Beyond the Limit (DC)

Since Wonder Woman had returned, Joseph and Captain Atom had stepped back from patrolling Washington, D.C., leaving the city in her and Starfire's capable hands. This allowed Joseph to focus on his mentorship under Captain Atom, spending three days a week shadowing the League member—at least when he wasn't tied up managing Bell Studios or handling schoolwork.

The Justice League operated within a complex framework of international law, UN regulations, and political realities. While they were a force for global justice, they couldn't simply go wherever they pleased. Like any peacekeeping organization, they had to respect the sovereignty of individual nations. Without a country's consent, League members couldn't openly operate within its borders, even when pursuing criminals who crossed international lines.

This made investigating organizations like Intergang and Leviathan particularly difficult. These criminal syndicates had deep roots in multiple countries, including some that outright forbade League intervention. To take them down, heroes had to act with discretion, often relying on covert tactics and intelligence work rather than direct engagement.

In contrast, the League had fewer restrictions in the United States. Most of its members were U.S.-based, and the government generally tolerated their presence. More importantly, the American public idolized their heroes. In some cities, the love for superheroes rivaled—or even surpassed—the passion for sports teams. And in a country where sports were practically a religion, that was saying something.

Because of this, Captain Atom and Joseph weren't tied to any single location. They patrolled wherever the League needed them, occasionally working with the U.S. government. In the past month alone, they had covered Coast City, National City, and Keystone City, handling everything from metahuman crime to disaster response.

Now, they found themselves in Texas, assigned to stop a dangerous extremist who called himself Americommando. The alias had historical weight—it was once used by Mister America when he infiltrated Nazi Germany during World War II. But this Americommando was no hero.

He was a violent, far-right militant leading a group called the Minutemen. Under the guise of patriotism, he planned to attack the U.S.-Mexico border, targeting immigrant camps in a brutal massacre. While his followers were heavily armed radicals, Americommando himself was something more—he possessed super strength and a degree of invulnerability, making him a direct physical threat.

His group's appearance was as exaggerated as their rhetoric. They all wore garish, overly patriotic costumes, seemingly ripped from the pages of a propaganda comic. Stars, stripes, and eagles were plastered across their gear in an overblown attempt to project nationalism through modern superhero aesthetics.

For Captain Atom and Joseph, this wasn't just another mission—it was a chance to stop a tragedy before it began. The League had deployed them to ensure that Americommando and his Minutemen never reached their target.

And neither of them intended to let that happen.

**

The night sky over the Texas border was clear, but the tension in the air was thick. Captain Atom and Nova had set up near the encampment of asylum seekers, their mission clear: prevent Americommando and his Minutemen from launching an attack. 

"I'll take the west perimeter," Captain Atom said, scanning the area with a disciplined gaze. "Intel suggests they've divided their forces. I'll keep their main force occupied. You handle any stragglers. Understood?"

Joseph, clad in his golden and purple suit, adjusted his helmet. "Got it. If things go sideways?"

"Adapt and survive. But don't be reckless. Americommando is strong—maybe even close to my level physically. You need to be smart about this."

Joseph smirked. "Smart is my middle name."

"I thought it was 'reckless,' but sure. Keep your comms open."

With that, the two split up. Captain Atom went west, where the bulk of the Minutemen were expected to attack. Joseph took the east flank, moving through the desert landscape, staying low and using his anti-gravity field to hover inches above the ground to minimize noise. The Minutemen were well-armed and well-trained, but he had the advantage of speed, agility, and raw power.

He tapped his earpiece. "No sign of them yet. How's your side?"

Static for a moment, then Captain Atom's voice came through. "Engaging. They have some high-tech weaponry, probably stolen military-grade. Keep your guard up."

Joseph narrowed his eyes and kept moving. His enhanced senses picked up distant thermal energy of human bodies. He followed the energy, weaving through dry brush and rock formations until he spotted them: a group of Minutemen setting up heavy artillery.

'That looks like something I should stop.'

He shot forward, landing right in their midst. The armed men barely had time to react before Joseph sent a concussive blast outward, throwing them off their feet. He followed up with a sweeping kick, sending one flying into a rock face. Another raised his rifle, but Joseph disarmed him with a precise energy beam, melting the barrel before knocking him out with a punch.

The others scrambled, trying to regroup. "A cape's here!" one shouted into a radio.

"Yeah, yeah, I heard you the first time," Joseph muttered. He focused, extended his localized anti-gravity field, and yanked the remaining soldiers upward, suspending them helplessly in the air.

"What the hell?!"

Joseph flicked his fingers, slamming them back down—hard enough to knock them out but not kill them. He stepped over their bodies, tapping his earpiece again. "Minutemen down on my side. Heading toward—"

A blur of red, white, and blue crashed into him mid-sentence, sending him flying across the rocky terrain.

Joseph barely had time to react before he slammed into the ground, carving a trench in the dirt. He groaned, shaking his head as dust settled. His enhanced senses picked up a heavy bootstep approaching.

"So you're the Justice League's new lackey," a voice sneered. "Didn't expect them to send a kid."

Joseph pushed himself up to his feet, rolling his shoulders. Standing before him was Americommando, clad in a blue suit adorned with golden eagles with the American flag as a cape, his physique imposing. His golden eagle mask covered everything but his mouth, and his eyes gleamed with a dangerous fanaticism.

"Not League," Joseph corrected. "Independent contractor at the moment. But thanks for the warm welcome."

Americommando smirked. "Cute. Let's see if you can back up the jokes."

Without warning, Americommando charged. Joseph barely had time to react before the man was on him, throwing a brutal punch. Joseph dodged, using his anti-gravity field to shift his body out of the way. He countered with an energy blast to the chest, but Americommando tanked it, barely stumbling before closing the distance again.

Joseph ducked under another swing and delivered a sharp uppercut. His enhanced strength sent Americommando skidding back, but the militia leader recovered quickly, shaking it off.

"Not bad," Americommando admitted. "But not good enough."

Joseph barely had time to register the movement before Americommando was in his face again, slamming a fist into his ribs. Pain exploded through his side, and he gritted his teeth, using his anti-gravity control to lessen the impact. Even so, the force sent him flying back again, this time through a rock formation.

He groaned as he got back to his feet. "Okay. Definitely strong."

Americommando cracked his knuckles. "I've fought Superman, kid. You're fast, but you're not invincible."

Joseph spat out a bit of blood and smirked. "Good. I like a challenge."

He surged forward, feinting a left hook before twisting and delivering a concussive blast point-blank into Americommando's side. The impact sent the man flying, but he recovered mid-air, flipping before landing hard on his feet.

"Now we're talking." Americommando launched himself forward again.

Joseph finally had enough time to concentrate and extend his localized anti-gravity field again, catching Americommando and lifting him.

Time to end this.