Barney frowned at the sight of Atomic. "You're that guy on the news. Atom or some shit,"
Atomic remained silent, eyeing everyone before him. He then looked around at the large number of weapon crates in the warehouse. "I'll give you all one chance. Surrender, and no one has to get hurt," he said.
"Hilarious. Shoot him!" Barney yelled and pointed at Atomic. After a few moments of silence and confused grunts, he growled and turned to his remaining men. "What are you fools doing?! Shoot him!"
"We can't! Our guns aren't working." One of the men said as he tapped away uselessly at his rifle's trigger.
"They're all empty. Water guns need water to work, after all," Atomic said as he floated in the air. "I made the switch to your weapons during my opening attack. It's easy not to notice the change when you're dodging large doors flying at high speeds."
"What trickery is this?" Barney growled.
"No tricks. Just changing matter itself," Atomic said and extended his arms. Behind him, seven glowing spheres came to life and zoomed towards the men.
Go, my funnels. Atomic thought, imagining this attack to imitate the iconic fin funnels from one of his favorite mecha anime in his past life.
The spheres moved incredibly fast and erratically. Leaving little room to react or dodge. Those who did manage to dodge were unprepared for the sphere to twist in midair and return to knock them down. Hard.
Much to Atomic's surprise, Barney, despite his large size, was weaving in and out of his funnels' attack paths.
Inhaling deeply, Barney's brown eyes turned electric green. He raised his arms and opened his hands. In a swirl of glowing green energy, balls of pure power burst to life. With careful aim, Barney released several energy blasts at Atomics funnels. Destroying them.
Holy shit! Is he shooting Ki blasts?! Atomic thought, wide-eyed.
As the last of Atomic's funnels disintegrated in a shower of sparks and debris, Barney pivoted sharply, his eyes narrowing with determination. With a swift motion, he unleashed a powerful, concentrated blast aimed directly at Atomic. The hero, momentarily stunned by the destruction around him, quickly regained his composure.
Drawing on his training, he conjured a makeshift barrier just in time. The immense force of Barney's blast collided with the barrier, which buckled under the pressure due to its hasty construction. With a thunderous crash, the barrier shattered, sending Atomic hurtling backward through the air, his body tumbling uncontrollably as he struggled to regain his footing.
"A mutant?" Atomic asked aloud.
"Yeah. A very well-paid one at that," Barney grinned and chased after Atomic. As he moved, his hands shot blasts of highly powerful, highly explosive energy at the hero. "Stop moving! I'll make this quick!"
"Sorry, I'll have to pass. I'm allergic to energy blasts," Atomic said as he avoided the blasts of energy by flying through the air. With a swing of his arm, Atomic created two massive stone fists to erupt from the ground. Barney's eyes widened in surprise, but he quickly sent a volley of blasts at the fists.
As Barney attacked his stone constructs, Atomic's eyes focused on Barney's glowing energy blasts. Time seemed to slow down as he took in the energy blast's molecular structure.
His blasts aren't Ki. They're pure plasma! Atomic thought.
Plasma, often referred to as the fourth state of matter, is a gas that has become ionized, meaning it contains free electrons and positively charged ions. This ionization occurs when a gas is subjected to high energy, such as extreme heat or strong electromagnetic fields, causing electrons to be stripped from atoms.
Barney's mutation must allow him to rapidly heat the space over his hands while also hyper-boosting the electromagnetic field around his body! That's what allows him to blast the energy wherever he wants! Wyatt thought with a massive grin.
With a growl of frustration, Barney leaped after Atomic, charging up a massive blast in both hands. With a roar, he unleashed the blast at Atomic.
Atomic flew back, narrowly avoiding the blast, but his focus remained solely on the destructive energy flowing just inches from his body. His eyes darted back and forth as he quickly analyzed the plasma's atomic and molecular structure. After a few seconds, he grinned.
Okay, I think I get it now. Let's see if I can do that, too! Atomic thought.
Spreading his arms wide, Atomic transformed the crates of weapons in the warehouse into large metal pythons. The pythons emitted a metallic hiss as they lunged at Barney. The large man narrowed his eyes at the approaching pythons and pushed himself to new heights. Blasts of plasma tore through the pythons, causing chaos throughout the warehouse.
When he realized he inadvertently destroyed millions of dollars worth of product, Barney froze and stared at the destruction he had caused.
"I've always wanted to do this," Atomic muttered and held his hands at his side. His hands were cupped over each other as his body was angled away from Barney. Slowly, a brilliant ball of red plasma began to form in the space between his hands. "Ka me ha me… ha!"
Pushing his hands out, Atomic released his own blast of energy at Barney. Shocking the man at seeing his own abilities used against him.
"You bastard! That's my power!" Barney yelled, his face contorted in rage. Without wasting another second, he pushed both hands in front of his and released the most enormous blast of energy he had ever created.
Atomic's red beam clashed against Barney's green. They were locked in a beam struggle, filling the warehouse in a blinding light. Slowly, Barney's own more refined plasma beam began to push back Atomics.
Shit! I may know how to create them, but they're nowhere near his level yet! Atomic thought as he struggled to push himself to reinforce his attack. He could feel his internal energy draining quickly as he continued firing his attack. No… I don't have to overpower him. I have to outsmart him!
Atomic shifted his right leg, channeling a surge of energy that coursed along the ground like a ripple in water. The vibrations reached beneath Barney's feet, transforming the solid floor into loose, shifting sand. Caught off guard, Barney stumbled, his concentration faltering as the ground gave way beneath him.
Seizing the opportunity, Atomic surged forward. With a fierce shout of fury, he empowered his beam using a surge of his internal energy. The powerful push slammed through Barney's own energy blast.
The sound of their energies clashing was deafening, but it was nothing compared to the anguished scream that escaped Barney's lips as Atomic's force overcame him. The mutant was violently hurled backward, his body crashing through a pile of crates filled with weapons, splintering wood and metal flying in all directions.
Panting heavily, Atomic cautiously approached the wreckage, anxiety gnawing at him. He bent down, peering through the debris to check on Barney's condition. A wave of relief washed over him as he saw the faint rise and fall of Barney's chest. He had been worried that he hadn't adjusted the power output of his blast in time.
Just as he breathed a sigh of respite, a deafening bang shattered through the battered warehouse.
The sudden force of a shot struck Atomic squarely in the back, sending him reeling forward. Gritting his teeth against the pain, he turned to meet the furious glare of Luther, who stood poised with his shotgun, eyes ablaze with unrestrained hatred. After cocking his weapon, Luther prepared to unleash another round.
"You caped bastard! Look at what you did! Do you know who these weapons belonged to?!" Luther yelled as another round struck Atomic in the chest, pushing him back slightly. "You'll pay for this! I'll feed your corpse to my fucking dogs!"
Another bang echoed in the warehouse, knocking Atomic down to one knee.
Damn it! Using a continuous plasma beam like that drained me more than I thought! Atomic thought as another blast of pellets hit him. The only reason he was still alive was because of the materials his suit was made of.
Without his suit, he would have been killed after the second shotgun blast.
Even so, no matter how tough his suit was, Atomic still felt every shot.
Standing over Atomic, Luthor racked his shotgun and aimed the muzzle at the hero's head. In an act of defiance and anger, Atomic forced every muscle in his exhausted body to move. With a determined yell, he shot to his feet and tackled Luthor to the ground.
Sitting over the man, Atomic did the only thing he could: he began to rain down punches on the arms dealer's face with his gloves' adamantium knuckles. Each new punch, although unrefined and clumsy, caused Luthor's face to twist and morph. It wasn't until Atomic saw that the man had gone unconscious that he stopped.
Gasping deeply and erratically, Atomic looked down at the bleeding and bruised man and his own bloodied fists. With slow, heavy movements, he got to his feet and surveyed the utter destruction around him.
"Won't be long before the cops show up," he said, examining the remaining crates of weapons.
While he wanted to believe that the police and politicians in the city would confiscate and dispose of these weapons properly, he knew there would ultimately be those within the system who were corrupt and would sell the firearms back to the underworld.
Leaving them for the police was not an option.
Moving quickly, or as fast as he could manage in his state, Atomic began to transmute every last weapon crate into ice sculptures. This task took several minutes, as he had to actively touch each crate, having lost the energy to use his powers at long range.
By the time he finished, the police were outside the warehouse, ready to barge in. Using the shadows as cover, Atomic stealthily left the warehouse and flew away, leaving behind dozens of unconscious criminals and ice sculptures for the police to handle.
••o••o••o••
James Wesley strolled through the opulent halls of the sprawling "mansion in the sky" penthouse, his footsteps echoing softly against the marble floors. The air was heavy with the scent of polished wood and expensive fabrics, and the lavish decor—ornate chandeliers, rich tapestries, and plush furniture—surrounded him like a silent testament to wealth and sophistication.
He held a sleek tablet in one hand, its glowing screen reflecting the glint of gold accents that adorned the room. Despite the grandeur around him, his expression remained impassive, a mask of concentration suggesting he was lost in thought, focused on the files before him rather than the luxury enveloping him.
James was the right-hand man and confidant of "The Big Man," a notorious figure overseeing the daily operations of his criminal empire in New York. Tasked with managing all interests within the empire and eliminating anyone posing a threat, he took great pleasure in his work.
Reaching a set of large oak doors, James announced his presence and waited.
"Come in," A deep voice called out from the other side.
Once inside the well-lit office, James walked over to stand beside a huge man dressed in a luxurious white three-piece suit. This was the man whose name should not be spoken, yet who was well-known throughout the city's criminal underworld—The Big Man.
"It's all gone, sir. All our men have been taken into custody, and every piece of weaponry and ammunition has either been destroyed or transformed into ice," James reported professionally as he swiped through his tablet. The screen displayed images of the NYPD apprehending guards from the weapons warehouse alongside striking, detailed photographs of ice sculptures of firearms.
"This is… a setback. How long before we can resume operations?" The Big Man inquired.
"I'm afraid it will take some time," James replied.
The Big Man frowned as he examined the images of the ice sculptures. "Do we know who is responsible for this?"
"Yes, sir. The individual calling himself 'Atomic' has been making quite a name for himself in the city. His skill set is formidable."
"Hmmm. New York's newest hero," The Big Man muttered, his sharp mind swiftly considering several potential solutions. "His skills could be better utilized elsewhere. Wesley, reach out to Atomic. Arrange a meeting, no matter what it takes."
"Yes, sir," James nodded and left the room, ready to plan how to accomplish his new task.
Minutes later, a woman dressed in an elegant gown and adorned with a $50,000 pearl necklace entered the room, carrying a bottle of red wine.
"Wilson? Care to join me for a glass of Domaine Leroy Corton-Renardes Grand Cru 2001?" the woman asked affectionately.
"Of course, Vanessa. I wouldn't dream of refusing," Wilson Fisk replied with a warm smile as he joined Vanessa Marianna for a glass of wine.