On that frigid night, an oppressive tension lingered in the air, creating an almost unbearable atmosphere as onlookers waited in bated breath, their hearts pounding in suspense. The outcome of this fateful night remained shrouded in uncertainty.
Superman stood just a few strides from Ace, his attention locked solely on his adversary, and seemingly indifferent to the presence of Lois Lane. He spoke with the authority of a true hero, "You have become a menace to society, and my advice to you is to surrender, peacefully. Spare me the need to make an example of those who dare disrupt the peace we've worked so hard to establish."
Ace held his silence for a moment, then decisively rose from his seat and advanced toward Superman. His response was laced with an audacious spirit, "You know what? Being a menace to society doesn't sound all that bad." The sparks of anger ignited in Superman's eyes, a rare sight for those who knew him well. It was apparent that whatever mind-fucking Lex Luthor had subjected him to, had left a profound mark.
Ace cast a sly glance back at Lois, injecting a dose of curiosity into the conversation. "Is there something amiss with him lately?" He directed his question to her, but Lois remained silent, her subtle nod speaking volumes. Ace continued, "Perhaps you should have a word with Lex to uncover what he's done to your boyfriend." Lois's widened eyes revealed her shock at the revelation that Lex might have a hand in Superman's unstable emotions in ways she couldn't have imagined.
Superman, his patience waning, growled a warning, "Leave her out of this."
Ace, the master of provocation, couldn't resist a dig, "Whoa, whoa, take it easy there, boy scout. Are you afraid I might make a move on your girl? I won't deny she's quite the catch."
"Hey!!!" Lois protested in response to Ace's audacious comment.
Ace nonchalantly retorted, "Relax, sweetheart, I'm just stating the facts." He continued to taunt Superman, pushing his buttons with precision.
Lois attempted to intervene, advising Superman, "He's clearly trying to provoke you. Just ignore him."
Superman, determined to uphold justice, silenced the banter, declaring, "I'm done talking. I'm taking you in, whether you cooperate or not. There's nothing you can do to resist."
Ace, maintaining his calm demeanor, probed further, "I understand your intentions, but what I don't understand is why you would forcibly arrest me when I haven't harmed an innocent soul. Is it because of a bounty or because I'm a wanted man?"
Superman, however, reminded him of a painful truth, "Haven't harmed anyone? Have you forgotten what you did to the members of the Young Justice? You brutally beat them to the brink of being handicapped for life." He took a few measured steps forward, his unwavering resolve echoing through the auditorium.
Lois, still reeling from the revelation, turned to Superman with disbelief, seeking confirmation, "He did what?"
Ace, unapologetic, sighed in exasperation, "Those kids clearly bit off more than they could chew. They went after someone far stronger than themselves and paid the price – a severe thrashing. Should I have just surrendered for a crime I didn't commit, just as you're demanding now?"
The exchange of words grew increasingly heated, and then, in a blink of an eye, Superman vanished from Lois's view. A resounding crash from above caught her attention as she looked up to witness a shattered ceiling. Ace, too, had disappeared, leaving her to grasp the gravity of the impending showdown between the city's beloved hero and the enigmatic anti-hero.
Superman had super speed towards Ace in an attempt to apprehend him before he made any funny moves but Ace countered him with an uppercut that sent him flying through the roof, flying after him too.
Superman got his balance high in the air and the split moment where he composed himself, Ace drove his fist into the face of the Man of Steel.
The night sky over Metropolis was illuminated by the scattered glow of city lights, the stars faintly twinkling above. In the midst of this celestial backdrop, these two formidable figures clashed amidst the silent cityscape.
Ace decreased the range of his deflective field to just barely above his skin. Superman threw a heavy right hook but his fist only met Ace's palm as he blocked it, he absorbed the force from the impact then transmitted it to his right fist.
Before Superman could get his shit together, Ace was already about throwing him a counter. In a split instance Ace doubled the weight of the punch, he increased the momentum of the swing as he mercilessly unloaded it on Superman's jaw.
The aftermath was so powerful that it sent the Man of Steel flying through the night sky and with a bleeding lip, Ace dashed towards him and delivered a second punch, then a third, he clapped both hands together, sealing it as he smashed Superman out of the city of Metropolis, sending him to the mountains side on the outskirts of town.
He collided into the mountain as cracks appeared around him as debris fell to the ground. Ace followed him at superspeed and dealt a heavy punch to his face, punching him deeper into the mountain as he then assaulted him with a barrage of punches.
The punches were so heavy that they kept driving him deeper and deeper into the mountain. Suddenly Superman caught his punch, pulled him in and punched him far off into the night sky.
Beneath his mask Ace had his eyes wide opened, a crooked smile of mischievous crept across his lips, his blood riled up in excitement. He wasn't hurt in any way, nor was he harmed directly but he was finally fighting someone who was strong enough to send him flying off if he didn't harden his defense.
Although his deflective field doesn't repel attacks at the state he had it on but it was dense enough to not feel a thing from Superman's brut punch.
He suddenly saw red ominous looking eyes in the dark hole he had buried Superman in, the cape hero flew out with a dominant aura radiating off him. He was pissed and was taking the kids gloves off, his lips were healed up already.
"Whoa, you gotta chill a little boy scout. Now you are starting to look like some kind of demi-god of doom." Ace teased him but Superman wasn't having it.
He shot lasers at Ace who took the hit without flinching nor did the laser cause him any harm, before he knew it Superman had dashed at him at superspeed and delivered a massive blow to him to his jaw region.
He grunted as he delivered the last blow, which just sent Ace a short distance into the air.
Superman caught up to him midair and used his freeze breath in hopes of keeping him still for a while, he saw that brute strength and laser eyes weren't working on Ace. He needed to try this option before doing something like that he wouldn't normally do unless it was a last resort, and that was flying to the sun.
He felt disgusted by the thought of having to go that far against a mere criminal who he thought wasn't that much of a threat to him but here he had bled from Ace's attack and hadn't given Ace anything as much as a bruise, talk less of a bleeding lip.
He started to question Ace's durability and how he was able to take his attacks head on without getting bruised up but just getting repelled like his body was absorbing the impact.
"Is he some kind of alien or does his suit protect him from both kinetic and thermal attacks?" Superman questioned his mind.
"At first when we exchanged blows I had thought he was maybe a Kryptonian in hiding, but as the fight progressed I've come to realize he wasn't and am getting a seriously menacing vibe from this guy, his definitely a dangerous one, a wild card."
Superman kept trying to analyze the situation as he kept up with the freeze breath, he stopped and saw a frozen wall of ice in front of him. He used his X-ray vision and immediately realized Ace was able to protect himself from his freeze breath, but he learned it too late.
Ace snuck up on him, and grabbed on to his cape midair. Superman turned the moment he realized Ace was right behind him.
He was suddenly pulled and twirled in a circular motion like a rag doll. Before being sent right down to the ground at full force, creating craters around him as the ground cracked and made way for him to sink into it.
He felt the speed and force at which he was sent down to the ground to be abnormal for such an average sized body, "Is he that strong?" Superman asked himself in wonderment as he tried to comprehend the enemy he was currently fighting.
*BOOM*
He felt a huge blast crush him deeper into the ground, it was completely invisible to him and thought it might have been a gravity blast. But that wasn't heard of and there was another shape of craters around him, which proved that whatever hit him was definitely physical.
The Man of Steel found himself breathing heavily as he caught his breath from his compressed lungs, his anger raging further and further. An average human would have splattered on the ground with their bones completely crushed, like an armored tank climbed right on top of them.
He looked right into the sky above him to see Ace garbed in his signature black and white attire, exuding an aura of calculated menace as he levitated, his red pupils filled with a glint of superiority.
Superman burst out of the ground and flew right at him, wanting to end this as soon he could, never ready to accept defeat.
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The mountains stood as silent sentinels, their towering peaks looming like ancient giants. A gentle breeze whispered through the pine trees, carrying with it the scent of pine needles and the distant cry of a nocturnal bird. The night sky was adorned with a celestial tapestry, stars glittering like diamonds against the inky backdrop.
Superman, his iconic cape fluttering with each movement, hovered above the pristine landscape. His powerful presence seemed almost out of place in this natural sanctuary, but it was a testament to his unwavering dedication.
Ace, who was regarded as a menace to society with an unparalleled power, levitated in stark contrast to the tranquility of the surroundings. His attire, black leather jacket with a white spade emblem behind it, stood out against the natural beauty that enveloped them. His eyes, however, were the most striking feature, gleaming with a glint of superiority.
Superman's determination was palpable in the tense night air. He was unwavering in his commitment to creating a better world by taking down anyone who might be a threat, and his countenance exuded the confidence of a hero. His vision narrowed as he unleashed his heat vision, a burst of fiery energy that streaked toward Ace. The incandescent beams sizzled through the pristine night, tracing arcs of light against the star-studded canvas.
Ace, however, was no stranger to such displays of power. With the swift precision of thought, he manipulated the swirling vectors that surrounded him, creating an invisible shield. The scorching beams struck the unseen barrier, dissipating into harmless wisps of energy.
He couldn't help the grin which crept across his lips, a twisted smile that hinted at his calculative actions. "Is that all you've got, Superman?" He taunted.
Superman's response was a thunderous roar as he surged forward. His fists, like meteors, blazed with energy, aimed to land a blow that would send Ace reeling. The shockwaves of his approach created deafening sonic booms that reverberated through the mountain valleys.
Ace came to realize that having his defense barely above his skin made it so he didn't take any damage but Superman felt he could get to him since he could send him a few paces back with his super punches. He needed to put him in his place and show him he was stronger than Superman ever thought.
Ace, ever the tactician, was prepared. He increased the density of the field which cloaked him, forming an invisible barrier that absorbed the brunt of Superman's powerful blows.
With a sardonic smile, he taunted, "You're going to have to do better than that."
With a speed that defied imagination, he launched his own counteroffensive. The mountains quivered as he manipulated the very air, summoning a powerful gust that rushed toward Superman. The hurricane-force wind buffeted the Man of Steel, forcing him to struggle against the relentless tempest.
Yet, even as the fury of nature raged around him, Superman refused to yield. With finesse, he weaved through the maelstrom, determined to defy the odds and land a decisive blow. The mountains themselves seemed to tremble as the two beings clashed, the very earth quaking beneath the force of their impact.
Their confrontation was a symphony of raw power and unyielding determination. The mountains echoed with the resounding clash of titans, each blow a testament to the incredible strength at play. The surrounding trees swayed in the fierce wind, their branches creaking in protest as they bore witness to the incredible spectacle.
With each passing moment, it became evident that this was a battle of cosmic proportions, where the mountains themselves seemed to vibrate with the intensity of their struggle. The serenity of the natural world clashed with the raw power of the superhuman beings, creating a dramatic juxtaposition that emphasized the enormity of the moment.
Superman's eyes raged with determination as he pushed through the relentless Ace's attacks, his target clear. He refused to be deterred, even as Ace's vectors mended the environmental landscape to his will. The night air was charged with tension, each second stretching into an eternity as none of them refused to back down nor show any signs of weakness.
Ace, for his part, was undeterred. His grin remained, even as he felt the impact of Superman's blows reverberate through his deflective field. His eyes glittered with the thrill of battle, a twisted pleasure in the sheer chaos of their confrontation.
He expanded the range of his deflective field to the normal range, wanting to take their fight a step further. Superman zapped at him again in mid air, clutching his fist.
The blow Superman landed on Ace's deflective field had sent him flying into a distance as he groaned in pain, holding onto his arm. The recoil from his punch had him stunned and his shoulder almost dislocating as the force from his punch was doubled and reflected right through his right arm.
"What was that?" He asked, annoyance clearing sipping through his voice.
"What was what? It looked to my like you punched yourself, kinda crazy right!" Ace taunted him. Superman ignored his annoying remark and charged at him midair.
Superman and Ace, locked in their cosmic struggle, were like gods battling in the heavens. The mountainside had become a stage for their drama, a place where the very earth itself quaked in response to their incredible power.
With every blow, every clash, the mountainside seemed to absorb their energy, the very essence of the environment resonating with their epic duel. This was a battle for the ages, a moment when the natural world collided with that od supes, and the mountainside itself became a silent witness to their timeless struggle.
Ace could have ended the fight a long time ago with the kryptonite he had hidden in his get up gear but he saw no reason to it, he had finally found a worthy opponent to exchange blows with and he relished the adrenaline rush he got from going toe-to-toe with the Man of Steel.
While trading blows midair, he caught Superman's fist with his left hand then grabbed him by the neck with his other hand. He immediately reached his head back as he concentrated on intensifying the density of the field protecting him around his forehead region.
It became so dense that it gave a slight blue luminous glow, Superman tried punching him with his other hand to get himself loose but it was a futile attempt as his fist got deflected in an annoying manner, unable to reach Ace.
He launched his forehead right at that of Superman, sending him flying through the air and crashing into the side of a mountain with an headbutt. "What's wrong, got a concussion? Well, allow me to fix that for you." Ace said as he saw the blow he gave Superman was effective.
He dashed through the air, before Superman could go for him, he grabbed Superman by the head and slammed him right back into the mountain, deepening the hole he had made with his body.
"On the outside you are as tough as steel, let's see how well you fare on the inside." Ace said with a sinister tone, kind of like a mad scientist who was slowly losing himself to his work.
Superman shouted in agony as Ace used his bioelectricity against him, he let out a painful groan as every fiber of his being crackled with electricity. He slowly moved his hand trying to grab hold of Ace but the walls of the rock pulled him back and held him in place, Ace had commanded it to do so. The electricity had him felling numb and unable to access his strength.
He continued with the internal torment till he noticed he was about to blackout. "Hey, stay with me here, boy scout. The night is still young, we've got a lot of play time on our hands." Ace said to him, before letting out a psychotic laugh. "This is quite fun, he added."
He heard the sound of a helicopter, looking back at it he saw it was a news helicopter which was recording a live footage of the scene.
Trucks with machine guns and armored tanks drove to the scene, hoping to contain the destruction from their fight.
The army had arrived and their order was to assist Superman in killing Ace the Tyrant, which was no surprise as he was a serious threat without a leash on him.
He stopped with the electricity and started bombarding Superman with a barrage of punches, punches that didn't only affect him external but also internally. Each time his fist made contact with Superman, he makes the force of impact resonate at a cellular level, causing damage within him.
The series of punches went on for quite a while as blood splattered across the grounds. A spotlight from the news helicopter had pointed at Ace and Superman who was bleeding from his mouth, and nose. He had conceived both external and internal damage from Ace.
Ace stopped with the torment when he saw how weak Superman was, he didn't want to render him unconscious, only wanted to have some fun with Lex's new pet and put him in his place while doing so.
Before he knew what was going on, Superman broke himself free from the rocky restraints then immediately flew up into the sky.
Ace was impressed he still had some strength left in him. "I'm glad you didn't disappoint me." He said with a satisfied smile playing beneath his mask when he suddenly noticed something. Superman wasn't stopping, he was flying right into space.
Ace immediately knew what that meant and realized this fight was far from over. "Someone is finally taking this fight seriously." He said as he watched him vanish into the night sky, literally shooting for the stars.