Time to test the reality.
James walked to his workout area. Approached the bench press. The bar was loaded with two hundred and twenty-five pounds from his last workout four days ago.
He laid down and gripped the bar. Lifted it off the rack.
It felt light. Absurdly light.
James pressed the weight easily. Did ten reps without strain. Added forty-five pound plates to each side. Three hundred and fifteen pounds total.
Pressed it for ten reps.
Added more weight. Four hundred and five pounds.
Pressed it for five reps.
'Damn,' James thought. His previous max had been two hundred and twenty-five for maybe three reps. Now he was pressing double that.
He tested his speed next. Set up a reaction timer, a device that measured how fast he could hit a button when a light flashed.
His previous best reaction time had been point zero eight seconds. Elite human level.
New result: point zero three seconds.
Nearly three times faster.
He ran through a series of physical tests. Vertical jump: forty-three inches. Previous best: twenty-six inches.
Mile run: three minutes fifty-two seconds. Previous best: six minutes twelve seconds.
Pull-ups: ninety seven consecutive. Previous max: thirty-two.
Every metric showed massive improvement. Everything had increased by factors of three to five.
James stood in the middle of his factory, breathing easy despite the intensive testing. He felt incredible. Strong. Fast. Alive in a way he'd never experienced.
Compound Alpha had worked perfectly.
He checked his medical monitors. All vitals normal. Brain activity normal. No signs of instability or rejection.
James had successfully enhanced himself to superhuman levels through pure science and planning.
He was no longer baseline human. He'd moved into the realm of enhanced individuals. Not Superman-level, obviously. Not even close to that tier. But significantly beyond normal human capability.
Street-level superhuman. That was the term. Strong enough to bend steel bars. Fast enough to dodge gunfire if he saw it coming. Durable enough to take punishment that would cripple others.
And his mind was still sharp. His enhanced intellect unaffected. If anything, it felt clearer. The improved blood flow and oxygenation boosting his cognitive performance even further.
James spent the rest of the day documenting everything. Recording metrics. Analyzing blood samples. Creating detailed notes on the transformation process.
By evening, he was certain. Compound Alpha was stable. The enhancements were permanent. He'd successfully made himself superhuman without any negative side effects.
Phase one complete.
Time for phase two.
---
One week after his enhancement, James attended the Wayne Foundation Charity Gala.
The invitation had arrived three weeks earlier, forwarded through Timothy Drake who'd kept in touch over the past year. James had been building his public identity carefully during his training period. Young tech entrepreneur. Lucky investor.
Philanthropically minded. Exactly the kind of person who'd get invited to high-society events.
He'd bought a custom tailored suit for the occasion. Midnight blue, perfectly fitted. Expensive but not ostentatious. The kind of suit that said he belonged without trying too hard.
James arrived at Wayne Manor at eight PM in a hired car. He could afford his own luxury vehicle now, but hadn't bothered buying one yet. Too flashy. Drew too much attention.
The manor was exactly as imposing as he'd imagined. Gothic architecture. Sprawling grounds. Every window blazing with light. Hundreds of guests mingled on the front lawn and in the main halls.
James entered through the main doors and was immediately struck by the wealth on display. Old money everywhere. Gotham's elite in their natural habitat. Diamond necklaces that cost more than houses. Watches worth six figures. Casual conversations about private jets and vacation homes.
He grabbed a champagne flute from a passing waiter and moved through the crowd, observing.
His enhanced hearing picked up dozens of conversations simultaneously. His enhanced intellect processed all of it, identifying power dynamics, relationships, opportunities.
"James! Good to see you."
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