Chapter 31

Apollo flew back to the stadium and changed back into his football gear arriving just as the second half was about to begin.

Sprite seeing that Apollo had returned removed the holographic illusion she'd been projecting of him. Apollo nodded to her hoping the nod conveyed that everything was fine and that he was so grateful for her and her amazing gift.

Apollo's teammates looked to him not even aware he had been gone and Apollo could tell they needed not just skill but his leadership. He wouldn't let them down, he knew how much this meant to everyone not just on the field with him but on the sidelines and in the stands.

"Alright guys" Apollo began to say to his teammates as they huddled together.

"We may not be ahead right now but I know we can win this game. Because I know everyone on this field right now, I've memorised their plays, I know every player's strengths and their weaknesses and I can say confidently that they are not better than us. We have the better players, we have the better coach and we are the better team. We just need to work for one another and sacrifice for one another. That's our greatest advantage, everybody looks down on us cause we're a small town team but the fact that we all grew up together, we all went to the same cookouts and fares, played in the same playground. It gives us a connection that no other team can replicate. And when we tap in to it we are superhuman, when we tap into it we're invincible!" Apollo shouted hyping up his teammates and bringing them all together.

"Yeah AK" Whitney shouted and Apollo smiled.

"We are going to win this game and we're going to win together. We're going to win this for one another, for our families, for our friends and for Smallville!" Apollo told them.

"You heard him, everybody bring it in" Whitney said feeding off of Apollo's energy as everyone got closer and put their hands together.

"Smallville vs Everybody on 3" Apollo shouted.

"1,2,3" Apollo chanted out and then his team shouted out their war cry.

"Smallville vs Everybody!"

The team took the field and the second half got underway and Apollo knowing there was no other danger he needed to face was able to fully focus and the team rallied under his incredible and unparalleled play.

Apollo stepped up to the line, scanning the Trinity defense.

They were blitzing. Hard.

Perfect.

The ball snapped.

Apollo dropped back, the pocket collapsing instantly. Two defenders broke free.

But he was already moving.

His body snapped into motion, shifting left, ducking under a linebacker's outstretched arm. The world slowed to a crawl.

There—Kyle, cutting upfield.

Apollo planted his foot and launched the ball on a perfect 40-yard rope.

Kyle turned at the last second—the ball was already there.

He caught it in stride.

TOUCHDOWN.

The stadium exploded.

Trinity's confidence shook.

Apollo smelled blood.

On the next drive, he saw the Rocks' safety cheating inside, expecting another deep ball.

He grinned.

"Whitney, slant and cut toward the sideline," Apollo whispered at the line.

Whitney frowned. "There's a guy sitting right there—"

"Trust me."

The ball snapped.

Apollo faked a glance deep, making the safety bite.

Then—without looking—he launched the ball toward the sideline.

Whitney turned just in time.

The ball smacked into his hands perfectly.

He turned upfield and ran untouched into the end zone.

The entire stadium went INSANE.

A no-look touchdown pass.

The Rocks stared in disbelief.

Apollo just winked.

The Rushing Touchdown – The Play of the Night

Trinity was on the ropes, but they weren't going down easy.

With Smallville inside the 20-yard line, the Rocks braced for another deep strike.

Apollo read their defense and called an audible.

The ball snapped.

He rolled out right—then took off.

One linebacker charged.

Apollo stiff-armed him so hard, the guy flipped backward.

Another defender dove for his legs.

Apollo planted his foot and juked—the poor guy tripped over himself and face planted.

Two linemen closed in.

Apollo hit top speed, blowing right past them.

Five yards out—one last wall of defenders.

A pile of linemen jumped to stop him.

Apollo launched into the air.

He FLIPPED completely over them—twisting midair like a gymnast.

He landed smoothly in the end zone, barely breaking stride.

Touchdown.

The crowd went INSANE.

Trinity's defenders sat in shock.

Pete was screaming. "ARE YOU KIDDING ME? DID YOU SEE THAT?!"

Chloe shook her head. "I… I have no words."

Skye just grinned. "Apollo Kent, you are ridiculous."

Apollo tossed the ball to the ref, grinning.

"Gotta give the fans a show."

With one minute left, Smallville led 35-28.

Trinity had one last shot.

Apollo stepped onto the defensive unit.

"Wait—you're gonna play defense, damn leave some shine for the rest of us" Kyle said as he laughed.

Apollo smirked.

"Just this once I figure I'll be a glory hound" Apollo quipped as he stepped onto the pitch.

Trinity's quarterback barked signals. The snap came fast.

Apollo read the play instantly.

He saw the receiver cut inside—saw the QB's eyes lock on.

Bad move.

Apollo shot forward like a bullet, cutting off the route.

The ball left the QB's hand.

Apollo snatched it midair and took off.

He blasted upfield, weaving past linemen like they were standing still.

50 yards.

40 yards.

30—20—10—TOUCHDOWN.

Pick-six. Game over.

The final buzzer sounded and red and gold confetti rained down onto the stadium. The stadium erupted and the crowd cheered them on as the team celebrated their win.

Apollo shook Brohm's hand and congratulated him on a good game before he screamed in jubilation at their win.

The team swarmed him as they too screamed in happiness having defeated a bitter rival. Their triumph a testament to the indomitable spirit of teamwork and perseverance they shared.

Players rushed Apollo, lifting him into the air.

Pete tackled him in a bear hug. "DUDE! YOU WERE A MONSTER!"

Apollo laughed, catching his breath. "Took a little warm-up, that's all."

"State! State! State!" the team chanted knowing that they were headed to the State championships after having defeated the Rocks.

Skye found her way through the crowd and the team and the moment he saw her he picked her up and kissed her passionately.

"That was… wow" Skye said.

Apollo wasn't sure if she meant the kiss or the game but looking at her smile he didn't care which.

Apollo grinned back.

"Pretty good, huh?"

She rolled her eyes, playfully shoving him.

"Show-off" Skye told him before they kissed again.

Chloe sprinted over. "Okay, Kent, do you have superpowers? Be honest."

Apollo smirked. "If I did, you'd be the first to know."

He saw his parents and Sprite also making their way to the field telling him how proud they were and Apollo beamed with elation.

Jonathan clapped him on the back. "I've never been prouder, son."

Ajak smiled. "You did something special tonight."

Sprite smirked. "Not bad, farm boy. You actually made that look fun."

Apollo chuckled. "Had to give the fans a show."

Whitney threw an arm around him.

"Enough talk—WE'RE CELEBRATING AT THE TALON."

Chloe grinned. "Fine, but Whitney's paying."

"Wait, WHAT?!"

Laughter filled the air.

Apollo took a breath, soaking in the moment.

His town was safe.

His friends and family were here.

And for now—everything was perfect.

And even though Apollo's heroic deeds went unnoticed by the cheering crowds and adoring fans, his impact reverberated far beyond the confines of the football field.

The people he saved at the Hammer plant may not know who he was but they were alive because of him, Justin was alive because of him and to Apollo that was the biggest win he had today. For in that moment, he had proven himself not just as a star quarterback, but also acted as a guardian and done something he'd never done before, stopped and defeated a beyond superhuman threat.

Location: Smallville Prison, Smallville, Kansas - 2003

That night, Justin Hammer visited the Smallville prison and watched the man who attempted to kill him. He didn't have anything to say to Albert Martin or The Atomic Skull as he called himself. He was locked inside a cell a makeshift collar keeping him from accessing his power.

After the paramedics checked him out Justin took a look at the crude tech that was put around Albert. It was clearly hobbled together and could be improved but it was a rather ingenious device. Justin believed he could remake it and use it to block out the abilities of other people like Albert, if they were out there. He'd get started on the patent right away. Justin smiled to himself, a day where he was almost killed had turned into a potentially very lucrative day for him and while he would like to believe he was lucky to have survived the encounter with Albert Justin didn't believe in luck. No, he had been saved for the second time since he came to Smallville and this time he didn't know by who.

Whoever it was Justin needed to find them. They were powerful and Justin needed that power on his side if he was going to change the world.

He came to Smallville believing it would be a good way to rebuild his image, to be the man who saved the heartland instead of the man always stuck in Stark's shadow. But since his arrival he'd been blessed with more than that. He'd been blessed with an opportunity, there was so much promise here; from his burgeoning friendship with Apollo and now this, actual living super humans.

The world hadn't seen them since Captain America went into the ice and if he could be the one to replicate their abilities, he could usher in a new age of military might and use it to bring about peace.

He could save the world. Stark wouldn't be the face of the American military anymore, he would. No more being second fiddle, this time he could take centre stage.

Justin walked to Albert's cell and the moment Albert saw him an enraged look blanketed his very bruised and beaten face. He charged at the cell door and gripped the bars with his non broken arm.

"I'm going to tear you apart, don't think your little guardian angel will always be there to save you" Albert spat at Justin.

Justin smiled at him. Earlier he didn't know what to say to him but now he did.

"Thank you Albert. You have no idea how much you've helped me and how much you're going to help me. When you attacked me earlier today I was scared and regretful, I came to Smallville to start fresh and save this town and I truly didn't mean to cause you harm. But now it's clear that me doing that gave you a gift, it gave you power" Justin said.

"Power that I'm going to use to destroy you" Albert said to Justin interrupting him his voice filled with venom.

"No you won't, but don't despair. You wanted to partner with me when I moved here and now here's our chance. I am going to figure out how you came to have your lovely power and then figure out a way to replicate it" Justin told him a smile creeping on his face.

Albert instantly became very unsettled. He felt his heart beat quicker.

"Now that process will undoubtedly be very unpleasant for you but you shouldn't be afraid. You're going to help me save the world Albert. Thank you" Justin said a very hungry look in his eyes.

Albert stepped away from the bars, feeling fear once more as he looked at the predatory eyes of Justin Hammer.

He wasn't a person to Hammer, he was simply a new science project.

Albert tried to summon his power but once again it was to no avail and Justin smiled at him for a final time before he walked away.

Location: Smallville High, Smallville, Kansas - 2003

A couple months passed and Hammer Industries covered up what happened at the plant and Smallville moved on. Apollo began actively looking for meteor infected people so that he could see if he could help them. So far he'd ran into a few while maintaining his secret identity but the vast majority of them seemed unstable and violent. It was rather alarming to Apollo. They appeared to be a psychological component to the meteor infection, like it warped people's minds. Apollo was a little disheartened by it but he wouldn't give up hope on finding people like him, super powered people, who were good. Apollo split his time between saving people, finding and fighting 'meteor infected' as Chloe had referred to them, hanging out with Skye and his friends, playing sports, training with his Uncle and Aunt and hanging out with Justin Hammer. He was honestly amazed at how much his life had changed since the night of prom and the meteor shower. Apollo found himself sometimes wondering how his life got so crazy but then he'd always remind himself that he was an alien being raised by another immortal alien and her human husband and his aunts and uncles were the basis of many myths that he grew up reading in his books. He would then chuckle to himself about how he never had a chance of a truly regular life but he was doing his best to enjoy the regular and irregular aspects of his life.

Today Apollo was hanging out at the Torch, Chloe was looking into writing an article about the last meteor infected person Apollo had run into their fellow school mate Greg Arkin who had seemingly gotten bug related powers after being exposed to the meteors and gone after Skye. Chloe and he were trying to workout a way to write the article and still give sympathy to Greg who was a young teen and victim of the meteors.

Chloe and Apollo were seemingly the only people who were writing about the meteor infected who were willing to give them any sympathy. The few others who wrote about them always dehumanised them. Pete always asked them why they put so much emphasis on humanising the 'meteor freaks' as they were now beginning to be called locally. Apollo did it because he believed humanising them would eventually lead to people accepting them and Chloe didn't like demonising people for things they couldn't control. Apollo figured that came from how people demonised her Mum who was mentally unwell. Either way Apollo was thankful that he had someone else who saw the meteor infected as people, even though Chloe kept trying to get exclusive interviews with them and could sometimes push too far and cross over into completely invading their privacy.

Apollo sat at his cluttered desk, the screen of his desktop glowing faintly in front of him as he typed up the last details of his story. Beside him, Chloe was flipping through a stack of papers, her eyes scanning for any leads on any potentially interesting story.

"How's the article coming?" Chloe asked, not looking up. "I'm thinking of pitching it as a lead for next week's issue. A little less alien/monster invasion and a little more meteor rock madness."

Apollo laughed, tapping the keys a little slower. "You know, I never thought Smallville would be the epicenter of so many strange phenomena. It's like every other week something new is happening."

"You don't know the half of it," Chloe muttered, half to herself causing Apollo to chuckle to himself at the irony. "But it does seem like lately, people are getting a little more... dangerous."

Apollo paused, brow furrowing. "What do you mean?"

"It's just that, the first stories about the meteor shower were just oddballs who could potentially have powers" Chloe said as she walked up to her wall of weird and put up new articles and stories she found in the stack of papers she was just looking at.

"Now every other story seems to be violent, sure we still get stories of people occasionally doing odd things but those are far less than the stories of people with powers using them to hurt people" Chloe said her voice sounding a little defeated.

Apollo wanted to tell her it would be okay, reassure her that he was working overtime in secret to protect people but decided to say nothing.

"You know, Apollo," Chloe began saying as she sat back at her desk "Smallville has become ground zero for meteor-related weirdness and it's scary. More and more people are getting affected, and it's only a matter of time before someone notices."

Apollo leaned back in his chair, stretching. "It's strange, isn't it? You'd think more people would have noticed."

Chloe nodded, her eyes narrowing as she thought about it. "Ignorance is bliss, why accept the weird things happening in your city when you can ignore them. Hell even the authorities are too busy trying to cover it up instead of actually trying to helping people."

Apollo nodded at that, I guess to them it was more important to keep the peace and hide the truth than let people know that the place they called home was changing.

"You know, it's funny… I keep hearing rumors though. Some of the people who've had encounters with the meteor infected they mention somebody actually helping them. They say there's someone out there, some kind of savior keeping everything from falling apart."

Apollo felt his hearts spike at the words. A savior?

Chloe leaned back in her chair, her eyes locking onto Apollo's. "Some people are calling him the Smallville Samaritan. What do you think? Think it's just another local legend?"

Apollo forced a smile. "I don't know. Sounds like one of those Smallville myths. I wouldn't put too much stock into it."

Chloe raised an eyebrow, unconvinced. "Maybe. But I can't shake the feeling there's someone out there watching over us. It's just a hunch."

Apollo nodded but kept his focus on his screen, the worry gnawing at him. What if she starts to piece things together?

The final bell of the day rang, and students streamed out of classrooms, eager to leave. Apollo, however, wasn't in a rush. He made his way down to the computer lab, where Skye was already hard at work, her fingers flying over the keyboard.

Skye looked up when she felt his presence, a smile spreading across her face. "Hey, you," she said softly. "How was your day?"

Apollo returned the smile and sat down next to her, dropping his bag on the floor. "Long. I just wanted to check on you especially after everything with Greg."

Skye smiled at him. "Trust me Apollo, I'm fine. There's not a scratch on me."

"I know I just had to double check" he said returning a warm smile to her and the two shared a quick peck.

"Now enough about Greg" Skye said. "I've been busy with something else."

Apollo leaned in, intrigued. "What's that?"

Skye grinned, her fingers tapping on the keyboard. "I've started coding for a hacktivism platform. You know, trying to dig up info on meteor-infected people—getting the word out about them. Most people don't even know the extent of what's been happening here. If I can use tech to raise awareness, I will."

Apollo's eyes softened as he looked at her, proud. "That's amazing, Skye. You could really make a difference doing this you know."

She smiled at him, her fingers dancing across the keys. "I think it's time to stop waiting around for someone else to do it. If I can find a way to get this information out there—without anyone finding out who I am—then I'll do it."

Apollo leaned in closer, his voice more serious now. "Be careful though. There are people who would stop you if they knew what you were doing. There's probably a reason why nobody outside of Smallville seems to know about the meteor infected and whatever that reason is I'm certain whoever's behind it won't just let the news get out without putting up a fight. I'm sure you can handle yourself, but don't get reckless."

Skye looked up at him, her expression softening. "I won't. I promise."

Skye kissed him once more but the moment was cut short when Apollo's phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out to see a message from Justin Hammer.

Justin Hammer: "Hey Apollo, I've got something I'd like your input on. Could really use your genius to help make it work. Let's meet at the facility later today. It's important."

Apollo raised an eyebrow as he read the message. "Looks like I've got to head out. Justin wants to see me at his facility."

Skye glanced up, her face a little wary. "What's he working on now?"

Apollo gave her a reassuring smile. "I don't know, but he's always up to something. Don't worry about it. I'll be fine."

Skye nodded, but her concern was evident in her eyes. "Just be careful, okay?"

"I will," Apollo promised.

Over the past few months he'd occasionally help Justin with his tech. Apollo's caveat was that he wouldn't help with any military tech and Justin didn't seem to mind that as he was seemingly not focused on making weapons now, not that either he or Apollo could compete with Stark in that arena. Right now though he couldn't shake the feeling that whatever Justin was working on might be more dangerous than it seemed.

Apollo Kent adjusted the strap of his backpack as he pushed open the door, stepping out just as Pete Ross strolled in.

"Skipping practice again, huh?" Apollo teased, smirking.

Pete scoffed. "You're one to talk, Mr. 'I-have-to-go-help-my-dad-fix-the-tractor' every time there's a cat stuck in a tree."

Apollo chuckled, shaking his head. "Hey, that tractor's a valuable member of the Kent family."

"Uh-huh. And I'm the King of England," Pete shot back, grinning before clapping Apollo on the shoulder. "Catch you later, man."

Apollo gave him a mock salute before heading out. Pete turned his attention to the girl seated at the back of the room, her fingers flying across the keyboard as if she were defusing a bomb.

"Skye," Pete said, leaning against the desk beside her. "I need your help."

Skye didn't even glance up. "You always need my help."

"Yeah, but this time it's actual life-or-death stuff."

That got her attention. She slowly leaned back in her chair, raising an eyebrow at him. "Okay that's pretty intense language, what's up?"

Pete exhaled, running a hand through his hair. "My mom—she's worried. She does a lot of pro bono work at the community center over in Southside, and she says there's been a huge increase in assaults over the last month."

Skye frowned. "Southside always has crime. Not exactly breaking news."

"Yeah, but this is different. People are getting jumped for no reason. No robbery, no gang initiations—just brutal beatings. The cops think it's just random street violence, but my mom says the victims? They're mostly poor or homeless people. People without a voice."

Skye's fingers tapped against the desk, her expression sharpening. "So, you think someone's targeting them?"

Pete nodded. "After all that happened with the Mankins, I can't just ignorantly think that something's not going on when I hear stuff like this. I think it's more than just some desperate guys fighting one another trying to make a quick buck. And if the cops won't do anything about it…"

"We will," Skye finished, a smirk tugging at her lips. She cracked her knuckles and turned back to her screen. "Alright, let's see what we can dig up."

"Knew I came to the right person." Pete grinned and said just as Apollo walked out of earshot. He would talk to Pete later and try to help if he could but right now he decided to focus on whatever it was that Justin needed him for as he super sped to the Hammer facility.

Location: Hammer Tech Development Facility, Smallville, Kansas - 2003

The facility was sleek, modern, and massive—its gleaming metal surfaces and whirring machines making it clear that this was a place of serious innovation. Apollo stepped through the doors, his eyes scanning the high-tech environment. He spotted Justin Hammer standing near a large glass observation window, his hands casually tucked into the pockets of his designer jacket.

"Hey, Apollo," Justin greeted with a wide grin, his voice as enthusiastic as always. "Glad you could make it. You're just the person I need."

Apollo raised an eyebrow, crossing the room toward him. "What's going on, Justin? What do you need me for this time?"

Justin waved his hand vaguely toward a sleek-looking machine standing in the center of the lab. It had several large monitors and cables attached to it, and a faint, eerie hum filled the air.

"This right here," Justin said, his eyes lighting up with excitement, "is the next big thing. It's a bio-scanner combined made with top of the line technology linked to satellites and a supercomputer— it's something that can read genetic markers, detect mutations, and even maybe one day on a future version be used to predict changes in the human body before they happen."

Apollo frowned, glancing over the machine. "That's impressive, but... why the rush to get it working? And why me?"

Justin grinned. "Because you're a genius, Apollo. Seriously, I've seen the way you think, and you've got insights I can't even begin to match. With your input, I can tweak the system to make it perfect. We could use this thing to predict diseases or even to spot potential outbreaks before they get out of hand."

Apollo's gaze lingered on the machine, a mix of intrigue and unease churning inside him. He tried to keep his expression neutral, but he knew that a machine like this wouldn't just be used to predict diseases and that it could also be used to track people who were different. Apollo mentally shuddered, the thought of technology that could be used to track people with powers—it made him deeply uncomfortable.

"So, what's the real plan here?" Apollo asked, his voice cool. "You really think this tech is just going to be used for healthcare or to stop diseases?"

Justin grinned, a flicker of something more serious in his eyes.

"Look, I'm not naïve. I know the government won't let something like this go to waste. If it works, we could use it to protect people. Think about it, Apollo. We could identify threats before they even materialize." He paused, looking at Apollo.

Justin could sense Apollo's unease. He knew how against weapons Apollo was. Justin leaned in and spoke quietly to his friend, he didn't need anyone overhearing this next part of the conversation.

"Apollo, you and I both know that there has been an outbreak of super powered individuals in Smallville. If it's happening here how long until it starts happening elsewhere. What if someone with potential to be too powerful for the police to stop starts rampaging through a city, wouldn't it be nice to know about them and stop them before it gets ugly?" Justin added.

Apollo felt a twist in his stomach.

"I don't know, Justin. It sounds like you're talking about controlling people, not protecting them. What happens if the wrong people get their hands on this tech? It could be used to target anyone who's different—anyone who's not normal."

Justin didn't seem to understand the gravity of Apollo's words or if he did he didn't seem to take it too seriously.

"Control? No. Protecting people is all that matters. The most important part of this tech is the medical aspect if we can also use it to get ahead of these... super-powered people and avoid disasters, that'd be an unintended bonus. We wouldn't have to wait for things to get out of hand. We could stop it before it even starts" Justin informed him.

Apollo shook his head; he was filled with a sinking feeling.

"And what about the people who are just trying to live their lives? You're not just potentially talking about stopping bad guys. You're talking about monitoring everyone, checking for things that might happen. That's a slippery slope, Justin." Apollo told his friend

Justin's smile faltered slightly, but he remained upbeat.

"Maybe. But we could save lives and that's what's important right? This is medical tech first and foremost and hell I'll even let you put any safeguards you want on the machine. Dangerous people have always tried to weaponise innovation but that shouldn't stop progress should it? Isn't saving lives worth the risk?" Justin charmingly asked his younger friend.

Apollo wasn't entirely convinced. The thought of a tool that could be used to target people like him—people who weren't human or people who were different—was more than just troubling. But he couldn't show his discomfort too clearly, not with Justin expecting him to be on board.

"I'll look at the tech," Apollo said slowly. "But I think we need to be really careful about where this goes."

Justin clapped him on the shoulder, his excitement bubbling up again. "That's what I like to hear! Together, we can make this work. We can change the world, Apollo."

As Justin led him toward the machine, Apollo's mind was still racing. What if this tech ends up being more dangerous than he realizes? He couldn't shake the nagging feeling that Justin's good intentions might lead them both down a very dangerous path.

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