DC
Marvel
Chapter 1
*** Now ***
The mind a wonderful thing, it could adapt to a great numbers of thing. Take for instance, the memories and experience of another life down to the minute details. Ordinarily, if a strong memories was introduced to the mind, it would likely overwrite the old mind. However, what happens when the strong memories is met with an indomitable living personality? Both would surely struggle for supremacy to dominate other surely? In such a case, when two such will clashes the end result is usually a vegetative state because of the stress on said mind. However because this mind in particular was Kryptonian in nature, it was afforded a bit more flexibility.
First thing first, it compromised with the two personalities, the memories of one of the greatest heroes of his time, and the aspiring strong willed young man who was born weak from the moment he drew his first breath. It meshed the two personality.
The man with a strong body who rarely known weakness was introduce to a life of what it could have been like for him. The pain, the bruises, the scraps, the colds, the fevers. He lived it all. The friends that me made, the will of his other self to life on despite all the obstacle thrown his way, and yet at the core, he found something his younger self had in common with him. Unconditional love for his family.
For the weak bodied one, he acquired a taste of what he could only describe as godhood. Soaring above the skys unhindered. Bullets bouncing of his body, super human strength, battling villains that he did not recognized and earning the respect of his peers. He lived it all. However, he was able to find something that he had in common with his older self. Unconditional love for his family.
With the common bond found, the mind slowly weaved the two minds together, using both of their belief in justice as the foundation of the new personality. And while it was doing that, long dormant Kryptonian genes shrug off the last curse from Mistress Death and flooded his body with the solar radiation it so richly craved.
What emerge would not be a take over but a blend of the two.
++++
"Ughh..." Clark groaned as he pushed his way out of the completely wrecked Ford truck. Technically he was injured, he knew that, but thanks to his Kryptonian physiology he was already beginning to heal.
"Better late than never..."
Clark was still getting reoriented to his new... perspective. He was Superman, on another Earth. Where he was at was clearly not Earth -2 or 3 or any of the other fifty two universes. No this was someplace completely different.
"Oh my gosh! Are you alright?"
Snapping his head to the voice he saw it was a female his age. She was shorter than him, with brunette hair dressed in white pants and a matching jacket. Looking passed her he saw a car on the road with another girl nearby. The car was running and Clark could understand why, it was for their safety. Looking back at the girl Clark pushed up his glass out of reflex and found that it was not there, looking back at the car he can saw it's broken remain on the dashboard.
"Ummm... you need an ambulance or something?" the girl asked against.
Clark chuckled and smiled at her. "No thank you, you know what they say, any accident you can walk away is a good one."
He could see the girl was confused at her words but he had already decided on a course of action. He needed to get back to his apartment in New York. He couldn't go to his parents looking like this, not in the neighborhood they were at, secondly, he probably need to get rid of his car and report it as stolen. Luckily he had full coverage.
Going over to the vehicle, Clark grabbed it and found that he could lift it up easily. Concentrating he pushed the doors back in place and began to weld it with his heat vision. He found out he had to stop not to long afterward as his eyesballs were feeling a bit hot. He hadn't had such a sensation since the day he gain it back on his Earth.
"Oh my god, you're a mutant!" the girl exclaim pointing at him.
Clark had to break a smile at that, he might just qualified as a mutant since he was birthed by Jane Kent. He remember the blood work that was taken, and the hospital's stays, yet, somehow he retained his Kryptonian physiology. After the girl proclamation he hear the girl footfall toward her car, a shutting noise later and the car as sped off.
After getting what little paperwork and his lap top out of the car, he stood a bit away and continuously fire his heat vision at the car. A moment later it exploded.
It took Clark an additional thirty minutes with several breaks in between to melt all of the parts that flew off in the explosion. Now that it was done, Clark shot straight up in the air -lap top in hand, and flew back toward his apartment complex. His flight control was not as great as it once was probably because his body was still trying to adjust to his body. It was kind of like a drunken flying but eventually he made it back to his apartment with a soft thud on it's rooftop.
Making his way back he made his way down to his apartment and entered it noting the stark difference in what he had back in Metropolis and here in New York. Suddenly a wave of fatigue struck him and he decided that even Superman needed rest. Not even bothering to go to his bed he crashed heavily on his couch and drifted off into dreamland.
+++ Next Day+++
Clark awoke to the Star War theme ringing from his phone. He knew who it was, and immediately picked it up. Out of reflex he reach for his glasses only to remember it had been damage in the accident. That was when he noticed that he could see clearly even without the glasses.
"Hey mom," Clark greeted as he picked himself up and began to look for clothes that wasn't damage or bloody from last night accident.
"Clark? Oh thank god," Jane Kent sounded relieved. Clark grimaced at her over protective nature still to this day and age but he really wouldn't have it any other way. "You said you were leaving last night to make it here by morning. How far are you?"
"Oh, uh...," Clark was taking off his shirt until he did a double take when he walk pass his bedroom mirror. His body was no longer the scrawny form it was in. Despite having been born weak, he grew tall and lanky and had done his best to try and get muscle on his frame. However the best he could ever achieve was skinny and a flat stomach. Now however looking at his form in the mirror he could not help but pose and flex a bit at his new body.
"Clark? Is something wrong?" His mom asked once more over the phone, her tone getting more and more concern.
For a moment Clark wanted to tell his mom everything and about what happened, but unlike Martha and Jonathan Kent who found him in a field, this was someone who had cuddled him from day one. If she knew she might fight him on what he wanted to do. Beside it wasn't like this was the first time he fibbed to his mother. He'll tell her later when he think she was more prepared for it.
"Ummm," Clark shift the phone over to his other ear as he began to select a new pair of jeans and T-shirt. "My car was stolen mom, I woke up and it was gone, I've been on the phone with the police."
"Are you okay?!" Jane immediately asked.
Clark had to grimace a bit at the shift in her tone. "I'm fine, I was asleep when they took it."
"Oh thank God," Jane said fervently. "Should we come and get you?"
"No need, I'm going to hitch a ride with a friend," Clark said as he put on his regular T-shirt and found that it was more of a snug fit. "I'll be there by tomorrow."
"Oh okay," Jane replied with evident relief. "If you need anything call use please. We haven't seen you in almost a year now!"
For once Clark thank his lucky stars that his undergrad internship at his college had kept him away from home. Now with his change in physique he'll have to prepare his mom.
"Well, you'd probably wouldn't recognize me anymore anyway," Clark began with a small smile. "I been working out a lot with some friends and put on a bit of muscles."
"Oh really now?" Jane amused tone came from the other line. "Would this be like all of those other endeavors young man?"
Clark once more look at his new physique in the mirror and had to say he look different, but not too much. He wasn't as bulky as when he was full time superman. If anything he's reminded of when he first started out.
"Oh, I have a feeling this new work out routine stuck," Clark smirked before he decided it was time to filed that police report. "I still need to call the insurance company, so..."
"Okay than dear," Jane sounded a bit sad but she understood. "Call us if you need anything."
"Will do," Clark smiled. "Love ya mom."
"Remember, anything!"
"I know!" Clark exasperated tone was conveyed to his mother much to her amusement.
"Love you sweet heart," Jane said her farewell and hung up.
No sooner had his mom hang up the phone that Clark dialed 9-1-1.
"Yes? Police? I would like to report a stolen vehicle..."
+++
It took Clark an hour on the phone with the Police and Insurance Company. Taking out his extra pair of glass he put it on and winced at the heavy dosage. He no longer had glasses made from Krypton materials either... this could prove troublesome.
He need to wear some regular cosmetic ones then. Thus a short walk later he found himself at the downtown shopping district and began trying on glasses. It was only by sheer luck he was able to find ones that looked like his old pair back on the other Earth. With his selection finished, Clark went back to his apartment and begin to think on what would his course of action be now.
By all rights, he should be dead. Everything that happen on his original Earth was real, Clark knew that much for certain but still he didn't seem as remorseful about it. He missed it of course, Diana especially and Lana, but overall, he had made his final sacrifice for the greater good. Then there was that other Superman, the Older One.
He never did get to the bottom of that...
Now he was in his New York, this new world fill with Superheroes that were unfamiliar to him compared to the ones he have known. Also unlike his old world, he wasn't the first hero to make their debut, but the First Family aka the Fantastic Four. After that, there was the Justice League like team called the Avengers.
Clark had to admit the things they have done were on par what he and the League often deal with, heck he was willing to bet that they probably dealt with a lot more stuff that doesn't get reported. Like for instance the Mutants being brought to extinction suddenly. Clark was relieved that Jean was okay during the whole fiasco but Annie had been depowered according to Jean's letter.
Suddenly Clark blush as he now recalled his very private crush on his childhood best friend, who had recently divorced her husband. He was pretty surprise when the X-Men went public and all of their identities were revealed. That's when he remember him and Joe often ranking Super heroine's in terms of sexiness and desirability. He always knew that his female co-heroines were pretty but he have always disassociated himself from them.
Now however, he gained a new perspective on the whole thing. Suddenly everything from Diana revealing outfit, to Zatanna outfit, Dinah... Clark shifted a bit feeling his pants started to get tight and since it was regular clothing, there was a good chance little Clark might break free.
Looking up across the wall he saw his female Avengers roster calendar was hanging proudly on display. This month was Ms. Marvel. After some calming thoughts, Clark debated whether if he should join the Superheroes here. Did he have the right to interfere?
No sooner had he thought of it than he knew the answer. The Avengers were temporarily inactive, but the heroes were still doing their duties. Perhaps he could help around until then, maybe not so public, maybe take care of things more on the street level. It seems the streets around New York City could always use an extra pair of helping hands.
But... How would he go about it?
Clark realized he no longer had a Fortress of Solitude here, in fact, there was no Krypton at all, to the best of his knowledge. There were star empires that he have never heard of before, the Shi'ar, the Kree, the Skrulls, there was even that incident with the World Devourer, Galactus (And entity that never existed in his original universe) when he was younger. The odds of there even being a Krypton was slim to none. So right away he had no base of operation to work out of, no assistance, nothing...
Then there was the little fact that some douche bag name Hyperion showed up and battle the Avengers with a rip off version of the Justice League. Worse, his rip off had the same power set as he did, there were very little chance that the heroes of this world might welcome him if he show up with the Squadron Supreme so fresh in the public mind...
Then there was the one thing Clark did not really ever think about, his own mortality and sense of preservation hone to a fine tooth comb. It was something Clark always took for granted when he was in Smallville. While he was able to be afforded a human perspective thanks to his ma and pa- he still felt apart from them. But Superman stood above them in some way, looking down from on high like a god as Lex Luthor once accused him of. However, he knows now exactly what it means to be human now. To be weak before the titans that does battle in the very skies above them.
Clark had been there for the fall out between Spider-man and the Sinister Six, been caught in the crossfire when the Avengers battle with Ultron, taken captive when Earth was invaded by alien forces. He had ran away from mutants that wanted to hurt humans before the X-Men intervened a couple of years back. He had never realized just how much civilian get hurt before the Justice League stop what ever major threat it was that day. He knew but he never realized the personal depth of it, Jimmy and Lois obviously downplayed the terror.
The original reason Clark wore the costume and showed his face in public was because he wanted to be a symbol for hope and what all heroes could strive to be. When he was the first of his kind he took it upon himself to set the standard but here, on this world, people already have someone to look up to already. The likes of Captain America, Mr. Fantastic, the Fantastic Four, the Avengers, had already set the standards by which all other heroes abide. Did he want to draw attention to himself again? Old Clark might have like peace and quite but the weak Clark always had dream of being a hero himself.
That's when an idea struck him as Clark began rummaging through his old highschool notebooks. When heroes first became popular Clark wanted to be one of those that had powers to fly or strength like Thor. Since he was as weak as could be, he set his mind to a task and in all honestly, him joining the Baxter Building internship was for one reason only. They could help him build a robot suit like Iron Man or War Machine.
Flipping the pages open, he saw the suit look something like Steel would wear but he could fix that, he could stream line it. While building a suit like Iron man's was beyond him at the moment, perhaps he could make something simpler.
+++ That Night +++
"Help!" Lori Lace scream as several rough looking street thugs have corner the 30 year old supermarket mom.
"Ain't no one gonna hear ya sweet cheeks, now hand over the cash!" the first thug a tall white male with piercing all over his face pulled out a knife and licked it's flat side.
"Hey man, she doesn't look half bad," the second thug larger man of African descent leered at the woman.
Hearing that the woman screamed even louder.
"Help! Somebody please!"
Her voice did attract some interest from the neighbors but after seen the six thugs, they decided to keep quiet and called the police instead.
"I told you toots, ain't no one gonna hear ya cry now," the First thug grinned as he closed in on his prey.
"I heard her."
Hearing the distorted metallic voice, predator's and prey turn to look up in the sky and see a robotic humanoid ship figure floating in the air before them.
"Iron Man?!" the second thug asked in disbelief feeling that he was so screwed to run across an Avenger.
"That ain't him, look at his suit, it's different!" the first thug said before he pulled out a gun and began firing at the figure. Or at least he tried before his gun melt in his hand. "ARRGHH!"
Before the thugs knew it the Iron Man knock off was among them smacking them against the wall and rendering them unconscious. Looking satisfied with his job he turned to the woman giving Lori her first good look at the figure.
The thugs was right, that wasn't Iron Man, Iron Man suit was more gold and red, while this man was more red and primarily blue. The suit seem more molded to a human figure instead blocky like Iron Man.
"Uh- Tha-thank you, a-are you with the Avengers?"
"No ma'am," the robot said with a smart two finger salute. "Just someone trying to help."
Lori watch as the figure begin to tie up the thugs with a metal wire. It was then she made something else, a reverse triangle symbol on the robot chest with the letter S on it.
"W-what should I call you by?"
"You can call me Cobalt," the robot say showing off his cobalt color armor except around his waists, boots and gloves, those were red.
"Cobalt? Then why do you have an S on your chest?" Lori pointed out at the none nonsensical naming. Apparently Cobalt knew it to as he stiffened in his suit of armor and ducked his head as if embarrassed.
"Nostalgia really," Cobalt replied before he fade from the woman view just as the police arrived.
+++ A short distance away +++
Clark smiled at his superhero debut once more. He decided he'll help on the street level unless things get REALLY out of hand with this world Super Villians. Making the Kryptonian cloaking device was the smartest thing he did. Too bad it require a lot of power and would only give him 15 seconds, but that would fool everyone sensors that his suit was powered by a battery like Tony Stark's suit.
Once he turn invisible he could just fly away quickly and changed out of it before anyone is the wiser. That would give him time to really gauge the other heroes and if they are trustworthy enough to know of his secret abilities or view him as a threat.
Still overall, he was pretty happy. Of course how will he explain to his parents he no longer need glasses?
End.