More advance chapters on [email protected]/Saintbarbido.
Jon Kent ends on Chapter 70. Just a few more chapters to go.
(Jon's P.O.V.)
The moment we arrived at STAR Labs, something felt off.
The building stood before us, silent and imposing, its usual vibrant signage now sputtering weakly against the gloomy backdrop of Gotham.
The streets around it were deserted—no guards, no late-night staff, not even the faint buzz of electricity from the exterior lights.
It was as if the place had been abandoned in the blink of an eye.
Supergirl touched down beside me , her cape brushing against the ground as she scanned the area.
Her expression darkened. "Where is everyone?"
Raven emerged from a shadowy portal to my lef, eyes already shimmering with a faint, white glow.
"I swept through the compound, something's disrupting the natural energy here." she softly reported with an edge of unease.
I sharpened my senses even further, heightening my hearing and vision with Ki enhancement. Even then, my eyes only pierced through the first few layers of the building, but beyond that—nothing. Something was actively blocking my X-ray vision, cloaking the interior in an unnatural void.
A mental scan yielded even less. Apart from our own minds, there was no one else around.
A place like this, teeming with some of the world's brightest minds, should have been bustling. This silence was wrong.
I stepped forward and pushed through the entrance, rolling my shoulders. "Keep your guard up."
Raven glided ahead, raising a hand as she extended her awareness, her soul gaze probing the shadows in the silent lobby.
The darkness around us deepened with the tug of the invisible magic woven into the air.
Then she froze.
"It's a trap."
The words had barely left her lips when golden hieroglyphs ignited above the main entrance closing it with a bang.
Ancient symbols swirled in the air, coalescing into a single phrase in a language long forgotten.
Then—
"Reveal."
A surge of energy rippled through the building.
The illusion shattered like glass, and suddenly, the lobby was filled with figures.
A blue-skinned male sorcerer stood at the forefront, holding an artefact I immediately identified as the Amulet of Atum aloft.
It's glow dimmed as the concealment spell fell away, and his eyes locked onto us with a smug grin.
Wotan.
And behind him—his allies.
The Injustice League. Canonically formed to be scapegoats for the Light, now they were here. And that spelled bad news for all involved.
I didn't waste a second and scanned the line-up, cataloging each threat.
Black Adam. His mere presence was enough to make any fight a nightmare. He stood with his arms crossed over a large chest, a golden lightning emblem faintly flashing with blue electricity.
The Joker lounged beside him, casually flipping a knife between his fingers like a street performer. His grin widened when he caught me looking.
Poison Ivy leaned against the counter, her emerald skin illuminated by the glowing vines coiled at her feet.
Ultra-Humanite loomed in the center, his massive Gorilla frame bristling with cybernetic enhancements, his expression cold and calculating.
And then there was Parasyte, his purple body rippled, shifting and contorting like a snake. He must have replaced Atomic Skull. Right then I kinda wished the latter was here. At least I knew his weakness. Parasyte however was an Enigma. The only thing I knew about him were his energy absorption abilities. Easily the worst match up for a Kryptonian.
Lastly, flanking Wotan was Count Vertigo, a stone faced man who was the only one without powers or insane.
Wotan lowered the Amulet, his smirk widening. "Welcome, Superboy. I must commend your predictable bravery. You walked right into our web."
They'd been expecting me specifically. That said a lot.
I took a step forward, body coiled in preparation. "Where are the Stones and every other Star Lab's employee?"
The Joker let out a high-pitched laugh, tossing his knife into the air and catching it with a flourish. "Oh, everyone? Let's see—chewed up by Ivy's plants? Turned into compost? Oh, I know! Maybe they're soup by now! It's about time the carrots and cabbages had their revenge!"
Supergirl's eyes burned with fury. "You're disgusting."
"Enough," I said, stopping her from attacking. "The Stones, are they alive?"
Wotan adjusted the amulet on his chest. "For now. But you see, Victor Stone's fate was sealed the moment you killed Desaad."
A cold weight settled in my gut.
"That's right, boy. We know it was you." Wotan continued, his tone dripping with mockery. "Your little act of defiance brought Darkseid's wrath upon us all. Victor Stone is nothing more than a bargaining chip. Vandal plans to hand him over, and perhaps we can spare this planet from complete annihilation."
I let his words hang in the air for a moment before scoffing.
"You think trading Victor to Apokolips is going to save you?" My voice was calm, but the anger simmering beneath the surface was growing harder to contain. "Darkseid can't be bought, you idiot. He takes. He destroys."
Wotan shrugged. "Perhaps. But that's no longer your concern."
I sent a quick mental message to Raven. "(Find everyone inside. Supergirl and I will handle this.)"
She gave a slight nod before melting into the shadows, disappearing from sight.
The Joker clapped his hands together, his grin stretching wider. "Well, now that the pleasantries are out of the way, how about we have some fun?"
"Gladly." Kara moved first. She shot toward Black Adam, her fists blazing with solar energy—
Only to flop onto the floor mid-flight as a sickly red light flooded the room.
Kryptonite embedded in jewelry, artifacts, and weapons with the Injustice League flared to life.
And all across the lobby, the walls pulsed with red sun radiation panels. They came prepared.
Supergirl groaned, clutching her head as our Kryptonian powers were leached away.
I barely had time to help her before Ultra-Humanite fired an energy blast straight at me.
I threw up my hands, summoning a wall of ice just in time to block the attack.
The explosion shattered my defenses, sending shards flying in every direction.
The floor beneath me melted under green radiation Ki, followed by my flooding the lobby with thick, churning mud. In the commotion, I grabbed Kara and we dropped through a hole to the lower levels.
The underground lab we landed in was bathed in the faint, glow of emergency lights.
Supergirl pushed herself up, wincing. "They thought of everything."
I could already feel the energy-dampening effects. The walls here were lined with red sun emitters too. We could assume the whole building was the same. A blend of magic and technology designed to create the perfect Kryptonian prison.
I reached out with my telepathy, trying to mind fuck our opponents, but hit a wall.
"They're shielding their minds," I muttered, frustration creeping into my voice. "It's that damn amulet."
Supergirl forced herself to her feet. "Then we do this the hard way."
Before we could plan our next move, the roof exploded.
The Joker dropped in from above, his blade aimed straight for my throat.
I caught his wrist mid-air, twisted it, and slammed him into the ground.
He let out a raspy laugh, coughing through the pain. "Ooooh, that's gonna leave a mark."
Then, a thunderclap.
Black Adam descended, his fist colliding with mine in a brutal impact. The floor cratered beneath us as I absorbed the force, redirecting it into my other hand enhanced with light magic.
A blinding blast of light erupted from my palm, slamming Adam backward through concrete walls, that exploded with dust and stone.
Before I could press the attack, a wave of vertigo hit me.
The room tilted.
My stomach churned. My muscles locked up.
Count Vertigo's doing.
I staggered, fighting to regain my balance. Kara was weakened behind me. I had to shield her.
My skin thrummed as Ultra-Humanite seized the opportunity, the glow of his cybernetic cannon charge, piercing down—
And then Supergirl threw herself in front of me.
The blast tore through the lab, hurling us both into the adjacent chamber.
Pain shot through my ribs as I hit the ground first, hands wrapped around Supergirl.
The world spun and then stopped atop a wrecked table with shattered beakers and glass vials.
I looked down as a hand touched my cheek.
Kara whimpered, her face pale, belly skin charred and blackened . "Jon… promise me, if I don't make it—"
I cut her off, my voice firm. "You will."
Placing my hand over her wounds, I channeled Red Ki into her body, repairing the damage.
Her breathing steadied.
But I wasn't done and touched my psionics, forming a shimmering barrier of violet energy around her.
The Joker's cackle echoed from the distance. "Oh, this is just beautiful! I love a good tragic moment."
"There, good as new." I told Supergirl as she sat up, flexing her fingers while the psionic armor I had attached to her, solidified around her body. Dense enough to shield her and light enough to act as a weapon.
She turned to me with a dangerous smirk.
"I know what I have to do now."
Then she shot forward—
And the Joker didn't even have time to scream before she tore through him.
Blood splattered across the walls.
I turned, forming a massive construct of mud, trapping Parasite before he could touch Kara, who hovered above the Joker's remains, watching the blood pooling around with a heavy gaze.
"(He won't be missed.)" I mentally said. "(Focus, this isn't over)"
Her psionic armor flickered as she clenched her fists.
I turned away from the clown's corpse, and instead focused on Parasyte.
The creature writhed, his grotesque purple form shifting as he tried to absorb energy from the mud holding him.
"Nice try," I muttered.
I flooded the construct with green radiation Ki, the energy burning Parasite from the inside out. His body twisted, hardening as he let out a choked, gurgling sound. Within seconds, he stopped moving.
I solidified the mud after covering him whole leaving behind a grotesque statue.
Supergirl landed beside me, her hands still trembling with lingering rage. She glanced at the mess that used to be the Joker, then at the petrified Parasite. "That's two down."
I nodded. "Five to go."
Before I could say more, heavy footsteps echoed from above.
Then, the ceiling exploded.
Black Adam glided in a controlled speed his arms crossed over his chest, his golden boots landing with a heavy thud. Behind him, Count Vertigo and Ultra-Humanite followed, moving out of the way for Wotan to stride in, the Amulet of Atum glowing ominously.
A smoking hole appeared on Ultra-humanite's forehead, caused by a thin light beam that shot off my index finger.
"That was for Auntie." I coldly spoke as the body fell with a thud.
"Well, well," Wotan mused at the dead Gorilla, a golden shield springing around them to protect them from a similar fate. "Vandal Savage was right. You truly are a menace, Superboy."
Black Adam cracked his knuckles. "The boy landed a solid punch earlier. I'll admit, it loosened a tooth." He spat onto the floor. "But I'll rip him apart for that."
I rolled my shoulders, feeling my Ki surge to the surface. The air around me grew warmer as my energy condensed.
I exhaled.
Then I let go.
A rush of red energy enveloped me as my muscles expanded. My frame shifted, stretching unnaturally, my limbs elongating, my fingers ending in sharp claws.
A deep, guttural growl rumbled from my throat as my Ki stabilized.
The transformation was complete.
A werewolf, cloaked in Weasel's Red Ki signature- a direct pull from the Red- stared down the king of Kahndaq, the God's champion with beastial eyes.
Supergirl took a step back, clearly startled by my new form.
I turned my head slightly toward her. "Take down Vertigo and get that amulet," I said, my voice deeper now, laced with something primal. "The psionic armor will protect you from his powers, but don't let him hit you directly."
She hesitated, then nodded sharply.
Then she vanished, leaving behind a shockwave as she rocketed toward Vertigo.
Black Adam grinned. "Your father isn't here to save you, boy."
I bared my fangs. "I don't need him."
Adam charged forward, and I met him head-on.
Our palms collided, the force of the impact cratering the floor beneath us.
For a split second, we were evenly matched, locked in a test of raw strength. The Red gave me access to such animalistic vitality that it almost made up for my Kryptonian powers.
Then Teth-Adam pushed, forcing me to my knees, his sneer widening.
"Pathetic," he spat.
I opened my mouth and unleashed a massive beam of concentrated light energy straight into his face.
Adam jerked his head to the side, barely avoiding a direct hit. But I wasn't done.
The moment he was off balance and neck exposed, I lunged—clamping my jaws around his throat.
Warm divine filled blood filled my mouth, driving my beastial instincts crazy.
His roar of rage shook the building as he pummeled my sides, each blow sending shockwaves through my body.
But I didn't let go.
I sank my fangs deeper, draining his strength, my Ki feeding off the energy in his godly blood.
Adam's punches slowed. His body weakened.
Desperate, he rocketed upward, breaking through multiple floors. We burst through the rooftop, the open air suddenly surrounding us.
Then he screamed.
"SHAZAM!!!"
A pillar of lightning as wide as a building descended, striking us both in a blinding explosion of divine wrath.
Pain erupted across my entire body.
My fur burned. My Ki flickered.
The raw power of the magical storm threatened to tear me apart.
But I didn't let go.
I absorbed the attack, while releasing the Werewolf form.
The lightning energy funneled through my body, rampaging through my Ki pathways only to suddenly flow outward, lacking purchase when I switched Ki signatures at the last minute.
With a final burst of strength and new elasticity, I spun around and threw Black Adam downward.
He slammed onto the roof below us, his body reverting—
Not into a warrior.
But into a frail, old man.
His eyes widened in horror as his own magic abandoned him.
Then, his head slumped.
Unconscious.
I fell down, my rubber like shins rippling as they absorbed the impact.
The glow of the Yellow Ki signature that saved me faded, my body still tingling from the raw force of the lightning bolt I had just endured.
That's when Supergirl and Raven stepped through a shadow portal. They weren't alone either.
Raven's dark bindings crackled around Wotan's struggling form and the Amulet of Atum was crushed in her other hand.
Supergirl was bloodied, her psionic armor flickering but still intact.
She crossed her arms, glancing at Adam's unconscious form. "Huh. You good?"
I exhaled, cracking my back."Rubber."
Raven frowned. "What?"
I smirked. "I copied this ability from an inmate in Belle Reve because it reminded me of this Manga character I like. Turns out, being able to turn into rubber is really useful when you're hit by a divine lightning bolt."
Supergirl blinked, then snorted. "You terrify me sometimes."
I dusted off my shoulders. "Good."
Then I turned my attention to Wotan.
The sorcerer glared at me, his struggles futile against Raven's magic
Stepping closer, I crouched down to his level.
"We're going to play a game, Wotan," I murmured. "It's called 'Tell Me Everything About Where The Light Is Keeping Victor, And Maybe You Won't End Up A Vegetable.'"
His jaw tightened. "I will never—"
I reached into his mind.
Deep.
He screamed.
Raven raised an eyebrow. "You don't do subtle, do you?"
I smirked. "Not today."
Then I focused.
And tore through his mind like paper.