Chapter 37

Inside Chloe screamed out in agony.

Her body felt like it was on fire and she thought she was going to die. She was going to die here alone. Would anyone find her body? Would anyone tell her story? What would happen to her Dad when he got the news? She was all he had. Would Apollo mourn her the way she would mourn him if he was in her place?

Tears fell from her eyes. Despite her penchant for running head first into danger to chase a story Chloe didn't want this. She wanted to live and be reunited with her Dad, with her friends and maybe one day muster up the courage to tell the boy she loved just how much she loved him. She wanted to keep bringing the powerful to justice and telling the truth. She wanted so much.

But most of all Chloe didn't want to die.

Then—the alarms blared.

A low rumble shook the walls.

The lights flickered.

Somewhere above, there was a distant crash—metal tearing, steel groaning under inhuman force.

The current stopped.

The man's expression darkened.

"He's here."

The woman paled. "It's him?"

Chloe's eyes widened.

Him?

She didn't know what they meant, but she knew one thing—someone was coming.

Someone strong enough to tear through this place like a wrecking ball.

She swallowed hard, her heart pounding.

For months, she had heard whispers—stories of a mysterious figure in Smallville. A guardian in the shadows. A protector.

No one had seen him up close, but there were rumors—people who swore that, in their darkest moment, someone saved them.

Chloe had even theorised about him with Apollo once. The man who saved people and stopped the meteor infected.

Apollo had dismissed just like some did, calling it a myth.

Some other people didn't dismiss it though, they believed it was an angel.

Chloe was never the overly religious type, she didn't believe in angels.

But right now—she was willing to pray for one.

"Please," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "If you're real… please help me."

And then—

The wall exploded.

Apollo moved like a force of nature.

The facility's reinforced steel entrance lay in ruins behind him, smoke rising from the wreckage. Guards swarmed from every hallway, weapons raised, barking orders—but it didn't matter.

Apollo was faster. Stronger.

Angrier.

A guard fired—Apollo moved before the bullet even left the chamber. He was in front of the shooter in an instant, snatching the rifle and crushing it into useless scrap with one hand.

The guard barely had time to react before Apollo grabbed him by the vest, lifting him effortlessly off the ground.

"Where is she?" Apollo's voice was calm. Cold.

The man gasped, struggling. "I-I don't—!"

Apollo sighed.

Then, with a flick of his wrist, he sent the man flying down the corridor.

More guards advanced, some pulling the triggers of their rifles, others reaching for tasers.

It was pointless.

Bullets ricocheted harmlessly off Apollo's chest, clattering to the floor like raindrops on pavement.

One guard tried to tase him. Bad move.

Apollo grabbed the electrical baton mid-swing, eyes glowing red with warning. The weapon melted in his grip.

The man fled in terror.

More footsteps. More enemies.

Apollo didn't slow.

He ripped through the facility like a hurricane, disarming guards, breaking down barriers, tearing through every obstacle in his path.

Until finally—he heard it.

Chloe's heartbeat.

Weak. Staggered.

But alive.

His stomach twisted with fury. His jaw tightened. He flew.

He followed the sound—straight through a thick reinforced door.

In an instant, he was outside the door.

He didn't stop to look for a key.

A reinforced steel wall stood between him and her.

It may as well have been made of paper.

Apollo punched straight through it.

And there—in the center of the room—

Chloe.

Strapped to a metal table. Tesla coils arcing with energy around her. Wires attached to her skin. A meteor rock glowing above her, casting a pale, sickly light over her face.

She exhaled a shaky breath.

Her eyes fluttered open—dazed, unfocused.

And then—they met his.

Apollo barely recognized his own voice when he spoke. Low. Cold. Lethal.

"Get away from her."

The scientist flinched.

Apollo moved before he could react, grabbing him by the collar and slamming him into the nearest wall.

"You did this to her," Apollo growled. "Fix it. Now."

The man gasped, struggling against Apollo's inhuman grip.

The woman hesitated, her hands shaking. "T-The meteor rock—"

Apollo's heat vision ignited.

In one quick, controlled burst, he didn't just melt it, he eviscerated it. The part of the roof it had been built into was no more. A burning hole stood in its place.

Chloe gasped sharply, her body going slack as she finally let herself relax knowing she was saved.

The electricity cut off.

Chloe slumped, her restraints loosening.

Apollo turned back to the scientist, his eyes still glowing.

"Do anything like this again and I promise you, you'll see me again and next time I won't be so nice!" Apollo warned

The scientist nodded, Apollo could hear his heart racing and smell the fear coming off of him.

Apollo couldn't help himself he smiled at that.

Apollo let go of the scientist, letting him collapse to the floor. He didn't spare him another glance.

His focus was on her.

He moved to her side, carefully freeing her from the last restraints. She was still too weak to move.

Her lips parted slightly, eyes hazy.

She exhaled shakily. "Who…?"

Apollo's stomach clenched.

She didn't know.

She didn't know it was him.

For a moment, he considered telling her.

But it wasn't the right time.

Not yet.

Instead he gave her a simple but truthful answer.

"I'm a friend" he told her warmly.

Then, he lifted her into his arms.

Effortless. Weightless. Like he had many times before in their lives.

And Chloe—still barely conscious, still fighting to stay awake looked at the man who saved her.

The billowing red cape that covered his shoulders and shrouded them like cloak. The hood pulled over his head covering his face, the retro aviator goggles that hid his eyes. And most notably the symbol on his chest.

She placed her hand on it, tracing the S, a weak smile came to her lips.

She murmured, just loud enough for him to hear:

"You're real…"

Apollo's breath hitched.

"Yes I am and I'm sorry I'm late" he replied smiling at her as she lost consciousness.

He tightened his grip, holding her just a little closer.

And then, without another word—

He took off.

The building groaned around him, sparks flickering from broken lights as Apollo moved swiftly through the shattered facility.

Chloe's unconscious form rested in his arms, her breathing shallow but steady.

Apollo could hear her heartbeat—weak, but strong enough to reassure him she would survive.

She was safe.

But as he stepped toward the exit, he heard something that made his stomach tighten.

A scream.

Not Chloe's.

A guard.

Then another.

Then—a wet, sickening crunch.

Apollo stopped.

He turned his head, narrowing his senses—

And saw him.

Ted Grahame stood in the middle of the ruined corridor, panting, trembling, his jagged bone armor slick with sweat and dirt.

Around him, bodies lay sprawled—guards clutching broken limbs, groaning in agony.

None of them were dead.

But they were ruined.

One man tried to crawl away.

Ted stomped a plated foot in front of him, blocking his escape.

The guard whimpered, his body trembling.

Ted raised his hand, claws flexing—

"Ted."

Ted's entire body jerked at the voice.

Ted turned and saw Apollo standing at the far end of the corridor.

His cape shifted in the breeze from the gaping holes in the walls.

His eyes were locked onto Ted's even behind the goggles.

Apollo gently set Chloe down behind a piece of debris, ensuring she was shielded from whatever came next.

Then, he stepped forward.

"They deserve it," Ted muttered. His voice was rough, thick with barely restrained fury.

Apollo kept walking toward him.

"You think they wouldn't have done worse to us?" Ted gestured at the injured men, his claws twitching. "You think they wouldn't have left us broken?"

His breath came in ragged heaves.

"You think they don't deserve to suffer?"

Apollo stopped just a few feet away, his expression calm but firm.

"Maybe they do," he admitted.

Ted hesitated.

"Maybe they deserve worse."

Ted's hands curled into fists, his breathing uneven.

"But you don't."

Ted flinched.

"They turned me into this—"

"No," Apollo cut in, shaking his head.

"They did horrible things to you, Ted. But they didn't take everything."

Apollo's voice softened, but his resolve never wavered.

"They didn't take your humanity. Don't let them take that from you too. Don't let them win"

Ted swallowed hard.

"I don't—"

"You are not a murderer."

Ted looked down at his clawed hands, his chest rising and falling with ragged breaths.

"You are not a weapon."

Ted squeezed his eyes shut.

"You are not what they made you. You are whatever you choose to be."

The words hit deeper than any punch ever could.

Ted exhaled shakily, his arms dropping slightly.

For the first time since this nightmare began, he looked lost.

And then—

A slow, deliberate applause echoed down the ruined hallway.

Both Apollo and Ted turned.

A new presence stepped forward, his crisp white suit untouched by the chaos.

His movements were measured, precise.

Daniel Whitehall.

The mastermind of the Lernean Building.

The man who had orchestrated Ted's torment.

The man who had ordered Chloe's torture.

And flanking him—an entire battalion.

The men stood around him. They seemed different from the security team that Apollo had taken down to get into the facility. Apollo scanned them.

Their blood was filled with something. A chemical Apollo didn't recognise. He looked at Ted and realised what the chemical was. It was Ted's spinal fluid.

Enhanced soldiers.

Modified no doubt to be like Ted.

Their eyes glowed faintly in the dim light, their postures disciplined, weapons raised awaiting orders.

Whitehall regarded him with a curious smile.

"I must say," he mused, "I am impressed."

His sharp eyes flicked between Apollo and Ted.

"Both of you."

Apollo shifted his stance, subtly positioning himself between Whitehall and Ted.

"You must be the one running this nightmare," Apollo said coolly.

Whitehall chuckled.

"I prefer the term 'architect,' if you don't mind."

Apollo's jaw tightened.

"Let them go."

Whitehall tilted his head "Let them go? They volunteered, loyal soldiers to the cause"

"And what cause is that?" Apollo questioned.

"One that would welcome you with open arms. Welcome both of you with open arms" Whitehall told him.

"Not interested, me and my friends are going to destroy this place and then go" Apollo said his voice firm.

Whitehall's gaze lingered on Apollo, studying him like a scientist observing a fascinating specimen.

Then—he smiled.

"Oh, my boy," he said, "I'm afraid you are far too extraordinary to simply let go."

"Don't do this, trust me this won't end well for you." Apollo threatened.

Whitehall continued to smile.

Apollo held his ground as the battalion of enhanced soldiers tightened their ranks.

Their black combat armor gleamed under the facility's dim emergency lights, red tactical visors glowing like predator eyes as they stood at the ready.

But these weren't ordinary soldiers.

Apollo could hear their heartbeats.

Unsteady. Erratic.

Beneath their armored plates, muscles twitched unnaturally, veins pulsing with something artificial.

They were enhanced.

Stronger. Faster. Tougher.

But… not stable.

Their breathing was ragged, their bodies struggling to contain the power surging through them. Flesh was already beginning to tear at the seams, muscles fraying under the strain of unnatural augmentation.

They were powerful.

But they were breaking. Ted's spinal fluid wasn't just giving them power it was killing them. They would be dead within the day.

And yet, they still came forward.

Across from them, Daniel Whitehall stood unmoved.

Cold. Calculating. Watching. Still smiling.

Then, without a word, Whitehall lifted a single hand.

With a sharp downward motion—

The battalion attacked.

A sonic boom erupted as the first soldier blurred forward, his speed far greater than Apollo was anticipating.

Before Apollo could fully react, a fist slammed into his ribs.

For the first time in this battle—Apollo felt something.

The blow sent him skidding back, boots carving trenches in the ground.

A second soldier leapt from behind, his enhanced strength carrying him into a mid-air strike.

Apollo barely had time to dodge before the man's fist cratered the floor where he had just stood.

"They're fast—"

Another lunged at Ted, moving with unnatural agility—

Ted barely managed to block before the soldier's knee slammed into his gut, sending him staggering back.

The soldier grinned through bloodied teeth, his body trembling with excess energy.

His wounds were healing.

The fractured bones in his arm snapped back into place with sickening cracks.

Apollo's eyes narrowed.

Regeneration.

But it wasn't natural.

It was ripping them apart as fast as it was keeping them together.

One soldier rushed Apollo again, faster this time.

But Apollo was ready.

The moment he closed the distance—Apollo ducked under his punch and slammed a fist into his sternum.

A normal man would have been obliterated.

The soldier staggered back, ribs fracturing, before regenerating instantly.

He laughed through the pain—

Until Apollo hit him again.

Faster.

Harder.

This time, the force sent him rocketing into the wall, breaking through steel plating.

Another came at him, this one using speed and agility to try and outmaneuver him.

Apollo let him get close—then spun mid-motion and delivered a backhand that sent the soldier flying across the battlefield.

A third charged from the side, this one stronger than the others.

Apollo turned—

And unleashed a sonic scream.

The shockwave tore through the battlefield, rupturing eardrums and sending the enhanced soldiers reeling.

Blood dripped from their noses.

Their regeneration struggled to repair the damage.

But Apollo didn't stop.

With blinding speed, he closed the distance—

A devastating punch sent one soldier flying.

A spinning kick shattered another's visor.

A heat vision blast melted the rifle of a third.

The battalion was strong.

But Apollo was stronger.

Next to him Ted fought too. Ted wasn't as fast or as strong as Apollo.

But he was just as devastating.

A soldier lunged at him with unnatural speed—

Ted grabbed him mid-air and slammed him into the ground so hard the floor cracked.

Another came at him from behind—

Ted spun, his bone-plated elbow slamming into the man's jaw with a sickening crunch.

The soldier's head snapped back—only to twist back into place with unnatural regeneration.

Ted's eyes darkened.

"You just don't know when to stay down."

He grabbed the soldier by the shoulders—

And threw him headfirst into a steel support beam.

The soldier twitched violently, his enhanced body failing to recover from the trauma.

Ted felt his own body straining.

Pain radiated from every bone, his breathing ragged—

But he kept fighting.

For his new friend.

For himself.

For everyone who had suffered because of these monsters.

The last four soldiers regrouped.

Bleeding. Regenerating. Twitching.

But they weren't winning.

And they knew it.

"ENOUGH!"

One of them ripped off his helmet, eyes bloodshot, veins bulging.

His breath hitched.

His body was breaking down.

"You cannot stop us. You will not stop us. The natural order dictates the superior rise above the inferior."

Apollo's jaw clenched.

"You think you're superior to anything? Your bodies are breaking down as we speak" Apollo told them.

"Our bodies are evolving. We are the superiors. Destined to be the betters of everyone and therefore destined to win. Those are rules of life. We will defeat you" the soldier shouted back.

Apollo leaned his head back then he laughed out loud at them, laughing at how childish they sounded.

"Trust me you can't win but for future reference I'll give you a bit of advice because I've been breaking the rules of nature my whole life. Tell me the truth if you think you know it. Lay down the law if you're feeling brave. But never, ever, tell me the rules" Apollo said confidently.

The soldier screamed—

And charged.

Apollo moved first.

With a burst of Arctic breath, the soldier froze in place mid-stride.

A single punch shattered him out of the ice and sent him tumbling unconscious.

The final three soldiers rushed in together.

Apollo sidestepped one, flipped another over his shoulder, and caught the last by the wrist—

A quick twist disarmed him, a strike to the chest sent him into the wall.

The last soldier tried to regenerate—

But Apollo hit him with heat vision.

Superheated beams scorched his armor, overloading his regenerative abilities.

The soldier collapsed, unconscious before he hit the floor.

Silence.

The battalion lay defeated.

Flesh failing.

Bodies collapsing under their own unnatural enhancement.

And Whitehall still hadn't moved.

Apollo breathed deeply, his fists still clenched.

Whitehall smirked.

"Look at yourself."

His voice was calm.

Measured.

Almost… admiring.

"You are everything we have dreamed of. The culmination of all our efforts."

Apollo's eyes narrowed.

"A true living blue angel. The Übermensch in the flesh."

The words made Apollo's stomach churn.

"The world should be yours," Whitehall continued, "It is your right, as the superior man, to take it. To rule it."

He stepped closer.

"Join us. Lead us. So that you can show the world your strength. Embrace your place as our Übermensch"

Apollo's skin crawled.

His knuckles tightened so hard he thought his fingers might break.

"I will never be your Übermensch"

Whitehall's smirk faded.

"The very idea makes me sick and you repulse me more than anyone I've ever met"

Whitehall's expression darkened.

His gaze flicked toward the ruined battalion.

He was losing.

And he knew it.

He pressed a button on a device inside his suit.

"Self-destruct activated. Thirty seconds to detonation."

A high pitch sound rang through the facility. Apollo recognised it from the time he fought Ted in the Southside.

Apollo turned back to Ted

And then—Ted screamed.

His body jerked violently, eyes flickering with pain.

"No—NO!"

Whitehall smirked.

"You didn't think I would let my weapon walk away so easily, did you?"

Ted's bones extended, his body twitching violently—

And then—

Apollo grabbed his wrist.

Ted locked eyes with Apollo before swinging his fist at Apollo blindly attacking him. No longer in control of his own mind.

The blow sent Apollo flying through several walls and Whitehall used that distraction to make his escape.

Ted charged at Apollo and Apollo held firm. He let Ted hit him over and over again, standing his ground and not budging an inch before he grabbed him and held him in an unbreakable bear hug. Ted struggled but it was futile, he couldn't overpower Apollo.

"Ted, listen to me. I know you're in there fight it. Remember what I told you. You choose who you are not them. So choose and remember you are not a weapon" Apollo told him.

Ted stopped struggling and he let out a powerful scream. Fighting against the controls in his mind.

With sheer willpower—Ted broke free.

Apollo dropped Ted.

Ted turned back into his human form and looked at Apollo once more.

"Thank you"

Apollo just smiled and nodded at him.

"Don't mention it"

Suddenly the facility rumbled violently.

"Time to go!" Apollo said.

He blurred and grabbed Chloe and then Ted before shooting upward—

Apollo burst through the collapsing facility, carrying both Ted and Chloe as fire and debris rained around them.

The explosions roared beneath them, the Lernean Building breaking apart at its very foundation.

A massive blast wave erupted, sending a shockwave through the night—

But Apollo was faster.

With a final burst of speed, he soared through the air, leaving the burning wreckage behind.

Below, the Lernean Building collapsed in on itself, the inferno swallowing whatever secrets remained.

But Apollo wasn't thinking about that.

His focus was on Chloe.

Her pulse was weak.

Her body limp.

But she was alive.

"Hold on, Chloe."

The nearest hospital was miles away—but that didn't matter.

With a shift in his trajectory, Apollo angled toward Smallville General Hospital and pushed himself even faster.

Location: Smallville General, Smallville, Kansas - 2003

It took seconds for Apollo to reach Smallville General.

The night air was cool against Apollo's face as he descended silently onto the rooftop of Smallville General, carrying Chloe in his arms. Ted landed beside him, his enhanced body still aching from the battle.

Apollo's eyes flickered toward the emergency entrance below. Too many people. Too much risk.

He turned to Ted. "Wait here."

Then, in the blink of an eye, he was gone.

Inside the hospital, Ajak stood alone in her office, reviewing patient charts under the soft glow of a desk lamp.

A sudden gust of wind ruffled the papers.

She looked up—and Apollo stood before her, still in his costume, Chloe cradled in his arms.

Ajak's eyes widened for a fraction of a second before she immediately took control of the situation.

"Lay her down."

Apollo gently placed Chloe onto the examination table.

Ajak's hands hovered over her chest, glowing faintly with golden cosmic energy. She closed her eyes, scanning Chloe's injuries—

And what she found made her expression darken.

"Electrocution. Meteor exposure. She's stable, but weak." She pressed her hands gently against Chloe's body.

A warm golden light flowed from her palms, washing over Chloe like a gentle sunrise. Apollo watched as her breathing steadied, some of the strain leaving her face.

It wasn't a full healing—Ajak couldn't risk that—but it was enough to ensure that she would be better and healthy soon.

She pulled back, taking a slow breath.

Then her sharp gaze flickered to Apollo's shoulder—past him—toward the door.

"He's with you, isn't he?"

Apollo glanced back.

Ted stood in the shadows of the doorway, his frame tense, his eyes wary.

"Yes he is, he's Ted" Apollo told his Ma.

Ajak studied him—not with fear, but with understanding.

She walked up to him and then reached out a hand towards his face.

Ted flinched expecting a slap but instead he was met with a gentle caress.

"You poor, poor boy, you've been through so much. I'm so sorry" Ajak said to him softly.

"Rest now." Her voice was gentle but firm. "There's an empty room on the second floor. No one will disturb you."

Ted's jaw tightened and tears filled his eyes not expecting this much warmth from someone he just met.

"Why are you helping me?"

Ajak's expression softened. "Because you need it."

For a moment, Ted looked like he wanted to argue. Like he couldn't trust this kindness. Then he remembered the kindness Apollo showed him and something clicked in his mind. This was where he got it from. This was his mother.

Then, finally, his shoulders sagged. "Alright."

Ajak nodded. "I'll keep your secret safe. And in the morning, I'll help you find your family."

Ted swallowed hard, then gave Apollo a silent nod of thanks before slipping into the hallway.

Ajak watched him go before turning back to Chloe. She picked up her office phone and made a call

"We need a trauma team in here. Now."

Apollo took one last look at Chloe—then stepped back.

Ajak's gaze met his.

She didn't say go.

She didn't have to.

Apollo gave her a small nod—then, in a blur of motion, he was gone.

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