6: Hero
January 29, 2007
A new day, another morning experiencing
Daniel looked at the pan in front of him, the pancake specially crafted with the exact amounts of ingredients obtained in the purest and highest quality possible.
The smell was already pleasant, and the fact that it had a perfectly round shape was an achievement he was extremely proud of.
Now, only the taste remained to be seen.
He easily picked up a knife and fork and began to cut it. Just as he was about to eat it, he noticed that strange sensation he couldn't quite define, something he had been feeling lately.
He raised an eyebrow for half a second before shrugging and taking a bite of his breakfast.
It tasted disgusting.
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From an old barn, Carol focused her gaze on the neighboring farm, her telescope lying forgotten by her side.
She made sure her position wasn't easily discovered as she observed.
Of all the places she could have found him, she didn't expect him to be her new neighbor.
She should have known, she remembered all the faces in town after all.
She would have remembered someone like him in the town before; it certainly made sense that the new face was the one who had recently moved in.
It had been the day before when they first crossed paths, and she had started observing him.
So far, he didn't seem to be doing anything strange other than trying to cook.
Well, actually, she couldn't see much through the few windows he had in the farm, so she wasn't entirely sure.
Although she could understand his dilemma with food, she herself had had many problems with it throughout her life, although it seemed that her talent for cooking was greater than his.
After all, she had already come up with a series of suitable recipes for herself.
Soon he went to the garage of his farm where there were no windows, so she could only listen.
There was something there, some kind of machine working on something.
Although she had a keen sense of hearing, she had not trained it much over time., at least not on anything other than to keep it in check and mostly turned off.
Her father always told her she should respect other people's privacy.
Maybe she wasn't being very obedient in this situation, but this was something special!
At least that's what she told herself to justify the fact that she was spying on a guy in a creepy way.
"Am I creepy?" she blinked and shrugged.
She was already weird, what difference did adding something else make?
She closed her eyes and tried to "visualize" using her ears, but it was a little difficult for someone who hadn't done this before.
She would have to practice.
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When he made his coats, he encountered a problem that he had to solve in a rather peculiar way.
His fabric couldn't be cut by normal means.
So he had to use his nails...
How did he do this? Well, first he used the core to make them grow, an unexpected benefit he found while experimenting a bit with it.
Apparently, biting his nails to keep them well "trimmed" counted as a wound.
A wound that could be healed using the core, and a nail that, like hair, has no "limit" to how much it can grow.
In simple terms, he could make his nails grow without limit.
Just like his hair.
So his hair became his thread, his nails his needles and scissors, and somehow he ended up using a bit of the caveman method of the Viltrumites.
At least most of the fabric wasn't made of his hair, it wouldn't bother him of course, but it would be weird if someone found out.
Making the scissors and the needle was something "Defiant" but he achieved it.
So he began his journey as a tailor!
Which progressed rapidly thanks to his great speed of learning and memorization.
His hero suit, or at least the prototype of it, was almost complete!
Only the cape was missing, which should have been easier to make, but he used too much fabric in the suit, so now it was scarce.
"I'll have to use one of the trench coats for now, at least it will look like I have a cape" he would have to repaint one of them then.
The suit wasn't too tight as is often the case with hero suits in comics.
After all, fabric that was too thin was easier to tear and provided less protection.
And that's why he had spent most of the fabric he had made, he had put several layers on top of each other, with more of them in key places to better protect himself.
Super regeneration or not, wounds hurt and he wasn't a masochist.
Fortunately, his fabric problem would soon be resolved when the second version of his modified 3D printer was up and running.
Not only that, he could do much more than fabric.
After all, the "polymers" from which his fabric was made didn't necessarily have to have the texture of fabric.
The fact that it was liquid before solidifying meant they could be used for more, much more.
"Maybe make some armor plates, more durable tools, or even something else" there were many possibilities to experiment with, needless to say that if he had the capability, he would have made scissors and a needle with it.
With a proper 3D printer, the only limit was what he could imagine.
"I have to patent this, I'll call it Viltrum compound? Viltrum element?"
He would have to choose the name later.
He looked at the transparent container filled with "blue" liquid, that was the polymer in liquid state.
The things he could do with it, the things he could do for the world.
"And you're not even the strongest version"
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Boots, confirmed, gloves, confirmed, full suit? Confirmed.
Daniel began to stretch, testing the degree of mobility and nodding satisfactorily when everything seemed right and comfortable.
He clenched his fists with satisfaction and put on his "mask."
It covered most of his upper face.
It had been one of the few things he had managed to make using the "V element" or Viltrum element, as he had decided to call it.
Unfortunately, the lens for both eyes wasn't as durable since it was only reinforced glass, but it didn't really need to be, even if it broke, it could still serve its purpose.
He didn't care about a secret identity or keeping a low profile, but he certainly preferred to have a place to spend time without worries.
His farm was now that place.
Besides, it would be easier to register his future patents with a "clean" identity.
Of course, he didn't care if the secret eventually came to light.
It would be too bothersome to have to keep it forever without a good reason.
And he didn't have any good reason other than the ones mentioned earlier.
And they certainly weren't too important.
After getting fully dressed, he looked at himself in the mirror. The dark blue, as well as a lighter shade of blue, shone on his well-built figure.
Although there were several layers of fabric in key points, it could not prevent the muscles of his body from being marked. It wasn't armor after all.
Once he put on the trench coat, which matched his current color scheme, he felt more complete. There was no cape for the moment, but for now, it would do.
The symbol of a huge "D" on his back and chest, shining in an almost silvery blue, made him nod in satisfaction. It was simple but recognizable.
Even if he changed the color of the suit in the future, the symbol would have to remain the same always.
He took a deep breath, put his hands on his hips, firmly planted his feet, puffed out his chest, and straightened his posture.
He looked at himself in the mirror for a few moments, processing the image in front of him.
A hero... no, a superhero.
He looked like one, but...
He didn't feel like one, not yet, not quite yet.
He smiled confidently and thought of his brother's words.
"Just fake it till you make it, huh... I can do that"
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New York.
Still early in the morning, people walked its streets with the practiced ease gained through years of living in the city that never sleeps.
It was midweek, so you could see workers rushing to their jobs, students heading to their schools, and business owners welcoming the first customers of the day.
There was a calmness in the air, a calmness that no one would have paid attention to on any other day, except of course for those with a truly sharp intuition.
New York Police Captain George Stacy looked at the white clouds in the sky with furrowed brows.
Something wasn't right, it was just a feeling that the captain had but one that had saved his life countless times.
It was simply like a little voice in his head that reminded him that calmness only meant the approach of a storm.
Of course, it wasn't always like that, but not every time did you have a supposed "hero" flying around the world. George hadn't believed in those strange rumors at first.
It seemed too fantastic, but as the captain of the New York Police, he had firsthand seen many of the cases where this "hero" had been involved, no matter what the investigators did or how much they tried to deny it.
The truth was that they couldn't dismiss the evidence, the obvious signs that seemed to indicate that something truly "superhuman" had happened.
The guy hadn't been discreet in his "heroic" acts.
George felt that the world was about to change, it wasn't an unfounded feeling, but rather one backed by his countless years of experience serving in the police force.
Thinking of his daughter, he couldn't help but sigh, hoping that, whatever the change, his daughter could live safely.
As he took a long sip of his coffee, a tremor caused him to spill the liquid on his shirt.
"Damn," he grimaced as he felt the liquid burn his skin, yet his attention was quickly captured by the screams. When he turned, he saw in the distance a 20-story building covered in smoke. From its middle floors, the fire raged and cracks spread like a spider's web.
An explosion had occurred. Without thinking, he threw the coffee and ran to his car. It seemed that his intuition had once again proved right.
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Daniel was sitting in his workshop, finishing some adjustments on his new printing machine when a news channel caught his attention.
Of course, as a hero, how could he not pay attention to the news even if he was working? He had added several screens to his workshop that played more than ten news channels at once, all from different parts of the world.
Right now, his gaze focused on a live broadcast from the United States news channel.
The image was clearly a part of New York, the burning and partially leaning building caught his attention more clearly than anything else.
"The gas explosion on the 9th floor has completely affected the building's structure. The fire department and the police are trying their best in the rescue work, but so far, their efforts have not been very successful" the reporter spoke quickly while pointing at the building.
Then there was a tremor, and the cracks seemed to extend even further. Suddenly, the firefighters and the police began evacuating people in the vicinity.
the reporter apparently unaware of her own safety approached a middle-aged man wearing a brown trench coat who was giving orders loudly.
"Captain Stacy, what's happening?" the reporter brought the microphone closer to the police captain, which seemed to anger him.
"There's no time for questions, you must evacuate now! The building is about to collapse!"
Daniel had already suited up when the tremor began, and when Captain Stacy's words fell, he was already in the sky, flying beyond the speed of sound.
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At the Kent house, Carol opened her eyes upon noticing Daniel's extremely fast movement, but before she could do anything, he had already completely left Smallville.
She quickly ran out of her room and down the stairs to the kitchen window, where the sky was clearly visible. To anyone else, it would seem like a normal sky, but for her, it was different.
Her eyes focused, and she could clearly see Daniel flying in the sky rapidly.
"He can fly?!" That was new; she hadn't seen him do anything like that before.
And that suit...
As Carol watched, the news on the television in the living room caught her attention. Her hearing had been focused on Daniel, so she had heard the news but hadn't seen the images. She quickly turned and saw her parents watching a live scene of a building starting to collapse to one side, towards the extremely crowded streets of New York.
Her eyes widened in horror, and her body froze.
Her parents exclaimed with astonishment and fear, just as stunned as she was.
Then, in the live broadcast, the sound of a sonic explosion was heard, followed by a blurry blur falling from the skies.
"Oh my God!" the reporter exclaimed, and the camera focused, in blurry movements, the blur entered and exited the burning building at incredible speeds.
Each time this happened, one or several people who had been in the building suddenly appeared on the ground, in the evacuation area that the police had prepared.
The rescued people looked around in confusion. There were bloodstains on some, as well as ash and burns. Some were coughing, others were unconscious, and a few didn't seem too hurt.
The people around shouted in amazement, and some relatives of those people who had been nearby and recognized them shouted and ran towards them.
It was an incredible scene. Carol looked with wide eyes, her gaze focused on that blurry figure that probably no one else could have captured.
But she could, even though the camera quality wasn't able to precisely record each frame, it was still enough for her to glimpse something.
It was blurry and unclear, but those colors, that suit, and the "D" engraved on the chest and back of the figure were completely recognizable to her.
She had just seen them a second ago.
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Daniel decided he hated the smoke; it fogged up the lenses of his mask, and had to destroy them and let his eyes do the job properly. Rescuing people at high speed was very difficult; their bodies were so fragile that a single mistake would turn them into a kind of meat paste.
Fortunately, the Viltrumites could move at a certain speed even with other people on top of them.
It was a strange sensation, not quite like tactile telekinesis but not very different either. Of course, it wasn't as perfect; the effect was barely comparable, but it was enough.
Daniel could only attribute it to a feature he hadn't explored much in his new body.
The Smart Atoms.
That little magical thing that allowed such a strong species to exist and achieve most of its great feats. It was complicated to explore because Daniel hadn't paid much attention to them in his previous life.
He had only read that Invincible comics manual once. "I'll have to retrieve those memories later using the core. It was foolish of me to ignore such an important matter until now"
Deciding to focus, his body passed through the building in search of civilians. He stopped for half a second and closed his eyes.
The Viltrumites might not have the strongest sense of hearing, but it shouldn't be underestimated. Although he hadn't trained it much, it was enough for Daniel to focus on the entire building and hear the heartbeat of anyone still inside.
It was also enough for him to hear the concrete breaking and the pillars giving way; the building was going to collapse.
Just as he was preparing to leave, he heard it. It was an extremely weak heartbeat. His pupils contracted, and without hesitation, he passed through anything in his way.
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"It's falling! The building is falling!" the on-scene reporter shouted. The camera focused as the upper half of the building began to rapidly tilt downward; the explosion seemed to have split it in two.
While everyone was screaming, a woman looked around with tears in her eyes. She searched among all the people who had been mysteriously taken out of the building, but her gaze didn't find who she was looking for. With horror, she turned towards the burning building that was beginning to collapse.
"My daughter! My daughter is still in there!" She ran towards the building, but the police captain, who quickly noticed her, stopped her.
"Let me go! My daughter, I have to go for her!" She shouted again, and the captain gritted his teeth as he watched the building fall. There were no words of comfort he could say at this moment; he could only hold the woman and prevent her from running to her death.
All of this was recorded by the news camera, causing the millions of viewers who had been watching the news to clench their fists in helplessness.
Some even cried for the woman; there were those who prayed to God and others who cursed. Wherever they were, the scene in front of them made them feel desperate.
Then, one of the windows of the falling building exploded outward, and a comet covered in smoke shot out towards the ground rapidly. The people exclaimed, but it was so fast that few reacted to the incredible events.
In a matter of moments, the smoke cleared, and a human figure fell to the ground, half kneeling. Then, the figure stood up, and in their arms, a small girl of no more than 8 years old was curled up.
All eyes focused on that figure for a moment, but the screams returned as they saw the building falling towards them.
The woman who had been held by Captain Stacy opened her eyes wide when she saw the girl, but her gaze turned to one of desperation when she saw the building falling towards them.
Everyone who witnessed the scene opened their eyes wide.
The figure gently placed the girl on the ground in the brief moments it took for the building to rapidly fall towards them. Then, he straightened up, slightly parted his legs, and stretched his arms upward with a firm posture.
Then the upper half of the ten-story building fell, and the scene that many had expected did not happen.
Instead, something that would be etched in history and in the minds of all who witnessed it occurred.
Like a scene from a comic book, the building abruptly stopped its fall, and the figure held its weight between its hands, which had only slightly bent downward upon impact.
Everyone was dumbfounded; some even thought they were dreaming, but something even more incredible happened next.
With determination, the figure began to rise from the ground and carried the building into the skies. Although some debris fell, most of the building, in a completely illogical manner, retained its structure and was carried away from the people by the figure.
The camera could only capture the hero's back as they carried the building away, with the "D" on their back especially focused.
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Daniel gritted his teeth a little. This was the first time since waking up in this world that he felt his body exerting even a little effort. It was minimal, of course, but it was there.
It seemed that he needed to find a way to exercise. After all, he knew that his body was at its weakest state right now. It shouldn't be any different from Mark when he first awakened his powers.
He wasn't weak, but compared to Omni-Man, he clearly lacked.
He looked at the building he was carrying and couldn't help but feel relieved. He hadn't expected to be able to carry the entire structure without it collapsing on itself. He had simply wanted to lift what might fall on the girl.
It seemed he had underestimated this "tactile telekinesis." He should have known better. After all, Omni-Man had held an enormous rock resembling a mountain with a single hand without it collapsing on itself. There were many other examples of other Viltrumites doing similar things as well.
He had simply thought of it as "comic book logic," but now that this "logic" applied to him, he realized it wasn't so simple. He didn't exactly know how this ability worked.
It felt like when he was flying in a way, as if something covered his entire body from the inside, making gravity irrelevant.
But now, instead of just covering him, it also extended to what he was holding. It wasn't perfect, but it was enough.
He arrived at Central Park and found a spacious area where he slowly lowered the building. He looked at the flames still covering it and thought of something.
It was an idea that had been on his mind for a while, and taking into account a scientific fact called the Joule-Thomson effect, he believed it was possible.
After all, a Viltrumite had an unprecedented lung capacity; not making use of it would be wrong.
Daniel began to inhale air in large quantities until his lungs couldn't hold any more, and then he approached the flames.
Carefully, he let the air pressure in his mouth increase, and controlling its speed, he let it expand rapidly when exhaling. This generated a drop in temperature in his breath, and if anyone were watching, they would be amazed to see ice begin to appear.
Carefully, Daniel circled the building and made sure to extinguish every flame before flying high into the sky and leaving.
A new skill successfully learned.
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Note
Thank you all for your support these days. I want to bring more chapters, but I've been very busy with work, you know, adult life and all that.
For those who noticed, I borrowed the explanation of the icy breath from the fic Avengers of Steel by Reyel.
Since I read that fic, I realized that in theory, anyone with a strong enough lung capacity and strong enough muscles could do something like this.
To be sure, I even consulted with I.A-Chan, who agreed with me.
By the way, the Defiant ost for now is (My Hero Academia-OST- Hero A)