Chapter 5

Krystian's current hideout is an old, deserted single-family house—a single-story structure with walls that were once white but have now yellowed over time. The external walls display numerous cracks, allowing moss and vines to take root. Overall, the building is in such a state of disrepair that demolition seems to be the only viable option. The adjacent garage, constructed from severely rusted metal plates, poses a health hazard due to the stagnant air within.

The car parked in the above-mentioned garage, for about 3 minutes, started emitting a barely audible intermittent sound. Inaudible from the outside, but when a person sits in the driver's seat, the sound can be heard.

After approximately 5 minutes, the Ford logo positioned at the center of the steering wheel caught attention as it began emitting a vibrant red light. Subsequently, a series of flashing red signals followed suit. Surprisingly, the Ford logo unfolded like a miniature door, revealing a small robot emerging from within.

The diminutive robot, at its core, bore a striking resemblance to a metallic clam, adorned in a deep, dark hue. A small lens protruded from its body, and from the sides of the hull, four robotic arms extended, reminiscent of the arms wielded by Doctor Octopus in the Marvel Universe.

Upon departing from the steering wheel, the small robot maneuvered just behind the driver's seat, employing a miniature laser cannon to cut a small hole in the metal wall of the driver's cabin. This procedure unveiled access to the expansive trunk of the car. Upon reaching the designated section of the truck, the robot initiated a thorough room scan utilizing a red scanner emitted from its lens. Once the bags were pinpointed, the diminutive robot exited the truck through another aperture created in the underside of the vehicle.

Subsequently, the small robot made its escape through one of the numerous openings in the vacant metal garage. Utilizing its metallic arms, the robot adeptly climbed to the roof of the building. Upon reaching the chimney, it initiated the signal transmission process. This involved a several-centimeter-long antenna extending from the body of the small robot, which, as one might surmise, transmitted a signal to the rightful owner of the car.

1 hour later

In a long-forgotten bedroom, permeated by the lingering scent of stale air, an old bed serves as a peculiar display. Neat stacks of ten banknotes each are arranged meticulously on the bed. Hovering above them is a smiling man exuding enthusiasm.

(krystian)-Money..money....crime pays,bitches!!!But what am I going to do.....FUCK!...what?

As Krystian surrendered to the unbridled joy stemming from the "successful" act of robbing the thieves, his monologue was abruptly halted by a deafening bang, accompanied by a shock wave that sent the neatly stacked banknotes into the air. Within moments, a wave of flames engulfed the room, reaching Krystian's line of sight, revealing a terrifying, raging fire at the door frame. Time seemed to freeze, not by his conscious will, inducing an overwhelming sense of panic.

It took Krystian a few seconds to grasp the severity of the situation amid the chaos and his unbridled deployment of power. He was uncertain about when his abilities would cease to function. Faced with the urgency of the moment, he realized that failure to evacuate the danger zone promptly could result in the termination of his life in a particularly hot and unpleasant manner.

With this realization, Krystian hastily seized Doctor Plaga's rubber mask and donned it, a precautionary measure against potential hazards. Clutching the bag containing the remaining money, he couldn't shake off the suspicion that whoever triggered the explosions might have already plundered his financial resources. This bag, holding only a few hundred thousand dollars, represented his sole remaining funds. Despite the hasty and potentially risky nature of this move, Krystian pressed on, wary of the imminent risk of his powers deactivating at the most inconvenient moment.

With a sports bag laden with cash slung over his back, Krystian wielded a baseball bat to shatter the window, making a swift exit into the field beyond. Contrary to expectation, the window didn't open to the backyard but rather to the field adjacent to the house. As he sprinted away from the perilous zone, his powers abruptly deactivated, triggering a cataclysmic explosion that engulfed the entire house.

The blast was staggering, flames surging several meters above the razed structure. Frustration and panic gripped Krystian as he struggled to maintain composure. Acknowledging the imminent threat to his life, he instinctively activated his powers and glanced to the right.

The sight before him sent a chilling jolt through Krystian's veins. A red laser beam hovered mere centimeters from his head, resembling a glowing red stick just over a meter long. Shifting his position, he traced the origin of the beam, only to discover five figures—although, in reality, there were only two—frozen in time. The ominous grins etched across their faces hinted at devilish intent, revealing a sinister tableau of halted time.

In the frozen tableau, there were four figures—three duplicates and one original, a villain known as Billy Numerous. One of the three copies casually rested on See-More's shoulder, pointing with his left hand to the spot Krystian had occupied mere moments before. See-More, caught mid-motion with his right hand still on his helmet, seemed to be frozen in the aftermath of the recent shot, indicating that the event had unfolded just seconds ago.

With only a dozen or so seconds remaining, Krystian moved deliberately toward the nearest tree, seeking a momentary refuge to replenish his powers. However, as he reached the shelter, he realized that speedsters were not the sole potential threats. It wasn't about moving so rapidly that he needed to act even while his powers were active—such a feat was impossible. His abilities were absurd and beyond the reach of any being in this universe. The speedster could exploit the fraction of a second between deactivating and reactivating his time control powers. Krystian recalled instances like Reverse Flash with a hole in his head, extending his final moments into an unnaturally prolonged ordeal.

Now, Krystian confronted a potential threat that seemed more probable than a speedster—energy powers, energy cannons, or any form of rapid movement. In essence, if he had limitations on the use of his powers, his human physiology would have likely led to his demise during the battle with Beast Boy.

At that moment, Krystian had more pressing concerns than dwelling on potential adversaries. The immediate challenge lay ahead, as their surprise attack had proven to be a dismal failure. Concealed behind a sturdy oak tree, he patiently awaited the end of his powers, preparing to regain control of the situation with the next activation by resetting the stop timer. He kept in mind the looming limit, now extended to a total of 1 minute and 37 seconds.

As time resumed, Krystian witnessed a laser beam that abruptly vanished with the deactivation of its power, prompting an instinctive swallow. He glared at See-More with indescribable anger in his eyes. However, he exercised patience for a few more seconds, waiting not for them to utter specific words but merely for them to open their mouths. Krystian harbored a plan for a bit of revenge, something humorous to set the tone.

Upon reactivating his powers, Krystian meticulously counted every second in his head. Swiftly, he sprinted towards the See-More, delivering a powerful baseball bat to the side of the villain's face with all his strength. After the impact, Krystian stood in front of his opponent's face, assessing the effects of his hit. See-More's head shifted a few centimeters to the left, a natural response to Krystian striking the right side of his face. Unfortunately, the Helmet See-more remained undamaged, only the metal frame deformed by the impact—a sizeable dent fitting the edge of a baseball bat.

Adjacent to the damaged lens frame, a fragment of the helmet also bore the impact, resulting in a dent on the side where See-More's right cheekbone would be. Observing the opponent's facial structure, Krystian deduced that the material composing the helmet was not a cheap alternative.

Aware of his current limitations, with the strength of an ordinary person, Krystian drew conclusions from his actions. After inflicting a minor bruise on his opponent's face, he opted for a different tactic, mindful of his restricted timeframe.

Unfortunately for See-More and Billy Numerous, not far from their current position lay a wood chopping area with an old, rusty axe, two stumps of wood, and a clothes drying rack—several strings tied from one tree to another.

The primary concern lay with See-More and his potentially lethal energy attacks, capable of causing severe injury or paralysis. Krystian remained uncertain whether the laser in See-More's head had various types of beams or solely the basic destructive one. Nevertheless, unwilling to risk another attack from behind, Krystian does not intend to give him a chance to attack his humble person again.

With less than 30 seconds remaining, Krystian seized the nearest duplicate of Bill and, utilizing the ropes he had at his disposal, proceeded to tie See-More's head to his companion's back. He worked swiftly, creating numerous knots to immobilize See-More. However, midway through the process, time abruptly resumed. One of Bill's copies instinctively aimed a fist at Krystian, but before the blow could connect, he activated his powers once more, freezing time and resuming his task.

During the 3-second interval between time stops, See-More managed a slight change in position, attempting unsuccessfully to free himself from the bonds. The copy of Bill, with his friend's head tethered to his back, also shifted positions, though not enough to thwart further attempts at tying them up. Having utilized most of the ropes, Krystian embarked on the darker phase of his plan to neutralize the two members of H.I.V.E.

Krystian seized one of the tree trunks from the nearby wood chopping area and proceeded to shatter both of See-More's arms. This brutal action was aimed at preventing See-More from not only liberating himself from the restraints but also he considering the mysterious nature of Bill's powers, which remained incomprehensible to Krystian. There was also the potential risk of Bill cloning himself again, utilizing a new clone to free both himself and the restrained See-More. By breaking See-more hands, Krystian effectively incapacitated See-More from utilizing his helmet, as he had previously observed the need for manual interaction to activate the laser beam.

Given the damage See-More sustained , Krystian reasoned that even if the villain were somehow freed, he wouldn't be able to properly instruct his companions on how to activate his helmet. This significantly reduced the risk posed by See-More in the current situation.

Addressing the issue of Bill, aside from the one copy with See-More's head attached to his back, proved to be more straightforward and less brutal—despite Bill's potential superhuman strength in this world. Krystian gathered all the clones together and secured tying them up them with the remaining rope he had at his disposal. He then proceeded towards the backyard of the house, where the other two, more formidable opponents awaited him.