Chapter 30

The searing blast surged forward like a miniature sun, swallowing everything in its path. The factory floor glowed under its radioactive intensity, metal liquefying on contact.

Apollo had seconds to react.

Sucking in a sharp breath, he expanded his lungs beyond human limits before exhaling with titanic force. A frigid storm howled from his lips, a blizzard compressed into a single, devastating burst of Arctic breath.

The freezing gale met Skull's nuclear inferno midair—

BOOM!

A colossal explosion erupted between them. Steam and frost detonated outward in a chaotic blast, slamming into the walls, shaking the foundation of the entire facility. Pipes burst, machinery groaned, and the entire battlefield was swallowed in a dense, impenetrable mist.

The clash of extreme heat and cold had created a storm of chaos.

For a moment, everything was silent. The world drowned in white.

Then, Apollo closed his eyes.

He didn't need to see. His super senses cut through the chaos. His ears caught the sound of molten footsteps, heavy and deliberate, stalking toward him through the mist. His X-ray vision flickered to life, slicing through the veil of steam, locking onto the glowing silhouette of his enemy. His muscles coiled, ready to strike.

And then he moved.

Faster than thought, Apollo twisted to the side, dodging another molten blast by mere inches. The heat grazed past his shoulder, but he was already closing the distance. Super speed blurred his form as he surged forward, fists cocked back—

Then he struck.

His knuckles slammed into Skull's chest with devastating force.

The villain didn't just stumble—he was sent flying. His body punched through a concrete wall, tearing through it as though it were made of paper. The impact rattled the entire building, debris collapsing in heavy chunks as dust filled the air.

Apollo exhaled, steam curling from his lips.

He waited.

Then the rubble shifted.

And Skull rose.

Glowing even hotter.

Smiling.

Apollo's fists tightened.

This fight was far from over.

Apollo lasered Skull's chest sending him flying backwards. Skull smashed into a wall his molten chest weakened by the power of Apollo's heat vision and Apollo didn't let up.

Apollo slammed both his fists into Skull's weakened chest borrowing the move he once saw his Uncle Ikaris do.

A shockwave shook the room they were in as Skull was sent sailing through the plant.

Apollo readied himself to charge at Skull again then he heard it.

Screams.

Apollo's head snapped toward the sound.

Through the settling dust and smoke, his enhanced vision cut through the chaos, zeroing in on the source. A portion of the ceiling had collapsed on the far side of the factory, trapping three engineers beneath tons of steel beams. Nearby, ruptured gas pipes spewed flames, licking hungrily toward a row of fuel canisters. The fire was spreading fast.

If he didn't act now, they were dead.

Apollo blurred forward, a gust of wind trailing in his wake as he raced across the factory floor. In less than a second, he was there.

The workers gasped, coughing through the thick smoke. One of them—a woman with a deep gash on her forehead—tried to move, but the weight of the metal beam pinning her legs down was too much.

"Hold on," Apollo assured them, his voice firm but calm.

Gripping the fallen beam with one hand, he lifted—and with an effortless motion, tossed it aside like it was nothing more than a plastic pipe. The sheer tonnage of the steel should have been impossible for any human to move, but Apollo made it look effortless.

The engineers barely had time to register what had happened before they felt themselves swept off their feet. In the blink of an eye, Apollo had scooped all three of them into his arms, his super speed kicking in as he streaked toward the nearest exit.

The world became a blur.

One second, they were trapped. The next—they were outside, the cool night air hitting their faces as Apollo set them down a safe distance from the factory.

"You're safe now," he told them. "Get as far away as you can."

They didn't need to be told twice.

But Apollo wasn't done.

Behind him, the fire raged out of control. The gas leak continued to hiss, and the flames were now inches from the fuel canisters.

A single spark could blow the entire facility sky-high.

Turning back toward the inferno, Apollo clenched his fists and took a deep, powerful breath—expanding his lungs once more. Then, with a focused exhale, he released a gust of freeze breath from his mouth.

The cold wins surged forward, a whirlwind of freezing air, crashing into the flames with bone-chilling force. The raging fire shrieked as it froze solid, instantly coated in a thick layer of frost. The leaking gas pipes became encased in ice, sealing the leaks and cutting off the fire's oxygen supply.

Within seconds, the entire blaze died out.

The immediate danger was over.

But Apollo didn't have time to catch his breath—

Because Skull was back.

And this time—he was furious.

"Enough of this!" Skull bellowed, his molten body flaring brighter than ever.

He clapped his hands together, and the air itself detonated.

A nuclear shockwave exploded outward, tearing through the factory with cataclysmic force. Machinery was ripped from the ground, metal beams snapped like twigs, and fireballs erupted as industrial fuel ignited. The sheer concussive force was like a bomb going off, sending workers flying, shattering windows, and nearly flattening Apollo where he stood.

Apollo dug his heels in, his powerful frame resisting the blast—but even he could feel the pressure hammering against him, pushing him back inch by inch.

Then—

A sickening metallic groan echoed through the chaos.

Apollo's eyes darted up just in time to see a massive crane collapsing, its rusted steel arm snapping loose from the ceiling. The towering structure swayed violently before gravity took hold—sending tons of industrial steel hurtling toward a group of fleeing workers.

Apollo moved instantly.

Before the workers could even register the danger, Apollo had already crossed the distance. His body blurred as he caught the collapsing crane mid-fall, his muscles flexing as he absorbed its unimaginable weight. The impact sent cracks spiderwebbing beneath his feet, but he held firm.

With a controlled motion, he hoisted the entire structure over his head—then hurled it aside, sending it crashing harmlessly into an abandoned section of the plant.

The workers, still frozen in shock, stared at him in wide-eyed disbelief.

"Run!" Apollo barked. "Get out of here!"

They scrambled away, but before Apollo could even turn back to the fight—

A devastating punch crashed into his ribs, the force detonating like a bomb in his side.

Apollo's vision exploded into white-hot pain as he was launched like a human missile. He shot through the air, tearing through one reinforced steel wall—then another—before smashing through the side of the factory and tumbling into the parking lot outside.

He crashed through the pavement, sending chunks of asphalt flying, before finally skidding to a stop.

For the first time in his life—

Apollo actually felt true pain.

Coughing, Apollo pushed himself up, rolling his shoulders as he stood and steadied himself. His ribs ached—not broken or bruised but it certainly felt like it.

That had hurt.

Through the dust and rubble, Skull stalked toward him, his flaming footsteps melting the very ground beneath him. His molten form pulsed with power, his radioactive veins glowing like lava.

"You're strong, kid," Skull sneered, rolling his massive shoulders. "But I can see you can't help yourself but to save people. You can't beat me. You don't have the killer instinct."

Apollo's jaw tightened. Slowly, he floated off the ground, meeting Skull's glowing eyes with a steady, unwavering gaze.

"You're right," Apollo admitted. Then his eyes blazed red.

"I just don't need it."

In a single instant, twin beams of solar energy erupted from Apollo's eyes.

The blinding torrent of Heat Vision slammed into Skull's chest, sending him reeling backward as molten flesh burned away under the intense solar onslaught. Skull let out a roar of pain, the ground beneath him turning to liquid slag as he crashed through the factory walls.

But he wasn't down yet.

With a furious snarl, Skull ripped up a massive industrial machine—a three-ton hydraulic press—and hurled it like a wrecking ball.

Apollo didn't hesitate.

He caught the incoming projectile mid-air, his arms barely budging under its weight. With a single, powerful spin, he turned the momentum back on Skull—launching the machine right back at him.

The impact detonated like a bomb, sending Skull skidding across the battlefield. For the first time—he looked worried.

Apollo cracked his knuckles, stepping forward.

"Still feeling cocky?"

Skull snarled, molten blood dripping from his wounds.

Then he lunged—and the battle continued.

Their fight raged across the entire plant, shaking the foundations of the earth around them. Fire and destruction painted the battlefield as Apollo and Skull clashed, their blows carrying the force of titans. Every impact sent out shockwaves that shattered windows, cracked concrete, and sent debris flying.

Apollo had barely a moment to react when he saw a burning technician stumble, trapped beneath a collapsed steel beam. Without hesitation, he darted forward, his cape billowing behind him as he shielded the man with his own invulnerable body. A second later, an explosion erupted, flames engulfing the area—but Apollo didn't move. The fire washed over him harmlessly, and when the smoke cleared, the technician was still alive, wide-eyed and trembling.

"Move quickly and get to safet!" Apollo urged, helping him to his feet.

Before the man could even nod, a sudden crackling blast of energy streaked toward them—aimed directly at the escaping scientists running for their lives. Skull floated above, his glowing hands still outstretched, his intent merciless.

Apollo didn't think. He turned his head, inhaled sharply—

—and unleashed a sonic scream.

The raw force of his voice rippled through the air, the pressure wave colliding with Skull's energy blast and knocking it off course just in time. The explosion erupted harmlessly against a distant, crumbling wall, sending sparks cascading into the sky.

Skull barely had time to react before Apollo was on him.

With a furious uppercut, Apollo sent the self-proclaimed god hurtling backward, smashing through an entire building. The structure crumbled under the force, glass and steel raining down in a symphony of destruction.

But Skull was relentless.

From within the wreckage, he emerged, furious and undeterred. His glowing eyes locked onto Apollo with a murderous intensity as he grabbed a massive steel girder, its edges still glowing from the heat of the fires around them. With an enraged roar, he swung it like a club, aiming to crush Apollo beneath its weight.

Apollo didn't flinch.

He caught the girder mid-swing, stopping it dead in its tracks with a single hand. The metal groaned, bending under the sheer pressure—

Then Apollo snapped it in half like it was nothing.

The pieces of steel clattered to the ground, the flames reflecting in Apollo's glowing eyes. He stood firm, his expression hardened.

Skull exhaled sharply, his chest rising and falling as he stared at the younger man in front of him. Then, a slow, mocking grin stretched across his face.

"Why do you do that? I know you see what I see, feel what I feel. We have power. We're above them, why do you care about them?" Skull said, his voice laced with twisted amusement. "You're a god. Like me."

Apollo's brow furrowed, but he didn't speak.

Skull spread his arms, his cosmic aura flaring around him.

"Both of us are gods among mortals. And what are gods, if not vengeful? Wrathful? The myths, the legends—they tell us the truth." His voice darkened. "A god's right is to take, to punish, to rule."

Apollo stared at him for a long moment before shaking his head.

"You're wrong." His voice was steady, resolute. "I've met the beings from myth. The ones you claim to be like. And you're nothing like them."

Skull's grin faltered.

Apollo took a step forward. "And I'm not like you either." His hands curled into fists. "Because I could never use my power to hurt people the way you do."

For the first time, Skull's expression twisted in something beyond anger—beyond frustration. He looked at Apollo as though the mere idea of someone rejecting their power in such a way was unfathomable.

Then—he roared in fury.

Skull lunged, his aura burning brighter than ever, a wild and untamed storm of energy as he struck at Apollo again.

Their battle continued.

Apollo's lungs burned as he drove his fist into Skull's molten body, the heat searing against his skin. The impact sent a shockwave through the air, hurling Skull backward like a meteor. He smashed through the remains of a semi-truck, flattening it completely before rolling to a stop in the cratered pavement.

And yet, he still got up.

Skull's body glowed hotter, his molten veins now pulsing like an unstable reactor. He was losing control, and they both knew it. His very presence warped the air, distorting the light around him as his nuclear core burned closer to meltdown.

"You—" Skull spat molten slag from his mouth, his voice a distorted growl. "You should be dead by now."

Apollo wiped the sweat from his brow, feeling the faint sting of burns along his arms. Skull's heat had been relentless, pushing his durability to its absolute limit. But Apollo wasn't about to let up—not now.

"Guess I'm tougher than I look." He rolled his shoulders, stepping forward. "But you? You're running out of time."

Skull staggered, but his pride wouldn't let him fall. He gritted his burning teeth, molten veins pulsing erratically as his core edged closer to critical mass.

Apollo clenched his fists. He had to end this now.

Then—Skull roared, launching himself forward like a human comet, his entire body igniting into a blinding inferno.

Apollo met him head-on.

They collided with earth-shattering force. The sheer impact sent ripples through the ground, the pavement cracking apart beneath them. Fists blurred as they exchanged blows at superhuman speed, their strikes detonating like bombs, shockwaves flattening the surrounding area.

Skull swung a burning haymaker—Apollo dodged, countering with a devastating uppercut to the gut. Skull doubled over, molten blood splattering against the ground, but he refused to go down.

"You can't stop me!" Skull bellowed, his nuclear core surging. "I am power! I am—"

Apollo didn't let him finish. He drove his knee into Skull's jaw, sending him soaring skyward. Before Skull could react, Apollo blurred above him, clasped both hands together—

And hammered him down with a strike that could have leveled a mountain.

Skull crashed into the earth like a meteor, the sheer force cratering the pavement. The shockwave that followed shattered every remaining window in a one-block radius, sending debris flying as the factory ruins collapsed inward.

Apollo stopped for a moment having never hit anything that hard before.

Skull got up, he couldn't walk straight it was clear he was struggling to stay conscious. He steadied himself and stared at Apollo getting into a fighting stance.

"I'm going to kill you, no matter how long it takes and then I'll kill everyone else here" Skull told him his voice dark and determined.

"No! NOBODY ELSE DIES TODAY!" Apollo said angrily using his super scream in his last sentence.

The shockwaves of the sonic scream threw Atomic Skull backwards and completely disoriented him. Skull's ears were ringing and he couldn't tell which way was up. He tried to stand but couldn't and fell to the floor completely overcome by the feeling of vertigo that scream had given him.

Apollo rushed forward kicking his face, the force of the kick not only sent Skull flying but left a crack in his weakened skull.

Apollo then unleashed his freeze breath on his chest, cooling him off and covering him in a thing sheet of ice causing the atomic energy he generated to be far weaker.

Apollo knew this wouldn't hold Skull forever so he acted quickly Apollo grabbed Skull and flew with him up into the sky.

Apollo had always been some kind of energy conduit. He could absorb electricity, why not other forms of energy as well? Whatever radioactive energy Skull gave off Apollo would take.

Apollo felt his cells obey him and his body began to be filled with Skull's remaining atomic energy. His cells began to feel like they were burning, this energy was harmful to him so he couldn't let it fill his body instead he opened his eyes and released his heat vision.

Apollo screamed as he looked up and fired powerful and wide blasts of his heat vision continuously into empty space above him burning off the energy he was absorbing from Skull not stopping until there was nothing left.

Several moments passed and finally Apollo burnt through all of Skull's energy but he was disoriented by doing so and soon after he finished he lost control of his flight and both he and Skull fell to the ground smashing into it creating a crater.

Apollo slowly stood up, he felt his cells instantly recover and in seconds he felt like himself. His clothes were still on fire but his skin was fine, he didn't have a scratch on him.

Skull couldn't say the same, his body was covered in ice and bruises and burns and his skin no longer glowed. His Skull had returned to that of a regular human. Apollo x-rayed him to confirm if that meant he was depowered and his assumption was right; his cells were no longer generating atomic energy.

"It's over Skull" Apollo told him simply.

"You think you can stop me. I'll end you for protecting Hammer. You'll get what's coming to you just like everyone else did" Atomic Skull shouted as he clenched his fists and charged at him.

Apollo confidently laughed at him and instead of dodging his punches he planted himself in the ground and stood strong and let Atomic Skull punch him.

The first blow didn't even make him budge, the second blow felt like nothing to Apollo and the third punch resulted in Atomic Skull breaking his hand.

A loud and sickening crunch sound came from Skull's fist as it connected with Apollo's face, the bones in his hand shattered and Skull fell to the ground.

"Trust me big guy, I can take more than you can give" Apollo told him as Atomic Skull clutched his broken hand and screamed in pain.

Apollo then wasted no time in charging at Atomic Skull, he punched him with titanic force, the very foundations of the building trembling from the power of the blow as Atomic Skull was knocked clean out.

And then—Silence.

Apollo hovered above the devastation, chest heaving, smoke rising from his knuckles. He watched as Skull lay in the center of the crater, his molten body dimming, his core flickering like a dying flame.

He wasn't getting back up.

Apollo landed gently, stepping toward the unconscious villain. The battle was over.

He had won.

Apollo let out a small sigh of relief knowing he had brought an end to the threat and ensured Justin and everyone else's safety.

Apollo stood over Skull's unconscious body, his chest heaving as he surveyed the battlefield. The once-mighty nuclear plant was in ruins—mangled steel, shattered glass, and scorched earth stretched for miles. Fires burned along the collapsed structures, and radiation alarms blared in the distance.

Skull was finally down, but Apollo knew it wouldn't last. Skull's power came from nuclear fission, an unchained force of atomic devastation. If he woke up and reconnected to that energy, the battle would begin anew—and next time, they wouldn't be a plant left standing.

Apollo saw that Skull's cells while not generating Atomic Energy were absorbing radiation and eventually if he absorbed enough he'd be back to his nuclear powered self. Apollo needed to block his cells from absorbing more radiation he needed a way to stop him for good.

He needed to act fast.

Super-speed kicked in. The world slowed around him as Apollo raced across the wreckage, his brain calculating faster than any human mind could comprehend. He needed to construct a device that would sever Skull's connection to nuclear energy, rendering him powerless.

He scanned the remains of Hammer's nuclear plant, his x-ray vision pinpointing the components he needed:

Neutrino Dampener Core – Torn from a shattered containment chamber, designed to absorb and neutralize radiation leaks.

Lead-Lined Circuitry – Fragments of a radiation shielding module built to contain atomic reactions.

Quantum Frequency Modulator – A device from Hammer's failed nuclear fusion experiments, capable of disrupting atomic energy fields.

Power Supply – A ruptured reactor coil, still pulsing with residual energy, just enough to fuel the device.

Apollo instantly began to blur through the complex until he got to the room he needed to get into; the laboratory, or at least one of them.

Apollo worked at super speed, the world frozen around him while he toiled and invented. Most power plants had systems in place to protect from a nuclear radiation leak.

Apollo just needed to retrofit those systems and design them for a human body.

His mind whizzed as he worked out the very specific calculations, he was working his brain quicker than ever before as he took what he knew about human physiology and mixed it with his knowledge of radiation.

He needed to marry the two different fields and create a type of technology to block Skulls bodies ability to absorb radiation.

His hands became a blur as he recalibrated frequencies, rewired circuits, and constructed a precision inhibitor in mere seconds. Equations danced in his mind, calculating the perfect harmonic resonance needed to disrupt Skull's power source at the atomic level.

Within what was only a couple of seconds Apollo held a collar specifically designed to not only dampen any energy Skull produced but also disrupt his unnatural atomic energy and release lead into Skull's bloodstream.

While this device likely would give lead poisoning to a regular person, Skull's unique physiology wouldn't be sickened by it, the lead would simply block his radioactive cells working in tandem with the atomic disruptor and the energy dampener causing him to be unable to absorb more radiation or generate his atomic power anymore.

The final piece clicked into place.

A small, sleek collar pulsed in his hands—a nuclear dampener, designed in an instant, capable of cutting Skull off from his atomic might, whirred to life.

Apollo smiled to himself proudly before he raced back to Atomic Skull's unconscious body.

Apollo slammed the device onto Skull's chest, activating it instantly. The effect was immediate—the radioactive energy surrounding Skull flickered, then vanished. The air lost its heat, and the distant alarms fell silent.

Skull was contained.

But Apollo wasn't done yet.

Fires still raged. Radiation levels were climbing. If he left now, the fallout could poison the entire area.

Apollo took off flying across the site at immense speeds. He exhaled controlled bursts of super-cold breath, snuffing out flames and cooling molten steel. He reinforced the crumbling reactor chamber, bending collapsed girders back into place, sealing off radiation leaks with lead-lined panels. He even stabilized a failing coolant system before it could rupture, preventing another catastrophe.

Within moments what could have been a nuclear disaster zone was now stable.

Apollo took one last look at Skull—still unconscious, powerless, defeated.

Apollo heard the police and paramedics finally about to arrive so he flew off leaving a note instructing them not to remove the collar and as quickly as he had arrived, Apollo vanished into the sky, leaving behind only a whisper of wind and a sense of awe in his wake as the paramedics and police who arrived looked around in bewilderment at the scene before them.

With a burst of speed, he vanished into the sky, racing back toward the stadium, truly ready to win the game.

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