Marvel: Scientist reborn as Superman

This chapter is out of order, thank you for reading!

"Bruce, have you got everything?" my mum asked, appearing at the door to my room. She carefully examined my

suitcase and bag, as if trying to make sure I hadn't forgotten anything vital."Yes, Mum, I'm ready," I replied, slinging my backpack over my shoulder. "If I've forgotten anything, I can always come home — it'll be an excuse to see you. Don't worry, I'll only be gone for three weeks, not a whole year.

I walked closer to her and hugged her. Mum smiled, pressed herself against me and rested her head on my chest:

"You're all grown up now, so tall," she said, looking up at me.

I couldn't argue with that: I had noticed how quickly I was growing myself. At fifteen, I was already 190 centimetres tall, and judging by everything, the Kryptonian genes weren't going to stop there.

"Okay, enough sentimentality!" my mother said, as if coming to her senses and stepping back slightly. "Let's go, I'll drive you to school myself. And no arguments! I want to make sure you get on the bus without any mishaps."

I was about to remind her that I could get there just fine on my own, but quickly changed my mind. Sometimes it's easier to keep quiet than to argue with my mum and hurt her feelings.

We left the house and got into the car. Mum started the engine, and we drove along the quiet, empty country roads. After a few minutes, I noticed that she was quietly counting something, without taking her eyes off the road.

"Today is the seventh of June," she said aloud, "which means you'll be back around the twenty-eighth. Perfect! That gives me time to convince your father to buy tickets to Hawaii — we'll all go as a family and relax. Imagine the sea, the sun, the sand!

At the mention of Hawaii, I smiled:

"Sounds great! I'm all for it.

My mother looked at me with a sly smile:

"You can be sure of that — but I'm not asking you, I'm just stating a fact," she winked.

After a moment's pause, I asked:

"What will you and Dad do while I'm at camp?

"He's got a lot on his plate right now." My mum smiled and adjusted her mirror. "He's planning to expand his logistics network and enter the Asian market with his wine. He says it's time to 'enlighten' the East with the drink of the gods." She uttered the last words with pride and cheerful irony. "And I'll be busy with the foundation. You know, meetings, paperwork... I'm even going to talk to a congressman. And then, when my father is finally free, we'll fly to Austria. There will be an event at Werner Castle — a reception dedicated to new archaeological discoveries. The invitation says that scientists, historians, collectors and influential families from all over Europe and the United States will be the first to see the newly discovered artefacts.

She took her hands off the wheel for a moment to gesture emphatically, as if to emphasise the significance of the event:

"My foundation has been working with this European community for a long time. Every year, your father and I fly there at around the same time and make contacts that are very useful for both of us.

"That sounds much more interesting than my trip to a regular summer camp," I said jokingly. "You're having a real adventure: a different country, an ancient castle.

"Oh, don't say that!" my mum smiled. "Although, I think in a couple of years, we'll start taking you with us. You'll have to take over your father's company one day — you can't stay on the sidelines forever. We'll need to introduce you to the right people, and there are some really influential people from all over the world who go there. Plus, you'll get to see the castle itself: it stands on a high cliff surrounded by dense forest and looks both majestic and gloomy. They say that in the Middle Ages, knights, nobles and sometimes even secret orders lived within its walls. The spirit of the past simply hangs in the air there.

My mother's voice was filled with genuine excitement. I imagined those stone walls, narrow loopholes and Gothic spires and couldn't help but feel intrigued:

"You know how to intrigue me. I can't wait to go with you.

"You'll definitely go someday," my mother assured me. "But for now, you'll have to make do with Forest Lake," she added cheerfully.

She smiled, and I suddenly realised that we were already turning towards the school. A large double-decker bus was already visible in the courtyard, surrounded by teenagers with suitcases and their parents giving their offspring last-minute instructions.

"Here we are," said my mum as she parked. "The camp awaits."

We got out of the car. My mum hugged me again:

"Don't miss us, son. And try to get some rest. I know you're always running around, so you really need a holiday.

I smiled, kissed her on the cheek, grabbed my bags, and headed for the bus. I could already see the silhouette of my best friend, Ethan, in the crowd.

"Bryu-u-us! You're finally here!" he shouted, running up to me. "I got us some great seats, but I almost died under the onslaught of female competitors. You should have seen the girls arguing over who would sit next to you! I swear, they were ready to tear each other apart and me along with them!

"Well, popularity sometimes requires sacrifices," I joked, heading for the luggage compartment.After throwing my things inside, I went into the cabin and settled down by the window, while Ethan took the seat next to me, constantly looking back at our classmates. When the bus started moving, I decided to relax a little and closed my eyes, pretending to be asleep. Fortunately, no one disturbed my "rest," and the entire trip flew by unnoticed.

When we arrived at our destination, the drivers announced our arrival, and we were let out onto a sun-drenched clearing. In front of us stood a large building with the words "Forest Lake" written on it, and next to it stood a smiling girl waving at us:

"Hello, everyone! Welcome to Forest Lake Camp!" she began, waiting for us to gather around. "My name is Stacey, and this is Henry," she said, pointing to the boy next to her. "We will be your counsellors for the next three weeks. Now we will show you where you will be staying and tell you a little about the camp.

Her cheerful voice and sparkling eyes showed that she loved her job. We all followed Stacey along a well-trodden path that led us deeper into the forest. Along the way, we were treated to picturesque views: thick coniferous trees with rays of sunlight shining through them, and in the distance, judging by the glare, a lake.

"Forest Lake was founded in 1926," Stacy continued, "and is considered one of the oldest children's camps in the country. Here, we develop leadership skills in the kids, focus on sports, and — this is my personal favourite part — teach them to love and respect nature. You will not only train, but also go on forest hikes and swim in the lake, which belongs entirely to our camp. The shoreline is two and a half kilometres long! Can you imagine?

I couldn't help but think to myself that it must be a huge lake if it has such a long shoreline.

"Now about your life here." Stacy stopped in front of two rows of wooden houses. "On the left, as you can see, are the girls' houses, and on the right are the boys' houses. Ten people will live in each house. And yes, I should warn you right away: girls and boys are not allowed to live together!

She winked at us and continued:

"The showers are shared and are located a little further down the path, between the dining hall and the administration building. And this summer's theme is 'Sport unites the whole world'. Your group is called 'Earth-11'.

I found the name strange, so I raised my hand to get her attention:

"Excuse me, Stacy, why 'Sport will unite the whole Earth'? Wouldn't 'Sport will unite the world' or 'Sport will unite everyone' sound more logical? And why Earth 11, not something else?

"Ha-ha," the girl laughed and covered her mouth with her hand, as if embarrassed. "I think it's a little strange too. But that's what they decided at the top. Just think of it as their own 'twisted' logic. But don't tell anyone I told you, okay?"

We all laughed together, appreciating her embarrassed confession.

"Okay, guys, run along now and check into your cabins. We'll meet back here in half an hour — I'll give you your schedules, and we'll go to the dining hall together. I suspect you're all hungry after the trip.

I headed to our cabin with Ethan and the rest of the guys. It looked quite old, but inside it was very cosy: wooden beds, simple bedside tables, windows overlooking the forest. The atmosphere was that of a classic summer camp.

Soon, people began to disperse, whispering and discussing who would take the top beds and who preferred to sleep below. The noise, laughter, and sound of suitcases hitting the wooden floor all created a special excitement associated with novelty.

And so began the summer of my youth — a summer that I felt would hold many surprises. 

*****

The first week of camp was surprisingly strange for me. I constantly had the feeling that life around me was going on as usual, but I was barely participating in it. It seemed that time was literally slipping through my fingers, and I was simply losing it. Perhaps that was the case: after the vampire incident, when every day was filled with adrenaline and danger, I felt like I had woken up in this "normal" world — and everything that had previously seemed fun suddenly became bland and boring.

Yes, the camp programme was intense: we played a lot of football, we had new coaches who told us interesting details and secrets about the game. There were trips to the lake and orienteering competitions in the forest. The other kids were thrilled, but I didn't feel a shred of my former enthusiasm. Football, which had once captivated me, now evoked absolutely no emotion. I used to want to prove to everyone and myself that I was worth something: at fourteen or fifteen, I was probably prone to "childish maximalism" — wanting to show the world what I was capable of. But now, considering that my memory and experience span almost ninety years of life, I began to look at this childish fuss over a ball differently. Am I resorting to my super speed? Why? Who is my real opponent on the field? All of this has lost its meaning.Catching myself thinking these thoughts, I wondered, "Why did I even come to this camp to relax? Where and when did I get tired?" After all, nothing was really stopping me from living my life. I was healthy, I had friends. And yet I felt empty. Perhaps it was because of my abilities that I was striving to find something new, something truly interesting — something that would allow me to use at least a small part of my potential. Running after a ball on a field seemed infinitely far from a real challenge.

Strangely enough, memories of Mr Murphy and his new computer suddenly came to mind. The era of personal computers was beginning, and in another five years or so, the unstoppable wave of the internet would arrive. Why not get started right now? In this world, I could become a pioneer in many technical and software fields. It was at least a goal, even if it might not be a very long-term one, because someone like me (with my ability to learn) only needed to delve a little to master any science. But still, it could be an interesting pursuit for the time being.

"How hard it is to live as a cheater," I thought with a smile. I understood perfectly well that my brain, which seemed to become more powerful with every day I spent in this world, was far ahead of any modern computer. As soon as I look at a problem, the solution comes instantly. How long will this fascinate me? How long will the "fire" last before I find myself bored again?

Thinking about this, I suddenly caught myself thinking even darker thoughts: "Now I understand all these super-smart and super-strong people who become heroes or villains. They're just bored! Bored out of their minds!" They probably don't care about the common good and aren't eager to do good deeds. Most likely, they simply have nothing to fill their endless time and boundless possibilities with except for eternal games of "good versus evil." And the villains themselves? They're the same, just on the opposite side. They don't kill the heroes to the end, and the heroes rarely finish off the villains completely. It's as if everyone understands that they will meet again and have another round to dispel their eternal boredom.

"Damn, I think I'm really getting depressed," flashed through my mind. With these thoughts, I turned off the shower, shook the water from my hair, and stepped out into the cool hallway.

As I walked along the path to my house, my gaze fell involuntarily on the night sky. Tonight was a full moon. It hung low and seemed especially bright. Maybe that's why I felt a little more energetic than usual at night? The sun is, of course, my main source of strength, but we only see the moon because it reflects the sun's rays that hit the Earth. It makes sense that I can get at least a tiny bit of energy from it.

Realising that I was getting into another scientific explanation, I shook my head, trying to dispel ridiculous analogies with "Kryptonians" and other superpowers. Returning to reality, I entered the house and found that the guys were already asleep. A pleasant silence reigned in the room, with only a creaking sound coming from somewhere in the far corner, most likely caused by the sudden movement of one of the neighbours.

The first football and athletics tournaments had started that afternoon, and it seemed that our "athletes" had given it their all. Even my friend Ethan, usually energetic until late at night, looked exhausted by this time and collapsed into bed.

I carefully placed my towel on the back of a chair and looked around. Dim light, quiet snoring from different directions, familiar wooden walls saturated with the smell of damp wood... I lay down on my bed and felt sleep beginning to creep up on me. But unlike the others, I wasn't so easily worn out by daytime games. I closed my eyes and let my thoughts wander a little longer between memories and plans for the future.

That's how my day ended: in a half-asleep state, with my head full of strange ideas about what I should do to keep this life from becoming too predictable and boring.

And yet, somewhere deep inside, I felt that this summer might have a surprise in store for me.

*****

I suddenly woke up to the prolonged howling of wolves coming from somewhere far away. Strange... I definitely hadn't heard such sounds here before. Raising myself on my elbows, I held my breath for a few seconds and listened. Wolves? But something about the howling was alarming: it sounded frighteningly low and powerful, unlike the usual wolf howl.

To dispel my doubts, I closed my eyes and strained my ears, using all my abilities. Gradually, a quiet panorama of the night forest began to emerge in my mind: I could almost "see" every fallen tree, feel the grass trembling in the light breeze on the edge of the camp several kilometres away. With every passing second, it became clearer to me that these were most likely not wolves. Their breathing was too loud and irregular for ordinary wolves, and their movements were overly deliberate and precise. It seemed that they weren't just running, but hunting their prey, surrounding it in a semicircle. Perhaps one of the humans had strayed too close, unaware of the mortal danger he was in.

All this reminded me of Abraham's lessons, in which he described various creatures of the night — those whose existence ordinary people do not even suspect. I also remembered the conversation about the curse of lycanthropy, which infects people, turning them into terrible monsters. Judging by what I had heard, this was exactly what I was facing: werewolves, changed by the curse so that their human features were almost erased.

The tension inside me grew with every passing second. I concentrated again, trying to "see" what was happening in the forest: it seemed that these creatures were moving around, as if hunting their prey. And the most unpleasant thing was that someone who seemed unaware of the danger was within their field of vision. At this point, the camp bordered the edge of the forest, and any random holidaymaker (or teenager who had sneaked out for a night-time stroll) could fall straight into the clutches of these creatures.

Opening my eyes, I felt that there was no time to waste. Making sure that everyone in my cabin was asleep and no one would notice

 my disappearance, I pulled on my trousers and slipped outside in an instant. Picking up speed, I reached the edge of the forest in a matter of seconds, trying to stay in the shadows of the trees. What appeared before me, on the one hand, was what I had expected, but on the other, it made my heart leap with amazement.

In the clearing, I saw two huge werewolves. Their appearance justified all the dark legends I had heard from Abraham. Their fur was filthy and ragged, their fangs were sharp, thick saliva dripped from their mouths, and their eyes burned with red flames. They reeked of stale rot, as if their own bodies were slowly decomposing from within. And these two were moving around a girl of about sixteen, who looked like an ordinary teenager in short pyjamas. However, she did not look helpless at all. Despite her short stature, her posture exuded confidence and strength. Dark hair fell to her shoulders, her pale skin was highlighted by the moonlight, and her eyes were fixed with a strange intensity. She seemed to feel no fear at all — or was she just good at hiding it?

The werewolf on the right growled, baring its fangs, but the girl responded with a roar so deep and animalistic that I couldn't help but feel that this was not a human being, but a true wolf. Before I could even blink, her body began to change: there was a crunching of bones in the air, and her muscles began to grow, as if filled with some enormous invisible force. With inhuman speed, her face took on the shape of an elongated wolf's muzzle, and her skin was covered with dark, almost black fur. Despite the drastic changes, this she-wolf did not look like an ugly monster, but rather the embodiment of wild grandeur. She was slender, agile, and several times larger than a normal wolf — clearly over two metres at the shoulder. Her eyes flashed with a golden light, and a low growl escaped from her chest, promising imminent violence.

In less than a second, the she-wolf lunged forward and attacked the nearest werewolf. He didn't even have time to turn around before she jumped up like lightning and sank her fangs into his neck. There was the sound of tearing flesh. The werewolf howled and flew to the side like a pathetic rag doll. The second beast tried to strike with its paw, but the she-wolf elegantly dodged and immediately sank her teeth into its throat. A howl of terror and pain rang out, blood spurted in all directions, thickly covering her black fur. The scene was both repulsive and mesmerising — like a primitive force of nature that demanded neither mercy nor compromise.

When she finished with her first victim, the second werewolf seemed to try to crawl away and hide. But as soon as he took a couple of steps, the she-wolf, without wasting a second, lunged at him and snapped her jaws shut around his throat. The corpses of the two cursed monsters now lay on the ground in a pool of their own black blood.

All this time, I watched silently, either in admiration or bewilderment. "Wow, she took them out fast," flashed through my mind. However, I was more interested in whether she was aggressive towards humans and whether she was able to retain her sanity. Abraham had once told me that not all lycanthropes completely lose their human nature. Some retain their intelligence and even the ability to control themselves. But looking at how she had dealt with these two, I couldn't help but doubt her ability to distinguish friend from foe.

A carefree grin appeared on my face. I stepped out from behind the tree trunk, quickened my pace and found myself next to the bodies of the defeated werewolves. To be sure, I kicked one of the corpses with the toe of my bare foot:

"You know," I said, turning to the she-wolf, "I have to admit, you handled them pretty well.

Her reaction was immediate: she growled softly, her ears pressed against her head, and the she-wolf leaped like lightning, turning in midair to attack me.

"Hey, take it easy!" I spread my arms, trying to speak as calmly as possible. "I'm not your enemy. I just came out for a walk, to get some fresh air, and here I am...

But judging by her vicious snarl and menacing growl, she wasn't inclined to believe me. With terrifying speed, the wolf lunged at me, trying to knock me over. But as soon as her huge body reached me, I just stood there and managed to wrap my arms around her and hold her close. From the outside, it must have looked completely unbelievable: a barefoot guy, wearing only trousers, "hugging" a giant black beast that was struggling in his arms, scratching and desperately snapping its fangs.

"Come on, calm down. Stop licking me, you're tickling me," I said with a crooked smile, dodging another lunge of teeth. "Good... um... 'doggy'. Do you want me to throw you a stick? Oops. I'm a little embarrassed. I apologise for the double entendre.

The she-wolf only howled more fiercely and began to scratch my chest with her hind legs, trying to inflict some kind of damage on me. But, of course, it didn't hurt me at all. I felt only a slight pressure from her weight and the twitching of her muscles under her fur.

To end the futile struggle, I carefully pushed the she-wolf aside, trying not to hurt her. She flew several metres away, landing nimbly on her paws, and seemed stunned that she had not been able to tear me to pieces.

"Well, how about you stop acting like a vicious puppy?" I suggested in a conciliatory tone, although I knew full well that such words would only provoke her aggression further.

The wolf's gaze darted between me and the corpses of the werewolves, then, apparently having made up her mind, she turned sharply and rushed into the depths of the forest.

"Hey, where are you going?" I shouted. "You won't get away!"

Instantly accelerating, I overtook her and blocked her path. The she-wolf tried to brake sharply, but misjudged her speed, skidded with her hind legs and fell on her backside. She stopped just a couple of steps away from me and, apparently for the first time, felt fear.

Then she let out a piercing howl, which sounded completely different from before, as if it contained some kind of magical vibration. I felt the moonlight around us thicken and flow towards her mouth, forming a barely noticeable stream. Before I could react, the wolf released this "moonbeam" at me.

"Let's see how much it hurts..." I muttered under my breath, making no attempt to dodge it.

The burst of energy hit my chest. I felt a sharp jolt, as if I had been shaken briefly. I didn't feel anything supernatural in the way of damage, except for a slight numbness at the point of impact. This was the first time I had ever physically felt the intervention of an attacking magical force. Judging by her heavy breathing, the she-wolf had expended a considerable amount of her strength on this. Realising that a second attack would be futile, she darted back into the thicket, disappearing into the night.

"No way..." I exhaled, intending to chase after her again.

But at that moment, a sharp pain pierced my head. It felt as if my skull had been squeezed by an iron hoop. My vision darkened, I lost my balance and fell to my knees. My vision suddenly became insanely clear and... wrong. I could see through the ground, distinguish layers of soil, insects crawling around, even underground rivers — all at once, like layers of reality superimposed on each other. At the same time, the burning in my eyes was so intense that I involuntarily squinted, blinking several times, trying to pull myself together.

"Damn... X-ray vision or something?" I groaned, feeling as if I had acquired a new ability, and a very useful one at that — but with a monstrous "side effect" in the form of an unbearable headache.

Through the throbbing pain, I managed to catch a glimpse of the she-wolf: she was rushing away, overcoming the windbreak at incredible speed. But I knew that in my condition, I couldn't continue the chase. All I could do was accept that my attempt to strike up a conversation with the unknown wolf had failed.

"All right, run," I whispered, steadying my breathing with my last ounce of strength and pressing my fingers to my temples. "I'll find you later..."

At that moment, the pain reached its peak, and I collapsed forward, my face buried in the damp ground. Strange flashes danced before my eyes, and my consciousness kept threatening to slip away.

"Of all times," a bitter thought flashed through my mind, "as always, at the wrong time..."

That was it. All I could do was lie there in the dark, waiting for the painful attack to pass and hoping that I would quickly adapt to my new gift.

***

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