Chapter 49 : People talking

[Author note : Like it ? Come and take a look at my Patréon page (e instead of é). Search for Cathbel. Enjoy !]

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The fight between Ned and Superboy continued. Although, a fight might be the wrong term. A more apt description would be that, like an angry child, the clone was lashing out and the adult either avoided or redirected most of the wild swings. Was this how Superman fought ? No technique or thought, just pure raw power to compensate for it ? If this was true, the Kryptonian was really wasting the potential offered by his physiology…

From the blood samples he 'acquired' after Superman's altercation with Metallo in Metropolis, Ned had been able to observe how his cells generated his powers. Simply put, each individual cell inside Superman's body absorbed Solar radiation and stored it. With a yellow sun, the energy linked every cells into a kind of matrix or a field of energy… This was what prevented the Man of Steel from cutting up someone falling from a 30 story building in slices or crushing an airplane with engine troubles. Unconsciously, the energy field expanded to cover everything he came in contact with. Basically, an instinctual TK field.

However, Ned assumed that it probably also had a boosting effect on the Kryptonian's brain cells. He could already speed-read, his vision was drastically superior to human's… A clear sign that solar energy had an impact there. Some might argue that it was just the cells of his eyeballs that were supercharged and the energy had no impact on his brains, but… Ned wasn't convinced. He recalled an animated movie… The Death of Superman ? Not sure.

In it, Lex Luthor stole a serum created by Superman to give Lois the perspective of being a Kryptonian for a day. And when Lex's already frightening intellect understood how the mind of Superman worked… He was left humbled, and decided to lay down his arms. According to him, Superman could easily solve most of the problems of Earth, and probably even discover things that would change the world. So… Enhanced intellect. And probably on a crazy level !

And with these advantages, the man couldn't learn martial arts ? Or simply to fight differently than a brawler ?

But getting back to the angry child continuously swinging at him… In the different iteration of the character, he had quite a few different set of powers. In one, he was basically a younger version of Superman, with the same set of powers and even a similar costume. In another, kind of like this one here, the clone was limited to super-strength, enhanced speed and invulnerability. And in another, the one Superboy Ned found much more powerful than Superman, he could manipulate the TK field generated by his body, and even had telepathic capabilities.

As he avoided the angry half-kryptonian's attacks, Ned scanned the clone in order to find out more about him… Although, unlike the mad scientists of this world, the squib wasn't interested in playing god or even recreating one, he found the physiology of the almost human race quite fascinating. Creating a hybrid clone of Human and Kryptonian ? Quite impressive. Idly, Ned wondered if he could replicate this energy field through his technomancy.

« Oops ! » Ned let out as he barely avoided a straight by jumping backward.

Noticing that the clone was still not letting up, or even calming down, if he ragged breathing and fiery glare was any indication, Ned decided that perhaps, he should try and knock Superboy out. After all, both humans and Kryptonians were susceptible to one thing : magic !

« Maybe not, knock him out… That would defeat the purpose. A binding spell, then ? » Ned commented as he pointed the focus in his left hand at the charging clone. Silently, a petrificus totalus impacted the Kryptonian. His limbs, as if suddenly tied, were glued to his side, his legs to each other and he fell like a plank. Ned waited for a couple of seconds, to see whether or not the spell had really stuck… He couldn't be sure with alien physiology. After all, although he knew Superman was susceptible to magic, it was the homo magi's magic, not the wizard's. Also, N.O.W.H.E.R.E. could have tweaked the clone's DNA to give a magic resistance…

Apparently, they didn't. Ned approached and gently turned the half-Kryptonian on his back. The Superboy was still glaring fiercely, but he also saw a trace of panic in his eyes. After all, the spell simply bound him in place. It didn't put him to sleep or knocked him out. Experiencing being unable to move even a finger was really frightening, he gathered.

« Don't worry about this, Superboy. And sorry, too. For the shock earlier and the taunts… I just wanted to talk to you without prying eyes and ears everywhere. That's actually why I shocked you : to fry the electronics in your suit. »

« What. Do. You. Want ? » Superboy managed to utter (or growl) through gritted teeth.

« First things first, I have to properly apologize. I didn't mean to cause you any harm. Despite your obvious willingness to inflict it upon me. So, for that, I am sorry. Now… » I paused and looked at him intently, or rather his image displayed on my HUD. « … What do you think of your employers ? »

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After Ned parted from the group of young meta-humans, Kid Flash was left on his own to fare with a bunch of teenagers. Most of them scared and angry… Despite his general obliviousness, he still managed to pick up on the atmosphere and it made him antsy. So, trying to lighten up the atmosphere anyway he could, the speedster spoke in an upbeat tone :

« Ladies and gentlemen ! We have landed in… the middle of nowhere ! Gently vacate your seat and don't forget to pick up your luggage ! Proceed to the exits at a leisure pace ! »

« Shut up, canary ! » Came the angry retort of Aaron.

The young wizard was angry. For all Ned's talk about getting him home, all he did was transport them here, wherever here was and then stayed behind… Aaron wasn't stupid, and Ned did explain it : N.O.W.H.E.R.E. had been waiting for them outside. And the rich kid had for some reason deciding to face them, instead of leaving with them and helping them on their way. Sure, the two weird people that had awaited them did tell them to wait a while for them to return but… Really, why should they ?

Aaron had places to be, people to see ! Thinking of his family for a moment brought a flash of the months he spent in captivity. More importantly, he thought of the organization that had kept him all those months and the power it had to possess to build a secret base… Their level of technology, much more advanced than muggles could buy at an electronics store, and their seasoned (to his eyes, at least) personnel spoke of quite a lot of resources. Aaron might have been a young man, and not quite the smartest, he felt like their jailers were powerful. So, now he was afraid of even approaching his home…

When he realized this, he sighed and with a grunt, sat down on the grass. Soon, a couple of others followed his example and then it snowballed from there. When silence settled, with no one knowing what to do or say, the hyperactive 'canary' as the wizard called him because of his suit's color scheme, couldn't stand it anymore.

« Come on, guys ! Cheer up ! We're out of there, now ! And we've even been saved by a honest to goodness superhero ! The Silver Lad ! He's no Flash, but he's alright in his own way… Did you know that he built his armor himself ? I'm pretty sure it's decades ahead of anything the military can make or commission ! »

A young girl, with short dirt blonde hair, of about 13 or 14, asked :

« Silver Lad ? He was tacky but he also has a tacky name ? Ugh ! » She snorted in disgust and Aaron chuckled. Not really thinking, he explained :

« I'm guessing his armor's mostly made of Goblin silver to channel the magic. He's a pretty big shot for his novel and extremely modern inventions in the Wizarding world… »

A groan came from Kid Flash's back, preventing anyone from asking questions about what Aaron said. The girl made of storm clouds, lightning and stars was waking up.