Chapter 50: HIVE Mind
Late one night in Metropolis, a city bank was under attack. The vault door was blown open, allowing three unique individuals to enter. One was a girl with grey skin and bright pink hair. She was wearing an outfit that almost made her look like a witch, and her eyes sparked with power. The second was a muscular man with long red hair. He was wearing a black and gold suit with no sleeves, and had sharp fangs poking out from his lip. The third was a small boy in a green body suit with goggles and a mechanical backpack strapped to his back.
"Sweet!" the girl let out. "We hit the jackpot!"
"As well as three silent alarms," the small boy snapped. "We have less than five minutes before the cops show up, and less than two before Superman."
"Pipe down, pipsqueak," the big guy replied as he made his way over to the money. "We'll be in and out before either of the boys in blue show up.
"Even if they do, that's part of the test," the girl added. "How well we can handle law enforcement. Now stop talking and start grabbing. Clock's ticking"
The boy nodded as several mechanical claws shot out of his pack, each one grabbing a lock box on the wall and ripping it out of the wall. The big guy held out a large sack, holding it open so the boy could dump the contents.
The girl meanwhile was running her hand along a wall of small safes, pink light dancing across her finger tips. Each safe seemed to suffer a catastrophic failure as she past by, the doors opening and unleashing the treasures inside.
"Ooh. talk about bringing home the gold."
Before she could reach for them though, a batarang shot out of nowhere and landed where her hand would have gone, causing her to pull back. She turned and saw Batman, along with Superman, Wonder Woman, Martian Manhunter, and Cyborg standing in the entryway.
"Staying out pretty late for a school night," Batman remarked.
"Call it a class project," the girl quipped, eyes glowing a bright pink. "Mammoth! Gizmo! It's the Justice Chumps!"
The other two came running out, seeing the League for themselves.
"Crap," Gizmo let out. "Didn't count on Superman bringing friends."
"Who cares!" Mammoth let out, running towards them. "Now we get to pound their heads!"
He tried throwing a punch, but Superman sped forward and caught it.
"Pound your own!" Superman countered, making Mammoth hit himself.
Superman then delivered a punch to Mammoth's gut before uppercutting him, knocking him back into the vault. Superman flew in after him as the rest of the League engaged the other two. The girl fired several waves of pink energy as Wonder Woman, forcing her to leap out of the way each time.
"Your skills are impressive," Wonder Woman commended.
"Thanks," the girl said with a smirk. "Been wanting to test my powers against you. After all, even an Amazon can get jinxed."
She then shot a wave of energy down at the ground, causing it to crack and rise up. Wonder Woman tried to maintain her footing, but found herself unable to, leaving her open for a hard kick to the face.
Cyborg meanwhile was trying to blast Gizmo, but the kid kept dodging and weaving around the shots.
"I've never seen tech like you before," the kid remarked. "Where did you get those mods?"
"At the none of your damn business store," Cyborg snapped.
Gizmo just grinned, then tech patterns appeared on his face, centered on his eyes as he pulled his goggles down.
"Guess I'll just have to see for myself."
All of a sudden, Cyborg's body seized up, and he found himself unable to move.
"What the-?! What'd you do?!"
"Just hacked into your neural network. I always wanted a life sized Cyborg action figure!"
Cyborg's body started moving on its own, his cannon now aimed at J'onn. The Martian noticed this and quickly went intangible so the shot wouldn't hurt him.
"J'onn, stop me!" Cyborg cried out. "Next shot might hit someone who can't turn intangible!"
"One moment," J'onn replied.
J'onn then passed through Cyborg, causing a short out in his systems and forcing a reboot.
"Crud," Gizmo let out as J'onn turned towards him.
J'onn then transformed into a massive, wyrm-like alien dragon. He let out an inhuman screech, then dove at Gizmo, prompting the pint sized villain to fly away screaming. He dropped his control on Cyborg and the mechanical hero fell, gasping slightly as he regained control of his body.
Batman meanwhile ran into the vault after Superman and Mammoth, just as the former was thrown against the wall. Mammoth sneered as he cracked his knuckles.
"You ain't so tough..."
"Count yourself lucky," Batman replied, pulling out some electric knuckles. "He was holding back. I won't."
Mammoth snorted, turning to face Batman.
"You? Puh-lease. You don't even have powers. What could you possibly-?"
Batman cut him off by punching him across the face, causing him to get electrocuted at the same time. Mammoth choked and fell, an electrical burn on his face.
"Does that answer your question?"
Mammoth shook his head in pain before turning back to Batman, fuming with anger. Before he could make a move towards him, Superman got back up and grabbed him by the shirt, spinning him around before tossing him out of the vault. As he landed on the ground, Gizmo and the girl ran up to join him. Before the three could do anything else, the sound of sirens filled the air.
"We can't fight the League and the cops," the girl realized. "Everyone, retreat! I'll cover us!"
The two nodded as they took off, leaving the girl to fire waves of energy at the ceiling, causing it to collapse. Superman quickly covered Batman as Wonder Woman did the same to Cyborg. J'onn just turned himself intangible as the rocks came tumbling down.
"Everyone ok?" Superman inquired.
"Fine," Batman answered.
"Still reeling from the shrimp hacking me with his head, but I'm cool," Cyborg told him.
"Mostly irritated," Wonder Woman replied. "This is the third instance of young meta-humans committing high caliber crimes."
"They are organized," J'onn deduced. "All of these attacks, they're well coordinated and thorough. The children perpetrating them do not possess the fortitude to pull off these heists unassisted."
"Question is, who do they answer to?" Batman proposed.
Superman looked down at his hand, seeing a scrap of fabric from Mammoth's uniform.
"Maybe this can tell us," Superman proposed, passing it to Batman.
"I'll see what I can find."
…
Sometime later on board the Watchtower, Cyborg was doing a systems diagnostic to make sure that whatever Gizmo did to him hadn't left any permanent damage. Superman and Wonder Woman meanwhile were sifting through various criminal and governmental databases, trying to find anything on the three kids. Batman was examining the fabric Superman gave him, hoping to find some clue of who was backing the three kids. At the same time, J'onn was on monitor duty, scanning for any similar crimes that might be taking place.
"These kids are ghosts," Superman remarked. "I can't find any trace of them."
"No school records, no missing persons reports, no previous arrests," Wonder Woman listed off. "It's as if they never existed before we crossed paths with them."
"Either that, or they were erased," Cyborg remarked. "Any and all trace of who they used to be just wiped clean, leaving only who they've become."
"Truly barbaric."
"All the more reason we must find who or whatever is possessing these youths to commit these crimes," J'onn responded, his eyes still on the monitors.
"I think I might have something to help with that," Batman reported.
The others made their way over to Batman, curious on what he found. He had the piece of fabric under a microscope, allowing the others to get a closer look at it.
"It looks like a… logo," Superman noted. "Any idea to where?"
"The HIVE Academy for Meta-Human Children," Batman answered.
"HIVE?"
"Highlighted Institute for Versatile Education."
"So, it's a school for Meta-Humans?" Wonder Woman inquired.
"Apparently," Batman answered. "It was established after Meta-Humans became a common element. Several kids and teens developed abilities they didn't know what to do with, so this institute was created in order to aid them in controlling their abilities. At least, that's what they want the public to think."
"It definitely sounds a little too good to be true," Superman admitted. "Especially if it's connected to the three from last night."
"Perhaps it would be wise to pay this Institute a visit," J'onn proposed.
"A wise idea, but I'm worried that it won't be easy. It's meant to be a school, so adults will not be able to walk freely, and I'm certain a new staff member will stick out."
"And unfortunately, J'onn's still learning the nuances of human behavior, so he'll stick out even in disguise," Wonder Woman reminded.
"New staff might stick out," Cyborg spoke up. "But a new student will fit right in."
"Bad idea," Batman shot down. "You stand out too much."
"Besides, you're still green to the hero game," Superman added. "An undercover op like this will require a lot of tact and fortitude."
"Both of which, I can manage," Cyborg reassured. "As for standing out, my dad hooked me up with a new upgrade to my body. Check it out."
He tweaked with something by his mechanical ear and his entire body shifted, making him appear as a fully flesh and blood human.
"What do you think? Pretty sweet, right?"
"A holographic projector," Superman noted. "Impressive."
"Not bad," Batman allowed. "But it's going to take more than a holographic disguise to fool them."
"Bats, it's a school. I can play the part of a student. Hell, before all this, I was a student. I got this. My dad'll take me, drop me off, and I'll play the part I need to."
"We're just advising caution, Victor," Wonder Woman insisted. "This isn't an ordinary school."
"Don't worry. I got this."
…
The next day, Victor was marveling at his holographic self in the mirror.
"Aw yeah, baby! Somebody's been working out!"
As he continued to flex, he noticed Wonder Woman standing in the doorway.
"Ah! Wonder Woman!" he let out, turning to face her. "Uh, hi. I was just… uh, how long have you been standing there?"
"Forgive me," she told him. "The door was open, and well, you're far from the first man to ever pander to themselves in reflective surfaces."
"Right… I was just checking out the old unimproved me."
"Personally, I prefer the original version."
"Technically, this is the original version. The one before… well, you know."
"I do. I only meant that-"
"Cyborg," Batman called out from the doorway. "It's time."
Victor nodded before starting to head out.
…
Later, Silas walked into the main office of the HIVE Academy, meeting with its headmaster.
"Dr. Stone," the man sitting behind a desk greeted, standing up and extending his hand. "Welcome to HIVE Academy."
"Thank you," Silas replied, shaking his hand. "Mr…"
"Sebastian. Sebastian Blood. So, tell me about your son. You said on the phone that he had been… different lately?"
"Indeed. I'll admit our relationship hasn't always been… ideal, but ever since the accident…" Silas sighed, channeling all the exhaustion and self-loathing he'd felt after Victor's transformation. "Perhaps you should see for yourself."
At that moment, Victor walked in. He appeared human at first, but the second he clenched his fists, his skin seemed to transform into that of solid rock. Mr. Blood's eyebrow raised at that, a small smile forming on his face.
"Victor Stone indeed.. I believe we can make a place for him here."
"Thank you," Silas replied.
…
Later on, Victor found himself in the Academy's cafeteria, grabbing his lunch and looked around for a place to sit. Seeing an empty table, he took a breath and walked over.
"Alright Vic," he muttered to himself. "Just play it cool. You're just a regular meta teen at a regular meta school. Be subtle and don't draw attention to yourself."
He took a seat and prepared to dig into his meal, only for three familiar shapes to appear behind him.
"Hey! This is our table, short stuff."
Victor looked up to see Mammoth standing over him. He was wearing a yellow and black hoodie with jeans instead of his 'uniform', his hair pulled back in a ponytail. Gizmo was by his side, wearing a t-shirt that read "I.T. God. Worship Me" under a jean jacket with a pair of matching jeans. Finally, the pink haired girl came forward. She was wearing a purple button down, black pants, a black scarf, and a pair of knee high punk boots.
"Uh…" Victor let out. "Sorry. I just got here, and-"
"Ooh, newbie," Gizmo let out in delight. "Well, let's set a few things straight. I'm Gizmo. That's Jinx, and Mammoth. We're the top students around here. So whatever we say, you better do it. Now beat it!"
"Look," Victor sighed. "I'm not here to start anything, but this table was empty, and last time I checked, this is a free country. I can sit wherever I damn well please."
"No, you can't," Mammoth replied, grabbing Victor and throwing him out of his seat.
The three laughed in response as Victor picked himself up.
"Alright…" Victor let out. "That's it!"
Victor slammed his fists together, causing him to shift into his stone form. He then grabbed Mammoth by the front of his hoodie, lifting him off the ground with one hand.
"You want the table so bad, take it!"
He then slammed Mammoth through the table, completely shattering it.
"Whoa," Jinx let out. "You got moves."
"You should see me when I'm trying," Victor remarked.
"I'd like that. See ya at combat practice."
"Yeah," Victor replied as the three walked off, Mammoth's head still shaking. "Wait, combat practice?"
…
Later, Victor and the other three were in a massive chamber with several pillars. He looked around and saw several other students sitting in sets of bleachers above them, ready to watch whatever was going to play out.
"So… how does this work, exactly?" Victor asked.
"Basically, try to get to the end without getting hit," Jinx explained.
"Hit? Hit by what?"
As if on cue, several turrets emerged from the walls.
"Ah… by that," Victor noted.
"Just say behind us. Everyone else: Gamma Maneuver!"
The three leapt off the platform and took off across the room, with Victor trailing close behind. The turrets opened fire, unleashing a spray of red paintballs at the group. Jinx easily flipped around the blasts, firing several energy blasts that destroyed the turrets. Mammoth tore up pieces of the ground and threw them at the turrets, wrecking them. Gizmo activated his jetpack and flew around the blasts, before turning the turrets on each other and causing them to splatter themselves.
Victor meanwhile just kept dodging and weaving between the shots, narrowly avoiding getting hit. Just then, several claws shot out from the ground, grabbing him, silently grateful for all the training he'd undergone because of the Justice League
"Hehe," Gizmo remarked, seeing this. "Looks like the newbie's toast."
"Yeah," Mammoth agreed. "Extra crispy."
"Knock it off, you two," Jinx shot down. "The headmaster's watching."
The three looked up to see Sebastian Blood The three continued moving towards the finish, only for three more pillars to spring up and shoot out cables at the three of them. The cables instantly wrapped around the three of them, suspending them midair. Victor meanwhile continued struggling against the claws, before finally tearing himself free of them. Two cables shot out for him as well, but he just stomped on them before flipping over the others. He started making his way towards the finish, but stopped as he saw turrets raised up to shoot them with paintballs. Thinking fast, Victor grabbed two panels off the ground and chucked them at the turrets, destroying them instantly. Victor then freed the others from their confines, much to Gizmo and Mammoth's annoyment and Jinx's surprise.
"We had it under control, ya sleeze flinging-"
"Later!" Jinx cut off. "We have to cross the finish line!"
The four made a break for it, reaching the finish line and causing a loud buzzer to go off.
"Alright!" Victor cheered, shifting into his 'human' form. "That's what I'm-"
"Can it!" Gizmo whispered.
"Well now," Sebastian remarked. "It seems we have some unexpected talent in our midst.
He stepped onto a panel which lowered him down towards where the others were, allowing him to walk up to Victor.
"In the short time you've been here, you've passed the obstacle course, decimated my equipment, and made my top students look like rank amateurs. I have to say… that is well done."
"Uh… thanks," Victor replied nervously. "Heck of a school you got here, Mr…"
"Blood. Sebastian Blood." He gave a small laugh. "Don't be intimidated. I'm well aware of how my name sounds, but I promise I'm just a strict disciplinarian."
He then turned towards the other three, causing them to jump a little
"As for you, I've come to expect a lot more from you. Your failure at the hands of the Justice League the other night was bad enough, but fail me again… and I will introduce you to new forms of suffering. Understood?"
His eyes seemed to flash red, causing the three to instantly stand upright.
"Yes, Mr. Blood," they all responded in unison.
"Man," Victor remarked. "You weren't kidding when you said strict."
"Indeed," Sebastian replied before turning back to him. "Perhaps it is time you knew the true extent of our installation."
Victor raised an eyebrow at that.
"While our mission to help improve the lives of young meta teens is very much true… we also give our students the chance to embrace who they can truly become. Without the fears of oppression and segregation that is becoming all too common in this world."
"Sounds good… but why keep that part hidden?"
"Perhaps it would be better to show you."
…
Later, Sebastian led Victor to a secret elevator, which carried them downwards. Once the doors opened up, Victor was in awe of what he saw. It was a massive underground facility lined with yellow honeycomb like halls, high tech displays lining the walls, and teens displaying various powers and abilities in various rooms.
"Whoa…" Victor let out.
"Impressive, isn't it," Sebastian remarked with a smirk. "HIVE is guiding a new generation of human existence. These bright young men and women will lead a revolution, one that will spark true change in this world."
"Whoa…"
"Your little session in the training room showed me you have what it takes to join this revolution. So what do you say, Mr. Stone? Interested?"
Victor paused for a moment before smirking.
"Count me in."
…
Onboard the Watchtower, the rest of the League was waiting anxiously for Cyborg's report.
"Cyborg should have checked in by now," Superman noted.
"Perhaps he has yet to find an opportunity to contact us," J'onn suggested rationally.
"Give it time," Batman reassured. "Cyborg's smart. He'll contact us when he can."
"Doesn't mean I can't worry," Superman replied.
"No one's saying you shouldn't," Wonder Woman responded. "But we should also have faith that-"
"That Victor Stone's already made it to top butt kicker in his class, right?" Cyborg's voice remarked over comms.
"Cyborg!" Superman let out. "Are you alright?"
"Just fine. Though there's a lot more going on here than what we first thought."
"What did you find?" Batman inquired.
"Turns out, there's a secret installation in the academy. The headmaster himself selects the top students for his 'advanced courses', training us to lead a revolution to spark 'true change in this world'. His words ver badum."
"Any thoughts as to how he intends to start this revolution?" J'onn inquired.
"Nothin yet. Hasn't felt the need to share any details on his plans."
"Keep looking," Batman instructed. "The more you learn about their true intentions, the easier it will be to end this before it gets out of hand.
"I'll see what I can dig up. Cyborg out."
…
Once the communication ended, Cyborg let out a breath before heading down the hallway. Just as he rounded the corner though, he was confronted by Jinx, Mammoth, and Gizmo.
"Well well, if it ain't the headmaster's new pet," Gizmo taunted.
"Easy guys," Victor insisted. "I don't want any trouble."
"Too bad," Jinx responded. "Cause you're in for it."
"And don't bother running," Mammoth told him. "Pretty much the whole school is in on it."
"In on it?" Victor repeated, raising an eyebrow. "In on what?"
"What do you think, rock for brains?" Gizmo replied, extending two claws that held out a pink dress and a unicycle. "Your initiation."
Victor blinked in response, before laughing nervously.
"Ha! Is that all?"
"Don't laugh," Mammoth replied. "You have to eat the unicycle."
"Mammoth!" Jinx chastised. "We only made you do that because your stomach's basically made of iron and Gizmo bet me ten bucks you'd puke."
"I still say I shoulda won that," Gizmo grumbled.
"Whatever," Jinx replied dismissively. "Now, I have an energy manipulation class to get to, and I'd really appreciate a big strong man carrying my books for me."
She gave Victor a very suggestive wink, one that made his cheeks turn bright red.
…
Not much later, Victor donned the pink dress, much to his embarrassment, and started walking with Jinx to her class. Many of the students started, several snickered, and he could see a good number of the kids taking photos on their phones. Silently, Victor began a subroutine to delete every single photo of him in the dress to preserve his dignity.
…
Later, several students were engaged in physical training, with Victor using a simulated weight machine. Sebastian observed this with great interest.
"It would seem we have ourselves a natural," he observed. "Take him to maximum."
One of the technicians turned a dial, causing a massive weight increase on Victor. Victor struggled against the increase in pressure on him, but he refused to give up. He pushed against the pressure harder and harder, until finally, the bar locked into place. Victor let out a breath as Sebastian smirked maliciously.
…
Later on at lunch, Victor was sitting with the three of them, each one sporting some kind of knowing look on their faces.
"So…" Victor let out. "Good grub today, huh?"
"Yeah," Gizmo replied. "And the mashed potatoes are dynamite."
Jinx and Mammoth snickered a little in response, prompting Victor to look down at his food, seeing a small red dot in his potatoes. With an eye roll, he scooped up the dot and flicked it into Gizmo's potatoes. Jinx and Mammoth noted the switch, but snickered regardless. Unaware of the switch, Gizmo continued chowing down just as the small bomb exploded. Mashed potatoes splattered all over his face, much to the amusement of the others. Gizmo just growled furiously in response.
…
Later, Victor and several other students were in class, listening to Sebastian give a lecture about penultimate goals.
"And that's why it's important not to use every weapon in your arsenal at once," he instructed. "Having an ace in the hole gives you a distinct advantage over your opponent, and allows you to strike at them unawares. For this to work though, it will require… what?"
Most of the students sat there, unsure of the answer. Gizmo was waving his hand frantically, but Sebastian paid him no mind.
"Mr. Stone?" he requested, causing Victor to look up.
"Uh… effective misdirection?" Victor guessed.
"Correct."
Gizmo just leaned back in his chair, silently fuming in response to Victor's current status. Jinx, however, gave Victor a small fist bump.
"Nice one. Usually he always trips up the kids and makes us look stupid."
"Don't worry," Victor replied, gesturing to Gizmo. "I think he still does."
Jinx giggled a little in response.
…
Afterwards, Victor was heading back to his room when he heard his name called.
"Hey, Stone!"
Victor turned to see Jinx, Mammoth, and Gizmo heading towards him, causing him to wince in preparation.
"Uh… hey guys… what's up?"
"We just wanted to stop by and give you something," Jinx told him, holding out her hand to reveal a golden pin in the shape of a hexagon. "You're one of us now, so we felt we should make it official."
"But that doesn't mean we have to like it!" Gizmo let out.
"Ignore him," Jinx insisted, wrapping an arm around Vic's. "We're glad you're part of this."
"It's… nice to be a part of this."
Mammoth grinned at the sight of the two, then grabbed Gizmo by the back of his uniform.
"Come on, pipsqueak. Let's give the two some space."
"Hey! Put me down!" Gizmo yelled as Mammoth carried him off.
"Got a lot of energy for a little guy," Victor noted.
Jinx gave a shrug.
"You ever heard the idiom 'short people are closer to hell'? Well he's the personification of that. I'm surprised it took as long as it did for him to just snap."
"So, what happened to him?"
Jinx sighed.
"He was a short, bald, nerdy kid in high school. It'd be easier to ask what didn't happen to him. He preferred working on computers than playing sports, so he stood out like a sore thumb. Then the accident happened, and he could actually talk to machines. More than that, he could manipulate him. Needless to say, when his tormentors came after him, he made sure they never bothered him again."
"Yikes. I'm almost afraid to ask about the big guy after that."
"Wrestler in his old school. Was set for the championship before they discovered he was taking steroids. Accident hit, and his bloodstream basically became steroids. Apparently the first thing he did was find the snitch and break his back. Then his neck."
"I knew I was afraid." He then turned to her. "What about you?"
Jinx actually stopped walking, letting out a long sigh.
"My story? Nowhere near as dramatic as Mammoth or Gizmo. Parents dumped me on the side of the road when I was a baby. No note, nothing. I was found and put in the foster system. I bounced from home to home, changing names and addresses like normal people change socks. Each home was worse than the last, my luck just going down the toilet. Eventually, I just ran away, but the streets made the foster system look like paradise. I was convinced that I was hexed, cursed with eternal bad luck… that I was nothing but a… but a..."
"A jinx?" Vic finished.
Jinx nodded.
"When I got my powers, HIVE found me. They gave me a place to stay, taught me to control my new abilities… and for the first time in my entire life, I finally felt like I belonged."
"I get that… when I first became… this, I was just mad at everything. My dad, the world, everything. I felt like no one could truly understand what it was like to lose who I was."
Jinx let out a small chuckle.
"At least you had someone to lose. I never had my own name until I became Jinx."
"Yeah… but now I finally found a place where I can finally feel…"
"Normal."
Victor turned towards Jinx, who was looking at him with a feeling of understanding he hadn't sensed before.
"Yeah…"
…
A few days later on the Watchtower, the group was waiting for Cyborg to check in. Superman stood off to the side of the computer, tapping at a console nervously. Batman was sitting at the computer, going over some data. Wonder Woman was sharpening her sword while J'onn was floating next to her, meditating.
"I'm worried," Superman spoke up, finally breaking the uncomfortable silence. "Cyborg's calls have become less and less frequent."
"He's probably just deep in cover," Batman replied. "We should give him more time."
"No, I'm calling him now."
"We could be endangering his mission."
"Or saving his life," Wonder Woman countered.
"It has been some time since Cyborg's last communication," J'onn admitted.
"We should trust Cyborg to handle himself," Batman pressed.
"Would one of your partners wait this long before calling?" Superman challenged.
Batman paused for a moment, then hit the call button.
"Watchtower to Cyborg. Cyborg, come in."
For a few brief seconds, there was no response. Finally though, Cyborg picked up.
"This isn't a good time guys. We've got a meta-theory test tomorrow, and I'm totally gonna bomb.
"Tell me you're joking," Batman responded.
"Uh… right. Look, sorry about not checking in. I've been learning their combat techniques, weapons, armor, and we had a dance-"
"A dance?!" Superman let out. "Cyborg, you're there to figure out HIVE's secret agenda, not learn to tango."
"Seriously? Nobody tangoes anymore."
"I think what Superman means is that you should focus more on your primary objective," J'onn interjected.
"I know, I know. Look, it hasn't exactly been easy for me. Everyone's pretty tight lipped about what goes behind the scenes. I just need a little more time to figure out what's going on."
"Maybe…" Batman spoke up. "Or maybe it's time we went off the offensive."
"Alright. Let me do some late-night digging and I'll see what I can do."
…
Later that night, Cyborg quietly made his way down to Blood's office. He began opening filing cabinets as he let his neural network hack the desktop computer.
"Come on Blood," Cyborg let out. "What are you hiding?"
"You could ask me yourself if you're curious, Mr. Stone."
Victor shot up, seeing a man decked out in red robes and wearing a mask that resembled a skull.
"Or should I just call you… Cyborg?"
Instantly, Victor's disguise faded away, allowing him to aim his arm cannon at the man.
"It was the subroutine in everyone's phones that gave me away, right?"
The man seemed to snort, raising his hands in a nonchalant gesture of cocky compliance.
"Please. I was aware of your true nature the second you stepped through my door. Your holographic display may hide your mechanical nature, but I could feel the true source of your power."
"Nice. and let me guess, Sebastian Blood? What's with the outfit?"
"When I'm like this, I prefer my more colorful moniker… Brother Blood."
"What, like in a cult?"
Blood didn't answer, and his mask made it impossible to read his expression.
"All you need to know is everything here is as I told you. HIVE Academy is a school where students like you can recognize their true potential."
"Sorry 'teach', but there's nothing left for you to teach me."
"Oh, I think I have…" he started moving towards Cyborg, "one more lesson."
Before Cyborg could fire, Blood's eyes flashed red before he placed his hand on the cannon. Cyborg stepped back in pain, looking down to see, instead of an arm cannon, but a hand of flesh and blood.
"My hand… it's real!" Cyborg realized. "I can feel it!"
"Indeed, and I can make you whole once more. You can truly be Victor Stone again, or even Stone if you wish to keep your strength. But, if you stand against me..."
The red in his eyes vanished, allowing Victor's hand to return to metal.
"No!"
Victor knelt over in anguish, much to Blood's delight.
"Make your choice Victor. Stay with the League and be less of your true self, or serve me and become so much more."
Victor looked down at his hand, before finally turning back to Blood.
"What do you want me to do?"
Blood smiled, and held out his hand.
"Come with me. I want to show you something."
Victor took his hand, allowing Blood to help him up. He then lead him to a work table with some kind of box on it. Blood pressed a button on the table, causing the box to open and reveal some kind of high tech wrist mounted device.
"My ace in the hole," Blood explained. "An Ion Amplifier. Quite a remarkable weapon. Brilliant, and elegant in its destruction… and it's yours."
"What do you want me to do with it?"
"It's quite simple really… destroy the Justice League."
…
The next day, the League decided to take matters into their own hands. Batman glided down onto the roof of the facility, landing without making a sound. He then went towards the nearest air vent and pried it open, slipping inside. After trekking through the vents for a few minutes, he came to a secluded area for him to exit out of.
"Clear," Batman reported.
J'onn then phased through the wall next to him.
"Clear."
Suddenly, a pair of red lasers shot through the floor, creating a circle that fell the second it was completely cut through. This allowed Superman and Wonder Woman to fly up and join their team mates.
"Clear," Superman added. "Now let's find Cyborg and shut this place down."
The other three nodded as they pressed forward. As they did, Batman pulled out a tracking device from his utility belt, signaling them to press forward.
"Cyborg's signal is just ahead," he reported.
The four approached a door leading to where the signal was coming from. Wonder Woman stepped forward, kicking down the door and stepping inside. Once they were all inside, all of the lights kicked on, illuminating the heroes and showing them to be in the middle of the training hall.
"The Justice League," Brother Blood greeted from a balcony above them. "Welcome. We've been expecting you."
"Glad we gave you something to look forward to," Superman responded. "I'm guessing you're the one in charge?"
"Call me Brother Blood. I'd introduce you to my students," he directed the League to another platform, one holding Jinx, Mammoth, Gizmo, and Victor. "But I believe you've already met."
"Attack pattern Alpha!" Victor called out, turning into his stone form. "Go!"
The four teens charged towards the League, with Gizmo firing missiles that forced them to scatter.
"Finish them!" Blood ordered. "Show no mercy!"
As soon as Jinx touched down on the ground, she fired several energy waves towards J'onn, prompting the Martian Manhunter to contort his body around them. He then shot forward towards Jinx, but she quickly leapt over him and shot a wave of energy at the ground beneath him, causing it to explode and send J'onn flying back.
Meanwhile, Batman easily evaded around Gizmo's metal legs as they tried to skewer him. Thinking fast, Batman pulled out a batarang and threw it at one of the legs. The bladed end severed the leg, before looping around and severing a second one. This caused Gizmo to lose balance and fall to the ground. Before Batman could move in, Victor leapt towards him and tried to hit him. Batman quickly backflipped out of the way before bouncing off a wall towards him, attempting to kick him. Victor blocked the blows repeatedly before Batman dropped to the ground and blocked his strike.
"Cyborg enough," Batman told him. "It's time to drop the act."
Victor responded by grabbing Batman by the throat and lifting him up.
"It's not an act," Victor promised before tossing him aside.
Meanwhile, Superman flew towards Gizmo, who was just flying around, taunting him.
"You can't hit me!" Gizmo taunted. "You can't hit me!"
Superman darted towards Gizmo, trying to grab him, but his hand just passed right through him. Superman then looked around and saw several more Gizmos surrounding him. All of them were repeating the annoying taunt. Superman started looking around, using his thermal vision to find the real Gizmo. Once he was located, he used his heat vision to disable his jetpack, causing his holograms to dissipate and him to fall to the ground. Superman quickly flew after him and grabbed him by the back of his shirt.
"Fights over for you, son," Superman told him
Gizmo kicked and flailed in his grip, but the blows were practically useless against the kryptonian and he eventually just gave up.
Back on the ground, Wonder Woman was facing down Mammoth, who charged at her with a snarl. He threw a punch at her, which she easily caught and used to flip him onto the ground. She tried putting him in an arm lock, but he quickly threw his head back, striking her in the face. She recoiled, feeling blood on her face. She wiped her nose, her gaze hard. She then pulled out her lasso and shot it out at Mammoth, wrapping it around his arms.
"You will submit!" Wonder Woman demanded.
Mammoth just pulled on the lasso, causing Wonder Woman to skid across the floor as she struggled to maintain her grip.
"No girl has ever tamed the Mammoth! Not even you!"
"I'm no girl."
Wonder Woman then raised her leg, wrapped it around the lasso, and brought it down hard, causing Mammoth to come flying towards her. She then back handed him, knocking him into a wall. Wonder Woman just smirked as she recoiled the lasso.
"And I didn't tame you. I beat you."
Back with Batman, he still danced around Victor's attacks, still puzzled by his insistence on fighting.
"Cyborg, what are you doing?" Batman inquired.
"I'm ensuring my future."
He quickly kicked Batman in the chest, knocking him into Wonder Woman and causing them both to fall to the ground. Superman looked over and saw what was going on. Before he could respond, Jinx blasted him in the back, causing him to drop to the ground. He slowly picked himself up before Victor ran right at him, ramming right into him. Superman quickly grabbed him by the arm and slung him into a wall, pinning him.
"That's enough, Victor. You have to stop."
"Get off of him!" Jinx yelled, firing an energy wave at them.
Superman quickly moved out of the way, the bolt hitting Victor instead. His holographic matrix suddenly sparked and fritzed, revealing his true form. Both hero and villain, save for Blood, were shocked by this development.
"Victor…?" Jinx let out.
"I knew it!" Gizmo cried out. "He's a piece of crap hero! He's one of them!"
"No," Blood responded, joining his pupils. "He's one of us."
"And I'm ready to prove it," Cyborg replied.
"I was hoping you'd say that," Blood remarked, handing him the Ion Amplifier. "Now, become one of us. Destroy the Justice League."
Cyborg took the Amplifier and hooked it up to his arm cannon. He then turned towards the regrouping League members and aimed it at them.
"Cyborg, you don't want to do this," Superman insisted. "Blood's using you!"
"Shut up!" Victor shouted. "I know what I have to do! I know where I belong!"
"Whatever Blood has promised you is a lie," J'onn insisted. "He is only using you so you may serve him! He cannot give you what you want!"
"It may seem intoxicating, but it's not real," Wonder Woman chimed in. "You have to trust us, Victor! We're your friends!"
"Sorry…" Victor replied. "But I've made new friends…"
Blood smirked under his mask as Cyborg prepared to fire, only for Cyborg to smirk himself.
"Psyche!" he shouted, spinning around and firing at Blood.
Instinctively, Blood produced an energy shield that directed the beam upward. The blast hit the ceiling, causing a chain reaction that began spreading throughout the entire facility. Victor cursed under his breath, turning to the League.
"Time to bail!"
He opened up a Boom Tube, everyone filing through it. Just before going in it himself, he looked back at the retreating HIVE students. Jinx was staring at him, as if frozen. He went over to her, taking her hand.
"Come with us," he insisted. "You don't have to stay here."
She looked conflicted for a moment, before pulling her hand free and backing away.
"Sorry… but this is all I have."
She took off down the corridor, leaving Cyborg to retreat via Boom Tube as the school came crashing down.
…
Back on the Watchtower, the five Leaguers were looking over the Ion Amplifier.
"An impressive weapon," J'onn commended. "HIVE went to great lengths to create it."
"Makes you wonder what else they have tucked away," Superman remarked.
"Something tells me we haven't seen the last of them," Batman surmised. "They'll be back."
"And when that happens," Cyborg spoke up. "We'll be ready."
"Gotta say Victor, I think I underestimated your acting abilities," Superman commended. "You really had us fooled back there."
"Sorry if I was laying into it a bit hard, but when I realized what Blood was cooking up, I had to get him to trust me enough to use it."
"At least now we know how he has gathered so many followers," Wonder Woman surmised. "Blood possesses some kind of mind control ability."
"I did detect some malevolent force within the facility," J'onn shared. "Though I wonder how you were able to resist his thrall, Cyborg."
"Easy," Cyborg replied. "Half of my brain is mechanical. He may have been able to fool the man, but he couldn't fool the machine."
"Meaning the next time we face him," Superman spoke up, putting a hand on Cyborg's shoulder. "We'll have our own ace in the hole."
…
In a secret installation, Blood walked through the doorway to an office where a middle aged man in a suit was waiting for him.
"So, Brother Blood," the man spoke up. "I hear you're in need of a new campus."
"There were extenuating circumstances," Blood spoke up. "The Justice League managed to infiltrate the school and-"
All of a sudden, something cut Blood off. It was as if an invisible force was clamping down on his throat, making it harder for him to breathe. He knelt over in pain, his hands grasping at his throat.
"You know one of the things I hate to hear in this world is?" the man asked. "Excuses. They're like saying 'I screwed up, but here's why it's not such a big deal'. Well guess what? It is. I counted on having an army of meta powered drones at my beck and call, and now, I'm stuck with those three brats you managed to round up from the Academy. The next time you come across those costumed heroes, you'd better have something other than excuses. Or I promise, your mask will be worn by another. Am I understood?"
"Yes…"
"I'm sorry, yes what?"
"Yes… Mr. Dahrk."
Dahrk just waved his hand, seemingly allowing Blood to breathe again.
"Much better."
...
Sometime later, Victor sat on a work table as his dad checked on his holographic matrix.
"Looks like it's completely fried," Silas lamented. "I might be able to rebuild it, but-"
"No need, dad," Victor insisted. "It took a while, but I think I've gotten used to being Cyborg."
Silas looked up, genuinely surprised.
"As you sure?" he asked.
"Positive. I'll admit, it was nice being all Victor again. Going to school, just hanging out… meeting someone..." Victor sighed, leaning on his knees. "I never got to finish high school, because of this. While I was at HIVE, for the first time in a long time...I finally felt normal."
"Is that so?" Diana's voice called out from the door.
The two Stone men looked up as Diana entered the room.
"Oh, hey Diana," Victor greeted.
"I just wanted to see how you were doing. I'm glad to see you're handling things well."
"Hey, it's not the worst thing that's ever happened to me," Victor quipped.
Diana gave him a kind smile.
"You know… I never knew you as Victor Stone. Me, and everyone else in the League met you as Cyborg. To us… this is normal."
Victor couldn't help but smile at that comment.
"Thanks Diana. I really needed to hear that."
