Beyond the Limit (DC)

| San Francisco - September 10

"Joseph," Captain Atom greeted warmly, sitting down in the quiet restaurant. In his human form, he appeared as a tall, strongly built Caucasian man with blonde hair and sharp blue eyes, dressed in a red flannel shirt and jeans.

"Captain," Joseph replied with a nod as he took his seat across from him, wearing a black hoodie and jeans. Beneath the casual look, his bonded Nth metal was present.

They ordered breakfast. Pancakes with maple syrup, scrambled eggs, bacon, orange juice, and some fruits.

San Francisco had recently become Captain Atom's new base of operations, which made it a convenient meeting point. The restaurant was empty—rented out by the Captain for privacy—making open conversation safe.

"You're in one piece," Captain Atom said, his tone relaxed but observant. "Physically, at least. But is everything okay up here?" he asked, tapping the side of his head.

"War and death aren't easy to come back from—even for hardened veterans. You've been through more than anyone your age should. I'm here if you ever want to talk. And don't forget—Black Canary's a certified psychiatrist if you need professional help."

The concern in his voice was real. It reminded Joseph of when they'd first met and how much he'd learned under the man's mentorship.

"I appreciate the concern, Captain. Really. But I think I'm okay," Joseph replied sincerely.

Captain Atom didn't look convinced. "You know, I may not look it, but I'm older than I seem. Served in Vietnam. And I've seen firsthand what killing does to a person. Guilt, numbness, dissociation, rage, shame… it eats away at you. There's no shame in needing help."

Joseph met his eyes without flinching. "I know what I did. But I also know what I stopped. The Gordanians aren't like us—they're inherently violent, incapable of empathy. Stopping them saved more lives than I could count. I won't pretend some moments didn't shake me, but I've processed it. I understand now—sometimes, to save lives, hesitation is a luxury you can't afford."

Captain Atom studied him for a long moment before nodding. "If you say so. But if you're not here to talk about that, why did you ask to meet up?"

"Can't a sidekick visit his mentor without having an agenda? Am I really that cold?" Joseph asked, feigning hurt.

Captain Atom gave him an amused look. "You haven't been my sidekick for a long time. I trusted you to handle Chicago on your own—and you haven't let me down yet. Honestly, if you were already eighteen, you'd be in the League by now. And you barely initiate meetings. So, out with it."

Joseph cut all pretenses and lifted his hand. With a thought, the Nth metal beneath his hoodie extended and wrapped around it like a gauntlet.

"I picked up Nth metal on Thanagar. It bonded psychically with me. I want to break it down into nanoparticles—create a suit that can regenerate, retract into my body, and be ready at all times."

He leaned in slightly. "I studied Black Spider's nanoweave suit and figured out the principle. The only person I know that can help me is you. Your link to the Quantum Field lets you manipulate matter."

He played up the anxiety just a little. Paranoia from recent events—a half-truth to make his case. He didn't like manipulating his mentor, but it wasn't a lie.

Atom nodded thoughtfully. "It'll be difficult with this material. A lot of concentration, and precision. Best I can do is break it down to about 100 nanometers. That work?"

Joseph mentally checked with Nova.

//That's acceptable,// Nova responded.

"That'll work," Joseph said aloud.

Villains should be thanking God that his mentor didn't atomize them due to his strong moral compass, having vowed never to use it on sentient beings. His power was very destructive. Joseph wasn't sure even Superman could withstand having his atoms forcefully separated.

"But how are you going to contain it?" Atom asked. "Once I turn it into dust, it won't exactly sit still. Will your gravity powers be able to hold it in place for your purposes?"

"With its psychoreactive nature, I'll be able to easily hold it together using telekinesis."

He'd already disclosed to the League that he'd gained psychokinetic powers from Py'tar, so there was no need for secrets there.

The waiter arrived with their food, and the conversation paused.

Neither of them needed to eat anymore—radiation-fed quantum energy for Atom, and Nova-enhanced biology for Joseph—but they still appreciated good food. Some pleasures were worth keeping.

After breakfast, the two stepped outside into the crisp morning air.

"I'll help you," Captain Atom said, stretching slightly. "But first… how about a spar? It's been a while. And without you I've been so lonely. All the other heroes are scared of me. No one wants to spar with me."

Joseph grinned.

Captain Atom's quantum-based physiology made sparring tricky. Even touching him could be dangerous without precautions—his body emitted high levels of radiation. Only beings of extreme durability or energy resistance could trade blows safely.

Which made Joseph one of the few "sparring partners" available.

Though most days, punching bag felt more accurate.

But that was before. He was stronger now. Way stronger.

If his old limit was lifting 10 tons, now—with the nanite enhancements and Nth metal bonded armor—he could push 40 tons with ease. And that was without tapping into the Strength Force.

Despite himself, Joseph felt a competitive grin pull at his lips.

"You're on."