Chapter 1: Chapter 1: Lauren Winters/Lar-Van El
'Hey dad...' Lauren thought as he knelt in front of a tombstone. It was outside of a house, a house that looked all too familiar. "Lauren!" called an older woman, "Come inside it's time for dinner!" This woman was none other than his adoptive mother, Lana Winters.
"I'm coming mom!", Lauren called back then looked back at the tombstone, "I'm finally going to do it dad, I've got the money for it. When I get back I'll tell you everything about what I find." He said to the tombstone then stood up revealing it to say, "Here lies Brian Winters, great husband and loving father." Lauren Winters was a young adult now, he looked to be at least 25. He had quite the stocky build in body with broad shoulders. His height was 6"8, showing that his growth spurt was quite good.
Lauren continued to stare at his adoptive father's tombstone, pointing a saddened smile to it before slowly turning and walking back home. After a few moments of walking, he stepped inside and smelt the food being cooked. "What are we having for dinner mom?" He asked to which Lana came around the corner smiling at her son. She wasn't that old, being a 52 year old woman yet still keeping some of that beauty that she once had. Her hair was auburn, gray eyes, and a smaller 5"9 size. "Well if you wanna know it's your favorite", she enticed, "Before you go on your little trip you gotta fill up your stomach." She poked his belly with a tease before moving to set up the table. "Mom I'm in perfect health and shape." He reassured while helping her straighten the table up. "Yeah I know but what matters is that you eat." She retorted with a more motherly tone now. She set down a bowl of spaghetti, a basket of garlic bread, a bottle of tomato sauce, and two glasses of lemonade.
"My compliments to the chef." Lauren thanked then grabbed one of the garlic bread from their basket, and took a bite out of the garlic bread. "Hey!", she scolded, "Mind your manners, you get to say grace since you're so greedy!" Lana slowly sighed then smiled at her son as the two sat down at the table. Lauren chuckled a bit before taking his mother's hand in his then lowered his head. He closed his eyes beginning to recite the prayers that his father normally would. "Heavenly father we thank you for the food that we are about to feast upon", he began to pray, "Thank you for allowing our world to exist as long as it has, and thank you for keeping us healthy. Heavenly father, I would like to thank you for keeping my mother on this good Earth. Please give me strength for the journey that I am about to head out on. Protect my mother while I am away, protect me while as I travel to find who I am, Amen."
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Just as Lauren finished that prayer, he opened his eyes to find himself aboard a ship. It was a fishing ship that was being paid by the sums that Tony Stark gave him during their last appointment. Several months back, Tony Stark had come to Lauren for a psychiatrist appointment.
[Flashback]
"So let me get this straight, there is nothing wrong with Pepper but you're saying that it's me?", Tony would ask before sighing and shaking his head, "Alright so what exactly is wrong with me?" Lauren gave Tony a slight smile before leaning forward in his seat. "Well, from what I know of your childhood", he started, "You didn't seem to have the best relationship with your father. I think that you've gone through some growth that still needs growing. I think what your problem is Mr. Stark is that you don't know how to truly open up to others." This actually caused Tony to pause on his drinking habits. He stared at Lauren as if he were crazy. "If you don't believe me Mr. Stark, tell me what have you told Ms. Potts about yourself", he challenged, "Anything from your childhood, any flaws about yourself, anything at all." This caused Tony to hesitate about whatever he would have said. Tony Stark kept opening and closing his mouth, trying to find words to say but nothing came out of his mouth.
Before he was going to respond he checked his phone and sighed. "Welp, that's about all the time you've got with me Doc, oh yeah here's the tip." Tony said then pressed a button on his phone. Immediately, Lauren's phone would buzz and would notice that he would had a new notification. Said notification was for his bank account, he had just recieved roughly $900,000. "What's your name again?" Tony asked, to which Lauren looked up at him shocked. "Um, Lauren Winters.." Lauren answered a bewildered. Tony nodded then walked off towards the door heading out. "See ya Lauren."
[Flashback End]
Lauren smiled at that memory. It wasn't often that the richest man in the world just comes in for therapy. "Hey, you sure that this is the place?" The Captain of the ship questioned unsure, they had sailed from Alaska towards the nearby glaciers. "Yeah, this is the place for my research." Lauren answered, feeling a little guilty for having to lie. He waited for the boat to edge closer to a more leveled glacier. "You guys take it easy." Lauren said his goodbyes, then disembarked from the boat and began to walk on the glacier. He was covered from head to toe with winter gear. Of course none of this harsh snowy winds bothered him. His body was more or less unaffected to the weather. He waited until he was far enough away from the fishing crew he hired. When he glanced back, he saw them beginning to head back to Alaska.
'Alright...time to see where this thing is taking me', Lauren thought while beginning to shed himself of most of the clothes he was wearing. He only left on a red T-shirt, fingerless gloves, insulated pants, and waterproof boots. The young man pulled out a small object, said object held an "S" symbol on it and looked to be ornate in design. It was similar to the spacecraft that brought him here on Earth. Lauren continued to walk afterwards, his eyes glancing around to look for anything. That was when he saw the object fling from his hand heading off to god knows where.
"Hey!" He cried out and ran after it, his body moving faster than the eye could see. He reached out to grab it but realized that the object was going somewhere. Instead of trying to take it he simply followed it. The object lead Lauren out of Alaska and off to the sea. Lauren hesitated for a moment, not sure if he could run on water, then simply ran once again taking the risk. He looked down to find that his speed allowed him to run on the water. With a broad smile coming to his lips, he chuckled to himself then stopped when he noticed that he stumbled a bit. 'Right stay focused, Lauren', He thought then continued to run, his superior eyesight locked onto the object once more.
It would be several hours before he found himself in the middle of nowhere on the large icey continent of Antarctica. The object burrowed downwards and into it's snowy ground. Lauren looked down at where the object went and frowned. Was he lead all the way here on a wild goose chase? Just as he was about to get frustrated, the ground started to rumble. The ice beneath his feet cracked, feeling as if something was springing itself up and out of the ice. Lauren used his speed to move away before coming to a stop a good distance away.
A large crystal like structure sprung out of the ground before Lauren. His eyes widening as he gazed up at it. His mouth hanged ajar while the structure continued to rise. After a few moments the structure stayed exactly where it was. Looking as if it were a cystaline castle or fortress. "Wow..." Lauren gaped before looking to the front of the structure, it appeared to have a large door of sorts. 'Guess that's the way in', He thought then slowly trotted forward to the crystal fortress. Once inside his eyes gazed around at everything, it was so surreal. It was like he was in another world that wasn't his own. Lauren was walking through a corridor when his eyes glued onto a pedestal with two individuals. A man and a woman holding a world up with one hand each. "I wonder who they are." He uttered under his breathe then was nearly startled when a response was made. "That would be your mother and myself." Said a voice causing Lauren to look around alerted but finding no one. "Who said that?!" Lauren exclaimed and demanded, his voice echoing in the chamber that he was in. "Forgive me if I had startled you." The voice responded sounding as if it were behind Lauren. When he turned, Lauren watched as a holographic image of a middle aged man appear before him. He had a trimmed black beard, blue eyes, grizzled face, and wore strange robes.
The man looked similar to Lauren, yet his featured had much more age to them. He gave Lauren a once over before slowly smiling at him and approaching him. "Greetings my son." The man said and that caused Lauren's eyes to widen. "Y-you're my father?", he stuttered, "Like my actual biological father?" Lauren sounded as if his voice was trembling. The man nodded before standing at least three feet from Lauren now. "Yes, though I may not be your true father for I am just the recesses of his mind, his consciousness", the hologram explained, "That said I am still your father, Jor El." Jor El said giving his son a warm smile. "Wait, what do you mean?" Lauren questioned confused to which Jor El gestured for him to walk with him. "Come along, let me show you the history that you do not know about", Jor El offered, "You are from the planet Krypton, a world of technological enginuity and enlightenment. We had spread out across the stars, hoping upon one day that we would encounter other civilizations such as ourselves." Lauren followed his supposed biological father, being very attentive about what was being said.
"One day we did find other civilizations. Only a few of them had grown to be space faring, while others were.." As Jor El says this, a holographic recording showed a fleet of warships bombarding a planet. "Warlike.." He finished then continued to walk down a corridor. "But...what happened?", Lauren asked, "Why was I sent here alone?" Jor El gave him a saddened smile when asked that question. "Our planet was dying", he stated rather bluntly, "I was able to find something large and powerful beginning to emerge from it. We had only several hours before the planet would explode." Jor El looked to an image showing Krypton, Lauren did the same with a frown. "I pleaded to the High Council to evacuate the planet as much as possible...I was ignored and deemed a madman." Jor El looked to his son. "And so, your mother and I, as well as your uncle and aunt decided to send our children away from Krypton. The general of all of Krypton's forces sent his child away as well. They were meant to protect you, your brother, and cousin." That was when the image of Krypton exploded into an infernal of planet chucks.
Lauren's frown worsened knowing that now he was both from another world, and said world was gone. Then he remembered what his father said and quickly looked to him. "Wait I have a brother?", he asked shocked, "I have a cousin?" Jor El nodded then began to elaborate. "Yes, they should be here on this planet", he paused before glancing at Lauren, "I find it odd that only you have arrived here in this location." Jor El said then frowned a bit upon thinking more about this predicament. "But...that doesn't explain my powers..." Lauren slightly muttered to himself and found Jor El perked up to that. "Ah yes, that is because of our physiology", He went into explaining more, "Under the rays of a yellow sun I had theorized that you would gain abilities that would have you considered as a god", Jor El explained, "Your strength increased, your senses, everything." Lauren slowly nodded then looked towards another image. It showed his true mother and father holding both he and his brother as infants. "Did...did you guys make it out alive?" Lauren pondered then was met with silence. That was the answer that he got as he teared up a bit. "So...I'm never going to get to meet you guys.." He uttered in a slight trembling voice which got Jor El to give his son a sympathic look.
"Lar Van-El..." Jor El called out to his son, causing the young man to turn and look to his father. "Do not think of the dead, think of the living", he comforted, "I am not sure of your upbringing within this world. What I am sure of, is that you have grown to become a fine man. I may not be Jor El himself, but I can say with a certainty that you father would be proud of you." Jor El said and smiled warmly at Lauren. Lauren nodded his head slowly before returning the smile. "So...what am I meant to do?" Lauren asked after composing himself. "Well, you are to live, grow, begin a new legacy for Krypton", he advised, "Your powers will only grow stronger due to age." Jor guided his son towards another chamber. This one overlooking the frozen wasteland outside with a capsule in front of them. "So...how do I know how strong I am?", Lauren questioned, "How do I know my limits?" He had never truly tested himself before. He feared that revealing himself to the world would lead to them fearing him.
"To know your limits my son, is to see what you are truly capable of." To that end, Jor El pointed to the wasteland that was the Antarctic. It was his way of telling Lauren to go and see what he could really do. Lauren looked to Jor El and nodded his head before moving towards what could only be described as a large balcony. Lauren took a running start and ran forwards. His feet left the balcony floor as he leapt into the air, the chilling wind rushing past him. "Whoooo!" He exclaimed in excitement, for the first time in his life actually using his powers without fear. He came crashing down onto the frozen ground with a small crater surrounding him then jumped once again, aiming higher than before. That was when he found himself still going up. The young man laughed it up and felt that he was becoming weightless. 'I'm flying!', He thought then felt gravity take over once again. His eyes widened with shock as he plummeted back down to the ground screaming his head off. Lauren closed his eyes and felt himself collide with the snowy ground and skid across it like a rock being thrown on a lake. Now inside of a large crater, he slowly crawled out it groaning a bit.
He looked back at the crystalline fortress behind him, he could see the visage of his father observing him. At that moment he calmed himself down from the adrenaline that he was having, then knelt down onto one knee. Deep breathes left him as the ground around him rumbled and bended as if gravity was being defied. Then with an upwards jump he soared into the air, his arms outstretched as he flew into the sky. A sonic boom could be heard as he broke the sound barrier. Lauren was now flying, no longer hindered on the ground. He continued to soar higher and higher before turning and flying around the arctic. He saw a nearby colony of penguins and flew past them while waving. The young Kryptonian male was watching the world rock past him. He more or less flew around Antarctica in a full circle before heading back towards the fortress. He kept going then eventually realized that he didn't know how to land. "Oh sh-" Before Lauren could finish that sentence his body impacted the fortress creating a door sized hole at the side of it. He was stopped when his body collided into a nearby pillar. He groaned once more then looked up to find Jor El looking down at him with a smile and a raised eyebrow.
"Needs work?" Lauren asked, sounding quite sarcastic to which Jor El nodded. This moment signified the birth of a new hero. A hero who knew who he was and where he was from now. He knew that he wasn't alone and somewhere out there whether it be on Earth or in the universe. Lauren had a brother, he had a cousin, he didn't care how long it would take. He would find them and help them in anyway that he could. Because he was more than just a man, he was more than just a surviving Kryptonian. He was Lauren Winters, Lar Van-El, the son of two worlds, the Man of Steel.
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Unbeknownst to Lauren something had noticed his little escapade in the Antarctic. Inside a control room stood a dark skinned man wearing a black trenchcoat. He had an eyepatch over his eye as he watched the clouds moved past him. A woman walked up to him holding a tablet as she went over the reports. "Anything?" He questioned to which she sighed. "Nothing sir, it's like whatever it was showed up, moved around a bit, then disappeared." She reported to which the man furrowed his brow. He turned and looked at the woman, revealing himself to be an African American male in possibly his early to late 40s. The woman behind him being a Caucasion female in her mid to later 30s. "Nothing at all?" The man asked while the woman kept her pupils glued on the tablet that she had. "Wait, it looks like that we've got something", she began, "It isn't much but satellites got an image of it. Granted it's kinda an exact image of the object." She showed her commanding officer what she was referring to in the tablet. It was an image of a man in the air flying faster than even Tony Stark's armor. The man kept his eyes glued on the image before turning around facing forward once more. "Have Shield be on high alert for a flying man, if he shows his face I wanna know about it, Hill." The Director of Shield ordered causing Hill to nod her head and walk off.
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Meanwhile, back in the state of California a car was steadily pulling up to the house of the Winters. It came to a stop in the front yard and out stepped Lauren. He bore a beaming grin, being rather happy about what he was going to tell his mother. It had been almost a month since he had last seen his mother. So he wasted no time turning his car off and running towards the house. His mother came towards the door and gave her son a warm smile before embracing him. "Welcome home Lauren, so how did the trip go?" She asked honestly curious about what her adopted son found. "Mom I have so much to tell you...but first things first", He began, "What did you do with that blanket you found me in?"
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone