"Get away from here! NOW!" Atomic bellowed, his voice piercing through the chaos around him as he turned to face the monolith of steel and metal in the distance.
With a surge of determination, he propelled himself forward, charging at the gargantuan steel monstrosity hovering ominously in the sky.
"You don't have to tell me twice!" Hughes shouted, his heart racing at the terrifying sight of the sky-bound fortress. "Everyone, move back! Let's get the hell out of here!"
In an instant, the remaining helicopters swung around in a synchronized retreat, their whirring blades slicing through the air, while one descended to retrieve Haydlen and his co-pilot.
Okay. I can do this. I can definitely do this! Atomic reassured himself, his mind racing as he surveyed the monstrous structure looming overhead. God, please let me pull this off!
The first wave of razor-sharp steel projectiles hurtled toward him like a storm of death, but Atomic stood firm. With a defiant wave of his hands, he unleashed a torrent of crimson energy that morphed into a titanic fist, smashing through the barrage and sending shards hurtling into the void.
Steeling himself, Atomic soared into the heart of the storm, weaving through the onslaught of deadly metal with breathtaking precision. He had to reach Erik. Once the man was in range, it was game over.
Suddenly, a shard of rebar sliced through the air, poised to pierce his back. But just as it was about to strike, it halted—frozen in mid-air, mere inches from impact.
This was the culmination of Atomic's mastery over his version of the Infinity technique, an incredible ability that allowed him to amplify the air's density around him, creating an impenetrable barrier. Anything that dared to strike him would be forced to a standstill, suspended before reaching his body.
Yet this incredible power came at a steep price. To maintain such complex control, Atomic had to divert half his mental focus to sustain the technique, restraining his other abilities. He wielded this double-edged sword only in the most dire of battles.
Like now, as he squared off against one of the planet's most formidable mutants.
Atomic glanced back at the rebar with grim determination, his hands crashing together in a thunderous clap. A shockwave of crimson light erupted from his palms, vaporizing everything within a 30 yards, turning steel and concrete to nothingness.
Erik glared, frustration etching deeper lines across his face as he watched Atomic evade his onslaught. Yet, buried beneath his irritation was an unmistakable realization: this young hero was drowning in chaos, floundering in a battle far beyond anything he had faced before. Especially as he tried to reach him to deliver a winning blow. But Erik was no fool, he would keep away from Atomic's powers range.
"Is this truly all you are capable of, Wyatt? No, I know you can reach much greater heights than these. Let's turn up the heat, shall we?" Erik said as he raised both hands toward the tempest above. With effortless malevolence, he began warping the MRD facility, twisting the mighty structure inward until grotesque tendrils of steel emerged, snaking down like sinister claws poised to tear Atomic apart.
Despite his opinions of Atomic's childish outlook, Erik couldn't help but be curious at how far he could push the young man. To see just how far his abilities could take him.
As the titanic metal appendages loomed overhead, Atomic's heart raced, and his breath caught in his throat.
"Holy shit..." he breathed, momentarily stunned, eyes wide as a steel tendril lashed out from beneath him, striking like a viper. He gasped, feeling the force throw him into a dizzying, chaotic spin through the air. Thanks only to his Infinity technique, he narrowly avoided being shredded; the tendril pushing him aside with raw, brutal force.
Finding his balance once more in the swirling tempest, Atomic's eyes widened in horror as all twenty colossal tendrils converged upon him at once—a symphony of death and destruction unleashed.
••o••o••o••
At a safe distance, the squadron of helicopters hovered with bated breath, their cameras capturing every breathtaking moment as Atomic valiantly fought to evade the lunging steel tendrils. Awe filled the crew's eyes as they witnessed an intense struggle that felt almost biblical.
Several kilometers away, a massive gathering of 200 mutants stood frozen in disbelief, their hearts pounding as they gazed at the floating fortress that had once been their prison. The members of the Brotherhood could only stare, mouths agape, as they absorbed the immense power displayed by their leader.
With a low groan, Mystique shook off the remnants of her fatigue and slowly rose to her feet. She looked up just in time to see the colossal steel monstrosity lashing out at Atomic, and an unmistakable thrill coursed through her veins. The sheer spectacle of the battle ignited an awe she could not contain.
Not far away, Wanda watched from her sitting position as the ground quaked violently beneath her. A monumental steel spike plummeted 15 kilometers away with a thunderous crash, sending vibrations that rattled her bones. She gasped, her eyes wide with wonder as she turned her gaze skyward, witnessing Erik orchestrating the steel behemoth in its relentless assault on Atomic.
In that moment, Wanda felt both powerless and exhilarated, completely captivated by the cataclysm unfolding before her. Her heart raced as she watched the titanic clash from her vantage point.
••o••o••o••
Slicing through the skies with unstoppable determination, Atomic soared alongside one of the massive steel tendrils that twisted ominously in the air. With a fierce grip, he slammed a hand onto its surface, unleashing a wave of crimson energy that erupted along its length, transforming the cold metal into a cascading rain.
With a deft flick of his wrist, Eric severed the tendril before the luminous wave could reach the vast armored body of his formidable steel beast. He drew his arm back, fingers splayed, and unleashed a torrent of steel spikes hurtling toward Atomic like meteors raining from the heavens.
With remarkable agility, Atomic spun to face the deadly barrage, snapping his fingers in rapid succession. Each snap ignited a series of fiery explosions that roared to life in a brilliant display, obliterating the spikes into nothingness.
But from his blind spot, a metal beam smashed into his side with bone-crushing force, sending him spiraling through the sky. Although his Infinity granted him incredible defense, the jarring impact reverberated through his body, fragments of pain lacing his senses.
It's too much! Magneto is a monster! And he's just… toying with me! Atomic's thoughts raced as he hurtled through the air, the idea of fleeing into the vastness of space flickering tantalizingly in his mind.
With a heavy, disappointed sigh, Erik glanced toward the distant helicopters. "I'm growing bored of you, boy," he taunted, pointing a hand at the helicopters hovering precariously. "Let's see just how much of a hero you truly are."
Atomic's heart sank as a colossal segment of the steel behemoth tore away, morphing into five massive javelins, each aimed directly at an unsuspecting helicopter. Horror washed over him in waves: they're going to die!
Despair clawed at his insides, the javelins flying through his mind's eye in agonizing slow motion.
They won't stand a chance… I can't save them! Atomic thought with despair.
As shame surged within him, Atomic turned away, ready to forsake the fight.
…you're much stronger than you think you are. Trust me.
Those words—spoken by the man of tomorrow—resounded in his mind. The very same man whose ideals he had sculpted his entire Atomic persona from lingered within him, challenging him.
Is my conviction so fragile that I abandon it at my first real life or death battle? Have the countless days, weeks, and months spent as Atomic merely been a façade? Was it all a delusion just to feed my own ego?
I'm… pathetic. Atomic thought, despair flooding his veins. I'm no hero, just a guy with powers. True heroes leap into danger without hesitation, sacrificing everything to save others.
...I'm no Superman.
Yet then, a spark ignited deep within him.
But...!
Opening his eyes, Atomic gazed back up at the hurtling steel javelins, his once-dull green eyes now aglow with crimson. Fear had drained away, replaced with unwavering resolve.
"I. Am. Atomic!" he declared, his voice a mighty roar that cut through the chaos. With newfound determination surging through him, he undid his Limitless technique.
A blinding flash of crimson blazed outward, engulfing the approaching steel monstrosity around Atomic in a pulse of raw power, instantly transforming it into a breathtaking ice sculpture.
"What is this?!" Erik exclaimed, shock rippling through his words as he felt his control disappear at the change of matter. Seeing the wave of crimson coming at him, he flew back in a dash. "He had this much strength?!"
With new strength surging within him, Atomic burst through the ice with a thunderous crash and shot into the sky. His once-cloth cape exploded into a billowing flame of pure white energy, propelling him forward like a comet streaking across the heavens. The sheer force of his flight speed threatened to overwhelm him, but he pushed against it with all his might.
In the distance, Hughes and his crew operated their helicopter's weapons, unleashing a storm of bullets, rockets, and missiles against the incoming threat. Even as their attacks connected, most javelins zipped through the chaos, too swift and unpredictable for their laser-focused aim.
"Shit!" Hughes yelled, tilting his helicopter away as a javelin missed by mere inches.
Suddenly, a beam of red plasma erupted from below, obliterating a steel javelin. Hughes's eyes widened in disbelief as Atomic surged past his helicopter like a streak of lightning.
In an awe-inspiring blur, Atomic materialized in front of another javelin, his hands moving with lightning speed. With a surge of red energy, he wrapped the projectile in his power, transforming it into a flurry of soft, harmless feathers that fluttered down to the ground below.
Atomic darted back and forth with unyielding focus, dismantling the remaining javelins with breathtaking precision. Each transformation erupted in brilliant bursts of energy, mesmerizing the helicopter pilots and those watching from the ground, their faces illuminated with wonder and disbelief.
Exhausted but unbroken, Atomic felt the brilliance of his new burst of inexplicable power begin to vanish, returning him to his usual state.
What was that? Where did that power come from? Atomic thought as he tried to regain his breath.
••o••o••o••
"Holy crap..." Wanda muttered, her eyes wide as she stood frozen, captivated by the spectacle unfolding before her.
"Such... power," Mystique breathed, her voice barely a whisper as she struggled to process the immense energy radiating from the combatants. It was as if a storm had erupted right before her eyes, raw and primal.
"...Remind me never to piss off Atomic," Lance whispered, now fully awake and awestruck. His teammates all nodded in agreement, still trying to grasp the magnitude of what they had just witnessed.
"Did you see that?! That was incredible!" one of the younger mutants exclaimed, bouncing on the balls of their feet, a mix of excitement and fear coursing through them.
"I know, right?" another chimed in, eyes sparkling with adrenaline. "It was like watching something out of a movie!"
"That was so scary. But awesome, too!" someone else added, their voice trembling slightly, caught between thrill and anxiety as they watched the fight escalate.
Around them, the crowd of mutants buzzed with energy, a mix of disbelief and exhilaration filling the air.
For Jubilation, Samuel, and Robert, it felt like they were witnessing a celestial event that would be etched into their memories forever. The sounds, the colors, the sheer intensity—it was like observing two gods clash, each blow reverberating through the air and sending ripples of power around them.
Amidst the chaos, one of the helicopter pilots, wide-eyed and pale, broke through the stunned silence. "Hey… boss?" he stammered, his gaze fixed on Atomic soaring through the sky, a brilliant figure against the darkening horizon. "I think we should get the hell out of here. Like, right now."
His urgent voice snapped others out of their reverie. Hughes, the commanding officer, swallowed hard, instinctively scanning the tumultuous scene as fear crept in. "…yeah. Let's get the hell out of here." He barked commands to his men, urgency threading through his tone as he ordered them to leave the area as quickly as possible. "The brass is going to have a field day with this one."