OMG I thought I was never going to get this chapter done! This is probably the longest chapter I have ever written. Anyway one more chapter left before the end. And I might even leave you guys a little surprise in the end. I'm working on it right now as your reading this.
But for now
Enjoy!
Conner knew that something was wrong, horrible wrong. It left like he wasn't in his body, like he had left his body and he was just watching. And right now Conner would give anything to be in his body. His-body was fighting against Superman and Wonder Woman. He was trying to hurt them, kill them.
He wanted to scream, yell at himself to stop but he couldn't. His voice had been taken away from him. Clark was trying to bring him back, he was telling him to come back. He tried to call out to Clark. But he couldn't bring any words out.
He felt like his arms and feet were chained down to be ground because he couldn't move either. This must be what it feels like, to be under someone's control.
At the Watch Tower
"Ow!" Dick winced as Bruce tightened the straps around the boy's wrist. He looked at the straps and struggled to break free from them.
Dick knew that something was wrong the moment Bruce had walked into the room. But he never thought that Bruce would tie him down to his own bed. Sure he was badly injured and that usually never stopped him from trying to get out of bed before.
"You're not going to be able to get out these, so you should just save your energy on resting." said Bruce, like it was the most normal thing in the world to tie your 14 year old son to his bed.
"Why are you doing this?" grunted Dick.
"I know that you're not going to listen to me when I tell you to stay put, so this is the best way to make sure." explained Bruce.
Dick stopped his struggles to look his father figure. "This has something to do with Conner, doesn't it?"
The man looked at his ward and sighed. It was no use the boy could read him well. "We found out where Superman, Wonder Woman and Superboy are. Superboy is now with the Light; right now he is trying to kill Superman."
The young acrobat looked at the man as if he just told him that Santa Claus wasn't real.
"No-you're wrong, Conner would never-"
"From what Diana has told us, Superboy seems to be under their control." stated Bruce.
"Then we can still help him, maybe if the team and I-"
"The team is ordered to stay here in the Watch Tower." He ordered.
Dick started to shake his head. "No Bruce please, we can help! Were his friends maybe if Conner sees us then-"
Bruce snapped. "Don't you get it? Superboy won't see you as his teammates or friends! He'll see you as the enemy because the Light will tell him that and he will try to kill you!"
Dick looked shocked at his mentor before turning his head away from him as best as he could.
The Dark Knight sighed; he put on his mask. Then pulled the blanket over his sons body and placed the boy's mask on his face
"I'm doing this because you are my son Richard, and I'm trying to protect you."
Before the Dark Knight could leave the room, his son's last words cut him deep.
"I'm not the only son you have to protect."
An hour later with the team
"I can't believe them; I can't believe that they actually think that we're going to sit here and do nothing while this is happening!" snapped Artemis.
"There not thinking, their making us." replied Kid Flash.
"What are you saying, we should just give up?" she growled.
"No, but what else can we do, were up here and their down there. Robin is badly injured, the zeta beams have been shut down and Conner is with the light!" exclaimed Wally.
"He's not with the Light, at least not willing!" defended Artemis.
Wally slammed himself against the hall wall. "I know that, I just….I just wish that him and Rob were here." mumbled the speedster, sliding down onto the floor.
She got down on the ground and put a hand on his shoulder. "Me too"
Kaldur and M'gann walked up to them.
"Well" asked the archer.
"It's no use, we can't hack into the zeta beams." said Kaldur.
The group sighed.
Just then they heard a banging sound. They all looked around trying to find where the noise was coming from.
"Here" called M'gann floating infornt of the door. The team huddled ground the door.
"Isn't this the storage closet." asked Artemis.
"I don't know I haven't been around the Watch Tower a lot to know." remarked Wally.
"I know that, I just mean that the door is too small to be anything else!"
"Would you guys just open the freaking door already!" mumbled a shout from behind the door.
The group remembered the voice and looked at each other surprise.
"Roy, what are you doing in there?" asked Kaldur.
"Long story just unlock the door."
Kaldur opened the door to show a very pissed Red Arrow walk out.
"Oh Roy, nice of you to come out of the closet." joked Wally. The girls laughed.
"Shut it, West" snarled the older archer.
"May I ask how you got in there." asked Kaldur.
"Let's just leave it at Batman is an ass." said Roy. "I'm guessing the League left already."
"Yes, they went down to Earth to help Wonder Woman and Superman." said M'gann, trying not to add the part about Conner.
"Right so what are you guys doing here?" asked the older archer.
"We can't get the zeta beams to work." answered Artemis. "Batman put them under lock down."
"Hm, even I'm not that good to hack into something that Batman set up. Only a bat would be able to hack into this." stated Red Arrow.
"Then it's a good thing that one's here."
The group turned around to see Robin in his full suit and leaning against the wall.
"Rob" Wally cried and ran over to him.
"Careful KF, I'm still in some pain here." grunted Robin.
KF slammed down on his heels to fall right in front of him. He looked up at him and smiled. "Hey"
"Hey man." greeted Robin.
"Robin, what are you doing out of bed, your badly injured." panicked M'gann, as she and others rushed over to him.
"Well I couldn't just lay around with everything going on." said Robins. He leaned against Artemis and Wally as they helped him walk. "Besides it wasn't easy to get out of my bed."
"What do you mean?"
"Let's just leave it at Batman is very overprotective." answered Robin.
"So I'm guessing you know about Conner huh." asked Red Arrow.
"Yeah, it seems like the League is determined to handle this on without our say." said Robin.
"You don't think that they would do anything to hurt Conner?" asked M'gann.
"I don't think they would try to hurt Conner unless they need to M'gann." said Artemis, trying to comfort her.
Red Arrow walked over to the zeta beams. "We need to get these zeta beams working again." He looked at Robin. "Can you hack into them?"
Robin leaned his weight over to Wally. "Don't insult me Roy, of course I can."
At Metropolis
Batman had just landed in the city when Wonder Woman spotted him and flew over to him.
"We're glad you're here." She greeted.
"What's the status of the situation?"
"We have been able to keep him keep him in one area so he can't do any more damage, but holding him down long enough for Martian Manhunter to get inside his mind is a whole other challenge." She explained.
Batman nodded "Right, I have Flash and other League members going to Lex Corp. There might be a chance we can still catch the Light before they escape. "
"Vandal Savage is the one of the people in the Light." said Wonder Woman.
Batman looked at her. "Do you know who else?"
"Not completely sure." She answered. "But it's obviously its Luthor and whoever has the ability to do mind control."
Bruce sighed to what felt like the millionth time that day. Just then the Bio ship landed and out came the team. Bruce felt like he wanted to slam his head against something.
"What are you all doing here!" growled Batman at the young heroes.
"I'm sorry Batman, but we were not going to stand by and allow our friend to be in danger." said Kaldur.
"Translation, we're not following by your orders anymore or anyone else in the League. We're following our own way." sneered Artemis
Robin slowly got off Kid Flash's back and walked over to his mentor the best he could without limping. He started at his mentor; words weren't needed. Bruce could understand what the boy was saying through his eyes. "He's our family."
Batman felt a little betrayed by his own ward but saw no point anymore in going on with this argument and instead just nodded his head in agreement.
"You're going to need any update on the situation."
"Then fill us in." instructed Kaldur.
Just then Martian Manhunter flew down next to the group.
"I have some news that may be of use." He announced.
"Go on" ordered Batman.
"Conner may not be a gone as we all thought he was. He somehow seems trapped in the back of his mind, unable to break free." explained J'ohn.
"So we have to somehow reach him, but how?" questioned Wonder Woman. "Superman and I have tried to talk to him and that hasn't seemed to work."
"Maybe you guys can't, but maybe we can." said Kid Flash, pointing to his team. "Were family to Conner more than you guys are."
"If I link us all up maybe we could get through to him that way." suggested Miss Martian.
"Yeah, he might not be able to hear us unless we get inside his head!" said Artemis.
"Looks like a plan." declared Robin.
"It could be risky." said Martian Manhunter. "And even if you did, only Conner alone can break free from the barrier that his mind is in."
"But if we could just reach him, it might be enough to help him break free." said M'gann
"Do it, it's the best plan we've got." said Batman.
The team nodded off and ran off towards Superboy. Red Arrow walked up to the three League members left.
"Where's the rest of the League?" he asked.
"They're at Lex Corp, we hope that we will be able to final catch the Light." informed Batman.
"Then I'll go and give them a hand, I don't think I'll be much of a help here anyway." said Red Arrow.
Batman watched as Red Arrow ran towards Lex Corps. He then ran towards the battle.
Inside Conner's mind
Conner stood here and watched his body trying to get out of the bubble that Green Lantern put him in. It was breaking slowly, a few more punches and it would shattered. Superman saw this and got ready for when he would break free. Wonder Woman then flew up next to him. He saw her saysomething to him but he couldn't hear what she said. Clark looked at her surprised but he had more hope in his eyes then when they started this fight. Conner could only hope that whatever she told Clark was going to help him.
Outside Conner's mind
The boy final broke through the green bubble and he jumped towards the Man of steel. Superman caught the boy's arms and held them apart as he struggled.
Superboy screamed with rage.
"Superman, put him down." called Batman.
The Man of steel let the boy go and let him drop down to the ground. The teen got up and stood infornt of Batman. Before he could charge at the man, Wonder Woman's lasso tied around him and she left him and few feet off his feet.
He struggled and thrashed against her rope. "I'm going to kill all of you when I get out of this!"
"Don't you see that your only doing this because Savage told you to." said Batman.
Superboy broke free from Wonder Woman's lasso. "Shut up! I'm doing this because I-"
"Because what, because it's in your programing. You never believed that. You always thought that you could be more than that!" shouted Batman.
"I have one purpose in this world and that's it!" yelled Superboy. "I will defeat Superman and then kill the rest of you!"
Superman flew infornt of Superboy. "Conner, please look at me."
The boy took a swing at him. "Don't talk to me like you care about me; none of you do! You make all these promises and say all these things but they don't mean anything. One day you'll see no need for me and you'll throw me away! Who could ever love a clone?"
Inside Conner's head
Conner watched Superman dodge his punches before feeling the presence of familiar people.
"Conner, please can you hear me!"
Artemis
"Come on man, you're stronger than this brainwashing power, fight back!"
Wally
"You have to find the will to come back to us."
Kaldur
"Please Conner, come back!"
M'gann
"No, this is not how you are going down! You are too stubborn to let yourself become this! You get off your ass and fight with everything you got! Do you hear me Conner; you are not going down like this!"
Robin
Outside Conner's head
"You're more than just a clone, more than maybe even you release." said Batman.
Superboy swung a punch at him and he dodge.
"It was never you having my DNA that made you special Conner." said Superman.
Another punch was thrown and was avoid again. Superboy threw himself at Superman only for the man to catch him and hold him. Now the two were starting at each other, face to face.
"It's that you're the son of all three of us. You have Batman's heart to make the toughest choices because you know it's the right thing to do. You're strong like Wonder Woman; which helps you get through all the things you go through. And you have my thick skull, which makes you determined to do anything, even if the situation looks hopeless. You're not just like one of us, you're all of us and that's what makes you our own person."
Inside Conner's head
Conner could hear the words of everyone. He could feel his friends; his family was trying to reach him. He then started to get the feeling back into his hands, like the chains and been broken. The same with his feet, he moved forward to find an invisible wall keeping himself from his body and everyone. He stood back and then punched the wall. Nothing, so he punched it again. He kept punching and punching. His first were starting to bleed if that was even possible but he didn't stop.
"We are trying to help you!"
"I live because of Cadmus it is my home!"
"Your home is a test tube"
"My purpose is to replace Superman if he is gone. Or take him down if he were ever to turn from the light."
"You're not a real boy, you're a weapon and you belong to Cadmus."
"Ask yourself what Superman would do."
"You are the start of our freedom"
"The choice is yours brother. Do you choose freedom?"
"I choose freedom!"
"Is that what I think it is?"
"The league will find a place for you"
"Superboy huh, and who is your mentor?"
"Do you have any parents?"
"Oh am sure you do, everybody has parents even if they're not in our lives. Who is your father?"
"What I want from you my boy is to learn more about you."
"Luthor knows who you are doesn't he?"
"Who is the light?"
"Like how you thought it was right to just give up."
"I'm sorry- I'm sorry, I'm a weapon- a weapon."
"I'm not supposed to fail in battle, never fail. That's the only reason l was created- was to fight and if I can't do that the-then what is my reason for being here?"
"You are so much more than just Superboy, and you can find who you are if you just try. But if you push yourself down and only think of yourself as an weapon than you're going to be in trapped in that forever. Let us help you find your way; you have a people here that you can consider a family."
"Enjoy freedom for now Project Kr, soon you will be brought to your really home and fulfill your real supposed to Cadmus."
"I know I was a too but I'm here now and I want to be here for you, Superboy please let me in."
"No! Don't you dare! You are not my father; you're my DNA donor that's it!"
"I NEED TO KNOW WHO I AM!"
"Conner Kent, my earth name is Clark Kent, my real name is Kal-El. Superboy I would be happy if you would join my family and be Conner Kent, Kon-El."
You Project Kr were meant to kill the Justice League."
"I'm sorry but, they were killed…they were killed by the light, all of them."
I'm talking about how the light is after you and you ran away from the cave."
If it mean's keeping you up here against your will so be it."
"I don't think you do, see Superman's DNA wasn't stable enough to create you and make you whole, so Cadmus had to look for another DNA genetic structure, two actually."
"Want to guess who they are?"
"Batman and Wonder Woman."
"This is the Fortress of Solitude, the home of the El family. Here, I am Kal-El; my father's name was Jor-El, your grandfather. When you are here you are Kon-El, son of Krypton, one of the last few of Krypton."
"Oh really, should I name all the little secrets that you have hidden from not only me, but from your own team."
"Well then maybe I can't be your son!"
"That's not your decision."
"Conner, no you don't have to do this."
"Yes I do."
"Oh really so they gave you a choice, on the night that you escaped from Cadmus they told you that you could do whatever you wanted?"
"But landed straight into another prison, they kept you hidden from the world, like their own secret weapon."
"That's why the Light existed, to get rid of these so called heroes. Don't you see your freedom is with the Light no with them?"
"Very well just remember, you are one of the strongest among us and maybe even become stronger than Superman, but that does not mean that there aren't people that can't help you when you are in a time of need."
"She's right; your part of this family and nothing will change that."
"You always have a choice Conner; no one will force you into anything that you don't want to be forced into doing."
"Being afraid of what?"
"What happens now that you all know?"
"You go your way and I go my and we each move on with our lives."
"They're supposed to be dead."
"I know you all are best at what being heroes and you know more about this than we do, but were not new at this either. You need to stop thinking that the others and me need to be protected all the time because we don't. We may be kids but were also heroes."
"Please be careful"
"Clark, I'm sorry, I didn't mean what I said before to you."
"Time to get traught"
"Maybe all the League members know something we don't."
"Of course I'm going to think about it, I mean it seems that I'm the only one besides the team that has a problem with this."
"Because I was the one that created you, you would not be here if not for me, you belong to me."
"I don't belong to anyone, and you can't make me do anything!"
"Don't worry Project Kr; soon well have you back with us again."
"To destroy the Justice League and anyone who gets in my way."
"If you don't fight back you're going to die, not that it makes much of a difference. Or are you just not fighting me because you don't think I'm a good enough for you?"
"I see that talking alone isn't going to snap you out of the hold Savage has on you." He took a deep breathe. "So I have other choice but to use force."
"I will defeat Superman and then kill the rest of you!"
"Don't you see that you're only doing this because Savage told you to?"
"Because what, because it's in your programing. You never believed that. You always thought that you could be more than that!"
"Conner, please look at me."
Don't talk to me like you care about me; none of you do! You make all these promises and say all these things but they don't mean anything. One day you'll see no need for me and you'll throw me away! Who could ever love a clone?"
"Conner, please can you hear me!"
"Come on man, you're stronger than this brainwashing power, fight back!"
"You have to find the will to come back to us."
"Please Conner, come back!"
"No, this is not how you are going down! You are too stubborn to let yourself become this! You get off your ass and fight with everything you got! Do you hear me Conner; you are not going down like this!"
"You're more than just a clone, more than maybe even you release."
"It was never you having my DNA that made you special Conner."
It's that you're the son of all three of us. You have Batman's heart to make the toughest choices because you know it's the right thing to do. You're strong like Wonder Woman; which helps you get through all the things you go through. And you have my thick skull, which makes you determined to do anything, even if the situation looks hopeless. You're not just like one of us, you're all of us and that's what makes you our own person."
Conner grunted as he kept punching the wall. Conner again punched at the wall, his hand and body was screaming at him to stop but he kept going. "I choose freedom, and there is no way that I will ever let anyone take that away from me!"
With a final punch he shattered the wall and everything goes black.
When Conner opened his eyes again, he was laying a medical bed. The room seemed familiar but it wasn't any of the rooms in the Cave. He felt a hand on his forehead, when he looked over he saw Diana sitting next to his bed side. She was calmly petting his head and hair, when she noticed he was awake she smiled.
"Hey there, how do you feel?" she asked.
He tried to answer her but end up coughing, his throat felt like he hadn't spoken in over a year.
She grabbed a cup of water and held his head up so he could drink. "I guess your throat is still pretty bad."
"W-What happened?" he gasped out.
She looked at him and smiled. "We were kidnapped by the Light. We all escaped but you were put under Savages control. Clark and I both tried to reach out to you but it final took Batman, and your friends together to reach to you. You final broke free from Savages control and lost conscious after words. You have been out for 13 days." The last part she said with a frown.
"13 days! Wait then what happened to the Light?"
"They disappeared"
Conner and Diana looked over to see Clark and Bruce walking into the room. What surprised Conner was that Bruce had taken his mask off and it was just now hanging down like a hood.
Bruce saw the boy's face and grinned. "Surprised"
"Finding out that Batman is Bruce Wayne? Yeah"
Clark and Diana both laughed.
"So wait, what you mean they disappeared?" again asked Conner.
"When the Justice League got to Lex Corp, they found it completely empty. Savage, everything was gone." explained Clark.
"But that doesn't mean they're gone forever." pointed out Conner.
Bruce nodded. "They'll come back, one day."
Conner then brought his attention to Clark. "So I guess you know?" he asked.
"I wasn't exactly surprised when I found out really, it kind of examples a lot." said Clark.
"Like what?"
"Well I always had the feeling that when I was auguring with you I was auguring with Bruce."
Diana smirked and Conner just titled his head to the side while Bruce just gave him a look.
"Are you saying that he's more like me than you." said Bruce. "Like you said Clark, he has your thick skull."
"Hey!"
"Hey!"
Both Conner and Clark looked at each other before Bruce and Diana laughed.
Just then Doctor Midnight; the Leagues doctor walked into the room. "Well it looks like you're awake."
"Conner this is Doctor Midnight, he's been watching over you ever since you lost conscious." introduced Clark.
"Hi"
"Nice to final meet you Conner." He smiled "Now everything seems to be perfectly healthy but you'll be stuck in bed for a few weeks."
"Why"
"Well you really pushed yourself; I'm surprised that you're still keeping awake. But I guess you get your fast feeling from your parents." He said smiling at them.
"Can you exactly tell me how Savage was able to take control over me?" asked Conner.
"From what Flash, Martian Manhunter and I have guessed. Savage used some kind of drug on you. After that he used tricks on your mind, pushing you to your limits to where he got nothing but anger and rage from you. He was trying to break your spirit and make you go out of control. We can't track the drug down but we do know there were substances of red sun in the mix. Whatever other drug was in there was helping Savage get you to go crazy." He explained.
"But it's gone now right, there's not a chance of me having some kind of withdraw and hurting anyone?"
"No, the drug is out of your system and you weren't addicted to it so your fine." reinsured Bruce.
"Okay"
When the doctor was done Conner became silent. He didn't know how he was going to tell them what he wanted to tell them. But he had to, he was sick of keeping secrets.
"Conner, what's wrong?"
"I remember, I remember what was happening when I was under Savages control. I saw what I did, what I tried to do. I'm sorry; I didn't want to hurt anyone."
"Son, it's not your fault, your heard the doctor, there was no way you could have prevent it. What matters is that you came back to us when you did." said Clark.
"But I feel like part of me was in control." admitted Conner.
"What do you mean?" asked Diana.
"Some off the stuff I said, not how I said that I was going to kill you guys, but the other stuff. See, Desman always told me that I was clone, that I couldn't have a better life. So I guess being here, I'm always afraid that something is going to happen and I'll end up back in my pod." told Conner.
"You're not in Cadmus anymore; nothing is going to make you go back to living that life. Here you are loved by many people. You have a family that will support you." said Bruce.
Conner smiled at Bruce and he smiled back. They heard the sound of a familiar laugh and the four pair of eyes looked over to see a group of teens standing there with a mama bird.
"Are we ruining a family moment?" asked Canary.
"No, not at all." said Diana.
The team then walked into the room over to Conner. They did small touches, like patting his shoulder, or rubbing his arm and patting his head. They were touches of comfort and love. It was then that Conner noticed a certain speedster and archer holding hands. He looked up at them and raised an eyebrow. The two only blushed in reply.
He then brought his attention to M'gann. She smiled at him and he smiled back.
Things were starting to look better for once.
TBC