After initial testing, the Avengers realized that Brian possessed extraordinary reaction time, stamina, and enhanced senses. He could now lift tens of tons and showed signs of continuing to grow even stronger.
Moreover, Brian had something many Avengers lacked: the ability to fly. His flying speed wasn't slow either, with the potential for further improvement. Clearly, Brian's potential was considerable.
Jarvis, after assisting with Brian's assessment, concluded that once Brian fully mastered his abilities, his strength would rival that of Bruce Banner's Hulk form, and his speed wouldn't be slower than Barry Allen's current level.
"How does an all-around superhuman make my speed his passive ability?" Barry Allen quipped after learning about Brian's abilities. Feeling the pressure, he continued researching ways to push his speed further.
Since no other path seemed suitable for him, and he couldn't develop other supernatural powers, Barry decided to take his speed to the extreme, hoping to unlock new abilities in that realm.
Barry refused to believe that once he reached the pinnacle of speed, he would still be useless in dealing with tricky supernatural events as he had been so far.
The news of Brian's abilities not only motivated Barry Allen but also spurred the other Avengers. They felt even more pressure, especially after learning that while Peggy Carter's powers were more specialized than Brian's, they were even stronger.
However, the departing Avengers didn't realize that Brian's abilities went beyond super strength and flight. He also had a form of energy inside him—not telekinesis, nor the energy that drives Peggy Carter's powers, but pure output energy.
This meant that once Brian learned to control this energy, he could unleash it to directly attack his enemies.
This was the simplest and most efficient form of energy output and the easiest to master. If the Avengers had known about Captain Marvel, Carol Danvers, they would have realized that Brian wasn't just a "Superman-type" hero; he was more like Captain Marvel.
He had strength, durability, flight, and the ability to release energy, making him a formidable and well-rounded combat-oriented superhuman.
The reason Brian wasn't considered a "Robert-type" superhuman was that Robert had more diverse powers and abilities. Neither Brian nor Captain Marvel had quite the same range of capabilities as Robert.
Now, realizing that he could fly and had immense strength, Brian grew increasingly excited. As he experienced the joy of developing his powers, his interests began to shift. After all, a child's interests change quickly, and superpowers were far more exciting than soccer.
Brian: Soccer? Sorry, not my thing anymore!
As Brian grew more familiar with his abilities, he also understood that continuing to play soccer would be difficult. With his current level of control, even the most durable soccer ball wouldn't survive his kicks.
Moreover, if Brian ever did return to the soccer field, how much would he have to suppress his strength to play like a regular person? If a conflict arose, could Brian really hold back his power? One wrong kick and he might send someone flying into the goal—literally.
As time passed and Brian gained more control over his powers, he stopped mentioning soccer entirely. He was more eager for a real fight to test his skills, hoping to become something even greater than a soccer star: a superhero!
The Avengers' internal developments were heading in a positive direction. With the addition of Brian and Peggy Carter, the team's combat strength increased. If Robert could further enhance his abilities through studying the Reality Stone, dealing with future supernatural events would become much easier for the Avengers.
But outside the Avengers, things weren't looking so optimistic. As previously mentioned, the dark event had caused countless casualties, and many people had become disillusioned with superheroes.
One vocal detractor could outmatch a crowd of indifferent onlookers or casual fans. Despite the Avengers' efforts in public relations and their attempts to manage public perception, their reputation had still taken a hit.
The most direct consequences of the Avengers' declining reputation were twofold: Stark Industries' stock price had dropped, and even Peter Parker, once a beloved "friendly neighborhood Spider-Man" in New York, had begun to face public scorn.
Still, despite the external pressure, the Avengers' morale remained steady. They just needed to keep doing what was right.
Peter Parker even had time to joke with Harry Osborn, saying it was a good thing the Osborn Group hadn't publicly partnered with the Avengers, or else their stock price would be tanking just like Stark Industries'.
At this point, the Avengers remained optimistic. What they didn't know was that although the darkness looming over Earth had been dispelled, the darkness within people's hearts had never gone away. Human hearts and hidden schemes were the true dangers, far more terrifying than any supernatural event.
"Hm? Someone sent me a message?" In the underground base of a bustling skyscraper, a bald man frowned as he looked at the message on his computer.
"What? Someone else knows Superman's identity? How did they find out? And they even discovered that tailed monster too?" The bald man furrowed his brows deeper, his expression turning grim as he read the message.
Few people in the world knew the true identities of Robert and Clark. This bald man was one of them, having followed Robert and Clark closely from the shadows for a long time without revealing himself.
This bald man was Lex Luthor, a top-tier capitalist in America. When the secret organization was first formed, Lex had been involved, even being the one to provide the Kryptonian genetic remnants. That bald man who handed over the Kryptonian DNA? That was Lex Luthor.
However, this wasn't Lex's real trump card. His ability to provide Kryptonian genetic material proved he had possession of a Kryptonian corpse—the very Kryptonian who had vanished during a previous battle, now in Lex's hands.
Lex Luthor was undeniably a genius, on par with Tony Stark in terms of intelligence. Though he hadn't developed a suit of armor, his vast wealth and intellect had allowed him to create his own specialized technological equipment.
And clearly, Lex harbored animosity toward both Clark and Robert. As a staunch human supremacist, Lex viewed these two aliens as the greatest threats to Earth, far more dangerous than any supernatural event.
In Lex Luthor's mind, Clark and Robert's very existence stifled human potential. Without Superman, humanity would have risen to each new supernatural challenge and grown stronger. Instead, the world had come to rely on Clark.
If humanity had been allowed to evolve, far fewer people would have died during the dark event. Many would have been able to save themselves, even without Clark's intervention.
Of course, this was only one of Lex's reasons for opposing Clark and Robert. Another reason, which Lex was reluctant to admit, was jealousy. Clark was just too perfect, more like a god than an alien, and Lex couldn't stand that.
"Only the people involved in the creation of the new organization have this contact information. So someone among them knows Superman and the Saiyan's identities but didn't think they could handle them, so they reached out to me?" Lex pondered as he stared at the message, calculating his next move.
"Or maybe they didn't want to be the one to act, since exposing their identities would be too dangerous. If those two flipped the table, the whole world could be doomed."
"But if they won't act, why should I? To take them down, I need a flawless plan. I can't show my hand until everything is ready. If I expose myself too early, especially with that fire-phobic Martian hanging around the Avengers, I'd be putting myself at too much risk."
"Besides, my experiments aren't perfected yet. The data extracted from the damaged Kryptonian ship isn't enough. I need more time to… kill a god!"
Silence fell over the underground base once more. Of course, Lex had equipped his hideout with lead shielding, preventing Clark from seeing inside. Clark had no idea that Lex was plotting against him and Robert.
At the same time, Clark had more pressing matters to deal with. Despite the passage of time, he noticed that the "Heavenly Sacrifice" wasn't properly helping his followers.
The Heavenly Sacrifice, a new god, was following the same path as the old gods, exploiting fear, disaster, and blessings to extract belief from his followers. His methods were even worse than those of Wakanda's Panther God, Bast.
What infuriated Clark most was that the Heavenly Sacrifice wasn't just extracting faith; he was actively causing harm. Some of his followers were dying in so-called "natural disasters," instilling fear in the survivors. This was something Clark couldn't tolerate.
These people had already suffered enough during the dark event. Now, the Heavenly Sacrifice was doubling down, causing people to die in various calamities just to strengthen his control over their faith. This was beyond Clark's limits.
If such a being could become a god, then Clark believed that no gods should exist in this world!
With a "whoosh," Clark vanished from his previous location and reappeared where the Heavenly Sacrifice had blocked him before.
The Heavenly Sacrifice wasn't far behind, intercepting Clark once again. This time, however, he regarded Clark with even more contempt.
It wasn't just because Clark had backed off in their previous confrontation. The Heavenly Sacrifice had grown stronger by harvesting faith, further boosting his power.
In his mind, if he could suppress Clark before, how could he possibly fail now?
Seeing Clark once again attempting to breach his domain, the Heavenly Sacrifice grew excited. Divine power surged through him as he projected images of himself and Clark across the area he controlled.
Clark's name as Superman was far more famous than the Heavenly Sacrifice's. If more people witnessed him subduing Clark, countless individuals would flock to him as believers, further strengthening his divine power. He even believed he might become
the Earth's one true god!
"A miracle! It's a miracle!"
"God! Our god is battling a heretic!"
"That's not a heretic—that's Superman!"
"Superman or not, in the presence of God, anyone is a heretic!"
Many of the faithful who saw the scene dropped to their knees, chanting, which further fueled the Heavenly Sacrifice's divine power.
"Buzz!"
"Boom!"
The Heavenly Sacrifice smiled confidently as his divine power swirled around him. In an instant, he changed the weather, filling the sky with dark clouds and whipping up fierce winds.
"A god!"
"A mighty god!"
"The one and only god!"
With the dramatic weather shift, the followers became even more fervent, increasing the power radiating from the Heavenly Sacrifice. His confidence grew, knowing that displaying his power before the masses was the best way to establish himself as a god.
With a crack of thunder, lightning shot down from the clouds, striking Clark. This wasn't ordinary lightning but a manifestation of the Heavenly Sacrifice's divine power, and its destructive force was immense.
"Hm?!"
To the Heavenly Sacrifice's surprise, Clark, whom he had expected to be overwhelmed, stood unharmed by the strike. Not a single scratch marred his body, and even his Superman suit and cape remained intact.
_________________________
[Check out my Patreon for +200 additional chapters in all my fanfics! $5 for all!!]
[w w w . p a t r e o n .com / INNIT]
[+50 PowerStones = +1 Chapter] [+5 Reviews = +1 Chapter]