognized the face in front of him, even with the changes he had undergone.


    "Greg?!"


    .


    Carol heard screams, the sound of something hitting heavily against metal, and then more screams. She wanted to run towards the doors, but Chloe was still by her side; she couldn''t simply vanish at super speed with her present.


    So, she had to run at the speed of ordinary humans. Chloe followed closely, both curious about whatever was happening.


    When they reached the door, Carol had to stand in front of Chloe to shield her. A body flew towards them with great force and speed. Carol caught it easily without being affected, but when she looked at the boy in her arms, she couldn''t help but immediately let him go.


    The corpse, with a huge hole where his heart should be, fell to the ground, staining the place with blood.


    Whitney''s lifeless eyes stared back at them.


    Chloe let out a heart-wrenching scream, falling to the ground. The shock of the scene was hard to digest. Carol, who had never seen a corpse before, stood still, looking at the blood on her hands in confusion.


    Then she heard more screams. She hesitated for a moment before acting at super speed and knocking out Chloe. Fortunately, her control of her strength was good enough now. Daniel had taught her how to knock out a person easily, which was very useful for dealing with criminals or, in this case, witnesses who could be a nuisance.


    She took Chloe to an empty room and made sure she was comfortable before leaving. She went out through the main door, greeted by pure chaos.


    Students ran without stopping. Some had fallen to the ground screaming, and others had been pushed aside so that someone else could run first.


    Carol focused her gaze on the center of all the commotion. Several corpses lay scattered around a figure, all brutally murdered in different ways.


    Heads torn off, bodies split in half, or pierced.


    The sight was disconcerting, but Carol focused her attention on the culprit.


    Holding a girl by the hair, whom Carol recognized as Lana Lang, was what could only be described as a monster.


    His whole appearance was unpleasant in several ways. Carol, more than anyone, could see it in detail, and that disgusting smell she had been smelling came from him.


    Lana screamed, trying to fight, but no matter how hard she tried, the grip on her hair didn''t loosen at all.


    Greg brought his face close to hers, a long, black tongue coming out of his mouth giving Lana''s cheek a long lick, making her scream even more.


    "Come on, don''t scream. You''ll thank me soon"


    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    It was almost time, soon they could be together forever.


    Greg smiled, a smile that froze when he felt a hand squeezing his neck tightly.


    The grip was like steel pliers tightening around him. His eyes turned only for a pair of burning red irises to meet his gaze. This exchange lasted less than half a second; the next instant, a fist struck Greg''s face with such force that a sonic boom followed. Flesh broke, red and black blood mixed with fragments of green flew, just like Greg''s body.


    Carol held Lana, her hair now shorter than before. She had broken Greg''s grip on her by simply cutting her hair quickly with her heat vision.


    Lana coughed, blinked confusedly. Everything had happened so quickly that her eyes couldn''t register it at all.


    "Are you okay?" The question didn''t even register properly in her mind due to shock; she just nodded dumbly.


    "Go to a safe place" Before she could say anything else, the hands holding her disappeared. She staggered, almost falling to the ground, but managed to stabilize herself.


    She blinked even more confused. What the hell had happened?


    She looked around; there was no one left, everyone had run away without looking back.


    She didn''t hesitate and also started to run, tears beginning to fall from her face.


    .


    .


    .


    Carol followed the trail left by the body of the monster she had sent flying with a punch. It had gone beyond the school grounds, breaking several obstacles and reaching the forest.


    She looked at the entrance to the forest and the trail of destroyed trees. She was about to enter and continue when an unfamiliar sensation reached her through her arm.


    She raised the fist with which she had hit Greg and saw blood stains on it. The red and black didn''t matter much, but when she saw the green color, something inside her stirred.


    She could see vapor coming out of her fist and her skin turning red. The pain was something new, but unlike when she was hit by Daniel, this felt wrong. She had heard that there were different types of pain, but experiencing it firsthand was always revealing.


    From the forest, a roar mixed with screeches and buzzing echoed everywhere. The sound was so unpleasant that Carol had to cover her ears; windows and glass within several kilometers suddenly shattered.


    Heavy footsteps were heard, the vegetation shook, and several trees were forcefully moved, torn from their roots.


    Greg emerged from the forest looking even more unpleasant than before.


    Where Carol had hit him, the skin broke, peeling off his body and revealing a kind of black exoskeleton underneath.


    But that wasn''t all; the rest of his skin began to bulge and deform as if something inside wanted to get out.


    "Who the hell are you?" he roared.


    Carol adjusted the hood of her trench coat and the scarf over her face. She wasn''t so foolish as to act without at least trying to cover her face.


    She would return Chloe''s scarf later.


    Greg breathed heavily, each exhaled breath sending strong gusts of air that lifted dust, leaves, and debris everywhere.


    It was as if he expected an answer, but Carol wasn''t someone of many words. She clenched her fists and got into position.


    Although she had many questions and doubts, she didn''t think about starting a conversation. First, she would hit him, and then she would figure out the rest.


    Seeing himself ignored, the primitive fury in Greg grew even more. His already fragmented mind began to visibly deteriorate; his muscles swelled, black veins pulsating with green energy protruding from them. Then he took a step forward.


    The ground sank, his body disappeared from his position, leaving only dust in his wake.


    She saw his attack coming, although Greg was fast, he wasn''t fast enough. She easily dodged the monstrous body, and her fist connected with his stomach. The air exploded, and Greg was instantly sent back into the forest.


    Carol prepared to follow him, but suddenly she felt nauseous. She frowned and looked at her fist covered in blood; something was wrong. She quickly shook her hand forcefully, Greg''s blood flew off, and her fist seemed to be clean again.


    She looked at her knuckles; her skin was red, as if something had irritated or burned it. Vapor was coming out of it, but soon its normal color returned, and the irritating pain disappeared.


    His blood was hurting her.


    This was an unexpected revelation; she needed to be careful. Quickly, she ventured into the forest; she didn''t want to prolong this more than necessary.


    Greg writhed; half of his body was buried in the ground, all the skin on his abdomen had broken, and the blood went from mixed colors to predominantly green.


    As if it were acid, everything splashed by it began to visibly melt at high speed, creating clouds of vapor around it.


    The ground exploded, and Greg freed his body from its burial, growling with anger and pain.


    Carol appeared not far from him, watching as his skin broke, his body grew, and pieces of black exoskeleton were gradually revealed.


    From the lower part of his back, a scorpion-like tail suddenly grew, swaying behind him. The skin on the tips of his fingers broke, and black claws extended like sharp blades from each one.


    On his face, a pair of additional black eyes with green pupils grew, and on his forehead, a pair of long, thin antennas emerged.


    Every passing second, he resembled more and more an insect.


    Even faster than before, Greg leaped forward, leaving behind a sonic explosion.


    Faster than any human could perceive, they moved around each other. Carol dodged every attack effortlessly, then struck, but this time Greg didn''t go flying. The exoskeleton on his body made a dull noise when hit, and cracks opened, allowing the green liquid to seep through. Still, his body remained firm, and his deformed hand struck Carol''s face.


    Claws that could have torn through steel were shattered when faced with something harder than any metal on earth.


    Greg screamed and recoiled, looking at his shattered hand.


    Carol would have mocked him if she hadn''t taken a step back herself. Green blood splattered her face, and vapor began to pour relentlessly from her skin; the scarf on her face mostly melted.


    She used the sleeve of her trench coat to wipe her face as best she could. The fabric made of Element V resisted the corrosive effect of the blood, but vapor could still be seen coming from it too.


    The screams of pain drew her attention back to her opponent. There she saw blood gushing from the broken limb; then suddenly, the stump swelled, his exoskeleton broke, and grotesque white flesh mixed with green blood shot out. In less than a second, a new hand grew where the previous one had been, replacing the limb with a new one.


    Greg observed his new hand with fascination.


    Beyond humanity, the pinnacle of evolution, he had transcended.


    His stomach growled; primitive hunger began to assail him again. His body was still changing; he hadn''t finished evolving yet; he could go even further.


    He swallowed, black saliva dripped from his mouth; he needed to eat more.


    Controlled by his most primitive instincts, he ran forward without hesitation, towards the nearest source of food.


    Carol clicked her tongue at seeing him coming again; her eyes glowed crimson, the heat increased, and a pair of high-temperature beams were fired.


    Greg saw the attack coming and barely managed to dodge, but his left arm was hit; the extreme heat easily pierced his exoskeleton, cleanly severing the limb.


    The pain didn''t stop him; he advanced without hesitation and soon found himself facing Carol again. She didn''t stop using her heat vision; she turned her head quickly, cutting through everything in her path like a hot knife through butter.


    Still, thanks to the short distance, Greg managed to duck, avoiding the heat rays, and struck forcefully. His claws met against Carol''s side, seeking to tear through her body.


    But all that happened was that his claws broke upon contact, the exoskeleton shattered, and blood gushed out.


    Carol stopped shooting her rays and tried to lean back to dodge the splash.


    She barely stepped away, yet found herself covered in green blood.


    She grimaced at the burning sensation on her skin. Fortunately, the trench coat protected most of her body, so she didn''t suffer as much as she could have if she were only wearing her regular clothes.


    She prepared to shoot her heat vision again; her eyes glowed crimson, and the temperature increased. However, unlike before, the rays didn''t shoot out of her eyes.


    "Wha¡ª?" she blinked, confused.


    Before she could seek an answer, Greg pounced on her once again. The arm that was cut off had regrown, and the claws of his other hand had returned to their previous state.


    The speed at which his body recovered was beyond possible.


    Carol attacked without thinking; all those lessons with Daniel had instilled basic fighting instincts in her body.


    She found herself face to face with Greg; her fist shot through the monster''s chest cleanly, flesh and organs forcefully expelled.


    Carol opened her eyes in surprise; due to haste and panic, she hadn''t controlled her strength when hitting, and now it seemed like she had accidentally killed her opponent.


    She withdrew her arm from the body and stepped back several paces. Suddenly, she felt dizzy, not enough to lose her balance, but enough to notice it.


    She looked at the blood covering her; it shimmered, not from sunlight or its reflection, but because the blood was producing its own light.


    Each drop splattered during their brief encounter seemed to glow with its own energy. She looked around; the entire ground where she stood seemed to shimmer in green.


    She felt wrong, felt different; it was like she was... ill?


    It was a completely unfamiliar and new sensation, and she could only name it because everything she felt now related to the symptoms she had heard humans suffer when they got sick.


    She had to get out of here.


    She took a step back, but a buzzing that irritated her ears caught her attention.


    Greg stood up again; vapor escaped uncontrollably from his chest. Flesh grew back, his exoskeleton repaired, and a bright green heart beat again.


    His eyes stared at her, devoid of humanity.


    Flesh exploded from his sides; a sudden pair of extra hands grew. His ever-changing body grew larger, doubling his previous size, tearing apart the little skin that once belonged to a human.


    Now there was nothing left of that.


    Between the separations of his exoskeleton, the green light intensified, pulses of unknown energy flooded the place.


    Carol barely managed to cross her hands in front of her.


    Greg''s fist met her arms; the shockwave sent bursts of air that tore dozens of trees around them. The ground shook, and Carol was thrown hundreds of meters back.


    The buzzing of wings flapping at high speed came from all directions. Carol focused her sight, following the blurry figure moving in circles around her.


    Wherever it passed, the air exploded, sonic booms filled the place.


    Carol suddenly ducked; where her head had been, a hand swiftly passed. Kinetic energy sent bursts of wind that destroyed everything in its path.


    In a second, dozens of similar attacks came from all directions. Carol maneuvered through them; he was fast, but not that fast. Still, she felt like something had changed.


    Her breath had become heavy, sweat fell from her forehead for some reason.


    Was she tired?


    That should be impossible, but it was happening, Carol dodged the scorpion-like tail that sought to strike her, then her hand caught it and squeezed tightly, breaking the exoskeleton in her grip.


    She dragged Greg to the ground, crashing him with force.


    The tail detached, and Carol threw it aside, avoiding the blood.


    She thought she would have a moment of respite, but Greg shot out of the crater his body had created, seeming even faster than before. Dragonfly-like wings fluttered on his back, creating a buzzing sound as he passed.


    Carol raised her arm to block Greg''s charge; her body bent slightly backward, her feet sinking into the ground, and she was forced to retreat several meters.


    She looked at her arm; the trench coat had been torn to shreds, and thin red lines had formed on her skin. Greg''s claws had cut her.


    She didn''t have time to register the pain; Greg kept attacking like a frenzied beast, no technique, just primal instincts guiding his body.


    He was unpredictable, and Carol found herself forced to be on the defensive more than she''d like.


    This time, she didn''t try to block any more blows; she simply focused on dodging as best she could, which became increasingly difficult. She didn''t know if it was because her enemy was getting stronger or because she was getting weaker.


    She had already guessed that the blood was the main problem¡ªno, now it wasn''t just the blood; the insect monster pulsed with energy, energy that seemed to make her sick.


    If this wasn''t happening, she would have ended this fight already.


    She clicked her tongue, shaking her head to let one of Greg''s fists pass inches from her face.


    That was too close; she couldn''t continue like this.


    Second by second, Carol felt the fight getting harder. She barely dodged a blow, and a long cut appeared on her left shoulder.


    Blood sprayed, and Carol screamed; this time the wound was deeper.


    "Shit!"


    She held her shoulder and couldn''t help but breathe heavily. She hadn''t gotten used to the pain yet; she could ignore it until now because it was mostly superficial, but this wound was different.


    She almost fell to her knees but managed to stay standing. She wasn''t going to collapse because of a wound, even if tears threatened to spill from her eyes.


    Greg didn''t ignore Carol''s moment of weakness; he lunged toward her without pause, his four arms striking and sending her flying through the forest.


    Her body broke through all obstacles in her path until she forced herself to stop.


    Her vision was somewhat blurry; she saw drops of blood falling to the ground and held her head; she was bleeding.


    She looked at her palm stained with red and couldn''t help but tremble. She had never felt any kind of danger in her life.


    Nothing had ever hurt her; nothing had ever frightened her.


    Until now. For the first time in her existence, she felt that she could die.


    Tears fell from her eyes uncontrollably; feeling real fear for the first time in her life was something she wasn''t prepared for.


    The fact that her body burned in pain didn''t help at all; every passing second felt worse.


    Her breathing became erratic; she looked up and saw Greg approaching quickly.


    She wouldn''t die here; she couldn''t, not when her life finally had meaning.


    "?GrrrrZzzzkweeeRrrr!" Greg roared, the sound he emitted was as if a million different insects were chirping and whistling at the same time.


    "?Haaaaahhh!" Carol also screamed, her voice full of rage. Her foot stomped the ground, causing it to sink, and she launched forward at great speed.


    The two met in the air; there was an explosion, and the surrounding terrain collapsed.


    Carol spat blood; her body flew through the air. She tried to fly, to stay upright to avoid falling, but like her heat vision, her flying ability seemed subdued.


    She barely kept herself in the air for half a second before she began to fall again, crashing to the ground and raising a cloud of dust.


    She coughed forcefully, clutching her stomach. All the air in her lungs had been forcibly expelled, and she could feel something inside her break, something fracture.


    The pain was so agonizing that she fell to her knees on the ground.


    A cry of pain escaped her mouth; she began to hyperventilate, writhing on the ground for a brief moment.


    Panic began to set in.


    She lifted her gaze and saw Greg getting up from where he had fallen; any wounds, any blows he might have received seemed to have disappeared.


    Even though green blood covered him.


    Time seemed to slow down for Carol; fear, panic, and fear flooded her mind for a brief moment, and all intention of fighting vanished from her mind.


    She sidestepped, dodging the attack coming toward her, her mind entering a state of flight.


    Without hesitation, she began to run.


    Carol might be from space, with powers beyond any human, but at the end of the day, she was just a teenager.


    A girl who had never experienced fear, difficulties, or real struggles.


    While other kids played, fell, got hurt, and then got back up, she remained the same; she never fell, never got hurt, and that''s why she never learned to stand up on her own.


    When others got sick, weakened, and lacked strength, she always stayed healthy, always strong, never sick, never weak.


    So she never learned to overcome weakness, never learned what it''s like to feel at the lowest point and still get up and try.


    But now, now it was different; she could feel it in every inch of her body, in every cell that made her up, how power escaped from her, slipping through her fingers without her being able to do anything to stop it.


    For the first time in her life, she could feel what all humans have experienced countless times,


    Weakness.


    She gritted her teeth, feeling the taste of blood in her mouth, the pain in her body, each sensation worse than the last.


    She dodged another blow, rolled on the ground, and jumped to avoid being hit; every abrupt movement sent waves of pain through her body, her wounds burned, causing her to grimace involuntarily.


    Her mind began to cloud, desperation starting to take root in her, but she managed to keep it at bay.


    She tried to use her flight, her heat vision, anything, but her strength had diminished so much that it was as if her powers refused to listen to her.


    She clenched her fist, dodged another blow, and countered; there was a sonic boom, then Greg''s body went flying dozens of meters, hitting a huge rock in the distance.


    But even if she couldn''t use her other abilities, she was still strong, but she didn''t know if that was enough.


    She didn''t believe it was enough.


    She wasn''t going to win this.


    So she ran; she knew the monster would get up again, nothing she did, no matter how strong the blow, seemed to work. That thing, that monster, kept getting up, while she kept getting weaker.


    The forest turned into a disaster; the fight hadn''t lasted more than three minutes, but that short period of time was enough to make the whole place look like a war zone.


    Fortunately, they were far from the town; Carol didn''t know what she would do if she had to worry about anyone else apart from herself.


    Carol dodged, rolled, and jumped; she made every move she could to avoid being hit again, despite her fear, panic, and growing weakness, she never thought of stopping moving.


    Because no matter how bad the situation was, how much fear she felt, or how much pain her body suffered,


    one thought kept coming to her mind.


    Daniel would save her.


    From the moment she realized she couldn''t win, this thought had been gaining more and more strength in her mind, echoing in her thoughts.


    It wasn''t a question or a doubt; it was a fact.


    She dodged another blow and looked at the insect monster in front of her.


    Her ragged breath calmed, her dizzy mind sharpened again, and the panic she had been feeling diminished.


    Why had she been so worried?


    The confusion she had been experiencing over the whole situation cleared from her mind; she pushed away the dark thoughts, and the fear subsided. Her senses focused again, even if her enemy seemed faster with each passing moment, she still managed to keep up with him.


    Weak as she was, she hadn''t lost yet.


    She took a step to the left, twisted her waist, and crouched down; dozens of attacks attempted to hit her but only managed to graze her.


    She had to keep standing because Daniel would save her. He would; that was a fact, there were no doubts in her mind about it, it wasn''t hope because hope implied waiting for something that might or might not happen.


    For her, it was an absolute certainty. She trusted this fact, this belief, so much that it made her fears completely diminish, her panic vanish, and the pain in her body numb.


    She had been panicking for no reason; she wouldn''t die here.


    She smiled, her white teeth stained with blood, her tears had dried up, and her eyes shone red once more, even if faintly.


    Somehow, for a moment, she felt stronger.


    She easily dodged another attack and struck back; the black exoskeleton broke, blood splattered, but this time, Carol quickly moved away from it.


    Greg didn''t retreat despite being wounded again. He kept attacking with ferocity, frantically, and beastly.


    But it didn''t matter; Carol dodged every attack skillfully, using the minimal amount of movement required. She prevented her wounds from worsening and spent less energy.


    Everything around them turned into a whirlwind of destruction, but Carol navigated through it without blinking.


    Although her strength decreased every second for a reason she couldn''t comprehend, she had already calculated the speed at which it was happening and had begun to adjust her movements accordingly.


    Using short and direct movements, focusing on conserving her stamina, preventing her existing wounds from worsening, and not receiving new ones.


    She took a step back, twisted her body slightly, and then counterattacked once more.


    Her fist struck Greg''s face with all the force she still had; his face broke, and his teeth flew out along with his two pairs of eyes.


    The monster''s neck cracked, and his body fell to the ground, rolling dozens of meters away until it stopped.


    He struggled to get up, vapor coming out of his face along with a brighter green light; he was healing once again.


    Carol took a deep breath and stood in a comfortable, firm position on her feet.


    Daniel would save her, but until that moment came, she had to stay alive.


    She had to keep fighting.


    After all, how could he save her if she was dead?


    Greg lunged at her once again; his face had left behind any semblance of humanity, six eyes stared at her with ravenous hunger, the lower part of his face was replaced by a pair of insectoid mandibles with the rest covered by a sturdier exoskeleton.


    Four arms, a tail, and two legs attacked her from all directions; he was fast and agile, unafraid of hurting himself, pure animal instinct guiding each movement.


    Carol blocked, dodged, and parried all the attacks as best she could.


    Her leg shot out, hitting the monster''s side with a precise kick; the exoskeleton cracked, visible fissures on its surface.


    She didn''t stop; she struck his head again, sending him to the ground. Without giving him time to react, she pounced on him and kept hitting him over and over again.


    He tried to push her away, but Carol evaded his attempts and kept hitting him; his tail rose, trying to stab her, but she sidestepped it and grabbed it with both hands.


    Then she threw him with force; the monster sailed through the air until hitting a mountainside, creating a huge crater.


    The earth exploded; Greg stood up again and flapped his wings, the buzz reverberated through the forest, echoing everywhere.


    He launched himself again, ready to keep fighting. Carol saw him approaching, about to raise her guard once more, but before she could, a sonic explosion was heard coming from the sky.


    Before Greg could react, a figure sailed through the air at high speed, hitting his back against the ground with such force that his body split in two.


    The ground sank, hundreds of meters of earth and rocks forcefully compressed by the impact, creating a small earthquake that was felt throughout smallville


    Carol sighed, her shoulders relaxed, and her arms fell to her sides.


    She looked at the figure that arrived in front of her in an instant and smiled broadly.


    "I''m here" Daniel said, looking her up and down with a furrowed brow.


    How had she injured herself like that?


    "I know" Carol replied, her body relaxing and the tension in her muscles disappearing. She almost stumbled, but Daniel held her, preventing her from falling to the ground.


    "Come on, we need to treat those wounds" he began to adjust his grip on her to carry her, but Carol shook her head and raised her hand towards the crater that Daniel had made upon his arrival.


    Daniel turned around and saw a green glow illuminating through the dust.


    A dark shadow stood up, its shattered body beginning to rapidly reconstruct itself.


    Daniel looked at him interestedly. He had been wandering the streets of Tokyo when Overwatch sent an alert to his cell phone, the one he had modified to use with his identity as Defiant.


    He couldn''t be everywhere at once, so he prioritized certain places and events, relying on Overwatch. One of those places was Smallville, the town didn''t have a large number of officers, but they did have an alert system that recorded all calls and police reports in the area.


    Whether it was a minor offense like littering or something as serious as murder, Overwatch kept track of everything and informed Daniel based on the severity, according to the criteria he had imposed.


    A mass murder in front of Smallville High School set off all of Overwatch''s alarms instantly.


    Daniel knew what had happened as soon as students and teachers began frantically calling the authorities.


    So he hurried back, but as fast as he was, he was still on the other side of the world and had found out maybe a minute or two after the fact.


    He didn''t expect such a large battle to have taken place in that short period of time.


    What a disaster.


    It wasn''t the time to think about it; he needed to focus on the main cause of all this. He focused his gaze on his enemy.


    He was sure that blow had shattered his body into several pieces, so how was he still alive?


    "GrrrrZzzzkweeeRrrr!" the monster roared, emerald light beginning to emit from it in increasing amounts.


    "Did you destroy his head?" Daniel''s question made Carol look at him confusedly before shaking her head.


    "No, I just... pierced his heart" remembering that moment, she couldn''t help but furrow her brows in disgust.


    "I see" Daniel''s figure blurred, leaving only a residual image where he had been before. His body accelerated, arriving in front of Greg in an instant.


    The insect monster opened its eyes in disbelief, its pupils shrinking, and its instincts screaming at it to run.


    But before it could do so, a gloved fist covered its vision.


    The fist struck with great force, the exoskeleton resisting for a brief moment before shattering into pieces in the next instant, green blood splattering along with flesh and brain matter.


    The over three-meter-tall body trembled for a moment before falling like a puppet with its strings cut.


    Daniel waited for a moment; there were different types of super-regeneration, those that needed a core and those that didn''t.


    The former, though troublesome, still had a clear weakness; the latter was more complicated. Perhaps only a trip to the sun could guarantee dealing with types like those.


    Fortunately, it seemed he had hit the mark this time. The body convulsed for a few more seconds before staying still, the green glow in its body beginning to fade.


    He felt a bit disappointed; Daniel had expected a more challenging fight. Although thinking about it, maybe someone else had the fight. Looking around, he couldn''t help but raise an eyebrow at the scene; the place looked like a battlefield ravaged by a typhoon.


    Cleaning this up would be a disaster, but first he needed to help a girl.


    He quickly reached Carol''s side.


    "How did you get hurt like that?" That was the question that puzzled him the most. While the insect monster might have been strong by human standards, Daniel, who had killed it, knew it shouldn''t have been a problem for Carol.


    Carol shook her head, she was confused too.


    "I don''t know, it''s like being near him made me sick, I¡ª" Carol stumbled over her words, her face paling, and she almost started to vomit.


    Now that she wasn''t in the middle of a fight, she couldn''t continue to ignore the symptoms.


    Daniel took her in his arms and flew high into the sky, passing through the clouds and soon beyond the atmosphere.


    He let the sun help her; visibly, the wounds on her body began to heal. Carol sighed, relaxing and closing her eyes.


    As she regained her strength, Daniel looked towards the earth.


    He hadn''t expected something like this to happen, much less so close to where he lived. He knew this world wasn''t normal, but monsters? He hoped it wouldn''t become routine.


    He thought about his disadvantages; did this have something to do with them? But maybe this didn''t happen because of him; he looked at Carol, maybe this had much more to do with her.


    Whatever the answer was, he would find out.


    .


    .


    .


    Note:


    The effort to make this chapter was quite exhausting; there were many ideas I wanted to include but, for one reason or another, couldn''t combine properly. In reality, I was going to have over ten thousand words, but I had to delete many things, haha. Well, the final result doesn''t disgust me, so I think that''s enough. What do you think?


    I want to thank the people from Ko-fi again. This chapter should have reached you a few hours or even a day before its official release. If you donated to me through Ko-fi and didn''t realize the chapter arrived via email, I recommend adding my email to your contacts because that''s how I send the chapters in advance.


    I hope to find a better method soon.

 15: Discoveries

    15: Discoveries


    Smallville was in chaos, pinpointing a particular reason would be difficult as many important events had occurred in a short amount of time.


    The murder of students in front of the high school was a localized chaos, not many people beyond those present and the officers who began to head there had an idea of what had happened.


    Then, a horrible sound, like the screeching of a million insects, swept through, causing that all the crystals in kilometers around to suddenly shatter. That was a general chaos, one that affected Smallville and a bit beyond.


    Next came the tremors, like continuous earthquakes that began to shake the town for two or three minutes culminating in a roar that made everything before it pale in comparison, a real earthquake that only lasted a few seconds but brought the small rural town into even greater chaos than before.


    The inhabitants of Smallville were scared, confused, but above all doubtful, what the hell had happened?


    On the grounds of Smallville School, Carol arrived running, her destroyed clothes had been changed, and an identical trench coat to the one she had been wearing all day replaced the previous one.


    Carol took a breath before entering the school through a window, which was easy since they all had broken glass.


    She easily sneaked into the room where she had left Chloe, using her super hearing to check the situation inside before entering.


    Chloe was still unconscious, she seemed, the girl hadn''t woken up despite all the chaos that had occurred, and Carol had to wonder if she had hit her too hard.


    The steady beats of her heart and her calm breathing didn''t seem to indicate anything wrong so she could only attribute it to Chloe having a heavy sleep or something similar.


    Carol approached her, adjusted her better, and sat next to her, that was all she needed to do.


    Change, return to school, and wait with Chloe, her alibi was that Chloe had fainted upon witnessing what happened in front of the school and Carol had carried her to hide together in an empty classroom inside.


    Now she just had to wait for the police to arrive and give her statement.


    There were no cameras in the school and before entering the room with Chloe, Carol had made a quick trip to where Whitney''s body was, she had touched him for a few moments, so she had to make sure she hadn''t left any fingerprints.


    Her superhuman sight made it easy for her to detect such things, she only needed a second to check before she was sure it was okay.


    Now she just had to wait, she wanted to do more, help more, but Daniel had told her he would take care of it, that he would clean up this mess, that she only needed to do her part and avoid suspicion.


    She felt a bit useless but didn''t argue with him, Daniel knew better, he would know what to do she trusted him so she just had to do what he said and everything would be fine.


    .


    .


    .


    Daniel didn''t know what the hell to do. Of course, he first made sure to do what he did know how to do.


    He arrived at the battlefield and without hesitation began to freeze everything. Bloodstains? Freeze. Insectoid body parts? Freeze. Anything, no matter how insignificant, received the treatment of being frozen at super speed.


    The battlefield was extensive, and there was a lot of biological material left behind, mainly from the insect monster.


    Daniel took a minute, thirty seconds to find everything he could by going at super speed, combing the area with teeth so fine he surprised himself.


    Everything he could gather was quickly taken to a secure area deep in the woods. He couldn''t take it home directly; it was too much. So he traveled at least a hundred and fifty kilometers until he found a deep and large enough cave where he stuffed everything and sealed it with his icy breath.


    The ice was so thick and deep that it would give him enough time to think of something else.


    For now, he needed to calm the waters in Smallville. Everything that had happened would undoubtedly attract too much attention. He wasn''t too worried about himself, but Carol and her family were a completely different matter.


    If someone were to discover her secret, her true origins, the damn spaceship in her barn...


    To say things would go south would be an understatement.


    That''s when he didn''t know what to do, how to fix this. How could he divert attention from everything? As he flew back, his brain started to think quickly.


    "Divert attention?"


    He looked at himself. Wasn''t he the biggest attention attractor in the world right now?


    He didn''t have to clarify everything or give explanations. He just had to confuse them enough so that suspicions fell on him, not in a bad way, just in a way that people would assume all the strange things that happened had to do with him.


    To create the perfect lie, you just had to add some truth to it and let the other part do the remaining work. At least that''s what his brother used to say.


    And so far, none of his advice had failed him... mostly.


    .


    .


    .


    That day, Daniel arrived in Smallville as Defiant. The aftermath of Carol''s battle created accidents and structural damage in some parts of the town. Daniel made sure to reach those places and start helping with the cleanup.


    Meanwhile, the authorities had arrived at Smallville High School.


    The scene was strange in many ways. Witnesses claimed that a monster had attacked the students, and the descriptions were consistent: humanoid form with insectoid characteristics.


    Greg wasn''t very popular at school and didn''t have friends. No one managed to recognize him truly from a distance and with the severe aesthetic changes he underwent.


    Probably the only ones who could recognize him were Whitney and Lana.


    Under any other circumstances, claims of a monster appearing would be dismissed and filed away. But news that Defiant was in town spread quickly.


    When something extraordinary already exists in the world, everything becomes possible.


    For a long time, people had been waiting for someone or something else like Defiant to appear. Many believed he was unique, but the most astute could see a new era coming, a wave that would change the world.


    As people arrived at the site where Carol fought, rumors and claims that Defiant had battled the monster that appeared at the high school grew louder.


    The students were the most vocal. Their thinking was simple: a monster killing people and a superhero appearing in the same place? Then the superhero took care of it and was now helping the townspeople.


    In addition to Carol and Chloe, many other people had hidden in the school¡ªsome teachers, some students. Their situation was neither unique nor strange, so they were grouped as indirect witnesses.


    Those who attracted the most attention were those at the scene, the direct witnesses, and standing out among them was Lana Lang, who was currently giving her statement.


    "I-it was like the skin on his body was a disguise, it bulged and twisted as if it wanted to peel off, I thought I was going to die, but then someone saved me. I couldn''t see who it was, it was too fast. One moment that thing had me in its hands, and the next, something hit it hard, and I was safe"


    Her statements simply reinforced the rumor of Defiant facing the monster as what had happened.


    Lana had forgotten to mention that the person who saved her had spoken to her. She had also forgotten to mention that what she heard was a woman''s voice. It wasn''t intentional omission¡ªher boyfriend and all her friends had been brutally murdered in front of her by her stalker.


    She was still in shock, and recalling every exact detail was difficult; she just wanted to go home.


    The police weren''t harsh with her. She was just a girl who had no guilt in this. It helped that Smallville was a small town where people knew each other. The older officers had seen Lana grow up, as well as many of the other kids in town.


    Some knew her aunt.


    They didn''t make things difficult for her.


    Thanks to her statements, they could put a name to the monster: Greg Arkin. Without hesitation, they went to his house, where they found another crime scene. Although there was no body, the bloodstains were enough indication.


    After that, they couldn''t find any more clues.


    Why Greg had turned into a monster and how he had done it were mysteries they couldn''t solve.


    It was something extraordinary, something beyond them, so they decided to close the case. There was no point in searching for a reason for impossible things.


    With no leads and no trails to follow, they could only withdraw. Until something else happened, this case would remain unresolved.


    .


    .


    .


    "Did I really faint?" Chloe took a sip of her coffee as she looked at Carol. They were still at the school. Due to the seriousness of the situation and the shortage of staff, the officers took a while to take statements. They were just finishing, and the parents of the students were taking longer to arrive due to the aftermath that hit the town.


    "yes, you just collapsed. I had to drag you, which wasn''t easy. Maybe you need to go on a diet" Carol said, trying to lighten the mood, but Chloe remained incredulous.


    She, an aspiring reporter, had fainted just from seeing a corpse? She had missed the most significant event since the meteor shower because she was too scared?


    In some way, she couldn''t believe it, but she had to. This was a harsh blow to her. How could she be a reporter if a corpse scared her so much she fainted? She didn''t want to be callous, but a reporter encountered chilling scenes all the time. She had researched a lot about it and seen many photos online. She knew what she could encounter and see, and she thought she was ready. It seemed she was wrong.


    From the side, Carol watched as Chloe seemed frustrated with herself, and she could only apologize internally. This was for her own good. Chloe would understand.


    "Carol!" Her parents'' voices made Carol lift her head and turn in their direction. The police officers began to let the students'' relatives through to pick them up.


    Carol stood up and patted Chloe''s shoulder.


    "Your dad should be here soon. It''s better for you to rest and not dwell on this too much, okay? Fear... isn''t easy to overcome" This time, Carol''s words had something truly genuine in them¡ªfear, a word she had ignored but had now come to understand. Somehow, it made her more aware of some things.


    Distractedly, Chloe nodded with her head still bowed. Carol sighed before turning around and going to her parents.


    They rushed to hug her immediately.


    "Are you okay?" Carol nodded, patting her mother''s back.


    "Everything''s fine. You know nothing bad can happen to me" Her mother sighed in relief, and her father glanced around before approaching and whispering so only the three of them could hear.


    "Were you involved in this?"


    Carol knew this question was coming, and without blinking, she completely denied it.


    "No, I just made sure Chloe was safe, and we hid together"


    Her parents seemed much more relieved with that response.


    "That''s good, that''s fine" Jonathan Kent said before starting to lead his family to their truck.


    "You did the right thing, Carol. This was very dangerous. I heard some kind of monster attacked the students, and that... hero took care of it. It''s too close; you need to be careful. Don''t use your abilities until all of this calms down, understand?"


    Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    Her father warned her as he opened the van door. His gaze was serious and severe. Carol nodded and got into the vehicle without saying anything else. Arguing now wouldn''t serve any purpose.


    Soon they were away from the school. The trip home was somewhat uncomfortable as there were still shards of glass on the seats. Carol grimaced at this; now she wished she had prevented the insect monster from screaming as it did.


    As she remembered her fight, Carol rubbed her shoulder. The wound had mostly disappeared. Fortunately, her body healed quickly when in direct contact with sunlight, so she didn''t have any visible bruises, and all the blood that covered her had been quickly cleaned off at Daniel''s house.


    Ordinary humans couldn''t have done everything they did in such a short period of time, but they weren''t ordinary humans. They didn''t need to perceive the world like humans did. Moving at super speed had its advantages.


    Carol and Daniel could have an extensive conversation in a matter of seconds without wasting time. It''s just that they normally didn''t do it because neither of them was used to it.


    As the school disappeared in the distance, Carol sighed, relaxed against the seat, and closed her eyes. The day wasn''t over yet, and she already felt like going to sleep. She hoped Daniel didn''t have any problems, although from what she had been hearing, he seemed to have resolved them as he said he would. That was good. He could always figure everything out.


    .


    .


    .


    Daniel couldn''t solve everything, but somehow things worked out. Luck? Destiny? Divine intervention?


    It didn''t matter. His plan had been successful to some extent. Now he just needed to let things take their course and deal with upcoming problems as they arose.


    Smallville would be a bit turbulent in the future. He couldn''t keep coming and going from the town until things settled down. It seemed he needed to move temporarily.


    That sucked. He wasn''t exactly swimming in money at the moment. Where would he go?


    "Uh, didn''t Harleen say she had an apartment in New York? I wonder if she''ll let me stay there since she doesn''t use it"


    She practically lived in Rykers, so it shouldn''t be too much to ask, right?


    Plus, he needed her help with something else. Daniel pulled out a small fragment of exoskeleton that glowed faintly in green. It was the only one he hadn''t left in the cave.


    He needed to know what this was and why it could harm Carol. He had a vague idea, but it seemed to slip from his grasp every time he felt he could remember it.


    It was really annoying, knowing you know something but not knowing it.


    Also, he needed to know where the hell that insect monster came from. Was it something unique? Or something more? How did it mutate like that? If it was human, how did it stop being one?


    Questions upon questions. It seemed like these days were just filled with them. Although a hectic life was better than a boring one.


    When night fell, Daniel had finished helping the people of Smallville. Some reporters from nearby cities had started to come because of the news of his stay in the town, but it was too late. When they arrived, Daniel had already put on a farewell show and flew directly to Mexico. There, he decided to visit some cartels and dismantle them quite publicly before discreetly returning to Smallville.


    He couldn''t fly directly, so he made a stop in Kansas City and ran from there at super speed.


    Daniel entered the grounds of his farm somewhat exhausted, mostly mentally. He slumped into one of the two chairs in the backyard and looked at the night sky.


    He needed to pack, but before that, he needed to give Carol some instructions.


    It wasn''t long before a blurry figure entered his backyard. Carol had been resting at her house until she heard Daniel arrive, then she sneaked over.


    Carol approached and sat in the chair beside him.


    "So... a monster"


    It was a bit awkward, but it worked to start the conversation. Carol needed to improve her social skills.


    Daniel nodded and said, "It seems things are starting to stir up. This world is more complicated than it seems. For now, you need to keep a much lower profile than usual"


    Carol blinked. "What do you mean?"


    Daniel thought about how to explain it.


    "This incident will attract attention not just from the media or the public. Government agencies, private groups, many people with unknown intentions will come to Smallville for a while. The spotlight will be on this place until something else diverts it"


    Daniel looked at Carol. He didn''t know if she would be happy with what he was going to say.


    "So for a while... don''t use your powers near Smallville"


    Those words made Carol furrow her brows deeply, she held Daniel''s gaze for a moment before her shoulders slumped and she sighed.


    Just when she could finally use her abilities freely, this happened.


    But she could understand it; raising suspicions was not something she sought right now.


    Seeing that she didn''t argue, Daniel felt relieved.


    "So what will you do?" Carol asked. If he said she couldn''t use her powers near Smallville, then he probably thought he should be careful too.


    "I''ll leave Smallville¡ª" Before Daniel could finish, Carol had already lunged at him with clear panic.


    "No! You can''t!" If it had been someone else, Carol''s grip on him would have broken some bones, but instead, Daniel removed her hands from him and held her by the shoulders, gently seating her back down. Even so, it took a lot of effort.


    "I''ll leave Smallville, temporarily" he emphasized the last part.


    Carol relaxed, though she still seemed somewhat nervous.


    "Just until things calm down. I''ll still come by from time to time during this time to check in."


    Carol wasn''t happy, and that was noticeable. She gritted her teeth. She wanted to say she would go with him, that they could move somewhere else, but she couldn''t do it even if she wanted to. She was still a minor, and her parents would die before letting her go with what was essentially a stranger to them. Not to mention, she still had to finish school and help on the farm.


    It was frustrating; she could go anywhere in the world and beyond, but she was tied to Smallville by insignificant things.


    "Where will you go?" Well, even if she didn''t live nearby, she could go anywhere now that she could fly. Visiting him in her free time should be fine, right?


    Daniel spoke without much thought.


    "I have a friend who lives in New York; I''ll simply ask her to let me stay with her for a while."


    Suddenly, the atmosphere seemed much colder than usual. Daniel furrowed his brows; was winter coming early?


    He turned to look at Carol, who was giving him a somewhat strange look. He raised an eyebrow but decided not to ask; women were too complicated to understand, and he didn''t need more headaches right now.


    Meanwhile, Carol was internally debating with herself. Maybe she should run away from home? Her parents would understand; she would just go with Daniel for a while and return later. She could take care of herself pretty well, and they knew that, so it shouldn''t be a big problem. school? what is it? is it eaten?


    Of course, her logical side told her that was a stupid plan; her logical side should shove her opinions up her ass.


    "So, take care of my farm while I''m away, okay? I''ll take some things with me but leave some others; they''re important, so I''ll trust you to keep them safe. I know with you here, everything will be fine" Daniel smiled, patting Carol''s head and looking into her eyes, trying to convey all the confidence he had in her.


    "Of course" Carol said through gritted teeth. Now she couldn''t just follow him without fear of disappointing him; that was cruel.


    They talked a little more, but Carol had to leave since her parents were quite alarmed, and she couldn''t spend too much time outside without them noticing.


    Watching her leave, Daniel entered his farm. Now, what things should he pack?


    .


    .


    .


    "What do you want?!"


    Harleen was having a hard day. Working at Rykers was never easy, and dealing with Killgrave''s victims wasn''t either. She had been quite busy and was hoping to relax during dinner with Daniel.


    What she didn''t expect was for him to ask for her apartment.


    She looked him in the face, narrowed her eyes, and said, "If this is your way of flirting, it''s a bit strange"


    Daniel laughed, "If I were so bad at it, I wouldn''t even dare to leave the house. I just have some issues at home. Have you heard about what happened in Smallville?"


    It was a bit hard not to. Everything Defiant did was national news at least these days. Rumors about him fighting a monster quickly circulated among people.


    Though not many believed it. After all, there was no evidence beyond some dead students, a small town with some damages, and the fact that Defiant was there helping people.


    "Wait, the monster thing is real?!" Harleen almost shouted but managed to control her tone of voice.


    Daniel nodded, took a bite of his food, swallowed, and then responded.


    "Smallville is where I live" Telling her didn''t really affect Daniel much. She already knew his face and his real name. After all, he couldn''t just invite her to dinner and let her keep calling him Defiant all the time.


    Harleen opened her eyes wide. "Oh... I see" and she understood. She was smart after all.


    "So, the world''s greatest hero is now a vagabond, huh? Well, you''re in luck. This generous lady has decided to help you" she stretched out her hand as if she were one of those arrogant high-society ladies.


    Daniel rolled his eyes, "Maybe you should have studied acting; you''d be a hit in circuses."


    Harleen scoffed and lowered her hand. "I''d be a hit at anything" she emphasized before becoming serious.


    "Alright, you can stay, but I don''t want you wrecking anything, okay? That apartment cost me all my savings" she didn''t say it, but she really loved her apartment, even if she couldn''t be there often these days.


    "I promise I''ll protect it as if it were mine" Daniel solemnly promised.


    Harleen looked at him skeptically "Like your farm that you made a hole in the roof of?"


    Maybe Daniel shouldn''t have told her that.


    .


    .


    .


    "Welcome!" Harleen said as they entered her apartment, quickly moving to turn on the lights.


    Daniel entered and observed the place with some curiosity. It was a medium-sized apartment in a good area of New York, more precisely in Manhattan, which couldn''t have been easy to get.


    The walls were painted red with white accents and adorned with several interesting paintings. There were some photos, mostly of Harleen alone or with what seemed like friends? Family members? He decided not to pry too much into it and kept walking.


    Upon entering the living room, Daniel saw many plants, too many plants.


    "I didn''t think you were a nature enthusiast" he remarked.


    Harleen emerged from the kitchen with two beer cans, and upon seeing him examining the plants, she couldn''t help but furrow her brows slightly.


    "I''m not" there was some bitterness in her voice.


    "For someone who isn''t, you seem to take care of them quite well," Daniel didn''t have to be an expert to see that.


    "Ugh! Let''s not talk about those things. I only care for them because they were a gift, but I''ve been thinking of giving them to someone else. Now that I work at Rykers, it''s a bit complicated to take care of them"


    She opened the beer can and drank a quarter of it almost instantly, then tossed the other one to Daniel, who caught it and opened it without much thought.


    Daniel decided not to inquire further about the plants. It seemed like a sensitive topic, and he didn''t want to put his foot in his mouth. Conversations were always tricky.


    "Since you''ll be staying here, let me give you a tour!" Wanting to change the subject, Harleen stood up and dragged Daniel around the place, showing him every room and how everything worked.


    It didn''t take long, and Daniel quickly familiarized himself with the place.


    After that, they continued chatting about different topics. Harleen kept pulling out beer cans, and Daniel had to wonder if she had a hidden stockpile or something.


    "Why are you still sober?" With narrowed eyes, she pointed accusingly at him.


    Daniel lowered the beer can and shrugged.


    "You know, superpowers and all that. I can''t get drunk."


    Harleen blinked, then looked at the small stack of empty cans on Daniel''s side and fell to her knees on the floor.


    "My beer..."


    Daniel sighed and looked out the window. It was late already, and he still had things to do, so he should unpack and get going.


    "Come on, go to sleep. You still have work, and I have things to do"


    Daniel easily lifted her up and led her to her room, where there were more plants.


    Maybe the idea of wanting to give them away wasn''t a bad one after all.


    She fell asleep easily, and Daniel went to the guest room to settle in. He would be here for a while, so it was best to get comfortable.


    .


    .


    .


    "What the hell am I doing?" Harleen had promised herself not to do stupid things for anyone else anymore. She had had enough trouble with all the problems Pamela had caused her.


    But now she found herself here at S.T.A.R Labs, watching someone illegally using the internal laboratories, with her help...


    If anyone found out, she would be in so much trouble...


    Meanwhile, Daniel was quite busy. At first, he had wanted to use the equipment he had already acquired to analyze Greg''s remains, but that plan hit a wall head-on. It was one thing to extract fragments from the remains left by Killgrave''s power, and another completely different thing to analyze biological samples in depth.


    So he needed something better. He didn''t have the resources to get the equipment immediately, so he had to think about how to analyze the samples effectively, more precisely how to get the equipment to do so. It was while he was pondering what to do that Harleen decided to lend a hand.


    Harleen had worked for a while as an intern at Star Labs while she was still in college, specifically in the neurochemistry area where they researched pharmacological treatments for psychiatric diseases.


    Unlike other laboratories, Star Labs didn''t focus on a single field; they dealt with technology in general in its various forms.


    And for that, they had different types of facilities throughout the country. The laboratory they were in was one dedicated to human biology research, disease treatments, and drug development.


    Harleen knew the place, so entering the facilities with her help had been easy. Daniel had taken care of breaching the cyber security system, which was somewhat complicated but nothing that coding at super speed couldn''t overcome.


    So now he could use the facilities without any problems and conduct some tests.


    He looked at the samples he had been analyzing, raising an eyebrow with doubts before signaling for Harleen to come closer. She, still somewhat nervous, ran to his side.


    Daniel pointed to the results, and Harleen looked at them attentively, her expression changing several times.


    She wasn''t an expert in the field of genetic coding, but she had enough knowledge to know when something was very wrong.


    How could DNA have two different types of super genetic mutations at the same time?


    .


    .


    .


    Daniel couldn''t believe there would come a day when he could say this, but he was becoming quite an avid reader.


    It helped that his brain could now process large amounts of information in a short period of time and easily retain that information.


    And thanks to that, he had been studying a lot. It had been a few days since the incident in Smallville and his trip to the Star Labs laboratories. The results he obtained were beyond his understanding, and if he wanted to comprehend them, he needed to delve deep into the field of genetic science.


    It was easy and difficult in equal parts. Daniel wasn''t a genius; he might have had the ability to learn at super speed and retain that information thanks to the core that allowed him to remember things perfectly when he wanted to. That might make him seem like a genius in the eyes of others, but the reality was that he would always be limited to the knowledge that others had already discovered.


    Of course, he could use that knowledge to make his own discoveries. That''s how humanity had progressed for the most part.


    But doing that was incredibly difficult, no matter how good his memory was or how much information he had in his brain.


    That''s why he didn''t believe he was a genius. Geniuses like Tony Stark could also remember large amounts of information. He didn''t know if it was perfect, but still, their memory capacity was immense.


    But that''s not what made them geniuses. No, the real reason they could be above the vast majority of thinking beings is their ability to take the unknown, the impossible, and make it possible.


    No matter how much information you retain, it''s useless if your brain isn''t able to take all that information, analyze it, judge it as insufficient, and seek possibilities where there seem to be none, and yet still find them.


    But even though he wasn''t a genius, he could certainly pretend to be one with all he had studied lately.


    And as they always say, every effort bears fruit.


    While carefully inspecting the records, studies, and genetic research done by humanity and securely stored around the world, he noticed something interesting.


    Actually, at first, he didn''t believe it was real. He had dismissed it as a coincidence, but with each new piece of information he obtained, a pattern emerged.


    It was quite well hidden; no one could have found it if they hadn''t been specifically looking for something related to genetic mutations.


    It was as if every trace of that information had been forcefully erased, at least digitally. But what happens with physical records is that sometimes, some things slip through.


    A certain passage in a certain book here, a mention in a study there, old genetic tests and examinations forgotten and dusty, gathering dust in certain libraries, universities, and laboratories.


    And so, with dozens more clues.


    It had taken him some time, but Daniel had gathered enough information to realize something.


    Someone or something had erased a part of humanity''s scientific progress in genetic sciences, entire decades.


    But it had been careless, as if it had been done hastily. Still, it was a good job; humans would take a long time to realize it. They would have to rediscover things that they had already discovered decades ago.


    For Daniel, it was just a matter of searching a little more, looking a little more, obtaining blood samples, and sneaking into the Broad Institute at MIT was the final nail to confirm his suspicions.


    Now he just had to find out exactly what effect this Gen X had on humans.


    And if that had any relation to the insect monster, now he knew was called Greg Arkin.


    A seemingly normal teenager until one day he wasn''t.


    .


    .


    .


    Important Note:


    This chapter comes in advance thanks to Anonymous (yes, that''s literally their name on Ko-fi) who decided to donate $50 usd out of nowhere, without asking for anything in return. On the other hand, I also have to thank, because they are in no way less important, the two people who decided to subscribe monthly on Ko-fi (I didn''t even know I had that option activated on Ko-fi). Danny N and Awpanda 1, thank you very much for your support!


    One of them decided that my writings were worth enough to subscribe for $20 usd monthly... not to mention all the other people who have been giving one-time donations.

 16: State of mind

    16: State of mind


    "Reports" the room fell silent for a moment, everyone gathered there looked at each other, waiting for who would be the first to speak.


    Clearing his throat and swallowing nervously, one of the agents responsible for collecting physical evidence began to speak.


    "We began the collection of samples three hours ago. We also took control of satellite images, surveillance cameras, personal cameras, phone lines, and audio recordings. So far, all the evidence obtained matches the report already written"


    In other words, they hadn''t obtained anything.


    Nick Fury stood up with his hands behind his back.


    He looked at the agent who had spoken to him and said in a grave voice, "The best satellites in the world, access to all existing media, and the deployment of over a hundred personnel, and you''re telling me that the only thing we know is what the police already knew three hours ago?!"


    His fist slammed the table forcefully, shaking the papers on it.


    He couldn''t bear this level of incompetence.


    The agent licked his lips, but he didn''t flinch like many others would have done. Instead, he stood his ground, something extraordinary that not many people would be capable of when faced with a furious Nick Fury in front of them


    "Sir, if you allow me, I can explain"


    His teammates looked at him as if he were an idiot. What was there to explain? They had failed, they hadn''t obtained anything substantial. What could they possibly say?


    Nick Fury looked at him, narrowing his one eye, and spoke.


    "explain it" He wasn''t like other stubborn agency directors; the director of S.H.I.E.L.D. delved deep if necessary to get results and solutions. If the problem wasn''t with his agents, then he needed to know and fix it as quickly as possible.


    The agent quickly stood up and activated a holographic screen where several images and data began to unfold. This type of technology wasn''t available to the public; only the military and certain special groups could have it thanks to exclusive commercial deals with Stark Industries, more precisely Tony Stark, who had developed holographic projection technology.


    "Well, there are some unexpected factors that have hindered our investigation. As you can see in this timeline, everything begins at 3:13 pm, just a few minutes after classes ended at Smallville High School. The first call to the emergency line occurs two minutes later at 3:15 pm, made by one of the students who witnessed the murder of the other students"


    Images of the corpses and the crime scene were presented, the brutality with which the young people were murdered even caused some of the present agents to furrow their brows slightly.


    "Exactly as that call occurs, the fight between Defiant and the monster begins" satellite images were shown, nearly a kilometer of dense forest was affected. The main problem that everyone noticed was the thick clouds covering the scene.


    That was a clear obstacle, even though the satellites had enough technology to use infrared vision as well as radar in them, that didn''t mean that the images obtained that way could replace the quality of the images taken directly by the main lens.


    "Exactly three seconds after the fight begins, we lose our infrared vision"


    In the infrared image, an intense heat trail suddenly appeared, flooding everything in red.


    "According to our calculations, at that moment, there was a discharge of concentrated thermal energy of at least one million degrees Celsius, or at least those were the data we obtained before the satellite sensors stopped working"


    And so they lost one of the ways they could obtain images of the confrontation.


    Satellites in space had great capabilities, but they had not yet been adapted to what a Kryptonian could do; Carol''s heat vision was beyond what manufacturers expected their sensors to face.


    Perhaps what contributed most was that one couldn''t choose which satellite to use; whether it was S.H.I.E.L.D. or any other government or organization, if they wanted to see real-time images, they had to use what was available at that moment.


    Above the skies of Kansas, overlooking Smallville and the nearby towns, there was only an ordinary weather satellite. Even if S.H.I.E.L.D. had better satellites at its disposal, it was impossible to change their trajectory and position out of thin air. They weren''t spaceships; they were stationary satellites for the most part.


    That was one of the reasons why no one could track Defiant''s flight path. Apart from its absurd speed, the satellites couldn''t chase it. It was everywhere, going to every corner of the world every day. How could you position a satellite if you didn''t even know where it would be?


    "So without infrared vision, we get this from the radar"


    And that was even worse. Nick had heard of the tremors that shook the surroundings, but seeing a representation of them made him understand more deeply what the people of Smallville must have felt.


    It was as if someone had taken the entire place and decided to detonate hundreds of high-powered explosives one after another in an extremely short period of time.


    In summary, they couldn''t obtain images with the radar either.


    "And that leaves us with ordinary images."


    Ordinary images covered in clouds. Sure, there were gaps between them, but that hardly made a difference.


    "Even with our best experts trying to clarify it, there''s really not much we can get apart from this"


    The image seemed to clarify a bit, barely enough to get a blurry view of what was underneath.


    Everyone in the room stared intently at the images for almost two minutes. Two minutes where there were only flashes, blurry figures, earth collapsing out of nowhere, and a forest being destroyed every second as if someone were detonating bomb after bomb in it.


    Carol and Greg''s fight barely lasted two minutes, two minutes that no human was capable of capturing at all.


    Dust filled the place, joining the clouds as the final obstacle that prevented any decent view of how everything ended.


    "After this, our field agents took an hour and seven minutes to reach the scene. Right now, they''re still combing the area thoroughly, but according to all recent reports, the place was cleaned long before they arrived. Entire sections were removed everywhere, leaving no trace behind"


    The agent took a deep breath.


    "The nearby security cameras also captured nothing as the fight happened far from any of them. We only have a few images of Defiant helping the people of Smallville, but even those are flawed. The destruction of the surrounding crystals also shattered their lenses, resulting in low-quality images"


    The agent coughed a bit and sat back down.


    "With that said, the only reliable information, which doesn''t contradict anything of the little we managed to obtain, is the word of the witnesses and the townsfolk as well as that of the officers on the scene"


    This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    Nick sighed, looking at the evidence before him, and clenched his teeth. In the end, it wasn''t his agents who had failed; it was his technology. While S.H.I.E.L.D. had access to great scientific minds and cutting-edge advances, Defiant and his opponent seemed to have surpassed every advancement and technology possible in S.H.I.E.L.D.''s hands.


    Maybe it was time to talk to Tony? No, not yet. He had barely returned from Afghanistan and had announced his refusal to create weapons. Asking him to work with S.H.I.E.L.D. now didn''t seem feasible.


    So they couldn''t get information about what happened during the fight. Well, Fury would accept this defeat, but they hadn''t lost completely yet.


    "All right, we''ll change our focus. I want all agents in the area to concentrate on this boy, Greg Arkin" he pointed to the photo of the teenager who had overnight turned into a monster.


    "I want to know how and why he went from being an ordinary young man to becoming a superhuman monster who killed his mother and then began to massacre his classmates"


    Whatever the form or reason for his change, Fury needed to know it now.


    "I don''t care how long it takes, even if you have to turn that town upside down"


    Unbeknownst to S.H.I.E.L.D. or Fury, Daniel had anticipated this course of action on his part. He knew that one of the things they would be most curious about would be Greg''s change.


    Not only S.H.I.E.L.D., any other similar organization on the planet would try to find the cause of its change.


    Until something else diverted their attention, Smallville would be teeming with agents and covert spies.


    That''s why he left; he could hide from satellites, but he couldn''t hide from an agent looking at the sky at the least expected moment.


    If it were possible, he would have dragged Carol with him, but that was out of his hands; her parents were still present and would be the perfect cover for her.


    Moreover, Daniel had already ensured that any gaps in Carol''s information were covered. When the Kents adopted her, they did a good job of making everything look legal and in order. Still, certain information could still raise suspicions.


    Daniel had made sure long ago that those suspicions would vanish.


    He did this long before this problem arose, anticipating a situation where Carol''s identity could be discovered.


    He just hoped it would be enough.


    .


    .


    .


    March 25, 2007.


    Several days had passed since the incident with Greg and several days since Daniel had been wandering the planet acquiring knowledge.


    Now he was back at Harleen''s apartment. He had been using it quite often despite traveling around the world; it was his temporary base of operations and where he had been storing the results of his research.


    "So, look at this. This is the X Gene, a dormant meta-gene in at least 45% of the human population. Normally, it does nothing, just stays there. But there are records from World War II where armies from different countries tried to activate it, believing it was the key to creating so-called super soldiers"


    Finding this information had been complicated, too complicated. He had to dig into old abandoned bunkers, ancient graves, and explore places forgotten by God.


    Delve into the secret records of the world''s armies, those that were ignored and only accumulated dust.


    "And was it?" Harleen asked as she spooned a mouthful of chocolate ice cream into her mouth.


    Daniel nodded but shook his head.


    "It should have been, but somehow it wasn''t. There aren''t many records of that; I know something happened, but I don''t know the exact outcome... Anyway, back to the main topic, the X Gene normally doesn''t seem to activate on its own, or at least I haven''t found records of it. Therefore, it needs a trigger, something to awaken it, to stimulate it"


    Daniel pulled out a tightly sealed transparent jar; bright green liquid was visible inside it.


    "Analyzing Greg''s remains, I realized what that stimulant could have been. It''s an unknown radioactive substance. I haven''t been able to find any database with records of it, and I think I know why. Despite being radiation, it can''t be detected in the same way; it''s something completely new and unknown to humanity, and it was this radiation that stimulated the X Gene in Greg''s body, awakening a hidden potential in human DNA never before seen"


    Daniel then pulled out some blueprints for what appeared to be a Geiger counter but somehow different.


    "Soon I''ll build this instrument. With the data I''ve obtained, I''ll be able to trace the unique radioactive signature of this substance and find its origin. If possible, I''ll isolate and conceal it to prevent another similar case. Then, I''ll be able to study it in greater depth" Daniel took a deep breath and smiled.


    "What do you think? Isn''t it great?" Seeing his tousled hair, wrinkled clothes, and almost manic look, Harleen asked the question that had been on her mind for a few days.


    "When was the last time you slept?"


    Daniel blinked.


    "Two? Almost three months ago?" Harleen''s eyes widened in shock.


    "Are you crazy?"


    Daniel scoffed.


    "Come on, I have superpowers, I don''t need to sleep" The core would keep his body in the best possible condition all the time, so why would he need to sleep?


    "I know your body is indestructible or some shit like that, but your mind isn''t, idiot! The psychological effect of not resting still takes its toll even if your body is healthy"


    Harleen stood up and walked over to him.


    "You''ve been learning a ton of information, researching, and going back and forth without rest. If you keep this up, you''ll have a nervous breakdown."


    Harleen knew well; many times a person''s physical condition was totally unrelated to their mental state.


    Daniel wanted to say he was okay; his core indicated it all the time. But as he thought about it, he saw his hand trembling.


    Why? He was fine; every cell in his body was in its best state. He could run ten thousand laps around the Earth if he wanted to. So why did he feel like lying down and closing his eyes?


    Harleen took his trembling hand and looked at him.


    "Mental fatigue goes beyond physical state. You may have an indestructible body, but even with the short time I''ve known you, I can see you still have the mind and heart of a human, and that needs rest"


    Daniel frowned. Well, she was a psychiatrist, so she should know more about that. He sighed and let his shoulders sag a bit. If he were honest with himself, even if he was physically fine, lately he was starting to feel some tension in his mind.


    "Come on, let''s go. It''s time to sleep" "Harleen dragged him to her room and threw him onto her bed. Obviously, Daniel let her do all this. When his head touched the pillow, he couldn''t help but appreciate the scent of her hair on it.


    It smelled like a flower, fresh and sweet. Was it her shampoo? He slowly closed his eyes and decided, for the first time since he arrived in this world, to take a nap.


    He would solve the problem with the second type of mutation in Greg''s DNA later.


    .


    .


    .


    "I wasn''t expecting to see you here, Tony" in a hangar at the United States Air Force base.


    "I''ve been quite active" Tony Stark gave a firm handshake to Lieutenant Colonel James Rhodes. It had been quite a few days since he had seen his friend since returning with him from Afghanistan.


    Rhodes smiled and patted his back.


    "How are you holding up? I heard you''ve been holed up at home, not going out. It''s very strange not to hear news of you causing some mischief in the Malibu clubs" Tony laughed but spoke seriously.


    "Those times are behind me now. I''m on a new path, doing something huge, something important, and I want you to be a part of it"


    Tony was honest. He didn''t have many people he could trust. This was important, something that would change the world. Rhodes was his friend, his only friend, and he hoped he would be on his side.


    Rhodes looked at him, speaking seriously.


    "Is it a new type of weapon? Because that''s the only way you''ll have my attention" Tony clicked his tongue and lowered his head. That wasn''t what he wanted to hear.


    "Come on, man! Snap out of it. Everyone here has been going crazy since that guy in tights showed up. The army is in a mess. We need you, Tony. Only you can help us with this"


    "Help with what? Trying to kill him? Capture him? What does the army expect me to do? Create weapons to kill the guy who saves people? Rescue cats from trees and help old ladies cross the street?"


    While one could argue that his armor was a weapon, Tony didn''t consider its primary function to be harming others, not in the same way his previous weapons had. This was more, much more.


    "He''s a criminal, Tony! He violates international airspace laws all the time! Crosses borders illegally and invades foreign territory without authorization. At least help us track him down, give us something to follow. I know you can do it"


    Tony scoffed.


    "Do you realize that everything you mentioned is practically the same thing?"


    Tony sighed.


    "I made it clear when I returned. I won''t make weapons for the military anymore. I won''t work for them or with them. This is personal, Rhodes. Will you help me or not?" he said, offering his hand one last time.


    "Now you''re a humanitarian? Will you be making heaters and energy-efficient bulbs? Come on, Tony, be realistic. The world is going crazy! There''s a guy in the sky traveling back and forth without anyone being able to stop him, and the world''s governments aren''t happy. The military is worried, and we need your mind now more than ever"


    Tony turned around and started to leave. This... this wasn''t what he was looking for.


    "Tony! You need to clear your mind, Friend, I know what happened in Afghanistan was tough, but you can''t let that cloud your thoughts all the time. You need to rest and think things through, get back to being yourself!"


    Tony stopped in his tracks, shaking his head. His shoulders seemed to slump a bit, but he quickly straightened up and began to walk with firmer steps.


    "You don''t understand, Rhodes. Right now, I''m who I should have always been"


    .


    .


    .


    Note:


    You know what''s incredible? Another $50 donation!


    Big thanks to Lamig on ko-fi who made this amazing donation.


    Seriously guys, the support is amazing!


    (After writing this, someone decided to donate 39 USD more, so I owe at least a dozen extra chapters that I have to write along with more almost invincible chapters.)


    At this point, I''m seriously considering whether I should open a (P)atreon. I''ve never had one, but many people have suggested it to me privately. What do you think about it? Do you think it''s a good idea, or am I going too high? getting ahead of myself?


    Remember to leave your comments, opinions, suggestions, and criticisms. I read them in my free time and appreciate all your support. See you soon! :D

 17: Gene M

    17: Gene M


    March 30, 2007


    Carol looked, for what was perhaps the hundredth time, at the wooden floor. It was shining, so shiny that her reflection was clear in it, almost like a mirror.


    She dropped the cloth from her hand and looked around. Everything was clean, maybe too clean. She licked her lips. What was she supposed to do now?


    With frustration, she sighed and lay down on the floor, staring at the ceiling in boredom.


    Fourteen days. Fourteen days had passed, seven hours, fourteen minutes, and 8 seconds, nine, ten...


    She shook her head. Counting how much time had passed only made her more frustrated. Since the "incident" as everyone in the town called it, things had been chaotic. School had been canceled for the time being, not just because of the murders, but also due to the damage from the earthquakes and Greg''s screams, which had been significant.


    Well, the whole town had suffered some amount of damage because of that. Everyone seemed quite busy fixing their own things, and Carol felt a bit guilty about that. She should have kept Greg away from the town more.


    While everyone was busy, the town also saw a number of new faces every day. Carol could easily point out each of them. She kept herself as far away from those people as possible, observing their actions, of course, but not too closely. Daniel had told her to be careful, after all.


    Besides that, she had helped with repairs on her parents'' farm, which didn''t take much time. She finished most of the heavy work in the blink of an eye, and when she realized it, she had absolutely nothing to do.


    So, she had been going to Daniel''s farm, waiting for his return. She also cleaned up a bit and fixed his windows... and his roof.


    And she waited.


    And waited.


    And fourteen days had passed, seven hours, fifteen minutes, twenty seconds, twenty-one, twenty-two...


    She gritted her teeth, stood up, and took the cloth again. There must be something else in this house she could clean.


    She looked around, but no, not even the most insignificant speck of dust had been left. She sighed and let the cloth drop. What was she supposed to do now?


    "He said he would come back. He said he would come by to see how things were"


    Not that she didn''t trust him, but she was certainly starting to worry a bit. Had something happened? Did he find something important? Or something dangerous? He had told her he would investigate the origin of the "monster" which she now also knew was called Greg. His identity couldn''t be hidden in a small town like Smallville; people found out things quickly.


    She hoped he would be successful in his search, but with no news on how he was doing, she could only stay still and wait. The worst part was that she couldn''t use her abilities casually like she had before. Daniel was right that people would be paying a lot of attention to Smallville.


    Carol had to be careful. She had noticed how the "visitors" in the town asked certain questions, probing, trying to find something. They were subtle, but not subtle enough to escape her eyes and ears.


    So, she had been holding back and behaving like an ordinary country girl, helping on the farm and doing her chores, which was damn frustrating. After starting to use her powers freely, after finding her place in the world, now she had to go back and pretend to be the same person she had hated being.


    Just being ordinary, and she absolutely hated it.


    "I need to do something" She had waited long enough. It shouldn''t be a problem if she just took a walk, right?


    She could leave Smallville without alerting anyone. It was simple; she had already noticed the pattern the "visitors" followed. She knew the town better than anyone, knew how to leave it without being seen. With her speed, she could leave and return, and no one would notice anything.


    "He said he would stay in New York...." A quick visit, just to make sure everything was in order.


    .


    .


    .


    Daniel looked at the results in his hands. The analyses had been reviewed dozens of times and redone another dozen times. When he successfully found information about the X Gene and could deduce why it had awakened, he thought he had successfully found the origin of Greg''s mutations. He was partially correct.


    While the X Gene had awakened due to the special radiation that had somehow reached the boy''s body, the reality was that this was only one of the factors that induced such a drastic change in Greg.


    When he began to investigate the second anomalous Genome in Greg''s DNA, he realized that the X Gene had only been secondary. It had been activated, yes, but it had not been the dominant mutation. It had simply been an unexpected side effect of something else, something that was beyond anything humanity had ever seen before.


    Because whatever it was that he found was not human at all, it was monstrous. It made no sense. The data, the analyses, even seeing it through a microscope only revealed more clearly what Daniel already knew.


    Its form was grotesque and nonsensical, a biological impossibility. It looked like a cell but at the same time something different. Daniel had been trying to find its origin, but so far, nothing even remotely resembled it.


    This was not human.


    Daniel sighed and reclined on the couch, admiring the ceiling of Harleen''s apartment.


    "Any progress?" the woman emerged from her room with wet hair after showering, looking at the mess Daniel had made in her living room and couldn''t help but point it out.


    "Do you want me to help you tidy all this up?" at her question, Daniel became blurry for a second, and Harleen felt the air whip her face and closed her eyes for a brief moment. When she opened them again, she found her living room completely tidy and clean.


    Looking at the place, Harleen couldn''t help but give Daniel a thumbs-up.


    "You''d make an amazing husband, you know?"


    Daniel chuckled, sat back on the couch, and looked at her.


    "Don''t you mean butler?"


    "Isn''t it the same thing?" as she said that, she came to his side and saw the neatly stacked pile of papers, which were the results of Daniel''s latest research.


    She had seen most of them before, even though she wasn''t a superhuman with powers and a supermind, she was still a woman who had graduated early from college as one of the top students in her field, besides having valuable experience in other areas.


    She had learned one or two things about genetics thanks to her interest in neurochemistry and hereditary disorders, so she could understand the results Daniel had obtained although with some difficulty. Thus, she was able to answer her own first question upon reading the last of the results on the stack of papers.


    "So, it''s that bad, eh?" she looked at him with concern, perhaps the only person on the planet who had been watching all his hard work these days was her. It was admirable, but also worrying; she had to intervene a few times to make sure he took a break now and then.


    Daniel sighed at her concerned look and nodded in response.


    "I don''t know what this is, it''s... horrible. I thought the X Gene had taken the potential of human DNA far enough, but this thing has surpassed even that. The human genome simply isn''t designed to deform in this way. It''s grotesque and nonsensical"


    Harleen approached him and patted his back in a comforting manner.


    "Hey, relax. This... Gene M? might be inexplicable for now, but I''m sure you''ll find the answers you''re looking for sooner or later. You''re too stubborn not to"


    Daniel smiled, he could hear the confidence in her voice, She was right; even if he was at a dead end now, he was sure he would figure out the origin of this mutation if he kept studying it.


    "Gene M?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at the name Harleen had mentioned.


    She blushed slightly.


    "Well, you know, M for Monster. After all, it''s how you describe it, right? Like something monstrous" She liked to give names to things; she couldn''t help it, it was something she had done since she was a child.


    Daniel nodded; it was a simple but fitting name. Gene M, it would do for now.


    Harleen suddenly stood up; it was time to relax, and she knew how to do it. She cleared the papers from the coffee table to take them out of sight and pointed towards the kitchen.


    "Come on, it''s time for a break. Let''s cook something"


    Daniel raised an eyebrow.


    "Don''t you want to go to a restaurant this time? I was starting to think that kitchen was just for show" At his words, Harleen pouted.


    "For your information, I''m pretty good at cooking. Besides, you should thank me. No guy before you has had the honor of eating something prepared personally by me" she said, puffing her chest out as if it were an extraordinary gift.


    Daniel wasn''t surprised by her words. While Harleen hadn''t explicitly told him, according to his memories, she was a lesbian, or at least the version of her he remembered was. He wasn''t exactly sure because there were still some gaps in those memories, but he did remember that Harley Queen had a girlfriend. He didn''t know if this universe''s Harleen followed exactly the same tendencies, and asking out of the blue would be strange, but this could be a good opportunity to find out once and for all.


    "Really? I thought you would have taken advantage of the ''crazy'' university days and had some dates"


    Harleen lost some of her confidence upon hearing this; she scratched the back of her head and furrowed her brows.


    "Ugh, let''s not talk about that. The dating scene hasn''t been very kind to me"


    Recalling those days, Harleen almost grimaced. University had been very hectic, and she had been too focused on her career to the point where she barely had time for herself. There was no time for dating.


    Until Pamela came along.


    But remembering her first and most disastrous romantic relationship wasn''t what she wanted right now.


    Seeing her getting irritated, Daniel quickly reassured her.


    "Okay, I don''t want to make you remember old times. It''s better to live in the present, right?"


    Harleen nodded eagerly and quickly regained her smile and excitement as if nothing had happened. She could change her emotional state too quickly.


    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    "Exactly! We need to focus on the now!"


    She took his hand and began to drag him towards the kitchen.


    "Come on, it''s been a while since I made a full meal, but I''m still pretty good. You might learn a thing or two" her smile turned arrogant, and Daniel laughed, accepting the challenge.


    "You know, I''m pretty good at cooking too..."


    He followed her and decided to stop thinking about the Gene M for the moment. It didn''t make sense to keep looking at the results; he didn''t have enough information, so he would have to put this research on hold until he had a better laboratory and more to work with.


    After all, Greg''s body, or what was left of it, still had to be thoroughly dissected.


    .


    .


    .


    Carol stood at the top of a building, looking down at the streets of New York and then at the map in her hand. Getting out of Smallville had been much easier than she thought¡ªwhy hadn''t she done it before?


    Arriving in New York had also been easy. She had been to the city very few times, so she thought about getting a map. But when she started reading it, she realized it was useless. She didn''t even know where the "apartment" of that "friend" Daniel mentioned was.


    She only knew it was in New York, Manhattan.


    It seemed like she had to use the old method. She hadn''t wanted to use it until now because she didn''t want Daniel to think she was weird. She had already confessed to spying on him once; doing it again might give him the wrong impression of her.


    "I''m just doing it because I want to know if he''s okay. He said he didn''t mind the first time"


    She closed her eyes and followed the direction of the familiar heartbeats. Fortunately, luck was on her side, as it seemed Daniel was in the city. She had been worried about making a trip in vain and not finding him.


    She flew easily through the buildings, hiding her presence with her speed, and soon arrived at the top in front of what looked like an expensive apartment building. It had many floors and seemed quite decent, though she wouldn''t say that out loud.


    Carol looked at the place, unsure of what to do. She was here, so what should she do next? She couldn''t just go and knock; what if there was someone else? Like that girl Daniel mentioned. She didn''t want to reveal her identity out of nowhere, and she didn''t know if that "friend" knew about Daniel and Defiant.


    "Uh, I should have practiced more with this."


    She closed her eyes, concentrating more deeply than before. Hearing Daniel''s heartbeat was easy¡ªit was loud, like thunder rumbling through the night


    The other sounds? She had to strain to distinguish them from each other.


    Soon she heard music¡ªthere were some laughs and the sound of a kitchen in action.


    The chatter inside started to become clear.


    Carol blinked, feeling a twitch in her left eye. Maybe she was hearing wrong; clearly, her handling of her superhearing was still clumsy. She shook her head and concentrated again.


    .


    "Try this!" Harleen looked at the spoon extended towards her and quickly took a bite. An explosion of flavors assaulted her palate instantly¡ªit was delicious!


    "How? How do you know how to cook so well?!" When he had mentioned that she also knew a bit about cooking, she hadn''t taken it seriously. She had been quite confident in her own skills, thinking she would easily impress him.


    Who was surprised was her. Daniel smiled triumphantly, puffing out his chest, causing his pecs to flex against his loose shirt. Harleen took a quick glance, wondering what it would feel like to sleep on those.


    She averted her gaze, feeling the blush on her face. ''Bad thoughts, go away!''


    "My taste buds, like everything else in my body, are very different from those of ordinary people. I had to adapt in order to enjoy good meals."


    Harleen pouted.


    "That''s cheating! I want superpowers too" But after she finished speaking, she processed what Daniel had said correctly.


    "Wait, does that mean you can''t eat just anything? Like, you can taste all the bad stuff in the food?"


    "Something like that. I prefer not to think too much about it" Daniel blinked surprise as she moved extremely close to him; their eyes met almost directly, though of course, she needed to stretch to the maximum as he was taller.


    "And yet you''ve been going out to eat with me all these days?"


    Harleen, like many other people, knew that restaurants weren''t exactly the places with the cleanest food preparation standards. No one talked about it because no one wanted to admit it, but it was the truth. The number of restaurants closed each year for health reasons wasn''t for nothing.


    Despite that, many people still went out to eat because as long as the food tasted good and looked good, no one cared how or where it was prepared. But if what Daniel said was true, and Harleen didn''t doubt him, then all those things that humans could ignore, he could feel.


    Just imagining it gave her a shiver down her spine.


    "It''s not so bad. You seem to enjoy it quite a bit, and I''ve started getting used to the bad flavors" he said, shrugging.


    Since he had a secret identity, he had to make certain sacrifices to stay hidden. While it was difficult at first, he eventually adapted to the bad flavors. After all, he couldn''t cook whenever he wanted, and he couldn''t get the food that Carol made every day, so he had to take what he could. Perhaps it was something psychological, but despite knowing he could survive without eating, he couldn''t stop doing it. It was an imaginary hunger that assaulted his mind from time to time when stress increased.


    Harleen sighed but smiled. Doing things for others, even if you don''t like them, is not something many people are willing to do. It had been a long time since someone had done something like that for her.


    "I can''t be mad at you for this, but maybe it''s better if we use the kitchen from now on" While she couldn''t cook at the same level as him, at least her kitchen was pretty clean.


    "Are you saying that for my sake or because you want me to cook for you from now on?"


    It seemed his hidden agenda had been discovered.


    "I can help! I''m a pretty good assistant"


    Daniel laughed, patting her head and ruffling her hair.


    "Alright, don''t worry, I can cook for both of us. You''ve been working hard too" Daniel reassured her. Harleen closed her eyes, feeling Daniel''s palm on her head. It was warm and comforting


    He was right, the whole matter with Killgrave''s victims was still being resolved, but significant progress had already been made. She had found the perfect combination and dosage of medications that would help victims rid themselves of any lingering effects on their bodies and minds. She had also isolated the type of pheromones Killgrave produced and was studying their chemical composition and how they affected human neurochemical behavior.


    It was still too early to say, but she was confident she could find a way to neutralize these effects. She could even use her research to improve existing medications or create new ones. Though her specialty was psychiatry, she had learned a lot about clinical pharmacology while at Star Lab. After all, psychopharmacology was a field that also intrigued her, and she had considered delving into it in the future. After all, she was still young; obtaining one or two more degrees was never out of the question.


    "We both work hard, so we can both cook, right? It''s fine that you want to be a gentleman, but if you try too hard, I''ll really make you sign those marriage papers" she joked, winking at him.


    Daniel looked her directly in the eyes, staying silent for a whole second before responding seriously.


    "Doesn''t sound like a bad idea"


    Harleen recoiled with a red face.


    "W-what do you mean by that?" Seeing her so nervous, Daniel smirked mischievously.


    "Just kidding, let''s keep cooking, or we''ll end up having dinner at midnight" he smiled and pinched her cheek. Her nervous face was quite adorable.


    "Hey! If you want to touch me first invite me to dinner" she exclaimed, rubbing her cheek once he let go.


    "I recall I''ve taken you to the best restaurants in the country. Does that mean I can do whatever I want?" His voice became huskier towards the end as he leaned in until their noses almost touched. His hand rose, making some strange movements with his fingers that she could clearly see. She stammered a bit and stepped back, Daniel laughed heartily at her and stepped away, still having things on the stove he didn''t want to burn.


    Harleen took a deep breath to calm herself and furrowed her brows as she watched him start cooking again. She was supposed to be the one making jokes, not the other way around. She would get her revenge on this, somehow.


    .


    The metal railing she had been holding shattered. Carol gritted her teeth and narrowed her eyes, which glowed in a fiery red, the scorching heat emanating from them almost seemed to want to burn a hole through the walls to see what was happening inside.


    And in fact that started to happen?...? Carol blinked in confusion as things began to disappear out of thin air, leaving her with a clear view of the apartment where Daniel was.


    What was this? Taken aback, she momentarily forgot her anger, blinking several times as she felt something strange with her vision. It was as if she had activated her heat vision but also different. It was a strange feeling she only paid attention to for a moment before realizing that she could now see Daniel through the walls.


    Deciding to focus on what she was witnessing, she set aside her questions about the sudden development of a new ability for later. She had more important things to pay attention to right now.


    She watched Daniel laughing and joking with a blonde girl who seemed to be in her twenties. She was beautiful and fit, with curves in all the right places and clear, glowing skin that only made the blush on her face more evident as she laughed with those disgustingly bright, white teeth. Anyone looking at her would think she was some kind of model or something.


    Both of them seemed cheerful as they cooked together, joking and laughing, teasing each other.


    "So, investigating huh......" Carol''s eye twitched. Her expression began to shift, alternating between different types of grimaces. Her eyes glowed red again, and her expression began to calm.


    The anger faded away, and her face turned into a cold expression, her teeth still gritting occasionally. She looked at Harleen in the distance with strange thoughts passing through her mind.


    Suddenly, she realized she hated the color blonde.


    .


    .


    .


    Later that night, Malibu, California.


    "Okay, test number 7, one, two, three!" With the countdown finished, Tony took off, slowly rising from the ground. His balance remained steady, with only minor deviations that Jarvis quickly began to correct.


    "Alright, it''s stable, power output is perfect" Tony took a deep breath, feeling the excitement coursing through his body. Unable to help himself, he smiled, glancing at the data on his holographic interface inside the helmet and decided it was time for a ride.


    "Jarvis, how''s the weather?" At his query, his assistant quickly responded, displaying various meteorological data on the HUD interface of his armor.


    "Clear skies, sir" Tony performed some movement tests in the air and asked for more information.


    "And air traffic? Give me nearby flight routes and pay attention to ground control" After saying that, Tony turned towards the exit of his garage, perfect for takeoff.


    "I understand, sir, but if I may ask, what are you going to do?"


    "We''re going for a ride, Jarvis. Gotta test this bad boy out!" With that said, Tony began to increase the energy in the suit''s thrusters.


    "WOAAA!" In a burst, the golden metallic suit shot out at high speed, covering the garage exit in moments and swiftly reaching the dark night sky.


    "This is incredible!" Tony laughed out loud and accelerated even more, feeling the air resistance break and a sonic boom left behind as Mark 2 accelerated beyond the speed of sound, heading towards the clouds.


    "Quick, Jarvis, what''s the altitude record for that R-7?!"


    "The altitude record is twenty-six thousand meters, sir" Tony saw the data on the HUD and grinned.


    It was time to break a record.


    The sound barrier was broken for the second time, then a third, ascending beyond the clouds, Tony saw the starry sky getting closer and closer.


    Then he went beyond the atmosphere; Tony looked in awe at the landscape and couldn''t help but glance back at the Earth.


    It was an incredible sight.


    Tony observed the celestial planet for several minutes, lost in his thoughts until Jarvis spoke.


    "Main oxygen tank at 80% capacity, sir, I recommend you return to the planet. Mark 2 doesn''t have sufficient oxygen supply for prolonged space travel."


    Tony grunted, slightly furrowing his brow. He would have to improve that.


    "How''s our energy, Jarvis?"


    "The main reactor is at 98%, sir, with the secondary reactor still at 100%"


    Incredible. He had made a trip to space in record time and had barely used a fraction of his energy supply. Maybe adding that second reactor had been exaggerated? He would know once he measured his flight speed at maximum power against Defiant.


    "Activating integrated heating, moderating internal temperature"


    It seemed his choice of gold and titanium alloy had been correct; thanks to it, the suit could easily withstand extremely low temperatures. Of course, he also thought of the pilot, meaning himself, and installed an internal heating system to maintain his natural temperature.


    This was done with the hypothetical case in mind, unlikely but not impossible, in which he had to fight Defiant. Of course, he also took into account other situations where he might have to face extreme cold, but Tony couldn''t deny that initially he had done it to counter one of the hero''s abilities.


    Although he had criticized Rhodes, Tony also had certain concerns regarding Defiant. Of course, he didn''t let his concerns blind him; he wasn''t like the military. Still, preparing for any possible situation was never a bad idea.


    He didn''t want to fight Defiant, but if he had to, then he would be ready for it.


    He looked at the Earth for a few more minutes. Since he had come out of that cave in Afghanistan, Tony knew what he had to do, the footprint he wanted to leave on this world, his legacy.


    Now, seeing the world he wanted to protect before his eyes in this way, a broader perspective came to him. He realized the responsibility he had chosen to bear, and it felt real, much more real than before, imbuing it with a significantly greater weight that settled on his shoulders.


    With determination, he gave it one last look before starting his return.


    "Alright, let''s head back"


    He had a lot to work on.


    .


    .


    .


    Note:


    A bit of slice of life mixed with plot, information, and drama, because what would a good superhero comic be without a good dose of drama? What, this isn''t a comic?! Well, imagine it is.


    Originally, this was going to be two separate chapters, but I decided it was better to have it all in one. What do you think? Do you like long chapters (4000 to 6000 words) or do you prefer shorter chapters (2000 to 3000 words)?


    By the way... I have (P)atreon now! Also, Ko-fi is available with memberships. You can check whichever you prefer. For now, there''s only one tier on each. I don''t plan to divide rewards into levels; if you support me on the only tier available, you''ll get all the rewards I can offer with my limited capacity.


    If I add another tier, it will have the same rewards as the first one, just with a different price, as it would only be a symbolic higher donation.


    If you prefer not to have a subscription, you can also give a one-time donation via Ko-fi. Every donation, regardless of the amount, I''ll consider as a pseudo-monthly subscription, and you''ll get early access to the chapters I write during that month.


    Again, I want to clarify this, although it''s already indicated in the tiers of and Ko-fi.


    Early access means a minimum of 12 hours to a week before being publicly published on the various websites where I upload my stories.


    At least two chapters per week or more.


    Having said that, I''ll also clarify one more thing: this story is free! All stories I upload publicly will always continue to be updated publicly and for free. I won''t hide chapters behind paywalls. While those who donate and support will, as mentioned, have early access, chapters will still be released to the general public between 12 hours to a week after being written, edited, and translated.


    So, if you don''t have money or simply just want to read, don''t worry. Unless something serious happens to me, updates will keep coming.


    Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/</a>EmmaCruzader


    Ko-fi: ko-fi.com/emmapress

 18: Tony Stark

    18: Tony Stark


    Tony swore that no one would ever find out how his roof got a new hole. He rubbed the ice on his head, the pain slowly diminishing. He grimaced as he felt the ice melting and the drops of cold water running down his neck.


    He needed to improve the padding in the suit; maybe some more of interior cushioning would be good.


    He walked over to where the suit was parked. Admiring it up close was certainly surprising; sometimes he himself was amazed at how incredible he was.


    But even he knew that walking around in a suit that seemed to be made entirely of gold would be too ostentatious.


    "Jarvis, I need a paint job change, maybe something less flashy, something elegant. Put some black on these parts" he said, pointing to specific parts of the armor. Then Jarvis deployed a projected screen beside him, showing the design of the suit and how the chosen color would look on it.


    Tony analyzed the new view thoughtfully.


    "I look like a rich man going to a funeral to flaunt his money. Let''s add some red here" It was like painting a new sports car. Tony loved those cars, but this was better than any car.


    "Perfect colors for camouflage, sir" Jarvis'' voice could be almost robotic, but even Tony could detect the sarcasm in those words.


    "Hey, I''m quite discreet. Make sure to make it shine" he smiled and walked to his workbench; he still needed to make some adjustments. The flight needed fine-tuning as well as the center of gravity. None of that required a completely new suit; for now, Mark 2 was enough. But Tony was already starting to think about designs for Mark 3.


    Mark 2 was good, but it had only just broken Mach 4 during its space walk. Defiant''s data placed its speed much higher than that, dozens of times beyond. If Tony wanted to close the gap, he needed more than just powerful engines; he needed to improve the suit''s damping system. After all, Tony was still human; even if theoretically the suit could surpass Mach 5, that didn''t mean the same for his body. If he didn''t want health problems beyond those he already had, he needed a way to solve it.


    With those thoughts in mind, he reached his workbench and pressed a button on his keyboard to turn on his computer, causing several monitors to come to life, showing different things at once. He sat down, getting comfortable to work better. At the same time, he noticed a box left behind by Pepper, stretching to pick it up, He looked at the note left and smiled, but before he could look at its content his thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the news on one of the monitors.


    "It has been mentioned by reliable sources that Tony Stark''s post-traumatic stress has affected his mental state, leading the board members of Stark Industries to decide to remove him from his position as CEO after many days of discussions, resulting in Obadiah Stane taking over as the new CEO of Stark Industries. It is still unknown if this will affect Tony Stark''s decision regarding his involvement in the military market, but it is expected that-" Tony suddenly sat up straighter, his eyebrows furrowing, and he set the unopened box aside.


    "Jarvis, where is Obadiah right now?"


    to his question, his faithful assistant was quick to respond.


    "He appears to be at his third annual benefit gala for families of firefighters who died in action" That was his party!


    "Jarvis, why don''t I have an invitation to my own party? Did you check the Spam folder?"


    Tony stood up and began to get ready to leave; he needed to have a serious talk with Obadiah as soon as possible.


    "I assure you, sir, I meticulously check every email that comes to you"


    Jarvis seemed offended; clearly, he was the best assistant one could ask for, and he wouldn''t let something so basic slip by.


    "Of course you do, Jarvis, that''s why I pay you" Tony started up the stairs to change his clothes.


    "You don''t pay me, sir" Jarvis'' voice was flat.


    "And it will stay that way if you keep complaining. Now, get my car ready; it''s time for a ride"


    .


    .


    .


    Flashes, luxury cars, men in elegant suits, and beautiful women in low-cut dresses; Tony passed through them all without looking at them even once. His heart was pounding, and the anger that had been building up inside him seemed on the verge of erupting.


    He looked at Obadiah, who was grinning from ear to ear and shaking hands like a good businessman. Tony approached him unnoticed and slapped his back, catching him by surprise.


    "Tony?!" Obadiah almost shouted, and Tony could see he hadn''t expected his arrival at all.


    "Hey, Obi, having a great time, I hope" he gave a smile even though he wasn''t happy.


    Obadiah forced a smile; the cameras were still taking pictures and videos after all. He patted Tony''s shoulder and leaned in as if they were good friends.


    "What are you doing here? I didn''t expect you to come; it''s an unexpected surprise" he was uncomfortable, and that was easy to see, but as an experienced businessman, he managed to quickly shake off that surprise.


    "Why not? I remember this is my party. Can''t a man attend his own party?" Tony smiled and looked at one of the nearby interviewers.


    "What do you say? Do you think I shouldn''t be here, beautiful lady?" The reporter smiled, blush evident on her cheeks.


    "Of course, Mr. Stark, you should definitely be here. You''re the life of all parties" she responded hastily, Tony smiled and looked back at Obadiah.


    "See? Everyone loves me" Tony walked away from Obadiah and began to enter the event hall. As he walked, he spoke with a serious voice without looking at him. It was clear to everyone who managed to hear him that his voice contained an ultimatum.


    "I''ll be waiting inside. We have a lot to talk about"


    .


    .


    .


    Tony arrived at the cocktail bar and quickly ordered something; he needed to calm down.


    "Mr. Stark"


    The voice pulled him out of his thoughts, causing him to turn and face an unfamiliar but vaguely familiar face. Did he know this guy?


    "If you''re here to waste my time, you''d better leave. I''m not in the mood for pointless chatter"


    Maybe it was harsh, but his mood wasn''t the best. He had been betrayed, and no one had bothered to inform him. Losing Rhodes had already been bad enough; this was just another nail in his coffin. Now that he had decided to change for the better, it seemed like he had lost everyone who was on his side.


    It was a bitter pill to swallow.


    "I''m Agent Phil Coulson. We''ve met before" The agent didn''t seem offended by Tony''s previous response. Tony looked at him again.


    "Yes, I remember you now. You''re from that... what was it called?" Tony could be quite selective with the things he remembered.


    "Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division-" Tony interrupted Agent Phil.


    "Yeah, I''m not going to use that; it''s too long. Shorten it" Phil fell silent for a moment.


    "We''re also known as S.H.I.E.L.D"


    "Nice acronym. Do you have it stamped on your T-shirts?"


    Phil sighed.


    "Listen, Mr. Stark, I need to talk to you seriously. It''s something important" Tony took a long sip of his freshly served drink and looked at Phil.


    "Important? Well, I have many important things lately. Why would yours be more important, Agent?"


    Despite the hostility in Tony''s tone, the agent spoke calmly.


    "I know you''re going through serious problems, Mr. Stark, and this may not be the best time, but I assure you that S.H.I.E.L.D. only wants what''s best for everyone, for you. There are still many questions regarding your escape from Afghanistan, and we would like to ensure that nothing similar happens again"


    "Nothing similar?" Tony furrowed his brow slightly, placed his drink on the bar, and looked at Phil seriously.


    "Believe me, Agent, something like that will never happen again. I promise you that" He caught sight of Obadiah entering from the corner of his eye and knew it was time to attend to truly important matters. He patted Phil''s shoulder and looked at him one last time before leaving.


    "But if this S.H.I.E.L.D. is so ''concerned'' about me, then they won''t mind finding out how those terrorists in Afghanistan knew where I was, right? When I know something about that, maybe we can talk. Until then, I have things to do."


    He bid farewell without looking back, leaving Agent Phil alone.


    "Well, that could have gone worse" the agent sighed and took out his phone; he needed to make some calls.


    .


    Before Tony could reach Obadiah, someone interrupted him halfway.


    "Look who it is! The great Tony Stark!" The blonde woman smiled with clear irony in her words.


    "Listen, whoever you are, I don''t have time for dates right now" he tried to brush past her, but she blocked his path.


    "It''s Christine. Maybe you should start remembering things better, but I''m not surprised you forgot; men like you tend to forget their promises" Tony frowned.


    "What do you mean by that?" he asked, and she smirked mockingly at him.


    "I remember just a few weeks ago you promised the world that you would change the course of Stark Industries, abandon the military market, and transform your company into something better. I guess that''s another thing you forgot"


    Tony sighed and smiled, replying in a cold voice.


    "I know what the news says, but believe me, the board of directors is not going to change my decision. Stark Industries is not going back to the military market, and that''s final"


    "Really? You say it with such conviction that I almost could believe it, but everyone knows that Stark Industries is still trading weapons."


    Tony''s smile vanished, he furrowed his brows deeply, looking at Christine this time with real seriousness and attention.


    "What do you mean by that?" Christine''s smile faded slightly as she saw the real seriousness on Tony''s face. She rummaged in her bag and pulled out some pre-prepared photos.


    "Look at these. They''re from a town called Gulmira, a small and picturesque place, or at least it was until a few days ago" Tony took the photos; all the sound around him seemed to disappear as he looked at their contents, and his face visibly paled.


    With each new photo, he felt like his heart beat slower and the blood in his veins froze. He almost trembled seeing his company''s logo in each of them; he gritted his teeth so hard he felt them grind. He looked up to Christine.


    "Christine, right? When were these photos taken?" Seeing the change in his expression and behavior, Christine''s mocking tone and condescending smile vanished.


    "They''re from yesterday."


    Tony licked his dry lips, nodded a few times, patted Christine''s shoulder, and smiled.


    "Alright, Christine, I must thank you, and I don''t do this very often, just as I don''t break my promises. Whatever this is and whatever is happening, I assure you it won''t stay like this" He wasn''t going to let this continue.


    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Christine smiled and scoffed.


    "I''ll believe it when I see it" With that said, she turned around and left; she had nothing more to say.


    Tony watched her leave before turning around and walking with heavy steps. He saw Stane chatting with some people and quickly approached him.


    "Tony, it''s good to see you. Let me introduce you to¡ª" Obadiah smiled upon seeing him and took him by the shoulder, indicating the people he had been talking to.


    "I don''t care. We need to talk now" Tony didn''t even look at them; all his focus was on Obadiah. The smile on the man''s face vanished upon hearing his tone of voice.


    Obadiah nodded, and soon the two of them moved away from the crowd.


    "What''s wrong, Tony? You seem... upset" Obadiah took a sip of his drink as he spoke, looking at Tony, who seemed quite angry.


    "You know what''s wrong, you know what''s happening!" he almost shouted and pulled out the photos Christine had given him.


    "What is this? What does this mean!?" Obadiah glanced at them quickly and grimaced; it seemed like it was time to stop pretending.


    "Business, Tony, it means business" he smirked, walking up to him and facing him.


    "Stark Industries doesn''t negotiate with terrorists! We don''t make deals under the table, we don''t¡ª" Tony was interrupted by Obadiah.


    "Don''t be naive, Tony. Money doesn''t rain from the sky or grow on trees. Stark Industries doesn''t stay afloat by selling appliances or being Samaritans. What did you think was going to happen? That we would abandon the arms market? That we would simply follow your orders and squander millions for nothing?"


    Stane smirked mockingly at him.


    "No, I won''t let this continue. My company¡ª"


    "Your company? You no longer have power here Tony! You''ve been relegated, replaced. Your decisions don''t matter anymore, I made sure of that..." he patted his back.


    "Now go home, go out with a girl, spend some money. I''ll take care of the rest"


    Obadiah left, leaving Tony alone.


    He clenched his fists, looked at the photos in his hands. If this was how things were going to be, then so be it.


    He would handle this his way.


    .


    .


    .


    Tony hurried home, quickly returning to his workshop and began barking orders.


    "Jarvis, I need all the information available on Gulmira¡ªmaps, images, news, anything"


    Jarvis quickly deployed several holographic screens around him, flooding the entire place with information from all sources.


    Tony read through every report, every note and news article. He looked at the images and frequently saw the same name appearing multiple times, a familiar one.


    "The Ten Rings, huh? Well, I''ll take care of you." He examined the maps and images obtained; it wasn''t enough.


    "Do we have any satellite images, jarvis?"


    "The only satellites with access to the airspace in the area are of military grade, sir. We don''t have access to their images"


    Tony clicked his tongue.


    "Alright, then we''ll have to force our way in" He quickly sat down and deployed his keyboard; it seemed like it was time to breach the military defense systems.


    "I advise against it, sir. Unauthorized access to military databases is a serious violation of the law that can¡ª" Jarvis was cut off by Tony.


    "The law doesn''t matter right now, Jarvis, so just be quiet and make coffee"


    The artificial intelligence remained silent for a second, and if it had a body, a sigh might have been heard.


    "Understood."


    Soon, Tony gained access to all the satellite images he needed.


    Not only did he want to save Gulmira, but he was also going to get rid of the Ten Rings once and for all. If Obadiah wanted to sell weapons? Well, then Tony would leave him without customers.


    .


    .


    .


    There were explosions, screams, dust and smoke rising into the sky.


    A member of the Ten Rings shouted orders over his radio, but before he could do anything, a black metal hand punched through the wall and grabbed him by the neck, pulling him outside and dragging him out of his hiding spot.


    "Ugh!" The terrorist screamed as his body was dragged outside and violently thrown to the ground.


    A repulsor beam hit him moments later, killing him instantly. Then, a hail of bullets flooded the area as another group of terrorists jumped from the side of a building.


    Tony watched as one of them pulled out a portable missile launcher. The projectile was about to be launched, but he was faster. From his shoulder, one of his weapons deployed, firing high-speed projectiles that hit the missile launcher, causing it to explode, engulfing the attacking group in fire and smoke.


    Tony scoffed and began to walk in another direction. He had arrived in Gulmira in record time, wasting no time or hesitation, jumping into direct confrontation from the very beginning.


    After taking care of saving the village, he didn''t stop. With all the information he had extracted, he knew there were at least 15 more Ten Rings bases scattered throughout Afghanistan. He had calculated their locations and was determined to get rid of them that same day.


    No matter what, he wouldn''t leave without destroying all the weapons Obadiah had sent.


    .


    Raza shouted orders, the ground trembled, thunderous impacts made his ears ring, and he barely managed to cover himself in time to avoid being hit by an explosion.


    His head buried in the sand, making the wound on his side burn even more, he could feel the grains of sand and dirt embedding into his flesh.


    He gritted his teeth, tasting his own blood, with red eyes and evident fury and desperation, he slowly got to his feet.


    Everything around him was engulfed in flames¡ªhis men, his resources, his weapons.


    In a matter of minutes, they had lost half of their bases; the Ten Rings had been attacked so hard and fast that there was no time to form proper resistance.


    Raza watched everything he had strived for¡ªhis dreams and goals¡ªbeing destroyed before his eyes. He screamed to the sky, almost tearing his own throat as he did so.


    Something heavy landed beside him; he felt the ground shaking and his eyes filled with madness as he turned to face the one responsible for it all.


    "You!" his pupils contracted, recognizing the design of the metal mask now before him.


    "Missed me? I thought I''d drop by, bring some gifts, light up the fireworks, spice up this party a bit. What do you think? Enjoying it? I put in quite an effort" the voice full of sarcasm and mockery made Raza grit his teeth so hard he felt like they were going to break.


    "You''ll pay for this! The Ten Rings will make you pay for this!" he growled, limping; even in his current state, he didn''t back down, standing recklessly face to face with his enemy.


    Tony approached him and mocked, extending his hand.


    "No, they won''t" the repulsor beam lit up, ready to be fired.


    Raza let out a scream of rage and lunged at him in one last desperate attempt to fight, but before he could get close, the repulsor beam struck him in the stomach, sending his body flying dozens of meters until it crashed onto the ground. Blood sprayed everywhere, and an enormous hole in his abdomen revealed his spilled entrails.


    Tony almost gagged at the sight, shaking his head and turning away; it wasn''t pleasant. He began to walk, prepared to leave; he still had some bases to destroy.


    On the ground, with blurred vision, Raza spat blood. Surprisingly, the blow hadn''t killed him instantly. He tried to speak, to say something more, but he was choking, his lungs no longer able to hold air.


    He raised his hand, stretching it towards the sky. Was this how it was all going to end? Was this the end of his life? murdered by a fucking rich kid in a metal can?


    He wanted to laugh, coughed, and felt his body numbing, his mind wandering. His eyes looked at him, watched his back slowly receding. No, this couldn''t be the end, not like this, not in his hands. He wouldn''t allow it to end like this.


    He was Raza Hamidmi Al-Wazar! A commander of the Ten Rings! He was supposed to rule over these lands! His bloody fingers dug into the sand, feeling his heart beating harder. He had to stand up! He was still alive! He could still fight.


    His dark brown eyes, which had seemed to lose all their sparkle, suddenly began to change. An unnatural glow began to emanate from them; the sand around him began to stir, the wind howling. Deep within himself, something began to awaken, cells that had previously been indistinguishable from any other starting to mutate grotesquely, stimulated by his darkest and most desperate desires.


    He felt something change within him, felt the strength returning to him. his bones creaked, snapping back into place of their own accord, flesh and muscle twitching and air began to flood into his lungs with much more intensity than before. Slowly, he stood up, the skin on his body starting to crack, becoming rough. Black blood oozed through it. Raza didn''t know what was happening or why, but he didn''t care. In his mind, there was only one idea, one thought that flooded his brain.


    Fight.


    .


    Tony furrowed his brow, watching as his vision began to fill with dust and sand. Of course, the area had been filled with them before, but now it seemed as if a tornado was suddenly shaking the whole place.


    He stopped. "Jarvis, what''s happening?" Was there some meteorological anomaly?


    But before his faithful artificial intelligence could respond, a scream, more like a roar, echoed. Tony turned only to see a cyclone of sand and dirt rising, and in the midst of it, Raza stood up, roaring as the force of the winds increased to impossible measures, tearing debris from all directions, forming small tornadoes around him.


    "What the hell?!"


    "Hahahahaha!!!" Raza''s uncontrollable laughter filled the area, gusts of wind battering the destroyed base, the intoxicating power coursing through his veins.


    "Jarvis, how''s our energy holding up?" Tony adjusted his stance to withstand the strong winds that began to whip the area.


    "The main reactor still retains 85% of its energy, with the secondary at 100%."


    He could work with that.


    "Give me a diagnostic. How''s the suit''s integrity?" Despite having been easily winning so far, he still took some hits, mainly from tank shells and missiles.


    "The integrity is stable. There are no significant damages to the core components of the armor"


    Tony clenched his fists. He had heard that Defiant fought a monster several days ago; he thought those were absurd rumors, but it seemed that something really messed up was happening in the world.


    "First a superhero, and now monsters. What''s next? Aliens in capes?"


    It seemed he would have to work harder on his future armors.


    For a moment, only the sound of the winds whipping around them was heard. Both sides stared at each other amidst the fierce currents of sand and dust.


    Then it began.


    The thrusters on Tony''s suit''s back ignited to their maximum capacity in an instant; in just a fraction of a second, his body surged forward, breaking through the air currents and rushing with his fist raised.


    Raza''s pupils shrank, his maniacal smile froze as the blow came extremely fast towards him, barely giving him enough time to move his head to the side.


    As Tony''s punch missed, he opened the palm of his hand; the repulsor beam shot out from his palm, forcefully changing the position of his arm and driving his elbow towards Raza''s head.


    His elbow, which should have impacted easily, was interrupted by an almost invisible wall of air currents, sand, and dust.


    Raza smiled and waved his left arm; the wind stirred, and a powerful gust of air hit Tony''s side, causing him to slide several meters back.


    Quickly, Tony activated his thrusters and lifted off into the air, freeing himself from the strange phenomenon.


    He saw hundreds of debris from the entire base rising into the air and opened his eyes to see tornadoes forming around him with those same debris in them.


    He dodged several of them in quick succession, using his thrusters to change direction abruptly. His stomach churned as he felt his body forced to move erratically so many times.


    He raised his palm and made a hole in what seemed to be the middle of one of the base''s buildings, which had been torn from the ground by the winds. He navigated through it and began to analyze his options.


    But there was no time to think; wind blades suddenly formed around him. Tony let out a muffled scream as he felt the suit being struck from all directions by attacks he could barely perceive.


    The suit''s alloy held up quite well, but marks of cuts appeared all over its surface, clearly visible.


    "Shit!" Tony dodged as best he could and accelerated towards his opponent; clearly, he had the advantage of long-range, so staying away was the worst option.


    Along with the cutting air currents, debris also flew. Hundreds of tons of them, whether from the base''s buildings, vehicles, or even the bodies of the dead members of the Ten Rings.


    It was pure unpredictable chaos.


    And that was what gave Tony an answer.


    ''He can''t control it'' If he wanted to attack him directly, there were many ways, but his opponent wasn''t just attacking him; he was attacking everything around him. Tony could see how he was indiscriminately destroying the surrounding terrain, like an area attack that couldn''t fully focus on a single target. At least not entirely, and he was going to take advantage of that.


    Raza waved his hands and laughed maniacally as his newly discovered abilities created chaos and destruction without measure. Intoxicated by his power as he was, he couldn''t react when Tony navigated to him, hiding from his view among the flying debris.


    His fist suddenly struck him in the face, making him scream in pain and sending him crashing into a building that had been lifted into the air.


    "Argh!" he groaned, and a piece of tooth flew out. His left cheek had caved in completely. His golden eyes looked towards Tony, who was flying towards him at full speed without hesitation.


    He hastily raised his hand, causing the wind to become extremely violent suddenly. Tony twisted his body as best as he could, but he was still hit by what seemed like a sharp current of air.


    He tried to cross his hands in front of him, but the blow broke through his guard and hit his chest, causing a long and deep cut to form in his armor plate.


    The arc reactor sparked and began to flicker suddenly.


    "Main reactor compromised, switching to backup mode. Secondary reactor at maximum power" The thrusters on Tony''s back burst with full force, propelling him forward without wasting time.


    As he flew, his right hand stretched out and grabbed the broken turret cannon of a tank that he had destroyed earlier, now flying through the air with the rest of the debris. He tightened his grip on the cannon and dragged it with him until he reached Raza, swinging it like a large club directly towards Raza''s head, blocking his vision and causing him to hurriedly try to intercept the blow using a wall of wind.


    There was an impact, and Raza smiled as he saw that he had successfully blocked the blow. But that smile disappeared when he heard the sound of the repulsors being fired. His eyes moved as fast as they could only to see Tony appear from the bottom of the turret with both arms stretched towards him and a deep, bright blue light about to hit him.


    His pupils shrank, and a panicked scream almost began to escape his throat. He tried to move his hands to block the attack, but it was too late.


    BOOM!!


    The light pierced through the heavy layers of sand and dust, instantly clearing the surroundings as the shockwave spread.


    The hurricane winds suddenly calmed down, and the debris began to fall to the ground like a torrential rain.


    Tony, half kneeling on the ground, watched as Raza''s body fell to the ground, or what was left of him. His upper body had turned into pieces of flesh that began to rain down at the same time as the debris.


    Tony breathed heavily, slowly lowering his arms that were still smoking, and checked the amount of energy in his secondary arc reactor.


    "76%." He had used at least 24% of energy in that single attack.


    "Jarvis, diagnosis." Data about the armor began to appear on his HUD.


    "Main structure compromised by 38%. Primary Arc Reactor disabled. Secondary Arc Reactor stable-"


    He listened to jarvis report on the situation as he sat on the ground and watched the debris fall with the sand and dust slowly settling.


    That was intense, a short and intense battle, Tony thought. He had made a small miscalculation that cost him his main reactor, but fortunately, he had a secondary reactor that he once thought was an exaggeration but now knew was the best choice.


    He looked at the body of the "monster" or whatever Raza had become.


    There were so many questions in his mind, but the pain in his body and chest made him focus again on the present. Any questions he had would have to be answered when he finished what he started.


    Even if his suit was a little damaged, he still had enough juice to take out the remaining Ten Rings bases.


    With some difficulty, he got back on his feet, ready to continue his mission.


    "It seems I arrived late this time" a voice Tony didn''t recognize said, making him jump in alertness, his body quickly turning and raising his hands with his repulsors ready to fire.


    Descending from the sky, he saw the familiar but still strange figure of Defiant.


    "Sorry, the party''s over" Tony replied to his words as he slowly lowered his hands.


    They both looked at each other, studying each other carefully in a silence only interrupted by the sound of debris falling to the ground.


    .


    .


    .


    Note:


    What did you think? Writing this chapter amidst a hellish heatwave was, quite literally, hellish, haha! My poor fan decided to embark on its own isekai adventure and shut down forever, so now I''m sweating buckets. I hope to get a new one soon.


    If there are any issues with the chapter, please let me know so I can fix them.


    Thanks for your fantastic support!


    The next update of Still Defiant is now available on Patreon </a>(patreon.com/EmmaCruzader)</a> and soon there will be another chapter there, If you don''t want to wait for a public update, you can take a look at it n.n

 19: First Encounter

    19: First Encounter


    The dust began to settle, and Tony felt a kind of tension he hadn''t even experienced when facing the monster. It was strange; he didn''t feel threatened, but he didn''t feel safe either.


    Defiant''s feet hit the ground, shaking the sand around a bit. His long cape fluttered in the agitated winds, and the two men looked at each other as if measuring each other.


    "Done looking? Maybe you want a picture, but I''m not giving autographs today" Tony''s voice came out distorted, a way to avoid being recognized.


    Daniel smiled with amusement.


    "Yeah, it would be nice to have it on a poster, but don''t worry, I have a very good memory. Although I''d prefer to see it in better conditions, your current appearance isn''t very appealing"


    Tony looked at himself. Certainly, his armor had seen better days: dirt, dust, and sand covered it, along with the stains left by projectile impacts and scratch-like cuts covering its surface. Not to mention the large cut on his chest that had rendered his main reactor useless, which was still sparking...


    Great, he had just premiered it today and already ruined it.


    While Tony was checking himself, Daniel looked around. The terrorist base had been easy to find; cyclones and tornadoes don''t just form out of nowhere in a mountainous area.


    In fact, Daniel had found out a bit late about what was happening in Gulmira, not because he didn''t care, but because he didn''t want to venture into military conflict zones. He wasn''t political and wasn''t interested in being so, but even he knew the repercussions wouldn''t be small if he interfered in the conflict between two or more nations.


    Of course, the appearance of an anomaly automatically nullified any concerns.


    Overwatch had been upgraded a while ago. With its relentless search for Gen X, Daniel had hacked into all existing databases on the planet. While doing so, he had left many backdoors that Overwatch could use to receive and gather important information.


    Daniel couldn''t be everywhere or know everything, which is why he created Overwatch. Despite this, the virtual intelligence still had limitations, so it only reported when truly important things happened.


    Environmental anomalies in Afghanistan resulting in strange satellite images, as well as military reports about terrorist bases being attacked by a "robot" were more than enough for Overwatch to notify him immediately.


    So, when he received the alert, he hurried. He didn''t expect to be late this time¡ªor, well, maybe saying he was late was incorrect. Someone else had already dealt with the problem, after all.


    Looking at the steel armor not far from him, Daniel almost wanted to run over to examine it more closely. Even damaged, it was an incredibly advanced piece of technology, and he had to control himself so his excitement at seeing it wasn''t noticeable.


    You can''t blame him; mecha is a man''s true love.


    What stood before him likely surpassed Earth''s technology by decades, if not centuries. It was fascinating.


    But there were things that required more immediate attention. Daniel walked over to the remains of what had once been a human. Even if only the lower half remained, it was easy to see monstrous changes in its biology.


    Tony watched him approach the corpse of Raza, or what was left of him, kneel beside it, and start taking some samples. He seemed to know what he was doing, and Tony couldn''t help but ask.


    "Do you know what it is? What happened to him?" Tony wanted answers too.


    As he said this, Jarvis''s scanners began studying Defiant. In all aspects, he appeared human; there was nothing mechanical about him or his biology, which ruled out Tony''s theory of cybernetic enhancements.


    Tony also inspected him with his own eyes. He seemed much younger up close, at least younger than Tony, though, of course, less handsome.


    Hearing his question, Daniel thought about the answer.


    "I might know something, but I''m not sure yet" The reality was that he needed more time, more studies, comparisons. Were Greg and this guy, whoever he had been, affected in the same way? Was it Gen M that changed them?


    Tony frowned. Noticing his silence, Daniel smiled.


    "Do you really want to discuss genetic alterations in this place?" He gestured around. Tony looked and realized that having a chat right now might not be the best option. He himself wanted a shower but still had things to take care of.


    "Well, D-boy, we''ll talk later. I still have weapons to destroy"


    "D-boy?" Daniel blinked in astonishment but quickly composed himself.


    "Wait, are you really going alone in that condition?" He pointed out the obvious damage to Tony''s armor.


    Tony paused for a second and, with some arrogance, couldn''t help but respond.


    "I''m more than enough" Right after he said that, a piece of the alloy on his right leg fell off, while sparks flew like fireworks.


    There was an awkward silence that Daniel broke.


    "Let me help you. I heard about what''s been happening in Afghanistan. I thought it was just a military conflict between nations, but the terrorist activity of the Ten Rings has become intolerable"


    It was his fault. He thought the human conflicts in this world would be the same as those in his previous world, so he hadn''t noticed the differences he should have noticed earlier.


    "Ha! And I thought you were only interested in helping old ladies cross the street" Of course, Defiant''s lack of presence in armed conflicts around the world had drawn attention. Many supported the idea that someone with his strength should not intervene, while many others were against it, arguing that he should do something.


    Personally, Tony didn''t care if governments agreed or not. Still, he also knew that angering the wrong people would only bring headaches, so he didn''t think too much about whether Defiant should help or not. But he also knew what it would mean if he did, the message it would send not just to people, but to the world.


    ''I only did it twice, and it seems no one will let me forget it!'' Daniel thought it would be a nice gesture when he did it, but whether it was the guy in front of him, people on the internet, or even Harleen, everyone seemed to joke about it from time to time.


    He shook his head. It wasn''t the time to think about that. He looked into the eyes of the metal suit in front of him and spoke clearly.


    "I haven''t meddled in human military conflicts because I don''t think it''s my place to dictate their wars, but this is different, and you know it"


    Tony was silent for a second before nodding at him.


    "Fine, just don''t get in my way"


    Daniel frowned slightly. There was animosity in his words, but he didn''t feel it was directed at him. Had something happened? He put that question aside; the personal lives and conflicts of others weren''t his concern right now.


    Soon, both took off into the sky, but not before dealing with Raza''s remains. Daniel froze them and, using his super speed, took them to a place where he could retrieve them later.


    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    What followed wasn''t even a battle. With the two of them acting simultaneously, the Ten Rings couldn''t even begin to evacuate their bases before they descended upon them like the hammer of an angry god.


    The armament, the number of men, and their nearly manic effort in their struggles didn''t matter. Daniel swept through them like a walking natural disaster, making any resistance seem futile.


    Blood seemed to trickle from the ground like a stream, and Daniel looked at his bloodied fist.


    It was the third base he had destroyed on his own, and a strange feeling had been flooding his mind. Although he had killed before, this time felt different. The number of lives he had taken in such a short time was hard to count. He never thought the numbers would become difficult to follow, but he hadn''t wanted to keep track. Killing didn''t feel good at all, and he didn''t want to remember the exact figure as if it were an achievement.


    Despite that, it was as if his brain forced him to remember. Every heartbeat he had extinguished was etched in his mind, causing a disgusting taste to form in his mouth, and the revulsion he felt was a sensation he hadn''t expected to experience again soon.


    He shook his head to clear those thoughts, used his hearing to ensure no one was left alive, and began to rise into the air, heading towards where Tony was destroying lot after lot of weapons stored with the Stark logo.


    Daniel looked at the armor once more. Even damaged, it was an admirable piece of technology. Seeing what it was capable of up close had only increased his amazement. If he or Carol didn''t exist, this would be the most advanced and lethal weapon on the planet, he believed.


    Tony saw him approaching, fired one last repulsor ray, causing a large explosion to a pile of weapons, and then turned to look at him.


    "Ready? We still have the last three bases left" With him and Daniel joining forces, the speed with which they acted even surprised Tony, putting him in a good mood. Destroying these weapons, which were part of his less than glorious past, was more gratifying than he had expected.


    Daniel nodded at him. At least, even with how unpleasant this was, he could take comfort in the fact that he wasn''t doing it alone.


    .


    .


    .


    "This is the tenth base that has been completely destroyed in the last few hours. Recently obtained images from our reporters on the scene show the participation of Defiant alongside what appears to be a new type of unknown weaponry, annihilating the terrorist group known as the Ten Rings. It is still unknown¡ª"


    Harleen blinked slowly as she watched the news, setting the reports on her desk. She had never been much into the news before, but lately, she had been paying close attention because of Daniel. In a way, they were something like "good" friends? Something more? She didn''t know, but the point was she cared about him. With her discoveries about Gen M and knowing that monsters were real, she couldn''t help but want to stay informed about what was happening.


    Usually, she saw news about him saving people, helping others, and generally being the classic hero you would see in a comic. That had been the norm until this morning. She had just started her job at Ryker''s and had turned on the personal TV in her office, expecting another day of typical news. She certainly didn''t expect to see him destroying a terrorist army in Central Asia.


    She watched the footage recorded by war journalists. She saw a tank split in half as Daniel easily sliced through it with one hand, saw him take hundreds of bullets without flinching, and take a missile head-on without even seeming dazed. His cold eyes seemed to look at the terrorists as mere obstacles, which he eliminated effortlessly.


    She furrowed her brows, worry growing inside her.


    .


    .


    .


    Carol wasn''t angry, just irritated, which might seem the same but wasn''t. She had come home that day boiling with rage, but that rage left as quickly as it came. It was stupid; why was she angry? Just because Daniel was having a good time with someone who wasn''t her?


    Of course, it wasn''t just that. There were many reasons, big and small, but they ultimately boiled down to something quite simple: jealousy.


    Being jealous wasn''t new to her. She had been jealous of Chloe, of her schoolmates, of other kids her age as she grew up¡ªjealous of their normalcy, of their lives. Dealing with jealousy had become simple; she couldn''t have what others had, so she just had to ignore them until they disappeared...


    She didn''t know if that would work in this case. She remembered everything she saw that day: how they joked, how they looked at each other, how Daniel''s heart beat a little faster when he was near that stupid blonde.


    Her eye trembled again; she wondered if it was some kind of nervous tic. She had been doing it quite a lot these days.


    While lost in deep thoughts, she heard the familiar name on the TV news in the living room. She quickly focused on it; it was better to distract herself.


    "The death toll is unknown, the total and complete elimination of all Ten Rings terrorist bases in Afghanistan is a fact we cannot ignore. The US army has begun closing nearby areas, leaving us wondering why Defiant acted now? What motivated him to confront the terrorists? And who is the mysterious figure wearing the steel suit?"


    Carol had already taken out her phone and started searching for the images. Video after video, her brows furrowed deeply.


    She didn''t care about the destruction or how Daniel tore through the terrorist army; she was more concerned about why he was there. Had her investigation led him to the Ten Rings? And who was the person helping him? That suit seemed very advanced. She thought the only "futuristic" technology on Earth was her ship, which she had retrieved with Daniel''s help and hidden elsewhere before he left.


    Seeing the metal armor, though damaged, displaying surprising combat capabilities, Carol couldn''t help but wonder how many things she had missed until now.


    This couldn''t go on like this. If she kept staying at home, she would end up like she was before she met Daniel, alone, watching the world move on without her in it.


    She had to talk to him.


    .


    .


    .


    Daniel stood in the sky, watching the last base burn in flames. Beside him, Tony flew alongside, both falling into a momentary silence.


    "Is this the last one?" he asked, though he already knew the answer. Tony nodded heavily. Once everything was said and done, the sensation that lingered within him was strange. It wasn''t emptiness, but it didn''t feel better either. Tony knew this was his fault. Every life lost and taken today was his fault, but unlike before, this time it wasn''t the lives of innocents that were lost.


    "Energy at 42%, sir" Jarvis''s voice brought Tony out of his thoughts. It was time to go back. Mark 2 needed urgent repairs, although it was probably better to start on the construction of Mark 3. This day had given him new ideas.


    "Well, D-boy, it''s time to depart" Daniel looked at him and nodded. He thought about saying something more, finding a place to talk, but he didn''t think this was the moment. He reached into one of his pockets and pulled out something he had been working on, without much thought, he tossed it to Tony, who caught it.


    "It''s a communicator. I know you still have questions, and so do I. I think we can help each other figure them out" Tony looked at the small device with interest, undoubtedly he would study it in depth once he returned to his workshop.


    He nodded back at him and cleared into the sky. Daniel watched him leave, his smile fading. He looked down one last time before setting off; he still had half of a body waiting to be picked up.


    .


    .


    .


    "This is unacceptable!"


    "He intervened in an active war zone!"


    "Do we have any leads on his whereabouts?"


    "Fury, you need to find Defiant immediately"


    The news of Defiant intervening in Afghanistan had quickly spread around the world. There were varied opinions on the matter¡ªthose who were pleased, those who were panicked, and even those who didn''t care as long as it didn''t affect their lives.


    Unfortunately, the World Council was in the spectrum of indignation and anger.


    At the central headquarters of S.H.I.E.L.D., Nick Fury glanced at the huge screens where council members were arguing like headless chickens. This whole affair had touched a sensitive nerve in different governments around the world.


    Defiant was already a concern, but now it had become more than that. Everyone demanded to find him. For what? Nick didn''t know. It''s not like they could do anything to stop him from continuing what he was doing, and in Nick''s opinion, they shouldn''t.


    He had been following every action, every life saved. Defiant was a hero, one that the world had needed unknowingly. S.H.I.E.L.D. would know better than anyone. This world was never ordinary; ordinary people had limits, a boundary that delineated what they could or couldn''t do to safeguard the world''s well-being.


    And S.H.I.E.L.D. had long been falling short.


    Defiant was the first and greatest response to those limitations. If they could work together, then the world would be a better place. But of course, not everyone thought the same.


    Fury took a deep breath and spoke to appease the council.


    "I assure you that the search for Defiant has been our highest and foremost priority. We are using all possible resources at our disposal to locate him, but it''s difficult to track him. That''s why I ask the council for a 35% increase in the budget"


    His words caused the meeting room to fall silent for a moment.


    Nick smiled inwardly. He hadn''t lied when he said that S.H.I.E.L.D. was using all its resources, which was a problem. There were many more events and problems in the world to deal with. Focusing so many resources on one task was making the job harder. That''s why he decided to seize this opportunity and ask for a budget increase.


    Seeing their tense looks on screen, he smiled. Just as they thought they could demand something, he could do the same.


    Sometimes he thought they forgot that S.H.I.E.L.D. didn''t answer to any government; the fact that it was here was just a formality.


    One of the councilors cleared their throat.


    "We can discuss the budget increase later. For now, we need to focus on something else. This metal armor, have we found out where it came from?" While Defiant was the main topic on everyone''s lips, he wasn''t the only one. His "companion" or the person who helped him destroy the terrorist bases was also causing a stir.


    "I have some speculations" Fury thought of a person; he would have to verify, but he didn''t believe there was anyone else in this world capable of creating such advanced mechanical technology. Remembering what Agent Coulson had said, he decided it was best to send Natasha directly.


    .


    .


    .


    Note:


    The next update of Still Defiant is now available on Patreon </a>(patreon.com/EmmaCruzader) and soon there will be another chapter there, If you don''t want to wait for a public update, you can take a look at it n.n

 20: Ten Rings

    20: Ten Rings


    Obadiah Stane was having a very bad day. He had believed everything was in order, that things would go according to his plans. Even if Tony wasn''t dead, that didn''t matter; Obadiah was confident he could easily get rid of him.


    Now he wasn''t so sure. He had seen the images; they were on the news. Others might have no idea who or what the "robotic suit" was that helped in the attack on the Ten Rings.


    Stane knew. He had been in contact with the Ten Rings since he was the one who asked for their help to get rid of the Stark brat. Of course, the stupid greed of one of their commanders had prevented Tony''s death. That had infuriated Obadiah so much that he had promised to kill him himself.


    It wasn''t necessary; Tony had done it. Obadiah knew it had to be him. Raza had sent him some images of what they had managed to find in the desert after Tony''s departure. It was rough and clearly made hastily, but the basics were there. Obadiah had planned to travel personally to see it, but recent events had changed that plan.


    He entered his office with some sweat on his forehead, wondering if Tony would seek revenge against him in the same way he had against the Ten Rings. He poured himself a glass of whiskey and took a long drink. Nothing should go wrong, he told himself. Tony didn''t even know he was the one who ordered his kidnapping.


    Of course, they weren''t on the best terms now and he surely suspected him a lot since he had somewhat confessed to being the one who sold those weapons illegally. But things weren''t irreparable; he could fix this, somehow.


    "You seem stressed" the voice from the darkness pulled him out of his thoughts, making him almost jump backward. He quickly turned his head to see two intensely red eyes staring at him from the darkness of his office, glowing like two beacons in the dark.


    The figure stood up and casually approached him. As his face emerged into the light, his eyes reverted to an ordinary light brown, losing that supernatural glow.


    The man stood beside him and took his own glass of whiskey, pouring it slowly.


    "You..." Obadiah swallowed hard. He knew he would come but didn''t expect to see him so soon.


    "Surprised? You shouldn''t be. With what''s happened, things have become... difficult, if you know what I mean" The man walked over to the large window in Obadiah''s office, looking out at the view with a subtle smile on his face, a smile that soon turned into cold fury.


    "The Mandarin is not pleased with this, Stane. The Ten Rings have lost much of their influence in Central Asia. He wants answers, he wants those responsible to pay" He looked at him, his eyes glowing once more, radiating an inhuman heat.


    "Tell me, are you responsible for this?"


    Stane trembled, his throat dry and his hands starting to sweat. He shook his head quickly, almost stammering as he spoke.


    "Of course not! I ordered Tony to be killed immediately, but it was his man, Raza, who was greedy. He let him live and now he wears that metal suit" It was better to completely deflect the blame; the Mandarin was not someone Stane wanted to cross, not in a million years.


    The man smiled mockingly.


    "You blame a dead man? You know the dead can''t pay for their mistakes, so the living must"


    Stane frowned deeply.


    "What... what do you mean?" he asked hesitantly.


    The man snapped his fingers, and a cloth that had been covering part of Obadiah''s office fell. Obadiah hadn''t noticed it before, given the size of his office, but now he saw it and what was behind it.


    With wide eyes, Obadiah approached the metallic remains and picked up the steel helmet from the pile of cables and pieces.


    "This is what you were going to steal from Raza. Certainly innovative, don''t you think?" The man stood beside him, observing the remains of the Mark 1.


    "How?" Obadiah turned in panic, realizing that his plans had been uncovered.


    The man sneered but didn''t respond. He took the steel helmet from Obadiah''s hands and spoke clearly and coldly.


    "The Mandarin will not tolerate more mistakes. The blood of his men flows over the grounds of Afghanistan like a crimson river. He wants revenge, and you will be the one to pull the trigger" His hands began to glow a bright orange that soon turned to a brilliant yellow.


    The steel in his hands melted, dripping from between his fingers like water. Obadiah took two steps back in evident fear.


    "I don''t¡ª" He tried to refuse, but eyes as fiery as flames stopped him from finishing his words.


    "This is not a request. Either you kill Tony Stark and this "Defiant" or you will be the one to face the consequences" The man calmly wiped his hands with a handkerchief and then pulled something from an inner pocket of his chest.


    Obadiah''s eyes widened as he saw the vial glowing with an orange liquid inside.


    "T-this is!?"


    "Beautiful, isn''t it? More power than anyone could imagine in the palm of my hand" The man took the vial and placed it in Stane''s hands.


    "The latest and improved Extremis formula, a completely stable serum... No matter how, you have to kill them both, do you hear me?" Stane nodded, feeling the heat emanating from the vial in his hands.


    He held it tightly, almost fearing it would be taken away. The man smiled and patted his back.


    "Then I''ll leave it to you. Remember, the Mandarin never forgets"


    Obadiah watched Aldrich Killian''s back as he walked away and left his office. The air rushed out of his lungs as if he had been holding it the entire time. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and looked again at the vial in his hands. He couldn''t help but let a wide smile form on his face.


    Not only that, he looked at the remains of the Mark 1 and the blueprints taped to the side. The Mandarin''s men must have recovered them along with the pieces. If he had these two things, maybe... no! He could definitely do it!


    He could get out of this. He would kill Tony and that stupid hero in tights. Then he would find a way to make the Mandarin kneel before him.


    .


    .


    .


    Daniel returned to Smallville and entered his farm cautiously. He dragged his body to the living room and looked around. He didn''t remember it being so clean; he could even see his reflection on the floor.


    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    He looked at himself, his suit covered in dirt and blood¡ªdefinitely not a pleasant sight.


    He had come back because he didn''t think Harleen would be too happy if he stained her apartment with blood and dirt.


    He saw the sunlight starting to come through the window; dawn was approaching. He decided to take a quick shower and maybe a nap. He wasn''t physically tired, but he was mentally exhausted.


    He heard the door open behind him and felt Carol rushing toward him. Before he could warn her, he felt her embrace him, almost hearing his ribs creak. "This girl... really doesn''t know how to hold back eh?"


    "You''re back!" she almost shouted, a big smile on her face. Daniel looked at her and gave her a tired smile.


    "Maybe you shouldn''t hug me right now" he said, causing her smile to fade and her brow to furrow deeply. Daniel then pointed to himself, and it was then that Carol noticed the dirt and blood covering him. She looked at herself, realizing her clothes were already stained.


    "Oh..."


    Daniel gently pushed her away and looked at her. She had arrived quite quickly, almost at the same time as he did.


    "When was the last time you slept?" he couldn''t help but ask.


    Carol brushed off some of the dirt and looked at him thoughtfully.


    "Since we started training? Maybe a few days before that"


    That was concerning. Daniel didn''t know much about Carol''s biology, but so far, she didn''t seem much different from humans and Viltrumites. That''s why he remembered what Harleen had said several days ago.


    "You should start sleeping more, you need rest" Carol blinked in confusion and chuckled a little.


    "No, we don''t need to sleep" she said plainly. They never got tired, so why waste time sleeping?


    Daniel sighed, went to his sofa, and slumped down on it, not caring if he dirtied it or not. Carol followed him and pouted as she watched him sit down.


    "You know, getting stains out is quite difficult..." She gestured to the sofa, but Daniel simply waved his hand.


    "Don''t worry about that. I''ll just buy a new one or something" Honestly, he didn''t care right now.


    "Let''s not change the subject. You need to start resting. Physically, we may not get tired, but mentally, we still can" Carol sat beside him, studying his face, noticing something odd in his expression.


    "If I say I will, will you tell me what''s going on?"


    Daniel stayed silent. He didn''t exactly know what to say. How do you express the feeling that comes to you after possibly killing hundreds of people?


    He looked at Carol. There weren''t many people he could vent to these days. Harleen would probably be willing to listen, but he felt he had already burdened her enough. Adding more to her plate just didn''t feel right.


    He scratched his head, tousling his hair, thinking about his next words.


    "When I started doing this, I told myself there would be no games, no second chances for monsters, and I wouldn''t leave things half-done. I committed to doing whatever it takes, but now I''m not sure if that''s right"


    He looked at his hands. He had thought his resolve was stronger than this, that he was stronger than this.


    Carol took his hand, staining her hand with red, the blood standing out starkly against her fair skin. Despite this, she didn''t let go and helped him remove his gloves.


    "When we met, you told me that you didn''t accept a world like this, a world where people couldn''t live without fear" She looked directly at him.


    ""Isn''t it supposed that you should defy all injustice?" So why doubt? Those were nothing but monsters terrorizing people; their lives had no value. Getting rid of them was the right thing to do" Her voice was cold, and Daniel could see that she firmly believed in what she was saying.


    "So don''t worry, you''re a hero. What you do is right and for the good of others. I''m sure those people in Afghanistan who had been living under their rule will be very happy now that they are free, and that''s thanks to you, because you saved them"


    Daniel thought about it. He didn''t know for sure if it would be like that, but at least many families wouldn''t have to worry about losing their children or parents, at least not at the hands of the Ten Rings.


    "Maybe you''re right" he said, not wanting to argue anymore.


    "Of course, I am, because I know you''re doing the right thing" she said. Carol didn''t think too much about what Daniel had done. As she had said, she thought Daniel did what was necessary, whether he killed one person or a thousand didn''t matter. In her eyes, his actions must be justified


    Carol helped him to his feet.


    "Come on, you need a shower" He let her drag him; his body felt heavy.


    .


    .


    .


    Tony entered his workshop with a cup of coffee in hand. After returning from Afghanistan, he had removed the Mark 2 and taken a long shower. He didn''t think about sleeping, not now. This trip had brought certain revelations, and ideas had been pounding in his head, demanding to be implemented.


    "I need to improve the reactor protection system" he massaged his chest, although barely noticeable, a red line crossed through his skin.


    Not only there, his body had a lot of small wounds that had accumulated throughout the conflict. Fortunately, they could all be treated in private.


    The destruction of the Ten Rings'' bases, combined with his fight with "the monster," had taken a considerable toll on his body. He had been too impulsive, not properly testing the impact cushioning system, resulting in numerous bruises covering his body.


    The Mark 2 wasn''t better off either. Although it was an amazing piece of engineering ahead of its time, it wasn''t indestructible. Tony himself didn''t have much experience in handling it, although he learned quickly. That cost him several direct hits that he could have avoided, compromising its structure, making the accumulated damages too much to justify investing in its repair. It simply wasn''t worth the cost.


    That''s why he started a new project, the Mark 3.


    After witnessing firsthand what Defiant was capable of, he realized he had been underestimating him. The guy was a monster; Tony had seen all the weaponry possible within those bases hit him directly and barely ruffle his hair.


    He had created those weapons, so he knew perfectly well what they were capable of, and none had even caused the slightest harm to him. Hell, they barely managed to scratch his clothes, which left him completely perplexed. What the hell was his suit made of?


    The Mark had been designed with the best alloys he could get and the most resistant materials, yet it seemed like he had walked into a blender. Meanwhile, Defiant''s clothes were almost intact in the end.


    Of course, Raza had a lot to do with it, but the point still stood; his armor wasn''t resilient enough.


    "Jarvis, analyze all the data we have so far. Give me an estimate of how resistant Defiant is" he requested. A series of projected screens unfolded at his inquiry, calculations of hundreds of pages carried out in seconds, and soon Jarvis''s voice was heard.


    "Do you want the short answer or the long answer, sir?"


    "Give me the short one. I trust you" There was no way Jarvis could be wrong in his calculations.


    "There''s no weapon, apart from nuclear weaponry, theoretically capable of harming him. Although there could be two materials capable of doing so" Tony almost demanded to recalculate until he heard the last part.


    "One should be Vibranium, right? Considering its characteristics, there''s no doubt it could stand up to him. But the problem is that the majority of it on the planet was used to make the most expensive frisbee"


    Vibranium was and had been the most coveted material by the world''s arms manufacturers. It was a shame that all that existed had been used and lost during World War II.


    "Remember the rumors that spread a few years ago, sir? About the illegal trade of Vibranium on the black market?" Tony furrowed his brow. Of course, he remembered them. He had heard of them but hadn''t taken them seriously, thinking they were just false rumors. And since he had been more occupied with dating models than attending to his company, he had never really thought to investigate them thoroughly.


    Maybe it was time to change that.


    "Tell me about the other one" he asked curiously. He had heard of Vibranium but never of anything comparable.


    Jarvis then displayed the information in front of him.


    "Adamantium..." he read through all the information Jarvis had on the synthetic material, theoretically indestructible. Nothing they threw at the little they had managed to create could damage it, not even nuclear weaponry.


    One would think that such a discovery would have been more widely known and used.


    The problem lay in the process of its creation; it was extremely complicated and costly. A single mistake would mean the loss of hundreds of millions. Additionally, shaping it was extremely difficult, and once hardened, it was impossible to reforge into something different.


    Moreover, the method for synthesizing it was a closely guarded state secret. Now that he had turned his back on the arms trade, and therefore the military, obtaining the method to create it legally would be impossible.


    Thinking about all this, several ideas began to flood his mind.


    "Jarvis, pull up all the data recorded on my father''s study of Vibranium" Maybe obtaining either of these two materials would be extremely difficult if not impossible, but no one said he couldn''t create his own.


    After all, someone accidentally created adamantium during World War II.


    Tony didn''t trust luck, so he knew this wouldn''t be easy, but he was confident he could achieve it with enough time and effort.


    On the other hand, he needed a more immediate solution. Problems wouldn''t wait; his luck wasn''t that good. So, he had to find a way to improve more immediately. As he contemplated this, his eyes met the holographic screens.


    "Energy projection?"


    An idea struck him; perhaps this could work.


    .


    .


    .


    Note:


    I don''t know how there are authors capable of writing a daily chapter, they''re probably half Chinese or something hahaha.


    The next update of Still Defiant is now available on Patreon (patreon.com/EmmaCruzader)</a> and soon there will be another chapter there, If you don''t want to wait for a public update, you can take a look at it n.n

 Illustrations 1: Carol

    As promised on my Patreon</a>, I will make original illustrations of the characters in my stories, the possible sketches and previews will be seen there, the complete illustration will be available 12 hours up to a week before (the same as the chapters) in the best possible quality on patreon and later I will publish them on the sites where I upload this story if possible, if not then I will leave a link to my Twitter</a> where they will also be published after the grace time stipulated above.


    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    After quite a while I finally have a preliminary design of Carol, (this is an illustration of her wearing a normal hero outfit, I''m still not clear about the design of the hooded cape and the mask) I still think I need to add a few more things, but I think the design is almost complete. At least in regards to the face and body characteristics, I don''t think I will change anything, I will mainly focus on improving the suit.

 21: Last Daughter

    21: Last Daughter


    Daniel dried his hair and left the bathroom with his mind less dazed than before. He tossed the towel into the laundry basket and went to the kitchen where Carol, who had changed clothes, was preparing a traditional breakfast.


    Watching her from behind, Daniel thought about everything that had happened since he found her, about all the time he had spent around her. It was a lot, enough for his mind to remember various things but at the same time too little. There was something strange about it; he only needed to look at Tony''s armor in person once to start remembering who and why he was behind that armor.


    He even remembered the name he would later bear, Iron Man.


    The same thing happened with Matt; he only needed to find him once to remember several important things about his. With neither of them could he say he knew exactly everything he should have known, but at least now he knew their basic backgrounds and had a clear idea of who they were. Over time, his memories about them would fully return even if he no longer interacted with them.


    But Carol... there were things, small clues that left little flashes of information but at the same time, if compared, it was like picking up crumbs compared to what he got from Tony and Matt... why? He couldn''t help but have that question swirling in his head since he started investigating the radiation that Greg emitted.


    Somehow he knew that this radiation was not natural, at least not on Earth. It had to come from another place, another world, and he knew that this world should be the home world where Carol came from.


    He felt an instinctive connection, but why didn''t that fact reveal more to him? Why did she still have a dark cloud covering the information that, logically, should have been revealed to him long ago? My god, he had spent entire weeks just interacting with this girl!


    What made her special? Apart from everything else that was obvious, of course.


    It was that veil of mystery around her that made him unconsciously defensive when dealing with her, even if he could clearly see that she was completely on his side. He couldn''t trust her due to his own biases born of a subconscious paranoia.


    In a somewhat sinister way, he knew that if he told her right here and now to leave her home and go with him without even giving a valid reason, she would follow... because it was obvious to him that she trusted him to that extent. That was another reason he didn''t want to get too close; having so much influence over another person''s decisions and actions was something he didn''t know how to handle.


    Especially when that person was a super-powered teenager who could probably destroy the world if things got out of control.


    That''s why dealing with Harleen was so easy. He knew who she was, where she could go, and what she could become, and how to largely prevent that from happening. It helped that she was attractive and getting along with her was easy. You could say that leaving Smallville for a while was also partly a way to distance himself from Carol for a few days and spend more time with Harleen.


    She was a grounded, adult woman who could easily remind him of his humanity just by spending time with her. And for Daniel, losing his humanity was the one thing he wouldn''t allow; it was something he needed to protect to keep being Defiant.


    "What''s wrong?" Carol turned to look at him, her light blue eyes as dazzling as ever. Daniel avoided looking at her too much since it was easy for his gaze to wander if he wasn''t careful. Beauty was hard to resist, after all.


    "I need to talk to you about something important," he approached the kitchen and said, looking at her seriously. It was time to try to resolve some mysteries that wouldn''t let him rest.


    Avoiding her was too childish, and now that his investigation was on pause, he had no excuse to keep avoiding solving the mystery surrounding her. Besides, he needed to deal with the source of the radiation in Smallville before another Greg decided to suddenly appear.


    Like killing several birds with one stone, simple.


    Carol looked at him and stopped cooking. It was easy to get her attention.


    "I discovered something while doing my investigation I¡ª" Daniel''s words were cut off by the sound of Carol crushing the cooking spoon in her hand. The metal of the kitchen utensil bent like hot plasticine, causing Daniel to raise his eyebrows as Carol''s expression remained calm even if her eyes now had a tint of red in them.


    Carol looked at the spoon for a moment, easily used her super strength to fix it as best as she could, and then looked back at Daniel.


    "What were you saying?"


    With no small amount of confusion, Daniel continued.


    "While I was investigating the changes in Greg, I found residues of a strange type of radiation inside his body, something never before seen by humanity. Its molecular structure is completely different from any other type of radiation on Earth..."


    Carol frowned, not missing the words, never before seen by humanity and any other type of radiation on Earth. Her stomach suddenly sank a bit but she still asked.


    "What do you mean?"


    "That it might come from the same place as you. Do you remember how it affected you? The way your powers seemed to diminish? I analyzed some of the blood samples you let me take at the same time I did some other experiments" Daniel had taken some of Carol''s blood samples to study why she had weakened.


    The answer was simple.


    "In all my analyses, this new type of radiation has almost negligible effects on other forms of life. Of course, this changes depending on the amount, but in itself, a small dose is as harmless as any other type of radiation. But In you, it''s not," he pointed at her.


    "Or more precisely, in your cells. Even the smallest exposure causes a process of cellular degradation. Of course, the solar energy within you helps combat this, but the greater and more prolonged the radiation exposure, the faster the solar energy depletes to prevent the radiation from poisoning you. This indirectly causes your powers to diminish slowly."


    It was a fascinating process to observe. The blood samples managed to withstand several days of significant radiation exposure until the solar energy in them was exhausted. Then their structure began to collapse rapidly. Without solar energy, Carol could only survive a few seconds in the presence of large amounts of this radiation. With solar energy, although she would be affected and begin to weaken slowly, she could still survive for a very long time.


    Carol took a few moments to process this. While she didn''t understand how Greg ended up with this type of radiation in his body, the fact that it might have come from the same place as her certainly left her bewildered.


    "But how?" she asked, and Daniel responded with something he had already theorized.


    "I think it came with you in that meteor shower."


    Carol looked up, recalling the circumstances of her arrival on Earth. The event was famous in Smallville, and she hadn''t thought much about it until now.


    In fact, she hadn''t thought much about her true origins, the place she came from.


    Ever since she found out she wasn''t human, she hadn''t wanted to dig too deep into it. There was some fear and, at the same time, anger. Why? Why had she been sent to Earth? Why alone? At first, a part of her wanted to know, but over time, a larger part of her began to lose interest. Maybe it was childish, but if she had been abandoned or thrown away like garbage, it wasn''t something she wanted to know.


    She used to look at the stars, searching among them for some clue, but soon decided it wasn''t worth it. Over time, she thought about it less and less, to the point where she thought she might forget it altogether.


    She was too focused on living her current life to waste time thinking about a place she had never seen, a distant and illusory place, a place where she had never been and probably never would be, and about which she knew nothing. She really lost the desire to know that place over time, to the point where even the smallest interest began to fade. Was it really necessary for her to learn more about that place when her life was and always had been on Earth?


    She looked at Daniel. If it were possible, she wouldn''t want to find out more, but she could see the curiosity in his blue eyes. She almost got lost in them for a moment but managed to come back to the present. If he wanted to know, then why not? In fact, this could work quite well¡ªa secret that only they shared. It sounded quite romantic in her mind.


    "Maybe it''s time I find out where I come from," she said, looking in the direction where she and Daniel had hidden her ship.


    .


    .


    .


    After finishing their breakfast, they decided to set off.


    Daniel waited under a tree, watching Carol return from her parents'' house. She had said she needed to pick up something before they left together. He thought she would want to do this on her own and then tell him what she had found, but she insisted that he come with her and do this together, so he didn''t refuse.


    "All set?" he asked when she reached his side. She nodded, showing him a dark metallic, elongated cylindrical object with some kind of emblem engraved on one end.


    Daniel frowned at the sight of the S-shaped engraving on the object. Some images came back to his mind, but they were still incomplete. It was so frustrating.


    Seeing his interest in the object, Carol explained what little she knew.


    "My parents said this came with me in the ship. I''m not exactly sure what it''s for, but I think we''ll need it." She remembered seeing an empty space in the ship with a similar shape where this might fit.


    Daniel took the object Carol handed to him. The material and texture were strange, with intricate engravings and geometric patterns of unknown purpose around its surface. It was undoubtedly something that seemed otherworldly.


    "Then let''s go." He handed the object back to her and carefully looked around. Moving through Smallville was still somewhat complicated but less so than before. Enough time had passed for the town to calm down. It wasn''t the same as it used to be, but for Carol and Daniel, it was easy to navigate through it and leave with their super speed.


    They soon covered hundreds of kilometers, deep into a forest. Remembering the location was easy for both of them. Daniel looked at the huge rock they had used to cover the entrance of the cave and easily moved it aside. Then they both entered the artificial cavern.


    It wasn''t natural; it was something they had created specifically in a location and terrain very difficult for humans to access.


    The cave was deep, a long path that ended at another entrance to a cavern. This entrance was also blocked by another enormous rock that Carol removed. Then they both ventured inside and saw that in the center of the cavern, covered with several pieces of fabric made from Element V, was the ship.


    Carol stepped forward and removed the fabric, revealing the silver-colored ship once again.


    Even though Daniel had seen it once before, he still couldn''t help but be amazed. After all, it was a genuine spaceship.


    Its silver color and surface full of interconnected lines gave it a strange aura. Daniel couldn''t help but approach and touch it once more, feeling its metallic texture against his palm. On one side, he saw a hole that he now recognized as the place where the strange object Carol had shown him should go.


    He didn''t stay close for too long; he carefully stepped back a few paces and looked at Carol. Now, everything depended on her.


    Carol looked at the ship, unsure of what to think or feel, but she had made a decision. It was time to see what secrets this thing could reveal to her. She just hoped it wouldn''t be a disappointment or this trip would have been all in vain.


    She took out the cylindrical object and carefully began to insert it into where she believed it should go. It easily slid in more than halfway and then stopped.


    She frowned slightly and, with some hesitation, used her palm to push the object fully inside.


    Then a light began to illuminate the entire place.


    Daniel watched and felt the light hit his face with astonishment. It was warm and welcoming, like the gentle embrace of a mother.


    It was strange. How was it possible that a light projection could generate such clear sensations and feelings?


    he watched as Carol looked somewhat bewildered by the light, then slowly, the light converged in front of the ship, forming a highly advanced projection of a figure.


    Carol took a few steps back upon seeing the figure that had formed in front of her.


    From the side, Daniel looked at Carol and then at the projected figure. He could easily deduce the relationship between them just by comparing their appearances.


    "My dear daughter, you have grown so much," a voice, soft and feminine, swept through the area like a gentle breeze. Carol blinked, at a loss for words.


    The figure approached her, looking her up and down as someone might look at something of immeasurable value.


    "Tell me, how have you been?" the figure asked. Carol opened her mouth and then closed it. What should she say? It was strange and unexpected, this woman calling her her daughter... She couldn''t help but frown; she didn''t like it at all.


    "Who are you?" she asked, and seeing her cautious gaze, the figure''s smile faltered slightly.


    "I am your mother... or at least what remains of her, just a remnant, a part of her consciousness stored in this ship," she gestured to Carol''s ship.


    The woman tried to caress Carol''s cheek, but she backed away a bit, making the woman sigh. Then she looked at Daniel with curiosity.


    "And who are you?"


    Daniel blinked and raised his hands.


    "You can ignore me; I''m only here because of her," he gestured to Carol, who had been the one to bring him along in the first place.


    The woman raised an eyebrow and looked deeply at Carol, who nodded towards her with clear affirmation in her gaze.


    "it''s ok, he came with me. I have... a lot to ask and I need answers," the woman fell silent for a few seconds but still nodded in understanding.


    "I have waited for this day for a long time. The ship has been in stasis and could only be reactivated by the master key and by you. It''s good that you have finally decided to do so," she had been waiting, dormant but somehow aware that at some point, she would have to awaken. She hoped it would be sooner rather than later, but it was never too late, even if it wasn''t when she expected.


    "Where do you want me to start?" she asked, and Carol hesitated for a moment before responding.


    "Just start," she had no idea what to ask, so she decided to leave it to her.


    The woman seemed pensive for a few moments before reaching out her hand. Her actions were extremely natural and fluid, and Daniel would have truly believed she was there in front of them if he didn''t know she was just an image.


    In the palm of her hand, a second projection of high resolution and extremely detailed began to form¡ªa planet, one very similar to Earth.


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    "You come from a distant planet called Krypton," Carol looked at the image. Even if she was reluctant, she couldn''t help but let some of the curiosity that still lingered in her awaken.


    "It was a very beautiful and vast planet, with a large population and diverse fauna. But with an environment slightly more hostile than that of this planet. We Kryptonians spread across its surface, colonizing every part of it. Our civilization was beautiful," the woman looked at the projected world affectionately. But Daniel and Carol noticed the past tense in her words.


    "Then we decided it was time to expand, to go beyond our world... to the stars," in the projection, thousands of ships departed from the world, into the vast universe.


    "We managed to explore our solar system, then the nearest solar systems to it. We discovered many amazing things by stepping foot on other worlds. The yellow suns in them gave us strength and power beyond comparison, causing our expansion to grow even larger. We formed alliances, made friends and enemies, and over time, the empire of Krypton grew larger and larger, although we never completely left our home planet. Our activities expanded far beyond it."


    Several images were shown, displaying the glorious feats of the Kryptonians, showing their past and how their people navigated the cosmos.


    The smile on the woman''s face faded.


    "Then He Happened..." her words were almost a whisper, the projection abruptly changed, and the revealed image caused Daniel''s pupils to shrink.


    In the projection, a titanic humanoid figure stood before Carol''s homeworld, adorned in futuristic purple armor. Yet, perhaps the most striking aspect was the scepter in its hands, emitting a brilliant purple light that flooded the entire space with raw power.


    In the projection they could see how this being approached Krypton, hundreds of Kryptonian ships returned from space and countless small figures flew out of them fighting against the being head on in a battle without equal.


    "His name is Galactus, the Devourer of Worlds. He has existed since before the creation of the universe. Some perceive him as a natural force of the cosmos, while others worship him as a deity. However, labeling him as a god would be inadequate, for even gods bow before him."


    The figure of the giant of unimaginable proportions became clearer, his face looked too humanoid.


    "krypton was an ancient planet, its core was old, and we knew its natural life would end at any moment. He knew this too, and that''s why he arrived."


    Daniel looked at the projected being and cold sweat ran down his back, this being, he knew it, had plagued his thoughts as one of the concerns why he could not remain calm.


    Although what he remembered of him were vague images, they were enough to give him a sense of unparalleled crisis every time they crossed his mind.


    It was one of the greatest threats Daniel could remember and one of the reasons he sought to become stronger..


    Carol watched the projection in disbelief. Countless Kryptonians engaged Galactus in the void of space, yet the outcome was not as hoped. Their numbers dwindled continuously, and to her incredulity, the battle seemed to reach a stalemate. Even when the Devourer of Worlds was wounded, he persisted in his advance toward Krypton.


    The purple light from the scepter swept through space, wreaking havoc upon all it touched.


    "Although the yellow sun gives us unparalleled powers, the red sun that illuminates Krypton does not. In that battle, all the Kryptonians who had gone to explore the stars returned, thousands of them recharged with the energy of the yellow sun. Even so, that energy could not be replenished under the presence of the red sun. Gradually, their strength waned, and the powers granted by the light of the yellow sun did too."


    Carol saw it. With each passing second, more and more Kryptonians fell. At first, Galactus could not even approach the planet. Even with his powerful scepter, his power could not withstand thousands of Kryptonian soldiers recharged with the light of a yellow star mercilessly charging at him.


    They broke his armor and tore his energy body without mercy, but Galactus looked like a cockroach, no matter the wounds he resisted, resisted until the strength of the Kryptonians was sapped by the red sun that illuminated their world.


    The one who had given life to their species now took away their strength to protect their world.


    "Krypton was going to fall, we all realized it, but no one stopped fighting. It was our home, our world. Although we had explored the stars, we had never colonized other worlds. We didn''t think it was necessary, and that was our mistake," the woman looked at the images with sadness.


    "Your father and I were scientists and tried to use Krypton''s most advanced weapons to hold out a little longer. Even so, we knew the end was inevitable." Beams of yellow solar energy were fired at the Kryptonian army to artificially recharge their powers, but at the same time, Galactus extended his hand, causing Krypton''s core to begin destabilizing and fragments of the planet started being abruptly torn away, bright green crystals flooding space.


    It was then that the Kryptonian army fell.


    Galactus arrived at the planet and began to devour its energy, devastating it mercilessly, causing visible havoc from space.


    "The end was imminent, we knew it, and even if we were not willing to fall like this, there was nothing we could do to prevent it. We had no options left, not for us at least, but you... both of you still had hope."


    Carol frowned.


    "Both?" she asked hesitantly.


    "You and your brother," she said, and looked at her with sadness, a look that showed a pain very few could understand and somehow made Carol feel some pity for her.


    The projection changed, showing two small babies being placed each in their own individual ship.


    "We didn''t want you to share the same fate as us, so we planned to send you far away, to a place where you would be safe. We wanted to send you together, but all the advanced ships were being used for the battle. Your father managed to salvage some old single-passenger models and hastily adapted them for you."


    In the image, a man moved quickly, modifying the ships at full speed in what looked like a messy lab. Blood trickled down the side of his head; he was injured but didn''t stop working.


    Soon both ships were ready, and a baby was placed in each.


    Carol looked at the two small figures with amazement and disbelief.


    The two ships took off, both navigating the sky in the same direction, but something went wrong. One of the planet''s debris hit one of the ships, diverting its trajectory closer to Galactus. The giant noticed the small ship and extended his hand.


    He took it between his fingers and brought it towards his mouth, then with one bite, the ship was devoured before Carol''s horrified eyes.


    "Even with the best calculations, we couldn''t prevent it. We couldn''t save him," Carol''s mother looked at the image with a sadness that could be felt, her eyes were teary, but no tears came out; she couldn''t cry, not anymore, even if she wanted to.


    Carol stood still, feeling numb, watching as her home world was devoured until it disappeared in a great explosion, not knowing what to say or feel.


    "His name, what was his name?" remembering the image of that small baby in the ship, she couldn''t help but ask.


    The woman turned off the projection, bringing the cavern back to its original darkness, and answered with sorrow in her voice.


    "His name was Kal-El, and he was your older brother."


    .


    .


    .


    Night had fallen again. Carol and Daniel returned to the Evans farm and sat on the porch, looking up at the sky, each lost in their own thoughts.


    Carol was thinking about everything she had learned, everything she could have had but lost.


    Daniel, for his part, was quite worried and relieved at the same time.


    Galactus¡ªthinking about him was another headache he didn''t want to deal with, so he directed his attention to something else, at least temporarily.


    Carol... Kal-El, Superman.


    Now he remembered almost everything, now he understood why he couldn''t find out more about Carol despite spending so much time around her. Unlike Tony and Matt, she wasn''t directly the source of his lost memories. Sure, she was extremely related, but she wasn''t him, she wasn''t Clark Kent.


    Once he heard the true name of the last son of Krypton, it was as if that closed door had shattered and an avalanche of memories flooded his mind.


    The world''s greatest hero was dead or missing, never having made it to Earth, and instead, someone else took his place.


    Something that wasn''t supposed to happen had happened...


    Remembering one of his disadvantages, he couldn''t help but wonder if this was his fault.


    [Madness Mashup in the World: things that shouldn''t exist do exist, and they''re all a problem]


    He hadn''t understood it at first, but now maybe he could get an idea...


    He glanced at Carol out of the corner of his eye. Now that he knew her true identity and origin, there was no longer any reason to draw a barrier between them. In fact, now that he knew the truth, he felt incredibly foolish for having worried about her and her future.


    Well, maybe not so much. Carol wasn''t at all like the Clark Kent in his memories. Sure, she had grown up on a farm raised by two loving parents, but... she was different.


    Clark was like a beacon of hope, lighting up the world, a pillar of justice, truth, and good.


    Carol... she might have the same blood running through her veins, but... she wasn''t like him. He didn''t know why, what made them so different? He thought for a second about the theory of the good twin and the evil twin, and for a moment he wondered if Carol was really the evil twin.


    But that was stupid... she wasn''t that bad, most of the time, but she wasn''t a being of light full of goodness either. She was... simply herself.


    He decided to stop thinking about it. Searching for explanations about how and why people turn out so different even if they come from the same place made no sense. Every individual has their own personality and traits independent of their origin or upbringing.


    Carol was simply Carol.


    With this new understanding, he couldn''t help but relax around her in a way he never had before.


    But he couldn''t fully enjoy it, at least not as much as he would have liked.


    Because the threat he feared, he now knew, was real and out there, in deep space, destroying worlds and entire civilizations.


    At any moment, it could come to Earth, and he wasn''t sure he could save this planet, its people. He didn''t believe he would die against it; he had many ways to survive, and wandering through space was easy for a Viltrumite.


    If he wanted, he could go anywhere in the universe.


    But Earth and its inhabitants were another matter. What purpose did his life, his existence, have if he simply escaped and let humanity be destroyed?


    What meaning would he have in such a situation?


    If he fled, what would differentiate him from trash?


    No, actually, trash would be better because at least trash serves the function of being trash.


    Without humanity, what function did he have?


    He couldn''t allow this world to be destroyed. He would rather die again than let something like that happen.


    If the worst came to pass, he would simply take as many humans as he could and find a new planet, create a new Earth.


    And he would find a way to avenge the old one.


    Avenge, huh...


    No matter what, as long as there was life in his body, he would not allow humanity to be destroyed.


    If necessary, he would force humanity''s evolution. Of course, he didn''t want to use that method.


    He wanted to be a hero; if he used the most radical method, he would end up being nothing but a conqueror.


    A dictator, a monster.


    And deep down, he was pretty sure that if cornered, he wouldn''t hesitate to do whatever was necessary, no matter how horrible and cruel it might be.


    Wow, those thoughts were too dark; he needed to correct that. Maybe it was time to get some therapy. He wondered if Harleen would be willing to help him with that.


    "Do you think blonde would suit me?"


    The unexpected question snapped Daniel out of his deep thoughts. He blinked and looked at Carol, who was playing with one of her locks and looking at him.


    "Why do you ask?" It was a strange, out-of-the-blue question. He expected her to be more focused on the new discoveries they had made.


    "I think I want to dye my hair, you know, just to change my style or something," she said, trying not to sound too obvious and looking at him with a hint of anticipation.


    "I think you look pretty good with your natural color; it makes your eyes stand out," Daniel said, unsure of what else to respond. Sure, blonde was good, but he didn''t think there was a dye that could really penetrate Carol''s hair, at least not one that would withstand the friction from her speed without wearing off.


    His answer made Carol frown.


    "Really? So you prefer the dark color?" she asked, pointing to her hair. Daniel hesitated for a fraction of a second before responding, a fraction that felt like hours to Carol.


    "I think any color is fine as long as you like it," he shrugged. Denying that he liked blonde would be a lie, but it wasn''t as if it was something too important. In retrospect, any color was fine as long as the person wearing it liked it.


    ''But I want you to like it,'' Carol thought with a pout. She sighed and leaned back in her chair before patting her bag and pulling out a 15-centimeter-long white crystal out of her bag.


    It was almost transparent, and if one looked at it casually, it would just seem like a piece of jewelry, like a quartz crystal you might see being sold in shops for just a few dollars.


    "Have you decided what you''re going to do with it?" Daniel asked, looking at the crystal in her hand. Carol shook her head.


    "No idea. Suggestions? Or are you going to say any place is fine too?" She couldn''t help but say it with a hint of sarcasm. She regretted it instantly, but before she could say anything to fix it, Daniel spoke.


    "Actually, I think there''s a very suitable place." Carol looked at him curiously, and Daniel smiled.


    "Tell me, do you want to go to Antarctica?"


    .


    .


    .


    Note:


    Five thousand words.


    I wanted to bring this chapter earlier, but I''m an idiot and I injured myself by mishandling a sharp knife. Blood gushed like a fountain, but I managed to fix it. The only problem is that now I only have 9 fingers to write until I heal, which makes it somewhat uncomfortable to write, but not impossible.


    I can adapt.SuperSoldier week ends today, I hope to be able to release another chapter before we return to the usual schedule, then I hope to be able to compensate for the lack of Still Defiant chapters.


    You know the drill, comments, suggestions, criticisms, don''t hesitate to leave them all!


    Tell me what you think of this revelation, what did you think?

 22: Fortress

    22: Fortress


    When the Kryptonians began their expansion through the cosmos, they needed outposts, fortresses where their people could reside comfortably.


    Thus, they created a model of structural construction very different from any other species, one that allowed them to quickly and easily create a place for them to inhabit, no matter the world they were on.


    Daniel looked pensively at the white, almost transparent crystal, about 15 centimeters long, in his hand.


    What did he remember about this? Truthfully, he remembered quite a bit, but all those memories were somewhat confusing because the "fortress" was always something strange that was represented in different ways over time.


    He couldn''t tell, just by looking at the crystal in his hand, what kind of structure he would encounter once it was deployed.


    "A Kryptonian meta-structure, that''s interesting," Daniel returned the white crystal to Carol, who received it and nodded.


    It was the morning after Carol discovered her true origin. In reality, there was more conversation between Carol and her mother, but Daniel decided to leave them alone during that time. Sometimes people needed privacy, and he could see that "Lara" needed that privacy with her daughter, even if now she was nothing more than a remnant.


    It was strange to remember someone''s name out of nowhere, but he supposed he would have to get used to it as it happened more frequently these days.


    "So, what will you do? I gave you some suggestions considering what you''ve told me about this, but it seems that you are still waiting," Carol looked at him and blinked, confused.


    Daniel felt a headache. He felt a bit sorry for Lara; that woman didn''t know that her daughter had thrown privacy overboard and had come running to tell him everything they had talked about.


    Obviously, Daniel and anyone else could infer that the fortress was an inheritance, something only Carol should have. But this girl was so careless that right after receiving it, she brought it to his farm and started chattering about it with him.


    Perhaps someone else would have seized this opportunity to get their hands on advanced alien technology. Certainly, Daniel could use it to advance his future plans more quickly.


    The problem was that Daniel had no interest in "stealing" from Carol what was rightfully hers.


    Not because he didn''t think it would be useful¡ªit would be¡ªbut his self-imposed morals were in a dilemma. He knew that Carol could be quite... permissive with him. It wasn''t new to him that she did that, and he would be very foolish not to notice.


    In his most private thoughts, Daniel really believed that if he told her to jump, she would do it, no matter how strange it sounded. This certainly did not please him, especially now that he knew who she really was.


    It might sound stupid, but he had a great deal of respect for Superman. He was like an ideal he aspired to reach, even if it was somewhat unrealistic. so having his younger sister in front of him and "taking advantage" of her felt like insulting the man in some way.


    Carol looked at him, confused, noticing the strange gleam in his eyes as he looked at her.


    Normally, she would have enjoyed being looked at by him, but this time, for some reason, she felt it wasn''t a pleasant gaze. Suddenly, she felt like hitting someone but didn''t know who.


    Without being able to help herself, she suddenly poked him in the forehead, snapping him out of his thoughts abruptly. Daniel blinked, feeling the slight tingling in his head, and couldn''t help but look at Carol with clear doubt.


    "Don''t look at me that way, it''s weird," she couldn''t help but say.


    Way? What way? For his part, Daniel once again found that he didn''t understand the thought processes of women.


    Carol sighed, took the crystal, and put it in front of Daniel.


    "I''m waiting for you," she said, answering his first question.


    Daniel rubbed his forehead and looked at her, thinking about what he should say.


    "Listen, this is yours, Carol. It''s your inheritance. So you should...you know, go and do this alone?"


    He didn''t want to sound rude, but he could only be direct.


    Carol furrowed her brows and pouted.


    "Don''t you want to see it? I thought you were interested." She looked at the crystal with dismay. In the first place, she didn''t care too much about any inheritance. If she had done all this, it was because she thought it could be something they could both share.


    "It''s interesting, but it''s also yours. You know, something important. I thought you''d want to keep it to yourself."


    Carol blinked and looked at Daniel. It seemed there was a misunderstanding here. She swallowed and, with some nervousness, moved closer to him. They were both in Daniel''s kitchen having breakfast, so it was easy for her to get closer since they were sitting next to each other.


    "I want you to do this with me. You said it''s important, and important things should be done with important people, right?"


    Oh shit, she was giving him puppy eyes. Daniel sighed, looked at her for several seconds, and decided to let her do what she wanted. She was too stubborn, and he didn''t feel like changing her mind about something she had already decided.


    "Alright, let''s do it." In the end, what Carol decided to do with her things was something he couldn''t change. If she wanted him there, then he could only comply. After all, it was also his responsibility to take care of her.


    .


    .


    .


    Antarctica, Central Zone


    The cold wind, which would have sent any other form of organic life running with its tail between its legs, felt like a refreshing breeze to both of them.


    Daniel and Carol looked down from the sky at the white continent. The landscape didn''t have much to offer beyond snow and ice everywhere.


    "Is it cold?" said Carol awkwardly as she adjusted her grip on her ship. Their capes fluttered in the wind as they landed softly, causing the snow to sink beneath their feet.


    Carol set her ship down on the ground and looked at Daniel, waiting for his opinion.


    "Cold and desolate, the best place to hide something you don''t want anyone to find," he said. There were other options, of course, but Daniel believed that the more complicated and dangerous it was for ordinary people to access, the safer it would be.


    They were currently at the epicenter of the frozen continent, a place that could be considered the most inhospitable on Earth. For Daniel, there was no better option than this.


    Of course, what he wanted and what Carol wanted could be different.


    "Though this is the most logical option, tell me what you think. Maybe you want a more... welcoming landscape?" Carol walked around as if inspecting the terrain, pretending to squint for a few moments. Then she smiled and spoke clearly.


    "I''m not someone who cares much about those things. Besides, you''re right that this place is the best for hiding it. You''re never wrong when it comes to thinking about precautions."


    What she really meant was that it was fine as long as he thought it was fine.


    She took the crystal she had been holding and walked to a place that seemed stable with a large flat surface.


    "Are you ready?" she asked with clear excitement. While she wasn''t too interested in her inheritance, that didn''t mean that trying out "alien technology" didn''t excite her at all.


    She could appreciate technology as much as anyone else.


    "As long as nothing explodes," Daniel joked, but he stepped back several paces just in case. Carol saw him and laughed, then decisively buried the crystal halfway into the icy ground and pressed one of its sides with her thumb. The crystal suddenly began to glow with lights of different colors, with unknown energy emanating from it.


    Carol stepped back beside Daniel, and they both watched as the crystal suddenly sank deeply into the ground by itself. Then there was a slight tremor that shook the entire area.


    Then it began.


    Any other human would have taken longer to notice, but both of them could immediately see the change. First, it was a small fragment of white crystal, then two, three, four. Rapidly, the crystals began to create and grow by themselves.


    The count was lost as their size began to increase. Layer upon layer of crystalline structure formed, and in less than a minute, a structure at least five or six stories high took shape. It appeared semi-triangular with crystals of hundreds of meters protruding from it.


    Certainly, an alien architecture.


    The ice in the area trembled for a few more seconds until everything stabilized and only "silence" remained.


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    They both looked at the building in amazement. A glow of various colors projected between the crystals, giving it an "ethereal" appearance, but soon that glow faded, leaving only the white behind.


    "Well, it''s a bit conspicuous?" Daniel said, and Carol nodded. Although from a distance, maybe it could blend in with the Arctic ice, it was obvious that it wasn''t a natural structure. If someone got close enough, they could discover it with just a bit of common sense.


    Daniel frowned thoughtfully. Perhaps over time, snow could cover the place and hide it better, but how long would that take? It wasn''t a small structure, after all.


    "Hey, do you want to learn something interesting?" Daniel said, and Carol turned to look at him with clear interest in her eyes.


    Actually, Daniel should have taught her this before, but he had been putting it off for no particular reason. The opportunity simply never arose, well, not until now.


    Daniel pointed to his lips, pursed them, and tightened as if he was going to whistle to indicate what he meant.


    Carol blinked and then blushed, shyly looking at him and then at the ground.


    "H-here, in this place?!" Daniel raised his eyebrows at the strange reaction.


    "Of course, I don''t think there''s a better moment. Besides, I think it''s time. I''ve postponed it too long, unintentionally, which wasn''t fair to you," he said firmly. After all, he had promised to teach her everything he knew.


    Carol felt her heart start to beat too fast. They were in Antarctica, the coldest point on the planet, and yet she felt the heat beginning to reach her head.


    She couldn''t help but rub her hands together and squirm nervously. Although she had been waiting for this, she didn''t expect it to be now or in this place. Well, it didn''t really matter where it was. She licked her lips and nodded to herself. It wasn''t time to hesitate!


    "O-okay, if you want to do it here, then I have no problem with it." She approached him timidly, anticipation filling her. She felt her legs slightly tremble, but she kept moving forward.


    She wanted to look him in the eyes but felt she would faint if she did, so she simply closed them. She took a deep breath, seeking to calm her heart that threatened to leap out of her chest, and lifted her head, not knowing what else to do. She decided to leave it in his hands, surrendering completely to whatever he decided to do with her.


    "First, you need to take a deep breath. The freeze breath requires you to use the oxygen in your lungs to create an effect called the Joule-Thomson by releasing the air in a controlled manner. That means you have to control the pressure using your¡ª"


    Daniel continued explaining the process in detail. For her part, Carol stood still, immobile like a statue, feeling as if her heart had suddenly been pricked with a needle and burst like a balloon.


    She looked at him with a dead gaze, the brightness in her eyes extinguished, and only moved to nod robotically when he asked if she understood.


    "Alright, let''s go. I think we can create a good camouflage this way."


    They both circled the new crystalline structure. With some annoyance, Carol took a deep breath and then followed the steps exactly as Daniel had taught her. Cold air began to flow from her lips in a controlled manner, and soon ice started to form over part of the artificial crystals.


    In less than a minute, they managed to camouflage the structure, carefully modifying the terrain so that it appeared to be just more ice in a continent where everything was ice.


    "What do you think?" Daniel asked, looking at how it was now difficult to tell if there had ever been an alien structure there. The only clue was an opening resembling a cave entrance left where the "door" should be.


    Carol looked at him with annoyance, sighed, and let her body relax. She smiled slightly and gave a thumbs-up in approval.


    "No one will notice anything," she said, walking to her ship where she took out the key and looked at it.


    It was strange to know that the "consciousness" of her biological "mother" was housed in something so small and fragile-looking. And not only that, if what she had said was true, all of Krypton''s knowledge was stored in this key¡ªall the history, from the beginning to the end of an entire civilization, in the palm of her hand...


    And she could simply squeeze it a little and turn it into dust...


    "Let''s go," Daniel said as he approached and lifted the ship over his head. Carol nodded, and they both walked towards the "door." Carol looked at the crystalline wall and raised her hand, following the instructions her "mother" had given her.


    When her palm touched the white surface, a golden light illuminated its outline for a moment before it faded. Then, an opening began to form in the crystal.


    It seemed that even if the structure appeared robust, it could still reshape itself in some way, which greatly surprised Daniel. He wondered what kind of technology this was.


    With Carol leading the way, they both stepped forward and began to enter.


    The tunnel was somewhat long initially, but they quickly entered an extremely spacious area, a large hall that seemed connected to many others by various "paths," or at least they could tell due to the visible entrances.


    There were many extensive areas and wide paths, much to explore, but at the same time, the place felt empty.


    It was like a hollow structure, for lack of a better term.


    In the center was what seemed to be a huge pillar that appeared to sink into the ground and beyond, suggesting that there were likely several floors below as well.


    Despite its vast space, the place did not feel dark. It was well-lit, thanks to the reflective light generated between the crystals. One might think the light came from the outside, but that would be a mistake since the entire exterior had been covered with "artificial" ice. So, it was likely artificial lighting providing the interior illumination.


    "This place seems much larger than it should be," Daniel said, frowning. he put the ship down and He made a few small jumps, feeling something different but unable to pinpoint exactly what it was. Something was off with the gravity.


    Carol nodded. She could also tell there was something strange, but it was difficult to identify what it was.


    "We just need to ask," she said as she approached the enormous central pillar.


    She took out the key and placed it against the pillar, then it began to fuse with the crystalline structure until it disappeared.


    "It seems everything went well," the voice of Lara Lor-Van reached their ears. The place briefly illuminated with a golden light, and then her figure materialized in front of them. Unlike before, this time it was impossible to tell she was just a projection.


    She opened her eyes while smiling, but her expression quickly turned to one of astonishment upon seeing Daniel next to Carol.


    "You''re... not human?" Lara asked, causing Daniel to blink. How did she realize that?


    Carol also looked at her mother with doubt.


    "What do you mean?" she quickly asked.


    Lara frowned slightly but explained in detail.


    "When we began traveling through the cosmos, we faced various types of difficulties. Among them, differences in gravity and atmosphere were some of the most pressing, at least in places where a yellow sun was not present. In those places, we had to adapt to different types of ecosystems. It was a small challenge to overcome, but nothing that adequate technology couldn''t solve," she said, still looking at Daniel, and continued explaining.


    "To make the explorers more comfortable and at the same time to make all non-Kryptonian life easier to investigate, all the fortresses were equipped with an environmental simulation system capable of changing the interior atmosphere and gravity as needed, at any desired moment. It can be applied to the entire place, specific parts, or particular areas as required." She finished speaking, and then Daniel and Carol felt something change again. This time, the strange sensation they had been experiencing disappeared.


    "The fortresses have some of Krypton''s default characteristics enabled for greater comfort, one of them being gravity. Until now, you have been feeling 15 times the gravity of this planet, or better said, Krypton''s natural gravity." She then pointed to Daniel.


    "If you were human, you should have been writhing on the ground the moment you set foot in this place." There were many differences between Kryptonians and humans despite the remarkable aesthetic resemblance. One of them was their baseline starting point. While without a yellow sun the Kryptonians may appear "weak" the reality was that they were easily dozens of times stronger and more durable than the average human, their gravity was proof of that.


    Even without a yellow sun, Carol would still be a "superhuman" on Earth thanks to its lower gravity.


    Having understood why she thought he wasn''t human, Daniel sighed inwardly and smiled, speaking confidently.


    "That''s a great explanation, but saying I''m not human just because of that might be a bit hasty. Certainly, I have human parents, and I''ve grown up on this planet for as long as I can remember." While Daniel knew he wasn''t human biologically, mentally and spiritually, he still considered himself one. He didn''t like being called otherwise.


    Lara looked at him thoughtfully. Carol, from the side, waved her hand.


    "Daniel is human... he''s just different from all the other humans," she explained, though she didn''t know how to say it correctly.


    Lara looked at her daughter and then at the boy beside her. She rubbed her chin thoughtfully. It seemed that her daughter had a special relationship with this "human"; otherwise, she didn''t understand why she would bring him to the fortress when it was supposed to be just for her.


    Daniel suddenly felt a stern gaze on him. He looked, not understanding, at the woman who seemed to be analyzing him.


    Even as a remnant, Lara felt her maternal instincts coming to life.


    Thus, they stared at each other in a strange way, the tension growing by the second. From the side, Carol frowned and snapped her fingers to get their attention.


    "You said you''d give me a tour of this place, why don''t we start?" Carol reminded her mother, who had previously talked about the fortress and how she was "dying" to show it to her.


    Lara looked at her daughter and nodded, sighing inwardly.


    "Alright, I''ll give you a tour although there''s not much to show for now. This is a ''virgin'' fortress, chosen specifically to become whatever you want it to be, so don''t expect a big show." When they decided to send their children to Earth, they also thought about their future.


    They didn''t know what path they would take. They were the first Kryptonians to be born naturally in millennia, and their future was solely and entirely in their hands. That''s why the chosen fortress was one that could adapt to anything.


    "Virgin, huh? Well, I think we can do something to fix that. Decorating this place should be fun, don''t you think?" Carol said, patting Daniel on the back. As usual, she forgot to hold back, causing the air to crack and strong gusts of wind to sweep through the area.


    Inwardly Daniel winced at the pain but as always his core made any damage disappear instantly.


    He gave Carol a brief look of annoyance causing her to stick her tongue out at him.


    Meanwhile, Lara slightly widened her eyes. It didn''t appear so, but the fortress was filled with sensors connected to it. She could sense "everything" that happened inside, as an artificial intelligence it was her job to analyze every piece of data and respond accordingly using the available technology.


    That''s why she could calculate and measure with extreme accuracy the force behind Carol''s simple gesture. It seemed her daughter was stronger than she expected.


    It had to be known that while Kryptonians made use of yellow sunlight, they did not do so for extended periods. Kryptonians still preferred their natural atmosphere and often returned to their home planet periodically, causing the "blessings" bestowed by yellow stars to fade after a certain period, purging their bodies of any temporary changes they might have conferred.


    Carol was the first and only Kryptonian to have grown up under a yellow sun; there was no precedent for this. Experimentation with infants was forbidden on Krypton, hence no one had studied what biological changes prolonged exposure to a yellow star from infancy could bring to Kryptonian babies.


    Her husband had said that their children would be the strongest Kryptonians to ever exist. He was Krypton''s chief scientist, so his word was almost law and although Lara was not far behind, she was more specialized in the military area so she didn''t know exactly what he was referring to, not until now.


    Her sensors had been studying her daughter''s body''s condition, looking for anomalies, diseases, anything. They found nothing; she was perfect, and the amount of energy within her had no comparison to any previously recorded data.


    Carol had spent almost her entire life bathing in sunlight.


    More than a complete decade, almost two.


    The power Carol should possess right now wasn''t easily measurable, even among her own kind.


    The longer a Kryptonian spends under a yellow sun, the more changes occur in them¡ªnot to mention one growing directly under a yellow sun.


    That had never happened, until now.


    So why? Why was a "human" able to withstand, even the weakest, of her daughter''s blows?


    Lara looked at Daniel, the scientific curiosity still in her beginning to rise.


    ''What an interesting thing...''


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    .


    Note:


    only about 240 words short of four thousand but I decided this was a good point to end the chapter, what do you think?


    I''ve started a public poll on Patreon</a>, it''s about the update schedule for all my stories! You can vote if you want, the winning option will also affect the public update schedule!


    Lastly, remember that you can find the next chapter of this story on Patreon</a> (patreon.com/EmmaCruzader). If you want to read the next chapter in advance and get some other benefits, you can go and check it out. All the support received helps me a lot ;D

 23: Smart Atoms

    23: Smart Atoms


    "This is the living area; each fortress can house hundreds of Kryptonians at the same time, so its space is quite large. Even so, thanks to the advanced technology it possesses, its structure can change according to your desires. If you think having so many rooms is useless, you can make them turn into something else," Lara said as she demonstrated an example of what she meant.


    The numerous "rooms" began to disappear until there was a huge but empty space.


    "I''ve been wondering, this place seems much larger than it is from the outside. Is it some kind of spatial technology?" Daniel couldn''t help but ask as he looked at the space, which was at least a kilometer in diameter. While the fortress was immense from the outside, its interior was simply beyond comprehension at first glance.


    Lara nodded and began to explain, "Although we Kryptonians don''t specialize in it, we certainly have some significant advances in its use. This is just one of its most basic applications."


    Manipulating space was difficult and had some limitations, yet enlarging a place "artificially" was still something they could do, although not in an unlimited way.


    "Of course, don''t expect infinite space. There are certain limits related to the number of objects and the ''real'' size of the fortress."


    The tour was informative but, as she had said before, there wasn''t much to observe. The place was mostly empty, a blank canvas waiting for someone to start painting on it.


    For the most part, Lara focused on explaining various functions that could be useful, many with scientific and research applications. After all, the fortresses were created with the goal of exploring and studying other worlds.


    For Carol, much of that information was useless. Although she was by no means stupid, the truth was she hadn''t bothered to study beyond what she needed to get good grades in school.


    It wasn''t that she wasn''t interested; she simply didn''t feel it was necessary to learn... well, not until she saw how her mother and Daniel chatted for what seemed like hours about many of those functions and their practical uses, without her being able to say or contribute anything.


    When did he become so smart? No, he probably always was, but she never realized it.


    That was... worrisome. How could she walk beside him if she couldn''t even have a proper conversation like her mother seemed to do so effortlessly?


    Before Carol realized it, the tour ended right where it had started, at the large pillar in the center of the fortress.


    "And this is the central command pillar. From here, you can direct and monitor everything happening both inside and outside the fortress," Lara said, looking at Carol.


    The crystalline pillar was certainly different, with lines of light in various colors occasionally running through its structure and unknown characters appearing as if they were text.


    Lara waved her hand, and the structure began to change. Soon, a part of the pillar transformed to resemble a central command computer positioned on a crystalline desk.


    "I suppose this might look more familiar," Daniel looked at the computer with a raised eyebrow.


    "I thought you didn''t know much about Earth," he said curiously, noting the three large screens that looked like monitors projected in front of them, the keyboard and mouse, and the semi-transparent chair. Everything was "human" or at least very similar to their aesthetic.


    Lara looked at him and smiled. "The fortress has a pretty good quantum connection network. Since it was installed and my consciousness awakened here, I''ve been able to easily access every electronic signal this planet has. I''ve certainly learned some... interesting things." She hadn''t delved deeply into the network yet but had done some basic research to understand the environment in which her daughter lived.


    She looked at the symbol on Daniel''s chest, the same symbol her daughter wore. She hadn''t asked about it initially, thinking it was a form of human dress, but now realized it was more than that.


    Carol approached the computer, watching as lines of text in another language formed on the monitors. She didn''t even bother trying to understand it and just looked at her mother, who stopped looking at Daniel and nodded towards her. Then the text began to translate automatically into English.


    Carol and Daniel started to play with the device. Its functions were strange yet familiar. Clearly, Lara was modifying the internal software using human technology as a base, but this surpassed any technology on the market by hundreds, maybe even thousands of years.


    Even so, the differences were still there. It was complicated to navigate through it, despite everything being in English. They would have to study it more deeply over time.


    As Daniel looked at the different data, he couldn''t help but click on one labeled "Phantom Zone."


    Suddenly, there was a sound similar to a beep and a message appeared on the screen.


    [Access denied, insufficient authority]


    Daniel blinked with some disappointment. It seemed he wouldn''t be able to take a look.


    Carol beside him frowned and looked at her mother, clearly seeking answers. Lara quickly explained.


    "All the technology in the fortress has an extremely deep biometric lock. You have absolute control over everything in it to do as you wish, but other people can''t access certain functions or information without your authorization."


    It was simple. Advanced technology needed to be safeguarded; they couldn''t let just anyone access it carelessly.


    For Lara, her daughter was the most important thing. Even if she was now just a remnant, she would always find a way to look out for her well-being. Therefore, not trusting Daniel was something she did from the start.


    Even if all the information she was gathering about his "heroic identity" gave her a new perspective on the boy.


    Carol thought about it and quickly smiled, an idea forming in her mind.


    "How do I assign someone else an authority similar to mine?" Upon hearing her question, Lara slightly furrowed her eyebrows but answered honestly. She had spoken the truth when she mentioned that Carol had absolute control over this place. Not even she could deny her anything.


    "You need to do two things. First, dictate a maximum command to the fortress''s central artificial intelligence, the Codex. Second, perform a deep biometric scan on the person to whom you will assign the authority, to register their data as precisely as possible."


    At the mention of the scan, Daniel became slightly tense, though he didn''t show it too much outwardly. Internally, he had some reservations about this.


    It wasn''t that he didn''t trust Carol, but he wasn''t very comfortable with having data about his body stored, even if it was in a theoretically "impenetrable" alien fortress.


    Beside him, Carol smiled at her mother''s words and placed a hand on Daniel''s shoulder.


    "We should do it now. I''m sure you''ll be able to conduct your investigation more easily here." Somehow, he felt that she was smiling strangely at the mention of his investigation.


    Daniel didn''t immediately nod but instead asked a question that had been on his mind.


    "How deep is this scan? Cellular level?"


    Lara chuckled a bit and smiled amusedly.


    "A cellular-level scan is too simple to bypass. For greater security, each scan is at the atomic level."


    Well, wasn''t that even worse? Daniel wanted to sigh. What to do, what should he do?


    "Is something wrong?" Carol asked, her smile fading slightly as she looked at him with concern. She had thought he would be more enthusiastic and willing.


    Looking into her eyes, he couldn''t help but sigh. This girl was too good to him; he would have to talk to her at some point. For now, he needed to explain why he was hesitating.


    "Do you remember what I told you when we met? About not knowing where my powers come from?" he said, and she blinked but nodded curiously, so he continued.


    "With everything that happened with Greg, I''ve been studying my own body a bit. On the surface, there''s no difference from other humans, so I''ve tried studying my cells, but I haven''t found anything significant. I theorize that it all comes from something deeper¡ªmy atoms. I just didn''t expect to have the opportunity to find out so soon." This was a half-truth mixed with a lie.


    He knew what it was, thanks to his meta-knowledge, but knowing something because you read it in another life and knowing it because you studied it personally were two different things.


    He was simply trying to hide his initial distrust, using the excuse of nervousness about discovering "the truth" about his abilities.


    "I understand. If you think you''re not ready, we can do it later," Carol said sympathetically, believing she understood his feelings.


    Lara, for her part, listened with interest. She knew Daniel wasn''t normal and had been pondering for a long time why that was. Denying her interest in finding out the reason would be a blatant lie¡ªshe was a scientist, after all.


    Daniel smiled and patted Carol''s head.


    "Don''t worry, you''re right that it''s better to do it now. I''ll have to find out sooner or later anyway," he said, looking at Lara.


    "Do I need to go somewhere?" He didn''t know how this scan was carried out, so he asked.


    Lara shook her head. "No, as long as you''re inside the fortress, the scanners can work without a problem. We just need Carol to start the process."


    Daniel nodded and indicated to Carol that she could proceed. She understood, and soon Lara explained what she needed to do, which turned out to be much simpler than they expected.


    If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    With a bit of clumsiness, Carol approached the computer and spoke aloud.


    "Codex, begin a new authority assignment. Assign shared maximum command capacity to Daniel Warren Evans." There was a strange sound, then the computer glowed, and a synthetic voice emerged.


    "Command received. Assigning new shared maximum command authority to designated subject Daniel Warren Evans. Proceeding with biometric scan." When the words ended, Daniel suddenly found himself illuminated by a faint blue light coming from an unknown source.


    Daniel thought he would feel something strange, maybe a tingling or something like that. Instead, the light quickly covered him and then disappeared.


    Then a projection began to appear in front of him.


    It began constructing from his atomic structure to his molecules, cells, nerves, veins, bones, muscles, flesh, and skin.


    The projection completed quickly, and Daniel saw his perfectly detailed naked figure in front of him. A holographic screen appeared on one side, displaying various data in real time.


    "Biometric scan complete. New maximum command authority assigned. Welcome to the fortress, Daniel," Codex''s voice faded, and Daniel blinked, surprised by how fast it had been.


    "That''s it?" he asked, doubtful, looking at his naked self.


    "Yes, you both now share the same level of authority over the fortress," Lara said, observing the projection of Daniel''s body with curiosity.


    Meanwhile, Carol was left speechless, too shocked to speak. She hadn''t expected to see Daniel naked out of nowhere; she had never seen him like that before, so her brain went blank for a moment. She wondered if she should cover her eyes, or maybe her mother''s eyes. Not knowing what to do, she looked at the projection, then at Daniel, and despite herself, her eyes briefly glowed a slight blue as her X-ray vision activated. Her face turned even redder.


    At least now she could confirm that the projection was one hundred percent accurate.


    "It''s strange, nothing seems different," Lara said, examining the data. The scan was flawless, analyzing the atomic structure that composed Daniel''s being. So why? Why did he seem like just an ordinary person? A normal human?


    Daniel thought for a moment and made a suggestion.


    "This data is displayed in real-time, right? Then I need you to do something."


    Lara looked at him and nodded, curious to see where this was going.


    "Increase the gravity gradually until it''s one hundred times that of Earth."


    Lara didn''t understand what he wanted to achieve with this, but she complied. Suddenly, the pressure on their bodies began to change gradually.


    Daniel observed the scans closely, focusing on his atoms. The higher the gravity, the more noticeable the strange behavior of his atoms became.


    "That''s it!" Lara''s eyes widened in amazement. Being partly an AI, she could "see" in greater detail the changes in Daniel''s atoms as she was connected to the fortress scanners. She could understand how incredible what was happening was.


    "What is it?" Carol frowned, still with red cheeks. Maybe she should start studying more.


    Lara wanted to explain in depth, but seeing the confused look in her daughter''s eyes, she couldn''t help but sigh inwardly and speak more simply.


    "His atoms, it''s like they reactively adapt to the environment and the forces exerted on his body, as if¡ª"


    "As if they were smart atoms?" Daniel said, deciding to give it a name straight away. Lara looked at him and nodded in agreement.


    "Yes, as if they were smart atoms, capable of changing and adapting actively and on their own, varying their properties at every moment... it''s fascinating." She had never seen anything like it. Krypton had explored much of the universe and studied many planets and races, but this was the first time she encountered something like this.


    Lara attempted a deeper scan to understand why Daniel''s atoms could act the way they did, but it was impossible. These were not normal atoms and couldn''t be scanned in the same way. It was difficult to study them and obtain precise data once they started varying their properties.


    The more abnormal the environment they faced, the more different they were from ordinary atoms, and Lara couldn''t help but want to study them in depth.


    Daniel observed the scans for a moment longer until the gravity was one hundred times greater than that of Earth. Then he decided it was enough.


    "all right let''s stop for now. I''ve seen enough," he said. Using the information from his memories and the presented data, he knew that everything was "in order" and his Viltrumite body was functioning as it should.


    More importantly, his core was not detected by the fortress scanners, which was a great relief.


    "Are you sure? If we continue studying this, we might¡ª" Daniel cut Lara off, shaking his head.


    "It''s interesting, and I can understand why you want to keep studying it, but not now. I still have some issues to resolve, and finding an explanation will take more than just a day. There''s no rush," Daniel decided he needed to postpone this "investigation." He didn''t need to discover things he theoretically already knew.


    Lara could only furrow her brow and reluctantly nod. The projection disappeared, and the gravity returned to normal.


    Daniel then used the central computer to check something he had been ignoring for too long: the news.


    "...it''s still unknown why Defiant decided to intervene in the conflict¡ª"


    "Governments are alarmed while the public wonders if this was just a fleeting act or a message¡ª"


    "This clearly violates international norms¡ª"


    "He doesn''t respect the laws! It''s not his duty to intervene in¡ª"


    "The military has issued a ceasefire, the war has entered an unexpected pause¡ª"


    Carol looked displeased at the various news broadcasts. With everything that had happened, she had forgotten that Daniel had caused a great commotion recently.


    "I know there''s much more to do, but I need to resolve this before it becomes too troublesome," He needed to calm the public. It seemed it was time to talk to the people of this world, and thanks to Carol, he already had an idea of how to do it. He just needed a journalist.


    "Do you need help?" Carol couldn''t help but ask. Daniel shook his head and replied.


    "I''ll handle it."


    .


    .


    .


    Carol watched Daniel leave the fortress, feeling a bit concerned, but he was right¡ªhe could handle it. For now, she would finish exploring the fortress before heading home. She still had to help her parents with the farm, and school would be starting again soon.


    It was annoying, but she consoled herself with the fact that she would soon graduate, giving her much more free time.


    "Come with me," her mother''s voice pulled her out of her thoughts, causing her to turn and raise an eyebrow.


    Lara gestured towards a direction where a long hallway suddenly opened up.


    Carol followed her, curious to know what she wanted.


    They walked in silence for a few moments before Lara broke it by asking a question.


    "Tell me, daughter, what do you seek to do in this world?" Taken by surprise, Carol paused for a moment before responding and continuing to walk.


    "I guess help, save people," and to use her powers freely.


    "Like that boy? Do you want to be a symbol? To guide them?" Lara asked, looking at the symbol on her chest.


    Carol frowned and quickly shook her head.


    "No, I''m not a guide. I''ll help when I can, but nothing more." She was not like Daniel in that sense.


    She wasn''t interested in people remembering who she was or admiring her. She had simple goals: help people, use her powers, live happily and freely, simple and direct.


    She might not be human and might not be ordinary, but deep down, Carol knew she was still, in part, just a farm girl.


    No matter how many extraordinary powers she had or how strange her origin was, none of that changed how or where she grew up, nor who her parents were who raised and taught her.


    Carol knew and understood that a large part of her was still that girl who helped harvest the crops, feed the animals, and clean the stables.


    Her ambitions were never grand, nor did she believe she had any duty beyond helping when she could.


    Maybe that was the biggest difference between her and Daniel.


    Lara frowned slightly at her daughter''s clear refusal, this could complicate some things.


    "You could do much more if you were more proactive. If you truly want to help them, you need to think bigger. They will need someone to guide them, a beacon to show them the right direction in the darkest moments. Primitive species often tend towards self-destruction if left alone. Very few manage to go beyond that, and humanity is no different..."


    Carol raised an eyebrow but said nothing in response. What she thought of humanity was still a gray area in her mind. She couldn''t contradict or agree with her mother, but what she did know was that she had no interest whatsoever in the position her mother mentioned.


    "With the technology and knowledge of Krypton, you could make the greatest difference this world has ever seen, be a pillar, a beacon, a one of hope." As if in response to her mother''s words, the corridor they were walking through suddenly expanded, and a part of the wall opened, revealing a full-body mannequin dressed in a dark blue suit with red accents, was a suit somewhat similar to the one she now wore, one that hugged the mannequin''s body accentuating every part of it.


    A bright red cape fluttered behind the suit as if caught by the wind, and on the chest, a large symbol resembling an S was displayed, a very familiar one.


    Her mother approached and placed her hand on it, with clear nostalgia in her gaze, then turned to look at her.


    "That''s what this symbol means, the emblem of House of El, Hope," Carol looked at the suit and the symbol for a brief moment, then looked away and continued walking down the hallway.


    Lara watched her daughter walk away and sighed; the wall returned to normal, and the suit disappeared. She followed after Carol; she still had much to say.


    Carol glanced at her mother from the corner of her eye and spoke.


    "Why show me this?" She had been clear about her goals, yet Lara seemed very insistent.


    "I just want you to know that your destiny is much greater than you think; your future is limitless, and what you can do for this world is boundless." There it was again, it seemed her mother had some big expectations for her.


    "Perhaps you''re right, but I''m not the right person for that. You might need to talk to Daniel; he might be much more enthusiastic," Carol could certainly see that.


    Lara furrowed her brows, thinking for a moment before speaking.


    "You know, that boy has ambitions, very big ambitions. The people who can walk beside him and follow in his wake will all be equally extraordinary... If you stay as you are, you''ll simply be left behind," it was a slight gamble, but when she saw Carol stop, she knew she had hit the mark.


    "What are you trying to say?" Carol asked with clear Defiance.


    "I''m just saying something you already know. While he''s out there saving people and trying to change the world, you''re still here, waiting for him to come back and give you some of his time, time that is too valuable and that he will eventually find something more important to spend it on," maybe she pushed a little too hard there, but she needed Carol to have some ambition; she was probably the last of her kind! Even if she and Jor-El had said she could be whatever she wanted... the reality was that a father always hoped his child would be more than just average.


    Lara wanted Carol to be something extraordinary.


    Maybe she was expecting too much, trying to impose ideals that were too big, but she couldn''t help it; Whether it was the mother, the scientist or the Kryptonian that was still inside her, all those parts of her wanted to see Carol''s full potential come to the fore, wanted her to be everything she knew she could be and more.


    But she didn''t seem willing at all...


    Carol remained silent for a moment before clicking her tongue and shaking her head.


    "Maybe you''re right." Carol thought about the recent past; certainly, Daniel seemed much happier spending time with others.


    "But I also think you''re wrong." In the end, Daniel had returned; maybe he had gone away for a while, but he had always been there when it mattered, and for Carol, that was the only thing that really meant anything, the only thing she needed.


    However, she couldn''t help but think about Lara''s words. Maybe she needed to be more enthusiastic? While she didn''t believe she would become something like what her mother expected, it would certainly be better if she could show Daniel that she was still important.


    "So, what will you do?" Lara asked with uncertainty, not knowing what was going through Carol''s mind.


    Carol rubbed her chin; she still had some time before returning home, so...


    "I need to study a bit." First, she needed to fix her lack of scientific knowledge.


    Lara nodded, figuring this was the best she could get for now, but she wouldn''t give up easily. After all, hope always had to be present.


    She watched Carol walk towards the central pillar, ready to start learning more about science. Lara admired her figure for a moment; she had grown so much... as a mother, she couldn''t have hoped for more.


    Even with all the preparations, the truth was that everything happened too quickly. There were no guarantees of anything, as Kal-El was proof of that. Fortunately, thanks to Rao, her daughter had arrived safe and sound and could now be with her, even if it wasn''t as soon as she would have wished.


    The last daughter of Krypton, the last hope of her people...


    Or maybe not. Remembering her husband''s brother, her brother-in-law, and his final actions before dying with them, she couldn''t help the anticipation that arose within her.


    Maybe her daughter wasn''t so alone after all, but telling her that now wouldn''t serve any purpose.


    Their scans on the planet showed that the third ship that left Krypton that day still hadn''t reached Earth.


    And if it hadn''t reached Earth in all these years, the odds were too great that an accident had occurred.


    Telling her about this wouldn''t serve any purpose.


    Not now, at least.


    She would have to wait, improve the technology they had access to, and then search to see if there was another hope waiting for them out there.


    But it wasn''t the time yet; for now, she had to help her daughter.


    .


    .


    .


    Note:


    Four thousand words.


    Writing this chapter was a bit challenging as I wasn''t sure how to simplify the information that needed to be conveyed, but I think it all turned out quite well.


    Carol begins to explore her heritage, and Daniel prepares to resolve the lingering issues.


    I hope to bring more interesting things and some action to the mix soon.


    In the next chapter we delve deeper into the mind of Daniel and finally I will explain the reason why he acts the way he does with respect to Carol.


    Lastly, remember that you can find the next chapter of this story on Patreon (patreon.com/EmmaCruzader). If you want to read the next chapter in advance and get some other benefits, you can go and check it out. All the support received helps me a lot ;D

 24: Mom, why is the F.B.I. knocking on my door?

    24: Mom, why is the F.B.I. knocking on my door?


    Daniel sat atop a mountain covered in snow and ice, still in the Arctic but several kilometers away from the fortress. He felt the fierce icy winds hitting his face and his cape fluttering non-stop. It was a bit uncomfortable but nothing that really bothered him. Even so, he couldn''t help but think that he should create a special suit for snowy climates, something more padded.


    He thought about it idly before rubbing his forehead with some frustration.


    Although he had said he needed to resolve the whole Ten Rings issue, the reality was that he wasn''t in much of a hurry. Giving a good statement, the first of them, was very important. Daniel wanted to form an image after all, not just be another hero in the crowd.


    Maybe it was somewhat vain from an external perspective, but it was something he believed was necessary.


    For that reason, he needed to think about his actions and words, in a way that could convey what he needed and at the same time not create a misunderstanding that would ruin his newly emerging heroic career.


    Keeping that in mind, why didn''t he do it in the fortress? Why didn''t he use its first-class facilities and highly advanced technology to map out his next steps appropriately? Why did he leave abruptly saying he was in a hurry?


    Why was he sitting on a freezing mountain letting his balls freeze? Metaphorically, of course.


    Admitting it out loud was somewhat embarrassing. Here was the great Defiant, faster than bullets, tougher than steel, stronger than a locomotive, and he was running away because a teenage girl made him uncomfortable.


    That''s right, Carol was the reason he decided to leave, not her mother, who seemed to want to dissect every part of his body, but the girl who decided it was a good idea to activate her X-ray vision on him.


    It was hard not to notice. After all, her eyes acquired an unnaturally blue glow that obviously wasn¡¯t part of her heat vision, not to mention her heart beating like crazy or her blushing face.


    Now that he remembered many things about Superman, not remembering one of his most basic powers was impossible. That''s why he knew what she was doing instantly.


    "I understand looking at the front but why the butt too?" Well, if he thought about it, maybe he could understand. The suit did make his butt look amazing even if it wasn''t on purpose.


    But that wasn''t the point here!


    Daniel could ignore her thinly disguised displays of affection, he could ignore her clumsy and childish attempts at flirting, and he could act as if he were blind if necessary, just like he did when she closed her eyes and thought he was going to kiss her earlier today.


    Which was actually a bit funny, seeing her reaction made him have to try really hard to keep a straight face and continue explaining without bursting into laughter.


    But what he couldn''t ignore was her starting to blatantly look at him using her X-ray vision. Not that he would have minded in any other circumstance¡ªhell, if it had been another woman, he might have teased her a bit, maybe even flirted a little. God knew he needed some fun these days.


    The problem was that it was Carol.


    "Dealing with her is getting harder every day."


    A rather silly part of himself told him he was an idiot¡ªfresh meat served on a silver platter, why not eat it?


    That was the part he least wanted to listen to right now. He was trying to be a better person here, damn it!


    Carol simply wasn¡¯t cooperating.


    Daniel rubbed his chin. What would his brother say in this situation? As if it were a divine answer, his voice sounded in his mind.


    "Just do it, man! Or are you a fa**ot?!"


    Well, maybe his brother wasn¡¯t the best role model right now.


    So¡­ what would his father say?


    "Son... are you sure you like women?"


    Daniel frowned deeply; that wasn¡¯t helpful either.


    Great, two of the three people he cherished the most were now doubting him inside his mind...


    Without being able to help it, another thought came to him.


    What would his mother say?


    As quickly as that thought came, Daniel tried to get rid of it. Wasn''t she the main reason all his problems with women occurred in the first place?


    No, Daniel stood up and quickly shook his head. he didn''t want to hear the voice of the woman for whom he ended up running naked in the middle of the day running away from three girls.


    Just remembering that event sent a chill down his spine.


    There was a reason why he only sought advice from his brother and sometimes from his father.


    "What would Superman say?" he tried to change focus but all he got were images of an angry older brother punching him from right to left up to the sun.


    Eh, it was good that the guy wasn¡¯t here then.


    Daniel sighed and sat down again with his face in his hands.


    Trying to be a better person was never easy.


    He looked in the direction of the fortress, squinting his eyes. If Carol kept insisting, then she would leave him no choice but to teach her because playing with fire burns...


    He quickly shook his head, sending a gust of wind in all directions.


    That was his mother talking, damn it!


    "You''re a hero, the first one of all, you''re supposed to be a role model, focus!" he scolded himself, damn stupid moral dilemmas.


    Daniel blinked and looked around, making sure no one was watching him, even though he knew it should be impossible.


    It had been a long time since he got carried away by his thoughts like this; from an external perspective, he surely looked like a lunatic.


    "Maybe I should talk to Harleen?" But how would he do that? He couldn''t just show up and say, hey, I have voices in my head telling me to do "bad things"? She''d probably slam the door in his face and call the police.


    Or she''d pull out the bat she keeps next to her bed and try to fix his head with a few blows...


    It would probably be the latter. Somehow, he found himself smiling at the thought. Yes, thinking about her was easier. Maybe he should ask her out and have some fun, release some stress.


    "Yeah, because going out with another girl while you have problems with one always solves things, right?" That was his own sarcastic voice mocking himself.


    "It actually worked a few times..." and now he was answering himself...


    Alright, that was enough. It was time to keep busy, or he would really end up looking like a lunatic.


    "Thank God she still isn''t 18..." One had to be thankful for small blessings.


    Daniel could have a lot of self-control, but no matter how strong his will was, he was still a man trapped in the body of a 19-year-old boy; he was no saint at all.


    Even so, there were limits, barriers he wouldn''t cross in this life or his previous one. One of them was age.


    He might be 19 now, but in his previous life, he was a 25-year-old man. He wouldn''t touch anything, no matter how tempting and attractive, unless it was of legal age.


    "Though the F.B.I. can''t do anything to you now..."


    Daniel opened his eyes in bewilderment, somewhat alarmed he held his head. It seemed that even in another life, he couldn''t prevent his mother''s influence from slipping into his thoughts.


    Normally, one would think it would be his older brother or father who would be the bad influences in his life, but for Daniel, that spot was reserved solely and exclusively for the woman who raised him.


    "Why couldn''t you just be a normal mother?!" he asked the void.


    The only response he received was the wind howling in the distance. Daniel looked at the empty, desolate frozen lands and laughed quietly, a depressing air beginning to surround him.


    "How pathetic," he scolded himself.


    It hadn''t even been a year, and he already missed them so much that he began to imagine their voices speaking to him inside his head.


    Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    He sighed for perhaps the eleventh time that day and began to rise slowly into the air.


    He had spent too much time self-reflecting already. He needed to take care of pending matters and think about what to do with Carol later.


    As he started flying through the sky, he couldn''t help but think about his next steps.


    "Should I take a page from Superman''s book and give an interview?" He frowned and dismissed the idea. while it would be a classic thing to do it would also be dangerous, if he just picked one reporter out of many others he would only be painting a target on his back.


    No, what he should do was something different, something like a press conference, one where dozens of reporters would be present.


    Now, who did he know that could get dozens of reporters to show up with a single call?


    "Uh, looks like I have to talk to a multi-millionaire."


    .


    .


    .


    "What do you think?" Tony said, looking at the projection in front of him. He walked in circles around it, admiring his magnum opus.


    It had taken a while, many sleepless nights, and unhealthy amounts of coffee, but he had finally done it. The Mark 3 was ready¡ªor it would be once it started being assembled.


    "An exceptional job as always, sir," Jarvis''s voice responded to his question.


    Several days had passed since his "debut" in Afghanistan. Since then, he had been thinking, analyzing, and trying to create something capable of keeping up with "Defiant."


    His intention to create a super alloy was still in progress; it was much more complicated than it seemed. But Tony was beginning to make headway, he just needed to adjust a few more things. Even so, that project was still in a preliminary phase, and it would be a while before he had something to show.


    Given that was the case, he focused on the next best option. An alternative that had the potential to be just as effective, if not more, than a super alloy.


    Energy projection, or more precisely, energy shields.


    A long time ago, Tony had advanced projection technology by leaps and bounds.


    Even so, over time he lost interest in it. The reason was simple: power supply. While projection technology was viable, the problem was that it generated a great energy cost.


    This was why the general public didn''t have access to it.


    It was a technology that could only be used by a select sector of people, and although those people paid well, it couldn''t compare to the revenue that could be obtained by entering the public sector.


    When he was younger, arrogant and cocky, Tony only thought about the profits his company could make. When he realized that projection technology wouldn''t give him more than what he was already getting, he abandoned it.


    How stupid.


    Still, he couldn''t entirely blame his past self. In fact, he was grateful to himself. Even if it had only been a passing interest, his advancements had laid a firm foundation to work with. And now that he had the Arc Reactor, it only took him a few days to surpass those advancements and take his technology to the next level.


    Now he possessed solid and stable energy projection.


    Tony stretched his finger and touched the projection in front of him. It felt like solid metal¡ªsame temperature, same texture. He knew that if he wanted to, all he needed was to install the necessary Arc reactors, and he could literally use the projection of the Mark 3 design as if it were a suit of armor.


    Of course, it would be a highly inefficient armor with an excessively high energy expenditure¡ªa mere shell of the real Mark 3. He hadn''t stayed up countless nights for something like this.


    Still, it was an incredible demonstration of what he had achieved in such a short time.


    "Show me the data; I want to see the simulation results," Tony said, unable to hide his eagerness. While theoretically he knew what his new technology could do, it still needed to be tested comprehensively. That''s why he had started simulations once the Mark 3 design was complete.


    Soon, several screens unfolded in the air in front of him, presenting data after data.


    "The energy shields have proven to be more than impressive, sir. Their defensive capabilities have far exceeded expectations. Simulations show that their structure is almost impenetrable," Tony frowned. There shouldn''t be an "almost" there.


    "What happened?" he asked, and Jarvis displayed the virtual simulations that had been conducted.


    "The main issue is the energy expenditure. Maintaining the energy shield active at all times is completely impossible with a single Arc reactor. The greater the impact the shield receives, the more energy it consumes. Right now, using just one Arc reactor, the shield theoretically can withstand a nuclear impact of 10 megatons for 1.5 seconds," that was an impressive yet alarming figure.


    One Arc reactor could only hold up for 1.5 seconds...


    Tony pondered deeply on this. The primary priority now should be solving the energy supply problem. If he could do that, then he would have an impenetrable shield. Of course, Tony knew that something like that wasn''t so simple. The Arc Reactor was already the most advanced power generator on the planet, and improving it wasn''t easy even for him.


    Fortunately, he had already thought of a provisional solution beforehand. If one isn''t enough, just add more. It was something he had learned from Mark 2.


    He looked at the projected design of the Mark 3 and smiled.


    Though they looked similar in essence, there were still some aesthetic differences between the new armor and the Mark 2. Perhaps the most important but less noticeable were the small energy projectors carefully distributed across its surface.


    They were small and easy to overlook despite being numerous. However, they were the most essential part of the design as they were responsible for covering every inch of the armor with the main energy shield.


    Its color was now more golden and black, with fewer but still present red details. Perhaps it was a bit more robust, but it didn''t lose any agility at all. On the chest, only one Arc reactor was visible, but behind thick alloy plates, there were three more reactors hidden¡ªa suit of armor powered by four Arc reactors.


    With this, he would have enough power to use the energy field constantly in different situations. Coupled with the already incredible natural defense of the gold-titanium alloy, it would be nearly impossible to breach his defenses.


    Sometimes Tony admired himself. This time, he had truly surpassed himself by far. The Mark 2 would look like scrap next to the Mark 3 once it was assembled. In fact, why wait any longer? He wanted to test it immediately.


    "Start the assembly; we''ll conduct field tests once it''s ready."


    Tony prepared himself for a much-needed and lengthy nap; he needed to be at his best to test his new baby...


    "And remind me to cut back on the coffee," he said, realizing he needed better rest or he''d start giving strange nicknames to his things.


    "I''ll make sure of it, sir," Jarvis responded, not entirely understanding his creator''s train of thought.


    Of course, that''s when a strange sound filled the room, a constant beep¡ªnot very loud but enough to catch attention and echo in the place.


    Tony frowned. "Didn''t I tell you to cancel all my appointments?" he asked, and his faithful assistant quickly corrected him.


    "I did, sir. This is something different."


    Tony scanned the room until his eyes landed on the strange and intriguing device that Defiant had given him. He raised an eyebrow and began walking towards the workshop table where he had placed it.


    He had only superficially studied the object; it was nothing he couldn''t create himself, but certainly advanced. At least he could tell that whoever built it had solid foundations¡ªit was functional, durable, and well-protected. Its signal was nearly untraceable unless you were rough.


    Tony wasn''t willing to damage it, so he hadn''t studied it in depth and simply decided to leave it in a corner until something happened. He had almost forgotten about it until now.


    "You know, Jarvis, change of plans, prepare me a coffee."


    If Jarvis had eyes, he would have blinked in confusion, and an exasperated sigh would have escaped him.


    Meanwhile, Tony looked at the device and pressed one of the buttons on it, the one clearly meant for answering, and the beeping stopped.


    "Hey, it''s been a while, huh?" Defiant''s voice came through, and Tony picked up the device and responded.


    "Just enough for me to almost forget you exist. What''s up, D-boy, ready for a chat?"


    "More than that, I need a favor," Tony raised an eyebrow.


    "Oh? You haven''t even taken me to dinner and you''re already asking for favors? I don''t think you know how this works," he heard a short laugh.


    "Yeah, you''re right, how rude of me. How about we go grab something? My treat."


    Tony thought for a moment, although he already had his answer.


    "Well, I know a place..."


    .


    .


    .


    Note: VERY Important to read please.


    This chapter mostly focused on Daniel; it''s been a while since I delved deep into his thoughts and his past. In fact, I think I rarely do that, which I need to correct because he''s the protagonist.


    This chapter was also meant to fix an oversight I hadn''t realized. You see, I thought I had explained why Daniel acted the way he did towards Carol in the story, but actually, I didn''t¡ªor well, I did, but in a comment outside the story...


    I don''t know why I thought I had already explained it, and it was thanks to several people''s comments on Chapter 22 that I realized the mistake. I''m sorry about that, but hey! That''s why it''s important for you guys to comment! It helps me notice things.


    Remember, I''m just a novice writer and still improving, sthat''s why I ask for your opinions all the time. It helps me reflect and try to improve things to bring greater quality for you in the future.


    I''m human, and I''ll probably keep making mistakes. I''m not sure if I can fix every one of them, but I can certainly try.


    And speaking of mistakes...


    While reviewing the chapters in English, I noticed a translation error in one of the disadvantages, which I will correct soon. When I translated Chapter 1, I was still a novice and overlooked it, for which I apologize.


    The error is in the disadvantage ''Challengers'':


    ''individuals and entities will arise in response to your existence.''


    should be


    ''individuals and entities will come your way in response to your existence.''


    I want to clarify this disadvantage to avoid misunderstandings.


    What the disadvantage means is that strong characters will appear in Daniel''s path, or another way to put it is that he will be placed in the path of strong individuals.


    These strong individuals will see him as someone to ''challenge'' or as a ''challenge,'' but this doesn''t mean they will fight him or become his enemies out of nowhere. The ''bringing danger'' part is because strong individuals always bring their own problems with them, problems that Daniel may or may not become involved in


    And whether Daniel is able to be on good terms with these individuals depends on him.


    In summary, it only makes it more likely that Daniel will encounter powerful individuals or interact with them, which may or may not pose a significant risk to his life.


    It''s a small spoiler, but Carol is an example. (Carol actually results from two disadvantage acting at the same time, who would have thought...)


    Of course, the way it''s written in the story makes it seem like Daniel has to confront all of them, which is intentional because it''s a disadvantage. Daniel wasn''t and won''t be given an explanation like this because that would be an advantage.


    Daniel makes assumptions based on what he knows; he can be wrong like everyone else when acting with limited information.


    I hope this clarifies the issue completely, and once again, I sincerely apologize to my readers for overlooking this error for so long.


    I still need to review all the other chapters to see if I made any other mistakes. I hope to correct them over time to make rereading this story a more enjoyable experience.


    Anyway, I''ve already elaborated enough with this note. To conclude, I''d like to thank all my donors on Patreon and Ko-fi. You guys are awesome, and I''m really glad to have your support. The update schedule that won the Patreon vote with 78% of the votes will begin soon.


    I''ll do my best to meet it.


    You can now find The next chapter of this story on Patreon (patreon com/EmmaCruzader). If you want to read the next chapter in advance and get some other benefits, you can go and check it out. All the support received helps me a lot ;D

 25: Preparations

    25: Preparations


    Daniel adjusted the jacket he was now wearing. It had been a while since he dressed up to go out. Dinners with Harleen didn''t count; those were more informal, just a way to pass the time.


    This time, he needed to make a good impression, not because it was a business meeting¡ªalthough, in a sense, it was¡ªbut because he was asking for a favor.


    Maybe his mother hadn''t been the best, but she had instilled in him basic respect and manners.


    So why didn''t he do something like this with Harleen? Well, he had done it as Defiant, but this time he wasn''t going as Defiant; he was going as Daniel.


    And, well, saying that the person he was meeting didn''t make things different would be a lie. Tony Stark, Iron Man¡ªover time, his memories of the man had become clearer.


    Daniel wouldn''t say he was a fanatic, but he did have respect for the man and admiration for his work.


    Maybe he wasn''t exactly the same guy from his memories, but he didn''t differ too much. it was easy to relate them, and Daniel hoped to gain a new and important ally after this.


    Any god that existed knew the Earth would need more heroes soon.


    He walked through the streets of Malibu until he stopped in front of what seemed to be a club? Restaurant? Well, maybe it was both, though that wasn''t really important.


    He entered the place and found what appeared to be a receptionist, an attractive woman in her twenties. Remembering the instructions Tony had given him, he approached her and spoke calmly.


    "Good afternoon, I have a reservation, table 43." The woman blinked as she looked at him, then glanced down to check some documents quickly, and nodded at him with a smile.


    "May I have your name, sir?"


    Uh, did he look that old? Or was she just being polite? Unable to help it, he touched his chin, only finding smooth, soft skin, no beard or mustache.


    "Daniel, Daniel Evans." That was all he needed, then he was inside being guided around the place.


    It was then that he realized it really was more of a club than a restaurant, a strange club.


    Rich men, beautiful women¡ªthe atmosphere was clear, a place where rich guys went to hang out. That was the description that best fit what Daniel saw.


    Fortunately, table 43 was in a secluded spot on one of the upper floors, one with excellent views of the city that was beginning to be tinged with the red of the sunset.


    Daniel saw the person he was looking for, sitting and calmly having a drink. He nodded to the receptionist and walked to meet Tony Stark face to face.


    "Hey, you look even younger than I expected," the billionaire commented distractedly, lowering his glass.


    "And you look more tired," Daniel said, taking a seat. The dark circles under the playboy''s eyes were noticeable.


    Tony made a gesture, and the receptionist, who was preparing to leave, approached clearly enthusiastic.


    "Bring us a bottle of whiskey, a good one," the woman didn''t protest and nodded, walking away quickly.


    Everyone knew that when Tony Stark was present, the best tips were guaranteed, even if she wasn''t a waitress, it didn''t matter.


    They both looked at each other in a strange silence, studying one another for a few moments.


    "Are you an alien?" The sudden question took Daniel by surprise. He blinked, and a small smile formed on his lips.


    "What gave it away?" he said casually, and Tony remained still, looking at him with eyes wider than usual. Daniel then let out a small laugh, causing Tony to frown.


    "It was a serious question." Tony had made many hypotheses, theory after theory, trying to figure out the secret behind "Defiant." He had ruled out cybernetic enhancements when they first met, which only left some kind of mutation or power, something humans didn''t normally have. Therefore, he thought maybe he was dealing with something not human in the first place.


    "If you want a serious answer, then I''ll say no, I do not believe I''m an alien." Believing and being were different, and Tony noticed this little clue, a spark of interest igniting in him.


    "Alright, let''s go with that: ''Alien who doesn''t think he''s an alien,''" the sarcasm was obvious.


    Daniel didn''t correct him; he wasn''t here to reveal all his secrets. Tony could make whatever deductions he wanted.


    Soon, the bottle arrived, and Tony poured them both a drink.


    "You know, I get that dramatic silences and tense pauses and all that make things flavorful. We all need some drama in life, but I''d like to skip all that. I don''t like beating around the bush, and I''ll admit I''m curious, very curious. What do you need?"


    He looked at him while taking a sip of his glass. Daniel looked at the liquid in his own before taking a long drink. He missed the ability to get drunk; the taste wasn''t as good without that included.


    "Maybe it will be disappointing for you, but since you want it straight, I''ll get to the point. I need to make a public announcement, one where everyone, or at least most of the media, is present. And, well, I heard you were their ''golden boy'' until a few months ago."


    Tony snorted at the nickname. He had certainly been on more magazine covers and newspapers than any other eccentric billionaire.


    "Well, D-boy, you''ve come to the right person." While it was somewhat disappointing, that didn''t mean Tony wouldn''t help. After all, this was just the beginning. He wanted to ask many things, talk about race and the "monsters," about technology, about the material Defiant''s suit was made of, and about Defiant himself.


    There were too many topics, but everything had its time and place, and he preferably wanted at least eight hours of sleep for those talks.


    "Does that mean you''ll help?" Daniel asked.


    "did you expect me not to?"


    Well, there was always the possibility that could happen.


    "But I want something in return," Tony said casually.


    Daniel smiled; of course, he expected something like that. After all, they barely knew each other. and Tony hadn''t become a billionaire by doing charity.


    "Speak."


    .


    .


    .


    Harleen wondered if she should be upset¡ªdays, days without hearing from him, not a message, a call, absolutely nothing.


    Sure, they were just "friends" or something like that, but even friends say hello once in a while, right? Maybe she had gotten too used to having him around. Losing contact so suddenly left her feeling numb for a while.


    Life had started to become too interesting since she met him, and going back to monotony... it was something that didn''t feel very good.


    Sure, she had her own things to work on, although, for the most part, everything was progressing without complications. Her projects were undoubtedly a success so far.


    If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    She looked at the transparent glass vial, purple liquid inside.


    It had taken some effort, but with enough samples, sufficient study, and a few sleepless nights, she had done it.


    Now what was she supposed to do with this thing? She''d admit she had only synthesized a copy of Kilgrave''s pheromones out of scientific curiosity.


    Of course, she had modified it. The real thing made victims susceptible to the control of whoever generated the substance. Her version? It had been made a bit differently.


    Theoretically, it still made people obey orders, but only from those with the unique chemical signature with which it was made.


    While each human didn''t possess "unique" pheromones to the same degree as Kilgrave, they did have unique chemical signatures within them. As a safeguard, Harleen had used her own unique signature to create what she called Obedience Serum.


    In a way, it was an unreliable safeguard since she had no immunity to the serum. She had no "powers" to give her resistance, and her unique chemical signature didn''t work that way.


    The only guarantee was that only she could give "orders"¡ªmeaning she could self-fuck her mind but only if she did it herself.


    Of course, she hadn''t tested it yet; it was unethical, and she wasn''t a criminal. She wouldn''t use this on other people.


    Still, saying she didn''t want to know if it worked wouldn''t be correct either.


    Curiosity was itching quite a bit.


    "Something simple, just a test," she murmured, glancing around her office until her eyes settled on a plant, a gift from a woman she once thought she would love forever.


    Even after it ended, she had tended to that plant with care. Yet, every time she looked at it, bitter memories as well as pleasant ones flooded her mind. She usually avoided looking at it for that reason.


    She had thought about getting rid of it long ago, but every time she tried, old feelings would assault her, making her reconsider, over and over again.


    Who would have thought, a psychiatrist with her own problems. Well, in her defense, she wasn''t a psychologist.


    She sighed, knowing herself too well. She would never get rid of that plant on her own; she would never have the courage.


    "So I''ll force myself," she muttered, clenching her teeth. She uncorked the vial, nervously bringing it up to her nose. The scent, for some reason, reminded her of herself. She supposed that was the effect of having modified the pheromones.


    She inhaled deeply for a few seconds. Her pupils dilated, and she almost felt as if she were suddenly witnessing things in the third person.


    It was like being present but not present, yet she could still control her actions easily, feeling things the same way as before.


    She capped the vial again, storing it in the inner pocket of her white coat.


    Then she looked at the plant. The doubts, the reluctance, the affection¡ªall those feelings were still there but numbed, behind an invisible wall.


    "Destroy that plant," she said softly, but it was as if a switch suddenly flipped in her mind.


    Suddenly, she stopped being the master of herself, even though she had given the order.


    Her body stood up and walked firmly to where the plant rested.


    Without hesitation, she squeezed its leaves so hard they began to break. Then she started to pull it out of the pot, the soil staining the floor, and with both hands, she began to tear the plant apart without a second thought.


    For some reason, she felt euphoric.


    Faster than she would have liked, everything returned to normal. She blinked, somewhat disoriented, and looked at her hands. Soil and remnants of what was once a beautiful plant adorned them.


    She thought she would feel regret; after all, she had forced herself to do it.


    But she didn''t. In fact, she felt better than ever.


    She took a deep breath to calm herself, her flushed face returning to normal after several minutes.


    "I need to clean this up," she thought absentmindedly, and before she knew it, she was kneeling on the floor, scooping up the dirt with her hands.


    "Huh?"


    She watched curiously as she cleaned up the mess she had made.


    It took only a few minutes, and the place was as spotless as ever.


    "Continuous effect?" She noted to herself, this time being careful with her own thoughts.


    A side effect? She wasn''t too alarmed, knowing such risks existed. Now the question was, was this permanent or temporary?


    .


    .


    .


    It turned out to be temporary. About an hour later, Harleen suddenly felt as if a hangover was threatening to hit her. Fortunately, it was just a threat.


    Still, she felt mild chills through her body, a bit of nervousness, and for some reason, her lips wouldn''t stop trembling slightly.


    She noted it all down. It was valuable information; maybe she could improve the serum and get rid of such effects later.


    Her handwriting was somewhat messy, but she managed to do it. Once finished, she sat at her desk, then patted her chest, feeling the pocket where she kept the vial. For some reason, she felt the urge to test it a bit more.


    "Addiction?" she realized immediately.


    That could be a problem.


    She took a deep breath and lowered her hand. She needed to distract herself somehow.


    Fortunately for her, someone knocked on her office door at that moment.


    "Come in!" she called out, a bit louder than she intended.


    The door opened, and she saw her boss entering. The older man with completely white hair, slightly hunched over and wearing thick glasses, walked in with slow steps, a blank expression adorning his stoic face.


    "Dr. Quinzel," he greeted, approaching with a thick folder full of papers in his hands.


    Probably a lot of work, which was good. Harleen wanted something to distract herself with.


    "Dr. Harrison, how can I help you?"


    The doctor placed the folder on her desk.


    "There''s a case, one I believe is most suitable for you."


    A new case? That''s when she remembered¡ªthe new transfers from Arkham had arrived a few days ago, hadn''t they?


    Curious, she opened the folder, raising an eyebrow at the information.


    "Martha Wayne, huh?"


    An infamous criminal, one who should have been dead but survived by a miracle.


    After everything she had done, what she had done to Gotham, the general public thought she had died a long time ago. Only a few people knew she had actually been rotting in a cell deep within Arkham Asylum.


    She studied the information, an interesting case in many ways, a special one.


    Well, she wanted to stay busy, didn''t she?


    "I''ll take it."


    .


    .


    .


    "How do I look?" Daniel asked, and Carol looked at him thoughtfully for several seconds.


    Her eyes narrowed in concentration before she nodded.


    "It''s strange, I know it''s you, but for some reason, it''s hard to tell unless I focus entirely," she said, somewhat confused but still able to discern his true face as long as she looked at him properly. Which, in reality, was quite easy because she always looked at him properly.


    "Of course, Kryptonian technology shouldn''t be underestimated; something as simple as this is a piece of cake," Lara commented from the side.


    Daniel nodded in agreement with her, pressed a button on the wristwatch of his right hand, and then there was a strange effect on his face, more precisely on the light reflecting off it. The distortion lasted half a second, and then everything returned to normal.


    He stretched his hands to his face, carefully pinched with his fingers, and began to remove a thin, semi-transparent layer resembling a facial mask.


    Although it would probably be more accurate to call it a second skin.


    He looked at "his face" in his hands. It was surprising and something he had been thinking about since several of his Superman memories began to surface.


    Initially, he had thought of glasses, something classic. But when he asked about technology capable of "masking" his identity, Lara had suggested something much more suitable: a layer of synthetic "skin" that distorted the way light hit his features, making them appear "different."


    To anyone else, he would look slightly different once the mask was activated. Not only that, it also worked with electronic devices, so even if someone took a photo or video of him, his identity would still be hidden.


    Truly interesting technology. The fortress was quite incredible, and something as "simple" as this was the proof.


    While the fortress lacked all the resources it should normally have, it still possessed all the facilities and tools necessary to recreate any kind of Kryptonian technology. Coupled with the database that Carol''s parents had compiled, it undoubtedly made it a great treasure, a perfect inheritance.


    Still, it took some effort to gather the materials needed to create the "mask." Fortunately, it wasn''t something too crazy like a unique element found only on a specific planet in a specific region of the universe, in a specific galaxy.


    That would have been a huge pain in the ass.


    And well, he wouldn''t have had time. Soon, Daniel was going to give a lecture, and for that, he had decided to remove "the mask." so that his words would have more impact. He decided it was best to "reveal his face" to the world.


    Of course, he still had to maintain a certain level of privacy, mainly for Carol.


    That''s what the mask was for.


    He wouldn''t use it as Defiant; while it was advanced technology, it was still fragile. A strong enough enemy could easily destroy it, undermining his efforts to keep his "identity" hidden.


    This was for his identity as Daniel.


    "So, all that''s left to do is modify whatever images are on the network, is that okay?" he asked towards lara even though he knew he could "order it".


    She nodded.


    "That''s simple. There aren''t many images of your real face online, and most of them are from when you were younger, different enough that even if I didn''t modify them, it would still be difficult to associate them with you," she said with curiosity in her voice.


    Well, that was more due to his transformation into a Viltrumite than puberty or growth. When he reopened his eyes hanging from that rope, his body had transformed significantly.


    Scars, small imperfections, all disappeared. While he still looked like himself, he was different enough that no one from his past would recognize him at first glance.


    That''s why he wasn''t too worried about people who had known the previous Daniel.


    "Very well, it''s almost time." Tony should have everything prepared; now it was just up to him to do his part.


    He nodded to Carol, and she returned the smile.


    Her confidence in him was appreciated; it gave him more courage.


    Speaking in public had never been his strong suit.


    Well, he was already taking many things from Superman, so why not steal some of his speeches? That would probably annoy him less than if he fucked his sister.


    Eh, it probably wouldn''t matter anyway, since he planned to do both.


    He stopped. Well, damn it, damn intrusive thoughts, why did they always come at the least opportune moments? He almost sighed but reminded himself to stay strong; it was an important day, after all. He would think about the rest later.


    "Alright, let''s do this."


    .


    .


    .


    Note:


    remember that you can find the next chapter of this story on P)atreon (p)atreon com/EmmaCruzader). If you want to read the next chapter in advance and get some other benefits, you can go and check it out. All the support received helps me a lot ;D

 26: God Among Us

    26: God Among Us


    "Is everything ready?" Tony asked, looking at the dozens of reporters who had arrived and the large crowd of hundreds of people that only kept growing and growing.


    The stage had been set up in Metropolis, the city of tomorrow, in its central plaza, an open space where people could come en masse without fear of being crushed to death. Well, if the crowd got too big, it would be hard not to feel cramped.


    Fortunately, no one knew yet what this conference was about, except for Tony, of course.


    So the number of people, while large, was not yet overwhelming. But Tony knew that would change soon, once "he" arrived.


    "The cameras are ready, the news stations are starting their live broadcasts, and the foreign media are in their places," Pepper Potts commented, having already checked everything at least three times.


    It had been sudden; Tony''s request had required moving a lot of resources in a short time. Still, with enough money and the necessary influence, it was possible. The media, after all, would never let a story go, even if they didn''t know exactly what it was about.


    But the eccentric billionaire had always been a maker of big news. His name and image sold well, and since he was the one who paid to bring them, it was clear they had to be there.


    Even if the announcement turned out to be less amazing than promised, it didn''t matter.


    Tony nodded to Pepper. It had been a while since he saw her. He had been a bit too busy these days. Still, she was as reliable as ever, though not as much as Jarvis, of course; his A.I. would always be the number one assistant.


    He looked up at the clear, bright blue sky, the sun just beginning to rise. It was early in the morning, so there was still a slight cool breeze. That was good; if it got too sunny, this would become uncomfortable too quickly.


    Murmurs began to fill the place in anticipation of the mysterious announcement. It was rare for all the major media outlets in the world to be gathered in one place with just a few days'' notice.


    Such a mobilization, of course, could only be done by someone with the necessary resources. Everyone knew Tony Stark was going to communicate something, but no one knew what, which generated some controversy among the people watching either in person or on television channels through the live broadcast.


    Of course, without anyone knowing, Daniel had asked Lara to intervene with the signals. He didn''t want any errors or delays. Using the Fortress as the central point, Lara used advanced Kryptonian technology to temporarily and specifically enhance human telecommunications signals.


    Something extremely simple for her.


    .


    From one of the tall buildings in Metropolis, a young man in his twenties observed all the hustle and bustle with an impassive look.


    He took one of his hands out of his pockets and looked at his watch.


    "It seems it will start soon," he said and turned to see the dozen shareholders sitting behind him at a long conference table.


    They all had contemplative looks. In one corner, a television had begun tuning into one of the channels broadcasting the events in the plaza live.


    "What do you think this is all about? Why come here? This isn''t the usual way that kid acts," a man in his 60s with completely white hair commented with a frown.


    All the other shareholders nodded. Metropolis was their territory, and having Tony Stark''s presence wasn''t a good omen. If his announcement had anything to do with the city and its businesses, it would only present more problems for them.


    "It doesn''t matter what he''s after; LuthorCorp is still the largest company in Metropolis. If Tony Stark thinks he can stick his nose into this city, then he''s in for a tough backlash," a woman''s serious and cold voice was heard.


    Many agreed with her. The man looking out the window smiled and turned to his sister.


    "It seems you dislike him. I thought you hadn''t had any contact with him until now."


    The woman frowned. "I don''t need to know him in person to understand what kind of man he is. Although, knowing you, I suppose you get along quite well with him, Lex."


    Alexander Luthor laughed.


    "I''ll admit his parties are great. Still, I agree with all of you. Tony Stark won''t find a place for business in this city. I''ll take care of that," he said with finality.


    "For now, let''s watch the show. Maybe something fun will come out of all this," he stopped looking out the window and went to his seat, one of the two main seats in the room, right next to his sister.


    They looked at each other, one with intensity and the other with joviality, but soon they stopped paying attention to each other and focused on the broadcast on the television.


    .


    "Have you found anything?" Nick Fury''s voice sounded through the communicator.


    Natasha Romanoff didn''t stop what she was doing. She carefully observed her surroundings and, once she confirmed it was safe, responded in a relaxed manner.


    "Nothing. This is the first time I can''t find anything. It seems the only one who knows what this is all about is Tony Stark. Otherwise, I don''t understand how there are no clues."


    She had arrived at Stark Industries a few days ago. She had started a thorough investigation into Tony''s kidnapping. It had been easy to find everything she needed. She was preparing to send all the information to Agent Coulson when the news spread that Tony was preparing something "big."


    Fury had asked her to find out what it was once she informed him about it.


    She thought it would take her an hour at most.


    Days had passed, and she didn''t even have a lead.


    She wasn''t arrogant, but she wasn''t the best at what she did for nothing. This had reached the point where she couldn''t help but feel frustrated, so she had come to the only conclusion that could explain it.


    Only Tony Stark knew why he was making such a fuss.


    If allowed, she would have extracted the information from him personally, but Director Fury had told her not to approach the man for now, so she could only stay on the sidelines.


    From his office, Nick Fury narrowed his one eye and looked at his own screen, watching the newly started broadcast. The reporters on the scene were simply making the initial introductions, waiting like everyone else for the "big announcement."


    "For now, stay close. If it turns out to be something unimportant, that''s fine. We''ll take advantage of you being there to get in touch with him beforehand. I''m sure he''ll be very interested in everything you''ve found out." It should have been Agent Coulson who contacted Tony, but he was busy investigating some strange reports in Central City.


    So Natasha would have to take his place if necessary.


    Back in Metropolis.


    Natasha agreed with the new orders and looked towards the stage. It seemed like it was about to begin. She adjusted the press pass hanging from her neck, smoothed the long black hair of her wig, and started walking over.


    "Let''s see what the surprise is."


    .


    Carol adjusted her trench coat and looked towards the stage. She shouldn''t be here, but she couldn''t help wanting to be.


    Seeing it in person would surely be much more spectacular than watching it through a screen. She knew Daniel was nervous about this, but she fully trusted that everything would go well.


    Still, having support was always better, and she believed her presence could help him.


    She walked to a secluded spot; large crowds were never her thing. Besides, with her vision, she didn''t need to be too close. Yet, she didn''t stray too far. If there was any problem, she wanted to be ready to help.


    She looked at the empty stage and then lifted her gaze. Others might not notice, but she could. High in the sky, almost reaching space, she saw him, looking down while his cape fluttered in the wind.


    His heart beat a little faster than usual but still steady and firm.


    He looked especially handsome with the sun hitting his unmasked face. If she were an ordinary person, she would have wanted to take a picture. She didn''t need to, of course; the image was easily etched into her memory.


    "He changed his suit." It wasn''t very different, just that its colors were more similar to the suit he made for her.


    She heard a sound coming from the stage. It seemed like it was time.


    .


    Tony stepped onto the stage and approached the main microphone at the podium. Without thinking too much about it, he tapped it three times with his finger to confirm it was on. The sound made some people wince.


    "Alright, it seems I have your attention," he said calmly and waved.


    "You''re probably wondering why all the fuss. I''ve been pretty quiet these days, after all. Well, this isn''t really about me, much as we''d all like it to be," he said, causing a few people to raise their eyebrows.


    It''s not about you? Who was he trying to fool?


    One of the reporters raised his hand, but Tony quickly calmed him down.


    "No questions, at least for now." That only made them want to ask questions even more.


    Tony cleared his throat, looked at the watch on his hand, and knew it was time.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, you are here today to talk to him," he said, pointing to the sky behind him.


    People''s eyes widened as they looked up and saw a silhouette, slightly shadowed by the sun, slowly descending from the sky.


    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    His feet landed softly on the stage, and Tony stepped aside to let him stand in front and approach the podium. His job was done. He hoped this would end soon because he had something very interesting to study in his workshop after all.


    As he left, he saw Pepper watching him from behind the stage with wide eyes. It was nice to see the surprise on her usually serious face.


    A murmur of astonishment ran through the crowd of hundreds as they saw the figure who had become a living legend in recent months.


    The amazement was even greater when they noticed his face was completely uncovered, dark blue eyes looking at them gently.


    His presence was imposing. Seeing him through images did not do justice to his figure; many couldn''t help but be mesmerized by the surprise.


    Many reacted quickly, knowing this day could be historic.


    Defiant approached the podium. Unlike Tony, he didn''t try to test the microphone; it wasn''t necessary.


    The crowd suddenly fell silent, expectant of what might happen next.


    Daniel took a deep breath. Speeches¡ªwhat a complicated thing. If he said something wrong, if he did something wrong... no, thinking about it now would only make him nervous. He had to remain calm and composed, give the best impression possible, or at least an impression that wasn''t disappointing.


    "I want to thank Tony Stark for allowing me to do this. Without his help, it would have been difficult to gather all of you here," he said with a serene voice. Being grateful was always good, right? It showed humility.


    He looked at the crowd, the cameras, and the journalists.


    "I know the world has questions, concerns, and today I want to answer the most important ones. I came here today to talk with you, with all of you." He put special emphasis on the last part. Again, he had to thank Kryptonian technology because, thanks to it, Lara was translating his words in real time using the power of artificial intelligence to perfectly imitate his voice.


    This way, everyone could understand his words.


    Suddenly, a hand was raised. Daniel turned to see a blonde woman in her mid-twenties. She was attractive with short shoulder-length hair. He could see the logo of the Daily Planet on the badge she wore.


    He nodded at her, and she quickly cleared her throat and spoke loudly. The other journalists cursed themselves internally for not being as quick and determined.


    "I''m Catherine Grant from the Daily Planet. If I may ask, why now and why here, in Metropolis?" she said, looking directly at him.


    .


    Harleen thought the surprises were over. Of course, the surprises kept coming. Sitting in her office while watching the television, she didn''t expect to see Daniel on the news like this. Sure, he was almost always in the news, but this time was different, very different.


    Seeing him without a mask almost made her heart stop for a second. What was he thinking?! Revealing his secret identity like that?


    To say she was confused was an understatement.


    "The truth is, I wanted to do this earlier, but recent events have kept me busy. Still, I believe it''s never too late. In fact, I think now is the perfect time. As for Metropolis, I think it''s more than perfect for this event¡ªa city of tomorrow that represents the future. A place where advancement is the norm seems like a fitting site to introduce myself."


    Huh, that sounded... different from his usual talks. Normally, he was a bit more... informal? Casual?


    It seemed that this was truly serious. It was strange and enlightening to see him act like that. It reminded her a bit of the first time they met when he seemed more like a god than a man.


    Sometimes she forgot he wasn''t just a man, but seeing him standing there, on that stage speaking directly to the world, yes, that was like a bucket of cold water pouring over her head, reminding her how different they really were.


    She couldn''t help but bite her lip, not knowing why.


    "So who are you!? What are you!?" One of the reporters said brusquely, earning some glances from people around him. He had no tact or subtlety, yet no one directly scolded him because those were questions everyone had.


    Daniel smiled slightly. There was no annoyance in his expression, only "kindness."


    "My name has already spread by word of mouth, but I''ll say it clearly: I am Defiant, and I am a hero," he said with all the confidence he could muster.


    A hand was raised, a dark-skinned man stood up.


    "A hero? Just a few days ago, you massacred hundreds of people in Central Asia. How can you call yourself a hero?" That question caused an uproar among the crowd, which had tripled in size since Defiant had appeared.


    People from all over had begun heading to Metropolis''s main square to see him in person.


    Harleen frowned. She didn''t recognize the man because he must have been a foreign journalist. That kind of question...


    Before she could continue thinking about it, Daniel''s voice was heard.


    "Terrorists. I stopped hundreds of terrorists who murdered innocent people every day, people who had been forced to kneel before them without being able to defend themselves. And that is one of the reasons why I am here. I have heard people''s concerns, their opinions about me and my actions. What happened in Gulmira is not something I am proud of, but it is something I would do again without hesitation if it means saving innocent lives."


    "So you consider yourself a judge? An executioner? What about the laws? What about justice?" Another reporter stood up, a fair-skinned man with brown hair.


    The people murmured quietly, watching the "show" without daring to blink for fear of missing something.


    "I believe in justice, but I also believe this world is unjust. In an idealistic paradise, we would all be treated the same, and everyone would have the right to live a dignified and peaceful life. But this world is not an idealistic paradise, and that''s why I''m here. The people in Gulmira would never have peace and justice if things were left as they were. I did what was necessary in a place where the laws abandoned them a long time ago."


    His voice was forceful, causing the journalist to fall silent for a moment.


    "I know many are afraid, wondering what else I will do, where the line is. But my intention has never been to harm humanity. No, from the beginning, I have always had a mission: to ensure their safety. That''s why I promise you, I will never harm an innocent."


    He spoke sincerely.


    .


    Natasha looked at the "man" who had been causing so many headaches at S.H.I.E.L.D. Unlike many others, she did not feel uncomfortable at the prospect of hundreds of terrorists dying. After all, she had killed many more.


    No, she focused on studying him, studying his expression, his body language. Was this genuine? Were his words real? S.H.I.E.L.D. had been tracking Defiant since he began appearing in public. Every life saved, every act of heroism.


    Everything was recorded, and all agents had reviewed his file at least three times to try and find clues about his identity, intentions, and origin.


    She herself had studied every image at least a hundred times.


    That''s why she could believe him. There was conviction in his words. His dark blue eyes did not contain malice; she could tell. She had seen true evil hundreds of times, even thousands if she counted the times she looked in the mirror.


    She stood up and raised her hand. Fury would be a little annoyed, but she couldn''t help it. She also had a question.


    "How can we trust you? Trust what you say?" Natasha was not one to believe in people; betrayal was usually easy to see in her line of work.


    Even so, for once in her life, she wanted to believe in something, no matter how insignificant. Maybe it was the deeply optimistic part of herself speaking, one that had always been covered by mountains of corpses, wanting to see the light of day at least once in her life.


    She didn''t believe in idealisms, nor did she believe in something pure and perfect. That''s why, at first, Defiant had seemed too suspicious, too unreal.


    When she saw him with blood on his hands, that unreality vanished.


    She didn''t believe and couldn''t believe in idealisms, but she could believe in someone capable of acting when necessary and in whatever way was necessary.


    Defiant looked directly at her, their eyes meeting for a few moments before he began to respond.


    "You can''t," he said, causing many people to gasp, but the sincerity in his voice was enough to bring a small smile to the corner of Natasha''s lips.


    "Not now, at least. I know trust isn''t something given or earned easily. The only thing I can offer at this moment is my future actions. Judge my deeds, not my words." His response sent a wave of murmurs through the crowd; many nodded, others shook their heads, and others doubted.


    "That''s a lot to ask. Do you really expect us to somehow trust that you''ll do the right thing?" Cat Grant spoke again.


    "It''s a leap of faith, Miss Grant," he replied simply, making her look at him contemplatively.


    Faith, huh...


    "So that means you won''t answer to anyone?!" another reporter asked excitedly.


    Defiant seemed to think about the response for a few moments before speaking.


    "I will answer to you, to humanity, but not to governments or their agendas. When I set out to be a hero, I did so with the intention of challenging the injustice of this world. That is what my name, this symbol, means." He patted his chest, more precisely the silver D on his suit.


    "That''s why I won''t let anything prevent me from doing what''s right," he said gravely to make his message clear before his expression relaxed and he spoke more softly.


    "That doesn''t mean I will seek to go against them or antagonize them on purpose. I believe cooperation is the best option, and I will be happy to do so if they wish."


    .


    Lex had lost the jovial smile on his face. His expression had become flat and icy, his eyes narrowing as he watched this "thing" speak on television.


    He couldn''t define exactly why, but bile threatened to rise in his throat the longer he watched Defiant''s face.


    He had felt it before, had heard of him before, but seeing him so directly only ignited something inside him, like a fire seeking to burn everything in its path.


    All of this was wrong. He didn''t know why, but he felt it. This thing shouldn''t exist, shouldn''t be giving speeches or dictating terms, expecting humanity to simply bow its head and agree.


    But for some reason, they did. He could see it, see the masses beginning to lean towards him, kneeling before a false god.


    It was disgusting.


    "Defiant, huh..." he ground his teeth. There was something extremely unpleasant about this.


    And it seemed only he could see it. He couldn''t help but look with contempt at the people around him¡ªnaive, foolish, believing in false promises and stupid hopes.


    He expected more from his sister, but even she seemed to have fallen into this thing''s game.


    Disappointing.


    But if no one else could see it at that moment, it didn''t matter. He would show them to their faces.


    He would show them why humanity didn''t need this "hero."


    .


    The speech continued for a few more hours, more questions, more answers.


    Carol watched patiently, sometimes in complicity, sometimes irritated. Not because of Daniel¡ªhe was doing incredibly well.


    Instead, it was humanity that caused her shifting mood.


    There were those who, of course, saw things as they truly were, that Daniel was only trying to do what was right and the greater good for them.


    But there were also those who kept questioning, questioning his intentions, his actions.


    Her mother had been right about one thing: humanity could be quite blind. But that was okay. Daniel was here, and she believed he could be that beacon to illuminate their path, an ideal.


    With his guidance, humanity would advance much further, be much more than they ever believed possible, and perhaps, in time, they could truly join them in the sun...


    .


    Nick Fury felt a significant and future headache beginning to threaten him imminently.


    The council would start barking like rabid dogs after this.


    Even so, he couldn''t help but laugh, even if he knew this would only bring more problems.


    "Quite honest, huh?"


    He sighed and turned on his communicator.


    "Abort the contact attempt temporarily and wait for my arrival," he said. He had to talk to Tony personally.


    And if possible, with Defiant as well.


    .


    Matt took the cup of coffee while listening to the television, a frown present on his face.


    Defiant''s recent actions... saying he wasn''t happy would be a lie. His own morals and ethics had been struggling within him for a while.


    Killing had always been a line he never wanted to cross, something he believed was unnecessary.


    As a lawyer, he believed in the justice system, believed in the law.


    But Defiant was right about one thing: this world was unjust, and a place like Gulmira had been completely abandoned by the law.


    He didn''t know what to do.


    "I need to go to church." Perhaps some reflection there would give him the answer.


    .


    In an old mansion, two people watched a large television with the volume up high. One of them was a young, beautiful woman with short black hair down to her neck, softly stroking a fat black cat in her arms.


    "What do you think?" she spoke without taking her eyes off the screen, watching with interest.


    The man, middle-aged and missing a leg, with gray hair covering most of his head, looked at the images with his one eye, snorted softly, and replied in a deep voice.


    "That it would have been nice to have a bastard like this around before," he said, images of the past flooding his mind.


    "At least it would have made things easier..."


    The woman narrowed her eyes and bit her lip, a clear doubt on her face.


    "With someone like that, is everything I''ve done really necessary?"


    When a "god" descends from the sky, can a mortal truly make a difference?


    The old man laughed.


    "Foolish girl, you''re already more than I ever was. Everything you''ve achieved is not in vain. Besides, this world is too big for one man to cover it all. Putting all our hopes on one individual is absurd," he said, though the hypocrisy in his words amused the woman. After all, their city had once put all its hopes on one man.


    "Gotham has started to rot again. I can see it, and you can see it. On the surface, things seem peaceful, but this city has always been cursed. Soon that darkness will stop hiding in the cracks and show its ugly, disgusting face again, and when that happens, I know you''ll be there to stop it," he said this time with more conviction.


    The woman smiled at the confidence in his words.


    "And you''ll let me take care of everything, Thomas? Because it sounds like you''re planning to kick the bucket soon," she teased.


    Thomas scoffed.


    "I''m old, not useless. I''ve still got a few more years left, Selina."


    .


    .


    .


    Note:


    Four thousand three hundred words!


    I hate speeches!


    I actually planned to draw a lot of inspiration from Superman, but everything I found about him in similar situations didn''t align with Daniel''s character and ideals, so I had to improvise on the fly.


    Also, so many points of view. I don''t think there''s been a chapter before with so many different perspectives.


    It was difficult, but I think I did a good job considering all.


    Probably the one who gave me the most work was Natasha. There are too many versions of that woman. She''s good, she''s bad, she''s crazy¡ªit''s difficult. So I decided to make my own interpretation using different characteristics from various versions of her.


    Let''s see how it turns out...


    Don''t forget to comment and like!


    remember that you can find the next chapter of this story on P)atreon (p)atreon com/EmmaCruzader). If you want to read the next chapter in advance and get some other benefits, you can go and check it out. All the support received helps me a lot ;D

 27: After Party

    27: After Party


    "They''re talking a lot. Are you sure you don''t want to look?" At Tony''s question, Daniel shook his head and took the glass of whiskey the man was offering him.


    He never thought he would feel so stressed in his life, but speaking in front of so many people almost made him wish he could move to another planet. Fortunately, those were just fleeting thoughts that he could easily dismiss.


    "I know what they''ll say, it''ll be chaotic, but over time they''ll understand, or rather, over time I''ll make them understand." Of course, Daniel didn''t believe that everyone was suddenly on his side. He truly thought that it would be his actions, not his words, that would count in the end.


    "Actually, global surveys show a 78% acceptance rate, 15% neutrality, and 7% negativity," Tony said casually, but Daniel blinked in confusion and looked at him.


    "Surveys?" What surveys?


    Tony looked at him and smiled.


    "Don''t blame me! It was the media''s idea. You know, they treat everything like politics and will try to find out how many people around the world are on your side or against you before speaking." Daniel hadn''t paid them to speak well or poorly of him, and Tony hadn''t either; he had only facilitated the means to deliver the news.


    Any opinion was free, just as Daniel had wanted, but the media weren''t foolish. When there were no vested interests, they would guide their opinion according to what the masses dictated. They cared more about profits than news or the truth.


    Of course, there were still decent media outlets, but when you put them all in one basket, it''s obvious that the decent ones would be a minority.


    Daniel took a long sip of whiskey. 78%, huh? That was more than he expected and less than he was aiming for. It seemed he needed to make more efforts.


    "And what do you think?" he couldn''t help but ask. Tony, who was preparing a drink, put down his glass and looked at him thoughtfully.


    "Do you want the polite answer or do you want me to be honest?" At his question, Daniel savored the taste of the alcohol on his tongue before shrugging and replying.


    "If I wanted to hear lies, I''d be drinking with a girl."


    Tony snorted and laughed, nodded, and took a long sip from his glass.


    "Well, I think you''re dangerous, well-intentioned but dangerous."


    His expression became serious, and Daniel could see that he wasn''t joking.


    "What you want to achieve isn''t simple, and the way you want to do it isn''t either. Even so, everyone should have ambitions, but you have to be careful. Putting so much power into what people think of you can end up burning you out," Daniel had said that he would only answer to humanity. That was dangerous; if humanity as a whole decided that Defiant wasn''t what they wanted, then what would he do?


    "Noted. I suppose that''s why you do what you want regardless of what others say, huh? Maybe I should have learned something from that." Daniel knew he had put himself at a "disadvantage" when he said that, but it was necessary. He wanted humanity to trust him, and if he didn''t give them something to use "against" him, it would only make them distrust him even more.


    By implying that they could "judge him," he had given them an imaginary "weapon" against him.


    Tony nodded and patted his shoulder.


    "Don''t worry, D-boy, I''m very good at teaching people," then he looked at his face and clicked his tongue.


    "Still, it''s strange talking to you like this. I really didn''t expect you to have this kind of technology. Did it come with you on your spaceship?" he asked casually, and Daniel laughed.


    "I already told you, I was born on Earth."


    "Sure, and I''m from Texas," Tony teased but didn''t pursue the topic.


    "If you want, I can turn it off. I really only use it just in case," he said, knowing that for people who knew his true face, it would be really uncomfortable to talk to him when he used his mask.


    Well, except for Carol, since she could easily see through it.


    "No, it''s actually convenient that you have something like that, or it would have been difficult to give you your surprise."


    "Surprise?" Daniel looked at him confused.


    "Of course, it''s been a while, but I''ve always said you should celebrate great achievements appropriately! Having a 78% counts as a victory in my opinion, so we should celebrate, don''t you think?"


    Eh, Daniel hadn''t thought of it that way. Could it really be considered a victory?


    "What do you have in mind?" he couldn''t help but ask. He had been working very hard these days, maybe relaxing a bit would be nice.


    Tony smiled and pointed towards his garage, the garage of his house in Metropolis, of course.


    "I''ve already prepared everything, just follow me."


    .


    .


    Daniel should have expected it; it was Tony Stark, after all. Still, when he suddenly found himself in one of the most famous clubs in Metropolis with a drink in hand and two girls by his side, he couldn''t help but think that some things never change, no matter which universe you''re in.


    The girl dancing on his table suddenly leaned towards him, and Daniel had to snap out of his thoughts, taking a sip from his drink and looking at Tony, who seemed quite happy.


    "When you said surprise, I was expecting more of a gift, you know, like a yacht or a car," not that he was complaining too much, though¡­


    "Do you really need a car?" Tony asked with a raised eyebrow, and Daniel could only be honest.


    "No... but the yacht would have been great." Tony laughed.


    "What do you think, ladies? It seems Daniel prefers sailing the seas to having fun with you," the two girls beside him complained. Daniel didn''t even know where they had come from, but they seemed quite energetic.


    "I think he''s tense, Mr. Stark. His shoulders feel too stiff," one of them said, trying to give him a massage while pressing her body against his.


    "I think he''s nervous, maybe uncomfortable?" the other asked, running a finger down his chest.


    Daniel licked his lips and tried to take another drink, as futile as it was. It had been a while since he''d been in a situation like this, so he thought being a bit nervous was normal.


    Still, he felt more nervous than he should, and he couldn''t help but activate his core to see if there was something unusual. But he could only smile weakly when he noticed everything was "fine." It seemed it was just his youthful hormones acting as they normally should.


    Being young again was sometimes really inconvenient, huh?


    "Just relax, enjoy the moment a bit. You''ll work hard later," Tony said more seriously. He knew that soon things would get busier for Defiant, even for himself. This was probably the last party he would have in a long time... or maybe the last one he would ever have.


    Due to such thoughts, he couldn''t help but touch the reactor on his chest.


    The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    This gesture did not go unnoticed by Daniel; he knew he was missing something. Well, Tony was lucky; if he couldn''t solve it himself, Daniel would do something about it later.


    "You''re right, we can stress out later," he said, making Tony snap out of his thoughts and nod happily.


    Daniel pulled the girls closer to him and sighed inwardly with a smile at the corner of his lips.


    The things he did for friendship...


    .


    .


    .


    "How are the preparations going?" Obadiah asked, slowly approaching the nearly finished metal frame of his armor.


    It was enormous, over two meters tall, made from the hardest metal he could obtain by bleeding his fortune. He couldn''t help but reach out and touch it, already envisioning an unparalleled future.


    "This metal is extraordinary, sir! Even though the amount was barely enough for the main structure, its properties will undoubtedly make this armor surpass any other weapon! And it will soon be completed," one of the scientists in charge said. He had never worked with a metal with such unique properties before, making this project undoubtedly the most extraordinary of his career.


    Obadiah smiled, though internally he was mortified. Obtaining such metal had been too difficult; in fact, he couldn''t have done it on his own.


    He had to turn to the Ten Rings again, and they only gave him the initial contact.


    Ulysses Klaue had been a difficult man to deal with and very elusive. It had taken bleeding millions just to start the negotiations and dozens of millions more to finally get some of the metal in his hands and test its authenticity.


    Fortunately, it was real and not a scam. Rumors of vibranium trading on the black market had been circulating for a long time, but almost no one dared to try buying such metal; its price was simply insane.


    If it turned out to be fake, very few could afford such a loss.


    If he weren''t in a desperate situation, Obadiah wouldn''t have taken such a risk.


    But with his life on the line, no matter how costly or improbable, he would take all the options.


    "There''s only one problem, sir..." another scientist, the project''s chief, spoke, stepping forward.


    "The power source?" Obadiah asked, already knowing what it was about. While the main frame was almost finished, they had yet to start implementing the power system due to the lack of something that could supply enough energy to move the armor.


    Initially, Obadiah had planned to steal Tony''s reactor, take it directly from his chest, and easily dispose of him.


    But the recent revelation that Tony now had direct and public contact with Defiant had made him change his plans.


    He didn''t know how close Tony''s relationship with the hero was; if he acted rashly and carelessly, he might end up facing Defiant prematurely.


    He hadn''t spent hundreds of millions of dollars on the most powerful metal on the planet just to end up fighting without his armor.


    He knew he wouldn''t stand a chance in that case.


    Suddenly, Obadiah''s skin began to glow, and a heat that permeated the surrounding atmosphere started to emanate from within him.


    His clothes caught fire, revealing a body very different from what one would expect from a rich old man.


    With a smile, he looked at the astonished scientists who stepped back in fear.


    "What do you think about a thermal energy source?"


    In response to his question, the lead scientist, the only one who didn''t step back, also smiled.


    .


    .


    .


    "Do you understand now?" Lara asked, and Carol nodded, looking at the data on the screen.


    "This was much simpler than I expected," her mother had been giving some intensive courses, and even though she could only dedicate a few hours before returning home, Carol managed to progress quickly and consistently.


    "Your mind and brain aren''t like those of humans, Carol. Even without the yellow sun enhancing such characteristics, you must remember you come from the House of El."


    Carol rolled her eyes, anticipating another speech.


    "Sure, a family of scientists and all that, but personally, I prefer fighting," Carol replied. It was true, something she didn''t realize until she found someone to spar with. It was much more fun than studying, much more exhilarating¡ªwhen you weren''t in danger of dying, of course.


    Lara nodded and sighed. "Well, that''s probably my fault."


    Carol looked at her curiously, and Lara couldn''t resist wanting to brag a little to her daughter.


    "When I was alive, I was one of the most talented cadets at the Military Academy on Krypton." Remembering old times was strange, especially when you knew you were technically dead.


    "I thought you were a scientist?" Carol couldn''t help but ask.


    "Can''t I be both? Although, certainly, your father had more talent in that aspect." Maybe if she had dedicated herself to studying from a young age, she could have been as accomplished as him, but she was born to be part of Krypton''s military branch.


    It wasn''t until she met Jor-El that she tried to change the nature dictated to her from birth.


    Carol glanced sideways at her mother with a new perspective and thought about something she and Daniel had been looking for.


    "Does that mean Krypton has martial arts? Not the normal ones, but martial arts for those under a yellow star?" She knew Daniel had been trying to create a combat method they could use that wouldn''t limit them like most human fighting styles.


    Seeing her daughter''s curiosity, Lara nodded and projected a screen with information on it.


    "Though saying it''s only for those under a yellow star isn''t entirely correct. The reality is that Torquasm-Vo shows its greatest advantages when a Kryptonian is exposed to one."


    Carol looked at the information attentively.


    "Torquasm-Vo and Torquasm-Rao?"


    "Torquasm-Rao focuses more on the mental area. I''m not very well-versed in it, so you''d have to learn it using the recorded data. On the other hand, I can say that I know quite a bit about Torquasm-Vo, so if you want, I can teach you some things."


    That sounded much more interesting than studying.


    "Well, maybe I can surprise Daniel later." Surely this time she could make him fight more seriously.


    And if she managed to pique his interest, maybe she could give him private lessons.


    .


    .


    .


    Daniel slowly opened his eyes and stared at the unfamiliar ceiling. Sleeping always felt strange when you didn''t really need it, and so did dreaming.


    Carefully, he moved the slender arms that were hugging his bare torso and sat up. There were groans from the two girls sleeping beside him, but he no longer had time to waste. It was time to discuss important matters with Tony.


    He threw off the sheets and stood up. Where had he left his pants? He looked around the room, confused for a moment, until he remembered he hadn''t been the one to take them off.


    Then he looked up and almost sighed. How had they ended up up there?


    .


    Tony turned on the TV in his living room, watching the news. They were still talking about Defiant.


    "They''re still on that, huh?" Daniel''s voice made Tony turn to see him coming down from the second floor with disheveled hair.


    "What did you expect, D-boy? They''ll probably talk about it for the whole month."


    "Unless something else grabs their attention," Daniel said, sitting on one of the couches and watching the TV for a moment.


    "The governments have yet to give a definitive response to the hero''s statements, but¡ª"


    Tony turned off the TV and gestured for Daniel to follow him.


    "Instead of listening to the same thing they''ve been saying since yesterday, it''s better if we go and get something to eat. I know there''s a lot to talk about."


    Daniel nodded, ready to stand up. He had promised to talk about the "monsters" and other topics with him. Maybe he could even warn him about Obadiah.


    "How about we chat here? I''ve brought breakfast."


    Tony blinked, confused by the unfamiliar voice, and looked at Daniel, who was already staring in a specific direction.


    He turned to see a dark-skinned man with an eye patch walking toward them, carrying two bags that appeared to be filled with food.


    "Jarvis?" Tony called out, but his AI didn''t respond.


    Daniel watched the scene with interest, wondering how he had let himself get so distracted. It seemed he had gotten too carried away.


    More footsteps were heard, and soon a beautiful red-haired woman descended from the second floor.


    "I''ve taken care of the civilians."


    Daniel frowned slightly and focused his hearing. The heartbeats of the girls were still there, fortunately, just much fainter, as if they were in a deep sleep, likely induced by some kind of sedative.


    He couldn''t help but raise his hand timidly, drawing the attention of the uninvited guests.


    "If I say I didn''t see anything, can I leave?" At his words, Tony looked at him in "mortification."


    The red-haired woman smiled and shook her head slowly.


    "No, I don''t think so."


    Well, he had tried. What a bother; he would have to modify the features of his disguise later.


    "I believe I should introduce myself. My name is Nick Fury, Director of SHIELD. It''s a pleasure to meet you in person, Tony, Defiant."


    Daniel opened his eyes in "astonishment" and pointed to himself.


    "Are you referring to me? I think there''s a misunderstanding here, sir¡ª" Before he could finish speaking, the sound of a gunshot rang out, and Daniel saw the bullet approaching him slowly. He couldn''t help but sigh and raise his hand to catch it between his fingers.


    He looked at the red-haired woman and gently scolded her.


    "You know, you could have hurt someone."


    "Only if it wasn''t you," she replied, holstering her weapon.


    Daniel clicked his tongue and deactivated his mask using his watch. There was no point in continuing to use it at this stage.


    He couldn''t help but look at both of them and ask the question on his mind.


    ¡°How did you know?¡± Even if he had been partying with Tony, that shouldn''t be enough to shoot him without hesitation, right?


    ¡°I had some doubts, so I put a little morphine in your drink. When you didn¡¯t fall asleep, I tried some Etorphine to be sure,¡± the redhead said.


    Eh, no wonder they tasted different. Maybe he should learn to distinguish such things even if they don''t affect him.


    ¡°All right, enough idle chatter,¡± Tony wasn''t very happy; he didn''t like people entering his house without permission.


    ¡°What did you do with Jarvis?¡± he asked Fury directly. His A.I. wasn''t something that could be easily overlooked.


    ¡°Probably a backdoor in his systems. Since this isn''t your main house, it must have been easy to breach its security,¡± Daniel answered, already having an idea of what had happened.


    ¡°You''re quite perceptive,¡± Nick said, admitting without saying that it was indeed what happened.


    Tony clicked his tongue; he should improve Jarvis''s security in that case.


    Daniel stood up and walked over to Fury, easily taking the bags from his hands, much to the man''s bewilderment.


    ¡°Smells good, freshly made from what I see,¡± he walked over to the table in the living room and began unpacking the dishes and arranging the place. When he didn''t hear them approaching, he turned to look at them.


    ¡°What¡¯s up? Are we having breakfast or not?¡±


    .


    .


    .


    Note:


    Let''s keep moving forward!


    if there are any mistakes, you can tell me, and I''ll correct them immediately.


    remember that you can find the next chapter of this story on P)atreon (p)atreon com/EmmaCruzader). If you want to read the next chapter in advance and get some other benefits, you can go and check it out. All the support received helps me a lot ;D

 28: Initiative

    28: Initiative


    Daniel picked up the cutlery and looked at his plate, a classic Italian meal, who would have thought.


    ¡°Are you really going to eat that? Are we just going to forget that a moment ago this strange and sexy redheaded lady admitted to putting something in your drink?¡± Tony couldn¡¯t help but ask, frowning at the plate Daniel had placed in front of him.


    Daniel smiled and began to eat, savoring the food for a few moments before nodding.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, this has nothing in it, it¡¯s just food,¡± he said confidently, causing Natasha to raise an eyebrow.


    ¡°You look pretty sure for someone who didn¡¯t notice his drink was tampered with,¡± Daniel looked at her and nodded in agreement with her point.


    ¡°Oh, I knew there was something, I just didn¡¯t care. I wasn¡¯t partying as Defiant after all.¡± The previous night, he had decided to go along with Tony¡¯s game and have some fun. It helped that it wasn¡¯t his real face that was exposed. He felt like neither Defiant nor Daniel, just another guy who could enjoy a party without the responsibilities he had imposed on himself, releasing stress and some of his repressed desires.


    It was relaxing, but the time for games was over.


    Natasha raised an eyebrow, noting this to herself.


    Tony hesitated for a second before taking one of the cutlery pieces and starting to eat as well. In this situation, Daniel and he were on the same side. If Daniel said it was okay, then he would take a leap of ¡°faith¡± as Daniel had called it in his conference.


    ¡°Hey, it actually tastes good,¡± he couldn¡¯t help but comment.


    ¡°It¡¯s from one of the best restaurants around,¡± Fury said.


    Soon the four of them were eating in an awkward silence. Perhaps the most casual of all present was Daniel, followed by Natasha. The tensest was Tony, without a doubt.


    Suddenly, Tony snapped his fingers and raised his hand, making circles with his finger on the side of his head as if trying to indicate something.


    ¡°Now I remember, what was his name? Philips? Well, never mind. He told me he was from SHIELD, and now I have you guys here, so I assume you have what I asked for?¡±


    He asked, setting his cutlery down on his now half-empty plate and looking at Fury.


    Natasha smiled. Coulson would surely be a little annoyed if he knew Stark didn¡¯t even remember his name correctly.


    Fury smiled and nodded, also putting down his cutlery.


    ¡°Oh, Stark, I have much more than what you asked for, a lot of information that will surely be interesting to you.¡± In response, Tony raised an eyebrow and opened his arms in a welcoming gesture.


    ¡°Well, enlighten us.¡±


    ¡°You want to know now? Well, I suppose being impatient is fine, after all, it¡¯s about the reason you ended up with that in your chest,¡± he pointed at the blue light shining through Tony¡¯s shirt.


    Tony couldn¡¯t help but place his hand on his chest, feeling the Arc Reactor beneath his clothes.


    ¡°Spit it out already. I don¡¯t like beating around the bush.¡±


    Meanwhile, Daniel just watched them, quietly eating. For now, he had nothing to say. Listening to a conversation about something he probably already knew wasn¡¯t as interesting as the plate in front of him. He had thought the food would taste bad, like most meals made by regular people, but surprisingly, although not as perfect as Carol¡¯s cooking, it wasn¡¯t bad either. He would have to find out which restaurant this came from.


    He looked up and met Natasha¡¯s eyes, who was smiling at him mysteriously. He nodded at her and pointed to one of the sauces that was out of his reach.


    She blinked in confusion but quickly understood the gesture and handed the sauce to him.


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    ¡°Obadiah?!¡± Daniel stopped eating and quickly held onto his plate as the table shook violently when Tony slammed both hands on it.


    Had he missed that much?


    He turned to see the agitated man looking at Fury.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be so surprised. I knew you had an argument about his illegal arms sales the last time you met. I thought you would have seen this coming,¡± Fury said calmly.


    ¡°One thing is selling weapons illegally, but trying to kill me¡­ that¡¯s¡­¡± Tony had learned that his godfather wasn¡¯t exactly the person he thought he was, but to this extent? He supposed he had been too naive. Even when he had already turned his back on him, he hadn¡¯t fully suspected him as he should have.


    Daniel reached out and placed his hand on Tony¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°If you know this, then you have enough evidence to declare him guilty, don¡¯t you?¡± Daniel asked, looking at Fury.


    Fury nodded at him and gestured towards Natasha.


    ¡°This is Natasha Romanoff, one of my best agents. She handled the investigation and gathered everything necessary to send Obadiah to prison.¡±


    Daniel nodded and patted Tony on the back.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. With this, you¡¯ll be able to regain full control of your company, and Obadiah will pay for his crimes. Things have become simpler, don¡¯t you think?¡± Daniel knew Tony had been planning to regain complete control of Stark Industries. Tony had mentioned it the previous night while they were drinking.


    Well, now he didn¡¯t need a plan.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say they have,¡± Natasha suddenly said.


    Daniel stopped his pats and looked at her with a raised eyebrow.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Tony asked in a serious voice.


    ¡°While I was investigating, I noticed that his closest personnel had been replaced and his bank accounts modified. I could track everything he had done in the past, but his recent moves became elusive. It¡¯s not something he could have done alone; he¡¯s working with someone else.¡± Natasha was very good at what she did, but when an entire organization suddenly started interfering, it became complicated even for her to keep investigating without the necessary resources.


    SHIELD had been quite short on resources these days. She had practically been working alone, so she had to step back before being discovered by Stane¡¯s sponsors and risking the entire investigation.


    ¡°At the risk of being wrong, though I don¡¯t think I am, I¡¯ll assume the Ten Rings have started to interfere,¡± Daniel said.


    ¡°And you¡¯re not wrong. The Ten Rings are a larger organization than people think, more than just simple terrorists, though that¡¯s the reason they are most known these days,¡± Fury said seriously.


    ¡°The Ten Rings, it¡¯s always them,¡± Tony gritted his teeth. The Ten Rings had kidnapped him, The Ten Rings killed Yinsen, and attacked Gulmira. He thought he had dealt with them for good when he destroyed all their bases in Afghanistan, but it seemed they were like cockroaches, unwilling to leave him alone, and now they were plotting something else from the shadows.


    It seemed he would have to show them why messing with him was a very bad idea.


    Tony took a deep breath and calmed down, sitting back down.


    ¡°Alright, you¡¯ve given me what I asked for. What do you want?¡± He hadn¡¯t forgotten what he had said to Philips. Now that SHIELD had fulfilled their part, it was time to see why they needed to talk to him.


    ¡°Actually, you¡¯ve already given us one of those things,¡± Fury said, pointing at Daniel.


    Daniel blinked, pointed to himself, and with a look of ¡°pain,¡± he glanced at Tony and spoke in a ¡°disappointed¡± tone, placing a hand on his chest.


    ¡°Wow, Tony, we just became friends, and you¡¯ve already sold me out. A Merchant to the end, huh?¡±


    Seeing his aggrieved face, Tony¡¯s left eye suddenly wanted to twitch.


    ¡°If you keep looking at me like that, I¡¯ll punch you even if I break my hand,¡± Daniel laughed but quickly returned to a serious expression.


    "they seem to be getting along quite well" Natasha said, and Fury nodded.


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    Tony sighed and looked back at Fury.


    ¡°Alright, what¡¯s the other thing? Since you said this guy was just one of those things, you must want something else, right?¡± he said, pointing to Daniel.


    Fury nodded and spoke.


    ¡°Your arm¡ª¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Tony cut him off with a cold voice.


    He wasn¡¯t surprised that they could figure out it was him wearing the armor. With Defiant by his side, it was very difficult not to notice or at least infer that the armor had something to do with him.


    Many might say Tony was arrogant, but he undoubtedly had the capabilities to back up that arrogance, and everyone who knew him was aware of that. If anyone could create an armor like the one that deployed in Afghanistan, it was him. His association with Defiant only made more people suspect.


    Daniel knew he was risking Tony¡¯s still-secret identity when he asked for his help, which is why he was grateful to him. While other versions of Tony Stark might not care about a secret identity, Daniel hadn¡¯t known the Tony Stark of this universe long enough to say if it would be the same with him. That¡¯s why he knew the favor he was asking for wasn¡¯t simple.


    Practically, he was asking Tony to reveal that he was Iron Man indirectly. People would suspect, the government would suspect, and agencies like SHIELD would undoubtedly suspect as well.


    Even so, Tony agreed, already knowing that this matter could cause him future problems. Of course, Daniel had ¡°paid¡± for the favor by giving him something that could be very useful to him, leaving them in a good position where no debts interfered with their newly formed partnership.


    ¡°I had to try,¡± Fury smiled, raising both hands.


    ¡°Better luck in your next life,¡± Tony mocked.


    Fury smiled but didn¡¯t get upset. He looked at Tony more seriously before asking another question.


    ¡°Tell me, do you know where SHIELD comes from?¡± Tony quickly shook his head.


    ¡°I just found out they existed.¡± The reality was that Tony hadn¡¯t been very interested in secret agencies or criminal organizations, so he didn¡¯t know as much as he would have liked.


    ¡°SHIELD was created after World War II ended. With Captain America gone, someone had to finish what he started. There were still remnants of Hydra around the world, after all. Agent Carter, along with your father and a few others, decided to put their efforts and resources into carrying out that task,¡± Fury explained.


    Tony blinked, surprised.


    ¡°My father?¡± he asked in a low, somewhat bewildered voice.


    The dark-skinned man nodded and continued speaking.


    ¡°Once Hydra was eliminated, SHIELD moved on to more important matters, with global security being the primary one.¡±


    ¡°For a global security agency, you¡¯ve certainly been doing a rather¡­ poor job,¡± Daniel couldn¡¯t help but comment as he finished cleaning his plate.


    Natasha raised an eyebrow at his comment.


    ¡°You know, I could list many examples, but I suppose I can use the most recent one,¡± he said, pointing at Tony.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t all of this due to you?¡± Fury couldn¡¯t help but respond, making Daniel point to himself again.


    ¡°Yes, you, the biggest pain in the ass I¡¯ve had in the last ten years.¡±


    "Hope it¡¯s for my great work helping people," Daniel couldn¡¯t resist replying.


    "I¡¯d say it¡¯s more about the dozens of aerial and territorial laws you¡¯ve been violating, not to mention what happened in Central Asia," Tony had to add fuel to the fire.


    ¡°I seem to recall you were there too,¡± Daniel said with an innocent smile.


    Nick sighed and spoke more calmly.


    ¡°Maybe blaming you for everything isn¡¯t fair. The reality is that in the past five years, problems have been increasing, and SHIELD can barely keep things under control.¡± Nick then pulled a square device from his pocket and placed it on the table.


    Then several projected screens began to unfold with very interesting images on them.


    Videos and photographs, information about incidents clearly beyond human capabilities.


    Security footage showed a tall bald man, who seemed to absorb the physical characteristics of the objects he touched, robbing a bank in Sweden.


    In Paris, a beast-like man with blonde hair killed several men with his bare hands, any wound he received during the conflict healed the moment after.


    In northern Mexico, images captured a figure with a flaming skull riding a blazing motorcycle, massacring a group of drug traffickers with what appeared to be a red-hot metal chain.


    Australia seemed to have a plague of spiders as big as bears that had barely been contained by an entire army of troops firing nonstop.


    In an African jungle, the inhabitants of an indigenous village began fleeing from what appeared to be an army of gorillas and other beasts, all too coordinated to be a ¡°natural¡± stampede.


    Closer to home, in Chicago, images had been taken of a man resembling a crocodile devouring a homeless person.


    There were more and more incidents like these.


    Probably the most striking of all was a huge green monster destroying an entire army with his bare hands, decimating tanks as if they were made of wet paper and ignoring any attack against him as if no weapon could harm him, a blind rage evident in his expression.


    ¡°These are just a few of the many incidents that keep happening day by day. At first, SHIELD could handle it. The best agents under my command and our military forces were enough to face these threats, but over time, it became clear to me that ''normal'' humans simply wouldn¡¯t be enough,¡± Nick¡¯s voice sounded somewhat bitter at the end.


    ¡°Then you arrived, and things got even more complicated.¡± Defiant was undoubtedly a great help but also a significant headache. Without truly knowing his intentions, SHIELD couldn¡¯t afford to treat him as if he weren¡¯t a threat.


    Fortunately for everyone, Defiant had shown where he stood in the already fragmented balance of the world.


    Tony looked at the images with growing interest. This was the first time he saw such a mysterious side of the world he had lived in all his life.


    How had he missed all of this?


    ¡°Why tell us all this? What are you looking for??¡± Daniel looked at the images, making sure to remember all the necessary information for his own investigations.


    ¡°What SHIELDhas always been looking for: global security. And for that, I believe¡ªno, I¡¯m sure the world needs your help,¡± Fury responded more firmly.


    ¡°So, cooperation?¡± Tony asked, having already understood Fury¡¯s point.


    ¡°Yes, I want you to be part of a new initiative, a response team capable of dealing with threats beyond the norm,¡± the SHIELD director concluded and fell silent, waiting for their response.


    Daniel rubbed his chin for a few moments before responding with a kind smile.


    ¡°I can agree to tacit cooperation, but if being part of this ¡®team¡¯ means there will be restrictions, then I¡¯ll say no.¡± He decided to make his boundaries clear.


    ¡°Not answering to any government, I heard it in your speech,¡± Fury said.


    ¡°I have to side with D-boy here. I¡¯m not one to follow orders, and I don¡¯t like being supervised or anything similar,¡± Tony said, agreeing with Daniel¡¯s words.


    Fury frowned. He knew things wouldn¡¯t be easy, but he had to try.


    ¡°SHIELD doesn¡¯t work for the governments,¡± he said, but before he could continue, Daniel interrupted him.


    ¡°But it¡¯s funded by them, isn¡¯t it? No matter what you say about SHIELD, as long as its resources come from the governments in one way or another, they will have influence over you,¡± At least that''s what Daniel thought.


    "Not as much as you think. While we are affiliated with them, our authority is still superior in many aspects."


    Tony remained silent for a moment before speaking.


    "What if I am the one who finances this team?" he said casually, causing Daniel and Fury to look at him.


    "We can start by working with SHIELD, only if they do not interfere with the way we do things. We will help them, of course, but if they ask for something we disagree with, then we will refuse. I believe the governments of the world will want Defiant and me to be on their side in the public eye, making them think they have some ''control,'' but it doesn''t have to be that way in reality. To prevent them from having a say, SHIELD will not use any resources given by them for this team. If they refuse, I''ll simply create the team without them and without SHIELD," he said, proposing his idea and waiting for Fury to think it over.


    Daniel smiled and also spoke.


    "Interesting idea. The governments can accept this and gain the public benefits it will bring without spending anything in return while creating an illusion of control, or they can refuse and end up with nothing, looking completely useless in the eyes of the people."


    In summary, they cooperate and improve their public image, or he and Tony create this team on their own, ignoring SHIELD and the governments, making them look useless by not needing them.


    Fury remained silent, deep in thought.


    "If what you said earlier is true, then there should be no problem following this method, right? After all, SHIELD''s authority is still superior in many aspects, isn''t it?" Daniel asked, but he didn''t really care if Fury agreed or not.


    The only reason he wanted SHIELD nearby was because of the snake hiding within it.


    After all, his father always told him to keep his friends close and his enemies closer.


    It would be better if he could keep an eye on SHIELD without much effort. Once the right moment came, he could start removing the rotten parts and see if anything could be salvaged.


    "An alliance, then," Fury finally said.


    "But for it to be an alliance, SHIELD must still contribute something. I believe the governments can accept this, but they will also want to contribute something to maintain this ''illusion'' you mentioned."


    The governments would likely grit their teeth but end up accepting in the end. Even so, any facade would crumble without something to support it.


    "SHIELD will use all its resources and privileges to help you deal with any supernatural occurrences, and in return, you will assist with any event that could endanger the world. On paper, it will look like you agree to be under SHIELD''s supervision, like a special response team directly overseen by me."


    "Only if that ''supervision'' remains theoretical, of course," Tony emphasized, and Fury nodded.


    Daniel thought it over and nodded slowly, but he still had one more question.


    "And theoretically speaking, what would our obligations be? I don''t think you would just let us do our own thing and only call us when you find something your agents can''t handle on their own, right?" Of course, if it were simple things, Daniel could be lenient, but if Fury asked for something that interfered too much with his life, he would refuse once again.


    "Although it might be hard to believe, that was my initial plan. I have no intentions of controlling your actions. No, I don''t think that''s possible. Instead, I believe working together is more suitable for global security. I''m not like those rancid, outdated politicians who want to have everything under their control," he said sincerely.


    "Initial plan, huh? And what was the subsequent plan?" Tony asked with a smile on his face.


    "Does it even matter now?" Since they weren''t going to be under real supervision, any other plan was useless.


    Daniel looked at the ceiling with his hands behind his head. What should he do? Well, he actually already knew. If Fury truly kept to what he and Tony had established, then working with SHIELD would be fine for now.


    He smiled and looked at the SHIELD director and Natasha.


    "Well, I will tentatively accept the offer, but if things change or if something I disagree with starts happening, then don''t blame me for leaving without warning," he warned sincerely.


    "I can work with that," Fury finally said. Having direct contact with Defiant was undoubtedly better than knowing nothing. At least this way, many of his questions could be answered.


    Tony took a few seconds more to speak.


    "Eh, I think I''ll take D-boy''s words here. Besides, since my father is one of the founders, I''d like to see what the old man did without me noticing," Tony was genuinely interested in SHIELD. Why had his father never mentioned it?


    The SHIELD director nodded. It wasn''t exactly what he had expected upon coming here, but it was better than leaving empty-handed. He stood up and smiled at both of them.


    "In that case, let me welcome you to the Avengers."


    .


    .


    .


    Note:


    A chapter full of dialogue! Originally, I thought about including more, but it feels like too much for now. I''ll spread out the rest over several subsequent chapters. For now, I think it''s time for some action.


    Originally I wasn''t planning on uploading this until a few days later but I''m excited since tomorrow I''m going to the pre-premiere of Deadpool and Wolverine so I couldn''t contain myself hahaha.}


    remember that you can find the next chapter of this story on P)atreon (p)atreon com/EmmaCruzader). If you want to read the next chapter in advance and get some other benefits, you can go and check it out. All the support received helps me a lot ;D

 29: Fire and Steel

    29: Fire and Steel


    ¡°What do you think of this: the Avengers, the Earth''s mightiest heroes!¡± Tony said in a grandiose voice.


    Daniel raised an eyebrow, turning to look at him with a smile on his face.


    ¡°Already looking for a slogan? Although I think it sounds a bit pretentious, Earth''s mightiest heroes? You know there are only two of us, right?¡± he couldn''t help but say with amusement, slightly dampening the man''s enthusiasm.


    Tony snorted and crossed his arms, his new and freshly built armor gleaming with the moon''s glow in the sky.


    ¡°You have to think big, we protect the whole planet, of course we''re the mightiest.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps you want to postpone your discussion for later and on a private line,¡± Natasha''s voice came through the communicator, interrupting their conversation.


    ¡°Jealous? Maybe we can make room for you, although on second thought that might lower our combat capability,¡± Tony said, and Daniel shook his head, deciding to interrupt now before the professional assassin decided to take revenge on his new friend by putting laxatives in all his drinks and food.


    ¡°Mocking the super spy is not what I call a great idea, Tony, besides, I think she already has a place, or am I wrong?¡± he asked, looking at the dark sky.


    ¡°Super spy? You seem to think highly of me, though you¡¯re not entirely wrong. You could say I''m Fury''s liaison with the team,¡± something expected, after all, Fury still had to take care of all of SHIELD. It was more sensible to delegate some things to his most trusted agent.


    ¡°And exactly why are we finding out about this now?¡± Tony asked suddenly.


    ¡°Maybe because you decided to rush and deal with the whole Obadiah matter right now before we finished fine-tuning these details?¡±


    Just as she had said, they were now looking at Stark Industries, more precisely its central building.


    ¡°Well, I apologize for not wanting a criminal with close ties to a Middle Eastern terrorist organization to remain at large and in control of my company... a company that produces weapons en masse in case anyone forgets,¡± he emphasized the last part.


    After the big talk with Fury, which culminated in them being "incorporated" into the team, Tony had decided to resolve the whole Obadiah matter as soon as possible so he could focus on things that, in his opinion, were more important.


    Thus, he had decided to excuse himself from the meeting and end this matter before it became more troublesome. He hadn''t expected SHIELD and Daniel to decide to join in out of the blue.


    Fury argued that the Ten Rings might interfere and it was better if SHIELD handled them. Daniel simply said he wanted to see the show and ensure everything went well.


    In Tony''s opinion, this was something he could easily handle by himself, but since they had decided to join, he could only sigh and accept the help, even if it was somewhat excessive.


    Still, it would be fun to see Obadiah''s face when Defiant descended from the sky to cuff him, something unnecessary but that Tony had decided he wanted to witness. Daniel didn''t refuse the request since it was something quite simple to do.


    To make it even more dramatic, he decided to bring along the newly built Mark 3. Maybe old Uncle Obie would be surprised enough to have a heart attack or something, which was the least he deserved for trying to kill him, in Tony''s opinion.


    ¡°I don''t think anyone has forgotten that point, Stark,¡± Natasha said, looking through the sniper scope in her hands.


    Recently, Obadiah had been accompanied by many ¡°bodyguards.¡± Stark Industries headquarters had become his ¡°fortress,¡± and the man rarely left it. The regular employees had been expelled long ago, and almost the entire building was occupied by what were clearly forces of the Ten Rings.


    SHIELD had already deployed troops around the area and cleared the place in preparation for a confrontation. Of course, with Defiant present, it was most likely that any altercation would be easily resolved. Even so, they didn''t skimp on personnel for this mission. The Ten Rings were usually elusive, and this was a great opportunity to capture several of their members. They wouldn''t let anyone escape.


    ¡°Well, I think we''ve waited long enough. How about we get this party started?¡± Tony spoke, beginning to prepare.


    ¡°Alright then, I''ll give the order for the agents to move in,¡± Natasha said, but before she could do so, Tony interrupted her.


    ¡°You know what? I think it''s better if I flush him out of his lair myself. There''s no need to put any agents in danger.¡±


    After saying that, he activated his thrusters, rising into the air quickly, and within seconds, he was in front of the main doors of his company. He landed heavily in a classic heroic pose, alerting all the guards in the area.


    ¡°Old Obie! I¡¯ve come to say hello,¡± he said, activating his loudspeakers. His voice rumbled through the entire building.


    In her place, looking through the scope of her weapon, Natasha sighed with an ironic smile.


    ¡°Hold your positions for now,¡± she said to the waiting troops.


    .


    ¡°Old Obie! I¡¯ve come to say hello,¡± Stark¡¯s voice rumbled down to the lab on the lower floor of the building. Obadiah frowned deeply, quickly moving to where several monitors were located. There, he could see the building''s security cameras.


    He saw Tony confidently standing in his new armor in front of the building''s doors.


    ¡°No, no!¡± He wasn''t supposed to arrive so soon!


    He looked at his armor; it was almost ready, just a bit more needed.


    ¡°How much time?!¡± he quickly asked the scientist in charge of the project. The man wiped the sweat from his forehead as he felt the heat rising in the room, swallowed hard, feeling his throat dry, and quickly responded.


    ¡°At least 5 minutes, the system is still calibrating, sir.¡±


    Five minutes?! The guards wouldn¡¯t last even 30 seconds against Stark.


    What should he do? Fight without the armor? Feeling the burning fire coursing through his veins, Obadiah gritted his teeth, indecisive about this course of action.


    ¡°It seems you have failed, Stane,¡± the voice made him freeze. Slowly, he turned to see how the image on all the monitors had suddenly changed.


    All the screens now displayed a Chinese character, one that Obadiah recognized.


    ¡°Mandarin,¡± he said quietly, fear beginning to rise in him, but his state of shock was quickly left behind as he understood what the man was suggesting.


    ¡°No! Not yet, it¡¯s almost ready. I just need more time.¡±


    ¡°More time, more resources, more men. So far, every investment made in you has only resulted in failure, Stane.¡±


    .


    ¡°Why should I continue to trust you?¡± In a different place, an imposing figure sat on a majestic throne made of various types of precious materials. Lines of golden engravings and ornaments covered its surface, representing different Chinese characters as well as drawings of ancient mythical beasts.


    Simultaneously, green energy lines resembling circuits occasionally lit up on its metallic surface, creating a clear contrast with its ancient and oriental appearance.


    In front of the throne, several holographic screens displayed the situation inside and outside Stark Industries.


    ¡°This time I will succeed. I can defeat Tony and I can kill Defiant. If you abandon me now, everything you''ve invested in me will be for nothing. Besides, your men are still here!¡±


    The desperation in Stane''s voice was somewhat amusing to the figure on the throne.


    ¡°Do you think my men are in danger?¡± There was a hint of amusement in his voice.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get things mixed up, Stane. For me, it¡¯s easy to clear a path for them. You, on the other hand, matter much less to me. Even so, you''re right about one thing: it would be a real waste of time and resources if I simply let things end like this.¡±


    The Mandarin stopped looking at the screens and turned towards the lower part of his throne.


    Kneeling at his feet, Aldrich Killian patiently awaited his orders, his head bowed.


    If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    ¡°Let¡¯s give Stane some more time.¡±


    Aldrich Killian nodded upon hearing his words, and with a signal from his hand, several figures entered the throne room, kneeling beside him.


    The Mandarin looked at the screens again and spoke to Stane one last time.


    ¡°No matter how, I expect you to kill Tony Stark tonight. After that, you must kill Defiant within a week. I will not tolerate any more failures.¡±


    He then raised his right arm, four rings glowing in different colors adorning his fingers. Suddenly, one of them intensified its glow, the purple light reflecting off the Mandarin''s majestic armor.


    ¡°Go,¡± he said, pointing his hand towards his soldiers.


    .


    Tony strutted in front of the building walking casually.


    ¡°Listen, Obie, let''s not make things difficult. If you come out obediently, I swear I''ll be kind,¡± he joked a little, then looked at the guards pointing their guns at him and spoke to them.


    ¡°...and you all, it''s better to put those down or you might hurt yourselves. Just step aside and we won''t have any problems,¡± he warned in good faith.


    As if taking his advice, the guards lowered their weapons and began to back away. Tony blinked in confusion. Did that really work?


    Then, applause began to be heard. A figure emerged from the building''s doors with a smile on his face.


    ¡°Tony Stark, as arrogant and conceited as ever. It seems no matter what happens to you, you''ll never change that.¡±


    Tony frowned at the blonde man. Had he seen this guy somewhere before?


    ¡°Sorry, you''re not Obie. He''s much less young and much more bald. So, if you don''t mind, could you, you know, step aside, whoever you are?¡±


    The man chuckled softly, stopping his applause.


    ¡°It''s no surprise you''ve forgotten, but it doesn''t matter now. The past is the past, and we''re not here to reminisce about old encounters.¡± Then he snapped his fingers, and from several directions, dozens of figures leaped from the shadows, surrounding Tony in a circle.


    They wore dark full-body suits with green armor plates and golden details. Tony had to pause for a moment to assess the situation.


    ¡°Uh, is this a costume party? Because I''m glad I came dressed for the occasion,¡± he said, pointing to his armor.


    .


    From the top of a building, Daniel watched the situation with furrowed brows. Although he felt that things might be different from what he remembered, he didn''t expect so many changes. Something wasn''t right here.


    ¡°Are you going in?¡± Natasha''s voice came through the communicator. Daniel thought for a moment before shaking his head.


    ¡°Although the situation is strange, I feel Tony can handle it. Let''s wait for now.¡±


    His presence was still unknown to the enemy. It was better to keep it that way and see what happened.


    If things really got out of control, then he would act.


    .


    Upon hearing his words, Aldrich Killian smiled and nodded.


    ¡°...yes, it¡¯s a party. Your farewell party, Tony. I''d like to talk more with you, but I''m a busy man, so I''ll leave you to have fun with these guys. I hope you enjoy it,¡± he finished and turned, walking back into the building once more.


    ¡°Hey! Why don¡¯t you stay?¡± Tony shouted, igniting his thrusters, ready to go after him. He didn¡¯t like how things were going at all.


    His figure shot forward in an instant, easily surpassing the speed of sound. The Mark 3 was vastly superior to the Mark 2 in every aspect, whether it was the improved damping system with energy shields or its speed, it was undoubtedly top-notch.


    Even so, Tony was surprised when a figure suddenly blocked his path. At the speed he was traveling, if he collided with it, he would undoubtedly pulverize it, but changing direction now was too difficult.


    Tony could only chastise himself for not integrating a better braking system, something he would have to do later.


    He covered his face with both arms to avoid seeing what was about to happen, but what happened was not at all what he expected.


    With superhuman speed, the figure stretched out both hands, orange light shining even through its dark clothing.


    Then there was a shockwave, the ground beneath their feet cracked, and Tony opened his eyes in surprise as he felt his forward motion come to an abrupt halt.


    He heard a growl and looked ahead. Despite the mask covering the figure''s face, Tony could see a pair of pupils glowing intensely yellow.


    ¡°Detecting several sources of extreme heat, sir,¡± Jarvis''s voice reached his ears. Tony took a step back and for the first time seriously looked at the figures surrounding him. In his HUD, his infrared vision activated, showing how waves of extreme heat were emanating from their bodies.


    ¡°Well, this is... unexpected. It looks like everyone here has a severe case of acute fever. How about we go see a doctor?¡± he said, receiving only silence in response.


    Then, all at once, they launched themselves at him.


    .


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you help him now?¡± Natasha''s somewhat worried voice sounded, and Daniel pondered his response for a moment.


    He saw Tony being assaulted by dozens of warriors from all directions. Despite the situation, Tony stood firm, dodging their attacks and firing his repulsor beams.


    The attacks landed, but they barely made his enemies retreat for a moment before they charged at him again. As if they had no concern for their safety, they advanced without hesitation, attacking with clearly trained movements.


    High-level martial arts, no doubt.


    He saw three of them dodge Tony''s attacks and strike directly at several key points. Although this didn¡¯t scratch the armor, it did momentarily throw him off balance.


    ¡°Nah, I think he can handle it,¡± Daniel said. Before Natasha could respond, Tony moved, much faster than before. He intercepted one of the blows and with a quick motion, twisted the attacker''s arm, making the sound of breaking bones audible.


    ¡°See?¡± Daniel smiled, a smile that faded when the broken arm suddenly healed instantly with an intense yellow-orange glow.


    Hmm, maybe he would need to interfere?


    .


    Tony''s eyes widened as he saw the wound he had just inflicted heal instantly. Although he had fought against something superhuman before, it was still unique to see abilities like these.


    But his astonishment soon passed, and a smile grew on his face.


    ¡°Since you¡¯re so tough, you won¡¯t mind if I get a little serious, right?¡± In response, they charged at him again.


    Tony dodged a flaming fist and moved his hand to strike the side of one of his attackers. Then the thrusters on his back roared to life, moving his body to the side to dodge two kicks aimed at his head.


    His palm met the chest of one of them, and his repulsor ray ignited with much more force. The blue light outshone the yellow light, and the energy beam pierced the man¡¯s chest instantly.


    Tony planned to throw the body aside, but before he could, the light suddenly intensified. All the enemies surrounding him quickly jumped away, and then a massive explosion engulfed the area.


    The fire rose high into the sky, the concrete melted, and smoke began to spread. A five-meter diameter crater formed at the zero point of the explosion.


    The Mandarin''s men looked up expectantly, then a hand waved forcefully, clearing all the fire and smoke with a powerful gust of air.


    ¡°Alright, enough games,¡± Tony said as he walked through the shattered ground, seemingly unaffected. His gleaming armor didn¡¯t have a single blemish on it.


    He looked at the dozen enemies with a frown, wondering how Obadiah had enlisted the help of these people. The only connection he could think of was the Ten Rings, but if they really had forces like this under his command, then what Fury had said was true: they were much more than a simple terrorist organization.


    Looking at the calculations in his HUD, Tony realized they were genuinely dangerous. If not for his energy shields, the searing heat emanating from their bodies would be enough to penetrate and melt the gold-titanium alloy of his armor.


    It was unfortunate for them that Tony no longer had such a weakness.


    ¡°Alright, Jarvis, disable the limitations. Let¡¯s finish this quickly.¡±


    ¡°Understood, sir.¡± Suddenly, his armor lit up, the three arc reactors that had been idle came to life. Tony could almost feel the energy flowing through him.


    ¡°Energy at 400%.¡±


    The thrusters ignited, and in a burst of speed surpassing anything he had shown before, his figure blurred, leaving only an afterimage behind.


    He then appeared beside one of the figures, and his hand shot out in a blade-like shape. Faster than any of his attackers could react, his strike hit the mark, slicing cleanly through flesh in an instant.


    The enemy didn¡¯t even have time to blink; their head went flying through the air.


    Quickly, Tony grabbed the body and hurled it towards two of his enemies. They couldn''t react in time, and an explosion similar to the previous ones suddenly engulfed them.


    Seeing the changing situation, several of them tried to retreat, but before they could, Tony attacked.


    Suddenly, the place was enveloped in dozens of thunderous explosions, shaking the nearby buildings.


    .


    Daniel blurred into motion, evacuating the nearby SHIELD agents at high speed. After all, it would be really bad if they were hit by the consecutive shockwaves from the explosions.


    When Natasha blinked, she found herself in a different location, which almost disoriented her. Even so, she quickly adapted, shaking her head to clear any lingering discomfort.


    "I''d appreciate a warning," Natasha said, frowning at Daniel, who was standing beside her, watching the battlefield now enveloped in flames and smoke.


    "I''d rather ask for forgiveness than permission," Daniel replied with a smile, making her snort.


    Then he took a deep breath and exhaled, controlling his breath enough not to flood the place with ice, but still strong enough to extinguish the flames and clear the smoke.


    Dozens of craters, some overlapping with others, littered the area, and Tony stood amidst it all without a single blemish on his armor, holding the last living enemy by the neck.


    The man tried to break free from his grip in vain, his hands glowing intensely. Still, a blue energy field easily resisted the high temperatures, preventing them from reaching the metal of Tony''s glove.


    Daniel extended his hand to Natasha, who raised an eyebrow in doubt but quickly understood the gesture. She nodded, and he then took her by the waist, and together they quickly descended from the building, landing beside Tony.


    "Alright, I''ll give you a chance. Tell me why you''re here," they heard Tony say.


    "I don''t think talking is his strong suit, Tony," Daniel said, eyeing the yellow glow on the man''s body with interest.


    "Well, maybe I can get him to say a thing or two," Natasha commented casually.


    In response, they heard a raspy laugh. The man stopped struggling and looked at them with amusement.


    "The time¡ª" he said in a low voice.


    "Huh? Speak up," Tony loosened his grip a bit.


    "The Time''s up!" Before Tony could react, Daniel stepped forward, grabbing the subject by the arm and hurling him forcefully into the sky. In an instant, a flash illuminated the night, and a powerful explosion cleared the surrounding clouds.


    Although that explosion wouldn''t have harmed him and Tony, Natasha was still by their side. It would be really bad if he let her get hurt while being present.


    "Suicidal madman," Tony spat, then looked around and whistled.


    "This might take some time to fix, I might even have to move my company to another building," of course, the whole place was a mess.


    "You need to learn to moderate the damage to the surroundings. If Shield hadn''t evacuated, many people would have gotten hurt," Daniel commented.


    "Hey, I knew there was no one nearby, otherwise I would have dealt with them differently," Tony tried to defend himself.


    "Except for the Shield agents that I evacuated. You''re welcome, by the way," Daniel smiled, seeing Tony''s annoyance at being reprimanded.


    "I knew you would save them, so everything was part of my plan. Anyway, what do you think that guy meant? ''Time''s up''? What a clich¨¦ and dramatic phrase."


    Before Daniel could respond, the ground suddenly began to shake violently.


    He placed his hand on Natasha''s shoulder to steady her and looked towards the Stark Industries building.


    Cracks spread through its walls, the shockwaves from the explosions had significantly affected the structure.


    Then suddenly a yellow light flooded the entire building, The shaking intensified along with the temperature, and a thunderous voice echoed throughout the place.


    "Hahahahaha! TONY! Sorry for the wait! Let me give you a welcome!"


    At that moment, as if a volcano erupted, the entire Stark Industries building exploded.


    .


    .


    .


    Note.


    You know, comment and like.


    If you see any mistakes, please let me know, and I will fix them as soon as possible.


    Thanks for the support!


    remember that you can find the next chapter of this story on P)atreon (p)atreon com/EmmaCruzader). If you want to read the next chapter in advance and get some other benefits, you can go and check it out. All the support received helps me a lot ;D

 30: Iron Burn

    30: Iron Burn


    The night in Malibu suddenly turned into day for a moment as an incandescent column shot up to the sky with a roar that reverberated everywhere, and the impact shattered all the glass within a radius of dozens of kilometers.


    Tony crossed his arms in front of him, watching the flames completely consume what was once his company''s building.


    "What the hell!?" He looked at the data on his HUD; something wasn''t right here.


    Daniel looked at his cape with slightly narrowed eyes.; unexpectedly, it had gotten a little scorched. He lowered the arm he had raised it with to cover himself and Natasha and looked towards where the Stark Industries building had previously stood.


    "It¡¯s better if you step back. Tell S.H.I.E.L.D. to increase the evacuation perimeter. I think things are going to get much more intense." Natasha nodded, started barking orders into her communicator, and quickly retreated. After watching her leave, Daniel moved forward, standing next to Tony and looking at the dazzling fire.


    "I guess, in terms of the company, there is no company?" Daniel joked. Of course, even though this was the headquarters of Stark Industries, it didn''t mean it was everything.


    Tony didn''t respond. Instead, he focused his gaze into the sea of fire. The ground trembled slightly as heavy footsteps began to be heard. From within the flames, a figure just over three meters tall emerged, becoming fully visible.


    The dark metal with silver details reflected the flames almost like a mirror. Purple energy lines were occasionally visible, like streamers crossing its surface.


    "What do you think? A bit rough, I admit, but its power certainly exceeds my expectations," Stane''s voice came from the mechanical suit.


    Daniel frowned. Although the suit was very similar to Tony''s, there were clear differences apart from its size.


    "Now you''re making cheap copies of my stuff, Obie?" Tony said, annoyed. It was clear to him that the design of such armor was based on his. He quickly began trying a scan using his suit''s sensors.


    It looked like a much more advanced design of Mark 1, even a bit like Mark 2 in some aspects, but certainly much inferior to Mark 3.


    "Cheap, you say? It''s funny to hear that. You have no idea how much it cost to make this armor," Stane said with a hint of bitterness in his voice.


    "Well, once I dismantle it and sell its parts on eBay, I''ll send you some of that money. It''ll come in handy in prison," Tony said, taking a step forward, the arc reactor in his chest glowing more intensely.


    "Prison? How amusing." It was then that Stane noticed Daniel. He had been too focused on Tony, but once he saw him, he couldn''t help but laugh out loud and point with his hand.


    "Defiant! The greatest hero in the world! It''s good to see you here. Once I''m done with Tony, I''ll take care of you." That made Daniel raise an eyebrow. Why was he being threatened now? It seemed he had enemies without realizing it.


    "Do you want help with this?" he asked Tony, who shook his head in response.


    "To deal with a guy like this, I only need one hand," he said with extreme confidence. He didn''t know how Obadiah had gotten the plans to build an armor, although he had an idea in mind. Even so, whether it was one or a hundred, any armor created based on his old designs posed no threat at all to him.


    The thrusters on his hands, feet, back, elbows, and even legs all activated simultaneously at maximum power. The sound of the engines roaring exploded with force, his figure becoming blurry as he accelerated at an inhuman speed toward Stane.


    Daniel''s eyes widened slightly. At that speed¡­ though still far from him or Carol, it couldn''t be said that he was too far off.


    Tony''s fist shot forward, powered by over 16 gigawatts of energy generated per second thanks to the four arc reactors in his armor.


    If not for the protection of his energy shields, the metal in his fist would have started to glow red-hot due to the friction.


    In less than a second, such a blow collided head-on with the chest of Obadiah''s armor. The air exploded, the shockwave sank the ground several centimeters and created a tremor that shook the entire place.


    Tony expected his fist to pierce Stane''s armor and create a hole that would allow him to reach his real body, destroying any alloy that stood in his way. He did not expect his hand to go numb, much less that the massive armor of over three meters would barely move back a few centimeters.


    He looked at the spot where he had struck. Purple energy lines spread out for a moment, glowing intensely for half a second before disappearing.


    Slowly, he raised his gaze to meet the face of Stane''s armor.


    "My turn!" Then a fist the size of his head struck him in the face.


    Tony''s left foot sank as his body tilted to one side, yet he remained firm despite Stane''s fist in his face.


    His energy field shone brightly at the point of contact. If this were the Mark 2, he would have been sent flying long ago.


    "I see you''ve improved your technology! It''s impressive," Obadiah praised, then his fist glowed with a purple light that soon turned crimson.


    "But it''s barely enough!" Like a volcanic eruption, an explosion similar to the one that destroyed the entire Stark Industries building enveloped them both in an instant.


    This time, Tony was sent flying, rolling dozens of meters across the ground before forcing himself to stop.


    "Extreme thermal energy source detected," Jarvis''s voice came, and Tony scolded him.


    "Yeah, I noticed." He looked at the flames and saw Stane emerging from them unscathed.


    He began analyzing what had happened with the data Jarvis had been collecting.


    "Energy absorption? No, it''s not just that." These characteristics... he looked at the data in disbelief.


    "Vibranium? How did you get an extinct metal?" he couldn''t help but ask.


    Tony had tried to obtain some of the metal by following the rumors he had heard a while ago. He investigated the black market but never managed to find anything concrete, so he thought it had all been a hoax and stopped thinking about it. Now he couldn''t help but scold himself. Somehow, Stane must have found the real source.


    "Surprised? I told you this armor has cost more than you can imagine!"


    Stane felt an overwhelming euphoria seeing Tony half-kneeling on the ground in front of him, just as it always should have been.


    "Warning, internal temperature exceeds 75%," the alert on his HUD made his smile diminish a bit. He needed to control himself. Thanks to vibranium and its undoubtedly impressive characteristics for resisting and storing kinetic energy, the scientists under his command had created a feedback system that extracts the heat generated by his body to power the armor, thus replacing the need for an arc reactor. It was a work that would undoubtedly be revolutionary, but it was still not perfect.


    If the thermal energy released from his body exceeded a certain temperature level, the energy control and regulation system would overload. In that case, nothing would prevent the internal components from slowly melting.


    He had to be careful.


    Tony stood up, straightening his body easily. He looked at Stane with seriousness; this could be much more difficult than he expected.


    "One hand, huh?" Daniel''s sarcastic voice made him grit his teeth.


    ¡°Don''t worry, performance problems, it usually happens I understand, they come with age.¡± Daniel stepped forward. Ever since he heard the word vibranium, he knew it was time to intervene.


    "It was just a warm-up. It won''t happen again," Tony said, clenching his fists.


    Seeing the two standing together, Obadiah smiled.


    "Both of you at the same time, huh? Fine, I''ll kill you both tonight."


    The sound of sirens could be heard in the distance, and in the sky, the rotors of a helicopter stirred the wind. Stane looked up and smiled.


    "And it seems the world will get to see it." Daniel frowned; it seemed journalists didn''t really appreciate their lives.


    There was a momentary silence, a calm that was broken when Daniel accelerated forward at full speed.


    His fist met the metal face of Obadiah head-on. He wanted to test how hard this metal was, of which he had only brief memories.


    The air exploded. He felt his bones crack slightly and opened his eyes as he felt the protection on his gloves'' knuckles shatter. The element V was destroyed on contact.


    He quickly spun in the air, dodging Stane''s fist. His leg shot out, striking where the neck should be. Again, the air exploded, but it still didn''t seem to dent the metal even a little.


    "Amazing," he couldn''t help but say.


    He stepped aside, letting a blue repulsor beam hit Stane.


    The man barely moved back. He crossed his arms in front of him, and from his back, several large cannons deployed, beginning to glow a bright yellow.


    Daniel landed not far away and, seeing Stane''s actions, raised his arm and extended his palm forward. He could dodge, but he wanted to see how strong Stane''s armor was. If it was just extremely tough, then defeating him shouldn''t be that complicated.


    From the cannons, six beams of extremely scorching energy were fired. Tony propelled himself into the air, dodging them and flying forward. Daniel saw them coming and let them crash against his open palm. The extreme heat was notable, and his suit surprisingly withstood it for a few seconds before beginning to burn.


    Then the attack stopped as Tony had reached Stane and began engaging in hand-to-hand combat.


    Daniel looked at his palm, mentally calculating the temperature¡ªat least five thousand degrees Celsius, minimum. Enough to destabilize the smart atoms in his body and possibly burn him a bit.


    He watched as Tony used his speed and smaller size to attack Obadiah without any success. His fist connected but only stopped abruptly.


    Daniel wondered how many hits he would need to break through such an alloy.


    Tony gritted his teeth, his knee driving forward with enough force to instantly crumple an armored vehicle. Against Stane''s armor, it only created a shockwave and moved him a few steps back. He quickly tried to retreat, but Stane''s hand rose, grabbing his arm in a powerful grip.


    "Alert: energy shields at maximum power." The translucent blue light of his energy shield shone brightly. Incredulously, Tony saw the metal behind it begin to deform due to the pressure.


    He opened his palm, causing his repulsor beam to fire at full power towards Stane''s face. Still, this did not weaken the grip. Instead, Stane''s other arm stretched out, grabbing him by the waist and starting to squeeze.


    "Do you feel it, Tony?! This is the price for going against me! You should never have returned from Afghanistan! Now you''ll die as you should have from the beginning!" Tony gritted his teeth.


    "All energy to the chest reactor!" he ordered Jarvis.


    The blue light intensified, and then a powerful Unibeam fired point-blank at Stane.


    A massive explosion occurred, and both were forcibly separated, each being pushed back several meters in different directions.


    "Energy at 345%!" Tony clicked his tongue but didn''t hesitate. He stood up, ready to continue. Of course, it was then that Daniel rushed forward and began attacking Obadiah.


    His fist struck, causing the ground to shake.


    "It''s useless! You''ll never be able to hurt me!" Obadiah roared, but his voice was drowned out the next instant by dozens of simultaneous booms. Daniel continued punching repeatedly in different spots without stopping, his figure blurring as he created a whirlwind of air currents that stirred the surrounding debris.


    Daniel felt his knuckles break, his skin tear, his gloves having ceased to exist long ago. Still, as quickly as he was injured, his core healed him. With each punch, the force in his fists grew a bit stronger.


    It felt like hitting Carol. No, Carol still had flesh; this was pure indestructible metal.


    Despite that, he had no intention of stopping, not until he made this metal soften.


    Obadiah couldn''t move. From all directions, a barrage of punches began enveloping his entire body, faster than he could think or react. A tornado started to surround them, created by the rapid movement, his armor beginning to lift into the air by itself.


    "External temperature increasing, energy storage capacity at the limit," an alert came up on his HUD. Incredulously, he saw the outer metal of his armor begin to glow red-hot. He couldn''t let it continue like this!


    "Release excess energy!" he roared.


    Daniel threw another punch, but it didn''t land because before it could, his fist was stopped by an invisible energy wall. Suddenly, from every part of Stane''s armor, an explosion of kinetic energy began to release in the form of an omnidirectional circle.


    His fist struggled against the kinetic barrier that began to ravage everything for an instant before his arm broke and his body was sent flying through the air. Everything within a 500-meter radius, with Stane as the epicenter, was forcibly repelled.


    Tony crossed his arms in front of him, but even then, his body was dragged backward, crashing into a building that then collapsed on top of him.


    Stane took a deep breath, his armor crashed to the ground while still standing upright. He lifted his gaze, looking at the surrounding terrain. A massive crater had formed with him at the center, forcibly displacing everything around it. Several buildings collapsed and crashed into others, starting a chain reaction of destruction.


    He didn¡¯t see Tony or Defiant and wondered if that had been enough to kill them both.


    ¡°See, Tony! No matter how hard you try or how much help you bring! I¡¯m the one who will stand in the end!¡± his voice filled the night.


    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    .


    .


    .


    Carol had been practicing the various movement sequences of Torquasm-Vo just as her mother had shown her. There were different types of movements, some more complicated than others. Even so, following Lara''s example, Carol had quickly learned all of them. Now she just needed to familiarize herself and get her body accustomed to executing them naturally.


    ¡°Kora,¡± her mother¡¯s voice made her stop. With her leg raised, she looked toward where her projection had formed.


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± It was strange to be called by a different name than the one she had used all her life. She hadn¡¯t asked about it before, although she knew she must have one just like her brother did. Still, her mother had let it slip while teaching her, thus revealing her birth name. Since then, she had started using it more often.


    ¡°Something is happening. I thought you¡¯d want to know,¡± she said, gesturing with her hand. Several projected screens then unfolded in front of Carol.


    Carol lowered her foot, straightened her body, and looked at the different screens.


    ¡°The sky over Malibu suddenly lit up, the main building of the industries Stark seems to have been destroyed by a strong explosion. People have been evacuated in advance by unknown authorities¡ª¡±


    ¡°Strong explosions and earthquakes have begun to shake the surrounding streets. Authorities recommend staying completely away¡ª¡±


    ¡°We have images!¡±


    Then one of the screens focused. Carol opened her eyes and paid full attention upon recognizing Daniel standing next to what appeared to be the person with whom he had destroyed the Ten Rings army in the Middle East.


    The terrain where they were standing looked like a war zone, with several craters of different sizes scattered around, clear signs of a previous battle.


    Both were looking at a large column of fire from which another much more robust and tall figure was emerging, with heavy steps that seemed to shake the ground.


    ¡°What is this?¡± Why did she keep missing these things? Weren¡¯t they supposed to be a team? Weren¡¯t they in this together? So why was she always away when Daniel got into trouble? Why hadn¡¯t he called her?


    She couldn¡¯t help but bite her lip in frustration. In the images, it seemed there had been a brief exchange of words before the figure next to Daniel immediately rushed to attack what was clearly the enemy.


    It was a bit fast, but only a bit. Even so, the enemy seemed much stronger as he easily ignored the blow and counterattacked.


    Then, out of nowhere, a huge explosion shook the entire area, causing the news helicopter broadcasting live to pull back a bit.


    Flames rose high into the sky, and Carol frowned.


    She wasn¡¯t worried about Daniel; an explosion like that couldn¡¯t hurt him. Even so, she was anxious, wondering if she should go.


    As she contemplated this, the image cleared again, and she was able to see how Daniel had rushed and attacked. She expected the armor to break, for the fight to end right at that moment. She couldn¡¯t help but widen her eyes when she noticed Daniel¡¯s punch didn¡¯t even dent the metal.


    ¡°Impossible,¡± she said quietly.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s interesting,¡± Lara was also immediately intrigued. Although she didn¡¯t know exactly how strong Daniel was, from Carol¡¯s words, she knew he was at least not much weaker than her daughter. Of course, she didn¡¯t fully believe that, but she still knew the boy¡¯s power wasn¡¯t something to underestimate.


    Was there really a material on this planet capable of resisting him?


    As if to answer her question, the fight continued, with more blows exchanged until Daniel seemed determined to attack seriously. His figure became completely blurry as he began attacking his enemy from all directions, the wind stirring and debris flying, the news helicopter nearly losing control.


    Daniel unleashed thousands of blows in an instant, clearly seeking to penetrate the seemingly indestructible armor.


    Carol watched the scene in disbelief. Then everything changed in an instant. Something happened, something that caused everything within a 500-meter radius to be blown away without any resistance. The image seemed to distort, and the news helicopter had to pull back much further to avoid being hit.


    Others might not have noticed, but she saw Daniel''s figure being thrown uncontrollably. She cursed the poor camera quality since she couldn''t see his condition clearly.


    ¡°I need my suit.¡± No, she couldn¡¯t just keep watching. She didn¡¯t think about anything else, only that she had to go there and help now.


    ¡°If you go with just the suit, you¡¯ll risk your identity,¡± her mother¡¯s voice stopped her for a moment. She was right; she didn¡¯t have her ¡°normal¡± suit here, just the version without the hood and mask.


    She thought for a moment about flying to the farm to get her other suit, but that would waste too much time. If Daniel really needed help, she didn¡¯t want to be delayed.


    ¡°I¡¯ll risk it,¡± she decided impulsively. Lara almost sighed but quickly spoke.


    ¡°Or you can take this,¡± she said, pointing to one of the walls. The crystalline structure instantly changed, revealing several mannequins. One had the suit Carol had rejected, another had the suit Daniel had made for her, and several others had different suits whit different styles, all clearly Kryptonian.


    Lara pointed to one in particular with a dark gray helmet that seemed to cover the entire head, leaving only the mouth and lower jaw exposed.


    ¡°It¡¯s one of the exploration suits Krypton used in its golden years. You can ignore the rest of the outfit but should take the helmet. It¡¯s connected to the fortress, so I can keep in contact with you if necessary. It also has some other special features that aren¡¯t important to explain right now.¡±


    Carol didn¡¯t hesitate. She quickly changed clothes and took the helmet without a second thought. The helmet seemed to respond to her touch, opening in two parts so she could easily fit her head into it.


    Once she put it on, the helmet closed over her head in an almost airtight seal, leaving only her semi-long hair flowing out the back. the dark visor obscured her vision for a moment before a strange HUD appeared and her vision cleared.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need the HUD,¡± she said, but her mother still manipulated it to show a map of the world and a clear path to where she needed to go.


    Well, maybe she did need it.


    Without hesitation, she took off at full speed, leaving the fortress in an instant.


    .


    .


    .


    Tony tasted his blood. That impact had gone beyond his shields, and it didn¡¯t help that a damn building had fallen on him afterward.


    ¡°Status,¡± he spoke, and several data points displayed in front of him on his HUD.


    ¡°Suit integrity at 87%, power at 280%.¡± Damn, that was a hit.


    He tried to move, but the rubble pressing against him felt like a confining prison seeking to crush him. Even so, his suit slowly began to lift, moving the hundreds of tons of debris.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here!¡± His thrusters activated, and with an explosion, his body flew through the debris, breaking free.


    He saw the starry sky and clumsily landed, seeing the surrounding disaster.


    ¡°D-Boy!¡± he shouted, but there was no response. Then he looked toward the center of it all where Obadiah was strutting.


    Without hesitation, he began to approach, ready to continue fighting.


    ¡°So you¡¯re still alive. Impressive, truly a genius among geniuses. Once I kill you, I¡¯ll have my scientists study the suit in depth. It will undoubtedly bring great improvements to my design,¡± Stane mocked, starting to walk towards him as well.


    Then the thrusters of both armors roared to life, accelerating rapidly until they met head-on in the air. The air exploded, and a shockwave propagated as their arms clashed in a struggle of strength.


    The flight engines of the Mark 3 roared with more power, causing Obadiah to start retreating slowly.


    ¡°I¡¯ll admit, your armor is tough, but that¡¯s all. You¡¯re a turtle trapped in a shell, Obie! And that¡¯s your biggest weakness!¡± Tony roared.


    The Mark 3 gained ground and soon rammed Stane straight to the ground, creating a loud crash upon landing and making them roll several meters. Even so, they didn¡¯t separate. Tony aimed his palm at Obadiah¡¯s face and began firing a concentrated energy beam. He knew there was no way he could break the vibranium, so he hoped to melt through it.


    The problem with that was that his own armor might end up melting first if he wasn¡¯t careful.


    Obadiah closed his eyes from the dazzling light hitting his face. His vision was blurred, but he still moved, grabbing Tony in a strong embrace.


    ¡°You want heat, Tony!?¡± he asked with a smile on his face.


    "Then take this!" Without hesitation, he let the flames burst forth from his chest in something very similar to a concentrated heat beam, much like the ray Tony had fired earlier but also different.


    Alerts began blaring wildly in Tony''s HUD. While his energy shields were impressive, the less energy they had, the less effective they were. Stane''s crushing embrace was already consuming a lot of their power to keep him from being torn in two. The incandescent fire beam that began striking him head-on simply pushed them to their limit, causing them to fail and send red alerts everywhere.


    "Fuck!," he stopped attacking and tried to pull away, his breath growing short. It was getting too hot.


    "How does it feel, Tony?! Being boiled alive!" Stane laughed harder, enjoying the groans of pain from his former "godson."


    "Energy at 180%, internal suit heat has begun to exceed the limit your body can withstand, deploying countermeasures," Jarvis''s voice sounded, and suddenly air began to be sucked from the back of his armor at high speed.


    Then, at a controlled high pressure, it was released as a stream of white mist. In any other circumstance, it would have frozen everything in front of him in an instant. In this case, it only momentarily reduced the searing heat threatening to burn him alive.


    But just a few moments were all Tony needed. He released dozens of micro-missiles from his back, causing them to explode simultaneously without hesitation.


    The powerful explosion managed to slightly loosen Obadiah''s grip. Tony took advantage, activating his thrusters and shooting away from him. His body soared through the air clumsily, crashing to the ground shortly after.


    "Shit," he felt something break but didn''t know what.


    He felt the ground trembling and slowly stood up, keeping his guard up.


    "This only delays the inevitable, Tony. Why fight so hard? It will only make the process more painful," Stane said with clear mockery.


    Tony laughed. This guy talked too much.


    "Yeah, well, I''ve always been a very sore loser," he prepared to continue the fight. Then, from behind Obadiah, he saw a figure flying at high speed towards them in the distant sky. The air around it ignited from the friction of its flight, making it look like a meteor about to strike with the wrath of God.


    Tony smiled and, without hesitation, jumped back, confusing Obadiah with his movement.


    He didn''t realize in time what was about to happen, even when the warning alarms blared in his mind.


    His head turned just in time to meet a punch that sent his body flying uncontrollably. The strong impact rattled his brain, causing his vision to darken for a moment.


    ¡°You were taking a while; I almost thought you had¡ª¡± Tony smiled, seeing obadiah being hit hard, He wanted to joke with Daniel, but when he looked more closely at the figure that had arrived, he couldn''t help but blink in confusion.


    ¡°Uh, you¡¯re not D-Boy.¡± Either Stane had hit him too hard, and he was hallucinating, or someone else was in front of him.


    The suit was similar, with almost identical colors. The most notable difference was the helmet covering almost the entire face. Well, that and the fact that there were curves instead of male muscles.


    Carol didn¡¯t speak. She didn¡¯t know who this person was or what relationship he had with Daniel, and honestly, she didn¡¯t care much. Instead, she focused on searching for his heartbeat, which was actually getting closer.


    .


    What does it feel like to be hit thousands of times by yourself? Daniel supposed he felt something close to that when Obadiah''s strange kinetic energy explosion hit him.


    His arm broke, his suit tore, and countless microfractures spread throughout his body.


    Without a doubt, a blow that would have seriously injured him¡­ if he didn''t have his core, of course. In less than a second, all the injuries healed, his broken arm returned to normal, and his body regained all its energy.


    He could have returned to the fight instantly, but he didn''t. Instead, he began to meditate on his next plan. Without a doubt, if he kept hitting him, sooner or later his fists would penetrate that armor. But if Stane kept unleashing explosions like that, then there would be no city left standing once it was all over.


    While SHIELD had done a good job evacuating the area, evacuating an entire city in the middle of the night was still something even they couldn¡¯t do quickly.


    That left him with few options.


    ¡°Should I take him into space?¡± He hoped suffocating his enemies to death wouldn¡¯t become his signature move.


    While meditating on this, he observed Tony¡¯s fight with Stane. After all, this was Tony''s enemy. If the billionaire genius found a way to defeat him on his own, Daniel would certainly let him try.


    With that thought in mind, he watched the fight calmly, debating whether Tony could defeat Stane or not.


    Of course, that was when someone else joined the fray. Daniel noticed Carol long before Tony did.


    ¡°What is she doing here?¡± Stupid question; she must have seen the news and rushed over.


    He sighed. He wanted her to stay hidden a little longer, at least until there were many more heroes around. Well, it didn¡¯t matter anymore. At least she had the foresight to come wearing a helmet. He wondered where she got it from.


    The ground shook violently. Stane was sent flying, and Daniel decided to stop wasting time.


    .


    Carol ignored Tony and quickly flew to Daniel, who appeared suddenly. His suit was torn in several places, and though he didn¡¯t seem truly hurt, she still looked him over carefully just to be sure.


    ¡°Are you okay?!¡± Feeling her hands on him, Daniel sighed, placing his hand on her shoulder to reassure her.


    ¡°Not a scratch,¡± he said simply.


    Tony looked between them, confused for a moment.


    ¡°So I wasn¡¯t hallucinating,¡± there were two of them. Were they siblings or something?


    But before he could ask that question, Stane''s roar was heard. Fire rose again, and the man emerged from the crater his body had made when Carol sent him flying, clear anger in his eyes.


    ¡°Who the hell are you?¡± The familiar symbol on her suit told him who she was related to, and that didn¡¯t bring any good feelings.


    Carol looked at him and then at her fist. It was really tough; now she understood why Daniel hadn¡¯t killed him with a single blow.


    Receiving no response, Obadiah mocked.


    ¡°Fine, don¡¯t talk. Not that it matters.¡± Even so, he couldn¡¯t help but have doubts. His enemies had increased, and though Tony seemed injured, Defiant appeared to be completely fine.


    "Well, I have an idea," Tony said, looking at Stane and then speaking to Daniel and Carol.


    "What do you suggest?" Daniel asked.


    "We need to crack open that thick shell. Just hold him still for me and I''ll do the rest," he still had enough energy for a concentrated beam.


    Daniel thought about it, intuiting what Tony wanted to do, and decided it was a good plan. He would have suggested that Carol help, but with the helmet she was wearing, she couldn''t use her heat vision without risking revealing her face.


    "Just make sure you aim well," he joked, looking at Carol and nodding toward Obadiah. She understood and nodded, ready to follow him.


    Of course, Obadiah heard them and scoffed.


    "You think you can¡ª" but before he could finish his sentence, Daniel and Carol vanished in a burst of speed, appearing instantly at his side. Each of them grabbed an arm and pressed down on his shoulders with a hand, the ground sinking as Stane was forced to his knees suddenly.


    "What?!" He tried to break free, but even if his armor was extremely tough, that didn''t mean his strength was equivalent. His struggling didn''t even budge Daniel or Carol, who held him down firmly.


    "No!" he roared, seeing Tony aiming at him with both palms, the blue light in them starting to intensify. He clenched both fists, glowing with yellow light, causing fire to explode in an attempt to free himself.


    And though the ground shook and the flames once again lit up the night, neither Daniel nor Carol loosened their grip in the slightest.


    "Release excess energy!" he roared, and with him as the epicenter, a dome of kinetic energy began to spread out in an omnidirectional circle.


    Carol''s eyes widened slightly as she felt an invisible energy field trying to push her away. It was strong, no doubt, but she was stronger. Her muscles swelled as she added even more force, completely resisting the push.


    Daniel, for his part, resisted in the same way. He had been taken by surprise the first time, which caused him to get a bit seriously injured, but now that his body had healed and grown stronger, he could ignore the push and stand firm easily.


    "Ahhhh!!" Stane roared furiously, his temperature rising too much.


    "Warning, internal temperature above 98%."


    He ignored the alert; he needed to break free. Of course, it was then that the kinetic energy push ended, and Tony was ready.


    Both his palms glowed along with the reactor in his chest, and then three energy beams were fired, converging into one as they traveled.


    "Let me go, NO!" Stane''s scream was drowned out when the beam struck, creating a loud boom.


    The temperature increased, the metal began to glow red-hot, and the vibranium, which has a melting point far higher than any other metal on Earth, began to slowly melt.


    Stane felt heat, but not the heat of his body, rather the heat of the beam starting to bore into his armor.


    "Warning, internal temperature exceeds the set limit, dangeeerr¡ª" the suit''s system shut down as the internal components started to get damaged.


    The last thing Stane saw was a blinding blue light.


    The beam melted the vibranium, passing through the armor, penetrating Stane''s chest, and exiting the other side with force.


    The power was so great that in less than a second, the entire chest of the over 3-meter armor melted, dripping to the ground like liquid metal, nearly splitting the armor in half.


    "Energy at 23%," Jarvis'' voice came through. Tony lowered his hands, looked at his gloves that were glowing red-hot, and felt his skin starting to burn, not just on his hands but the chest plate of his armor also glowing red-hot, burning his chest.


    Daniel appeared at his side in an instant, blowing cold air over him, making the heat disappear.


    Meanwhile, Carol looked at the body she was still holding by the arm, two halves barely joined at the waist. Without much thought, she let it fall to the ground and flew over to Daniel without looking back a second time.


    "Are you alright?" Daniel asked, and Tony nodded slowly, taking a deep breath.


    "It might leave a scar," he hoped not; he already had enough with a hole in his chest.


    "In that case, it''s better to get medical help," Daniel supported the staggering Tony ready to leave.


    "Before that, we need to clean up that mess," Tony said, pointing to Stane''s remains. He didn''t want to leave something like vibranium lying around within reach of anyone.


    Daniel nodded in agreement with his words, Anyway, he planned to quickly take Tony to the hospital and leave Carol on watch until he returned.


    "Don''t worry about that, I''ll take care of it. You need a hospital now," he said, making it clear that there would be no more discussions about it. Tony sighed at his tone.


    "Sure, Mom," he said sarcastically.


    Then he looked at Carol and nodded towards her.


    "See you later, D-girl."


    Carol blinked in confusion, D-girl?


    "Ignore him, he likes giving people weird nicknames," Daniel said simply, then put Tony''s arm over his shoulder and started to fly.


    "My nicknames aren''t weird."


    Carol watched them leave, shrugged, and walked over to Stane''s remains. It seemed she had to stand guard now.


    .


    .


    .


    The Mandarin turned off the projected screens that had been showing the recent events and sighed.


    "So, he failed, huh? I didn''t expect them to be so strong. Besides, there''s another one like him," he thought of the third person who came to help, how mysterious.


    "Sir, what should we do now?" Aldrich Killian asked in a trembling voice, kneeling at the foot of his throne.


    The Mandarin tapped his fingers on the armrest of his throne for a few moments before speaking.


    "For now, we must be cautious. Whether it''s Stark or those who bear the D on their chests, they are problems we need to deal with one way or another. But there''s no rush; Stane was just a test. Now that I have a better idea of who will oppose me, I know without a doubt this world will be mine," he said, then stood up and looked at Aldrich Killian.


    "Prepare more soldiers. The Extremis formula is now completely stable. I want my entire army to have it. Once the time is right, we will act."


    "Yes, sir," Aldrich Killian responded, gave a salute, and left, ready to carry out his orders.


    The Mandarin then clenched his fist, purple light surrounded it, causing the space around him to distort. His body disappeared the next instant, traveling to an unknown place.


    .


    .


    .


    Note:


    A little over 6,000 words!


    The mini-arc of Tony Stark is about to end! But of course, the problems won''t. What is the Mandarin planning?


    I guess we''ll find out later. As always, leave me your opinions and suggestions. If you notice any errors, don''t hesitate to tell me and I''ll correct them. If you liked the chapter, leave a like.


    And remember that you can find the next chapter (and some more chapters) of this story on P)atreon (p)atreon. com/EmmaCruzader) All the support received helps me a lot ;D

 31: Iron Man.

    31: Iron Man.


    The place was a mess, with fire remains, smoke, and debris everywhere. Carol focused her senses, searching for signs of intruders. There were none; at least within a kilometer radius, everyone had been evacuated. She could hear people in panic, but it was fine because no one had really been hurt.


    At least not when it came to civilians. She couldn''t help but look at the remains of the enemy that had been defeated. Curiously, she picked up one of the pieces of metal that hadn''t melted and played with it between her fingers.


    She tried to squeeze it, but it was difficult, very difficult. Even so, it was just a small and thinner piece of the material, so after much effort, she managed to bend it slowly.


    Then she heard the air being displaced and turned around to see Daniel returning.


    The two looked at each other in silence for a moment.


    Carol felt somewhat uncomfortable because Daniel''s expression was blank.


    Then he sighed, and his shoulders dropped slightly.


    "Help me, I need to gather all this metal," he said simply, walking over to Stane, or what was left of him, and beginning to gather the pieces of vibranium. Carol nodded, and soon both of them piled up the remains of the armor. On the other hand, what was left of the corpse was taken out and left aside, not without first taking some samples for further study.


    Everything was done in a strange silence and calm, which Carol couldn''t bear any longer, so she spoke directly.


    "Is something wrong?"


    Daniel played with one of the pieces of metal between his fingers before speaking.


    "What are you doing here, Carol?" That question made her frown.


    "I came to help," she responded quickly.


    "In something where it wasn''t necessary. You took too much risk, and if I had to guess, the helmet wasn''t even your idea." He had come to know her well enough to understand how impulsive she could be at certain moments.


    "Well, maybe if you told me what was going on, I wouldn''t have to rush out without knowing if you needed my help or not!" The place fell silent for a moment.


    Carol blinked, realizing that she was the one who had shouted.


    ¡°I¡ª¡±


    Daniel interrupted her.


    ¡°You''re right about that, this is my fault... I''m sorry.¡± He had been reluctant to communicate with her, it was his mistake. Carol was not a thing he could put aside until it was useful.. He didn''t know how to deal with her, and instead of communicating properly, he simply ignored her. It was his fault that she didn''t understand when she should or shouldn''t interfere and took unnecessary risks. Scolding her for that was stupid.


    Carol stayed silent for a moment, her own apology on the tip of her tongue.


    ¡°It won''t happen again, I promise.¡± Hearing him apologize like that, Carol couldn''t bear to see him so discouraged and quickly approached him.


    ¡°No, I should have asked first or¡ª¡± Daniel raised his palm, stopping her again.


    ¡°Carol, I don''t need you to excuse me. Accept my apologies or yell at me a bit more, either way, I won''t bother¡± Yell at him a bit more? Impossible.


    Daniel walked over to the pile of metal before looking at Stane''s half-burnt body and pointed at it with his finger.


    ¡°Could you?¡± He didn''t need to say it completely for her to understand. Carol nodded, letting the dark visor of her helmet lift. Her eyes glowed bright red as a pair of red beams struck the remains of the corpse, turning it to ashes.


    ¡°Well, one less problem.¡± Then he took the vibranium and handed it to Carol.


    ¡°Could you take this to my farm? I still need to deal with a few things.¡± He could hear vehicles and what sounded like the blades of an approaching airplane.


    Carol nodded, taking the remains of the armor.


    ¡°Will you come to dinner? I learned a new recipe.¡± She couldn''t help but ask, and Daniel thought for a moment before nodding with a smile.


    ¡°Of course, I''ll be there.¡± He missed her cooking a bit.


    Carol smiled, immediately cheering up, and started to fly, but not before saying goodbye.


    ¡°Then I''ll hurry.¡± Watching her go, Daniel nodded and walked through the wrecked place, starting to clean up a bit. There was debris that could be a hazard for traditional cleanup crews, and it was better to take care of it himself.


    Quickly, he finished and waited until he heard an aircraft landing not far from him. He turned to see what looked like a somewhat chubby, dark gray jet.


    Quinjet? He remembered what it was.


    He saw Fury getting off it along with Natasha and waved at them. The one-eyed man didn''t seem very happy but nodded at him anyway.


    "This is a complete mess," Fury said when they met.


    ¡°Well, look on the bright side, Tony will surely pay for this.¡± His joke didn''t amuse Fury much.


    "What happened to Stane?" Natasha asked, looking around, and Daniel pointed to a dark stain on the ground not far away.


    The two Shield agents were stunned for a moment, seeing what was left of the man.


    "And the armor?" Fury asked.


    "Safe," Daniel replied, and said nothing more, causing the Shield director to frown for a moment, but he didn''t say anything else about it and just nodded.


    "Stark is recovering well. Although he has mild burns on his skin and some fractures, it''s nothing really serious." It was good to know that. He hadn''t stayed long once he dropped him off at the nearest private hospital; he didn''t want to leave Carol alone for too long after all.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t come all the way here just to say that, did you?¡±


    ¡°More or less. After the big explosion, the broadcast images were cut off, so I thought it would be better to come and see what happened myself.¡± That made sense, and it was also a relief to know. Tony knowing about Carol didn¡¯t bother him too much, but the whole world knowing about her? That could bring some problems, so it would be better if it didn¡¯t happen, at least for now.


    "I understand. Well, I''ve done some preliminary cleaning, so you can let the normal authorities handle the rest. For now, I''m going home to take a shower," he said, pointing to the state of his suit.


    ¡°We still have things to discuss, so I hope we can meet again soon. Also, it would be good to have a way to contact you directly.¡± Right, they hadn''t discussed that.


    Daniel would have thrown one of the communicators he created if they weren¡¯t all in pieces.


    So instead, he recited a disposable number he hadn''t used before. He had modified the equally disposable phone housing the chip, so he wasn''t afraid of it being traced.


    ¡°You can use it if another emergency occurs. Once Tony gets out of the hospital, I''ll contact him to arrange another meeting, but for now, I''m leaving,¡± he said goodbye to both and flew off.


    Watching him leave, Fury sighed, his shoulders slightly slumped. He looked at the destroyed area, already anticipating the headache this whole affair would bring.


    Why didn''t he become a gardener?


    ¡°Do you want me to try to track him?¡± Natasha asked, and Fury shook his head.


    ¡°He¡¯s too smart not to have thought of that. We already have his cooperation and direct contact; we shouldn¡¯t risk it,¡± he said before asking about another matter.


    ¡°What about the samples?¡± They hadn¡¯t discussed this before.


    Natasha shook her head. ¡°Even though both women were with him, I couldn¡¯t find any traces on their bodies. There was nothing in the trash or the bathroom either. He took good precautions.¡± Well, It would have been too good to be true if they could have obtained such a direct sample so easily.


    ¡°Since that is the case then let''s forget it.¡± Fury looked at the damage caused one last time with unknown thoughts before heading back to the quinjet with Natasha.


    .


    .


    .


    Daniel arrived at his farm already smelling the aroma of a good stew. Without thinking, he entered and walked to his room, where he took off the tattered suit and took a quick shower.


    Carol, in the kitchen, heard him arrive and quickly finished what she was doing and set the table. Eating alone with him was always something she looked forward to, so she always tried to make it special in one way or another.


    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    She wondered if she should steal one of her mother¡¯s candles. Her parents were already asleep, so it would be easy to go and grab one quickly. But before she could do so, Daniel came down from the second floor and entered the dining room.


    ¡°Hey, it''s been a while since I¡¯ve had lasagna.¡± He couldn¡¯t help but smile cheerfully at the dish Carol had made.


    Carol took off her apron and sat next to him.


    ¡°You mentioned it before, so I thought I''d make something for you,¡± she said, a bit embarrassed. Daniel thought about it. He had casually mentioned lasagna some time ago and didn''t expect her to remember it until now.


    ¡°Thanks, I, well maybe I should do something for you too?¡± She always cooked for him, so maybe giving her something wouldn''t be a bad idea.


    Carol got excited and couldn''t help but fidget with her fingers and speak almost in a whisper.


    ¡°Well, I heard a new caf¨¦ opened in the town center, so¡­¡±


    ¡°Eh, it seems this place is still thriving despite everything. Well, I have nothing to do tomorrow, so if you want, we can go and check it out. Maybe their coffee is really good.¡± Carol got excited; she didn''t expect him to agree so easily. Was it a date?


    Daniel served himself and ate in silence, glancing at Carol, who seemed lost in her thoughts. Seeing the blush on her cheeks and how she squirmed from time to time, he didn''t want to find out what she was thinking about, so he decided to change the subject.


    ¡°The one in the armor is Tony Stark,¡± he said suddenly, making Carol snap out of her thoughts and look at him.


    ¡°The multimillionaire playboy?¡± she asked with a frown. Even in a town like Smallville, some news still reached them. She remembered several guys in her class talking about Tony Stark and his glorious "conquests."


    She also remembered that he was the one who started Daniel''s conference, although she hadn''t paid much attention at the time.


    ¡°The one and only. He''s pretty smart. He built a miniature reactor as well as an armor to escape his captors, in a cave! We met when he attacked the Ten Rings bases in Central Asia. I think we''re friends now; we certainly get along well. We were also contacted by this super-secret international organization, Shield, to form a superhero team, the Avengers. How does that sound?¡± he spoke excitedly, and Carol listened attentively.


    ¡°The Avengers? It''s... unique,¡± certainly not a common name.


    ¡°And these people, Tony and SHIELD, are they reliable?¡± she couldn''t help but ask with some doubt.


    "Tony is eccentric, somewhat arrogant for sure, and very sarcastic, but he''s trustworthy, at least from what I know of him so far. As for SHIELD? Well, saying they are trustworthy would be a mistake. I don''t trust them at all. I trust their director a little since I can see what he''s after, but I don''t think we agree on many things. On the other hand, there''s a spy, Natasha, red hair, incredible figure, super sexy, Russian. The leather certainly fits her like a glove,. She''s more trustworthy, at least more than Fury, but less than Tony."


    He said honestly, making Carol blink as she processed his words.


    "So... super sexy," she said in a flat tone, and Daniel nodded, knowing it would annoy her. He could see it, the poor fork in her hand crumpling like fragile aluminum.


    "And in leather, dark leather," he emphasized just to see her eye twitch. He wouldn''t admit it out loud, but it was fun to watch. It was a bad thing to do, he knew, but he had gotten into the habit of teasing her just to see a side of her that wasn''t the usual lovey-dovey one. If he had to live with her 24/7 drooling over him, he wouldn''t be able to hold back as much as he had until now.


    He shouldn''t keep doing it, but he couldn''t help it.


    Carol swallowed, clenching her teeth a bit, but took a deep breath and calmed down slowly. It was fine; it was nothing out of the ordinary, just a stupid redhead in leather.


    "And you''ll be working closely with her?" Why did she ask that?


    "Well, she''s kind of the SHIELD liaison with the team, so I guess I''ll see her often. I''m not complaining; she has a pleasant voice."


    "Pleasant voice, huh?" Seeing her eyes glow red, he knew it was enough and decided to stop.


    "But we''ve talked enough about me. What about you? What have you been up to?"


    Carol, of course, wouldn''t forget this but decided it was better not to keep listening. With a smile in return, she talked about some of the things her mother had been teaching her. Of course, she didn''t mention her combat training; that was a surprise.


    "-I think I could graduate from university at this point. Honestly, learning about science is much easier than I thought," she finished saying before remembering something else.


    "Oh, and I know what my birth name is." That caught Daniel''s attention.


    "I thought you didn''t want to know." In fact, she had privately confessed to him that she didn''t want to find out.


    Carol nodded and sighed a bit. "My mother accidentally said it, and since then, she hasn''t stopped calling me that. It''s a bit strange," she confessed sincerely.


    "And what is it?" At his question, Carol hesitated for a moment before saying it.


    "Kora-El." It sounded strange; it was the first time she said it out loud.


    "So, Kora? Interesting, a bit exotic. Kora, Kora, I like it. You don''t mind if I call you that, right?" It would certainly be easier to communicate with her that way when they were in their suits; after all, Carol didn''t have a codename like he did.


    "N-not at all, I think it''s great!" Carol said too quickly for her own good.


    "I thought you thought it was a bit strange," Daniel said, hiding a smile as he saw her blush suddenly.


    Carol played with her hair a bit and looked at Daniel, a little nervous, speaking in a low voice.


    "I-if you say it, it doesn''t sound so bad." Her heart raced too fast admitting that, and Daniel paused for a moment, looking at her face.


    He shook his head, clearing any strange thoughts.


    They continued talking for a while longer until Carol had to leave because dawn was breaking.


    Then Daniel went to his workshop. He needed to repair his suit, and now that the presence of SHIELD and other strange organizations in the town had minimized, he could set up his small workshop again and continue working on some things.


    .


    .


    .


    The hospital reeked, and Tony swore never to come to one again for as long as he lived.


    "Another press conference? Are you crazy?! You need to rest," Pepper said with a frown, and Tony quickly shook his head.


    "They''re just superficial wounds, I''ll be fine. Besides, I need to have my own big event. These vultures keep saying nonsense about what happened, and if I don''t stop them, people will actually think I''m Defiant''s sidekick. Can you believe it?! Sidekick, seriously?!" He didn''t know what bothered him more, people assuming he was just a "sidekick" or being stuck in the hospital.


    At least the name the media gave him was decent.


    "I think it''s too soon," Pepper said, and she couldn''t help but glance at one corner of the room. There, the Mark 3 was resting. After all, there wasn''t time for Tony to take off the armor. Fortunately, Daniel took him to one of the most decent private hospitals, and SHIELD made sure his "secret" remained safe. Well, one doctor and three nurses knew, but surely none of them would talk.


    At least not for now, but Tony knew it would be useless to hide it for too long. His association with Defiant had already cast doubt on the identity of what people had begun to call Iron Man. The fact that the whole mess with Obadiah had started at the main headquarters of his company didn''t help at all.


    Crazy theories were already flooding the media, so it was better to control the narrative from the beginning and avoid any possible misunderstandings, even though there were already many.


    He didn''t know exactly what he wanted to do, but he at least needed to intervene.


    On the other hand, Rhodes had been calling non-stop, but honestly, he didn''t feel like answering. He still remembered Rhodes'' earlier words. Tony could be many things, but forgetting and forgiving were not his greatest virtues.


    "Too soon or not, it has to be done. Come on, help me up," Pepper sighed, then helped him stand and pulled out the spare clothes she had brought for him.


    "At least put this on."


    "Always prepared, remind me to give you a raise," she deserved it.


    .


    .


    .


    A few hours later, but still early in the morning, Tony stood in front of a podium in a room filled with journalists. They had arrived much faster than expected, but it was normal. Many had come to Malibu even before he announced a conference; they could smell a big story in the air.


    "Well, I didn''t expect to see you all again so soon. I certainly would have preferred to do it under better circumstances," he said, raising his bandaged hands. The skin on his arms was a bit burned, it stung to the touch, but it wouldn''t leave visible scars.


    Several hands went up, but Tony shook his head, indicating he wouldn''t answer questions yet.


    "I know what you all want to ask, but I''m not here just to talk about that, even if it disappoints you. Mainly, I want to talk about Stark Industries. The last time I spoke about my company, I promised changes, significant changes... and I want to apologize for not making them sooner, at least not in the timely manner I wished." The journalists'' eyes widened in astonishment. Tony Stark? Tony Stark apologizing? Something that was never thought possible actually happened right before their eyes.


    He never believed he would apologize live and on air, but this apology wasn''t for the people present or even for most of those watching the broadcast. The apologies he gave probably wouldn''t reach the people who deserved them.


    But he had to do it; there were moments when even the great Tony Stark had to face the music.


    Many quickly stood up, raising their hands.


    Tony calmed them down quickly before continuing to speak.


    "The reality is that recent events have taught me a lesson, an important one. For real changes to happen, they must be made personally; one must make them themselves¡ª" Before he could continue, a young and clearly inexperienced reporter with short brown hair spoke up.


    "Excuse me, Mr. Stark, I''m Lois Lane from The Daily Planet. I don''t want to interrupt, but does this have anything to do with the events of last night and how the main building of your company was destroyed?¡±


    Tony frowned, feeling a bit annoyed at being interrupted like that. He almost let his sharp tongue take over, but he managed to contain himself, remembering why he was here and what he wanted to achieve.


    "Yes, there''s a connection, and I know everyone wants to know what happened. There''s been a lot of speculation, and certainly, some very strange things have been invented. I don''t blame you; everything last night was very strange, but we''ll get to that. First and foremost, I want to make it clear that Stark Industries will begin a new era, one of real change and not empty promises. I''ll do better, be better," he said seriously to the cameras, making a tense silence fill the room for a moment.


    Of course, the journalists didn''t care much about that; they wanted to know about the recent events more than anything. So, another one raised his hand and asked a question without waiting for permission.


    "Mr. Stark, I just want to know something. Is it true that Stark Industries created a robot assistant for Defiant? And that one of your prototypes went out of control? If so, will you pay for the reparations¡ª" Tony interrupted quickly.


    "Robot assistant? Who the hell said that?" Alright, now he was pissed.


    "It''s what some people think," another journalist added, to which Tony responded.


    "It''s not an assistant, alright? It was an equal collaboration! I want to make that clear."


    "So does that mean it was indeed Stark Industries who built the robot?"


    Tony sighed. Well, this wasn''t going in the direction he expected, but he couldn''t exactly blame them. Maybe if he had waited a few days to hold the conference, they would have been more civilized.


    A hand went up, and Tony sighed as he saw a familiar blonde. Still, he pointed at her, letting her stand up. After all, if it hadn¡¯t been for her, it would have taken him longer to realize what was happening in Gulmira, and more innocent people would have died.


    ¡°Many of us have noticed your injuries, Mr. Stark. According to the reports, you weren¡¯t present at the time of the events. If that¡¯s true, can you tell us what happened?¡± she asked with narrowed eyes.


    ¡°Are you insinuating something, Miss Everhart?¡± That seemed to surprise her; it was well-known that Tony rarely remembered people¡¯s names.


    Nevertheless, she quickly composed herself.


    ¡°I just think there¡¯s more than meets the eye. Many say Iron Man doesn¡¯t seem like just a robot. I was wondering what you think about that.¡±


    Tony pondered his response. He could lie and offer a flimsy excuse, but honestly, hiding wasn''t his style.


    ¡°I think they¡¯re right,¡± he said, causing the room to fall silent.


    ¡°Since you want to know, I¡¯ll say it directly.¡± He let the silence linger a bit longer to build tension, then smiled as he saw Pepper quickly shaking her head out of the corner of his eye. The woman seemed to understand what was coming and wanted to avoid it.


    Fury would probably be fuming at realizing what was about to happen, and for some reason, he felt that Daniel would be watching this with amusement.


    Without waiting any longer, he spoke loudly to make the truth clear.


    ¡°I am Iron Man.¡±


    .


    .


    .


    .


    .


    .


    Note:


    With this, we conclude Tony¡¯s mini-arc. He still has much to show, of course, and will be a recurring character, but there are many other characters to explore and stories to tell.


    As always, leave your comments, and if you notice any errors, feel free to point them out.


    And remember that you can find the next chapter(and some more chapters) of this story on P)atreon (p)atreon. com/EmmaCruzader) All the support received helps me a lot ;D

 32: Step By Step

    32: Step By Step


    "I am Iron Man." Daniel stood still, looking at several screens in his workshop where Tony''s conference was being broadcast. A flashback of a similar but very different scene suddenly came to him, making him smile.


    "Quite reckless, huh? Well, I guess that''s something that can''t be changed." Revealing his identity just like that, only Tony Stark could afford such a luxury. Thinking about it, he remembered he needed to check Overwatch''s work. His virtual intelligence had advanced by leaps and bounds these days. Occasionally, Daniel would dedicate one or two hours a day to review its code and implement some improvements.


    With access to Kryptonian technology, he could have turned Overwatch into a fully-fledged artificial intelligence, but he didn''t. He decided to keep working on Overwatch on his own. It was like a personal project, almost a child in a sense. The thought of using "shortcuts" left a bad taste in his mouth, so he didn''t do it.


    "What''s up, Overwatch?" he asked, and one of his monitors lit up. The image of an eye made of white lines on a black background appeared, followed by several data points.


    "All systems are operating at one hundred percent, sir. Also, I have detected several facial recognition attempts in the last few hours using various scanners and databases around the world. As expected, they have yielded nothing."


    Daniel nodded. Probably almost all of those attempts used images of his real face. After all, he had revealed it to the whole world publicly. It would be really foolish if no one tried to find out who he was, having such clear images and from various angles of his face. Of course, they found nothing, as his real face had long been removed from any database thanks to Lara.


    On the other hand, he looked at the data presented by Overwatch and smiled, noticing some searches done using images of his "false" face, searches that also ended in nothing.


    Daniel was neither stupid nor careless. He had foreseen that someone might figure out that his "disguise" was not normal and had taken several countermeasures regarding that.


    The mask that altered his facial features was just one of those things, the most likely to be discovered, actually. That''s why he never really trusted it. He knew that one way or another, it would be compromised, so he prepared for when that happened.


    That¡¯s why he didn¡¯t care at all if Natasha or Fury saw through it. Besides that, the Kryptonian mask didn¡¯t have just one ¡°face¡± after all. Its ability to modify physical characteristics and traits by manipulating light waves meant that whenever necessary, he could change his ¡°disguise¡± whenever he wanted.


    So when he decided to go along with Tony''s game and celebrate with him, he did so without fear since he knew it was just a disposable face. Of course, there was the whole matter with his information registered in the databases as Daniel Warren Evans, where his fake face had been used to replace his real one.


    But he had also taken care of that.


    He had long left backdoors in the databases containing this information, which wasn¡¯t much in the first place. The images that Lara had modified for him were not just a one-time touch-up, but rather highly advanced software that would activate every time an image of him using the mask was used to try to find information about his identity in these databases.


    Its function was simple: modify each image again and assign it a new automatically generated fake face, while at the same time this new face would be sent to the watch he used to activate the mask. This way, he would know when someone was suspicious of him and could change his face at any time. Of course, this system had some flaws.


    It might work three or four more times but not always. The reason was simple: he could modify the images on the network, but he couldn''t modify the images in people''s minds. He could easily discard his first fake face because only Tony and the people at the party, those two girls he had slept with, and Shield had seen it. These people only knew that he called himself Daniel and that was it. They didn''t know where he lived, where he came from, or anything else.


    But if for some reason his next fake face became more publicly known along with his real name, then he couldn''t keep using the same trick.


    "I need to be more cautious." For now, he could keep using the first fake face but not as Daniel Warren Evans. He would assign it another identity. It would still be Daniel, as that was the name Shield had likely associated with that face, but he could modify everything else. On the other hand, he already had a new face to use as a substitute for his "real" identity.


    That''s the one he would need to protect more. It was probably best if he only used it in Smallville and its surroundings and used the other fake face for everything else that didn''t require him to be Defiant or Daniel Warren Evans.


    "Daniel McLovin? No, that sounds too fake. Daniel Darkmore? Sounds mysterious. I''ll go with that." Creating a new identity was pretty easy for him. Even so, he would probably ask Lara to review it later just to be sure.


    It seemed like he was going to a lot of trouble with this, but it was actually quite entertaining.


    He would just need to create the papers and identification later, which was quite simple, and he could act as three different people if he wanted to.


    "Though I probably won¡¯t need to," he spent almost all his time as Defiant and rarely as Daniel. In fact, he would probably spend much less time as Daniel now that the Avengers were forming. Still, he hadn''t forgotten his intention to start a company, though that was still in its early stages due to how busy he had been.


    It was probably better if he assigned the project to someone else and he only provided the essentials. That way, he would be less busy. He needed to think about it.


    He looked at an incoming message that appeared on one of his monitors, pulling him out of his thoughts.


    It seemed that Tony was back home and had responded.


    It was about their next meeting. After a few messages, they both agreed that three days from now was a good date. Daniel still had some things to resolve, and Tony needed to rest a bit and deal with all the commotion his recent revelation had caused.


    Neither of them was in a hurry. Well, Shield probably was, but they would have to wait.


    For now, he needed to finish one of his projects and get rid of all the kryptonite in Smallville.


    After all, he couldn¡¯t let something like that be loose for anyone to take and put Carol in unnecessary danger. He had already designed the plans for a device capable of detecting the radioactive signature of that material; he just needed to build it. Then, he would make a quick sweep through the town to find everything he could. He would probably need Lara''s help later to create a larger-scale detector that covered the whole planet, but that would come later.


    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Step by step.


    .


    .


    .


    Carol had spent hours running from her closet to her mirror. Her appearance had never been something that mattered to her in the past. In fact, she spent more time trying to go unnoticed than thinking about superficial things like what to wear.


    That was a mistake. Now, as she looked at all her clothes piled on her bed, she couldn''t help but bite her lip in frustration.


    Everything was so... bland, too simple, gray, boring, nothing suitable for a date.


    Sure, she had more recent and less boring clothes that she had started wearing to spend time with Daniel, but most of it was workout clothes, still quite unsuitable for a date.


    Well, technically it wasn¡¯t a date, but in her opinion, those were just details.


    In the end, she had to choose a dark turtleneck shirt with long sleeves, the least baggy one she owned, as well as a knee-length skirt and a pair of stockings along with some dark boots she borrowed without her mother noticing.


    It wasn¡¯t exactly what she was looking for, but at least it looked decent.


    Of course, she didn¡¯t forget that she needed to wear the trench coat Daniel had given her. After all, you never knew when an accident might happen.


    In the end, she looked more formal than she wanted, but it would have to do.


    She hoped it would be enough.


    Of course, that¡¯s when she tried putting on makeup.


    Although she almost never did it, she remembered when she was younger and her mother, Martha, had taught her some things about it while they played. It hadn¡¯t interested her much at the time because, thanks to her superior senses, she could feel and see how makeup was just a simple layer of chemicals on the skin.


    Well, it seemed that simple layer of chemicals was more important than she thought. Even so, covering her face with those things wasn¡¯t something she would normally do, but this wasn¡¯t a normal occasion.


    Of course, she wasn¡¯t going to overdo it. It would be bad if she ended up looking like a clown by mistake.


    She just put some eyeshadow, a bit of eyeliner, and some lip gloss. Simple but still significant enough to make a visible change.


    Carol looked intently at the mirror, searching for any possible imperfection. When she was sure everything was more than perfect, she nodded and smiled, a smile that would have astonished countless people, leaving them speechless.


    Would he like it? Was it too bold? Maybe she should wash her face and take it all off.


    Of course, Carol couldn¡¯t help but have doubts. She looked at herself once more, trying to encourage herself.


    ¡°You are beautiful, objectively more beautiful than any woman in this town.¡±


    ¡°And you have a better figure, clear and perfect skin, long legs, and damn it¡­¡± saying all that out loud felt quite strange.


    She couldn¡¯t help but sigh. Looking at the mirror, she met her own eyes in tense silence, a faint red glow emerging from her pupil.


    ¡°You can do this, you can do anything.¡± She was not like the others, she was different, always different, More faster, stronger, harder, Simply better.


    More special.


    She couldn¡¯t lose to ordinary women. Stupid blondes? Super spies? None of that compared to her, they were nothing more than second-rate dishes.


    She was superior in every way, it was clear.


    She just needed Daniel to realize that.


    .


    .


    .


    In another part of the United States.


    "Rick!"


    In a dark and messy room, papers, cables, and disassembled pieces of various appliances filled the space. Sitting in front of a desk illuminated by a table lamp, an 18-year-old young man focused intently on the gadget in front of him.


    His hands moved carefully, soldering the electronic components with extreme precision. He was almost done; he could see it.


    "Rick!"


    He set down the soldering iron and carefully manipulated the pieces, checking each part repeatedly, not wanting to miss anything, verifying its condition.


    Then he connected a cable to one of the newly soldered ports and watched as row after row of coded data began to appear on one of his screens.


    His eyes didn''t blink even once, causing them to start drying out.


    "Rick!" The shout sounded right next to his ear, making him jump in fright, almost falling to the floor. Luckily, he managed to avoid dropping the device from his hands and quickly put it back on the desk.


    With his heart pounding in his chest, he turned to see who had interrupted him without permission in his room.


    "Ben! Damn man, don''t scare me like that," Reed Richards looked at his best friend with slight annoyance on his face, still clutching his chest.


    The boy, about the same age as Reed, laughed, then took the backpack off his shoulders and showed it to him, opening the zipper.


    "Maybe if you listened to me, I wouldn''t," Reed quickly looked at the contents and smiled upon seeing the electronic components from various devices carefully placed inside. He quickly began taking them out and checking their condition.


    "You''re welcome," Ben said, seeing how he was being ignored again. Reed snapped out of his euphoria upon hearing him and, with an apologetic look, patted his shoulder.


    "Thanks, this should be enough to finish the project." Yes, with this, he could certainly finish it.


    "It better be. I don''t think I can keep scavenging stuff from the garbage deposit for you, man. This time I almost got caught," he said, pointing to a tear in his pants. Reed''s eyes widened upon noticing the rip in the fabric.


    "What happened?" he asked while checking to make sure there wasn''t a wound on his leg, but Ben stopped him, laughing a bit.


    "I''m fine. Mr. McLaren has a new dog, a big and fast one. It almost caught me, but I managed to escape," he said, downplaying it. Still, Reed couldn''t help but sigh.


    "Sorry, Ben. I should have gone with you¡ª" but Ben stopped him before he could continue.


    "Hey! Don''t worry about it. I''m the muscle, and you''re the brain, remember?" Reed smiled, recalling their past when they were younger and just starting to get to know each other.


    "You''re more than just muscles, Ben," he couldn''t help but say before straightening up and sitting back down at his desk.


    Ben Grimm sighed and walked over to see what his friend was working on. Then he stepped on something strange and looked at his foot, noticing he had stepped on a dark stain of some half-eaten food.


    Quickly, his gaze swept across the place, noticing the absolute mess it was, and a sour smell reached his nostrils, making a grimace appear on his face.


    "Man, how long has it been since you cleaned this place? It smells like a dumpster!" He couldn''t help but say it while pinching his nose with his fingers.


    "At least ten days, but I''m used to the smell by now, and don''t look at me like that. You know I can''t waste time tidying up. I''m almost done, I can feel it, and you know the Baxter Foundation Scientific Innovation Expo is close, so I absolutely have to make this work before that date." And what if he didn''t tidy up or clean for a few days? His future was more important, though he certainly would need a shower soon.


    Even so, he couldn''t stop now. He had to be ready because if he failed, he would miss out on one of the best opportunities of his life and would have to wait another year to try again¡ªa year that would be wasted.


    Of course, the great opportunity he was referring to was the Baxter Foundation Scientific Innovation Expo, an event where countless young geniuses wished to participate, mainly for the chance to earn a place at the renowned Baxter Foundation, the most exclusive scientific research institute in the world.


    Every year, the Baxter Foundation organized a grand event where young people between 18 to 25 years old could present their own projects and be evaluated by the best scientific minds in the world. Based on the results, they could obtain a full scholarship to study at their facilities and exclusive funding for your personal projects.


    Richard, who came from a family bordering on poverty, knew there was no better opportunity than this. If he could demonstrate his incredible invention and impress everyone, he could welcome a new and better future.


    Away from his father, from his family, and from this damned dump he called home.


    Seeing the dreamy and determined look in his eyes, Ben sighed and patted his shoulder.


    He looked at some of the plans taped to the wall, barely visible by the light coming in from the still-open door, and some of the notes scattered on the floor. Carefully, he picked them all up and arranged them in a pile. He knew how hard Reed had worked on this, and it would be bad if something got ruined.


    ¡°So will your dimensional thing finally work?¡± he asked, watching as Reed worked on his device. Some sparks flew out, bringing to mind several memories of explosions and rooms covered in black smoke. Wisely, he decided to step back several paces just as a precaution.


    "It''s not a dimensional thing! It''s a Dimensional Teleporter!... or it will be, once it manages to break the barrier between dimensions,"


    Rick said, looking at his invention with expectations. It should work; he had to make it work.


    Then his whole life would change.


    .


    .


    .


    Note:


    A somewhat short chapter with some explanations, slice of life, and future drama. I''m setting things up for what''s to come, aside from everything I''ve hinted at before. I have a lot of material I want to explore, but I have to set it up correctly.


    comments, critiques, suggestions and more are always welcome. If you notice any errors, don''t hesitate to point them out, and I will correct them.


    you can already find the next chapter (and several more chapters) of this story on P)atreon (p)atreon .com/EmmaCruzader) All the support received is appreciated ;D

 33: Date

    33: Date


    Creating things was fun; there was something about it that Daniel found relaxing. Simply seeing how something you designed came to life was exciting.


    ¡°With this, it should work,¡± It was the size of an iPad, though less thin, and had two antennas, each 20 centimeters long, on each side. It was dark blue with a D where a brand logo would typically be if this were a commercial device.


    After all, he was a superhero; he should mark his stuff, right?


    He turned on the device, which was wirelessly connected to another device resembling a two-meter-tall antenna.


    ¡°The scan should take two hours.¡± There was too much kryptonite around Smallville, so he first needed to do a general scan to locate the areas where the special radiation emitted by the alien material was present. Then, using the manual radar, he could approach those places and get the detailed location of each fragment, no matter how small.


    After that? He would let Carol decide what to do with the material; preferably, destroying it would be best.


    As he let the scanner work, he noticed an alert on one of his monitors. Fortunately, it was nothing dangerous, just a reminder he had set to meet with Carol. After all, he had told her he would hang out with her.


    Before leaving, he checked the world news. So far, there was nothing that required his immediate attention, which was a good thing. He took the disposable cell phone he had modified and began to leave his workshop.


    Earlier, he had taken a trench coat, but it was no longer necessary. After all, he had started creating several sets of clothes using Element V, so theoretically, he no longer had to worry about ending up naked out of nowhere.


    ¡°I should make some for Carol too,¡± he murmured under his breath. It would certainly make her more comfortable.


    ¡°Make what for me?¡± The voice almost made Daniel jump. When did she get there? He turned to find her leaning outside his workshop.


    And when he saw her, Daniel had to pause for a moment.


    ¡°C-Carol?¡± he said, bewildered, but he quickly regained his composure. Why did he stutter? He didn''t stutter!


    She noticed his strange reaction, making a smile appear on her face.


    "What do you think? I''ve never dressed up before, so I''m not sure if I did it right."


    Carol pointed at herself with some nervousness, and Daniel remained silent for a moment as he looked at her.


    Although she was still Carol, saying that she felt the same wouldn''t be accurate. Normally, she was quite good at hiding her appearance, but this time it seemed she didn''t want to, which was somewhat dangerous.


    Smallville was too small a town.


    "I don''t think we can go out with you looking like that," he said honestly without thinking too much, making Carol freeze.


    "W-what, is something wrong or¡ª" Daniel interrupted her before she could continue, placing a hand on her shoulder.


    "You''re perfect, too perfect. I don''t think there''s a more beautiful woman than you, and I''ve seen many women before, and that''s dangerous. If we go out like this, you''ll attract too much attention."


    He didn''t want to be a killjoy here. He noticed that she had made an effort for this, and it was nice, but as he said before, it was also dangerous.


    Carol looked at him in silence, not expecting to be complimented like that suddenly, which made her cheeks redden and a smile grow on her lips.


    ¡°W-well I can clean it.¡±


    "I''m sorry. I know it must have taken you some effort, and here I am ruining it," Daniel sighed, feeling a bit bad for her.


    ¡°no, it''s okay, I... I made it for you and you already looked at it so it doesn''t matter.¡± Carol swallowed. Although she had never directly said what she felt for him, she always tried to make him notice in some way.


    "Well, if you put it that way, I wouldn''t mind if you kept doing it just for me." Daniel stood still when he realized he had said that out loud. He shouldn''t have; he almost instantly regretted it. Why did he say that?


    Looking at Carol, he realized what was happening. She had made him nervous with her change in appearance. He hadn''t lied when he told her she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, which had unconsciously caused his defenses to crack.


    Hearing him, Carol''s eyes widened in astonishment. What was that? Daniel had never said anything like that before. Seeing how he slightly averted his gaze from her, Carol was stunned for a moment.


    Was he embarrassed?


    "Ahem, well, look at the time. I think that place you talked about should be open by now. Why don''t you hurry up so we can go there?" Daniel said, trying to change the subject and looking up at the blue sky.


    Carol watched him for a moment longer before nodding and entering Daniel''s house to clean her face. Fortunately, she had a spare pair of glasses there, so she didn''t have to go back home for the ones she had left behind.


    Seeing her leave, Daniel sighed. How long had it been since he got nervous over a girl?


    Thinking about the past, he couldn''t help but laugh a little. His mother would certainly be very disappointed if she saw him now.


    .


    .


    .


    Somewhere in San Francisco.


    "That''s it, pack your things," Jarol stared in disbelief at his boss''s back.


    Fired? Just like that?


    After nearly 20 years working at this stupid restaurant, he was fired just because there was a little dirt on a damn dish?! He had sacrificed his entire life for them! Every day for almost twenty years, he had been at this restaurant! No family, no friends, all for what?


    His body trembled as fury and helplessness filled his being. How could he do this to him? How could he throw him out like trash, like waste?!


    No, he wouldn''t let this stand; it couldn''t end like this! His body began to sweat profusely as his hand gripped the kitchen knife tightly.


    His grip grew stronger every second until he crushed the handle, causing his palm to bleed deeply, the plastic and metal digging deeply into his flesh.


    His teeth clenched so tightly that they broke, his sweat began to boil and turn into steam, and his skin peeled off like layers of boiled onion, his body began to change grotesquely in an instant.


    Deep within him, a cell that had been dormant awakened out of nowhere thanks to the hatred and resentment that engulfed his mind.


    .


    .


    .


    "This seems like a nice place," Daniel said, sitting down with Carol at a somewhat secluded table by a window overlooking one of Smallville''s main streets. Watching the townspeople go about their daily lives despite what had happened earlier was a testament to how humanity could continue to thrive despite difficulties.


    "I heard it''s doing well," Carol said, looking at the menu with curiosity.


    Daniel glanced at her, feeling more at ease seeing the glasses on her face.


    "Well, order whatever you want, it doesn''t matter what it is, today it''s on me."


    Though he said this, Carol didn''t go overboard, as she was never one to spend extravagantly.


    After ordering and having their food brought to them, they started chatting casually.


    "So, what do you think? Do you want some clothes? You can design them however you like," Daniel said after explaining to Carol his plan to make her clothes that would make her feel more comfortable.


    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Carol thought about it. It would indeed be much better if all her clothes were as tough as her suit and trench coat.


    "I''m not sure if I''m good at designing clothes; my sense of fashion has never been the most notable," she said, then looked at him. She still remembered his reaction earlier and couldn''t help wanting to see him like that again.


    So, taking some courage, she moved closer to him. They were sitting together, so it was easy for her to snuggle up to his side.


    "And thinking about it, you already know all my measurements, why don''t you make what you think would look good on me?" Feeling her body press against his, Daniel glanced at her. This girl clearly wanted to provoke him.


    Well, two could play that game.


    His arm wrapped around her shoulders, making her startle suddenly. Without thinking much, Daniel pulled her closer, letting her head rest against his chest. Seeing her face turn red suddenly was quite amusing.


    "Well, I think I know what might look good on you," he said vaguely, without specifying what he meant.


    Carol didn''t expect Daniel to pull her close like this, but she wasn''t complaining.


    Unable to help herself, she took a deep breath, smelling his scent and feeling the warmth of his body against hers. She relaxed so much that she almost seemed like a puppet with its strings cut, letting Daniel hold her completely.


    How long? How long had she wanted to be able to do this? Without being able to stop herself, her arms wrapped around Daniel''s body, hugging him closer to her. She nestled her flushed face against his chest, inhaling deeply and silently, savoring a scent she could enjoy without any other smells interfering.


    The rhythmic sound of Daniel''s heartbeat was like a soothing melody that calmed her mind. In this position, she felt so safe and comfortable that she just wanted to fall asleep in his arms.


    "Daniel, I¡ª"


    "Carol?" The voice made Carol freeze momentarily.


    Slowly, she looked up in horror to see Chloe staring at her with her mouth agape.


    Her heart stopped for half a second, her face almost paled, her thoughts racing rapidly.


    Even though she knew it could happen, she hadn''t thought she would actually run into someone she knew, much less in this situation. She didn''t know what to do. She hadn''t told anyone about Daniel and felt like she was caught doing something wrong, though there shouldn''t be anything wrong, right?


    Still, she couldn''t help but feel annoyed as well. She was so close, she almost gathered enough courage to talk to Daniel about her feelings, and just when it seemed like the right moment, why did she have to be interrupted now?! Maybe if she ignored Chloe, she would go away? Maybe she could still salvage this?


    Of course, Carol wasn''t that lucky. Chloe started approaching quickly, and for a brief, tiny, insignificant moment, Carol considered unleashing her heat vision on her.


    Of course, that thought was so small and passed so quickly through her mind that Carol didn''t even register it consciously.


    On the other hand, in her more conscious mind, Carol began to grit her teeth, hoping Chloe wouldn''t do what she thought she was going to do. But as her figure approached, that hope died.


    "CAROL!?" Of course, she had to shout at her, why not? Carol felt Daniel tense up, and with an annoyed sigh, she quickly stood up and pulled Chloe to their table, making her sit across from them and hoping no one paid too much attention to her earlier shout.


    "Why are you shouting?" Carol couldn''t help but demand through gritted teeth. Stunned, Chloe apologized automatically.


    "Sorry?"


    "Is everything okay?" Daniel asked, noticing how Carol''s body had suddenly tensed up. He was just as surprised as she was, though he shouldn''t have been. Sure, Carol didn''t have a dazzling social life, but there were still people who knew her. In a town like Smallville, they should have expected something like this to happen. Maybe they should have gone further away.


    "Yes!"


    "No!"


    Two voices responded at the same time, one louder than the other.


    Chloe looked at her best friend in disbelief. They had known each other practically their whole lives, and there were few things they didn''t share.


    If she was honest with herself, Chloe believed she knew Carol so well that they could almost be sisters. So how? How had she missed this?


    When she entered the place, she hadn''t expected the scene she found. At first, she thought she had seen it wrong since she was at the bar ordering a drink to go and therefore far from where Daniel and Carol were.


    But her eyesight had always been good at noticing small details, yet her mind refused to believe what her eyes saw, so she unconsciously moved closer.


    To say it was a shock to see her best friend snuggling up against a stranger with such intensity that she almost seemed to want to stick to him would be an understatement.


    She was completely bewildered, astonished, amazed. It might seem exaggerated, but Chloe had known Carol since childhood. Carol, who always avoided physical contact, even with her parents. Carol, who always kept her distance from people. Carol, who seemed to be allergic to any guy. Even she could count on one hand the number of times Carol had hugged her, and that was more Chloe hugging a Carol who simply stood still like a statue.


    And now, seeing her literally glued to the arms of a strange guy as if she wanted to melt into him, Chloe couldn''t help but think she was dreaming.


    A hallucination? A dream? But it would be very difficult for her not to recognize Carol''s face, a face she had seen for years, glasses included.


    That''s why her body moved on its own, getting closer and closer until she saw clearly that yes, it was Carol, and yes, she was clinging to a man as if her life depended on it.


    In shock, she couldn''t help but call out loudly.


    Then, as quick as a flash, Carol straightened up, grabbed her hand, and with unexpected strength, made her sit in front of them.


    "Why are you shouting?" The question briefly snapped her out of her shock.


    "Sorry?" She apologized without knowing why.


    Then the man, who had been watching with a look of doubt, asked calmly.


    "Is everything okay?"


    His voice was deep and clear yet somehow melodic, clearly young, giving off a sense of confidence. Despite her confusion about the situation, Chloe unconsciously responded honestly.


    And so did Carol.


    "Yes!"


    "No!"


    Carol and Chloe looked at each other in defiance.


    Doubts filled the blonde girl''s mind. Clearly, the situation wasn''t okay. How could Carol hide something like this? How long had she been seeing a guy, and why didn''t she know about it?


    The man raised an eyebrow at their response but said nothing.


    Carol sighed, putting her hands on her face. Everything was going so well, and it had been such a perfect moment. She never thought she''d say it, but she really hated Chloe at this very moment.


    Seeing Carol like this, Chloe then realized she had interrupted at a bad time or had interrupted Carol''s good moment?


    For his part, Daniel sighed in relief, saved by the bell. Who would have thought? He wouldn''t know what he would have done if Carol had continued with what he thought she was about to do.


    "I''m Daniel, Daniel Evans," he extended his hand and formally introduced himself to break the tension that had been filling the place.


    Chloe looked at him in astonishment for a moment and then responded by taking his hand.


    "I''m Chloe Sullivan, Carol''s best friend." For some reason, she emphasized the last words.


    "Oh yes, Chloe, Carol has mentioned you a few times, always with good words," Daniel said without hesitation, earning a strange look from Carol, which she quickly managed to conceal.


    "Curious, she¡¯s never spoken of you, at all." She said this with a smile, causing Carol''s right eye to twitch slightly.


    Even though she knew Daniel wouldn''t care, Carol couldn''t help but feel embarrassed for some reason, because it felt like Chloe was insinuating that Daniel wasn''t important enough for her to talk about.


    Which was complete nonsense; Carol could talk about Daniel all day, every day, until the end of time. But she knew she shouldn''t, especially not in front of Chloe. After all, her friend was a pretty decent aspiring journalist.


    If she spoke and accidentally let slip the slightest hint or strange fact about Daniel, it could arouse Chloe''s suspicions, bringing out the girl''s more obsessive side. In short, Carol didn''t want Chloe to try to investigate Daniel at all.


    "Well, with everything that''s happened around Smallville, I understand that talking about certain things can be overlooked," Daniel said simply, gently stroking Carol''s back to calm her. He had noticed her getting nervous.


    Feeling his touch, Carol relaxed, something that did not go unnoticed by Chloe.


    The blonde frowned. Such an excuse¡­ she didn¡¯t buy it at all. Obviously, something was hidden here, something concealed; her journalistic senses were tingling.


    But before the conversation could continue, the sound of a mobile phone interrupted.


    Daniel quickly pulled out the disposable phone and looked at the caller ID. It seemed that SHIELD urgently needed help with something. Without hesitation, he answered, listening intently, his eyebrows furrowing deeply.


    At the same time, Carol also put on a serious expression because she, too, had been able to hear. The only one confused was Chloe.


    "I understand, I''m on my way," the call ended.


    Daniel quickly patted Carol''s shoulder and stood up. The girl did not hesitate and let him leave his seat.


    "Sorry for leaving like this, but I still have something to do, so I''ll leave you two to chat." He took out a 100-dollar bill and handed it to Carol before quickly leaving. It was so sudden that Chloe couldn''t say anything.


    "Okay?..."


    "He''s a busy man," Carol said, seeing Chloe''s confusion.


    Shaking off her bewilderment, Chloe rushed over and sat next to Carol, feeling the girl tense up. She couldn''t help but be annoyed and tease her.


    "Oh come on, you can cling to that guy like he''s a magnet, and it bothers you that I get close to you? Am I giving you an allergy or something?" At Chloe''s question, Carol got slightly annoyed. Leaning closer and covering Chloe''s mouth with her hand, she spoke somewhat irritably.


    "He''s not just some ''guy,'' his name is Daniel!" She emphasized the name.


    Chloe looked at her blankly for a moment, then Carol''s eyes widened in shock as she felt a tongue lick her palm. She quickly pulled her hand away and backed off from the blonde.


    "Don''t cover my mouth!" Chloe said, sticking out her tongue.


    Carol sighed and wiped her hand with a napkin before looking at Chloe, who crossed her arms before speaking again.


    "So, are you going to tell me everything, or do I have to start investigating?"


    Carol hesitated for a moment. Well, this was Chloe. No matter how annoyed she was with the girl, in the end, she was her friend. And now she knew about Daniel, well not everything, but she knew he existed. So telling her one or two things should be okay.


    "I can tell you a few things, but don''t tell my parents," she said very seriously. Rarely had Chloe seen such a serious look on her, so she got serious too and nodded.


    "I promise." Carol looked Chloe directly in the eyes for a few moments before sighing and starting to speak.


    "Do you remember the abandoned farm next to my house?"


    .


    .


    .


    Daniel quickly took off into the sky, having changed into his heroic suit swiftly, his destination clear, San Francisco.


    It seemed another monster had decided to appear.


    .


    .


    .


    Note:


    I¡¯d like to thank you for all the support given so far. If everything goes well, soon the public updates for Still Defiant and SuperSoldier will increase to two chapters per week each, with Sunday and Monday being the most likely days, although that could vary depending on various circumstances.


    Of course, if you want to look beyond that, you can visit my P)atreon, where you¡¯ll find some extra chapters and get one or another additional benefit. (p)atreon. com/EmmaCruzader) I deeply appreciate all the support! ;D


    P.S. My birthday is coming up! (This August 30th) I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll do anything special besides buying myself an individual cake and blowing out a candle as a celebration. I¡¯m mentioning it because I might be somewhat absent that day (which falls on a Friday), although that shouldn¡¯t really affect things too much now that I think about it. Oh well, giving a heads-up never hurts, right?

 34: Bon appetit

    34: Bon appetit


    The sound of sizzling oil along with the aroma of spices and seasonings mixed together began to spread unnaturally, like a tide it invisibly extended through one of the main streets of San Francisco, causing all the pedestrians passing by to suddenly stop, their noses beginning to inhale while their mouths watered uncontrollably.


    "That smell seems really good."


    "Where is that aroma coming from?"


    "I''ve never smelled anything like this before, should we try it?"


    "My mouth is watering just from smelling it!"


    Person after person began heading towards a modest restaurant on the corner of the street, a place that mostly went unnoticed on most days, but not today. Today, a wave of almost hypnotized people began walking towards its doors.


    Inside the establishment, in a kitchen darkened by shadows, a thing¡ªbecause it could not be described any other way¡ªwas stirring the broth of an enormous pot.


    "Only the meat is missing," its whisper was low.


    Olive-sized eyes as black as coal looked inside the pot. Its swollen face looked like a deformed mass full of lumps, its pale skin peeling off its body like layers of boiled onion while the boiling steam came out of every pore of its skin with each breath.


    Only the torn and tattered suit it wore on its body, which seemed more like a bad parody of what was once the attire of a real cook, was the last remnant of a humanity already lost.


    In its left hand was a long kitchen knife, its handle fused with the flesh of its hand in such a way that it seemed it could never let go.


    "Hello!? Is anyone here?"


    A man, the first to be drawn by the mysterious aroma, looked at the ajar door from which that fantastic smell was coming and couldn''t help but swallow.


    "Of course! We are open, come in, the food is almost ready..."


    The voice was grotesque, a crude imitation of what a human voice would be. For a split second the man hesitated, then the smell returned and his eyes clouded. Slowly he entered, and soon after, more and more people began to follow him.


    The man walked through the dark restaurant, looked at the disordered tables and scattered chairs, frowned, and his eyes began to clear. His survival instinct started to surface. Why had he entered?


    His nose tingled, and he remembered that smell. Then he looked towards the kitchen and started moving in that direction despite something inside him telling him he shouldn''t.


    When he entered, a horrible scene greeted him.


    The whole place was a mess, absolutely vomit-inducing, with animal remains, garbage, and rotten vegetables scattered everywhere, staining the floor, the walls, and even the ceiling.


    And in the center of it all was what could only be called a monster. Its enormous figure, over two meters tall, slowly turned to look at him, its horrible appearance barely hidden by the steam coming from its obese body.


    The man felt adrenaline fill his body, and a deep, primal fear quickly began to bloom inside him, making his teeth chatter uncontrollably.


    "It''s good that you arrived~, the broth is just right. Only the main ingredient is missing."


    The man tried to run, but an enormous greasy hand, dripping with oil and steam, moved quickly and grabbed him by the waist.


    "No! Help me!"


    His screams woke the other people who had entered after him from their trance. Their eyes cleared, and with horror, they saw the man being thrown into the boiling pot, his screams dying along with him.


    Then chaos erupted.


    "Don''t run!, it would be bad if you hurt your bodies~"


    .


    .


    .


    Daniel flew through the air at great speed. According to the report Natasha had given him, Castro Street in San Francisco had descended into chaos when what could only be described as a monster began "capturing" pedestrians. The local police had tried to contain the situation but found it impossible. As promised, SHIELD had been on alert and, noticing the "unnatural" aspect of the incident, had contacted him immediately.


    Daniel broke through a cloud causing it to "explode" his superior eyesight quickly focused on the city below him catching a cloud of black smoke billowing from a burning police car, heard gunfire and screams, and soon his eyes found his target. Without hesitation, he dove towards the ground.


    Using his super speed, he intercepted the enormous greasy hand that had been about to grab the head of a child who seemed to have tripped while fleeing. His fist shot out without hesitation, striking the monster''s ugly face and sending its obese body hurtling backwards, back to where it seemed to have emerged.


    "It''s Defiant! Defiant has arrived!" The child who had been screaming in terror now looked at him in awe, and Daniel almost thought he saw stars in the boy''s eyes.


    "Everything is okay now. Do you know where your parents are?" Daniel asked as he helped him up from the ground, never taking his eyes off the spot where he had sent the monster flying.


    "Can I have your autograph?!" The boy seemed too excited to answer. Fortunately, a worried voice was heard not far away, and Daniel saw a woman with tears in her eyes running towards them. Without hesitation, he picked up the boy and carried him to her.


    "Look, Mom, it''s Defiant!" the boy said to his mother, who hugged him tightly. Then she looked at Daniel with gratitude and nodded at him with a smile.


    "Yes, honey, it''s Defiant."


    "Come on, it''s better if you move back," Daniel said, and the woman nodded, thanking him once more before running off with her son.


    Daniel did a quick search to ensure no one else was nearby. The local police had already begun to surround the area, and he knew SHIELD would be close as well.


    Once he was sure everything was clear, he looked towards where he had sent his enemy flying. He could hear it, still alive and undoubtedly angry.


    And his thought was correct. Suddenly, an explosion shook the area, and a burst of boiling steam shot out in all directions at high speed.


    Seeing this, Daniel didn''t hesitate and blew a cold wind that clashed with the steam wave, preventing it from spreading beyond the police perimeter.


    "YOU INTERRUPTED IN MY KITCHEN!"


    The voice reverberated through the area, sounding strange, guttural, and impossibly deep.


    There was an explosion in the air and a Big figure shot towards Daniel, who quickly dodged to the side and prepared his counterattack.


    "People are not on the menu!" His fist struck the back of what could only be called a deformed parody of a chef, pressing it into the ground and creating a huge crater.


    "Agh!?"


    The monster spat out a mouthful of what seemed to be blood, though strangely there were boiled vegetables in it.


    Daniel looked at it, then at his fist. Hitting it felt somewhat odd, but he still managed to do significant damage despite not attacking with all his strength. This told him that the monster wasn''t too strong, so he should be able to kill it easily. But maybe he didn''t need to kill it.


    He considered another option. If this monster had the same origin as Greg, capturing it alive could help in his investigation of the M Gene. Of course, there was a possibility that this monster was created differently, but Daniel had a hunch that wasn''t the case.


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    "Alright, I''ve decided. You''re coming back with me. I suggest you don''t resist because this will hurt you more than it will hurt me if you do," Daniel began to think as he looked around, maybe he should have created that V-element string after all.


    For now, some metal should help to wrap this guy up.


    "H-how could I leave? My main dish isn''t finished yet!" The ground suddenly shook as the monster struggled. Daniel placed a foot on it, making it sink deeper into the ground.


    Daniel frowned, thinking about the monster''s words. Main dish? What did that mean? Remembering SHIELD''s reports and what he knew about how food was served in restaurants, Daniel couldn''t help but have a bad feeling.


    "You better not have done what I think you did, or my kindness will end," Daniel decided to drop the joviality. He would break the monster''s arms and legs and take it like that; he''d find something to tie it up with later.


    "APPETIZER!" the monster roared. Daniel felt his senses sharpen, his eyes slowly turning towards the restaurant as he heard something explode inside.


    His pupils slightly contracted as he saw a blurry figure shooting towards him at high speed. It moved fast, so fast that Daniel barely managed to step back, dodging its attack.


    Daniel frowned as he saw the thing that had tried to attack him. Describing it as merely horrible would be generous.


    What had once been a human body now resembled a grotesque parody, more like a heap of flesh mixed with various kitchen ingredients, molded in a way that barely seemed humanoid.


    "H-how is it?! My specially prepared Saltimbocca! Its meat is only 13 years old, soft, tender, and at its best point~" the monster stood up, praising its creation with excitement.


    Thirteen years old? Daniel looked closer this time, noting the small stature of the thing, an understanding dawning on him immediately and darkening his expression.


    His figure vanished, and before the monster could react, Daniel was in front of it, his fist breaking through the air and striking its chest with great force. The flesh exploded, and his arm pierced through the layers of meat, making the blood splatter like a burst water balloon.


    "Buagh!?" The monster writhed and tried to move away, making Daniel frown. Why wasn''t it dead? He pulled his arm out, covered in dark blood, and saw the hole he had created trying to close on its own, albeit slowly. Clearly, it had only a minor regenerative factor.


    Well, this was fine. He had let his momentary anger take over and almost killed his test subject. That would have been a wasted opportunity.


    While he was thinking this, his face suddenly received a powerful impact, causing his head to turn slightly to one side. His eyes followed the owner of the fist still on his cheek, noting that it was the so-called "appetizer" that had attacked him.


    It was a strong punch, but nothing that could cause real harm. He reached out to grab the second monster''s arm, but it disappeared in a blur the next instant.


    "More speed than strength, huh?" Daniel followed with his eyes the figure moving around him in circles causing a gale of air to begin to form.


    The "Appetizer" lunged at him again but this time Daniel easily stepped aside, his hand lunged like a knife slashing towards his neck, there was no resistance, it pierced his flesh cleanly and the deformed head with no facial features was sent flying through the air, the body like a puppet with the strings cut fell rolling on the ground uncontrollably.


    "I-Impossible!" the "chef" screamed in horror, seeing his creation destroyed in an instant.


    But his shock was extinguished the next instant as Daniel''s fist appeared in front of him, striking with enough force to cave in his face and send his deformed teeth flying.


    Seeing the enormous body fall backward, Daniel took a deep breath and blew, causing ice to form and encase nearly the entire monster in a block of ice, except for its head.


    Then he took out his phone and made a call.


    "What''s up, D-boy?" Tony''s tired voice came through.


    Looking at the fallen monster, Daniel smiled before responding.


    "Tell me, have you ever seen a monster?"


    .


    .


    .


    Tony sipped his freshly brewed coffee. He had been happily resting, healing his wounds while watching the news when Daniel suddenly called him. Of course, he had also received an alert from SHIELD, not to mention he had known about the incident almost as soon as it began.


    Hacking into the private servers of the international agency had been pretty easy for him, after all.


    He had considered putting on his armor and heading there directly. After all, Malibu wasn''t too far from San Francisco, but before he could do so, Pepper had stopped him. That woman had been watching over him like a hawk since he decided to leave the hospital.


    "Defiant will be able to handle this alone," she had said, and Tony couldn''t deny that. So he decided to watch what was happening through surveillance cameras and official reports, whether from the police or SHIELD.


    Which turned out to be quite inefficient. High-quality security cameras weren''t very abundant at the time, so he only received fairly mediocre images. Although the official reports had been more enlightening, they barely gave him an idea of what was happening.


    Maybe he should upgrade the global surveillance systems?


    His thoughts were interrupted by Jarvis''s voice.


    "Defiant is approaching, sir."


    Tony decided to put such thoughts aside for later. He walked to his sea-view balcony to watch as Daniel arrived from the skies, carrying a massive block of ice in one of his hands.


    No, it wasn¡¯t just a block of ice.


    Suddenly, the little appetite he had been feeling vanished upon seeing the horrible thing Daniel had brought with him.


    ¡°You just ruined my morning,¡± Tony said, setting his coffee aside.


    ¡°Join the club,¡± Daniel said, setting his prisoner down on Tony¡¯s balcony.


    Tony approached cautiously, looking at the monster with a mix of curiosity and disgust.


    ¡°So what am I looking at, D-boy?¡± Although he had heard reports about what was happening in San Francisco, seeing it in person was vastly different from just hearing a description that barely did justice to the thing before him.


    ¡°In simple terms? A monster. In more complicated terms? It¡¯s better if you sit down since it¡¯ll take me a while to explain,¡± Daniel said, entering and looking around. It was a pretty decent house.


    "Jarvis?" he said into the air, and the voice of the A.I. responded.


    "It is a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Defiant."


    "The pleasure is mine. Could you do me a favor? Can you project the data on this?" he said, pulling a USB drive from his belt, which he had taken before leaving Smallville.


    "I have no problem doing that," the A.I. replied.


    "Should I be worried? I need to remind you that Jarvis is not looking for a job," Tony said, watching Daniel give orders to Jarvis. Of course, this was possible because Jarvis knew Daniel was Tony''s ally; otherwise, he wouldn''t have obeyed.


    "Actually, I think I might consider the option. After all, my current salary is not that good," Jarvis said.


    That almost made Tony spit out his coffee; he didn''t expect Jarvis to remember that.


    "Well, I know a good lawyer. Maybe you''d like his number for a labor lawsuit," Daniel said, plugging the USB into a port Jarvis had unlocked in one of the walls. It seemed Tony had designed his house to be able to work anywhere in it.


    "No, don''t encourage him," Tony complained.


    Their conversation was interrupted when Jarvis scanned the data on the USB and projected several screens with its content on them.


    Tony looked at the data bewildered. Although biology was not his main field of study, that didn''t mean he didn''t have some knowledge in it. In fact, he had studied a bit about the human body when he was younger to impress some pretty doctors.


    ¡°Look, observe here, this is the normal DNA of a human being.¡±


    Daniel began to explain all his research. He started to tell Tony about Greg, his mutations, and specifically focused on the M Gene. It was an extremely detailed genetics class that lasted for some time.


    ¡°With all that said, I think this guy will present the same genetic anomaly,¡± he concluded and looked at Tony, who seemed thoughtful while observing the data.


    The man was truly a genius. He was able to keep up with everything and learn on the fly about the things he didn''t know without forgetting anything. Daniel never had to explain something twice.


    ¡°This is like taking human DNA and simply tearing it apart until you get the most grotesque and nonsensical form possible and still keep it together. No, more than that, pushing it beyond the logical,¡± Tony was both interested and astonished while being horrified.


    ¡°Yes, and I think the cases of people turning into these things will continue to increase until I find a solution, until we find a solution.¡± Normally, Daniel wouldn''t have involved Tony in this. After all, genetics was not the man''s specialty.


    But he had no other choice. He had already gone to Lara. That''s right, Daniel had already presented the same data to Carol''s mother, allowing her to use the much more advanced Kryptonian technology on Greg''s remains in the hope of finding a quick solution to fix this problem before it became something bigger.


    The woman had been as or more stunned than Tony. She had conducted multiple deep scans but achieved nothing significant. In her words, this was something illogical, something that even advanced Kryptonian science had no way to fix.


    That, of course, deeply disappointed Daniel. Part of him thought that with the Fortress at his back, any scientific problem he encountered could be resolved immediately and easily. He was wrong.


    This was something that needed something different, a distinct approach. No matter how intelligent and knowledgeable Lara was, she was still just an A.I. and had thus lost that spark, the spark that the real Lara surely had, an unpredictable ingenuity that only the insane or unparalleled geniuses possessed, something that Daniel himself did not have.


    To solve an illogical problem, one needs to think beyond all logic. So Daniel had been thinking that to solve this, he needed to gather the most incredible minds this world had.


    Starting, without a doubt, with Tony Stark.


    ¡°Looks like I''m going to have to study a lot. Well, getting another degree never hurts, right?¡± Tony said, trying to lighten the mood, though he didn''t quite succeed.


    After all, they didn''t know how many people had this anomaly. Could it be a thousand? Ten thousand? A million? Maybe more? Just thinking about it sent chills down Tony''s spine. What would happen if suddenly everyone changed at the same time? What would happen to the world?


    Tony didn''t expect that becoming a superhero would literally involve fighting monsters, although he supposed he should have expected it.


    ¡°How much intelligence do you think they retain? Do you think we can talk to them?¡± he asked, approaching the captured monster.


    ¡°You want to talk to them?¡± Daniel couldn''t help but blink in surprise.


    ¡°They were once human, weren''t they? We don''t know how they changed, what triggered it. Maybe we can find out and start from there.¡±


    Well, that was actually a good idea.


    ¡°Well, I don''t think this guy is going anywhere.¡±


    Suddenly, Jarol, who had been pretending to be unconscious, felt two fierce gazes upon him. His tiny eyes opened nervously and then with horror as he noticed both heroes looking at him.


    Like a pair of wolves eyeing a defenseless lamb.


    .


    .


    .


    Note:


    Another chapter, some action to contrast with the more relaxed chapters. Daniel has started seeking help from the most incredible minds in the world. I wonder who he has on that list. I guess we''ll find out in the next chapters.


    Remember to comment, and if you notice any errors, don''t hesitate to point them out. I''ll fix them as quickly as I can. Thanks for all the support.


    You can already find the next chapter (and several more chapters) of this story on P)atreon (p)atreon com/EmmaCruzader) All the support received is appreciated ;D

 35: Arrested

    It''s my birthday! Early chapter to celebrate ;D


    35: Arrested


    Fury looked at the screens projected in front of him with seriousness. As expected, the news had been quite hot lately. First, what happened in Gulmira, then the Defiant conference, followed by the destruction of the Stark Industries building, and the revelation that Tony Stark was Iron Man.


    As if that wasn¡¯t enough, now there were images of a real monster circulating all over the world.


    Yes, his job was beginning to get more stressful, and if he wasn¡¯t bald, he would have feared for his hair.


    Suddenly, his personal communicator started to ring, and without hesitation, he answered.


    ¡°I have news,¡± Natasha¡¯s voice came through, and Fury had to take a moment because there was something in her tone that he hadn¡¯t heard in a while.


    ¡°Agent Romanoff, tell me what happens¡±


    After the monster in San Francisco was defeated and Daniel took it with him, S.H.I.E.L.D. realized that the direction the hero headed was towards Malibu. While they couldn¡¯t track him if he went any further, Fury believed that Defiant was going to meet Tony for some reason that he still didn¡¯t know but surely had to do with the prisoner he took.


    Therefore, Natasha, who was already nearby, was sent to pay a visit to the billionaire at his mansion.


    .


    In Malibu, California, inside Tony Stark¡¯s house.


    Natasha looked at the scene in front of her for a moment before responding.


    ¡°explaining it is a bit complicated. It¡¯s better if you come in person; they want to talk to you.¡±


    Fury on the other side of the line slightly frowned but nodded.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be there soon,¡± he said, then hung up the call, and Natasha turned her attention back to Daniel and Tony, who were looking at the strangest and most grotesque being Natasha had the misfortune to see, which said a lot since she had seen very horrible things before.


    ¡°Listen, just tell us what we want, and everything will be easy,¡± Tony said in a relaxed voice.


    ¡°Oh, you can refuse, and I¡¯ll make sure to turn your world into hell,¡± Daniel threatened in a deep voice, deeper than his natural voice, making it clear he was making an effort.


    Upon seeing them do such a thing, Natasha couldn''t decide whether to laugh or feel amazed because it was actually working.


    The monster, which was no longer frozen but imprisoned in what appeared to be an improvised cage made of energy shields, trembled, causing its onion-layered skin to shake unpleasantly.


    It was strange and unsettling, a huge being over three meters tall shrinking like a scolded child. Natasha would certainly put it in her top ten strangest things she had seen in recent years.


    ¡°I-I don¡¯t know, I hated everything, I was very angry,¡± the monster said through gritted teeth, its trembling turning into one of frustration, and its small dark eyes gained a clear glint of rage.


    ¡°Let¡¯s talk about those emotions. Why were you angry? What caused it?¡± Tony asked.


    The monster squirmed, as if trying to remember.


    Natasha didn¡¯t know exactly what Daniel or Tony were looking for with this, but seeing that the monster seemed unable to give an answer, she decided to intervene.


    ¡°Maybe being fired from the place where he worked for almost 20 years is the answer,¡± she said. At her words, Daniel and Tony turned to look at her, making her shrug.


    ¡°What? S.H.I.E.L.D. finished cleaning the place and found some clues.¡±


    ¡°Jarvis, why am I hearing about this now?¡± Tony asked, frowning.


    ¡°Sorry, sir. You seemed quite entertained, and I didn¡¯t want to interrupt your game.¡±


    That made both Daniel and Natasha almost snort.


    ¡°Well, I guess I can stop faking the voice,¡± Daniel returned to his normal voice and looked at the monster, who now seemed more agitated upon hearing what Natasha had said.


    ¡°Tell me everything you learned about him,¡± he said without turning to look at Natasha. She looked at him for a moment before nodding and beginning to speak.


    ¡°Jarol Holm, a Swedish immigrant who came to the United States with his family almost 30 years ago. There''s not much to highlight in his story beyond his anger issues during his adolescence and violent tendencies that led him to be arrested several times. He calmed down for a while, took some cooking classes, and got a job at one of the oldest restaurants in San Francisco. Of course, over time, his hygiene... started to leave much to be desired. The constant complaints from customers led his boss to decide to fire him after many arguments. After that, well, I guess something happened to him.¡±


    The more Natasha spoke, the more it seemed Jarol remembered, shaking his head constantly until he heard the last part of her account.


    ¡°No!¡± he shouted, though it was more like a roar, steam pouring from his pores in waves, only being held back by the energy shields surrounding him.


    ¡°He couldn¡¯t fire me! He had no right!¡± he yelled, his fist slamming against the blue energy wall. Daniel and Tony looked at several screens projecting real-time data.


    Before imprisoning Jarol, they had installed various sensors in his cell to monitor his condition, as well as in his body. The monster, of course, had been unable to resist.


    ¡°They¡¯re reacting to his anger,¡± Tony said, astonished as he watched a screen showing cells inside Jarol agitating, changing, and altering in strange ways.


    ¡°Not just his anger, it¡¯s his emotions,¡± Daniel said thoughtfully.


    So, an emotional trigger... Where had he seen something like this before?


    Monsters? An emotional trigger? An appearance and abilities related to what caused that surge of emotions?


    Daniel suddenly stood still, absorbing this information, uncertain if what he thought it was could be correct or not.


    He shook his head. No, this was a different world, unrelated to that place. It should be impossible for something like that to exist here.


    But he knew he was just trying to deny it. He knew his own luck; of course, this had a high probability of being his fault. No, it wasn¡¯t his fault¡ªor was it? It would be hard to know, and it didn¡¯t really matter. As long as he found a way to fix it, then it would be fine. He was Defiant, a superhero. Whether it was his fault or not, fixing this was his responsibility, and that wouldn¡¯t change.


    He took a deep breath and sighed slowly.


    ¡°Well, this gives us a clue, though not a very useful one,¡± How could emotions biologically affect living beings to the point of deforming their existence into something non-human? There was more to this than simple biological science¡ªsomething mental. Thinking about it, he couldn¡¯t help but picture a blonde woman in his mind.


    Yes, maybe he needed to talk to her again to investigate and clarify some things regarding this. Although, considering he had left without warning and hadn¡¯t sent any message in the past few days, she was probably very upset.


    Well, in his defense, a lot of things had been happening, and she knew he was a busy man.


    "if it''s not too much to ask, I would like an explanation about this," Fury''s voice arrived, though this time his arrival was no surprise to Daniel, who had been attentive to the sounds in case the literal monster in the room tried to escape.


    Tony, who had been studying some of the collected data, waved his hand without looking at Fury and responded casually.


    "I hope you went to the bathroom before coming because this might take a while."


    Daniel began to think that he might try the teaching profession if he ever had time for it, though teaching didn''t become his favorite thing instantly, it was certainly entertaining.


    Of course, it helped that the students were intelligent, not counting Tony, and although Natasha and Fury weren''t extraordinary geniuses, underestimating their intelligence would be a grave mistake.


    It didn''t take them long to summarize what was happening; they showed some of the findings and theories that Daniel had, and that Tony could corroborate even if he still wasn''t an expert in genetics.


    "So, something that may or may not be hidden in many or few people around the world makes people turn into these things for no reason?" After listening to the whole explanation, Fury spoke, pointing towards Jarol''s cell; the monster had been isolated but was still in view for monitoring.


    "Well, there might be a reason, though it''s still a hypothesis, but we have enough evidence to show that this could be the right answer." Daniel then mentioned Jarol''s situation and the emotional trigger, apart from extracting the information from Greg and Raza.


    "The example of the former leader of the Ten Rings in Afghanistan is something Tony can explain better." At that, Tony nodded and began to detail his encounter with the man.


    "I didn''t think too much about it at the time, but now I feel that the emotional trigger theory makes a lot of sense. I didn''t kill him immediately, I... wanted to see him suffer, to feel the same as I did," he touched his chest where the arc reactor was glowing.


    "A slow and agonizing death," he was quite angry at that moment.


    "Now I know that doing that was stupid and it came back to bite me immediately." Then he signaled, and Jarvis played some of the images of his encounter with Raza, images that had been taken by his armor.


    He didn''t show the entire encounter, just the important parts, like Raza''s sudden transformation and the demonstration of his powers, and some parts of the fight.


    Once he finished his explanation, Daniel stepped forward.


    "I don''t know exactly when or what happened to him, but thanks to the testimonies of several students, we can be clear that the boy Arkin had been getting into trouble before, well, the incident at his school. Emotional problems are more common in teenagers, but unlike Jarol or Raza, we don''t have direct proof that this was his case, so we can only assume that it was and that something happened to cause him to change." This was why, even with three examples, they couldn''t say for sure that an emotional trigger was really the key point.


    Daniel frowned as he thought about this matter. In part, he felt responsible because Smallville was his home and base, and that something like this had happened without his notice only served to remind him of how imperfect he was.


    He couldn''t be everywhere or save everyone; it was something he thought he already knew, but believing you know something and having proof of it hitting you in the face felt very different, and he would be lying if he said he didn''t feel a bit bad about it.


    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    This was why he really wanted to stop this problem before it became too big.


    Fury pondered all of this for a moment before speaking.


    "I would like to have some samples so the scientists at Shield can do some analyses."


    "Do you doubt us?" Tony couldn''t help but ask with clear displeasure.


    "You''ve always been more of a mechanic than a biologist, Tony. Besides, verification is necessary with something this serious." It wasn''t that Fury didn''t trust them, but as the director of the world''s most important international defense agency, he had to use his own means to be sure.


    "Well, if you want a sample, then you can have it," Daniel said suddenly, pointing to Jarol, causing both men to look at him in confusion.


    "Did you plan to keep him in your living room until the end of time?" Daniel couldn''t help but ask with amusement as he saw how Tony looked at him.


    The man frowned. "Well, you know, I thought you''d take him to your secret base or something."


    "I have a base... but it''s not a prison." Daniel wasn''t going to turn his farm into a prison, and although the fortress could be adapted, he would never take a prisoner and enemy near it in any way. That''s how things tended to go wrong.


    Of course, there was the Phantom Zone, but Daniel wasn''t going to build an entrance to that place anytime soon. First of all, he didn''t have the necessary resources at hand, and secondly, opening a door to what was essentially a dumping ground for criminals just to put more criminals in sounded like a very bad idea.


    Although not completely, his memories about Superman had almost returned. There were still things missing, of course, but several gaps had been filled, and he knew that not infrequently, prisoners from the Phantom Zone tended to escape one way or another.


    Therefore, he wanted to wait until at least his superhero team was mostly complete before opening a door to that place.


    That way, even if something went wrong, he would have enough help to handle it.


    Maybe it was a bit paranoid, but if suddenly three or more angry Kryptonians escaped, Daniel wasn''t sure that he, Tony, and Carol could stop them without half the world going up in flames.


    So yes, he was going to be cautious.


    Fury looked at the monster over three meters tall and almost as wide as a car and couldn''t help but smile ironically. While Shield had several prisons around the world, their facilities were... designed for less monstrous prisoners.


    Still, it didn''t mean they didn''t have options.


    "I might have a place."


    That caught Tony and Daniel''s attention.


    "Wait, you really have a prison for monsters?"


    To Stark''s question, Fury shook his head.


    "Not for monsters, for a monster. A very green and very angry one. Although it''s not completely finished yet, it should be enough to hold this guy. Of course, I would like your help to improve it," he said, looking at the energy shields containing Jarol.


    At the request, Tony almost refused, but before doing so, he began to think more deeply about it. He remembered Raza, the boy Arkin, the monster in front of him, and those strange ninja-like guys with fire powers.


    If more monsters, people, or strange beings with abilities beyond the norm kept appearing and wreaking havoc around the world, they would need a place to put them.


    Killing each and every one of them could be the easy solution, but it was also too ruthless and inhumane. Even if Tony had already crossed that line, it didn''t mean he enjoyed doing it or wanted to become a complete murderer. No, that was not the legacy he sought to leave.


    "I''ll think of something," Tony simply said, with some ideas beginning to form in his mind.


    Fury knew this was the best he could get for now, so he shrugged and accepted it.


    Then he looked at Daniel. "Do you think..." he pointed at Jarol, and Daniel understood. Of course, they needed to transport the monster to the cell Fury mentioned, but letting Shield handle it alone was like inviting Jarol to escape one way or another.


    "Jarvis, deactivate the shields," Tony said, and soon the monster was free once more. Of course, in the next instant, a fist struck its face, leaving it unconscious, and its body was encased in a block of ice.


    .


    .


    .


    Carrying a monster in an ice block in one arm and a person in the other wasn''t as comfortable as he thought it would be.


    On the other hand, seeing Nick Fury''s irritated face while he held them was more entertaining. Daniel was pretty sure the man was completely regretting accepting his offer to bring him along.


    Well, he never promised it would be a comfortable trip.


    "We''re almost there," Fury said, pointing to a distant place. Daniel squinted, noticing a slight distortion in the sky. In fact, an ordinary person wouldn''t have noticed that something was wrong at first glance.


    He rose through the clouds and soon went beyond the distortion. Then he saw it.


    ''Pretty cool,'' he couldn''t help but think. Although he had seen more advanced technology, it didn''t change the fact that seeing a full-sized aircraft carrier flying through the clouds was awesome.


    Soon he landed, and along with Fury, they entered the place, drawing a lot of attention.


    "You certainly have an interesting place up here," he said, greeting some of the people who were staring at him.


    "Not only superheroes can have cool stuff," Fury responded with a smile.


    They passed through several areas until they reached their destination.


    "You know, when you said you had a place, I imagined a lot more metal, maybe some chains and spikes, certainly not glass," Daniel remarked, though calling it entirely glass would be a lie since it still had metal-reinforced corners. Still, he couldn''t help but look with interest at the cell with translucent glass walls.


    "Don''t underestimate this material. It''s a special creation of reinforced glass beyond anything you can imagine. It was made to withstand great amounts of impact." Fury actually sounded somewhat proud, and he had the right to be. Creating this material had been very challenging for Shield and had cost many resources and time.


    "Do you mind if I test it? Just to be sure, of course," Daniel said, placing the large ice cube with the prisoner on the ground. Although he didn''t believe Fury was lying, he still remembered that the man had said this cell wasn''t completely finished and he didn''t want to leave something as dangerous as Jarol without ensuring it wouldn''t escape, because if it did and ended up killing everyone in the place, that would definitely sit badly with him.


    Therefore, he needed to make sure that, at a minimum, it was impossible for Jarol to break out of this cell.


    Fury thought about his offer and nodded.


    "Go ahead, do it," he said, stepping aside to give him space.


    This was a great opportunity to see a direct demonstration of Defiant''s capabilities while also testing how effective the reinforced glass was.


    Of course, Shield had already tested it with high-caliber military weaponry, but that was still very different from testing it directly against the one who was meant to remain there. Although Hulk wasn''t present, Defiant seemed to possess equally impressive strength, so from Fury''s perspective, this could show just how effective this type of cell really was.


    With permission granted, Daniel approached the cell and extended his hand with a closed fist, his knuckles a few centimeters from touching the glass. Then he mentally calculated the distance and, with a single finger, exerted the same amount of force he had used to pierce Jarol''s body in their fight.


    His index finger shot forward at lightning speed, hitting the glass with such force that the generated shockwave created gales that sent fierce gusts of air through the room.


    Fury had to cover himself with both hands and couldn''t help but step back a few paces, almost stumbling.


    Then an extremely intense vibration spread throughout the place for a few seconds, causing alarms to start blaring all over the helicarrier.


    Seeing this, Fury quickly took out his communicator and calmed the situation.


    On his part, Daniel looked with astonishment at the crystal he had struck. Of course, he hadn''t done it with all his strength; he had only used one finger after all. But even so... it was incredible that it was able to withstand an impact of such caliber. One had to understand that he had penetrated the armor of war tanks in Gulmira using much less force than he had just now.


    For a moment, he was tempted to give it a real punch, but recalling the tremor that had shaken the place a moment ago, he knew that was a bad idea, so he dismissed it from his mind.


    "Yes, this will do," he finally said, giving his approval.


    On his part, Fury had a much less content expression than before. Although the crystal had withstood as expected, realizing that Daniel had only used one finger to shake the entire place made him understand that until now, Defiant had not really shown what he was truly capable of.


    "You probably also want to add something to deal with the steam it expels. Certainly, he''s been waiting to use it again, hasn''t he, Jarol?" Daniel, of course, didn''t believe that the ice in which the monster was encased could hold Jarol forever. He had already anticipated that it would try to use its ability to expel scalding steam to try to break free and escape.


    The monster, which had awakened not long ago and had been biding its time, trembled and looked at Daniel with fear.


    "Y-you!" Then the steam began to come out at high speed, but from Daniel''s perspective, it was like watching a cloud move slowly.


    He waited until the ice was almost completely melted before rushing in and grabbing the monster by the neck, causing it to let out a shriek. Then he hit it again until it was unconscious.


    "At least it saved us the work of defrosting the ice," Fury couldn''t help but say as he saw the pool of water starting to reach his feet.


    Soon, Fury opened the cell and let Daniel put the unconscious monster in it. Then Fury began to activate all the security mechanisms that hadn''t been active before, the main one being something that would make Jarol experience a fall of thousands of meters if he somehow managed to damage the cell.


    "Well, I still have some matters to attend to, so I''m off. If any problems arise, don''t hesitate to call me; you already have my number," Daniel said goodbye, deciding he would do a quick patrol before going to see Harleen.


    After all, being a hero wasn''t just about fighting bad guys.


    .


    .


    .


    "Eyes boring a way through me


    Paralyze, controlling completely.."


    The song blasted at full volume, echoing inside the sports car and pouring out through the open windows, flooding the road.


    "Now there is a fire in me!"


    The sound of the engine revving was drowned out by the rhythmic sound of the guitar. The exhaust let out a reverberation as the car began to travel at over 100 kilometers per hour.


    "A fire that burns


    This fire is out of control


    I''m gonna burn this city, burn this city


    This fire is out of control


    I''m gonna burn this city, burn this city


    This fire is out of control


    We''re gonna burn it, I''ll burn it, I, I, I''ll burn it down"


    A quick gear shift made the acceleration increase even more, adrenaline flooding his veins and his heart pounding like a drum.


    "Eyes burning the way through me


    Overwhelm, destroying so sweetly


    Now there is a fire within me


    A fire that burns!"


    The car jumped over a speed bump at full speed, leaving tire marks as it landed. The driver continued singing along to the music, not bothering to properly watch the road ahead, too engrossed in his own world.


    "Oh, how I burn for you!-uueaah!?"


    Of course, driving at such a high speed without paying proper attention could only result in an accident.


    Jonathan Storm, better known to his friends as Johnny Storm, tried to regain control of the vehicle with little success.


    "Shit!" he cursed in panic, realizing what was about to happen. His eyes widened to the extreme, and his heart almost seemed to stop for a moment.


    The car flew through the air, nearly flipping over, everything seeming to go in slow motion for the boy inside who felt his pants dampen without being able to do anything to prevent it. In the back of his mind, a part of him prayed that it was his soda and not urine that had just stained his pants.


    Johnny began to close his eyes, bracing for the imminent crash, but unexpectedly, it didn''t come.


    The car stopped suddenly in midair.


    "What the hell?" Confused, the boy felt the car moving as it was slowly lowered until it touched the ground with its wheels. Without hesitation, he turned off the engine and stuck his head out the window with curiosity.


    "Are you okay?" The voice made Johnny blink several times. A tall, well-built figure with a distinctive suit bearing a symbol on his chest, recognizable from frequent news appearances, greeted him.


    "Defiant!" Johnny shouted excitedly as he instantly recognized the hero.


    "That''s my name, don''t wear it out," he said with his characteristic smile. Johnny prepared to get out of the car, but before he could, a hand reached in, grabbing him by the collar of his shirt and yanking him out through the window.


    The movement was so fast that he didn''t even feel it until his feet touched the ground.


    "What-! What are you doing?!" he said in panic, feeling the hero scrutinize him from head to toe. Once Daniel ensured he wasn''t injured, he pulled a capture tape from his utility belt and began tying him up quickly in a practiced motion.


    "You were going almost 180 kilometers per hour on a public road. I''m pretty sure the police will love to hear why. By the way, they should be arriving soon; a patrol started following you a few kilometers back," Daniel explained calmly as he let Johnny fall beside the car.


    "Oh come on! Please, man, don''t do this. My dad is going to kill me," he pleaded. Daniel shook his head in amusement, noting that the boy seemed to have forgotten he was about to crash and now appeared more worried about facing the consequences.


    "Maybe that way you''ll learn to drive," Daniel smiled brightly, giving him a thumbs-up, earning a mortified look from the boy.


    "I thought you were cool!" Johnny complained, defeated.


    "I''m a hero, kid. That''s the definition of cool," he said and began to prepare to leave.


    Seeing that he was about to go, Johnny quickly called out to him again.


    "Hey, wait! At least give me a picture, man!"


    Hearing this, Daniel couldn''t help but give him an incredulous look.


    "I tied you up so you couldn''t escape from the police, and you still want a picture?"


    Johnny grinned.


    "Hey, you saved me, I can''t complain about that, right? But more importantly, if I have a picture with you, I could definitely impress a lot of girls!" he said, winking with a subtle expression that made Daniel snort. Then an idea came to Daniel''s mind, and with a mischievous smile, he searched for the boy''s phone and took it.


    "What''s your password?"


    "127689," Johnny said without hesitation.


    Once unlocked, Daniel quickly opened the camera and stood next to Johnny.


    "Wait! Wait! Don''t let the tape show too much," he pleaded, but Daniel ignored him and took the photo. Then he began uploading it to all the social media open on the phone, with the caption "Caught!" in all caps at the same time sending it to all contacts.


    "Hey! What are you doing?!"


    "Hashtag arrested. Didn''t you say you wanted to use a picture with me to impress some girls? With this, I''m sure you''ll have a long line of beautiful girls waiting to bail you out." Johnny looked incredulously at the hero, unable to believe what he had done.


    His left eye twitched, but soon a smile formed on his lips, and he began to laugh uncontrollably.


    "You! Hahaha, alright, alright, good move, man. Just wait, I''ll definitely get you back somehow!" How? Johnny had no fucking idea.


    "Well, I''ll be waiting for you," Daniel said with amusement and began to rise into the air, then disappeared into the distance.


    Watching him leave, Johnny sighed, stopping his laughter.


    "That was awesome..."


    .


    .


    .


    Note:


    Okay guys, I''m bringing you this chapter ahead of schedule because, as I said at the beginning, I''m celebrating! I hope you like it and I wish you a great day n.n


    In case you''re wondering how Daniel didn''t break that crystal, well, Thor hit that crystal with his hammer while he was angry, and it only cracked, so you can imagine how tough it is.


    Finally remember that You can already find the next chapter (and several more chapters) of this story on P)atreon (p)atreon. com/EmmaCruzader)All the support received is appreciated ;D

 36: Quinn

    36: Quinn


    ¡°It was so beautiful, like holding the entire world in your arms. His adorable blue eyes looked at me with such affection that I almost thought I¡¯d get diabetes from love. Can you imagine that, Doctor? Holding the greatest gift life can give you and never wanting to let it go?¡± The voice was filled with so much love and tenderness that the hand holding the pen paused for a moment before continuing to write.


    ¡°That¡¯s a love only a mother could have. I¡¯m still a bit young for that,¡± Harleen replied, watching her patient rock her hands as if cradling something that wasn¡¯t there¡ªa ghost from the past.


    ¡°Yes¡­ a mother, that¡¯s what I was. Just a mother who wanted to see her child grow up healthy and strong, live his life, see him start his own family. But life has always been a cruel joker. Just as it gives you great gifts, it takes them away in the most unjust ways.¡±


    There was a sense of helplessness followed by a snort. Her lips trembled, smiling as she recalled the past. Then her eyes met Harleen¡¯s.


    ¡°You know, Quinn, your eyes remind me of his.¡± At her words, Harleen raised an eyebrow, swallowing with some doubt as she decided whether it was the right moment to take a step further in these sessions. It had been several days since she started treating her most special patient, several days of testing the waters, advancing slowly, probing and waiting for a reaction.


    After all that back and forth, this was the first time she had managed to see the woman¡¯s more ¡°vulnerable¡± side.


    But the decision was made before she could do so, as the woman with green hair laughed¡ªa chilling yet somehow sad laugh.


    ¡°Yes, those blue eyes that suddenly lost their light, like candles being snuffed out in the wind. At that moment, I almost felt like something broke inside me, but no, it wasn¡¯t like that, Quinn. The reality is that I learned something else, an important lesson. Everything you love, everything that matters to you, will one day be taken away from you. And then¡­ what¡¯s left?¡± She leaned in, locking eyes with Harleen.


    Harleen didn¡¯t know what to say, but she didn¡¯t need to, as her patient spoke first.


    ¡°Nothing! Except the joke. That cruel joke the world plays on you, over and over again.¡± Her voice echoed through the room. Harleen looked at her and couldn¡¯t help but ask her next question.


    ¡°And¡­ is that what turned you into¡­ this?¡± She gestured, more precisely toward her unnaturally pale skin and the inhumanly long smile that adorned her face.


    The woman looked at her differently; there was something different in her eyes, something Harleen hadn¡¯t seen before. For a moment, she thought the woman had stopped smiling, but it was only for a moment.


    "Oh, Quinn, don¡¯t you understand, dear? I simply decided to laugh at the joke instead of crying. And you¡­ well, you can laugh with me if you want," she said, smiling more softly, not with a manic or sarcastic smile, but just a kind smile.


    ¡°Laugh with you?¡± Harleen frowned slightly, her lips pressed into a thin line, something that didn¡¯t go unnoticed by her patient, who, for the first time since their sessions began, actually stopped smiling.


    ¡°Yes, dear. After all, life is nothing more than a poorly told joke, and we¡­ well, we¡¯re just the poor devils who are forced to listen to it. So why not laugh until we¡¯re out of breath?¡±


    At another time, perhaps in another world, Harleen might have found the entire conversation interesting, even fascinating. But in a world where she hadn¡¯t grown up with the true horrors of Gotham weighing on her shoulders, her thoughts were less cynical.


    She didn¡¯t see things the same way as the woman in front of her. In fact, she believed that this world, as cruel and unjust as it might be, was also beautiful, and there was hope in it.


    After all, there was a hero trying to make it a better place.


    With that thought, Harleen smiled and jotted something else down in her notebook.


    ¡°Laugh until we¡¯re out of breath, huh?¡± she finally said, looking up from her notebook to meet her patient¡¯s eyes. ¡°And what happens after the laughter stops? What¡¯s left then?¡±


    There was silence. The green-haired woman admired her smile with curiosity. She could see it¡ª that smile wasn¡¯t for her, and it wasn¡¯t because of her, which intrigued her greatly.


    ¡°Darling, when the laughter stops, there¡¯s only silence left¡ªa boring and uninteresting silence, one that devours you from the inside, consuming you until there¡¯s nothing left¡­ unless you find something else to laugh about! That¡¯s why the joke must never end.¡±


    The smile returned, and Harleen almost scoffed. What a twisted thought, what a distorted view of the world. Now she understood why this woman was here. She wondered if she could help her, heal something that so many others before her had failed to heal.


    But¡­ looking into those deranged eyes, she wondered if there was really anything left to heal.


    "Or maybe, after the laughter, there remains the opportunity to change something. To make the joke have a different ending," she finally said in response, and her patient let out a loud laugh.


    "What is this? I didn''t think you were so optimistic, dear, so naive. Do you really believe there''s something more in this world? That things can change? That''s not how this game works, and it''s better if you understand that before you lose," she said, her voice descending to a tone less kind than before.


    "What if this isn''t a game?" Harleen quickly replied, irritated for some reason.


    "And what if, instead of laughing at the world, we try to fix it? It might be difficult, it might even be impossible, but there are people willing to try, to fight for it¡ª" she stopped herself. She had gotten carried away, had done something she shouldn''t have; she was there to listen, not to lecture.


    Silence returned, and Harleen cleared her throat, deciding that maybe she needed to take a break.


    "Not just optimistic and naive, but also idealistic? I thought you were smarter than that, Quinn. It''s disappointing..." Despite saying that, for some reason, Harleen could feel that the woman was still looking at her the same way as before, the same way she had looked at her the first time they met. It was a look that was hard to identify.


    "Being a bit optimistic, somewhat naive if you want to call it that, and even a little idealistic, are part of the job, Mrs. J. After all, I''m here to make things better, to help, to make sure the joke isn''t the only reality in this world, and to ensure that people don''t have to laugh just to avoid crying," she said, following the same kind of analogy the woman used in an attempt to make her understand.


    But all she got in return was a scoff, one filled with amusement and mockery.


    "Oh, Quinn! You''re a delight. Do you really think I''m one of those cases you can fix? Do you think you can pull me out of this spiral of madness I live in?" Her words were dripping with sarcasm.


    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    "No," Harleen said, causing the laughter to stop.


    "I''m not here to fix you, Mrs. J. I''m here to understand you." Harleen had spent many nights in an internal debate before coming to a conclusion that she believed was the right one.


    She and Daniel had discussed their different points of view many times when they could chat with each other, though it didn''t happen often. There was one conversation she remembered deeply.


    It was about doing what''s right and doing what''s necessary.


    Something that reminded her of the speech he had given at the conference a few days ago and the reason why she understood why he did what he did in Afghanistan.


    This wasn''t a fair world.


    But that was okay. That''s why people like her, like Daniel, existed¡ªto make this unjust world a little more just. That was the difference between Defiant and the woman in front of her. Both believed this world was dark and cruel, but one fought to change it, to make it better, while the other let herself be dragged into that darkness without hesitation, content to leave things as they were and simply laugh at it.


    That''s why she was here¡ªnot to save the woman in front of her. No, she could see now that there was no salvation for her. She was part of a world that would be changed slowly but surely, a mere remnant of a past era, now rotting away in a cell.


    She was truly here to study her, to understand what had made her become what she was, and hopefully to prevent it from happening to someone else. That was the change she was referring to. After all, as Daniel had told her:


    You can''t save them all, so just save as many as you can.


    Maybe she couldn¡¯t help Defiant by punching bad guys or flying through the skies, but that didn¡¯t mean she couldn¡¯t be useful in other ways, more specialized ways, just as she had been with the victims of Killgrave.


    ¡°You¡¯re a curious case, Quinn. Very curious. Just when I thought I could see through you, you show me I was wrong. That almost never happens¡ªit¡¯s quite amusing. I wonder, what¡¯s underneath all that?¡± The woman looked at her thoughtfully, as if trying to see through her soul.


    It made her uncomfortable.


    ¡®What will I see once I break that mask?¡¯


    .


    .


    .


    Harleen entered her office, feeling the weight of fatigue on her shoulders. It had been a while since she¡¯d had such a difficult session. Now, she just wanted to relax a little. Without meaning to, she touched the hidden pocket in her lab coat, but quickly shook her head, clenching her fist and biting her lip.


    The temptation was strong, but she had managed to stay firm despite everything. She hoped the hard part would soon pass and, little by little, it would get easier.


    ¡°You look stressed,¡± the voice made her stop in her tracks, and she turned her head so quickly that she could have twisted her neck if she weren¡¯t as agile and flexible as she was.


    Daniel greeted her with a somewhat shy smile. She smiled when she saw him, but in the next instant, her smile faded into a frown and a pout.


    ¡°You don¡¯t call, you don¡¯t write, you disappear, and then you reveal your face to the whole world. You¡¯d better have a great excuse,¡± she said, locking the door to her office and crossing her arms, giving him a stern look.


    Daniel scratched his cheek with his finger. Well, there was a lot to explain.


    ¡°Well, why don¡¯t we talk about it over dinner?¡± he said, lifting the bag of takeout he had picked up on his way to Rikers.


    Harleen looked at the food and remembered she hadn¡¯t had dinner yet.


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    .


    .


    .


    "Do you ever think!? You could have died, Johnny!" Franklin Storm felt a sharp pain in his head as he looked at his son. When he got the call from the police, he had been terrified and worried¡ªfeelings that quickly shifted once he confirmed his son was safe and sound.


    Now, he was just angry and disappointed.


    "I know! Alright? You don''t have to yell at me. I was there... I almost pissed myself when it happened..." Johnny Storm sighed and scratched his head, not daring to meet his father''s eyes.


    "No! You don''t know. If you did, you wouldn¡¯t keep doing this!" Franklin grabbed his son''s arm and pulled him out of the station, dragging him to the car. For a moment, he considered putting him back in the cell he had just taken him out of, but he couldn''t do it, no matter how angry he was.


    Seeing his father''s car but not his own, Johnny frowned deeply.


    "Hey, where''s my car?" he asked.


    "In the junkyard," the response came quickly, making Johnny blink in disbelief. He watched his father get into the car, still stunned, before quickly reacting, opening the door, and getting in as well.


    "The junkyard! Are you crazy, old man?!" he protested with clear indignation.


    "No, I''ve never been more sane. It''s over, Johnny, do you hear me? It''s over! No more racing, no more cars, and no more parties. Until you straighten up, you''re coming with me to the institute, and that''s final!" His words were severe and firm. Seeing his father''s eyes, Johnny realized that this time he was dead serious.


    "Oh, come on! You know I hate that place. Everyone there is super boring and dull. I could fall asleep in half a second just being in there!"


    "It''s that or nothing, Johnny..." Franklin Storm sighed and looked at his son with a weary expression, the lines on his face deepening, making him look a little older than he really was.


    "You have so much potential, son. You could do incredible things if you just tried... please." Johnny felt bad, unable to ignore the exhaustion in his father''s voice. A strange bitterness rose in his throat.


    "Alright, I''ll go to your institute..." he finally sighed, causing a small smile to form at the corner of Franklin''s mouth.


    As he watched the scenery blur past, Johnny thought of something else. If he was going to the institute, he should be able to figure out a way to get back at that guy. A mischievous smile formed on his lips.


    .


    .


    .


    "Woa¡­ it''s amazing," Harleen said, reaching out to touch Daniel''s face with fascination.


    "It¡¯s not foolproof, but it¡¯ll help keep my identity hidden for a little while longer."


    Harleen nodded and pulled her hand back, letting Daniel turn off the mask and return his face to normal. To think that he had gone through so much in such a short time¡­ it must have been tough.


    "Have you been sleeping well?" she asked with concern, and Daniel looked at her, nodding.


    "I¡¯ve been following your advice, Dr. Quinzel¡ªat least six hours a day."


    That was good; she had worried that without her constant reminders, he might forget.


    "Well, we''ve talked a lot about me. What about you? How''s work been?" At his question, Harleen fell silent for a moment.


    Should she tell him about the artificial pheromones?


    No¡­ she couldn¡¯t let him worry unnecessarily about a problem she had created herself. She was supposed to help him, not give him more work. She could solve this on her own without being a burden.


    "Well, things are going well. I''ve been dealing with some interesting patients, but nothing really worth mentioning."


    Daniel nodded, listening but not pressing her with too many questions. After all, she was still a professional, and patient-doctor confidentiality was something she had to maintain.


    Of course, knowing who Daniel was, she knew that if she told him certain things, she wouldn¡¯t have to worry about him revealing them. So, if he asked, she could tell him, which was, of course, a complete breach of her code. But then again, she had already done questionable things for him, like letting him use the Star Labs facilities illegally, so something like telling him why a patient wet the bed until they were 27 didn¡¯t seem like a big deal in comparison.


    "I''m glad your work is going well," Daniel finally said when Harleen finished sharing some of the things she¡¯d been up to.


    Noticing how he suddenly fell silent, she raised an eyebrow.


    "What is it?" At her question, Daniel looked a bit embarrassed.


    "Uh, well, I might need your help with something again." At those words, Harleen suddenly straightened up, her expression lighting up with a smile and bright eyes.


    She wouldn¡¯t admit it out loud, but a very loud part of herself had been worried, doubting. What if Daniel didn¡¯t come back? What if, now that the whole Killgrave victims situation was almost completely resolved, he no longer needed her? If she was left behind again....


    Those thoughts had been tormenting her for several nights, making it difficult to fall asleep, and it didn¡¯t help that she was also suffering from the effects of the abstinence she had inflicted upon herself.


    Even so, she convinced herself, telling herself that he would come back, that she could still do a lot to help him, and it seemed she hadn¡¯t been lying to herself¡ªhe came back, he wanted her help, he needed her.


    With her heart racing and a huge smile on her face, she reached out to squeeze his hand.


    "Tell me everything." Feeling her grip, Daniel smiled and nodded. Explaining it was easy since Harleen already knew about Gen-M; he just had to update her on the new discoveries he had made.


    She listened attentively, asking questions when necessary and expertly answering the questions Daniel had, bringing forth all the knowledge she had acquired over her years of study.


    .


    .


    .


    Note:


    Writing this chapter was difficult. The Joker... is a complicated character. Martha as the Joker? Twice as complicated. I had to make several drafts before I was even moderately convinced. I still feel that I need to improve on the character''s portrayal, but I believe I''ll get there when the time is right.


    Let me know what you think. You know I read all the comments, critiques, and suggestions. If you notice any errors, point them out, and I¡¯ll correct them immediately. Good night/afternoon/morning, and see you in the next chapter.


    Finally remember that You can already find the next chapter (and several more chapters) of this story on P)atreon (p)atreon.com/EmmaCruzader) All the support received is appreciated ;D

 37: Apex

    37: Apex


    "I know you said I shouldn''t worry, but I''m really concerned. I don''t want to doubt you, Carol, but..." Chloe didn''t know how to put it into words.


    What do you say to your best friend when she confesses that she''s been using you as an excuse for a while to meet up with someone else? An older guy, no less.


    It sounded like one of those cheesy teen dramas that usually ended very badly for the girl.


    "But nothing, Chloe, you promised me you wouldn''t say anything," Carol said with a frown. She really had been using Chloe too much as an excuse, something that only worked for so long because for most of her life, Chloe had been the only person Carol would go out with or hang out with.


    Her parents knew Chloe perfectly and treated her like another daughter. Besides, Carol had never lied or hidden anything from them before, so they didn''t think she was lying when she said she was spending time with Chloe.


    Of course, a lie like that would fall apart sooner or later if, for some reason, her parents decided to call Chloe to ask about her and she couldn''t lie properly. So Carol knew she had to tell Chloe about this at some point but had never found the opportunity until now.


    Well, the opportunity had come, and she hoped Chloe would be on her side here.


    The blonde girl bit her lip as she gripped the steering wheel of her car. They were on their way to Carol''s house after a few hours of talking at the caf¨¦ where they''d been earlier. Carol had told her many things during that time.


    Things that made her worry, mainly because Carol had omitted many things or explained them differently from how they actually happened to protect Daniel''s true identity and, in turn, her own.


    From Chloe''s perspective, her friend had been tricked by an older guy with money. She still remembered how the guy dropped $100 without blinking before leaving, not to mention how Carol talked about how he had "given" her several things.


    Of course, Chloe couldn''t know that Carol was mainly referring to the suit he made for her as well as the trench coat. She was vague about it for obvious reasons.


    So, Chloe was in a dilemma. On the one hand, she had promised Carol to stay quiet and not say anything. On the other hand, her more protective side was burning with rage for not being able to prevent her friend from falling into the sinister clutches of a clearly ill-intentioned guy who had come from the city and used his dirty tactics to sweet-talk her and clearly take advantage of her naivety.


    Of course, if Chloe knew that it was actually Carol who wanted to take advantage of Daniel, she would probably be stunned.


    "Fine, but you have to be careful, do you hear me? If he does something or tries to make you do something¡ª" she tried to warn, but Carol interrupted her.


    "I already told you that''s not how it is!" Carol wanted to sigh in frustration.


    ¡®Yes, he¡¯s completely brainwashed her,¡¯ Chloe gritted her teeth, seeing her friend so defensive.


    Soon they arrived at the driveway to Carol''s house, where Mr. Kent was looking off into the distance, distracted. When he saw Carol arrive with Chloe, he couldn''t help but sigh in relief and waved in their direction.


    Seeing her father at the door of her house, Carol frowned. He had been increasingly stressed with each new piece of news about the changes happening in the world.


    He needed to relax. Honestly, she didn''t understand why he was so worried. Sure, the world was a bit chaotic, but it was fine. Daniel was there to keep it together, and in a way, so was she.


    Before getting out of the car, she turned to Chloe one last time, looking at her seriously.


    Feeling her gaze, Chloe let out a long sigh before speaking.


    "I won''t say anything," she finally said, making Carol smile and, for the first time, move closer to give her a light hug.


    "Thank you," she whispered sincerely, making Chloe feel bittersweet.


    The first time her friend showed her physical affection, and it was because she agreed to cover up her secret affair with an older guy... what a joy.


    "See you in class," Carol said goodbye, walking toward her house, leaving Chloe alone, watching her walk away.


    ¡®I''m already regretting this.¡¯ She couldn''t betray Carol. Carol had trusted her, but she would be a terrible friend if she didn''t at least make sure she wasn''t in danger. So she would have to do it her way.


    By investigating this guy and seeing what he was after.


    .


    .


    .


    "How was your day with Chloe? I hope she''s feeling better; she seemed pretty affected by what happened," her mother asked while serving dinner at the table with her help.


    "She''s better. She adapts quickly; something like that won''t hold her back for long," she replied distractedly. Of course, Chloe had been affected, but that wouldn''t stop her easily, especially when it was somewhat related to her dream of becoming a journalist.


    "That''s good. With school starting again, I was worried she''d still be upset," her mother commented as everyone sat at the table. Her father, who had been silent, picked up the TV remote and turned it on, making her mother frown.


    "The question is, will these incidents continue to happen? Experts predict that the emergence of special individuals like Defiant and, to some extent, Tony Stark with his alter ego Iron Man, marks the beginning of a new wave of super individuals. Rumors about monsters attacking people, which were once considered mere tales, can no longer be dismissed, not to mention the series of strange incidents that have been increasing as the days go by. Witnesses claim that¡ª"


    "Jonathan, why don''t we skip the news for today?" Her husband''s new habit of watching the news almost all the time had been worrying the woman.


    Hearing his wife, Jonathan frowned but didn''t take his eyes off the TV.


    Seeing the situation, Carol decided it was time to intervene. She didn''t know exactly what to do, but she would at least try to do something.


    In a blink, the remote was in her hand, and the TV was off. Her father looked at his empty hand, confused for a moment, before looking at her with clear annoyance.


    "Carol, what¡ª"


    "I think you need to stop," she quickly interrupted him.


    "Dad, I know you worry a lot about me, I really do, but you need to go back to being how you were before. Continuing to act like this won''t make things different, and it won''t help me if I''m really in trouble," she said seriously, and Jonathan was silent for a moment.


    "Honey, she''s right. The world isn''t what it used to be, and acting all paranoid and stressed about it isn''t helping us. You need to go back to being who you were before," Martha added, deciding to support her daughter.


    For his part, Jonathan didn''t know whether to laugh or cry. Was this an intervention? He wanted to argue, to make his case, but seeing their worried expressions, he couldn''t do it.


    Had he really been acting that badly?


    But how could he avoid it? How could he go back to feeling safe when the world seemed to get stranger and more dangerous every day? By trusting Defiant? That billionaire playboy Tony Stark?


    Jonathan wouldn''t even trust them with the fertilizer for his fields.


    "Listen, Dad, I''m not a little girl anymore. I know you want to protect me, but... I don''t need it."


    At his daughter''s words, Jonathan frowned deeply. She didn''t need it? What kind of daughter didn''t need her father? And more importantly, what kind of father couldn''t protect his daughter?


    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    He couldn''t help but bury his face in his hands, feeling the helplessness wash over him once more. Jonathan had been raised as a country man, and as a country man, he felt like he was failing his family.


    Seeing him like that, Martha sighed. She understood what her husband was going through, but just because she understood didn''t mean she would let it continue.


    Her daughter was right; this needed to stop before it started causing them problems.


    "Carol, why don''t you go to your ''fortress'' for a while? I need to talk to your father."


    Hearing her tone, Carol knew that this time her mother was ready to really step in, so she decided to give them their space.


    "Of course." She took her plate, stood up, and began heading to the barn to finish her dinner there, leaving her parents alone to talk freely.


    Of course, that was when she heard the air shifting in the sky and the familiar sound of heartbeats¡ªone that couldn''t have come at a better time. With a smile on her face, Carol changed direction without hesitation and started heading toward Daniel''s farm with a spring in her step.


    .


    .


    .


    Daniel entered his workshop without hesitation, his mind filled with various thoughts. His conversation with Harleen had given him some ideas about his next course of research regarding the transformation of humans into monsters and how an emotional trigger might be causing this.


    Of course, it was all still theories and hypotheses that needed more research, more examples¡ªexamples he believed he would soon see one way or another.


    Even so, it wasn''t something he could rush, so he just had to be patient¡ªsomething frustrating but that he could grudgingly accept.


    When he entered and saw the device he had left working, he approached it without hesitation, verifying that the scan had been completed properly¡ªnot just once but several times. After all, he had left the device running beyond the initial two hours it needed, so it had been repeating the scan as he had programmed it to do in case he didn¡¯t return in time, thereby obtaining a more detailed mapping of the area where the kryptonite was present.


    Seeing the map and the calculated amount left him with a dry mouth.


    Collecting that much could take more than a day.


    "You''re back!" Carol''s excited voice echoed. She entered the workshop as if it were her own home but immediately frowned for two different reasons.


    The first was seeing the kryptonite sample carefully placed inside the antenna Daniel had designed, which acted as a sample to search for similar radioactive signatures in the surroundings.


    The second was because she caught a whiff of an unpleasantly familiar scent on him¡ªone she recognized as belonging to an annoying blonde.


    "Well, you''re here, look at this." Daniel approached her with the tablet in his hands, showing her the map of Smallville and its surroundings, along with markers of the locations where the most kryptonite had been detected.


    "These should be the places where the meteorites hit the hardest and weren¡¯t cleaned up afterward. There''s at least several tons of kryptonite scattered throughout this region. It¡¯ll take some time to gather it all and take it to the fortress. I''ll have to start soon if I want to collect it all before the week is over."


    Carol distractedly looked at the map, not knowing exactly what to say. Should she be angry? Happy? Jealous? She decided that being angry and jealous was useless for now. Instead, she focused on feeling pleased to see Daniel working so hard to help her.


    Then she processed what he had said¡ªSeveral tons?!


    "T-That''s a lot of kryptonite," she couldn¡¯t help but comment, a hint of nervousness in her voice.


    "Yes, I didn¡¯t expect there to be so much around here. I still don''t know how much more might be scattered across the country or around the world. I suppose we''ll find out once I build a larger scanner." The prospect was a bit unsettling, and Carol couldn¡¯t help but feel even more grateful to Daniel. Without him, who knows how much trouble she might have gotten into with so much kryptonite out there.


    Yes, looking at Daniel, she couldn¡¯t help but smile. Her father was worrying for nothing¡ªafter all, she already had someone to protect her.


    .


    .


    .


    "Combination of genetic traits between species successfully completed."


    Dr. Curt Connors took several steps back, his body trembling as he saw the message on the central laboratory computer screen.


    He couldn¡¯t believe it¡ªhe had succeeded and was one step closer to achieving his goal!


    "I need to report this!" He nervously searched for his phone, thinking about everything this meant.


    Things had been tense¡ªvery tense. Oscorp Industries had nearly plunged into crisis when Tony Stark returned. It seemed like the opportunity that had knocked on their door just a few months ago was slipping away, and there was nothing they could do about it.


    Until the very day of his return, the man announced the complete withdrawal of Stark Industries from the military market. Stark Industries'' stocks plummeted, and the military, which had previously been hesitant about whether cooperating with companies other than Stark Industries was a good idea, now began actively looking at other options.


    Oscorp Industries seized the opportunity without hesitation to renegotiate the nearly expired military contract that had been hanging over their heads like a guillotine, giving them room to maneuver and extra time¡ªtime they undoubtedly needed, time that Connors needed.


    If he had been under the same time constraints that Norman had initially given him, Connors would have surely failed.


    His experiments with genetically modified spiders had been an absolute disaster at the beginning.


    Of the 52 specimens that had been successfully created years ago by Richard Parker, more than 47 had died in the numerous processes Connors conducted to learn more about the successful method Richard used to modify them genetically.


    And although he had discovered a few things, he was still at a dead end regarding many crucial aspects of the process, which frustrated him. He was down to only five spiders; he couldn¡¯t keep killing them to learn more, so he had to work with what he had, hoping it would be enough.


    It wasn¡¯t.


    The first two spiders he tried to fuse with other species died horribly.


    None managed to acquire the genetic traits of regeneration provided by the lizard, and instead, their genetic structure collapsed with no chance of recovery.


    This left him with only three spiders...


    Curt couldn¡¯t keep taking risks; he needed to do something, to find a way for the spiders to survive the process at all costs. As long as he could make some progress, as long as he could show results, Norman would surely see the possibilities... The man convinced himself that he wouldn¡¯t be thrown out on the street, and all his research discarded as long as he had something to show.


    Therefore, he changed his focus. He needed to make the spiders strong, resilient, and adaptable, capable of enduring the process of interspecies genetic combination as best as possible.


    So he went back to basics: genetic modification within the same species.


    This was something that had already been successfully achieved a long time ago and was the foundation on which his research was based.


    He took the three remaining spiders and began modifying them slightly at first, adding the genetic traits they lacked from each other. After all, although the 52 spiders had been modified in the same basic way, each was designed with different genetic traits.


    Some were stronger, some faster, some had better venom, or better camouflage.


    Some were a mix of all these traits or various others.


    Not anymore. The remaining three spiders were given everything that the other 49 had possessed¡ªa risky process, but one that was completely successful and without complications, likely thanks to the mysterious method Richard Parker had used to create them in the first place.


    Thus, three apex individuals were born, monsters among monsters, spiders unlike any seen before, with the best that their species could offer, all perfectly combined within their genetic chain.


    If Connors had to compare them, he would say they were the super-soldiers of spiders, only much more beyond that.


    They had a wingspan of 15 centimeters, with red and blue colors that glowed with exotic patterns on their bodies.


    A super-species had been born, and Connors could only admire it for a moment before deciding to destroy it.


    Because that''s what happened: when he began integrating the lizard''s genetic trait into them, the two chosen spiders died immediately.


    The apex of their species was destroyed in seconds...


    In absolute desperation, Connors made a final attempt to investigate their remains to see where he had gone wrong, what he had done wrong.


    He was missing something, but he couldn''t see what it was.


    With his desperation at its peak and nothing left to lose, he pulled out the old notes Oscorp had on the first super soldier.


    Captain America.


    He tirelessly read every document available, every speculation, the step-by-step process that had been carried out.


    "Radiation? Vita rays?" A stabilizing energy, used to enhance the serum''s effects...


    The Vita radiation was something that had been discovered a long time ago, mainly used to create the first super soldier. But after the project failed with the death of Dr. Erskine and the loss of the serum, it was set aside, rarely used over time.


    "It could... it could work." After all, the project had originally been conceived as an attempt to recreate the super soldier serum, albeit taking a different path. Although radiation had been considered initially, it was quickly dismissed due to its various drawbacks. But now... now Connors saw no other option.


    Without hesitation, he requested a Vita ray generator, which Oscorp had on hand as it was one of the first devices they recreated when the project for a new super soldier serum began. Even if it was later discarded, the generator was still kept in their warehouses, gathering dust.


    Once he had it in his hands, he created a metal capsule following the same parameters as the one used to create Captain America, only spider-sized.


    It took him several days to get everything ready, but once he did, he began the process once again.


    He injected the lizard serum into the spider while simultaneously imbued it with overflowing Vita radiation. For a moment, the entire lab was flooded with a blinding yellow light, then it stopped, and Connors looked at the capsule with his heart in his throat.


    He waited, waited until the scanner finished working, and then the announcement came.


    "Combination of genetic traits between species successfully completed."


    His knees trembled, he felt his heart start beating strongly once more, and he almost felt tears of joy welling up in his eyes.


    Then, he quickly reached for his phone to notify of his success, rushing out of the lab, trusting that the capsule would keep his test subject safe.


    But, when the lab was left alone, a creaking sound was heard. There was a flash, like electricity, followed by the sound of metal tearing.


    Two hairy front legs tore an opening in the metal of the capsule easily, and faster than the eye could catch, a web shot upward, followed by a small, glowing eight-legged figure that stuck to the lab''s ceiling.


    It remained still for a moment, and if anyone had been there to see it, they would have been stunned to witness how the air rippled and the figure seemed to disappear entirely as if it had become invisible.


    The only sign that it had ever been there was the thin strand of web now swaying in the wind.


    .


    .


    .


    Note:


    Of course, leave your newly finished experiment alone, what could possibly go wrong?


    Leave your comments, opinions, suggestions, and so on. If you notice any errors, don''t hesitate to mention them. Thanks for reading and for all the support! :D


    Finally remember that You can already find the next chapter (and several more chapters) of this story on P)atreon ( p)atreon com/EmmaCruzader ) All the support received is appreciated ;D

 38: New Rules

    38: New Rules


    Lara looked with no small amount of horror at the bright green material that Daniel had begun bringing to the fortress just a few hours ago, interrupting her research on the new and interesting metal called vibranium.


    Kryptonite, the most deadly radioactive material from Krypton, here on Earth, on the same planet as her daughter. Sometimes not having a body of flesh and blood was quite useful¡ªthe biochemical processes that would have caused her state to alter and panic to begin to fill her were easily thwarted by herself before they could blind her thoughts with unnecessary fear, leaving her free to reflect on how this had happened.


    Of course, she and Jor-El knew that some of the material might arrive on the planet along with their daughter. After all, some of Krypton''s debris followed the path of the ship when it departed through the hyperspace hole, but the larger the pile of kryptonite that Daniel was bringing, the more horrified she became.


    Why was there so much? This wasn¡¯t supposed to happen; it wasn¡¯t within the calculations. It was clear that something had gone wrong.


    Was it Galactus? Did he do something? Lara couldn¡¯t think of anyone else capable of causing something like this. Somehow, imagining the purple giant taking parts of her destroyed planet and launching them after her daughter as a form of revenge didn¡¯t seem as far-fetched as some might imagine.


    After all, she and Jor-El had completely destabilized the planet''s core before they died as a final "screw you" to the being who killed their species, accelerating its destruction and preventing the world-devourer from consuming it entirely by blowing it up in his face.


    Yeah, that probably made him pretty angry¡­


    "And this is just around this area, Smallville?" she asked her daughter, who was standing beside her, wearing a full-body radiation suit that Lara had given her when her systems began sending red alerts all over the place the moment Daniel brought the first piles of green crystal.


    "Yes, Daniel is checking the entire area, taking advantage of the fact that most of the town is asleep, but he probably won''t finish soon, so I''m going to go help." Initially, Carol should have stayed behind, but when her mother brought out the radiation suit and explained what it was for, the young Kryptonian didn¡¯t hesitate and put it on with the intention of going out to help with the collection task.


    Lara nodded. It was better if the two of them worked together and put all the kryptonite in the fortress as quickly as possible¡ªthe less of it out there for anyone to use, the better.


    "Here, Daniel told me to give you this so you could review his design. He wants you to see if it can be improved further to increase its range globally." Before leaving, Carol took out a USB that contained the data and designs of the detector that Daniel had created.


    Lara took the small, primitive object and easily extracted the information from it.


    A kryptonite detector¡­ Although primitive in some aspects, it was still quite advanced in others¡ªa design not too different from the one Jor-El had been working on before Galactus arrived.


    "I can use this," Lara said as she pulled out her husband''s incomplete blueprints and began to work, combining both designs and taking the best of each, but focusing on the use of Earth materials for its creation.


    Meanwhile, for the first time since the deployment of the fortress, several androids that had been in standby mode came to life and began constructing containers that would be used to safely isolate the kryptonite once it was all gathered.


    Preferably to destroy it afterward.


    .


    .


    .


    While Daniel, Carol, and Lara worked through the night until dawn, elsewhere in the United States, in the most dreadful part of Hell''s Kitchen¡­


    Antony swallowed hard as sweat dripped from his forehead, fear clear in his eyes. His trembling hands gripped his gun as if his life depended on it, while he forced his eyes to peer into the shadows surrounding him.


    He couldn''t see anything. The entire warehouse where he and his men had been suddenly fell into darkness, then came the muffled screams and the sounds of struggle.


    For brief moments, the place was illuminated by the flash of gunfire, brief moments where Antony was able to glimpse a dark shadow moving like the wind, taking down a dozen armed men as if they were cardboard dolls.


    The dark demon, the vigilante, or as most people called him these days:


    Daredevil.


    Antony hadn¡¯t believed in him. He thought they were just absurd tales low-level thugs invented to justify their failures on the job.


    Sure, there was a real hero up there in the skies, but everyone knew that as long as you waited long enough and didn¡¯t make a scene, you could escape his notice and go about your business once he wasn¡¯t around.


    You just had to keep an eye on the news, wait for him to be in another country or preferably on another continent to be safer, and then you could act. Of course, you had to be quick and discreet because making too much noise would undoubtedly draw his attention. Weapons needed to be used sparingly these days, and screams were the worst, so taking hostages or kidnapping people was less preferable unless you made sure to seal their mouths pretty well before doing so.


    Not everyone could adapt. Some criminals still kept making mistakes, following old habits¡ªfools who didn¡¯t understand that the world was now governed by new rules. When a god is watching, ready to judge you with a heavy hand without hesitation, you have to learn your place, stay under the radar, and be obedient until that god gets bored and looks away.


    As long as you understood that, you could certainly continue to thrive and forge your path in the shadows.


    Or at least that¡¯s what Antony thought. Now? Now he knew better. Even if God wasn¡¯t watching all the time, that didn¡¯t mean there was no one watching.


    After all, where God didn¡¯t look was where the devil dwelled.


    He should never have accepted that offer and come to Hell¡¯s Kitchen.


    Antony felt his heart skip a beat when all the noise around him suddenly stopped. No more gunshots, screams, or growls, no more fighting¡ªjust an absolute silence that reigned over the place, making his legs go weak.


    He tried not to move, not to make a sound, but as the seconds passed, feeling like hours, he couldn¡¯t help but take a step forward¡ªa step that made him step on something that let out a groan. With his nerves on edge, that simple sound made him jump back and pull the trigger of his gun in a panic.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    A hand shot out, deflecting Antony¡¯s aim upward and preventing him from shooting one of his own men, who had fallen to the ground in front of him and whom he had accidentally stepped on, causing the groan.


    Antony only felt an iron grip on his hand, and in the next instant, a fist like a sledgehammer struck him in the face with such force that his nose crunched, his lip split, and his brain rattled inside his head, making him see stars.


    His body crumpled to the ground, unable to get up again anytime soon.


    Matt wiped the blood from his gloved fist and "looked" around. All the criminals had been dealt with easily, the ninth place he had swept through that night.


    You¡¯d think they¡¯d learn to stay obedient once you beat them down enough, but like vermin, there were always more of them coming from somewhere.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    It was both annoying and strange. Where were they coming from? Who was calling them? As a native of Hell''s Kitchen, Matt could recognize the tourists, and lately, he had been dealing with a lot of them.


    It seemed he needed to do more than just beat them up. He needed to start digging deeper, to find out who or what was commanding these criminals and destroy everything from the core. That was going to require more effort than usual, but it was good that he no longer came home with bruises and could therefore rest better.


    "This suit is amazing," he couldn¡¯t help but think, even as he frowned.


    He had been struggling with a moral dilemma that he still hadn¡¯t fully resolved, one that began with Defiant''s involvement in the Ten Rings conflict in the Middle East and their press conference days later.


    Killing¡ªsomething he was against for different reasons, whether ethical, moral, or religious.


    He would never kill; he didn¡¯t want to cross a line like that. But¡­ what about those who did?


    Matt knew the world wasn¡¯t black and white, that his morals weren¡¯t the same as others¡¯, and that he wasn¡¯t in a position to impose his ideals on others. Each person had their own way of dealing with injustice.


    His visit to the church a few days ago had helped clarify some things. His own methods¡­ weren¡¯t entirely right either. Sure, he didn¡¯t kill, but¡­ looking at the dozen men writhing on the ground, some with more than one broken bone and severe injuries, if someone else saw this, how would they judge him?


    Was killing for true justice really worse than what he did? After all, it wasn¡¯t simple justice he was after but also venting his anger, sometimes in ways much crueler than some of these criminals deserved.


    What was the right thing? Where was the breaking point? What would happen if one day he went too far? If he killed someone by mistake? If he couldn¡¯t control his anger?


    If the devil won?


    How did he want to be judged?


    It seemed there were many questions and few answers, a dilemma that plagued him and one he couldn¡¯t clearly resolve.


    Until he could, he decided to keep himself busy cleaning the streets of Hell''s Kitchen from the criminal scum. His personal problems could wait; they were less important than the safety of innocent people, after all.


    Besides, he felt he would find the answer he was looking for sooner or later, preferably sooner.


    .


    .


    .


    Later that day, in another part of New York, Queens.


    Peter Parker couldn¡¯t believe this was happening to him again. Okay, it was his fault for oversleeping, but shouldn¡¯t the school bus wait a little longer for its students?


    It was good that his trusty skateboard was with him; at least that way, he avoided having to run and instead enjoyed a fun ride through the streets of his neighborhood, chasing after a speeding school bus.


    For his good and seldom seen luck, the bus had to stop to let a sweet and adorable old lady cross the street. Peter sent her a big, grateful wave for her existence and hurriedly knocked on the bus door, the driver noticed him and gave him an annoyed look.


    For a moment, he thought the man wouldn¡¯t open the door, but his luck hadn¡¯t abandoned him completely this day, as the door swung open, and without hesitation, Peter jumped on, almost tripping.


    The inside of the bus was its usual chaotic self, with teenagers way too excited for this early in the morning. Peter carefully made his way to the back, trying not to draw attention, but his luck had run out as a foot shot out, almost making him fall flat on his face.


    ¡°Whoa, careful, Parker, almost took a tumble! Hahaha!¡± There were mocking laughs, and Peter gritted his teeth, quickly getting up and continuing his way without looking at the culprit, already knowing who it likely was.


    ¡°Peter!¡± A different voice called out to him, though not too loudly. Peter looked up and smiled when he saw his good friend Ned Leeds, a boy with light brown hair who was a bit chubby¡ªthough Peter would never say that to his face.


    He sat down next to him in the seat that Ned had been saving and greeted him with a fist bump.


    ¡°Wow, when I saw you missed the bus, I almost thought you¡¯d miss the trip, buddy,¡± he said, causing Peter to grimace.


    ¡°Don¡¯t even mention it. I couldn¡¯t sleep well because of the excitement, and when I realized it, I was already late. It would have sucked to ask Uncle Ben to drive me.¡± The man would have done it, but he¡¯d also have scolded him the entire way, giving a serious and long lecture about responsibility, commitments, and punctuality.


    Peter preferred not to start the morning with something like that, thanks.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, my parents told me they¡¯d buy me a used car if I managed to keep up my grades at the end of the year. I¡¯ll pick you up then,¡± Ned patted him on the back.


    Peter was surprised¡ªa car? Even if it was used, it was still incredible. He felt a bit envious for a moment but quickly squashed it. Feeling jealous of your best friend was pretty pathetic, after all. Still, he couldn¡¯t get the idea out of his head¡ªa car of his own, how amazing would that be?


    ¡°What¡¯s up, losers? Still chatting about your science project?¡± A female voice interrupted them, and Peter snapped out of his thoughts to see Jessica Jones approaching them.


    ¡°You know, if you call us losers, that means you¡¯re one too. After all, you hang out with us,¡± Ned couldn¡¯t help but say as he saw her sit one seat ahead of them.


    In response, she looked at him like he was stupid.


    ¡°That¡¯s not true; you guys hang out with me.¡± Ned blinked, confused... What was the difference?


    ¡°The science project is on hold for now. In the end, the Baxter Institute didn¡¯t change its rule, and 18 is still the minimum age to participate,¡± Peter said, somewhat disappointed. There had been rumors that the Baxter Institute would change its age requirement, and he and Ned had been working on something to participate. But in the end, the rumors were just rumors, and the Institute came out to clarify that the minimum age was still 18.


    Which sucked because they had just turned 17.


    ¡°Uh, that sucks, but look on the bright side, you have an extra year to prepare.¡±


    ¡°Us and all the other guys who thought they could enter this year too,¡± Ned said, somewhat annoyed. After all, he had been one of the first to hear the rumor and thought he had some sort of advantage over the others, which, of course, wasn¡¯t the case.


    "Don''t be so pessimistic. Look at Peter¡ªhe looks confident." Huh? Peter glanced at Jessica in confusion. The dark-haired girl met his gaze for a moment but quickly looked away, a hidden blush on her cheeks.


    "Bah! Let¡¯s stop talking about that and focus on the trip to Oscorp! I heard that there will be some big-name scientists present, like Dr. Curt Connors and Professor Otto Octavius. They say we¡¯ll even get to ask them questions! Can you believe that?!¡± Where did Ned get his rumors? Neither Peter nor Jessica knew, but the guy tended to be right most of the time. Of course, there were also days when he was wrong.


    As they talked, something caught Peter''s attention out of the corner of his eye¡ªa flash of yellow that made him turn, only to find himself looking at a beautiful girl with shoulder-length blonde hair and a black headband entering the bus.


    Peter stared at her, completely unaware of anything else, until a pair of fingers pinched his cheek.


    "If you keep staring at her like that, her dad might throw you in his police car," Jessica''s flat and joyless voice brought him back to reality, causing Peter to blush.


    ¡°Ahem, I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about,¡± he tried to play it off, but neither of his friends bought it.


    ¡°Gwen Stacy, huh? Come on, Peter, I know you¡¯re a big dreamer, but you need to remember your limits,¡± Ned said wisely, looking at the blonde girl his friend had spotted first.


    ¡°That¡¯s not it,¡± Peter grumbled, embarrassed. He had no ideas about Gwen; she was so out of his league that it wasn¡¯t even funny. He just got a little distracted, that¡¯s all.


    ¡°Hey, if Peter wanted to, she¡¯d probably go out with him,¡± Jessica said, causing both boys to turn and look at her with confusion and disbelief. Feeling their gazes, the girl felt a bit embarrassed.


    ¡°I¡¯m just saying, she¡¯s smart and into science too, right? I heard she¡¯s doing an internship at Oscorp, so they¡¯d have things in common.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s also one of the most beautiful and popular girls in school, and her dad is the head of the New York police,¡± Ned countered.


    ¡°Can we stop talking about this?¡± Peter quickly interrupted. Only God knew how much it would suck if someone else overheard and rumors started spreading around the school.


    ¡°Don''t worry peter, someday you''ll get a girl, probably after college but hey, that''s something.¡±


    "Ha ha, very funny..." Peter gave Ned a flat look.


    Meanwhile, Jessica stayed silent, watching Gwen with a well-disguised hint of annoyance.


    .


    .


    .


    "We have to cancel! We can¡¯t have kids here! We need to shut down the entire area and quarantine the whole building!" Connors nearly shouted in urgency, his bloodshot eyes fixed on Norman Osborn, who stared back at him with an apathetic expression.


    "Do you know what you¡¯re asking? What kind of scandal would that cause if we warned people about something like this?" Norman could already imagine some of the headlines the news outlets would run.


    What Dr. Connors was asking for wasn¡¯t something that could be kept under wraps, especially if it meant canceling a visit from one of New York¡¯s most prestigious schools, Midtown High.


    Oscorp was already on a tightrope; ever since that bastard Tony Stark revealed he was Iron Man and owned such advanced military technology, investors had been demanding results as quickly as possible. Quarantining the entire building would delay and disrupt countless projects being conducted in their labs.


    No, Norman couldn¡¯t let something like that happen.


    "I know, but¡ª" Connors was cut off by Norman, who placed a hand on his shoulder with a vise-like grip.


    "I don¡¯t care! I don¡¯t care what kind of monstrosity you let loose; you are responsible for this, and you will fix it without compromising the work of my other scientists, understand?"


    Connors winced at the pain in his shoulder, staring in disbelief at Norman, who seemed increasingly furious.


    "Do you understand!?"


    "Y-yes!" the doctor finally responded, causing Norman to snort and release his shoulder.


    "I want that damn spider in a cage before the day is over, doctor. I don¡¯t care how you do it," Norman said, walking away angrily and leaving Dr. Connors defeated.


    The one-armed man felt his strength drain away as he stared into nothingness, unsure of how he was going to fix this.


    .


    .


    .


    Note:


    Being an enemy of Spider-Man sucks¡ªeveryone ends up losing their jobs.


    In case anyone''s wondering, this Peter is primarily based on The Amazing Spider-Man (Andrew Garfield) with some elements from MCU Spider-Man, as well as Tobey Maguire¡¯s Spider-Man, plus some things from the comics and series. In short, it¡¯s a mix of various mediums.


    Remember to comment, like, and if you notice any mistakes, don¡¯t hesitate to point them out¡ªI¡¯ll fix them as quickly as I can.


    Finally remember that You can already find the next chapter (and several more chapters) of this story on P)atreon ( p)atreon com/EmmaCruzader ) All the support received is appreciated ;D

 39: Bite

    39: Bite


    Peter had made a terrible and huge mistake! He had forgotten his camera!...


    "This sucks," he sighed, shoulders slumped, as he and his tour group entered the massive Oscorp building.


    "Come on, man, look on the bright side. Just look at where we are," Ned said, throwing an arm around his shoulder and gesturing at the Oscorp facilities.


    The place was incredible, and Peter would have enjoyed it even more if he could have taken some pictures to remember it by.


    "Are you going to stay there?" Jessica called out, making them realize that the class had already moved ahead, and they were the only ones lagging behind.


    They quickly caught up, listening to the guide assigned to show them around the place.


    For Peter and Ned, the tour was extremely interesting; for others, not so much. The local group of bullies spent their time playing around and bothering others whenever the supervising teacher wasn''t looking. Peter, wisely and intelligently, decided to distance himself from the crowd before he got caught up in their antics¡ªhis day had been bad enough and he wasn''t going to let it get any worse if he could help it.


    They were already on one of the upper floors of the building, where most of the genetic experiments were being conducted. Peter looked at some lizards on display with interest; the information about them said they were experimental crosses never seen before, which was amazing.


    In a dark corner of the area, something stirred. Eight eyes lit up when something in the air caught its attention¡ªsomething familiar. The spider, which had been extensively modified by Dr. Curt Connors, began to move, starting to track that sensation.


    Without Peter or Dr. Connors knowing, the spider had gained the ability to recognize others of its "own species" using its heightened senses¡ªsomething that would normally be useless considering it was one of a kind.


    But perhaps due to fate or something else, the spider, unique in its existence, encountered the only other living thing that had a genetic connection to it¡ªa life form that shared part of its central DNA.


    And so, without realizing that what it was following wasn''t truly another of its kind, the spider moved, guided by its instincts.


    Peter decided it was time to rejoin the group, but before he could, he saw Jessica approaching him. The girl seemed a bit nervous, but when their eyes met, she swallowed hard and walked toward him with firm steps.


    "H-Hey, Peter."


    It was strange¡ªJessica didn''t usually stutter.


    Jessica, on the other hand, was trembling inside. The reason was simple¡ªshe had finally decided to ask Peter out, something that hadn''t been easy. She spent days trying to work up the courage but couldn''t manage to do it. She had even bought a pair of tickets for a local concert. Now all she needed was to invite the guy she liked, but that was much easier said than done.


    For days, she had been trying, looking for the right moment, but no matter what, she couldn''t find it, and the date of the concert was fast approaching. If she didn''t do it soon, this opportunity would slip through her fingers.


    So when she saw him distancing himself from the group, she decided it was now or never.


    Despite that, her steps were slow and heavy; it felt like an eternity to walk toward him. And when he turned to look at her with those warm brown eyes, she almost shrank into herself and ran away.


    But she forced herself to stand firm¡ªshe wasn''t going to back down now.


    "what happens?" Peter looked at her with concern and stepped a little closer to her. Neither of them noticed the "invisible" figure jumping from the ceiling and landing on Peter''s backpack.


    Hairy legs, hidden by an unparalleled camouflage ability, moved slowly. Without Peter noticing, the spider crawled until it settled between his back and the backpack he was carrying, where it nestled calmly.


    "W-Well, I got some tickets for a concert," Jessica almost cursed when she stuttered the first word but forced herself to continue and pulled out the tickets she had been keeping in her backpack.


    Shyly, she extended one toward Peter and continued speaking.


    "Do you... do you want to go with me?"


    Peter, for his part, went from confusion to shock in zero point five seconds. His eyes widened in amazement as he wondered if Jessica was asking him out. Of course, his stupid mouth couldn''t stay shut, and before he could stop himself, he spoke.


    "L-Like a date?" Why did he say that? What if it wasn''t? What if he was misinterpreting this? A thousand thoughts raced through his mind in an instant, but what she said next made all of them disappear.


    "Yes! Like a date," she said, looking directly at him, even though her face was completely red and she felt her knees weakening.


    Peter stood as still as a rock for a moment, a silence that was perhaps too long for Jessica, who was starting to get even more nervous, her eyes beginning to well up. Somehow, Peter managed to notice this, and although he wasn¡¯t the most socially adept person, he knew the right words to say in this situation.


    "Of course!"


    .


    .


    .


    "Hellooo¡«" Peter sang out as he entered his house, his aunt and uncle, who had been in the living room, raising an eyebrow as they watched him come in.


    Their nephew tried to hide his smile, but it was obvious to anyone who looked at him that he seemed about ready to break into a dance.


    "How was the field trip?" Ben Parker asked as Peter approached them. The boy shrugged, trying to play down his joy.


    "Fine, I guess," he said vaguely.


    "Just fine? You walked in here like a man who just won the lottery, Peter," his aunt chimed in, making Peter laugh as he scratched his head.


    Should he tell them? He debated for a moment before thinking, ''To hell with it,'' and began to speak.


    "I have a date!" He almost shouted it. His aunt and uncle stared at him with wide eyes in silence for a moment.


    Then Ben got up and walked over to him with a big smile on his face.


    "You finally asked that girl Gwen from your class out?" His question made Peter blink before he quickly shook his head.


    "No, I didn¡¯t ask anyone out," he said, causing them to look at him in confusion. With a bit of embarrassment and pride, he confessed what had happened.


    "Jessica asked me out." This time it was hard for Ben and May to hide their surprise. They knew Jessica because she had come over a few times to work on group projects with Peter. She was a good girl, though a bit "tough," although "rough" might be a more fitting word.


    To think that a girl like her would ask out their nephew¡­


    "Looks like the Parker charm has finally kicked in for you, kid!" Ben couldn¡¯t help but feel very happy for Peter, and with more force than he should have, his hand slapped Peter¡¯s back.


    The boy, who had been smiling happily, suddenly frowned as he felt something stir on his back and winced.


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    "Ben! Be more careful," May scolded her husband, misinterpreting Peter''s reaction. Ben looked embarrassed as he saw Peter suddenly hunch over.


    "Are you okay, Peter?"


    Peter, for his part, didn''t know how to respond to His aunt and uncle. Sure, the slap had hurt a bit, but his backpack had cushioned the blow. No, something else had happened. Peter didn¡¯t know what it was, but suddenly he felt as if something had pricked him? Bitten him? He couldn¡¯t explain the sensation, only that it was like a sharp, burning pain that numbed almost immediately, leaving only an uncomfortable itch behind.


    Straightening up, Peter played it down and smiled again.


    "It¡¯s fine, I¡¯m fine, see?" he said, stretching out both arms. Still, that itch persisted, and Peter decided he needed a shower.


    ¡°But I think I need a good bath, it''s been a long day,¡± he said a quick goodbye and walked up the stairs to his room with a frown in confusion.


    His aunt and uncle watched him go with some concern, and May couldn¡¯t help but scold Ben again.


    "Parker charm, really?"


    "Hey! It worked on you¡­"


    .


    .


    .


    Peter was sweating¡ªsweating too much, which wouldn''t be so strange if it weren''t for the fact that he was so cold!


    With a staggering body, he opened the door to his room and walked in, almost stumbling several times on his way.


    Something was wrong.


    He should turn around, go back to his aunt and uncle, ask for help, but his consciousness felt dimmed. He felt dimmed, drowsy. Without being able to stop it, his body collapsed backward onto his bed¡ªhe hadn¡¯t even managed to take off his backpack.


    In a final act of awareness, his hand grasped his blanket, trying to cover himself from the cold.


    A few minutes later, when his aunt came up to check on him, she found him half-covered by his blanket. Thinking her nephew had simply fallen asleep, she just shook her head and quietly closed the door.


    .


    .


    .


    .


    .


    .


    Where do geniuses reside? Daniel had pondered this question many times, reflecting on it until he realized that the answer was far more complicated than he had anticipated.


    Geniuses were everywhere.


    After all, there were different kinds of geniuses, some more specialized than others. Taking that into account, he focused on a more specific question: where do scientific geniuses reside?


    In many places, actually. This world had numerous prestigious institutions, each with several prominent names. Some he recognized, others he did not.


    After cleaning up all of Smallville with Carol, ridding the town of kryptonite, Daniel decided to take a small break. He was now in his workshop, reviewing information about various important institutions.


    Many were private companies similar to Stark Industries. He dismissed those first¡ªhe already had Tony to work with, and he didn¡¯t need to attract more millionaire entrepreneurs for the time being.


    Besides, many of the names he came across gave him a bad feeling. Of course, much of this had to do with his lack of memories about them. If he had no recollection, it meant there was something there¡ªperhaps something good like Tony, or something bad like a supervillain or a criminal organization. He didn¡¯t know, so he decided to be cautious.


    And then there were those he did remember.


    "Cadmus. I''ll have to check that place out thoroughly," The problem was that Cadmus had several locations across the country, which could make things a bit complicated. He might have to take Carol with him to see if she could spot anything, but that was a task for later. He didn''t think Cadmus would be an issue for now; it was too early for them to be causing any major trouble. Still, he made a note of it so he wouldn''t forget and turned his attention to the next.


    "Baxter Foundation..." As he said it out loud, a few images came to mind, primarily of four individuals... Fantastic ones.


    In fact, Daniel had run into one of them purely by chance not too long ago, something that still brought a smile to his face. After all The photo he took with the guy had gone quite viral, even making it onto some news channels.


    "That should attract a lot of girls, right?" he joked to himself.


    "Attract what?" The flat voice made him blink; he had gotten a bit distracted. He turned to see Carol entering the workshop with two cups of hot chocolate. She looked at him with a blank expression, and Daniel would have found it amusing except that this time he didn''t mean to intentionally upset her.


    ¡°The clothes, that always attracts girls right? look I''ve made some designs.¡± Without missing a beat, Daniel changed the subject and brought up several images on his monitors. The designs weren''t anything extraordinary; in fact, many were just copies adapted to Carol''s figure and build, based primarily on what she usually wore.


    Carol looked at him for a moment before shrugging, deciding to ignore what she had overheard and moving closer to see what was on the screens.


    "Do you want to change anything?" Daniel asked, taking the cup she offered and sipping from it.


    Carol looked at the designs and shook her head. Everything fit well with what she liked to wear, and she couldn''t help but be a bit surprised that Daniel had paid so much attention. It made her feel warm and happy for a moment, but that mood was shattered when she noticed something on one of the screens.


    "Y-you, you, you..." She couldn''t put it into words. Seeing her confusion, Daniel turned to look at her, noticing her face had turned extremely red. Then he followed her gaze and almost laughed in response.


    "Well, I thought you might appreciate some of those too¡ªextra durable and comfortable, very soft to the touch, guaranteed quality," he said solemnly, looking at the bras and panties displayed on the screen.


    Carol stayed silent for a moment before bursting into laughter, making him laugh too.


    "Is this what you meant by knowing what might look good on me?" After catching her breath, Carol asked this question suddenly, catching Daniel off guard. His eyes turned to look at her causing their gazes to meet and a somewhat strange and ambiguous atmosphere to begin to form between the two of them.


    Uh-oh, it seemed his earlier words had landed him in trouble once again.


    But since he had said them, he couldn''t back down, right? As annoying as it was, his mother hadn''t raised a coward, though he wouldn''t tell her that if he ever saw her again.


    "I guess we could find out once they''re ready."


    Carol''s eyes widened in surprise at his response. She had only said it to embarrass him, but now she was the one feeling the blush creep up on her.


    Seeing her like this, Daniel chuckled to himself¡ªCarol had a few more years to go if she wanted to tease him successfully.


    .


    .


    .


    Washington D.C., Triskelion, S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters.


    Deep within the facility was a hidden area, accessible only to high-level personnel. It was where many secrets and important projects were kept.


    Nick Fury frowned as he descended in a special elevator, contemplating the news he''d received recently.


    Ten years. It had been ten years since he had heard anything, but today, on this very day, one of the specialized doctors in charge of one of his greatest failures had called him.


    The patient who had been in a coma for ten years had shown signs of activity.


    When the elevator stopped, Nick began walking with heavy steps. What should he do? What should he say? How do you explain to a man that he lost ten years of his life due to a stupid mistake?


    Due to his stupid mistake...


    Nick knew this was his responsibility and that he had to face it. If that man truly woke up, Nick needed to be there and deliver the news while looking him in the eye. He deserved no less; Nick Fury would give him no less.


    When he arrived at the location, he saw the lone doctor in charge. Nick greeted him without a word, and the man nodded in response.


    "His vital signs have been improving, and his brain activity has been increasing as well. His fingers and toes have started to move occasionally, as have his eyelids. I''ve never seen anything like this before, sir. The chances of him regaining consciousness are high, very high," the doctor said as they entered the specially prepared room.


    Nick took a deep breath and approached the only bed inside, where a man lay reclined¡ªFranklin Hall, one of his best scientists in his time, and also a man he had failed.


    "It seems they still haven''t shaved him," he commented absentmindedly, noticing the growing stubble on Franklin''s face.


    The doctor came to his side and nodded.


    "In fact, the activity started when the nurse in charge was applying shaving cream to his face. We think that might have stimulated him in some way, so we decided not to interfere further until we gathered more data."


    Looking at the man he hadn''t seen in years, Fury couldn''t help but recall the past. It seemed so distant yet so close... no, something wasn''t right here.


    Fury remembered¡ªhe remembered images that had been sent to him of the man. Although he hadn''t visited him in person, he stayed updated from time to time. A man who had been in a coma for over ten years shouldn''t look like this.


    He hadn''t looked like this before.


    "Why is his physique different?" he asked, pointing at the man''s thick arms, arms with muscles he shouldn''t have.


    "So you finally noticed, huh? It started at the same time he showed the first signs of life. His body, to put it simply, is changing. Before, he was as thin as a twig despite the best care we''ve given him. But suddenly, in a short time, he started regaining muscle mass¡ªand not just that, he''s been gaining muscle. It''s something completely inexplicable, sir, but I theorize it has to do with the project Graviton."


    At that last word, Fury felt his body tremble slightly. He thought it was because of the emotions those old memories brought up, but he quickly realized the tremor didn''t just affect him. He could see that the medical team had also shaken slightly¡ªnot just the team, the whole room had trembled lightly.


    One of the vital signs monitors began beeping loudly, the patient''s heart rate rapidly increasing. Fury sensed something was about to happen. There was another tremor, another jolt, and then, for a moment, everything felt light, as if all the weight in the place had vanished.


    Then, in the next instant, all that weight returned with force, causing Fury to almost drop to his knees.


    "What¡¯s happening?!" the doctor asked in panic, the man having fallen to the floor.


    "We need to get out of here!" Fury decided that being hundreds of meters underground during a tremor was not a good idea. He hurried to the gurney with the doctor, who clumsily got up, ready to take Franklin and escape.


    But as the doctor''s hand was about to approach the unconscious man, an arm lifted and grabbed his hand. The tremors stopped for a moment as a pair of eyes that had been closed for years opened once more, with a flash of translucent white light in each of them.


    Then the whole place began to collapse.


    .


    .


    .


    Note:


    It seems Peter is lucky for once in his life¡­ or not? we''ll see.


    On the other hand Daniel is about to find out how it feels to face a walking ¡°black hole¡±...


    comment, like, and if you spot any errors, point them out so I can correct them later. I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and I''ll see you in the next one.


    Finally remember that You can already find the next chapter (and several more chapters) of this story on P)atreon ( p)atreon com/EmmaCruzader ) All the support received is appreciated ;D


    P.S: The design I had in mind for Jessica Jones is from Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3 ¡ªjust, you know, younger and less grim.

 40: Breaking The World 1

    40: Breaking The World 1


    Ten years ago.


    "And this is what I call gravitonium. I discovered it in the depths of an excavation in Malta after theorizing its existence for years. People called me crazy and despised me, but now I am the one who¡ª"


    "Dr. Hall, let''s get to the point," a serious voice interrupted Franklin Hall''s out-loud thoughts. The man slightly furrowed his brow but nodded nonetheless.


    "Sorry, I got a bit carried away. As I was saying, this is the element that will undoubtedly make humanity take a qualitative leap¡ªa leap that will take us to the stars," he exclaimed with excitement, already imagining all the possibilities, the future!


    "If there were enough," the voice made Dr. Hall snap out of his delusions. The man sighed and nodded with slumped shoulders.


    "Yes... if there were enough," he looked at the element carefully stored behind a special container. More than ten years of searching, so many resources invested... and this was all there was.


    "Listen, Dr. Hall, I know you hoped to change the world with this discovery, but often not everything we want comes to pass. It''s disappointing, but clinging to the past is useless," Nick Fury approached the man, placing his hand on his shoulder.


    "It''s time to move on. It''s time to use your knowledge for something different, something that will truly change the world."


    Franklin Hall hesitated for a moment but finally nodded. Yes, maybe it was time to move forward, to fight for a better future... and to show everyone who underestimated him their place.


    .


    .


    .


    There was a fluctuation. Earth''s gravitational field suddenly experienced a "spasm." The seas stirred, the wind howled, the birds in the sky lost their balance for a moment, and the tectonic plates on the planet began to crack, causing small tremors to shake various areas around the globe.


    "Huh?" Daniel blinked and looked at his cup of hot chocolate with a frown. Perhaps a normal person would have overlooked how the liquid inside it rippled, but he wasn''t a normal person.


    At the same time, he felt something change in the air? No... not in the air. It was in space.


    Suddenly, one of the screens in his workshop lit up, and Lara''s face appeared on it, causing Carol to exclaim in surprise.


    "Mom?" Normally, Lara didn''t make contact this way; she usually waited for them to visit the fortress and only then spoke to them if she had any matters to discuss.


    Something that shouldn''t be, considering Daniel and Carol had just returned from the fortress not long ago, and everything that needed to be said had been said.


    Even though it was a hologram, the woman''s face showed confusion as well as a certain degree of concern.


    "Something is happening. The fortress''s sensors detected a disturbance in Earth''s gravitational field. It was only for a moment, but I think it''s something that needs to be investigated," she said, then a three-dimensional map of Earth appeared on another screen, showing where the phenomenon she was talking about had roughly originated.


    ''So I didn''t imagine it, huh?'' Daniel set his cup of hot chocolate down on the desk and prepared to leave, changing into his heroic suit in an instant.


    "I''ll be right back," he said before leaving, but Carol spoke quickly.


    "Maybe I should go with you?"


    Daniel paused when he heard her. He remembered what she had said when the whole incident with Obadiah happened. He had told her he wouldn''t let something like that happen again...


    "Wear the helmet," he finally said before departing.


    Carol blinked before smiling brightly, changing into her suit in an instant, and disappearing from the place.


    Lara, who saw her daughter running after Daniel, couldn''t help but sigh and put a hand on her face. Embarrassingly, her daughter reminded her of herself when she first started getting to know her husband.


    "Should I do something?" Remembering the past, she couldn''t help but think that maybe her daughter would need some help, just as she had received it back then.


    There was another tremor, the gravitational field was disturbed again. Lara frowned. She would think about it later; for now, she connected to Carol''s helmet, ready to provide her help and knowledge if the situation warranted it.


    .


    .


    .


    Nick Fury thought he would die, crushed by hundreds, maybe thousands of tons of debris. At least that would have been more merciful than what happened to the doctor who had been with him. It happened so quickly that he almost missed it, but he still managed to see it, and Fury didn''t think he would forget something like that anytime soon.


    If he survived, of course.


    His bones creaked as he felt a crushing pressure bearing down on him from all directions¡ªabove, below, outside, and even from within¡ªa pervasive force that sought to turn him into pulp, a truly unpleasant sensation.


    "YOU!" There was a thunderous roar filled with rage, and a pair of eyes glowing with electric white light stared at Nick as everything around him was destroyed.


    "H-Hall, s-stop!" Fury said, though it was incredibly difficult. The air in his lungs felt like water.


    Dr. Franklin Hall breathed heavily as he looked around in confusion. Where was he? What was this place? His mind was in disarray, memories, and fragments of the past assaulting him while two words kept repeating in his mind.


    "Project Graviton..." he muttered, and the trembling ceased as Nick felt the pressure on him lessen slightly, allowing him to breathe once more.


    "What happened to my project, Fury?!" Then the pressure returned.


    "Argh!" He heard something crack, undoubtedly one of his ribs.


    Alarms flooded the base. Above them, the entire Triskelion trembled, cracks spreading throughout the facility, threatening to bring everything down.


    S.H.I.E.L.D. agents and personnel began to evacuate in a hurry, not knowing what was happening as panic swept through the place.


    It was at that moment that, like an invisible wave in the form of a shockwave, the entire place was ravaged by an immeasurable force.


    The Triskelion''s main building was reduced to rubble in an instant, and everything around it was repelled without restraint, causing hundreds of people to be killed in an instant.


    Rising from the underground, Franklin Hall forcefully made his way to the surface, looking at the now clear sky with a barely conscious Nick Fury floating beside him.


    "This is my power? Ha... hahaha!" His laughter filled the area as excitement surged through every fiber of his being.


    "It was a success! Gravity is now under my control!" he shouted, and the entire place trembled once more.


    "What do you think, Fury? More than just a mere super-soldier, don''t you agree? Now I am one of the fundamental forces of the universe! Now I can change the world! Lead humanity toward an unimaginable future!"


    Fury coughed, saliva mixed with blood. With difficulty, he looked at Franklin Hall and couldn''t help but laugh, causing the man to frown at him.


    "What''s so funny, Fury?" Hall waved his hand, making the S.H.I.E.L.D. director float closer to him.


    With a smile on his face, Fury dropped the communicator he had managed to reach a few moments ago and looked at Hall with mockery.


    "The world already changed, Hall, and it did so without you."


    Franklin blinked in confusion, then laughed, considering it an empty threat. Now nothing could stop him; he was invincible. Fury''s tricks were useless.


    "I hope those last words were worth it," he smiled and, channeling his newfound powers, began to increase the gravity on Fury''s body, ready to crush him to death.


    "AHHRG!" Fury gritted his teeth, feeling his bones being crushed along with his flesh and organs.


    He was going to die.


    "Let him go!"


    Then the world turned upside down.


    Franklin Hall''s eyes widened when he felt a powerful blow impact his gravitational shields. His body was sent flying uncontrollably, his vision blurring for a moment due to the disorientation.


    He gritted his teeth and, unleashing more power, forced the surrounding gravity to obey his command, stopping his body in mid-air. Then he looked in the direction from which the blow had come, and from the clouds of dust that had risen, a figure emerged, floating in the air just like him, with a long dark cape billowing in the wind.


    "What?" he looked at the man facing him, bewildered.


    "I don''t think I need to ask, but I''ll do it anyway, just to be sure," the man pointed to the ground, where hundreds of thousands of tons of earth had been forcibly displaced, crushing everything within a radius of hundreds of meters.


    "Did you do this?" Faced with the obvious question, Dr. Hall, though puzzled by the strange appearance of the man, responded sincerely.


    "Yes, and this is just the beginning. Soon the whole world will witness my power." The arrogance in his words was evident, as well as the madness in his eyes. The power had completely gone to his head.


    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    "I see..." a gloved fist clenched.


    .


    .


    .


    Nick Fury was plummeting toward his imminent death, a strange sensation given that just a moment ago, he had also been on the brink of dying. Then, he felt someone suddenly grab his arm, halting his fall and pulling him to the side, allowing him to rest against the ground.


    His vision was a bit blurry, but he could still make out the "D" on the suit. Relieved, he decided it was time to rest a bit. He would deal with the consequences of all this later.


    "He passed out," Carol said, frowning as she looked at the injured man. With her X-ray vision, she could see multiple fractures in his bones as well as numerous internal injuries.


    "You''d better take him to a hospital as soon as possible if you don''t want him to die from internal bleeding," Lara commented through the helmet, making Carol frown. She looked in the direction Daniel had gone and hesitated for a moment.


    "That boy will be fine. Haven''t you always said he''s very strong? Trust him and do your part. Be useful and start helping everyone who''s still alive, starting with this man and then all those people buried under the rubble," her mother said with a firm voice and a touch of reprimand.


    Carol almost clicked her tongue but still obeyed. Her mother was right¡ªDaniel could probably handle it. Instead, if she stayed doing nothing, She would only prove to be useless, something she didn''t want at all.


    So she took Nick Fury and began flying toward the nearest hospital.


    .


    .


    .


    Tony had been having a good day, all things considered. It started with the sun rising over the horizon and a hot cup of coffee served personally by the hands of his lovely secretary, Pepper. With the company back in his hands, Tony had been spending a little less time in the lab and a bit more time fixing all the mess Obadiah had left behind.


    Moving their headquarters to a new location, firing and hiring new staff, getting rid of all those weapons, and providing aid to the people affected by Stane''s malpractice... there was a lot on his plate.


    Fortunately for everyone, Tony was a genius and managed to take care of it all in record time. Of course, it helped that he now owned almost all the shares of Stark Industries, and therefore, the board of directors was entirely under his control, allowing him to act as he saw fit without any complaints.


    "So, I think you should get a promotion, you know, help me run everything," he said, looking at Pepper across from him. Convincing her to go out for breakfast with him had been extremely difficult, but no one could resist Tony Stark''s charms for long.


    She looked at him with a bored expression.


    "Tony, I already help you run everything."


    "That''s not true," he tried to counter.


    "Can you tell me the name of your accountant? Or maybe something simpler, like your Social Security number?" At her questions, Tony was silent for a moment.


    "Gary? And I''m not even going to try answering the second one," he sighed. Well, she was right; he relied too much on Jarvis and her for many things.


    "I''m just saying maybe you deserve to be more than my assistant. How about Executive Vice President? How does that sound?" he said, expecting surprise, but instead got only a sigh.


    "It sounds like more work, Tony," she gave him a tired smile, and only now did Tony notice the small wrinkles under her eyes.


    "Yeah, maybe you''re right. I''m sorry, Pepper, I¡ª" Of course, he couldn''t finish his apology because, at that exact moment, of all times, the damn place started shaking, and an alarm that should only sound in emergencies went off.


    Just great.


    Tony frowned and quickly raised his left hand, where a new and shiny watch¡ªblack with gold accents¡ªwas located. He pressed one of its buttons, and a projected screen appeared. Although there were no images, the audio that played made him stand up instantly.


    ¡°I''m really sorry, Pepper, but I have to go,¡± the woman looked at him with concern, and before he left, she held his hand for a moment.


    ¡°Just be careful, alright?¡±


    Tony smiled, giving her a confident look.


    ¡°Don''t you remember, Pepper?¡± he asked as the sound of the air breaking outside the building was heard, followed by the sound of something heavy landing moments later.


    Everyone in the restaurant gasped in amazement as they looked out the windows, their astonishment growing as heavy footsteps began to approach, and a tall shadow entered the place.


    Tony winked at Pepper as his armor arrived behind him, and with the sound of the highest technology machinery, it opened up to let him inside.


    ¡°I am Iron Man.¡±


    .


    .


    .


    Peter Parker was having a strange day. One that started with a very strange morning.


    The sun was just beginning to rise when the urge to pee hit him hard. Still half-asleep, Peter tried to jump out of bed as he always did, only this time something happened.


    Something amazing.


    Before he knew it, he was looking at his room from an elevated position. Confused, he tried to clear the sleep from his eyes before looking again, only to realize that nothing had changed, and in fact, he was on the ceiling.


    ¡°What the hell?¡±


    Was this some kind of lucid dream? Without being able to help it, he tried to imagine two beautiful women, one with dark hair and one with blonde hair, both in his bed covered only by their blankets.


    It didn¡¯t work.


    Frowning and not knowing how the heck to get back to the floor, he did the only thing that came to mind: he tried to jump onto his bed.


    It wasn''t a great idea; he didn''t even try. He barely moved his bare toes against the wall, and it was as if he had been launched by a high-powered catapult.


    His body flew through the air at great speed, or at least he thought it was great speed because, from his perspective, everything seemed to be in slow motion, very slow motion.


    In disbelief, he had to watch helplessly as he was about to crash headlong into his mattress.


    Well, the only fortunate thing was that he didn''t make a living with his face, which was about to get ruined.


    Until it didn''t. Automatically, his body twisted skillfully in the air with supernatural grace.


    Peter blinked in amazement as he saw himself now perfectly balanced on the headboard of his bed.


    ¡°Okay, this is weird, amazingly weird.¡±


    Carefully, he got down to the floor and stood as a normal person would, then looked at himself.


    ¡°Huh? The floor is lower than I remember.¡± No, the floor was the same; it was him who had gotten taller, several centimeters taller, in fact.


    And his clothes were now tighter. It wasn¡¯t uncomfortable, but he could feel it, and without being able to help it, he flexed his arms slightly, causing the sound of tearing fabric to fill the room.


    ¡°Oh¡­ This was my favorite shirt,¡± he lamented, seeing the rips in the fabric caused by muscles he didn¡¯t remember ever having.


    What had happened to him?


    Confused, he headed to his bathroom to relieve the pressure in his bladder that had woken him up in the first place. But as he was about to grab the doorknob, he remembered what had happened to his clothes.


    ¡°You won¡¯t break, right?¡± he asked the air sarcastically. Clearly, that was impossible; the bathroom door knob, though a bit old, was made of steel and not some cheap metal like aluminum. Even a hammer would have trouble leaving marks on it.


    Confident, Peter reached out and squeezed.


    There was a crunch, and the bewildered boy looked down again, only to find the steel crushed between his fingers as if it were clay.


    Incredulous, Peter made his way to the bathroom, looking at himself in the mirror with bewilderment.


    ¡°Where are my glasses? No, that doesn¡¯t matter right now.¡± In a rush, he began undressing, taking off his clothes in record time, then studied his body carefully.


    ¡°Well, this isn¡¯t so bad.¡± Putting everything else aside, having a six-pack was definitely a gain.


    While Peter admired himself, he didn¡¯t notice how his shirt, which he had tossed into the sink, began to twitch as if something inside it was moving.


    It didn¡¯t stay out of his attention for long, though, because Peter noticed it out of the corner of his eye as the movement intensified, twisting the fabric noticeably.


    Confused, he carefully approached and saw how, from within the bundle of fabric, two hairy legs and eight dark eyes emerged into the light, reflecting his face.


    There was silence.


    ¡°AHHH!!¡± Peter screamed.


    ¡°Chiiii!¡± the spider screeched.


    The large arachnid leaped into the air directly toward Peter¡¯s face.


    Had it been a normal person in his place, they wouldn¡¯t have even had time to react to the high-speed movement the spider executed.


    But Peter was no longer a normal person.


    Acting purely on instinct, his hands moved, and his palms clapped together, intercepting the spider with force.


    The air exploded, shaking everything in the bathroom as if a gale had taken place right then and there.


    ¡°Ugh,¡± Peter grimaced as he saw green liquid oozing between his hands. Trembling, he opened his palms to see that the strange-looking arachnid that had been in his shirt was now nothing more than a deformed, crushed pulp.


    ¡°Sorry?¡± he apologized, though he wasn¡¯t exactly sure why.


    Wait, a spider?


    Where the hell had it come from, and why was it so strange?


    Although he only looked at it for milliseconds, Peter still remembered the appearance of the arachnid perfectly, and even though he wasn¡¯t an expert on such creatures, he could still recognize that there was something very strange about it.


    After all, spiders shouldn¡¯t be glowing in red and blue colors, right?


    Not knowing what else to do and with the spider now dead, the best idea he could come up with was to find a clean container to store its remains so he could study them later¡ªa difficult task since his hands were occupied.


    ¡°Everything okay in there, Peter?¡± his aunt¡¯s voice called out, sounding somewhat concerned, and only now did he remember that he had made quite a racket when he killed the spider.


    ¡°Yes! I mean, everything¡¯s fine, Aunt May! I just knocked something over by accident when I went to the bathroom; I¡¯m already cleaning it up,¡± he quickly came up with an excuse.


    There was silence for a moment.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll start making breakfast,¡± his aunt finally seemed to leave, making Peter let out a long sigh of relief.


    ¡°Alright, time to hide a body.¡± That sounded more sinister than it actually was.


    Fortunately, Peter was something of a science nerd and had several chemistry kits with sterilized containers for preserving certain substances, which came in very handy on this occasion.


    He finally stored the spider¡¯s corpse in his small personal freezer along with other chemical samples and began searching for clothes that fit him¡ªa difficult task since everything now seemed too tight.


    In the end, he had to settle for an oversized hoodie that barely concealed his new physique.


    He then went downstairs, hunched over to disguise his newfound height, and greeted his aunt in the kitchen while noticing that his uncle was already seated at the table, reading the newspaper.


    Not wanting to draw attention, he sat in his usual spot, waiting for breakfast.


    ¡°You seem to be feeling better,¡± his uncle said, lowering his newspaper and looking at him.


    ¡°Huh? Yeah, I actually feel really good, better than ever,¡± Peter replied, setting aside all the weirdness. His new body made him feel incredible.


    ¡°That¡¯s good to hear, Peter. After all, it¡¯s the weekend, and the house needs some repairs, so why don¡¯t you and Ben spend some time working on that together?¡± Aunt May suggested as she approached with breakfast ready.


    "Oh? That sounds exciting, don¡¯t you think? Maybe it¡¯s time I teach you how to fix a pipe."


    Peter almost sighed at that. Well, fixing things with his uncle wasn¡¯t so bad, but...


    ¡°Actually, could I have this weekend off?¡± he asked somewhat sheepishly, surprising both of them.


    They exchanged glances for a moment before Ben spoke.


    ¡°Well, if you have something to do, I don¡¯t see why not. You haven¡¯t had many weekends off, after all.¡± Peter was a well-behaved kid. He always did all the chores assigned to him, sometimes even going above and beyond. His grades were excellent, and he¡¯d never had any trouble at school.


    Letting him have a day for himself was a small ask when you considered everything.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Peter smiled. He hadn¡¯t really had anything to do until this morning, but now he needed to figure out why he had changed, where that spider had come from, and if its appearance was related to his transformation.


    Of course, all plans go awry when something else interferes. Something unforeseen.


    Peter felt everything around him slow down. The hairs on his body stood on end, and a sensation like a warning bell flooded his mind.


    Something in the air had changed. He didn¡¯t know how he knew this, but he did.


    With concern, he watched as the liquids in the glasses on the table began to ripple, then noticed how dust started falling from the ceiling.


    An earthquake? No, it was something else.


    Without knowing why and following an instinct unlike any other, Peter turned toward the dining room window, which gave a direct view of the Browns'' house next door.


    One moment, the house was there, just as it had been for as long as he could remember. The next, it was gone, ripped from its foundations in an instant...


    Peter would have been more horrified if he didn¡¯t know that the Browns were out of town on family business, though now he doubted they¡¯d ever be coming back.


    ¡®No! Focus,¡¯ he thought. Even with everything moving in slow motion, Peter stood up and, without hesitation, took his aunt and uncle in his arms. If their house was going to go flying too, he didn¡¯t want them to be inside it at all!


    With grace and superhuman agility, Peter shot out through one of the windows, landing outside the house just in time to see a truck plow through his dining room, leaving a massive hole behind.


    Good news: his house seemed to have strong foundations; it hadn''t been blown away.


    Bad news: a truck had decided to, and his house was in the way.


    "Well, on second thought, I think I might stay and help with the repairs..."


    At his words, his uncle and aunt, who were completely bewildered and clueless about what had just happened, looked at their home in disbelief.


    Peter decided to let them process it while he looked up. There, in the sky, countless debris was flying through the air toward what could only be described as an unnatural phenomenon resembling a cyclone, pulling in countless objects of all sizes and weights.


    Uh, maybe it would be better if they started running.


    The end of the world seemed to have moved up its premiere date¡ªthose lying Mayans! Didn''t they say it would be in 2012? With strange thoughts like those, Peter grabbed his uncle and aunt and, without hesitation, began to lead them away.


    .


    .


    .


    Note:


    comment, let me know what you think, and give your suggestions and critiques.


    If there are any mistakes, please let me know so I can correct them.


    Finally remember that You can already find the next chapter (and several more chapters) of this story on P)atreon ( p)atreon com/EmmaCruzader ) All the support received is appreciated ;D

 41: Breaking the World 2

    41: Breaking the World 2


    "I see..." a gloved fist clenched.


    There was a moment when a tacit understanding passed through both of their eyes.


    And thanks to that, despite the madness that plagued his unbalanced mind, Dr. Hall had a brief moment of clarity, one that made several questions arise in his mind. Who was this man in front of him? Why did the gravity around him seem to bend to allow him to fly in the air? Could he be another of Shield''s experiments?


    And above all, why the hell did he have a cape?


    "Who are you?" he finally asked with clear curiosity.


    Daniel didn''t expect the man to speak again. In fact, he was prepared to start a fight immediately. But if there was one thing he had learned about the heroes from his previous life, it was that they all tended to have a very bad habit.


    Hit first and ask questions later.


    A habit Daniel didn''t want to adopt. Many situations that could have ended differently always ended up getting complicated due to that kind of attitude. Of course, there were times when talking wasn''t an option, and this had seemed like one of those moments at first.


    "People call me Defiant, you could say I''m a hero," he finally said but without letting his guard down. Although he didn''t know exactly what abilities the man in front of him had, from what he had seen so far, his destructive power couldn''t be underestimated. If he was also responsible for the alterations in the planet''s gravitational field, something that was undoubtedly more than likely, then this conflict could escalate too much, something Daniel had to avoid either by defeating him quickly or convincing him to surrender without a fight.


    And since the possibility of doing the latter had now presented itself, he had to try to take advantage of it.


    "A hero?" Dr. Hall blinked and looked at Daniel, confused, as if processing that word was difficult for him.


    Then he looked at his appearance once more¡ªa cape, a tight suit, and a recognizable symbol on his chest. Old memories from when he was a child came to his mind, memories of old superhero comics his parents bought him to keep him entertained.


    "The world already changed, Hall, and it did so without you." Fury''s words returned to him.


    Was this what he was referring to?


    "Ha... Haha... Hahahahaha."


    Seeing him start to laugh like a maniac, Daniel sighed inwardly.


    "I just want to make it clear that we can stop this here and now. No one else has to get hurt."


    The laughter stopped, and Dr. Hall looked at him with absolute confidence in his eyes.


    "Hurt? I think you don''t understand. The power I now possess is unparalleled. Nothing in this world can harm me anymore. Nothing can stand against me! I''ve gone beyond humanity!" Energy glowed in his hands as the air rippled around him, causing strong winds to whip through the sky.


    ''Well, no one can say I didn''t try,'' Daniel thought as a serious expression formed on his face and his fists clenched.


    The world around him slowed down as his perception speed accelerated, and without hesitation, he launched forward, breaking the sound barrier in an instant.


    It was too fast; Dr. Hall couldn''t see or perceive him with his normal senses. But even so, he raised his hand, intercepting the punch that was about to hit him in the face.


    "Defiant, right? I suppose in this era, names like that are the norm. In that case, let me introduce myself."


    Daniel grimaced as he felt the space around him begin to fluctuate. He looked at his fist, which had been blocked by an invisible wall of gravitational waves. This time he had put more force into his attack than in his first strike, and yet he still couldn''t break through that barrier.


    "From today, the world will know me as Graviton! The one who rules over gravity itself! And soon, the one who will rule over this world!" With his exclamation, the space around him twisted, invisible gravitational waves crashing toward Daniel like an unstoppable, omnipresent force.


    His body flew backward uncontrollably for a moment; it felt as if a mountain had been thrown onto him, except this mountain was crushing him from all directions, and he couldn''t strike it to get rid of it.


    Gritting his teeth, he pushed his flight ability to its limits. The gravity around him began to distort, and Graviton looked at him in astonishment.


    "I''ve increased the gravity impacting your body a thousandfold, and you''re still alive? No, not just that, you''re fighting against it, denying it! How is this possible?!"


    With one final surge of his power, Daniel felt the weight that had been chaining him break, and without hesitation, he accelerated forward once more.


    "In this world, nothing is impossible!" he said as he reached Graviton and struck with force, causing a powerful shockwave to be released.


    Graviton''s body was hurled through the skies, yet Daniel didn''t relax because he felt that his attack had been blocked once again.


    ''Is it an automatic barrier? Or is there something more?'' He had observed his enemy''s eyes, on all the occasions he attacked him they couldn''t even keep track of his movements.


    If it was truly an automatic barrier, then he had only two options: attack so fast that the barrier couldn''t deploy, or hit so hard that it wouldn''t matter if the barrier was up.


    Whatever the answer was, there was only one way to find out.


    Graviton forcibly stopped his movement in mid-air once more and looked toward Daniel with a frown. His blurry figure was rapidly approaching, and if it weren''t for the fact that he could now sense everything around him thanks to the gravitational waves covering the entire space, he wouldn''t have been able to keep track of him.


    ¡°Nothing can oppose me!¡± Power flowed through his body like electricity, and with blind fury, he propelled himself forward, facing the so-called hero who had decided to stand in his way.


    In a fraction of a second, their figures collided, and a blinding light flooded the sky as a powerful shockwave extended for dozens of kilometers around.


    Windows and glass shattered, powerful gusts of wind uprooted trees and sent debris flying, the waters of the Potomac River churned, beginning to form waves that lashed against its banks¡ªWashington, D.C., and its surroundings were shaken in an instant.


    .


    Carol moved at super speed, and to her eyes, the entire world slowed down, allowing her to clearly see how chaos was forming around her. Her hand stretched out, pierced through the metal, and ripped off the door of a car that had started to fly through the air, split in half.


    She then pulled out the woman who had been inside and placed her over her shoulder along with five other people.


    She needed more space. Her gaze searched the surroundings until she spotted a bus that seemed relatively empty and undamaged. Moving quickly, she headed toward it, forcibly opening its doors.


    In blurred movements, dozens of people appeared inside without knowing what was happening, and before they could react, the bus flew through the air until it safely reached outside of Washington, D.C.


    Carol repeated this action a dozen more times, whether by using other large vehicles or simply stacking civilians on her shoulders, getting as many people as she could out of the path of the destruction that was growing larger by the second.


    Frowning, she watched as entire buildings began to be torn from their foundations, and without hesitation, she dove into them, rushing people out as quickly as possible.


    ¡®What the hell is going on?¡¯ She took a fraction of a second to glance in Daniel''s direction.


    High in the sky, formed by an ever-growing mass of debris, a chaotic battlefield had been created, resembling a cyclone that grew uncontrollably, extending far beyond the sky over Washington.


    Carol watched as Daniel''s figure moved through the massive cyclone at high speed, closely followed by a figure that seemed to be protected by an invisible force field.


    Every time their bodies collided, space seemed to fluctuate, and the shockwaves produced extended even into the city.


    She saw one of the buildings that had been torn from the ground being used as a massive projectile, flying toward Daniel, who passed through it easily, only to be hit head-on by two more buildings, which shattered upon impact as if a dozen high-powered explosives had detonated against them simultaneously.


    Carol felt her breath catch for a moment.


    Then she saw him emerge from the cloud of dust and continue fighting as if nothing had happened.


    With a sigh of relief, she couldn''t help but shake her head. She was worrying too much; she needed to focus. She stopped looking in his direction and sped up again, ready to continue getting people out of harm''s way.


    .


    Things were getting complicated. Daniel wiped some of the blood dripping from his nose as he watched more and more debris begin to rise due to Graviton''s powers.


    ¡®I need to get him out of the city.¡¯ Not just out of the city¡ªhe needed to take him far away from any landmass he could affect.


    Fortunately, they were near the East Coast, so the path to the ocean was clear.


    Dodging a dozen cars, Daniel flew through the air, reaching Graviton in an instant. The man braced for another clash between them, but this time, Daniel didn¡¯t strike. Instead, he tackled him, holding him tightly in a powerful embrace.


    "Let me go!" Graviton growled as he felt his body being squeezed, unleashing a powerful repelling wave that crushed everything in its path.


    Daniel gritted his teeth, forcing himself to resist the repelling force as best he could, but the gravity wave still made him release Graviton, and his body was sent flying backward with great force.


    "Your power is incredible, but you are nothing compared to me! And I will let the world witness it!" Graviton extended his powers even further, the cyclone in the sky amplifying in size, covering the entire East Coast in a matter of seconds.


    ¡®Not enough,¡¯ he thought, frowning at the debris he had attracted into the sky. He needed something denser.


    With an idea in mind, he looked toward the ground below and a smile formed on his lips as he stretched out one of his hands. His power extended, and with absurd ease, something was ripped from the earth and quickly ascended into the sky.


    Daniel shook his head, clearing the disorientation caused by the repelling wave, and looked at Graviton with a frown. Noticing what he was doing, he glanced down, only to widen his eyes as he saw a massive chunk of land flying toward him at high speed.


    "That¡¯s it!" He tried to move, ready to dodge, but at that moment, Graviton looked at him, activating his power over him and momentarily increasing the gravity on his body, interrupting his ability to fly and preventing Daniel from escaping the attack.


    Frustrated in his attempt to escape, Daniel gritted his teeth and, without hesitation crossed his arms in front of him, receiving the impact head on, a thunderous sound filling the skies.


    "Let¡¯s see if you can withstand this!" Controlling all the debris around him, Graviton stretched out both hands and began to gather it all in one place, gradually forming a massive sphere with Daniel trapped at its center.


    .


    A few moments earlier...


    On the ground, Carol, who had been tirelessly saving people, barely noticed in time what was happening. With her accelerated perception, she saw in slow motion as Theodore Roosevelt Island and Little Island began to be ripped from the ground.


    As if that weren''t concerning enough, with her telescopic vision, she could see how the Theodore Roosevelt Bridge was about to be taken along with they.


    A bridge full of vehicles and people.


    ¡®I won''t be able to save them all,¡¯ a realization struck her as she sped toward the site.


    She saw the bridge beginning to be torn from its foundations, and without her being able to help it, indecision filled her.


    Who should she save first? There were too many people¡ªpeople who had started fleeing from Washington when the disaster began, clogging nearby bridges and roads, clogging the very bridge that was about to be hit by two islands.


    ¡®Come on, think, you can figure this out.¡¯


    She reached the bridge, still with her perception accelerated, and then took a deep breath. She had never really tried something like what she was planning. If she failed, many people would die, but if she didn¡¯t try, she wouldn¡¯t be able to save them all anyway.


    Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡®I can do this,¡¯ she told herself. Not as a question, but as a statement.


    Soon, she arrived at the middle of the bridge, exhaled the breath she had been holding, and looked down, noticing how Roosevelt Island was rapidly approaching, rising at great speed even to her accelerated perception.


    Fortunately, the bridge was above the island and not on it; otherwise, this plan would have failed before it even started.


    Without waiting any longer, she raised both arms, positioning herself in a lifting stance, and using her flight ability, she created an artificial point of support to begin exerting force. She then started to lift the entire structure onto her shoulders.


    Where normal physics dictated that the bridge should collapse under its own weight, Carol¡¯s power extended from the point of contact, enveloping the entire structure and telling physics to fuck off.


    ¡®Huh?¡¯


    It was much easier than she expected. Carol thought it would weigh more, that she would have to exert a lot of effort, but instead, she almost casually lifted the entire structure onto her shoulders without a single drop of sweat falling from her brow.


    She couldn¡¯t help but smile as she began to ascend into the air, lifting the entire nearly kilometer-long bridge with her. Then, she raised both hands, holding the entire weight with just her arms. She was almost tempted to start juggling it, but fortunately, she remembered there were still people on the bridge and resisted the temptation.


    She wondered if this was how Daniel felt when he lifted that building.


    For the residents of Washington and the surrounding areas, the day had already been crazy enough. The end of the world seemed to have started over their heads, and they would have been much more terrified and panicked if it weren¡¯t for the fact that, since it all began, a blurry figure moving faster than the wind had been tirelessly saving the lives of countless citizens.


    Many thought it was Defiant; after all, no other hero was publicly known to move like that. Others, who had been watching the battle in the skies from farther away, realized that this couldn¡¯t be the case. Unless Defiant had gained the ability to clone himself, there was likely someone else helping.


    All these were theories and speculations until a figure soared through the skies carrying a bridge over her head.


    Carol soon arrived above Glover Archbold Park.


    ¡°This place should do,¡± she thought, hoping people wouldn¡¯t be too angry about the crushed trees. But she had no other choice¡ªthere weren¡¯t many nearby places where she could set something so large, and if she left it in the water, she wasn¡¯t sure the bridge would float with so much weight on it.


    Carefully, Carol landed, ready to place the bridge on the ground and rush back to continue helping. But before she could, the sound of a camera flash reached her ears just as a white light struck the visor of her helmet, causing her to blink in confusion.


    She looked up to see a girl about 12 years old staring at her with wide eyes, holding a pink camera with flower stickers in her hands.


    Uh, shouldn¡¯t this kid be running away from here?


    Though puzzled, Carol wasn¡¯t like Daniel¡ªshe didn¡¯t care at all if people noticed her or not. She quickly set the bridge down, ensuring it didn¡¯t crush anyone, and flew over it to check if anyone needed to be taken to a hospital. The people on the bridge got out of their vehicles, pointing at her in the air with amazement. She could even hear thanks among their cheers.


    ¡®It seems like no one¡¯s injured enough to need a hospital.¡¯ Sure, there were some cuts and bruises here and there, but nothing really concerning, so in her eyes, this could be counted as a resounding success.


    Daniel would surely be staring at her with his mouth open when he found out.


    Remembering him, she quickly turned her gaze in his direction, and her happiness turned into shock and bewilderment at what had happened in the short time she had diverted her attention.


    There, in the sky, rising above the clouds, a planetoid of unknown circumference had formed, and within it, she could hear Daniel''s heart beginning to beat erratically.


    .


    Daniel gritted his teeth, feeling his bones creak as the earth around him compressed with increasing force.


    He had underestimated his enemy¡¯s cunning, and now he was being crushed between what were surely hundreds of thousands or even millions of tons of debris¡ªhe didn¡¯t know; he¡¯d never had a fucking island thrown at his face to be able to calculate it.


    Worst of all, he could feel the gravity around him increasing the pressure with every passing moment, making it much harder for him to escape.


    ¡®Well, if I didn¡¯t have claustrophobia before, this will surely give it to me.¡¯


    He felt three of his ribs crush at the same time his left foot broke.


    He needed to get out of this prison.


    His core activated, and his wounds, as if they had never existed, healed in an instant. He felt his tired muscles regain strength, even gaining a little more than they had before.


    ¡®It¡¯s not enough,¡¯ he needed more power.


    Outside the sphere.


    Graviton frowned as he felt the entire structure tremble slightly at Daniel¡¯s attempts to break free.


    "Impressive," he couldn¡¯t help but say in awe; he hadn¡¯t expected this hero to last so long in his gravitational prison.


    ¡°I have to admit that your strength is truly incredible, but no matter how much you have, it¡¯s nothing compared to mine!¡± Graviton tightened his hands even more, causing the enormous sphere to suddenly compress to half its size in an instant.


    Inside, Daniel spat out blood, every bone in his body broke at the same time that his internal organs collapsed.. For a moment, his vision swam, and then, in less than a second, his shattered and crushed body swelled up again, his bones returning to their original shape and his organs being reconstructed.


    He felt his strength increase once more and, without hesitation, tried to carve a path through the debris. The entire sphere shook, but Daniel still couldn¡¯t escape it.


    ¡®Uh, this might take a bit longer than I expected.¡¯


    .


    ¡®Impossible, no living organism could survive such pressure.¡¯ Outside the sphere, Graviton looked on with disbelief as the prison began to tremble once again, despite he had increased the gravitational power within it dozens of times.


    Maybe he needed more mass? He looked down, ready to rip out a larger piece, but that thought was interrupted when he felt the gravitational field around him shifting. Something was approaching him rapidly¡ªwell, this time he wasn¡¯t going to be caught by surprise.


    With every second that had passed since he awakened, Dr. Hall felt his control over his powers increasing as his body adapted to the overwhelming energy within him.


    Something that could have sent him flying at the start now didn¡¯t even make him stagger, and to prove it, he easily blocked the incoming attack, despite the shockwave shaking everything in the sky and clearing part of the enormous cyclone that had been forming.


    The man looked at his new attacker and couldn¡¯t help but sneer upon noticing it was another costumed figure.


    ¡°And who are you supposed to be?¡± he asked, seeing Carol. The girl seemed quite angry as she didn¡¯t even respond but continued attacking relentlessly, causing the winds in the sky to begin forming a vortex.


    Graviton frowned as he felt his gravitational shield beginning to fluctuate. The woman¡¯s blows felt even more forceful than those of the man he had imprisoned.


    Carol was quite frustrated seeing how her enemy didn¡¯t even take a step back. How the hell had Daniel been making him bounce from side to side in the sky?


    ¡°Well, don¡¯t say anything, it doesn¡¯t matter. In the end, everyone will share the same fate; everyone will bow before me!¡± Graviton pointed one of his hands at Carol, causing the girl to stop mid-strike as her body began to be pulled downward forcibly. The gravity on her increased tens of thousands of times in an instant, catching her by surprise, and before she could avoid it, she fell straight to the ground, sinking into the earth without stopping.


    Graviton watched this with satisfaction.


    The woman felt different from the man despite both wearing the same symbol and attire. While Defiant seemed to be defying gravity with his flight and strength, she appeared to be working against it using nothing but sheer force. This difference, though not very obvious, made Graviton think of different ways to deal with them.


    ¡°That should keep her down until you die,¡± he said, looking at the sphere as he began to increase the gravitational pressure within it once more, causing its size to shrink again to half by forcefully compressing its mass.


    .


    Feeling your eyeballs burst was not something Daniel was prepared for. If there had been any oxygen in his lungs, he would have screamed, but there wasn¡¯t, as they had also been crushed along with the rest of his body.


    The pain was unimaginable for a second that stretched into eternity due to his superhuman thought speed, and then his brain was also crushed, and the pain ceased to matter.


    For a moment, Daniel thought he had passed out. Everything was dark, there was no sensation left, his six senses had disappeared.


    It reminded him of death.


    ¡°Ah¡­ so this is how it was.¡± He had forgotten, the way he had died in his first life.


    Even when he had the chance to delve into his memories in this second life, he had unconsciously chosen not to out of fear.


    Yes, he had been quite afraid of death, hadn¡¯t he?


    But if there was something he feared even more than death itself, it was dying without achieving anything.


    Without being anything.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I still have a lot to do, you know? My journey has just begun. I don¡¯t know many people I¡¯d like to meet yet, there¡¯s still so much I want to achieve, so much worth living for. Maybe we¡¯ll meet again later if I¡¯m unlucky, but that day is not today,¡± Daniel said, giving a smile to the pale-skinned woman who had suddenly appeared before him.


    She returned his gaze with clear curiosity in her dark eyes. After all, it had been a while since a mortal had escaped her embrace without her being able to stop it.


    ¡°Bye bye,¡± Daniel cheerfully waved as the dark space he had been in cracked and his reality changed once again. his body, which had turned into an unrecognizable paste of flesh, inflated again, filling his tattered suit as if nothing had happened.


    Finally, his crushed eyeballs grew back into their sockets, and a pair of blue irises glowed with fury, as if his gaze could penetrate through his prison.


    .


    ¡°That should have been enough,¡± Graviton lowered his hand, looking at the spherical prison he had compressed to the size of a car. Its density had increased so much that even the space-time around it was beginning to be affected by its mere existence, and if he continued to exert more pressure on it and compressed its mass further, he might end up creating a black hole.


    In fact, the matter it was originally made from had already transformed into an ultra-dense material that remained stable only thanks to his gravitational power; otherwise, it would have started to deform and collapse.


    ¡°The power to destroy the world in my hands,¡± he couldn¡¯t help but smile, feeling that all his dreams and desires were one step away from becoming reality.


    It was at that moment that a crackling sound was heard.


    ¡°Eh?¡± Taken out of his delirium, Dr. Hall looked at the sphere with confusion, his mind refusing to believe what his ears were hearing and even what his gravitational sixth sense was telling him¡­


    Crack! Crack!! Crack!!!


    ¡°I-impossible!¡± Graviton exclaimed, looking in disbelief as cracks began to spread relentlessly across the surface of the sphere, crimson liquid flowing through them like small waterfalls. Panicking, he raised both hands, ready to activate his powers once more, but he was a second too late.


    Boom!!!


    The roar echoed through the skies, reverberating around the world, rumbling through the oceans, and vibrating through the earth. In every corner of the planet, every living being shook. Some fell to their knees, while others managed to remain shakily on their feet, but regardless of who they were, the same thought and sensation overwhelmed them.


    The world was breaking apart.


    Graviton staggered back, feeling sweat sliding down his forehead. He watched in stunned silence as his gravitational prison exploded from within, breaking into pieces like an egg hatching a new life. At the same time, the crimson liquid spread through the air, creating a red mist from which a figure began to emerge.


    His tattered cape billowed in the wind, his bloodied hair dripped with crimson liquid, and his cold, emotionless blue eyes stared at him as if they could pierce through his soul in an instant.


    ¡°H-how is¡ª¡±


    ¡°How is it that I¡¯m still alive?¡± Daniel cut off his words with a smile spreading across his lips, then cracked his neck, the sound resonating through the area as he began to stretch his body.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you remember what I said before? Although to be more precise, I need to correct it a bit.¡±


    Daniel took a deep breath and looked at the sky, savoring the feeling of freedom like never before.


    ¡°What I actually meant to say is that, in this world, nothing is impossible... for me.¡±


    As those last words fell, his figure disappeared. Graviton¡¯s pupils contracted as his gravitational sense kicked into full gear.


    He would block the next attack and show this hero that all resistance was futile, that no one in this world could defeat him.


    Or at least that¡¯s what he thought until Daniel¡¯s fist hit him in the face.


    With a hypersonic explosion, Graviton¡¯s body was sent flying toward the Atlantic Ocean.


    Daniel looked at his steaming fist. Uh, that must have loosened one or two teeth, right?


    Well, he deserved it for trying to crush him to death.


    As Daniel mentally gloat, he heard an explosion below him. He turned his gaze to see the ground being overturned and a cloud of dust rising. A familiar figure navigated through the debris, heading directly toward him.


    ¡°Daniel!¡±


    Carol emerged from the cloud of dust in clear panic. Although it was less than a few seconds, it felt like hours to her as she struggled to overcome the gravitational powers affecting her body. It didn''t help that in those fractions of time, she had sunk thousands of meters underground where sunlight couldn¡¯t reach. Although she didn''t lose her strength, she could feel herself tiring more quickly, something that only worsened as her body continued to plunge deeper into the Earth''s crust, where the increasing density added even more weight over her entire body than she was already fighting in the first place.


    If she had continued like this, she would have ended up crashing into the planet''s core at any moment.


    Of course, she resisted, and by using her flight power at maximum capacity, she began to stop her descent, reaching the point where she started to rise, ready to return to the surface once again, even in less time than it took her to sink.


    Until she heard Daniel''s heart stop completely.


    Normally, Daniel''s regeneration was so fast that Carol wouldn''t even notice when he was injured, even with her superhuman perception at play. But this time was different; Daniel had taken a bit longer to regenerate and reform his body due to the crushing pressure that had been confining him in the ultra-dense gravitational prison. It was an extra delay of just a second, but a second was almost an eternity to the perception of a Kryptonian under a yellow sun.


    Carol almost felt her own heart stop at that moment. The first thing that came to her mind was disbelief, followed by denial, and it was in denial that she remained as her body began to be pulled downward once again.


    She simply refused to believe it. It was impossible, completely unreal. Her mind spiraled into a million excuses, searching for a plausible reason to set her body in motion and keep ascending, but unable to find any, she just let herself be dragged deeper and deeper. She didn''t even care anymore what might happen if she really collided with the planet''s core.


    Then she heard a roar that traveled even to the most inhospitable depths of the world.


    Her eardrums buzzed; for a moment, she thought she had gone deaf until she heard it.


    A familiar heartbeat.


    no, it was not like before, it was more powerful, more stronger.


    At the same time, the gravitational pull on her body vanished, and for a second, she believed she was floating on a cloud.


    Then she reacted and, without hesitation, began flying toward the surface at maximum speed.


    "Daniel!" In her panic, she completely forgot she wasn¡¯t supposed to call him by his name when he was in disguise.


    She saw his figure in the sky, and without thinking, she crashed into him, wrapping him in her arms.


    ¡°Oh God, I thought you¡ª¡± Carol couldn¡¯t finish the sentence.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, calm down,¡± Daniel soothed her, seeing how distressed she was. He could guess why she was in such a state. He hadn''t wanted her to worry so much, but he couldn''t help it; Graviton turned out to be much more troublesome than he had imagined.


    He looked at her appearance. Though her suit wasn¡¯t as damaged as his, it was clear she had still taken some hits. At the same time, the helmet she wore had a cracked visor and parts of its structure dented. He¡¯d have to build her a new one unless Lara had more stored in the Fortress.


    Carol sighed in relief at the comforting pats on her back, then looked at him closely, her eyes widening in shock at his condition. Blood nearly covered him entirely, and his suit was torn in multiple places. Although she couldn¡¯t see any wounds on him, she had no doubt it was his blood.


    ¡°You¡ª!¡± He cut her off before she could say more.


    ¡°Listen, this isn¡¯t over yet, and I need you to do something for me.¡±


    Daniel then pointed to the traces of blood that remained, either suspended in the sky or falling in slow motion toward the ground in the form of droplets.


    After all, they had been speaking at super speed from the start.


    ¡°That¡¯s my blood. I don''t want it hanging around so anyone can get some of it.¡± While breaking through Graviton¡¯s prison, Daniel had broken his bones several more times, and as a result, he had bled more liters of blood than a body his size should possess.


    When he broke free, all that blood did too, exploding into billions of tiny droplets.


    Most of it formed a red mist that lingered in the air, but the larger drops had already begun to fall to the ground.


    Carol looked at the red mist surrounding them. With her superhuman vision, she could see each tiny droplet with perfect clarity. She bit her lip, not needing Daniel to explain in detail to understand what he wanted her to do. Under normal circumstances, she wouldn¡¯t have minded, but right now¡­


    ¡°Please, do this for me.¡± Daniel didn¡¯t usually like using that tone with her, but he had no choice. He could hear Graviton recovering from his previous attack and needed to go after him soon.


    Hearing him almost whisper in her ear, Carol could feel her face flush.


    ¡°I-if you ask like that¡­¡±


    ¡°Perfect! In that case, I¡¯ll leave it in your hands.¡± He gave her a strong hug before taking off at super speed in an instant.


    Carol blinked and looked at Daniel¡¯s blurry figure, confused. Maybe it was just her imagination, but for some reason, she felt like he had become stronger and faster.


    Shaking her head, she focused. She needed to finish the favor he asked quickly so she could go after him.


    ¡°I guess I¡¯ll just freeze everything.¡± Remembering what Daniel did when she faced Greg, she took a deep breath and began using her freeze breath.


    She''d finish this in a blink of an eye.


    .


    .


    .


    Note:


    comment, let me know what you think, and give your suggestions and critiques.


    If there are any mistakes, please let me know so I can correct them.


    Finally remember that You can already find the next chapter (and several more chapters) of this story on P)atreon ( p)atreon com/EmmaCruzader ) All the support received is appreciated ;D

 42: Breaking the world 3

    42: Breaking the world 3


    Why now? That question came to his mind as he stumbled into his apartment, inside could be seen the typical clutter of a young, single man who often left things to the last minute.


    ¡°Why can¡¯t disasters wait for the weekend when there¡¯s no work?¡± He muttered as he tossed his old briefcase aside while using his other hand to unbutton his shirt.


    ¡®I should have stuck with the idea of wearing it under my clothes,¡¯ he scolded himself as he took off his pants and, with a quick movement, sent them flying through the air along with his shoes and socks.


    Once he was completely naked, his figure stood in front of a mannequin covered by a dark cloth, which he pulled aside to reveal what he had come for in such a hurry.


    A suit.


    A super hero suit.


    Or at least it would be when it was complete. As it was now, it could barely be called a crude attempt at a super suit. Hell, the cosplays people wore at comic conventions probably had a better finish¡­ mostly.


    In his defense, this was the first super suit he had made, so it was okay if it was a bit ugly, right?


    Shaking his head to clear away those silly thoughts, Barry Allen stepped forward and began to hurriedly put on the suit. In a blurry movement, his naked body disappeared and was replaced by a figure completely dressed in red from head to toe, with a yellow lightning bolt stitched onto the chest.


    Almost unconsciously, he placed both hands on his hips and posed like one of those classic comic book superheroes.


    ¡°It¡¯s a bit tight¡­¡± He should have checked the measurements better.


    Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes in concentration, a sound similar to the crackling of electricity coursed through his body until it reached his ears.


    Was he really going to do this? He couldn¡¯t help but wonder as doubt crept into him.


    Sure, he had been doing ¡°heroic¡± things, as he called them in his mind, ever since he discovered he had gained superpowers a few weeks ago after being struck by lightning one day when he left work late from the forensics department in Central City while a thunderstorm hit the city.


    But those were small things, baby steps that helped him figure out how his newly gained superpower worked.


    What was hitting the East Coast right now went beyond all of that; it was a true world-ending cataclysm, or at least it seemed like that from afar.


    Did he really have the ability to help?


    ¡°Just run, Barry¡­¡± His chaotic thoughts stopped. Like a ghost from the past, his father¡¯s voice reached his ears, sending a chill down his spine. His eyes snapped open as his growing determination dispelled all the doubts and hesitations that had been circling in his mind.


    He knew what he had to do.


    Yellow lightning flashed as he took his first step forward. Faster than anything alive on Earth, his body blurred into a fleeting streak that left only afterimages behind.


    As the world slowed down around him, Barry clenched his fists, and a determined look formed on his face.


    He was running, but this time it wasn¡¯t to escape. No, this time, every step he took had a different purpose.


    This time, he would do things right.


    .


    .


    .


    ¡°This is Lois Lane, reporting live from the East Coast in New York. As you can see, the situation here is truly critical. In the last few minutes, a series of earthquakes followed by strong winds have violently shaken the region, triggering intense ocean agitation, causing floods not only in New York but also along other coastal cities, making-¡±


    Jimmy Olsen was beginning to regret his career choice. The young cameraman gritted his teeth as the helicopter he was in shook violently again due to the strong winds that had been hitting the sky ever since the enormous cyclone of unknown origin began forming just a few minutes ago.


    While most people were running to take shelter with their loved ones, here he was, along with his crazy co-worker and a helicopter driver with too many balls, flying over the coastal cities and reporting live on the entire situation for the Daily Planet¡¯s channel.


    Even though they had been explicitly told not to¡­


    Again, how the hell had he let himself be convinced to do this?


    ¡°As far as we know, Washington D.C. has been the most affected city in¨C¡± Lois¡¯ words were abruptly cut off when a powerful boom roared across the sky.


    Jimmy almost felt his ears explode, and for a second, his vision went dark.


    For a moment, he wondered if he had passed out. He didn¡¯t know how long he had been dazed, but a slap to his face brought him back to reality in an instant.


    ¡°Focus the camera, Jimmy! Look at that!¡± Lois shouted as she pointed to the distant sky. There, in the distance, the cyclone that had been growing in size suddenly seemed to split from its center , as if something were cutting through it at high speed, heading toward the Atlantic Ocean.


    Although confused and disoriented, Jimmy was still a professional, and without hesitation, he pointed the camera in that direction as fast as he could, trying to use the zoom to focus and see what was happening.


    ¡°Is that a person?¡± The young cameraman blinked, confused, as what initially appeared to be a meteor moving at maximum speed through the sky suddenly decelerated unnaturally and abruptly, revealing a figure to the camera.


    Upon hearing his muttering, Lois moved closer to his side with curiosity and pushed him aside a little so she could also see the scene.


    There, floating casually among the winds and debris, a man who seemed to be wearing nothing but a tattered hospital gown was revealed.


    ¡°A super?¡± Lois murmured the term that had started to gain popularity in the media since Defiant appeared. Although the hero was the only publicly known one, there were still many rumors about ¡°special¡± individuals around the world besides him, and people had begun to use the term ¡°super¡± as a way to refer to all of them collectively.


    Soon, both of them noticed how the man extended both arms, releasing a white electric light from his fists and roaring at the sky with clear rage, causing, in the next instant, an invisible shockwave to be unleashed from his body in all directions.


    The helicopter shook violently when the shockwave reached them, and that wave extended for miles, even hitting the ground, making the entire East Coast begin to tremble once again.


    ¡°Oh shit!¡± Jimmy heard Lois exclaim as the helicopter started spinning, clearly out of control.


    ¡°Oh shit!¡± This time it was him who shouted as he tried to grab onto anything he could to avoid being thrown out.


    They didn¡¯t pay him enough for this!


    .


    .


    .


    Graviton roared, his powers causing all the debris in the sky to stir and the hurricane winds to increase their speed even more, making the city beneath his feet shake violently as if a tornado was beginning to strike it.


    How was this possible? How did Defiant manage to get past his shields when he hadn''t even come close before?


    ¡®Did he get stronger?¡¯


    ¡®Or was he just playing with me?¡¯ At that thought, his teeth clenched.


    Wiping the blood that trickled from the corner of his mouth, he looked gravely into the distance. He could feel the hero quickly approaching, cutting through the debris he had thrown in his path to give himself a chance to orient.


    ¡®I got too confident.¡¯ The blow he had just taken and the pain it caused brought Graviton a shred of common sense.


    ¡®But it doesn¡¯t matter if he got stronger or not, my power is still superior!¡¯ And with that, that shred of common sense almost vanished entirely.


    Even so, what remained told him that he couldn¡¯t keep fighting without any defense besides his gravitational shields. Stretching out both hands, he pulled the sturdiest metal from the debris in the sky, making it orbit around him.


    Then, using the gravitational power he now commanded, he began compressing and molding the metal according to his will, finally covering his body from head to toe with it, giving himself a far more dignified outfit than just a tattered hospital gown.


    With satisfaction, he raised his hand, quickly extending a gravitational barrier that blocked a powerful impact.


    ¡°This time, there won''t be a lucky hit,¡± he said, looking at Defiant, who had appeared in front of him in the blink of an eye.


    ¡°Uh? Changed outfits? You know, this really won¡¯t help you with public relations, right? You really look like a full-blown supervillain now,¡± Daniel said, noticing his new appearance.


    Words that didn¡¯t seem to sit well with Graviton.


    ¡°Supervillain?¡± he heard him growl ¡°Don¡¯t you get it, fool?! I am their salvation! I¡¯m the only one who can lead them! Who can take humanity to its highest potential!¡± His hysterical shout echoed across the sky.


    "Really? Because so far it looks like you want to destroy it completely," Daniel mocked as he pointed around him, toward all the destruction Graviton had caused in such a short time.


    "Hmph! Every great change requires sacrifices, but that''s not something someone like you can understand." Upon hearing him, Daniel shook his head. Why was he still talking to this lunatic?


    He needed to end this before Graviton could cause any more damage.


    His figure blurred, using more speed than he had shown before. His body moved, crossing the distance between them in an instant.


    Despite being on high alert, Graviton barely managed to raise his shield in time to avoid Daniel''s fist from hitting him in the face again.


    "I told you, no more lucky hits!" the supervillain roared, unleashing his powers to pull thousands of pieces of debris toward them, creating a chaotic battlefield once again.


    Daniel didn''t even pay attention to the countless projectiles Graviton hurled at him to try to stop him. His body easily withstood all the impacts without flinching, and he attacked again. This time, his punch was faster, landing cleanly on his enemy''s stomach and denting his newly acquired metallic outfit.


    "Ughr!" Graviton spat saliva as all the air in his lungs was forcibly expelled.


    Even so, he didn¡¯t give in. Where a blow of such magnitude would have crushed anyone else, he stood firm. His own fist glowed with white light as the space around him distorted.


    Taking advantage of the short distance between them, Graviton struck Daniel directly in the face, causing his head to turn slightly to one side.


    And as collateral damage, everything within a radius of hundreds of meters around them was displaced and crushed by the gravitational waves of the blow.


    "Is that all?" Daniel couldn''t help but mock. His head returned to its original position with only a thin red line of blood trickling from his lips.


    Graviton opened his eyes in disbelief, but before he could react, Daniel''s fist struck him in the face, causing his nose to crack and his body to fly backward once again.


    ''He''s tougher than he looks,'' Daniel couldn''t help but think as he looked at his fist. Even without his gravitational shields, it seemed the power within his body increased his durability to some extent.


    "Oh?" Daniel looked down when suddenly the sound of something resembling crackling electricity reached his ears.


    Even with his superhuman sight, he could only catch a yellow streak racing through the streets beneath his feet.


    "Flash?!" he couldn''t help but let the name escape his lips in surprise.


    He hadn''t expected to see him now at all. Suddenly, some memories came back to him, making him realize he''d completely forgotten to stay alert to the thunderstorms over Central City.


    He really wanted to go down and have a chat with him, but right now, his hands were full.


    "I''ll look for him later," he decided before something else caught his attention.


    Cries for help¡ªthey had been echoing everywhere since it all began. At first, it was easy to ignore them because he knew Carol was there. Now that she had stayed behind, he could hardly resist the urge to run toward them, or at least he couldn''t¡ªuntil he noticed the speedster''s arrival beneath his feet.


    Flash didn''t know it, but he''d greatly eased the burden on his shoulders.


    Even so, there was still a small problem: not all the cries were coming from below.


    Quickly, his eyes sharpened, searching through the cyclone of debris that covered the sky.


    "A news helicopter?" It didn''t take long for him to find what he was looking for, and when he did, he couldn''t help but put a hand to his face.


    With a sigh, his body blurred, disappearing from his spot and going straight to rescue the very brave or very stupid reporters who had decided that flying through the sky in the middle of a cyclone the size of several cities was a good idea...


    If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Yes, the more he thought about it, the more stupid they seemed.


    .


    Lois Lane didn¡¯t tend to regret anything, but this time she had to admit that maybe things had gotten a little out of hand.


    ¡°I hate you!!¡± she heard Jimmy shout as he clung tightly to his seat in the helicopter while the strong winds of the cyclone tossed the aircraft around the sky.


    Lois felt like her entire lifetime¡¯s worth of luck was running out in this moment. Not only was it a miracle that the helicopter hadn¡¯t been hit and destroyed by all the other debris in the air, but the fact that none of the three passengers had been thrown to their deaths was also incredible.


    Though that wouldn¡¯t last much longer.


    ¡®Lois Lane, rookie reporter, dead for disobeying her boss¡¯s orders¡¯¡ªshe was already imagining the headlines, though it probably wouldn¡¯t even make a footnote with everything else going on.


    ¡®Sorry, Jimmy,¡¯ she silently apologized to her colleague while closing her eyes, ready to accept her imminent and fatal fate.


    And she waited. And waited. It wasn¡¯t until she realized that all the erratic movement had stopped that she opened her eyes in confusion.


    Only to find herself staring into a pair of blue irises.


    ¡°Are you all okay?¡±


    ¡°Whta?¡± Her tongue twisted.


    ¡°Oh God, thank you!¡± Jimmy somehow managed to react better upon seeing Defiant holding the helicopter effortlessly while beginning to lower them to the ground, passing through the cyclone without any trouble.


    When the sound of the ground clashing with the metal was heard, Lois clumsily crawled through the broken door of the helicopter, dusting off her clothes.


    ¡°Are we alive?¡± she couldn¡¯t help but ask in astonishment as she looked up at the sky and the massive cyclone they¡¯d been trapped in just moments before.


    As for Jimmy, he did something rather embarrassing by falling to his knees start kissing the ground.


    ¡°Never! I will never leave you again!¡±


    Lois decided to look away to preserve what little respect she still had for him.


    And in doing so, she saw Defiant pulling the helicopter pilot out, who seemed to have passed out at some point.


    The hero looked quite battered. His classic full-body suit had tears in several places, and his long cape was almost in shreds. It seemed like even he had been having a rough time through all this.


    Lois remembered the super they had seen before their helicopter lost control, and drawing logical conclusions, she realized that this was actually a battle between Defiant and that man.


    Her journalistic instincts tingled.


    Without being able to help it, she started walking toward him, dozens of questions on the tip of her tongue.


    "Defiant, can you¡ª"


    "Are you stupid?"


    The interruption nearly made Lois stumble.


    "What?!"


    The hero looked at her with clear disapproval in his gaze, and the young reporter didn¡¯t know why, but that suddenly irritated her.


    "Forget it," Defiant shook his head. "Look, I don¡¯t have much time. There¡¯s a maniac I need to punch. I suggest you find shelter and stay away from danger, even if that¡¯s hard for you." His last words seemed to carry a hint of sarcasm, which suddenly made Lois''s face flush with indignation.


    She readied herself to say something, but the hero didn¡¯t seem to have any plans to continue chatting. And just like that, without giving her time to do anything else, Defiant began floating in the air before taking off at high speed.


    "Hey! Wait, I¡ª!" The reporter couldn¡¯t even finish her sentence as Defiant disappeared into the distance in an instant.


    Jimmy, who had witnessed the whole thing, stopped kissing the ground and approached the catatonic Lois, who had one hand stretched toward the sky.


    "Come on, we better do what he said. I don¡¯t think we have any luck left to burn after this." With that, the cameraman moved over to the still-unconscious pilot and began hoisting him over his shoulders.


    "Did he call me stupid?" Lois muttered to herself, staring into the distance with clenched fists and a twitch in her eye.


    .


    Over the Atlantic Ocean.


    Graviton clutched his broken nose, feeling the blood flow between his fingers. His bloodshot eyes glared toward the East Coast with intense hatred.


    Stretching out his hand, the enormous cyclone that had formed over the skies began to forcefully converge in his direction, bringing with it all the debris the winds had torn from the ground.


    ¡°You''re a hero, right? Then let''s see if you can save them from this!¡± he shouted at Defiant, who was already rapidly approaching. To delay him, Graviton sent a repelling wave toward him while simultaneously increasing the gravity on the hero¡¯s body once more.


    These actions only slowed Defiant for a few seconds, but a few seconds were all Graviton needed.


    With a sinister smile on his lips, he raised both hands, causing the cyclone to start compressing above his head. Then, he clenched his fists and, using monstrous gravitational power, made all the matter he had torn from the ground begin to compress, forming a colossal sphere that rose above the clouds.


    Daniel watched this with a frown, and then his eyes widened in disbelief as he realized what Graviton was planning.


    ¡°Are you trying to destroy the entire East Coast?!¡± If something that massive fell from such a height, forget about destroying just one city¡ªthe disturbance it would create in the ocean could wipe out every city along the coast.


    ¡°This will be a demonstration! A message for the world to understand who their new master is! And that all resistance is futile!¡± Graviton exclaimed, a mocking smile appearing on his face.


    ¡°You can try to stop it, or you can step aside and watch millions die.¡± This was clearly a provocation. Daniel could see that Graviton was attempting to force him to focus on stopping the attack, diverting his attention.


    The worst part was that Daniel knew he couldn¡¯t ignore it. Graviton was right¡ªhe had to stop this, no matter the cost, or millions would die.


    The sphere, now thousands of meters in the air, suddenly shuddered as its gravity increased thousands of times in an instant, causing it to plummet like a super-accelerated meteorite. Its surface ignited in flames due to the friction and weight.


    Daniel gritted his teeth and, without hesitation, propelled himself toward the artificial meteor, ready to stop its fall at any cost.


    Seeing this, Graviton laughed and, using his powers, guided the sphere toward the hero while simultaneously increasing its falling speed.


    Like two opposing forces, hero and meteor collided in mid-air, creating an extremely powerful shockwave that rippled outward from the point of contact.


    For a moment, there was a stalemate in movement, but then the meteor began advancing again, though now much slower than before.


    ''Oh, shit,'' Daniel felt his arms crack. Gritting his teeth, he pushed even harder, using everything he had to slow the massive sphere¡¯s descent, even as his muscles burned and his bones creaked.


    Despite all the strength he had gained, it seemed he was still far from invincible.


    ''I should¡¯ve trained more,'' he couldn¡¯t help but reprimand himself a little. While he had done some training, the truth was he hadn¡¯t put as much effort into it as he could have. There were, of course, plenty of reasons for that¡ªbesides the little time he¡¯d had with everything going on¡ªbut still, it didn¡¯t fully excuse him.


    For the first time in a long while, he felt sweat beginning to cover his entire body as his heart pounded from the colossal effort.


    "But even if it¡¯s hard, I can still stop it!" And as if his thoughts manifested into reality, the meteor began to visibly slow down.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Graviton¡¯s laughter stopped as he noticed what was happening. Frowning, he stretched both hands toward Daniel, white light starting to glow all over his body.


    ¡°How stubborn! Don¡¯t you realize that resisting is useless?! Nothing can beat me!¡±


    To his exclamation, a different voice responded.


    ¡°Clearly, you haven¡¯t met me yet!¡±


    Suddenly, Graviton¡¯s vision was engulfed by a blue light.


    ¡°What?!¡±


    Soaring through the sky, an enormous repulsor blast struck the supervillain head-on before he could react, sending his body flying uncontrollably through the air.


    Daniel suddenly felt the immense weight he¡¯d been carrying disappear. A smile bloomed on his face as he didn¡¯t hesitate and put all his strength in one of his legs and as if it were a ball he kicked the huge sphere making it shudder and fly straight into the space.


    "Eh, I¡¯d give it a 7 out of 10 I''ve seen better throws," at the voice Daniel snorted and turned to see Tony flying towards him in his armor.


    "I''m glad to see you finally decided to join the fun."


    "Hey, I never miss a party, though this one seems a bit too messy even for me," Tony said, eyeing Daniel from head to toe. It was surprising for him to see Daniel in his current state. Although Daniel¡¯s injuries had already healed, it was still obvious to anyone looking that he hadn¡¯t been having an easy time.


    Before they could continue their little chat, Graviton¡¯s enraged roar interrupted them. Tony quickly looked up, analyzing their opponent.


    "This guy¡¯s pumping out energy like a black hole!"


    "And he hits like one. His powers are varied, but in short, he can manipulate the gravity of anything without even touching it, and he¡¯s tough enough to take my hits directly. He¡¯s tricky to deal with, but I think I have an idea to beat him..."


    Daniel considered everything he had learned about Graviton so far.


    His powers were incredibly destructive and lethal, but there was something about them that became obvious to him¡ªthey could be interrupted. He didn¡¯t know exactly why, but if he was taken by surprise, it seemed like his concentration wavered, and the effect of his powers on objects disappeared until he could get them back in his sights.


    Although it wasn¡¯t a weakness that would guarantee them absolute victory, it was still something useful, and Daniel quickly communicated this to Tony.


    "I see, then the strategy is simple. We just need to keep him from concentrating," Tony finished for him, easily grasping the general idea.


    If it had been possible, Daniel would¡¯ve preferred something more than just a "simple" strategy, but their enemy obviously wasn¡¯t going to wait around while they figured out how to defeat him.


    Flying toward them at full speed, Graviton was approaching with what seemed to be dozens of massive rocks pulled from the ocean floor.


    "Then let¡¯s get started!" With that said, Daniel and Tony rushed forward without hesitation.


    Like comets soaring through the sky, the three of them rose above the clouds and soon collided, stirring the winds.


    Tony dodged the massive rocks Graviton used as projectiles and fired his repulsor rays, which were bent and forcibly diverted by an invisible gravitational field.


    "Fool! Even light bends before me!" Distorting space, Graviton caused the repulsor rays to curve back, sending them directly at Tony.


    "Oh Fuck me!" Dodging his own attack, Tony boosted his thrusters, accelerating his body faster than before in an attempt to ram into Graviton. But it was futile, as an invisible gravitational barrier blocked his path, making his body bounce off as if he had collided with an impenetrable wall.


    Then the villain stretched his hand toward Tony and began to squeeze. Tony''s armor creaked, and alarms blared loudly inside his suit.


    ''This guy wants to crush me like a soda can!'' Even his energy shields couldn''t protect him from an attack like this, and if he were fighting alone, Tony would have been more worried.


    But he wasn¡¯t fighting alone.


    With Graviton''s focus on the billionaire, Daniel seized the opportunity, closing the distance between him and Graviton in an instant. Before the villain could react, Daniel grabbed the arm that had been stretched toward Tony and, without hesitation, applied all the pressure he could.


    Crack!!! The crunch echoed through the sky, followed shortly by a muffled scream.


    Graviton stared in disbelief at his now broken arm. The pain overwhelmed him, leaving him disoriented for a moment¡ªa moment neither hero wasted.


    Feeling the crushing force on him vanish, Tony fired his thrusters at full power and closed the distance between him and Graviton. His metal-covered fist collided squarely with the stunned villain¡¯s face.


    Daniel didn¡¯t stay idle either, and soon both of them began raining an uncountable number of blows on Graviton, making him bounce between them, unable to defend himself.


    Blood splattered, and his compressed metal suit shattered in pieces. Graviton felt his teeth loosen, and even saw one fly out of his mouth.


    "Enough!!" He tried to push them away, unleashing all the power in his body uncontrollably, causing a blinding white electric light to surround them.


    Tony was sent flying into the ocean, sinking beneath its waters, while Daniel crossed his arms in front of him, trying to withstand the gravitational wave pushing him back.


    He could feel his bones creaking and the taste of blood filling his mouth. Without thinking, he swallowed and used his core to regenerate, restoring his energy in an instant.


    Slowly but surely, he began advancing despite Graviton continuously unleashing energy that repelled everything around him.


    With every inch he gained, the force hammering his body increased, causing his insides to churn. The pain was so intense that he felt he might pass out at any moment, but he forced himself to keep moving. He saw Graviton¡¯s body starting to crack, with more and more gravitational energy pouring out in increasingly intense waves.


    The entire planet began to tremble.


    Daniel stretched out his hand, watching as the flesh at the tips of his fingers peeled away as he got closer to his objetive, He could even see the white of his bones for a moment, starting to splinter into tiny fragments.


    Until his core activated and began to regenerate his wounds at great speed once again. The bone, flesh, and skin were replaced by new, stronger, and more resilient cells than before, allowing him to continue moving forward with increasing ease.


    "This is impossible! Nothing can be this strong!" Graviton shouted, fear now clear in his voice for the first time since the battle had begun.


    In his desperation, he regained control of his powers and stretched out the only arm that still worked, focusing all his effort in front of him to keep Daniel away.


    For a moment, it seemed to work, until a blinding blue light struck him directly from the back.


    "Don¡¯t forget about me!" Tony shouted in triumph as his surprise attack hit its mark with absolute success.


    "Argh!" Feeling the impact of a repulsor ray powered by four arc reactors, Graviton shuddered and lost his focus, causing the gravitational waves that had been stopping Daniel''s advance to disappear.


    Noticing this, Daniel didn¡¯t hesitate and made his final move.


    As the repulsor ray propelled Graviton towards him, Daniel charged at full speed, focusing all his strength into his right arm. He delivered a powerful and devastating blow, encountering almost no resistance as his fist penetrated Graviton''s chest up to the elbow.


    Graviton¡¯s eyes widened, completely bloodshot, as he looked down in disbelief at the arm now piercing his torso. For a brief but eternal moment, his world was engulfed in absolute silence.


    This couldn¡¯t be real¡­ His mind tried to deny it, and in a final effort, he tried to summon his powers, to cling to the force he had been accumulating inside him for ten years. But it was futile, as he only felt that the energy, which had once seemed infinite, was now draining away, leaking from his body like liquid seeping through the cracks of a broken bottle.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but you¡¯re too dangerous.¡±


    Hearing Defiant¡¯s whisper, Graviton looked up to meet a pair of cold, emotionless eyes.


    ¡®That look¡­ it¡¯s not at all the look a hero should have.¡¯ As that last thought crossed his mind he couldn''t stop a hollow, bitter laugh from escaping his lips.


    Then the repulsor ray enveloped them both.


    BOOM!


    The powerful blue energy ray streaked across the sky, splitting the clouds hundreds of kilometers away.


    A deafening explosion followed by intense shockwaves struck the Atlantic Ocean for a moment before everything fell back into calm.


    Inside his armor, Tony saw his HUD flashing erratically due to the lack of energy; he had put almost everything he had into that final attack, leaving him nearly drained.


    ¡®That should have done something, right?¡¯ was a direct hit of course it should have done something.


    Still, he couldn''t help but have some doubts as he watched the massive cloud of black smoke created by the previous explosion.


    But soon, his doubts were dispelled when a figure staggered out of the smoke.


    Daniel had almost completely lost his suit; in fact, he would be almost naked if not for the few parts of his lower section that still helped him cover his modesty in some mysterious way.


    But apart from that and the few dirt stains covering him, he didn''t seem very injured.


    Tony soon flew toward him.


    ¡°And the bad guy?¡± At his question, Daniel stretched out his hand and opened his fist, black ash scattering into the wind.


    ¡°Oh.¡± Seeing this, Tony fell silent for a moment.


    ¡°Just to be clear, I don¡¯t have any weird fetish involving turning people into ashes.¡± This was already the second one; if there were a third, Tony felt that his reputation might somehow be tarnished.


    Daniel sighed, shaking his head with a smile on his face. Then he shook his hand vigorously to get rid of the last remnants of graviton before feeling the fatigue hit his body. Of course, he could eliminate it using the core, but his mind also felt exhausted. Now that the fight was over, he thought it didn''t matter if he let his body feel somewhat tired as well.


    Of course, he knew there was still a lot of work to do. After all, he needed to start damage control and see how much destruction this disaster had caused.


    ¡®Looks like I won''t have free time anytime soon.¡¯


    ¡°Just out of curiosity, have you considered starting to venture into the post-disaster reconstruction industry?¡±


    At the question, Tony seemed thoughtful for a second.


    ¡°You know, now that you mention it, maybe this is a good time to start thinking about it.¡±


    First his company in Malibu, and now the entire East Coast¡ªat this rate, Tony thought he''d end up having to rebuild all of the United States at some point.


    Should he run for president when that happened?


    Shaking his head, he dismissed those strange thoughts.


    ¡°Come on, New York isn¡¯t far. There¡¯s a shawarma restaurant with good reviews I¡¯ve been wanting to visit for a while... I hope it¡¯s still in one piece.¡±


    ¡°We can go eat later, we still need to go and hel¡ª¡± Daniel didn¡¯t finish his words, frowning as he focused his hearing in the direction of New York.


    Even though his hearing wasn¡¯t as sharp as Carol¡¯s, Daniel had trained it to recognize specific sounds with the help of his near-perfect memory.


    Earlier, he hadn¡¯t been paying much attention to his hearing since he needed to focus on Graviton, but now that the problem was resolved, he focused again, allowing him to pick up a familiar voice in the distance.


    A familiar voice that was screaming for help!


    His eyes shot open as his figure vanished in a blur of speed toward Rikers Island.


    Seeing him leave so abruptly, Tony blinked in confusion.


    ¡°Is that a yes or a no?!¡± he shouted into the air without receiving an answer.


    "...You cross the whole country to save his ass, and what do you get in return? Abandoned in the middle of the ocean, that¡¯s what!" Tony grumbled under his breath as he started flying toward New York on his own.


    .


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    Note:


    Almost six thousand words!


    I must confess that writing this last part was quite challenging. I¡¯ve never written such a long fight before, and many times I hesitated about how to continue, constantly debating with myself over what to add or leave out, worrying about things becoming too heavy or repetitive, and how to approach certain aspects.


    In short, it was a total challenge! It didn¡¯t help that Franklin Hall¡¯s character, while strong in terms of power, lacks a lot in the sense of "personality." I always like to delve into characters, which I think everyone has noticed over these 40+ chapters. But with this particular character, I didn¡¯t want to go too deep¡ªnot completely. I wanted him to be more of a walking disaster with simple and straightforward motivations.


    Ironically, that made him harder for me to write.


    Anyway, just because this mini-arc is over doesn¡¯t mean everything is resolved. There¡¯s still a lot to see and topics to address¡ªthings that will be important and interesting to read.


    See you in the next chapter, and please leave your comments and opinions! Criticism helps me know where I can improve.


    At the same time, if you notice any mistakes, don¡¯t hesitate to point them out so I can correct them.


    Finally remember that You can already find the next chapter (and several more chapters) of this story on P)atreon ( p)atreon com/EmmaCruzader ) All the support received is appreciated ;D

 43: A bad joke.

    43: A bad joke.


    "- by that, I mean that I believe he''s a demigod!"


    Harleen blinked, stopped staring at the plate of food she had been merely picking at, and instead raised her head to look at a dark-skinned woman with brown hair, wearing an all-white uniform¡ªa nurse''s uniform.


    Isabella beside her also glanced at the third member of their group with a raised eyebrow.


    "A demigod? I don''t know, Grace. I thought the widely accepted theory was that Defiant was a secret government experiment." At that, the nurse named Grace rolled her eyes.


    "That''s nonsense, and you know it. Defiant is clearly something more than human, he''s supernatural. Just think about it¡ªfrom the beginnings of human history, in the oldest tales, there have always been stories of divine beings capable of equally divine feats. It was thought that they were myths and legends, but with his arrival, I believe more firmly than ever that it''s all real!" She proclaimed it as if she had discovered a huge secret.


    "He seems pretty human to me, you know?" Harleen couldn''t help but speak, catching the attention of both women.


    "Seriously? Have you seen those muscles? I''m telling you, girl, I''ve been going to the gym since I was fifteen, and I''ve never seen such a sculpted body on any other man. It almost makes you want to¡ª"


    Harleen coughed, interrupting her friend.


    "Demigod or not, I don''t think he''d like you talking about him that way."


    "Oh, come on. If he didn''t want to show off, he''d wear a less tight suit. In my opinion, it''s clear he wants to flaunt what he''s got, and I don''t think I''m the only one who appreciates the free show." When Grace finished saying that, she nudged Isabella, and to Harleen''s utter disbelief, the older woman blushed slightly.


    "You two..." Harleen wanted to bury her face in her plate. Seeing the slight indignation in her expression, the nurse mocked her.


    "Don''t look at us like that. Don''t think I haven''t noticed how you look at his pictures in the newspaper," she said while pointing to the carefully folded newspaper Harleen had set aside after only reading the first few pages.


    "W-what? I don''t¡ª!" Harleen immediately tried to defend herself, but Isabella placed a hand on her shoulder and shook her head.


    "You don''t have to be embarrassed about that with us. We''re among friends, after all." The little laugh at the end of those words only made Harleen even more embarrassed.


    She finally huffed, staring at her cup of coffee, wishing the conversation would quickly change topics.


    ¡®Oh?¡¯ She blinked as she noticed how the dark liquid in the cup began to ripple suddenly.


    And it seemed that wasn¡¯t the only thing¡ªsuddenly, the table began to vibrate. No, not just the table; the floor beneath her feet started to shake as well.


    "An earthquake?" Isabella asked, puzzled. One had to know that earthquakes were quite rare in the area where they were.


    Suddenly, an alarm blared loudly, prompting all three of them to stand up.


    "That''s an evacuation alert! We need to head to¡ª" The words were cut off by a loud crash, followed by strong winds. Harleen held on as best as she could, pressing against a wall, and cautiously made her way toward a nearby window to try and see what was happening outside.


    And when she did, her expression couldn¡¯t help but turn into one of shock.


    "Oh, shit." There, in the direction of New York, she could see an enormous cyclone, far beyond the city, approaching at an unnaturally fast pace.


    "Come on, we have to hurry," she felt Isabella grab her by the shoulder, and Harleen nodded, ready to follow. But before she turned around, she noticed something that made her eyes widen.


    "Watch out!" In one swift and agile movement, her body twisted as she threw herself over her two coworkers, causing all three of them to fall to the floor abruptly. Then, the wall exploded, and everything went dark for a moment.


    .


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    .


    "Har-!"


    "Harle-!"


    "Harleen!" With the sound of a voice almost shouting in her ears, Harleen came to, only to feel a sharp pain strike the side of her head.


    "Ahg!"


    "Easy, can you hear me?" Isabella''s voice reached her ears, and clumsily, she nodded while trying to sit up.


    Shaking her head, she cleared her vision, finding the worried faces of her friends¡ªfriends who seemed more disheveled than she remembered.


    "W-what happened?" she asked, noticing the debris scattered on the floor along with drops of red liquid.


    "We need to get to the infirmary!" Harleen barely registered Grace¡¯s words. She looked back, only to see where there used to be a wall, now there was a massive hole, and within it, half of what seemed to be a truck, torn to pieces.


    Wow, were cars raining down now?


    "Let''s go!" Isabella supported her, helping her to her feet, but in the next instant, they almost fell as a more intense tremor than the previous one shook the place.


    The alarms blared even louder, causing Harleen to grimace at the shrill sound, why did the noise bother her so much?


    With no time to think too much about it, Harleen focused on running alongside Isabella and Grace, trying to find a safer place¡ªsomething difficult when debris seemed to be raining down everywhere for some reason.


    It didn¡¯t help that the strong winds suddenly started ripping things from their places. As they passed one of the windows in the hallway, Harleen noticed how one of the guards outside the building was suddenly swept up into the sky, leaving behind only a quickly fading, muffled scream.


    Clearly, that was a strong sign that they shouldn¡¯t go outside at all.


    As if things couldn¡¯t get any worse, a different alarm from the others started blaring, causing the three of them to stop in the middle of their escape, their faces starting to pale.


    "T-that¡¯s...!"


    "Oh no..."


    Harleen felt her heart skip a beat. Taking a deep breath, she processed the sound reaching her ears, with fear beginning to creep in. That alarm only meant one thing.


    ¡°Breach, there¡¯s a breach!¡± The voice that shouted it wasn¡¯t hers; instead, it was a distant scream that reached where they were. Not long after, joining the chaos, the sound of gunfire began to echo.


    "What do we do?!" Grace seemed on the verge of panicking, and Harleen, now a bit less disoriented than before, placed a hand on her shoulder to try to calm her down.


    "Don''t panic. The facility we''re in and the area where the prisoners are kept are pretty far apart. I-if there¡¯s been a breach, we just need to stay away from the chaos until the guards get things under control."


    Of course, things might not be resolved as quickly as one would hope, given whatever was happening outside.


    "What about the other prisoners? The ones in the special waiting rooms for treatment?" Isabella suddenly asked, making both Harleen and Grace look at her.


    "They¡­ they shouldn¡¯t be able to get out, right?" Grace asked, now more scared than before.


    After all, the prisoners in the special waiting rooms were those about to receive their daily sessions, whether from the facility''s psychologists or psychiatrists.


    Which was, of course, concerning, but...


    "They¡¯re special cells. It should be much harder for them to break out, and even if they do, we can¡¯t stay here. We need to keep running," Harleen finally said, to which Isabella nodded.


    "Harleen¡¯s right. I think our best option is to head to the infirmary, treat your wound, and lock ourselves in there until things calm down or we can evacuate." They didn¡¯t really have a better plan of action. The infirmary was a secure place and far enough from the paths fleeing prisoners would likely take.


    ''Wound?'' Harleen blinked, then patted the side of her head where she had previously felt pain, causing a grimace to form on her face. When she brought the palm with which she had touched her newly discovered wound in front of her face, it was only to see it completely covered in red.


    That was a lot of blood.


    "Y-you¡¯re right. Let¡¯s go, I know the quickest way there." Grace began guiding them, something that normally would have been easy and quick, but in these circumstances, it became complicated as the unknown disaster continued to rock the facility.


    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    The constant earthquakes only grew worse, as did the winds, making it much harder to walk than it should have been. Still, they didn¡¯t stop, as the sound of gunfire became increasingly louder, accompanied by more and more screams.


    Soon, their destination was in sight.


    "Come on! There should be more people here by now!" Grace seemed more hopeful upon seeing the entrance to the infirmary and, without hesitation, rushed toward it, unlocking the door with her access key as quickly as she could, a relieved smile on her face.


    Bang!


    Harleen blinked in confusion as she felt a drop of crimson liquid splash against her face. Numbly, she watched as Grace''s body fell to the floor with a dull thud. There, in her head, a hole had forcibly opened, spilling pieces of its insides, spreading like a red mist in her direction.


    ¡°Oh God, N-¡±


    Bang!


    There was a second thunderous sound that made her ears ring.


    Harleen almost stumbled when the body that had been supporting her all this time went limp, slipping and falling beside her like a puppet with its strings cut.


    "Wow, I didn¡¯t expect us to meet again so soon!"


    The voice, tinged with amusement, made Harleen, who had been staring at Isabella''s lifeless body, lift her head. Her gaze focused on the door of the infirmary, where a figure made her way in, a weapon in hand and a wide smile on her face.


    A smile that became even more inhumanly large when their eyes met directly.


    ¡°This must be fate, don¡¯t you think?¡± Harleen didn¡¯t respond, she couldn¡¯t¡ªher body seemed like a statue, unable to move due to the deep terror that was starting to fill her, rooting her in place.


    ¡°Oh, come on, don¡¯t make that face, you''ll ruin your beautiful expression. How about you give me a smile instead?¡± the green-haired woman said, placing her hands on the corners of her mouth.


    ¡°I-I¡­¡± Harleen felt her body start to tremble as countless questions began rushing through her mind. How was she here? Why was she here?


    ¡°You know, I had planned to meet you later, but having you here makes it even better! Come, I want to show you something you¡¯ll love.¡± The woman easily closed the distance between them, stepping over Grace¡¯s body without a second glance. When she reached Harleen¡¯s side, she put her arm around her shoulders and began dragging her into the infirmary.


    With her mind still blank, Harleen didn¡¯t even try to resist, letting herself be awkwardly led.


    As they passed through the door, Harleen absentmindedly noticed more than a dozen bodies scattered all around the place. Some she recognized, others she didn¡¯t, a chill running down her spine as she saw the still vivid expressions of horror on their lifeless faces.


    ¡°Sorry about the mess, there were a few nuisances I had to take care of so I could work in peace,¡± the woman said as she led her deeper into the room, specifically to where all the medications and various chemicals were stored for the different treatments that some of the inmates required during their stay in the prison.


    ¡°It was a little hard working on this, you know? I was missing a few ingredients, but I managed with what I found. It¡¯s not as good as what I used to use in my better years in Gotham, but it¡¯ll get the job done,¡± the woman pointed to a somewhat deep metal container where a greenish liquid bubbled, as if boiling, despite there being no flame or stove to provide heat.


    ¡°Do you remember what we talked about before, my dear Quinn? I¡¯ve always believed it¡¯s my duty to make the world laugh with me. This is just one of the many ways I¡¯ll achieve that. I call it my Joker Venom. Soon, I¡¯ll spread it in gas form through all the ventilation ducts of Rikers. With all the commotion and screaming out there, I thought this would be a great gift for everyone to stop fighting and have fun together! Hahaha!¡±


    Harleen swallowed upon hearing the name despite having a dry mouth. She had read the files, she knew that in the past, Martha had used a chemical weapon to kill and terrorize countless people in Gotham, a substance that had no cure and with the slightest contact could be fatal.


    A substance she was now staring at, mere steps away from being able to touch it¡­


    And Martha planned to spread it through Rikers¡¯ ventilation system? That would kill everyone on the island! Harleen bit her lip at the thought.


    She needed to stop this, but¡­ how could she when she couldn¡¯t even move from fear?


    ¡°Daniel¡­¡± she couldn¡¯t help but whisper, her eyes beginning to well up.


    The laughter that had been filling the room stopped. A cold, pale hand grabbed her face, forcing her to turn her head to face the green-haired woman who was holding her hostage.


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t get distracted, we¡¯re having a moment. Thinking about someone else right now is rude,¡± she said in a tone resembling that of a mother scolding her child for doing something wrong.


    Then she forcibly turned Harleen¡¯s face once again toward the container with the green liquid.


    ¡°I know you¡¯re an idealist, that you believe the world can be better, but you¡¯re wrong. The world is never going to improve, but as the na?ve person you also are, I know you won¡¯t be able to see it unless someone else does something to show you. Lucky for you, dear, as the good Samaritan I am, I¡¯m willing to be that person you¡¯ve needed so much, to be that little push that will open your eyes and show you the true face of this world. Hahahahaha! Come on, let¡¯s see how a real smile looks, decorating your beautiful face!¡±


    The uncontrolled laughter stopped when Martha¡¯s tone turned sinister at the end of her words. Harleen knew something bad was about to happen as a sense of imminent danger began to assault all her senses, like alarm bells ringing loudly inside her head, trying to warn her, telling her she needed to run, to do something!


    But she couldn¡¯t. Faster than her body could start to move, a hand grabbed the back of her head and forcefully shoved her face-first into the bubbling green liquid.


    Splash!!!


    It was like bathing in acid.


    "AAAARGH!" Her agonizing scream filled the room as she writhed on the floor, feeling the liquid burning her skin, penetrating even through her clothes.


    ¡°Come on, it¡¯ll pass soon, don¡¯t resist too much! You''ll see the fun is about to begin! Hahaha!¡± Harleen barely managed to open her eye to see her former patient holding another metal container above her head, before dumping its contents onto her once again.


    ¡°AAHHRG-AAaaHa-HaHaHa!¡± She couldn¡¯t stop. She wanted to stop laughing and just scream. She wanted to express the pain that was coursing through her entire body, but instead, only more and more uncontrollable laughter poured from her mouth.


    ¡°Do you see it now? Isn¡¯t it fun?! Can you feel it?! That feeling, that endless fun! How about we let everyone else have some fun too?¡±


    As Harleen laughed uncontrollably, writhing on the floor, Martha began preparing a new mixture to create more of her Joker Venom. The whole place trembled now and then from the unnatural disaster that was drawing closer and closer to the Atlantic Ocean.


    ¡®I can¡¯t stop!¡¯ Harleen felt tears streaming from her eyes, which also burned. Her hands reached up to her neck, her long nails scratching at her throat until they reached her face, where her facial muscles had completely lost all control.


    Control, control, she needed to get control!


    Her eyes shot open, and her hand hurriedly searched inside her coat. Her mind had been spinning since everything began, and the abrupt and sudden deaths of her friends had only worsened it, causing her to momentarily forget that she still had something she could use¡ªsomething that could save her.


    Grabbing the small vial with the purple liquid inside, she didn¡¯t hesitate and smashed it against the floor with all the strength she could muster. The glass exploded in her hand, causing several shards to embed themselves, while the liquid soaked into her palm, seeping through her pores and the freshly opened wounds.


    ¡°Hahaha-haha st-stop-jajajaja-s-stop-jjeehehaha.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Do you want to tell me something, dear?¡± Martha stopped working on her new mixture and turned to see Harleen, who seemed to be trying to stand up clumsily, her body twitching from the uncontrollable laughter.


    ¡°I-I hahahaha I-¡± A hiccup broke her voice, her laughter starting to stutter, making Martha raise an eyebrow in surprise at the evident superhuman effort Harleen was putting in.


    The amount of Joker Venom she had poured on her shouldn¡¯t have allowed her to utter a single word. So¡­ how was she interrupting the laughter? With her curiosity piqued, Martha focused entirely on Harleen, who had already managed to get up from the floor, though still unsteady, the green liquid dripping off her body.


    ¡°I-I-haha-I don¡¯t- want t-to laugh anymore.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡± Suddenly, the laughter and the spasms stopped. Frowning, Martha took a step forward, only to halt when Harleen straightened up abruptly.


    ¡°Y-you know, I don¡¯t- I don¡¯t say it h-ha- often, but I won several awards as a gymnast when I was younger¡­ I-I hope I haven¡¯t lost my touch.¡±


    Before Martha could fully comprehend what Harleen meant, she moved. The blonde leaped swiftly, agilely, and gracefully, launching herself into the air and somersaulting, closing the distance between them with ease.


    Her feet landed on Martha¡¯s shoulders, sending the woman crashing onto the still-incomplete chemical mixture she had been working on. The liquid rained down on both of them, but neither cared, as they immediately began grappling with each other.


    ¡°Why, why aren''t you laughing?!¡± Despite being caught off guard, Martha quickly began to regain the upper hand in their struggle, her gaze filled with clear anger as she demanded an answer.


    Harleen gritted her teeth, feeling Martha¡¯s strength. How the hell did a woman who had spent so many years locked up have such power?!


    Still, she never planned to win this through a fight.


    Her hand stretched out, thrusting forward and slamming directly into Martha¡¯s face, the remnants of the purple liquid still clinging to her fingers making contact.


    ¡°Stop fighting!¡± she shouted, and suddenly the struggle ceased. Martha¡¯s pupils shrank as she felt her strength abandon her. Before she could express her surprise, a fist smashed into her face.


    And then another, and another. Harleen kept hitting with all the anger, fear, and pain she had been feeling, and when she saw that it wasn¡¯t enough, she started clawing at her with her long nails, even as they began to break. In her mind, her only desire was to erase that stupid, disgusting smile from the face of the woman who had killed her friends.


    Martha couldn¡¯t do anything to stop the blows. The smile on her face began to vanish as it became disfigured.


    ¡°You fucking bitch!! Tell me, do you think this is funny?! That it¡¯s all a joke?! Come on, keep laughing!!¡± Harleen felt her tears falling as she kept hitting, uncaring that her hands were now completely stained with blood.


    Then, with one final punch, Harleen stopped, staring at the bloody mess that had once been Martha Wayne''s face.


    ¡°Why did you kill them?¡± This last question was a whisper, not really seeking an answer.


    Breathing heavily, she looked at her hands, still dripping with blood. Then she looked at the motionless body beneath her. Had she killed her? That thought reverberated in her mind as if it were unreal until the full weight of the situation hit her. She knew this was real, that this was what she had done.


    And before she could stop it, the spasms returned.


    ¡°Ha-haha-hahahahaha!¡± Harleen brought her hands to her face, and with horror, her eyes widened as she felt the corners of her lips starting to lift once again, to smile once again.


    This should be impossible!


    ¡°Ha-haha sto¡ªhaha-h-stop!¡± Her laughter cut off abruptly, but this time Harleen didn¡¯t feel the relief she had when she first forced herself to stop laughing.


    No, this time, there was only deep, desperate fear, crashing violently against the fragile sense of safety that the obedience serum had given her, shattering it in an instant as if it had never existed at all.


    Harleen hugged herself and cried. For the first time in her life, she felt completely alone, vulnerable, and broken. She needed help. She needed someone to save her. She wanted someone to save her.


    Someone who could pull the overwhelming fear out of her soul.


    And then, without her being able to stop it, a scream for help tore from her nearly shredded throat, bursting out at full volume.


    ¡°Please, someone, help me!... Save me!¡±


    And as if God had answered her prayers, a blur shot through the ceiling, and a familiar figure was at her side in an instant.


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    Note:


    A bit of a dark chapter, huh?


    I must admit that writing it was complicated in many ways. I knew what I wanted to do and how I wanted to do it, but having an idea and carrying it out are two totally different things.


    For Harleen, I always had the idea that, one way or another, something of Harley Quinn would be born in her. I didn¡¯t know exactly how to do it at first, but gradually the pieces came together, creating a scenario I could take advantage of to execute some of my ideas.


    I can say that I had a certain degree of success, although that didn¡¯t make me feel good. Mistreating characters I like isn¡¯t exactly my thing, but it has to be done for the plot to advance.


    That said, I would love to hear what you think. Please comment and leave your opinions and critiques; you know I read all the comments you leave.


    Finally remember that You can already find the next chapter (and several more chapters) of this story on P)atreon ( p)atreon com/EmmaCruzader ) All the support received is appreciated ;D

 44: Objective

    44: Objective


    Carol looked at the crimson red "crystal" the size of an apple that she held in her hand. Freezing every drop of blood before it could hit the ground had been easy, then she simply gathered all the genetic material turned into ice, and using her super strength, compressed it into a form she could easily hold.


    "It''s surprising that even in this state, the cells show no signs of beginning to deteriorate. Maybe you could take it to the fortress so I can¡ª" Before she could finish speaking, Lara¡¯s voice was cut off by Carol''s actions.


    The girl raised the visor of her helmet and, without hesitation, let two heat rays shoot out intensely toward the gathered blood in her hand.


    The cells, formed by the almost indestructible intelligent atoms, resisted for a moment before the extreme heat completely destabilized their atomic structure, turning every gram of them into less than ashes.


    Lara remained silent, watching this through the cameras in her helmet, and distractedly noted the effect the high-intensity heat had on the blood.


    "The great cyclone seems to have disappeared. Is the battle over?" Carol asked after lowering the helmet¡¯s visor again. Lara took a moment but finally responded.


    "A few seconds ago, the gravitational anomaly on the planet completely vanished from my scanners. Without a doubt, I can say it''s because that boy dealt with the cause." Carol let out a small sigh of relief upon hearing this, relaxing from her tense stance.


    With the threat seemingly resolved, she took a moment to relax, and in that moment, her eyes glanced at the ground beneath her feet.


    All of Washington D.C. was a disaster. Seeing so much destruction for the first time in her life made her frown slightly before shaking her head. It didn¡¯t matter; they were just material things. As a girl who had grown up in the countryside, Carol placed little value on things that could be bought with money. To her, what truly mattered were the lives of the people she cared about, and in her opinion, that¡¯s how it should be for everyone.


    Washington D.C. might be nearly in ruins, but she had ensured the safety of many civilians, either within or around the city. That, as far as Carol was concerned, counted as a job well done. As long as they had their lives and health, they could rebuild the city later.


    With that thought, she decided to stop paying attention to the state of the city and instead focused her hearing to locate the direction where Daniel was.


    Which was quite easy but at the same time made a worried expression form on her face, as Daniel¡¯s heartbeat was irregular, as if something had disturbed or surprised him in some way. Had something happened? Was he hurt?


    ¡®It¡¯s better if I check,¡¯ she thought, and without hesitation, her body became a blur that disappeared from her previous spot in an instant.


    .


    .


    .


    A few moments earlier, Rikers Island.


    Time seemed to slow down as a pair of strong, warm arms wrapped around her trembling body, causing her to shudder for a moment. Then she looked up, and her tearful, bloodshot eyes met a pair of deep blue eyes filled with great concern.


    ¡°Y-you¡¯re here?¡± Harleen asked, her voice trembling, almost a whisper, as if she feared this was just a hallucination.


    ¡°I¡¯m here,¡± Daniel said, putting as much firmness and reassurance as he could into his voice, perfectly hiding the anger that was starting to brew inside him as he saw her injured and battered state.


    And upon hearing him, Harleen felt as if the world that had been crumbling around her was suddenly whole again. With relief filling her and feeling an absolute sense of security, she desperately raised her arms, returning the hug and burying her face in his chest as the tears began to flow¡ªonly this time, for different reasons.


    Seeing her in such a state, Daniel patted her back, letting her release her emotions while he inspected the area.


    The smell of blood and chemicals was obvious. He didn¡¯t have to search much to find several lifeless bodies, but the one that caught his attention the most was the one right next to the two of them¡ªa body with a shattered face, a body whose blood stained Harleen''s hands.


    He wrestled with himself¡ªshould he ask? Was it too soon? He wanted to know what had happened, but he didn¡¯t want to make the already clearly distressed Harleen uncomfortable while she was in his arms.


    ¡®I¡¯ll find out later. First, I need to take her to a hospital,¡¯ looking at her unnaturally pale skin and the blood dripping from her forehead, Daniel deciding to set aside his questions for now.


    "Come on, I''ll take you to see a doctor," he said, holding her in his arms, ready to fly her out of there. But before he could, Harleen quickly shook her head in clear panic.


    "N-No! You can''t let anyone touch me!" Hearing the fear in her voice, Daniel raised an eyebrow in surprise. Before he could ask, Harleen pointed to herself, more specifically to the green liquid still dripping from her body.


    Then she began explaining in a rushed manner, and the more he listened, the graver Daniel¡¯s expression became.


    "I-I''m a biological hazard, and I can barely keep myself sane thanks to a... S-serum derived from Killgrave''s pheromones that I synthesized." The blush of embarrassment on her face as she confessed this was oddly noticeable, given her new skin tone, which Daniel now knew wasn¡¯t due to blood loss as he''d initially assumed.


    "I know I shouldn¡¯t have done it! I should¡¯ve told you, but I-I..." Harleen didn¡¯t know how to explain, what kind of excuse to give, or if she even could. Her lips trembled, her voice failing to come out. But before she could continue stammering, Daniel gently tightened his hold on her, sending a wave of comfort through her body. She swallowed nervously, forcing herself to lift her head to face him, ready to receive whatever scolding or reprimand he had for her.


    But none came. When their eyes met, she didn¡¯t see the disappointment or displeasure she expected. Instead, he gave her a small smile that seemed to radiate serenity and calm, easing her nerves.


    "We''ll talk about that later," Daniel really wanted to sigh; there was a lot to take in, but he decided to handle it one step at a time. For now, he needed to make sure Harleen wouldn¡¯t suddenly die from all the chemicals she''d been exposed to.


    At the same time, he also had to isolate the room they were in, stop the prisoner escape on the island, and deal with a dozen other things... just thinking about it made his head threaten to erupt into a migraine. What an absolute fucking disaster.


    ''Maybe I should really learn some magic and get a cloning spell?'' The thought crossed his mind before he dismissed it. For one, he wasn¡¯t even sure if he had any talent for magic, and for another, he had no idea where or how to find someone to teach him. Plus, he didn¡¯t know how it could affect his disadvantages, and he''d rather not get involved with something so abstract if he could help it. It would be really messed up if he accidentally angered some sort of Lovecraftian god or something like that.


    ''Maybe later.''


    He heard the air breaking, and through the same hole he had made when arriving, a figure entered, helping him decide on his next move.


    Carol landed not far from Daniel, wrinkling her nose at the lingering scent of Joker venom in the air.


    ¡°Just in time, I need you to hold her for a moment,¡± Daniel said. Before she could ask what was happening, he carefully handed an astonished Harleen into her hands.


    ¡°This is...?¡± Carol held the blonde awkwardly, clearly unsure, but Daniel didn¡¯t wait. Moving at great speed, he rushed off to deal with the escaped prisoners on the island.


    An awkward silence filled the room as the two women stared at each other, a tense quiet hanging between them, a clear discomfort in the air.


    Carol, of course, recognized the woman in her arms. Even though she was covered in blood and her skin had turned unnaturally pale, it was hard for Carol to forget her. For that reason, she couldn¡¯t help but feel a deep unease, as if she were in the presence of a sworn enemy.


    ¡°Hi?¡± Harleen finally spoke timidly. She thought she might be hallucinating due to all the chemicals in her system; otherwise, she couldn¡¯t explain why another "Defiant" was holding her. Though, calling them the same wasn¡¯t exactly right since Daniel didn¡¯t wear a helmet or have... well, Boobs. Not that the latter really bothered her, she''d be lying if she said it did.


    Seeing the strange look Harleen was giving her, Carol wondered if Daniel would be mad if she just let her fall to the ground... or into the sea.


    Fortunately for both of them, the man in question quickly finished what he was doing and returned in a blur, starting to clean the chemicals from the room while organizing the bodies and making sure to isolate the area.


    ¡°Alright, that should be everything,¡± Daniel said, coming out of super-speed mode. He wiped away an imaginary drop of sweat and approached Carol to take Harleen back into his arms. The Kryptonian hesitated for a moment before finally letting him take her.


    ¡°Now we need to deal with you,¡± Daniel said. Feeling much more comfortable with him, Harleen snuggled closer and pointed at Carol with curiosity, completely forgetting the state she was in.


    ¡°Did you clone yourself?¡± she tried to whisper, but for Carol, it might as well have been a shout. She scoffed, her brow furrowing. She didn¡¯t like at all the way Harleen was cuddling up to him or whispering in his ear¡ªit was irritating.


    ¡°I''ll explain later¡± Daniel told her before looking at Carol seriously ¡±I need to use the fortress.¡±


    .


    .


    .


    "Oh wow," Harleen exclaimed in awe as the three of them arrived at the Fortress and entered it. Its crystalline structure was simply breathtaking to anyone who laid eyes on it.


    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    "So, you''re really an alien?" she couldn¡¯t help but ask, since, in her opinion, something so strange couldn¡¯t possibly come from Earth.


    Before Daniel could respond, Carol interrupted, having removed her helmet, her eyes glowing with a menacing red hue.


    "Why, are you scared?" Seeing her face so close, Harleen completely ignored the mockery in Carol''s words and instead reached out as if she wanted to touch the Kryptonian''s face.


    "You''re so beautiful," Harleen said softly. Carol, who had stepped back to avoid being touched, couldn¡¯t hide her confusion, her eyes returning to their normal bright blue.


    "Enough talking, we¡¯ll discuss all that later. Lara, can you run a full body scan and check her current condition?" Daniel finally interrupted them and carefully laid Harleen on a stretcher that Lara had formed.


    "You know you could just ask the Fortress AI directly, right?" Lara¡¯s holographic projection appeared, causing Harleen to let out another startled gasp.


    "I prefer asking you; you¡¯re more reliable," Daniel replied. Despite her complaint, Lara began the scan. Meanwhile, Daniel pulled out some medical kits from the Fortress and started treating the wounds on Harleen¡¯s head and hands.


    "This is really interesting," Lara finally said, and without blinking, she displayed a full-body projection of Harleen, just as she had done with Daniel. This made the blonde almost jump up in shock as an image of herself naked appeared out of nowhere.


    "H-Hey!"


    "Hey!"


    Ignoring both women¡¯s protests, Daniel focused on the scan data, his expression growing serious.


    "Is there anything we can do?"


    "Unless you want to further destabilize the biochemical processes in her body, then no. Right now, there¡¯s a delicate balance within her that¡¯s just beginning to settle. Trying to add or remove something could cause everything to collapse, and well, you know what would happen." To illustrate, the entire hologram collapsed, disappearing from view, much to the relief of the blushing Harleen.


    "To speed up the process, I recommend using one of the immersion chambers. That will help her heal her wounds faster, while we can monitor her condition and, if necessary, give us time to intervene."


    Immersion chambers, a method commonly used by Kryptonians to treat their injured. The fortress had several of them inside, though Daniel didn¡¯t expect to need to use them so soon.


    "Uh, can I ask how serious this is?" Finally tired of not understanding anything, Harleen timidly raised her hand and asked.


    Lara looked at her and calmly responded to her question.


    "In short, you¡¯re a lucky woman. Where others would already be dead, your body has managed to withstand the chemical soup inside without collapsing. What effects will this have on you? It¡¯s still unknown. I guess we¡¯ll find out if you survive." Harleen didn¡¯t like that last part at all.


    "If I survive?! What does that mean?!"


    "It means we¡¯d better get you into that immersion chamber as soon as possible." Daniel said, placing a hand on the blonde¡¯s shoulder to calm her.


    She looked at him before quickly nodding in agreement. She didn¡¯t know what this immersion chamber was, but anything that could help her was better than doing nothing. After all, she was still too young to die.


    With that said, Daniel picked her up once again and began carrying her to the area where the immersion chambers were located.


    Carol watched them leave with clear irritation in her eyes.


    "Even if you stare like that, she¡¯s not going to disappear," Lara said, causing Carol to turn to her in annoyance.


    Then the woman snapped her fingers and closed the door to the room, isolating the sound so they could speak privately. Noticing this, Carol couldn¡¯t help but mutter through clenched teeth.


    "Maybe I can make that happen." Her eyes glowed red, radiating heat. Seeing this, Lara frowned and spoke in a grave voice.


    "You need to control yourself. Feeling jealous is normal for a girl your age, but letting it drive you to do something reckless will only bring regret later. Don¡¯t be impulsive!"


    Carol clicked her tongue in frustration, trying to maintain a tough expression, but it didn¡¯t last long. Her eyes, once filled with fury, softened and became moist as deep sadness overtook her face. Her lips began to tremble, and though she tried to remain strong, she finally crumbled, revealing the many conflicting emotions she had been battling since seeing Harleen.


    "What should I do?" she asked with clear fragility, and Lara sighed inwardly, while an odd emotion briefly stirred within her¡ªa protective instinct that made her want to send Daniel into a black hole in the far reaches of space and comfort her daughter.


    But that wouldn¡¯t help. Carol didn¡¯t need comfort; she needed guidance. Crushing that emotion effortlessly, Lara adopted her colder, more calculating approach, using only the logic her state as an A.I. allowed her.


    "There¡¯s a lot you could do, but the first thing is not to let your impulses cloud your judgment. You must be patient and see everything from a higher perspective. From my point of view, all the cards are in your favor here, and worrying like this is absurd."


    All the cards are in her favor? Carol looked at her mother with doubt, and Lara decided to explain further.


    "I see that you think you¡¯re in a race, a competition, that this woman could take him from you. But you forget something crucial. The differences between you and her are vast. She is merely human. You are not."


    "I already know that! But what advantage does that give me?!" Carol retorted in frustration.


    "I can fly faster than a plane and crush steel with my hands, but apparently, that means nothing against a fragile, stupid blonde woman." Her words were laced with venom, but behind the anger, Lara could sense her daughter¡¯s true insecurity.


    "There it is again. Even though you claim to understand, you¡¯re still seeing this from a human perspective."


    "Then why don¡¯t you make it clearer?!" Carol demanded.


    "Very well, I¡¯ll be clear and direct. She is nothing more than a temporary event, a brief moment that will fade with time. You, on the other hand, are eternal¡ªand that, my daughter, is your greatest advantage," Lara said, leaning in toward her with seriousness.


    "Eternal? What... what do you mean by that?" Seeing the uncertainty in her eyes, Lara sighed internally. She had been postponing this conversation, thinking it would be too much of a shock and wanting to wait until her daughter had matured a bit more before telling her. But if she wanted Carol to see things the way she did, she needed to explain it now.


    "Normally, a Kryptonian would have a lifespan slightly longer than the average human. But that¡¯s on Krypton and under a red sun. You, having lived most of your life under a yellow sun, are now very different from other Kryptonians. One of those differences is the time you will exist in this universe. It¡¯s difficult to calculate exactly, but as long as the power of a yellow star feeds your cells, your lifespan will continue to increase. You will continue to exist even when this world turns to dust and this entire solar system is swallowed by its mother star."


    Lara gave Carol a moment to process. She could see her daughter starting to grasp what this meant, along with the fear and uncertainty beginning to rise within her.


    "I know it¡¯s hard to understand, but you don¡¯t have to be afraid¡ª"


    "How?! If what you¡¯re saying is true, then I¡¯ll be alone forever!" Carol suddenly felt panic flooding her. This was what she had always feared, her greatest terror¡ªbeing completely alone. The mere thought of such a possibility terrified her to the core.


    An existence like that was something she neither wanted nor desired.


    Lara watched as Carol panicked but didn¡¯t judge her for it. After all, from her daughter¡¯s perspective, there were no other Kryptonians left, and she didn¡¯t know of any other life forms that could live as long. It was normal for her to feel this way.


    Fortunately for her, Lara could cut that fear at its root.


    "Stop panicking. If this were truly a problem, I wouldn¡¯t be telling you about it. Do you think I enjoy seeing you suffer?" At her words, Carol swallowed hard and forced herself to stay calm.


    Her mother was right. She wouldn¡¯t tell her this just to upset her¡ªthere had to be something more.


    Seeing her calm down, Lara smiled. Her daughter still had a lot to learn about self-control, but slowly, she was improving. She just needed to keep progressing.


    "When I said it was your greatest advantage, why do you think I said that?" Lara asked. Carol thought about it. She wasn¡¯t stupid, and she quickly came to a conclusion.


    "Wait... you mean Daniel too...?" She couldn¡¯t finish her sentence for fear of being wrong, but when she saw the smile on her mother¡¯s face, her heart skipped a beat. The fear that had begun to creep up inside her started to fade, replaced by the hope now blossoming within her.


    "There''s still many mysteries I haven''t been able to uncover about that boy, but something I have figured out is that his cells have started to slow down their aging. Right now, even if a hundred years were to pass, his appearance wouldn¡¯t change at all. I don¡¯t know how this compares to you, but if my calculations are correct, his lifespan shouldn¡¯t be much shorter than yours."


    Carol''s eyes opened, filled with clear joy. She had been in deep shock at the thought of having to endure an eternity of loneliness, but if that eternity included Daniel, then her perspective on it felt completely different.


    Seeing such a quick shift in her mood made Lara sigh internally, ''teenagers, so easy to please...''


    "Are you sure? Completely sure?" Despite knowing she wouldn¡¯t lie to her, Carol still asked again, just to make sure she had understood things correctly.


    "If you doubt me, you can run your own tests. Just get some of his blood and use the fortress tools to see for yourself." At this, Carol thought of the blood she destroyed earlier today and couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit of regret, though only for a moment.


    "No... I don¡¯t doubt you. If you say so, I can believe it."


    "Good, now that you know, I hope you can understand why your worries are unnecessary. Daniel... that boy may not realize it now, but in time, he will understand what he truly needs, and that, my dear daughter, is someone who truly understands him, someone who will be by his side not just for a few years, but for centuries."


    ''Would this be enough?'' Lara looked at her daughter¡¯s face and could still see some doubt in her eyes. Therefore, she decided she needed to be clearer, to ensure that the idea and message she wanted to convey were firmly planted in Carol''s mind.


    "I know the thought of waiting might not sound appealing, but patience is a powerful weapon. Right now, Daniel still thinks like a human, and that¡¯s why he is drawn to them. But sooner or later, he¡¯ll learn that his destiny is much greater than that, and that woman will be a good example of it. Right now, she may have his attention, but she¡¯s just a human¡ªher life is short, limited, and fragile. She will never truly understand him. You, on the other hand, can be by his side forever. Don¡¯t you see? There will be no end for the two of you. In time, she will be nothing more than a faint memory, something insignificant. So why are you worried about her?"


    Lara wanted Carol to gain a superior and broader perspective, a way of seeing things beyond the human, so she could leave behind such mundane concerns and focus on what truly mattered.


    Carol thought about it fiercely while biting her lip. If she looked at it coldly, Lara was right. She had all the advantages here, but even though she knew this, her heart still felt somewhat unsettled.


    ¡°Then, do I just have to wait?¡± she asked, doubt still clouding her eyes. It seemed too simple, too passive for what she felt.


    Lara let out an almost exasperated sigh. ¡°If you do that, you¡¯d be completely foolish, Carol. Having time doesn¡¯t mean you should waste it doing nothing.¡± She leaned forward, her intense gaze fixed on her daughter. ¡°Even if you choose to be patient, you can¡¯t just sit back and do nothing. If you do, that boy will just keep ignoring you.¡±


    She continued, her tone sharp. ¡°I didn¡¯t tell you all this for you to think you just have to sit there. I told you so you can stop paying attention to things that, in the end, won¡¯t matter. It¡¯s about focus, my daughter. You can¡¯t let every little obstacle affect you on your path, or you¡¯ll never reach your goal. What you now see as competition, what troubles you... those are just momentary distractions, and giving them more attention than they deserve is complete nonsense.¡±


    Carol began to pace in circles, carefully thinking over everything that had been said, processing what her mother wanted to convey several times until the idea finally settled in her mind, making her eyes shine with determination.


    She was clear on what she had to do, and even if she didn¡¯t like it, she could work with it.


    Because the only thing that mattered was that in the end, he stayed with her.


    ¡°I understand... thank you, Mom.¡± Lara raised an eyebrow as she saw her smile mysteriously. She was curious about the conclusion Carol had reached but decided not to ask. If she kept holding her hand, her daughter would never learn on her own. She had interfered enough for now; it was time to observe. And if Carol made a mistake, she would help her correct it.


    After all, that¡¯s what she existed for.


    .


    .


    .


    Daniel frowned as he looked at the immersion chamber where Harleen lay unconscious. He checked her vital signs one last time before deciding to step away, as there was nothing more he could do for her but wait.


    Which was frustrating; he didn¡¯t like being passive. But if even Lara couldn¡¯t do anything with the Kryptonian technology in the fortress, then all he could do was step aside and let things take their course.


    Even if he hated it.


    ''I need to keep myself busy.'' Deciding that sitting still would only frustrate him more, he prepared to head back to his farm and get a new suit to start cleaning up the mess that his battle with Graviton had left in the coastal cities.


    At least that was something he could do.


    And if, in the midst of that, he happened to run into a certain Scarlet Speedster, even better.


    .


    .


    .


    Note:


    I was invited to see Joker 2. I¡¯ve been a bit short on time, but I decided to give it a chance for some inspiration¡­ I didn¡¯t like it. I don¡¯t want to criticize too much, but honestly, I came out feeling quite... disappointed? Yes, I think that word is correct. There¡¯s not much more to say. If you¡¯ve had the chance to see it, I¡¯d love to hear what you thought.


    P.S., if you find any errors in the chapter, please feel free to point them out so I can correct them.


    Finally remember that You can already find the next chapter (and several more chapters) of this story on P)atreon ( p)atreon com/EmmaCruzader ) All the support received is appreciated ;D

 45: Friendship

    45: Friendship


    His consciousness, which seemed to have been submerged in a deep well of darkness, began to return thanks to a vaguely familiar sound.


    It was something irritating, a continuous and monotonous beeping. It brought back annoying memories of his old days as a rookie agent, when he got into more trouble than he should have. With a groan, his eyelids, which felt extremely heavy, began to slowly open.


    The blurry vision took a few moments to clear, and when it did, it was only for the light of a white spotlight to almost blind him again.


    A hospital. Why was he in a hospital? The answer didn¡¯t take long to be revealed, as memories abruptly started flooding back.


    ¡°HALL!¡± he wanted to shout, but the oxygen mask on his face prevented him. Of course, his body still tried to get up, but a hand on his chest pushed him back down, making his wounds throb in pain, the annoying beeping becoming erratic.


    ¡°Take it easy, Director,¡± the voice made Fury refocus his gaze. Seeing one of his trusted agents by his side made him sigh, and his dwindling consciousness sank back into darkness.


    ¡­


    ¡°The internal injuries are numerous, but fortunately, nothing we haven¡¯t dealt with before, so we were able to act in time to prevent any lasting damage. it will take time but you will recover¡± Fury, now more awake and without an oxygen mask on his face, nodded toward the doctor who had come to give him a report on his current condition.


    ¡°Thank you very much, doctor.¡± The doctor nodded, said a few more words, and left, leaving Fury alone with his loyal assistant, Maria Hill, who had been quietly by his side.


    ¡°How are things?¡± At his question, the SHIELD agent pulled out some pre-prepared reports.


    ¡°Well, the world¡¯s in a panic, governments are on high alert, and Washington D.C. might not be rebuilt in the next twenty years. Maybe the only good news is that the president wasn¡¯t at the White House, which, by the way, no longer exists.¡±


    Fury grimaced upon hearing this and seeing the images of the now-empty lot where the presidential residence once stood.


    Yeah, this wasn¡¯t going to be easy to fix.


    ¡°In other news, although the death toll hasn¡¯t been fully calculated yet, it¡¯s low enough that we can work around it. Given the magnitude of everything, it might be the best outcome we could have hoped for.¡±


    Seeing the reports of the verified deaths, Fury frowned. After all, the initial attack took place at the SHIELD headquarters, meaning most of the deaths were his agents¡ªhundreds of them. After that, while an entire city was nearly destroyed and many others along the East Coast were affected, the number of civilian deaths was still relatively low by comparison.


    Something truly unreal, considering everything.


    ¡°Looks like Defiant and Iron Man had their hands full this time.¡±


    ¡°Well, not just them.¡±


    With that said, Maria Hill handed over two somewhat thin folders. Curious, Fury took one and opened it, only for a look of surprise to form on his face.


    ¡°Seems like there¡¯s still a lot we don¡¯t know about Defiant.¡±


    Fury couldn¡¯t help but agree, nodding as he closely examined the image showing a female figure bearing the same symbol as his ally, carrying a massive bridge on her shoulders. The only difference was the helmet with a dark visor obscuring her facial features, but otherwise, the suit she wore was almost identical.


    ¡°Has this spread already?¡±


    "Like wildfire, people are going crazy, and so are the media. If Defiant wanted to keep this hidden, it''s no longer possible, even if we tried to help him cover it up. After all, she alone saved tens of thousands of people, and the witnesses to her existence won''t stop talking about it."


    Fury looked through the rest of the reports on the mysterious woman. It seemed her involvement had been key in keeping the death toll lower than expected, at least in Washington D.C. and its surroundings. There wasn¡¯t much more to review, as all the information on her was limited to this last incident.


    Finally, Fury reached the end of the folder, where he found the front page of one of the country¡¯s major newspapers, a close-up featuring the first image he had seen, accompanied by a striking headline.


    ¡°Defiance? Seems like the media isn¡¯t very original these days.¡± Hearing this, Maria smiled.


    ¡°I think it fits. She¡¯s using the same symbol, after all, and people seem to like it. So unless she says otherwise, the name will stick.¡±


    Fury didn¡¯t believe that would happen anytime soon. If she had wanted to step into the light, she could have done so much earlier alongside Defiant. The fact that she stayed hidden and even wore a helmet made it obvious she didn¡¯t want the attention, even if she had it now.


    Setting the first folder aside, Fury reached for the second one, which was even thinner than the first.


    ¡°Not a single clear image?¡± For the most part, the folder was filled with written reports and witness accounts.


    ¡°Well, not for the media, but we managed to get something¡ªmostly security camera footage,¡± Maria Hill said as she pulled out a decently-sized tablet. Fury took it, scrolling through several files. There were dozens, with varying levels of quality, but regardless of which one he looked at, even when slowing the footage down, all that could be seen was a red blur speeding across the screen like a flash, saving people.


    Even using SHIELD¡¯s image enhancement software, which had been developed to get clearer visuals of Defiant, was useless for providing a proper image¡ªeverything was just a blurry figure.


    ¡°This feels familiar,¡± Fury muttered, frowning until the memory clicked.


    A while back, there had been some strange news in Central City that caught his attention. Since he¡¯d been in the area, he had sent Agent Coulson to check it out, leaving Natasha to handle the Stark situation in his place.


    It seemed like it was time to see if Coulson had uncovered anything and if this was related in the way Fury suspected.


    Seeing the look on his face, Maria Hill sighed. She thought about reminding him that the doctor had advised extended rest, but she knew it would be useless. Injured or not, the Director wouldn¡¯t take a day off.


    Especially not when all of this had happened because of SHIELD.


    .


    .


    .


    .


    ¡°This feels really weird, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡°Eh? What do you mean?¡±


    Chloe thought about how to explain what she meant as she and Carol walked onto the school grounds. Stretching both hands out, she gestured at the crowd of students flooding the campus, as well as the oddly youthful atmosphere, and spoke again.


    ¡°The world almost ended, and here we are, back to classes like nothing happened. I just... I don¡¯t know,¡± she struggled to put it into words.


    ¡°You do know that the United States isn¡¯t the whole world, right?¡± Carol said in a monotone. Sure, Graviton¡¯s gravitational power had caused major destruction across the planet, but the only place that was really affected on a large scale was North America, with several coastal U.S. cities entering a temporary state of emergency¡ªcities that were quite far from Smallville.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    "Hey!, for the record, I got pretty good grades in geography, of course I know! It''s just... I thought things would be different. I mean, I expected there to be more consequences, but I guess, with Defiant helping everywhere, the situation isn¡¯t actually as bad as some of the news outlets made it out to be."


    Though not many days had passed since the incident, it was noticeable to everyone that the effect had been felt across the entire Earth. Several scientific institutions even issued serious warnings about the potential chain reactions that such abrupt changes in the gravitational field could cause.


    This raised alarms that the media outlets around the world quickly turned into headlines, generating significant concern among the public. Some even spoke of various end-of-the-world theories, claiming this was just the beginning of such events and similar things.


    The worry and panic soon calmed down, however, as Defiant had been traveling all over the planet, effectively managing damage control by addressing the consequences before they could cause significant harm.


    Which, in Carol''s opinion, made all the fuss that people were making seem a bit exaggerated once everyone realized that life was continuing just as it always had.


    Of course, there were still problems. After all, Daniel couldn¡¯t be everywhere at once or prevent every ¡°natural¡± disaster triggered by his fight with Graviton, but at least he made sure to be there for the truly dangerous ones.


    Like the massive tsunami with waves over 30 meters high that almost hit Japan¡¯s shores just a few hours ago. If Daniel hadn¡¯t arrived in time to stop it, it would¡¯ve been more than just a morning news headline.


    ¡°Sometimes the media tends to exaggerate things. Don¡¯t worry or overthink it. As long as Defiant¡¯s here, the world will always be safe, that¡¯s a fact.¡±


    Hearing the certainty in her voice, Chloe nodded, agreeing to some extent with her friend, though still far from being as much of a fangirl as she thought Carol was.


    "Well, it''s not just Defiant anymore, right? I heard there''s a new heroine, though no one has seen her since the incident. I wonder why. Do you think she doesn''t like going out in public, like him?" Upon hearing this, Carol almost frowned.


    Even though she knew that going with Daniel that day could lead to some people learning about her existence, she hadn''t thought things would escalate as much as they did. Watching the news stopped being fun when they kept dedicating more than half an hour to talking about her. She didn''t like it, and thank heaven her parents hadn''t suspected anything, or she would have had a hard time explaining it.


    "We can talk about that later. It''s better if we hurry. I don''t want to be late for the first class," her voice was somewhat curt, making her blonde friend raise an eyebrow.


    Huh? Chloe thought Carol would be more enthusiastic about the topic, given how much she seemed to like Defiant, but it seemed like the opposite, which confused her a bit. However, she couldn''t give it much thought because Carol was right; if they didn''t hurry, they were going to be late.


    So both entered the school, ready to continue with the remaining school days, as their graduation was just around the corner.


    .


    .


    .


    "So, what do you think? I know it''s still modest by my standards, but I plan to change that very soon." Daniel admired the view from the terrace of the top floor of Tony''s new building.


    With everything that had happened lately, it seemed the billionaire had finally decided to move to New York, even starting a rather considerable funding project in the city to help rebuild the damage caused during the Graviton incident. It seemed he had taken his words seriously when he spoke to him about damage control.


    "I''ll say 93 floors is an odd number. Maybe you should add another 7 since you''ve decided to invest so much in this."


    "Seriously, that''s the only thing that caught your attention? Your thoughts are really strange."


    Tony approached him, admiring the view by his side with a grass-green drink in his hands. Daniel glanced at him for a moment. He hadn''t forgotten Tony''s problem, and though his hands were a bit tied at the moment, he decided he needed to fix that issue before it became a real nuisance, so he abruptly changed the subject, catching the man off guard.


    "How much has the palladium advanced in your blood?"


    "You..." Seeing his surprise, Daniel gave him a small smile.


    "You know my senses are far superior to those of ordinary humans; it''s not hard for me to notice. I didn''t want to intrude too much, but I can''t keep watching a friend in trouble and not do something." If he left things as they were, maybe Tony could find a way to solve it on his own, but Daniel had decided he needed to be more proactive. After all, the last time he left a friend alone, things didn''t turn out well for her.


    He preferred not to keep taking risks, especially since he had the ability to help.


    For his part, Tony stayed silent for a moment, staring at the disgusting green smoothie he''d been drinking.


    ''A friend, huh?'' Ever since the whole debacle with Rhodes, Tony thought it would take some time before he formed another friendship that felt real. He knew himself well enough, even if people thought otherwise. He knew he was hard to deal with and that his personality wasn¡¯t something most people could easily tolerate, or for long¡ªreasons why Pepper was so important to him.


    And because she was so important, he hadn¡¯t been able to find a way to talk about what was happening with her or with anyone. Well, there was Jarvis, but many would say that didn''t count, even if Tony thought otherwise.


    Having death breathing down your neck wasn¡¯t an easy burden, although Tony would say he was handling it pretty well on his own.


    But if he were truly honest, a part of him also wanted to talk about this with someone who wasn¡¯t the A.I. he had built to serve him.


    So, even if he hesitated for a second, he still answered the question.


    "The amount is still manageable, though it''s advancing a little faster every time I use the armor. It¡¯s not great news, but I''ve been thinking about a few solutions."


    "Heh, what a coincidence, I''ve also been thinking about some solutions. Maybe we could think about them together and see if we can solve it."


    At such an offer, Tony raised an eyebrow with interest.


    "I thought you were busy keeping the planet in one piece."


    "I¡¯ve already handled most of the immediate aftermath, and if something comes up, I can always fly there." Besides acting as Defiant, Daniel still had many projects underway, but he could put them on hold for a moment. Plus, helping Tony wouldn¡¯t really take much time, after all, he already had the solution, it just needed to be brought into reality..


    Tony stayed quiet for a moment before shrugging and tossing the half-drunk chlorophyll drink into the trash can on the terrace.


    "Alright, why not? Let¡¯s do it."


    .


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    .


    .


    ¡°Well, this won¡¯t be the worst thing I¡¯ve tasted.¡± He looked at the utensil, oddly resembling a spoon, with doubt, then picked it up to poke at the amorphous green-vomit-like paste with chunks of something he hoped was meat.


    His wrong move caused the thing to deflate abruptly, releasing a thick green cloud that disgusted him enough to make his appetite disappear in an instant.


    Alright, maybe this would be the worst thing he¡¯d ever tasted¡­ if he could manage to get it into his mouth without vomiting.


    ¡°It seems the snurkyack isn¡¯t to your liking. I¡¯ve heard Earthlings have quite a distinctive palate,¡± a soft voice spoke, making Hal Jordan look up to see a beautiful humanoid woman with pink skin and long, waist-length hair of light purple approaching him.


    The exotic-looking woman sat across from him, placing a plate with a similar content to his on the table.


    ¡°Well, I wouldn¡¯t say it¡¯s distinctive, but rather varied. I certainly know some types who would eat anything without blinking.¡±


    ¡°Seems you¡¯re not one of those types,¡± Hal thought he was¡ªuntil today. He supposed even he had his limits.


    ¡°Setting my dietary preferences aside, are you sure it¡¯s a good idea to sit here? Honestly, I don¡¯t want to cause more problems with your friends. They already hate me enough just for existing.¡± It was a bit annoying, reminding him in some ways of his early days in the Air Force. Being the rookie again wasn¡¯t all that fun.


    ¡°Oh, they don¡¯t hate you. They just need time to adjust. Abin Sur was a very beloved member of the Green Lantern Corps. We all respected and trusted him. Losing him has been hard, and I know that¡¯s no excuse for how they treat you, but I still ask that you try to understand them.¡± Seeing the plea in her kind violet eyes, Hal couldn¡¯t help but sigh. He really couldn¡¯t bring himself to be angry with someone who was just trying to be nice, even if her friends were jerks.


    ¡°I guess I can try. But let¡¯s stop talking about them. Do you have any news about the prisoner? Cuch?¡± Hal really appreciated the translation function the ring provided. He was pretty sure he¡¯d butchered the alien name, even though he¡¯d tried not to.


    ¡°He¡¯s already being interrogated. It seems Sinestro is quite eager to extract everything he can from him, even if his methods are¡­ less than pleasant.¡± At that, the former Earth pilot grimaced. He¡¯d seen some of what Sinestro could do when he accompanied him on that first mission to ¡°test¡± him, and he could already imagine how rough things might get.


    ¡°Is it really okay? I mean...¡±


    "I know what you mean, it''s something we''ve all been noticing, believe me. Sinestro has been... difficult lately, but it''s because of all the pressure he''s been under." She was really kind if she was looking for an excuse for a guy who clearly wasn''t doing things right.


    Or maybe naive, but Hal didn¡¯t know her well enough yet to say which it was.


    He was already starting to miss Earth. At least there, things were easier and simpler. Surely everyone at the base was having a blast with Christmas coming up.


    He wondered if he''d be able to go back by then.


    Pushing those thoughts out of his head, he refocused on their current conversation.


    "Saving the universe or something like that, right? They still haven''t told me what that''s all about." The woman nodded.


    "It''s a long story that goes back as far as time itself.."


    "I guess I''ll have to take notes." Now, how did he activate the recording function on the ring?


    "Oh, I could show you directly." With that, she raised her hand, forming a fist with her ring pointed in his direction. Then she took his hand and placed it in the same position as hers, bringing the rings close until they connected, and the information began to flow through his mind.


    Well, it seemed there would be no Christmas for him. Just great.


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    Note:


    Remember that You can already find the next chapter (and several more chapters) of this story on P)atreon ( p)atreon com/EmmaCruzader ) All the support received is appreciated ;D

 46: New Element

    46: New Element


    "What do you think of this?" Daniel moved the blue light projections with his hand, causing the atomic structure map in front of him to change and reshape once again. Both men in the "laboratory" silently watched the image until the projection turned an alarming red, and the entire structure collapsed in an instant.


    Another failure.


    Exhaling all the air he had been holding, Tony placed his hands on his hips and shook his head.


    "Alright, this isn''t working. It''s clear we''re doing something wrong; we need to change the approach." At his words, Daniel, who was rubbing his chin with his hand, looked at him with a raised eyebrow.


    "Change the approach? Tony, there''s no better solution than finding a new element to replace palladium in the arc reactor, unless, of course, you want to look for a heart donor."


    Suddenly, Tony snapped his fingers and pointed at him.


    "Yes, that! Well, I like my heart where it is, thanks, but... maybe there''s an alternative that doesn''t require taking it out of my chest, maybe surgery to remove the shrapnel! Jarvis, give me a list of the best surgeons in the world." At his command, Jarvis began working, and quickly, a screen with a lot of data on different doctors appeared in front of them.


    "According to their achievements and records, I have selected the top ten candidates for what you''re seeking, sir. Still, I must warn you that the risk is too high, and the chances of success are almost nil." In the current era they were in, Earth didn''t have the medical technology necessary to do what Tony was looking for, at least not without taking enormous risks.


    Tony looked at the information in front of him with a frown. He didn''t like this option either. Jarvis didn''t need to tell him because he was well aware since he returned from Afghanistan that removing the shrapnel from his chest had very little chance of becoming a reality at this time; otherwise, he would have already done it and wouldn''t be putting so much effort into finding other options to replace the palladium. But that he thought about this option again could not be avoided. With each failure, he felt as if his life was slipping through his fingers, and his death became increasingly inevitable. Even if the chance of success was a mere one percent, it would still be preferable to simply waiting and dying without more.


    Daniel glanced briefly at the information on the screen, raising an eyebrow as he noticed a vaguely familiar name. Vague memories came to him, and he mentally noted it as something to investigate later before turning his attention back to Tony.


    "Isn''t it too soon to give up just like that? Do you really want to throw in the towel this way?"


    The billionaire clicked his tongue and waved his hand, making the screen with the doctors'' information disappear. Then he looked at Daniel with a hint of reluctance.


    "Even if I don''t want to, it seems like I don''t have better options left. We''ve tried all the known elements, all the possible combinations, and nothing! Even ''creating'' a new one doesn''t seem to be giving results."


    Hearing the discouragement in his voice, Daniel decided it was time to stop wasting time. There were a few reasons why he hadn''t just pulled the solution out of his ass and given it to Tony immediately. The first was to test Tony''s abilities firsthand. Knowing someone is a genius is one thing, but seeing that genius push themselves and work on something with all their strength is another.


    A kind of experience very valuable in many ways, one that gave him a more advanced understanding of how a truly intelligent person worked and their advanced thought processes.


    After all, to learn to imitate something, you first need to know how that something works, right? Daniel had learned a lot from this interaction, gaining knowledge that couldn''t be reached just by reading study materials and books like he had been doing so far.


    In the end, Tony wouldn''t be the first or the last genius he''d work with, and if he wanted to keep up with such "monsters," he needed more than just a perfect memory and an accelerated thought process.


    He needed to find his own "spark," metaphorically speaking.


    Another reason was that he wanted to clear up his memories by spending time with him. Although he knew the possible solution to the problem, many other things had been blurry, and if there was something unknown that could be harmful to Tony, it would be better to avoid it from the start.


    This testing period, working alongside the playboy, had made him remember many things he''d previously overlooked. Now he fully knew how Tony had discovered¡ªor rather, rediscovered¡ªthe new element, at least in another reality. In this universe, though the Tony he knew had some similarities to the Tony of his memories, he was also different in several important aspects.


    That made him worry a little. What would happen if his plan didn''t work? In that case, Daniel still had a Plan B, but he preferred not to use it if possible. Continuing to rely so heavily on the Fortress and Kryptonian technology didn''t sit well with him, even though he knew that was a somewhat selfish thought in a certain sense. Still, he was self-aware enough not to dismiss the possibility if his ideal solution failed.


    If he kept owing Carol so many favors, he feared his debt to her would grow so large that the only way left to repay her would be with himself.


    ''If it really comes to that, I''ll have no choice but to sacrifice myself for the greater good.'' After all, as a hero, it was his duty and responsibility to step up in times of crisis.


    "Why does your face suddenly look so strange? I feel like you''re having some disordered thoughts. Did something occur to you?" Seeing the look of determination, resolve, and courage that suddenly appeared on Daniel''s face, Tony couldn''t help but raise an eyebrow. For some reason, he felt something odd about that expression, something off, but he couldn''t quite pinpoint what it was.


    "Ahem! Well, actually, I do have some ideas. Even though we''ve failed several times, that doesn''t mean it was for nothing. A failed attempt is just one less mistake we can make, and it''s something we can learn from." Pushing the strange thoughts out of his mind, Daniel had Jarvis pull up the simulations and models of all the failed attempts at the atomic structures of the possible theoretical elements and present them before them.


    In truth, throughout these tests, Daniel had been slowly building the correct model piece by piece, though still incomplete. He''d only added about 30% of the true structure to see if Tony could fill in the missing parts and solve the "puzzle" on his own. And it had actually worked¡ªbut not entirely.


    Tony was definitely getting closer. Many of the pieces Daniel hadn''t provided, Tony was able to figure out, making the model increasingly stable. Daniel believed that if this continued, in two or three days, the billionaire could discover the new element on his own without Daniel''s direct intervention.


    The problem was that this approach required Tony to have a certain level of patience in his work¡ªsomething that was clearly running out fast.


    Well, it was time to fix that.


    "First, let''s discard the early attempts and keep the most stable ones." Daniel quickly removed the most incomplete models from the projection and kept the ones he knew would be useful.


    He then began selecting each of them, and with a gesture of his hand, he made each model overlap in several layers, forming a new one. The errors in the structure highlighted in a light red, while the most stable and promising areas remained blue.


    With a critical eye and feigned seriousness, Daniel studied this new structural model down to the smallest detail. Then, he snapped his fingers and smiled confidently as if he had just discovered something. Tony, who had been frowning in distraction, snapped out of it and started focusing as well when he saw Daniel working with such confidence. A spark of interest lit up in his eyes.


    Using the projection with the superimposed models as a base, Daniel began a new design, taking only the parts he knew were "correct." At first glance, it seemed strange¡ªafter all, he didn''t discard all the errors, nor did he keep all the successes. Instead, he began to create a mix that, to others, might seem nonsensical if viewed superficially.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    This action puzzled Tony, as a move like this was something only someone who already knew how the pieces fit into a larger whole could make without hesitation.


    Without stopping for a moment, Daniel continued moving his hands, making the structure¡ªwhich had previously been just a bunch of loose "pieces"¡ªcome together into something much more complete, more "ordered." Not only that, but he also began adding things that hadn''t been there before.


    In a matter of minutes, the model was 60% complete, causing Tony to step forward, eyes wide with surprise, his previously disheartened mind now starting to work at full speed.


    Seeing this from the corner of his eye, Daniel smiled inwardly and deliberately made an incorrect move when he thought the timing was right.


    "No, no, that''s wrong!" Tony took another step forward, raising his own hand and beginning to manipulate the model, quickly correcting the mistake Daniel had made on purpose.


    Then, as if entering a flow state, he began adding his own contributions to the design. It had to be said¡ªa genius is a genius. With just a push, Tony was able to see the path that had once seemed blurry and unreachable much more clearly.


    Of course, there were still small deviations, which Daniel swiftly corrected. At the same time, he kept adding new elements, intentionally making mistakes now and then so Tony could correct them as well, all with the sole purpose of guiding the billionaire toward the desired result, little by little letting him complete the design on his own.


    With one final move, Tony condensed the atomic structure of the new element into a single piece, which floated before them like a bright, spherical core. Emerging from it were multiple three-dimensional geometric branches connecting various polygonal nodes, molecular connections glowing as they distributed "energy" through the structure in a stable and continuous manner. Several orbital layers resembling "rings" floated around it in different directions and angles.


    Both men took a step back as the tension in the room reached its peak.


    Then, the projection pulsed, its brightness intensifying for a moment before returning to normal, and Jarvis''s voice came through.


    "Structural stability is fully stable and functional. Congratulations, gentlemen¡ªyou have created a new theoretical element with high potential to replace palladium."


    Tony felt his legs almost give out beneath him, barely managing to stay upright. He stared at the projection in disbelief until he finally reacted, realizing they had actually done it.


    "Holy shit, Yes!" He clenched his fists tightly, raising them into the air in excitement as a huge smile spread across his face.


    Daniel didn''t interrupt his celebration; instead, he looked at the completed model, idly wondering if Howard Stark had left something similar for his son in this universe. Though, in truth, it no longer mattered.


    "Looks like that surgery is going to have to be postponed," Hearing this, Tony calmed down and took a deep breath.


    "Yes... seems like it." The billionaire wasn''t used to being grateful to others, so he wasn''t exactly sure what to say at this moment. After all, just a few minutes ago, he thought his life was truly coming to an end, but now that had changed. Now he had a chance, and he knew that without Daniel, he might not have been able to find it on his own.


    "Listen, I¡ª"


    "If you want to thank me, spare the formalities. We''re a team, remember? Helping each other is what we''re supposed to do." Hearing this, Tony relaxed, leaving his momentary discomfort behind. If he put it that way, then¡ª


    "Besides, if I let you die, it''d be hard for me to find another sidekick at your level."


    "You son of¡ª" Tony almost let his tongue slip, but he managed to calm himself when he saw the mocking look on Daniel''s face, then he huffed.


    "You don''t know how to read the room, do you?"


    "I don''t think you''re the right one to point that out."


    .


    After the conceptualization came the materialization. With both of them working together and an entire floor of Tony''s new building that they had modified without hesitation, soon a "homemade" particle accelerator began to take shape.


    "Seems like you''ve been quite busy."


    "Agent Romanoff, it''s good to have you visiting. Has something interesting happened?" Daniel greeted the curious Natasha, who entered the place, eyeing the mess he and Tony had made during their construction process.


    "I''m just checking in. With the world as it is now, the lack of news from our only ''heroes'' for so long is concerning. Besides, your communications have been silent. That''s why I thought I''d look for you personally. The last time they saw Defiant, he was flying over New York, and since Stark just acquired this building in the city, I thought I''d check here. Seems my intuition was right."


    As the liaison between SHIELD and the team, Natasha was responsible for ensuring that both were available in case of any major event that might arise, a job that had become much more important since Graviton nearly destroyed the entire East Coast.


    Upon hearing her, Daniel frowned, quickly pulled out his phone, and checked the time. It seemed he and Tony had lost track of time while working. Still, he wasn''t too worried. Even though, as Natasha had said, they had both silenced their communications to focus and avoid interruptions, that didn''t mean he had been ignoring potential emergencies. If something really bad had happened, Overwatch would have notified him immediately, silenced communications or not.


    "Though having a sexy spy stalker looking for me doesn''t bother me, we''re kind of busy at the moment, as you can see," Tony finally joined the conversation, his good mood clear, making Natasha raise an eyebrow.


    "Can I ask what you''re working on?"


    "Ah, well, I don''t like to brag¡ª" Tony ignored the flat stares both gave him, "¡ªbut we''re about to make history."


    That didn''t tell Natasha much, so she looked at Daniel for a better explanation.


    "It''s a bit complicated to explain, but in simple terms, what Tony means is that we''re about to materialize a new element."


    Materialize a new element? Though she wasn''t specialized in science, she had enough knowledge to understand what those words meant. Saying she was surprised would be an understatement, but she quickly remembered who was in front of her. Whether it was the man who built his armor and miniature arc reactor in a cave or the invulnerable and mysterious superhero, neither of them was normal. If they said they were going to synthesize a new element, then she had no choice but to believe them.


    "That''s something I have to see."


    "Well, in that case, take this." Tony grabbed one of the tools he had been using and tossed it to her. She easily caught it and raised an eyebrow in confusion at Tony, who simply shrugged in response.


    "Someone''s gotta tighten the screws."


    With an extra hand joining in, the construction process sped up a bit more, and before they knew it, the particle accelerator had been successfully completed.


    "Alright, is everyone in position? It''s time to start." Tony rubbed his hands together with enthusiasm. Natasha adjusted her protective goggles, and Daniel simply crossed his arms, watching expectantly.


    "Initiating particle accelerator," came Jarvis''s voice. A humming sound began to fill the room as the massive "machinery" started up.


    Soon, the energy peak was reached, and a beam of bright blue particles shot at full speed toward the center of the room, where the base for what would be the new core had been previously prepared. It hit with full force, causing an even more intense glow to fill the space.


    Tony maintained this state for a few more moments before quickly shutting down the accelerator, causing the particle beam to disappear and the workshop to fall back into silence almost immediately, with only the faint residual hum of the systems in standby mode filling the air.


    Tony removed his protective goggles and walked to the center of the room, gazing excitedly at the newly created triangular core, pulsing with waves of glowing blue light.


    "Well, that was easier than I expected," not that it was a bad thing¡ªTony preferred not having an explosion happen in his newly purchased building.


    "I think it''s time." Before he realized it, Daniel had joined him, pulling him from his thoughts and placing the Arc reactor, which they had modified in advance to test the new core, in front of him. Tony licked his lips before nodding and grabbing a pair of metal tongs with which he carefully lifted the glowing triangle from its base.


    Then, with steady hands, Tony leaned down and carefully fitted the core into the reactor. The fit was precise, but still not completely secure. It needed one final push. Tony took a deep breath and, with a slight motion, the core snapped fully into place.


    The reactor responded immediately. A soft hum became audible, and the light waves began to intensify, flowing in a controlled manner through the metal veins of the device. Tony took a step back, releasing the breath he hadn''t realized he''d been holding in his lungs.


    "Jarvis, give me a diagnostic," Tony ordered, and the AI complied.


    "It seems the new core has been successfully integrated, replacing the palladium core without any apparent issues. Energy levels have stabilized, and an 88% increase in performance is projected compared to the previous reactor."


    "88%... that''s a significant improvement." Tony couldn''t help but whistle, and Daniel had to nod in agreement with his words.


    "I suppose congratulations are in order," Natasha approached them, eyeing the new reactor with interest for a moment before asking another question.


    "Do you know what you''re going to call it?"


    "Huh?"


    "I mean the new element. Since you both created it, I assume you have a name in mind, right?" Neither of them responded to that. Well, Daniel tried to recall, but it seemed that even in that other universe from his memories, Tony hadn''t given it a name¡ªat least not one he could remember.


    And since he had technically stolen the original design from Howard, he didn''t feel right suggesting anything, so he decided to leave it up to Tony.


    "You can name it if you want; I don''t mind." Hearing that, Tony looked at him with some surprise before shrugging.


    "Well... I might have an idea."


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    Note:


    Well, I think this has been one of the toughest chapters to write so far. Initially, I thought about skipping all this and simply starting with the new Arc reactor already created. I won''t lie; it would have made things much easier, but I also would''ve missed out on a lot of development for Daniel and Tony''s relationship, as well as several other things I thought were important to include.


    I know the pseudo-scientific talk is tough, whether it''s writing or reading it. God knows I won''t remember half of what I read to write this in a vague attempt to make it make sense. Did I succeed? No idea, but at least I hope it seems like I did.


    With that said, I hope you liked it. Feel free to comment on what you thought, leave your advice or constructive criticism. I really appreciate the feedback.


    Finally remember that You can already find the next chapter (and several more chapters) of this story on P)atreon ( p)atreon com/EmmaCruzader) All the support received is appreciated ;D

 47: Moral Differences

    47: Moral Differences


    Badassium


    was the name Tony ultimately chose after giving it some thought. Where he had gotten it from or how it occurred to him? Daniel had no idea, but since he had already decided to leave it in his hands, he didn¡¯t bother questioning it.


    "For all our hard work and effort!" Tony exclaimed, smiling, handing a glass of sparkling wine to him and Natasha. The new badassium reactor now glowing in his chest seemed to have made him more energetic than usual, or maybe he was simply happy.


    After the new element was successfully synthesized and Tony received his new reactor, the three returned to the upper floor, dragged by the lively billionaire without being able to resist. Caught up in his good mood, they raised their glasses and toasted along with him.


    For Tony, this was the first time he¡¯d had such a modest celebration. Normally, he would have done something extravagant and loud, with plenty of people to enliven the atmosphere, but now he felt that something small and intimate like this wasn¡¯t bad either.


    Natasha, on her part, was simply friendly. As a professional spy and an excellent field agent, she knew how to read the room and blend in with ease. She and Tony may not have had a genuinely close relationship, but it wasn¡¯t difficult for her to feel happy for him.


    After all, S.H.I.E.L.D. had already anticipated Tony would face problems due to the palladium and had begun making some preparations to help him if necessary. For her, it wasn¡¯t hard to connect the dots and understand that everything that happened today was so Tony could solve that issue and escape death¡¯s grasp.


    The Director would surely be surprised to know this. She wasn¡¯t exactly sure what Fury¡¯s plans to help Tony had been before, but now it seemed they wouldn¡¯t really be necessary.


    "Though I¡¯d hate to interrupt the moment, it seems it¡¯s time for me to go," Daniel said after finishing his drink, drawing both their attention.


    ¡°So soon?¡± Tony frowned but said nothing more; after all, he understood that Daniel must have his own matters to attend to, and he¡¯d already taken enough of his time for the day. Insisting that he stay longer seemed inappropriate.


    ¡°I should be going too,¡± Natasha also began to say her goodbyes. From the start, she had only come to check on the condition of both of them; she hadn¡¯t expected to be dragged along and turned into his assistant halfway through. But now that everything was over, she needed to return to her duties as a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent.


    "But before that, I have a message from the Director for both of you. He¡¯d like to meet with you soon to discuss some important matters."


    Daniel didn¡¯t have to think too hard to guess what matters Fury wanted to discuss. In fact, these were things they needed to talk about sooner or later.


    The three of them arranged a time and place to meet before Daniel and Natasha took their leave, leaving Tony alone in his new building to go about his business.


    After all, the place still needed a lot of work before it could become what Tony was looking for as his new operations center.


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    Above the skies.


    Daniel looked down at the city of New York beneath his feet with unknown thoughts, paying special attention to the areas most affected by the flooding. He considered going there to see if he could help clean up a bit as compensation for not doing his usual patrol today, but before he could, his ears caught some interesting sounds in a specific direction, making him abandon the idea for now.


    "Is that...?" Without hesitating for a second, his body accelerated forward, creating a sonic boom in the air, his blurred figure moving toward Hell''s Kitchen


    .


    A few moments earlier.


    Matt moved nimbly, twisting his body to dodge a massive scaly hand with long, sharp claws that nearly grazed his masked face.


    "Stop running!" The guttural voice, loaded with irritation, echoed in the dark alley, followed closely by the whistling of air being sliced through. A long tail covered in green scales whipped in his direction at high speed, aiming to strike him.


    Easily and with grace, Matt dodged the blow, guided by his superior senses, he danced around his opponent, mocking his attempts at attack and waiting for the correct opening to deliver a good hit, since the casual attacks he had been making up until now had proven to be quite ineffective because his enemy was especially resistant, his scaly skin gave him great protection that had been quite annoying to deal with.


    "Grraugh!" With clear fury shining through his sinister yellow eyes, the strange reptilian mutant unleashed a fierce blow, from which Matt quickly stepped aside, letting it strike uselessly against the ground, cracking the concrete as it passed.


    And taking advantage of this opening, he counterattacked with a forceful blow, using all his strength, which made his enemy''s head snap sharply to the side with a crack. Then, he executed a quick sweep that caused the huge figure to fall heavily onto its back against the ground.


    ¡°Shit!, he took down Croc!¡± A shout of shock echoed as dozens of figures armed with high- and low-caliber weapons entered the alley.


    "Don''t just stand there, idiots! Shoot him, damn it!" shouted the one who seemed to be the leader of the group, snapping everyone out of their shock and making them raise their weapons, starting a hail of bullets the very next moment.


    ¡®Shit!¡¯ Seeing this, Matt was about to leap away to dodge but hesitated for a moment. Although he didn¡¯t know exactly what he was fighting, it was clear it was humanoid and thought like a human. Even if its skin was tough, he didn¡¯t know if it could withstand bullets, so if he moved away, he might be leaving it to be killed.


    Matt didn''t want that, so decisively he positioned himself in front of his fallen enemy¡¯s body and crossed his arms in front of him, letting the hail of bullets hit him directly. Fortunately, his suit was able to withstand it without any problem, just like all the other times he had been forced to take a direct shot since he got it.


    But his good deed didn¡¯t earn him any reward. Instead, a massive hand grabbed him roughly by the ankle and easily lifted him into the air, where he was spun at high speed before being hurled forcefully toward a nearby dumpster.


    The metal crumpled on impact.


    "I told you not to interfere!" the so-called Croc shouted at the men, causing them to shudder and halt their indiscriminate attack.


    ¡®It seems even bullets can¡¯t fully penetrate his skin,¡¯ Matt quickly recovered and noticed that the shots that had hit Croc before the hail of bullets stopped hadn¡¯t deeply pierced his scaly skin. In fact, the bullets soon began to be expelled from his body, and the minor wounds they caused started to close and heal.


    ¡®And he can heal fast too. Just great, this time they really went all out to bring someone problematic.¡¯


    Since he set out to attack the core of crime in Hell''s Kitchen, things had started to escalate for him slowly but steadily. The incident that affected the entire East Coast a few days ago didn''t help make the situation any better either. Matt had been making an extra effort to help people and attack criminals to prevent them from doing more harm to the city and hindering its recovery.A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    This had clearly irritated those important people he had been going after, and since his "immunity" to bullets became known over time, it seemed they had finally decided to bring more than just guns and thugs to deal with him.


    But even though the difficulty had increased a bit, he wasn¡¯t worried. So far, he hadn¡¯t been seriously hurt and still had plenty of energy. His enemy was dangerous due to his strange anatomy, but his fighting style was predictable and even clumsy in some aspects, so Matt just needed to stay alert, and he could end this one way or another.


    Then he was going to find out where this scaly guy came from and maybe, with luck, get a clue about who had brought him here.


    Seeing Matt stand up without appearing affected by his attack, Killer Croc grinned, revealing his sharp, yellowed teeth.


    "So the rumors were true... you''re a tough little devil, huh? But is it just the outer layer, or are you the same on the inside? Bah, doesn''t matter. I''m going to enjoy chewing you down to the bones to find out!" His words were sinister, and Matt¡¯s expression under his mask hardened. He knew it wasn¡¯t an empty threat because he could smell the scent of blood and human flesh mixed with his foul breath.


    But if his enemy thought this would make him hesitate or feel fear, he was wrong. No, instead, it only made Matt¡¯s anger rise. Without bothering to respond to the provocation, he began to run toward him, ready to unleash all the hellish fury burning inside him.


    Seeing him charge, Croc slammed his tail against the ground and roared with excitement, then also began running toward Matt, causing the ground beneath his feet to tremble with every step.


    Soon, the two met head-on. Killer Croc opened his jaws wide, aiming to bite Matt¡¯s head, but that attack was met with a powerful knee strike to his jaw, making his teeth grind and his head jerk back with force.


    Without wasting a second, Matt lunged, mounting him and starting to unleash a flurry of quick and precise punches directly to his face, each one more forceful than the last. One after another, the impacts fell mercilessly until, with a brutal final elbow strike, he crunched Croc''s nose, causing a spray of blood to spurt into the air.


    With a sharp thud, Killer Croc collapsed back onto the ground, and Matt calmly stood over his body. His figure, wrapped in the dark suit and blending with the shadows of the night, made the remaining thugs swallow hard. One by one, they retreated with trembling steps, their faces showing clear panic.


    "I-I''m out of here!" one of them couldn¡¯t take it anymore and, without hesitation, turned around, ready to start running. But before he could do so, a strong gust of wind blew, and in a blur too fast to be seen by normal eyes, the dozen men were knocked out in an instant, their bodies piled on top of each other, their broken weapons scattered across the ground.


    ¡°I knew floods usually bring strange things with them, but this really exceeded my expectations,¡± Daniel spoke with amusement, approaching the fallen Killer Croc with a curious look.


    Not looking surprised by his arrival, Matt stepped down from Croc''s fallen body and faced the caped hero head-on.


    ¡°Defiant,¡± his greeting was a bit cold, causing Daniel to raise an eyebrow, but he quickly understood the reason for his attitude.


    It had been some time since they had seen each other in person, and he knew they had matters to resolve. Daniel wasn¡¯t foolish and understood that his actions since the skirmish with the Ten Rings in Afghanistan would cause some friction in his relationship with the vigilante.


    After all, the fine line between killing and not killing and the moral questioning it entailed wasn¡¯t something easy to overcome for most people. Earning the disapproval of some for this was something he had already accepted since choosing his way of doing things. At the same time, he had no intentions of reproaching people who were against his methods, as, in his opinion, everyone was free to have their own morals and boundaries, and he never intended to impose his will on others.


    Still, he couldn¡¯t deny that it would be truly disappointing if this ended up causing him and Matt to drift apart completely. He hoped it wouldn¡¯t, as he liked the man even if their ideologies about justice and how to carry it out differed. Perhaps they needed to talk to clarify their stances and prevent things from getting complicated.


    But he didn¡¯t think this was the time. He had only come for a quick look, not to have a deep conversation about what was right and wrong. He had already spent enough mental energy that day dealing with Tony¡¯s problem and preferred not to spend more if possible; after all, he still had other matters to attend to.


    ¡°Seems like you''ve encountered some interesting problems. Fortunately, I know the right people to handle our scaly friend here,¡± Daniel said, pointing at Croc, who was starting to writhe as if he were about to wake up.


    ¡°The right people?¡± at his doubt, Daniel explained further.


    "You know, a regular prison isn¡¯t going to hold this guy. He needs something more specialized, and I know certain people who have been looking to contain him for a while,¡± Daniel, of course, recognized Killer Croc at a glance as one of the threats SHIELD had its eye on and that Fury had talked about in their first meeting.


    ¡°I see, that''s good to hear. But first, let me interrogate him. There''s something I need to know," Matt had been wondering what he would do with Croc after extracting the information he needed. Now that Daniel told him there was a place to lock him up, he was more than relieved.


    At his request, Daniel nodded and, pulling a V-element rope from his tool belt, tied the reptilian¡¯s hands, feet, and tail to prevent him from attempting to escape or doing anything unexpected.


    Then he gave him a light slap to wake him up fully.


    The humanoid reptile shook himself, and soon his yellow eyes refocused, noticing Matt. A low growl of defiance began to escape his throat, but that defiance stopped and was replaced by fear when he noticed the other figure standing in front of him.


    ¡°Oh¡­ fuck.¡±


    "Alright, let¡¯s keep things simple, buddy. Just tell the man what he wants to know, and I won¡¯t throw you into the sun. How does that sound?¡± Daniel asked with a big, radiant smile, to which Croc gulped and quickly nodded, knowing that any fight or attempt to flee was utterly futile.


    One had to know when to pick their battles, and trying to fight Defiant was not something he was willing to attempt.


    "Who hired you?" Matt got straight to the point, wasting no time, which made Croc refocus on him, regaining a bit of his courage.


    "For someone with so many enemies, you¡¯re really ignorant about a lot, aren¡¯t you?" the half-crocodile man chuckled, making Matt growl and clench his fists audibly.


    Seeing this, Croc scoffed. The mere threat of physical torture wasn¡¯t enough to scare him, but knowing Defiant was there, he reluctantly decided to cooperate with the masked vigilante, just this once.


    ¡°I don¡¯t actually know his name, but I know he¡¯s someone pretty important. He paid a lot for your head and gave me a lot of freedom to roam this city as I pleased. If you want to get to him, you should start with the Russian mafia and the Chinese; they¡¯re the ones he deals with the most and should know him better.¡±


    Others might hesitate to give clues about the one ruling from the shadows of New York¡¯s underworld, but Croc wasn¡¯t one of them, so he spoke without holding back.


    Thanks to his superior hearing, Matt could hear Croc''s heartbeat and knew he wasn''t lying. It wasn¡¯t as much information as he''d hoped for, but it was a start. He asked a few more questions to ensure he didn''t miss anything useful, but nothing else of value came up, so the interrogation ended quickly.


    Daniel knocked Croc out again and prepared to take him to S.H.I.E.L.D. before returning to the fortress. Though he felt a bit curious about this whole situation with New York''s criminal gangs, he decided to leave it in Matt''s hands. After all, he¡¯d given him the suit for a reason, and he trusted that Matt could handle this on his own.


    "I think we need to talk," Matt spoke before Daniel could leave, a hint of uncertainty in his voice.


    Daniel turned to him seriously and then nodded.


    "I have some things to take care of, but I¡¯ll make time for a proper conversation at some point."


    "I understand, in that case, I¡¯ll be waiting." Matt didn¡¯t say anything more and began to leave, ready to continue his patrol and see if he could gather more information now that he had a few leads.


    Watching him go, Daniel couldn''t help but sigh internally. Trying to be a good person and avoid making enemies was really complicated, wasn¡¯t it? But this was the path he had chosen, and if it were easy, it wouldn¡¯t be nearly as satisfying to walk, right?


    ¡®Maybe there¡¯s a bit of a masochist in me after all.¡¯


    Still, he wasn¡¯t going to force things. While it would be beneficial to have many trustworthy people by his side for the sake of his third advantage, [Feeling of Tomorrow], he knew that relationships weren¡¯t so simple to maintain. He could have goodwill toward others, but if the feeling wasn¡¯t mutual, it would just be a waste of time he wasn¡¯t interested in engaging in.


    In the end, even he had limits to what he was willing to tolerate.


    ¡®Let¡¯s put this aside for now. I should take Killer Croc to S.H.I.E.L.D. quickly so I can return and check on how things are going with Harleen.¡¯ Thinking of this made him frown with concern. She had already recovered from her injuries thanks to the Kryptonian immersion chamber, but the changes caused by the chemical soup in her body seemed reluctant to disappear and instead began to sink deeper within her.


    He didn¡¯t know if this was good or bad, nor what effects it could have, which was why he decided to keep her unconscious in the immersion chamber for now, at least until he could get more concrete analyses of her strange situation.


    It would be best if she could recover and return to normal completely, but the chances of that happening didn¡¯t look promising.


    ¡°I just hope this ends up being something good for her and not something bad.¡± Since this universe operated by ¡°comic-book fantasy¡± laws, he wouldn¡¯t be surprised if she ended up gaining some benefits from this incident. But just as good things could come, so could bad ones.


    ¡®Well, whatever happens, I¡¯ll take charge and solve it; that¡¯s what I¡¯m here for, after all.¡¯ With that determination in his eyes, he rose into the air and began to fly toward one of S.H.I.E.L.D.¡¯s headquarters.


    .


    .


    .


    Note:


    And that¡¯s the end of the chapter! I hope it doesn¡¯t feel too short.


    I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and don¡¯t forget to comment if you notice any mistakes so I can correct them as quickly as possible.


    Finally remember that You can already find the next chapter of this story on P)atreon ( p)atreon com/EmmaCruzader ) All the support received is appreciated ;D

 48: Consequences

    48: Consequences


    November 6, 2007


    "Well, we''ve finished reviewing the structure. Fortunately for you, the foundations remain intact and with no issues, so there''s no need to rebuild everything." Upon hearing the final verdict from the inspector who had been brought in to assess the damage to his home, Ben Parker couldn''t help but let out a long sigh of relief.


    Peter, who was watching the house from several meters away, eavesdropping on the conversation with his newly acquired enhanced hearing ability, also let out his own sigh of relief.


    Only he knew how many sacrifices his aunt and uncle had made over the years to keep paying for the house they lived in. Knowing they wouldn''t have to demolish and rebuild it from scratch was a huge relief because he didn''t believe they could have done so in the first place. Peter didn''t know the exact details about the insurance his aunt and uncle had, but he knew enough to understand it would be much easier to get coverage for repairs than for a total reconstruction.


    Though that, too, might be in doubt considering how many people were currently fighting with their insurance companies over all the damages caused by the "East Coast Attack" that had happened a few days ago.


    "Ben Parker?" Peter was pulled from his thoughts when a new, unfamiliar voice reached his ears. He turned and saw a man dressed in a suit approach his uncle, giving him a firm handshake once he confirmed it was him.


    "Allow me to introduce myself. I''m Mark Taylor, here as a representative of Stark Industries."


    Huh? A representative of Stark Industries? Now Peter''s attention was entirely on the man.


    "Stark?" Seeing the confusion on Ben''s face, the man began to explain.


    "You may not know this yet, but Stark Industries will soon establish its new headquarters in New York, more precisely in Manhattan. For this reason, our president has begun a massive and entirely altruistic fund to repair all the damages caused to the city during the East Coast Attack that occurred a few days ago. Of course, this isn''t something that can be done overnight, and so it has been decided to give priority to families who have had issues with their insurance companies and cannot afford repairs on their own in the immediate future."


    Ben couldn''t help but frown a little at the last part, not because it was wrong but because it was true. He didn''t have enough money to repair the damage to his home, and his insurance company had only been stalling these past few days.


    Only¡­ How did this person know? Until now, he''d only discussed these matters privately with his wife.


    Seeing the suspicion in his eyes, the man named Mark reassured him.


    "I know you have some doubts, but I promise there''s nothing to worry about. Stark Industries is doing everything possible to help those affected; investigating thoroughly to identify the people who need priority assistance at this time is just a small part of that."


    Ben wasn''t entirely satisfied with this explanation, but¡­ looking at the large hole through his house, which had forced him, his wife, and his nephew to sleep in a cheap motel for the past few days, he couldn''t help but consider it.


    "And you''re saying this is being done for other people as well?" he asked tentatively, to which the man responded with a smile.


    "Yes, in fact, I''ve already spoken to some of your neighbors. If you''d like, we can discuss all the details at the meeting that will be held this afternoon at¡ª"


    Peter wanted to keep listening, but his attention was diverted when he sensed a familiar presence approaching him, a strange feeling he could only attribute to the odd changes he''d been experiencing since the field trip to Oscorp.


    "Peter!" When he turned, he saw his good friend Ned approaching with a big smile on his face.


    "Ned!" He ran to him, giving him a big hug that made him let out a small yelp. Peter quickly remembered he needed to be careful and eased up on his grip before stepping back.


    "Wow, you really missed me," Ned said, catching his breath that had been squeezed out by Peter''s hug. Had he been working out or something? He also felt like Peter was a bit taller than he remembered.


    "Sorry, I was just a little excited," Peter apologized, a bit embarrassed.


    "Don''t worry, it''s good to see you''re okay. When you told me what happened over the phone, I nearly fainted. Looking at it now, it seems even scarier," Ned couldn''t help but say with a hint of fear as he looked at the hole in Peter''s house. He was glad that his friend and his aunt and uncle had managed to get out in time and that nothing bad had happened to them.


    On his side, although his family had been frightened during the whole incident a few days ago, their home hadn''t suffered any major damage, so he could say they''d been a lot luckier than most other people.


    "Well, it was pretty scary, but everything''s fine now. The foundations are still firm, so we''ll only have to repair the damage and not rebuild everything." Then Peter also began telling him about the arrival of the Stark Industries representative and how it was likely they wouldn''t have to spend money on the repairs.


    "That''s amazing! Tony Stark is coming to New York! Do you think we''ll get to see him flying around in his armor?! Oh God, I want to take a picture with him!" Ned started getting overly excited, something Peter understood well since they were both science fans¡ªand even more so of a billionaire scientist superhero.


    It had to be said that, even though Tony didn''t do patrols like Defiant did, he was still quite popular among the general public. Maybe it was just his natural charm or perhaps something else, but his name always made it into the news one way or another.


    Of course, most of his fans were concentrated in the United States and nearby areas, whereas Daniel, who wandered all over the world, had stronger and more evident international support.


    The two boys chatted a bit longer, quickly catching up on what they''d been up to, until Peter asked a question that changed the cheerful mood.


    "By the way, have you heard anything about Jessica? I tried calling her, but she didn''t answer." At this, Ned frowned and shook his head.


    "After the Oscorp trip ended, I didn''t hear from her again. I also tried to reach out after the attack, like I did with you, but unlike you, she didn''t pick up. Maybe we should go to her house and check on her?" At his suggestion, Peter quickly nodded. He''d wanted to go earlier, but with everything going on, he didn''t want to leave his aunt and uncle alone. Now that things seemed to be improving, it seemed like a good time for him to check on how she was doing.


    "I''ll go let my uncle know," he said and quickly entered the house, where he found his uncle inspecting the damage in the dining room. It seemed the Stark Industries representative had already left.


    "Uncle Ben, I''m going to¡ª" Peter didn''t finish his sentence when he saw his uncle frowning and looking up with a puzzled expression. Following his gaze, he spotted a football-sized hole in the ceiling, and it took Peter a second to realize it was right below his bedroom.


    "What do you think could have made it? I don''t see any debris around here in that shape." At his uncle''s question, Peter didn''t respond; instead, he quickly went up the still-intact stairs, skipping a few steps.


    "Hey! Be careful!" Ignoring his uncle''s words, Peter reached his bedroom door and pushed it open abruptly.


    He bypassed the mess around him and focused on one corner¡ªthe corner where he kept his mini-fridge, where he stored chemical samples for his experiments, where he had kept the corpse of a strange mutant spider he''d killed¡­


    The device was still there, the door still tightly shut, but the familiar hum it usually made when powered on was gone, as if it had either turned off or stopped working. Absentmindedly, Peter flicked the light switch, causing the bulb in his room to turn on.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    It seemed that the electrical system in the house was still working, so why wasn''t his mini-fridge running? The answer was already circling in his mind, but he didn''t want to accept it yet.


    With a bit of nervousness, he approached and slowly opened its door.


    Only to find a football-sized hole inside, going all the way down to the first floor of the house.


    Well, damn¡­


    .


    .


    .


    That same day, somewhere else.


    Commissioner James Gordon exhaled the smoke from his lungs, letting it form a thick white cloud in front of him, his tired eyes filled with deep thoughts that were interrupted when the door beside him opened, allowing two figures to step out, one of them seated in a wheelchair.


    "Is it confirmed?" Gordon asked, unable to hide the hope deep in his voice.


    The middle-aged man in the wheelchair remained silent for a moment before nodding.


    "It''s her. All the tests indicate it; there''s no doubt, even if her face is gone¡­ she''s dead." There was no sorrow or regret in his words; they were spoken so coldly that many wouldn''t believe he was speaking of someone who had once been his wife.


    And hearing it, James Gordon almost couldn''t help but smile¡ªalmost.


    "Well, well, it seems that even with all this disaster, something good happened in the end."


    Thomas Wayne snorted at the commissioner''s words, his one remaining eye narrowing with a cold gleam.


    "Don''t declare victory so soon. This could be a well-prepared deception; it wouldn''t be the first time, and you know it." The smile on Gordon''s face faded as quickly as it had appeared, and a sense of fear and doubt began to creep into him.


    "D-Do you really think she could have faked her death again?"


    "No. This time, there''s a body and enough evidence to say without a doubt that she''s dead¡ªbut that''s exactly what makes me doubt it." It all felt too simple, too¡­ ordinary, yet everything indicated that it was true.


    Thomas wanted to believe this time it was final, but his natural pessimism and paranoia kept him from accepting it fully.


    "This is bad¡­ if she really is alive and free, things could get very ugly. The recent incident on the East Coast has already caused crime in the city to spike in ways I haven''t seen in years. We don''t need someone like the Joker returning to the streets to make it worse¡­" The stress lines on Gordon''s face deepened suddenly, and Thomas understood why: in his current state, the commissioner must have realized there''d be no one around to stop the lunatic clown if she came back.


    "Don''t get so nervous. Or are you forgetting we now have a kid in tights flying around the skies?" His comment earned an audible scoff from the commissioner.


    "I don''t like relying on strangers for these things, and you know it." It wasn''t that Gordon had anything against Defiant, but he wasn''t particularly fond of him, either. Besides, it was clear to anyone paying attention that the hero tended to focus more on the global stage than the local, which could make it tricky to get his help in something urgent and unexpected.


    Gordon, like many other law enforcement officers, had noticed the new pattern criminals had adopted since Defiant''s appearance¡ªusing the time he was somewhere else in the world to keep committing their crimes until he was back nearby, at which point they''d scurry to hide like the vermin they were.


    Of course, it wasn''t as if this worked all the time. After all, tracking Defiant was no easy feat, and before you knew it, he could be right behind you, ready to ruin your day and whatever evil scheme you were running.


    It was precisely this unpredictability that made Gordon doubt he could count on Defiant''s help¡ªat least not in the same close capacity he''d had with Thomas back in the day.


    Sure, if the city started to crumble for some reason, Gordon had no doubt the hero would arrive in record time to help. But this wasn''t about helping after everything had already gone to hell; it was about doing everything possible to keep things from going to hell in the first place. And that job required a more¡­ specific focus, so to speak.


    "Whether this is a trick or reality, don''t worry too much. We may both no longer be able to operate at the same level as before, but¡­ just as the old wither away, the new generations start to mature, ready to take over."


    Thomas spoke with wisdom and great calm, causing Gordon to raise an eyebrow, intrigued, as the image of his daughter¡ªwho had just joined Gotham''s police force¡ªflashed through his mind.


    Could he really entrust such responsibilities to her when the time came?


    "In any case, it''s better that I leave now, I have... a funeral to prepare. It was good to see you again, Gordon," Thomas finally said his farewell, with no intention of saying more or continuing the conversation. Gordon snapped out of his thoughts and nodded at him, then turned to the second figure, who had been silent until now, and also bid her farewell.


    "I''m sorry I didn''t talk much with you, Miss Selina." The woman gave him a small polite smile, not seeming concerned about having been ignored until now.


    "Don''t worry, Commissioner, maybe we can have a longer chat some other time." After saying that, she nodded in farewell and began to push the wheelchair, taking Thomas with her.


    Watching their figures retreat, Gordon couldn''t help but think that his old friend had been quite lucky to adopt such a devoted daughter. Surely Wayne Enterprises would be in good hands when the time came.


    ''I wish my Barbara were that kind,'' thinking of his daughter and her more recent attitude made his heart ache a little. Sure, he was her boss now, but she could at least call him dad when they were alone, right? Instead, she almost always addressed him as Commissioner Gordon.


    ''I miss when she used to run into my arms every time I came home from work.'' Thinking of those days, both happy and complicated, brought a warm smile to his face, a smile that was soon replaced by a serious and somber expression.


    ''Maybe you''re right that the younger generation could take over in the future, but this old body still has a lot left to give, Thomas, and as long as I''m here, I won''t let that darkness reach my daughter.'' After all, he was her father, and no matter how strong, independent, or capable Barbara became, it was his job to protect her until his heart stopped beating.


    With that resolve inside him, he began to leave as well, ready to continue his work as Commissioner of Gotham City. . . .


    .


    .


    .


    Later, elsewhere in New York.


    "-That''s why, despite this recent crisis, I believe canceling the Scientific Innovation Expo is a big mistake."


    There were some low murmurs, and the boardroom remained in a tense state until Franklin Storm stood up, causing everyone to fall silent.


    "What Susan says is right. Many young people with brilliant futures are counting on us, and we can''t abandon them or back down now when they need us the most."


    With father and daughter working together, the meeting soon leaned in their favor, and almost unanimously, all the board members of the Baxter Foundation decided to support their decision.


    After all, even someone like Tony Stark had begun providing large-scale humanitarian aid. If they backed down now, it could deal a serious blow to the foundation''s reputation, and that was something they weren''t willing to allow.


    Soon the meeting ended, and people began leaving the room one by one, until only Franklin Storm and his daughter remained.


    "That was a good speech," her father said, and Susan smiled, showing her bright white teeth.


    "I''m glad. I spent all night preparing it." When Susan heard that the board of the foundation had begun considering canceling this year''s Scientific Innovation Expo due to the attack on the East Coast, she knew she had to do something to prevent it.


    Fortunately, it had been easier than she expected, or she wouldn''t have known what else she could have done to convince them. Of course, it helped that her father was on her side in this.


    "Well, it''s finally over. I thought I was going to have to wait all damn day. So? What''s the verdict?"


    The pleasant atmosphere was interrupted by a third voice. Susan frowned and turned to see her annoying younger brother enter the boardroom as if he owned the place. His appearance was quite out of sync with the formal attire she and their father were wearing, with the only indication that he was part of the foundation again being the white lab coat carelessly draped over his body.


    "Johnny, I thought you were busy working on that secret project you keep bragging about." Hearing her, Johnny couldn''t help but scratch the back of his neck, feeling a bit uncomfortable, and quickly tried to change the subject.


    "Uh, yeah, well, don''t you know that taking breaks every now and then is essential for getting great results? But let''s not talk about me. You still haven''t answered me. How did the meeting go? Did those old wrinkled guys cause any problems?"


    "Those ''old wrinkled guys,'' as you call them, are the respectable scientists who help our father run the entire foundation. Maybe you should show them some respect." At his sister''s reprimand, Johnny clicked his tongue in clear irritation.


    Foreseeing a conflict between his children, Franklin Storm stepped forward and quickly interrupted the conversation.


    "If you want to know, everything went well. The Expo will proceed as scheduled."


    Watching her brother and father begin to chat, Susan sighed inwardly, a small smile tugging at the corner of her lips. This development... though it didn''t seem like it, the truth was that she didn''t dislike it. Sure, she and Johnny still had a rather tense relationship that they needed to fix at some point, but in the end, he was her brother, and she loved him¡ªeven if he was an idiot.


    She just hoped that this time, he would really take advantage of the opportunity and not mess it up, because she didn''t know if she could forgive him again if he did.


    "Hey, Sue, you coming or what?" The blonde was pulled from her thoughts when Johnny called out to her. Before she realized it, her father was already outside the boardroom, and her brother was just a step away from leaving too. She quickly finished gathering her things and hurried to catch up with them.


    Walking alongside them as they chatted casually, the girl couldn''t help but smile more warmly this time. The world might be going crazy these days, but at least her family was back together again.


    She hoped it would stay that way for much longer.


    .


    .


    .


    Note:


    And a new chapter! This time to pick up some of the plot threads that were left open a while ago, as well as to show a little how the fight with Graviton and its consequences are affecting the world. Of course, there''s still a lot to cover, as trying to fit everything into a single chapter is tricky, but I think it works well as a first look.


    Could this be considered an interlude since Daniel doesn''t appear? Well, either way, let me know what you think, and if you notice any errors, please point them out so I can correct them.


    Finally remember that You can already find the next chapter of this story on P)atreon ( p)atreon com/EmmaCruzader) All the support received is appreciated ;D

 49: Exile

    49: Exile


    Antarctica was a strange place. Not for the first time, Daniel found himself admiring the peculiar frozen landscape, lost in deep thought.


    In his previous life, he had heard countless conspiracy theories about the site. He had even come close to believing some of the more convincing ones. You couldn¡¯t blame him¡ªthere were days when he was simply bored, and reading about secret government experiments seemed far more entertaining than playing online games until he fell asleep.


    That being said, he would be lying if he claimed he wasn¡¯t curious about verifying some of those wild conspiracy theories now that he had the means to do so.


    ''Come to think of it, am I not now part of one of those crazy theories?'' He recalled some videos and posts talking about UFOs buried in the ice and possible ancient alien civilizations hidden there. While it wasn¡¯t exactly the same, he figured the Kryptonian fortress could tick several of those boxes.


    ''Who would¡¯ve thought? In the end, the conspiracy theorists were right.'' He couldn¡¯t help but find this amusing but eventually decided to dismiss such idle thoughts from his mind.


    Although exploring the frozen continent would be interesting, it wasn¡¯t a task that sounded very appealing once you remembered the place spanned a hefty 14 million square kilometers to search through.


    ''Maybe later...'' Or he could simply ask Lara to use the fortress¡¯s scanners to try mapping the site. Who knows? If they were lucky, there might actually be something worth finding.


    With that idea filed away in the back of his mind along with a few other less relevant thoughts, Daniel landed softly in front of the fortress, causing a breeze to stir the snow that had begun accumulating around the area.


    The alien structure seemed to sense his arrival, for without him needing to do anything, the crystalline material began to shift and reshape itself, opening an entrance for him.


    With light steps, Daniel entered the place as if it were his second home. Truthfully, it wasn¡¯t hard to feel at ease in the fortress. Perhaps it wasn¡¯t his in the strictest sense of the word, but with Carol holding ultimate authority over the place, he could very well call it his own.


    Though he wouldn¡¯t say that out loud, especially not near her.


    ''I need to stop abusing this place.'' Not for the first time, that thought crossed his mind, and as with all those other times, he had to reluctantly push it aside.


    Even if he didn¡¯t want to, for the moment, he was forced to rely on the fortress and its facilities for various things.


    ''Come to think of it, now that Stark Industries¡¯ shares are at their peak, I should sell the ones I bought back then. That should give me enough startup capital to kick off some of my long-term plans.'' One of those plans, of course, was to have his own secret base with high-level technology. Sure, one could argue he already had his workshop on his farm, but calling that his secret base was a bit embarrassing, considering he was the world¡¯s first superhero.


    As he considered his future plans, he soon reached his destination: the general recovery area, where the Kryptonian immersion capsules were neatly lined up. If this were a human base, this place would likely be considered the medical bay or something similar.


    Reaching the only immersion capsule in use was as simple as taking a few steps into the room. With a single command, a projected screen appeared before him, displaying dozens of medical diagnostics.


    ''I guess it finally happened.'' Daniel couldn¡¯t avoid grimacing as he read the latest analyses. Although he had foreseen this development thanks to all the genetic knowledge he had gained in his research, seeing his fears beginning to materialize wasn¡¯t something he liked, no matter how beneficial the data he was obtaining might be.


    ¡°Have you finally decided to wake her up, or will you keep letting her play Sleeping Beauty?¡± Lara¡¯s voice did little to distract him from his concern, but it was an interruption he was internally grateful for.


    ¡°I see you¡¯ve started making pop culture references. Should I be worried?¡± At his comment, Lara snorted mockingly. It was such a natural and human-like expression that Daniel might have mistaken her for a real person if not for the absence of a heartbeat from her projected body.


    ¡°You should¡¯ve started worrying the moment I gained access to the internet. You¡¯re lucky I¡¯m not a newly created AI, or you might really have a Skynet on your hands.¡±


    Yeah, Daniel probably should¡¯ve thought that part through better when he did nothing to prevent her from accessing the global network without restrictions. In his defense, Lara wasn¡¯t like other AIs. In essence, she was already a ¡°mature¡± and complete ¡°being¡± thanks to the memories of the original Lara, so Daniel trusted that she was unlikely to be corrupted or manipulated.


    Although, considering his luck, it might be better not to tempt fate.


    Unaware of the kind of thoughts running through Daniel¡¯s mind, Lara approached the immersion chamber, gazing with interest at the sleeping girl inside.


    ¡°Humans are certainly more mysterious than Jor-El and my original self had anticipated. To think that potential like this lies latent and hidden deep within their DNA...¡±


    ¡°Does it make you regret choosing Earth as Carol¡¯s destination?¡± Daniel couldn¡¯t help but ask, to which Lara shook her head after a moment of reflection.


    ¡°No... Even if my original self had known this, she still would have chosen Earth.¡± Hidden dangers or not, the facts spoke for themselves¡ªCarol had grown up strong and healthy. For Lara, her choice was undoubtedly the right one, and there was no reason to regret or doubt it at this point.


    Hearing her response, Daniel simply smiled, wondering if she would say the same in the future when the real problems began hitting Earth continuously. No doubt, seeing her expression in that moment would be extremely interesting.


    ¡°Setting idle chatter aside, to answer your initial question, I¡¯d say I¡¯ll let her sleep a bit longer. The changes this might cause aren¡¯t something easily predictable, so I¡¯d rather let them fully manifest before dealing with them.¡±


    After all, even with all the research he had done, he still didn¡¯t know much about the X-Gene. Witnessing its awakening in such detail thanks to Kryptonian technology was undoubtedly an unexpected gain for Daniel, though he would have preferred it not to come at the cost of Harleen¡¯s physical and mental health.


    ''With this, I now know two methods to force the awakening of this mysterious latent gene in humans.''


    The first method he had discovered was from Greg, who awakened the X-Gene due to exposure to the alien radiation of kryptonite. The second, obviously, came from Harleen and the chemical soup still coursing through her system. Although, if you thought deeply about it, perhaps they weren¡¯t entirely ¡°different¡± methods after all.


    ''A response to severe trauma in the body? Or perhaps extreme stress on the mind?'' He didn¡¯t have enough data to be sure, but he felt he wasn¡¯t too far off from the truth.


    Perhaps the only good thing about this was that Harleen didn¡¯t have an M-Gene present to make everything worse.


    .


    A few minutes later, in another part of the fortress


    Daniel gazed at the neatly stacked pile of silvery ingots with bluish highlights on their surface. They didn¡¯t seem like anything out of this world¡ªjust another metal at first glance. Sure, the way they reflected light was a bit interesting, but aside from that, few people would give them a second look unless they had an exceptionally sharp eye.


    ''Appearances really are deceiving, huh?'' Daniel couldn¡¯t help but think as he stretched out his hand and grabbed one of the ingots. He toyed with the object, which barely fit in his palm, for a moment before beginning to apply force with his grip, veins starting to stand out on his arm from the effort.


    After almost a full minute of steady squeezing, he finally gave up and decided to stop, his eyes narrowing as he frowned at the ingot.


    ''Looks like even if I¡¯ve gotten stronger, I still have a lot of room for improvement.'' Despite his efforts, only faint marks could be seen on the metallic surface¡ªmarks created by pressure that would have destroyed any other metal on Earth.


    But not vibranium.


    ¡°A truly amazing metal, even for Kryptonian standards,¡± upon seeing his actions, Lara, who seemed to always be present anywhere in the fortress, commented honestly.


    ¡°You¡¯ve studied it for quite some time now. Is there really no way to synthesize more of it?¡±


    At his question, the woman rolled her eyes. ¡°I¡¯ve told you already, Kryptonian technology, advanced as it is, isn¡¯t omnipotent. Your idea of creating more of this metal artificially is undoubtedly intriguing, but if creating something as unique as this were that easy, then it wouldn¡¯t be so special, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    At that, Daniel could only sigh with slight disappointment. It seemed his idea of obtaining an unlimited supply of vibranium would have to be shelved for now.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    The thought had been on his mind since the fight with Obadiah, which was why he had Carol bring the remains of the man¡¯s suit to the fortress and let Lara study the metal in depth.


    Although it wasn¡¯t certain, he had held the faint hope that Kryptonian technology could give him the key to obtaining much more vibranium. Now it seemed he had been overthinking things.


    ¡°In that case, let¡¯s forget about this for now.¡± He wasn¡¯t exactly sure what he was going to do with the vibranium¡ªmaybe give it to Tony, or perhaps use it for something else. For now, he wasn¡¯t in a rush to decide.


    ''Would selling it to him be too blatant?''


    Now that was an interesting thought...


    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯d like to keep working with it. While what you¡¯re asking for isn¡¯t possible at the moment, I think I might be able to find other uses for it.¡±


    At Lara¡¯s unexpected request, Daniel rubbed his chin thoughtfully before shrugging and agreeing.


    "If you think it can be useful to you, then I don¡¯t mind." It wasn¡¯t as though it was all the vibranium on Earth, and while getting more would be complicated, it wasn¡¯t like he had any urgency that made him greedy with the metal. Letting Lara use it wasn¡¯t an issue for him.


    ¡®Looks like I won¡¯t be able to swindle some money out of Tony.¡¯ Truthfully, he probably wouldn¡¯t have sold it to him anyway. If there was one thing Daniel could boast about, it was his ability to be generous with the people he considered close.


    Of course, depending on whom you asked, this could just as easily be seen as a disadvantage.


    Seeing that he had so easily agreed to her request, Lara raised an eyebrow with slight surprise. After all, anyone else would have hesitated to give something as valuable as vibranium without getting something in return. The fact that Daniel simply shrugged and handed it over made her reconsider some of her opinions about the young man.


    "Although I¡¯m curious about what you plan to do with the vibranium, I¡¯ll postpone finding out until later. See you later, Lara," Daniel said, starting to walk toward the exit. He had no more matters to deal with in the fortress at the moment, so he decided he might as well return to his farm, work on a few things in his workshop until nightfall, and then get a good four or five hours of sleep before starting his usual patrol around the planet.


    After that, he could think about the other matters he needed to handle, like his meeting with S.H.I.E.L.D., his search for scientific minds to deal with the M-Gene, and that talk with Matt, which he wasn¡¯t exactly looking forward to having.


    ¡®Speaking of scientific minds... seems like that science fair I heard about is still on. Maybe I should check it out?¡¯ As someone who was always attentive to global news, it wasn¡¯t hard for him to learn that the Baxter Institute had decided to go ahead with the event instead of canceling it, as many had speculated they would. In fact, they had been promoting it more than in previous years, which finally caught his attention again.


    In fact, Daniel had already been planning to make time to attend the event before all his plans were interrupted by the arrival of Graviton, causing him to "forget" about it a bit until now.


    ¡°Are you going back to Smallville?¡± Lara suddenly asked, causing Daniel to snap out of his thoughts and stop in his tracks to turn and look at her curiously.


    ¡°Do you need me to pass a message to Carol?¡± Apart from that, he couldn¡¯t think of any other reason why Lara would ask about his destination.


    To confirm his thoughts, the woman nodded.


    Then she waved her hand, causing one of the nearby walls to begin to shift, opening a path for a crystalline pedestal with a dark-colored, elongated rectangular object placed on top.


    With some curiosity, Daniel approached and took it, examining it carefully before realizing it was just an elegant case. He then proceeded to open it to see its contents, which turned out to be a pair of large round lenses in a thin frame that reminded him of the ones Carol usually wore.


    "I¡¯ll assume these aren¡¯t just ordinary glasses."


    "You assume correctly. Although they are designed to look like ordinary glasses, they are actually an advanced device I¡¯ve been working on and recently finished. I¡¯d like you to deliver them to Carol if possible."


    "I can do that," Daniel nodded and closed the case again before storing it in one of the pouches on his tool belt. "If there¡¯s nothing else, then I¡¯ll be on my way. If something important comes up, remember to call me." With that said, Daniel waved goodbye. This time, Lara didn¡¯t stop him and simply watched him leave. Of course, she could have waited for Carol to come and then given her the glasses personally, but knowing her daughter, she¡¯d probably appreciate it more if Daniel delivered them.


    ¡®I¡¯d better get a great gift next Mother¡¯s Day,¡¯ she thought as her projected body dematerialized and her consciousness returned to the virtual world.


    .


    .


    .


    In Smallville.


    Carol hadn¡¯t realized how boring school could be once you had already learned everything it could possibly teach you.


    Her tutoring under her mother had led her to use her superhuman learning ability to get ahead in all possible subjects at record speed, and without realizing it, she now probably had enough general knowledge to take all her remaining exams blindfolded and achieve the highest possible grades.


    It wasn¡¯t that this was a bad thing, but it did make attending classes a total waste of time for her. The teachers had nothing new to teach her, and their methods were significantly inferior to her mother¡¯s, making listening to them simply boring at best.


    Perhaps if she had a more dazzling social life, it might have been more bearable, but with Chloe being her only friend at school, it left her with few options to pass the time.


    Not to mention homework¡ªanother irritating and useless thing to add to the list. Carol couldn¡¯t understand why teachers went out of their way to assign such unnecessarily tedious tasks that barely served any purpose. Well, maybe she was being a bit harsh. Perhaps the other students needed them, but the problem was that she wasn¡¯t one of those students.


    ¡®Thinking about this is just making me more annoyed.¡¯ Carol sighed and looked at the sunset in the distance. Unlike other days, when she would simply use her super speed to get home, this time she decided to take a slow walk to clear her mind¡ªsomething she rarely did, but which was relaxing in a certain way.


    ''It¡¯s been a while since I came this way,'' Carol looked at the Smallville river as she approached the railing of the bridge she was crossing. Some childhood memories flashed through her mind for a moment before she shook her head. Living in the past was something she didn¡¯t want to do. Now, she appreciated the present and looked to the future with hope.


    ¡®It¡¯s better if I head back, maybe Daniel will return soon.¡¯ That was a much more pleasant thought to focus on. Unfortunately for her, it was quickly interrupted by the screeching sound of tires skidding against the asphalt and the roar of a car engine approaching too closely in her direction.


    .


    A few moments earlier.


    Lena Luthor hadn¡¯t been having the best days lately.


    ¡°How dare he!¡± Her hands gripped the steering wheel with all the strength she could muster, the words escaping through her gritted teeth with palpable venom.


    Her reddened eyes barely paid attention to the road ahead as the speedometer needle climbed higher and higher.


    Her mind was too preoccupied with the events of the past few days, leaving her blind to the imminent danger.


    Pinpointing where her troubles began would be difficult, but if she had to say, it probably started when she and her brother, Lex, took over the family company together after their father¡¯s sudden death.


    She thought things were going well. Even with the world starting to go a bit crazy, Lena believed that she and Lex could hold it together and put aside any disputes. Sure, maybe her relationship with her brother hadn¡¯t been the best in recent years, but they were still siblings, right? That had to count for something.


    Too bad Lex didn¡¯t think the same.


    Lena wanted to say she had seen it coming, that she had expected it. But the reality was that the betrayal had caught her completely off guard, leaving her utterly unprepared. Then again¡­ who prepares to be betrayed by their own family?


    She should have known better. Lex, after all, was their father¡¯s son.


    ¡°Stupid! Stupid!¡± Lena couldn¡¯t help but curse herself as her thoughts returned to that moment.


    .


    A few days ago, Luthor Corp''s headquarters, in the tallest building in Metropolis.


    "You can''t do this!" The words almost echoed throughout the office. Lena Luthor clenched her fists as she stared at her brother, disbelief still evident on her face.


    "But dear sister, I already have." Alexander Luthor looked at his sister with amusement and a trace of disdain in his voice, a confident smile forming at the corner of his lips.


    "You!" Seeing the anger beginning to fill Lena''s eyes, Lex mocked her internally before standing up and placing a hand on his chest with a "confused" expression.


    "I don''t understand your fury, Lena. I clearly remember how much you despised this company. In the end, I only did what I thought you wanted." Seeing his act of false grievance, Lena felt bile rising in her throat, her face almost shifting from red to green.


    "You know that''s not true! I didn''t despise the company; I despised the one who ran it and how he did it!" At those words, Lex couldn''t help but drop his act and let out a scoff.


    "And now that our father is dead, you think you can come in and do whatever you want? Don''t be naive, Lena."


    "I''m still part of the board! My shares are no less than yours!" Her retort was met with a low laugh, leaving her confused.


    "And that''s why you''re not out on the street. In fact, you should thank me. Leaving you that old fertilizer plant in that tiny little town is more than most people could dream of." Lex walked toward his sister, a disdainful smile forming on his face.


    "You always said you didn''t want to be part of what our father did. I just fulfilled your dream. Now you can do whatever you want in Smallville. With your abilities, I''m sure everything will turn out wonderfully. No need to thank me."


    Before she could stop herself, Lena''s palm shot forward, a sharp slap ringing loud and clear.


    Lex blinked, raising a hand to rub his now slightly reddened cheek.


    "I thought you were better than him, but now I see I was wrong. You''re exactly the same."


    Lena breathed heavily, looked at her brother one last time, then turned and began to leave.


    Continuing to argue was useless. She knew she had lost this fight. She had acted too late. Lex had played his cards too well, and now the entire board of shareholders was on his side.


    Despite knowing this, she had still come here, still hoped it was all a mistake¡ªthat there was still a fragment of the older brother who had cared for her as a child somewhere inside Lex.


    But she had been wrong. It seemed Lionel Luthor hadn''t died alone.


    .


    Back to the present.


    With bitterness still flooding her mind, Lena began to think about her future plans.


    Of course, she wasn¡¯t going to let things end like this. If Lex thought that banishing her to an old factory in the middle of nowhere would be enough to get rid of her, then he was sorely mistaken.


    She would show him.


    "Just wait, you bald bastard son of a¡ª" Her curses were abruptly cut off when her eyes caught sight of what appeared to be a coil of wire falling from the back of a cargo truck, sliding directly into her lane, right in front of her car...


    "Oh, shit!" It was too late for her to try to avoid it. She barely began to turn the wheel when her tires ran over the wire, causing them to blow out abruptly. The sudden jolt made her swerve sharply, and the car spun out of control, heading straight toward the edge of the bridge she was crossing.


    In her shock, she barely noticed the figure standing near the railing.


    .


    .


    .


    Note:


    What a long wait!


    This time, I mostly focused a bit on Daniel and some of the things that had been left pending. On the other hand, the other characters aren''t standing still, and events continue to unfold, even behind the scenes.


    Now Lex Luthor has full control of LuthorCorp, and the consequences of that might not be very pleasant.


    Meanwhile, Lena arrives in Smallville¡ªwhether that''s good or bad, we will see in the future.


    Next up is Chapter 50! I never thought I¡¯d make it this far! Over 200,000 words! I''m really happy and grateful for all the support that has allowed me to get to this point.


    With that said I can only hope that things continue on the right track, December 25th is almost here so I want to wish you all a Merry Christmas in advance, I hope you all have a great time whether alone, with your families or friends, no matter what situation you find yourself in I wish you happy holidays :D


    Finally remember that You can already find the next chapter of this story on P)atreon ( p)atreon com/EmmaCruzader ) All the support received is appreciated ;D

 50:

    50:


    Carol would have liked to say that she saw it coming, that she was completely prepared, and that it was no surprise at all that she was about to be run over.


    She knew she''d be lying.


    It''s not like what was happening was faster than her senses, of course; it was simply that she hadn¡¯t been paying enough attention.


    Sure, she could move and interact with the world at speeds several times faster than sound, but that didn¡¯t mean she did so all the time. There was a reason Carol had always felt so disconnected from humanity, aside from not being exactly the best at socializing.


    Everyone was just so... slow. Yes, for the indestructible girl, there was no better word to describe it.


    Ever since her "changes" began manifesting at an early age, and with them the birth of her super senses, Carol began to understand that she and the rest of the world simply operated at completely different speeds.


    For that reason and a few others, Carol had been forced to dull her own senses, to slow them down, to impose limits on them. There was no other way. If Carol had tried to live with her senses functioning at full capacity all the time, she felt she would have probably gone insane long ago.


    At first, it was complicated, but over time she managed to master it to the point where she could limit her ability to perceive the world around her to nearly the same level as ordinary people. Of course, this didn¡¯t mean it was comfortable; living while constantly holding herself back was exhausting. But she learned to endure it, and in a sense, she had turned it into a habit.


    Since Daniel¡¯s arrival and everything that had happened afterward, that had begun to change, but not enough for her to abandon her usual routine. Whether at school, at home with her parents, or simply walking the streets pretending to be a normal girl, when Carol was just "Carol" and there was no need to be anything more, she stuck to what she was used to: locking herself inside and avoiding using her senses at full capacity unless it was absolutely necessary.


    This seemed like a rather necessary moment.


    It was almost instantaneous¡ªliberating. Simply releasing her restraints and seeing the world as it was truly meant to be seen through her eyes always sparked a flicker of childlike joy in her. She regretted that she couldn¡¯t enjoy it too much at this moment.


    ¡®She saw me...¡¯ She had reacted too late, something ironic considering who she was and what she was capable of. Still, that didn¡¯t change the fact that she could see her reflection in the woman¡¯s eyes in the car, along with her expression of panic and fear. That made her frown.


    The woman probably thought she was about to hit her. Not that she was wrong¡ªif Carol were a normal person instead of who she was, she would undoubtedly be struck and probably killed.


    It was fortunate that she wasn¡¯t a normal person. Almost casually, Carol took a few steps to the side, easily moving out of the car¡¯s path. Of course, she wasn¡¯t just going to stand there and wait to get hit. Getting run over wasn¡¯t exactly something she was interested in experiencing, even if she knew it wouldn¡¯t so much as tickle her.


    But after doing that, Carol hesitated on her next action.


    It couldn¡¯t be helped¡ªthe woman had seen her. If the woman hadn¡¯t seen her, Carol could have used her super speed, pulled her out of the car, and left without leaving a trace. But she had been seen, and because of that, Carol couldn¡¯t save her without risking exposing her secret.


    Even moving from her original position was a risk, but a calculated one. She had only moved enough to avoid being hit. The car would still pass by her side, almost grazing her, and it could be said the woman had misjudged her position or that Carol had managed to jump aside just in time¡ªnothing out of the ordinary.


    Of course, all of this assumed the woman survived.


    A thought that didn¡¯t sit well with Carol. For a moment, she wondered what Daniel would think of her when she told him how she let a civilian take a risk like this just to avoid exposing herself.


    The image that came to her mind didn¡¯t please her.


    Especially that possible look of disappointment in his eyes. Just imagining it made her heart feel tight. It was definitely not something she wanted to see, least of all coming from him.


    Sure, there was a chance, however small, that the woman in the car could survive on her own. Even if she crashed into the bridge railing and was thrown out, there was still the river below to cushion her. Its waters were deep enough that the car wouldn¡¯t hit the bottom, and if the woman had a bit of luck and remained conscious after the impact, she might simply get out of the vehicle and try to swim to shore.


    In that case, Carol would just be another witness, and she doubted Daniel would judge her for it. No, in fact, Daniel would probably agree¡ªif there was no need to expose herself, then she shouldn¡¯t have to. He had told her so himself.


    Daniel¡¯s expectations of her and how she used her abilities were never demanding in the first place. Daniel never tried to impose his sense of heroism on her or pushed her to perform more heroic acts beyond those she had already done. He was simply content to let her do whatever she wanted as long as she didn¡¯t harm or hurt others maliciously or without them deserving it.


    It was something they had talked about in the early days after they met, and Carol had been fine with it¡ªat least until a few days ago.


    ¡®This could be an opportunity.¡¯ Carol wanted¡ªno, needed¡ªDaniel¡¯s opinion of her to improve. Her mother had been right: simply sitting around and waiting for things to happen was a waste of time. She needed to be more proactive, and this situation was a good opportunity to start doing so.


    Though saying ¡°start¡± wasn¡¯t entirely accurate. No, she had already started when she saved all those people during the attack on the East Coast. Her feats had been in the mouths of the whole world, and Daniel had specifically congratulated her when he learned how many lives she had saved. That was all that really mattered to her¡ªthe approval she saw in his eyes that day was enough to put Carol in a good mood for a long time, despite how dull her school days were.


    Even so, there was something undeniable about it: it hadn¡¯t been her initiative. She hadn¡¯t acted of her own will but because Daniel had asked her to before the fight with Graviton began, and she might not have done it at all if her mother hadn¡¯t reminded her that she had to.


    She needed to change that.


    Saving this woman despite the risks and doing it of her own free will seemed like a good first step, no matter how small it was.


    As Carol reflected on all of this, the world around her continued to move agonizingly slowly, the car still on its path toward the bridge railing, its position only centimeters closer than before.


    The question now was, how should she save her?


    Preventing the crash outright was still too risky, so she could only let it happen, which could still be dangerous for the woman. But Carol had already calculated the speed and the amount of force the impact would have. Her eyes, capable of seeing through the entire structure of the car, told her its frame could handle the initial hit against the railing without a problem, and though the woman would feel it, it wouldn¡¯t be enough to put her life in immediate danger.


    The problem came with the fall into the river.


    As an idea formed in her mind, Carol allowed her senses to dull just enough to see the car hit the railing and begin to fall off the bridge. Then she refocused, stretched out her hand, and, touching the rear bumper, let that same sensation she had felt when lifting that bridge in Washington D.C., spread through the entire vehicle for a brief moment, making the laws of physics cease to matter.


    It was only a fraction of a second, but it was enough to make the car lose at least 30% of its speed, and with that, at least half of its kinetic energy.


    ¡®That should ensure her survival, right?¡¯ Carol hadn¡¯t done something like this before, so she wasn¡¯t entirely sure it would work as she intended. Even so, she decided to trust that it would be enough. Doing more would be too risky, and while taking some risk was fine, she wasn¡¯t trying to be reckless¡ªshe was trying to impress Daniel with her way of doing things.


    The sound of water splashing reached her ears as the car finally struck the river¡¯s surface and began to sink beneath it. Carol smiled, seeing that her plan had succeeded; the impact had been reduced enough that the woman inside hadn¡¯t lost consciousness.


    Everything had been done in a way that her involvement would remain perfectly hidden from the authorities and, most importantly, in a way that she could brag to Daniel. She could say that even when caught off guard, she had still managed to help and had been discreet and skillful enough to do so without being noticed.


    Now, she just needed to wait for the woman to surface and start swimming toward the riverbank. Then, she¡¯d call the police and an ambulance to take care of things, and she could claim her plan had been a success.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    Except it wasn¡¯t.


    Carol blinked in confusion when, after several seconds of waiting, she didn¡¯t see the woman swimming to the surface. She focused her gaze, letting her X-ray vision pierce deep into the water to see what was happening.


    Inside the car, the woman, still conscious, was struggling¡ªnot just against the airbags pressing against her body but also against a door that refused to open. Her struggle grew increasingly desperate for a reason Carol hadn¡¯t considered: the impact had knocked all the air out of her lungs, and the sudden plunge into the water had caused that air to begin being replaced by water.


    ¡®Well¡­ that wasn¡¯t part of the plan.¡¯


    .


    You don¡¯t think much about death when you¡¯re young. After all, death seems like something distant and unreal until you feel it breathing down your neck.


    Lena hadn¡¯t felt fear of death or thought much about it until her father died. It was then that she finally realized that death could, in fact, come at any moment, without warning.


    But even knowing that, she hadn¡¯t expected her time to come so soon.


    With her mind starting to blur, Lena fought with all her strength¡ªstrength that was steadily leaving her body, just like the air that had been in her lungs. If she had been able to react quickly enough, Lena would have closed her mouth and held her breath before falling into the river. The problem was, she hadn¡¯t.


    And that mistake would be what killed her, along with the damned door that refused to open. Her mind, shocked and overwhelmed by the incident and the lack of air, was too rattled to think clearly. This caused her to waste precious time and effort trying to open the door. Only when her vision began to darken did she remember the window. Opening it fully was a challenge; trying to escape through it was nearly impossible due to the airbags making it hard to maneuver her body.


    If she had been a woman less generously endowed with curves, it surely would have been easier. Lena never thought the day would come when she¡¯d think something like that, but it had. She wondered if being close to death tended to bring useless and absurd thoughts to the surface. She wished her brain would stop being so irrational and think of ways for both of them to get out of this alive.


    But she didn''t. Lena hadn''t even managed to get half of her body through the window when her remaining strength finally decided to give out, the lack of oxygen causing her body to instinctively try to inhale, completely against her will. But what entered her lungs wasn''t air, it was water. She tried to avoid it, of course, but she knew it was useless.


    Dying by drowning hadn¡¯t been the kind of death she would have preferred or wished for, and because of that, she could only feel extreme regret and resentment about her situation.


    It was unacceptable. She hadn¡¯t accomplished anything. She hadn¡¯t even been able to try. It was unfair¡ªcompletely unfair! And yet, it was reality, and there didn¡¯t seem to be anything she could do now to change it.


    As her last moments in this world approached, Lena could only begin cursing her brother and wishing him a fate even worse than hers, because in her heart, all of this was his fault.


    Of course, that was when a pair of hands grabbed her by the sides and began pulling her effortlessly toward the surface. And so, the last thing her eyes caught before succumbing to unconsciousness was a pair of light blue irises.


    .


    Pulling the woman out of the river was a simple task for Carol, as was starting to resuscitate her. Even though she wasn¡¯t a paramedic and had no intention of pursuing a similar career, she still knew enough about the human body to understand what needed to be done in cases like this.


    Carol stepped back as the woman''s body began to convulse, one cough after another following, water being spat onto the ground until air finally returned to lungs now free of liquid.


    Meeting her grateful gaze did nothing to comfort Carol, as her perfect plan had been ruined, and while not everything had gone wrong, it certainly hadn''t gone as she wanted.


    "I-I thought that¡ª" the woman tried to say something, but Carol really wasn''t in the mood to talk to her, so she cut her off.


    "Focus on breathing. You swallowed too much water and need to regain as much oxygen as you can," she said. Thankfully, her words were heeded, and the woman concentrated on breathing, inhaling air as if it were the most precious thing in the world.


    Seeing weakness... had always been strange for Carol, though less so these days. Now, she understood it. She knew what it was and could truly empathize with those who experienced it. Perhaps that''s why she stayed by the woman''s side as she recovered, even though she could have just stepped away and kept her distance.


    "I-I thought I hit you," the words pulled her from her thoughts, making Carol freeze for a moment. Carefully, she looked at the woman, who was now also looking at her with a bit of uncertainty. Had she... recognized her? Even if she¡¯d only seen her for an instant? That was problematic, but only slightly.


    "You almost did, but I moved out of the way in time." The excuse she¡¯d already prepared¡ªthere was no way to contradict it. Perhaps it was the one thing that had gone as it should.


    "And yet you still saved me," she said, as though she could barely believe it.


    "Would you rather I hadn''t?"


    Her question silenced the woman for a moment before she audibly sighed.


    "No, I¡­ I¡¯m grateful. Thank you for helping me," her voice was somewhat weak and, in a way, fragile. Carol wasn¡¯t very good at reading people, so she couldn''t discern exactly why, and it wasn¡¯t as if she cared. This would probably be the first and last time they spoke, and she was fine with that.


    Soon, the sound of sirens in the distance began to grow closer, much to Carol¡¯s relief. If there was one good thing about living in a town like Smallville, it was that, unlike in big cities, people didn¡¯t have to wait too long for help to arrive.


    Her parents should also be arriving soon since she had sent them a message first. She thought it would be better for them to hear about the situation directly from her rather than from a police call. At least that would make things a bit less tense. Even so, Pa Kent would probably scold her for "putting herself at risk." His paranoia had eased somewhat thanks to her mother, but he was still in a constant state of alert. This incident would certainly worry him, but Carol trusted she could calm him down once she explained there was no real risk of her secret being exposed.


    At least, she hoped so.


    .


    .


    .


    It''s night when a figure soaring through the skies approaches Smallville.


    Daniel lands silently on the grounds of his farm, and with just a few steps, he quickly reaches his backyard, heading toward the door and easily entering the place he had started to think of as his home.


    The familiar and cozy atmosphere eases some of the tension he had accumulated throughout the day, a sigh of relief escaping his lips.


    Without turning on a single light in the house, he walks until he reaches the living room, then simply throws himself onto the couch and stares at an empty corner, determined not to think about anything for at least the next thirty minutes.


    A goal interrupted by the arrival of a presence he knows quite well.


    Although, in fact, Daniel was already expecting her to come, she always does. At this point, her not doing so would probably have made him uncomfortable or even worried; it couldn''t be helped, now she was a constant in his life, and thinking about not having her near had become strange in a way.


    Not that he wanted it to be this way. He would¡¯ve preferred otherwise, but at this point, it was unlikely to change. The girl was too stubborn, and Daniel simply didn¡¯t have the same resolve as before to keep trying to push her away.


    So, he just let it be. A problem is only a problem if you consider it one. Daniel didn¡¯t need more of those right now; he already had enough on his plate. That¡¯s why, when she entered and, without saying a word, curled up beside him, resting her head on his shoulder, he didn¡¯t even flinch.


    Her displays of affection had become more frequent lately. He didn¡¯t know why or what had caused the change, and though he probably should figure it out, he decided that today wouldn¡¯t be the day.


    "You seem tense. Has something happened?" His words break the warm silence that had begun to form around them. It was unavoidable; even if Daniel truly wanted to rest a little, that didn¡¯t mean he would forget his responsibilities.


    Carol was one of those responsibilities, and he had instantly noticed the tension in her when he arrived.


    It was so easy, like reading an open book. He wondered if she knew, how open she became around him. Maybe it was unconscious, or perhaps she did it deliberately. Whatever the answer, it really didn¡¯t seem to matter much at this point.


    Carol hesitates to speak, her hands intertwining and rubbing together with some nervousness before she finally begins recounting the events of this afternoon.


    ¡°If you¡¯re worried I¡¯ll scold you for not paying attention, then forget it. Even I get distracted sometimes.¡±


    "Still, I let her see me. If I had noticed earlier, I could have avoided the entire accident from the beginning."


    ¡°And yet, you still managed to make things turn out well in the end, didn¡¯t you? In my opinion, that¡¯s enough.¡± No plan survives contact with the enemy. That was a phrase Daniel had heard a lot in his previous life, and one he actually agreed with.


    In the end, the only thing that mattered was whether you achieved what you set out to do despite the difficulties along the way.


    ¡°So, I did well?¡± Carol asks, her voice somewhat low and hesitant.


    Daniel looks at her, inspecting the emotions on her face for a moment. So that¡¯s what this was all about. Again, so easy to see through. Letting a small, silent huff escape his lips, he smiles and raises his hand, placing it on her head and beginning to stroke her silky dark hair.


    The gesture causes her to close her eyes and lean a little closer to him, her cheeks tinged with an intense red.


    ¡°Yes... You did very well.¡±


    Daniel wisely chooses to ignore how Carol¡¯s body trembles at his words, instead deciding to focus on something else.


    This incident, for some reason, stirs something within him¡ªa faint sense of familiarity, a feeling he has experienced several times before. He replays Carol''s account in his mind over and over, hoping it might awaken a memory, but it doesn''t. At least, not entirely.


    ¡°What did you say the name of the woman you saved was?¡±


    At his question, Carol, who was enjoying the moment, responds distractedly.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say. I didn¡¯t think it was important, but if you want to know, she introduced herself as Lena, Lena Luthor.¡±


    Hmmm.


    The gentle caresses on Carol¡¯s head pause for a moment, prompting her to let out a small whimper of protest. Even so, Daniel cannot give her much attention, as his mind is currently occupied with processing old memories resurfacing once more.


    ¡®I guess I should have seen this coming.¡¯


    .


    .


    .


    Note:


    Chapter 50! It''s been a long journey, and I couldn''t be happier! I would have liked something more explosive or impactful, but I eventually realized that in the grand scheme of things, this is just another chapter among the many still to come. The big events will have their moment later. I know you''re all looking forward to them, and I''m eager to write them, but we still need to walk the path leading to them so that everything makes sense.


    Regarding the chapter itself, this is more of an experiment on my part, trying to delve a bit deeper into Carol''s thoughts, how she sees and interacts with the world, and how her "upbringing" has influenced the way she uses her powers. On the other hand, I also wanted to familiarize myself a bit with Lena''s character and lay some groundwork for her.


    This version of Lena is largely inspired by Lena Luthor from the "Supergirl" series, although there are clearly several changes¡ªsome bigger than others¡ªsince, at least as far as I know, the character doesn''t have as many strong appearances in other media as other characters. So, I have to work with what I have (I''m also taking a bit of inspiration from some comics, though not too much.)


    Lastly, if you notice the narration feels a bit different from how I usually write, it''s because I was also experimenting with a slightly different writing style. It was interesting to try, though I wouldn''t say it was entirely comfortable. I''m not sure if I''ll continue with something similar or go back to my usual style, but I certainly learned a few things.


    Could it be said I leveled up? 20+ EXP for me, haha.


    Remember that You can already find the next chapter of this story on P)atreon ( p)atreon com/EmmaCruzader ) All the support received is appreciated ;D


    P.S. This chapter doesn''t have a title since none seemed quite fitting.

 51: Old Dilemma

    51: Old Dilemma


    Luthor, a surname that resurfaced in his memories ever since he discovered Carol''s true identity, but one he hadn''t paid much attention to for several reasons.


    Daniel had a small personal classification system for threats he remembered¡ªnothing really sophisticated, just a way to assign them importance based on what he recalled about them and how much they might threaten the world and humanity.


    Luthor, or rather Lex Luthor, wasn''t among those he considered urgent to deal with.


    Not because he didn''t consider him dangerous¡ªhe actually knew he was¡ªbut because he was, in essence, a focused threat. From what he remembered, Lex wasn''t a villain who sought senseless "destruction" but rather someone with goals and long-term plans.


    He didn''t remember absolutely everything about the man, and at the same time, there were many things he didn''t know since he never investigated them in his previous life. But what he did know was that Luthor wasn''t someone who would put humanity in danger... at least not immediately.


    It was a matter of escalation. Lex was the type of enemy Daniel classified as one who started small and grew over time¡ªif you gave him the time, of course. And that was something Daniel had no intention of letting happen in the first place.


    For this reason, when his memories of him began to resurface, Daniel conducted an investigation to understand what kind of person he was dealing with and whether he could nip such a threat in the bud.


    What he discovered actually made him realize that there was nothing he could do against him at the moment¡ªor rather, nothing he needed to do against him at the moment.


    The Lex of this world was... an ordinary rich heir, with outstanding intelligence, sure, but nothing beyond that. There were some shady things, of course¡ªsome youthful scandals swept under the rug by his father''s power, as well as a few minor crimes he got away with thanks to his money¡ªbut apart from that, there was nothing that classified him as a criminal in the true sense of the word.


    In simple terms, he was far from being the kind of threat Daniel had seen he could become in his memories.


    This was where he found himself facing the same dilemma he had encountered when he decided how to deal with Harleen.


    Could he really judge people solely based on his memories of versions of them in other universes? Nothing assured him that the Lex who existed in this world was the same or would end up the same as his counterparts in other worlds.


    Just as nothing assured him that things would turn out differently.


    ¡®No, thinking it will be different might blind me and make me lower my guard unnecessarily. I must not take Harleen as the rule but as the exception, for nothing indicates it will always be like this with other people.¡¯ At the same time, nothing told him there couldn¡¯t be another exception¡­


    He supposed this was akin to that old time travel dilemma, where a person travels to the past to kill the great "villain" at their most vulnerable moment¡ªusually when they are a child or a baby.


    But is it truly right to punish someone who has not yet committed any crime?


    After thinking about it for a long time, Daniel finally arrived at a conclusion.


    No. It wasn¡¯t right.


    Although Daniel was more severe in his approach to justice, his boundaries were also clear. He couldn¡¯t simply go around killing anyone because he thought they might be a danger. That would be nothing more than spitting on everything he sought to achieve and heading straight down the path of tyranny.


    Becoming a monster was absolutely not what he wanted.


    ¡®Being a hero isn¡¯t easy,¡¯ was something that was becoming increasingly evident to him the longer he spent in this new life.


    Of course, his decision not to eliminate such a threat from the cradle didn¡¯t mean he would allow things to escalate unnecessarily. While he had decided to leave Luthor alone for the time being, that didn¡¯t mean he wasn¡¯t prepared to deal with him as severely and decisively as possible if he committed any action that endangered the lives of innocent people.


    With his decision finally made, Daniel would have been content to let Luthor live his life without interference as long as he didn¡¯t do anything too scandalous.


    ¡®So, how did Lena Luthor end up in Smallville?¡¯


    Lena Kieran Luthor.


    He didn¡¯t know much about her, really. In his memories, her name had only come up once or twice, and only as a fleeting mention due to her relationship with Lex Luthor.


    Aside from that, the only information he had about the woman was what he had uncovered while researching the Lex of this world.


    In every sense, she was a... decent woman. Unlike her brother, she never got involved in any scandals, broke the law, or did anything questionable. Perhaps because she spent most of her youth in a girls'' boarding school, or maybe because, once she left, she decided to focus seriously on her university studies, achieving great success in all the fields she ventured into.


    The reasons could be many and varied, but in the end, the truth was that her record was completely clean.


    The last thing he had heard about her was that she had paused her pursuit of a fourth doctorate after her father¡¯s death and had joined her brother at LuthorCorp to start running the company alongside him.


    It seemed things had changed.


    ¡®Her arrival in Smallville could complicate things, not to mention her encounter with Carol.¡¯


    He decided he would need to find out more about the situation somehow. Daniel couldn¡¯t imagine any reason why Lena would be interested in coming to Smallville. LuthorCorp had nothing of value in this place, which meant she had probably been forced to come or something similar.


    If Lex had decided to take full control of the company, it could spell trouble, and it was better to find out if he was planning something dangerous and stop it before it caused any harm.


    ¡®But how can I find out?¡¯ He doubted that approaching her and directly asking about the situation would yield anything. It would undoubtedly seem highly suspicious.


    ¡°Are you okay? You suddenly stopped eating. Is something wrong with the taste?¡±


    Snapped out of his thoughts, Daniel returned to reality, looking at an anxious Carol. They were still at his farm. After the girl finished telling him everything that had happened to her during the day, she had offered to cook for the two of them, and as always, Daniel hadn¡¯t turned down the offer of good food.


    Midway through dinner, Daniel had become lost in thought, letting the plate in front of him grow cold without realizing it.


    ¡°No, there¡¯s nothing wrong. It tastes excellent, as always. I was just thinking about some things. Sorry.¡±Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    ¡°Is there something worrying you? Is it about that woman in the fortress?¡± Carol almost frowned as she asked the question but managed to control her reaction.


    ¡°No, she¡¯s fine. It¡¯s about something else¡ªLena Luthor.¡± Daniel saw no point in not saying it, so he simply spoke freely.


    ¡°Her? Are you worried she might suspect something about me?¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s also a concern now that you mention it, but actually, I¡¯m wondering what someone like her is doing in Smallville.¡± Carol blinked, confused by his response.


    ¡°Why? Is she someone important?¡±


    Daniel raised an eyebrow, giving her a strange look.


    ¡°You¡­ don¡¯t know who she is, do you?¡± She shook her head.


    Daniel considered what to say, but once he thought about it, it made sense that she wouldn¡¯t know. Lena had never really been a public figure, and her name had only started appearing in the spotlight due to her father¡¯s death and everything it meant for LuthorCorp.


    Therefore, he decided to explain a bit about the Luthor family to put Carol on the same page.


    ¡°So¡­ she¡¯s the heir to one of the most important companies in Metropolis, and she¡¯s supposed to be in that city running the company alongside her brother. But instead, for some reason, she¡¯s here in Smallville¡­ and that worries you?¡±


    ¡°In short, yes.¡± Carol looked at him in silence for a moment before sighing lightly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t get it.¡±


    Daniel could only remain silent. After all, he couldn¡¯t exactly tell her that he was worried because the brother of that woman might, maybe, probably, possibly, someday, become a very dangerous supervillain.


    His meta-knowledge was something important that he wasn¡¯t willing to let slip under any circumstances. After all, it was partly inaccurate and not entirely reliable.


    In the world, few things were as dangerous as knowledge, and one of them was incomplete knowledge. Daniel had almost made a mistake because of it when he thought Carol was something she wasn¡¯t, and he wasn¡¯t willing to let something similar happen in the future.


    If he wasn¡¯t completely certain of the information in his hands, then he wouldn¡¯t share it arbitrarily with others. He preferred not to take unnecessary risks.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t understand. It¡¯s just a concern I¡¯ll deal with later,¡± even though he didn¡¯t have many ideas about how to do so at the moment.


    ¡°I could help you.¡± Carol¡¯s words made Daniel look at her with some surprise.


    "I mean, I saved her, didn¡¯t I? That should count for something. If she really stays in Smallville, I¡¯ll surely ¡®run into¡¯ her sooner or later. After all, it¡¯s a small town¡­ maybe I could ask her a few questions then."


    At this suggestion, Daniel frowned, about to refuse, and noticing this, Carol quickly spoke again.


    "I know it could be risky, but if you feel it¡¯s important, wouldn¡¯t it be worth it?"


    "You¡¯ve already exposed yourself too much by saving her. We don¡¯t know if she saw something that might make her doubt and suspect you. Getting closer could complicate things unnecessarily."


    Hearing this, Carol felt a bit frustrated. Here was a chance to help him, and he refused to let her. She didn¡¯t understand¡ªshe was just a rich woman; what could be so interesting about her that he thought she was a concern? If he hadn¡¯t saved her, she¡¯d be swimming with the damned fish at the bottom of the river!


    Noticing her irritation, Daniel sighed slightly.


    "I know you want to help, but there are things you¡¯re better off letting me handle on my own."


    Seeing the lingering unease in her eyes, he realized she wouldn¡¯t drop the subject so easily. So, even if it felt somewhat wrong, he had to make her stop insisting on it.


    "Just promise me you won¡¯t go looking for her, alright?"


    Carol bit her lip, but seeing the serious look he gave her, she finally agreed.


    "Fine¡­" She couldn¡¯t refuse his request, and they both knew it. She didn¡¯t like it, but Daniel had to ensure she would listen.


    ¡®I¡¯ll make it up to her later.¡¯ He didn¡¯t know how, but somehow, he would.


    Both fell into a slightly tense silence. Daniel chewed on his now-cold food and wondered if it was too late to ask her to use her heat vision to reheat it¡­


    ¡®Ah, seems like I forgot something.¡¯ Thinking about one of Carol¡¯s ocular powers, Daniel suddenly remembered there was something he needed to give her.


    In a high-speed motion, Daniel disappeared from his seat and went to his room, where he had left his suit along with his tool belt. He then took out the case Lara had given him and returned to the dining table.


    Seeing the dark case in his hands, she raised an eyebrow with curiosity, their earlier conversation now moving to the background.


    "Your mother wanted me to give you this. It¡¯s something she¡¯s been working on. I¡¯m not entirely sure what it¡¯s for, but it should be important."


    Carol took the case and, with interest, opened it. Seeing the glasses inside, she couldn¡¯t help but feel confused for a second.


    Why had her mother made this?


    Carol considered putting them on to see if she could figure it out, but she ultimately decided against it. Instead, she planned to make a trip to the Fortress later and ask Lara directly.


    Something she had come to learn the more she studied technological topics with her mother was that handling advanced things without any idea of what they did usually didn¡¯t end well.


    "Thanks for bringing them." The fact that her mother used Daniel as a courier actually struck her as amusing, since all three of them knew how unnecessary it was. Even so, she appreciated the gesture, as it was surely done with her in mind.


    If the incident with Lena hadn¡¯t happened, this would have been a much more pleasant moment.


    The rest of the dinner was less tense and more enjoyable, though it was short-lived because Daniel hurried to finish his meal, wanting to go to his workshop to study the stock market a bit. In the end, he had decided he was going to sell the Stark Industries shares he had bought in the past.


    At the moment, Stark Industries'' value was soaring, and while he could wait for it to rise even more, he decided to play it safe and cash out his profits while it was still secure.


    Moreover, the fund he had set aside for his personal expenses was starting to decrease significantly, and he preferred not to find out what it meant to declare bankruptcy.


    He had worked very hard in his previous life to avoid such a fate, and he wasn¡¯t about to let his second life fall into such a tragedy if he could help it.


    For her part, Carol returned to her parents'' farm. Although she would have liked to stay at Daniel¡¯s house until dawn, it wasn¡¯t something she could do without risking being discovered.


    Her departure reminded Daniel that he had never actually met her adoptive parents. That¡­ somehow felt wrong, though at the same time, he hoped he wouldn¡¯t have to do it anytime soon.


    God knew that meeting a girl¡¯s parents was always difficult.


    He had enough experience to know it would be awkward one way or another.


    ¡®Let¡¯s forget about that for now; I need to start making some calls.¡¯ Although in this era, stock sales through digital means were already available, they still weren¡¯t at the level they would reach in the future when the internet became more advanced.


    There were still some things better done the "traditional" and manual way, which, of course, required certain preparations.


    ¡®Maybe I could optimize Overwatch to make the process much faster and more automated.¡¯ Now that was an idea worth considering¡ªmaybe even a side business that could generate considerable profits if done the right way.


    ¡®Although I don¡¯t know if this world will also be affected by the 2008 financial crisis,¡¯ he remembered that such an event was one of the factors that drove the large-scale adoption of digital platforms, as brokerage firms sought to be more efficient and reduce their operating costs.


    If he could capitalize on the moment, then he could become¡ªor rather, make Overwatch become¡ªthe perfect tool to serve as the preferred digital platform for investors.


    ¡®Although that could also be a risky plan.¡¯ Daniel didn¡¯t know enough about investments to determine whether it was truly a viable idea. His knowledge of the subject was, at best, slightly above average, and although he could study it in depth, it wasn¡¯t a topic that genuinely interested him.


    ¡®For now, let¡¯s not overthink it.¡¯ Tempting as it was, Daniel preferred not to interfere too much with the stock market if it could be avoided. He feared his actions might trigger a chain reaction that would end up making everything worse.


    The world was already going to face enough disasters in the future without him carelessly meddling with people¡¯s money.


    Before he could dwell further on the thought, one of the many screens in his workshop broadcasting the news immediately caught his attention.


    "Just moments ago, a series of high-intensity explosions completely engulfed the top of the newly christened Stark Tower. We still don¡¯t have information on what caused this¡ª" The reporter''s words were cut off when one last blinding explosion engulfed the top of the building, instantly destroying some of its upper floors.


    For a moment, everything fell into a tense silence.


    Then, Daniel saw Tony in his armor flying out from the cloud of smoke and begin putting out the fire.


    It seemed their planned meeting was going to happen sooner than expected.


    .


    .


    .


    Note:


    End of the chapter! I hope you enjoyed it.


    It¡¯s a bit shorter than usual, but I felt that stretching it unnecessarily could be exhausting¡ªI¡¯m not a fan of adding filler, haha.


    This is probably one of the few chapters where I¡¯ll touch on topics related to investments. I¡¯m not very knowledgeable about the subject, and I don¡¯t want to delve too deeply into it since it could become too heavy. After all, this isn¡¯t a story about business.


    Anyway, in the next chapter, we¡¯ll find out what kind of trouble Tony has gotten himself into and finally start taking steps toward forming the real Avengers team. After all, having only two members makes things a bit dull, don¡¯t you think?


    I know there are many narrative threads to keep track of, but I hope to start tying everything together soon, though I don¡¯t want to rush it.


    I¡¯d love to hear what you¡¯re looking forward to and what you¡¯re excited to see. Maybe you¡¯re interested in more fights, or perhaps more everyday life scenes? Don¡¯t hesitate to leave your comments!


    Remember that You can already find the next chapter of this story on P)atreon ( p)atreon com/EmmaCruzader ) All the support received is appreciated ;D

 52: Ambush

    52: Ambush


    Moments earlier.


    With the sound of the electric guitar resonating through the speakers of his new workshop, located at the top of his still incomplete Stark Tower, Tony nodded his head to the rhythm of the music while simultaneously controlling various projections with his hands, a new design slowly coming to life before his eyes.


    After his success in defying death and "creating" a new element to replace palladium, Tony felt inspired once again. Not that he hadn¡¯t had ideas before, of course, but when your life seems like it¡¯s about to end, the desire to work certainly diminishes quite a bit.


    That was why he hadn¡¯t been thinking too much about the distant future until he realized he actually had a distant future.


    Since then, he had been like an old supercar that had its engine replaced and was now running at full power as if it were new. Every idea, every project he once thought would never see the light of day due to his previously short life expectancy was now back on the workbench, with Tony pouring all the effort and passion into them that a true genius could show when they really tried.


    To say he had been busy would be an understatement. If not for Jarvis¡ªand partly Pepper¡ªhe probably wouldn¡¯t have slept more than two hours a day.


    Even so, above all else, there was one thing he had wanted to work on more than anything.


    Mark 4


    Not long ago, he thought Mark 3 would be the end of the road, his last masterpiece before heading to hell¡ªbecause, of course, a life full of debauchery surely wouldn¡¯t lead anywhere better.


    But with the new arc reactor powered by the Badassium core, he knew it was time to take the next step.


    "Alright, Jarvis, give me the results of the tests," At his command, Jarvis displayed the data as well as several videos on the projected screens surrounding Tony.


    The videos showed different images of a bluish piece of fabric placed on a mannequin, subjected to various forces: fire, electrification, sub-zero temperatures, and even tests with real weapons, such as high-impact rifles, grenades, and missiles.


    "It seems that the information Mr. Daniel presented to us is completely accurate regarding the ¡®Element V¡¯s¡¯ capacity to withstand extreme forces, sir."


    Element V


    Some time ago, when Daniel and Tony were just getting to know each other and the superhero had asked him for help, "the thing" Tony had received as payment was a raw sample of Element V, along with basic information about the material and its functions.


    To say that Tony had been interested would be an understatement. After all, one of his secret projects was the creation of a metal or material durable enough to replace the Earth''s common metals and effectively withstand colossal forces that other materials could not naturally endure.


    This research had been put on hold due to the development of his energy shields, as well as the life-threatening situation he had been involved in.


    Of course, that didn¡¯t mean he had forgotten about it. In fact, he had recently started working on it again for the Mark 4, which was why he had been running tests and conducting investigations on Element V.


    ¡®It¡¯s truly ingenious, thinking that something like this could be achieved with the correct use of chemical components.¡¯


    Although Tony was an expert in many fields, he had never really been interested in chemistry, much less in polymer synthesis or how it could lead to the creation of synthetic fibers more durable and resistant than "ordinary" metals. Seeing the potential of this area firsthand made him realize that even he still had much to learn.


    "Alright, since the tests have shown its effectiveness, it¡¯s time to get to work. Take the compression suit designs I finished yesterday and start production¡ªI want at least twelve of those in my wardrobe by tomorrow," he ordered, and his faithful virtual assistant got to work immediately.


    At first, Tony hadn¡¯t thought much about what he should wear under the armor, usually just keeping on whatever clothes he happened to be wearing at the time.


    His fight against Graviton had changed that idea.


    His energy shields had proven to be far from infallible¡ªthe gravitational pressure had cut through them as if they didn¡¯t exist. Feeling himself being crushed by his own armor was not something Tony had enjoyed in the slightest.


    This was, in part, one of the reasons he had decided to resume his research into creating a new type of metal.


    If such powerful enemies kept appearing, Tony needed more than just one type of protection¡ªhe needed everything within his reach to avoid becoming a glass cannon.


    With that in mind, he had taken Element V and started designing a high-tech compression suit that would protect his body even inside the armor.


    ¡®Not only that, but my ability to withstand G-forces will also improve; I¡¯ll be able to move much faster without it affecting my physical condition too much.¡¯


    Along with the energy shields and the new damping system he would incorporate into the Mark 4, surpassing his old speed record was more than possible for him.


    ¡®That only leaves my reflexes as the last remaining issue,¡¯ Tony thought, frowning slightly.


    His mind could work very fast, extremely fast, but his body, on the other hand¡­ was far from being able to keep up. Until now, he had relied on Jarvis¡¯s assistance as well as motion prediction systems to aid him in high-speed maneuvers, but the faster he went, the less precise he became.


    Not to mention combat. Flying in a straight line toward a specific destination was one thing; fighting at that same speed was something entirely different.


    Combat speed and travel speed, two things that seemed identical at first glance but were not. Flying through the sky, Tony could travel at Mach 10 without any issues.


    In combat, his speed was reduced by more than half¡­


    Sure, he could use short bursts of speed to catch the enemy off guard, but such a move had clear disadvantages. He couldn¡¯t change direction mid-flight or perform tight, complex maneuvers like Defiant could without risking self-injury.


    At least, not with the Mark 3.


    But the Mark 4 would be different.


    ¡®A direct neural interface to control the armor might be the solution,¡¯ the idea came to his mind, but he didn¡¯t decide to make it his main focus right away. After all, if he went down that path, sooner or later, he would reach a point where he might have to work directly with his brain¡ªsomething that, if he were honest, didn¡¯t excite him much.


    Even if it could be the only solution to his reaction and reflex problems, there were many things that could go wrong if he wasn¡¯t careful, which also made achieving any results in the short term unlikely.


    Another factor to consider was that his knowledge in the neural field wasn¡¯t deep enough.


    ¡®Maybe¡­ I¡¯ll need some help if I decide to go for it.¡¯ What a joke¡ªTony Stark, unparalleled genius, needing help. His past self would have found the mere thought ridiculous. But his present self didn¡¯t, not since it was with someone else¡¯s help that he had been able to save his life.


    Tony now understood the utility and benefits that working with someone else could bring.


    Even if a part of him still believed he could do it alone.


    In the end, the arrogance and ego deeply ingrained in his very bones were not things that could vanish overnight.


    ¡®I¡¯ll think about it later; it¡¯s still too soon.¡¯ The new armor was still in its initial stages. Maybe in half a year or a year, he would have everything he thought he needed to build it, but for now, the Mark 3 was still enough.


    In this world, Tony had chosen to prioritize quality over quantity. Therefore, each Mark armor he designed couldn¡¯t just be slightly better than the previous one¡ªit needed to be a true qualitative leap in its capabilities. Or at least, that¡¯s how he saw it.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    Looking at the still-incomplete design projected in front of him, Tony couldn¡¯t help but wish it was already finished and assembled. His impatience was still something he needed to work on.


    ¡®Maybe I could make a prototype¡­ I wonder if Daniel would be willing to have a practice fight to test it.¡¯ Tony had wanted to test his armor¡¯s capabilities against the hero for a long time, but after everything that had happened since meeting him, he had finally decided against it. He had already gathered enough information about Daniel¡¯s abilities to know that the Mark 3 was still far from comparable.


    But maybe the Mark 4 could get closer.


    As Tony worked, lost in his thoughts, something changed in the environment, and Jarvis was the first to notice. The artificial intelligence detected strange movements that it couldn¡¯t analyze properly, as the building¡¯s security system was still under construction.


    Even so, that didn¡¯t stop it from going into high alert, even if it could only be a mistake in its sensors.


    ¡°Sir, I¡¯m afraid something is happening.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Tony blinked in confusion. ¡°Jarvis, if you¡¯re being vague on purpose, it¡¯s better you tell me now.¡± Despite saying that, he didn¡¯t hesitate and started walking toward the part of his workshop where his armor was resting.


    But he wasn¡¯t fast enough.


    Before he could fully react, the glass of one of the nearby windows shattered suddenly, and a figure shot in from the outside of the building, closing the distance between them in an instant.


    A gloved fist slammed into Tony''s face with enough force to deform metal and turn stone to dust. The billionaire''s pupils shrank at the unexpected attack, but even greater was the surprise of his attacker when the blow didn¡¯t crush his skull and reduce his head to a bloody mist as intended.


    Instead, it struck a translucent blue energy layer that blocked most of the attack, though not entirely, and this became clear when Tony''s body was sent flying several meters until he crashed into a nearby wall, easily breaking through it from the impact.


    A cloud of dust rose, and from it, Tony clumsily rolled across the ground until his back collided with another wall.


    ¡°Shit!¡± Tony coughed, reaching up with his hand to his face, feeling the blood trickling down his nose with his fingertips.


    ¡®That could¡¯ve killed me!¡¯


    Tony had never been so glad to be as cautious as he was now.


    A while ago, when Fury and Natasha had barged into his home in Metropolis like they owned the place, Tony became acutely aware of how defenseless and unprepared he was without his armor nearby. At the same time, an old paranoia, born from his time in Afghanistan, resurfaced with full force.


    He¡¯d already been kidnapped once¡ªhe didn¡¯t need to experience it again.


    With that in mind, he got to work, and in a short time, he developed something to protect himself even without his armor nearby: a defense system based on his energy shield technology, powered by the Arc Reactor in his chest.


    It wasn¡¯t perfect, of course. Without his armor, he didn¡¯t have the dozens of projectors and sensors necessary to create full coverage around every inch of his body. In fact, he only had three main projectors along with their respective sensors: two on his wrists in the form of bracelets, and a larger one on his chest, built into the frame of his Arc Reactor.


    This limited his protective range, but even so, it was enough to keep all his vital areas safe from most conventional human weaponry.


    ¡®And apparently from stronger things too,¡¯ though perhaps that was thanks to the new Arc Reactor and its greater energy production capacity.


    Whatever the case, Tony couldn¡¯t help but mentally pat himself on the back for coming up with something like this so far in advance.


    His genius truly was unmatched.


    Before Tony could continue shamelessly praising himself, the wall behind him exploded, and two blurred figures lunged at him. Not only that, but from different parts of the building, emerging from the shadows, more and more figures appeared, quickly surrounding the floor he was on.


    Tony tried to resist, but even though he now had an energy shield around his body, he was still just a normal human. His attempt at resistance was quickly overwhelmed, and before he could say a single word, another punch to the face nearly made him see stars.


    A knee to his stomach made the dinner he¡¯d eaten just a few hours ago threaten to come back up the way it had gone in. Unable to help it, Tony was forced to drop to his knees.


    Then he felt two pairs of hands trying to rip the reactor from his chest. The blue light of his energy shield flared brightly, while at the same time, another light¡ªa yellow-orange glow¡ªappeared, as if trying to combat it.


    The light came from the bodies of his attackers, growing increasingly visible despite the dark clothing they wore. Waves of intense heat began to emanate from them.


    ¡®I¡¯ve seen this before!¡¯ Tony gritted his teeth, anger bubbling up inside him as the identity of his attackers became clear.


    For a moment, there was a stalemate¡ªTony unable to fight back, and his enemies unable to take what they seemed to have come for. But suddenly, the scene was interrupted by an almost deafening crash. Faster than the human eye could follow, a metallic figure rushed in, and with a swift motion, those holding Tony were sent flying across the room as if hit by a speeding truck.


    The Mark 3, controlled by Jarvis, stood protectively in front of Tony.


    ¡°You took your sweet time, Jarvis,¡± Tony complained as he got back on his feet, cautiously looking around and finally noticing the other figures surrounding him.


    ¡°Apologies, sir. Clearing the path to you was a bit more problematic than expected.¡±


    Hearing this, Tony understood immediately. ¡®So they went after the armor too.¡¯ The objective seemed clear, and although he had anticipated attempts to steal his technology, this was undoubtedly too brazen.


    ¡°I thought the Ten Rings had learned their lesson, but it seems it wasn¡¯t clear to you. Not only did you kidnap me, you also destroyed my company¡¯s building, and now you¡¯re attacking me in my new home?! This time, you¡¯ve completely crossed the line! And how the hell did you even get up here?! This is the damn 97th floor!¡±


    Of course, his words received no response. His silent enemies lived up to their appearance, merely staring at him coldly despite the heat radiating from their bodies.


    ''Damn it, since when did fighting fire terrorist ninjas become the least strange thing I¡¯ve experienced in my life?''


    The only thing left for him was to experience an alien invasion, and nothing could surprise him anymore.


    Licking the blood inside his mouth, Tony felt the sweat dripping down his forehead and the pounding of his heartbeat echoing in his ears.


    ¡°Well then, shall we begin?¡± As his words fell, the tense silence that had been flooding the place shattered, and in an instant, everyone moved.


    The members of the Ten Rings charged at full speed, trying to prevent him from entering his armor. But this time, they didn¡¯t manage to intercept him in time¡ªor rather, they failed to intercept Jarvis, who skillfully controlled the suit, closing the distance between it and Tony in less than a second.


    With the sound of machinery activating, the armor covered Tony from head to toe, igniting its new arc reactors powered by the Badassium core.


    Iron Man was ready for battle.


    Without hesitation, the thrusters on his back roared to life at full power, and without caring about the destruction he might cause, Tony slammed directly into two of his attackers head-on, crashing through several walls with their bodies.


    In no time, the entire building descended into chaos. Flashes of blue and yellow light flooded the place as flames began to spring to life.


    Tony used his repulsor rays to send some of them flying, but there were too many, and soon he found himself caught in hand-to-hand combat that made the entire area tremble.


    ¡°Jarvis, analyze their attack pattern!¡± At his command, the suit''s predictive system sprang into action, and in just a few seconds, Tony shifted from being on the defensive to effectively counterattacking.


    With a quick movement, he dodged one of the incoming blows and grabbed the arm of his attacker. Without hesitation, he performed a throw, slamming the man against the ground with enough force to crack the concrete and send them both plummeting directly to the floor below.


    ¡°That¡¯s for punching me in the face!¡± Tony said, standing over the fallen form of the Ten Rings member. Then, he lifted his leg and slammed it into the man¡¯s stomach with great force.


    "And this is for almost making me throw up my dinner!" With his vengeance taken, Tony lifted his head to see the others fearlessly throwing themselves down through the hole he had made in the upper floor.


    ¡®They¡¯re so damn annoying!¡¯ Tony didn¡¯t know exactly what these guys were or why their bodies radiated so much heat and could regenerate from the injuries he inflicted, but he did know he had to be careful not to kill them by accident.


    Not just because he wanted to interrogate them, but also because he remembered what happened when they died. He had no interest in blowing up the building he had just purchased.


    Of course, saying it was easier than doing it¡ªespecially when you were in the middle of a fight where you were outnumbered.


    Tony kept trying to knock them out, but their resilience was beyond any normal parameters, and soon those he thought he had already defeated were back on their feet, fighting again.


    "Enough!" Without hesitation, he extended his palm, striking one of them in the stomach and sending him flying through a window. Then, he fired a full-power repulsor ray that pierced through his body, killing him instantly.


    BOOM!


    The explosion lit up the night sky over New York.


    The fight paused momentarily, and Tony turned to face the remaining members of the Ten Rings, the eyes of his armored mask glowing with a cold light.


    ¡°I only need one of you alive.¡±


    His words seemed to amplify the murderous intent that filled the air. Then, the battle resumed, and soon more and more explosions began to flood the sky, with the newly named Stark Tower lighting up like a torch in the darkness.


    When it was all over, only one member of the Ten Rings remained alive, both legs severed at the knees.


    With heavy steps, Tony approached him, ready to prevent him from committing suicide. But before he could act, an unknown phenomenon occurred, causing the sensors in his armor to go haywire.


    ¡®What the hell?¡¯ Tony watched in astonishment as the air distorted and a purple vortex began to form above the fallen Ten Rings member, like a portal to another world. For a moment, Tony thought his enemy would use it as an escape route, but instead, something shot through the portal at incredible speed¡ªa dark blade that pierced cleanly through his enemy''s chest, killing him instantly.


    ¡°No!¡± he shouted, but it was too late.


    A final explosion engulfed the top of the building in a blinding flash that wiped out more than one of the upper floors entirely.


    When the glow finally disappeared, the only thing left in the place was a stunned Tony, floating in his armor amidst the flames and smoke.


    .


    .


    .


    Note:


    let''s talk a bit about today''s chapter. Writing Tony is always fun, but also complicated. When I write him, I tend to get carried away a bit, making some things drag out longer than they should, hehe.


    Still, I think this has helped lay the groundwork for one of the future conflicts I''ve been working on. In case it hasn''t been clear yet, the Mandarin leading the Ten Rings in this world is the "real" Mandarin, and his rings are the real deal (the ones even comparable to the Infinity Stones), so we definitely have a true supervillain here, and it''ll be interesting to work with him!


    (As if that weren''t enough, he has an army of "ninjas" enhanced with Extremis.)


    Everything will be explained in due time. I don''t want to say too much since I don''t like spoilers, but it will definitely be exciting.


    Please leave your comments and opinions¡ªI always enjoy reading them!


    Remember that You can already find the next chapter of this story on P)atreon ( p)atreon com/EmmaCruzader ) All the support received is appreciated ;D

 53: Questioning

    53: Questioning


    "Sir, The commissioner Stacy is at the reception and wants to speak with you. It seems he¡¯s asking for your statement about what happened."


    Tony, who was applying cream to treat the burns on his body, grimaced at hearing Jarvis''s voice. He then turned and saw one of the projected screens showing the image of several police cars surrounding his building.


    "Tell him I have nothing to declare and let Pepper handle it later." She wouldn¡¯t be very happy about it, but Tony had no desire to deal with the police at the moment.


    ¡°You won¡¯t earn any good reviews from the police department if you don¡¯t at least try to cooperate with them, you know?¡± Daniel said, landing through one of the large holes in the ceiling and standing not far from Tony.


    The man looked a bit battered, though not excessively so. Perhaps the most noticeable signs were the reddish handprint-shaped marks on his chest and arms¡ªburns that could have been worse but fortunately weren¡¯t.


    ¡°Tch, look who¡¯s talking. As far as I know, your interactions with them have left much to be desired.¡± That was true, and Daniel could only shrug in response.


    ¡°The difference is that my identity isn¡¯t public. They can make things difficult for you. Me? They can only curse under their breath during lunch while eating donuts.¡±


    Oh, Daniel knew the police weren¡¯t particularly enthusiastic about his existence, but it wasn¡¯t something that really bothered him. He¡¯d said it before and would keep saying it in the future: politics and bureaucracy were two things he preferred to ignore as much as possible¡ªand he could make that "possible" very extensive.


    ¡°I think I have enough experience dealing with those guys to know how annoying they can be,¡± Tony replied in a slightly disdainful tone.


    Well, in that, he was right. Daniel then decided to let Tony handle it and didn¡¯t interfere any further. If he got into trouble later because of his attitude, they¡¯d figure out a way to get him out of it.


    Future problems for future Daniel. At this point, he considered putting the phrase in a frame and hanging it in his future secret base.


    Soon, Tony finished treating his burns, and the sound of turbines grew louder in the sky.


    Of course, it was no surprise to either of them to see a Quinjet approaching and parking near one of the holes in the building, with a ramp extending from its rear.


    Daniel raised his hand in greeting to Natasha and to Nick Fury, who was walking near her with the help of a cane.


    Beside him was a third person whom Daniel vaguely recognized as Agent Phil Coulson. He simply nodded at the man in a simple greeting, which was reciprocated.


    Once the three disembarked, the Quinjet took off again, likely to land somewhere nearby.


    "What happened?" Fury asked without beating around the bush as his single eye surveyed the destruction of the place.


    "How cold, not even a ''how are you?''"


    "Cut the cheap dramatics, Stark. I''m the one using a cane here," the man replied, gripping the handle to emphasize his point, making his leather gloves creak.


    "You''re not the one who was attacked in his own home!" Tony retorted, letting the anger still simmering within him show, though he had been keeping it under control... for the most part.


    "Alright, calm down. Fighting won''t help anyone right now," Daniel said, looking at them with disapproval. Tony merely huffed and crossed his arms, while Fury narrowed his one eye.


    "Jarvis, if you can, give us a recap of the events. If you have visuals, even better," Daniel said, and the AI quickly obeyed, projecting a screen and beginning to recount parts of the incident from its perspective. Tony occasionally added his own comments.


    "It all ended when that damn portal opened and killed the last of them."


    "I never thought technology like this actually existed on Earth," Natasha couldn''t help but comment as she watched the footage captured by Tony''s suit.


    She had seen many strange things throughout her life, and this was definitely making its way to the top¡ªan increasingly difficult feat these days.


    "It''s not impossible. Stark isn''t the only genius in the world. What we should really be asking is how the Ten Rings got access to something like this without anyone noticing," Fury remarked, his tone laced with evident concern.


    The director of S.H.I.E.L.D. already knew the terrorist organization was far more dangerous than he had ever imagined. What happened with Stane and the recent attack on Stark were just further proof, making it clear that dealing with them wouldn''t be as straightforward as he''d once hoped.


    "Assuming it''s technological might be a bit hasty, don''t you think? What about magic?" Daniel''s words made everyone turn to him with raised eyebrows¡ªTony, in particular, wore an expression that clearly read, ''Are you serious?'' almost offended.


    Fury considered it for a moment before nodding.


    "It''s not impossible."


    Tony muttered under his breath, giving them both an incredulous look, as if he couldn''t believe they were even considering it seriously.


    "It doesn''t make sense to theorize about something we have so little information on. For now, what interests me most is how their men have been enhanced. It''s clear they''re more than just human, and the heat they emit is just as unnatural as the way their wounds regenerate," Daniel said, pointing at an image where one of them regrew an entire arm after Tony had blown it off with one of his repulsor blasts.


    "Do you think it could be related to the M-Gene?" Natasha asked, recalling the research into the genetic anomalies that had been appearing more frequently around the world these days.


    "No, the M-Gene is more random, chaotic. This is far too uniform. They all share the same set of abilities. If I had to guess, this is artificial empowerment, like that super-soldier serum from World War II."


    "Are you saying the Ten Rings have an army of super-soldiers?" The thought that a terrorist organization had accomplished what all the world''s governments couldn''t in years was far from comforting for Fury.


    "Even if it''s hard to believe, all the evidence points to that. But estimating the exact number of their empowered soldiers is difficult since we don''t know how complicated the process is. What we do know is that they''re not exactly indispensable," Daniel said, gesturing toward the recording where the sword emerging from the portal impaled the last surviving member of the Ten Rings.


    With a portal, saving that man would have been easy, but instead, they chose to kill him without a second thought, making it clear that his value to them wasn¡¯t particularly high.


    "Of course, it''s all speculation. Perhaps if I had a blood sample, I could conduct a deeper analysis and get some answers that would tell us whether these are truly super-soldiers or something else."


    "Well, then you''re in luck that I''m a genius and anticipated such a need," Tony said with a triumphant smile on his face. He gestured toward the Mark 3, which was resting not far away. The suit powered up and, moving on its own, raised one of its arms. A compartment on its side opened, revealing a vial inside.


    Since Daniel had asked for his help in dealing with the monsters, Tony had thought that taking biological samples would become important over time, so he had incorporated a way to do so into his armor. It seemed that once again, his foresight had hit the mark.


    Tony took the vial in his hand, staring at the blood inside that seemed to almost glow, then tossed it to Daniel, who caught it effortlessly.


    Although Tony had considered running the tests himself, it was clear to the billionaire that Daniel, who knew more about genetics than anyone else among them, was the better choice to handle it.


    ¡°I suppose you don¡¯t have another one lying around, do you?¡± Fury asked, slightly hopeful, but Tony shook his head, crushing that small hope in an instant.


    ¡°I thought I¡¯d get more out of the prisoner, and you know how that turned out.¡±


    Daniel tucked the vial into his tool belt and turned to Fury with a smile.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much, Fury. I¡¯ll get all the results we need in no time.¡±Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    Fury sighed, grudgingly accepting it. Clearly, the man wanted his own scientists to analyze the sample, but that wasn¡¯t something likely to happen anytime soon.


    "Alright, I¡¯ll count on you for that. On another note, we still need to discuss the actions we can take as countermeasures against the Ten Rings. I thought they would keep their heads down after their plan with Stane failed, but this incident clearly shows otherwise. If they¡¯re so desperate for Stark¡¯s technology, they must be planning something big, and we need to stop it at all costs."


    This threat had already escalated to a point where Fury wasn¡¯t sure if S.H.I.E.L.D. could handle it alone, so he could only look for a solution with Daniel and Tony.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it simple? We just have to kick their asses,¡± Tony said, dismissing Fury¡¯s concern. Then he narrowed his eyes and added in a grave voice, ¡°Since they want my technology so badly, they¡¯re invited to try and take it. And when they come, I¡¯ll be ready.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re suggesting being the bait?¡± Natasha asked, raising an eyebrow.


    ¡°Is there another option? S.H.I.E.L.D. has had them in its sights for years, and clearly, that hasn¡¯t achieved much¡ªor am I wrong? Because this would be a good time to tell me if you know where they are.¡±


    Fury didn¡¯t like the mocking tone in Tony¡¯s voice, but he couldn¡¯t argue back because he was right. Despite knowing about the existence of the Ten Rings for years, S.H.I.E.L.D. hadn¡¯t managed to uncover much about the organization¡ªat least not the real one. The Middle Eastern branch was clearly just a front, which had been exposed when Tony and Daniel destroyed all their bases in Afghanistan.


    "Actually, Tony¡¯s idea isn¡¯t entirely bad. They¡¯ve already shown they don¡¯t mind attacking him publicly, and I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll stop now that they¡¯ve come this far. On the other hand, it¡¯s not like we have any leads on where to look for them, right? They could be anywhere in the world thanks to their ability to create portals¡ªeven in completely inaccessible places," or another dimension, though Daniel didn¡¯t say that aloud since even to him, it seemed unlikely, though not impossible.


    Whatever the case, for now, they could only stay on the defensive until the Ten Rings resurfaced, and maybe then they could gain another clue about what they were plotting.


    Searching blindly would only be a waste of time that none of them could afford.


    ¡°You heard him, Fury. For now, let me handle this and use your free time to clean up your own mess.¡±


    Tony¡¯s comment clearly didn¡¯t sit well with the shield director , who frowned and glared at him with anger.


    ¡°What do you mean, Stark?¡±


    ¡°I mean you still haven¡¯t explained why one of your scientists nearly destroyed the entire East Coast. What? Did you think I forgot about that? Because I haven¡¯t. And if you don¡¯t clear things up, we might have a problem.¡±


    Tony had done some digging since the incident with Graviton, and while he hadn¡¯t uncovered everything¡ªmainly due to a lack of time¡ªit wasn¡¯t hard for him to identify the man responsible. A man who had disappeared for ten years and had been working for S.H.I.E.L.D. when it happened.


    ¡°Do you really want to talk about that right now?¡± Fury was clearly not happy with the sudden questioning.


    ¡°Actually, he has a point,¡± Daniel said, looking at Fury, though not as harshly as Tony. ¡°While I don¡¯t particularly care about what S.H.I.E.L.D. does in its private matters, I think it would be good if you informed us whether incidents like this might happen again.¡±


    Fury remained silent for a moment, clear irritation etched on his face, but he eventually sighed, and like a deflating balloon, his shoulders sagged slightly before he began explaining how Franklin Hall had come to work for him and the project he had been in charge of.


    "I didn¡¯t stop Hall when I should have, and that¡¯s on me. But I assure you, something like this won¡¯t happen again," he finished seriously, looking at the two men in front of him, prepared to further defend his case. But to his surprise, both seemed to accept his explanation without much issue.


    In the end, Tony only wanted a clear and direct explanation of the whole matter, and Daniel just wanted to fill in the gaps in his memory to see if he could recall anything else that might be useful in the future.


    There were a few things, but nothing truly noteworthy, which was disappointing but expected.


    If recovering his important memories were so easy, he would¡¯ve had them all back by now.


    With that resolved, they discussed further how Tony would draw the Ten Rings¡¯ attention. Once he explained his plan, Daniel scoffed, Natasha rolled her eyes, and Fury simply shook his head.


    Agent Phil Coulson, for his part, was the one who voiced his thoughts aloud, speaking for the first time since the meeting began.


    ¡°You must be joking. Do you really think something like that will work?¡±


    Tony, who seemed to finally acknowledge his existence, looked at him with amusement and slight smugness.


    ¡°Agent Filips, I almost forgot you were here.¡±


    Coulson opened and closed his mouth like a fish out of water, slightly offended by the mispronunciation of his name and unsure whether to correct him or not.


    ¡°Your doubt is a little offensive, but I¡¯ll let it slide this time. Just wait and see. I¡¯ll have those idiots crawling out of their hideout sooner or later,¡± the billionaire assured with full confidence.


    ¡°Setting aside Tony¡¯s questionable plan, I think there¡¯s another matter we need to discuss,¡± Daniel interrupted, deciding to give Coulson a break and steer the conversation toward topics he considered more important.


    ¡°There are plenty of matters to discuss, but¡­¡± Fury looked around once more before continuing, ¡°we might need to change locations.¡±


    .


    .


    .


    In the end, they didn¡¯t move very far. After Fury made sure the police surrounding the area left, everyone descended to one of the better-preserved lower floors, where they finally found some suitable seating.


    For a ¡°secret¡± meeting meant to safeguard the world, the setting certainly lacked the proper atmosphere. From an outsider¡¯s perspective, knowing nothing about them, their group might seem, at best, a little strange. But those who truly knew their identities wouldn¡¯t dare to comment on it.


    Of all of them, Daniel felt the most self-conscious. After all, it wasn¡¯t easy getting used to wearing a costume when no one else did. It almost felt like one of those dreams where you find yourself naked in the middle of class¡ªonly this was real. Still, he didn¡¯t let it show outwardly, acting as ¡®calmly¡¯ as he always did.


    Being the world¡¯s first hero wasn¡¯t easy, and Daniel could only hope things would improve when more people, besides him, started wearing their own costumes to meetings like this.


    "It seems there¡¯s nothing new on this front, huh?" Daniel said, glancing over the results S.H.I.E.L.D.¡¯s scientists had obtained after several days of experimenting with Jarol, the monster Daniel had defeated and handed over to S.H.I.E.L.D. for independent study.


    Even though he already knew they wouldn¡¯t uncover much, he had harbored a faint hope that one of them might see or find something that neither he nor Lara had been able to. Clearly, that hope was just an illusion, as they had all hit the same wall, and the results were even lacking in certain areas.


    Earth¡¯s technology was still far from being sufficient for this kind of research.


    ¡°S.H.I.E.L.D. has managed to capture a few other monsters that have appeared around the world. Their mutations are clearly less severe, but they still exhibit the same characteristics. We thought maybe we¡¯d get better results from them due to their greater retention of ¡®humanity,¡¯ but we were wrong,¡± Natasha said, handing him some additional reports and data.


    Daniel took them and quickly scanned through the contents.


    He already knew that more monsters would start appearing in greater numbers as time went on. It was something he had been dealing with during his patrols around the world these days. Of course, not all of them were real threats. Many were only slightly better than average humans, though with grotesque appearances and behaviors. Some displayed interesting abilities, but nothing truly remarkable.


    Well-trained teams with the proper weapons and equipment could not only kill them but also incapacitate them to capture them without many problems. S.H.I.E.L.D. had started collecting several of them for their tests, but judging by the data they presented to him, this hadn¡¯t brought many benefits to the research, aside from knowing that they all originated from the same ¡®genetic anomaly,¡¯ that is, the M Gene.


    Cases like Jarol, Greg, and the leader of the Ten Rings in Afghanistan, Raza, were special in a certain sense due to their abnormal, great power, and Daniel still didn¡¯t know exactly why. In addition, of course, to external factors beyond the M Gene, such as the X Gene or foreign substances like kryptonite¡ªthings that, so far, had only been present in one of the three ''important'' cases, meaning they couldn¡¯t really be taken into consideration, but also couldn¡¯t be completely dismissed.


    Without a doubt, if an individual who possessed both the M Gene and the X Gene awakened one of these two, its influence would eventually awaken the other, and the result would undoubtedly be, at best, disastrous.


    For now, there hadn¡¯t been another case besides Greg¡¯s, but Daniel knew that sooner or later it would happen, and many lives would be lost if it wasn¡¯t dealt with quickly.


    Another reason to find a way to ¡®destroy¡¯ or ¡®neutralize¡¯ the M Gene in the portion of the human population that carried it.


    "It doesn''t seem like we''ll solve this problem anytime soon, and although S.H.I.E.L.D. has managed to capture some of them, the facilities where we''re holding them are barely able to continue containing them," Fury said, then pulled out a folder with the codename "Tartarus" written on its cover.


    "That''s why I''ve spoken with the members of the World Council, and they''ve finally decided to give me all the financial support necessary to build a new prison designed for ''special'' individuals. I''d like you to take a look at it." Of course, it goes without saying that the whole incident with Graviton greatly helped his case. Naturally, Fury hadn''t been foolish enough to admit it was S.H.I.E.L.D.''s fault. It was one thing for Daniel and Tony to know, as well as his trusted agents, but the Council? That wasn''t necessary.


    "You really like dramatic names, don''t you?" Tony commented with amusement. He then picked up the folder, letting Jarvis scan its contents before projecting it onto a series of holographic screens in front of him and Daniel.


    The design was certainly ambitious, and the security measures proposed undoubtedly surpassed those of any other prison on Earth. Fury had even included a lot of advanced technology that was usually kept under lock and key. It was obvious the man wasn''t planning to cut any corners on this.


    "I''ll say this: your design isn''t bad, but it could be better. Give me two days, and I''ll give you something that''s at least five steps ahead," Tony declared matter-of-factly. No one in the room doubted his words, even if they sounded arrogant. The billionaire had already been toying with ideas for a prison since Fury first brought it up a while ago, and it seemed it was time to put those ideas ''on paper.''


    "Additionally, Stark Industries will publicly fund 45% of the expenses." That, of course, made Fury furrow his brow.


    "What are you trying to pull, Stark?" he asked, eyeing him suspiciously. Tony simply shrugged.


    "Don''t take it the wrong way, Fury, but I don''t trust your ''governments'' to run the place cleanly. If you want my help and my technology, you have to let me get involved in this. Otherwise, you can do it on your own. Your choice."


    It was in moments like this that Daniel truly envied the power of ''money.'' If he had enough capital, he would undoubtedly have stepped forward in the same way, but unfortunately, his bank accounts were still far too short.


    ''Maybe it''s time to start accelerating my corporate plans,'' he thought, watching Fury''s face turn red, then dark purple, and almost green.


    .


    .


    .


    Note:


    This chapter was slightly delayed due to some management issues.


    You¡¯ve probably noticed there are still things left to address, but those will be tackled in the next chapter. Writing chapters that are too long tends to increase the time it takes me to translate and edit them. so I can only split things up to avoid it becoming overwhelming.


    Remember that You can already find the next chapter of this story on P)atreon ( p)atreon com/EmmaCruzader ) All the support received is appreciated ;D

 54: Almost a Hero

    54: Almost a Hero


    ¡°This is really good,¡± Natasha said with genuine surprise after taking a long sip from the cup of coffee Daniel had brought her. Beside her, Agent Coulson nodded in agreement, sipping from his own cup. As international agents, they had traveled to many parts of the world and tasted various types of coffee, but few could match the flavor of the one they were drinking now.


    Daniel smiled upon seeing their approval, proud of himself because this was the ultimate coffee recipe he had perfected after numerous attempts over the past year.


    The three of them ignored Fury and Tony, who were exchanging unfriendly looks off to the side.


    It had been almost half an hour since the topic of the new prison, ¡°Tartarus,¡± had come up, and during that time, Tony and Fury had been arguing over various aspects of it¡ªmost notably, the funding, which had generated the greatest discord.


    Daniel wasn¡¯t particularly interested in the discussion and didn¡¯t have much to contribute to it anyway, so he had struck up a light conversation with Natasha and Coulson. Eventually, he noticed the morning sun beginning to rise, prompting him to head to the kitchen and prepare some coffee for everyone.


    When he returned, it seemed they had finally finished talking about it, and now only a tense silence lingered¡ªor at least it would have, if not for the other three people in the room.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t peg you as the barista type,¡± Coulson remarked, his posture noticeably more relaxed compared to when they first met.


    ¡°Well, when you have a picky palate, you tend to develop methods to enhance flavors,¡± Daniel said casually. But his comment quickly piqued Natasha¡¯s interest.


    ¡°A picky palate, huh? You know, I¡¯ve always wondered¡ªhow much of you is different from everyone else?¡± At the question, Daniel smiled. He didn¡¯t mind her curiosity, as he thought it was something natural for her. After all, as a spy, one of her jobs was to gather information, whether consciously or unconsciously.


    Of course, Coulson and Fury also ¡°perked up¡± their ears.


    ¡°Well, aside from tastes, I have an excellent sense of smell¡ªlike, really good. And that usually makes things uncomfortable, but I manage by simply holding my breath,¡± It had taken him some time, but he had grown accustomed to not breathing too much in environments where he knew the odors would be unpleasant.


    His home was probably one of the best-smelling places on the planet¡ªa joint effort he and Carol had worked hard on during the rare moments of free time Daniel had.


    ¡°So that¡¯s why there¡¯s barely any pulmonary ventilation in your body,¡± Natasha said, understanding gleaming in her eyes. Daniel wasn¡¯t surprised she had noticed. Though she was very skilled and discreet, he had long been aware of her analytical gaze on him. It was a very analytical and subtle gaze, but one that still needed refining to surpass those with super senses Like him.


    ¡°Once again, the things you do make no sense. Then again, maybe common sense is starting to become useless with so many strange things popping up,¡± Tony finally joined the conversation, reaching out for the cup of coffee Daniel had brought him.


    ¡°Speaking of things popping up, maybe it¡¯s time to talk about our two mysterious friends,¡± Fury interjected, seizing the moment. He looked at Daniel and Tony seriously as he pulled out two more folders, which Jarvis quickly scanned without needing to be prompted.


    ¡°I was wondering when you¡¯d bring that up,¡± Daniel said, looking at the projected screen in front of him¡ªspecifically, an image of Carol in disguise, helping people across various parts of Washington, D.C.


    On the other hand, on another screen, all that could be seen was a streak of red and yellow moving through different locations, saving people in astonishing numbers. It was so fast that not even a clear image of whatever it was could be captured.


    ¡°Is there something you¡¯d like to share with the team?¡± Fury asked, glancing at Daniel and then at the image of Carol.


    ¡°Is there any need to feign ignorance? Cut the crap, Fury. You know exactly what you want to ask,¡± Tony snorted at the way the SHIELD director seemed to be trying to handle things.


    It didn¡¯t seem like the two would get along anytime soon.


    Shrugging, Daniel spoke. ¡°If you¡¯re worried that she¡¯s a problem, shouldn¡¯t her actions have already spoken for her?" he then pointed to the images, images where Carol was saving people at every moment.


    ¡°In that, you¡¯re right. I don¡¯t believe she¡¯s a threat. I just want to know if we can count on her. Since the incident on the East Coast, she¡¯s been missing¡ªlike a ghost. Even our other friend has continued making appearances, But she¡¯s remained completely in the dark. Is there a reason for that?¡± Fury, of course, had many more questions than that, but he understood that he probably wouldn¡¯t get answers anytime soon, so he didn¡¯t ask them.


    ¡°She¡¯s just discreet¡ªunlike me, she doesn¡¯t like attention. But she¡¯ll help if the situation is critical. Beyond that, I can¡¯t say whether she¡¯d agree to anything else,¡± Daniel said and Fury frowned slightly before nodding.


    "Maybe you could talk to her about the team. With things as they are, I think it''s time to start looking for new members." Daniel and Tony were good, but they were only two. If a crisis of the same level as the Graviton attack happened again, it would be best to have more members available to help.


    Although the exact death toll from the incident was still unclear, it was dangerously approaching five figures¡ªa terrifying number that wasn¡¯t worse thanks to the efforts of Defiance and the man newly named by the media as ¡®Flash.¡¯


    "I¡¯ll ask her, but I can¡¯t promise anything," Daniel said noncommittally.


    He then looked at the image of Flash with interest.


    "What about this guy? Have you managed to make contact yet?" At his question, Fury looked at Coulson. The agent straightened up, set his coffee aside, and quickly began explaining everything he had discovered so far.


    "He appeared some time ago in Central City, initially doing small things¡ªhelping people, saving lives. Very much like you, but focused solely on the city and its surroundings," Coulson then pointed to some news articles and witness reports that had been made during those days. There were no images or very accurate descriptions, just mere speculations¡ªat least at the beginning.


    "His activity started increasing, and he gradually began to deal with more serious things¡ªrobberies, attempted murders, various criminal acts that were stopped instantly without the perpetrators even knowing what hit them. That, of course, drew S.H.I.E.L.D.''s attention, which is around the time I was assigned the case to investigate him thoroughly."


    It seemed Flash had been keeping a low profile and hadn¡¯t started interacting much with anyone yet¡ªsomething Daniel thought was understandable since it appeared he¡¯d only recently gained his powers.


    "I hadn¡¯t been able to uncover much until the East Coast attack, where he decided to leave his usual area of activity and started traveling to all the affected cities to save people. That gave us a lot more images and witnesses, as well as some descriptions: male, in his early to mid-twenties, slim but athletic build, standing between 1.80 and 1.85 meters tall. He wears a costume with a mask clearly inspired by heroic aesthetics, along with a yellow lightning bolt symbol. Of course, these details aren¡¯t fully verified yet since we don¡¯t have any truly clear images of him. His speed might even be faster than yours."


    Coulson felt somewhat discouraged. He¡¯d been working very hard on the case but hadn¡¯t been able to obtain anything truly substantial to help contact Flash.


    "I¡¯d like to think it¡¯s some kind of revolutionary technology, but as things stand, it seems more likely to be some sort of supernatural power. Maybe something genetic?" Tony said, watching the videos of Flash¡ªor rather, the videos of the residual images left behind by Flash.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    "In fact, he''s faster than me," Daniel admitted easily, causing everyone to look at him in surprise. After all, until now, people had always thought that Defiant was the fastest living being in the world.


    "How do you know? This guy only moves on the ground, you fly," Natasha questioned with curiosity.


    "During my fight with Graviton, I saw him a few times while he was saving people from the earthquakes and floods. Even though he moves on the ground, his speed is insane¡ªeven for me. I could barely keep track of him" Daniel had thought that he and Carol were fast, but when he saw Flash, he understood what true speed really was.


    He couldn¡¯t travel like that on Earth without risking burning the atmosphere and destroying everything in his path.


    "Then making contact with him will be difficult," Fury said, frowning.


    "Not really. I¡¯ll take a trip to Central City and patrol the area for a while. That¡¯ll surely get his attention, and he¡¯ll come to me. Then I¡¯ll meet him," Daniel offered, though in truth, this had already been his plan ever since he learned Flash was active in the streets.


    "Do you think it¡¯ll work?" Natasha looked at him, and he nodded confidently.


    "Why wouldn¡¯t it work? Aren¡¯t we on the same side? I mean, being heroes and all."


    "Fine. If possible, arrange a meeting. If not, just talk to him about S.H.I.E.L.D. and the team and see what he thinks," It wasn¡¯t exactly what Fury had hoped for, but it didn¡¯t seem like any of his agents had a chance of making contact with Flash, so he could only let Daniel give it a try.


    They talked about other things for a while, but nothing particularly important, and soon the meeting began to wrap up.


    .


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    .


    "This¡­ sucks," Ned couldn¡¯t find a better word to describe the situation. Beside him, Peter nodded, his eyes fixed on Jessica''s pale face through the glass window separating them from her hospital room.


    The smell of medicine and sterilization in the place was starting to irritate his nose. Yes, that had to be the reason why his eyes were beginning to itch.


    ¡°Have the doctors said anything about when she might wake up?¡± Peter asked, trying to stay calm. Jessica¡¯s mother, who was standing next to them looking at her daughter, took a moment to respond, her voice somewhat fragile, the exhaustion evident on her face.


    ¡°It could be today, it could be tomorrow, or it could be a year from now. No one knows.¡±


    Peter clenched his fist as his eyebrows furrowed. Although Ned and he had suspected that something must have happened to Jessica, they hadn¡¯t expected it to be this bad.


    A car accident. A truck carrying chemical waste. Those two things were the key points in the story that had left Jessica in a coma, one that seemed unlikely for her to wake up from.


    Maybe the only good thing was that the company transporting the chemical waste had decided to cover all the medical bills that the Jones family¡¯s insurance didn¡¯t.


    It wasn¡¯t even their responsibility since the whole incident had occurred during the attack on the East Coast, but they had stepped up anyway.


    It seemed that moments of crisis really could bring out the best in people.


    Peter and Ned stayed a little longer, but eventually, they left since there wasn¡¯t much to do besides watch Jessica sleep. Before leaving, Peter asked Mrs. Jones to let him know if there were any updates, giving her his phone number so she could contact him.


    He hoped for good news soon, even if it seemed unlikely.


    As they left New York General Hospital, the two boys walked the streets of the Big Apple in silence for a while. The city seemed to be in decent shape despite everything that had happened. Occasionally, they would see buildings under repair as well as streets crowded with construction and demolition crews.


    ¡°Oh man!, that was my favorite food spot!¡± Ned said, disheartened as he noticed the ruins of one of the establishments that had been affected.


    ¡°I wonder if Mr. Len is okay,¡± Peter said seriously, looking at the damage to the place, His mood growing increasingly sour due to the situation around him.


    His home, his neighborhood, even his city¡ªand Jessica¡ªall had been hurt just because a deranged maniac with too much power in his hands had decided he wanted to bring the world to its knees.


    And like many other things in his life, he hadn¡¯t been able to do anything to prevent it from happening...


    Before he could keep thinking about it, he felt a faint tingling sensation at the back of his head.


    ¡°Stop him!¡± A woman¡¯s sharp cry reached his ears, and Peter turned around, noticing a guy running at full speed through the streets with a bag in hand.


    ¡®Are you serious? Everyone¡¯s going through tough times, and someone thought it was okay to steal right now?¡¯


    Without a second thought, he started running, his body easily picking up speed as he closed the distance between himself and the thief in record time.


    Seeing Peter coming straight at him, the thief¡¯s eyes widened in alarm, and he tried to pivot to dodge. But it was too late. Peter was already in front of him, and with ease, he grabbed the man¡¯s arm and squeezed, causing a cry of pain to escape the thief¡¯s lips.


    ¡°S-Stop!¡± At the faint sound of a cracking, Peter snapped out of his anger and loosened his grip. The man collapsed to his knees, and Peter gave him a brief apologetic look before picking up the stolen bag.


    A nearby police officer was already approaching, quickly running over to the man and starting to handcuff him.


    ¡°Well done, kid,¡± the officer said with a smile, and Peter nodded. That¡¯s when he noticed the small crowd of people who had been watching the scene unfold, making him feel a bit self-conscious.


    ¡°Thank you, I almost thought no one would stop him.¡± The owner of the bag arrived a few moments later, and Peter handed it to her, receiving her thanks without saying much.


    ¡°Dude, what the hell was that?!¡± Ned asked as he finally caught up, panting heavily. When Peter started running, Ned had tried to follow, but he¡¯d quickly been left eating dust and only just managed to catch up now.


    He almost felt like he was about to have a heart attack.


    ¡°You were like ''whoosh!'' and the thief looked at you like, ¡®Oh no!¡¯ And then you grabbed his arm and¡ª¡± Peter placed a hand over Ned''s mouth to stop him from continuing to shout.


    ¡°I know. I just did it.¡±


    ¡°When did you get so fast?¡± Ned asked with uncertainty once Peter lowered his hand. After all, they¡¯d known each other for years, and as far as Ned knew, Peter wasn¡¯t exactly an athletic star.


    ¡°Adrenaline, I guess¡­¡± Peter hesitated. Ned was his friend, but the changes he was experiencing were still too mysterious to share with anyone just yet.


    ¡°Adrenaline¡­ sure,¡± Ned said, frowning. He clearly had his doubts, but seeing Peter¡¯s unwillingness to continue the conversation, he decided to drop it.


    ¡°Anyway, that was really cool. Almost like a hero.¡±


    ''A hero?'' Peter blinked and looked at his hands. While he knew he was different now, the idea of being a hero hadn¡¯t crossed his mind until this moment.


    ¡®Maybe¡­¡¯ Thinking about everything that had happened these past few days, and looking at the city and the people who had congratulated him for helping that woman, he couldn¡¯t help but let an idea form in his mind.


    ¡®Maybe I could try.¡¯


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    "These exams really suck!" Chloe grumbled as she and Carol walked out the front door of the school. Another day of classes, another day of boredom. Listening to Chloe¡¯s complaints was starting to get old for Carol.


    "If you¡¯re having such a hard time, I could help you study," Carol offered. Chloe perked up instantly at the suggestion, but after a moment, she shook her head.


    "Every year you help me; this time I have to do it on my own." Of course, it wasn¡¯t that Chloe was bad at studying¡ªher average was quite decent; she just needed to be more than decent if she wanted to get into the university that had been in her sights, and she felt that if she used Carol''s help to achieve this, it would be like a failure.


    Hearing this, Carol shrugged. It wasn¡¯t like she was going to insist. If Chloe didn¡¯t want help, it didn¡¯t matter.


    "Come on, talking about studying is way too boring. Let¡¯s go to the town center and grab something to eat, then you can tell me how things have been going with that guy," Chloe said, looking at Carol with a playful gaze.


    "It¡¯s Daniel. I¡¯ve told you his name a million times," Carol growled.


    "Daniel, Dan, whatever his name is¡ªI¡¯ll keep calling him ''that guy'' until I¡¯m sure he¡¯s not up to anything suspicious with you." Although Chloe had wanted to investigate this Daniel before, her time had been a bit limited lately, so she could only probe the situation by asking Carol about it every now and then.


    "I''m not a kid, Chloe. I can take care of myself."


    Hearing this, Chloe frowned.


    "And I''m your friend, and I care about you."


    Carol''s irritation eased slightly. She sighed and looked at Chloe with a hint of apology.


    "I know. Just... don¡¯t worry too much, okay? There¡¯s nothing dangerous for me in Daniel."


    Of course, that didn¡¯t do much to convince Chloe, but she didn¡¯t push further. She didn¡¯t want to keep putting Carol on the defensive.


    Soon, they reached where Chloe had parked her car and prepared to leave. But before they did, Carol stopped, frowning.


    ¡®What is she doing here?¡¯


    The person she was referring to was, of course, Lena Luthor, who had been waiting in the street outside the school.


    The woman seemed to notice her gaze because she smiled and raised a hand in greeting.


    Carol hesitated. She had promised Daniel not to seek out Lena, and she had never intended to break that promise.


    ¡®But I didn¡¯t seek her out. She came on her own,¡¯ she thought, wondering if this could be considered a loophole.


    Seeing Lena start to approach, she decided this wasn¡¯t her fault. She¡¯d explain it to Daniel later¡ªhe would surely understand.


    "Why don¡¯t you go on your own? I just remembered I have something to do," she told Chloe, who had already gotten into the car. The blonde looked at her with doubt, but with Carol¡¯s insistence, she eventually started the engine and drove off.


    "Hey, sorry if I interrupted anything," Lena said when she finally reached her. The woman seemed to be in better shape than when Carol had first met her¡ªher voice and posture much more confident.


    "It wasn¡¯t anything important," Carol replied, and the two of them looked at each other in a moment of silence. For some reason, Carol¡¯s intense blue eyes made Lena feel slightly nervous inside, but it wasn¡¯t something she allowed to show outwardly.


    "Well, if you have time, I¡¯d like to talk to you. Maybe grab something to eat," Lena said, gesturing to a new car parked where she¡¯d been standing earlier.


    "I got another car."


    Carol thought about it for a moment before nodding.


    "Alright."


    .


    .


    .


    Note:


    Another chapter!


    Anyway, I don¡¯t have much to say. I hope you enjoy the chapter, and don¡¯t forget to leave a comment.


    Remember that you can now find the next chapter of this story on P)atreon ( p)atreon com/EmmaCruzader ) All the support received is appreciated ;D