Chapter 30
Red Kryptonite
A few days have passed since the battle with Klarion, the league is trying to figure out why he attacked in the middle of a crowded fair. The team has also noticed that Conner has been acting strangely.
"He doesn't wanna talk to anyone, he snarls all the time and he's been so much more aggressive on missions" Artemis listed his odd behaviors.
"I noticed he's been acting different the psychic vibes he's giving off they're so angry and not like how he was last year these are worse" M'gann explained to everyone.
"He can't be embarrassed about the whole Klarion thing, we all got bodied in that fight he is an all powerful wizard" Wally shrugged remembering the battle very clearly.
"Whatever's going on we need to talk to him" Nightwing turned to Kaldur.
"I agree, as his teammates and his friends he needs to know he is not alone" Kaldur stood up they all stared at the doorway seeing Conner lean against it.
"Conner we didn't hear you come in" M'gann said nervously.
"I bet you didn't, than you all wouldn't be talking so much shit" he sneered.
"CONNER!" M'gann screamed at him shocked at the language
"That was uncalled for my friend, we are all just worried about you" Kaldur calmly tried to explain to his comrade.
"Worried about me? isn't that sweet but face it fish boy out of everyone on this team I am the strongest one" Conner said smugly he sat on a chair putting his feet up.
"Something is definitely up" Wally said eyeing him suspiciously.
"Conner we're your friends I don't know what's gotten into you but you need to show some respect" Artemis slammed her hand down on the table. He chuckled slowly standing up, he crossed his arms looking down at her.
"Why? It's clear you're all holding me back" She backed up as Conner walked closer to her.
"Back off" Dick said walking between the two.
"The two weakest links of course you'd stand up for each other nobody else will" Kaldur grabbed Conner's shoulder.
"Enough Superboy" Conner grabbed Kaldur's wrist flipping him hard into the table.
" HEY!" Everyone screamed, Nightwing pulled his escrima sticks, Artemis loaded an arrow in her bow and took aim, Kid Flash got in a fighting stance and Miss Martian began to levitate.
"You really want to challenge me?" Superboy clenched his fist. He snickered leaving the room he made his way to the hanger bay.
"RECOGNIZE SUPERBOY B04, SPHERE C01" The computer allowed him to exit the cave.
"Nightwing report this to the league, we need to get everyone and track him down, with his kind of power and in this mood who knows what he'll do" Aqualad stated, everyone nodded.
HAPPY HARBOR
Conner glared, he held his ear hearing a very high pitched frequency.
" Hello son, I see you've been without shields for a while meet me at Lexcorp and we'll see what we can do about that" Conner growled hearing Luthor's voice. He turned in the direction of Lexcorp and began to drive the supercycle towards the building.
HAPPY HARBOR DOWNTOWN
The whole team were on the streets looking for Conner. Robin and Donna, Garfield and La'gaan, Karen and Barbara, Tula and Garth, Kaldur and M'gann and Artemis and Wally all broke off into pairs looking for him.
"I think I know what's wrong with him" Wally said to Artemis as they were looking inside stores.
"Really?" She asked turning around to focus on him, he nodded.
"The rage, the outright aggression and lack of impulse control he may be under the effects of red kryptonite" Wally listed the symptoms.
"That actually makes sense, but where would he have been exposed to it?" Artemis asked concerned.
"That red dust Klarion used to take him down at the pier, this is bad kryptonians and kryptonite much less red kryptonite don't mix" Wally stated.
"Than let's find him before things get worse" The two sped up their search. Megan tried to scan the area for Conner's psyche to no avail.
"Where are you Conner" She thought to herself.
LEXCORP
Conner parked his supercycle on the roof of the Lexcorp building. He exited the vehicle and walked to his father and his bodyguard.
"There you are my boy" Lex held out his hand but Conner ignored it.
"What do you want Luthor?" Conner crossed his arms annoyed by the formalities.
"I wanted to give you this" Lex opens a briefcase revealing a black suit with a red house of El sigil on the chest and red glowing lines going through the one piece.
"This suit has shields embedded into it and they don't run out as fast as the normal patches would" Lex smirked, Conner rolled his eyes.
"I don't do super suits although tell me what's stopping me from killing you right here" Conner grabs Lex by the neck and holds him up. Mercy activated her arm cannon.
"Please" Conner snorted he turned his cold blue eyes on his father ready to end him.
"If you were going to kill me you would've the moment you landed, but if you need some more motivation if I die the suit shuts down forever" Lex smirked mischievously.
"You're lucky I'm in a good mood" Conner walked away from his father. He sat down on the supercycle and took off into the sky.
HAPPY HARBOR UPTOWN
Barbara paced around the sidewalks seeing many civilians but no Conner.
"Bee, Mal, BB find anything?" Barbara asked through the communicator.
"Nothing, this is really bad Barb" Karen sighed, Mal placed a hand on her shoulder.
"We'll find him babe don't worry" Mal attempted to comfort her, Garfield walked towards them shaking his head.
"Nightwing do you have anything?" Barbara asked through the communicator.
"Sphere is heading towards Happy Harbor fast and from what I see it is coming from Metropolis" Nightwing informed the group.
"Metropolis? Why would he have been there?" Karen asked.
"I don't know but I'm taking the bioship back to earth Black Canary, Icon and Captain Marvel are coming with me, hey wait a minute there's something heading to your location whoa and it's going fast enough to break the sound barrier" Nightwing said staring at the object on the screen.
"What?" Barbara looks up seeing a blur of black and red. Superboys crashes onto the ground creating a crater from the sheer force of his landing. All eyes were on the kryptonian hybrid, he clenched his fist, his blue eyes were dull the solar suit he wore was black with a glowing red house of el sigil on his chest. As well as red glowing lines all over the suit. Whispers filled his ears, his eyes narrowed causing the people to step back in fear.
"Superboy is here but something is off, he's wearing some weird suit" Barbara eyes widened.
Superboy began to walk down the street a sadistic smirk on his face, He hears alarms off in the distance and flies off at top speed.
"Superboy has just been spotted but he can fly" Barbara said through her communicator.
DOWNTOWN HAPPY HARBOR
"Fly? Oh no is he back on the shields?" Artemis asked, she looked at Wally surprise in her eyes.
"This has the light written all over it, tell everyone to get suited up and meet at his coordinates, I'll head there now I'll beat all of you there anyway" Wally instructed.
"Wally be careful" She placed a hand on his shoulder and squeezed.
"We'll get him back" Wally ran off at incredible speeds only thing visible is a blur.
UPTOWN HAPPY HARBOR
Bank robbers flooded out of the bank they ran to the get away car and piled in.
"GO GO GO!" The leader screamed at the driver. He began to take off down the street, suddenly Superboy landed putting his fist through the engine sending the car forward.
The men in the front seat flew out the windshield striking the pavement with a sickening crunch.
"This is just pathetic" He pulls his hand out of the car and starts wiping them a bored expression on his face.
"Is that Superman?" A civilian asked, Conner snarled at the woman as she backed away in fear.
" I am not Superman in fact I'm better, Superman would put these scumbags in jail for them to escape and do this all over again" Conner cracked his knuckles looking down at the unconscious men.
"They won't get that luxury with me" His eyes began to glow a vicious red color the people looked on in horror realizing what he was about to do. Red glowing lines started to form on his face and his smile became malicious. Suddenly something struck him at an incredible force sending him flying into a parked vehicle.
" What on earth do you think you're doing!" Kid Flash glared at his friend. Superboy stood up his face twisted in rage.
"You're gonna regret that" He flew at super speed aiming a fist at Wally's face, the speedster narrowly dodged it.
"This isn't you speaking it's a combination of the red kryptonite and the suit you need help" KF tried to explain only to have a chunk of the ground thrown at him, he was able to grab the civilians and move them and himself before it can hurt anyone.
" I have to do this" KF ran around Superboy creating a twister to suck up the air. Superboy looked around the furious winds until he quickly reached out grabbing Wally by the neck.
"Shit" Wally said repeatedly punching Conner in the face to no avail.
"AHH!" He screamed staring at his damaged hand.
"I'm sorry" He said quickly as he was thrown into the air, Conner flew after him but a force sent him flying back into the ground.
"What?" Wally questioned as he noticed he was floating. M'gann pulled down her hood becoming visible neck to him.
"Nice save Miss M" Wally smiled at his teammate.
" No problem" Her eyes began to glow green, she stared at Conner. Safetly setting Wally down on the ground.
"Calm down, Conner you need to control yourself" She said telepathically.
"I TOLD YOU TO STAY OUTTA MY HEAD!" She gasped seeing red beams come from his eyes. She let out an ear piercing scream as the beams burned her the heat knocking her unconscious.
"No" Wally stared at the martian falling from the sky, he ran over jumping off a car to catch her.
"You always wanted what was mine didn't you" Conner clenched his teeth.
"Oh boy" Wally took off running, Conner flew after him.
"Drop my girlfriend now!" Conner took a deep breath and blew creating a powerful wind that knocked KF off track. He landed gracefully and continued to run this interruption allowed Conner to catch up to Wally and smack him through the window of a coffee shop.
"Okay not fun" Wally struggled to lift himself up, grateful that his suit protected him from the glass. He looks down seeing M'gann still knocked out under him.
"Meg I need some backup here" Wally tried to shake her awake. Before Conner can enter the shop a green fly flew above his head. Suddenly the fly turned into an elephant and landed on him. Beast Boy began to panic feeling all 7 tons of himself being picked up and thrown, before he collided with the store he became a bird and flew off.
Conner stared at Beastboy ready to shoot him down but he felt a buzz in his ear and than a sharp pain.
"Pest" He swung wildly around his head, the miniaturized Bumblebee dodging each swing she flew down trying to stay out of his line of sight. A gas canister rolled in between Conner's legs it began to emit a toxic gas, he covered his mouth and nose flying into the air. A rope wrapped around his neck, Wondergirl began to pull him downward.
"GUAH!" Superboy grabbed the lasso and yanked her towards him punching him directly in the face. The impact sends her flying into the ground leaving a crater.
"What are we gonna do" Batgirl stared at the scene in horror.