“Yes, yes, yes! Adjust the hormone levels! Check samples 1 through 5, and compare them to the data from the semi-perfected formulas! This is it, we’re close.” Dr. Thunder said, eyes gleaming as he waved his hands behind the console, staring at the unconscious Jason in the tank. The lab techs and assistants rushed to fulfill his orders, glancing worriedly among themselves.

“Uh, doctor? Shouldn’t we be evacuating?” one said nervously as he brought a test tube over.

“Whatever for?” Dr. Thunder said.

“D-Do you not see the security lights and doors, sir?” the assistant asked in disbelief.

“Pish-tosh! This is much more important.” Dr. Thunder dismissed. “I’m sure everything will sort itself out eventually.

Suddenly, the assistants screamed as something started wiggling under the door. It reared up, unfurling into the third dimension again, and 2-D quickly opened the door for his friends.

“What the devil are you doing? We have that for a reason, you miscreant!” Dr. Thunder scolded.

“I got a reason too!” 2-D shot back, Artillery and Bladeshift rushing in and slamming the door down behind them. “He still coming?”

“On his way!” Bladeshift wailed. For as long as he’d live, he’d never forget the sight of those gigantic hands tearing through steel like cardboard. That monster was after them! “He’s unstoppable!”

“That’s exactly why I gave you powers and weapons designed to kill him.” Dr. Thunder said, the lab techs scrambling behind him.

“Fat lotta good they did us!” Bladeshift said. “One punch and me’n Artillery’re dead, Rock Solid’s dust and Bounce’s outta commission! We got powers, but his’re super!”

“Did you even use the positron electric pistol I gave you?” Dr. Thunder said sternly. Bladeshift wordlessly held out a futuristic gun, the indentations of a handprint mashed into the barrel. “Oh. That’s quite troubling then.” He looked at the horrified lab techs. “Prepare to transport the subject and evacuate-”

THOOM.

The metal security door bent under a colossal impact.

“Hurry, hurry!”

“Stand back, I got this.” The private elevator opened, and he stepped out.

“O-Oh! You’re here! Perfect timing. We were about to examine the boy when we came under attack-”

“Boss filled me in. I’ll take it from here. His powers’re no match for mine.” he said, cracking his neck. Star-Strong was going down.

Speaking of whom, outside the lab Star-Strong drew his fist back and let fly, knocking the door in.

“At last! Now I-” Before he could step in, he was blasted back down the corridor, head over cape. It didn't do the hole in his side any favors, but he'd had worse. “Ugh-what hit me?” he muttered, standing up with his ears ringing.

“I did.” Dirge said, stepping out of the lab with a scowl.

“You! But why!?” Star-Strong exclaimed.

“Should be obvious, ain’t it? You ain’t laying your greasy mitts on the kid.” the rocker growled, adjusting his coat.

“What? But…” Everything he’d heard about Dirge told him he was a true hero. He hadn’t seemed suspicious when they patrolled. Max narrowed his eyes. Unless…

“You were checking in on Jason, weren’t you?” he said coldly.

“Got it in one. You’re pretty sharp for a young punk.” Dirge said, equally as icy.

“He’s been kidnapped by Knightsbridge. I’m here to rescue him.”

“Boy, I’ve been sponsored by MetaTech and the Knightsbridge family for over thirty years. Their forces managed to get Jason back away from you. The doc’s seeing what your people did to him right now. I may’ve played nice before, and you put on a real good act, but I seen your true colors. Makes me sick.” Dirge spat back. Star-Strong ground his teeth.

“Listen, you’re being deceived! MetaTech’s the ones who’re trying to-”

“-trying to give the boy a better future. Saw the file they got on you. You do put on a good act, but you can’t fool me. There’s something that yer trying to hide, I can tell. You’re too cagy when I asked about yourself. Can’t fool years of experience, whelp.” Dirge cut him off. Max stared at him in shock. He was only trying to hide his time in space, not his motives for the job! He sighed and shook his head. It seemed Dirge was a stubborn one. His side throbbed, but wouldn't be much trouble. He hoped. Oh well, only one way to resolve this.

Star-Strong cracked his knuckles. Dirge cleared his throat. Mighty muscles tensed and relaxed, warming up. A guitar was slung low from the strap on his back. Star-Strong adjusted his cape. Dirge hummed a few bars. Throughout the readying rituals, neither side blinked, eyes locked on another.

Star-Strong was young and tough, brimming with power despite his wound. If he laid even a single finger on Dirge, it was over for the rocker. Dirge meanwhile, had more experience fighting supers than Max had been alive. One slip-up and Dirge would have him. They stared, blue eyes meeting brown, neither backing down. Star-Strong’s hand twitched; Dirge inhaled. The first move would be the major factor.

But Dirge had greater range.

“WHHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!” he screamed, strumming his guitar. Star-Strong tried to dive out of the way, but was physically picked up by two blasts of soundwaves and slammed into the far wall, cracking it.

“Urk!” He collapsed in a heap. “T-That guitar-!”

“Like it? Generates soundwaves with the same intensity as my sonic powers. Cost the gross product of a small country, saved my bacon more’n once. Birthday gift from the boss. WOOOOOO!” Dirge smacked another sonic slam into Star-Strong, halting his attempt to get up. He walked forward fearlessly. He had him now.

Star-Strong saw him coming and glanced around furiously. Desperate, he seized a piece of rubble and hurled it at Dirge’s guitar.

“YAH!” A burst of sound and the concrete disintegrated in midair, to Max’s astonishment. “Heh. Surprised? Don’t know much about sonics, I see. Everything in the universe vibes, man. Everything has a resonance frequency, the sound an object makes when it vibrates. So if’n you match that frequency really loud, it vibrates enough to shatter. Like opera singers and wineglasses. But mine? Well, mine’s a little more powerful.” Dirge chuckled.

“See, it’s easier with brittle stuff like glass and concrete, but my voice can match and aim sub-and-supersonic vibrations to about anything. Including you. WAAAAAAHHHHH!”

Star-Strong clapped his hands over his ears, doing little to stop the piercing cry of the veteran resonating through not just his head, but his bones and body. His eardrums were numb, his blood was on fire, his whole body felt like it was going to explode! He grit his teeth but the sheer wall of sound surrounding him was paralyzing, concussive agony. At this rate, his head was going to pop! “N-No!” he tried to say, but couldn’t even hear himself over the din. Dirge just kept going and going! Didn’t he need air!?”

At last, at merciful last, Dirge stopped screaming to inhale. Even his powerful, well-trained lungs had their limit. Shaking off the dizziness, Star-Strong launched himself at Dirge, but the sonic booming resumed. He fell to his knees. He couldn’t even hear it anymore, the vibrations were felt!

“You are a tough one.” Dirge said once Star-Strong was stunned enough, taking a swig from a water bottle. “Ready to give up and come quietly?”

“N-Never!” Star-Strong cried in defiance, struggling to his feet. Dirge shrugged.

“Your funeral.” He strummed his guitar, and opened his mouth. However, there wasn’t any sound. Star-Strong wasn’t about to let a chance like that go. He got up, and-

VRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRMMMMMMMMMMMMMM.

-collapsed to his knees, clutching his chest. His...his heart was racing, going wild! Skipping beats, two beats in one, staccato rhythm painfully draining his energy as his cardiovascular system was disrupted. It suddenly ceased, Star-Strong on his hands and knees, panting and dripping sweat.

“Fun little trick, I can make your heart vibrate with sonic waves. You really are durable, most guys I bust this out for pass out before now.” Dirge said, taking another drink. “But everyone’s got limits, and no matter how strong you are, you’re still flesh and bone. My vibes’ll tear you apart. Best just to give up now, it’ll play better in court.” Despite the pain and exhaustion, Star-Strong gave a barking laugh.

“Sorry. Jason needs me to save him, and I don’t disappoint!”

“That again? Peh. Don’t buy it!” Dirge started his heart vibration again, and Star-Strong’s face contorted in agony.

‘Hmm. So it seems as long as it’s attached the heart can beat even outside the body!’ The horrible scene of Ray examining his heart brought a mirthless smile to Max’s face. He’d endured greater pain than this, this was nothing!

“Ngh...rgh…!” Despite his heart trying to implode, Max trusted his body and rose to his feet.

“The hell’s wrong with you!” Dirge exclaimed, eyes wide with astonishment. He cranked up the volume, but he shouldn’t have talked. Star-Strong was ready for the sonic blast. He quickly stomped his boot into the ground, so when the next jet engine roar washed over him, he didn’t get pushed back.

“Sorry. Gonna take more than that.” Star-Strong said, wiping the trickling blood from his eyes and nose. The closer he got, the more intense the sonics were.

“YAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!” Dirge screamed as loud as he could, the whole hallway shaking and bouncing. But Star-Strong just stood there, grinning, relentlessly picking up one foot and putting it down into the ground. Fall, damn it, fall! Dirge brought his guitar up, slamming the strings to hit the same chord as his vocals, doubling the power. He was at the frequency to tear apart the body! Adjusting the pitch to gorilla, rhino, elephant, he didn’t seem to care! Star-Strong’s face was gushing blood, but he just grit his teeth and kept. Coming. Forward.

Dirge had shouted all he could, and his voice gave out with a cough. He inhaled, but Star-Strong was there, looming before him. This was it. Star-Strong raised a hand. Dirge instantly flashed to the holes those hands made in the steel doors. He was dead.

“Move.” Star-Strong pushed the rocker out of the way. “Gotta...gotta save...Jason.” One heavy, wobbling step. Another. THUD. Star-Strong fell down, unconscious.

Dirge gaped at him. Finally, after all that punishment. Dirge had unleashed everything he had on him, and no matter what, he’d still kept going. No serious structural damage, but his body’s cells were vibrating, it had to have been torture. Why not just give up? Cut and run? He sighed.

“You’re super determined to get the boy back, I’ll give you that.” He got out his water bottle and poured the rest on the giant’s face, sputtering him awake.

“Hnn? Huh? Whuh?” A piece of Dirge’s shirt slapped in his face.

“Clean yourself up. Man, what’s up with all this?” Dirge said, palming his face. He didn’t want to believe it, but if Star-Strong wanted him dead, he’d be dead. “But no, ya just push me aside, not even hard. Jeez. A villain would’a done it.”

“What are you talking about?” Star-Strong sat up, his face blood-free. He ripped off a strip of his cape, binding his side.

“You had me dead to rights, enough power to kill me an’ keep going if you rested. But nope, don’t back off, nearly kill yourself going forward, and not even smacking the guy in your way? A villain wouldn’t do that. Hell, normals wouldn’t do that. If you’re willing to die for the kid that much, can only put you in the third category. And that means someone lied to me. Tried to get me against ya. Let’s see what the doc’s up to, eh?” Dirge said, helping Star-Strong to his feet. The giant grinned as they turned to the lab.

“Let’s rock!”