Now that we were done with... well, everything, came the real part: testing what my abilities could actually do.
I stepped forward into the center of the training area while everyone spread out around the room. Some leaned against the walls, others crossed their arms, waiting to see what would happen.
"Right," I began. "I said my ability is Fire Force, but to put it simply... think of anything related to heat, and I can probably do it."
It was a vague explanation, but also the most honest one I could give.
A tiny orange flame flickered to life above my index finger.
Fsshhh...
The room was instantly illuminated by its warm glow.
"And don't worry," I continued with a small smile. "Only one of my abilities has nuclear properties—radiation and all that unpleasant stuff. The rest is... considerably safer."
Wally slowly raised his hand.
"'Considerably' doesn't exactly make me feel better."
A few quiet chuckles escaped the group.
I ignored him.
The little flame danced between my fingers as I slowly fed it more energy. It grew from the size of a candle flame into a marble-sized sphere before becoming a glowing orb that hovered just above my palm.
The temperature in the room climbed ever so slightly.
I gently compressed the fire.
The bright orange gradually shifted into a deeper crimson as the flames became denser.
"Let's start small."
With a casual flick of my wrist—
Whoosh!
The fireball shot across the training room like a blazing comet.
It struck the reinforced testing wall.
BOOM!
A dull explosion echoed throughout the chamber.
Heat washed over everyone as a wave of compressed air spread through the room.
Dust drifted from the ceiling while thin spiderweb cracks slowly crept across the impact point.
Crk... crk...
Silence.
I blinked.
"...Well."
I scratched my cheek.
"This place is a lot sturdier than I thought."
Somewhere behind me, Wally stared between the wall and me.
"Dude... that was your definition of small?"
Before anyone could answer, curiosity got the better of me.
"Let's increase it a little."
This time, instead of one sphere, three formed above my palm.
Fsshhh...
Fwoom...
Fwoosh...
Each one rotated around the others like miniature suns.
Without realizing it, a faint crimson glow flashed through my eyes.
Deep within my chest, the Blue Core pulsed once.
Thump.
A strand of its energy flowed into the flames.
None of us noticed.
The fireballs suddenly became darker, denser...
Heavier.
Even the air around them started shimmering.
"Hm..."
I narrowed my eyes.
"That's new."
With another flick of my hand, all three streaked toward the same target.
WHOOSH!!
The room seemed to hold its breath.
The instant they collided—
KABOOOOOOOM!!!
A deafening explosion erupted through the underground facility.
The entire base shook violently.
RUMBLE!!
Warning lights flickered.
Dust rained from the ceiling.
A pressure wave blasted across the training room, throwing loose equipment backward while a roaring wall of crimson fire expanded in every direction.
"...Mike!"
Kara vanished.
BOOM!
The concrete beneath her feet cracked as she launched herself forward.
She reached the explosion almost instantly, inhaled deeply—
FWOOOOOOOOOSH!!
A hurricane-force blast of freezing air slammed into the expanding inferno.
The flames bent backward under the overwhelming pressure before collapsing inward.
Steam exploded throughout the chamber.
SSSSSSSSHHHHHHH...
The room disappeared beneath a thick white mist.
For several long seconds...
Nobody spoke.
The only sound was the faint hiss of cooling metal.
Tick...
Tick...
Then Wally's voice echoed through the fog.
"...Okay."
A pause.
"I officially take back everything I said about 'starting small.'"
"Well... I guess that's that."
After several long seconds of silence, I finally spoke, scratching the back of my head as I looked toward the practice wall.
Compared to the first attack, the damage was much more controlled. The reinforced wall had deep scorch marks and a wide crater at the point of impact, but it was still standing.
Not bad... definitely an improvement.
I turned to face the group again before my gaze settled on Aqualad.
"Anyway," I began, "there's something else I'd like to test."
Aqualad met my eyes.
"Oh?"
"How about a sparring match?"
The room immediately grew quiet again.
"...With me?" Aqualad asked, sounding more curious than surprised.
I nodded.
"Yeah."
"There are a couple of reasons."
"First, from what I've seen, you're probably the most experienced fighter here."
"My powers are one thing, but I don't have years of actual combat experience. Most of what I know comes from simulations and training."
I paused before continuing.
"Second..." I pointed toward him.
"If my assumptions are right, Atlanteans are naturally much stronger than ordinary humans. Maybe not Kryptonian levels, but definitely beyond peak human."
From everything I remembered, Aqualad should be physically comparable to a super soldier, if not stronger. Of course, that was just an educated guess on my part.
"And lastly..."
I smiled.
"I need a proper measuring stick."
"I know how strong I feel, but that's different from knowing where I actually stand."
"I'd rather find my limits fighting someone who knows how to hold back than accidentally discover them against a villain."
For a brief moment, nobody spoke.
Then Wally broke the silence.
"Hold on..."
He pointed between Aqualad and me.
"So your idea of figuring out your own strength is punching our team leader?"
I shrugged.
"When you say it like that, it sounds a lot worse."
"It sounds exactly like that," Artemis replied flatly.
Kara folded her arms with a grin.
"I'll admit... now I want to see how this turns out."
Aqualad considered my request for a few seconds before giving a slow nod.
"I accept."
"If this spar helps you better understand your abilities while allowing us to learn more about them as well..."
A faint smile crossed his face.
"...then I see no reason to refuse."
I chuckled.
"Now that's the spirit."
A grin spread across my face as I rolled my shoulders, trying to loosen up after the earlier demonstration.
"One request though..."
I raised a finger.
"Don't go easy on me."
Aqualad remained calm, simply nodding for me to continue.
"And... fair warning."
I scratched my cheek with an awkward smile.
"I'm a bit of a sore loser."
A few of them looked at me in confusion.
"I don't mean I'll throw a tantrum or anything," I clarified. "It's just that if I start getting carried away trying to win... stay alert."
Kara laughed.
"At least he's honest."
Wally pointed at me.
"I knew it! The moment you challenged Kaldur I knew you had that competitive streak."
I shrugged.
"What can I say? I don't enjoy losing."
Not my fault, I thought to myself. Years of getting absolutely destroyed in Mortal Kombat and Dark Souls built... questionable character.
No... they built spite.
A small smile escaped me as old memories surfaced.
"You Died."
"Finish Him!"
Damn those games were brutal.
Shaking the thoughts away, I stepped forward until only a few meters separated Aqualad and me.
The casual smile disappeared from my face.
I slowly lowered my center of gravity, one foot sliding behind the other as my fists rose instinctively.
It wasn't a perfect stance, but it was one I'd refined after months of training against Sai's combat doll.
Across from me, Aqualad calmly twirled one of his water bearers.
Whoosh.
The weapon unfolded into its staff form before streams of water wrapped around its ends, forming two glowing blue blades.
He didn't rush.
He didn't taunt.
He simply observed me with the patience of an experienced fighter.
The room fell silent.
Even Wally stopped talking.
Artemis folded her arms.
Batwoman watched without blinking.
Kara leaned against the wall with an excited grin while Zatanna quietly took a step back to give us more space.
For a brief moment...
Neither of us moved.
The atmosphere itself seemed to tighten.
Then Aqualad spoke.
"Whenever you are ready."
I smiled.
"Oh..."
Heat shimmered around my feet.
"I've been ready."
Moving in first, I relied on nothing but my speed and agility. My foot dug into the reinforced floor with a dull thud, and in the next instant I closed the distance, throwing a straight punch toward Aqualad's face. Instead of retreating, he simply tilted his head to the side, my fist cutting through empty air before he stepped inside my reach. His shoulder brushed against mine as his palm shot toward my ribs. I twisted my waist just in time, feeling the wind from the strike graze my jacket. Using the momentum, I spun and fired another punch toward his jaw, but this time he calmly caught my wrist, redirected it past his body, and answered with an elbow that forced me to hop backward.
Tap! Tap! Thump!
Our feet echoed across the training room as we circled each other. I rushed in again, throwing combinations instead of single attacks now. Left jab. Right cross. Low kick. Elbow. Every strike flowed faster than the last, yet none of them connected. Aqualad wasn't simply dodging them—he was reading them. Every movement I made seemed to have already been predicted. Whenever I attacked high, he shifted low. Whenever I aimed for his body, he angled his torso just enough for the punch to slide harmlessly past him before attempting another counter.
I quickly realized this wasn't anything like fighting Sai's training dolls. The dolls followed patterns. They attacked with precision but without true intent. Aqualad was different. He adapted every second. He baited me into committing to attacks, forced me to overextend, then positioned himself where I would end up rather than where I was. It felt less like fighting someone and more like trying to punch flowing water.
Honestly, I already knew my combat experience was lacking, but actually experiencing the gap first-hand wounded my pride. Here I was, someone who could probably punch through tanks if I wanted to, yet I couldn't even land a single clean hit on a teenager. It was both embarrassing... and strangely exciting.
"Focus."
Aqualad's calm voice reached my ears only a split second before his fist appeared.
Thud!
His punch stopped barely an inch from my chest.
My eyes widened.
He could have hit me.
He deliberately didn't.
Instinctively I jumped back, creating several meters of distance between us while letting out a slow breath. My heartbeat had picked up without me noticing.
"...That would've hurt."
"It would have," Aqualad answered honestly, lowering his guard only slightly. "You possess impressive physical abilities, Mike. Your speed and strength are genuine. However, you rely entirely upon them."
"...Ouch."
"I do not intend it as an insult."
"I know..." I sighed, rolling my shoulders before raising my fists again. "Still hurts though."
A few chuckles came from the observation platform. Wally had absolutely no intention of hiding his amusement.
"Dude!" he laughed. "You've got a sports car engine with someone who just got their learner's permit!"
"Oh, shut up."
"I mean... am I wrong?"
"...No."
The worst part was that he wasn't.
I took another breath and steadied my stance. Instead of rushing immediately like before, I carefully watched Aqualad's feet, shoulders, breathing—everything I could. If raw strength wasn't enough, then I'd simply learn while fighting. Sai had beaten techniques into my body for weeks. Maybe it was time I actually trusted that training instead of relying on instinct.
A faint smile appeared on Aqualad's face.
"Better."
Without another word, we both moved at the exact same moment.
Boom!
The floor cracked beneath our feet as our fists collided for the very first time, a powerful shockwave sweeping across the training room and sending everyone's hair and clothes fluttering backward.