Jon Kent: Made Of Steel(Superboy Self Insert)

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Chapter 40: Doppelganger.

-0-

(General P.O.V)

(Mount Justice – Conference Room)

The few league members left, along with the black-ops Team occupied the vast space inside the conference room.

Everyone except for three people sat around the large mahogany table with projected screens.

Tension weighed heavily in the air, thick as fog.

At the head of the room, a freshly showered Jon in a black T-shirt, blue shorts and flipflops faced his father, his expression resolutely stubborn.

An angry Superman towered over him, hands crossed, cape casting a long shadow.

"You can't be serious about this. I forbid it!" Clark said for the umpteenth time, his voice booming like thunder, cutting through the quiet murmurs of the gathered heroes.

"I've never been more serious in my life," Jon replied calmly, drying his hair with a towel.

After winning the Kumite, a shocking feat in retrospect, the discussion turned to the deal he'd made with Batman: His incarceration in exchange for Kara's freedom.

The hologram of Belle Reve prison hovered above the conference table, rotating ominously.

The schematics highlighted the security systems, the cells, and the high-profile inmates contained within. The prison's head director was a stern faced black woman named Amanda Waller.

To anyone else, it would seem like an impenetrable fortress of despair governed by a tyrannical demon from hell. To Jon, it was where he needed to be.

"Jon, you don't understand the risks," Superman continued, his tone tinged with frustration. "You're asking me to send you into the lion's den—alone. It's not just dangerous. It's reckless and irresponsible."

Jon paused his actions and met his father's gaze head-on. "By your argument, it's even more reckless to send Kara there. Are you ready for her to hate this world before getting to know it? To know us?"

Superman frowned.

"Is he always so..." Artemis trailed off, gesturing at Jon.

"Eloquent?"

"Convincing?"

"Smooth?"

Came a chorus of words best suited to describe Jon's sheer charm. The way he stood and spoke exuded a confidence and surety that hadn't been present before.

"No." A frowning Robin denied, juggling a battarang with his fingers. "He's been different since the Kumite. Perhaps he's a cl-"

The towel left Jon's hand and accurately smacked onto Boy wonder's face, tipping him over with a few unsavory words. Wally burst out in laughter while Jon continued on like nothing had happened.

"If she goes into Belle Reve, it'll change her. Waller will make sure of it. Her xenophobic reputation is only preceded by her hunger for power."

Clark's jaw tightened. "You know all that and still want to deliver yourself to her. How does that convince me?"

Jon chuckled, "Waller is the least of my worries Pa. I know her more than she knows herself."

"I don't care. This isn't your duty. You're 14 years old. You don't belong in a maximum prison, you belong in school and a normal teenage life." Clark remained adamant.

Jon switched tactics. Clearly he wasn't making a convincing case.

His voice rose, not in anger but in conviction. "Age has nothing to do with it. Kara's your cousin, making her family, which means IT IS my duty. I'm not going to let her suffer when I can help."

"J-" Clark began but Jon cut him off.

"And it's not just about her, Dad. Something bigger is going on—something tied to Cadmus, to Santa Prisca, the Fog..." He looked at his teammates. "Every mission we've been on points to one conclusion, there are people pulling strings from the shadows. Belle Reve might hold the answers we need."

"Infiltration? You think you're ready for something like that? Beating Batman doesn't suddenly make you an expert in espionage. You will be up against the worst villains alive without your powers."

Jon squared his shoulders. "I know I'm ready. You and Batman have trained me for this. You raised me to do what's right, no matter how hard it is, with or without powers. Well, this is me doing what's right."

Superman's fists clenched, his cape swaying slightly as if stirred by an unseen wind. For a moment, the room was silent, save for the hum of the hologram.

"Okay," Clark said finally, exhaustion setting in. "What am I supposed to tell your mother? What happens when she finds out you're in Belle Reve?"

Jon hesitated, then turned to Miss Martian. "M'gann?"

Miss Martian stepped forward, her form rippling as her appearance shifted.

Within seconds, an identical copy of Jon stood in her place, down to the faint birthmark on his neck.

"I'm still not good at mimicking boy's clothes." Miss Martian said in Jon's voice, undistinguishable from the real one."Hello Megan! I can just borrow yours or Connor's if you don't mind."

"I- I don't mind." Connor said from her side with a flushed face.

Jon shrugged, watching his father's reaction. "Feel free. As far as I'm concerned you're doing me a solid."

The Doppelganger turned to Superman, head tilted in a perfect imitation of Jon's own mannerisms. "Don't worry Pa, I'll keep up appearances while Jon's gone. And I'll also monitor Kara telepathically to make sure she doesn't do anything reckless."

Superman's eyes narrowed as he looked between his son and the doppelganger.

"This doesn't make it any better." Came a disapproving grunt.

"No," Jon admitted, stepping closer to his father. "I don't expect it to fool Ma for long either. But it makes Belle Reve possible. Dad, you always taught me to believe in myself. Believe in me now."

Clark closed his eyes, exhaling slowly. The weight of the decision was written all over his face. "Jon…"

"Please," Jon quietly insisted, eyes glowing with a determined light. "Trust me."

-Later-

Right after the League left, Jon had another battle to win: Convincing his friends to go along with his insanity.

The mood in the Team's lounge was somber, with his friends carrying expressions ranging from concern to skepticism.

"Jon, what about your face?" Robin asked with a furrowed brow. Out of everyone, he knew Jon the best but right now, it was like facing a stranger. "You're not exactly unknown. Someone's bound to recognize you as Superboy."

Jon smirked. "Watch this."

He closed his eyes briefly, his facial muscles twitching in subtle, almost imperceptible ways.

When he opened them again, his face had changed.

His cheekbones were sharper, his jawline more angular, his nose slightly different. It was still him, but different enough to pass as someone else.

The room erupted into murmurs of surprise.

"How…?" Robin asked, leaning closer to inspect Jon's altered features.

"Torquasm." Jon said in a nasally voice, different from his own. "It gives me total awareness and slight control of my body—down to every muscle, including the ones in my face and throat."

"You're telling me you can change your appearance...just like that?" Artemis asked incredulously, her fingers snapping.

Jon nodded. "It's not perfect- I can't alter my size or height, but it'll do the job."

Connor crossed his arms, a thoughtful expression on his face. "Pa has the same ability. He's been showing me how it works. "

Robin raised an eyebrow. "Even if you can change your appearance, you seem a little too eager to go to Belle Reve. This isn't just about Kara or Cadmus, is it?"

Jon's smirk froze, appearing distracted. "You're right Rob. It's not just about Kara. Or Cadmus. I think Belle Reve is where I'll find the missing pieces to a few personal questions. Questions I can't reveal right now. You just need to trust me."

Robin nodded after a brief silence, fist bumping Jon. "Always."

Aqualad frowned. "Even so, going in alone is dangerous, Jon. You'll be surrounded by criminals, far more experienced than you."

Jon's eyes gleamed with determination. "Who said I was going in alone?"

It was time for Cloak and Dagger to make their official debut! Muhahahaha!

-0-

Clark stood at the observation deck of the Watchtower, staring out at the Earth below. His mind was a storm of conflicting emotions: pride, fear, frustration, and hope.

Bruce stepped up beside him, his movements silent as always.

"You're letting him go," Batman started, his words more of a statement than question.

Clark didn't look at him. "Do I have a choice?"

Bruce was silent for a moment before replying. "You do. But you know he's right."

Superman's jaw tightened. "That doesn't make it any easier."

"It's not supposed to be easy," Bruce quietly said. "But he's ready. You've done a good job with him."

"Have I? Because it feels like he's willing to listen to you more than me." Clark ground out, finally turning to face his best friend with a clenched jaw. "The Kumite, the deal. You went along with all of it. So if anything happens to my boy…"

Bruce met his gaze evenly. "Then I'll take full respons-."

"You won't get the chance to." Clark cut in, glaring at him. "Because by then you'll be eating through a straw Batman."

Bruce narrowed his eyes but remained silent.

After the ominous threat, Superman floated into the air. "Goodbye Bruce."

Thooom!!

The greatest superhero in the world shot off.

"Kal-el is simply worried. Don't take him seriously." Diana patted Bruce on the shoulder.

"You're wrong. He was dead serious." He stated, watching the blur of red and blue streaking around the world.