Chapter 65 : Awakening
[Author note : If you want to read more, you can always visit my Patréon page (e instead of é). Just use the search engine to look for Cathbel. See ya !]
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Supergirl was dreaming a bittersweet dream. She was back in her room in Argo City. Better yet, there were celebrating her officially joining the ranks of the Kryptonian workforce by joining the Justiciars. While she liked studying with her father, the sciences were never really her thing… Instead, she wanted to enforce the law !
Say what you will about the Codex and the Science Council, they knew what they were doing when it came to the Eugenics' program. After all, they'd already predicted that's what she'd be best suited for…
Kara was feeling especially happy today since her best friend Thara Ak-Var had come all the way from Kandor just for this day. They planned a whole girl's night out for later. But for now, Kara, Thara and her parents were sitting at their dinner table, eating the sumptuous meal prepared by Kel-Ex, the household robot.
Some part of her knew this was all a dream. Everyone was looking at her in silence, smiling brightly. However, unless she talked to them, they didn't talk to her, or even between themselves… Like automatons. Still, even if it didn't feel real, she would have liked to stay here.
Unfortunately, her surroundings were slowly swallowed in a bright light.
With a start she drew a deep breath, opening her eyes wide and scanning for her family, her friend… They were nowhere to be seen. Instead, she found herself lying in some kind of medical cot, alone, with only the sounds of monitors to accompany her.
The door opened shortly after and an African-american young man, with dread locks entered with a clip board. She would have thought him a doctor if he had been wearing a lab coat or some scrubs. However, not only did he not do that, he was also too young for that. Not that it mattered if the guy was a genius, she supposed…
Grabbing a chair absentmindedly, he sat down and sighed deeply. Finally, he said :
« You Kryptonians are really something else ! Your physiology is simply astonishing ! »
Kara half-listened, half-ignored the man speaking about cells, radiations and volatile compounds as she tried to recall what led to her lying in this bed. She remembered sleeping in her underwater fortress. She remembered getting out… And then finding out about the destruction of the city she'd started to consider home. And then…
She shook her head, annoyed at herself. Kal had said it before… That she was too reckless, she wasn't trying to anticipate any problems she might encounter. To her credit, she'd always sound that there was simply nothing that could hurt her. Kryptonite, she recalled the woman calling it. She sneered. How dare she label this… thing with the name of her former home ! Her home had been life, culture, beauty. A peak of civilization and science. This… was death !
But then, the man's voice brought her focus back on him :
« It's really something… How the effect of the yellow sun which gives you your powers also causes the pieces of your home to emit such harmful radiations. At the moment, I don't think our technology can produce anything similar to it, as well. »
Pieces of her home ? He had to be mistaken… This couldn't be ! How could they travel so far ? Granted, in the vacuum of space, they'd be nothing to stop the momentum of rock fragments from traveling until here, but… It should have taken hundreds of years ! Even then, they shouldn't have been able to withstand the atmospheric reentry. This was simply impossible !
« Now, I'm curious what the effect of Kryptonite would be on normal humans and metahumans, or if there is an effect at all… Given how potent it acts on you, and most probably your cousin, it should have some effect. »
Indeed, on a cellular and genetic level, humans and Kryptonians were very close. His current theory was that, given time, humans would become like Kryptonians. So it most likely could affect them somehow… Then again, Humans and Metahumans were also quite close, with only a gene marker differing from each other and yet, Metahumans were often vastly more powerful. Compared to that, Kryptonians and Humans were as different as monkeys and humans.
Supergirl struggled to sit up. Seeing her, Virgil told :
« You should rest. Despite how powerful you are, your body experienced something quite traumatic… »
« No need. I just want to know… What happened after the woman dosed me with… Kryptonite. » She uttered the last word with a clear distaste.
« Well, according to my boy Robin, they retreated, leaving Superboy behind. »
« Superboy ? »
Virgil shrugged.
« That's how he called himself. He doesn't have any other name since according to him, he's a clone with barely a few weeks spent out of his pod. »
Suddenly, Supergirl became alert.
« A clone ? » She asked dangerously. « Whose ? »
Virgil didn't notice her sudden shift in mood and replied :
« Once again, according to what he's told, he's a hybrid of Superman and an unknown human. »
Supergirl threw the sheets covering her body to the ground in an attempt to get up. As she fixed her gaze on the door, she affirmed :
« He has to die ! Before he brings doom to us all ! »
* * * * *
Silver Lad had rather easily dealt with the problems created by MACUSA at his factory. The medias had helped greatly, of course. And he didn't even have to fight anyone, only appear and talk a bit. After a while, the crowd had dispersed and with it leaving, so were the chances for him to find out who was behind it all… Meaning yet another scheme would probably be hatched down the road.
Until he either exposed the culprit, or made it impossible for his businesses to be threatened by some half-baked scheme, Ned would have to pay attention to the situation. His hero activities would have, yet again, to be put in the background. Not that it mattered really…
Now that he could forge Eighth Metal, his armors and Technomancy were due for an overhaul ! In addition, there were a number of products he wanted to bring to the Wizarding World.
Moreover, perhaps the most important thing he wanted to work on, was a way for him to have his own magic ! After all, while Ned was never truly defenseless, he was always dependent on his equipment. Be it his armor, or his enchanted suits. If he were to be attacked in his home after the defenses were taken down, and without any of his tech spirits around, he wouldn't be able to defend himself.
That's why Ned had always worked on a way for him to use magic without an external power source. Sure, he could do like Tony Stark and graft a magic reactor in his body… However, Ned didn't like this idea. It meant carving a chunk of his flesh and painting a clear target for his enemies, especially considering that the magic reactor was a coveted piece of Technomancy by… Well, pretty much anyone in the know. Even the No-Majs were interested in it, even though they weren't trying to get their hands on it too hard at the moment. And they didn't truly know what it was… For them, it was simply a new and powerful source of energy (which it was, of course).
Silver Lad flew back all the way to his house and discovered it empty. Puzzled, he asked :
« Where are the kids ? »
« The 'kids' who are barely a few years younger than you, left to deal with the situation in Times Square a while ago… » Symmetra replied with her Indian accent. « Don't worry : they managed to repel the forces of N.O.W.H.E.R.E. They've even managed something you were unable to do… »
Ned, arms spread so that the mechanical arms can access and retrieve the armor pieces more easily, raised an eyebrow :
« Oh, yeah ? And what's that ? »
« Force Superboy to leave the organization ! »
As she said this, Ned noticed the taunting and satisfied undertone in her voice. Now, he was curious :
« How'd they manage that ? The boy seemed adamant in finding out more about his origins and the reasons behind his creation… »
« Something you might have easily provided him, if you weren't playing things so close to your vest… »
Ned shook his head :
« I only know of a couple of Superboy's origin story. There's no guarantee it's the same for him. Besides, I don't remember much of anything about N.O.W.H.E.R.E. I'm pretty sure Lex Luthor isn't behind it, however. So, that crosses one theory. » Pausing, he pointed out : « You still haven't answered my question… »
« Well… The 'kids' met up and almost started a fight with Robin and his ally Bunker before an elite Metahuman team called the Ravagers. They lost… Quite badly, might I add. Aaron is still unaccounted for and only Robin and Solstice managed to stay conscious for the whole fight. Then, Wonder Girl and Superboy came to an understanding… »
Ned listened to Symmetra's account of the situation as he started to work on his projects. The 'kids' didn't need him. After all, they were in good hands !