Reborn as Superboy in Marvel (AU)

Chapter 2

July 21, 2007

Location: Hell's Kitchen, New York

Four months have passed since I arrived in this world.

Four months of work, study, and preparation.

My first priority was to get money. Without an identity or background, the safest option was to work in construction. Superhuman strength + heavy work were a perfect combination. In a few weeks, I had gathered enough to rent a modest but functional apartment, in addition to buying the essentials: clothes, a cell phone, a computer, and other basic items.

But the most important thing in this time was not money, but knowledge.

I spent hours in the library correcting my knowledge of history, making sure not to rely only on what I remembered. I also invested time in improving my programming and cybersecurity skills, with a clear objective: to create an official identity without depending on criminals or intermediaries.

A few weeks ago, I finally felt ready to try.

Hacking the government network was not easy, but not impossible either. My intelligence is above the human average, thanks to the combination of Kryptonian genes and those of Lex Luthor. I may not be at the level of Reed Richards or Tony Stark, but I can definitely consider myself a genius in several fields.

The result of my effort: now "Conner Kent" is an official citizen of the United States. I have a driver's license, social security number, and a bank account. Basically, I exist in government records like any other person.

With this resolved, I can stop wasting time on physical work and focus on a more efficient source of income.

With all this momentary stability, I was able to focus on testing my abilities and understanding my limits.

Based on what I have experienced so far, these are the results:

* Strength: I can easily lift 30 tons with moderate effort. A punch of mine can break reinforced concrete and bend steel. If I exert myself, I can throw vehicles several meters away.

* Speed: I'm not a speedster, but I can run at a top speed of 100-150 km/h in short bursts. My reflexes are far above normal humans, enough to dodge point-blank attacks.

* Resistance: Low-caliber bullets don't even leave a mark, and high-caliber ones leave bruises, but they don't penetrate the skin. I can withstand moderate explosions and high-impact blows without being incapacitated, although the pain is still present.

* Senses: I can see clearly from more than 10 kilometers away, detect heat signatures in the dark, and hear conversations hundreds of meters away.

* Tactile Telekinesis: The ability is there, but it is almost unusable. I can't fly, create a protective shield, or manipulate objects at a distance. I need to train it, but I don't know how yet.

Despite all this, I am still far from Superman's level.

If I want to reach his level, there are two paths that could help me:

* Support Technology:

* An advanced suit with enhancements that boost my abilities.

* Something that increases my resistance or allows me to be more versatile in combat.

* Genetic Modification or External Enhancements:

* There is research in this world that, if I can get it, could increase my strength to levels comparable to Superman's... or even more.

But for any of these options, I need money. A lot of money.

To obtain passive income and not depend on physical work, I decided that the best thing would be to develop a video game.

Taking into account the year I am in and market trends, I created a plan for an online multiplayer shooter with microtransactions. My idea is something along the lines of "Team Fortress 2", which in my world was a success due to its character customization system and purchase of skins.

The concept of the game is simple:

* Genre: Multiplayer FPS.

* Platform: PC.

* Business Model: Free-to-play with microtransactions in skins and weapons.

* Visual Style: Cartoonish, similar to Team Fortress 2, which facilitates production with the limited resources I have.

Thanks to my enhanced intelligence and the ability to focus on several things at once, I was able to develop the basic graphics engine, game mechanics, and a functional server system in a few weeks.

With my new official identity, I registered a company under the name "KentSoft" and opened a bank account to receive income.

If all goes well, in a few months I could have a constant flow of money without depending on physical work.

I look at my computer screen. The game logo appears on the development interface.

This is just the first step.

If I want to reach Superman's level... I need resources, technology, and power.

And this is just the beginning.

Once I had my financial plan clear, I decided to investigate certain key people who could be useful in the future.

* Helen Cho: I found information about her in medical and scientific articles. Apparently, she was one of the leading researchers in biotechnology and cellular regeneration, although she did not yet have access to advanced resources as in Age of Ultron. Her laboratory was still in an early stage, but if I managed to contact her in the future, her research could be key to improving my capabilities.

* Otto Octavius: Currently, he did not work for Oscorp. According to the information I found, he was a physics and engineering professor at New York University, with some patents in biomechanics and robotics. If he followed the same path as in Spider-Man 2, at some point he would develop his mechanical arms. Depending on how things developed, I might be able to influence his destiny.

* Maya Hansen: I found very little information about her. Just a few mentions of her work in biotechnology and cellular regeneration, but nothing concrete. Most likely, she had not yet developed the Extremis serum.

In a few months, when I have enough money, I will contact them; they will be important for my future development.

Third Person Point of View:

Unknown Location

Agent Hill: Sir, we have a problem. Someone infiltrated the government network a few hours ago.

Nick Fury: What kind of problem, Agent? Compromised information?

Agent Hill: We still don't know. It doesn't seem like they stole anything, but we couldn't track the intruder either. It's as if they vanished.

Nick Fury: What about their origin? Any clues about who it could be?

Agent Hill: Nothing conclusive. It could be a lone hacker or an organized group. All we know is that they are very skilled.

Nick Fury: Well. I want you to review all security protocols. Make sure there are no vulnerabilities that can be exploited again.

Agent Hill: Understood, Sir.

Nick Fury: And open a file on this case. If the suspect tries again, I want us to be ready to respond.

Agent Hill: Do you think they'll try again?

Nick Fury: I don't know, Agent. But I prefer to be prepared.

Agent Hill: Okay. I'll be on it, Sir.

Our character had no idea that he almost got on the radar of one of the organizations he wanted to avoid so much, and not just one, but at some point he will discover it, but when that happens, he will be prepared for the consequences.