Superman stood tall in the vacuum of space, his crimson cape billowing in the faint solar winds. His gaze, unflinching and vigilant, was locked on the figure hovering before him—a creature unlike any he had ever encountered. Its body glowed with streaks of orange and cyan, interrupted by light gray patches across its oddly contoured frame. Where arms should have been, two sleek, pulsating tentacles extended from each side, swaying like they had a mind of their own.
Clark Kent had seen many things—intergalactic tyrants, world-ending machines, alternate timelines—but this... this was new.
The being said nothing at first, but its posture spoke volumes. Superman felt his instincts flaring, the same ones that had once warned him about Doomsday. A year ago, that monster had brought him to the brink of death—and for a time, beyond it. This new arrival mirrored that ominous entrance, crashing to Earth encased in a meteor. It was enough reason to stay on guard.
Yet Superman didn't strike. Not yet. He never attacked without cause.
Then, unexpectedly, the alien reached out—not with violence, but with thought. A psychic connection buzzed in Clark's mind, clear and calm.
"Who are you?" the voice echoed telepathically.
Superman's brows furrowed. The tone wasn't hostile, just curious. It was a small gesture, but enough to loosen the tension in his posture. Perhaps the being was lost... disoriented.
A smile tugged at the edge of his mouth. "My name is Superman," he replied, voice steady. "A protector of Earth. And you? Why were you riding in that meteor?"
The alien—Deoxys, though Superman didn't yet know the name—barely reacted to the question. Its thoughts spiraled elsewhere, tugged by memories of another life. It remembered comics, universes layered upon universes, and powerful beings who could blink him out of existence. Superman was one of them... depending on the version.
So many variables. So much danger.
But if there was one thing Deoxys needed, it was experience.
The tentacles shifted. They morphed into arms, or something resembling them. Then, Deoxys spoke—not in thought this time, but aloud, cold and analytical.
"I see... Then you'll be an excellent test subject to measure my capabilities, Superman."
Clark barely had time to process the threat before a beam of energy burst from the crystal in the center of Deoxys's chest. Reacting on instinct, Superman twisted aside, the blast grazing his cheek. He staggered back, one hand reaching up to touch the wound.
Blood.
He stared at the crimson stain on his fingers. That... shouldn't have been possible.
Even more concerning—his skin wasn't healing.
Either the attack had pierced his invulnerability, or worse, it was laced with magic. Before he could analyze further, his communicator crackled to life.
"Move, Clark! Another beam's heading your way!" Batman's voice snapped in his ear.
Superman bolted, the warning saving him by mere milliseconds. "Thanks for the assist, Bruce. That one nearly got me."
"Bring it in for questioning. I'm getting readings I've never seen before," Batman replied. "Its biology defies known classification."
Clark narrowed his eyes, floating steadily as Deoxys began to shift again, the alien's aura intensifying. "Understood. I'll handle it."
They stared each other down in the endless silence of space. The only sound came from the distant beeping of orbiting satellites. Neither moved.
Then Deoxys struck.
A wave of psychic energy erupted from its hand, aimed to disorient. Superman vanished in a blur, reappearing a breath later in front of the alien and delivering a powerful punch to its chest—then another to the head. Deoxys was knocked back fifty meters, but showed no real damage.
Without hesitation, the alien shifted forms—its body slimmed, streamlined. A Speed Form.
With a flash, Deoxys closed the distance again. Superman barely avoided the collision, but Deoxys was relentless. Charging a Psyshock between its tentacles, the blast landed square in Superman's chest. The force sent him spiraling, faint bruises forming along with torn fabric.
Before he could recover, Deoxys changed again—this time into its Attack Form. Gathering energy, it began to charge a Hyper Beam directly in front of its face. Superman blinked the daze away and flew, the beam trailing behind him, chasing him through the void of space.
He weaved between satellites, streaking like a comet. But time was running out.
With a sharp inhale, Superman's eyes flared red. Twin beams of heat lanced out, striking Deoxys mid-charge. The blast hit hard, searing into the alien's body. Portions of its form disintegrated.
Too slow to shift forms, Deoxys grimaced—then vanished.
Superman halted, floating in place, scanning the area. "There's no way I destroyed him... Did he teleport?"
Behind him, Deoxys reappeared. Silent. Undetected.
It was time to end this.
Still in Attack Form, Deoxys summoned a swirling orb of unstable psychic energy. Tentacles wrapped around it, guiding its form.
"Psycho Boost," he thought to himself.
The orb launched with terrifying speed.
Clark turned just in time to see it coming.
Too fast.
He raised his arms to block. The impact hit like a planet crashing into his chest. Pressure built, crushing and relentless. He tried to push back—he always pushed back—but his vision dimmed. His body trembled. Then his arms fell.
The Psycho Boost overwhelmed him.
When the dust settled, Superman's body floated—still, unconscious, adrift in the endless dark.
Deoxys watched, his breathing steady, unreadable.
'I only won because I trained for centuries to silence my movements,' he thought. 'Unless someone focused entirely on detecting them, I could move unnoticed. Maybe the outcome would differ next time, Superman…'
With one final glance, Deoxys vanished—teleporting toward Earth's atmosphere.
Back at the Watchtower, Batman and the rest of the League raced to retrieve their fallen comrade. But elsewhere, hidden from their view, a lone satellite bore witness to it all.
LexCorp's satellite.
And Lex Luthor was watching.
A slow, malicious smile stretched across his face.
He pressed a button.
"Mercy," he said to his secretary, "Arrange a meeting with our allies. It's time we bring something extraordinary... into the light.'
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Hope you enjoyed the chapter! I'm having a lot of fun writing this story. Let me know about any characters you may want to see interact with the MC. I'll try to do as many as possible without hurting the narrative. Also any power stones would be greatly appreciated.
With that said, I hope to see everyone in the next chapter!