Bubble Boy

CRASH!

The warehouse trembled as Orion landed, his presence alone warping the air around him. The dust settled, revealing his towering figure, a perfect warrior, sculpted from sheer power. His eyes were void of emotion, his expression blank. He didn't speak. He didn't need to.

Psion "Wait...let's talk..."

Orion moved.

In a blur, he was in front of her. His fist struck her gut with such force that the sound of impact echoed through the warehouse like a thunderclap. Psion's body lifted off the ground before she rocketed backward, smashing through crates, skidding across the concrete.

"Inferno!" Umbra shouted.

Jackson's flames surged as he launched himself at Orion, fists burning like miniature suns. He swung, fire trailing behind his punch. Orion tilted his head slightly. The attack grazed his cheek, but it didn't leave a mark.

Jackson's eyes widened.

Before he could react, Orion's hand clamped around his throat. With a single motion, he drove Jackson's body into the floor, cracking the concrete beneath them.

"Damn it..." Umbra melted into the shadows, appearing behind Orion with a blade of darkness. He thrust the weapon at Orion's neck.

It shattered on impact.

Orion spun, driving an elbow into Umbra's chest. Carter barely had time to register the hit before he was launched through the air, slamming into the warehouse wall with a sickening crunch.

"Verdant Bind!" Garden Girl's voice rang out. Vines erupted from the ground, wrapping around Orion's limbs, tightening with unnatural strength.

For a moment, it looked like they had him.

Then Orion flexed.

The vines snapped apart like brittle twigs. Before Annie could react, Orion blurred forward and drove his knee into her stomach. She coughed up blood as her body crumpled.

Psion groaned, struggling to rise. "We… can't win this…"

Orion turned to her, his red eyes burning. He raised his fist...

Then a roar tore through the air.

Jackson stood, flames cascading off his body like a living inferno. His usual smirk was gone. His eyes blazed with fury.

"Enough." His voice was a growl.

The heat in the warehouse spiked. The concrete floor beneath him cracked and melted. The air shimmered with unbearable heatwaves. His entire body became fire itself.

BOOM!

Jackson vanished in a flash of flames, reappearing in front of Orion. This time, his punch connected.

Orion staggered.

Jackson didn't stop. His fists became meteors, hammering into Orion over and over, his movements fueled by raw fury. Every impact sent shockwaves through the warehouse, turning metal into molten slag.

"You're nothing!" Jackson roared, flames swallowing the battlefield.

Orion gritted his teeth. His body smoked, his suit partially burned. For the first time, he bled.

But then...

He looked up.

High above, perched on a rooftop, Starman watched. His red eyes glowed, his expression unreadable.

Orion's breath hitched.

Starman's gaze held only one thing.

Disappointment.

Orion's body tensed. The pain vanished. The heat no longer mattered.

Jackson threw another blazing punch...

Orion caught it.

CRACK.

Jackson screamed. His wrist twisted unnaturally. Orion didn't stop there. His other hand shot forward, striking Jackson's chest. The force alone extinguished his flames.

The king of high school crumpled.

Orion lifted him by the throat, his grip unyielding. Jackson gasped, kicking weakly.

Orion's fist pulled back. His eyes glowed red.

He was going to end it.

Starman smiled.

The air burned as Orion's fist surged forward...

And the world held its breath.

BOOM!

The air trembled as Orion's fist surged toward Inferno.

At the last second, roots exploded from the concrete, latching onto Inferno's charred body and yanking him out of harm's way. The sheer force of Orion's punch left a crater where Jackson had been just moments ago.

Orion's head tilted. His glowing red eyes locked onto Annie.

She froze.

Her body trembled as she summoned vines, thick as steel cables, wrapping them around Orion's limbs. Thorns erupted from the roots, stabbing into his skin. She clenched her fists, pouring everything into her power.

"Stay… down!" she screamed.

Orion took a step forward.

The vines constricted tighter, straining with unnatural force. But he kept walking.

A second step.

Annie's breath quickened. Sweat dripped from her brow. The warehouse floor cracked beneath Orion's weight as the glow in his eyes intensified.

A third step.

Her vines snapped.

Annie's knees buckled. Her breath hitched in terror.

Orion raised a hand, his fingers twitching. Red energy flickered at the edges of his eyes, growing brighter, hotter...

"No!"

Flames erupted between them as Jackson lunged forward, his entire body ignited in a desperate blaze. He tackled Orion, shoving him back with everything he had left.

Orion barely budged.

The laser fired...

Jackson twisted his body, taking the blast through his shoulder. A scream tore from his throat, but his flames burned hotter, shielding him from the full force.

Through the searing pain, he swung his fist...

CRACK!

Orion's head barely moved, but the sound of impact echoed like a cannon blast.

Silence followed.

Then Orion exhaled, unimpressed. His fingers curled into a fist. His arm blurred...

BOOM!

His punch connected. Jackson's head snapped back, his body launching through the air like a ragdoll.

Everyone watched in horror.

A smile spread across Starman's lips.

The warehouse shook as Jackson's body crashed against the concrete, unmoving.

Orion turned his gaze back to Annie, stepping forward.

She couldn't move.

This was it.

Orion's hand lifted, glowing with raw power. His fist clenched. He was going to erase her from existence...

"Bubble Blast!"

A soft, almost playful voice cut through the chaos.

A single bubble floated into view.

Then...

BOOM!

The explosion sent Orion flying. His body rocketed through a steel wall, leaving a massive hole in its wake.

Silence fell over the battlefield.

The dust settled.

And there, standing at the center of it all, was Bubble Boy.

But he wasn't the same.

He was taller. Muscular. His once goofy, innocent frame now carried the presence of a warrior. A sleek black and blue superhero suit hugged his form, a shining blue BB emblem emblazoned across his chest. His hands clenched into fists, crackling with condensed energy.

His signature straight blonde hair was gone, replaced by a striking blonde mohawk.

Troy exhaled, rolling his shoulders.

Then, with a confident smirk, he spoke.

"Miss me?"