Chapter 46: 46

Joseph followed Captain Atom out of the restaurant, stepping into the cool morning air. The city was waking up—cars honking, distant chatter filling the streets—but their path led them away from the noise. "Grab on," Captain Atom said, offering his forearm. Joseph hesitated. "I can fly, you know." Captain Atom smirked. "I know. But we're traveling fast, and I doubt you're used to supersonic speeds." Joseph narrowed his eyes, then sighed and grabbed hold. His max speed was just above the speed of sound. The world blurred. One moment, they were in the city; the next, the skyline had vanished beneath them. Wind roared in his ears as they shot into the sky, climbing higher and higher until they were above the clouds. Joseph barely had time to process it before they were descending, the landscape below changing to rocky terrain. A vast, empty canyon stretched before them, far from civilization. Captain Atom landed smoothly, his feet barely disturbing the dirt. Joseph released his grip, floating in place. "Where are we?" he asked. "A remote training site. No civilians, no interruptions. Perfect for testing your limits." Captain Atom cracked his knuckles. "Show me what you can do." Joseph's eyes flickered with excitement. He'd been waiting for this, eager to see how he fared against a Justice League member. He removed his clothes and folded them neatly on the ground, leaving his upperbody exposed and only wearing his purple suit's pants. Then, without hesitation, he released his anti-gravity field, touching down onto solid ground before launching himself forward in a blur. His fist shot toward Captain Atom's face—only to hit nothing. Captain Atom had sidestepped, moving faster than Joseph expected. "Good speed," Captain Atom remarked. Joseph spun, adjusting mid-motion with his anti-gravity control, and threw a second punch. This time, Captain Atom caught his wrist, holding it firm. "Strength's solid too," he noted. "But you're leading too much with your shoulders. That telegraphs your attacks." Fighting at the speeds he was moving and with the possibility of flight was not something the Nova avatar could train him for. Joseph gritted his teeth and pushed forward with a burst of anti-gravity force, attempting to break free. Captain Atom barely budged. Instead, he tightened his grip, flipping Joseph over and slamming him into the ground. Dust kicked up around them. "Try harder," Captain Atom said. Joseph exhaled sharply and activated his anti-gravity field. The ground beneath him cracked as he lifted into the air, twisting his body mid-flight. His hands shot forward, and an invisible forcefield expanded outward, slamming into Captain Atom like a tidal wave. Captain Atom skidded back but remained standing. "Not bad," he admitted. Then, with a flick of his wrist, he fired a concentrated energy blast straight at Joseph. Joseph barely had time to react. His anti-gravity forcefield flared up just in time to lessen the impact, but the sheer power sent him flying backward. He righted himself in midair, breathing heavily. "You absorb energy, right?" Captain Atom called out. "What happens if you take in too much?" Joseph smirked. "You trying to test my limits?" Joseph compressed a portion of his anti-gravity field. The air around him shimmered as he poured everything into it. Then, in one swift motion, he released it—turning his forcefield into a concussive wave. The canyon trembled from the impact. Captain Atom stood in the center of it, absorbing the kinetic energy into his body. "You'll have to do better than that," he said. Joseph clenched his fists. He'd thrown everything he had into that attack—well, almost everything. He still had Nova Force stored inside him, but without a way to control it offensively other than amping his anti-gravity field control, it wasn't useful in a fight. "Now, my turn." Captain Atom blurred forward, closing the distance in an instant. Joseph barely raised his arms before a solid punch struck his midsection, sending him crashing through a rock formation. Coughing, Joseph pushed himself up. His body ached, but he grinned. "Alright," he muttered. "No more holding back." With that, he launched himself at Captain Atom again. Captain Atom launched an energy beam at him. Joseph couldn't dodge it in time and crashed through a rock formation, again. "You alright?" Captain Atom called out. "Yeah," Joseph called back breathlessly. "I'll just rest here for a bit."