Author's Note: Now that Dichotomies is done, time to hope back on this Doom Kid thing and see it through to completion. Gonna be a bumpy ride so strap yourselves in!

Chapter 5: Home on the Range

The officer strode quickly through the underground halls of Black Site Kilo, his expression knit into one of stern concern. In one hand was a tablet, one that had vital information uploaded to it concerning their current state of affairs. The officer entered the security centre and sought out Amanda Waller. "Director Waller," he said quietly, saluting briefly before extending the tablet, "new information about our escaped asset has come to our attention. Apparently there was an oil rig fire in the North Atlantic where survivors claim they were rescued by a 'red-eyed demon'." Fat fingers grabbed the tablet and beady eyes studied the haphazard news reports. For the briefest of seconds, Amanda Waller was thankful for the persistent presence of metahumans in the world. The average person would simply write this off as just another eventful moment in the history of the world, only a select few would know better.

"Is there enough witness testimony to corroborate this… 'demon'?" She asked.

"Five crew who would've otherwise been killed say that a, and I quote, 'man-like thing with grey skin and red eyes, buck naked too, tore open the walls to get us out'." The officer answered. Amanda's brow knit into a frown. "Should we pursue the lead further?"

"No need. Evidently our little science project isn't interested in keeping a low profile. That will make him easier to recapture." She decided. Setting the tablet down, she strode away from the security hub without a word. Adjourning to a small office, she shut the door and thought long and hard about what she was going to do. The answer was obvious enough although the complications that came with it were something else entirely.

She thought hard, her voice entering her thoughts as she projected herself. Deadeye, I need you for something.

Elsewhere in the world…

Several days had passed since the incident with the exploding Bright Aurora rig and Theo hadn't set foot outside the Fortress of Solitude in that time. His time consisted of sleeping, eating, and testing his physical limits. Supergirl took a more active role in his efforts while Superman held back, watching from afar and stepping in only when necessary. Seeing the young, enthusiastic Theo figure himself out brought back many memories as the Kryptonian reflected on his own upbringing and the moment his life changed when he found out he had powers that set him apart from humans.

Unlike him, Theo had someone around to help guide and shape his powers. While Superman's parents had been helpful in steering his morality, they knew next to nothing about how to raise a teen who was more powerful than a locomotive.

Those memories sparked a new idea within the Man of Steel. The last thing he wanted was for Theo to feel like he was under house arrest. Sure, his unexpected intervention in the Bright Aurora situation had not been the best of moves, but Superman didn't want Theo to feel like he was being punished for his efforts. There was something to be said for him wanting to help people… which wound up fitting in with Batman's psychoanalysis. Perhaps a chance to not be around the extreme, to be treated normally and to feel human again, would help coax Theo along the straight and narrow.

Down in the utility room of the Fortress, Theo was busy testing his strength on one of the machines calibrated to handle Superman's abilities; one of several designed to ensure Superman was back to normal after a power-fluctuating event. With two hand he pushed a bar that pushed a large slab of metal, one engineered to be a vario-weighted counterbalance. Supergirl was at the controls, monitoring the current weight setting. It was current set at 100,000 pounds. "Feeling the burn yet?" She asked, flicking some blonde hair out of her face.

"Eh, I'm good." Theo replied, still pressing as if the weight was ten times less than its current amount. Kara said nothing, watching him with arms crossed. In a flash of imperceptible movement, in a moment of childish tomfoolery, she doubled the weight to 200,000 lbs. Theo kept pressing, completely oblivious to the change in weight. Kara was impressed. She knew her cousin was capable of lifting a skyscraper with ease (somewhere in the vicinity of 500,000,000lbs) and even though this was a fraction of that, Theo could still maintain a steady pace and not show signs of strain.

"You're a little powerhouse in the making." She remarked. Superman floated down from somewhere above.

"How're we holding up?"

"Not bad, all things considered." Supergirl mused. "He can lift a couple hundred-thousand pounds and punch above the ten-thousand pound mark. I'd say he's definitely a superhero-heavyweight." Superman arched a brow and gave Kara a look that said 'We're not doing this'. She looked away sheepishly. "Just saying." She murmured.

"Wait, how much am I lifting?" Theo asked as he eased the weight system back into a cradle. "I thought it was set for less than a couple hundred-thousand?" Superman smiled and waved it off.

"You're stronger than you think, Theo." He replied. "Feeling a little more confident?"

"A little, yeah." The teen answered. "But… I was wondering if there's anything else I can do? Things are starting to get… you know… same-y." He asked. Superman had been anticipating that and was ready to give voice to his plan.

"About that. I was thinking it might be time to move you somewhere a little more open." The Man of Steel suggested. "Someplace where you can have some more freedom and still live in relative safety." Theo's eyes brightened.

"Really?"

"Really." Superman affirmed with a grin. "Come on, I'll fly you over. Kara, you too."

"Where are we going?" His cousin wondered. Superman's response was simple.

"Home."

Meanwhile…

Another cloudy day in Gotham prompted its citizens to wear jackets as a sea breeze buffeted the city. Among them, a dark-skinned man with short curly hair and a thin beard strode nonchalantly down the sidewalk. His name was Archie Waller, not that he boasted that publically. Nobody gave him a second thought, nobody batted an eye at his presence.

Nobody could ever know that he was a metahuman.

That said, he didn't care if people knew or not. In fact, the less who knew the better. It meant he could go about his life uninterrupted. His powers made things complicated and difficult already, he didn't need any further hardships in his life. One in particular crossed his mind and he would be quite happy with never ever having to speak to-

Deadeye, I need you for something.

He stopped in his tracks as the psychic message ripped through his mind, forcing him to pause and double-take. The voice was familiar. He hated how familiar it was. "Speak of the devil." He grumbled. Exhaling to calm himself down, he answered tersely, You better have a damn good reason for ruining my day off.

I want you to report in. I need you for something. Amanda Waller replied.

And why would I do that? What's so important you have to haul me away from my life?

One of my assets has gotten loose and needs to be corralled, only someone like you has what it takes to find them. That's all you have to do: find them, subdue them, prep for my team to exfiltrate them. You know the drill: suit up and rendezvous with me at the usual coordinates. That's an order.

Archie loosed a heavy, growling sigh. You're lucky you're family, otherwise I'd tell you exactly where to shove those damn orders.

Amanda's response was somewhere between smug and condescending. That's how I know I can trust you.

Archie hated every second of being related to Amanda Waller. Once the fact he was a metahuman (and a telepath no less) got out, he was under her fat controlling thumb every day afterwards. For being so-called family, his aunt didn't treat him like a nephew as far as Archie was considered. But his loyalty to blood, be they deranged or otherwise, drove Archie to help even if he didn't like.

Stepping off the sidewalk and into an alleyway, Archie manifested telekinetic energies that surged around his body, transforming the air into a costume of cloth and metal. Body armor concealed his civilian clothes, a half-cape dangled from his shoulder, a helm with the base of a black skull concealed his face… there was no discernible face, just a single cycloptic tracking unit.

Archie Waller was no more. Deadeye was on the move.

The Kent Farm was neatly nestled between miles of wheat fields, roughly 12 miles outside of Smallville. Superman knew the terrain well. Not much had changed since his boyhood days growing up in Kansas. Kara knew the farm just as well, having spent plenty of time here as Superman integrated her into life on Earth after recovering her stasis capsule.

With Theo under one arm, Superman descended towards the backyard and it didn't take long for the aging Ma and Pa Kent to come outside to greet them. "Clark! Good to see you, son." Pa greeted as Superman disentangled from Theo to greet his folks.

"Hello, Pa. Hello, Ma!"

"Oh, Clark, honey, it's always a treat for you to stop by. Have you been eating well? You look thin?" Ma Kent asked. Theo performed a double-take. If anything Superman looked Herculean; the way the suit clung to his chiseled muscles resembled a classic strongman. The day Superman actually looked thin would be the day Hell froze over.

"I'm just fine, Ma." Superman chuckled. "By the way, I want to introduce you folks to someone. he's a young man in need of help." With that, he ushered Theo into their presence. "This is Theodore Taylor. Kara and I have been trying to nurse him back to normal." Theo gulped. He knew what he looked like and couldn't help but feel ugly in front of these people: Superman's own parents. He rubbed the back of his neck and waved sheepishly.

"Uh… hi, Mister and Missus Kent… S-Sorry about my looks, I'm… you know, not really-"

"Oh, we're no strangers to strange folk in this house." Ma interrupted as she led him into the house, not so much as batting an eye. "Come in, come in. Make yourself comfortable. Let me get you something better to wear other than those dreadful things. My son made you wear them, didn't he?"

"W-Well… in his defence it was better than what I originally had on."

Ma Kent shook her head. "That's my boy. Clark always means well, even if his sense of fashion isn't all there." She mused, making Theo smile.

Back outside, Pa watched until the door closed. "What's his story, son? Last time you brought a young man like him here, he was a clone of you." He inquired.

Superman crossed his arms. "From what I can tell, he's the victim of an experiment trying to merge Doomsday DNA with a human. As hard as it is to say, sounds like someone in the government has it out for me." He said. Pa shook his head slowly.

"People are afraid of what they don't understand," his father said. Superman nodded.

"Also of what they can't control. The Justice League and I are known for being impartial, we just go where we're helped."

"Hard to believe some people think that's a bad thing. What a world we live in." His gaze turned to the side. "Hello, Kara. Nice to see you again."

"Hi, Pa. Good to see you, too." Supergirl looked the farmhouse up and down. "You know, I kinda missed this place."

"We're not too big on extreme changes around here." Pa chuckled. "Come on in. I think Ma was putting some coffee on."

Upstairs, Theo was standing nervously in the doorway as Ma Kent rummaged through a dresser for some clothes. After a time she pulled out a faded pair of jeans, some old sneakers that had seen many country miles, and a black t-shirt. "Here, try these on. Clark wore these when he was your age." Theo took them and looked at the articles for a moment before her words finally set in. He looked up in shock.

"Superman wore these? Oh, I-I couldn't-"

"Nonsense. Of course you can." Ma encouraged him. "They're just clothes, dear. And they look like they'll fit you just fine." Seeing as she wouldn't take no for an answer, Theo stepped into another room and redressed himself. The clothes did fit well, although they were a little baggy in places. The shoes felt especially good, Theo at the very least happy he was no longer barefoot. As much as his feet could handle whatever terrain he was on, fitting into a pair of decent shoes just felt right. When he emerged, Ma was smiling. "There, that's better. You wear those just fine. Now come along downstairs, Theodore, I'll make you lunch."

"Sure. Thank you, Missus Kent." Theo replied, looking himself over. He couldn't believe he was wearing the same clothes Superman himself once wore. He looked up, their eyes meeting as Theo struggled to express something deep within him. Ma took notice immediately.

"What is it, dear?"

"I-It's just… Well… I'm surprised you're… okay with how I look."

"Oh, pffft, don't you give a second thought to how you look, young man." Ma replied with a dismissive wave of her hand. "My son has plenty of friends that don't look human. I should tell you about the time he brought his friend J'onn over for Christmas one year." She continued as they both started downstairs.

Later that afternoon, after a sandwhich that tasted so much better than every other sandwhich Theo had ever eaten, he and Superman stepped outside. The Man of Steel had exchanged his superhero garb for more homely attire: a white t-shirt under a plaid button-up shirt and a set of old jeans. Now more Clark Kent than Superman, he breathed deeply of the open air, surveying the vast fields of nothingness all around them. "Isn't this great? So peaceful and serene… it's where I come when I need time to think. There's nothing greater than being able to come home."

"I can't wait until I can do that." Theo murmured, looking down at his grey-skinned arms. "I haven't seen my family in a long time."

"We'll find a way, Theo, don't worry." Clark promised. He made his way over to an old shed and stepped inside. "Now, where is that…" He rooted around for a couple of minutes while Theo waited to see what he would retrieve. "Aha!" Clark emerged with a grin on his face, a baseball mitt on one hand, and a spare and ball in the other. "Nice to know dad still kept these." He tossed one to Theo who deftly caught it. "You said you played community league baseball, right?"

"U-Uh, yeah! Yeah, I'm on third base most of the time."

"Alright. Let's see," Clark whipped a quick fastball that Theo overreached to catch, the baseball thudding home into his mitt. "Nice catch."

"Heh, I can give as good as I get." Theo answered. He grabbed the ball and quickly threw it overhand. However, he overestimated his strength and fired the ball off into the distance. "Whoops!" Clark was off like a shot, disappearing with a strong gust of wind and returning just as quickly, the ball in hand.

"Almost a country mile, not bad. But I think you better ease off on the throw there, measure your strength." He instructed, walking Theo into the Kent's backyard. "That said, maybe I should make you work for it."

"No offence, Superman, but I managed a triple-play one time so I'm pretty sure I can handle it."

The Kryptonian grinned. "Alright. Jump for it." Clark tossed the ball straight up, his super strength launching it almost out of sight. Theo lept for it, the enhanced muscles in his legs launching him a kilometre in the air. He caught the ball and started tumbling, Clark catching him a foot before he hit the ground.

"H-How did I do that?" Theo asked, slightly out of breath.

"Your entire body is strong, Theo. Not just your arms when you're punching." Clark explained as he set him on his feet.

"I, uh… I think it's gonna be a while before I'm ready for superhuman baseball."

"Fair enough." Clark floated a few feet back. "Let's just focus on pulling your throws for now. You're a lot stronger than you used to be, remember."

"Right, got it." Theo threw the ball a lot softer than normal. It proved to be a perfect toss and Clark deftly caught it.

"Nice one." They started trading throws back and forth, catching the ball each time. "Pa did this with me when I was a kid. Before my powers kicked in. We lost a few balls after they did."

"I never got to do this with my dad." Theo answered, his tone somewhere between accepting and solemn. Clark didn't really have an answer for him. For all his powers and abilities, there were some situations he just couldn't fix.

Right now, Theo didn't need a Superman. He needed a father-figure.

They kept playing catch as the sun made it's slow descent towards the horizon, Kara watching in a pair of denim coveralls from the kitchen window. They only stopped when Ma Kent called them in for supper. Theo was in much brighter spirits, brighter than ever before, and it made Kara smile.

Elsewhere in the country…

Deep under Wayne Manor, in the complex Batcave, the Dark Knight sat before his massive Batcomputer running streams of data through programs and analysis filters. The upload from the Fortress of Solitude's supercomputer contained everything he needed regarding Theodore Taylor's genetic sequencing, enough for him to begin dissociating the man from the monster he had been bonded to. The differences were plain as day; Doomsday's DNA vaguely human in appearance if not for the different arrangement of chemical compounds. Some did not belong anywhere near a human body yet somehow Theo was just fine… More than fine, really.

Batman studied the differences for himself, taking careful note of the seamless integration. The metagene was his top priority and Batman took to studying every element involved in it. Keying in commands to the Batcomputer, the makeup of the metagene was catalogued and swiftly compared to the existing human-Doomsday genetic material.

The conclusion was swift and obvious.

Batman leaned back in his chair and stroked his chin for a moment, deep in thought. He toggled a key near the edge of his desk. "Batcave to Watchtower." The screen flickered, replaced with a video feed of a dark-skinned man whose face was obscured by a t-shaped mask covering his eyes, nose, and mouth.

"Batman. Funny seeing you on this line." Mister Terrific remarked in greeting. "What's the word?"

"I'm remote-uploading a data package to the Watchtower's main terminal." Batman responded, keying in new commands. "You have fourteen PhD's, tell me what you see." Mister Terrific's eyes darted away for a second, narrowing as he analyzed the information popping up on another screen.

"Looks like a metagene being used to bond two different DNA sequences. One of them is human, the other is really close but the chemical composition is all wrong."

"Would you say you could remove one genetic sequence from the other?"

Mister Terrific shook his head. "Not at this stage. The metagene has gone so far to adapt some of the foreign compounds into its own structure. It's bridging the two… incredibly well, might I add." He cocked his head. "What's going on, Batman? Some sorta illegal gene-splicing activity going on in Gotham?"

"Not exactly." Batman grunted. "I need you to use the Watchtower's teleporter to get to the outskirts of Gotham City. I'll pick you up in the Batwing and explain on the way."

"Where are we going? What do you need me for?" Mister Terrific asked. Batman's answer was twofold and somber as his brow knitted tightly.

"To break the news in person."