The Boys: I'm the Origin of Compound V

Chapter 26: Clash of Power

The air was thick with tension, the flicker of flames casting dancing shadows across the shattered ground. Adam stood firm, his hands glowing with blue energy as Henshaw's crimson aura pulsed menacingly. The others hung back, the weight of the confrontation clear—this wasn't their fight.

"You've done a lot of damage tonight," Henshaw said, his voice calm but laced with venom. "But you've made one mistake: underestimating what Vought is truly capable of."

"I've seen what Vought's capable of," Adam shot back. "And I'm still standing."

Henshaw's smile turned predatory. "Not for long."

The first attack came without warning. A blast of red energy shot from Henshaw's hands, tearing through the air. Adam dove to the side, rolling back to his feet as the ground where he'd stood exploded in a shower of sparks and debris.

"Stay back!" Adam shouted to the others, his voice edged with urgency.

"Don't have to tell me twice," Hughie muttered, pulling Lena behind a stack of crates for cover.

Butcher, however, lingered, his jaw clenched as he watched the fight unfold.

Adam retaliated with a surge of blue energy, the blast colliding with Henshaw's attack in a brilliant clash of light. The force sent shockwaves rippling through the air, the surrounding flames flickering wildly.

"You think your borrowed powers make you a threat?" Henshaw sneered, his voice echoing unnaturally. "You're just a cheap imitation."

Adam gritted his teeth, launching another attack. "Let's find out."

The two exchanged a series of rapid blows, their energy colliding with explosive force. Each hit sent Adam's pulse racing, the strain of maintaining his power weighing on him.

"Not now," Adam muttered under his breath, ducking beneath a crimson arc of energy.

Meanwhile, Frenchie worked frantically at the edge of the battlefield, assembling a makeshift device from the remnants of their explosives.

"What the hell are you doing?" Butcher demanded, crouching beside him.

"Buying us time," Frenchie replied, sweat dripping from his brow. "That man is not human anymore. We need something... bigger."

Butcher glanced at the device, a grim smile tugging at his lips. "Make it count."

Back in the fray, Adam was struggling to keep up. Henshaw's attacks were relentless, each one heavier and faster than the last. Adam's own strikes, while powerful, lacked the precision and efficiency of his opponent's.

"Getting tired?" Henshaw taunted, his crimson aura flaring.

Adam didn't respond. Instead, he focused his energy, unleashing a concentrated beam that struck Henshaw square in the chest. The impact sent the scientist-turned-supe staggering back, but he quickly recovered, his smirk intact.

"You're strong," Henshaw admitted. "Stronger than I expected. But you're holding back."

Adam's breath hitched.

"I can see it," Henshaw continued, his tone almost mocking. "You're afraid of what you'll become if you let go."

"Shut up," Adam growled, launching another attack.

But Henshaw deflected it effortlessly, his expression triumphant. "You'll never win like this."

"Adam!" Frenchie's voice cut through the chaos. "Get clear!"

Adam glanced over his shoulder just in time to see Frenchie activate the device. A pulse of bright light erupted from it, followed by a deafening explosion that consumed the battlefield.

The force of the blast sent Adam flying, the heat searing his skin as he hit the ground hard. Dazed, he struggled to his feet, his ears ringing and his vision blurred.

When the smoke cleared, Henshaw stood in the center of the devastation, his aura flickering but intact.

"You call that an attack?" he said, his tone dripping with disdain.

"Plan B, then," Butcher muttered, raising his weapon and firing a hail of bullets.

The rounds bounced harmlessly off Henshaw's energy shield, the supe barely acknowledging the assault.

Adam pushed himself upright, his energy flickering weakly in his palms. "It's not enough," he murmured, his voice strained.

"I'm not running," Adam growled.

Henshaw raised his hands for a final strike, crimson energy coalescing into a deadly sphere. But before he could unleash it, Lena stepped into the open, her expression resolute.

"Stop!" she shouted, her voice trembling but firm.

"Lena, no!" Adam called, but she didn't falter.

Henshaw turned his gaze to her, his expression unreadable. "And what do you think you're going to do?"

Lena took a shaky step forward, her hands clenched at her sides. "You said I wasn't strong enough. That I couldn't survive. But you're wrong."

The faint green glow beneath her skin flared brighter, the unstable Compound V in her veins reacting to her emotions.

"Lena!" Adam shouted again, but it was too late.

With a scream, Lena unleashed a surge of energy that collided with Henshaw's sphere, the two forces canceling each other out in a blinding flash.

When the light faded, Henshaw was on one knee, his aura flickering weakly. Lena collapsed, her body trembling as the energy drained from her.

Adam rushed to her side, his heart pounding. "Lena, stay with me."

She opened her eyes, a faint smile on her lips. "Guess I'm stronger than I thought."

Adam clenched his fists, his gaze shifting to Henshaw, who was struggling to rise. "This ends now."

Drawing on every ounce of his remaining energy, Adam launched himself at Henshaw, their powers colliding in a final, cataclysmic clash that shook the earth beneath them.

When the dust settled, Henshaw lay motionless, his aura extinguished. Adam stood over him, his body battered but unbroken.

The others approached cautiously, their expressions a mix of relief and disbelief.

"You did it," Hughie said, his voice awed.

Adam didn't respond. He turned back to Lena, who was still lying on the ground, her breathing shallow.

"She needs help," Adam said, his voice urgent.

Frenchie nodded, already moving to examine her. "We'll do what we can."

As the team regrouped, the weight of their victory—and the cost it had come with—settled over them.

For Adam, the battle was over, but the war against Vought was far from won. And as he looked at Lena, he knew their fight was only growing more personal.