บท 16: Chapter 16
Part One: Falling Stars
Location: Smallville, Kansas – Earth – 2002
Apollo Kent took a deep breath as he stood in the center of a large field. He looked at all the tall grass growing around him in the sprawling meadow. He spun around and saw they were no people around him for miles. He took another deep breath and tried to concentrate. His mind was all over the place and he couldn't afford for it to be right now not only because it was the last week of his freshman year of high school but also because there was a lot at stake here. He needed to clear his mind but he was thinking about a lot of things; school, friends and Skye. His first year of high school had been good. Apollo was more popular now, he wasn't a social butterfly but he was no longer the lonely and bullied kid he once was, it helped that he was tall and muscular and that he excelled in basically anything he did. He was basically at the top of all of his classes thanks to his seemingly superhuman intelligence. Apollo had always learnt at an accelerated rate and when combined with his perfect memory and his 'super computer brain' as Chloe called it, it meant that all of his classes were a breeze to him. He had also gotten a reputation of flake and a guy with a major Captain America complex constantly running off to help people but as far as Apollo was concerned it wasn't too bad. If his worst quality was that he was always saving people and involved in heroic incidents he'd take it. Luckily none of his known incidents were that big and could be brushed off as him being the good Samaritan he had been his entire life and the ones that were big he was gone long before anyone even knew what happened. Apollo had no regrets though, he liked saving people, he liked helping them, seeing people happy and feeling safe made him feel complete because he was doing something with his gifts that benefitted the world around him. At school Apollo was a member of the school paper with Chloe and Pete and Coach Quigley was hoping he would play for the Crows and Apollo wanted to even though he knew his Dad deeply disliked the idea of him doing competitive sports like that. His friendships with Chloe and Pete were great as being a part of a small club made them all even closer. Chloe was more inquisitive than anyone he knew and even though it could be too much he knew her heart was usually always in the right place and Pete was steady and chill, he was the guy who was somehow able to know everyone and be friendly with them because nobody could truthfully say a bad or weird thing about him. As for Skye just the thought of her made his hearts race, if he was truthful to himself he had a crush on her since the moment he saw he just didn't know it. She was smart, sarcastic and witty, a little nerdy and feisty but she also the prettiest girl Apollo knew. He had asked her to their end of year dance and was elated to have her say yes. Apollo constantly running off to save people meant that whenever he and her shared a moment he sometimes had to go and he thought she would say no but she hadn't. Apollo was happier than he thought possible when she said yes and he was very excited for the dance, he was hoping to ask her to be his girlfriend there. If everything went to plan, which meant he needed to focus now.
Apollo breathed deeply and slowly finally clearing his head. He embraced his beyond human senses and let himself sense everything around him. Instantly he could hear everything happening around the entire state, smell things from different towns, feel the vibrations of everything moving in every city, taste things in the air from miles away and see everything and anything in the world around him. It was a beautiful tapestry that made Apollo appreciate life and humanity more. Most of all though right now he sensed them, they were both nearby and closing in incredibly fast. Apollo smirked to himself as he clenched his fists and prepared himself for what was about to happen. He felt his Aunty Makkari before he could hear or see her, she truly was the fastest Eternal alive and even with him being far faster than sound now and still getting faster every day her top speed was still beyond his. At her current speed she would reach him in about a microsecond, Apollo accelerated his body and dove to his right just as she was about to hit him timing his movement to the exact moment where her momentum would stop her from making a quick turn. Makkari sailed past him before stopping herself and then turning to him, impressed by his ability to use his agility well enough to dodge her 'surprise attack'. Apollo wanted to feel proud of himself but it wasn't over, a blast of thermal-cosmic energy came sailing out of the sky and Apollo quickly jumped back dodging the blast as it completely incinerated the ground. His Uncle Ikaris soon thereafter landed in the fiery crater his cosmic blast just created. The two Eternals faced their nephew and smiled at him.
"Good, you're getting better at maneuvering" Ikaris told him.
"I think after the fiftieth cosmic blast to the chest you learn how to dodge" Apollo quipped.
Makkari smirked at him and Ikaris laughed as Apollo stood before them an assured look on his face. He had been training with both Makkari and Ikaris all throughout the year to better control his growing power. The more in control he was the more likely he could actually play for the Crows next year which was something Apollo wanted, he wanted to be able to enjoy everything high school had to offer. However, today's training session wasn't just about that, it held a special prize that Apollo wanted and right now he would push himself to his limits to get it.
"I hope you're ready" Makkari signed to him as she and Ikaris got serious sensing Apollo's focus and determination.
"I am and I don't plan on failing today" Apollo replied confidently as Ikaris flew into the air and Makkari began to glow with cosmic energy.
Apollo accelerated his body and readied himself. The field suddenly felt very silent and tense as the three of them mentally read one another waiting for an opening to attack. Apollo strategized mentally at super speed while focusing on his Aunt and Uncle. Makkari was faster than him, could warp space as she ran and the shockwaves she generated were extremely powerful and debilitating to him whenever he used his senses. In order to negate her speed advantage, he'd need to be off the ground. However, Ikaris was far better at maneuvering in the air than him and if he took to the skies Ikaris would shoot him down. Apollo's heat vision may be more powerful than Ikaris' optic blasts due to the fact that it was hotter and more potent but Ikaris' blasts were far more versatile. The cosmic energy he released could be thermal, electric, concussive or any number of different energy types and it meant he had more options to what he could do to him. Apollo could try to physically overpower him but Ikaris' years of fighting meant he was far more skilled as a combatant than Apollo. No Apollo's advantage was his durability, breath and sonic scream, the powers that made him different than them. He began to map out a plan on how to use them but his brief moment of not focusing on Ikaris and Makkari directly and instead beginning to make a plan was all the opening they needed. Makkari blitzed him instantly closing the distance between them. Apollo tried to dodge but she wasn't trying to hit him head on, instead she warped around him and punched his back using her momentum to generate blows strong enough to knock him over. The moment he lost his balance and fell forward Ikaris blasted him knocking him around again. Apollo tried to regain his bearings but he couldn't Makkari was overwhelming him with her speed, constantly beating him down when he tried to get up.
Apollo couldn't afford to lose though, not today. He let himself be beat but gripped the ground in order to stop himself from being knocked around and then he let out a powerful and chill breath that swept over the entire field freezing it and covering it in a sheet of ice. Makkari found herself held by the ice, her feet covered in it. Apollo didn't waste a second once he was free from Makkari's blows, he instantly shot up and flew into the air and released a sonic scream at Ikaris who was knocked backwards and disoriented by it. Apollo took that moment to turn back to Makkari and freeze her in her entirety from the sky, he exhaled a powerful gust of air as cold as liquid nitrogen that froze her from head to toe. A cosmic blast then came flying through the air and smashing into him with powerful concussive force. Ikaris had already recovered from the sonic scream and he flew towards Apollo at incredible speeds. Apollo readjusted himself and then flew upwards to try and gain an aerial advantage but Ikaris anticipated that and accelerated instantly closing the distance between them and knocking into Apollo.
Apollo stopped himself from flying to far back and then floated in front of Ikaris the two of them sizing each other up once more this time in the air. Apollo knew he was at a disadvantage but he couldn't let that stand in his way. Apollo instantly flew forward, aiming to punch Ikaris in the face but Ikaris flipped him throwing him away before flying and punching him in the face while Apollo re-centered himself. Ikaris punched Apollo again but Apollo caught it, smirking and flexing his strength as he moved Ikaris' arm. Ikaris punched with his other arm and Apollo caught that too but that was what Ikaris wanted. He instantly flew upwards as he pushed his arms downward using Apollo's own grip as leverage to knee him in the jaw. Apollo was staggered by the move and before he could recover his uncle was grabbing his foot spinning him around and throwing him into the sky completely disorienting him. Apollo tried to steady himself but Ikaris punched him in his stomach before upper cutting him once again and then delivering a spinning kick to his face. Apollo was going to lose if this kept up, his uncle was a far better fighter than he was and right now this wasn't a fight it was a beat down. Apollo needed to change tactics, he could hear Makkari break out of the ice below him and once Ikaris realized she had he would force him to the ground so the two could continue their onslaught. Apollo knew his only hope was to surprise the two of them, he had to do something neither of them would know he was capable of. Apollo did have one ace up his sleeve he was saving for this exact occasion but he had only one chance at using his secret trick. Apollo caught one of Ikaris jabs and then quickly flew up before he could throw another one. Ikaris chased after him but Apollo didn't care he turned and then came flying down to punch Ikaris from above but Ikaris simply used his momentum against him and hurled him to the ground. Ikaris' eyes then glowed with golden cosmic energy before he blasted Apollo's chest with powerful bolts of golden electric cosmic energy.
That was exactly what Apollo wanted though, it was what he needed. Apollo let the electricity hit him and instead of resisting it he let it course and surge through him, he absorbed it. Apollo felt the cells in his body energize, like a shot of adrenaline. Apollo knew this was his chance, he stopped himself from falling any further and smiled right before he shot up faster than Ikaris could anticipate, he uppercut him and sent him sailing into the sky but that wasn't enough. He instantly flew to catch up to him grabbing him and spinning him around just as he had done earlier before hurling him towards the ground with incredible force making him create a crater when he smashed into the earth. Ikaris was completely taken off guard by the new found strength Apollo was demonstrating and couldn't counteract it, there difference in power was too big. Makkari who had freed herself from the ice ran to help Ikaris up and Apollo knew he wouldn't have long in this state so he needed to end this now before they could properly regroup. He flew up higher until he left Earth's atmosphere for a brief moment before accelerating down so fast the air around him began to burn up and then he punched Ikaris just as Ikaris was beginning to reorient himself. The shockwave from his punch levelled the field completely and threw Makkari off balance sending her flying into the air. Apollo ran towards her grabbing her from the air not letting her touch the ground where she could regain her balance and out speed him. Apollo quickly flew up into the sky with her as she tried to break free by punching him at super speed but Apollo could barely feel her punches right now. Once they were high enough Apollo began flying down with her, holding her below him with outstretched arms, accelerating with every passing second and body slamming her into the ground next to Ikaris just as the energy he got from Ikaris' blast wore off. A small mushroom cloud of dust and dirt was created by him smashing her into the ground and when it cleared Ikaris and Makkari were on the ground, completely overwhelmed and beaten. Apollo felt himself get faint for a second as the rush of extra energy left him, he truly had pushed himself to his limit, but he quickly steadied himself and his regular strength soon returned to him.
Ikaris and Makkari then slowly stood, grunting as they did so. He helped the two of them up and soon the three of them were all standing facing one another in the crater Apollo had created. Ikaris and Makkari then started to chuckle to one another before the two of them smiled at him. Despite them both looking beat up they were genuinely happy.
"Well done Apollo" Ikaris said proudly while he groaned.
"Yeah, it took you a whole year but you finally beat us" Makkari added beaming as she did so before massaging her sore muscles.
Apollo smiled sheepishly at the compliments, not letting their praise get to his head but still feeling proud of himself for being able to beat his Aunt and Uncle in a sparring session.
"Thank you" Apollo said "it was not easy, I almost felt like I was going to lose again".
"I thought I had you up in the sky but then out of nowhere you got stronger and faster. What was that?" Ikaris asked.
"I figured out how absorb electrical energy a few weeks ago when I flew through a lightning storm and I used that to supercharge myself for a little bit" Apollo admitted a proud and cocky smile on his face.
"How did you know I would blast you with electrical energy though?" Ikaris questioned.
"Lightning likes to travel downwards towards the ground and so you tend to blast with electrical energy when you're forcing your opponent to the ground or hoping the current puts them in shock" Apollo answered still a bit smug about besting his uncle.
"You tricked Ikaris during a battle? Impressive" Makkari signed to him.
"It truly is nephew, you saved your best for last and now we can tell your Dad with confidence that you have immense control over your power and give you your prize" Ikaris said as he patted Apollo's shoulder proudly.
The three of them looked at the leveled field they'd left knowing people would have questions so Ikaris did what he usually did, he flew into space and found a piece of space rock, broke off a chunk of it and left the meteor in the largest crater they'd created then he and Apollo used their heat vision and cosmic blasts respectively to char the earth surrounding it and make it seems like a meteor had fallen there before racing back towards the farm.
Makkari reached the farm first before Apollo and Ikaris arrived at around the same time. Ajak was waiting for them with Jonathan and Sprite. Ajak instantly saw how beat both Ikaris and Makkari looked and got a bit concerned.
"Don't worry we've both had far worse and it looks worse than it is" Ikaris instantly said seeing her expression.
"Apollo does pack quite a punch though" Makkari signed as Ajak took her hand and began to heal her.
"Yeah, I haven't been hit that hard since the last time I fought Gilgamesh" Ikaris told Ajak a joking smirk on his face.
Apollo chuckled nervously feeling like him being stronger wasn't going to give his Dad confidence in his control.
"Well we've always known Apollo is strong but the point of training was control of his abilities" Jonathan said right on cue.
"And control his abilities he has, I can assure you. Sparring with us has not only allowed us to push Apollo to his limits but understand and use his powers with precision. He can just as easily fire a blast of heat vision to level a building as he can to light a candle" Ikaris told Jonathan.
"His control is better than it's ever been, even today he never seriously hurt either of us even though he easily could have. A fight with us where we were overwhelming him and he still controlled his power enough to not seriously injure us" Makkari signed.
"He's ready Jonathan" Ajak said to her husband assuring him.
Jonathan looked at all of them, Ikaris had a kind but confident expression, Makkari was smiling warmly and Ajak was looking deep into his eyes her expression telling him everything would be okay. Jonathan finally looked at his son, the once young boy who he carried was now eye to eye with him. He had grown so much not just literally but mentally. The kind but sad, scared and shy boy was now a strong, smart, confident but still just as kind and caring teen. Jonathan let out a sigh, he was against his son doing competitive sports because he worried the attention would not only expose him but could go to his head and he'd find himself doing impossible things on the fields or courts just because of all the adoration it would bring. However, he needed to trust in him and trust that he and Ajak had raised him right.
"Alright son, you can play sports next year" Jonathan finally said breaking the silence that had fallen over the house.
"Yes!" Apollo shouted throwing his hands up in joy. Apollo ran up to his Dad and hugged him easily lifting him off the ground.
"Be careful with your old man Apollo he's very fragile" Sprite joked as she made an auditory illusion of a snapping sound.
"Hush" Ajak said chastising her.
"Thank you Dad, I promise I won't let you down" Apollo said as he put his Dad down.
"I know you won't, you never have" Jonathan said.
Apollo smiled at his Dad his glowing blue eyes seeming brighter due to the elation he was feeling. Jonathan saw the joy in his son's face and knew he had made the right decision, he patted him on the shoulder then walked over to his wife while Apollo went over to Sprite no doubt to playfully gloat about beating Ikaris and Makkari. Jonathan put his arm around his wife and they both watched as Apollo and Sprite bantered as they had their entire lives. Sprite looked like she always did, like all Eternals she was unchanging but Apollo was taller and bigger now, he was the same height as Jonathan which was very big for a 14-year-old kid. Sprite had even taken to teasingly and lovingly calling him 'BFG' due to his size. Jonathan wondered if whatever his species was if they were naturally tall because Apollo had always been big for his age. Sprite and Apollo continued to banter with Sprite making illusions to tease Apollo that caused Ikaris and Makkari to chuckle.
Apollo continued to joke around with Sprite as the two discussed how Apollo would've done on the Eternals previous missions and Sprite continued to make embarrassing illusions of Apollo somehow humiliating himself in each one and she'd even change his appearance in the illusions while doing so giving him similar features to the way the BFG was described in Roald Dahl's book. Apollo just playfully rolled his eyes each time she did it. Ikaris and Makkari on the other hand seemed amused by Sprite's recreations of their battles with the Deviants and when it seemed the discussion had reached its conclusions as everyone had had a laugh Sprite stood up and left wanting to go 'do her own thing' for a bit. Apollo turned to Ikaris and Makkari. He walked up to them as Sprite went upstairs, he was still smiling as his happiness at everything that had happened today was still sky high.
"Aunt, Uncle I do believe there's something else that you two owe me for winning today" Apollo said smirking at them both.
Makkari and Ikaris just smiled at one another.
"You're right, fair is fair" Ikaris said before tilting his head to motion Makkari to go and get something.
Makkari nodded before she disappeared in a blur of golden light. Apollo watched her for a moment with his super senses before she moved too fast for him to track. Apollo returned his focus to Ikaris who put his arm around Apollo's shoulder which Apollo found a little amusing since he was taller than Ikaris now and so Ikaris had to reach up to do it.
"Where's Makkari going?" Jonathan asked mostly curious about why she randomly left but also a little concerned she was going to take another trinket or memento like she always does.
"She's going to get something for Apollo. A gift we promised him." Ikaris instantly answered facing Jonathan who nodded accepting his answer and returned to talking to Ajak. Ikaris then focused more on Apollo playfully pulling him a little closer and lower.
"I know you've heard this a lot today but I am proud of you" Ikaris told him.
"Thank you Uncle Ikaris, I truly wouldn't have been able to do this without you" Apollo replied.
"And that trick you pulled to absorb my blast was amazing. Pushing yourself to your limits is how you discover what you're truly capable of and regardless of what Sprite teased you about. She and every Eternal in this house knows you would've been nothing short of a tremendous help to us during our centuries long conflict with the Deviants" Ikaris said.
Apollo nodded somewhat shyly not knowing how to respond to his uncle's praise of him. He looked at his Uncle and wondered if he could ever be as great a leader as he was. He led his family in countless battles and they were all still standing. Separate from one another but they were all alive and humanity was to.
"You should know that, what you did, mastering a new gift by yourself is very admirable. You've come very far Apollo" Ikaris told him.
"Thank you, truthfully flying through a storm was a little scary. Willingly getting struck by lightning multiple times until I figured out how to absorb it wasn't fun" Apollo admitted.
"It takes a lot of difficult and painful moments in order to become someone who can do something incredible" Ikaris replied and Apollo took in what he said.
"Yeah, I guess you're right" Apollo said as he nodded.
"Speaking of storms, you know what's funny? I flew past a massive cosmic storm. One day with training I'll take you up there and see how you manage a storm like that. Those type of storms are difficult even for me but everything you've shown me tells me that one day you'll be great enough to handle them." Ikaris said eager to one day take Apollo's training to greater heights.
"What's a cosmic storm like?" Apollo asked curious, he'd only read about them in books and theorized about them in science class with his teachers. Although those discussions weren't as great as Apollo hoped because he'd often find himself more knowledgeable than his teachers due to his perfect memory and accelerated learning.
"They're both incredibly beautiful and incredibly violent. Swirling clouds of stardust and matter exploding with energy powerful enough to affect the sun. And this storm was even more dangerous. It wasn't just a regular cosmic storm but one of Antimatter, dark energy, X-elements and cosmic radiation. I saw it pass through a bunch of asteroids and was worried its trajectory would mean it would pass through Earth but luckily the storm and Earth aren't on a collision course. I can't even begin to imagine what that type of energy would do to humans" Ikaris told him.
Apollo listened to what Ikaris was saying but halfway through the conversation became distracted because he could feel Makkari getting nearer, and soon thereafter he could see and hear her. She arrived at the Kent farm moments later and both Ikaris and Apollo turned to face her. She smiled at both of them as she walked in.
"Special delivery" Makkari signed after placing a box in front of Apollo.
Apollo scanned the box with his x-ray vision hoping it wasn't a prank by his Aunt, who could be playful just like Sprite, but the box was made of lead and he therefore couldn't see through it. Apollo opened up the box and he smiled incredibly wide as it was exactly what he had wanted. A beautiful necklace with a black rose made of obsidian. Makkari had shown it to him when he visited the ship with her earlier in the year and he instantly thought it would be a perfect gift for Skye. He wanted to give it to her when he asked her to be his girlfriend at the dance but Ikaris and Makkari told him they would only give it to him if he beat them in training. Apollo picked up the necklace and examined it for a moment. It was somehow even more beautiful than the first time he saw it. Apollo then put the necklace back in its box before looking up at his Aunt and Uncle who were smiling at him proudly.
"Thank you so much. You have no idea how much this means to me" Apollo said before he closed the box.
"You earned it Apollo. Training the way you did all year was not easy and beating us was certainly not easy either but you did both and you should feel so proud" Ikaris told him.
"Also you should know we would have given you the necklace regardless of how training went today or not" Makkari signed to him.
Ajak and Jonathan walked up to the three of them wanting to see what was going on. Apollo tried and failed to hide the box Makkari had given to him embarrassed a little by what his parents would say.
"What's that?" Ajak questioned as she noticed the lead box.
Apollo hung his head instantly defeated knowing he had no choice but to reveal the present to his parents. He handed them the box and they opened it.
"It's a gift for Skye, I wanted to give it to her tonight at the dance" Apollo admitted unable to hide the embarrassed blush on his face.
"I think it's very sweet and I am sure that she'll love it" Ajak told him as she handed him the box back and tapped his hand.
"Yeah son, a gift like this is one a girl won't soon forget" Jonathan said a proud smile on his face.
"Thanks Ma, thanks Pa" Apollo said his mind feeling more at ease after the reassuring words from his parents.
"Don't mention it, now we just got to make sure you look good tonight when you give it to her" Jonathan teased as Ajak smacked his chest to chastise him.
"I'm sure you'll look great" Ajak told him and Apollo nodded and smiled.
"C'mon let's go through my suits one last time and make sure you've picked out the best one" Jonathan said beckoning Apollo to follow him upstairs.
"First shower though" Ajak told him as she motioned to all the dirt that was all over him from his training session with Ikaris and Makkari.
Apollo looked at his Dad who just looked at him with an expression that said 'she's right'. Apollo then looked down at himself and couldn't help but agree. He was quite filthy.
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Also read Superman(Marvel+DC) and Marvel: Hyperion.
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