Chapter 29

Location: Hammer Plant, Smallville, Kansas - 2003

Meanwhile, across town, a different kind of drama unfolded at the Hammer Industries plant. Justin Hammer, the enigmatic CEO, was in the midst of a crucial meeting with one of his foremen.

"Look I understand what I am asking you but with the attacks on different Hammer work sites I need you to up productivity" Justin said.

"I understand Mr. Hammer but there's only so much we can do. Nobody here's a miracle worker. We'd need better tech than what we currently have to do that" the foreman replied and Justin clenched his jaw.

It was always the same problem his tech wasn't good enough, sure it was better than most but no matter what he did, it couldn't compete with Stark tech. He wasn't a wunderkind like Tony.

"The tech is more than adequate; I've tested it myself. Bypass the recommended safety settings and push it to its limits" Justin informed him.

"That could be dangerous, the plant could suffer a meltdown" his foreman responded.

"It won't as long as you follow this equation" Justin said to his foreman before pulling out the piece of paper Apollo had written on a few days prior. The foreman read the equation and then nodded.

"This will work, although I still think an improvement of tech could take the plant to new heights" the foreman told Justin and he fought the urge to clench his jaw again.

"Just do it until we can figure out who or what is attacking the sites. Once we do that take it back to recommended levels" Justin responded.

The foreman nodded a bit fearful but Justin put his hand on his shoulder assuring him. The foreman walked away to inform his men of what needed to be done his mind more at ease about the situation due to Justin's charm and charisma. Justin got a call, his assistant was informing him that the Smallville Crows game had begun and that Apollo was playing like a hall of famer. Justin smiled and began to head out hoping he could arrive at the school in time to watch the second half. However, it seemed fate had other ideas.

A blinding blast of nuclear fire shot forward, hitting the side of the reactor building. The explosion ripped through steel and concrete like wet paper, sending a shockwave across the facility.

The entire power plant shook.

A fireball erupted into the sky, sending debris raining down. Massive steel beams collapsed, machinery screeched and twisted, and the scent of burning metal filled the air.

Alarms blared across the facility.

Inside the control room, Justin Hammer ducked behind a row of terminals, covering his head as sparks rained down.

"Oh, come on!" he shouted, coughing through the smoke. "I didn't even do anything this time!"

An engineer, wide-eyed with terror, grabbed him. "We need to get you out of here—NOW."

Hammer didn't argue.

He bolted for the emergency exit, his expensive dress shoes clacking against the metal flooring as he ran for his life.

Alarm bells started ringing and the ground began to rumble like a miniature quake was happening. Justin then heard commotion outside. He heard gunshots and screams and something that could only be the sound of smaller explosions as well as human bodies being crushed and flung around. Justin felt his heart begin to race faster, his fear was turning to panic. His security detail ran in to collect and protect him soon thereafter easing his mind a little but his mind was still racing with questions.

"What's happening?" Justin asked as he was being run to the safe room.

"We're being attacked" one of his security guards told him.

"What group would be crazy enough to attack a power plant with explosives?" Justin questioned.

"Not a group sir, a man" his security guard informed him.

"What kind of man could cause commotion like that?" Justin said his voice filled with bewilderment.

He got his answer moments later as a man, no a monster walked into the corridor. The man was large and glowing with purple energy, his skin and body looked like it was made of molten rock with purple energy flowing from the molten cracks. His face was just a skull enveloped by purple fire and within his eye sockets miniature nuclear explosions pulsed giving him the illusion of having irises. A purple fiery aura surrounded him.

The man let out a deafening roar and the plant seemed to shake. And even though he didn't possess a face to show his expression everyone in the corridor knew they were ablaze with fury.

"HAMMER! Today's the day of your reckoning. Today you come face to face with a god!" the man shouted.

His security team began to open fire at him as Justin ran away, he heard the man grunt as if the bullets hurt him but none of them were doing enough damage to actually kill him.

"You thought you could ruin me but it is I who will ruin you. I am Albert Martin, I am the Atomic Skull and I will be the god who destroys everything you hold dear" Atomic Skull shouted as he began to crush Hammer's security team one by one.

Justin didn't even look back, his body was filled with fear and adrenaline, he was witnessing the impossible and the impossible was here to kill him.

Justin remembered Albert Martin and how he ensured he didn't work in Smallville to make sure he didn't have any competition and he knew this was revenge. Justin had no idea what happened to Al after their dealings but whatever it was it gave him power and murderous rage.

He ran faster and faster through his power plant racing to the safe room and locking himself inside it.

However, he knew it was only a matter of time until Al found him, Justin wanted more time to think and try to find a solution to his current predicament but he was completely unprepared. He looked around the room and saw a powerful machine gun he and his team had been working on for the army before they took Stark's tech instead. Hammer picked up the gun and steeled himself. He heard the explosive footsteps of Atomic Skull closing in. Moments later he heard the door be punched. A dent was put in it but it held.

Hammer knew it wouldn't for long though.

The door was punched again and again, every punch living a dent in the metal structure. Justin cocked the gun as the room began to shake under the force of the Atomic Skull's powerful blows.

The door finally broke open and Al walked in but as he did so Justin opened fire. The bullets of this gun were of a more powerful caliber than his teams' handguns and they forced Atomic Skull back. Justin ran out of the room and decided to run to an exit and hope he could drive off.

Justin began to sprint but was slowed down by the weight of the gun he was holding.

Atomic Skull who had seemingly already recovered from the gunshots chased after him and despite Al's large frame he was incredibly fast.

Impossibly fast in fact.

He caught up with Justin in a couple of strides and knocked him over. Justin crashed into the wall and was instantly very disoriented. His vision became blurry and all he could hear were the loud alarms of the power plant.

Justin's eyes began to tear up as it hit him that he was probably about to die.

So much for a new beginning Justin thought his body shaking with fear as he felt the immense heat coming from the Atomic Skull who was looming over him.

"So Mr. Hammer any last words" Atomic Skull said. His glowing body was partially bleeding molten blood from the gunfire but he seemed to already be healing and was in far better shape than Justin.

"You don't have to kill me Al. I can get you anything you want, anything you could dream of I could give it to you" Justin pleaded using the one thing he had relied on more than his mind growing up which was his charm.

"I am a god now. You can't offer me anything. The only thing I dream of is crushing you" Atomic Skull said as he picked up Justin and hurled him across the corridor to the other wall. Justin hit the wall hard and instantly lost consciousness.

Atomic Skulls fists crackled with energy as he slowly advanced on Justin intent on delivering a fatal blow but wanting to savour the moment.

Back at the stadium the roar of the crowd was deafening.

Smallville High Stadium pulsed with energy, excitement, and adrenaline. The air was crisp, tinged with the scent of fresh popcorn, sweat, and the faint burn of the stadium lights overhead.

On the field, the Smallville Crows huddled together, some catching their breath, others muttering amongst themselves. Their jerseys were drenched in sweat, cleats digging into the dirt as they gathered for halftime.

The scoreboard flashed:

Trinity Shamrocks – 24

Smallville Crows – 21

The Crows were down by a field goal.

And yet, despite the deficit, there was a buzz in the air. Because one player had been playing out of his mind.

Apollo Kent.

The star quarterback. The unstoppable force. The 'Ultimate'.

Even as the Crows trailed, Apollo had put on a masterclass in football. He had single-handedly kept them in the game—his passes were pinpoint, his footwork precise, his defense impenetrable. He had intercepted two passes, stiff-armed a linebacker straight to the turf, and rushed for over 100 yards in the first half alone.

Even the opposing team—the Trinity Shamrocks—were rattled. Their defensive coordinator had spent the last ten minutes screaming at his players, demanding to know why they couldn't stop "one damn guy!"

Apollo adjusted the red and gold jersey clinging to his frame, not winded but acting like it to fit in. To any normal person, he looked like a guy giving it his all while dominating at every turn.

But beneath the surface?

He was holding back. A lot.

If he really pushed himself, if he cut loose—the game would already be over, in fact it wouldn't even be a game.

But he would never do that. Playing sports was about relishing in being human, being a part of a team, having a normal high school experience. He would win but never by using his powers.

Apollo had been dominating the game but the Rocks were reigning state champions for a reason. The team was heading back to the locker room to recalibrate and Coach was already telling them the game plan for the second half but Apollo wasn't fully listening. The alarms of the power plant were blaring in his ears just like they were during the game. Something was happening over there. Apollo had wanted to run off and help when he first heard it but was in the middle of a play. Apollo still managed to dominate but even he knew he wasn't playing at his best as his heart was more focused on wanting to help than throwing a football.

Apollo took a sip of water as his best friend, Pete Ross, jogged up beside him, clapping him on the shoulder.

"Dude, I know you're built different, but this is insane," Pete panted, still catching his breath. "You've got these guys lookin' like they saw God."

Apollo smirked. "Just keeping things interesting."

Pete shook his head. "Nah, man. I've seen you play for years. This ain't just 'interesting'—this is some first-ballot Hall of Fame stuff. If we pull this off, every college scout in Kansas is gonna be on your ass."

Apollo chuckled but didn't respond. He had doubts that he would be playing football forever.

Still, he let Pete have his moment.

From behind them, a new voice chimed in—Skye.

His girlfriend. His partner-in-crime.

"He's always like this," Skye teased, walking up with her arms crossed. "Apollo Kent, single-handedly carrying the team while making it look easy."

Apollo shrugged. "You flatter me."

Skye arched an eyebrow. "You love it."

He smirked. "Maybe a little."

Nearby, Chloe Sullivan—their resident journalist—rolled her eyes. "So, when do I get the exclusive interview for my article? 'The Legend of Apollo Kent—Is He Even Human?'"

Apollo nearly choked on his water. "I'd prefer something more subtle."

Chloe grinned. "Too late."

The banter continued, his teammates exchanging criticisms and praise.

Apollo had been dominating the game but the Rocks were reigning state champions for a reason. The team was heading back to the locker room to recalibrate and Coach was already telling them the game plan for the second half but Apollo wasn't fully listening because Apollo heard it.

An Explosion

Far beyond the stadium—miles away, past the outskirts of Smallville, beyond the farms and the fields—

BOOM.

The sound was low, distant.

A normal person would've never noticed.

But Apollo?

His super-hearing spiked instantly.

His mind filtered through the noise—*the crowd, the band, the buzzing stadium lights—*until he locked onto it.

Screams.

The faint, panicked shouts of workers. The shriek of bending metal. The roar of fire.

The alarms of the power plant were blaring in his ears. Something was happening over there. Apollo looked at his teammates before he turned to look at the source of the noise.

His enhanced vision zoomed in, stretching across miles of Kansas landscapes, until he saw it—

The Smallville Nuclear Power Plant.

It was burning.

Apollo focused wanting to see who or what was causing the alarms but all the lead made it very difficult for him. But the lead didn't stop his other senses; he could still hear the sound of the alarms, hear the racing heartbeats of the scared employees, taste the smoke in the air, feel the vibrations from something very powerful walking through the power plant, and he could smell the blood from all the people that had been killed. Apollo felt a surge of urgency pulse through him.

He couldn't stand by and let people die. He wouldn't.

Apollo looked at his teammates all of them focused on winning this game and felt a tinge of guilt knowing he was about to abandon them but he had to, his mind wasn't on the field it was miles away. He had to deal with this, he had to save whoever was hurt, helping people was far more important than throwing a football.

He turned to the bleachers, locking onto Sprite, who was lazily twirling a strand of red hair while watching the game. The moment she noticed his stare, she smirked.

He ran off to Sprite, moving so fast it seemed like he simply apparated to her.

"Need a disappearing act?" Sprite said reading Apollo perfectly.

At times it felt like she could read his mind with how well she knew how he thought. Apollo had asked her to create illusions of him multiple times before because he wanted run off and save people.

He gave her a sharp nod and she rolled her eyes a little like helping him out was a chore for her but still completely trusting Apollo so much that she didn't even question why he would need an illusion.

"What type of illusion do you need this time?" Sprite questioned.

"Just hide that I'm gone until I come back" Apollo told her.

Sprite flicked her wrist. Instantly her hands glowed golden as she began to generate an illusion just as in tandem Apollo shed his football helmet in a swift motion and dashed off, leaving his teammates and the game behind.

An illusion of Apollo remained on the field, body language perfectly replicated.

The perfect copy of Apollo went jogging toward the locker room with the rest of the team.

Meanwhile, the real one?

He was already gone.

Apollo stripped out of his football gear, quickly changing into something more comfortable; a plain blue shirt, a red hooded jacket and some blue jeans. He also grabbed one of Pete's red bandanas from his locker and wrapped it around his lower face to make a makeshift mask before pulling his hood over his head.

Apollo ran out of the stadium at incredible speeds, the world frozen around him as he ran well beyond the speed of sound before taking off and shooting up into the sky instantly accelerating and flying at hyper sonic speeds. In a blur of motion, Apollo soared through the sky, racing towards the Hammer Industries plant. With every passing millisecond he closed the distance between himself and the dangerous force he could sense at the power plant, his mind focused and his determination unwavering.

Apollo arrived just in the nick of time but what he saw astounded him for a moment.

The heat was unbearable. The plant was in ruins—collapsed structures, molten steel, and purple fire consuming everything it touched. Smoke choked the sky, glowing embers drifting through the air like dying stars.

Apollo froze.

His eyes immediately found Justin Hammer—unconscious, body covered in burns—lying in a heap.

And standing at the center of the destruction—wreathed in fire, glowing with radioactive energy, engulfed in roaring purple flames—

Was a nightmare given form.

His entire head was seemingly a burning skull, pulsating with unstable nuclear energy and purple flames. His body was blackened and charred, yet veins of molten purple light snaked beneath the surface. The man was wreathed with purple fiery energy, his eyes were ablaze with purple fire.

Apollo had never encountered someone with powers like this who wasn't a member of his family or a shapeshifting alien, maybe the Gorgon, but Apollo wasn't entirely sure he was human. Maybe this man wasn't either. Maybe he was something entirely new.

A quick scan showed that he indeed was human. Just a very mutated one and that the energy he was giving off was atomic. The man walked forward slowly towards the unconscious Justin. He raised his arm, his fist glowing with energy readying himself to deliver the fatal blow.

Apollo's stomach tightened.

This wasn't a high school bully picking a fight or some guys with guns or even ninjas. This was a walking nuclear meltdown.

His hands curled into fists.

Apollo's heartbeats slammed in his ears and he shot forward, he wasn't going to let anyone else die today.

Apollo descended upon the scene like a guardian angel, his presence heralded by a gust of wind and a sonic boom. Apollo caught the man's fist just as he went to punch Justin shocking him. Apollo threw the man back then checked on Justin.

He wasn't worried about Justin recognising him trusting that his hood and makeshift mask covered his face enough that anyone wouldn't know it was him. Justin was out cold, he had some burns, some bruised ribs and bones from being knocked around but nothing fatally dangerous. Apollo let out a small sigh of relief.

He turned to face the glowing man who was getting up to attack once more. His entire body was giving off radiation. Apollo looked at his cells, they were human but altered. His entire genetic code was filled with dark matter and x elements strung together across his DNA.

He was one of the meteor infected people Chloe had been theorising existed. His cells weren't just leaking radiation though; they were generating power like a nuclear reactor and burning through that atomic energy in order to maintain the empowered state he was currently in.

The man must generate radiation and atomic energy to power himself Apollo theorised. That type of power would make him extremely dangerous even if he didn't want to be.

Apollo needed to stop him from causing any more damage.

Apollo listened to his heartbeat, he could use that to figure out what he was feeling and predict what he'd do next.

The glowing man was filled with rage and he could practically feel the murderous intent coming off him in waves, or maybe that was just the radiation.

Apollo didn't think he could get through to him as angry and bloodthirsty as he was now. Apollo readied himself for the fight.

"I hate to break up your tantrum, but your plus-one passed out. Usually that's a good cue for you to stop whatever it is you're doing" Apollo said.

"You're not Justin." The man spoke, his voice crackled like an open furnace.

Apollo stood tall, cracking his knuckles.

"Yeah, sorry to disappoint. Justin's busy. You got me instead."

Atomic Skull's burning maw twisted into something resembling a grin.

"Then you'll die in his place."

"That's not happening. Look I don't know who you are but I won't let you hurt any more innocent people" Apollo told the glowing man disguising his voice while his hood and mask up hid his face.

"I am the Atomic Skull and I haven't hurt anybody innocent here today" Atomic Skull said.

"You know I kinda find that hard to believe" Apollo said as he gestured to all the injured people around him.

"They all deserved it, all of them. They protected Hammer, they worked with him and that means they all got what was coming to them" Atomic Skull said.

Atomic Skull's fists crackled with energy and Apollo could see him absorbing the radiation of the plant like a sponge.

"I'll crush you like I crushed them and then I'll crush Hammer" Atomic Skull said.

"We'll see about that. You wanna do this the hard way? Fine. Let's dance." Apollo replied rolling his shoulders just as Skull began charging towards Apollo.

He was quick but nowhere near quick enough to out speed Apollo. He let him come and dodged his strikes effortlessly.

Skull got angrier with each missed strike.

"Just who the hell are you supposed to be?" Skull questioned.

Apollo smirked beneath his bandana. "Just a guy who doesn't like bullies."

Apollo let him swing wildly and burn through the energy he was using to keep himself in this empowered atomic state, he may be generating energy but he couldn't do it endlessly eventually his cells wouldn't have any atomic energy left.

The man, Atomic Skull, was burning with rage and Apollo could feel the intense heat coming off his body. He was growling and shouting as he hopelessly tried to strike Apollo. Apollo kept dodging but it seemed that Skull had quickly realised he was completely outclassed speed wise and went for a different approach.

Skull roared.

Skull's body suddenly grew brighter, purple fire exploded from his hands, and a powerful burst of Atomic Energy flew off of him sending Apollo flying backwards through a wall.

Apollo was dazed by the attack. It seemed the atomic energy that Skull gave off was able to affect him when the blast was powerful enough. He heard Skull laugh and before could regain his bearings a concentrated blast knocked into him. Apollo was blasted backwards once again, the force of the attack destroying the wall and knocking Apollo through it.

Apollo clutched his chest, his shirt was singed and burned by the concentrated atomic energy and Apollo's chest felt a little sore.

Apollo got up a little shocked that he even able to feel Skull's attacks.

Apollo had never been hurt before, even in his fight with The Gorgon or his training with Ikaris and Makkari he wasn't truly injured. Neither of them had ever made him bleed but as Apollo clutched his chest he thought Skull might just be the first person to not only make Apollo experience true physical pain but he might actually make him bleed.

The thought scared Apollo for a moment, this was the first time in his life he faced something that could potentially kill him.

Apollo shook his head, he couldn't let that stop him from stopping him and saving the people in this plant.

Apollo thought of his Uncle Ikaris and all the battles against the Deviants he lead his family against. Apollo needed to be like him; confident, strong, a warrior.

Apollo stood and clenched his fists, his mind calm and ready to fight Atomic Skull just as Skull himself walked through the hole Apollo made in the wall.

"You sure are something. Those last two blasts would've completely atomised any other living creature" Atomic Skull said.

"Well I've got tougher skin than most" Apollo replied.

"No kidding, what's it made of? Steel?" Skull questioned.

Apollo chuckled at the question.

"Something like that" Apollo said jokingly.

"Well even Steel's got to melt eventually" Skull told him.

"You couldn't melt me no matter how hard you tried to" Apollo replied sounding far more confident than he actually was as he channeled his inner Ikaris.

"Is that a fact?" Atomic Skulls said cockily his body glowing once more as he began powering up another blast but Apollo had enough.

Apollo exploded forward, flying towards Skull and smashing into him at incredible speeds, ramming him through several walls.

Skull crumpled and fell onto the floor after they smashed through their fourth wall. He was clearly extremely dazed by Apollo's attack.

"Yeah it is" Apollo told him as he hovered above him.

Skull growled in response quickly standing and shooting a blast at Apollo but Apollo dodged the blast. Skull began shooting his atomic blasts wildly but Apollo was expecting them now and he dodged everyone of them, maneuvering around Skull at superhuman speed.

Skull began to glow once more no doubt powering up another omnidirectional burst like the first one he caught Apollo off guard with. Apollo was ready for it this time, the burst left his body very exposed for a few milliseconds as he charged it up but that was all the time Apollo needed. Apollo lasered Skull in the chest at super speed not letting him fully charge his burst attack. Skull was thrown backwards by the power of Apollo's heat vision and his glowing charred skin burned. Skull let out a scream of pain as he held his burnt chest.

"It's not fun when you're the one being blasted by extreme heat is it? Stop this, I don't want to hurt you more than I already have" Apollo said to Skull trying to be diplomatic, hoping that the clear difference in power between them would allow Skull to see reason.

Skull began to laugh shocking Apollo.

"You think I'll stop? Hammer deserves this, you know what he did to me? You know the only reason I am this way is because of Hammer. The night of the meteor shower I was in my own small testing facility because Hammer had ruined me, I was packing up the Radium I had with the order that I had to hand it over to Hammer and then a meteor came crashing through the building. I was bathed in the meteors extra terrestrial energy and the radiation of the Radium. Hammer never even checked on me after they found my body in the rubble the following day. I woke up months later in a fire I created while I was slowly regaining consciousness. I was broke, alone and radioactive all because of Hammer. I am what he made me, and he will get what's coming to him" Atomic Skull said.

"No matter what Justin did, he and his employees don't deserve to be murdered for it" Apollo told him sympathetic but not forgiving of murder.

Skull nodded feigning defeat only for Skull's entire body glowed with energy and he exploded completely atomising the room they were standing in.

The moment Skull's nuclear inferno erupted from his fists, the entire catwalk disintegrated beneath Apollo's feet.

The teenager twisted in midair, his jacket billowing as he dropped toward the factory floor. He landed with a heavy impact, the reinforced steel buckling under his weight—but before he could recover, Skull was already upon him.

A molten fist swung toward his face.

Apollo tilted his head slightly, and Skull's fist whooshed past his cheek, the sheer heat alone scorching the air around him.

He didn't hesitate, Ikaris wouldn't.

Apollo threw a counterpunch, his fist hammering into Skull's chest with the force of a runaway train.

Skull rocketed backward, slamming through a series of industrial generators—each one exploding in a cascade of sparks.

Even as the blasts rocked the factory, Apollo's focus shifted. His ears picked up faint cries from beneath the rubble. His eyes darted to the collapsed ceiling, where trapped workers struggled to break free.

In a blur of motion, he was there. Massive steel beams, heavy enough to crush a truck, felt like paper in his grasp as he tossed them aside. He moved faster than the workers could comprehend, gathering the unconscious among them and whisking them to safety before they had a chance to process what had happened.

By the time he returned, Skull was rising from the debris. The villain barely seemed fazed.

Instead, Skull grinned. His molten skin glowed even brighter, the factory lights reflecting off the searing surface of his body.

"Not bad, kid," Skull rumbled, his voice a low, radioactive growl. "But you're gonna have to hit me harder than that."

Apollo's eyes narrowed. His fingers flexed. He smiled confidently underneath his bandana, the same confident smile his Uncle Ikaris always wore.

"I was just getting started."

Then they collided again—

And the entire plant shook from the impact.

Their battle tore through the factory floor like a hurricane.

Skull swung a flaming uppercut, his molten fist cutting through the air like a meteor. Apollo leaned back at the last second, feeling the scorching heat pass just inches from his jaw. The air itself seemed to warp from the intensity, but he didn't let that affect him. Twisting his body mid-dodge, he drove a brutal knee into Skull's ribs with all the force of a freight train.

A sharp crack rang through the air as Skull's body rocketed backward. He crashed into a conveyor belt, snapping through the steel structure as though it were made of twigs. Sparks exploded as machinery shattered, but Skull barely had time to hit the ground before Apollo lunged after him.

He was met with a roar of raw fury.

Skull's molten jaw unhinged, and in an instant, a blinding nuclear beam erupted from his mouth.

The world turned white.

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Also read Superman(Marvel+DC) and Marvel: Hyperion.