Bubble Boy

Midnight – Trigon Labs

The night air was still, the city lights reflecting off the towering skyscrapers above. Trigon Labs stood in the heart of an industrial district, a massive facility surrounded by high walls and patrolled by armed guards. From a distance, it looked impenetrable.

But Troy and Jace weren't coming in through the front door.

Dressed in black, they moved like shadows across the rooftops, stopping near an air vent on the building's side. Jace pulled out a small device, pressing it against the lock. A faint hum filled the air before a soft click signaled their way in.

"Alright, we're in," Jace whispered, slipping inside first. Troy followed, dropping into the cool metal ducts. The space was tight, forcing them to move carefully as they navigated through the labyrinth of vents.

Jace's voice came through the earpiece. "Security's heavy. Motion sensors, thermal cameras… stay low, stay quiet."

Troy nodded, heart pounding as they crawled forward.

They reached a maintenance shaft and dropped down, landing silently in a dimly lit corridor. Jace pulled up a holographic map.

"Records room is three floors down," he whispered.

Troy frowned. "Why would my files be that deep in the facility?"

Jace didn't answer. Instead, he motioned for Troy to follow.

They moved through the halls, ducking behind corners and avoiding security cameras. Jace's hacking device disabled any electronic locks in their way, clearing a smooth path.

Finally, they reached the elevator. Jace plugged in his device, overriding the system. The doors slid open, and they stepped inside.

As the elevator descended, an uneasy feeling settled in Troy's gut. Something about this place felt… wrong.

When the doors opened, they weren't in a simple records room.

They were in a massive underground facility.

Rows of white-coated scientists moved like ghosts through the sterile environment. Strange machines hummed, flickering monitors displayed unknown data, and large containment tubes lined the walls, each filled with a glowing blue liquid.

Troy's breath hitched. "What the hell is this?"

Jace's eyes narrowed. "This isn't just a research lab. This is something else."

They slipped into the shadows, moving undetected through the facility.

As they went deeper, the experiments became stranger. DNA samples, brain scans, even classified files labeled EXTRATERRESTRIAL.

And then they saw it.

A spacecraft.

The ship was sleek, silver, and roughly the size of a small car. Symbols unlike anything Troy had ever seen glowed faintly on its surface. But what caught his attention was the small pod inside, just big enough for a baby.

Jace swallowed. "Troy… this is a stasis pod."

Troy's mind raced. He stepped closer, his fingers brushing against the cold metal. The ship suddenly whirred to life, a holographic screen appearing before them.

A deep, distorted voice echoed through the chamber.

"Initiating playback… Subject 001. Planet Xyphos. Galactic Conquest Initiative."

The screen shifted, revealing a dark, desolate planet beneath a blood-red sky. Towers of alien architecture stretched toward the heavens, while legions of armored warriors stood in formation.

A massive figure in black and red armor appeared, his eyes glowing the same piercing red as Starman's heat vision.

"My son, you are the last of the royal family. You will be raised on Earth, trained among them, and when the time comes… you will rule them and take back what once we lost."

Troy's heart pounded. No. No way.

The message continued.

"This ship contains all the knowledge you need. Their weaknesses, their defenses, their psychology. You will grow strong among them, and when you are ready…"

The figure's eyes burned brighter.

"…You will claim back what once we had."

The screen flickered, showing lessons, strategies for domination, alien combat techniques, language training. Everything a conqueror would need to prepare for war.

And then the final words appeared.

"Welcome to Earth, Starman."

Silence hung heavy between Troy and Jace.

Troy's hands clenched into fists. Starman isn't just an alien. He was sent here to conquer us. And save his planet.

Jace exhaled sharply. "We need to go. Now."

Troy turned, forcing himself to focus. They slipped back the way they came, careful not to leave any trace of their presence.

As they climbed back into the ventilation system, Troy's mind raced.

Everyone knows Starman is an alien. But no one knows this.

And if Starman knew about this ship… if he had already seen these messages…

Troy swallowed hard.

He wasn't sure what scared him more, starman's past… or the fact that he might still be following the plan.

The air in the underground lab was thick with tension as Jace and Troy moved back up but it leaded into the labyrinth of the Hidden Lab. Their footsteps echoed in the eerie silence, but the hum of machines and the occasional beep of distant monitors filled the otherwise sterile atmosphere. The more they saw, the more it felt like they were trespassing on something far beyond their comprehension.

The deeper they went, the stranger the experiments seemed. There were files, some marked with black ink, others open for display, filled with information about subjects who had undergone intense physical and psychological testing. And among these files was the truth about Starman.

Troy's heart sank as he flipped through one of the folders, the words on the paper triggering memories. The first document was a recording. It was dated twenty seven years ago, before the Legion had formed, before Starman had become the symbol of peace.

Recording starts.

"We found him in a damaged ship, a small craft, crashing near the outskirts of our testing grounds," the voice on the recording said. "He was unconscious but alive, an infant, surrounded by a strange energy signature. We extracted him immediately. We couldn't let him wake up in the wild, not with what he carried."

Troy's throat went dry. "They took him from his ship...?"

Jace nodded, but there was no sympathy in his eyes. "They didn't care. They raised him like an experiment, treating him as nothing more than a weapon." He stared at the screen. "They pushed him through a series of tests, cruel, inhumane. They forced him to undergo everything from physical combat training to psychological conditioning. And they stripped him of anything resembling warmth."

Troy clenched his fists, his chest tightening with anger and guilt. "This isn't the man he is now…"

"Is it?" Jace's voice was cold, distant. "We know who he became. The way he kills without hesitation, the way he toys with people like it's a game. He might have started as an experiment, but he chose to become this monster. This is his fault."

Before Troy could respond, his eyes caught something in the corner of the screen, a set of classified files, hidden beneath the last layer. His heart skipped a beat when he saw the name: Troy… followed by a string of classification letters. He clicked it open, and the words felt like a punch to the gut.

Classification: SSS Class.

Jace noticed the shift in Troy's demeanor immediately. "What the hell…?" He looked closer. "This is your file, isn't it?"

Troy could hardly breathe. The SSS classification meant only one thing: an extraordinary level of power that could impact the world on a multiversal scale. His heart raced as he read through the notes. "Did my parents know… did they know what I was. But… why are my files here with Starman's?"

Jace didn't have an answer. His focus shifted from Troy's file to the files on Starman, a deep frown creasing his brow. "We need to get out of here. Now. It's too risky."

They turned to head back to the elevator, but as they moved through the dimly lit halls, a sudden sound stopped them, footsteps, sharp and fast.

"Looks like we're not alone," Jace whispered.

Before they could react, a tall, imposing figure stepped from the shadows, blocking their path. The man was dressed in a sleek blue and white uniform adorned with glowing symbols, his eyes glowing with the same red intensity that had haunted Troy's thoughts ever since he'd seen Starman's message. It was Orion, the new replacement for Elemental in the Legion.

"Going somewhere?" Orion asked, his voice calm yet full of power.

Troy's stomach dropped. Orion was known to be a hero, an SS-class powerhouse, but there was something different about him. He had been brought in to replace Elemental after the tragic incident, and he was determined to prove his loyalty to the Legion. He admired Starman and had no idea of the truth behind him.

"We're just passing through," Jace said, his voice laced with tension. "We're not here to cause trouble."

Orion's eyes narrowed, his posture unwavering. "You're not here to cause trouble? Then explain why you're snooping around in places you shouldn't be, looking at files that don't concern you."

Jace's hand hovered near his tech, but Troy stepped forward, a sense of calm washing over him. He didn't want to fight, especially not with someone who might be another hero, but they were cornered.

"Listen, we're not looking for a fight. We came here to find the truth about Starman. About everything."

Orion tilted his head. "What truth?" He seemed almost amused, but there was a flicker of suspicion in his eyes. "Starman's been our leader, our protector. What could possibly be so important that it would bring you here?"

Before Troy could speak again, a voice crackled over his earpiece. It was Arthur, Jace's butler, his voice tight with urgency. "Jace, Troy, you need to leave. Now. I've been tracking the security systems, and they've just activated a full lockdown. You won't get out unless you move quickly."

Troy looked at Jace, who met his gaze. They didn't have much time.

But Orion was standing between them and the exit.

"Looks like you're not leaving so easily," Orion said, stepping closer, his posture still as unyielding as ever.

Troy's heart raced as he exchanged a glance with Jace. They were out of options. They had to move, and fast. The truth about Starman, their own secrets, and their lives were all on the line now. And in that moment, Troy realized they weren't just fighting for answers, they were fighting for their very survival.