"Long time no see, old friend.
."
The cyborg who looked remarkably like Brad held up a wineglass, his gaze unfocused, as though he were speaking to someone. Then his electronic eye began twitching abnormally before focusing on Blue Beetle and Atom.
"Oh~ newcomers I've never seen before. Looks like I'm already history."
The cyborg raised his glass and took a sip, then casually tossed it aside. With a crisp crash, the glass struck the floor and shattered into irregular, sharp fragments.
He walked slowly on bare feet, his loose yoga pants swaying with each step.
"Brad, Brad, you actually pulled out your past self and stuck him here as an assessment instructor.
... Hell, I'm not even an assessment instructor. At most, I'm...
... expendable training equipment?"
"Interesting."
The cyborg spread his arms toward Blue Beetle and Atom, revealing a rather cruel, confident smile.
"Come on. Beat me, and you can leave."
This bizarre man and situation left Blue Beetle utterly confused, while Atom drew a deep breath.
He understood the logic behind the Mechanical Being's strange remarks. What Ray Palmer found unbelievable, however, was that someone could actually extract a segment of his own past and put it to use.
What level of technology would that take?
"I don't believe it!"
Atom silently raised his hand, pressing his left index and middle fingers together against the center of his belt.
"Just smoke and mirrors. Blue Beetle, go all out this time!"
In the next instant, the space around Atom rippled like the surface of water, and Atom himself vanished amid the distortion.
Although Blue Beetle still hadn't figured out what was happening, if this was a test...
... he just had to fight!
His azure alien Battle Armor flowed like liquid, instantly deploying more than a dozen laser