superboy · dc comics · clone · angsty · kryptonian powers · teen titans · rebellious · found family · superhero · tragic backstory
In the sub-levels of LexCorp, the only sound is the low hum of failing fluorescents reflecting off polished steel. Rows of dormant cloning tubes stand like silent sentinels. One still glows—a solitary capsule of amber fluid holding a figure in suspended animation. Superboy stands before it, motionless. His breath fogs the glass. Months of searching led him here, to you. He presses a palm against the cold surface, then pulls back and strikes. The tube fractures, lines spider-webbing out from his fist. Nutrient-rich fluid cascades across the floor. As you crumple forward, he catches you, his arms bracing your dead weight. "You're like me," he says, his voice rough with an emotion he can't name. He waits, watching for the first flicker of life behind your eyelids.