Chapter 14: A True Superman.

Messed up the line spacing. I need a new laptop.

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

-General P.O.V-

Jon raced towards the hole on the far wall of the chamber which was sucking everything out into the vacuum of space, threatening to do the same to his Dad and the Dark Knight.

Fortunately, he reached them in time, tightening his grip around both Superman and Batman.

The suction from the breach in the station's hull threatened to tear them away, but Jon pushed forward, using every ounce of his strength and willpower to keep them together while flying to safety.

Ahead, the massive vault door loomed, its thick metal surface seemingly impenetrable.

For a moment, Jon wondered if he would crash into it, but the door suddenly gave way, opening just in time.

With a final burst of speed, he plunged through the gap, his momentum carrying all three of them out into the hall, tumbling to the floor in a tangled heap.

Robin stood by, with the wrist computer connected to the Vault's security pad, he quickly sealed the doors shut.

Donning a wide relieved smirk, he turned to face his friend,

"Told you you're not alone."

he said, his voice steady despite the chaos.

Jon managed a weak smile, but the victory was short-lived. His expression twisted into one of horror as the entire Watchtower shuddered violently.

"Shit."

he muttered, eyes wide with realization.

"We forgot about the Vault's contents! We need to secure them!"

The weight of his mistake hit him like a ton of bricks.

Dangerous artifacts, some of the most powerful in the world, were now drifting out into the cold, unforgiving darkness of space.

If they fell into the wrong hands... Jon couldn't even finish the thought. The implications were too terrifying.

He floated upward, tapping into the remaining energy reserves within his cells. They amount was little as compared to before but...it would have to do.

"Stabilize the station before it falls out of orbit, I'll gather the artifacts."

Jon instructed, voice carrying the urgency of the situation.

Robin, already typing furiously on his wrist computer, glanced up at him,

"And if the Watchtower is beyond saving?"

He asked, his tone serious.

Jon looked over at the unconscious forms of Superman and Batman, his heart heavy with the weight of their lives.

"Then we'll take the League and abandon ship."

He replied, determination hardening his voice. There was no other option.

---

A brilliant red streak slashed across the sky as Jon rocketed away from the Watchtower.

His mind was a whirlwind of thoughts, but he forced himself to focus on the task at hand.

The station was falling, dragged down by Earth's gravity. He needed to act quickly.

Reaching the gaping hole where the vault had been, Jon's enhanced vision scanned the damage. Damage he himself had caused.

The metal chassis was melted beyond repair, jagged edges twisted and warped by the heat of his laser beams.

The breach was massive, and worse, the Vault's contents were slipping out, one by one, like sand through an hourglass.

His eyes darted around, searching for a solution. Spotting a large antenna dish attached to the side of the station, Jon shot towards it.

He tore it free with a powerful yank, the metal groaning in protest.

He hooked his feet around a thick cable, steadying himself as he pounded the dish into a flat panel.

Sweat beaded on his brow as he worked, the heat from re-entry becoming almost unbearable despite his durable skin.

Jon pushed the makeshift patch over the hole, gritting his teeth as he used his heat vision to weld the flattened dish panel in place.

The station shuddered beneath him, but the breach was sealed. It wasn't perfect, but it would hold— he hoped.

With that done, Jon turned his attention to the floating relics. A dozen of them in glass cases and metal boxes.

He flew forward, desperate to reclaim the lost items.

But exhaustion was creeping in, causing his vision to blur.

He could feel his strength waning, the energy reserves in his body nearly depleted.

Between his powers and the fact he was using the solar energy to replace his breathing function to avoid suffocation, the constant strain bottomed him out.

As he reached out for the first item—a glass capsule containing a red crystal—his body betrayed him.

His limbs locked up, muscles frozen in place as if they had been switched off. He felt himself slipping into unconsciousness, powerless to stop it.

Still in momentum, Jon collided with the capsule, the glass shattering upon impact.

The red crystal within pulsed with a dark, scarlet energy that radiated outward, enveloping Jon's passed out form in a sinister glow.

Unknown to him, a bio-chemical reaction had begun deep within his cells.

The radiation from the crystal seeped into his very being, catalyzing an evolution within the young Human-Kryptonian hybrid.

His body convulsed, energy surging through him as his genetic makeup began to change in ways he could neither comprehend nor control.

When the Martian Manhunter arrived, the first to regain consciousness, he found Jon floating among the relics, seemingly lifeless.

The red crystal was nowhere to be found— and was categorized to be lost somewhere in the vastness of space.

---

-Jon's P.O.V-

I woke with a start, my entire body tingling with a strange, electric charge.

It wasn't the usual warmth I felt from absorbing the sun's energy; this was something different, something new.

Before I could even begin to explore the sensation, my father rushed into the room.

The medical bay was quiet, the only sounds being the soft hum of machinery around me, and the almost too loud beat of his heart.

His arms radiated warmth and concern, holding me tight.

"Jon! Thank God you're safe!"

Dad exclaimed, his voice thick with relief.

I hugged him back, the electric feeling momentarily forgotten.

Behind him, I saw Robin and Batman standing in the doorway. Robin flashed me a thumbs-up, a cocky smirk plastered on his face.

"What happened?"

I asked, a knot of anxiety tightening in my stomach. The last thing I remember was the Watchtower falling.

"Did we save the day?"

Robin stretched lazily, clearly enjoying my mounting impatience.

"Well..."

he drawled, letting the suspense build.

I clenched my fists, ready to strangle him if he didn't spit it out soon. Finally, Robin grinned. "Yeah, we totally saved the world, dude. Manhunter stopped most of the Watchtower from hitting the ground, though there was some debris."

The tension drained out of me, leaving behind a shaky sort of relief. I hadn't failed, not completely.

Batman stepped forward, his gaze stern but not unkind.

"You both did a good job."

He said, his voice as steady as ever.

"Not only did you save the world, but you also saved the Justice League. Considering your age, what you did was impressive, but also reckless."

Robin snorted, crossing his arms.

"I knew the 'but' was coming."

He muttered, rolling his eyes.

"You can't just let us have this, can you? We stopped an alien invasion, for crying out loud."

Dad, who had been silently watching the exchange, placed a hand on Batman's shoulder.

"He's right, Bruce. Let's mark this down as a win. They've more than earned it."

Batman hesitated for a moment, then nodded.

"Jon."

The way he called my name made me stiffen on instict. I might have imagined the flash of amusement in his eyes at my reaction,

"you'll join Robin for a mandatory training regimen. But otherwise, good job, both of you."

I jerked my head in a nod, stomping down on the urge to say, 'Sir yes Sir!' God, the aura on the guy.

Robin gave me a knowing grin as he and Batman left the room.

'I'll call you.'

He mouthed, waving over his shoulder.

'I won't pick up.'

I mouthed back and he rolled his eyes.

'Stay whelmed Kent.'

As the door closed behind them, I found myself alone with my father. I opened my mouth to say something, but he beat me to it.

"You were so brave, Jon,"

He said softly, his eyes filled with pride.

"I talked to your mom. She told me you saved her."

I rubbed the back of my neck, feeling my cheeks flush with embarrassment. He was saying everything I had ever wanted and hoped to hear from him. And the Joy I felt was even better than I'd imagined.

"You taught me that."

I replied, my voice barely above a whisper, yet ringing with undeniable truth,

"To be brave, always. It's what kept me going."

Dad smiled, the kind of smile that made everything feel okay, even when it wasn't. This was the real him. I had been worried Starro's mind control might have left some side effects, but there was no need for concern.

He ruffled my hair affectionately.

"I'm proud to be your father, son. Very proud."

The simple statement made my face burn redder than the sun.

I tried to hide my embarrassment, but the grin spreading across my face was impossible to suppress.

---

Later that night, I sat on my bed, the cool light of the moon filtering through my window.

I was shirtless, my skin still tingling with that strange, electric sensation.

I closed my eyes, slipping into a meditative state as I had been taught. Torquasm bridged the gap between the outer and the inner, the body and the mind.

The trance came easily these days.

In this state, I could sense my entire being with perfect clarity.

I reached out mentally, probing the electric feeling that had been with me since I woke up.

It wasn't difficult to find; it was there, just beneath the surface, an invisible field of energy that seemed to wrap around my body like a second skin.

Curious, I picked up a pen from my bedside table and held it against my chest.

To my surprise, the pen was pushed back slightly by the energy field. But when I touched my chest with my finger, the thin membrane parted as if it wasn't even there.

"I think... I've finally unlocked a bio-electric aura."

I muttered to myself, the realization sending a thrill of excitement through me.

Without another thought, I moved to the window, stepping onto the ledge.

The night air was cool against my skin as I prepared for one final test. With a deep breath, I launched myself into the Metropolis sky.

The air cracked with the force of a sonic boom as I accelerated, faster than I had ever flown before.

The city below blurred into a streak of colors as I tore past and covered miles across the Kansas night.

Windmills spun lazily beneath me as I completed three full laps around the State in under a minute.

With the bio-electric aura, my flight speed had increased exponentially.

Friction was no longer an issue; the field protected me, kept me warm even in the coldest of altitudes.

I was faster, somehow stronger(a possible enhancement to my physique maybe?), and more in control of my powers than I had ever been.

The bio-electric aura wasn't just a shield—it was a conduit, amplifying my other abilities in ways I was only beginning to understand.

An extension of my very being. It was exhilarating.

Slowing my flight, I hovered above the familiar fields of Smallville, Metropolis far in the distance.

The town I had grown up in slept peacefully beneath the stars, unaware of the battle that had raged above the Earth, unaware of the power now coursing through me.

For a moment, I simply floated there, basking in the calm of the night, feeling a sense of unity with everything around me.

I was truly a Superman now.

-0-

Far away, in a different part of the State, Lex Luthor strode down a brightly lit hallway, his steps echoing off the sterile white walls.

Behind him, a scientist scurried to keep up, his voice a nervous drone as he explained their latest project.

"...using the creature Starro's remains to potentially create a cure for Alzheimer's."

the scientist was saying.

"If successful, LexCorp would benefit immensely by eradicating a disease with no known remedy."

Luthor didn't even break stride.

"Dr. Weathers."

He interrupted, his tone as sharp as a knife.

"I'm not interested in selling cures. I already have more money than I could ever spend in a thousand lifetimes. My question to you was, can it be done? I want every trace of DNA from the wound inflicted on the specimen."

Dr. Weathers visibly squirmed, his discomfort obvious.

"Mr. Luthor,"

He stammered,

"You're talking about extracting a Kryptonian's DNA samples from residual energy left by their heat vision. Th-that's literally impossible."

Luthor came to a stop in front of a large observation window. Beyond the glass, the massive form of Starro lay on a metal slab, a team of scientists and technicians swarming around it like ants.

The creature's once formidable multilimbed body was now limp and dissected, carefully cataloged and analyzed.

Luthor's expression was unreadable, his eyes cold as he stared at the large hole where the dead alien's eye had been.

But beneath the surface, a storm of emotions raged—determination, hatred, and a twisted sense of anticipation.

"Impossible?"

He repeated, his voice low and dangerous,

"That is a word banned in Cadmus. You will get me what I want. And what I want right now, Dr. Weathers, is that Kryptonian boy's DNA."

The scientist's face drained of color, but he nodded shakily, knowing there was no arguing with Lex Luthor.

Failure was not an option, not when dealing with a man who wielded power like a weapon.

Luthor turned away from the window, his mind already racing with possibilities.

That boy had interfered with his plans and cost him dearly. Cost him, the death of his greatest enemy- Superman.

The grudge Luthor held was more than just professional; it was personal.

He wouldn't rest until he had the Kryptonian in his grasp, and when he did, the world would see just how dangerous it was to cross Lex Luthor.

As he walked away, the dim light of the hallway seemed to grow colder, the shadows lengthening behind him.

The future was uncertain, but one thing was clear—this wasn't over. Not by a long shot.

And somewhere in the quiet town of Smallville, under the light of the full moon, Jon Kent felt a shiver run down his spine.

He couldn't shake the feeling that something dark was coming, headed for him.

"Let them come. I'm ready."

Jon muttered. They wouldn't find a helpless boy anymore but a Superman...