Chapter 66 : Kon-El

[Author note : New chapters and that means yet another advertisement . Not really, but kinda. ;p

Anyway, if you want to read more or just visit or discuss with me, visit my Patréon page (e instead of é). Use their search engine for look for 'Cathbel'. Hope you like the chapter !]

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When Ned entered his 'research mode', a peculiar state of being and mind his children had named, he couldn't care less if the entire world burned. In fact, he might as well have been living in his very own little dimensional bubble. It's not just that he did not care : he didn't notice. Only his ideas, the subject of his current research and his progress mattered at all to him in such instances.

Not very heroic, but then again, he never considered himself much of a hero. For one, his reasons for donning the armor and fighting were wholly selfish : he didn't want to die in this crazy world, and he wanted to protect his loved ones. And secondly, heroes weren't supposed to kill in this reality, something he would not shy away if it meant ridding the world of a recurring threat and/or psychopathic killer. That being said, the second point wasn't something that he would advertise…

At the moment, Ned was wearing one of his armor. Unlike his usual ones however, this one was not suited for combat but for construction. Not only that, he was also a fraction of his usual size in order for him to work on his 'Gonites project'. Simply put, gonites were his version and the magical equivalent of nanites (also commonly referred to as nano-machines), using the golem manufacturing techniques he used to design and create his children's bodies.

This idea had been on the forefront of his projects for a while now. Unfortunately, until now, he had never managed to make working gonites. He was hoping that his recent mastery of the forging method for Eighth Metal would change all that. Goblin silver, for all the amazing things it could do, simply didn't cut it, he thought. Moreover, it was poisonous… Not something he could flush his bloodstream with. Well, he could. But that would be a very Tony Stark move on his part…

Eighth Metal, on the other hand, was a divine metal. And according to his tests, it wouldn't have any negative impact on his health.

Now, the problem was manufacturing the gonites. To put it simply, the principle behind nanite is to have several tiny robots working in tandem on one or multiple tasks. In his case, opening Ned to magic !

Among their functions, the gonites would open or build magical conduits inside his body for him that would enable him to cast spells, as well as generate magic power by converting nutrients. Something any wizard or witch's body did without problem… Something squib and no-majs were unable to do.

However, this was something extremely complex. In fact, it had been impossible before. His mana reactor, small as it was to rest in the palm of his hand was much too big to be fitted on the gonites and then put inside his body. Let's not even mention building the conduits…

So, in order to build such complex robots, he had to first create the facilities to manufacture them en masse. Hence, why he was wearing the armor and shrunk himself. The work itself was… progressing. Very slowly. Still ! Progress was progress. Thankfully, being so small also reduced his needs in the quantity of Eighth Metal.

He forged the metal in his normal size, and then used it in his shrunk state to build the factories. Once that was done, he could work on the gonites designs and code.

Ned was expecting it to take at least 6 months of work, if he wasn't disturbed by some emergency or something else…

* * * * *

Still feeling woozy and weak, but led by a sense of fear and urgency, Supergirl left the hospital-like room in search of the so-called Superboy. The African-American man, whose name she still didn't know and didn't even think to ask for at the moment, had revealed something quite distressing about him. While she had thought, that like herself and her baby cousin (now fully grown), he was another survivor of their lost home world, the truth was anything but !

He was the result of genetic alteration on a Kryptonian… An abomination ! If she learned anything from her History classes was how wrong and dangerous such a thing was.

Krypton's history had been baptized with blood following the uprising of the worker clones. While she gathered that her people had not been the most… humane, when it came to treating them, what they did during the uprising… It was evil. They rallied behind the mad clone, Kon, and laid waste to Krypton, rendering its lush fields into deserts, leveling its cities, slaughtering billions upon billions…

Upon seeing their imminent loss at the end of the Kryptonian army, they took one of the great weather towers that controlled the climate over the planet… And while the Kryptonian managed to kill every clone, it came at a great cost. They successfully unleashed countless floods, quakes and other weather disasters. Perhaps, it was one of the cause why Krypton was destroyed in the end.

After this, cloning became banned. A taboo of the highest order in their society. Hearing that humans had did just that, she feared the 'Superboy' too would go berserk and start a slaughter. As a proud daughter of Krypton, she couldn't bear to see history repeat itself on her new home world. And so, she decided… Superboy had to die !

* * * * *

Legs dangling over the streets twenty floors beneath him, Superboy sat, gazing at the moon. The New York sky was often clogged up by pollution, but not on this night. Only a few clouds and the lights of the city prevented him to see the stars. The moon, on the other hand, it was bright and shiny, illuminating his face of its pale glow.

The clone was wondering what to do with his life now… N.O.W.H.E.R.E. would probably not take kindly to his betrayal, especially not considering the fact that he helped thwart their plans to kill and/or capture the teenagers chatting or sleeping in the facility below. Then again, with the arrival of Supergirl, things might have not turned out for the better… or it could have, since Rose apparently had a contingency ready for such a problem.

« None of that matters ! » He said to himself. « What matters is what to do, now… I don't know anybody beside these… 'teenagers' and the Silver Lad. »

More than not knowing anybody, he simply didn't know what to do with himself. Should he work as a mercenary to make some cash ? He heard the market for super-powered mercenary was booming… He didn't mind the competition either. In fact, he welcomed it ! He couldn't wait to prove himself, to prove that he wasn't just a downgraded version of Superman !

Or, he could choose to become a hero and follow in his genetic donor's footsteps. As soon as the thought crossed his mind, he shook his head in denial. Superboy simply didn't see the point of running around, saving people who probably wouldn't give him anything beyond their gratitude. And sometimes, not even that !

Individually, he knew people were flawed, but as a group, humanity was worse ! A mob waiting for someone to pave the way for them, prepare their food, to entertain them and even die for them. If Superman was happy doing something like this, well… Good for him ! Superboy would rather lead a luxurious life and do only the things he wanted, just like all the other humans did.

« Vigilantes ! » He scoffed and shook his head.

Suddenly, he heard a rush of displaced air in the distance, soon followed by a voice, shouting :

« Kon-El ! »

At first, he was puzzled about the name (because he was pretty that's what it was), before he noticed the expression on the Kryptonian's face. She was… determined and considering she was currently on a direct collision course with him, she probably wanted a fight for some reason. The question now was why ?

A question he wouldn't be able to ask her… As she flew right past his dodging figure, halting a distance away from him in the air. Compared to the speed and power she displayed earlier, Superboy guessed that the blond was still not at a 100%. This might even things out a bit for him. If he wanted a fight, that is…

« What the hell ! Why are you suddenly attacking me ? » He yelled, looking up at her with a frown and a ready stance.

« Because, Kon-El… You need to die ! »

The way she said this, he knew that it wasn't just a name, but some kind of curse. Probably in her native tongue. The clone, however, had no idea what it could mean, nor why the Kryptonian would suddenly fly off the handle and decide that it was okay to kill him. Weren't heroes not supposed to kill ? That's what N.O.W.H.E.R.E. taught him at least… That he would have the advantage over simply because he wasn't limited like they were.

Inwardly shaking his head, Superboy prepared himself for the upcoming fight.