Chapter 50: Too Much Power.

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

Check out the Marvel Fanfic snippet below this chapter. If you like it, the first 6 chapters are free on P@treon.

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(Jon's P.O.V)

Flying for Connor was not necessarily easy. Even with the intuitive knowledge of my Ki Signature.

For starters he underestimated his increased strength and left a hole on the base's roof, after I'd told him to take a 'gentle' leap.

Waving away the dust, M'gann and I watched his form growing smaller in the sky.

"I'm not explaining this mess to Batman." I told her.

"He's just...excited. I think." M'gann responded with a tight smile on her face.

I snorted. "Yeah...no. Don't worry, I'll give him a stern talking to."

I bade M'gann goodbye and flew after my brother, who had forgotten he was still a flying novice, and was fast dropping towards the lake near the base.

"A little too eager there bud. You didn't even say goodbye to M'gann."

I said swooping in and grabbing his hand.

"Oh no."

Connor looked back worried.

"Don't worry, I promised her I'd make you pay for the negligence! At that, I spun him around a few times and let him go, chuckling at his screams as he cut through the clouds, limbs flailing.

I caught up to him in a second.

"First lesson of flying Kon. Adjust your form."

"How?!" He yelled spinning out of control.

"Feel the field of electricity surrounding your body and call it out." I answered, flying around his form with my Bio-electric aura shimmering with sparks of blue and gold.

To his benefit, he didn't ask more questions and focused. Slowly, flickers of his bio-aura manifested, seconds before he could slam onto the side of a snowy mountain side.

He pulled up higher into the sky, a trail of red and black following behind him.

Connor stopped to a float beside me with a look of disbelief at his suspended form.

"J- Jon...I- I'm flying. I can fly." He murmured.

Patting him on the back, I swept to his front. "Let's race. Last one home is on dish duty."

"Hey-hold on..." He reached out but I was already waving.

"Bye."

Boom! I blasted off, leaving him in the clouds.

-0-

Dinner at the Kent household was rarely quiet, but tonight had an extra energy to it.

Connor sat across from me, his shoulders a little straighter than usual, gearing up for something big.

The lasagna in the middle of the table was still steaming, the scent of garlic bread mixing with it, but Connor had barely touched his plate.

"So, uh… Ma, Pa, M'gann and I are officially dating." he said, his voice steady, though the slight flush in his cheeks gave him away.

"Ugh. Finally." Kara breathed out from my side.

Huh. personally I'd thought he was going to tell them about his Kryptonian powers kicking in. But this was even better.

Mom's reaction was instant. Her eyes lit up, and she clapped her hands together. "Oh, Connor! That's wonderful! I'm so happy for you two." She turned to Dad, expecting him to join in the celebration.

But Dad… wasn't smiling.

He sat at the head of the table, his fork idly pushing around a piece of lasagna, looking like he was somewhere else entirely. The usual warmth in his expression was absent, replaced with a distant, almost troubled look.

I frowned. "Dad, you okay? You don't seem too thrilled about Connor's news."

Dad blinked like I had just pulled him out of some deep thought. He forced a smile, but even Connor could tell it was just that—forced. "Of course I'm happy for you, Connor. It's just… been a long day."

That was a lie.

I could feel it, pressing at the edges of my awareness. Something was off. Before I could stop myself, I gently reached out with my telepathy, brushing against Dad's mind.

The moment I did, his eyes snapped to mine, sharp with warning. Shit.

"Jon," he said, his voice quiet but firm. "You know better than to use your powers to invade someone's privacy. We don't do that. Ever."

I winced, pulling back immediately. Looks like I still had a long way to go. "Sorry, Dad. I just… I wanted to know what was wrong."

Mom, who had been watching the exchange with a growing frown, set her fork down. "Clark, what aren't you telling us?"

Dad exhaled, running a hand through his hair. He glanced at Mom, then at Connor, Kara and me, clearly weighing his options before deciding to just come out with it. "The Guardians of Oa contacted the League. They've asked for our help with an intergalactic crisis."

My stomach clenched. No. Don't tell me, "Apokolips?"

Dad nodded grimly, not even surprised at how I knew about the Fourth World. "An evil God called Darkseid is making a move against the entire Universe. The Guardians are urging us to intervene."

I barely registered Mom stiffening beside me until she abruptly pushed her chair back and stood.

"You're leaving again, aren't you? To fight an Alien God of all things." Her voice was tight, controlled—but I could hear the hurt beneath it.

Dad hesitated, clearly choosing his words carefully. "I don't have a choice, Lois. If Apokolips isn't stopped, it won't just be the Galaxy at risk. Soon he will arrive on Earth."

Mom scoffed. "Of course. The galaxy." She turned on her heel and walked out of the room, her footsteps sharp against the hardwood floor. "Goodnight, kids." she called over her shoulder before disappearing upstairs.

The silence that followed was heavy.

I looked down at my plate, suddenly not hungry anymore. "Dad, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to—"

He sighed, rubbing his temple. "It's fine, Jon. She was going to find out eventually."

I nodded, though I still felt guilty. Superman had enough on his plate without me prying into his thoughts.

Dinner wasn't quite the same after that.

-0-

Later that night, I hovered above the farm, arms crossed as I stared up at the sky. The stars stretched infinitely above me, cold and distant.

Apokolips.

Even the name felt heavy.

My instincts had been right. The war had already started, but no matter how much power I'd gained, I didn't feel ready.

I needed to maximize my strength. My eyes fell to the pendant hanging from my neck. I hadn't spoken to Grandpa since the incident, but if there was anyone that could help me train and prepare, it was him.

A familiar presence approached from behind, her arrival silent to anyone else—but I could sense her the moment she left the ground.

"You've changed," Kara said, stopping beside me in midair. "You've grown so much stronger."

I turned to her, offering a small smile. "Thanks. But it's still not enough."

Kara raised an eyebrow. "Not enough? Jon, you just wiped the floor with two powerful Androids earlier today, like it was nothing. If that's not enough, I don't know what is."

I exhaled slowly. "Apokolips is different, Kara. This isn't just some villain with a doomsday device. It's a war. And I need to be ready for it."

Kara studied me for a long moment before nodding. "Then train with me."

I blinked. "Huh?"

"I want a rematch." Her expression was serious. "No holding back this time."

I considered it for a moment, then sighed. "Alright."

Before she could move, I let my full Kryptonian aura flare to life.

Golden light with blue sparks radiated off me, crackling in the air around us like a storm barely restrained.

The sheer weight of my presence caused the wind to ripple outward, shaking the trees below. And this was without my Magic, Ki or Psionics.

Kara instinctively took a step back, eyes wide. She clenched her fists, but I could tell—she knew.

She wasn't ready. In fact, I'd covered the gap between us and far outstripped her.

She let out a slow breath and shook her head. "Okay. Maybe not tonight."

I smirked. "Maybe not."

I let my aura fade, mind racing with plans, strategies and the realization that while one battle is won, the Fight is never over.

-0-

The next day, we arrived at Yellowstone Park right on the schedule. I'd given the Androids' creator exactly 24 hours and not a second more.

"Coming up on location." Robin announced through the comms.

Ahead of us, at the center of the forest was a mountain, whose coordinates Robin had acquired from the captured Android's data signal.

T.O. Morrow had chosen the most catastrophic way possible to make a comeback—by trying to awaken the active volcano beneath Yellowstone park, which would pretty much end the world.

Aqualad was going over the plan inside the Bio-ship flying to my left, when the base doors concealed on the Mountain side, exploded open, and an army of androids came pouring out.

Hundreds of Red Torpedos and Red Infernos. And from my meta-knowledge, a few Red Volcano models.

Morrow didn't disappoint. Maybe this would be a worthy challenge to see what I could really do.

I didn't even hesitate.

"I'm moving ahead," I said, taking off before Aqualad could finish his sentence.

Supergirl and Powerboy followed me, leaving the Bio-ship with the rest of the team behind. But by the time they caught up, it was already over.

Spinning like a drill while covered in a Psionic aura, I ripped through the androids with thorny -Psionic(telekinetic) whips like they were made of paper, my body moving freer than I could have imagined.

Heat vision enhanced with Radiation Ki produced a humming bright purple blazing beam that reduced dozens of Torpedoes to molten slag.

A sea of fire rose off the ground, taller than any recorded ocean wave- a joint attack from the Infernos.

I pulled my hands apart and slapped the palms together, unleashing a concussive air blast that parted and dispersed the fire and scattered the Androids formation.

But more replaced the fallen ones. Abandoning long rage attacks and approaching my floating form.

I switched Ki Signatures to Clayface's and mud clones with half my power dripped off my soles to meet the Androids, giving me time to focus on the sky.

The thermal energy from the dispersed attack had risen to the air and formed heavy clouds and within seconds, it started raining heavily.

Not a single rain drop hit the ground as I used one of my Elemental Psionic Models- Water Manipulation to coalesce it all into a large sphere about a football field wide.

"What the fuck is that Jon?!" Artemis yelled in my ear. I guess the others were to stunned to say anything.

"The fruits of my labor." I answered, dropping the sphere down on the rest of the Torpedo and Inferno androids.

The tsunami of water washed through my mud clones and the androids metallic forms, infiltrating their chasis and flying them from the inside.

Only the Red Volcanoes were left, having stayed close to the base to stop entry.

I landed on the ground amidst sparking robots and the Volcanoes moved enmasse to meet me.

My Ki changed from brown to a mix of black and red. The Bride's inexhaustible Stamina and Weasel's Beastial insticts.

In a blur, I dodged blazing hot lava attacks while my fists shattered metal chest frames with every punch, clawed fingers tore off bulky heads and kicks split apart expensive machinery.

And when I was done with the last Red Volcano, freeze breath locked the remains in place before I crushed them like glass.

The whole battle lasted less than ten minutes, leaving me staring at the battlefield— surrounded by the wreckage.

"Oh," Wally muttered in my earpiece. "Cool. Jon just took out everything so...what do 'we' do now?"

Aqualad's voice sounded tires "We put out the fires..."

"...While I bring us the bad guy. Good plan as always Kaldur." I concluded, guessing at his decision even without reading his mind.

I entered the base and a minute later, returned with a sickly-looking T.O. Morrow slumped over my shoulder. And his janitor—who was actually his assistant— held aloft in a Psionic shroud, looking terrified.

"I'm back and I bring gifts." I announced, setting Morrow down."Can you believe he created an Android replica of himself? Took about egotistical. Anyway, mission accomplished."

But instead of the usual celebration, there was only silence.

-0-

Back at the base, after Batman had left following the debriefing and Tornado's expression of gratitude for us dealing with Morrow, I could feel the tension before anyone even spoke.

I frowned. "Alright. What's wrong?"

Aqualad cleared his throat, his expression serious. "Jon, we need to talk. About your new power."

I crossed my arms, killing the urge to read their minds. "What about it?"

Kid Flash let out a sigh. "Dude, it's like you don't need us anymore."

"That's not true." I immediately shot it down.

Miss Martian shook her head. "It's not that we're ungrateful or unhappy, Jon. It's just… yesterday and now today, made us feel useless."

Artemis gestured toward me. "Your heat vision is better than my arrows, dude. Your 'strength' is greater than Supergirl's. You can apparently read minds, you can take down a whole army in record time and also grant powers? What's left for us to do?"

I...I was caught off guard by their frustration. This was my team. My friends. I knew better than to think they were jealous, but I was also confused.

Robin held up his hands. "Hold on—Jon being powerful isn't bad. It means we can save more people. We just need to figure out a new balance."

Aqualad shook his head. "Jon's power overshadows everything we do. And to expect him to hold back with the purpose of sparing our feelings would be unfair and selfish of us."

I listened at the argument and soon realized… they were absolutely right. It was dumb of me to blatantly take the spotlight like that. Even if it was to test out my new powers, it came off as inconsiderate.

I sighed, rubbing the back of my neck. "You're right. I didn't think about how this affected you all. And I'm sorry."

They blinked in surprise at my immediate acceptance.

"But that's why I have a suggestion," I continued.

The room quieted.

"I'm forming my own team."

Dead silence.

Then—

"WHAT?!"

Chaos erupted. Voices overlapped as the team tried to process what I had just said.

But I had made up my mind.

For them.

For myself.

For the battles ahead. This was the way.

-0-

THE SNIPPET BELOW IS NOT PART OF JON KENT.

Infinite Shadow Clones Mastery!

Chapter 1: The Sigh Heard 'Round the World.

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Wrote this for a friend of mine who's into comedy.

The chapters are fast paced and the story is more for humor than anything.

If you like the first chapter check out the rest on my P@treon for free.

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Ray was having a perfectly mediocre day. The kind of day where the highlight was deciding whether to eat the last bag of chips now or save it for later. He was sprawled on his couch, engrossed in the latest episode of Amor en Llamas (Love in Flames), a telenovela so dramatic it made hurricanes look like light drizzles. The protagonist, Rosalinda, had just discovered her long-lost twin brother was also her fiancé's secret lover, and Ray was invested.

But then, as if the universe had a personal vendetta against him, a massive cloud—yes, a cloud—decided to drop by. Not just any cloud, mind you. A sentient, house-crushing cloud. One moment, Ray was yelling at Rosalinda to stop forgiving her fiancé for the 47th time, and the next, his house was pancaked.

When Ray opened his eyes, he wasn't in his living room anymore. Instead, he was standing in what looked like a very well-lit waiting room. The walls were pearly white, and the faint sound of harp music played in the background. A man in a flowing robe sat behind a desk, scrolling through what appeared to be a celestial iPad.

"Uh… hello?" Ray said, squinting at the man.

The man looked up, his expression a mix of exasperation and guilt. "Ah, Ray. Welcome. I'm God."

Ray blinked. "God? Like, the God?"

"Yes, the one and only. Listen, I owe you an apology. You see, my daughter just got married to my arch-nemesis, and I… well, I sighed a little too hard. Long story short, your house got crushed. My bad."

Ray stared at him, his brain struggling to process this information. "You sighed me to death?!"

God winced. "Technically, yes. But hey, I'm making it up to you! I'm sending you to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. You know, Earth-199999? Superheroes, aliens, that whole thing."

Ray's jaw dropped. "The MCU? Are you kidding me? That place is a death trap! I don't even have powers!"

God sighed again (Ray flinched) and waved his hand. A letter materialized in Ray's hands. "Here. Read this. And stop complaining. You're annoying."

Before Ray could retort, he was yanked out of the waiting room and dropped into what looked like a slightly nicer version of his old apartment. The letter in his hand read:

*Dear Ray,

I've given you a random ability from one of the many fictional worlds you've watched. Enjoy.

P.S. Stop whining. It's unbecoming.*

Ray groaned. "A random ability? What am I supposed to do with that?"

Suddenly, information flooded his mind. He could create Shadow Clones. From Naruto.

"Shadow Clones?!" Ray yelled at the ceiling. "What am I, a ninja? I just wanted to finish my telenovela!"

He flopped onto his new couch, grumbling. The TV was already set up, and Amor en Llamas was miraculously streaming. Ray decided to ignore his new "power" and focus on what really mattered: Rosalinda's inevitable reconciliation with her fiancé.

But then, halfway through the episode, Ray realized he was thirsty. The fridge was all the way in the kitchen, and he was way too comfortable to move. That's when it hit him.

"Wait a minute… Shadow Clones…"

He sat up, performed the hand seals he'd somehow memorized, and muttered, "Shadow Clone Technique!"

A puff of smoke later, and there stood a perfect copy of Ray. The clone looked at him, expressionless, and waited for instructions.

"Uh… get me a soda," Ray said, half-expecting the clone to tell him to get it himself. But the clone just nodded and walked to the kitchen.

Ray watched in awe as the clone returned with a cold can of soda. "Huh. This might not be so bad."

Over the next week, Ray discovered that God had made some… adjustments to the Shadow Clone Technique. For one, he could create as many clones as he wanted. No chakra limits, no pain when they dissolved, and best of all, the clones didn't talk back. They were like silent, obedient robots.

Ray quickly put them to work. One clone cleaned the apartment, another did the laundry, and a third cooked dinner. Meanwhile, Ray binge-watched telenovelas, occasionally creating a clone to fetch snacks or adjust the thermostat.

By the end of the week, Ray had fully embraced his new life. Sure, he was in the MCU, a world teeming with villains and world-ending threats, but as long as he had his clones and his telenovelas, he was content.

"You know," Ray said to no one in particular, "this might actually be the best thing that's ever happened to me."

And then, as if on cue, the TV cut to a breaking news alert: "Aliens invade New York City!"

Ray groaned. "Never mind. I take it back."

He created another clone. "You. Go deal with that."

The clone stared at him, unimpressed.

"Fine," Ray muttered. "I'll go myself. But if I die again, I'm giving God a very strongly worded letter."

And with that, Ray—and his army of silent, soda-fetching clones—ventured into the chaos of the MCU.