Location: Kent Farm, Smallville, Kansas - 2003
Weeks later the soft rustling of corn stalks was the only sound that filled the warm air, as the sun began its slow descent behind the hills of Smallville. The quiet serenity of the farm was punctuated by the sounds of training. Apollo was hovering a few feet off the ground, focused intently on his target—a group of boulders set up in a line a hundred yards away. His breath was steady, his mind sharp, but there was a storm brewing beneath his calm exterior.
He pushed forward with a burst of speed, sending one fist crashing into the ground, sending shockwaves through the earth. The rocks shattered like glass. His fists glowed with the unmistakable heat of his powers, and yet something about the way the boulders broke—too easily—felt unsatisfying. He knew his power was great, but something about using it in the months since he faced Atomic Skull had began making him feel empty.
Not only that but since then he had faced multiple super powered individuals now and fighting them wasn't easy. Knocking them out took effort and worst of all afterwards he didn't feel completely like a guardian or saviour.
The meteor infected were people whose lives were changed by a freak catastrophe he couldn't stop; they were people he wasn't able to save. Now here he was months later leaving them to spend their lives in prison or in a mental institution.
There had to be a better way.
A better way to use his powers than just fighting meteor freaks and knocking out violent criminals and then disappearing.
There had to be a better way to help everyone in Smallville. Apollo didn't mind fighting evil, in fact he enjoyed it but there had to be a way to not only stop evil but to save everyone, the meteor infected included.
He had to figure out a way to do more.
From the edge of the field, Ikaris, arms crossed and watching with his usual intensity, didn't flinch.
"Again," he barked, his voice calm but commanding.
Apollo, his jaw set in concentration, nodded. He soared upward again, this time focusing harder, channeling more of his strength. His body was a blur as he whizzed through the air, narrowly dodging trees and fences put in his path to form a sort of obstacle course for him to fly through. But despite his immense power, there was a hint of frustration in his movements, as though the harder he pushed, the further away the feeling of satisfaction seemed to get. Apollo used his heat vision to destroy a set of scarecrows made to look like Deviants in front of him and then stopped.
"That's it!" Ikaris shouted, his arms raised in approval. "More of that. You're not just some farm boy. You are so much more than that. You are a member of a family of Eternals. You are a warrior."
Apollo didn't know how he felt about being referred to as a warrior.
Was that what he was meant to be? A soldier? A fighter?
Apollo paused for a second contemplating as he landed on the ground and before he could even say a word his Aunt Makkari was already in motion, her figure a blur as she zipped toward Apollo, her kind smile lit the field like a spark of pure joy.
"Hey!" Makkari signed as she grinned, standing still for a moment, her hands on her hips. "You're doing it all wrong."
Apollo blinked in surprise. "Wrong? I thought I was—"
Makkari rolled her eyes, shaking her head.
"Not wrong. Just... not fun enough." She signed to him. "You've got these amazing powers, Apollo. You can fly, you can lift mountains, but you're not free, you're not enjoying them or using them to do what you enjoy. What's the point of having these powers if you don't use them in a way that makes you feel complete. There's no point in having powers if you can't enjoy the ride"
Apollo narrowed his eyes, but there was a spark of intrigue in him.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean—" Makkari signed right as she dashed forward, disappearing for a split second before reappearing behind him with a huge gust of wind. "—you can do anything with these abilities but the way you use them now you won't ever get the most out of it because you're not enjoying them. Your powers are a gift and if you want to unlock your full potential and be the protector you're meant to be you need to treat them like a gift. You can make it fun. Why train like you're about to go to war all the time? Feel the air. Feel how it feels to just fly because you can. Your abilities are yours, use them in a way you enjoy because when you do that you'll learn more about yourself and be able to use them in ways you couldn't previously imagine."
She zipped past him in a whirlwind of speed, making him dizzy for a moment, before pulling to a stop with a playful grin behind him. Makkari tapped his shoulder but as he turned to face her she had already zoomed off. Like she was goading him to chase her. Apollo smirked and blurred chasing her trail.
He ran at his top speed trying to keep up with her. Every time he got close she would turn back to him smile and then run faster. The two of them zoomed through Smallville and the more Apollo ran the more he enjoyed the feeling, he felt the air around him, felt the wind on his face and felt all the power his body generated as he pushed himself forward at speeds no human could ever hope to achieve.
The two ran into the forests, dashing through the trees until they reached a lake.
Makkari zoomed forward running on the water with effortless ease and Apollo matched her speed bracing himself to have to switch from running to flying only for his footsteps to glide over the water.
He wasn't sinking, he was moving so fast he wasn't breaking the surface tension of the water.
Apollo reared his head back and laughed.
Since he learnt how to fly so young he never thought to try running on water because it felt unnecessary.
Apollo was so wrong about that, the more he ran across the water the more he was filled with such childlike joy.
His Aunt Makkari smiled at him as laughed and ran across the lake over and over again.
Apollo realised his Aunt was right, this was why using his powers recently had made him feel empty. He was so preoccupied at only truly using his powers to either stop bad guys or when he wasn't controlling his powers during his training with Ikaris that he hadn't truly taken a few moments like this to just enjoy using them like he used to when he was younger.
His powers were a huge responsibility and he knew that, he knew how much he could affect the world around him with them but they were also his powers. They were a part of him, and they shouldn't become a burden, they should be something that he enjoys using. Apollo shouldn't lose sight of that as he gets older.
Makkari beckoned him to follow her once again and the two ran back into Smallville big smiles on both of their faces as they did so.
The two of them ran by a jewelry shop and saw a robbery in progress and slowed down. Makkari looked at her nephew and encouraged him to help and Apollo smiled. Compared to the meteor freaks he'd fought this would be nothing.
Apollo ran in the world frozen around him and he assessed the situation.
They were two robbers one with a gun pointed at the store owner and the other was grabbing everything he could and stuffing it into a huge duffel bag. They were both wore ski masks to cover their faces.
Apollo jokingly cracked his knuckles as if he was preparing for a serious fight before he knocked out the one with the duffel bag with a small tap to the cheek.
He grabbed the bag and put all the jewelry in front of the store owner before tearing the strap clean off the bag and whipping the gun out of the other robber's hand.
He poked the other robber knocking him out too before he grabbed him and tied him to his partner with the duffel bag strap and then removed their ski masks.
Apollo smiled to himself enjoying helping people and getting a small kick at getting to save people while using his powers in a playful manner.
His Aunt Makkari just watched him as he did all of this at super speed. She smiled at him and he smiled back before the two zoomed away. Leaving no trace, they'd even been there save for the two suddenly knocked out and tied up robbers.
The two ran back to the farm and stopped in front of Ikaris who just stood watching the two of them as if he was trying to figure out whether or not to reprimand them. Apollo looked at Makkari, the tension in his chest from earlier basically entirely gone.
"You're right," he said slowly. "That does feel... good."
"Exactly!" Makkari signed as she cheered.
"That's the key! Use your powers because they're yours, and because they make you happy. Don't let your uncle turn you into a grim-faced, battle-hardened soldier all the time. Enjoy yourself, Apollo. You were meant to feel all of this—live it. Be free and use your powers freely. You're not some weapon. You're a protector, protect with joy." Makkari told him, glad to have made her point.
"I'm just not sure that alone will be enough," Apollo muttered.
"Enough? You're faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a freight train, and you're still not satisfied?" she signed to him.
"It's just... I keep running into people with abilities. More meteor freaks. The robbers were nothing but them. They've been showing up more recently. I'm supposed to be able to handle this... but I'm not sure how, I feel like I'm not doing this right, like I'm missing a piece of a puzzle I didn't even know I was putting together. I'm not sure I'm ready" Apollo honestly told her.
"Well, you're training like you're going to be off fighting in some cosmic war. The people you're facing aren't Deviants and that means you don't need to think like Ikaris. You don't need to be him, Apollo. You can do this your own way." Makkari signed as she beamed at him.
"It's hard to turn off that part of me." Apollo admitted.
"And you shouldn't turn that part of you off" Ikaris told him as he floated above them.
"You have more power within you than anything on Earth and the strength of the Eternals in your soul. You're meant for more, you're meant to lead in battle and to fight for the greater good. Don't doubt yourself Apollo, you can be a warrior. Own it." Ikaris said.
Apollo felt like he should agree with him, whenever he was in a fight against meteor freaks he felt pressure to be like Ikaris because nobody had defeated more evil beings than him.
Who else should he emulate is he's trying to stop evil?
But then why did that not feel entirely right to him?
Why did just winning the fight often leave him feeling like he didn't do enough?
Apollo was torn and that's when Sprite—his sister in all but blood—as if sensing his turmoil stepped forward, her expression far more serious than usual. She had been quietly watching from the sidelines with Ajak, who stood just behind her, another silent observer of Apollo's struggle.
"Hey, Apollo," Sprite said, her voice gentle but firm. "Ikaris is right. He's right about being a warrior, about leading the charge against evil." She paused, her eyes thoughtful. "But the thing is, you don't have to do it his way. Ikaris is the greatest being I know but his way isn't the only way"
Apollo looked at her, curiosity filling him.
"What do you mean?" Apollo asked.
Sprite opened her left palm and an illusion of Ikaris appeared. He was flying through the sky cutting down Deviants with his cosmic blasts and using his incredible strength to fight them hand to hand. Ikaris was incredible, nothing could withstand him, he was a living weapon.
Sprite opened her other palm and an illusion of Apollo appeared, and the difference was stark.
Ikaris moved with immense precision and speed as he flew through the air cutting through it like a knife, his movements surgical.
Apollo however moved with graceful but immense power, he wasn't a surgical knife but rather a missile. He didn't cut through the air like his Uncle he tore through it almost like his power was so great it was overcoming the laws of physics themselves.
"You can be a leader but you're not a warrior you are a protector. Don't do it like Ikaris does because you can't. You have your own style, your own way of thinking. Your way isn't cutting down enemies and completing a mission like a soldier or general but by protecting the people in your life and by trailblazing a new path. You protect, create change and make people better just by existing. You've got a gift for it." Sprite told him.
Apollo looked at Sprite and she gave him a small, teasing smile.
"I've seen it before" Sprite said as she made a new illusion, it was of all of the people in his life; His Mum, his Dad, Sprite, Skye, Chloe and Pete.
Apollo nodded understanding what she meant.
The moment ended however when Ikaris's voice cut through the air like a whip, sharp and stern.
"You know you can't afford to be soft in this world, Sprite. The galaxy doesn't care about how you feel. How many times did we fight the Deviants? They are some evils that can't be changed and the universe is filled with them. As a warrior you have to be able to make tough decisions for the greater good and that means being able to have a heart of stone. That means destroying evil and doing whatever it takes to ensure the universe has a better future"
"He can't be that kind of leader Ikaris, you know it and I know it. He has to lead his way." Makkari signed to Ikaris.
Apollo stood still for a moment, letting the words settle in. He glanced back at Ikaris, then to Makkari, and finally to his sister. The weight of their expectations, combined with the fierce pull of his own sense of duty, pressed on him like a weight he couldn't escape.
It was as if he was being pulled in two directions at once: one toward the soldier, Whitehall, and one toward the free spirited guardian, the fun-loving protector.
Apollo turned away from them and looked to his Dad, who had been quietly observing from a distance.
"Apollo," Jonathan called, his tone soft yet firm, "why don't you come over here for a minute?"
Apollo super sped to his father, taking a deep breath. He glanced back at the Eternals, seeing their quiet but palpable expectations hanging in the air between them.
"Dad, I don't know what to think anymore," Apollo admitted, his voice tinged with uncertainty. "Ikaris wants me to fight, to lead, to be this warrior—like it's all that matters. But Makkari... she says I should be enjoying this. Spreading joy and protecting people. And Sprite... she says I should inspire people, inspire good, create change and help lead that way. And I can't help feeling like maybe they're all right in some way."
Jonathan's hand rested gently on Apollo's shoulder, his gaze kind but unwavering.
"Son, there's a difference between embracing your power and letting it consume you. You've got this incredible gift, yes. But never forget who you are." Jonathan told his son as he looked him in the eyes his expression soft and reassuring.
"You are human too, Apollo. You have to find the balance between what you can do and what you should do. Never forget that you're not defined by your powers but by your character. Your greatest strength is your heart, don't lose that" Jonathan said to Apollo his voice quiet but filled with the weight of years spent watching his son grow.
"Jonathan, you haven't seen what I, what we have seen. If he wants to continue on this path. If he wants to continue to use his powers to fight evil, he can't afford to be soft. He has to step up." Ikaris said as he walked towards the two of them.
Jonathan turned to face Ikaris, his gaze hardening slightly.
"And he will step up—when the time is right. But he doesn't have to lose himself in the process." Jonathan replied a forceful undertone in his voice.
There was a long pause as the two men stood, the tension palpable. Apollo stood between them, the gap between the two ideologies growing more apparent. But instead of feeling overwhelmed, he felt a strange calmness, as though he could see both sides clearly. His father was right, but Ikaris wasn't entirely wrong either. He needed to be ready for what was to come, but he also needed to figure out what time of person he was becoming.
Apollo always wanted to help people. Even when he was a kid and then after everything he went through with Mankins he promised himself that he would do more than just passively help people, he would do more. He would protect them, he would save them.
But now he needed to actually think about what that meant for him and what he was going to become in order to do that.
Would he be a warrior? A guardian angel? A luminary?
Finally, Jonathan spoke again, softer this time. "Just don't lose yourself in the fight, Apollo. Your heart, your humanity, that is more important than any power. Remember that. That's all I'm asking."
Apollo nodded slowly, his chest tightening with the weight of his father's words.
After a long moment, he excused himself. "I need some time alone."
Walking toward the barn, Apollo felt the weight of it all—a pressure so heavy it was hard to breathe. He opened the barn door and stepped inside, breathing in the familiar scent of hay and old wood. He let the door fall shut behind him and leaned against the wall, trying to clear his head.
The barn was still. Quiet.
Then, he heard soft footsteps behind him. Turning around, Apollo saw Ajak, his mother, stepping into the dim light. She smiled softly at him, her presence calming, like the steady pull of the stars.
"Mom…" Apollo began, his voice shaky. "I don't know what to do anymore."
Ajak approached him slowly, her gaze thoughtful. "You're not supposed to Apollo. It's okay that you don't have to have all the answers now, Apollo. This feeling you're feeling, the feeling of not knowing what to be it's a universal one. Nobody just knows who they are much less somebody who's still a teen. It'll come in time, all you need to know is that when it does you do need to embrace who you are, in all your complexity. Your powers, your heritage, your humanity—they're all a part of you. And whoever you're becoming make sure that it is someone who embraces all of that"
She paused, her gaze settling on him with deep understanding.
"You can be a warrior. You can be a protector. You can be a guardian angel. But more than that you can also be hero. The kind that people look up to. Not because of what you can do, but because of who you are, who you choose to be."
Ajak smiled at her son. Of all the things she had accomplished over her long life he was what she was proudest of. He was amazing to her even now when he was clearly struggling with the weight of all that he was and watching him grow every day into the marvelous man he was becoming filled her with nothing but joy.
"I am so proud of you Apollo. I am proud of you for saving all the people you've saved and I know you're struggling but trust me you will figure it out and when you do we'll all be here to support you. You may not be exactly like me or your Aunts and Uncles but Eternals exist to protect life and seeing you do that and help people with kindness is something that everyone in this family, especially your father and I are very happy about" Ajak told her son warmly hugging him.
"Thanks Ma" Apollo said a little taken aback by his Mum's sudden statement.
Ajak pulled away and then looked at her son.
"You're doing your best and if you keep going there's no end to how many people you can help because you're capable of truly incredible things" Ajak told him.
She then stood and walked towards the chest Apollo had up here.
"That said if you're going to continue doing this. If you're going to continue helping people, you can't do it running around in flannel" Ajak said.
"What do you mean?" Apollo a little surprised by what his Mum was saying.
"If you're going to help people you're going to need a uniform" Ajak said before unlocking the chest Apollo typically kept some of his souvenirs in.
She opened the chest and pulled out a simple box that was wrapped like it was a gift. Apollo looked at it perplexed and tried to x-ray but it seems his mother was a step ahead of him because the gift wrapping was lead lined so Apollo couldn't see through it.
Apollo looked at the box and his Mum quizzically wondering where this conversation was going.
"Mum what is this?" Apollo said confused.
"It's a present kind of? I had hoped to surprise you with it on a later date and I figured hiding it in plain site in your Fortress of Solitude would mean you wouldn't find it. I had wanted to give it to you to symbolise just how happy I am at the man you're becoming Apollo. And even though I truly am happy with who you are becoming I want to give it to you early for another reason. To show you all you can be when you're ready" Ajak informed her son warmly.
Apollo opened the box and inside he found a plain blue flight suit with aviator retro pilot goggles resting on top of suit. Apollo didn't recognise the flight suit so he realised his mother must've made it but he recognised the shaded aviator pilot goggles they were his great grandfather's.
Apollo set the goggles aside and pulled out the flight suit to get a full proper look at it.
The suit was navy blue and would be tight on him. There was a stylised S within a diamond shape like a shield in the middle of the suit. The outline of the crest was gold, the S itself was red and the background of the inside of the shield was black.
Apollo recognised it the symbol, it was the same S symbol in a diamond crest on the front of his ship.
There was also a long red cape with a hoodie attached to the flight suit. The cape draped over the shoulders of the suit almost like cloak.
"Mum?" Apollo said as he inspected the suit he took out of the box.
"Eternals usually wear uniforms when saving people, at least we did back when we used to. I think you should too. This suit is yours when you're ready to embrace it and be the man I can tell you're destined to be" Ajak said to her son.
"The crest?" Apollo questioned as he looked at it wondering why his mother put it on this suit.
"Even though you and I don't know what it means or where it's from that symbol is tied to you. Tied to who you are. You should honour it, it's just as much a part of you as we are too" Ajak told Apollo.
Apollo put down the suit and super sped to his Mum pulling her into a deep hug.
"I love you Ma" Apollo said as he hugged her and lifted her into the air.
"I love you too, my sweet, sweet Apollo" Ajak replied.
Apollo put his Mum down and she walked away from the barn giving him the space he needed.
Apollo looked at the suit once more and put it back in it's box. He wasn't ready for the suit yet. They were still too many questions swirling in his mind but when he was he knew just where to find it.
Apollo walked to the window and watched the sunset, his mind was clearer now even though he wasn't sure yet what he was going to be but he knew whoever it was it was someone who could lead, protect, fight and inspire. Someone who was both human and alien and like his Mum said most of all was a hero.
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Also read Superman(Marvel+DC) andMarvel: Hyperion.