MoP

Harry Potter and the Myriad of Possibilities: Prologue

Chapter 31: Rebellion, Part 14.

Disclaimer: This is solely a not-for-profit fan activity and does not intend to infringe on copyrights held by Time Warner, DC Comics, Bloomsbury et al, and JK Rowling. Any characters that are original to this work remain the property of the author.

A/N: The Myriad of Possibilities Series primarily uses the background from the Harry Potter books but some elements and scenes have been borrowed from other sources – including the movies, Pottermore and my own headcanon – that will be covered where they fit into the narrative. The timeline of the DC Comics elements borrows heavily from Young Justice (2011) and may adapt elements and characters from the comics and several additional other media instalments – including but not limited to Smallville (2001) and Superman and Lois (2021) – and relocates events of Young Justice to the Eighties and early Nineties rather than the New Tens as screened and includes several 'legacy' and original characters as a result. Any other recognisable characters belong to their copyright holders.

A/N: Thanks to Dragon97 and 6f5e4d for their help on this chapter.

Smallville.
November 25, 09:16 CST.

"Recognised Superboy B-Zero-Four; Recognised Miss Martian B-Zero-Five; Wolf C-Zero-Two; Zatanna B-Zero-Eight."

"Welcome to Smallville," said Martha Kent with a smile, walking forward to hug the new arrivals.

Conner stiffened a little in her arms for a moment, but eventually relaxed into the woman's embrace. "Thanks," he said quietly as she released him and gave Wolf a moment's attention.

"You must be Zatanna," said Martha.

"I hope it's okay that I came…?" whispered the teenaged sorceress as Martha folded her into her own hug.

"Of course, dear," Martha assured her as she released the girl. "Clark is a Justice League meeting, but he assured me that he'll be here for a late lunch." Then she turned and headed back to the house, motioning them to follow.

As they crossed the yard, Conner's mind went back to a moment a few days earlier.

Mount Justice.
November 6, 01:32 EST.

Superman broke off from the group around Hank Lang and walked towards Conner where he was standing.

Wolf growled a little at the Man of Steel but subsided after he offered a hand in greeting.

"Can we talk?" he asked.

Conner considered the man for a moment, immediately noticing the differences in body language from their previous interactions. "Sure," he agreed.

"I'm sorry," began the older Kryptonian. "I'm not saying my problems with your… situation… weren't real or genuine, but they were my problems, and I shouldn't have taken them out on you. I should have been there for you and dealt with my problems on my own time."

Conner wasn't sure what he'd been expecting, but this wasn't it. "That's okay," he assured him. "Black Canary, Red Tornado and Ted Grant have all been helping… M'gann and my friends too."

"That's good," Superman said with a nod. "But as you yourself pointed out to me months ago – and you're not the only one by the way – there are things that you need to know that only I can tell you, show you."

Conner nodded.

"I understand from Black Canary that you've taken a name?"

"Uh, yeah," Conner agreed, slightly puzzled at the non sequitur. "Conner Kent."

"My secret identity is Clark Kent."

"I-i didn't know," Conner stammered, panicking for a moment. "I wasn't trying to..."

"No, the thing is... I'm glad," the older Kryptonian assured him. "Conner Kent. That seems right… son."

The same smile that had come to Conner in that moment was still on his face as Wolf nudged him to bring him back to the present. An elderly man was looking at him. "Black Canary says that you're pretty good with engines?"

"I've done some work on bikes," agreed Conner with a nod.

"Fancy giving me a hand with the old tractor or do you want go inside with Martha and the girls?"

Conner thought about it for a moment. "They won't want my help in the kitchen," he conceded. "I'll take a look at that truck."

Conner was shoulders deep inside the engine compartment of the Kents' beat-up old truck when the sound of sniffles caught his attention. He stood up and focused his hearing on the kitchen.

Zatanna let out a small cry of surprise. "It's nothing," she said. "It's the onions."

Conner could hear two sets of light, feminine steps crossing the kitchen.

"These are all the things I used to cook for…" continued the teen sorceress. "It's my first Thanksgiving without my dad."

Conner paused, wondering if he should go in and often his own support when a high-pitched whine engulfed him, nearly forced a yell from him.

"Are you okay, kid?" asked Jonathan, apparently unfazed.

Conner didn't reply as the whine subsided to a slight buzz, and a voice cuts through as he took his hands off his ears. "With Superman off-world only one thing alive with less than four legs can hear this frequency, Superboy and that's you. Meet me in Washington, D.C. East Potomac Park. Come alone. I promise, it'll be worth the trip."

"I've got to go," Conner said abruptly, dropping the tools he had been used back in the toolbox, then stalked towards the Zeta-Tube with Wolf on his heels.

Washington DC.
November 25, 11:28 EST

It was raining lightly as Conner brought Super-Cycle into land under a bridge across the Potomac.

Moments later, a white stretch limo pulled up next to him, and a petite brown-haired woman about Black Canary's age in a blazer and mini-skirt stepped out. After a moment, she moved to the back to the vehicle and opened the rear door facing Conner.

A familiar-looking middle-aged got out and extended a hand to Conner as the woman closed the door behind him.

Conner got off Super-Cycle and walked up to the man as Wolf followed him, growling.

"Superboy," said the man, keeping his hand extended as Conner regarded it doubtfully. "My name is Lex Luthor. I'm the new chairman of the board for Project Cadmus."

"I know who you are, Luthor," confirmed Conner, and crossed his arms as Wolf's growling increased. "And I want nothing to do with you or Cadmus."

"Cadmus has created a new Super-clone." Luthor declared as Conner turned to walk away.

Conner's eyes widened in panic for shocked moment, then narrowed again as he turned back.

12:16 EST.

"Guardian, fast work on the rebuild," Conner noted as he glared at a security camera mounted at the new entrance. "Now escort me down the easy way… or I escort myself down the hard way."

After a moment, there was an electronic buzz and the door clicked open allowing him to pass through.

As soon as he entered, he could make out several familiar voices coming from one of the offices, so he heading in that direction.

"Every disappearance is being investigated," said Dubbilex as he approached the door.

"Not good enough, Dubbilex," countered Guardian as Conner walked into his office.

"The new Super-clone," Conner barked as he strode towards the desk. "Where are you holding it?"

"Welcome home, Superboy," said Guardian pleasantly. "Now, what are you talking about?"

Dubbilex placed his hand on Conner's shoulder. "Brother, you are the only Super-clone in Cadmus."

"All cloning projects, human and Kryptonian have been shut down since your escape," insisted Dr. Spence.

"Since my liberation," Conner corrected with a glare at the young woman.

"As you say," she conceded icily and turned to go. "Well, now I'm needed back in my lab."

Guardian stood with a sigh and removed his helmet, revealing close-cut ginger hair and some remarkably familiar features. "Sometimes, I hate this job."

"You- you look a lot like Red Arrow," noted Conner with a raised eyebrow.

"Not all that surprising," Guardian agreed with a smile. "Red Arrow is my nephew."

Something about that comment seemed a little odd to the clone, but he had bigger things on his mind, so he discarded it as Guardian guided him out of his office and towards the main elevator.

"Here's the four-one-one," Guardian explained as the elevator doors opened on the main lab floor.

They stepped out into a brightly lit room with several scientists working at tables as G-Sprites carried small objects from place to place. "This is the new and improved Cadmus. Dr Spence and her team are doing truly worthwhile genetic medical research now," explained Guardian as they walked through the facility. He waved to a woman as they passed by. "The Genomorphs are becoming more independent, more educated. Some even have names."

"Really?" Conner asked in surprise.

Guardian nodded as they passed a G-dwarf working at a sink to clean dishes. "Hey, Benny," he said, and received a nod in return as they passed on. Moments later, he paused to let a G-elf who was sweeping the floor walk past. "Erin."

The G-Elf nodded to the pair as it passed.

"Someday, the work being done here will save millions of lives."

(Superboy, you may trust Guardian,) said Dubbilex. (He keeps no secrets.)

(Unlike you,) Conner quipped. (Apparently, you still keep your psychic powers a secret.)

(Some secrets have their place,) countered Dubbilex evasively. (We were all created to be exploited as living weapons. You were designed to…)

Conner cut him off. (To replace or destroy Superman, I know… what's your point?)

(That you should understand the plight of those left behind after I helped free you from Cadmus.)

Conner stopped and looked around. (The League liberated all Genomorphs.)

(Are we free to walk the surface as you do?) countered Dubbilex. (Or has our role merely changed from weapons to menial labor?)

(Look, it's complicated… but first thing's first,) Conner insisted, then turned back to where Guardian and Wolf standing at the door into the next area. "Guardian, could a Super-clone exist without you knowing?"

"It's highly unlikely," replied the older hero with certainty.

(Tell me, brother…) said Dubbilex.(What would you do if you found this Super-Clone?)

"If it exists, I'm freeing it… just like Aqualad, Robin and Kid Flash freed me," replied Conner clenching his fist.

Guardian glanced at him confused.

(Then I will question our brothers,) agreed the G-Goblin. (Nothing happens at Cadmus without a Genomorph knowing. If a Super-clone exists, we will find him.)

"Look," interjected Guardian in a calming tone. "I have my own missing Genomorphs to locate… but you've got the run of the place. I just doubt you'll find what you're looking for."

The door to Project Kr was still lit up and in place when Conner and Wolf walked past it.

An empty reconstructed Pod sat in the centre of the room, Conner walked up to it eyeing it warily and with increasing annoyance until his attention was caught by Wolf, who was sniffed at one of the walls.

With a determined frown, Conner headed to the wall, leaning against it as Wolf started to paw at it. He immediately heard a dull buzz behind it the bulkhead. He dug his hands into the false wall, exposing another door which he was able to force open causing a chilly wave of air to billow out towards him.

A little worried now, Conner walked into the frigid chamber, his eyes going wide at the much larger area with rows of pods, stacked two high that go back as far as he can see into the ill-lit cavern.

A larger than usual pod immediately caught his attention and he leapt over the guardrail and hurried toward it, barely glancing back to check that Wolf was following him. It was more frosted over than anything else in the room but it was easy to clear and Conner paused with a jolt as his own sleeping face looked back at him.

He staggered back to the control panel – noting a 'Project Match' label and pushed the defrost button.

After a moment, the Pod broke and everything is still for a moment before the other clone's fingers twitch, forming a fist and his eyes snap open exposing his pitch-black sclera, but he remained still.

"It's okay," Conner told him. "You're free now."

Match's gaze shifted and he focused in on the S on Conner's chest, his face contorted into a frown and then a rictus of rage as he lunged out of the open pod and charged forward towards Conner, tackling him to the ground.

Drawing on his training from Black Canary and Ted Grant, Conner got his legs up and kicked Match off of him and through one of the other pods as the other clone was about to punch him.

Match was stunned for a moment, then charged back at Conner and pushed him through a pod on the opposite side of the aisle, crashing him against the base of one another aisle over.

Conner looked up at his enraged counterpart as he grasped him by the shirt-front and lifted him off the ground and raised his hands in surrender. "Stop! I'm on your side!"

For a long moment, Match stared at the slightly distorted symbol on Conner's chest, then pulled him from the Pod and threw him away.

Conner crashed through several pods on the second stack near the front of the cavern, then went over the balcony to crash into a wall in the old Project Kr chamber before slumping to the ground.

Wolf charged at Match with a snarl, Match caught him by the front legs and threw him towards Conner, who barely managed to break his flight at the last moment.

Match followed, drifting a little off the ground, then took flight as soon as he entered the Project Kr chamber.

"You can fly!" exclaimed Conner painfully. "Why can you fly?"

Match responded by swooping down and landing a brutal punch to his jaw, knocking him away from Wolf.

Gritting his teeth, Conner got to his feet, blocking a series of wild punches, until an uppercut slammed into his chin, knocking him back several feet and crashing into the floor shoulder first.

It takes him a few moments to get back on his feet. "I don't want do this!" he groaned as Match caught him by the shirt and hit him in the face again, slamming him into the outside wall of Project Kr.

Wolf snarled and charged Match again, but the white-clad clone spun on his heel, delivering a brutal backfist with a yell. The giant lupine whimpered at the hit as he went flying backwards and skipped across the ground several times before coming to a stop.

"Enough!" Conner yelled at Match, catching him in a headlock before he can turn around. "I'm trying to help you."

Match yelled wordlessly as he tried to fight against the hold, before kicking off the ground and slamming Conner into the ceiling to make him let go.

While he's stunned, Match caught him by the neck and the right knee to slam him into it again, breaking the false rock, then throwing him to the ground directly below them and following him down to land on his chest.

Conner groaned as he returned to consciousness, the bright light dazzling him for a moment until he realised where he was…

He was inside one of Cadmus' pods wearing one of their Solar Suits.

"No, no, no!" he screamed, pounding against the glass until it shattered, allowing him to stagger out and fall to his knees.

Wolf let out a howl as an alarm sounded.

The light over the Project Kr door flashed then green and slid open, admitting Guardian, Dr Spence and Dubbilex.

"It's all right!" shouted Spence as she ran towards him.

"It's not all right," growled Conner as he pushed himself to his feet. as Spence comes to a stop and he pushes himself to his feet. "You put me in a pod!"

"It was the fastest way to heal your injuries," she told him evenly as she came to a stop.

"She's another Cadmus mad scientist, picking up where Desmond left off!" shouted Conner, stalking towards her. "Project Match is yours. Admit it!"

"Believe what you want," she retorted, then spun on a heel and hurried away.

"Superboy, please…" Guardian begged, placing a hand on his shoulder. "She was as shocked to see the security camera footage of this… Match… as I was."

"Where's he now?!"

"We don't know," Guardian admitted contritely. "He disappeared."

"What?!"

"All cameras went offline after your battle," explained Dubbilex. "By the time we arrived, Match was gone."

"And he isn't the only Genomorph to disappear," said Guardian as he turned to leave the chamber. "We need to get to the bottom of this."

Dubbilex followed him out and the door closed behind them.

Conner turned back to the console to retrieve his clothing, but before he could change, one of the screens lit up.

"So, the truth wasn't that hard to find after all," observed Luthor. "I assume you suffered no permanent damage?"

"Like you care," Conner snapped. "Tell me what you know about Project Match."

"Very little," Luthor admitted glibly. "I know more about you… Kryptonian DNA is notoriously difficult for human science to read. When you were created, the gaps in the sequences were bridged with human DNA, robbing you of your full Kryptonian powers. No flight, no heat-vision, et cetera."

"I'm part human?" asked Conner, shocked.

"Yes," confirmed Luthor. "Obviously, your twin was created with pure Kryptonian DNA. The missing sequences have apparently left Match unstable, insane… I'd advise you to get him back on-ice as soon as possible."

"Not going to happen."

"Your call," conceded the billionaire. "Either way, you'll need help."

A compartment opens up on the console, revealing a small case with Superman's S on it.

"Consider these a gift."

Conner cautiously drew the case from the drawer and it clicked open to reveal several diamond-shaped red patches.

"I call them Shields," explained Luthor. "Stick one on your arm and it'll suppress your human DNA for about an hour allowing your Kryptonian powers to bloom. You will be as powerful as Match… as Superman."

Conner's eyes snapped upwards. "I don't want anything from you!"

"Keep them anyway," said Luthor amiably. "You never know."

The screen went black, but Conner remained looking at it for a moment, then shifted his focus to the metal case in his hand for a moment before starting to change.

Once he was changed he sent a mental message to the facilities' Genomorph spokesman. (Okay, Dubbilex… spill. When I accused Spence, I could hear your heart rate increase. Stress. You're hiding something.)

(From them, not you… I have questioned the oldest Genomorphs,)Dubbilex replied. (They tell me Match is not your younger brother. He was Cadmus' first attempt to clone Superman. His Kryptonian DNA rendered him uncontrollable so they froze him and tried again.)

Conner's eyes narrowed. (Who are they… Desmond? Spence?)

(Desmond, yes… and his superior and Cadmus' founder, Lex Luthor.)

Conner's eyes widened in shock. "No!" he yelled as he delivered a harsh punch to the base of one of the Pods. (So Luthor took Match.)

(Actually, brother, I did that,) corrected the G-Goblin.

(Show me.)

(Of course.)

Genomorph City.
November 25, 14:40 EST.

Conner's first reaction as he entered the cavern was awe.

At the top of the massive cavern, some G-Sprites hung from stalactites, casting a dim glow and G-Trolls were building small G-Elf sized houses. "So, you're responsible for the missing Genomorphs?"

"I am," agreed the G-Goblin shamelessly. "One by one, I have liberated them brought them here to a new life where all our brothers can be free… Of course, I have a dream that one day the world you live in will accept us. But for now, no one must know Genomorph City exists… which is why I brought our brother here."

He gestured to the right and Conner followed his move, immediately spotted the trio of G-Gnomes sitting on the top of one of the columns, their horns glowing with physic power.

At the base of the column was Match. He was chained to the stone, his body slack and his eyes open and distant.

"What have you done to him?!"

"He is safe," Dubbilex assured him, placing a hand on Conner's shoulder. "The G-gnomes keep him docile with their psychic abilities."

"And the chains?!"

"Should he escape in his current condition he could set back the Genomorph cause by decades."

"So, you hold him prisoner like Cadmus held me… you might as well put him in a pod!" Conner snapped, crossing his arms.

Roused by the shouting, Match began to stir.

"Our goal is rehabilitation… we will release him when he is ready."

Conner uncrossed his arms. "That's not your call!"

With a yell, Match came to life, straining against the chains until they gave way and he charged at the surprised Conner, catching him off-guard and flying him into a massive stalagmite.

As Match drifted down, Wolf snarled and charged at him, catching his arm in his jaws, but the feral clone punched him away to crash against a stalagmite.

Dubbilex approached carefully, his horns glowing. Match charged forward with a cry, but Dubbilex urged him to 'be calm'.

But the psychic instruction didn't even slow him down and Dubbilex was knocked backwards, hitting the ground hard and lying motionless.

Conner emerged from the rubble that imprisoned him, clutching his head, but a heat-vision blast to the chest knocked him back again before he could get his bearings, burning a hole in the front of his shirt.

After taking several more hits, Conner took advantage of a brief opening, he drew out the case of Shields and after a moment's thought he removed one and slapped it to his arm, activating it.

Seconds later, Match flew in for another attack, pushing Conner back into one of the low walls and rearing back for a punch.

But to his surprise, Conner is able to catch it.

"My turn," snarled Conner, then with a yell he delivered an uppercut to Match's chin, knocking him back across the room.

But he catches himself before he hit the wall and rocketed back towards Conner, who took off and flew towards him, with the pair crashing into each other seconds later and knocked themselves off-course.

After several more rounds, Match was able to find an opening to blast Conner in the face with his heat-vision, sending him reeling back with a pained cry, pressing his hands to his eyelids.

But Conner recovered more quickly than the feral clone anticipated and their fight continued for several more minutes, until Conner was able to get the upper hand and he began to pound on his brother.

"Superboy, enough!" shouted Guardian, drawing Conner's attention away from Match. "He's down. You won."

Dubbilex, who stood with Mercy and several heavily-armed security guards, closed his eyes and sadly dropped his head.

Conner looks at Guardian for a moment before he drops his fist and looks at Match then nodded his agreement.

17:16 EST.

"There was a tracker in that tin box you gave me." Conner snarled as he alighted from Super-Cycle next to Luthor's limousine.

"Yes," confirmed Luthor easily. "I assume you discovered it with your x-ray vision?"

"You initiated the cloning projects."

"I wanted Superman to meet his Match," agreed Luthor casually, still leaning against his car.

"And you used both of us to locate the missing Genomorphs!"

"A good businessman has to keep track of his assets," asserted Luthor with a little more steel now as he straightened to his full height. "But none of that is what really bothers you. Half your DNA is human… haven't you wondered who the donor was? Or have you just been afraid to acknowledge the obvious?"

Conner said nothing but continued to mutely glare at the businessman.

"Face it, son, you have much more in common with me than Superman."

"That's a lie!" Conner snapped, surging forward to get his face.

"What has he given you?" asked Luthor with a huff, ignoring Conner's pained expression. "Nothing. Not even affection… and why? Because Big Boy Blue lives in a world of black and white."

Conner turned away from Luthor, but the man keeps talking.

"You were created by the bad guys, so there must be something wrong with you," Luthor moved to try to get in Conner's line of sight again, but the boy avoided him. "But we both know life isn't that clear-cut. The real world is full of greys. Weren't you determined to free Match at all costs? Yet, ultimately, you wisely agreed to my suggestion to refreeze him for the greater good of all." Luthor reached forward and ripped the Shield off of Conner's arm. "And though you think me a villain, you still accepted my Shields."

Conner glared at Luthor out of the corner of his eye.

"We're more alike than you care to admit."

Conner straightened up stiffly, rounding Luthor and pulling the case out of his pocket. "Take them back."

Luthor raised an easy hand in a readable 'stop' motion. "They're a gift…" he said, then gestured to himself then Conner. "… from a father to his son."

Enraged, Conner lunged forward and grabbed Lex by the tie. "I won't need 'em for this!"

Luthor's eyes narrowed. "Red Sun."

18:16 ET.

When Conner came back to awareness, all he was holding was Luthor's undone tie. It slipped from his hand as he relaxed his fist.

"Two words and he shut me down," he groaned as he looked around. "What else can he make me do?" Then he looked down at the case of Shields in his other hand, then he raised his arm to throw it, before changing his mind and sliding it back into a pocket and heading back towards Super-Cycle and Wolf.