Awakening Kryptonian Bloodline In Marvel.

"The next ability… well, that's it. It's already been tested, Tony." Malrick spread his hands casually.

"That's it?" Tony perked up, his back straightening as if he'd just heard great news.

He zoomed in on the chart on his computer. "I was expecting at least a full page of abilities."

"A whole page? Come on, that's a bit much." Malrick floated over toward him.

"Why not?" Tony said with mock astonishment. "I remember you claiming you had all of Superman's abilities. I thought you were about to reverse time or heal wounds with heat vision or something."

Malrick landed and raised a brow. "Don't be ridiculous. I don't have powers like that."

"You said you had all of Superman's powers," Tony insisted. "I still remember that smug look you had in the garage."

Malrick sighed. Caught by his own exaggeration.

In this world, there was no Man of Steel version of Superman like the one Henry Cavill portrayed—his benchmark at the time.

Instead, this universe seemed to have its own hodgepodge of portrayals—some wildly overpowered.

"Okay, I take it back," Malrick admitted. "I don't have every Superman ability. Just the powers of a typical Kryptonian."

"Superman's as strong as he is because he's the protagonist in a comic book. His fellow Kryptonians aren't anywhere near his level."

"And neither am I." He walked over to the console, scanning the data. "Don't be fooled by how fast my power's growing. I think I'm approaching my limit."

Tony leaned forward, intrigued. "Really? That actually makes sense. A species capable of reproduction shouldn't have infinite potential."

He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "We could build a model to estimate your growth curve. Try to predict your ceiling."

"That's exactly what I was thinking," Malrick said. "But I'll need your help with the next few tests."

"You got it." Tony gave a small nod of approval.

Malrick smiled and clapped him on the shoulder. "Thanks, Tony."

"Now let's head home. We've still got a basement to rebuild."

Tony groaned. "Don't remind me. Just picturing Pepper's reaction makes me want to disappear."

"How about this: You take care of Pepper, I'll take care of the basement."

"Not exactly a deal I like, but… fine."

---

Later that night…

Malrick exhaled a freezing breath onto the final patch of wall, solidifying it instantly.

He wiped the cement dust off his hands onto his jeans and leaned back against the wall, admiring the basement.

It looked completely new—smooth walls, fresh paint, polished floors. You'd never guess it had been a war zone earlier.

Superpowers had their perks.

With everything done, he headed upstairs.

Once outside, Malrick casually stripped off his jeans and dove straight into the pool.

After a dozen laps, he surfaced, brushing wet hair back from his face. Leaning against the pool's edge, he looked up at the stars.

The night air was cool, and the waves from the coast added a calming rhythm.

Droplets ran down his skin, highlighting every sharp muscle line like a sculpture come to life.

"Exhausted already? Congrats—you've officially been promoted to the Stark family's in-house contractor. No more renovation bills."

Tony's voice came from behind.

"This is a one-time thing," Malrick replied without turning. "Next time you wreck the house, you fix it."

Tony handed him a glass of red wine. "Then you deal with Pepper. She just left—ranting the whole way about how I do nothing but cause trouble. Said I should get back to work."

"She's not wrong," Malrick laughed. "What kind of CEO hides out at home every day? That company's going to collapse at this rate."

Tony swirled his wine. "Maybe I've got a bad influence around."

"Watch it. I'll find a successor before you ever do." Malrick smirked, taking a sip.

Their conversation tapered off into silence.

Only the gentle splash of water and the whisper of the night wind remained.

A few minutes later, Tony dove into the pool as well. After a few laps, he floated beside Malrick, both of them watching the sky.

"Malrick…" Tony began, hesitating.

"Spit it out, Tony. You've never been shy before."

Tony exhaled. "I just think… maybe it's time we had a real talk. Just us."

"What brought this on? Is this some kind of brotherly intervention? You scared by what I did today?"

"You scared me, yeah. But not like that." Tony's voice was calm, thoughtful. "It's just… your power's way beyond what I imagined."

He took a sip of wine. "You punched with the force of 3.6 million tons of TNT. That's not human. That's beyond anything anyone can counter."

"Not even me." He looked Malrick up and down. "You're not just strong. You're too strong. Anyone else witnessing what I did today probably wouldn't be able to sleep."

"But you can?" Malrick asked, eyebrow raised.

"Of course. I'm your brother!" Tony said with a grin. "You could've peed on me when you were two and I'd still take you to prom."

"I'm not afraid of you being powerful. I'm proud of you."

Malrick could tell he meant it. Tony didn't lie—he didn't need to. And his tone now was softer than usual, almost… vulnerable.

"I know you, Malrick. You've never been someone who flaunts power, money, or status."

"These past eighteen—almost nineteen—years, you've never abused your gifts. That's rare. Trust me, I know."

He gave a half-smile. "So… what's next for you?"

There was a fatherly edge to Tony's voice now. A genuine concern that his younger brother might lose himself in newfound strength.

Malrick recognized it. He also knew it came from a place of love—not judgment.

He was quiet for a moment, watching the stars shimmer overhead.

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