I Breathe Euro

Jack sat in his private lounge inside Future Island's research facility, his mind spinning with the latest events. The world was on fire. Cracks in the earth had unleashed monsters upon humanity, forcing the planet's strongest warriors to unite. Clark, Power Man, and the greatest heroes of Earth were now battling these creatures on every front, and yet… Jack wasn't among them.

He had been the one to create Clark's enhancements. He had been the one to push the boundaries of technology beyond human comprehension. And now, those heroes were reaping the benefits of his genius while he remained in the shadows.

Jack exhaled sharply, rubbing his temple. He had too many thoughts racing through his head. Aether technology, his damaged exosuit, the fact that these monsters had emerged from the depths of the planet… Were they an ancient threat? Were they the result of something unnatural?

But before he could dive further into his analysis, the soft sound of footsteps echoed through the room.

Katrina and Emma.

They walked in with a mix of concern and determination on their faces.

Katrina, ever the bold one, crossed her arms and tilted her head. "Jack, you're overthinking again."

Emma, more composed but no less worried, took a seat beside him, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. "You've been locked in this room ever since we got back. You need to stop punishing yourself for not being on the battlefield."

Jack gave a dry chuckle, shaking his head. "The world's falling apart. Heroes are out there risking their lives. And I'm here, sitting in my lab."

Katrina arched an eyebrow. "Oh, please. Clark is only able to fight because of you. Half of those heroes wouldn't stand a chance without your breakthroughs. You don't have to be on the frontlines to be important."

Emma smirked, nudging him lightly. "And besides, you're always two steps ahead of everyone else. While they're busy fighting, you're already thinking of a solution, aren't you?"

Jack sighed. They weren't wrong.

No matter how powerful Clark or Power Man was, they wouldn't be able to hold off an endless tide of monsters forever. The key to stopping this crisis wasn't brute force—it was knowledge, technology, and precision. And that was exactly what Jack specialized in.

Katrina suddenly looped her arm through his, pulling him closer. "But before you do any of that, you need a break."

Emma, not one to be left out, leaned into his other side, resting her head against his shoulder. "For once, just let yourself breathe."

Jack smirked slightly. These two.

Even with everything going on, they still managed to ground him.

His body finally relaxed as he let them pull him into their warmth. The faint scent of Katrina's perfume and the gentle touch of Emma's fingertips brushing against his arm pushed away the storm raging in his mind.

He leaned back against the couch, exhaling slowly. For the first time in days, he let go of the weight on his shoulders.

The world was still in chaos. There was still a crisis to solve. But for now, just for a few hours, he had a moment of peace.

And Jack Williams wasn't about to waste it.

Jack sat inside his high-tech laboratory on Future Island, his mind laser-focused on the task at hand. The dim blue glow of the Aether Reactor pulsed steadily in the center of the lab, a marvel of engineering unlike anything the world had ever seen. This wasn't just an improvement—it was a revolution in energy itself.

Aether. A substance so potent that one drop contained more energy than an entire nuclear power plant. And now, Jack was about to integrate it into Katrina's suit.

Katrina stood nearby, watching as Jack's fingers worked with mechanical precision, fitting the miniature reactor into the sleek, reinforced core of her combat suit.

She crossed her arms. "Are you sure about this? The nuclear reactor already made me strong enough to lift ships. How much stronger do you want me to get?"

Jack didn't look up. "You fought well against those monsters. But what if something even worse appears? We can't afford to be at the mercy of some unknown enemy."

Emma, sitting on the side with one leg crossed over the other, smirked. "Translation: Jack won't be able to sleep until he's made you even more overpowered."

Jack rolled his eyes but didn't deny it. He was always several steps ahead. The world's heroes were fighting monsters now—but what about next time? What if something even stronger, something even deadlier, emerged?

That's why he had to do this.

With a final twist of his tool, the reactor locked into place, and a surge of pure Aether energy spread through the suit's internal circuits. The previously metallic blue exosuit now pulsed with a mystical golden glow, the raw power within it barely contained.

Jack stepped back, admiring his work. "Try it."

Katrina smirked and stepped forward. As soon as she activated the suit, a wave of energy exploded from her body, sending sparks of golden light crackling through the air.

Emma shielded her eyes. "Damn, that's bright!"

Jack, on the other hand, watched with satisfaction. The readings on his monitors were off the charts.

Katrina took a deep breath, her eyes glowing with raw power. Then, in an instant—

She disappeared.

A loud BOOM echoed through the lab as she broke the sound barrier instantly, vanishing in a flash of golden light.

Jack and Emma exchanged glances.

Then, another BOOM.

Katrina reappeared exactly where she had been standing, her expression wild with excitement.

"Jack… this is insane!" she gasped. "I went past the moon and back in seconds! I barely even tried!"

Jack smirked. "Good. Because this is just the beginning."

Emma laughed. "Oh great, now she's officially the most overpowered person on the planet."

Jack's eyes gleamed. Not yet. But soon.

The world was in chaos.

Ever since the Earth split open and unleashed hordes of unknown monsters, humanity had been fighting a desperate battle for survival. Even with the combined efforts of the world's most powerful heroes—including Power Man and Clark—the tide of battle was barely being held back.

But that was about to change.

---

Jack stood atop a sleek skyscraper in Mumbai, his gaze fixed on the burning city below. Fires raged, buildings crumbled, and creatures beyond imagination ran wild, devouring everything in sight.

Emma stood beside him, watching with wide eyes. "Even with all those heroes fighting, they can't keep up…"

Jack, however, wasn't worried. He simply took a sip of his drink and smirked. "They won't have to."

A moment later, a golden streak of light tore across the sky.

BOOM!

The sonic boom shattered windows across the city as a golden meteor-like figure shot down from the heavens, crashing into the heart of the battlefield. The force of the landing alone sent shockwaves across the city, instantly wiping out dozens of monsters caught in the blast.

As the dust settled, a lone figure emerged—her long, golden hair glowing with an aura of limitless power.

Katrina had arrived.

---

The heroes fighting on the streets turned, their eyes filled with shock.

Power Man wiped the blood from his lip. "Who… the hell is that?"

Clark, standing among the ranks of warriors, smiled knowingly. "That, my friend, is our solution."

The monsters, sensing an overwhelming presence, turned their grotesque heads toward her, growling in defiance.

But Katrina wasn't interested in their noise.

She closed her eyes.

And the world itself seemed to tremble.

Golden energy erupted from her body, crackling like a living storm. The entire city became bathed in pure golden light, as if the sun itself had descended upon the battlefield.

Katrina opened her eyes—her irises no longer blue, but burning gold.

"Level 999." Her voice was calm but carried absolute power. "Let's end this."

Then, she moved.

Or rather—she vanished.

BOOM!

The sheer force of her movement ripped the air apart as she shot through the battlefield at impossible speeds.

Every time she moved, a golden afterimage was left behind.

Every time she struck, a monster disintegrated.

No struggle. No resistance. Just annihilation.

A single punch—a monster the size of a skyscraper exploded into golden dust.

A single wave of her hand—hundreds of creatures were erased from existence.

The heroes, who had been fighting tooth and nail for their survival, could only watch in stunned silence.

This wasn't a battle anymore.

It was a massacre.

---

Within minutes, the battlefield was silent.

The monsters that had once filled the city with terror were gone—completely wiped out.

Katrina stood amidst the destruction, her golden aura slowly fading. She let out a breath, her power calming.

Jack, still watching from the skyscraper, smirked. "As expected."

Emma shook her head in disbelief. "She just soloed an entire invasion."

Jack chuckled, taking another sip of his drink. "And to think… this is only the beginning."

Because Katrina wasn't just strong.

She was unstoppable.

The battlefield had fallen silent.

The monsters that had once overrun Mumbai were now nothing more than golden dust scattered by the wind. The city, though damaged, was saved. The heroes who had fought bravely could only watch in awe—Katrina, a single person, had done what an entire army of superhumans failed to achieve.

But just as the dust began to settle, the world itself shook.

A deep, gut-wrenching pressure filled the air, pressing down on everyone like an invisible force of nature.

Katrina, who had just been standing triumphantly amidst the ruins, suddenly felt her body tense. A strange, instinctual fear crept up her spine—something she hadn't felt in a long time.

Then, from the very crack in the Earth that had birthed the monster invasion…

A new presence emerged.

---

A shadow rose from the abyss, its form obscured by pure darkness. It wasn't just powerful—it was something beyond human comprehension.

Tall. Towering.

Even from a distance, his mere presence twisted reality. The air seemed to bend around him, and the very ground beneath his feet melted into nothingness.

His eyes were a cold, piercing shade of violet, gleaming with an intelligence that made even the bravest warriors hesitate. A sinister smirk curved his lips as he stepped forward.

"Interesting…" His voice echoed, impossibly deep, yet smooth—like a predator toying with its prey.

The heroes froze.

Even Power Man, standing among the strongest in the world, felt his knees weaken.

Clark clenched his fists, his supercharged Level-469 energy roaring to life. But even he… felt it.

This wasn't an enemy they were ready for.

Katrina narrowed her eyes, her golden aura flaring once more. She had just annihilated an entire invasion. She was Level-999. She was the strongest.

And yet—she took a step back.

---

Jack, still watching from afar, felt his heart skip a beat.

He had expected someone powerful to appear eventually, but this… this was different.

His fingers tightened around the glass in his hand, the ice clinking softly.

"I see… So the real battle begins now."