Chapter 19: Aftermath.

More Advance chapters on P@treon.com/Saintbarbido.

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-Jon's P.O.V-

The wrecked junkyard was a battlefield of twisted metal and shattered earth.

The silence after the chaos was disorienting, broken only by the faint crackling of destroyed machinery and Raven's quiet breaths against my chest.

Her arms were wrapped around me, her dark hair brushing my cheek as she clung to me.

The coolness of her body made her fragile, like she might disappear if I let go.

I didn't mind the closeness. Not after everything we'd been through.

Not after what I saw when I pulled her from the darkness.

She had been trapped, drowning in it, and somehow, that had awakened a power I didn't fully understand, forming a connection that let me reach her.

I could still feel it- the connection- like a thread tying us together.

She pulled back slightly, her hands still gripping my costume.

Her violet eyes, once clouded with fear, were now wide and uncertain.

"I'm... sorry," she murmured, glancing away as her cheeks flushed. "I don't even know you."

I smiled gently, shaking my head. "You don't have to apologize. I'm Jon."

I kept my voice soft, not wanting to scare her away. "We're going to figure this out. Together."

"Raven," she whispered, her gaze finally meeting mine again. "My name is Raven."

Before I could ask more, the sound of air rippling and the hum of energy reached my ears.

I turned my head just in time to see the Justice League arrive, descending from the sky with authority.

Batman, Green Arrow, and Black Canary stood on a green construct platform, created by Green Lantern to carry them over the wreckage.

My teammates—Robin, Kid Flash, and Aqualad—were with them, all a little battered but alive. My heart lifted at the sight.

Dad landed softly in front of me, his cape fluttering before settling around him like a shield.

For a second, his eyes scanned the destruction before locking onto me.

His expression softened as he stepped forward, pulling me into a tight hug.

I could feel the tension in his body drain. He must have been very worried. We did disobey orders and left without a word after all.

Wince. I hope they're not mad about that...

A glance at Robin's annoyed and frustrated expression told me otherwise.

"I'm okay, Dad."

I muttered, conscious of everyone's attention.

"We'll talk later," he whispered, the promise heavy in his voice. I knew what he meant.

There was a lot we needed to discuss—about the mission, Raven, but mostly about the clone.

Hopefully, no one except for Raven knew about the strange power I had awakened. I was keeping it a secret, atleast until I figured out what it was.

But for now, Dad pulled back, his focus shifting to the figure standing behind me.

I felt Raven tense. Her hand instinctively gripped my sleeve again, as if I was a lifeline.

"I don't like this," Batman said, his voice cold as he surveyed the scene.

His gaze fell on Raven, calculating, like she was a problem that needed solving. "She should be questioned. We don't know what else she might be hiding."

Robin and the others must have told them about Raven losing control.

"She's coming with us," I snapped, surprising even myself with the firmness in my tone.

Everyone turned to look at me, but I held Batman's gaze without flinching. "We survived Cadmus together. She's part of the team now."

For a moment, no one spoke. Even Raven looked up at me in shock, her hand loosening slightly on my arm. But then, Robin, Kid Flash, and Aqualad stepped forward, nodding to me in support.

After a moment, my clone did the same, though he remained silent and couldn't look at me.

The 6 of us stood together and faced the League.

"We stand with Jon," Aqualad said, his voice calm but resolute.

Batman's eyes narrowed. "She's a danger to—"

"She's one of us," I interrupted, a surge of protectiveness welling up inside me. "We trust her."

The reassuring smile I sent her, made Raven ease up.

There was a long pause before Wonder Woman stepped forward, her presence radiating calm. "Perhaps there's another option," she said, her eyes moving between me and Raven. "I can take her to Themiscyra. She'll be trained, taught to control her powers. It's a place where she'll be safe… and where others will be safe from her, should anything go wrong."

Raven hesitated, glancing at me. I gave her a small nod, trying to convey that it was her decision.

She bit her lip, considering, before turning to Wonder Woman.

"Is Themiscyra strong enough to contain me if I... lose control again?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Wonder Woman didn't hesitate. "Yes."

Raven's shoulders relaxed, and she nodded. "Then… I'll go. I want to learn. I want to take control."

I felt a pang of sadness at the thought of her leaving so soon, but it was her choice. It was what she needed.

Wonder Woman raised an eyebrow at Batman.

"Good enough for me."

The Dark Knight replied.

"With that over and done with, can we discuss how monumentally stupid it was to go off on your own?!"

The Flash yelled.

"It was reckless."

Dad pitched in.

"And you disobeyed orders..."

Aquaman added.

"You will never do this again..."

Batman took over.

"Here we go again."

Robin muttered low.

"Someone kill me..."

Wally groaned.

"Just take it. Hopefully, they will tire and it will end."

Aqualad advised.

F that.

I stepped up.

"We definitely will be doing it again."

---

After a brief argument, where we managed to convince the League to acknowledge our Team, we came to an agreement.

The Team would serve as a Black-ops unit, separate but affiliated to the Justice League. Which meant our own base and missions.

We would meet in a week, enough time for our new base to be prepared.

With that, it was time to leave.

But before we could, Raven turned to me one last time. "Thank you… for everything."

She hesitated for a moment before leaning in and pressing a soft kiss to my cheek. "I'll never forget what you did."

Before I could respond, she pulled away and walked to Wonder Woman, who gave me a knowing look before carrying Raven and flying away.

The journey to Smallville with Dad and the clone in my hands was quiet, tense.

Dad kept glancing at me, his thoughts clearly elsewhere, but he avoided looking at the clone entirely.

The clone on the other hand, avoided eye contact with me and kept his attention on Dad. Trying to get his acknowledgement.

Oh boy.

I understood why. It was hard for both. Superboy 2.0 wanted to be recognized. And Dad struggled to process. A clone of me? Created by Cadmus? The implications were staggering.

"Why can't I fly?"

The Clone asked, clearly addressing Da...our Dad.

Dad opened and closed his mouth, unsure of what to say.

"You're half human, like me...I only just learned how to do it too. Just give it some time."

I replied.

I felt his body tense a little, then eased up.

I felt guilty for lying. Superboy in Canon couldn't fly...but this wasn't canon anymore, so who knows?

When we finally arrived at the farm, Mom was waiting for us, arms crossed, her eyes scanning the three of us.

Dad hadn't told her yet, and I could tell from the way her eyes widened slightly at the sight of the clone that she was putting the pieces together.

"This… this is going to take some explaining," Dad said with a sigh.

Mom's gaze softened as she looked between me and the clone. "Well," she said, stepping forward and placing a hand on the clone's shoulder. "Family is family. We'll figure this out."

---

Later, after a heavy conversation between Pa, Ma and I, I knocked on the door to the guest room, where the clone would be staying.

I couldn't hear a heartbeat inside so I entered the room and found the window open.

He was on the roof of the house, staring up at the stars.

His shoulders were tense, his expression unreadable.

"You don't have to stay out here," I said, stepping out through the window.

He didn't turn to look at me. "I don't belong here," he muttered, frustration seeping into his voice. "I don't know who I am. I don't even know what I'm supposed to be."

I took a seat beside him, unsure of how to comfort him. What do you tell someone whose existence felt like a lie?

I thought about his words for a long moment before answering with a truth gained from my own abnormal existence. "Maybe that's the point. You don't have to be anyone right now. You get to decide who you want to be. That's the beauty of it. You're free."

For the first time, he glanced at me, his eyes searching mine. "Free?"

I nodded, recalling my own difficulties adjusting to a new life after dying. "Yeah. And that starts with picking a name. You can't be 'clone' forever."

He was silent for a while, thinking. Then, almost shyly, he said, "Connor. I think… I want to be Connor."

I smiled. "Connor Kent it is."

Some things never change.

---

That night, alone on my bed, I slipped the crystal pendant from around my neck, the dim and cool surface of it pressing against my palm.

'I'll have to recharge it soon...'

I reminded myself, closing my eyes and letting my mind be pulled into the simulated space within.

When I opened my eyes, I was standing within the library in Fortress of Solitude—or at least, a simulated version of it.

Grandpa Jor-El was there, his back to me, surrounded by scattered books and holographic projections.

The usual calm of the Fortress was disrupted, the mess of information strewn about a stark contrast to the order and neat layout I had come to expect.

"Jon," Jor-El said, turning to face me, his expression grave. "I have some news. Some of it good… some of it not."

That's ominous.

I swallowed, my mind racing. "Let's start with the good news."

"You've received a blessing," he said, a faint smile crossing his face. "From Rao. You're no longer just a Kryptonian-human hybrid, Jon. You're… a Mage."

I stared at him, my mind struggling to process the words. "A Mage?"

And Kryptonian Gods? I thought they were all dead...

Jor-El nodded. "It explains the strange power you awakened. It's magic. A type of Light Magic Krypton's priests of Rao used to posess back in the old age. Basically, You can manipulate light photons."

"And the bad news?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

His expression darkened. "The changes in you… from my scans, were caused by Red Kryptonite radiation. And some of it still remains within your body. It's effects are always unpredictable, Jon. I'm still running scans, but your dna is still going through changes."

A chill ran down my spine. Magic was welcome but the reason for it being Red Kryptonite was not.

I knew a little about the different types of Kryptonite, from the Fortress Archives.

Green weakened and could kill Kryptonians, Blue had no effect on regular Kryptonians- I think it was the Bizarro version of Green Kryptonite.

Gold completely removed a Kryptonian's powers. White kills plant life. Black split a person into an good and bad side.

And pink, well increases homosexual behavior.

That's weird as hell but not as strange as Red Kryptonite. Amid, causing strange effects like shrinking my size, turning my skin outward (yikes), there was also the change in behavior.

It could be anything. Good or bad.

Let's just hope giving me magic is the only thing that will happen.

Speaking of, there was a Red Crystal among the League's vault contents. Could that be when I was affected by it's radiation? Highly likely.

"So what does this mean, Grandpa?"

I questioned.

In response, Jor-el held up two massive tomes written in Old Kryptonian.

'Light manipulation for beginner mystic practitioners: Combat Version.'

'Rao's Light: Healing and Purification.'

The journey forward, it seemed, was only just beginning.