Chapter 48

Superboy had barely registered what had happened before he found himself hurtling backward, his vision blurring from the sheer force of the blow. One moment, he was standing in the amusement park with Megan, enjoying the warmth of the sun and the laughter of families around him. The next, he was crashing through the wooden supports of a roller coaster, the splintering wood groaning beneath his weight before he slammed into the ground.

Megan screamed as she turned to see her boyfriend sprawled on the ground, blood dripping from his mouth. Her wide green eyes flickered with rage and fear as she turned toward their assailant—a tall, imposing figure with long dark hair, dressed in Kryptonian garb. The red and blue suit was strikingly similar to Superman's, the emblem of the House of El gleaming on his chest. But there was something off about him, something menacing in the way he looked down at Connor as if he were nothing more than an insect beneath his boot.

The man took a step forward, his expression twisting in disgust.

"Filthy clone," H'el muttered, his voice dripping with contempt.

Connor, coughing up blood, forced himself up onto his elbows, his jaw aching from the impact. "Who the hell—?"

Before he could finish, Megan's power lashed out. With a telekinetic push, she tried to restrain the attacker, but H'el barely reacted. He turned his head slightly, then, with a casual wave of his hand, unleashed a telekinetic shockwave that sent Megan crashing into a food stand.

"Megan!" Connor roared, the sight of his girlfriend being hurt igniting a fury deep inside him.

He launched himself forward, throwing a punch fueled by pure rage. But H'el didn't even flinch. Instead, he caught the strike in his palm, squeezing down with inhuman strength. Bones cracked. Connor's eyes widened in horror as his right arm snapped at the elbow, a sickening pop echoing through the air.

He barely had time to scream before H'el drove a knee into his gut, sending him plummeting into the pavement with enough force to create a crater.

"Is that all?" H'el mused, hovering over the downed Superboy. "Disappointing."

Connor gritted his teeth, pain shooting through his body. He could feel his Kryptonian DNA working overtime, absorbing solar energy, trying to heal. But it wasn't fast enough.

H'el raised his hand, fingers curling into a spear shape. His eyes gleamed with cold determination.

He's going to kill me.

Connor's heart pounded as he saw the strike coming straight for his chest.

"NO!"

Megan's desperate scream was followed by an invisible wave of mental energy slamming into H'el's mind. The Kryptonian flinched, caught off guard for just a fraction of a second.

It was enough.

With all his might, Connor swung his uninjured leg upward, his boot colliding with H'el's chin. The force sent the older Kryptonian soaring into the sky. Without missing a beat, Superboy's eyes blazed red, twin beams of pure heat lancing up toward his foe.

The attack struck H'el square in the chest, sending a shockwave rippling through the air. The explosion of energy illuminated the night sky like a second sun.

But before Connor could follow up, a hand grabbed his collar.

In the blink of an eye, he and Megan were gone.

The moment they reappeared, Connor barely had time to react before he collapsed onto his knees. Megan knelt beside him, her hands glowing with psychic energy as she tried to ease his pain.

"You're safe," Naruto said simply, his golden eyes flickering toward the sky.

Connor, still panting, clenched his fists. "Who the hell was that guy?"

"A problem," Naruto muttered. "And one that's not going away anytime soon."

Just as he spoke, H'el materialized in midair, his teleportation ability allowing him to return just as fast as he had been taken away. His cold, calculating eyes swept the area, searching for his target. But by the time he landed, they were gone.

His jaw clenched.

That Paragon…

He had read the reports. This was the man interfering with his Kryptonian siblings.

Before he could ponder further, the sound of rushing wind filled his ears.

Two figures landed nearby.

Superman.

And Hal Jordan, the Green Lantern.

H'el turned to face them, his expression unreadable as Clark approached.

"Identify yourself," Superman demanded, his voice firm.

H'el regarded him carefully, then offered a small smile. "Greetings, little brother."

Clark frowned. "What?"

"My name is H'el," he said smoothly. "I am from Krypton and wished to bring you a tribute before our meeting. Unfortunately, my gift… escaped." His smirk was sharp, pointed. "But no matter, I suppose. I can always correct my mistakes later."

Clark's jaw tightened. "What do you mean, brother?"

"I mean exactly what I said," H'el replied. "I have come to protect the legacy of our people. And you, my dear Kal-El, have a role to play in that."

Clark exchanged a glance with Hal. Neither of them liked the sound of that.

"And how do you intend to do that?" Clark asked cautiously.

H'el's expression darkened slightly. "That is a private matter, brother. One that I would rather discuss without… interference." His gaze flickered toward Hal, the meaning clear.

Hal smirked. "Yeah, that's not how this works, buddy."

Clark, however, held up a hand.

"Fine," he said. "Follow me."

Without another word, Superman took to the skies, heading toward the Arctic.

H'el smirked and followed.

And as he did, Hal activated his ring's communicator.

"Hey, Bats?" Hal muttered.

A voice crackled in his ear. "Go ahead."

"We might have a big problem on our hands."

Soaring through the sky, Clark Kent, also known as Superman, couldn't help but feel conflicted. Another supposed sibling had come looking for him—H'el. This wasn't the first time Clark had encountered another Kryptonian survivor. He had met Kara, his cousin, and then there was Zod, who sought to impose his own vision of their lost civilization upon the world. Kryptonians weren't so different from humans when it came to personality—some were noble, some were misguided, and some were outright dangerous.

The question was: where did H'el stand?

Clark wanted to believe that this newcomer could be a friend, someone who could be part of his extended family, much like Kara. But it was difficult to remain optimistic, not after seeing what H'el had done to Connor. Superboy was more than just a clone; he was his own person with his own thoughts, emotions, and dreams. But to H'el, Connor was nothing more than an abomination—something to be disposed of. That alone made Clark wary.

'He's definitely going to say something crazy,' Clark thought as they flew toward the Arctic, the endless white landscape stretching beneath them.

He had talked to Naruto a lot about reformation—how people could change given the right conditions, guidance, and patience. On paper, it was a promising concept, but in reality, it was near impossible in most cases. Reform required time, something most people didn't have the luxury to spend on hardened criminals. Even Clark, despite his optimism, knew it was a monumental task.

Still, if there was any chance of saving H'el from whatever destructive path he was on, Clark would at least try—for Kara's sake, if nothing else.

Finally, they landed atop the frozen wasteland, the cold wind howling around them. Clark turned to face his supposed "brother," arms crossed, his eyes sharp with scrutiny.

"Okay, we're alone now," Clark said, his voice calm but firm. "I hope you have something good to say."

H'el's long black hair swayed slightly in the wind as he surveyed the surroundings before finally locking eyes with Clark. A slow smirk appeared on his face.

"Of course," H'el said. "I have a plan to bring back Krypton. Isn't that good news?"

Clark's eyes narrowed. Here it comes.

"Go on," he prompted, already bracing himself. "How exactly are you planning to do that?"

H'el's expression remained composed, as if he were stating a simple fact. "I have the blueprints for a device that can send us back in time—before the incident that destroyed our home."

Clark inhaled sharply. Time travel. This was already a dangerous concept, but he wasn't going to jump to conclusions.

"And what's the cost?" he asked.

"Minimal," H'el said nonchalantly. "It will just consume the life force of this solar system."

Clark groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose. Why are they all like this?

First Zod, then Brainiac, and now this. Seriously, what kind of cosmic joke is it that all the surviving Kryptonians—except for Kara—were insane?

"What's wrong?" H'el asked, tilting his head. "You don't like the plan? I've thought it through carefully. If we follow my plan, our people will survive, and nothing catastrophic will be unleashed upon the universe. No space-time collapse, no paradoxes—it's foolproof."

Clark stared at him. He wasn't sure what was more disturbing—the sheer lack of concern for the billions of lives on Earth or the fact that H'el genuinely thought his plan was a good idea.

"Can you use this device in a solar system that's already desolate?" Clark asked, hoping for a rational alternative.

H'el shook his head. "Not really. For the plan to properly succeed, an equal sacrifice is needed. Without a proper exchange, our people will still perish, just in a different way."

Clark took a deep breath. He had to be careful with his words here. "Listen, H'el, I can't allow that to happen," he said, his voice steady. "Earth is my home. The people here are as much my family as Krypton was to you. If there's a way to restore Krypton without harming innocent lives, I'll help you. But with your current plan, I can't stand by and let you do this."

For a moment, H'el was silent. Then, his expression twisted into something dark and furious.

"You filthy, traitorous scum!" H'el roared, his voice echoing through the frozen landscape. His entire demeanor shifted from calm and composed to pure rage. "How dare you place this world on the same scale as Krypton?! You are no son of Krypton! You are no son of El! And you are no brother of mine!"

Clark tensed, preparing for an attack. But what happened next took him completely by surprise.

A sudden, overwhelming pressure crashed against his mind. A psychic attack?! Clark had never experienced something like this before. His vision blurred, his thoughts scrambled, and before he could recover, H'el's fist slammed into his face with devastating force.

The impact sent him hurtling through the air like a missile. The speed at which he was thrown caused a sonic boom, shattering the ice below them. He barely had time to register what was happening before he crashed violently into the ground—in Australia.

A deep trench carved itself into the earth as his body skidded across the land, plowing through trees and rock formations.

Groaning, Clark pulled himself up from the crater his body had created. He quickly assessed his surroundings—thankfully, he hadn't landed in a populated area. But the sheer power behind H'el's strike was alarming.

Clark clenched his fists, his cape fluttering behind him as he lifted into the air.

He had tried to talk. He had given H'el a chance.

But now?

Now, he was going to have to fight.

"Why did you go alone?"

Naruto's voice cut through the comms, demanding an answer. Clark sighed, already anticipating the lecture.

"I believed it would have a better result, and a fight would have happened if someone followed," Clark replied, trying to keep his tone neutral.

"Well, I've called for backup, so take him out quick. He isn't alone, and we have cyborgs to deal with," Naruto informed him.

Great. Just great.

Being a hero was a noble concept in people's minds, but no one really understood the pressure that came with it. The world saw Superman as the symbol of hope, the embodiment of truth and justice. But the truth?

Sometimes, it was exhausting.

Clark knew the weight of expectation better than anyone. Every action he took had consequences. Every choice could decide the fate of billions. And yet, there were moments when he just wished—wished—that all of it would just stop. A world where peace reigned, where he didn't have to make impossible choices, where no one had to die for the mistakes of the past.

That was the world he truly wanted to see.

But reality didn't work that way.

Just earlier, he had been having lunch with Lois Lane, finally taking a moment for himself, for them. He had been looking forward to it—a rare opportunity to just be Clark, not Superman, not the Man of Steel, just a man sharing a meal with the woman he loved.

And then this happened.

Now, his date was ruined. Again.

Hero business was a relationship killer.

Clark exhaled sharply, forcing himself to push those thoughts away. Right now, H'el was the priority.

His gaze snapped back to his opponent just as H'el lunged toward him, his fist raised high, ready to bring it down with the force of a meteor.

Not happening.

Just as H'el's fist was about to crash down, Clark's eyes glowed red. He focused every ounce of power into them and unleashed a devastating blast of heat vision.

A beam of pure destruction erupted from his eyes, slamming into H'el's chest with such force that it sent him flying backward. The air around them rippled from the sheer energy, melting the ice below into boiling steam.