A/N: We’re in 61!!
I’m motivated now!
Yosh!!
***
Zoom!
Battle Beast placed his mace in front of him, blocking Superboy’s laser, slowly being pushed back.
Seeing his laser having no effect, Superboy decided to use close combat.
With a boom!
he appeared in front of Battle Beast and punched out.
Bang!
Swoosh!
Bang!
The first attack was blocked by Battle Beast’s mace, but the second punch was too fast for him to react, striking his chest and sending him flying.
Swoosh!
Superboy followed him, caught his leg, spun, and threw him into the sky.
Boom!
Superboy exploded forward, appearing beneath Battle Beast.
His hands moved in a blur, striking the lion man continuously, small shockwaves spreading from where his fists connected.
Superboy’s arm tensed, faint veins curling around it as he punched out, the air surrounding his fist compressing and separating.
Boooom!
Compressed air exploded downward, and a shockwave bigger than before spread as Battle Beast flew higher, faster.
Even as he was beaten and sent flying, the lion man grinned like a madman, blood seeping through his teeth.
“Yes! Give me more! Show me the true depth of your power!” he screamed.
Superboy didn’t answer with words but with action, and Battle Beast didn’t stay still either, striking down with his mace.
Boooomm!!!
A massive shockwave erupted; the asphalt road caved in, forming a crater spanning tens of meters.
The two fighters separated, Superboy landing lightly on the ground while Battle Beast landed with an explosion, raising a massive dust cloud and stirring a strong gale.
Superboy, tense, stared at the dust cloud, his X-ray vision penetrating it, staring at Battle Beast.
As the dust cleared, Battle Beast’s figure was revealed, his mace broken and his armor bent, but his eyes still shone with fighting intent.
“Hahahah!” He burst out into laughter, filled with glee and delight.
“You have broken my steel,” he said after his laughter, his voice filled with respect.
“A fine strike. I shall forge a weapon worthy of your blood, and when I return, your world shall weep! Be ready, warrior—our true battle to the death awaits!”
Saying those words, Battle Beast tapped a device on his wrist, and a yellow rectangular portal swooshed into existence behind him, which he boldly walked into, not afraid of Superboy attacking.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Ben muttered.
“So what, that big bad lion guy just drops in, starts a fight, promises a duel to the death, and just bails? Is it National Dramatic Villain Day or something?”
Superboy ignored him and flew upward to the top floor of the Machine Head Tower, only to see the fight between heroes and villains already concluded, with the heroes emerging victorious.
Superboy smiled. Follow the newest chapters on g.com.
“It seems you guys are through here.”
Robot turned away from the handcuffed Machine Head to Superboy.
“We thank you for coming to our aid.”
Superboy shrugged.
“It’s nothing.”
***
In the weeks that followed, the city slowly rebuilt, and the frantic adrenaline of the Machine Head event faded.
For Superboy, due to the school break, the days blended into a routine of minor hero work—stopping bank robberies and clearing out low-level thugs.
And it was during a time of him flying aimlessly above the clouds that he met Atom Eve, whose face was both full of relief and sadness.
After inquiring, he finally knew the reason for the emotions.
“You’re leaving your house?” Superboy asked as he stared at Atom Eve in surprise.
They were both currently high up in the sky.
“Mhm,” Atom Eve nodded, her eyes flashing with sadness, which she quickly suppressed.
“I can’t stay with my parents anymore… it’s, it’s just I need a fresh start somewhere new. Somewhere I can actually do some good.”
“I see…” Superboy nodded and then asked, “So, have you found any place yet?”
Atom Eve nodded, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear.
“I’m moving outside Apex City.”
“Okay. How about I help you move?” Superboy asked.
“There’s no ne—”
“There’s currently nothing for me to do. Let me just help you,” Superboy said, stopping Atom Eve from completing her words.
She stared at him for a while before nodding.
“Okay.”
The two left Apex City and arrived at a forest nearby.
“This should do it,” Atom Eve muttered as she raised her hand and pointed at a massive tree.
With a flash of pink both around her hands and the tree, a massive, round wooden house was created.
“Neat,” Superboy said with a whistle.
Atom Eve smiled and, using her powers, controlled her bags to drift into the house before she turned to Superboy with a smile.
“This is why I said I didn’t need your help.”
Superboy shrugged.
Even though she tried to hide her sadness by cloaking it with a relieved smile, he could still tell that she was going through a lot.
Suddenly, an explosion rang out in the distance.
The two looked at each other.
“Let’s check it out,” Atom Eve said, and the two flew toward the explosion site, only to see two hikers running down a mountain, an avalanche of sand pursuing them.
Without thinking, Atom Eve, hands glowing pink, pointed at the avalanche and solidified it.
“Thank you!” one of the hikers said with gratitude, and Atom Eve replied with a smile before she and Superboy flew into the sky.
“It felt great,” Atom Eve said to Superboy immediately after they reached above the clouds.
“Hearing them say thank you… I don’t know, it’s the first time in a while I actually felt fulfilled. Like I’m finally doing what I was meant to do.”
“Then let’s help more.”
“Hm?”
He looked into the distance, his gaze piercing through the trees, seeing those in need of help before he turned back to her and pointed at his eyes.
“I couldn’t help you with the heavy lifting, but my eyes…” He smiled.
“My eyes can see far. So let me help you with that.”
Atom Eve blinked, then nodded with a smile.
“Okay.”
***
Atom Eve felt great inside.
The day wasn’t mainly used saving people from otherworldly beings or the Lizard League, but to help.
From helping some farmers’ crops grow to saving some hunters from lions and bears.
After a long day, the two found themselves in Atom Eve’s wooden but cozy home.
“Thanks for today,” Atom Eve said as she placed a coffee before the sitting Superboy.
“It’s nothing. To be honest, you seem like you needed to feel happy again and gain back that sense of being someone. I just did a little; all of it was you,” Superboy said as he took a little sip from the coffee.
Atom Eve didn’t say anything again.
Instead, she stared at him, watching him drink the coffee, feeling a weird feeling in her heart.
Superboy is too kind… it somehow feels dangerous, she thought with a smile.
“I should get going,” Superboy said as he placed his coffee on the table and stood up.
“Superboy,” Atom Eve called out to him, and he turned to her.
“…Would you be coming here again?” she asked.
Superboy smiled and nodded.
“Yeah. Just don’t pester me.”
She returned the smile.
“I won’t.”
Superboy turned and left the wooden house.
Atom Eve watched the sky as if she could see his receding figure.
***
“I’m home!” Jack said as he walked into his house, closing the door behind him.
“Welcome!” Sasha walked out of the kitchen with a wide smile, catching Jack off guard.
“What’s with the smile?” he asked, taking a step back.
Sasha seemed to either not notice or completely ignore it.
“I’ve been promoted!” she said.
Jack smiled.
“I know. You’ve said it before.”
“No. I mean I’ve been promoted again,” she said.
“Though it isn’t a permanent promotion, still… I’ll be the assistant to Starlight in Vought’s annual meeting!”
[A/N: Received a lot of comments on how I nerfed him a little bit too much, so I changed it so he only possesses 1% in the template.]