[Third Person Pov]
Date: March 16
Time: 3:50 PM
Location: Antarctic
Danny had his arms crossed stubbornly over his chest a split second before Superman's punch connected, the force launching him backward like a launched cannon round. He slammed into a jagged mountain of ice with a thunderous crack, fracture lines spider-webbing out behind him as if the entire glacier were about to shatter. Shards of ice broke loose and rained down around him in a sparkling cascade.
Gritting his teeth, Danny shook off the impact and thrust his hand outward. His telekinesis flared, catching several of the largest ice slabs mid-air. With a sharp flick, he hurled them all at Superman, each piece cutting through the freezing air like a crystal missile.
Superman didn't flinch. His fists blurred—almost invisible—moving at such super speed that each punch turned the hurtling chunks into explosions of powdery snow. Not a single shard so much as grazed him.
Danny braced both feet against the cracked ice wall, muscles tensing, and blasted forward at breakneck speed. He became a streak—white, black, and green—racing straight for Superman's face.
Just before his fist connected with the Kryptonian's jaw, Superman's hand shot up with perfect timing. His fingers closed around Danny's knuckles, stopping him dead in the air. The sheer pressure rolling off Superman's grip erupted outward in a rippling shockwave, blasting snow in every direction. Superman's cape snapped behind him, and Danny's hair whipped wildly from the force.
"Ooof…" Superman smirked lightly. "If that had landed, I probably would've felt it."
"Don't patronize me," Danny muttered, rolling his eyes. He phased out of Superman's hold like slipping through smoke. "Your reaction time is insane. I only went tangible at the last possible second and you still managed to block me."
Superman crossed his arms in that 'mentor mode' way. "If you want my advice? Since you knew I might catch you head-on, you should've stayed intangible, passed straight through me, and then struck from behind. That's where I'm most vulnerable. Avoid situations where you can be grabbed, even if you can escape."
Danny nodded thoughtfully, though his pride wouldn't let him show too much appreciation.
"…Yeah, but it would've been a lot more satisfying to finally punch you in the face," he grumbled.
Superman laughed—a full, genuine laugh, hands settling confidently on his hips. "You're not getting that for free. You'll have to earn it."
"One of these days…" Danny muttered, staring down at his fist as if imagining the moment.
Before he could finish the thought, Superman's head jerked to the side. His expression sharpened into confusion, then alertness. His arm snapped sideways mid-survey, catching Danny's sudden sneak attack inches from his cheek.
"Seriously?" Superman asked, raising a brow.
Danny shrugged, unfazed. "I was trained by Batman. What'd you expect? You looked distracted—I saw an opening." A bashful smile tugged at his lips.
But Superman's expression shifted again, this time into concern. "Sorry, Danny. We have to cut training short. There's trouble in Metropolis."
Danny immediately straightened. "What's the situation?"
"S.T.A.R. Labs. The Metropolis branch is under attack."
Danny didn't hesitate. He grabbed hold of Superman's cape with both hands, anchoring himself. "Then what are we still doing here? Let's Move!"
Superman warned him to hang on tight, then launched into the sky. Pressure rings burst around him as he accelerated, the icy horizon shrinking behind them as they rocketed toward Metropolis.
---
Meanwhile, far from the frozen wasteland…
Technus phased effortlessly through the reinforced exterior of S.T.A.R. Labs. For a ghost of his technological prowess, the facility's security systems were little more than an inconvenience. His entrance triggered every alarm in the building—sirens blared, lights flashed red, and emergency shutters attempted to seal themselves.
The scientists on duty spun around at the commotion, expecting armed intruders or malfunctioning equipment. Instead, they found themselves staring at Technus—crackling with neon-green circuitry, cape fluttering dramatically, eyes glowing with smug superiority.
"Who are you?" the division's head scientist demanded, stepping forward despite the tremor in his voice. "And what do you want?"
"I'm so glad you asked!" Technus declared with theatrical delight, throwing his arms wide. Instantly, every piece of equipment—monitors, laptops, tools, even the coffee machine—lifted off the tables and began floating around him in a shimmering orbit. "I simply adore when people ask!"
He struck a triumphant pose as sparks danced along his fingers. "The name, my dear mortals, is Nicolai Technus! Ghost Master of Science! Virtuoso of Voltage! Emperor of Electro-Engineering!"
He jabbed a thumb at himself with pride as the hovering devices rotated faster. "And you all have something I want."
The facility lights shifted to emergency mode, flashing red in time with the blaring alarms. The scientists ducked as warning shutters attempted to seal themselves, only for Technus to wave them aside.
"The Tachyon Capacitor!" he proclaimed. "With that magnificent little device, my processing capacities shall catapult to unimaginable heights! A new frontier of brilliance! I will become Technus 2.0—no, wait—Technus 3.0!"
A security guard burst through the doorway, weapon drawn. More guards followed, while the scientists bolted for safety.
"Freeze!" one shouted.
Technus clasped his hands together gleefully. "Wonderful suggestion—but no thank you!"
Pieces of floating tech abruptly disassembled into thousands of microscopic parts, whirling around him like a metallic storm. In seconds, they reassembled into a large, humming cannon molded perfectly to his grip.
"However," he said, pointing the barrel at them, "I strongly suggest you take your own advice!"
He fired.
A beam of icy blue energy roared from the cannon—only for a blur to streak through the room. A massive frozen structure formed midair, crystallizing into jagged ice pillars. But when the cold settled, the pillars were empty. The guards had been whisked out of harm's way at the very last moment.
The ice shattered violently a second later as Danny and Superman appeared side-by-side in a burst of power.
Superman's eyes glowed red. Twin beams of heat vision lanced forward, cutting through the freeze cannon and melting it into slag in Technus' hands. "I think you've gone far enough," he said, his voice carrying the sort of authority that could silence a riot.
"Technus?" Danny blurted, staring at him as if he'd seen a ghost—well, another ghost.
Technus spread his arms, showing himself off. And he had changed. The once gangly mad scientist now had broad shoulders, defined arms, wavy snow-white hair that fell stylishly around his face, and sleek sunglasses that stayed in place.
"You know him?" Superman asked, glancing at Danny.
"You know of me?" Technus asked at the same time—equally baffled, yet already puffing up with pride. "Of course you do! I'm famous throughout the Ghost Zone!"
"Kinda," Danny admitted, still thrown off by the glow-up. He leaned toward Superman, cupping his hand by his mouth to whisper, "He's one of my rogues. Let me handle this…"
Superman raised an eyebrow but stepped back.
Danny marched forward dramatically, pointing at Technus. "Your schemes for world domination end here, Technus! Stop now before you get seriously hurt!"
Technus blinked. "World domination…? What?"
Danny lowered his hand slightly. "I mean… yeah? Isn't that the whole thing? You break in, steal tech, upgrade yourself, then try to take over the world?"
Technus looked genuinely thoughtful for a moment, tapping his chin. "I was planning to go home after this, actually… But—" His eyes widened as inspiration struck. "But taking over the world does sound delightfully entertaining! Yes! That's it! I shall upgrade myself and then dominate the world! Thank you for the splendid idea!"
Danny's eyes widened in horror. "No—that wasn't advice!"
Superman crossed his arms, giving Danny a very unimpressed look. "So this is you handling it, huh?"
Danny shrank under the stare and had a hand over his face hiding from Superman's eyes.
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