Hey there. So this is the second of my two Young Justice fics, this one obviously is a crossover with Percy Jackson…at least in so far as Percy is here in a fanfiction Earth in the DC multiverse….don't worry about the earth number I'm not about to put that headache on myself or you. Just one of them I guess.
That being said some heroes may have different origins and the same is true for villains, history may be slightly different some of which you will see for certain as the fic goes forward. On top of that some heroes may even be villains and vice versa.
Along the same train of thought, there will be plenty that follows canon here, especially in chapter one, however there will be additional plotlines and changes to the canon timelines in some cases.
Now that we've covered that I want to invite you to a discord server hosted by AizenTheGoat that is an excellent place for fanfiction readers and writers to come together. An invitation link is right here→ /7x4YFstKcz
Anyway let's get on with the story.
The Team
Washington DC
July 4th
The day was warm but breezier than normal for mid summer. That meant that most of DC was out and about trying to enjoy the nice weather alongside the throngs of tourists. It also meant that crime was just a little bit higher.
At least normally.
"I was hoping for something to happen in the city today to keep us busy until the meeting, but here we are." Wonder Woman said to her protege as they sat twiddling their thumbs in boredom near the Washington monument.
"Criminals, they're never around when you need them." Her sidekick said with a small snort, getting Wonder Woman to chuckle.
"Be careful what you wish for Perseus. It's better if today goes smoothly. Besides, I promised a colleague we would be early to the Hall." Wonder Woman said.
"Dia-Er, Wonder Woman. You aren't supposed to call me that." The teenager glanced around, playing up his act causing her to smile at his antics.
"As if you care that others know your name. If anything you would use it as an excuse to get out of school." She said, reaching over to tousle his hair only to have her hand batted away.
"Why do you feel the need to treat me as a child?" He whined with a pout.
Diana stifled a giggle as they began making their way up the steps to the Hall of Justice. "It's the job of an elder sister to tease their younger sibling isn't it?"
The boy rolled his eyes as he followed after Diana into the Hall of Justice. Any rebuttal to that claim died on his lips as they came into the hall. It wasn't the first time he had been here. After all, as one of the longest serving partners to a member of the Justice League and a few weeks shy of turning seventeen Percy had gotten a bit more access to things than some of his fellow 'sidekicks' usually did. That didn't mean he still didn't feel something stir in his soul every time he saw the huge statues of his sister and her comrades and the clean stonework of the Hall. It harkened back to the temples and palace he had grown up around until Diana had brought him to man's world.
"Still inspiring even now, isn't it?" Diana asked Percy quietly.
"Still the same for you?" He asked back.
"Maybe not to the same extent, but there's always a sense of…" She trailed off looking for the word.
"Pride?" He offered.
"I was going to say wonder." She replied.
"Hmm, you should be proud sis. Really, you've accomplished something amazing with the League, and you speak on behalf of Themyscira to the rest of the world. Not to mention, you're the reason why I got to be raised by mother for so long…why the Sons of Themyscira aren't forgotten." Percy said with pride at everything his elder sister had accomplished.
The Amazon looked at her baby brother with a small smile, eyes bright with joy to be praised by family. She felt guilt frequently for not doing something for the males born to the Amazons sooner, but she did try now. Things were better now. Far better.
That didn't mean she was quite done bantering with her beloved little brother.
"Hmm, what are you trying to butter me up for Xiphos?' She asked, using his hero name and causing the boy to roll his eyes once again.
"I-I'm not." He tried weakly.
Diana stopped and fully turned to her protege while crossing her arms. The raised eyebrow and smirk on her face caused Percy's eyebrow to twitch before he let out a defeated sigh. The woman read him like a book. Which shouldn't have been surprising. She'd been very protective, even a bit invasive of Percy's life since the moment Hippolyta had told her she would be having another child. With all that had happened with Diana's other siblings over the years she had some reason to be.
"You mentioned recently that the League was talking about forming a covert team. I want on it." He said while trying his hardest to keep his sea green eyes locked with her sky blue.
Diana wasn't surprised by his request. Really he was ready to go out on his own, she just didn't want to let go. Not yet.
"I should stop telling you so much League business." She said simply before turning around and continuing toward the inner part of the hall. The part that Percy had never actually been inside of.
"Oh, come on Diana!" He tried getting no response as they continued further into the building.
"I think they're already here. Be the polite young man you were raised and not the whiny toddler you're acting like." Diana ordered. Her tone was teasing but there was some command in her voice.
Percy could only sigh in defeat. Everyone he was related to was so damned stubborn. "Yes, sister."
The pair of demigod heroes rounded the corner into the true hall of Justice only to find Martian Manhunter and what appeared to be a much younger female version of the Martian inside. Percy was a bit surprised but clearly Diana had expected them to be here so he could only imagine that the colleague she had intended to meet earlier.
"J'onn." Diana greeted.
"Diana. I'm happy you could make it earlier like we planned. The others are all facing different Ice-based villains." Martian Manhunter replied.
"That's rather suspicious. Especially for it to happen only moments before they would have likely left to come to the Hall." Diana commented with narrowed eyes.
"Indeed. Something to ponder when the others arrive. Until then I believe proper introductions are in order. Diana this is my niece M'gann M'orzz. She will be working on earth under the alias of Miss Martian. She is also quite the fan of your exploits." He said, causing the martian girl to blush slightly.
"Hi." She said shyly with a small wave.
"Hello, well this is my younger brother-" Diana stopped and glanced at Percy who simply smiled and nodded giving her permission to use his real name. "Persus. Though he has been working beside me as-"
"Xiphos. It's nice to meet you too." Miss Martian said before blushing at realizing that she had interrupted one of her idols. Her hands covered her mouth as if trying to lock it tight.
Diana took it in stride. She could tell that M'gann was nervous and more than a little excited. Reasonable since this was her first time on earth. J'onn had wanted to wait before introducing her to the other 'rookies' but Diana had insisted that it was better they get to know one another sooner rather than later so that M'gann had people her age, at least biologically since technically she was in her forties chronologically, to interact with.
"You can call me Percy." The young demigod offered a hand as he spoke.
"Then you can call me Megan. It's an earth name…and I'm on earth now." She said with a small smile as she shook the boy's hand.
The small group made idle chatter, largely meant to help both Megan and Percy relax into meeting a new hero around their age. As they grew impatient for their late colleagues though, Diana suggested they go ahead and give the two teens a tour leading to them exploring the more restricted areas. They even showcased a few of their powers, like Megan shapeshifting her clothing to match Percy's color scheme and Percy showcasing a small amount of his speed and ability to fly. Soon all four were floating in the Hall together. Diana couldn't help the small smile. J'onn had told her some of the problems Megan had trouble with back home. She hoped the girl could have a happier time here on earth.
Similarly she knew it was time to start giving Percy more freedom. She couldn't let past pain blind her judgment when it came to her little brother. Smothering him with attention would only cause issues for her in the future. Maybe she would give actual thought to supporting Percy being on a new team.
By the time the group had settled into the library Megan was far calmer than she had been when initially meeting some of the heroes she had only dreamed of encountering in the past. She and Percy seemed to hit it off to an extent pretty well. Percy had experienced the similar daunting task of coming into the world and trying to find a place for himself. He had plenty of advice and friendly words to share with the girl.
When finally Red Tornado led their late compatriots into the library, they found the group of four laughing and enjoying some drinks and snacks around one of the small tables inside.
Kid Flash, decked out in his bright yellow uniform, immediately set his eyes on Wonder Woman and Miss Martian, at least until he saw the two others present with them. He'd met Xiphos before. Only a couple times, but Kid Flash, being the healthy and fit boy he was, had been caught staring at Wonder Woman during one of those times. Xiphos, who he now knew was her little brother…not that he was sure how that worked with the whole Amazon thing, took a very displeased position in the way the redhead had been looking at his sister.
It had been awkward, though the speedster considered the guy alright. A bit too protective of his sister maybe, but alright. It didn't stop the slight pit of dread as those sea green eyes hovered on him for a moment as the boy took in the new arrivals. Or the fact that when he stood with the others Kid Flash was reminded that the olive tanned teen was probably the most powerful of their generation. Something he didn't want to step onto the bad side of.
So, it was obvious that Kid Flash did his absolute very best to not stare at Wonder Woman as the two groups commenced introductions. After all, he could stare just a little longer at the newly introduced Miss M. She was awfully cute and sported a costume that made her all the cuter. Though he wasn't thrilled that it shared the same colors as Xiphos' blue shirt and gold belt.
"You already know each other from the occasional meeting, but this is Xiphos, Wonder Woman's protege." Manhunter explained.
Like Kid Flash, the other 'sidekicks' had only met Xiphos on a couple of spare occasions. However they did, he had been working with Diana longer than any of them had with their own mentors. The closest being Robin and still Xiphos had been fighting crime for almost a full year prior to Robin joining Batman.
"This is Miss Martian. She is my niece and will be coming to Earth to join us in fighting the good fight." Martian Manhunter continued the introductions.
"M'gann these are Kid Flash, Aqualad, Speedy, and Robin. I believe you know their mentors by reputation." Manhunter said as he pointed out the individuals for Megan.
"It's good to meet you all." She said happily.
"It's great to meet you." Kid Flash said with a broad grin, flinching from the elbow in his ribs from Robin.
"Quick debrief to discuss the supposed coincidence of four ice villains attacking at once. We Shouldn't be long." Batman said simply, not bothering to greet the two young heroes. Something that annoyed Wonder Woman, though not terribly as she was used to his rough personality by this point.
Quickly the security monitor at the door scanned the group of League members before they stepped into a more secure room only for Speedy to stomp forward and interrupt them before they could leave.
"That's it? You promised us a real look inside, not a glorified backstage pass." The red clad archer demanded with anger clear in his tone.
Percy and the others all exchanged surprised looks at the outburst. Percy knew the sidekick of Green Arrow was pretty volatile, but he'd never seen him be outright disrespectful toward the League members like that before. Judging from the looks of the other sidekicks who knew the boy better than he did, they hadn't either. Megan was simply uncomfortable with the entire situation.
"It's a first step. You've been granted access few others get." Aquaman was placating with his tone, but it only seemed to rile Speedy up more.
"Oh, really?" He motioned toward the observation deck where several civilians watched them and took pictures. "Who cares which side of the glass we're on?"
"Roy, you just need to be patient." Green Arrow tried to calm his partner down.
"No! What I need is respect." Speedy growled. He pivoted after that, to face the other members of his generation of heroes.
"They're treating us like kids, worse like sidekicks. We deserve better than this." He proclaimed, however the response was disappointing for him.
The boys each exchanged glances with one another while Megan did her best to try and shrink in on herself, so as not to bring attention to herself. Sadly this had the opposite effect as Speedy launched into his next line of ranting.
"You're kidding right? You're playing their game?" He asked in shock, before focusing on Percy. "You of all people should be saying something with me here."
"What's the rush, Speedy?" He asked.
"The- Xiphos are you really fine with just being Wonder Woman's lackey or are you a hero?" Speedy demanded, causing Percy's eyes to narrow dangerously.
"Say that again, Robin Hood reject." Percy growled, hand settling onto the sword handle at his hip.
"Percy?" Megan asked, a bit worried and trying to calm her new friend down.
"She's another thing!" Speedy growled. "She's been on earth all of what, twenty minutes and she's at the same point as the rest of us? That-"
"Enough." Martian Manhunter said taking a step forward only to be stopped by Wonder Woman. The Martian gave her a confused look but Diana was of the mind that if Megan wanted to make it on earth as one of her heroes, a few angry words thrown her way would be the least of her worries.
Speedy ignored the near intervention of the Martian and continued his rant toward his peers. "Today was supposed to be the day! Taking our first steps into becoming full fledged members of the Justice League!"
"Hey man sure, but isn't the first step taking a tour of the League's HQ?" Kid Flash asked.
"Except the hall isn't the League's real HQ. I bet they never told you it's just a false front for tourists and a pit stop for catching zeta beam teleporter tubes to the real thing, an orbiting satellite, called the watchtower." Speedy let the cat out of the bag.
Percy blinked at that in surprise. He had thought that all of the sidekicks knew at least of the Watchtower. He had for a couple of years, and he knew that at least Miss Martian knew, since she and Martian Manhunter had arrived using the Zeta Tubes in the back.
He caught Diana's eye while Green Arrow weakly defended himself to a couple of the original league members in Batman, Flash, and Aquaman. The small exasperated look she sent him nearly made him chuckle. This situation had gone beyond serious and into cartoonish in his opinion. Speedy was making things harder for himself in Percy's opinion. He wanted to say he was mature enough to be treated as an equal by the members of the League, but he was acting like a spoiled kid.
Evidently Aquaman agreed with Percy's silent opinion. Fitting that they were both of the sea. Maybe they also thought alike. He wished he'd had more opportunities to interact with Atlanteans, maybe he could speak with Aqualad today for a while. Then again it was really seeming like Speedy was going to keep on this rant till he derailed whatever plans the League had for them.
"I thought I was his partner…" Speedy said as he glared at Green Arrow before tearing off his cap and slamming it on the floor at Green Arrow's feet. "Not anymore."
He then turned and stormed past the rest of his generation. He didn't leave without a final parting shot though. "Guess they're right about you guys. You're not ready."
That hurt a bit. Even for Percy. Speedy's words did kind of sting when all of the young heroes had frequently felt the overprotective nature of the mentors chafing them. However at the moment it almost felt like one of their own had considered them to be unfit to be heroes at all, at least in the way he had spoken.
They didn't get long to wallow in those thoughts though as one of the computer screens burst to life with an alarm showing Superman on the screen calling for the attention of the League.
"There's been an explosion at project CADMUS in DC. It's on fire." Superman explained.
"I've had my suspicions about CADMUS for a while. This may present the perfect opportunity to in-" Batman began to say only for another screen and alarm to come to life as Zatara appeared.
"Zatara to Justice League. The sorcerer Wotan is using the amulet of Attan to blot out the sun. Requesting full League response." The magic user stated.
"Superman?" Batman asked.
"It's a small fire. Local authorities should have it under control." Superman replied.
"Then CADMUS can wait." Batman answered before pressing a comm button to connect himself to all League members. "All Leaguers rendezvous at Zatara's coordinates, Batman out."
The Dark Knight turned to the approaching sidekicks as the members of the League began to make their way toward the exit. Percy glanced toward his sister who shook her head and shot a glance toward the other sidekicks. He understood, not that he was too pleased but he would stay here with the others.
"Stay put." He ordered.
"What? Why?" Robin demanded.
"This is a League mission." Aquaman stated.
"You're not trained." Flash added in.
"Since when?" Kid Flash snapped out.
"I meant you aren't trained to work as a part of this team." Flash explained.
"There will be other missions, when you are ready." Aquaman said.
"But for now, stay put." Batman commanded.
As they headed out, Martian Manhunter instructed Megan to stay with Percy and the others and that he would collect her after they handled Wotan. This left the five teens alone in the Hall as the door slid closed behind their mentors as they left them behind.
"When we're ready?" Kid Flash asked with a scoff. "How are we ever supposed to be ready when they treat us like sidekicks?"
"My mentor, my king…I thought he trusted me." Aqualad complained.
"Trust? They don't even trust us with the basics! They've got a secret HQ in space!" Kid Flash practically shouted.
Robin noticed as Percy and Megan shared a look, and narrowed his eyes at them.
"You knew?" Robin asked.
Megan twitched and became nervous under the looks of the three boys boring into her. Percy however stepped forward with raised hands, taking their eyes off of her.
"Miss M only knew because that was how Manhunter brought her to the Hall. She is from Mars after all, so she had to use the Watchtower as a stop over point to get to the hall. Kind of backwards for the League." Percy explained.
"But you knew." Robin pointed out.
"So?" Percy asked with a raised eyebrow.
"So? Why is it you and Speedy are getting this kind of information-" Kid Flash began to demand only for Percy to cut him off.
"Speedy only knew because his mentor couldn't keep his mouth shut, I imagine. I know, because I have been training and fighting as a hero longer than the rest of you. I've earned more knowledge and you all will too. Just be patient." The demigod argued.
"Xiphos. That would be inspiring if you hadn't been working with Wonder Woman for nearly five years. Knowing about a HQ you can't even visit seems pretty weak in exchange for years, man." Robin pointed out.
Percy ground his teeth at the younger boy's words but thankfully Aqualad intervened before the pair could begin arguing.
"What is Project CADMUS?" He asked, causing Robin to grin.
"I can find out." The Boy Wonder said before moving over to the computer and overriding the system.
"I don't think we should really be doing this." Miss Martian joined the conversation nervously.
"Hey, no worries babe." Kid Flash said with a cocky grin before shooting Robin a look. "No worries right?"
"Relax. This uses pretty much the same system as the Batcave. Look I'm already pulling up stuff on CADMUS." Robin replied.
"Project CADMUS, a genetics lab here in D.C." Percy read off of the screen.
"That's all there is, but if Batman's suspicious, maybe we should investigate?" Robin said as he turned back to the others.
"Solve their case before they do. It would be poetic justice." Aqualad said with a slight grin.
"Hey, they're all about justice." Robin joked.
"But they ordered us to stay here." Miss Martian said worriedly.
"For the Blotting out the sun mission, not this." Robin said with a grin.
Miss Martian still didn't look convinced though Aqualad and Xiphos both had thoughtful looks on their faces. Kid Flash simply said that if Robin was going to CADMUS he was going as well. With that the two turned to face Aqualad who took on a more serious and determined expression.
"And just like that, we're a team on a mission." He agreed as he joined them in turning to look at the last two of the group.
"Come on Miss M, you're here on earth to be a hero right?" Kid Flash said, before grinning a bit broader. "Plus we can get to know each other a bit better on this mission, y'know?"
"It's just, I'm worried Uncle J'onn might try to send me back if I do something to upset him." The girl replied.
"Well, I'd doubt he would be upset with you if you were kidnapped, Megan." Percy said, sharing a small grin with her.
"Good point." She said with a small laugh.
The two flying capable young heroes lifted off of the ground and led the way toward the exit with the other three coming up behind them. Kid Flash stewing a bit at the smile and looks shared by Xiphos and Miss Martian…and the fact that evidently Xiphos knew her real name.
"KF, not now man. Mission remember?" Robin said, noticing his friend's look.
"Oh come on Rob, are you doubting my skills? Besides, as soon as we start doing work she'll see me at my best." Kid Flash bounced back into his cocky attitude.
"Yeah…sure." Robin said with a sigh.
It didn't take the five teens long to reach CADMUS labs. The building's top floor was engulfed in flame while a pair of scientists hung out of a window calling for help. The Firefighters below were doing their best to coordinate a rescue and fight the fire, but their rescue of the two men in lab coats was interrupted by an explosion that hurled both men out of the building. Luckily, Kid Flash burst onto the scene racing directly up the wall to grab the men and deposit them onto the roof of all places.
It was a decent temporary fix, at least until he slipped and ended up hanging from the destroyed windows of the second floor and now needed rescuing himself. The rest of the impromptu team stopped across the street to take the situation in for a moment.
"So smooth." Robin joked as they saw Kid Flash needing their help now.
"Does he always have to run ahead?" Aqualad groaned.
"Well, he did help those two scientists." Miss Martian pointed out.
"Yeah and put them on the roof of a burning building." Xiphos added on.
"We need a plan." Aqualad said.
"Yeah, Robin already went ahead." Xiphos said as they heard the echoing laughter of the Boy Wonder as he used a grappling hook to reach the second floor of the building and pull Kid Flash inside.
"But what about the scientists and the fire?" Miss Martian asked.
"Aqualad, you got the fire?" Percy asked him.
"I can handle it." The Atlantean replied.
"Alright then, We'll get the two scientists. Come on Miss M." Xiphos said as he and the Martian flew to the roof to rescue the two men.
Aqualad commandeered the water from the fire hoses being used and quickly put out the fire before Xiphos grabbed him around the shoulders and the three of them flew up into the second floor to join the youngest pair of the group.
"Appreciate the help." Aqualad said to the two other young heroes with heavy sarcasm.
"You guys handled it." Robin replied not caring for the sarcasm at all. "Besides we're here to investigate. Poetic Justice, remember?"
Percy and Megan shared a look at that. Robin seemed to have tunnel vision for figuring out the secrets behind CADMUS. The son of Themyscira could only hope that wouldn't bite them in the ass later on.
Miss Martian followed Aqualad as he began to look around while Xiphos joined Robin and Kid Flash in rifling through the various files that the offices had. Both Miss M and Aqualad froze in their spots at the sight of a strange humanoid figure in the elevator before the doors closed.
"There was something in the elevator." Aqualad called out, getting the rest of the group to rejoin them.
"Elevators should be locked down right now." Kid Flash said.
"Aqualad is right though. There was something there and it wasn't human." Miss Martian said.
Robin eyed the elevator with suspicion before grunting. "This is wrong."
The boy then brought up his wrist mounted computer and quickly ran over the data on it. "Thought so, this is a high speed express elevator. It doesn't belong in a two story building."
"It's not. I can sense beings beneath us. Lots of them…some of them are like animals and others are almost like people." Miss Martian said as she held a hand to her forehead and closed her eyes to focus.
Percy and Aqualad exchanged a look before the demigod stepped forward and tore the doors open. He then offered a hand to Aqualad and Kid Flash each. The speedster shot a longing look toward the Martian but she missed the look and simply followed Robin, who refused to be carried and instead used a rappel rope.
With a sigh Kid flash and Aqualad both accepted the rides from Percy as the demigod slowly lowered them down to catch up with Miss M and Robin. They had stopped at level twenty-six as Robin ran out of rope. He swung over to the ledge beside the elevator door, where Percy set Aqualad and Kid Flash down as well while Robin began overriding the security for the door.
"There, go!" He said to Percy who easily forced the doors open so that the teens could all enter.
Inside, a long dark hall looking like something from a science fiction movie laid before them. As the group glanced around Kid Flash decided to race ahead, despite Aqualad calling for him to wait. The speedster didn't listen though and was very nearly crushed by massive creatures plodding along down the hall ahead of them. He managed to roll out of the way and in a flash of movement rejoined the others.
"I could sense something down here…but" Miss Martian trailed off at the sight of the creatures.
"That definitely isn't normal." Xiphos said as he stared wide eyed at the presumably lab-made animals trailing past.
Miss Martian suddenly gasped, catching the others' attention.
"What?" Robin asked.
"Those little ones. They sent some kind of alarm to all the other creatures in CADMUS about us." She replied.
"How?" Kid Flash asked.
"Those little ones must be telepaths. Are they coming to stop us?" Aqualad asked.
Miss Martian took a confused look before slowly shaking her head. "They are relaying the alarm about us but besides that they are ignoring us?"
"Why?" Xiphos asked.
"One of the leaders is just telling them to focus on their tasks." She said while focusing harder, she blinked in surprise for a moment.
"They know we're here but they are trying to slow down the response to us?" She asked not sure why they would do that.
"We should get all the information we can then, we need to get it and get out before whatever it is changes its mind." Xiphos said.
"Way ahead of ya." Robin and Kid Flash said as they moved ahead.
Aqualad simply sighed as he and the two flying members of the team followed after them.
Robin overrode the security of another door revealing an even stranger room than they had discovered so far. The walls were covered in pods containing creatures similar to the ones they had seen before except their physiology seemed more delicate and they were far smaller, as they also seemed to produce power naturally from their body.
"Okay I'm officially whelmed." Robin commented as they all took in the sight of the room.
"It's like a generator, there that central pod is collecting all the energy these…things are making." Percy said as they began to slowly walk into the room.
"They are like livestock. At least they don't mind their containment. Just animals happy to be fed and release power in exchange." Megan said as she focused on the minds of the creatures inside the tubes.
"Robin, use that computer, find out what all of this is." Aqualad ordered with Robin, more than happy to do as asked.
While Robin started hacking into the terminal, Percy and the others continued to look around.
"These things must be what lets this massive underground facility to run without using the power grid for the city. Completely off the grid." Kid Flash commented.
"CADMUS, like the myth." Percy hummed in thought.
"Myth?" Megan asked, interested in learning about some more of human history and culture.
"It's an old story, essentially sowing dragon's teeth like seeds to create a new race of warriors." Aqualad said.
"The spartoi. I doubt that these…beings were created for all that different of a reason." Xiphos replied.
"Didn't the spartoi help build Thebes?" Aqualad asked.
"Only after Cadmus tricked them into killing each other until only five were left." Xiphos said as he walked over to Robin to see what he had found. Both Aqualad and Miss Martian shared Percy's worry to different extents.
"They call them Genomorphs." Robin began before his eyes widened in shock. "Whoa! Look at the stats on these things. Super strength, telepathy, razor claws, they're living weapons."
"New age spartoi. Great." Xiphos groaned.
"They're engineering a whole army, but for who?" Kid Flash asked.
"I don't know, but I can guess who they might be geared to fight against." Xiphos said uneasily. Aqualad nodded before Robin caught their attention again.
"There's something else. Project Kr? Files are triple encrypted though. I can't really get much other than it's held all the way down on Sub Level fifty-two." Robin said as the computer flashed an access denied message in his face.
"Guys, someone is coming!" Miss Martian said as she turned to face the door, starting to open. The teens all got ready to fight only to be shocked as a minor hero that most of them recognized ran through the doors accompanied by a sizable number of genormophs.
"I know you, Guardian?" Robin asked.
Aqualad, Robin, and Kid Flash argued with the hero while Miss Martian suddenly narrowed her eyes before Xiphos suddenly heard a voice in his head causing him to jolt in shock.
"Percy, the small genomorph on his shoulder is one of the telepathic ones. I can feel that it's been overrunning his mind to make him do things." She said.
Percy wanted to demand her to get out of his head, but that would have to wait. This might be a problem, if whoever was actually behind CADMUS was using these creatures to control people. That had a lot of really bad implications. It didn't change the fact that Guardian was a hero and in line with the Justice League though. He didn't want to get into a fight with an ally, even if they were being controlled.
"Can you break their connection?" He asked the Martian.
"No, as long as it's touching him I can't break him free, I think I might have to have physical contact to fully break it too." Megan replied.
"Then we run. We have enough information to pass to the League." Percy said as he turned his head toward the others.
"We're leaving." He simply said as Miss Martian began heading back toward the elevator shaft with him following behind her.
"What?" Kid Flash asked, only for Robin and Aqualad to take off after the pair of flying heroes. "Oh come on guys!"
Guardian blinked in surprise as the kids had simply turned and booked it as he had begun lecturing them. He began to call out to them only to grunt as he felt a sudden headache invade his mind and he changed his intentions.
"Get them! Bring them down hard!" He shouted and the genomorphs sprang forward after the teens who had already made it back to the elevator, which now had an actual elevator car waiting for them.
By the time Guardian had caught up, the door had closed behind them causing the brainwashed hero to growl in agitation. Inside the elevator things weren't that different as Kid Flash turned to face Xiphos in confusion.
"What the heck was that about?" He asked.
"You know some of the genomorphs are telepathic. Miss Martian figured out that the little ones are controlling Guardian. We have all the information we need for the League to bring this place down. So we need to contact the League with what we found out." Xiphos explained.
"What? No way, we just got here man! We can take Guardian and those little geno-thingies." Kid Flash said.
"I'm sure we can, Kid, but we were only meant to investigate, and Guardian is an ally even if he has been brainwashed. There isn't a reason to fight if we can just call the League. This mission is over." Aqualad supported Xiphos' position.
"If the mission is over, why are we going down?" Miss Martian asked. The others blinked before turning toward Robin.
"Rob, out is up. What are you thinking?" Kid Flash asked.
"Out might be up, but Kr is down." Robin said simply.
"I don't think-" Aqualad began only for the doors to the elevator to slide open and reveal an odd organic looking hallway.
Robin didn't wait around and rushed out into the hall while Kid Flash shrugged before following after him. Aqualad once again sighed, getting Miss Martian to giggle slightly.
"We might as well." Xiphos said as he followed after the younger boys.
The five teens slowly began making their way through the strange tunnel. It was a bizarre mix of typical looking, though clearly advanced tech and creepy gooey red walls, floors, and ceiling. Eventually though they came to a fork in the tunnels, one heading left and one heading right.
"So, bizarre looking hallway one, or bizarre looking hallway two?" Robin asked rhetorically.
"Halt!" A strange inhuman voice demanded as the speaker began to walk out of the now dubbed bizarre looking hallway one.
The creature that revealed itself was different from any of the others they had seen though both Miss Martian and Aqualad recognized it as the creature that had been in the elevator. Miss Martian also recognized something else.
"It's the leader that was telling them to ignore us." Miss Martian mentally said to Percy, though both simply widened their eyes as it used telekinesis to hurl a set of barrels at them.
Miss Martian deflected them but the explosion they caused still sent the team out of their position and down bizarre hallway two.
"Forget him, look!" Robin commented as he pointed out a door slowly closing ahead, clearly labeled with Project Kr on the front of it.
"It's going to close." Miss Martian said in worry.
"That's why I said forget the telepath!" Robin shouted as they all picked up their pace.
Thankfully Kid Flash was more than fast enough to reach the door and wedge a container in the way. Ignoring the fact he had more or less kicked a scientist walking out of the room out of his way.
"Come on!" Kid Flash called as the doors began to groan against the unexpected blockage.
The rest of the team quickly followed after him just as the door crushed the blockage in its way, shooting the container back out into the hallway. Robin was soon at work taking control of the room's security.
"I can open the door whenever we're ready but for now it's disabled." Robin said.
"Guardian and the genomorphs will be after us soon. We could be settling in for a siege here." Xiphos said.
"Uh, you might want to see this." Kid Flash said getting the rest of the group's attention.
They joined him at the control panel he was focused on. With a push of a button, the lights in the room came on. Soon a central pod lit up showing a figure inside. More specifically a beautiful girl with blond shoulder length hair in a tight one piece white suit that showed off her more than above average figure.
"Woah." Robin aptly reacted.
"Project Kr…" Miss Martian trailed off.
"Big K, little r. The atomic symbol for krypton." Kid Flash said in shock.
"A clone then?" Xiphos asked.
"Robin, hack." Aqualad commanded, getting the Boy Wonder happily on task.
"Weapon designation, Powergirl. A clone force grown in sixteen weeks…from DNA acquired from Supergirl." Robin explained.
"Stolen from Supergirl." Aqualad commented.
"Oh, man." Kid Flash said as he glanced back at the babe in the pod.
"Superman is going to be extremely angry, he's really protective of his cousin from what Wonder Woman has told me of him." Percy said.
"Forget Superman, Supergirl is a hothead dude. She's gonna fry somebody for this." Kid Flash interjected.
"Hey, that's not all there is." Robin called back the group's attention.
"That Solar Suit allows her to absorb Yellow Sun radiation twenty-four seven." Robin continued.
"Look there, more of the telepathic genomorphs." Miss Martian said, a bit worriedly. For so many to be placed into the pod with Powergirl, it wasn't hard to figure out the reason they were there.
"Says here that those are called genomorph gnomes. Telepathically force feeding her an education." Robin explained.
"I think we all can guess what else." Xiphos said.
"They're making a slave out of…I guess she's Superman's cousin too right?" Kid Flash pointed out.
"As far as I'm concerned, yeah. We have to call the League now." Percy said, getting nods around the room.
Everyone tried only to find the signal for their communicators unable to reach beyond the facility. Miss Martian tried to use telepathy to reach her Uncle but whatever helped to keep the telepaths of CADMUS under wraps made it impossible for her to reach hima s well.
"We are in too deep, literally." Xiphos said with a sigh.
"What do we do now?" Miss Martian asked.
Aqualad answered her. "We start by setting Powergirl free."
"Wait, she will probably come out under the control of CADMUS right?" Xiphos pointed out.
"We can't just leave her in there." Kid Flash said sharply.
"Kid relax. No one is suggesting that. Xiphos is right though. She may not be under her own control. We need a way to truly free her." Aqualad said.
Percy turned to look at Miss Martian. She had said earlier she could possibly break Guardian free of the genomorph control by making physical contact. Maybe she could do the same here. At least give them an opportunity to make her see reason if she was hostile toward them.
"I have an idea." Percy said, getting the group's attention once again.
Outside of the room Doctor Desmond had joined the collection of staff and genomorphs gathering there. He was very clearly unhappy with Guardian, who was supposed to be handling their security without any real issues. After all, it wasn't like he had an entire army of bioengineered weapons to help him.
"How is it they managed to get this far into the facility?" Desmond demanded.
"They ran?" Guardian supplied sarcastically.
Desmond very nearly blew a gasket at the hero's words. Forcing out a breath, he managed to reclaim control of himself before turning to face Dubbilex. He knew at least the genomorph was competent. That made exactly one of his subordinates.
"I want you to awaken the weapon and set it on whoever…actually Guardian who is doing all of this. Not a member of the League for sure so who?" Desmond said before realizing he didn't even know who was here.
"Looked like the sidekicks of some of the members of the League. I know at least Robin, Kid Flash, adn Aqualad are here. It looked like Xiphos was too." Guardian said as he recalled the dark red and blue attire of Wonder Woman's partner. The boy was pretty recognizable but didn't appear quite as often in US media as the other three.
"So there are four brats just running around in what is supposed to be the most secure facility in the capital?" Desmond asked incredulously.
"They aren't just some kids, Doc…plus I think there was a martian with them." Guardian explained.
"A Martian? The Manhunter?" Desmond asked.
"Looked like a girl…and a teenager at that." Guardian said as he awkwardly scratched the back of his head.
Desmond again turned to Dubbilex while trying to control his rage. "Use your telepathy and monitor the room, I'm having the gnomes activate the weapon. I want it to bring me these sidekicks alive."
"Doc, are you sure she can do that? I mean she may be a Kryptonian but against those five other kids I don't think she can win." Guardian pointed out.
Desmond eyed the hero for a second before grunting with a nod. "You may be right. I'm going to get a plan B set up. Keep trying to get in there and help the weapon capture them."
Desmond ran off as Dubbilex's horns began to glow faintly. However rather than do as told, he did something else.
"Okay so is everyone ready?" Robin asked, causing the others to nod.
"Alright, on the count of three…one-" Robin began to count down as everyone tensed in their positions.
Both Xiphos and Aqualad were positioned in front of the pod between the control panel and Powergirl. Robin was at the panel preparing to open it while Kid Flash and Miss Martian were both actually behind the pod. All in case Powergirl came out swinging.
"Two-" Robin continued.
The plan was hopefully to simply greet her as she woke up and convince her they were on her side. If that failed then Xiphos and Aqualad were supposed to hold her down while Kid Flash and Robin got rid of the gnomes in the pod and Miss Martian broke any connection that Powergirl had with the telepaths of CADMUS.
"Three!" Robin called as he pressed the button to the pod and caused it to begin opening, spilling steam out of it around the slumbering girl.
Almost immediately the clone's eyes shot open. The command from Desmond's personal Gnome had already been received and she immediately attacked the two boys standing in front of her pod.
A literal flying tack took Aqualad down as Powergirl pulled her arm back to plant a punch on his face only for Xiphos to intervene and catch her arm pulling it back to stop the blow. He grunted from the sheer strength the girl had, only ever facing such power from Diana before. He pulled her off of Aqualad and pinned her down only for the girl to fly up and slam them both into the ceiling. It shook his grip on her but didn't break it entirely as he forced her back down to the floor where Aqualad helped to restrain her.
"She has just as much power as Supergirl I think." Aqualad spoke through gritted teeth as he tried to help Percy keep her pinned down.
Miss Martian began to move forward while Kid Flash and Robin quickly disposed of the little creatures that had been telepathically signaling to Powergirl. They weren't pleased about such a role but after Xiphos and Miss Martian had convinced them they only really had the cognitive capacity of a hamster it was a little easier.
As the Martian girl approached the downed Kryptonian clone however she seemed to freeze, getting confused looks from both Xiphos and Aqualad. In their brief confused state Powergirl managed to break free just enough to plant a strong punch into Aqualad's face and send him skidding across the floor.
"Guys! I need a hand!" Xiphos said as he forced Powergirl back down. He had her pinned down well enough, but the way she twisted and fought was almost unnatural. She no doubt felt incredible pain from the way he had her locked down, but she kept fighting, seeming to hardly even register the pain.
"What's going on with Miss M?" Robin asked as he and Kid Flash came over to help.
"I don't know, she just froze like that." Xiphos said wincing from the blows Powergirl's free hand was raining onto him.
"Just chill out, Lady! We're trying to help you!" Kid Flash cried as he wrapped his arms around Powergirl's free arm, she shook him loose with ease before planting a powerful blow into his gut knocking him away like Aqualad before. Thankfully by now the Atlantean had mostly recovered except for the bloodied nose and busted lip. He rejoined the fight as Kid Flash curled up and whimpered from the pain that rocked his body.
"Ohhh, I'm gonna pee blood." He wheezed while trying to not throw up.
"Miss Martian! Snap out of it! Megan!" Xiphos hollered, trying to break the Martian girl out of whatever was happening with her.
"I see." She suddenly said.
"What?" Three of the boys asked while Kid Flash continued to dry heave nearby.
She didn't answer them, instead continuing with pressing her hand to Powergirl's temple and achieving the link that had been closed thanks to the genomorphs. Unwittingly, Megan had kept the link with Percy open from earlier and suddenly he was drug alongside her into a blank space.
The young Son of Themyscira blinked at the sudden change. He slowly turned, taking in his surroundings and finding only three others present.
"Percy?" Megan asked in surprise.
"Yeah? What is going on Megan?" He said as he eyed both Powergirl and the genomorph that joined them in this void warily.
"How di- Oh, Hello, Megan! I never ended our connection from earlier. I accidentally pulled you in with me when I entered Powergirl's mind." Megan said a bit awkwardly.
"This is Powergirl's mind?" Xiphos asked.
"Yes it's my mind, so why are you all in here?" The blonde girl demanded.
"Sister, calm yourself. This is partially my doing." Dubbilex said, causing the other three to turn toward him.
"What is going on?" She demanded.
"Forgive me, but I must explain everything. First off, I am the one that started the fire in the laboratory above. I had hoped someone would come to liberate you from your captivity." Dubbilex said, causing Powergirl to calm down slightly though clear confusion burned in her eyes.
"Liberate me?" She asked.
"Yes, I do not see myself as merely a tool for CADMUS. Neither do I see you as such a thing." Dubbilex said softly.
"No person should simply be used like that." Percy said sharply.
"CADMUS created me…I'm…" She trailed off fighting with such thoughts.
"So what if they created you. They don't own you." Megan said as she looked across at the blonde girl.
"You and those others. You opened my pod, even though you knew I would probably attack you." She said as her face contorted into serious thought.
"Of course." Megan replied with a smile.
"I could have hurt you, killed you even." She said.
"Well, you did hurt Kid Flash and Aqualad…but I don't think they will blame you once we're all out of here." Xiphos said.
Powergirl bit her lip before shaking her head. She didn't really know what to think. She was still struggling with the fact that she could think. She had her own thoughts now, not just what the Gnomes were pumping into her mind.
"What's your name?" Xiphos asked.
"My name?" She asked.
"Yeah, did one of the scientists give you a name, or maybe you had one in mind. Who are you?" Xiphos continued.
"Who am I? I am the Powergirl. The first genomorph clone created from pure Kryptonian DNA taken from the Supergirl. Designed to to stand forth for the Light and illuminate the world." She said almost robotically before blinking in confusion
"That was just jammed in your head I think." Megan said sympathetically.
"The only thing that I got from that is you are named Powergirl. For now. Eventually we'll get a name for you though. A normal name for Earth." Percy said.
Powergirl started shaking her head. "No, no CADMUS is my home, they made me. I wouldn't even exist without them-"
"They created you as a tool and keep you in a pod in hole in the ground. They probably pumped all sorts of feelings of loyalty and commitment toward them into your head. Who knows what else." Percy said.
Powergirl fell silent before turning her head toward Dubbilex who simply nodded in confirmation. She was still really confused, but she didn't want to just be someone's weapon. Her mind was filled with images of Supergirl, Superman, and really all the members of the League. She was created to act like a beacon for the people of earth in the event that the League had to be removed.
In essence her whole purpose was to be like them, and not just a weapon. That still left a confusing question though.
"Why?" She simply asked Dubbilex.
Genomorph smiled faintly at Powergirl. "Simple. We genomorphs wish for liberation, but whether or not that meant we continued to serve Doctor Desmond and CADMUS we, or rather I, chose to leave up to you. The hope of our kind."
Powergirl's eyes widened in shock at that. She pushed the fear of such responsibility from her mind and focused on what did she want. She could remain here. False as they might be, she did feel connected to CADMUS. Her loyalty toward it was rapidly diminishing however and in its place a desire was taking hold. One that desperately wanted anything but a life locked away in a dark hole like tool waiting to be used.
"I want to be free. I want to leave." She said quietly but confidently.
"Very well then. The majority of genomorphs are conditioned to help and protect Doctor Desmond no matter the circumstances. I will do my best to keep them out of the way and break Guardian free of his telepathic link. You will need to work fast however. Doctor Desmond will begin sealing off the underground portions of the Laboratory soon and utilize Project Blockbuster if he thinks he has lost control." Dubbilex explained.
"Thank you…" Powergirl trailed off realizing that despite knowing him she didn't know him actually.
"I am Dubbilex. Now you must all hurry. Forget about Guardian and my siblings, if you can escape Blockbuster and contact the Justice League we will be fine." Dubbilex said before he seemed to fade.
The three teenagers shared a look.
"Are you ready for this?" Percy asked.
"Ready as ever I guess." Powergirl replied.
"Let's do this." Megan said with a grin.
Suddenly they had returned to the cave where the rest of the team had awkwardly watched as not only Miss Martian and Powergirl seemed to fade into a semi-conscious state but Xiphos as well.
"Hey, hey they're coming back around." Robin said.
"Please tell me that it worked because I am pretty sure I can't take another slug like that." Kid Flash moaned.
"It's fine, you can let her go." Miss Martian said as she drifted back away from Powergirl while Percy similarly released his hold on the girl.
Hesitantly the other boys released the clone and stepped back as well. They only flinched a little bit when Powergirl easily and quickly climbed to her feet. Thankfully, none of them were about to hold a grudge against someone who hadn't been in control of themselves.
"Guys, this is Powergirl. Powergirl this is Robin, Aqualad, and Kid Flash." Xiphos introduced.
"Hi, uhm sorry about…you know." Powergirl awkwardly said as she mimed an exaggeratedly slow punch.
"No hard feelings." Aqualad easily forgave.
"I've got a few hard feelings but I totally forgive you." Kid Flash said, though he mumbled the first part either not realizing or not caring that Powergirl had super hearing.
"Well, I would say we should get to know each other but~" Robin said with a sing-song end to his words.
"Right, Miss Martian?" Percy asked, getting confused looks from the others.
"Our man on the inside is getting to work, but he said that some of the Genomorphs saw Desmond heading toward Level One already with Project Blockbuster." She replied.
"Alright then we have our window, we gotta make it fast." Xiphos said, before turning to the boys. "Just follow our lead guys."
Percy and Powergirl stepped over to the thick metal door and ripped it out before chucking it to the side and rushing toward Guardian. The minor hero didn't have a chance to react as he bounced between the combined blows of Powergirl and Xiphos before dropping to the floor unconscious.
"Come on!" Xiphos said as he quickly led the way.
Once they reached the elevator shaft Percy wrapped an arm around both Robin and Kid Flash while Powergirl grabbed a hold of Aqualad and the team swiftly flew up the elevator shaft without a problem.
"Hold on, are we just leaving Guardian down there?" Kid Flash asked as they passed Level Twenty-six.
"He'll be safe there until the League clears this place up. We just need to get out to contact them." Percy replied.
"Dubbilex is pulling the genomorphs back down to the lower levels. Something is wrong with Desmond though. He used Project Blockbuster and killed all the genomorphs around himself. Dubbilex can't get in contact with anything above level-" Miss Martian was explaining before she suddenly tisted and looked back toward Powergirl.
"Look out!" She screamed, but Blockbuster's ambush was too sudden. As it burst from a broken elevator door and tackled Powergirl and Aqualad through another one onto sub-level three.
"Lets go!" Xiphos said as he flew into the doorway, dropping his two burdens as he did, letting them join in for the coming fight.
The fight was already on by the time they joined Powergirl and Aqualad. The only remnants of the former Doctor Desmond was the fluttering remains of human skin in the shape of a face stretched across the rocklike hide of the monster's head.
Powergirl slammed a fist into the creature's face knocking it back, but the beast recovered far quicker than it should have and planted a powerful kick into her chest that shot her backward into Aqualad. Xiphos didn't wait around to see more as he dove into the fight as well.
He maneuvered around the powerful punch the monster aimed for him and landed a blow of his own against it's side causing it to roar either in fury or pain before trying to grab hold of the hero. Percy allowed him to get a good tight grip before flying up to slam the monster into the ceiling and then back down again to smash it's head into the floor.
Robin and Kid Flash nearlys tumbled as the entire hallway shook from the force of the blow. A follow up attack as Powergirl rejoined the fight and slammed her elbow into Blockbuster's shook the facility even more.
"Guys! Stop!" Robin shouted.
"You're gonna kill us all!" Kid Flash Shouted.
Xiphos stopped at that and noticed how bad the cracking structure was becoming. They needed to get topside otherwise they'd end up burying themselves right alongside Blockbuster.
"Powergirl, grab Aqualad and Kid Flash, Miss Martian grab Robin, I'll hold him back until you're all topside." Xiphos ordered.
"I'm sorry who put you in charge?" Kid Flash demanded.
"We aren't leaving you to fight this thing alone." Miss M rejected the idea as well while Powergirl nodded before slamming a fist into the chin of Blockbuster.
"It won't matter if we all die. Besides, I don't plan on being buried alive. Just do it!" Xiphos commanded as he drew his bronze colored sword and dove into attack Blockbuster more seriously.
Reluctantly the team did as they were told. Xiphos was right, they couldn't properly fight this monster down here without killing themselves. Xiphos came alive as he began fighting with his blade. Robin really wished he could stay to see more but the prospect of Miss M carrying him to somewhere he wasn't about to get flattened into paste seemed a bit better.
"You are one tough…whatever you are." Percy growled as his blade simply sparked against the hide of the creature and any small cuts he did manage to make, healed extremely quickly.
Not all of the beast was so sturdy though. More out of fortune than intention Percy's blade scraped along its vile face before the tip tore through the softness of the monster's eye causing it to screech in rage and pain. The injury didn't slow the beast at all though. If anything it made things worse as the creature became erratic and began smashing into anything and everything around itself causing the hallway to begin finally collapsing.
Xiphos wasted no time in evacuating himself. Shooting back into the elevator shaft and up toward freedom. The rest of the group sighed in relief as he crested the top of the shaft and joined them in what was the main lobby for the false front of CADMUS.
Before they could really relax though, a massive hand burst out of the elevator shaft and grabbed Xiphos by the leg. Out of instinct the teen stabbed his blade into the thinner flesh between the massive digits of the creature's hand. It screeched in agony and rage once again, releasing Percy but leaving the blade jammed into its hand. At least until it yanked it free and tossed it back down the elevator shaft.
"Diana isn't going to be happy about that." Percy said.
"It's not the only thing I'm unhappy about." A familiar voice said from behind him.
Percy and his new friends could only wince as they turned to see the Justice League begin settling in around them. Their mentors were among them and looked rather annoyed.
"You all have a lot of explaining to do." Batman grumbled.
"Yes, now step aside, this is League business now." Aquaman said.
Xiphos glanced up to his sister as he regained his feet. She narrowed her eyes as she realized he was planning something before he simply turned his back to her and the League.
"No. This is our problem. We freed Powergirl as a team, and we finish this as a team. You all wait your turn." He said ignoring the shocked looks that the other sidekicks were sending his way. Thankfully they quickly controlled their expressions and joined beside him.
"I do-" Martian Manhunter began to say as he stepped forward.
"No, give them this chance." Wonder Woman said with steel in her voice. She wasn't asking.
Silently Percy thanked his sister before focusing on Blockbuster fully once again. It had taken a moment to paw at its mangled hand and ruined eye before settling its remaining red eye on Percy and his team. It saw the thing that had hurt it and it wanted revenge.
"Alright guys, just like with Powergirl earlier. Except this time Miss M, put Blockbuster to sleep." Xiphos commanded.
"Not much of a plan." Percy could hear Green Arrow say somewhere behind him before the archer got an elbow to the ribs from his girlfriend. He ignored them. He had something to prove, to his fellow sidekicks, the League, his sister, and mostly to himself.
He led the attack.
Compared to earlier, with no threat of being buried alive and a bit of a plan, the fight was much quicker. Xiphos, Powergirl, and Aqualad did most of the holding down while Kid Flash helped Robin to set up restraints in case the beast broke free of one of the super strong members of their new team. Lastly, Miss Martian focused her mind on that of Blockbusters.
Unlike with Powergirl and Guardian who had both had their minds essentially locked down by the veritable hive mind of telepaths in CADMUS, Blockbuster wasn't connected to that network. At least not anymore. She easily broke into its mind and sent it into a coma like slumber.
Less than a minute had passed since the League had arrived before they had defeated the monster. Still, none of the League members looked all that impressed by their display and they knew that a very long discussion was about to take place.
Percy also couldn't help but notice the confused and somewhat disgusted look Superman had as he looked at Powergirl. The Clone had enough knowledge in place from the Genomorphs to read his expression.
A long discussion indeed, or rather several long discussions.
A short while later and the six teens stood together as several members of the League took Blockbuster away to be imprisoned. However, the team's mentors and a handful of others remained behind, no doubt to lecture their charges.
Superman seemed to lead the approaching group until he broke off and beckoned Powergirl to come talk with him. The Man of Steel was clearly uncomfortable, but he made an effort to extend an olive branch to the girl. Even as he seemed far from the paragon that most thought of when they thought of Superman.
"It's not going to be easy, but we will figure something out. I'll talk to Kara, but we'll figure something out. For now stick with your new friends, the League will set up something for you until we can all settle things out, alright?" Superman said while placing a hand on the back of his neck in a sheepish manner.
"Okay…" Powergirl said, a bit disappointed. At least he wasn't completely chucking her to the side.
She rejoined the group as the rest of the mentors circled.
"CADMUS will be investigated. All fifty-two levels, but lets make one thing clear." Batman began.
"You should have called." Flash interrupted with arms crossed over his chest.
"End results aside, we are not happy." Batman said.
"Speak for yourself." Wonder Woman interrupted, causing both the mentors and sidekicks to look at her in shock, only Percy grinned at the faith his sister was showing in him.
"Diana…" Batman began.
Wonder Woman rose an eyebrow toward the man who grew silent as he stared back at her before turning back to face the teens.
"You hacked Justice League systems, disobeyed direct orders, and endangered lives. You will not be doing this again." Batman glared down at them. Percy wasn't one to be glared into submission, though.
"I'm sorry Batman, but we will. While you were all talking, we were having our own discussion." Percy said confidently, giving his new team confidence as well as they gathered around him.
Wonder Woman smiled slightly at the sight. It was time. Time for her baby brother to begin taking his own steps, what better way than with a team of his own. Just like she had with the League in the past.
"We did good work here tonight." Aqualad supported Percy. "The work you all trained us to do. Together we forged something powerful and important."
"If this is about your treatment at the hall, the fiver of you-" Flash began, only for his own sidekick to interrupt.
"The six of us and it isn't." Kid Flash replied.
"Batman, we're ready to use what you taught us or why teach us at all." Robin joined in the argument.
"Why are we letting them decide? I say get on board or get out of the way." Powergirl added in.
"Uncle J'onn. I wanted to come to earth to help fight crime and find my place…I think I'm doing that now." Miss Martian said as she looked at the Manhunter pleadingly.
Wonder Woman and Xiphos shared a look, one that had a bright grin on both of their faces. There was no turning back now.
Four days later and the new team found themselves within Mount Justice in Happy Harbor, Rhode Island. A handful of League members were busy at work getting the old secret headquarters back into operational condition.
Batman stood before the teens with his usual grim and stoic expression, though after a very long lecture from Wonder Woman, he had come around to the idea of the team being made official…well not really official as that would defeat the purpose of the team as a whole, but a reality.
"This cave was the original secret sanctuary of the Justice League. We're calling it into service once again since you six are so determined to stay together and fight the good fight. However you will do it on League terms." Batman said.
The teens continued to listen as he paced back past them and motioned toward some of the other heroes gathered. "Red Tornado volunteered to live here and be your supervisor. Black Canary is in charge of your training. I will be the one deploying you on missions."
"Real missions?" Robin asked.
"Yes, but covert." Batman replied.
"The league will still handle the obvious stuff. There's a reason we have these big targets on our chest." Flash joined in.
"But CADMUS proves the bad guys are getting smarter." Aquaman said as well. "Batman needs a team that can operate on the sly."
"The six of you will be that team." Batman said.
The half dozen teenagers shared a grin among one another. With that the mentors decided to let the teens get settled in. Most of them wouldn't be staying at the Mountain, but Percy, Megan, and Powergirl were all being made permanent residents.
"So, we're a team now. A real team." Megan said happily.
"We were a team from the moment we came together at CADMUS, we just have the League's backing now." Percy said with a grin.
From nearby Batman and the other mentors stood with Black Canary and Red Tornado. Among them Wonder Woman watched her baby brother with pride and a sense of bittersweetness as he began his own journey, with his own team.
And that is that. I hope you enjoyed it. For once I am not writing a Naruto fic, there will be more coming eventually so if you like the fact I'm branching out hopefully you will enjoy some of the other stuff I will be dropping in the future.
Anyway this fic will have a triple pairing and there will be no alterations to the pairing that I have in mind. There will also be more reveals to Percy's childhood and the situation regarding the Sons of Themyscira.
For now that is all though.
Till Next Time