AN: his everyone this is the first Young Justice story that I'm writing I hope that everyone likes It, Superboy will be getting his full Kryptonian powers in this story but I don't plan on him having the tactile telekinesis just because I'm worried that I'd end up not really having him use it very much. Finally this story starts a few months after the end of season one.
Disclaimer: Young Justice is the property of DC comics and Cartoon network.
Conner couldn't help the small sigh that escaped his lips as he took one last look at the room that had been his sanctuary for the year and three months that he had been free of Cadmus, now barren of the few knickknacks that he had claimed for himself over that time. Knowing that he had made the choice that he still felt was right, he stepped back allowing the door to slide closed. As he walked away the teen of steel couldn't help but to wonder how everything had changed in just four measly months.
Four months earlier.
Conner barely suppressed his growl as he followed behind Clark, it wasn't that he didn't like the fact that they were getting along so much better now, or the view from the watch tower which he still thought was breath taking, it was just that Clark had chosen such a bad time to call him away.
Clark could tell that something was bothering his little brother and he wanted to help him with it, but the truth was that he had a lot on his mind as well, mainly the topic of this impromptu meeting. The Man of Steel had been unhappy about it ever since batman had brought it to his attention.
The entirety of the walk to the large meeting room was spent in silent thought, both men to absorbed in their own little worlds to really attempt to strike up a conversation. So Conner couldn't help but to be slightly surprised when they finally entered the room where the league usually held their more important meetings, it wasn't that Conner had never been here before it was that he had never seen the room so empty. The only occupants being Wonder Woman, the Atom, Black Canary, and of course the Batman.
Clark couldn't help the rather angry glare that was currently sat upon his face, but at the same time he had been forced to agree with Bruce in the fact that not only did Conner have the right to know, but more than that it was his choice and his alone, no matter how much Clark disliked the idea. So with a somewhat resolute sigh Clark took his usual seat in between Bruce and Diana, leaving Conner facing the five leaguers by himself.
Conner did his best to stand firm under the watch of the five older hero's, but the truth was that since his time in the pod Conner had never felt more exposed then he did right now. A fact that inspired a no small amount of fear in the teen of steel, a fact that angered the teen more then he cared to admit right now.
After two minutes of no one saying anything Conner was about ready to burst and simply ask why the heck they had called him up here, before he could though a small display in front of Batman came to like projecting a three dimensional model of a DNA strand.
"Superboy" Batman began yanking the teen of steels attention from the aforementioned model to the Bat themed hero. "Last year when you were first freed from Cadmus, I took the claim that you were a direct clone of Superman at face value, an oversight that should never have been made. But after discovering your connection to Luthor, I went back over your genetics." The dark knight stated causing Conner to raise a single eyebrow in confusion.
So what Batman went over his genetics and can now confirm the fact that the human half of his genetics comes from Alexander "Lex" Luthor, did they really need to yank him into the watch tower for that.
"My study proved Luthor's claim that the human half of your genetic coding is in fact his, but the truth is that as you are now, he would have deemed you as a failure." Batman bluntly stated causing many of the leaguers to send somewhat angry glares at him, not that he paid them any attention mind you. "Taking that fact into consideration I began to dig a little deeper" Bruce continued.
Conner was rather shocked, what exactly was Batman trying to tell him, would Lex have really considered him a failure like he had with Match, and if so then why wasn't he either destroyed or deep frozen like Match had been.
"A simple look at your DNA would prove that your Kryptonian genetics are the dominant, but even still your DNA is so well mixed that your human half shouldn't be impairing your abilities at all." Batman stated, accompanied with a simple flick of his fingers across the keyboard that sat beside him, the hologram of what Conner had come to realize must be his DNA Exploded before coming to focus on one of the cross sections, the curious thing though was the fact that mid way through the display was a silver patch.
"Upon closer inspection I discovered a number of these unique silver patch's dotted along your Genetic structure and with the help of Dr. Palmer, we deduced that they were what caused you to lack complete Kryptonian powers." The dark knight finished, causing Conner's eyes to widen. That was what prevented him from having his true abilities, but what wore they.
"What are they?" the teen of steel asked having run through a number of scenarios already.
"Inhibitors" Dr. Palmer stated, causing Conner's eyes to fly to the man. Inhibitors, how was that possible as far as he currently understood the smallest they could condense inhibitor technology down to was the color that they made inmates at certain prisons wear. More than that though it raised questions about those patches that Luthor had given him, after all the inhibitor technology was designed to completely prevent the use of those abilities, a fact that the teen raised.
"That's very true Superboy, my best speculation currently is that because Luthor designed both the inhibitor technology, as well as the patches it's most likely that the patches disabled the inhibitors allowing your full ability to flourish." Dr. Palmer answered as he looked directly at Conner.
The younger half Kryptonian couldn't help but to stare at the older man as he contemplated what the older man had just said before acknowledging that it made sense. That being the case Conner was once again left with the painful conclusion that he would never have his full abilities, leaving a rather hollow feeling pit in his stomach. Although another question about the inhibitors was quick to force its way to the forefront of Conner's mind.
"How did Luthor manage to get these inhibitors attached where he did?" The reaction to his question was instant as both the Atom and Batman turned to look at each other as if they hadn't taken the time to consider that question themselves.
"My best guess Superboy, is that they were placed when you were either still a fetus or before." Dr. Palmer stated as he looked back at the teen. Bruce sighed, they had put off why they had brought Conner here longer then he thought necessary.
"Whether that's the case or not, it's not why we brought you here Superboy, both Dr. Palmer and I believe that there may be a way to remove the inhibitors." He knew that he had the boy's attention the instant that he finished that sentence, as the boys unnaturally blue eyes bore into his own.
Conner was frozen was that true did they actually have a way that would allow him to have all his abilities. If that was the case why hadn't they started with that fact and then gone into the long explanation.
"Really, How?" Conner asked barely able to contain his excitement.
"The inhibitors are still machines, and like all machines they do have certain weaknesses." Dr. Palmer started as he looked at the teen, he could now fully understand Superman and Black Canary's worry, just bringing up the fact that he may be able to get his full powers and the boy seemed ready to jump at the possibility, without even knowing the dangers of what they planned.
"Weaknesses like electricity for example." The size altering hero stated.
"I've been electrocuted before." Conner stated as if to say that obviously it wouldn't work.
"Yes but because of the invulnerability granted to you by the Kryptonian half of your DNA, the inhibitors have been protected from the electroshocks, but if we were to say nullify said invulnerability then the inhibitors would be subjected to the shocks." Dr. Palmer said watching as the teen seemed to contemplate the idea before looking back at them.
"How would we nullify my invulnerability?" Conner asked, he had noticed the way that Superman had been acting the longer the conversation continued and he couldn't help but to suspect that there was something that they weren't telling him.
Clark couldn't be more proud of his little brother, after all he had been somewhat worried that Conner would jump at the chance to have all the abilities that he should without asking any real questions, and he knew that he wasn't the only one as he noticed the way that Bruce's lips quirked at the edges as if suppressing a smile.
"That's where it gets into the potentially dangerous part of this, because to do this we'd have to expose you not only to red solar radiation to weaken your usual Kryptonian abilities, but also to kryptonite to weaken you further before we could begin administering the electricity, Which with how weak you would be at that point may kill you." Dr. Palmer stated the painful truth.
Conner couldn't help but to stare at the doctor, no wonder Clark seemed so against this idea, yes he had figured out that his older brother was against the idea it wasn't hard considering that he had been glaring the entire time. And at first he thought it might be because Clark wanted to remain the only one to have full Kryptonian powers, an thought that he had quickly through out. So he had figured that he'd simply find out later and now he knew.
Clark looked sadly at his little brother, after all he had been completely against the idea since he found out that particular possibility, but for Conner it was his life that would be on the line. Clark didn't think that he could properly guess just what must be going through the teen's mind right now.
For Bruce though he faced the possibility of death every time that he went out at night, but for a boy as young as Conner was the decision that he had to make was one that the dark knight didn't envy.
Conner ran through everything that he had heard and began running the pro's and con's, as well as the potential damage that could be done if things went wrong and he did die, but truth be told Conner wasn't sure what he should do. If this option had been given to him a year ago he would have jumped at the chance, but now he had a family in Clark and his parents both of whom had taken him in as their youngest son. Then there was the family that he had made with his team, because though they never said it out loud he knew that Wally, Dick, and Kaldur all viewed him as a sibling and he felt the same. And then finally there was Megan he wasn't sure if what he felt for her was love or not, but he did know that he cared about her a lot, more than just about anyone else. So that left the question can he actually go through with this theory, and then leave them behind if it fails and he dies, He didn't know.
"I need time to think about this." Conner finally said as he turned and left the room, no one stood to try and go after the teen; in fact many of them felt that it showed how far he had come to not just jump on the possibility.
Robin couldn't help but to laugh as he once again beat Wally at the racing game that they were playing when he heard the computer announce Conner's return from the watchtower. He was about to ask Conner if he wanted to join in when he noticed the older boys face, it was obvious to anyone looking at him that he was deep in thought.
Conner barely ran his hand over Wolfs head as he passed the large canine, it was actually more muscle memory then any real thought on the boys part, as he continued into the garage to begin tinkering with his motorcycle. He had figured out early on that he was able to process information easier if he was tinkering with something, a trait that according to ma Kent he shared with most of the male half of the Kent family. He knew that he needed to talk with the team about this before coming to a decision adding yet another thing to his already frantic thoughts.
AN: okay everyone there's the first chapter, I want to apologize if anyone seemed out of character, I did my best to keep them in character as much as I could but especially with Batman I think I may have goofed up a bit. With all that said I know that the whole inhibitors in his Genetic structure seems a little out there but I needed something that seemed somewhat believable and with Lex involved well who knows what he could do. So please leave a review, let me know anything that I could improve, but please nothing along the lines of this story sucks or stuff like that. So with that said I plan to post the next chapter of An Alien in Sunnydale year 2 first then chapter two for this story will follow.