Superman was standing right in front of me—and I've got to say, I was in total awe. I mean, come on, he's Superman—the greatest hero in all of fiction.
I briefly wondered if he was using his x-ray vision to look through my suit. Thankfully, thanks to Gray Matter, I designed it with materials Kryptonians can't see through. Gotta love having smart aliens on your team. Not that I think Superman would try. He's not the type. Batman, though? If he had the chance to figure out my identity, he definitely would. He's Batman, after all.
"Hey, Superman. It's an honor to meet you," I said, stepping forward and holding out my hand.
He shook it, firm but not crushing. For a moment, I noticed the Omnitrix glow faintly yellow.
"Nice to meet you too, Omni," he said, releasing the handshake. "I've heard a few things about you—but then you kind of disappeared for a month."
"Yeah, I decided to take a step back and train more before getting back out there. But when I saw what was happening with the rocket—and no one else was around—I had to jump in. I'm going to go back into training after this. You won't be seeing much of me for a while," I explained.
He nodded. "It's hard not to notice you, especially with that unique ability to transform. I've never seen anything quite like it."
"Yeah, I'm definitely one-of-a-kind," I replied with a grin. "But I've got to get going."
I really didn't want to get into any deep conversations about the Omnitrix—not yet. Not with the Justice League or the Avengers.
I activated the Omnitrix and quickly scrolled through the options. Once I saw the alien I needed, I slammed down the dial.
"Jetray!"
In a flash, I took off into the sky. Once I was about a mile away, I switched forms again—this time into Ghostfreak. I veered in the opposite direction of New York for a while before circling back. It was going to be a long, quiet flight home, but Ghostfreak was perfect for staying hidden.
And yeah… I was already bracing myself. Hector was definitely going to be pissed.
Superman's POV – Later That Day
"You didn't use your x-ray vision to find out who he really is?" Batman asked, voice calm but laced with sharp criticism. "That's reckless, Superman. He could be a threat."
"Oh yeah," Hawkgirl said with a heavy dose of sarcasm. "A real threat—saving four people from plummeting to their deaths. Super suspicious."
"I agree," Flash chimed in, arms crossed as he leaned back in his chair. "Not everyone wants to live under a microscope. If he's not doing anything wrong, he's entitled to some privacy."
"Exactly," I said simply. "That's why I didn't do it."
The others around the table gave small nods or quiet grunts of agreement. We were all seated in the Watchtower conference room—just the core League members.
Sitting with me were:
The Flash
Green Lanterns: John Stewart and Hal Jordan
Wonder Woman
Batman
Hawkgirl
Hawkman
Black Canary
Green Arrow
Shazam
Cyborg
Aquaman
Martian Manhunter
Doctor Fate
Captain Atom
Red Tornado
The Atom
Mr. Terrific
We were discussing the return of a new hero—Omni.
He had reappeared today after a full month of silence. And while some of us were intrigued, curious even... others, like Batman, were cautious, if not suspicious.
"We've never seen powers like his before," I said, watching the hologram of Omni flicker in the center of the table. "Each form seems to have entirely unique capabilities. And yet, he never uses them for personal gain."
"You all seem blind to the threat he poses," Batman said, fingers flying across the panel at his seat. With a few taps, a new set of footage began playing—highlighting Omni's transformations and past encounters.
"He appears, vanishes for a month, then shows up again," Batman continued. "No consistent pattern. No background. And his powers? Either alien or advanced tech we've never encountered. We don't even know if the armor is part of his powers or a separate tool."
"Okay, yeah, his powers are weird," Shazam admitted, squinting at the projection. "But cool weird. And come on—if he wanted to, he could've robbed a bank ten times over with that speed form he's got. What's it called again?"
"XLR8," Flash answered immediately, clearly impressed. "Moves like a speedster, but without a speedster's aura. Very alien. And you're right—if he were dangerous, we'd know by now."
There was a beat of silence as the League quietly watched clips of Omni saving civilians, fighting off thugs, and—most recently—rescuing that rocket full of astronauts.
"Power like that..." Wonder Woman finally spoke. "It must be earned or bestowed. He may not understand the full weight of it yet. But that does not mean he intends harm."
"I agree," I said. "And from what I saw, he's young. Probably still figuring things out. But his heart's in the right place. And if he is learning, maybe we should be the ones guiding him... not hunting him."
"I'm not saying we hunt him down," Batman said, his tone calm but firm. "I just want more information on this hero. I'm mainly curious about his powers—how he's able to transform into monsters or aliens."
"If those are aliens," John Stewart chimed in, "they're ones I've never seen before."
"Same here," Hal Jordan added, arms folded. "And I've been to a dozen sectors. None of his forms match anything in the Corps database."
"That's exactly what concerns me," Batman said, pulling up a holographic display of Omni mid-transformation. "If he's transforming into aliens we've never encountered—even with two Lanterns here who've mapped countless systems—how does he know of their existence? And how is he able to become them?"
"Maybe he'll be willing to tell us—if we're actually friendly instead of treating him like a suspect," Shazam offered. "He hasn't broken any laws."
"Batman has a point, though," Captain Atom cut in. "We know aliens exist, sure. But this guy's forms don't line up with anything we've seen. Either he's got access to technology far beyond ours, or something else entirely. Could be he's playing the long game—gaining trust, waiting for us to let our guard down, then striking when we least expect it."
Cyborg rolled his eyes. "You sound like Batman talking about Superman back in the day. And look how that turned out. The guy's saved the planet more times than any of us."
"We're not labeling him a threat," Mr. Terrific said, stepping in to mediate. "We're acknowledging the unknown. On one side, yes—he has an unpredictable power set, unknown origin, and he's disappeared for long stretches. That warrants caution."
Captain Atom smirked. "Exactly."
"But," Mr. Terrific continued, "he's also saved lives, never acted aggressively, and clearly wants to help. Superman said he's currently training to be a better hero. That doesn't sound like someone plotting an attack."
"Or it's part of the act," Hawkman muttered.
"Regardless," Wonder Woman interjected firmly, "we should not pass judgment without reason. We observe. We wait. If he proves himself, then we welcome him. If he becomes a threat, we'll act. But we will not be the ones who drive away a potential ally through paranoia."
Everyone fell quiet at her words.
"We keep an eye on Omni," she concluded. "But from a distance. No identity hunts. No pressure. Let's see what kind of hero he chooses to become."
Franklin POV
"45… 46… 47… 48… 49… 50…" I wheezed, collapsing onto the ground, chest heaving from exhaustion.
If you're wondering what's going on—simple. Hector was furious when I got back, so he handed me the punishment: 50 pushups… with a mountain of weights stacked on my back. Usually wouldn't be a problem. But with the extra weight? Pure hell.
"Do it again. Ava, add more weight," Hector ordered flatly.
"Come on! Ever heard of mercy?" I groaned, still catching my breath. "Look—I know I disobeyed your orders, but I saved four people!"
"That doesn't change the fact that you ignored a direct command," Hector snapped. "And for the record, Superman was already on his way. The news said he was just finishing off a robot army when you transformed and took off."
"Wait, what? A robot army? Where the hell did they come from?" I asked, baffled.
"Language," Soledad scolded from nearby as she reorganized the first aid supplies.
"Sorry," I muttered.
"Some mad scientist trying to conquer the world—same script, new villain. But that's beside the point. I told you not to go, Franklin. You went anyway. If you can't follow a simple order like that, how am I supposed to trust you to be out there fighting crime with me?"
"Wait what?" I said, confused and still trying to catch my breath.
"The reason Ava is waiting so long to become the White Tiger. Because of the amulet—there's only one, and I'm still using it. I'm not ready to give it up yet," Hector said, crossing his arms. "But she's more than ready to go out there. And since you already have powers, I was thinking of letting you tag along on my night patrols."
He paused for a second, then shook his head.
"But after today… I don't think that's a good idea anymore."
"Wait a minute, Hector—" I said, pushing myself off the ground. The weights on my back fell with a heavy thud as I turned to face him.
"No, Franklin. Out there? That's life or death," Hector said, voice firm. "I need to be able to trust you to follow my orders completely. If you can't do that, if you go off on your own and act before thinking, you could get me killed. Or yourself. Or someone else."
I didn't say anything. His words just… hit me.
Hard.
He was right.
As much as I wanted to argue, I couldn't. I have been getting overconfident. The Omnitrix made me feel like I could handle anything—like I didn't need a plan. Like I didn't need to listen. But that's not how this works. Not here. Not with this world.
I've been acting like the Omnitrix solves everything.
It doesn't.
One mistake is all it takes to ruin everything, and I can't afford to make those kinds of mistakes—not if I really want to be a hero. Not if I want to stand next to people like Hector… or Superman.
"…Hector's right."
"Hector… you're right," I said, head down, a serious look on my face. "And I'm sorry I disobeyed your orders. I promise you—it won't happen again. I got too overconfident with the Omnitrix, but you opened my eyes. I'm sorry."
I looked him straight in the eyes.
"I want to prove to you that you can trust me again. I will follow every order you give me when we're out on patrols. Until then, I'll do whatever it takes to earn your trust back."
He stared at me with that intense look of his, the one that could make you rethink your whole life in a single second. But I held my ground. He could tell I meant it.
That's when Soledad stepped in. She walked up beside him and placed a hand gently on his shoulder.
"Give him a second chance," she said softly. "He was reckless, yes—but let's not forget you were reckless, too, when you were young. You can guide him. Help him avoid the mistakes you made."
Hector let out a long sigh and looked away for a moment. Then he looked back at me.
"We're not starting right away," he said firmly. "But in one week, we'll go on nightly patrols together. And when I say follow every order I give out there, I mean it, Franklin."
I nodded, standing up straighter.
"I promise you, Hector. I'll follow every single order. I won't let you down again."
"Good," he said with a small smirk. "I'm glad you're owning up to your mistake. If only you weren't so damn dense."
Ava burst out laughing.
Soledad chuckled.
Even Hector cracked a small smile.
…Me?
I just stood there, blinking.
"What? What'd I do now?" I asked, genuinely confused.
They just kept laughing.
I still don't get it.
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AN: I updated the harem, go check it out, and if you have any more suggestions, let me know.