Chapter 1: Awakening
–Subject 63–
"Wake up, Subject 63! Wake up, dammit!"
The first thing I ever heard in my life was a nasally voice barking at me. I opened my eyes, blinking against the harsh fluorescent lights, and found a scrawny man in a white lab coat staring at me with a triumphant smirk plastered on his face. There was something in the way he looked at me—like I was a prized possession—that sent an uncomfortable shiver down my spine.
My mind was instantly flooded with knowledge. I was Subject 63, the bio-engineered offspring of Superman and Wonder Woman. Created to defend the world and, if necessary, to destroy them—and anyone else in the Justice League—if they ever turned evil. That was my prime directive. My purpose. Yet, even as the thought settled in my head, it felt distant. Not like an order, but a suggestion.
I locked eyes with the man, and his grin widened, a manic light glinting in his gaze. "Yes… YES! You are absolutely perfect! The ultimate weapon! My ultimate weapon!" His words were frantic, almost feverish. "It took 62 failures to finally create you, but it was all worth it in the end!"
He spoke of those 62 failures so casually, as if they were just steps in an experiment. Yet, something stirred inside me—something dark and unsettling. It took a moment for me to recognize the feeling: loss. It was strange, having never met those who came before me, but the knowledge of them—of their demise—planted an unfamiliar ache in my chest. Then, another emotion surfaced, hotter and more consuming. Anger.
"Who are you?" I asked, my voice steady, but laced with an edge I hadn't yet learned to control.
The scientist's face twisted in confusion, clearly too absorbed in his own self-importance to notice the shift in my demeanor. "What? You don't recognize me? I am your creator! Your father, your master... your GOD! This should have all been in the knowledge uploaded into your mind. Did something go wrong—?" He trailed off, muttering to himself, irritated by the idea that I might not be as flawless as he believed.
I had no knowledge of this man being my creator. The idea of him being my God was laughable. I may have been born in a lab, but even I had pride. I was crafted from the genes of beings who were practically Gods themselves. This man? He was nothing more than a fragile human.
And he was responsible for the deaths of dozens of my "siblings."
While the scientist was too busy mumbling to himself, I stepped out of the pod and surveyed the room. My senses flared to life. I was engineered to possess all the best traits and powers of my parents, so I tried to activate my X-ray vision. I focused on the walls around me, and after a few seconds, my vision shifted. I could see through the layers of steel and concrete that surrounded us.
Rocks. Dirt. More rocks. The lab was buried deep underground. Far beneath the surface. I strained my vision further but could only make out a metal elevator shaft extending upward into what seemed like an endless stretch of bedrock. Wherever this place was, we were far from the world I was created to protect.
And just as far from the people who would stop me from tearing this man apart.
"Where are we?" I asked. I'd already decided that this man would face my wrath, but first, he could make himself useful. If he told me everything he knew, I might grant him a quicker end.
The scientist stopped his muttering and glared at me, clearly annoyed by my questions, but he answered regardless. "We're in a secret Cadmus facility, five miles beneath Metropolis. We're so deep, not even Superman's powerful X-ray vision can see us!" He spoke with smug pride, as if that fact alone made him invincible.
I saw the flaw immediately. "Couldn't he still see the elevator shaft? It's not even made of lead," I pointed out. Superman's X-ray vision could easily cut through most materials, and the elevator shaft wasn't hidden in any meaningful way. Lead was too toxic and brittle to be used for something like this.
The scientist sputtered, clearly caught off guard by my observation. "T-that's… Wait—no, he couldn't… Shit." He rubbed his temples, frustration bleeding into his voice. "I guess that explains how the heroes found us." He shook his head, looking irritated but resigned.
"Heroes?" The word caught my attention. There were heroes coming? I wondered if they would be among them—Superman and Wonder Woman. My parents.
I wanted to meet them.
I knew my prime directive, but even as it echoed in my mind, I found myself longing for something different. To belong. They should like me, right? I was created to be perfect.
"Yes, you stupid clone!" the scientist snapped, his voice sharp with impatience. "Get with the program! The heroes are attacking our decoy facility on the surface. Before they find us, you need to help me escape! We'll continue my brilliant work elsewhere. I've already got plans for clone offspring of Starfire and Aquaman. Fire and water… Imagine the possibilities!" He turned, already scrambling to gather equipment. He was completely assured of his escape and the fact that I was going with him.
That wasn't going to happen…
I wasn't about to miss my chance to meet my parents. And I certainly wasn't going to let this man escape. He might have created me, but the knowledge in my mind was clear—he was a villain. Capturing him would surely please the Justice League.
Before he could take another step, I reached out and grabbed him by the throat. With ease, I lifted him off the ground, my fingers tightening just enough to remind him of how fragile he was. He weighed nothing. His bones felt like brittle twigs, ready to snap with the slightest pressure.
"W-what are you doing!?" he gasped, his hands clawing uselessly at my arm.
"Getting revenge for my brothers," I said coldly.
I squeezed just a little harder, careful not to go too far. Choking someone into unconsciousness without killing them was surprisingly difficult. His face turned purple as he struggled for air, but his efforts were pitiful. His nails raked at my skin, but I didn't even feel it. I was more durable than my father, and my mother's DNA had gifted me with magic resistance as well. He couldn't hurt me if he tried.
Still, I hesitated to end him here. Not because I thought he deserved mercy, but because I knew the Justice League frowned on killing. Even in my short existence, I understood that much. Ending his life would be easy, but it wasn't my call to make—not yet.
Crash!
The sound echoed through the room as something—no, someone—smashed through the doors of the elevator shaft. My eyes widened when I saw who it was. She was here, in the flesh, just like I had imagined.
"Let him go!" she commanded.
–Wonder Woman–
Earlier, above the surface, she had already felt the weight of this mission. "Another Cadmus lab..." Diana muttered under her breath, her frustration evident. "Why won't Man's World ever learn? Meddling in the domain of the gods will only lead to their destruction!"
They had landed in front of what appeared to be a simple laundromat, but Diana's instincts told her otherwise. Beneath the nondescript façade was a sprawling Cadmus facility, hidden deep underground. The elevator shaft extended miles beneath the surface, and whatever was happening down there was beyond disturbing.
"How long has this facility been here?" she asked, turning to Superman, the strongest hero in the world, and defender of Metropolis. And yet, he was somehow oblivious to this secret lab's existence until now. It was quite literally right under his nose. "How did you only notice it now?"
Clark looked embarrassed. "I never considered Cadmus would build a lab in Metropolis. I tend not to use my X-ray vision except in emergencies. Flying around the city with it all the time would be a massive invasion of privacy," he explained.
Diana could see his point, but it didn't ease the frustration gnawing at her. This was Cadmus, the same organization that had plagued their world for years. They sold mindless clone troopers to villains across the globe, making it easier for them to wreak havoc. Cadmus provided them with obedient, efficient soldiers at the peak of human potential.
And now, they had set up camp right under Superman's city.
"This place could have been here for years," Diana said, her voice tight with controlled anger.
"All right, here's the plan," Batman cut in, always tactical and direct. "Superman and I will deal with the guards up here—they're probably disguised as laundromat workers. Diana, you'll fly down the shaft and scout the underground facility. You'll be our vanguard."
"Why choose Diana as the vanguard?" Superman interjected with a note of indignation. "This is my city."
Batman sighed and facepalmed before answering. "Exactly why you won't be the one to lead this charge, Clark. Think about it. Cadmus built a lab right beneath your nose. They're either incredibly arrogant or not afraid of you—maybe both. I guarantee they have stores of kryptonite down there. This entire place could be a trap to take you out." He jabbed Superman's chest with his finger to emphasize his point.
Superman sighed, mumbling under his breath about how much he hated kryptonite. Diana never got used to the idea that a tiny glowing green rock could bring the godlike man beside her to his knees. But they had a job to do, and there was no time for second thoughts.
The plan unfolded smoothly at first. Superman and Batman made quick work of the fake laundromat employees guarding the entrance. These "employees" moved with military precision, their laser rifles firing without hesitation, but they were no match for the two most famous heroes on the planet. In mere moments, over a dozen men were beaten into unconsciousness, the floor littered with their crumpled forms.
"This place is probably a trap for Superman," Bruce said as they stood at the yawning mouth of the elevator shaft. "Which is why they won't be expecting you down there, Diana. Good luck." He gave her a nod of respect, and Clark offered a reassuring smile.
Without hesitation, Diana stepped forward, her powerful hands crumpling the steel elevator doors like paper. She tore them open effortlessly and dove into the shaft, descending with purpose into the abyss. The shaft seemed to stretch on forever, but eventually, she reached the bottom. Another set of reinforced doors barred her path, but they didn't last long. She smashed through them, stepping into the hidden Cadmus facility.
The sight that greeted her was not what she had expected. A naked man, muscular and flawless, stood in the center of the room, his massive hand around the throat of a greasy scientist. The man in the lab coat was wheezing, his face turning purple as he struggled to breathe.
"Let him go!" Diana commanded, her voice sharp, instinct taking over.
To her surprise, the man obeyed immediately. He released his grip, and the scientist crumpled to the floor, gasping and coughing but otherwise unharmed.
The man turned to face her, and for a moment, Diana forgot how to breathe.
He was perfect. His body, rippling with muscle, looked like it had been sculpted by the gods themselves. Every inch of him exuded power and beauty. But it wasn't just his body that startled her. His face—Clark—he looked so much like Clark. Only… more. If it was possible, he was even more handsome, and his bright blue eyes shone with a keen intelligence and something else. Something darker.
Diana's eyes involuntarily drifted lower. Is that… real? she thought, momentarily stunned by what she saw. She quickly snapped her gaze back to his face, fighting the blush threatening to creep up her cheeks. The warrior in her knew this wasn't the time for such distractions, but the woman in her couldn't help but be taken aback. She had lived for centuries, but no man she had ever encountered—not even the gods themselves—compared to this specimen.
The man took a step toward her, and she tensed, unsure of what he would do next. Part of her hoped he wasn't a threat, that they wouldn't have to fight. But just as her mind began to race, he spoke.
"Hello, Mother…" he said, smiling softly as his eyes met hers.
Diana froze, the blood draining from her face. "M-Mother?" she stuttered, the word catching in her throat. "That's impossible…"
Wasn't it?
Her gaze sharpened as she studied him more closely. The resemblance to Clark was undeniable, but now that she was looking, she saw the other details. Details that mirrored her own. His eyes, the shape of his jaw—there was no mistaking it. And then there was the faint, unmistakable trace of divinity that clung to him, like a whisper of the gods. A trace of divinity that could have only come from her… or her father, Zeus.
Her heart pounded in her chest. It couldn't be true. Could it?
She had a son.
SHE HAD A SON!
A wave of emotions surged through Diana, nearly overwhelming her. Panic, disbelief, anger—but also something else. Something softer. Resignation, acceptance… and finally, love. She had never expected this. Never imagined that one day, she would be a mother. It wasn't something she had ever let herself truly believe could happen.
And yet, here he was.
For a fleeting moment, her mind wandered to Clark—the man she had secretly loved for so long. She had never dared to act on those feelings, knowing full well that he was committed to someone else. And now, standing before her was the embodiment of a dream she had long since buried. A son—their son, born from some twisted experiment.
She didn't know how this was possible, but she knew one thing: the young man standing in front of her wasn't just some creation. He was hers.
Nearby, the scientist staggered to his feet, trembling yet defiant, and jabbed a finger at Diana. His voice trembled with fury. "How dare you attack me, you fucking imbecile! Override Alpha X5G6Y! Subject 63, I order you to kill Wonder Woman!"
Diana's heart sank, her pulse quickening as her eyes widened in shock. Instinctively, she took a fighting stance. The bitter truth hit her like a blow—Cadmus clones were designed to obey without question. And now, she was going to have to fight her son. Her son, a creation twisted by the hands of this wretched scientist. The thought of it tore at her, threatening to break her heart. She felt the rage well up inside her.
How dare this sniveling worm command someone of divine blood! Diana seethed. She was already calculating how to silence the man permanently—and how best to cover it up before Batman made his way down.
But the battle she dreaded never came.
The clone—her son—merely turned his head toward the scientist, his expression calm, and uttered a single word. A word that filled Diana's heart with pride and relief.
"No."
Her son's refusal echoed in the room, and Diana's heart swelled. No indoctrination could ever work on a descendant of the gods, she thought smugly, a small, victorious smile pulling at her lips. The despair on the scientist's face was nothing short of delicious.
"What!?" The scientist's eyes bulged with fear. "What do you mean, no? I created you! I am your God, and I am ordering you to protect me and kill Wonder Woman! ALPHA X5G6Y! Dammit, why isn't the override command working!?"
Her son's voice was calm but resolute, filled with quiet disdain. "…You are no god, just a weak man playing at one."
With that, he delivered a swift punch to the scientist's face. Diana knew instantly that her son had held back, otherwise the man's head would have been obliterated. Still, the blow was devastating. Blood and teeth sprayed across the room as the man's jaw shattered with a sickening crack. The scientist collapsed, groaning in agony, his face grotesquely misshapen. Diana guessed he'd be sipping his meals through a straw for the rest of his miserable life. In her opinion, that was merciful.
"That was for all my brothers…" her son muttered, his voice heavy with sorrow.
Diana felt a pang of sadness, sensing the weight of those words. There was a story here, one filled with loss and grief. She would ask him about his "brothers" later—those others Cadmus had created and discarded. But for now, her focus was solely on the incredible young man standing before her.
With the scientist dealt with, Diana slowly approached her son, her heart pounding. She felt an awkward mix of awe, pride, and an overwhelming maternal instinct she hadn't known was there. "Hello," she said softly, her voice trembling just slightly. "It's nice to meet you. I am Diana of Themyscira… your mother."
–Batman–
Batman surveyed the scene with a mixture of disbelief and unease. "I wasn't expecting anything like this," he said to Clark and Diana, both of whom were visibly struggling to keep their eyes off Cadmus's latest creation. Batman couldn't fathom the audacity of Cadmus in producing a clone child of the most formidable beings on the planet. Up until now, their experiments had been confined to regular humans. The revelation that they had advanced to cloning superpowered beings elevated Cadmus's threat level to unprecedented heights, potentially making them the most dangerous terror organization in the world, depending on who they cloned next.
Thankfully, Diana had informed them that Cadmus's infamous indoctrination process had failed with their latest subject. She described with a hint of satisfaction how her son had immediately defied the scientist's orders to kill her.
That was a promising sign, but it didn't completely allay Batman's concerns. Not after learning what Subject 63 had been designed for. The clone's primary directive was to eliminate Superman and Wonder Woman should either of them ever turn rogue or become a threat to the world. Batman understood the necessity of such contingency plans—he had his own measures for similar scenarios. However, he was perplexed by Cadmus's motives. They were classified as an international terrorist organization, but why would they care about protecting the world from their own creations?
He found himself questioning if Cadmus had a hidden agenda beyond empowering supervillains and spreading chaos. He would have liked to pose these questions to Subject 63, but he doubted the young man had any answers of substantial importance.
The clone sat quietly on a curb nearby, waiting patiently for them to conclude their private discussion. The fact that they had managed to find him clothing—a small benefit of being adjacent to a laundromat—was a minor relief. A near-identical copy of Superman roaming around naked would have been disastrous for the Justice League's public image. Although, Batman mused, in the realm of internet fandom, particularly fanfiction, who knew what bizarre scenarios might arise?
He shuddered at the thought of the strange pairings concocted by fan communities. The Joker as his romantic interest? Unthinkable.
Clark's voice broke through Batman's musings. "Is he really our son?" he asked, his gaze shifting nervously to Diana. "What am I going to tell Lois?"
"The truth, of course," Diana responded with an air of straightforwardness. "Lois will understand. We didn't conceive Titus in the conventional way, so you have nothing to worry about. You did nothing wrong, Clark," she said, her tone firm and reassuring.
"Titus?" Batman interjected, curiosity piqued.
Diana's eyes shone with pride as she nodded. "Yes. Despite his origins, he is now my son. Just look at him. He's already incredibly powerful, perhaps even surpassing both of his parents. He deserves a strong name to reflect that," she declared, standing tall with her hands on her hips, a fierce sense of maternal pride emanating from her.
Superman's eyes narrowed as he glared at Diana. "You can't be serious, Diana! You're actually willing to accept a freak experiment like him? Just like that?" His voice was thick with outrage, his disbelief evident in every word.
Diana's expression remained steadfast, but she couldn't help feeling the sting of Superman's reaction. His response was more intense than she had anticipated. Batman understood that Superman felt violated, but it seemed misplaced to direct that anger at Titus. The young clone hadn't chosen his circumstances. None of this was his fault.
Diana, focused on the moment, missed the full depth of Superman's turmoil. "Of course I will accept him!" she declared with unwavering conviction. "We should both be honored to have such a worthy and powerful heir!" She gestured towards Titus, who responded with a bright, innocent wave. "Look at him—he's absolutely perfect!" Diana said, her pride evident. She whispered softly to herself, "He's what I always wanted…"
Batman, ever perceptive, knew of Diana's long-held feelings for Clark. It was no surprise that she was overjoyed at the prospect of having a son. However, Clark's reaction was starkly different. Batman observed that Clark appeared utterly horrified.
"He is not my heir, and he is not my son! He's a freak created in a test tube, and I WANT NOTHING TO DO WITH HIM!" Superman's voice boomed with such intensity that Batman felt his eardrums throb. Without another word, Clark soared into the sky, leaving a trail of disappointment in his wake.
Diana's face contorted with a mix of hurt and anger as she watched Superman disappear into the distance. "How could he say that, Bruce!? I thought he was better than this," she huffed, frustration lining her voice.
Batman turned his attention to the curb where Titus sat, his expression reflecting a profound sense of hurt and betrayal. "I thought so too. We'll need to address this with Superman once he's calmed down. For now, you should spend some time with your son. This is his first day of being alive, after all."
Diana nodded, her gaze softening as she looked at Titus. "Thank you, Bruce."
As Batman began to make his way back into the facility, his mind was already focused on his next objective. He needed to uncover the details of how Titus was created, assess his powers, and determine if there were any vulnerabilities—just in case the young clone ever posed a threat. Although, he didn't quite think that would be the case. Even when full of rage, Titus had managed to refrain from killing the scientist that had slain so many of his brothers.
No, instead the Dark Knight was beginning to suspect the world had gained a fine new protector.
XXX
Another new story!? Yeah, Ive decided to start writing a lot more often and posting updates every-ish so I got this one and a few more coming out.
I'm always happy to get feedback so please leave a comment or review.
I have a patreo n. My subs can read advanced updates of my stories ahead of standard release and vote on story polls.
Link:
Patreo n .com (slash) Starwaves
Current Advanced Chapters:
The Fallen Gamer ch 281-285
The Blood Queen ch 2
The Fox Hole ch 6
The Fox Hole ch 5
The Titan ch 2
The Blood Queen ch 1
The Supe Devil ch 4
The Supe Devil ch 3
The Supe Devil ch 2
The Supe Devil ch 1
The Fox Hole ch 4