Outside the Base
Perched atop a crumbling building, three figures overlooked the old, hidden base nestled in the shadows of the city. The sky glowed in the late afternoon sun, casting long shadows across the ruins below.
Booster Gold adjusted the display on his gauntlet and scoffed. "You can't be serious. This… this is the first base of the greatest hero?"
A second man, older with silver in his hair but sharp eyes full of wisdom and mischief, chuckled. "Everyone starts somewhere, Booster. This was mine."
A woman standing between them smirked. "I still can't believe how cute you were as a teenager."
The trio? None other than Booster Gold, Nora Allen, and a future version of Franklin himself—now known across the multiverse as one of its greatest heroes.
"Thanks, Nora," Future Franklin said, smiling fondly.
Booster rolled his eyes. "Still trying to wrap my head around how the guy who fought Darkseid and Thanos at the same time started from this dump. Let's not forget Galactus too."
"And he owns three planets," Nora added, arms crossed. "Though, technically, he's only king of one. The other two just… listen to him."
"Hey," Franklin shrugged, "we're allies. That's it. I didn't ask them to name cities after me."
"And you've got a harem, dude," Booster shot back. "Don't even try to deny it."
Franklin held up a hand defensively. "Okay, to be fair, that sort of… happened. After Yolanda and Ava, I thought that was it. Then Cindy and Courtney caught me off guard. I still don't know when or how the others fell for me. I mean—Lauren I get. I saved her and her whole family. But the rest? You'd have to ask them."
Nora snorted. "You're thirty and still dense. America Chavez was right—you really haven't changed much."
"Hey, come on!" Franklin said, half-laughing. "I'm not dense anymore. Once I realized Ava and Yolanda liked me, I caught on to Cindy and Courtney too. I even figured out what Kamala and Anya were thinking."
Booster mock-yawned. "Okay, I'm done. I'd rather not hear you brag about your wives again. Still jealous, by the way."
He tapped a few commands into his wrist interface. "Can we just go home? You've seen your old base before it got blown to pieces."
"Yeah, yeah." Franklin nodded. "Thanks for bringing me. After that last time travel incident, I'm technically not allowed to do this anymore. And I don't think my wives would appreciate me being gone too long—especially the kids."
"You saved my best friend's life," Booster said, suddenly serious. "If you ever need anything, I'm there."
Nora smiled softly. "And you saved me from being erased. I'd break the Allen family time-travel code for you any day. Besides, Dad used to do this—peek in on his younger self—before you saved his parents. One little glimpse doesn't hurt."
Booster shrugged. "You've messed with time a lot. No wonder the higher beings banned you from it."
Franklin just grinned. "Hey, it's not my fault I'm the only one who does time travel right. You gotta cover all bases—and expect the unexpected. Plus, it helps when you can transform into a super-genius alien anytime you want."
"Even with that brainpower," Booster said, smirking again, "it still took you way too long to realize your two best friends were in love with you."
Franklin chuckled, shaking his head. "Yeah… I could try to defend myself, but you're right. I was dense. Dumb and smart. At the same time."
"At least you grew out of it," Nora added.
Booster laughed. "He grew out of it after the invasion."
A golden orb of temporal energy shimmered around them. In an instant, the three vanished in a flash of golden light—leaving behind only the sound of the wind blowing across a base that, one day, would become legend.
One Month Later
It's been a month since I started training with Hector and Ava.
And let me tell you—it's been hell.
Ava wasn't joking. Hector did not hold back. The man trains like he's preparing me to fight Darkseid blindfolded in a hurricane. I've lost count of how many times I hit the mat. Every muscle in my body hates me, and don't even get me started on the bruises. It was not fun explaining them to my friends.
Especially Yolanda.
She's always been the overprotective one in our group, and seeing me show up to school limping or holding my ribs? She was pissed. I had to give her a half-truth just to get her off my back. Told her I was training with Ava and Hector, but obviously left out the superhero part. I think she bought it… maybe.
Hector's been teaching me Heihuquan—Black Tiger Kung Fu. Yeah, I know. That name's way on the nose. Even Ava rolled her eyes when she first told me. But honestly? It's effective. Brutal, fast, aggressive. Like a tiger ripping through a threat.
And that's not all. He's also teaching me Karate and Judo, making sure I can defend myself both standing and on the ground. And the biggest lesson? Awareness. Hector keeps drilling into my head that I can't rely on my alien forms all the time. As powerful as they are, I still need to be sharp—physically and mentally—even in my human form.
He's trying to teach me how to read a room, predict movement, sense changes in people's body language or behavior. I won't lie… I'm still struggling with that part. My human senses aren't anywhere near as sharp as some of my alien ones, but Hector says that's not an excuse. I'm learning to observe—to really pay attention. No distractions. No tunnel vision.
It's not easy. But I can feel myself getting better.
Stronger. Smarter.
And I'm starting to think… maybe I really can be the hero I want to be.
Oh yeah, and the rest of my base upgrades finally came in.
Explaining that part to Hector… not fun.
I had to tell him I may or may not have stolen billions of dollars from a few corrupt companies. Safe to say, he was not impressed. The man looked at me like I'd just kicked his dog.
But once I explained that these weren't good people—that these were companies doing shady things behind the scenes, exploiting people, manipulating the system—he calmed down. Well, mostly. He still didn't like that I stole anything at all, but in the end, he accepted it. Reluctantly. Said something about "doing good the right way," but agreed that I had a point.
From there, we all got to work.
Now the base has real structure. We've got computers, a full-blown training area, and even a fridge—which is way more useful than you'd think when training with Hector for hours on end. And power? Not a problem. I built a power core myself—nothing short of genius, if I'm being honest. It's way more efficient than an Arc Reactor, and it'll keep the whole base running for sixty years before it even thinks about running low.
Using Armadillo, I expanded the underground space too. Gave us enough room for all our gear, tools, and whatever else we might need. Plus, I set up a medical area. Stocked it up with supplies—even though none of us are exactly trained doctors.
Surprisingly, Ava's mom stepped in to help. Turns out she's got some legit medical knowledge. And yeah, she knows about me now. About the Omnitrix. About the hero thing. I was expecting her to freak out, maybe yell at me…
But she didn't.
She smiled, said she was proud I was using my powers to help people. Even forgave the whole "stealing from evil companies" thing. Said if more people did that, the world would be better.
Oh—and I upgraded Hector's suit. Took some of that money and added ballistic protection. Now it's bulletproof, top to bottom. No one's sneaking up on White Tiger and shooting him in the head again. Not on my watch.
So yeah. The base is coming together.
We've got a real operation now.
Even though I haven't been doing hero work for a month, the name Omni stuck. The internet's already flooded with theories—who I am, what I am, and most of all, why I've gone quiet for a whole month. People online are impatient, especially when it comes to superheroes. Some think I'm off training. Others think I died. A few weirdos even think I was a government experiment that got "shut down."
Meanwhile, Kamala and the rest of the H.A.A.U.C. have been going nuts over my transformations. guessing how many forms I have and what those forms can do.
They're not just focused on me, though. The appearance of two new nighttime vigilantes has added fuel to the fire—Courtney and Cindy B. They haven't revealed any official names yet, but they've been taking down petty criminals like muggers, robbers, and small-time crooks. I know it's them because the news mentioned one of the new heroes using a glowing staffand I saw Courtney the next day with a fresh bruise on her cheek. She brushed it off with an excuse, but I knew better.
I'm honestly worried about them. Sure, Cindy B has a healing factor, but that doesn't make her invincible. Some metahumans could still seriously hurt her. And Courtney, despite whatever powerful gear she might be using, is still just human at the end of the day. So, against my better judgment, I told Hector and Ava about their nighttime activities. It wasn't an easy call, but I'd rather risk them being upset with me than see them get hurt out there.
Now, you might think that was kind of a dick move—exposing Courtney and Cindy B like that. But honestly? I did it for their own good. I want them to train with us. I can probably upgrade Courtney's suit too—make it more durable, maybe give it some built-in tech. And it's not like I don't care. I do. They've become real good friends in just a month, and I don't want to see them get hurt trying to do this alone.
When I told Hector and Ava, they were surprised—and curious—about how I knew. I just told them I overheard Courtney and Cindy talking about it one day. They bought it. Hector agreed that we should bring them into the fold when the time's right. Ava and I both want to earn their trust a bit more before we share our own secrets.
Now, you might be wondering why I haven't told Hector and Ava about Peter and Cindy M yet. Simple: I'm not too worried about them. They've been at this longer, and they've got better powers, and both have Spider-Sense. From what I can tell, they haven't been seriously hurt yet, so I'm not too concerned. Not yet.
That doesn't mean I'm keeping them in the dark forever. I'm gonna tell them one day. Not just them, either—MJ-1, Ned, Kamala, and Betty. They're all my friends, and let's be real—they're gonna get suspicious eventually with how often I disappear.
And honestly? They'd all be helpful in their own way. Ned is a genius with tech—perfect guy in the chair material. Kamala, she's got the heart of a hero already. Whether her powers come from that bracelet or some Inhuman gene, I know she's gonna be something great.
And Betty… yeah, she's not Spider-Girl in this timeline, but she's got it in her. In one of those "what-if" universes, she became Spider-Girl for a while before passing the torch. Inspired Peter to become Spider-Man. She's got a good heart—hell, maybe even a heroic one.
And let's not forget about MJ-1.
Yeah, I joke around and call her that because of the whole "two MJs" thing, but truth is, she's sharper than most people give her credit for. There's a chance—maybe not today, maybe not even this year—but there's a real chance she ends up with powers too. Maybe a spider bite, maybe something else. Hell, maybe even a symbiote, like in the comics.
I've read enough alternate timelines to know anything's possible. In one, she straight-up became Spider-Woman with Peter by her side. In another, she bonded with a symbiote and handled it better than Eddie ever did. So yeah, if something like that ever happens, I want to be ready—I want them to be ready. If any of my friends ever does get powers, I don't want them stumbling through it alone.
Because that's the thing, right? Being a hero isn't just about powers. It's about support. About having people around you who understand the weight you're carrying. I have that in the beginning. And I'm going to make damn sure the people I care about do too.
I also discovered something really interesting—when my body is in top physical shape, my alien forms get noticeably stronger too. I'm not sure if I forgot about that, or if it's something new the Omnitrix just started doing. Either way... I love it.
It's like every punch hits harder, every power flows smoother. Even my transformations feel more natural—less jarring. It's like the Omnitrix is syncing with my physical condition and rewarding me for taking care of myself.
Oh, and one other thing, I made sure the only trick mats my voice while I'm in my armor. I also made sure no Kryptonian can see through it, and I made the armor mask my scent. I do not want to get found out because of those simple mistakes again.
Me, Hector, Ava, and Soledad—Ava's mom—were all at my base. I was sitting shirtless on one of the medical tables while Soledad patched me up.
"Seriously, Hector, it wouldn't kill you to hold back a little," Soledad scolded as she pressed an alcohol pad to one of the bruises on my ribs.
"I can't hold back. The people out there won't," Hector said calmly, arms crossed.
"He has bruises all over his chest!" Soledad shot back, frustrated.
"At least it's not his face this time," Hector said with a small smirk, trying—and failing—to defend himself.
Ava, sitting nearby, wasn't saying much. She had her eyes glued to one of the many TV monitors in the base, clearly trying to look anywhere but at me while I was shirtless.
While Soledad and Hector went back and forth, I started zoning out... until something on one of the screens caught my eye. One of the news channels switched to a breaking report. I quickly grabbed the remote and turned the volume up.
"A rocket is crashing back to Earth after a failed launch. Four astronauts are currently trapped inside and plummeting at high speed. No word yet from the Justice League or the Avengers," the reporter announced as live footage showed the flaming rocket slicing through the sky over National City.
Ava finally looked away from the screen she'd been pretending to watch and turned toward the one with the rocket footage. Her eyes widened.
"That's falling fast," she muttered.
I stood up, my bruises forgotten.
"That's happening in National City… That's not far."
Hector stepped forward, placing a hand on my shoulder before I could move. "Franklin, I know what you're thinking—but don't. You're not ready for something like that yet."
"Superman usually handles incidents like this," Ava added quietly, worry creeping into her voice.
"Yeah… usually," I echoed. My eyes stayed glued to the screen.
The rocket was burning up, spinning slightly, but still intact—for now.
I turned to them both. "What if he doesn't make it in time? You told me yourself, Hector—heroes can't save everyone."
"Franklin, wait—" Hector started, but I was already moving.
"Too late. I've already decided."
I activated the Omnitrix, and my suit formed around me. Scrolling quickly through the options, I stopped on the perfect form for the job and slammed the dial.
"Jetray!"
I shot out of the base at full speed, flying toward the plummeting rocket. The flames trailing behind it lit up the sky like a meteor. I knew Jetray wasn't strong enough to catch or stop something that massive midair—but I already had a plan.
As I closed the distance, I soared above the rocket and slammed down on its hull, hitting the Omnitrix dial.
"Upgrade!" I shouted as green energy engulfed me.
In a flash, I merged with the rocket, my alien circuitry spreading through the hull. I could feel everything—the systems failing, the heat shielding peeling off, the screaming of overworked engines. I didn't hesitate. I rewired it all in seconds, reinforcing the frame, stabilizing the descent, reactivating the guidance systems.
Through the onboard speaker system, I spoke to calm the terrified astronauts inside.
"Don't worry. I'm here to help. You're now flying on Omni-Rocket. Please remain calm—we'll be landing shortly."
I guided the ship toward a nearby airport, avoiding buildings and densely populated areas. The moment we touched down on the tarmac, I released my control and phased out of the rocket, transforming back into my regular form—still clad in my armor.
The hatch opened. One by one, the astronauts climbed out, dazed but unharmed.
"Is everyone okay?" I asked, stepping forward.
"Yeah… thanks to you," one of them said, still trying to process what just happened.
"Glad I could help. I'm just happy no one got hurt," I replied with a small nod. "But I've gotta get going."
I turned to leave—but then stopped in my tracks.
Hovering just a few feet away was someone I hadn't expected to see—Superman. He landed silently in front of me, cape billowing slightly, his presence as commanding as ever.