Devin was gob smacked at the revelation that he was in the Young Justice universe. He had only seen season 1 and 2 when he was a kid.
Separating himself from the computer, he changed back to human and sat on the bed and allowed its comfort to ease him if only slightly.
He sat on the edge of the hotel bed, his human hands trembling slightly. He had only seen the first two seasons of Young Justice as a kid, but the memories were surfacing like jagged glass. This wasn't just a world of capes and tights; it was a world of "The Light"—a shadow cabinet of the world's most brilliant and ruthless villains. It was a world of Reach invasions, genetic sleeper agents, and the looming, cosmic shadow of Apokolips.
Sure, he had powers but this wasn't something he was prepared for. It was one thing watching it through a screen but now that he was in this world, he couldn't help but be fearful of the possibilities to come. He wasn't sure if he even wanted to be a crime fighter or even get involved with the other heroes.
What he was most certainly sure of was that he wanted to stay alive.
Devin let out and exasperated sigh and decided to put the worries off for now. There was no point in pondering over it so intensely since there wasn't exactly much, he could do about it. What he can do is master his powers and try to stay off the Justice League's radar for as long as he could.
looking at the year, it was currently 2007 and he remembers the cannon events taking place in 2010. Which meant he had time to plan. For now, that's all he could do.
---
Devin was back in Gotham and he was currently standing in front of a particular house. It was 2 stories and bigger than the average 2-story house. As if it was made to accommodate a lot of people. The house was made of bricks. Standing strong but looking weathered in some places.
Devin stared at the building with guilt and trepidation. How could he not? for this was the orphanage he stayed in after his parent's deaths.
He walked to the entrance. With every step he took, it felt like a weight was pressing down on him. Devin stood at the door, the only thing that was blocking him from meeting the people inside.
Taking a deep breath to calm his rapidly beating heart, he knocked on the door, each one making his heart race. He waited and it was like the silenced stretched for what felt like an eternity.
When the door finally opened, the person on the other side was revealed to be a woman in her early 40s. She had a kind smile and gave off an aura of warmth and security.
Her name was Joanne Smith and she was the owner of the orphanage and the caretaker of the children who lived here.
She, too, was born in Gotham and was well aware of the corruption and crime that plagued the city. Which is why she dedicated her life to this orphanage. While some may call her foolish, she believed in the good of humanity. She believed that maybe if the people who chose a life of crime had the right person to guide them, there probably wouldn't be so much chaos on the streets.
She loved the kids that stayed in the orphanage as if they were her own. Which is why it hurt her when a certain one got into trouble before leaving. She hadn't seen them in four years and always wondered what they were up to.
When she opened the door, her eyes widened in shock and disbelief because standing before her was the very boy she hadn't seen in four years
"D…Devin." Joanne said in trembling tone.
"Hello, Ms. Joanne." Devin greeted, his voice thick. "It's... it's been a while."
Joanne didn't hesitate. She lunged forward, pulling him into a hug that smelled of lavender detergent and safety. Devin froze. He had spent the last few days turning into silicon, fire, and ghost-matter. Being touched by something so purely human broke something inside him. A single, hot tear traced a path down his cheek.
"You're back." Joanne said through happy tears. "Oh, thank God, you're alive."
Joanne's hug felt warm and comforting. As if he had come home after a long time.
He returned the hug, joy and relief spreading through his body.
They broke the hug and Joanne looked at Devin with a smile that showed relief and worry.
"Where have you been all this time?" she asked.
"I've been so worried about you."
Devin felt a sense of guilt for having made her worry so much. She had always been concerned about his well-being and was always there for him.
"I... I'm sorry." Devin gave an honest apology. "I'm so sorry for everything, Ms. Joanne"
Joanne was genuinely surprised because she could see that Devin was telling the truth and showing genuine remorse for his actions. Tears fell from her eyes once again when she saw that Devin had really changed.
"It's ok, Devin." Joanne smiled. "I'm just glad you're here."
They turned around as they heard approaching footsteps coming from the house.
"Ms. Joanne, who's at the door?" the voice came form a boy who looked the be around Devin's age. This was Jake. The oldest boy alongside him in the orphanage. Unlike the past Devin, Jake was kind, respectful, and had a good moral compass.
The moment Jake saw Devin, his eyes widened in shock.
"Devin!?" Jake exclaimed.
"Hey, Jake." Devin said with a small smile. "It's been a while."
Like Joanne, Jake rushed in and hugged Devin with fierce brotherly affection.
"Dude…" He began, his voice trembling. "We'd so worried about you. we... we had started to fear the worst."
"Sorry to worry you, man." Devin patted his back and pulled back.
"Devin, where have you been this whole time?" Joanne asked, wanting to inquire where Devin had been all these years.
"I've been around." Devin lied, the guilt gnawing at him. "I never stayed in one place. In this city, it's never good for… people who've made the wrong choices to stay in one spot."
"Well, you're home now." Joanne smiled brightly and dried her tears. "Your bed's still here, Devin. we never gave it away."
Devin shook his head slowly, a sad smile touching his lips. "I can't stay, Joanne. I'm not in trouble. I promise. But I have things I need to do. On my own."
The disappointment in their eyes hurt worse than a punch from a Petrosapien.
"I'm here today to apologize for all the trouble I cause." Devin pulled out a small rectangular paper from his pocket before handing it to Joanne. "And to say thank you for caring for me when I was here."
Joanne took the paper with a confused expression. Her confusion soon turned to a mix of shock and disbelief when she realized what the paper was.
It was a check but it was the number on it that caught her off guard.
"$10,000.00." Joanne muttered quietly not wanting to cause a scene.
Hearing her words, Jake was stunned. Wanting confirmation, he too, looked at the check and his eyes widened his shock when he saw all the zeros.
He looked back to Devin with a shocked and puzzled expression.
"H-how?" he asked.
Devin scratched the back of his head sheepishly before responding.
"I did some research and made some smart investments." Before he left the hotel in Metropolis, he turned into Grey Matter and used his Galvin intellect to create himself a bank account so he could have some money without carrying so many bills. After that, he did some research and calculated on which companies and products would become very profitable in the near future. In no time, he was able to amass 50,000 dollars into his account.
"Devin, I can't take this." Joanne tried to return the check but Devin stopped her.
"You can and you will." Devin said firmly. "It's for the kids. New books, a better furnace, maybe some real security for that front door. Please. Let me do this."
Devin turned around and walked away, deciding it was time to leave.
Before he could pass through the gate, Joanne called him.
"Devin. Thank you for this. Know that you always have a home here."
Her words made Devin pause.
'Home.' the word echoed in his mind. He hadn't had a home in so long that it almost felt foreign to him.
Devin turned around. A peaceful smile was plastered on his face.
"Thank you."
He left the orphanage with his heart feeling lighter after finally making amends.
---
Back in the warehouse, Devin sat on a steel beam he cut when he was testing his transformations. He wore a contemplative expression as he stared at the laptop in front of him.
There wasn't anything displayed on the screen but it was lit with the battery displaying that it was fully charged.
Devin flexed his fingers in hint of fear and hesitation. He wasn't going to use this laptop to do research or to watch movies.
He was going to absorb its energy.
This wasn't something he was doing on a whim but a necessity. He was already aware of how absorbing energy can make Osmosians lose control and could make him potentially dangerous. This is why he needed to see how much energy he could absorb. He needs to understand how it felt so he could try to build a resistance to it or disperse the energy if he felt his sanity slipping.
Devin wasn't being careless in this decision. He got the laptop and was going to absorb a small portion of its energy. He also came to the warehouse so that no one would get hurt.
Without delay, Devin placed is hand on the device. Taking a deep breath, he focused his powers not on the matter but on the electricity coursing through the laptop.
Suddenly, the screen flickered and electricity started dancing around his hand and traveling through his arm.
Devin widened his eyes in shock and astonishment as what he was feeling.
This sensation was different from when he used his powers to be covered in stone armor. a surge of power that was different from his transformations. A small grin appeared on his face.
It was terrifyingly beautiful. It wasn't just power; it was clarity. Suddenly, the cold warehouse felt warm. His fears about Apokolips felt small. He felt like he could reach out and pull the lightning from the clouds.
He looked at the laptop and felt the urge to absorb more energy. He stretched out his hand towards the laptop, wanting to absorb more energy.
The power was in his grasp and nothing could stop him from doing so.
Just as his hand was about to touch the laptop, he stopped.
Devin's eyes flashed with clarity as he realized he was doing the one thing he was trying to prevent.
Standing up from the laptop, Devin ran away wanting to distance himself from the temptation. He made it outside the warehouse and looked at the vast ocean before him. Without delay, Devin raised his hands towards the ocean. Energy crackled around his hands and he prepared to release the energy. In the next moment, a small bolt of electricity shot from his hands and harmlessly into the ocean.
Devin dropped to his knees because that attack took everything out of him. Besides the exhaustion he was feeling, he felt clarity return to his mind like a fog lifting now that the energy was dispersed.
"So… that's…what if feels like." Devin said through haggard breaths. He sat on the ground and allowed his body to relax and recover. As he did, he thought about what he had just experienced.
When he absorbed the energy, it was like he was possessed. Like something was telling just to give into the desire for more power.
Devin patted himself on the back for only absorbing a small amount of energy. Had he absorbed a lot, it's likely he would've gone insane. He also contributed it to the knowledge he had beforehand.
"No wonder Kevin was the way he was." Devin thought as he remembered how much trouble Kevin was in the original Ben 10 series. "It makes you feel like a god right before it turns you into a monster."
"I'll need to see if I can train my mental fortitude to be able to resist the urge." Devin started planning. "I'll also need to see figure out a way to protect my mind." Because there were telepaths in this world, he didn't want to take the chance of someone reading his mind and figuring out his secrets. Not only that, but it would protect his mind if he ever decided he needed to absorb a considerable amount of energy. This kills two birds with one stone.
Currently, he can use his powers to absorb metal and protect his mind which somewhat provides a partial solution but he can't keep his body covered in metal 24/7.
Thinking about it, Grey Matter would be his most reliable alien to solve this issue.
"Looks like I'll need to do some reading on the human brain." He said out loud.