Joseph took a break from his workout in his apartnt.
The local gym wasn't bad but when every session was followed with questions, he decided to purchase equipnt in his small apartnt even if it set him back a little.
"What're you on?"
"What cycle you running, bro?"
It got old fast. Now no one could disrupt him from his pure natty gains. 300 lbs bench and 400 lbs squats without Nova augnting his body was pretty decent since he only started going gym last month.
Weeks had passed since his encounter with Robin and Speedy. He hadn't gone out since.
Not out of fear—out of preparation.
He had no interest in getting double-tead again. Not until he was ready. Not until he had a real shot at winning without Nova babying him.
"I got jumped by so punk-ass kids. No one gave the respect of a one-on-one. No one gave the faith of a one-on-one."
The bitterness still sat heavy in his chest. But deep down, he knew it was his own fault. He'd been too cocky. He'd refused Nova's helping with enhancing his muscles as he moved. He'd let them back him into a corner, force him to run.
After tumbling off the rooftop, he had Nova activate his wall climbing abilities before barely making it to a restaurant bathroom where the splitting headache from the Speed State backlash almost took him out. The Speed State saved his ass, but relying on it as a crutch? That was a loser's plan.
For now, he could lay low. The items he pawned off at a shady shop—one Selina introduced him to—covered his rent and food. No more stressing about bills.
At least for now.
But soon, he'd need more. And stealing just to survive wasn't the goal.
"Two more years and I'll be eighteen. Then the stock market is mine. Muahahahaha." Joseph stopped after cringing himself out.
"Yo, Nova. How's the decentralized currency coming?"
//80% complete, sir. What would you like to na it?//
"BellCoin's got a nice ring to it."
**
Nova had a feature Joseph never really used until now—dream manipulation.
At first, he told Nova to cut his dreams off entirely. But after last month? He started experinting.
Robin and Speedy handed him his ass. Before, training was just maintenance. Now? He had to actually improve.
They didn't have Nova. They didn't have Speed State. And they still outclassed him.
That ant skill could bridge the gap.
And if he was going to run into them again, he needed every advantage.
//Entering Dream State. 75% of CPU used.//
This is where the simulations ca in.
Every night, Nova ran fights. Robin. Speedy. Even Catwoman.
Nova recorded everything his body felt and analyzed it in real ti—within the limits of his own perception.
Then he took it a step further.
"Nova. Watch every martial artist on Lextube. Read everything ever written on every fighting style. Create an AI to fight ."
The result?
A nightmare.
It wrecked him. Every ti. No patterns, no openings, no rcy. And Nova didn't even collect half the data required for the full program.
"This must be what fighting Batman feels like if the hype is to be believed."
But with every loss, he got better. Slowly. thodically. Next ti? They wouldn't get off so easy.
**
Joining the basketball team ca with one unexpected perk—friends.
Well, not really. More like acquaintances. Enough that he wasn't so loser always sitting alone anymore.
"You going to Bette's party this weekend," Andrew said, leaning on the desk with a grin. "I heard there'll be lots of girls."
Of course Joseph was going.
This—this was what he'd been fighting for. Not just survival. Living.
He wasn't about to spend every waking day working his ass off while sothing cool was happening.
A grin crept onto his face.
"Fuck yeah. Feels good to have the weekend off for once."
Being a thief had turned out to be a great idea. Dangerous? Sure. But at least it didn't suck up every waking hour.
Life was looking up.
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