The mountains stood as silent sentinels, their towering peaks looming like ancient giants. A gentle breeze whispered through the pine trees, carrying with it the scent of pine needles and the distant cry of a nocturnal bird. The night sky was adorned with a celestial tapestry, stars glittering like diamonds against the inky backdrop.
Superman, his iconic cape fluttering with each movement, hovered above the pristine landscape. His powerful presence seemed almost out of place in this natural sanctuary, but it was a testament to his unwavering dedication.
Ace, who was regarded as a menace to society with an unparalleled power, levitated in stark contrast to the tranquility of the surroundings. His attire, black leather jacket with a white spade emblem behind it, stood out against the natural beauty that enveloped them. His eyes, however, were the most striking feature, gleaming with a glint of superiority.
Superman's determination was palpable in the tense night air. He was unwavering in his commitment to creating a better world by taking down anyone who might be a threat, and his countenance exuded the confidence of a hero. His vision narrowed as he unleashed his heat vision, a burst of fiery energy that streaked toward Ace. The incandescent beams sizzled through the pristine night, tracing arcs of light against the star-studded canvas.
Ace, however, was no stranger to such displays of power. With the swift precision of thought, he manipulated the swirling vectors that surrounded him, creating an invisible shield. The scorching beams struck the unseen barrier, dissipating into harmless wisps of energy.
He couldn't help the grin which crept across his lips, a twisted smile that hinted at his calculative actions. "Is that all you've got, Superman?" He taunted.
Superman's response was a thunderous roar as he surged forward. His fists, like meteors, blazed with energy, aimed to land a blow that would send Ace reeling. The shockwaves of his approach created deafening sonic booms that reverberated through the mountain valleys.
Ace came to realize that having his defense barely above his skin made it so he didn't take any damage but Superman felt he could get to him since he could send him a few paces back with his super punches. He needed to put him in his place and show him he was stronger than Superman ever thought.
Ace, ever the tactician, was prepared. He increased the density of the field which cloaked him, forming an invisible barrier that absorbed the brunt of Superman's powerful blows.
With a sardonic smile, he taunted, "You're going to have to do better than that."
With a speed that defied imagination, he launched his own counteroffensive. The mountains quivered as he manipulated the very air, summoning a powerful gust that rushed toward Superman. The hurricane-force wind buffeted the Man of Steel, forcing him to struggle against the relentless tempest.
Yet, even as the fury of nature raged around him, Superman refused to yield. With finesse, he weaved through the maelstrom, determined to defy the odds and land a decisive blow. The mountains themselves seemed to tremble as the two beings clashed, the very earth quaking beneath the force of their impact.
Their confrontation was a symphony of raw power and unyielding determination. The mountains echoed with the resounding clash of titans, each blow a testament to the incredible strength at play. The surrounding trees swayed in the fierce wind, their branches creaking in protest as they bore witness to the incredible spectacle.
With each passing moment, it became evident that this was a battle of cosmic proportions, where the mountains themselves seemed to vibrate with the intensity of their struggle. The serenity of the natural world clashed with the raw power of the superhuman beings, creating a dramatic juxtaposition that emphasized the enormity of the moment.
Superman's eyes raged with determination as he pushed through the relentless Ace's attacks, his target clear. He refused to be deterred, even as Ace's vectors mended the environmental landscape to his will. The night air was charged with tension, each second stretching into an eternity as none of them refused to back down nor show any signs of weakness.
Ace, for his part, was undeterred. His grin remained, even as he felt the impact of Superman's blows reverberate through his deflective field. His eyes glittered with the thrill of battle, a twisted pleasure in the sheer chaos of their confrontation.
He expanded the range of his deflective field to the normal range, wanting to take their fight a step further. Superman zapped at him again in mid air, clutching his fist.
The blow Superman landed on Ace's deflective field had sent him flying into a distance as he groaned in pain, holding onto his arm. The recoil from his punch had him stunned and his shoulder almost dislocating as the force from his punch was doubled and reflected right through his right arm.
"What was that?" He asked, annoyance clearing sipping through his voice.
"What was what? It looked to my like you punched yourself, kinda crazy right!" Ace taunted him. Superman ignored his annoying remark and charged at him midair.
Superman and Ace, locked in their cosmic struggle, were like gods battling in the heavens. The mountainside had become a stage for their drama, a place where the very earth itself quaked in response to their incredible power.
With every blow, every clash, the mountainside seemed to absorb their energy, the very essence of the environment resonating with their epic duel. This was a battle for the ages, a moment when the natural world collided with that od supes, and the mountainside itself became a silent witness to their timeless struggle.
Ace could have ended the fight a long time ago with the kryptonite he had hidden in his get up gear but he saw no reason to it, he had finally found a worthy opponent to exchange blows with and he relished the adrenaline rush he got from going toe-to-toe with the Man of Steel.
While trading blows midair, he caught Superman's fist with his left hand then grabbed him by the neck with his other hand. He immediately reached his head back as he concentrated on intensifying the density of the field protecting him around his forehead region.
It became so dense that it gave a slight blue luminous glow, Superman tried punching him with his other hand to get himself loose but it was a futile attempt as his fist got deflected in an annoying manner, unable to reach Ace.
He launched his forehead right at that of Superman, sending him flying through the air and crashing into the side of a mountain with an headbutt. "What's wrong, got a concussion? Well, allow me to fix that for you." Ace said as he saw the blow he gave Superman was effective.
He dashed through the air, before Superman could go for him, he grabbed Superman by the head and slammed him right back into the mountain, deepening the hole he had made with his body.
"On the outside you are as tough as steel, let's see how well you fare on the inside." Ace said with a sinister tone, kind of like a mad scientist who was slowly losing himself to his work.
Superman shouted in agony as Ace used his bioelectricity against him, he let out a painful groan as every fiber of his being crackled with electricity. He slowly moved his hand trying to grab hold of Ace but the walls of the rock pulled him back and held him in place, Ace had commanded it to do so. The electricity had him felling numb and unable to access his strength.
He continued with the internal torment till he noticed he was about to blackout. "Hey, stay with me here, boy scout. The night is still young, we've got a lot of play time on our hands." Ace said to him, before letting out a psychotic laugh. "This is quite fun, he added."
He heard the sound of a helicopter, looking back at it he saw it was a news helicopter which was recording a live footage of the scene.
Trucks with machine guns and armored tanks drove to the scene, hoping to contain the destruction from their fight.
The army had arrived and their order was to assist Superman in killing Ace the Tyrant, which was no surprise as he was a serious threat without a leash on him.
He stopped with the electricity and started bombarding Superman with a barrage of punches, punches that didn't only affect him external but also internally. Each time his fist made contact with Superman, he makes the force of impact resonate at a cellular level, causing damage within him.
The series of punches went on for quite a while as blood splattered across the grounds. A spotlight from the news helicopter had pointed at Ace and Superman who was bleeding from his mouth, and nose. He had conceived both external and internal damage from Ace.
Ace stopped with the torment when he saw how weak Superman was, he didn't want to render him unconscious, only wanted to have some fun with Lex's new pet and put him in his place while doing so.
Before he knew what was going on, Superman broke himself free from the rocky restraints then immediately flew up into the sky.
Ace was impressed he still had some strength left in him. "I'm glad you didn't disappoint me." He said with a satisfied smile playing beneath his mask when he suddenly noticed something. Superman wasn't stopping, he was flying right into space.
Ace immediately knew what that meant and realized this fight was far from over. "Someone is finally taking this fight seriously." He said as he watched him vanish into the night sky, literally shooting for the stars.
The nation teetered on the precipice of uncertainty, as the invincible Superman found himself locked in a brutal battle against an adversary most had underestimated.
Lois, her heart in her throat, could scarcely contain her shock as she witnessed the toll this clash had taken on her beloved. From the vantage of a helicopter, her lips quivered, her gaze unwavering, as she watched blow after savage blow rain down upon her partner. Desperately, she struggled to suppress the tears welling in her eyes, but the futility of her efforts was apparent to all.
Viewers in the safety of their homes sat in stunned disbelief, their eyes glued to the live news feed that showed the Man of Steel bearing the scars of this unexpected confrontation. Ace had succeeded in doing the unthinkable—making Superman bleed. Yet deep within Lois, there lingered a fragile hope that this clash might finally cleanse Superman's tortured soul of the shadows that had haunted him in recent weeks.
…
"He's proven even more formidable than my initial assessment," Batman noted, his eyes fixed on footage of Superman ascending into the boundless sky.
"I'll need to update my intel on Ace; It was clear he is quite strong and he had the power to take down Sinestro, but overpowering Superman is an unexpected turn of event," he continued, glancing at the vast screen before him, Alfred standing by with a steaming cup of tea.
"Shouldn't the heroes intervene to aid Superman?" Alfred inquired, handing the cup to Bruce, who accepted it with a nod.
"Without a doubt, Alfred. However, given his allegiance to Lex now, we're powerless until we find a way to break whatever hold Lex has over him," Bruce replied. "Furthermore, we heroes are currently branded as enemies of the state. If we step in, the military might divert their efforts from Ace and focus on capturing us."
"At this rate, Ace might succeed in defeating Superman," Alfred expressed his concern, while Bruce maintained his stoic demeanor.
"Judging by his previous modus operandi, he doesn't typically kill heroes. He might severely rough them up, but stopping short of taking a life," Bruce mused.
RING RING
Bruce pressed a button on his keyboard to answer the incoming call. "Go ahead," he said.
"Have you seen the news?" Barbara's voice crackled over the line. She was on her nightly patrol in Gotham when she stumbled upon a TV store displaying footage of the Ace-Superman showdown.
"Yes, I'm watching it. I think it's time you called it a night and returned to base," Bruce advised.
"He's thoroughly trouncing Superman," Dick chimed in as he strolled into the Batcave.
"No need to state the obvious," Bruce retorted, fixing his gaze on the screen.
"Master Richard, care for some tea?" Alfred offered to Dick, a.k.a Bruce's first son.
"Yes, it would pair nicely with this epic battle. Finally, we get to see what this guy is truly capable of," Dick said as Alfred poured him a cup of tea.
"Indeed, now we'll get to glimpse the trump cards up his sleeve," Bruce added as they continued to witness the unfolding battle between two superhumans.
…
Rachel's thoughts raced as she marveled at Tom's astonishing strength, finally piecing together how he had infiltrated that heavily fortified military base to rescue her.
"What are you doing, Tom? You shouldn't be pushing this fight to such extremes," she whispered, her eyes glued to the screen. Her heart raced, torn between yearning for Tom's safety and the fervent hope that no one would lose their life in this relentless battle.
A peculiar sensation gnawed at her. "What is this feeling?" she wondered aloud. "Why does it feel so unfamiliar?" Placing her hand on her chest, she realized her heart was racing far beyond its usual rhythm.
Her emotions for Tom had cast aside the facade of her tough, brooding exterior. She couldn't deny her genuine feelings for him, and her deepest wish was for his well-being. "Falling for a bad boy, I guess it was to be expected from me anyway." She muttered to herself as a smile slowly appeared on her lips.
If he somehow ends up killing Superman, his normal bounty would skyrocket off the charts, he'd be pursued relentlessly by the full might of the state's military, the Justice League, and Young Justice. They wouldn't relent until he was completely neutralized.
On the other hand if Superman wins the fight, Tom would be locked up for life in the deepest levels and without ever seeing the light of day. It would affect their little love affair they had going on.
Rachel could only pray that this tumultuous clash would conclude in a way that spared them both.
…
[Tom Hendricks POV]
I observed as he descended from the heavens like a vengeful deity, determined to deliver his judgment upon the mortals below. He streaked through the sky, charged by the relentless energy of the sun, hurtling towards the earth until it seemed he might crash into the ground. At the last moment, he veered, harnessing that momentum to rocket towards me.
Superman closed the gap at a velocity faster than sound, but my superbrain reacted swiftly, reinforcing my defenses. His fist, a missile of pure power, aimed to shatter my protective barrier. Yet, he was sorely mistaken. I extended the range of my deflective field, creating a barrier with an outer layer designed to absorb the force.
The instant he made contact, a massive wave erupted, resembling a sonic boom. The impact sent shockwaves rippling through our surroundings, causing helicopters to veer wildly in the air as they struggled for control. Nearby soldiers were flung through the air, and trucks were tossed by the immense force.
Superman withdrew, attempting to seize me by the neck, but my protective field held strong, rendering his attempts futile. In frustration, he unleashed a barrage of punches, as if I were encased in an invisible sphere.
I couldn't help but notice that his injuries had miraculously healed, and his strength had surged since our initial confrontation—a seemingly unfair advantage.
He unleashed his heat vision, but to his surprise, it was reflected back upon him, sending him soaring into the sky. Undeterred, he promptly resumed his assault. Superman drove his fists into the ground, lifting me atop the ground I stood upon. It felt like something plucked from the pages of a comic book.
With a mighty heave, he hurled me into the air and began a relentless cycle of punches, each strike propelling me further. It was as though he believed he were the protagonist in this narrative, while the rest of us merely played the role of NPCs.
I couldn't abide by this god-like arrogance any longer, especially when he thrust me into the side of a mountain, persistently punching me until we found ourselves in the midst of an active volcano, plunging into molten magma.
The experience was initially terrifying, but it soon became oddly refreshing, reminiscent of a soak in a hot spring. I couldn't tolerate his godlike attitude any further. I retaliated by sending him hurtling out of the volcano, causing molten rock to erupt from the crater we'd created.
The molten lava flowed with unnatural speed toward a small town in the countryside—Smallville. "Gwen, provide me with an estimate of potential casualties if I allow the lava to flow downstream," I murmured to my AI.
"As you're aware, it's headed for Smallville. Typically, it's a two-hour journey from Metropolis, but this volcano is dangerously close to the town, and it will engulf it in flames in under half an hour if left unchecked," Gwen replied, offering a comprehensive assessment of the situation.
More military choppers joined the News helicopter, capturing not only the battle between Superman and me but also the erupting volcano, undoubtedly a breaking news event for Smallville's residents.
Blinded by his rage, Superman blindsided me with a surprise attack from behind, launching me into the erupting volcano. "That's playing dirty," I remarked, pondering how he had managed to dislodge me. It seemed that the solar energy he'd absorbed was akin to a supercharged performance-enhancing drug for Kryptonians.
He followed my descent, diving into the volcano at superhuman speed, relentless in his assault. He hammered me deeper into the molten core, unknowingly unleashing molten magma stones into the air, akin to a meteor shower over Smallville—an ironic twist.
"Hey!!!" I shouted as I caught his fist, locking eyes with his ominously glowing crimson orbs before delivering a resounding headbutt. Superman was sent flying over the lava, poised for another attack.
I slowly approached, hoping my headbutt had knocked some sense into him. "You might not have noticed, but Smallville is on the brink of destruction. You have two options: continue fighting me and let the people of Smallville suffer, or save them from the impending disaster and reduce casualties. The choice is yours," I declared.
He glared at me, still seething, but then turned his gaze to the threatened town. With a solemn nod, he soared down to use his freeze breath on the volcano.
"The weak, those who cannot protect themselves, will remain weak as long as someone is there to save them. It's time they learned to fight for their survival rather than waiting for heroes to rescue them," he declared.
"Lex has truly messed with your mind," I retorted. My words seemed to enrage him, prompting another charge. We burst through the frozen layer of the lava, intensifying the eruption.
It was clear that I had to quell the volcanic upheaval and put the Man of Steel to rest for the night. Unnecessary work, indeed.