The secret facility on the outskirts of Metropolis hummed with a sterile menace, its walls lined with cold steel and flickering monitors. Ben Moore, barely eighteen and once the scrawniest nerd in his graduating class, lay strapped to a slab in the center of a lab that reeked of antiseptic and desperation. His glasses were long gone, shattered in a scuffle with guards, but his vision was sharper than ever—too sharp. He could see through the walls, through the flesh of the scientists hovering over him, their bones glowing like ghostly x-rays. And that wasn’t the only change.
A blue solution, shimmering with an otherworldly glow, had been pumped into his veins hours ago. Sovereign, the shadowy organization behind this nightmare, had laced it with something they called “Kryptonian essence.” Superman’s DNA, they’d whispered with glee. Now, Ben’s once twig-like arms bulged with muscle, his chest a sculpted slab of marble. He felt invincible, unstoppable—and embarrassingly out of control. A heat pulsed through him, a side effect he couldn’t ignore, making his body react in ways that were as inconvenient as they were mortifying.
“Subject 17 is stabilizing,” one scientist muttered, scribbling on a clipboard. “Strength readings off the charts. Speed, flight, invulnerability—all confirmed. But… the other anomaly persists.”
Ben gritted his teeth, his new super-hearing picking up every word. “Anomaly?” he growled, his voice deeper now, resonant. “You mean the part where I can’t control—uh, never mind. Just let me out of here!”
Before the scientist could respond, the facility shook with a deafening *BOOM*. The walls trembled, and alarms blared like banshees. Through the chaos, Ben heard a voice—commanding, fierce, and unmistakably familiar.
“Knock, knock, boys!” Diana, the legendary Wonder Woman, strode through the shattered entrance, her lasso of truth glowing at her hip. Her raven hair cascaded over armored shoulders, and her piercing blue eyes scanned the room with a mix of fury and amusement. “Did you really think you could cage my son and not answer to me?”
Behind her, Nubia and Artemis flanked like twin storms, their weapons drawn. Power Girl and Supergirl hovered above, their capes snapping in the wind of their own making, while Cassie—Wonder Girl—cracked her knuckles with a smirk. This wasn’t just a rescue; it was a reckoning.
“Seriously, Diana,” Power Girl drawled, her voice dripping with sass as she punched a guard into a wall with casual ease. “How many times do we have to save this kid? I’m starting to think he *likes* getting kidnapped.”
“Oh, hush, Karen,” Supergirl shot back, zipping past to shatter a reinforced door with a flick of her wrist. “Ben’s just keeping us on our toes. Right, little cousin?”
Ben, still strapped down, managed a weak grin. “Uh, yeah, totally planned this. Thanks for the save, fam.”
Diana approached, her presence a force of nature. She snapped the titanium restraints like they were paper, her gaze raking over Ben’s transformed body. “By Hera, look at you,” she murmured, a teasing edge to her tone. “My little bookworm’s gone full Adonis. I’m almost jealous.”
Ben flushed, suddenly hyper-aware of every inch of his new physique—and the heat that wouldn’t quit. “Mom, can we not right now? I’m kinda freaking out here.”
“Freaking out is an understatement,” Nubia interjected, her voice a low, commanding purr as she hoisted Ben to his feet. “You’re radiating power, child. And… something else. Care to explain?”
“Not now, Nubia,” Artemis cut in, her sharp eyes scanning for more guards. “Let’s get him out before Sovereign sends their B-team. Move!”
The escape was a blur of super-speed and witty barbs. Cassie darted ahead, clearing a path with her lasso. “Hey, Ben, think you can keep up with those new legs, or do I need to carry you bridal-style?”
“Very funny, Cass,” Ben panted, testing his speed and nearly crashing into a wall. “I’m still figuring out how not to—uh—overdo it.”
“Overdo it?” Power Girl snorted, blasting a turret with her heat vision. “Kid, you’re a walking overachievement. Just try not to level the city on your first day.”
Minutes later, they burst into the night air, the facility crumbling behind them. Diana scooped Ben into her arms for a quick flight, her strength unyielding. “Hold tight, my boy. We’ve got a safe spot waiting.”
The condo on the edge of Metropolis was a stark contrast to the lab’s cold horror—a warm, modern space with sprawling windows and soft couches. Ben collapsed onto one, his new muscles aching in ways he didn’t know possible. The family gathered, their armor and capes shed for casual wear, though their presence still crackled with power.
“You’ve had quite the day,” Diana said, sitting beside him, her hand resting on his shoulder. “How are you feeling, truly?”
“Overwhelmed,” Ben admitted, avoiding her gaze. “I’ve got Superman’s powers, Mom. Strength, speed, flight… even X-ray vision. But there’s this… side effect. It’s embarrassing.”
Nubia, lounging nearby with a glass of wine, arched a brow. “Embarrassing how, exactly? Spit it out, boy. We’ve seen it all.”
Ben squirmed. “Let’s just say… things happen. Without warning. And I can’t stop it.”
Cassie, sprawled on the floor scrolling through her phone, looked up with a wicked grin. “Oh, I get it. You’re packing more than just muscles now, huh? Welcome to the super-awkward club.”
“Cassandra!” Diana snapped, though her lips twitched with amusement. “Behave. Ben, we’ll figure this out. For now, rest. Nubia and I will stay close tonight, just in case.”
As midnight crept in, Ben lay on the couch, Diana and Nubia nearby on armchairs, their watchful eyes softened by maternal care. Sleep eluded him, the day’s chaos replaying in his mind. Then, without warning, that damn heat surged again. His body tensed, and before he could react, a mortifying release hit—right onto Diana’s thigh as she shifted closer to adjust his blanket.
“Oh, gods!” Ben yelped, scrambling back, his face burning hotter than a kryptonite furnace. “Mom, I’m so sorry—I didn’t mean—!”
Diana froze, then burst into laughter, a rich, rolling sound that filled the room. “Hera help me, Ben, that’s a new one. Don’t apologize—it’s not your fault. Though I might need a towel.”
Nubia, roused by the commotion, smirked. “Well, damn. That’s what you meant by ‘side effect,’ huh? Boy, you’re a walking hazard.”
“I’m dying here,” Ben groaned, burying his face in his hands. “Can we just pretend this didn’t happen?”
“Not a chance,” Diana teased, wiping her thigh with a nearby cloth, her tone gentle but firm. “We’re family, Ben. Messy, bizarre, super-powered family. We’ll handle this—together. But maybe invest in some… containment strategies.”
Cassie, peeking from the hallway, couldn’t resist. “Told ya, super-awkward club! Don’t worry, big guy. We’ve got your back—and apparently, your front too.”
“Cassie, I swear—” Ben started, but Diana cut him off with a look that brooked no argument.
“Enough. We rest now. Tomorrow, we train you to control… everything.” Her eyes sparkled with mischief. “And maybe get you some steel-plated pants.”
As laughter rippled through the room, Ben felt a strange warmth—not the uncontrollable kind, but the kind that came from belonging. Sovereign had turned him into a weapon, a freak of nature, but these women—his fierce, unbreakable family—would turn him into something more. Something better. Even if it meant enduring a few mortifying mishaps along the way.
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