Bubble Boy

Exterior – Syndicate's Desert Lab – Moments Later

Troy landed gently on the scorched sands, the battle's heat still fresh on his skin. The shattered remnants of the Syndicate's facility smoked behind him. His boots crunched on broken glass and molten steel as he stepped through the ruins.

Then he saw her.

Gladiator.

Lying crumpled on the ground like a discarded doll. One arm twisted unnaturally. Her breathing was shallow, and her sword lay bent beside her.

Troy's eyes darkened. "No…"

He knelt beside her, checking her pulse, strong, but fading fast.

WHOOSH!

A presence descended. The air tightened.

Starman.

Majestic. Untouched by the carnage. Cloak flowing with unnatural grace. His feet never touched the ground as he hovered, arms behind his back, golden eyes locked on his son.

Troy didn't flinch. "I'll speak to you in a moment," he said firmly. "She needs help."

For a heartbeat, neither moved. Then, without another word, Troy picked Gladiator up gently and took off into the sky in a streak of iridescent bubbles.

Interior – Legion Tower – Medical Bay

The landing pad doors burst open.

"Gurnee!" Troy shouted.

A team of doctors and scientists rushed in, wheeling a reinforced stretcher. They took Gladiator from his arms, stabilizing her with trembling urgency. Her broken arm was already beginning to swell, and her body was peppered with bruises and internal damage.

"She has a punctured lung, multiple fractures, get her inside!" barked one of the head medics.

Troy followed, refusing to leave her side as they pushed through sterile corridors of steel and light.

Other Legion members watched in silence.

Bolt's smile vanished.

Construct lowered his gaze.

Void's arms were crossed tighter than usual.

Even Mr. Mars stepped back to let them through.

Interior – Observation Deck

Minutes later, Troy stood alone, watching Gladiator through the glass. Tubes connected to her arm, a mask over her face. But she was alive.

Footsteps behind him.

Starman entered.

"Why did you come?" Troy asked, not turning. "To see if I'd kill him? Or to remind me who my father is?"

Starman's voice was calm, inhumanly smooth. "I came to see if you would rise."

Troy turned, eyes blazing. "I don't want to be like you."

"No," Starman said, a faint smirk ghosting across his face. "You want to be better. That's what makes you dangerous."

Troy stepped forward. "Who is Eidolon really, he said he was my brother, so is he?"

Starman tilted his head slightly. "No, he was created by the scientists of the legion. One in particular Dr Vladimir the greatest scientist to ever live. He took human DNA of your mother and me, so in a way he is your older brother. But he was grown in a tube not born like you but he escaped and created the syndicate with Dr Vladimir."

Troy's fists clenched. "You let her get hurt, you knew how powerful and dangerous Eidolon was."

"She made a choice. I said it would be dangerous."

There was no remorse. No empathy. Just cold certainty.

Troy's voice dropped to a whisper. "You're a monster."

Starman's eyes softened. "Troy, I never knew he would be there."

"I don't believe you." Troy said, stepping closer. "

They stood face-to-face.

Father and son.

Light and shadow.

Starman stared, expression unreadable. Then he turned and walked away without another word.

Troy looked back at Gladiator, unconscious but safe.

"I will fix this world," he whispered. "Even if I have to fix it alone."

Exterior – Legion Tower – Nightfall

News cameras flashed.

Screens across the world replayed the battle again and again: Bubble Boy defeats the Orphan. His name trended across every platform. Some called him a savior. Others… a threat.

But one thing was certain.

The world was watching now.

And Troy?

He was just getting started.

Interior – Legion Tower – Medical Bay – Late Night

The soft hum of machines was the only sound that filled the sterile room. Shadows moved gently as the city lights flickered beyond the glass. Gladiator lay motionless, her body bandaged, IVs feeding into her veins, the gentle rhythm of the heart monitor pulsing like a fragile drumbeat of life.

Troy sat beside her bed.

He hadn't moved for hours.

His hair was messy, face bruised and scratched, his costume still torn from battle. His boots lay kicked off to the side, and he rested his head gently on her thigh, one hand gripping the edge of the bed as if letting go would somehow mean losing her forever.

She stirred.

A twitch in her fingers.

Eyes fluttered open, sharp, battle-hardened but confused.

Her breath hitched as she took in the scene.

Troy. Asleep. Peaceful.

On her leg?

She blinked again, stunned. The last thing she remembered was pain, the cold ground, the smell of burning metal. She thought that would be the end.

She had always imagined dying alone.

Not like this.

And certainly not with him at her side.

Her cheeks warmed, a strange sensation for someone used to blood and steel. "T...Troy?" she whispered hoarsely.

He didn't respond.

Her brow furrowed. Was this a dream? A hallucination?

She moved her leg slightly, kick!

Troy jolted up, nearly falling off the chair. "Wha... Gladiator!" he blurted, eyes wide. "You're awake!"

She blinked at him, lips parting, uncertain. "What... are you doing here?"

He rubbed his neck sheepishly. "I... didn't want you to be alone."

Her heart stuttered.

"You passed out. I didn't know if you were gonna make it. I... I just couldn't leave," he said, his voice quiet, almost boyish. "You're my friend."

She stared at him, struggling to piece it together. "Why?"

"No one should have to wake up alone in a place like this."

Her lips trembled. "I've always been alone. Even in the Legion… I'm just a weapon. People smile at me, but they don't see me. Not like this."

Troy leaned forward, his voice firm but gentle. "Then they're blind."

Silence.

Then she looked away, blinking fast. "Don't say stuff like that."

"Why not?"

"Because I'm not like you." She tightened her jaw. "You believe in peace. I don't even know what that word means. I've done things, Troy. Bad things."

"I know," he replied without flinching.

Her blush deepened. She hated that he could do this, see her, beneath all the layers of blood, fear, and weaponized smiles.

"Don't make me fall for you, Bubble Boy," she muttered, eyes narrowing.

Troy blinked. "Wait, what?"

She groaned and turned her head to the side. "Nothing."

A beat.

Then he chuckled. "You called me Bubble Boy."

"You hate that name."

"I do." He grinned. "But I like the way you say it."

She smirked despite herself. "You're ridiculous."

They sat in a comfortable silence for a moment. Then, Gladiator reached out slowly, wincing, and placed her hand on his.

"Troy," she said, her voice steadier now, "I've never had anyone stay. Not really. Not even when I was a kid. They said I was too dangerous to touch. Too broken to fix."

He looked at her, really looked.

"You're not broken, Gladiator. You're just… waiting for someone to remind you you're still human."

She looked like she might cry. But she didn't.

Instead, she whispered, "My name is Kaia."

Troy's breath caught.

He had never heard her real name before. Not once.

He smiled softly. "Hi, Kaia."

"Hi, Troy."

She gripped his hand tighter.

And for the first time in a long time, she didn't feel like a weapon.

She felt like a person.

She felt seen.

Exterior – Legion Tower – Morning

The first light of dawn crept over the city skyline.

In the medical bay, Troy had fallen asleep again, this time with Kaia's fingers gently curled around his.

She watched him sleep, cheeks still faintly red.

For the first time in her life… she smiled.