Chapter 4: The First Step into the Abyss

Alex sat in his room, staring at his reflection in the mirror. The dim glow of his bedside lamp cast soft shadows over his face, highlighting the tension in his jaw, the sharpness in his eyes. He looked the same—no sudden growth spurts, no glowing marks, no physical transformation.

But inside, he was different.

He could feel something beneath the surface, coiling like a dormant beast. It was power, an unfamiliar force pressing against his mind, waiting to be called upon. He wasn't just human anymore. He wasn't even Kryptonian.

He was something else.

Something that had no place in this world.

The weight of realization settled in. He had awakened as a Beyonder. And not just any Beyonder—he had access to all 22 pathways, each a different road to godhood, to power beyond imagination.

And power like that always came with consequences.

He took a slow breath, steadying himself. He needed to understand what had happened, what he could do. He needed to test his abilities.

Because if he didn't learn to control this…

It would destroy him.

The First Experiment

Stepping out into the cool night air, Alex moved to the backyard of the Kent farmhouse. The world was quiet, the distant hoots of owls and chirping crickets blending into the stillness. It was almost peaceful—if not for the storm brewing inside him.

He closed his eyes.

Which pathway should I call upon first?

A pull in his mind gave him an answer before he even had to think.

The Seer.

Immediately, his perception shifted. The world around him became… sharper. It wasn't just his sight—his entire awareness expanded. He noticed the subtle shifts in the grass, the way the wind moved unnaturally in certain directions. Patterns emerged where before there was only randomness.

It wasn't like Clark's super senses—he couldn't see microscopic details or hear a whisper from miles away.

No.

This was something deeper.

It was like he could see meaning in things that shouldn't have meaning. The way a blade of grass bent under the wind meant something. The way an owl turned its head at a specific moment meant something.

He didn't fully understand it, but it was there.

An instinct. A knowing.

And then, as he focused, something else happened.

A vision flickered before his eyes.

He saw himself standing in the very same backyard… but in the vision, he turned his head to the left at a precise moment.

Alex followed the vision's guidance, turning his head left.

And then—a leaf that had been falling from a tree missed his face by an inch.

His heartbeat quickened.

He had seen that moment before it happened. It was a fraction of a second, barely anything, but the implications were staggering.

This wasn't just enhanced perception. It was foresight.

Testing Another Pathway

Shaken but excited, Alex focused on another pathway.

The Hunter.

A cold clarity spread through his body. His breathing slowed, his heart rate steadying as an instinctive calm settled over him.

Suddenly, he heard everything.

The rustling of a mouse moving through the fields. The faint heartbeat of his parents inside the house. The shifting of an insect's wings against a tree.

He felt... predatory.

Every movement had meaning, every sound carried information. His muscles tensed, ready to move at a moment's notice. He was no longer just a human standing in his backyard—he was a hunter, aware of every detail in his surroundings.

And with that awareness came control.

Without thinking, he crouched low, pressing his hand against the dirt. He wasn't sure how he knew, but his body responded automatically. If something were to attack him right now, he knew exactly how to react.

This wasn't just a physical enhancement. It was instinct. Mastery.

If he continued down this path…

He wouldn't need super strength to be deadly.

He would be unstoppable in his own way.

The First Challenge

His hands clenched into fists as realization set in. He had barely scratched the surface of what he could do.

And already, it was terrifying.

The Justice League could never find out.

Not Clark. Not Batman. Not anyone.

If they knew what he had become, they would see him as a threat. Someone to monitor, to study, maybe even to eliminate if they thought he was too dangerous.

He couldn't let that happen.

But he also couldn't just ignore this power. He needed to act. To advance.

That meant taking risks.

That meant walking the fine line between hero and villain.

His mind raced as he considered his options.

If he played this right, he could manipulate everything from the shadows. He could create identities, personas that operated in different roles, ensuring no one ever connected the dots back to Alexander Kent.

He needed a plan.

And the first step was learning how to advance in his pathways.

His abilities had come with knowledge—fragments of understanding whispered into his mind the moment he awakened. And among that knowledge was the key to growing stronger:

Act according to the pathway.

He didn't need elaborate rituals. He didn't need external forces.

He just had to play the role.

And with 22 pathways at his disposal, that meant he could become anyone.

The Birth of a Mask

The idea formed in his mind, solidifying with each passing second.

If he wanted to experiment with his power, he couldn't do it as Alexander Kent.

That name was too closely tied to Clark. Too vulnerable.

But a new name? A new face?

That was different.

He would craft multiple identities. Some as heroes. Some as villains. Some as ghosts that existed only in rumors.

And no one—not even Batman—would ever know they were the same person.

His lips curled into a small smile.

This was how he would survive.

Not by overpowering Superman.

Not by fighting the Justice League head-on.

But by becoming something they could never predict.

A shadow in the dark. A whisper in the chaos. A force that pulled the strings of the world from behind the scenes.

They would chase ghosts.

They would hunt phantoms.

And by the time they realized what was happening…

It would already be too late.

The Path Forward

Alex exhaled slowly, his heartbeat steady.

Tonight had proven something important—his power was real. It was limitless.

But he had a long way to go.

This wasn't just about gaining strength.

It was about mastering it.

He needed to understand every pathway, every ability, every secret hidden within the power he had inherited. And that meant patience. Planning.

He wouldn't rush into this recklessly.

He would learn. He would prepare.

And when the time was right…

The world would know his name.

Not as Alexander Kent.

But as the unseen force pulling the strings of both heroes and villains alike.

And not even the Justice League would see it coming.

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Ok guys I need Ideas for Major arcs/Minor arcs like which Villian should he face up and other things. So anyone got any ideas? Just give me the Outline I can work in the detail also if you could be more specific in the outline it would be very much appreciated. Thank you bye bye.