Bubble Boy

Troy's hands were shaking as he stared at the medical files on his desk. His name was there, stamped in bold letters, right next to another file, Starman's.

His breath hitched. His heart pounded like a war drum in his chest. Why? Why were his medical records tied to the most powerful being on the planet? Why did Starman always seem so interested in him?

And more importantly, did his mother know?

He clenched his jaw, his body already moving before he could think.

The apartment was dark when he stepped inside. The living room was exactly as he left it, neat, quiet, empty. The only light came from the kitchen, where his mother sat at the table, flipping through some paperwork.

Troy didn't hesitate. He slammed the door shut, making her jolt.

She turned, startled. "Troy?"

He stepped forward, tossing the files onto the table. The papers scattered, revealing classified documents stamped with Trigon Labs' insignia.

"Explain," he demanded.

Her face paled.

She tried to gather the papers quickly, but Troy caught her wrist. "Did you know?" His voice was low, dangerous. "Did Dad know?"

Her lips parted as if to speak, but then she stood abruptly, her chair scraping against the tile. "I need to go."

Troy's eyes darkened. A hardened bubble formed around the door handle before she could reach it.

Her breath hitched.

She turned back slowly, and when her gaze met his, there was fear.

Troy's stomach twisted. His own mother… was afraid of him?

"Mom?" His voice wavered.

She clenched her fists, her shoulders stiff. "You weren't supposed to know."

His blood ran cold.

Troy swallowed hard. "Tell me everything."

She hesitated, her eyes darting between him and the files. Then, with a trembling breath, she spoke.

"Your father and I worked for Trigon Labs. We were researchers, assigned to… special projects."

Troy's fingers twitched. "What kind of projects?"

Her voice was hollow. "Genetic enhancement. Superpower augmentation. The future of heroes."

The room was silent except for the ticking clock on the wall.

His mother looked away. "When you were born… you were weak, Troy. An F-Class. We didn't know why. Your father… he wanted more for you."

Troy's breath shallowed. "So what? You experimented on me?"

She flinched but nodded.

Troy took a step back, his body cold. "You gave me to a lab?"

"You don't understand..."

"I understand perfectly." His voice was sharp. "I was an experiment. A failed experiment, until you got your hands on Starman's DNA."

Her silence was the only answer he needed.

Troy clenched his fists, his body shaking.

"That's why my files were with his," he muttered. "You used his physiology. You turned me into..."

He couldn't even finish the sentence.

His mother finally looked at him, her expression broken. "We never expected you to be… this strong."

SSS-Class.

The highest ranking. The level of monsters.

The same class as Starman.

The air in the room was suffocating.

Troy backed away toward the door, releasing the bubble around the handle.

"I need air," he muttered.

"Troy, wait..."

But he was already gone.

As soon as he was out of the apartment, his mother pulled out her phone with trembling fingers.

A dial tone.

Then, a voice.

"…Michael."

Her breath was unsteady.

"Subject 002 knows he's an SSS-Class."

Troy landed at Jace's mansion hard, his legs nearly buckling.

Jace was already waiting by the entrance, arms crossed. "You look like hell."

Troy didn't respond. He just walked past him, straight into the underground hideout.

Jace followed, concerned. "What happened?"

Troy collapsed onto the couch, rubbing his face. His mind was spinning.

Then, in a hollow voice, he told him everything.

Jace listened in silence. No jokes. No sarcasm. Just listening.

When Troy was done, he leaned back, exhaling sharply. "So… your parents sold you to Trigon."

Troy didn't answer.

Jace ran a hand through his hair. "Damn, man."

Troy swallowed. His hands were still shaking.

His entire life was a lie.

He wasn't just some random guy with powers.

He wasn't even human.

He was created.

And worst of all...

He is not sure if Starman knew.

The night sky burned with streaks of red and blue as the Legion descended on the battlefield. The Enforcers were already waiting, a ragtag group of mercenaries with no allegiance beyond the highest bidder. Their leader, a brute named Ragnar, cracked his knuckles, smirking.

"You heroes sure know how to make an entrance," he sneered. His team fanned out behind him, killers, all of them. Unlike the Legion, they didn't hide their love for bloodshed behind capes and speeches.

Starman landed first, his presence alone forcing the Enforcers to take a step back. Orion landed beside him, eyes sharp. Gladiator twirled her sword, Bolt cracked his neck, and Construct grinned like a maniac. Seaman stood with his trident at the ready, his calm demeanor a stark contrast to the storm brewing behind his eyes.

"This city doesn't need you," Starman said, his voice void of emotion. "Walk away."

Ragnar laughed. "We both know that's not happening."

The battle erupted in a flash of light and blood.

While the others tore through the Enforcers, Orion and Starman fought side by side.

Orion mirrored Starman's movements, his punches carrying devastating force. The two of them moved like a well-oiled machine, one striking, the other countering, their power overwhelming. It was seamless, almost instinctual.

Bolt, dodging a blast of plasma, noticed. "Damn," he muttered, zipping next to Gladiator. "You see that?"

Gladiator sliced through an enemy's weapon with ease, her eyes narrowing. "Yeah. He treats Orion different."

Void, standing on the edge of the battlefield, her fingers crackling with energy, chimed in. "Like a son."

Construct cackled, forming a massive hammer in his hands. "You think Starman actually gives a damn about anyone?"

Mr Mars smiles creepily while listening to the other's talk while phasing through the super mercenaries.

"He does about Orion," Seaman cut in, driving his trident through an Enforcer's armor. His voice was firm. "Starman sees something in him."

After the battle, back at Legion Tower, Orion stood on the balcony, staring at the city below. Starman joined him, the weight of the night still lingering in his eyes.

"You did well today," Starman said.

Orion exhaled. "They feared you."

"They always do."

A heavy silence settled between them. Then, Starman did something he never did, he spoke about his past.

"There was a woman once," he said, voice distant. "She was human. I loved her."

Orion turned, surprised. Starman never talked about love.

"I wanted a family," Starman continued. "A son. A legacy. But I wasn't human. She knew it. And when we tried… it didn't work." His fists clenched. "She left. Feared what I was. What I could become."

Orion didn't know what to say.

Starman exhaled, his gaze turning to Orion. "You remind me of the son I never had."

Orion's heart pounded.

He had no parents. No real past. He had always been searching for where he belonged. And now, hearing those words from the strongest being on Earth, he felt something he never had before.

A purpose.

"Maybe," Orion said, his voice barely above a whisper, "you're the father I never had."

Starman didn't respond. But for the first time in a long time, he felt something close to human.

And that terrified him.