Samuel stepped into Gotham Academy, the familiar stillness of an empty building settling around him. The halls were dark, save for the dim glow of emergency lights reflecting off polished floors.

Everyone was already gone.

He knew exactly where his book was—third floor, second hallway, leftmost classroom. His feet carried him forward with practiced ease, his steps light against the tiled floor.

Passing by the trophy case, Samuel's gaze flickered over the gleaming awards inside. Names engraved in gold lettering stood out against polished plaques. Dick Grayson. Barbara Gordon.

The young vigilantes of Gotham.

Samuel thought about himself. He had the chance to have trophies like those too. There had been multiple occasions—math competitions, science fairs, even some fencing tournaments—where he could have taken first place. But he had never been interested in having his name displayed in glass cases for others to admire.

So, he always took third. Sometimes fourth. Just enough for a small mention in his college applications, nothing more.

Tranquil.

Even though Samuel rarely enjoyed being outside of his room, if things stayed this quiet, he could tolerate it.

Then—

CRASH!

A deafening explosion shattered the silence.

Samuel turned just in time to see Superboy come flying through the academy's walls, slamming hard into the ground and skidding across the floor. The impact sent debris scattering, knocking over desks and sending trophy shards flying.

"Ugh…!"

Samuel didn't flinch. His eyes lifted to the new hole in the academy's walls.

Something massive was coming through.

A towering android, standing at nearly two and a half meters, hovered in the air. Its mechanical frame gleamed under the flickering lights—metallic orange hair, green segmented armor resembling pants, limbs thick with hydraulics, and exposed circuitry.

Its glowing red eyes locked onto Superboy, and without hesitation, it launched forward, engines roaring.

Samuel exhaled, watching the inevitable clash unfold.

Of course. Considering his luck. this was very normal.

A split second was enough for Samuel to reach the 'acceptance' stage of grief. And that was also all Samuel had to process the situation.

Superboy was hurt—badly. Considering his durability, the fact that he was struggling meant that this android was…

Samuel's eyes narrowed. This isn't just any machine.

He activated his status screen, and the data confirmed his suspicions.

Name: AMAZO
Type: Steel
Ability: Protean – Changes the user's type to match the move it's about to use.

Amazo.

As Samuel analyzed its name and ability, the android had already moved.

[Access: Superman.]

It lunged at Superboy with a devastating punch, driving him into the ground with enough force to shake the entire building. The floor cracked beneath him.

No hesitation.

Samuel raised his hand.

[Samuel used Will-O-Wisp!]

Three ghostly blue flames materialized and spiraled toward Amazo, latching onto its metallic body. The flames seeped in, flickering unnaturally over its frame.

[Amazo was burned!]

For the first time, the android paused. It registered the status effect, calculating its impact.

But Samuel wasn't its priority. He had to get rid of this obstacle as soon as possible.

Samuel moved again.

[Samuel used Protect!]

Amazo's fist swung down, but it met an invisible barrier instead, rippling against the shield. The impact sent shockwaves through the air, but Samuel remained unharmed.

Superboy, still groggy, lifted his head and finally noticed Samuel. His eyes widened in frustration.

"Why are you here?!" he yelled.

Samuel didn't answer. Instead, he raised his hand once more.

[Samuel used Sand Attack!]

A burst of holographic sand scattered into Amazo's sensors. The android staggered slightly, recalibrating as its cognition blurred.

This fight wasn't about winning. It was about survival. Samuel knew that he couldn't beat a machine that could take down several real Justice leaguers.

Meanwhile, Amazo attempted to scan Samuel.

[Access: Unknown. Data retrieval failed.]

For the first time, the android hesitated. It couldn't copy him.

Superboy took the opening, launching himself forward with a furious roar.

Amazo instantly adapted.

[Access: Martian Manhunter.]

Its body shimmered, becoming intangible. Superboy's fist phased straight through it.

Then, before Samuel could react, Amazo's form shifted again.

[Access: Flash.]

A blur. Samuel barely saw it move before a devastating kick slammed into his side, launching him across the hallway. He crashed into a row of lockers, the metal bending on impact.

Then Amazo was gone, already shifting focus back to Superboy.

Superboy barely had time to recover before the android reappeared in front of him.

[Access: Superman.]

A fist collided with his gut, sending him flying through the air.

Amazo's mechanical voice echoed through the ruined hallway.

[Physical strength output reduced. Unknown interference detected.]

Even as he groaned in pain, Superboy managed a smirk. Whatever Samuel did, Amazo's blow weakened. "Yeah…It's annoying, isn't it?"

But Amazo wasn't done.

[Access: Captain Atom.]

A blinding energy blast erupted from its hands, engulfing Superboy. The force of the explosion sent him hurtling through the walls, all the way to the gym.

Samuel groaned, his body refusing to move the way he wanted. His vision swam as he forced himself onto his elbows, the world around him distorted by the sharp, consuming pain in his ribs.

Fractures. Maybe worse. His breathing was tight, every inhale sending a fresh wave of agony through his chest. He was lucky to be alive. If Amazo hadn't been weakened by the burn, that last hit would have shattered him.

Distantly, he heard the sounds of destruction echoing through the school. Amazo had already moved on, chasing Superboy to the gym.

Samuel gritted his teeth and prepared to activate Recover—but before he could, movement caught his eye.

A girl. Blonde. Dressed in green, a bow strapped to her back, sprinting through the ruined hallway. She was fast, determined. She barely hesitated as she passed the wreckage Samuel was buried under, too focused on the battle ahead to notice him.

She ran straight for the hole Amazo had left in the wall.

Samuel watched her disappear into the chaos.

Then, without a word, he raised a hand.

[Samuel used Rage.]

[Samuel's Attack rose!]

The holographic anger built within him, subtle but effective. As the pain of the debris crushing him built up, His strength surged, and he pressed his hands against the wreckage pinning him down. Metal groaned as he pushed, shoving aside broken lockers and shattered debris.

[Samuel used Recover.]

A faint glow pulsed through his body, his bones realigning, fractures mending. His muscles loosened, the stabbing pain in his chest fading into something dull and manageable.

With a slow, controlled breath, he clenched his fists.

Slowly He stood, rolling his shoulders. Functional again.

But not fast enough.

Amazo was still moving. Superboy was still fighting. And now, a girl with a bow had thrown herself into the middle of it.

Samuel exhaled.

[Samuel used Agility.]

As Samuel's body shook with high speed, His body felt lighter, faster.

Then, without hesitation, he moved toward the gym.

He couldn't let a kid—technically a few months old—die.

But...that meant that he had to move more carefully. The gaping hole in the gym wall was too obvious—too exposed. If he wanted to be useful, he couldn't just charge in.

He veered off, heading toward a back entrance he knew from his time at the academy. He slipped through the door silently, the muffled sounds of battle echoing through the gym.

Inside, Superboy was locked in combat with Amazo, their blows shaking the walls. But Samuel's focus shifted immediately to the unfamiliar presence nearby.

A man sat casually in the stands, watching the fight unfold with a detached curiosity. Two small monkey-shaped robots hovered beside him, their eyes glowing an unnatural green.

Samuel quickly pieced it together. This wasn't just a spectator. This was the man behind it all. The one Batman told them about.

He activated his status screen.

Name: Anthony Ivo
Type: Normal
Ability: Rivalry

Samuel sighed quietly. Exactly as expected.

The infamous scientist—creator of the android that took eight Justice League members to bring down—sat there, judging the fight like it was a school experiment.

Ivo scoffed, shaking his head in disappointment. "Tch. Inferior. The clone is disappointing. There's nothing for Amazo to learn...By the way Amazo, is there a problem with your system?"

Amazo, still pummeling Superboy, responded in its mechanical tone. [Physical strength reduced. Unknown cause. Reassessing.]

Ivo sighed in irritation. "The League must have tampered with my masterpiece. How crude."

Superboy, despite the overwhelming power of his opponent, was still standing. The burn inflicted earlier was doing its job—Amazo was taking slow, constant damage. But Samuel ran the numbers in his head.

It wasn't enough.

The android would outlast him.

Samuel's best option wasn't to fight the machine. It was to take out the one controlling it.

His gaze settled on Ivo.

Without hesitation, he moved, carefully stepping toward the scientist—

A hand shot out from behind and yanked him back.

Samuel turned sharply, only to be met with the masked face of the blonde archer. Up close, he could tell she had an Asian heritage, despite her golden hair.

She pressed a finger to her lips, signaling him to stay quiet.

Samuel narrowed his eyes but didn't resist. He had no intention of being reckless.

Still, the plan remained the same.

Ivo had to go.

Meanwhile, it seemed like the vigilante girl didn't understand the intents of Samuel's action.

"Are you nuts? What were you planning to do there? You're a civilian! You can't do anything except get us both killed!"

Samuel didn't respond. He simply raised his hand, activating his status screen.

Name: Artemis Crock
Type: Normal/Fighting
Ability: Sniper

Artemis Crock. Never heard of her. But with the bow and green color scheme, she had to be one of those vigilantes—probably another Green Arrow type.

Samuel glanced at her for a second before looking away. She wasn't relevant. Not to him. Not now.

Then he noticed the monkey drones floating beside Ivo.

If they were just for transportation, that was one thing. But if they had defensive or offensive capabilities, that changed everything.

He pointed at them. "Artemis. Shoot them down."

Artemis frowned. "Excuse me?"

"The drones. Take them out. I'll handle the rest."

Her suspicion flared. In a swift motion, she raised her bow, nocking an arrow and pointing it straight at him. "How do you know my name? Who sent you?"

Samuel barely spared her a glance. "None of your business."

Her grip tightened on the bowstring. "Try again."

Samuel exhaled through his nose. He tilted his head toward the gym. "Superboy is about to die. You want that on your conscience?"

She hesitated. Her eyes flicked to the fight—Superboy struggling against Amazo, the android adapting, learning, getting stronger.

"I also have powers," Samuel added. "I just don't wear a ridiculous costume."

Artemis scoffed. "Yeah? And what kind of powers let you wander around in the middle of a fight without getting killed?"

Samuel didn't answer. He didn't need to.

She scowled, debating whether or not to trust him. The kid was weird—too calm, too detached. And he knew her name at first glance. But one thing was clear: Amazo was tearing Superboy apart, and if she hesitated any longer, this situation would end in disaster. She wasn't dumb enough to join the fight in this state...She wasn't prepared. All she was planning to do was save that buff guy in case he almost died...

She clicked her tongue. "Fine. But I can't show my face right now."

Without another word, she loosed two arrows. They streaked through the air, striking both drones with pinpoint precision. Sparks flew as the machines exploded in a shower of metal.

"What?! No! You cheaters...!" Ivo shrieked, stumbling backward as the drones fell in pieces at his feet. He scrambled, eyes wide. "Amazo! Priority Alpha! Protect me!"

[Samuel used Agility!]
[Samuel's Speed sharply rose!]

In a blur, Samuel moved. One second, he was a few feet away—the next, he was behind Ivo, grabbing him by the back of his lab coat and slamming him into the floor.

Ivo groaned, dazed. His limbs twitched as he tried to crawl away, but Samuel was already one step ahead.

[Samuel used Mean Look!]
[Ivo can no longer escape!]

A faint, eerie glow flickered as two holographic eyes appeared behind Samuel and stared into Ivo. Though it wasn't physically restraining Ivo, something forced the scientist to stay in place, an unseen weight keeping him from fleeing.

Amazo's mechanical voice rang out. "[Threat detected. Adjusting priorities. Engaging.]"

The android blurred—[Access: Flash]—and in an instant, it was upon Samuel, fist raised to strike—

THUD! Superboy intercepted the blow with both hands, forcing the android back with a heavy shove.

The Kryptonian clone wiped the blood from his lip and smirked. "Not bad."

Samuel gave a short nod. He was already calculating the next move...and considering the time Superboy bought, the path to victory was secured.

Superboy clenched his fists, rolling his shoulders. He wasn't much of a strategist, but one thing was becoming clear. Black Canary had told him that controlling the fight was the key to winning. And he was finally starting to understand what that meant.

He glanced at Samuel. "Alright, Spectator. What's the play?"

Samuel's eyes flicked to Amazo, then to Ivo, then back to Superboy. He exhaled slowly.

"Now," he said, voice calm, "we win."

Right on cue, two figures busted out through the main door of the gym—Robin and Kid Flash.

Robin grinned. "Hope you didn't start without us."

Kid Flash cracked his knuckles. "Alright, robot. Four on one. Let's see how well you adapt to that...Wait, why is Samuel here?"

Amazo scanned the new opponents, recalculating.

The battle wasn't over.

But the tide had shifted.