I've returned from the depths of hiatus, and I'm ready to balance the universe... or at least my fan-fic priorities. Hand over the Power Stones, and nobody gets hurt!
(˵ •̀ᴗ•́˵)و
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Alex trudged down the dirt road toward the Kent farmhouse, his clothes tattered, his body visibly thinner, and his posture slightly hunched. His once sturdy frame now looked weakened—a direct result of his latest advancement to Sequence 8 of the Fool pathway and the use of the Clown's abilities to manipulate his appearance.
It had taken careful planning. His body had "shrunk," appearing gaunt from a supposed month-long period without food. His clothes were stained with dirt, his hair disheveled, and his face slightly sunken—a perfect illusion to sell the story.
As he neared the house, his heartbeat picked up. This had to be convincing.
Then, the front door burst open.
"Alex?!"
Martha Kent's voice was thick with emotion, and within seconds, she was rushing toward him. Before he could react, she threw her arms around him, pulling him into a desperate embrace.
"Mom..." His voice came out hoarse, weak. "I'm back."
"You—" Her voice caught, and she pulled away, holding his face between her hands. "You've been gone for a whole month! Where were you? What happened to you?"
Clark and Jonathan appeared in the doorway, their expressions tense. Clark's eyes scanned him, his super-vision likely analyzing every inch of his body.
"Your heartbeat disappeared," Clark said, his voice filled with suspicion and relief. "I couldn't find you anywhere."
Alex let out a shaky breath, stumbling slightly as if his body couldn't fully support him. A little extra effect from the Clown pathway.
"I don't know what happened," he said, his tone deliberately uncertain. "I remember feeling a strange sensation, like my body shutting down. And then... I blacked out. When I woke up, I was in the middle of nowhere, starving, weak... I barely made it back here." [A/N: It's the most bullshit reason I could think of and it's going to work because I am the author]
Martha's eyes filled with tears. "Oh, sweetheart..."
Jonathan stepped forward, his voice gruff. "You don't remember anything?"
Alex shook his head. "Only bits and pieces. But... I think it was my powers. Something inside me awakened, and my body just... shut down while it adjusted."
Clark crossed his arms. "That still doesn't explain why I couldn't hear your heartbeat. Not even a trace."
Alex looked away, feigning uncertainty. "Maybe my body was in some kind of hibernation? Maybe it was so deep that even you couldn't detect it?"
Clark's frown deepened. "That's never happened before. ALEX, I CHECKED THE ENTIRE PLANET FOR YOU. I CHECKED FOR EVEN A SINGLE DAMN MATCHING HEARTBEAT."
Jonathan placed a hand on Clark's shoulder. "Let him breathe, son. He just got back."
Clark exhaled, nodding reluctantly. "Right. Sorry."
Martha pulled Alex into another hug. "You need food. And rest. Come inside."
Alex allowed himself to be led into the house, suppressing a small smile.
They bought it.[A/N: Of course they are going to buy it because I wrote it like that]
Dinner and Plans for the Future
Sitting at the dinner table felt surreal. The smell of home-cooked food, the warmth of family—it was a stark contrast to the shadows of Gotham and the danger of Ra's al Ghul.
Martha piled his plate high with food, watching him with motherly concern. "You need to eat more. You've lost so much weight."
Alex gave a weak chuckle. "Trust me, I plan to." He dug in, making a show of eating like a man who hadn't had a proper meal in weeks. Even more illusions to reinforce the story.
Jonathan leaned back in his chair, studying him. "So... you said your powers awakened?"
Alex nodded. "Yeah. It's hard to explain, but I feel... sharper. Like my mind works differently now. I can process information faster, see patterns I couldn't before."
Clark arched an eyebrow. "That sounds like more than just intelligence."
Alex hesitated before pulling out a small metallic cube from his pocket. He placed it on the table, pressing a hidden mechanism. The cube unfolded into a small drone, hovering silently.
Martha gasped. "You built that?"
"Yeah," Alex admitted. "And that's just a prototype."
Clark narrowed his eyes. "You made that just after returning? It was a like an 5 hour at most"
"Less than that, actually," Alex said, pretending to look sheepish. "Once I started understanding how things worked, it just... clicked."
Jonathan rubbed his chin. "And what do you plan to do with all this knowledge?"
Alex set his fork down. "I want to start a company."
Martha blinked. "A company?"
Alex nodded. "If I say I have super-intelligence, that's a simple, logical explanation for why I can build these things. It gives me a way to contribute to the world while keeping my abilities under control. I don't want to rely on Clark or anyone else. I want to stand on my own."
Clark studied him carefully. "You're serious about this."
"I am."
Jonathan finally nodded. "Then we'll support you."
Martha smiled warmly. "We just want you to be happy, sweetheart."
Alex exhaled. Step one was complete.
The Truth Beneath the Lies
Later that night, Alex sat on the porch, staring at the Kansas night sky. The stars twinkled above, vast and endless.
He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees.
His heartbeat had been hidden from Clark for an entire month.
That shouldn't have been possible.
At first, he thought it was just the pathways at work. But the more he thought about it, the more uneasy he felt.
It had happened too perfectly. Too conveniently.
What if it wasn't just his ability that hid him?
What if... someone else had done it?
The only person who could intervene in such a way would be himself. His future self.
His fingers tightened.
If that was true, then the implications were massive.
His future self would have had to come back in time. And if he did that... that means his future self had stolen the Speed force or used his beyonder ability to come back but...
Why?
There were only two logical reasons.
He needed to fulfill a ritual for advancing to Above the Sequence. Something—or someone—threatened his very existence.
Neither option gave him any comfort.
And then there was the timing of his Fool pathway's advancement.
It happened just before he planned to return home.
That couldn't be a coincidence.
Was the Fool pathway guiding him toward something? Or was his future self making sure everything happened according to some unseen plan?
The thought sent a chill down his spine.
He exhaled slowly, closing his eyes.
There was no way to know for sure.
Not yet.
But if his future self-had really interfered, it meant that things were going to get much, much more complicated.
And soon.
The wind shifted.
Alex's eyes snapped open.
A presence.
Something was watching him.
Not from the house. Not from the fields.
His fingers twitched, instinctively calling upon his newfound abilities.
And then—
A whisper.
Soft. Indistinct. But undeniably real.
His breath hitched.
He turned his gaze skyward, staring into the vast, starry void.
Was it truly his future self-pulling the strings?
Or was something else at play?
Something older... and far more dangerous?
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