Lynch threw a punch, landing squarely on Abomination's forehead.
With a groan, Abomination's body slumped backward, powerless. His massive body shook the ground, blood and tears streaming down his face.
In front of Lynch, a screen only he could see lit up.
"Superman System"
Current Template: Juvenile Superman 100%, Young Superman 20%Template Exchange List: Young Superman, Superman, Silver age Superman, Golden Superman, Superboy prime...Justice Points: 185
Moments ago, Lynch had swiftly accessed the system and exchanged 10% of the "Young Superman" template, which boosted his strength and enabled him to fight back.
He originally had 5% of the template progress, and after his raid on the military base, he exchanged another 5%. With various smaller actions and Tony's press conference exposure, he exchanged 10% at once. His justice points now stood at nearly 100,000.
After the battle with Abomination, his justice points surged past 100,000. But before exchanging another 10%, Lynch wanted to use this chance to hone his combat skills.
Having gauged Abomination's power, he initially didn't make the exchange right away. But Abomination's sudden burst of strength caught him off guard, landing a relentless combo that left Lynch unable to retaliate. He was forced to quickly exchange his points.
"Now it's my turn, right?"
Lynch accelerated in a dive, clasping both hands together and slamming them into Abomination's chest.
Abomination's head jerked up, his eyes bulging like a dead fish, blood spurting from his mouth.
Lynch grabbed Abomination and spun him like a top, then let go, sending Abomination hurtling through the air like a cannonball, smashing through several walls before disappearing.
Following the trail, Lynch found Abomination had transformed again.
Abomination grinned, drooling, a growl rumbling from his throat. His eyes were bloodshot, his pupils lost in chaos. He crouched low, trembling slightly.
"Has he turned into a beast?"
Seeing Lynch approach, Abomination sprang toward him at incredible speed, swiping a massive hand toward Lynch.
Much faster now...
Catching the blow, Lynch knew he couldn't delay any longer.
He unleashed his full strength, his fists flying at lightning speed, pummeling Abomination all over his body.
Then, Lynch locked his arms around the limp Abomination and shot into the sky!
In the air, he hurled Abomination upward, and two terrifying beams of heat vision burst from his eyes, piercing through Abomination's body.
"I... am the strongest..."
In agony from the heat vision, Abomination's face suddenly twisted with fierce determination. His falling body abruptly halted, and to Lynch's shock, two beams of heat vision fired from Abomination's eyes as well.
Their heat visions collided, creating an intense burst of light that turned the night sky into day!
For a moment, people within kilometers stared up at them in awe, as if gazing at gods.
"No, you're just a poor imitation," Lynch coldly mocked.
"Die, Blonsky."
Lynch's eyes flared open wider, releasing a massive surge of energy. His heat vision grew even thicker and more explosive, engulfing Abomination's beams and his body entirely.
After a long moment, Lynch retracted his heat vision, and Abomination's form was nowhere to be seen.
Closing his burning, exhausted eyes, Lynch hovered for a while, waiting for the pain to subside. The overuse of heat vision had scorched his eyes.
He lingered in the air, listening for sounds to guide him back to the battlefield.
On the ground, police, medics, and reporters swarmed the area. Bodies were being carried away under white sheets. The chaotic noise irritated Lynch as it reached his ears.
Slowly descending, Lynch noticed people had already spotted him. As he touched down, reporters rushed toward him.
"Superboy, did you eliminate the monster?"
"What's your take on this incident?"
"Why did you arrive so late?"
"Say something!"
...
"Shut up!"
Clenching his teeth and frowning, Lynch shouted, silencing everyone instantly.
He pushed through the crowd, walking over to the unconscious Banner, picking him up.
"Hey, you can't do that..." a police officer quietly protested.
Lynch shot him a cold glance but said nothing.
"What are you doing?" Betty approached from a nearby ambulance, eyeing him with suspicion.
"I mean no harm. I just want to give him a choice. Otherwise, he'll lose his freedom," Lynch explained.
Betty hesitated before nodding.
"Alright."
Lynch nodded back, then turned to leave.
"Superboy!"
A child's voice called out.
Lynch looked back to see a boy, no more than five or six, break free from his mother's grasp and run toward him.
"Here, this is for you. Thanks for saving us!"
The boy pulled out a small badge with Superman's iconic 'S' symbol and handed it to Lynch.
Lynch smiled and patted the boy's head. "Thanks, but I'm not Superman."
"I know, you're Superboy!" The boy grinned knowingly.
"Alright, good kid. Go back now."
"Okay!"
The boy ran back to his mother, skipping with joy.
Lynch grabbed Banner and flew away.
"Superboy, will you come back?"
...
Knock, knock, knock.
"Come in."
Natasha pushed open the door to the rooftop and stepped inside.
Lynch lay on a chair, hands behind his head, staring at the stars.
"Can't sleep again?" Natasha asked softly, sitting beside him.
"A little," Lynch said, shifting slightly in his seat.
Natasha glanced at the stars, her curiosity piqued. "Does the sky look different to you compared to normal people?"
Lynch blinked a few times. "Not really. It's like using a telescope."
"By the way," Natasha's expression changed, "Do you have x-ray vision?"
Lynch froze, his super brain racing. "I..."
Natasha chuckled, teasingly. "Okay, I get it..."
Lynch's face flushed slightly.
I swear!
I wouldn't use my powers for anything improper! As a decent Asian man, I'd never do such indecent things!
Well, unless you asked for it...
Lynch's gaze shifted slightly.
"Tired?" Natasha suddenly changed the subject.
Lynch averted his eyes. The night sky replayed scenes from tonight—blood, screams, death.
The people were right. If he had arrived earlier, this might have been prevented.
Lynch realized he was trapped in a dilemma.
Subconsciously, he had been avoiding getting involved in the original plot. It was partly because he wasn't sure of his own abilities, but also because he feared altering the original course of events.
Every event in the original story was carefully interconnected, each with its own purpose.
But how could someone with Superman's power, suddenly thrust into this world, avoid participating in the storyline altogether?
His very existence was already altering the original plot.
Without him, Hulk would have defeated Abomination, who wouldn't have grown so strong and caused such tragedy.
So, what should he do?
Lynch felt lost.
"I'm okay, just a bit confused."
"Sometimes, if you can't figure it out, stop thinking. Just follow your heart," Natasha said, her eyes sparkling like stars.
"Some things you only understand by doing, right?"
"Really?"
Lynch glanced briefly at her chest and smiled.
"Not that!" Natasha pouted, standing up to leave.
"Goodnight!"
Follow my heart, huh?
Lynch recalled the cold bodies, the wailing families, and the boy's words.
Will I keep being a hero next time?
Maybe.