Bloodline
- - - November 26th - - -
Red Arrow watched the other boy sleep. The real Roy Harper, the original Speedy. His genetic template.
The boy whose memories he had believed to be his own. Whose identity he had assumed.
Whose life he had stolen.
Today, the real Roy Harper would wake up for the first time in three years.
He still looked almost as white as the sheets he lay on, only the faintest hint of colour slowly creeping back onto his cheeks. The boy's bare chest was strutted with electrodes, monitoring his heart frequency, ensuring that he was recovering well from his cryogenic stasis. The stump of his mutilated right arm was encased by a barrel-shaped glass hull the genomorphs had provided, filled with a miraculous nucleic-biological growth-enhancing liquid.
Red Arrow had mixed feelings about trusting those grey-skinned creatures with any part of his younger self's recovery – no, not his younger self, this was not him, had never been him…
He knew now that he was nothing but a clone. An imposter. A pawn, programmed by the Light.
Thankfully, the real Roy's mind had been practically untouched by Cadmus. Red Arrow, on the other hand, had been a puppet on their strings.
Martian Manhunter and his niece had dredged up scores of secret orders from the depths of his unconsciousness. He was meant to infiltrate the Justice League. He was to strive for a full membership, not just an honorary visit to the Hall of Justice. When the team was formed, he was instructed to stay apart, to distinguish himself as an adult, to prove his own worth, and to strictly avoid their resident mind reader, Miss Martian. If he did interact with the team, he was to sow dissent among its members. His last set of orders had been rather specific on that point.
If the fact that he was a clone was ever discovered, he was to take his life.
Fortunately, the two Martians had removed all these compulsions before allowing Red Arrow to wake from his trance.
For the first time in his existence, he was free. Liberated. Uprooted.
He didn't even have a real name any more.
Red Arrow watched the real Roy's eyelids flutter. The beeping of his heart rate monitor was speeding up.
Mary appeared at his side instantly, Green Arrow following like a shadow at her heels.
"I think he's waking up."
"Where is my arm?"
"Three years? I've been abducted, and it took you three years to find me?"
Green Arrow cringed under his protégé's incredulous stare.
"Well, we kind of thought we did…"
"But you can have them back if you want", the imposter offered.
Roy just stared at him. At the eighteen-year-old stranger who possessed all of his memories.
Seriously - clones and telepathy? What kind of freaky sci-fi novel had he woken up in?
"You took my place", he repeated flatly.
"I know. I'm sorry. I swear I didn't do it on purpose."
The imposter's face – his own face – looked sincerely remorseful.
This was just too weird.
The last thing Roy remembered was sneaking into an abandoned warehouse in 2007, trying to impress Green Arrow by confiscating a container full of contraband weaponry.
Now it was 2010, his right arm was missing, and this clone had stolen three years of his life.
Roy turned back towards his former mentor. "And you didn't notice."
Green Arrow nodded ruefully, clearly aware that denial would be futile.
Black Canary squeezed his arm sympathetically. Why was the green archer's secret crush even part of Roy's wake-up committee? Beside her and the archers, the only other person present was a young woman in a nurse's dress, bustling about in the background.
Green Arrow placed his hand on top of Black Canary's. Roy did not fail to notice the look that passed between them, nor the familiarity in their touch.
"Ah, I see. You were distracted", he spat out, suddenly furious. Anger was easier to deal with – easier than whatever he was supposed to feel in this messed up situation.
His former mentor's eyebrows shot up. "I never… Dinah had nothing to do with this!"
"It took him six more months to finally ask her out", the imposter informed him with a smirk. "She's here because she's training the team, and we're at Mount Justice, their headquarter."
Right. The new team of sidekicks that had happened to stumble across his frozen body at the cloning facility.
"Who's on this team, beside you and Robin?", Roy addressed his older self – no, not his self, this was not him, would never be him! Just a clone, a copy.
Although knowing that he would grow to be six feet tall one day was rather gratifying...
"Actually, I'm not part of the team, but there are six members now – seven if you count Zatanna the enchantress, but she only joined last week. You already know Robin, Batman's protégé. Two other League members took sidekicks in 2008 - Aquaman started training Kaldur'ahm, alias Aqualad, and the Flash was joined by his nephew Wally, alias Kid Flash. This summer, the three boys teamed up with Conner, alias Superboy, who's partly Kryptonian, and Megan, alias Miss Martian, Martian Manhunter's niece. And then there's Artemis… She's the team's archer now. But Green Arrow only started training her after I left him!", the clone added hurriedly.
Roy glared at his former mentor, still furious. "Another archer? What name is she going to take later - Blue Arrow? Yellow?"
The blonde man cringed. "It's not like that… "
Roy gave a bitter snort, coldly dismissing all protests. "And what do you mean, you left?", he asked the clone instead.
"I didn't want to be treated like a kid, so I've been working alone for half a year now, mainly on security details. Made a name of my own."
"As Red Arrow? Very original", Roy scoffed.
In truth, he couldn't deny that the older clone had chosen a pretty cool grown-up appearance, red costume and all. He also seemed to be in excellent shape, his shoulders were almost as broad as those of Green Arrow.
Roy's gaze was drawn once more towards the round container at his side, to the gruesome sight of his own crippled arm.
"Where is my costume? What did you do with my cap?"
The clone dropped his eyes.
"I've kept the hat", Green Arrow ensured them.
Of course he had. The older archer was the reason why Roy had worn a feathered cap in the first place. How eager he'd been to follow his idol, to protect those in need, to become the second Robin Hood of Starwood City…
"And yet you're training someone else now."
"After almost three years with..."
"With the fake Speedy? Is that supposed to make me feel better?", Roy snapped.
Green Arrow winced visibly under his verbal reprimand. His pained expression brought Roy no satisfaction.
Oliver Queen, alias Green Arrow, had been more than his mentor. He had been his guardian, his friend. He had promised Roy a future by his side. Just to abandoned him for three years.
That betrayal hurt worse than the loss of his arm.
A sudden thought startled Roy out of this reflections.
"Wait, three years – that means you've graduated?", he addressed the older clone.
"Yeah, I passed senior year this summer."
"Senior year! All my friends at school are gone, then?"
The other only shrugged. "Timmy got into that engineering programme he always talked about. Jude started working at his parents' store. I took Kaitlyn out to prom, but she left just a few weeks later to study in Europe."
"Kaitlyn? Dude, that's… That's pretty cool, but that should have been me!" His anger flared up again. Anger was easy – easier than the disappointment, the desolation, the pain...
"You stole my life!"
"I'm sorry – but you can have them back", the clone repeated, meeting Roy's eyes once more. "My memories, all those moments you've missed. Those little G-gnome creatures could transfer them back to you."
Roy frowned, taken aback by the suggestion. "That's a really weird thing to offer", he stated, unsure what else to reply.
The imposter shrugged again. "You could skip quite a bit of training that way, you know? Not the physical skills, of course, but all the tactics, theoretical knowledge and experience… I was almost ready to join the Justice League this year."
Roy flared his nostrils. "Why would I want to join the League? Did they turn into a band of merry men all of the sudden?"
The clone's eyes grew wide. "Sorry, I kind of thought… You don't?"
They shared a bewildered look, both shaking their heads in unison.
"Huh. I suppose we're really not the same person at all", the imposter mumbled. He looked genuinely surprised.
"We would be happy to have you live here with us", the dark-skinned Atlantean proposed. "You might not know us, but Red Arrow has proven that there is a great potential for friendship between us. Even if the two of you were nothing alike, you would still be welcome here at our home base, while your arm regrows and you recover from everything you suffered at the hands of Cadmus and the Light."
"Conner, Mary and I are the only permanent residents at this cave", the green-skinned Martian girl continued. "The others also stay here sometimes, but there are still quite a few free rooms left. Once your arm is restored, you may stay or leave – whatever you decide. If you want to stay with us, you could join Conner and me at the Happy Harbour High School for the Spring semester."
Roy nodded vaguely, his eyes darting across the strange assembly that had gathered around his hospital bed. A part of the team was missing, but the group was already diverse enough. Aqualad, Miss Martian, Kid Flash, his blonde replacement Artemis – and Robin, of course. The one familiar face in the crowd.
The Boy Wonder's black and red costume hadn't changed much, but the slender black-haired child he remembered had grown into a wiry teenager, only two years younger than Roy himself.
"Thanks, really, but this is all a bit much right now. Could I talk to Robin alone for a moment?"
"Of course." Slowly, the team retreated, taking the clone, Black Canary and Green Arrow with them. Aqualad was the last to leave the room, sending him a long look before closing the door behind him.
Robin sat down on the side of Roy's mattress. The brown-haired nurse placed two glasses and a jug of lemonade on Roy's bedside table, before fading into the background once more.
"Long time no see", the Boy Wonder greeted him with a casual smile, filling their glasses.
"You've grown", Roy commented.
"Still got some catching up to do. Give me a few more years, I'll be as tall as Batman!"
"You said that last time!"
"So what? I guess you'll have to wait just a bit longer - another three or five years, perhaps?"
Smirking drily, Roy reached for his drink. "So, cloning is a thing now?"
Robin nodded. "Yeah. We first found out about that this July, when we helped Conner, or Superboy, escape from Cadmus. He is a partly Kryptonian clone, you know? Force-grown from Superman's DNA, as a weapon to fight him. Didn't stop people from expecting Superman to adopt him or something."
Roy frowned. "That sounds pretty awkward."
"I know, right? It took them months just to figure out how to talk to each other."
For a moment, they sipped their lemonade in silence.
Roy felt some of the tension bleed from his shoulders. He had met Robin only once, but being parent-less sidekicks of superheroes certainly helped you bond. Back then, they had talked all night.
Robin was the first to speak up again, more serious now. "I'm really sorry, Speedy. I wish we'd already found you in July, when we met Conner. We could have freed you months ago! But we were literally chased out of the Cadmus institute by trolls, running for our lives… By the time the League started to investigate, they had long relocated you through some kind of secret tunnel..."
Roy pulled a wry face. "Doesn't sound to me like they're very keen on investigating at all."
Of course, Robin caught his meaning immediately. "You're talking about Green Arrow? Dude, he didn't sleep for weeks when you first disappeared! You'd gone to scout out a LexCorp warehouse on that weapon smuggling case, right? So, when you were abducted, he knew Luthor had to be involved somehow. Batman and I tried to help, of course, but your trail ran cold in Star City. GA went straight to Metropolis, Luthor's stronghold, and started digging up every secret, sniffing out every rat hole, tearing down every facade... He even went undercover in his civilian identity and pulled a bunch of strings to gain access to the LexCorp upper management… He was incredible. He would have never given up on you."
Roy swallowed hard. "He did, though."
"None of us saw through Luthor's ruse. We were led to believe that you'd been captured after sneaking onto a container ship smuggling guns to Northern Rhelasia. GA found your clone in some Rhelasian basement after over three months of searching for you – that's how long it took Cadmus to, you know, to grow Red Arrow and copy all your memories. GA was so relieved to have you back, he almost burst into tears! Of course he also dug up the whole smuggling rink and brought every last of its members to justice."
"That wasn't me, though."
"How could he have known that? Even Red Arrow himself was convinced that he was you."
Roy slowly shook his head. "Batman would have noticed, right?"
Robin cringed. "Maybe? Probably, yes. But you can't blame someone for not being Batman. It's not healthy to be Batman."
"Why, because he's too thorough when it comes to your safety? Because he cares too much?"
Robin blinked, speechless for once.
"Of course Batman cares deeply for Robin here, and for his safety, and the safety of the League", the brown-haired woman in the nurse dress spoke up. She had a British accent. "Yet I can confirm that his methods can be a bit... extreme."
"Who are you again?" Roy regarded her closely for the first time. She looked normal enough – a bit taller than him, more curvy than muscular, with an open face and friendly brown eyes.
"My name is Mary, I'm the team's caretaker. I've also got some medical training, so I'll act as your nurse for the upcoming weeks."
"How many weeks?", he interrupted. "Can you tell me more about…" He gestured vaguely at the glass cylinder at his side.
"With the nucleic technology the genomorphs provided, your arm and your right hand will regrow quickly, probably within one month", Mary answered. "Yet you're advised to train the new limb slowly, though, building up your muscles naturally instead of force-growing them, to ensure that you regain your previous dexterity. We should be able to remove the glass by the end of December, but it will take at least half a year until you've fully regained your former strength and skills."
Roy let out a soft sigh. "That's… good to know, I suppose. Thank you. I mean, I can't even imagine how I would have reacted, if this wasn't…" His voice trailed off. "Anyway, what were you saying about Batman?"
"Oh, I just wanted to agree with Robin that it might be a bit unrealistic to expect Green Arrow or the rest of the League to be quite as thorough in their security checks."
"Why not?", he barked, still irritated.
She only smiled. "You want an example? Let's see... Before I was allowed to start my job here, Batman deceived me for two months about an important matter of my personal health, in order to set out a nearly irresistible bait to test my loyalty. He also engineered a situation where I was threatened at gun point to give away some secrets he had ensured I'd overhear, just to see if I could be trusted not to betray him. All of that after having a mind reader confirm my backstory, and using the Lasso of Truth on me, knowing that I had no ties to any of the League's enemies nor any criminal intentions."
"Huh." Okay, maybe Batman's methods were a bit excessive.
He shot Robin a concerned look. "You still get along with him though, right?"
"Of course", the Boy Wonder laughed lightly.
Roy remembered the last conversation they had shared, about how they had both ended up at their respective mentors' sides.
Roy had lost his parents in a car accident when he was still a toddler. He had taken up archery mainly to distract himself from his own loneliness, and the dull misery of the reserve.
From what Robin had vaguely hinted at in 2007, the Boy Wonder's losses had been far more recent, and far more violent.
"Did you ever find the guy?"
Again, Robin caught his meaning instantly. His smile faded, as he nodded solemnly.
"We did. Just a few weeks after your abduction, we finally brought him to justice."
"And you're still… motivated?"
"To fight crime? Yes, of course."
There really was no other possible answer. Even Roy knew that he would never loose that drive, no matter how badly this last mission had ended. If his arm grew back, if he grew strong enough again to protect those left defenceless, there would be no other choice.
With or without a mentor.
"That team of yours – what is it really like?"
At that, the Boy Wonder's face lit up again. "Pretty cool, actually! Everyone's a bit mad in their own way, but I'm sure you'll like them a lot, once you get to know everybody. Life never gets boring here."
"And you go on missions together?"
"Sure! In the past months, we've blown up a drug factory at Santa Prisca, defeated a swarm of hostile nano-bots, battled the Lord of Chaos Klarion at Nabu's magical Tower of Fate, survived a telepathic attack in the Bialyan desert, met Red Tornado's android siblings, freed some mind-controlled wild beasts in India, defeated a super-villain team-up controlling mutated plants infused with magic and technology, stopped the same Lord of Chaos Klarion from splitting the continent into two dimensions, freed the Quraci president from being enthralled by his neighbouring dictator, and liberated the mind-controlled genomorphs at the Cadmus institute yesterday… I've skipped a few, but I'm sure you're getting the picture."
The boy shot him a wide grin. "Want to join?"
Roy's eyes were drawn once more to the glass cylinder at his right side.
"I won't be able to use my bow for months…"
"Contrary to popular belief in this country, wielding weapons is not the only way to uphold justice", Mary commented with a wry smile. "If you want to stay here, you have plenty of ways to make yourself useful to the team until you've fully recovered. There is intelligence that can be gathered remotely, all kinds of research to conduct, logistics and supply management, accounting, legal issues that must be addressed, public relations to uphold, maintenance work, crafts and engineering… "
Roy looked up at her, intrigued. "Crafts and engineering?"
"We could certainly use a mechanic", Robin informed him. "Superboy has stopped upgrading our cars and motorbikes since he found out his alien pet robot Sphere can transform into a flying Supercycle. I've also got a bunch of smaller engineering projects lined up that I barely find time for – upgrading my smoke bombs and splash mines, building a new type of shock rays and so on… We've got a lot of cool equipment to play with, especially if you get access to all the power tools from Red Tornado's lab."
Roy nodded thoughtfully. He had always liked making his own arrows – why not broaden his arsenal?
He still had a few weeks until the cylinder came off. Enough time to get to know the team, see if he could fit in here, if he wanted to stay here for his full rehabilitation period.
To see if he could potentially forgive Green Arrow.
In any case, he knew he would not return to being 'Speedy' ever again. If he joined the team, he would start over with a fresh name, a blank slate.
Robin smiled at him encouragingly. "Take your time, you don't need to make any choices right away. But if you want to join us, I'm sure we'll find some interesting training exercises to get you and your new arm right back into shape."
There was a trace of mischief in the boy's grin. "Say, have you ever played paintball?"
"He didn't even want to join the League."
Kaldur nodded silently, allowing his best friend to continue. He was sitting cross-legged on a desk chair, while the agitated archer circled the team's mission room like a caged shark.
"All I ever strove for was a lie! All my dreams – nothing but programming!"
"And yet your actions were honourable, and your accomplishments impressive. Why should your aspirations not be distinct from those of the first Speedy?"
Red Arrow shook his head vigorously. "How can they be my aspirations, if the Light implanted them? I don't have any own ambitions, no thoughts or memories not biased by others. I'm nothing but a clone!"
"Just five months ago, Superboy had none of those either. Yet don't you think he has found his own place in life rather quickly?"
"At least Superboy was never an imposter, never stole somebody else's place unknowingly…"
His friend halted his pacing abruptly, his fingers straying to the bandage on his chest, to the poisoned scratches that had almost cost his life.
Suddenly apprehensive, Kaldur started to rise out of his chair. Yet to his great relief, Red Arrow turned around towards him with a lively determination in his unmasked eyes.
"You're right. This is my chance to start over. The real Roy is back now, so I'm free to find my own purpose. There is more than enough injustice in the world for the two of us… I'll find my own battles to fight, sure enough."
Sinking back into his chair, Kaldur saw Artemis' blond head appear at the top of the staircase. Red Arrow continued his musing, unaware of of her arrival.
"All I need is a fresh start, a blank state. I cannot stay here, where everything I do is tied to either Speedy or the Light. If I want to find my own path, I need to do it somewhere far away from here…"
"How about Tibet?", Artemis proposed, making her presence known. She wore a cheeky smile on her lips. "I've heard of an excellent martial arts college near Lasha…"
"Kaldur and Red Arrow are not hungry, we shouldn't wait for them", Artemis reported back to Megan at the kitchen. "Mary and Robin are having a warm lunch with Speedy later."
"And Black Canary and Green Arrow already left, so its just the three of us for now", Megan concluded, levitating food from the fridge to the kitchen table where Wally was already seated. "Should we eat here, or pack the sandwiches and head straight back to Cadmus? Hello, Megan! We could even bring some for Conner, Tanna and the others from the morning shift!"
"Sounds like a plan", the speedster agreed, starting to cut up cheese and tomatoes. "How much bread do we have?"
"Just two loafs", Artemis replied, handing him Mary's sourdough specialities. "Think you'll be able to share a few slices?", she smirked.
"Maybe, if you ask nicely?", he retorted with a sly smile.
"Oh, I'm not known for playing nice, Wally", she teased right back.
Something in their voice caught Megan's attention. Levitating a sieve full of freshly-washed lettuce leaves from the sink, she regarded her two friends curiously.
Wally was practically buzzing with delight – nothing unusual there, he was a very emotional person and she had often basked in his good moods. More uncommon was the fact that Artemis was sharing his high spirits. For once, there was no insecurity hidden below her smirks, but genuine enjoyment.
Since when did Artemis call the speedster by his actual name?
With a crash, wet lettuce spilled all across the kitchen floor. "You two… Are you…?"
Wally's grin grew even wider. Artemis sighed, rolled her eyes theatrically, then nodded.
Squealing with excitement, Megan rushed her friends into a hug.
"I knew you'd catch on first", Artemis laughed against her shoulder.
"We've caught several agents of the Light among the human Cadmus employees", Batman reported to Green Arrow and Black Canary at the institute's reception hall. "None of them were able to name the Light's members, since they only communicated digitally, obscuring all identifying traits. Yet we found out that up to seven individuals kept contact with Cadmus, and that one of them seemed to outrank the others. Based on time and content of those calls, I'll follow up on a few potential leads, while Red Tornado and Superman coordinate the remaining investigations here at the institute. We can convene on Sunday to compare our findings."
Dinah nodded. An android who could decrypt all of the institute's digital databases, and a Kryptonian who could see through its walls – there was not much those two would miss. Yet if Batman was willing to leave the rest of the search in their hands, she doubted that he expected any further ground-breaking revelations. Most likely, there was only paperwork left for the League and team members taking the next shift.
Good. A routine job was just what Ollie needed right now. He could do with a bit of distraction, as long as the original Speedy still refused to talk to him.
"I'll arrange a joint meeting with the team for Sunday", she offered. "Our membership discussions are delayed for now – should we schedule another full League assembly in December?"
"Agreed." She could tell that Batman's attention was already elsewhere.
"I am still going to propose Red Arrow for membership", Ollie mumbled after the Dark Knight had left. "Clone or not."
"Do you think he'll still want to join us, though?"
"I don't know", he sighed. "It's ironic, isn't it? One of them left me claiming that I'm too protective. The other hates me because he thinks I didn't care enough."
"I don't care how complicated it would be", Zatanna burst out. "Just tell me if it is possible at all. Please, Your Majesty", she added, remembering belatedly whom she was talking to.
Aquaman acknowledged his title with a bemused little smile. "Technically, your idea is feasible", the King of Atlantis informed her.
Tanna felt her tired heart swell with hope. She had barely slept all night, making plans, discussing options, weighting and discarding ideas. This had been the most promising proposal. Yet there was still one major hurdle left to take.
She turned towards Superman and Superboy, a plea in her eyes. "Will you allow it?"
Both looked dishevelled from the previous night's search. Superman's red cape was stained and wrinkled, Superboy had grime on his arms and cobwebs in his hair. Yet their pale blue eyes were alert. They shared a long look.
Bowing his head gracefully, the older Kryptonian beckoned his younger clone to speak. "What do you suggest, Conner?"
Tanna sensed that this gesture was meaningful, yet she was too tired to ponder it further. Right now, only Conner's answer mattered to her.
He met Tanna's eyes. "This is not our choice to make, but my brother's. If your plan is supposed to work, we need to seek his consent, first."
Sensing her exasperation, his stern expression softened. "Luckily, we are practically surrounded by G-gnomes specialized in telepathic communications…"
Her eyes grew wide as the implications sunk in. All her exhaustion was immediately replaced by excitement.
"You think they could reach through? Please, could we test that right now?"
When Guardian stumbled into the genomorph cafeteria, the others were already waiting for him. Dubbilex had gathered a dozen of the oldest G-dwarfs and G-elves on one side of a long table, three G-trolls took up the other half of the room. A galaxy of glowing G-sprites dotted the ceiling.
Mumbling an apology for his tardiness, Guardian sank onto the last free chair. He'd been held up by the arrival of Megan and two of her friends, distributing non-algae-based lunch packages to everyone who had spent a sleepless night at the institute like him.
"Thank you, my brothers and sisters, for your willingness to join this little assembly today", Dubbilex opened the meeting. "As you are all aware, our G-gnome siblings are still absent from this table, still shackled by the mental bonds that have oppressed us all so long. Yet I am overjoyed to inform you that just a few minutes ago, our allies from the Justice League have agreed on a solution that will allow us to safely free them, too, by the end of this weekend!"
Guardian joined the cheerful applause that followed the G-goblin's announcement. Dubbilex waited patiently for the ruckus to die down.
"As you have certainly guessed, we have convened here today to discuss our joint future. Let it be clear, though, that the purpose of this meeting is not to take any but the most urgent decisions. Instead, our main task is to identify relevant questions, and propose methods for deriving their answers that ensure the just and equal participation of all genomorphs.
Just a few days from now, once the G-gnomes are finally liberated, we will be able to set up an institute-wide mind link to derive consensus on our goals and visions for our race. All major decisions about our future will be delayed until then. Do you agree with this general objective?"
The assembled genomorphs were quick to voice their approval. One of the G-elves, Clawdius, whistled happily to show his consent. Once he fell silence, the largest of the three colossal G-trolls rose to speak.
"A new time has begun", she intoned slowly. "We will forever remember these days, the first days of freedom. All our previous memories are coloured by compulsions and conformity, by orders and oppression. Now we revel in the concept of choice and autonomy, the freedom of expression and the idea of individuality. The G-trolls agree with your proposal, brother Dubbilex, and look forward to remembering a brighter future."
Dubbilex bowed his horned head to the speaker. "I thank you for your kind words, sister Aldelle.
If there are no objections, I would like to suggest an agenda for our meeting. There are a few urgent points that we must address today, before we can enter the wider discussion.
The first are contingency plans. The entity that controlled Cadmus, the Light, might not condone our liberation, and we must be prepared for their retaliation. Fortunately, we are almost completely self-reliant regarding energy, food and resources, and our combined strength makes a physical attack unlikely – yet we should not lower our guard, just in case. It seems prudent to develop a emergency protocol for various contingencies."
Guardian narrowed his eyes, his mind already classifying potential threats and responses. Right now, their greatest risk was premature public exposure – a risk they faced not only from the Light, but also from the frustrated human employees who resented yielding control to the genomorphs...
"This leads directly to the second point: Relocation. We all know that our mere existence right here in this nation's capital city would be perceived as a threat be the wider human populace. If we wish to live on the surface – to see the sun – we must start gauging potential destinations and logistical pathways now, so that we can present feasible options to our brothers and sisters next week."
The genomorphs revelled in the prospect of finally leaving their underground confines. One of the G-dwarfs, Carilyn, nudged Guardian and everyone else within reach with her trembling tentacles, her pincer-likehands quivering with excitement. Even the G-sprites on the ceiling buzzed their wings.
"As the third point on our agenda", Dubbilex attempted to regain their attention, "we must discuss the continuation of current Cadmus experiments. Most urgently, we need to decide how to proceed with the new genomorphs currently being grown at the institute. The fundamental questions regarding how and whether we wish to continue increasing the genomorph populace at all must necessarily be discussed later, with all our brothers and sisters – yet until then, should the current fetuses continue to grow according to the genetic templates that Cadmus prescribed for them? Or should we pause their growth for now, to keep open the option of guiding them onto different pathways, to emphasize new traits through nucleic engineering?
Those are the most urgent questions on our agenda for today. Afterwards, we may delve into the discussion on how to devise our future self-governance, and how to reach consensus in a participatory and collaborative process. If the time allows, we might even begin to propose concrete topics for the broader discussion with our brothers and sisters – such as how to structure our community, future work fields and research priorities, accommodation, et cetera."
"Don't forget the topic of food production and future diets", Carylin chimed up.
"Arts and culture", the G-troll Aldelle added.
"Outdoor activities", a female G-elf threw in – one of the few elders Guardian didn't know by name.
Dubbilex nodded, taking notes. "All of these will be covered in time. But first, let us begin with the first agenda item, contingency plans. I would like to start by asking our brother Guardian to give us an update on our current security situation."
Before he could open his mouth, Clawdius pointed one of his bladed fingers at Guardian's chest.
"I have a question first", he announced. "Are you our brother? Do you want to sit at this table with us? I don't mean no disrespect, just pointing out that you're the only one with a choice here. The way you look, you could go and enjoy your life at the sun, blending in with the human folks, starting over. Do you really want to call yourself a genomorph instead, do you want to join our cause?"
Guardian met the grey warrior's eyes unblinkingly.
He had spent most of the previous night doing his own research. Finding out more about his genetic template, Roy Harper, the orphan kid who guarded his community with bow and arrow, choosing to become a vigilante at the tender age of fifteen. About Red Arrow, his fellow clone, who had continued on the boy's heroic path, working his way up towards a membership in the Justice League of America. Both had jumped from mission to mission, always driven to defend the defenceless, to fight crime and injustice, to protect those in need of protection. Just like their great-grandfather, the first Guardian, who had also been a hero, but also drifted aimlessly from one assignment to the next.
Guardian did not need to find his purpose, to start over, to search for people who required his aid. He knew where he was needed, and had a name that suited him just fine.
"I'm honoured to join you and your cause, Clawdius. I have worked to keep this institute save and secure all my life, even if that's been less than one year long. I will gladly continue working for you, remaining your guardian, if you accept me."
The G-elf lowered a razor-sharp hand onto his shoulder.
"Of course we accept you, brother", he grinned through pointy teeth.
Author's note:
I borrowed the title from the second season, although you might note that it's singular instead of plural here. (This is one of the very few references to Young Justice season two in the whole story. I admit that I've never watched season three or four at all - please forgive me if I get any details wrong, especially regarding Nabu and Klarion... Sorry!)
In any case, Roy and his two clones have always intrigued me, hence I was really looking forward to writing all three perspectives.
Please review and let me know what you think!