Son of Cadmus

Chapter 14

Connor walked around the flash Museum, for the first time in years feeling the cold bite at his flesh, though not as much as a normal human. Stopping at the car where his aunt lay sprawled across the hood, he marveled at the new power Donna possessed, but made sure to keep his face blank from the people that were now emerging from their homes.

Running his fingers across the smooth hood, Connor eyed his aunt, her clothes were pristine, not even wrinkled from where she lay on the hood, blood no longer trailed from her ears, her head lolled to one side, her breath coming out easy.

Shaking his head, Connor scooped his aunt up in his arms, noting the skin places in his hands were already healed, leaving behind pale pink skin. Turning on his heel, the young hybrid strode to the middle of the street, ignoring the whispers that his ears could no longer make out.

Within minutes, a familiar dark green jet roared above the city. It hovered above Connor, the downdraft of its engines ruffling his hair.

Shifting his aunt so that he was holding her in one arm, Connor picked up his sword. Laying it across his aunt's unconscious body, he raised his free hand to his ear, Connor pressed the communicator buried there with his pointer finger, "I'm going to need you to send down a rope."

"Why?"

Eyes narrowing, Connor ground his teeth, "I'll explain when I get up there. Just send down the rope."

"Okay, okay, no need to get snippy."

A metallic whine sounded through the silent city, a gray cable descended from the jet, a triangle in the end stopping a foot above the ground. Slipping his foot on top of the grip that covered the bottom of the triangular wire, Connor tugged on the wire.

With a metallic whine, the cable retracted, hauling Connor and his limp aunt into the air. Ascending upwards, Connor let his light blue eyes scanned the city, "I promise, Donna, I will come after you."

– XX –

Donna appeared in a large circular room, rectangular windows wrapped around the curving walls, showing the black expanse of space with stars glittering like diamonds.

Batman stepped off the circular platform with the glowing blue spiral in the center, "Follow me," he called over his shoulder.

Computer terminals set in three neat rows on either side of the platform, a large complicated looking computer sat under the largest curved window. Wires running around and into its frame.

Donna quickened her pace, so she was directly behind the Dark Knight. A muffled clicking sound ringing through the large space as her boots came in contact with a thin red carpet with an elaborate golden design.

"Why am I here?" She asked, following her pseudo-kidnapper down a hallway with smooth curved metal walls. A faint buzzing echoed in her ears from the florescent lights overhead, her footsteps clicked with a metallic edge on the smooth uncovered metal floor.

"During the battle in Metropolis," Batman began in his usual gruff voice, "you displayed the ability to manipulate reality. We need to make sure you're not a threat to the world."

Donna's blue eyes hardened, her hands clenching into fist, "And who decided to bring me in?"

"After much deliberation, the justice league decided to bring you here to make sure you could control your powers."

Cool sterilized air filled the Amazons lungs, "Was it also a joint decision to shoot Connor with a kryptonite canon?"

"No, that boy, like his mother is ruled by his emotions, he would have tried to stop me, maybe hurting innocents in the process and causing a lot of collateral damage. I shot him with the kryptonite canon to save everyone a lot of trouble."

"And how exactly did you know a kryptonite canon would work on Connor?"

"It's my business to know what can take down threats."

"Connor is not a threat!"

Batman glanced over his shoulder, his eyes tightened, "Right now he's not."

They entered a large square room. Three beds lined the two far walls. A variety of equipment hung on the walls, ready to be used on patients, their metal gleaming in the light.

Batman gestured to the first bed on his right, "Sit down, John will be here to look you over shortly."

Donna moved forward, lowering herself onto the stiff sheets, the tan frame of the hospital bed creaked under the movement.

Inclining his head, the Dark Knight strode from the room, his cape swishing behind him.

Tucking a strand of dark hair behind her ear, Donna stared out a small rectangular window, "Well this certainly is not how I imagined seeing the watchtower for the first time."

–XX –

One hallwayand three doors later, Batman entered a large square conference room, a large rectangular table set in the center, the recessed lights set in the ceiling shining on its sleek silver surface.

Each of his colleagues already set around the table, leaning forward or back in square back chairs with their emblems on them.

As one, they all turned to look at him. Most of them gazed at him impassively, but the Man of Steel, and Wonder woman looked upon him with narrowed eyes.

Breathing out, the Dark Knight took a seat on Superman's left. Wonder woman having already claimed the seat to his right. The moment his butt touched the chair, the Man of Steel turned to him, one knee bouncing under the table, "Do you know how Lois is?"

"According to the computers on the plane the kids are using, she's fine, when Donna altered reality to fix the damage done by the meta-humans, she also healed Lois. From the latest scans, she is just a sleep recuperating the energy she lost in the fight," Batman leaned forward, "I think Donna Troy chose to keep her unconscious to keep her out of the way during the fight."

The Man of Steel relaxed in his chair, the tension draining from his body, "That's good, I'm glad she's okay."

In a flash, Superman pinned Batman to his seat with one hand, while clamping the other around his wrist to keep them from going for any weapons, "why on earth would you shoot my nephew with a kryptonite canon?"

The Dark Knight stared into the narrowed blue eyes of the Man of Steel and passively, "He is impulsive, ruled by his emotions. He would never let me take Donna without a fight."

"He is a teenage boy," Wonder woman commented, pulling Superman back into his chair, "and I don't particularly like Donna being here under these circumstances either, especially after she had the forethought to keep Lois unconscious and safe during the fight. That was a noble action, the makings of a true warrior. There's no need to treat her like a criminal or one of the villains we've all sworn to fight."

"She displayed a power to alter the very fabric of reality," Jon Stewart said speaking up from the other end of the table, "if nothing else she needed to be watched to make sure she didn't abuse the power."

Tapping her sharp nails on the metal table, Hawk girl tucked a strand of red hair behind her ear, "I don't particularly like the fact that you shot Connor with the kryptonite canon," she said to Batman, "but I can understand the strategic moves behind it."

"However," John Jones a.k.a. the Martian man Hunter said, "you brought Donna here for nothing, according to the computers in the med bay that have scanned her body by the skin cells she left on the sheets, she is physically like any other Amazon."

The green skinned humanoid interlocked his fingers together, his red eyes glowing orange, "If I had to guess, I would say her powers originated from her being tricked into killing the original fates by the Greek goddess Strife."

Wonder woman's head snapped around, "John, you read Donna's mind?"

John inclined his head, "I'm sorry, but with the power she possesses, the rest of us," he gestured around the table excluding the Amazon princess and the Man of Steel, "thought that we need to know her mindset."

Flash leaned back in his chair, "Yeah, sorry wonder woman, but someone having that amount of power freaks me out, I wanted to make sure it was in the right hands."

Wonder woman looked around the table, her light blue eyes slits. Intellectually she could understand their fear, but in her heart she felt betrayed that they didn't trust her enough to instill the right values in her apprentice.

Finally, she dipped her head, "What did you find?"

Martian man Hunter turned his attention to Batman, "As I told you before, neither Donna nor Connor are a threat. Both of them have a strong desire to protect the innocent after what they went through as children. They will always use their power for what they deemed to be right?"

"And how do we know their definition of right is the same as ours?"

Red eyes flicked to the Man of Steel and wonder woman, "We trust in the people that raise them."

The Dark Knight inclined his head, "Fine, but I still suggest she stay here for a few days just to make sure she has these powers under control."

The justice league rose to their feet, "That sounds fine," Green Lantern commented heading towards the door.

"Fine," Wonder woman said pushing past Jon Stewart, "but I'm staying with her."

With that the rest of the justice league followed her out.

"Oh, Batman," Hawk girl called, causing him to pause in the doorway, "if you ever shoot my son with a laser, I will break your spine, permanently."

–XX –

Stepping off the cable, Connor stepped onto the thin carpeted floor of the jet, feeling the roar of the engines beneath his feet.

Walking past two rows of seats, the young hybrid stopped beside a row with kid flash on the far end, "Do you mind watching her?" He asked, gesturing to his aunt with his head.

The redheaded speedster offered Connor a strained smile, pain shining in his green eyes, "As long as I don't have to move, sure."

Hitting a button beneath a seat beside Kid Flash, the seat laid flat, a compartment in the wall beside the newly formed bed rolled upwards revealing a pillow and a blanket.

Laying his aunt down, the young hybrid tucked a pillow beneath her head and draped a blanket over her body.

Sliding back a panel on the arm rest of the seat, he pressed a few buttons. Thin beams of red light formed a net over Lois, scanning her body for injuries. A tiny computer screen rolled into existence on the wall, detailing Lois's condition.

Reading it over, Connor's shoulders relaxed, the elephant on his chest got up and left.

"Two questions," Kid Flash spoke up, shifting slightly, grimacing at the pain the movement caused, "how do you know how to use the jet like this, and why aren't you just using your powers?"

Connor's lips twitched ever so slightly, "I read the manual, and," his eyes burning with a controlled rage, his hands clenched into fists, and he turned slightly to stare out the circular window at the city blurring by below them, "Batman shot me with a kryptonite canon, temporarily removing my powers."

"Why would he do something like that?"

Connor turned, heading towards the metal door leading to the cockpit, "So I couldn't fight back when he took Donna."

– XX –

"How is she?" Robin asked the moment Connor entered the cockpit.

Connor eased himself into one of the formfitting dark blue seats that filled the plane, its soft material soothing muscles sore from the kryptonite blast, "She's fine, whatever Donna did to restore the city, also completely healed my aunt."

Connor's stomach dropped as the jet descended towards the Hall of justice. Out the curved cockpit windshield he could see the pool in front of the hall rise up at an angle.

With practiced ease, Robin guided the jet into the opening. It slid to a stop with a squeal of tires between two other dark green jets.

Shutting down the controls, the protégé of the Dark Knight turned to Connor, "So what are you going to do?"

Pushing himself up from the seat with a grunt, wincing as the muscles in his back tightened, Connor raised a blonde eyebrow, "What do you mean?"

Crossing one leg over the other, Artemis cocked her head to the side, "Batman shot you with the kryptonite canon and took the girl you like right in front of you."

War Hawk raised the gauntlet covered hand, "There's no need to deny it. We all see the way you act around each other. You two are just too dense to realize what it means." He stood to his feet, his armor rubbing together, creating a sleights screeching noise, he placed a hand on Connor shoulder, "So will ask again. What are you going to do?"

Connor's eyes hardened, his hands clenched into fist, cracking his knuckles, "I would think that would be obvious, I'm going to get her back."

Robin danced one of his mini boomerangs along his fingers, "That's going to end well." With a flick of his wrist, he sent the boomerang ricocheting off the corners of the cockpit.

It zoomed past Connor, grazing his cheek.

Snatching it out of the air, Robin held up one bladed edge, showing Connor the blood dripping off the tip, "You're going to fight the entire justice league without your powers?"

Connor started towards the door, his back straight his head held high, he paused in the doorframe, "My powers are slowly returning, besides, I planned for this to be an infiltration mission, not a war."

Pausing on the other side of the door, Connor grabbed the sword leaning against the frame and tossed it to War Hawk, "Here, I don't plan on killing any of the justice league, so I don't need a Thanagarians sword."

Rex turned the blade over in his gauntlet covered hands, staring at it with wide green eyes, "Where on earth did you get this?"

"I made it."

"How?"

"When I have my powers, I can see the composition of atoms that make up objects. During our fight, I saw what your armor was made of. After that, it was a simple task to replicate the material into a sword."

Standing to his feet, Rex twisted the sword around his body with practiced ease, making Robin and Artemis lean away from him, "Hey, watch it," they called out.

– XX –

Fifteen minutes later, Connor stepped into the Hall of justice medical wing, the pungent smell of antiseptic stinging his nose. His footsteps echoed on the white tile floor as he walked over to a bed just beside the door.

Placing his aunt in the bed, the young hybrid thanked Cadmus for the downloaded medical knowledge as he easily hooked his aunt up to the machines. Draping a blanket over her body, Connor kissed her forehead, the skin already cooling thanks to the air conditioning.

Striding from the room at above natural speed, a grin split Connor's face, he could feel the quantum energy in his cells slowly building again. Within moments, he was down in the training room they used for spars, slipping out of his skintight black suit, the faint smell of sweat and leather filling his nose.

Striding across the concrete floor not far from the padded mat they used for spars, the young hybrid stopped before a locker with his name emblazoned on the copperplate.

"You sure you don't want to wear my armor?" Rex asked as Connor slipped a black T-shirt over his head.

"I won't need it," Connor replied buttoning his jeans and grabbing a pair of tennis shoes with socks stuffed into them.

Rex stared back at him incredulously as he sat down on a dark blue metal bench to slip on the shoes, "Are you out of your mind? You're going up against the justice league. You're going to need every advantage you can get."

Grabbing a pair of black fingerless gloves from the top of his locker, Connor slipped them on while walking towards the door, "I told you before I'm not planning to fight, just get in, get Donna, and get out."

"It doesn't matter what you plan to do," Rex said as they stepped back into the Medical Bay, "The justice league isn't going to take kindly to you breaking into their clubhouse, they're going to put you down hard, especially if my mother is there."

Flexing his fingers, Connor kept his eyes locked on the teleporter. A foot away from it he turned to Rex, "I was designed as a weapon for war. I can take a beating."

Rex smiled ruefully, "And here the rest of the team thought I could talk you out of this crazy idea." He offered Connor his hand.

Staring down at the bare light brown appendage, Connor looked into Rex's green eyes, "You know what happens if I touch the bearskin of another human."

Rex's lips turned up in a smirk, "I know, if you're going to fight the justice league you're going to need your strength, so take a bit of my energy," he ground his feet into the ground, his metal knee-high boots making scraping sound on the tile, "just don't take too much."

Taking a deep breath, the cool air conditioned air stinging his lungs, Connor gently grasped Rex's hand. Pale white electricity crackled between their skins.

– XX –

Connor stood before his mother, his muscles ached, they had been at this all day, and his reserves were running dangerously low.

Sun beat down on them from above, sweat beaded on their brows and rolled down their backs, tickling the spines. Vultures circled in a dark feathered ring above them, eager for their next meal.

Raising her mace, the Thanagarian warrior charged at him with a scream, her gray wings fluttering out behind her.

Connor crossed his arms, his gauntlet's flashing in the light. Smirking, he angled his gauntlet so the light would flash into his mother's eyes.

Grimacing, Hawk girl closed her eyes, spinning on her heel, her foot smashed into Connor's stomach, just below his guard.

He skidded backwards, his boots cutting light trails in the dirt.

Hawk girl lowered her mace, her green eyes shining with pride, carrot colored hair flowing behind her in the breeze of the desert.

Clouds of reddish-brown sand skated along the ground as she walked forward. She placed her hand on Connor's shoulder, "You've done well today, Rex. You're coming along well, I am very proud of you."

– XX –

Connor let go of Rex's hand.

Rex staggered backwards, falling to one knee, his chest rising and falling in rapid succession, a thin layer of sweat on his forehead, "That definitely was worse than what I thought it was gonna be," he grunted.

Taking a step forward, Connor helped Rex stagger over to a nearby chair.

"Thanks for the energy," the young hybrid said patting Rex's shoulder, his eyes glowing a faint blue white, "I won't forget it."

Rex's head dropped onto his chest, light snores exploding from his mouth.

"I take it by that little display Rex wasn't able to talk you out of doing this?" Robin asked entering the room.

"No, no he wasn't."

Connor stepped up on to the teleporter, while Robin moved to the controls.

Hitting a few buttons on the boxy control panel of the teleporter, Robin turned to face Connor, his arms hanging limply at his sides, his eyes hard, "You know, you can't come back here. After doing this the entire justice league will most likely be looking for you."

"I know, but that doesn't mean I'm going to stop looking for the person that's bringing back these dead heroes, they need to be stopped, especially after what they did to Lois."

"Good," Robin inclined his head, "I'm glad you're staying focused." Pressing a button on the control panel, the protégé of Batman stared at Connor as white light began to gather around him.

"Good luck, Connor."

"You too Robin."

In a pale flash of light, Connor disappeared.

–XX –

In a flash of pale white, Connor appeared on a square platform. Stepping off the glowing blue spiral of the teleporter, the young hybrid walked down the steps, the clang of metal in the wide open space.

Reaching the bottom of the stairs, Connor eyed the computers lining the walls around the square platform. A large window set above the largest collection of computers, showing the black expanse of space, it stars twinkling like diamonds.

Striding forward, the young hybrid concentrated, the walls flickered and faded away.

Spotting Donna at the far end of the base, Connor started forward, the scent of metal and bottled air filling his nose.

His tennis shoes squeaked on the smooth metal floor, reverberating off the curved silver walls.

Halfway to his destination, Connor's x-ray vision cut out, "Damn, this just got a lot harder."

"You have no idea," a familiar gruff voice said. Batman stepped out of the doorway, the kryptonite canon clutched in his hand.

Connor inclined his head, "Hello Batman."

The Dark Knight's eyes tightened behind his cowl, "What are you doing here?"

Connor slid 1 foot forward, flexing his hands at his sides, "I am here to get Donna."

Batman's black gloved hands tightened around the kryptonite canon, "Wonder Girl is staying here until we can be sure she has control of her powers."

Connor's lips twitched, "Now you see I have a problem with that, it's the way I was raised really. I don't believe anyone should be somewhere against their will unless they have committed a crime."

The young hybrid shook his head, "As far as I know, Donna has committed no crime, so I will be taking her with me."

Setting the kryptonite canon against his shoulder, the Dark Knight looked through the arched sites, "For the safety of the world, Donna Troy must stay here."

Connor lunged forward, the sound of the kryptonite canon firing resonating off the curved walls.

The young hybrid kicked upwards, launching the kryptonite canon out of the Dark Knight's hands.

Grabbing Connor's foot, the dark Knight twisted it sideways, forcing Connor to spin through the air in an effort to get loose. In mid spin he brought his free foot up smashing it into Batman's chest, causing him to release his foot and stumble backwards.

Dropping to the ground on all fours, Connor hopped to his feet sliding one foot forward, his hands raised to guard his face.

Batman regained his balance, a slow smirk spreading across his face, "You're good, Connor, if only you could see the big picture, you would be a true hero."

"The problem with the big picture is, sometimes small pieces get stepped on, or sacrificed."

"We are heroes, it's our job to make sacrifices," flicking his wrist forward, the Dark Knight launched Batarang's towards the hybrid.

Connor dove to the side, wincing as one clipped his shoulder, leaving a faint red mark behind.

Seeing the red mark, the Dark Knight lunged forward, the tips of his boots sliding along the floor.

Grabbing his hands, Connor slammed his head into the Dark Knight, a crunch reverberating through the hallway.

Ignoring the throbbing of his broken nose in the blood running down his lip, Batman placed his feet on Connor's chest and pushed, trying to force him to break his grip.

Twisting his body, Connor launched the Dark Knight away, his body slamming into one of the curved walls with an thunderous bang.

In a blur, Connor was before the Dark Knight, his hand cupping the lower half of his face. Pale white energy danced where their skins touched.

– XX –

Suddenly, he was in a dark alley, the rain pattering against his skin. The scent of cigarette smoke and old Chinese filled his nose.

A man stood in front of them, he fired a gun twice, the smell of gunpowder heavy in the air.

A woman to his left fell to the ground, her pearl necklace snapping, sending white marbles rolling along the dirty alley.

"Mom," he cried in a small terrified voice.

He fell to his knees, muddy water soaked through the knees of his pants, but he didn't notice, his wide terrified blue eyes locked on his fallen mother, her dark hair scattered around her head like a crown. Heart hammering against his ribs, he clutched his mother's slender bloody hand, staring into her eyes.

She looked up at him, unconditional love shining in her blue eyes, a weak rasp coming from her throat.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a dark-haired man dive forward. Two more shots rang out, echoing off the grimy brick of the alley.

The man slumped to the ground, a pool of crimson spreading out from beneath his body.

"Dad!"

– XX –

Connor let go of Batman's face, stumbling backwards, his eyes shining a brighter blue white.

Batman slumped to the floor, his head lolling on his chest.

The young hybrid stepped forward. Kneeling in front of the Dark Knight he placed a hand under his chin and raised his head, staring into the light blue eyes beneath the mask.

"I now understand why you're such a hard person, you are afraid to let anyone close, for fear of losing them like you lost your parents. You strive to protect the world from any perceived threat, so that no child is forced to feel what you felt in that alley."

Connor rose to his feet, "When all of this with the resurrected superheroes is over, we will set down and talk about our differences, but until then I have a friend to save."

In a blur of motion, the young hybrid disappeared.

Raising his head tiredly, Bruce Wayne a.k.a. Batman looked after the teen, a slow smirk spreading across his face, "Maybe that kids not so bad after all."

–XX –

With a blast of air, Connor stopped at Donna's door. The young hybrid raised his hand, but before he could touch it, the door slid open.

Wonder woman stood on the other side, hands planted on her hips an ebony eyebrow raised.

Connor tensed, fighting Batman was one thing fighting Wonder woman was something totally different.

With a small smile, Wonder woman stepped aside, her red boots clicking on the metal floor.

Shoulders sagging, Connor stepped into the room.

Donna rose to her feet, blue eyes wide, "Connor," she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, "what are you doing here?"

Connor's lips twitched upwards, "I would've thought that was obvious, I'm here to get you out of here."

Donna took a step forward, staring into Connor's glowing blue white eyes "You," she began slowly, "came here to get me out."

Smirk still on his face, the young hybrid cocked his head to the side, "That's what I said, now let's go, I doubt the rest of the justice league will be as accommodating as Wonder woman."

Suddenly, Donna lunged forward smashing her lips against his.

Connor froze his eyes wide. After a moment he relaxed, his arm slowly wrapped around her. He pulled her close, deepening the kiss.

After what seemed like an eternity, they broke away panting, their lips puffy. They stared into each other's eyes.

"Well," Connor said, a smile spreading across his face, "that was one hell of a thank you."

Wonder woman cleared her throat, her red lips twisted into a smirk, "You two need to go, if the rest of the league shows up, I'll have to fight you to keep up appearances. After all, we can't appear divided."

Ignoring her protests, Connor scooped Donna up in his arms. Concentrating, he bent his own invincibility field around her body. Nodding to Wonder woman, he disappeared in a blur of motion.

A/n What do you guys think of my writing style. What if anything do I need to work on?