Mason took in a great breath.
It shouldn't have been possible. The dark expanse around him was a cold nothingness, devoid of oxygen. But few things were impossible for those who wielded a lantern ring.
Surrounded by the signature green light of will, Mason was there, illuminating space. He was the only source of light in the distance.
Closing his eyes, the teen exhaled.
In a flash, everything around him got bathed in a bright emerald glow. Every construct he could imagine was there. A large robot, a feral dinosaur, even a legion of fighter jets he saw in a science fiction movie the week before.
Some were elaborate. So close to real you couldn't tell the difference apart from the green coloring. Others weren't.
But they all served their purpose. They covered the ether landscape with light, revealing the asteroid belt in front of him.
As one, they all dashed forward.
The jets fired. The robot crushed. And the dinosaur chomped. Asteroids were falling apart like a tower made of sand.
Mason wasn't far behind. And he bore a new look.
His uniform was nothing more than an instinctive construct. It bent to his imagination no different than the world itself did.
He didn't look like a superhero anymore. Or a sidekick. Now, he could've been mistaken for a soldier. Especially with that look on his face. It wasn't calm, or stoic, or happy. It was grim, with gritted teeth. He looked dangerous. And he was.
Attached to his back was more weaponry than even the second amendment would allow. From it, heavy artillery rained down on the asteroids.
Explosions shouldn't have been able to make a sound in space, yet they did.
And, as he saw the destruction first hand, Mason's face relaxed and went still.
In no time, the asteroid ridden field was no more. All that remained was dust, rock, and stone, and the glittering of gold and platinum. Already, new constructs were at work to gather the valuables.
Then Mason felt his ring vibrate. Work was calling.
"What's up, Hal?" He asked.
"Hey, Bats told me that Black Canary's going to be taking over the team's training today," he informed, "don't miss it. It's mandatory for the entire team."
"When is it?"
Hal hummed. "In about three hours."
"My time?"
"Ten a.m."
Mason sighed. He was quite a distance from Earth—let alone the Mountain—but if he pushed himself, he might make it in time.
"I'll be there," he promised.
"Good. Afterwards, we'll talk about what you did over the summer. Kilowog keeps calling to tell me you're 'a lucky poozer, who's gonna get it the next time he sees you'. Any idea what that's about?"
"None."
Hal gave a chuckle. "Just make sure you make it to the Mountain for training. I can't have Batman glaring at me through another League meeting. Jordan out."
Mason held out his hand. Every construct connected to him obeyed the silent command. They all flew back into the ring they came from, the precious metals following behind them. Then, with a snap of his fingers, the space returned to darkness.
Off in a blazing streak, Mason, like a candle, cut through the darkness on his way back to earth.
He made it back, with seconds to spare, and managed to not be the latest. That dishonor went to Superboy, though it seemed he didn't care as he stomped out of the Zeta-Beam platform. His face was stuck in a scowl as he marched forward, giving no regard to the others, not even Megan's greeting. Instant teleportation was good for a lot of things, but giving time to cool down wasn't one of them.
Mason shot a look over to Aqualad, but the Atlantean shook his head. He didn't know what caused this latest outburst of fury. It happened more often than either would like, but this seemed different. It wasn't like the incident where he crushed an arm chair while watching a movie. This was a storm to those flickers.
Scrunching their eyebrows, they both looked at Megan. She didn't notice it, though. As always, her gaze was on the man in question. But even she looked worried as she bit her lip.
They wouldn't be getting an answer from her anytime soon.
Their attention was soon taken by the arrival of their elders, though. It wasn't only Black Canary—who they expected—but also Martian Manhunter.
The super heroine cleared her throat to get their attention. "Ready for training, everyone?"
It wasn't the first time he'd seen her in person. Working with Hal introduced him to much of the heroic populace, Black Canary included. But Dinah always made him admire her. It was difficult not to.
She was beautiful. Blonde hair, blue eyes, and porcelain skin. She was the dream of millions. And the nightmare of almost as many.
Her power might've contributed to her fearsome reputation. The ability to produce sonic waves with a shout could do that, but it wasn't all because of that.
Dinah wasn't a wallflower. She wasn't someone who relied on her gifts. She trained to get to where she was. Trained to become one of the best martial artists in the world. Only two heroes could come close. Batman, a man who knew almost every martial art on Earth and could use them better than even his teachers. And Wonder Woman, an immortal Amazonian with decades of fighting experience. Only they could hope to best her.
She was perfect to teach the Team.
"Black Canary! Uncle J'onn!" Megan cried. Then she leapt at the Manhunter and encircled him in an embrace he couldn't hope to get out of.
"M'gann," The male Martian said, smiling down at her and calling her by her native name. "I was in the neighborhood so I thought I'd see how you were adjusting."
"A few bumps," she admitted as her head drooped. "But I'm learning."
"That's all I can ask," he praised, putting his hands on her shoulders.
He was a good guardian for her, Mason thought. Understanding. Kind. Gentle. He felt a little envious. And, hearing as Superboy walked away, he assumed he felt the same.
Hal told him of how Superman reacted to his recently discovered clone. It was safe to say that for now, the team was the only family he had.
Mason reached out to grab his shoulder, but as his hand landed, Superboy's head snapped toward him. His eye's, narrowed. His nostril's, flared.
The Green Lantern knew the emotional spectrum well. Green was willpower. Red equaled rage. Yellow, fear. Blue meant hope. Orange belonged to greed. And indigo was compassion. He had an intimate connection with some of them, but now he tried to channel indigo.
But, he wasn't an Indigo Lantern. He was a green one. That's why he didn't let it get to him as Superboy threw his hand off and continued walking out.
"Stick around," Black Canary called out as Superboy neared the exit. "Class is in session."
She walked to the center of the cave, to the top of the ring. It activated as it felt the pressure, lighting up every inch of the combat zone. Like almost everything in the cave, it was top-of-the-line technology. It didn't reach the levels of Oa, the Guardians' headquarters. But it was still beyond almost everything on Earth.
"I consider it an honor to be your teacher," she began. "I'll throw a lot at you. Everything I learned from my own mentors. And," she winced as she shrugged of her jacket, revealing a bandaged upper arm, "my own bruises."
"What happened?" Megan asked, her face scrunched up. If anyone on the team had the temperament to be a health professional, it would've been her.
"The job," Canary answered, unfazed. Throwing her jacket to the side, she continued. "Now, combat is about controlling conflict. Putting the battle on your terms. You should always be acting, never reacting. I'll need a sparring partner."
As soon as the words left her mouth, the fastest-kid-in-the-world offered himself. "Right here. Yeah!" he yelled out, the chunk of banana in his mouth posing no obstacle.
Aqualad next to him stared at him with a strange look, but seemed to understand when he saw Kid's gaze on the blonde's legs.
Robin looked caught in a struggle. Did he want to laugh, get a camera, or enjoy first-hand the hilarity that was to come?
Nobody stopped Wally though, as he strolled up to the woman. Confidence, whether earned or not, was blowing off him.
"After this," he said as he finished off the bite in his mouth and threw the banana away, "I'll show you my moves."
The smirk on Kid's face spread to four more: Robin's, Mason's, Black Canary's, and even Superboy's. But only one held the promise of pain, and it wasn't the boys.
A dainty fist cut through the air with a shocking amount of speed. Kid was fast enough to block it, but the sweeping leg kick that followed hit unimpeded.
Beneath the speedster's body a hologram appeared, marking his loss.
Groaning, Wally still managed to spit out, "hurts so good."
"Good block," Canary said, pulling him up. "But did anyone see what he did wrong?"
Robin was a skilled martial artist. But, Mason doubted the sudden enthusiasm to answer had roots in his expertise.
"Ooh, ooh. He hit on teacher and got served?"
"Dude!" Wally whisper-yelled from the ring.
"He allowed me to dictate the terms of-"
"Oh, please," Superboy scoffed. "With my powers, the battle's always on my terms. I'm a living weapon," he said—condescending—to her, "and this is a waste of my time."
He wasn't completely wrong. Super strength and super durability definitely helped in fights. But Mason's seen big aliens lose to small aliens all the time off Earth. Not even Superman stood undefeated. Power didn't matter in those fights, and it wouldn't matter here.
Besides, to Mason, the only power that mattered was willpower. With one little ring, 'where there's a will there's a way', gained a brand new context.
The clone didn't care though. Sure, he looked sixteen, but he was at most a few months old. Subtlety was an art lost on him. All he knew was that his strength had no match.
Unfortunately for Superboy, Dinah wasn't fresh. As Kilowog would say, she 'was no poozer'. She made a career—unpaid as it was—hitting big guys and making sure they stayed down.
"Prove it," she told him.
A tension came over the team as Superboy walked up to her. His eyes never breaking away from hers. He only stopped when he was a foot away from her.
Then, they moved into position. A mirror of each other's stance.
Superboy threw the first punch. It was heavy, and slow, and Dinah made him pay for it. She tossed him over her shoulder, crashing to the floor.
Below him was the same hologram Kid had to deal with. And, like before, Robin burst out laughing from the sidelines until Aqualad stopped him.
But, it was too late.
Superboy growled as his nails dug into his fingers.
"You're angry," Dinah noticed, "Good. But, don't react. Channel that anger into-"
She didn't continue. Superboy pounced. A fist swung at her face. She jumped over it, the picture of grace. Ducking beneath a backhanded blow, she hit Superboy with the same textbook sweep Kid got. Down the clone went.
Robin's muffled chuckles sounded out in the cave. It got masked, somewhat, by the grunts Superboy made.
"That's it," Superboy shot through his gritted teeth, slapping away Dinah's offered hand from the floor. "I'm done."
"Training is mandatory," Dinah told him as she reached out to grab him.
He knocked her hand away, again. Before they could continue, a beep echoed. In the center of the cave, a large holographic screen appeared. It was the Dark Knight.
"Batman to the cave," he announced. "Five hours ago, a new menace attacked Green Arrow and Black Canary. The attacker was capable of studying, then duplicating the powers and abilities of its opponents. Arrow called in reinforcements, which nearly proved disastrous as our foe gained more and more power with each new combatant."
The team was quiet, stunned at the thought of the situation. Kid was the only one to voice the horror with his gasp.
Mason agreed with the wordless expression. No person on Earth should have that power.
He turned to look at Dinah. He didn't think he could respect the woman beside him anymore than he already did. But, to survive and come out on top against something like that, with only an injury to her arm. Like Wally, he didn't have the words.
"In the end," Batman continued, "it took eight leaguers four hours to defeat and dismantle the android."
Robin stepped closer to the screen. "An Android? W-who made it, T.O. Morrow?"
Batman didn't smile, but they could hear the pride for his sidekick in the reply. "Good guess, Robin. But Red Tornado doesn't think so."
"The technology bears the signature of Professor Ivo," the Manhunter told them.
"Ivo?" Aqualad asked. "But Ivo's dead."
Black Canary fixed him with a look. "So we all thought… or hoped."
"To make certain this threat is permanently neutralized," Batman continued, "we're sending two trucks carrying the Android's parts to two separate STAR Lab facilities in Boston and New York for immediate evaluation."
More screens appeared in the air, outlining his plan.
"Every precaution is being taken. We'll have four additional decoy trucks to create confusion in case Ivo, or anyone, tries to recover the remains. You will split into undercover teams to safeguard the two real trucks."
"Yes! Road trip." Kid cheered.
Beside him, Superboy was less enthused. "So now we take out your trash," he accused.
"You had something better to do?" Batman asked.
One of Aqualad's devices dinged. "Coordinates received," the Atlantean reported. "On our way."
They were all heading down to the garage when Mason stopped Aqualad.
"What are you're thoughts on the mission?" the Green Lantern asked.
"It's a trap," Aqualad said. "Batman's trying to lure out whoever created the android."
Nodding, Mason gestured for him to continue. "How do you want to split us up?"
He thought for a moment. "We have an even number of team members, so we can split them between us. Each team will need a heavy hitter, so Superboy will come with me. And we should each have someone who can catch up to the cargo if we lose sight of it. So I will take Superboy and Kid Flash. You'll take Robin and Miss Martian."
"Good," Mason praised. "But Superboy's going to be a loose canon today. Did you see the way he reacted to Black Canary?"
"What do you suggest?"
"Split the teams so you have Miss Martian and Kid Flash," Mason said. "Megan's a heavy hitter in her own right and Kid Flash can fulfill your speed quota. This will give me a chance to talk to Superboy, and give Robin a chance to lead a team. What do you think?"
"That you still make a better team leader," he stated, his eyes stuck on the floor.
"Aqualad," Mason grabbed his shoulder and got him to look up, "You're doing great. Megan's coming out of her shell. Robin and Kid Flash are maturing. Superboy's… getting there. The point is, they all respect you. And they don't expect you to be perfect, so don't expect that from yourself either. You got this. Now come on, we have bad guys to catch."
"Thank you," Aqualad smiled, "my friend."
It didn't take long to find the team all seated on motorcycles, waiting for the League to finish packing the trucks.
Superboy was there, and he wasn't.
He was staring from the treeline the team was hiding behind. His focus wasn't on the Android parts that were being moved, though. It was on the man in blue, with the 'S' on his chest. The same 'S' Superboy had on his shirt.
The man didn't look at Superboy for more than a glance. But Mason knew that was more damaging for him than their training earlier.
It was fortunate they had to get moving to follow their truck, because Mason didn't think bike handles were supposed to bend that way.
Vrrooom!
Superboy's bike went off as he revved it up and sped onto the highway.
Sharing a look with Robin, Mason followed him.
"Angry?" Mason asked as he caught up to the run-away.
The only answer he got was a side-way glare.
"I understand, Superboy. Bad dad, right?"
"He's not my dad!" he growled.
"You're right," Mason nodded. "You're right. But he's family. Even a bad dad is still something. That's better than nothing."
Vrrooom!
Superboy sped up again. Though another engine firing its cylinders showed Mason wasn't far behind.
"Is that why you went to Metropolis? I saw it on the news before we left. You saved a lot of people."
"All I did was destabilize the bridge," Superboy corrected.
"Really? Because I think a school bus of kids would beg to differ."
Superboy shook his head. All he focused on was that mistake.
"Listen, I've made mistakes too."
That got his attention if Superboy's doubtful face was anything to go by.
"Yes, I know. I'm better now, of course. But when I started, it was hard. I was a lot like you, actually. Angry. Sad too."
"Why?" Superboy asked.
"I wanted power like this for a long time," Mason said, looking at his ring wistfully. "What kid doesn't want to live like we are right now? Who doesn't want to be a hero? Back then, I didn't know what it really meant. The sacrifices. The fire that shapes us. They come with a price."
"What was your price?"
Mason gave him a tight smile. "Let's just say I'm still paying."
"How'd you get over it? The anger." Superboy asked. His voice uncharacteristically soft.
"Who says I did?" Mason asked. "Look, I'm not telling you to not be angry. To not feel. You're not a weapon, Superboy. But don't let that wrath define you. You didn't leave Cadmus, you didn't fight your way out, to hate the world. You did it so you could find your place in it. Let people in."
Superboy looked calm. Ready to accept the hand Mason was offering. Then, from every direction, the truck they were following got attacked.
Mechanical monkeys with jetpacks and chittering in high-pitched tones smothered the truck. Every inch of the vehicle—windshield included—got covered. It was swerving enough to take it from one side of the road to the other.
Robin sped up from behind. His motorcycle transforming into the dream of science fiction. One wheel was on the road, but the other left to become a flying drone.
"Robot monkeys! Ha ha! Totally Ivo's tweaked style." Robin shouted to them over the wind.
"I hate monkeys," Superboy growled.
Through the comms, they could hear Aqualad report on his own truck being attacked.
"Hey, hey," Robin called out. "Switch your rides to battle mode."
Mason moved to push the button, but Superboy sped up. "No point," the clone said as he rocketed off his bike and to the truck.
It could've been an effective strategy. One on the truck while the other two attacked from the road. Too bad Superboy's wayward bike crashed into both Mason's and Robin's. It forced the two sidekicks to abandon their vehicles, lest they join the pile of crushed metal.
Mason took to the skies. Robin used his grappling gun to attach himself to the back of the truck. It wasn't according to plan, but they were making it work.
Superboy ripped apart the metal robots on top of the truck. It sent wires and sparks of electricity everywhere. And even when a horde grabbed onto him, he still wrestled himself free.
Robin provided less of a show. He hit and kicked them off of the truck, but there were no explosions, no bangs. It was to the point.
Mason, for his part, struggled. The monkeys were no less agile than their natural counterparts. And these could fly and shoot beams from their eyes. He also had to worry about hitting Superboy, who the monkeys gathered around. But the careful selection of his shots saw more than a handful of robots get hit by a green bullet.
All was going well until one monkey shot its beams directly into Superboy's eyes.
"Ahh!" He screamed as his hands went to his eyes, leaving him open for the rest of the monkeys to grab and throw him to the street.
Mason conjured a large hand as he tore apart the monkeys still on the roof. Then he slowed down to help Superboy.
It didn't look good. He was holding his arm to his eyes, but Mason could see how inflamed they were. There wasn't a centimeter of space for him to separate his eyelids. For now, he was blind.
"Superboy are you-"
Mason couldn't finish. All the wind vanished from his lungs. His side exploded in pain. The only thing he saw before he flew into the cornfields on the side of the road was Superboy swinging his arm around wildly. He didn't even have time to make a shield as his back tore into the dirt.
"That better have been an accident," Mason said to himself.
Before he could question the blind boy, though, he leaped into the air toward Robin and the truck.
Mason got up. But there was a noticeable lag in his speed as he took back to the skies.
By the time he caught up, the action was over. The truck, flipped over. Robin and the driver, on the side of the road. Superboy and the monkeys, disappearing on the horizon.
"Follow him," Robin shouted from the ground. "He ditched his comms."
And Mason did. For close to an hour.
"Have you found him yet?" Mason heard Aqualad ask in his ear.
"No," Mason admitted. "But we're heading to Gotham."
"Does Ivo have any connections to Gotham, Robin?" Aqualad asked.
"No," Robin answered. His tone confused as them. "He stayed in Ivy Town most of his life."
"Well, we're on your trail," Aqualad sighed. "Don't lose him."
"Don't plan too," Mason said, narrowing his eyes as he saw Superboy break into a train cart.
"He's boarding a train now. I'll update you when I catch him. Lantern out."
The train was easier to intercept. It moved faster than Superboy, but Mason only had to go further on the rails to catch it.
The specific cart was a quick find, too. People-shaped holes don't appear all that often.
Floating through it, the Green Lantern wasn't sure what to expect. More mechanical monkeys? Kind of. Ivo? Maybe. The finished form of the Android they guarded that took down eight members of the League? No.
But there it all was, Mason thought as Superboy's body crashed into him.
He couldn't feel anything but his side throbbing as his back crashed through the metal cart. The only thing that saved him from being turned into a human standee was the minor shield he put up when he felt the kryptonian clone's harder than steel shoulder hit his sternum.
Mason assumed that was the end. A stabbing pain in his chest, a back that needed a chiropractor, and a blistering side. Too bad it wasn't. His back crashed into concrete as he fell into a building and hit the hardwood floor of a school's gym. His momentum only stopped when he hit the bleachers.
When he heard Superboy groan, the lantern could've strangled him.
A thump sound echoed around the gym, and Mason, still in a world of pain, didn't notice until he heard the robotic voice sound out.
"Access: Black Canary."
A screech tore through the air. Superboy recoiled and squirmed. His hearing was leagues above Mason's, and even he felt like his ears were exploding.
A quick, green bullet ended the onslaught as it soared at the Android. But that began a new torture.
"Access: Superman," the machine said as the green bullet crashed harmlessly on its chest. The next second, the bot was gone.
Mason rolled over, Superboy in his clutches, and the sound of wood tearing whizzed past his air. A quick glance back saw a fist embedded in the hardwood floor.
Mason threw Superboy off of him and got up, his eyes watching every twitch and movement of the robot. But, he—it—stayed there.
For a moment, all was still. The only sound in the gym being his own heaving breaths, and Superboy struggling to get up. Then there were footsteps and clapping.
An obnoxious voice called out from the entrance. "I don't usually attend these things in person, but this was too good to miss."
It was Ivo, with two monkeys. One flanked on either side of him.
His presence was the spark that lit the room. The Android—still armed with Superman's powers—flew at Superboy. The boy of steel didn't hesitate. He met the robot's cold and precise programming with his own fiery rage. Each threw out a punch. And it was Superboy who hit the wall.
Mason was the next target. A barrage of metal fists each met with a green shield. The constructs fell apart as soon as a hit landed, but Mason didn't stay on the defense for long. As soon as the teen Lantern saw an opening, he hit it with a blast.
The Android staggered and took a step back. Then he raised his hands.
"Access: Captain Atom."
Something glowed in his palms, and Mason only had a moment to dodge it as he hit the floor.
"Access: Flash."
Before he could even turn his head, Mason felt a kick throw him across the room. The world span as he skidded off the floor until his back hit the wall.
"Normally," Ivo drawled, "Amazo would study and mimic the abilities of his opponents during battles, but you're both such poor copies of the originals."
"So everyone keeps saying," Superboy said as he got up. "That makes me angry! Wanna see me channel that anger?"
As he was about to leap at the robot, Mason grabbed his shoulder from behind. "Get Ivo," he whispered, "I'll distract the Android."
It looked like Superboy was about to throw Mason's hand off his shoulder again, but as he looked back at Mason, he gave a small nod.
"He's weakest when he's switching powers," Superboy revealed before taking off.
In a meteoric arch, Superboy soared through the air at Ivo, breaking the part of the bleachers he was standing on.
"Amazo, protect your master. Priority Alpha," Ivo ordered as he ran away from Superboy.
"Access: Martian Manhunter."
The robot's limb zipped twenty feet through the air at Superboy, cracking like a whip. It was only Mason pulling the Android back that prevented Superboy's lashing.
Another barrage of fists distorted the air, but this time, they were flesh encapsulated in green gloves with spikes on the end. Mason only landed one hit before the robot twisted his upper body around and hit him to the ground.
Amazo, free, flew at his creator, but a hand clenching his ankle stopped him.
"Access: Flash," the robot intoned.
It was the only thing proceeding the storm of fists hitting Mason's head into the floor. But his grip didn't let go. Not even as his eyes grew heavy, and the rest of his body started going limp.
"Access: Superman."
Mason felt it then. Everything around him. The blood dripping from his nose to his mouth. Coldness from the metal limb his hand was wrapped around. An ache in his stomach, a reminder that he missed breakfast and lunch. Then, beneath all that—rising to the surface—was something hot. Something that wanted out.
His eyes opened again, and he saw a fist descending, then stop.
"Access: Martian Manhunter."
Mason heard something whizz through the air and clatter away from him. He didn't focus on that, though. As his hand went through the leg of the robot to the ground—a result of phasing—he rolled away and jumped up.
A construct popped into his head, and then into reality. Not a fist, or a plane, or a gun. In the air above the gym, a green cloud appeared, darker than his usual constructs. That was followed by another. And another. All the way until he filled the gym with a dark green ceiling that sight couldn't pierce.
In a crack, a bolt of an even darker shade of green struck where the Android stood— mid-phase—and didn't let up.
"Protect me, Amazo!" Ivo yelled. His monkeys were off to the side, destroyed. And it looked like Superboy had him backed into a corner.
"Access: Superman."
The second its abilities changed, it was over. The lightning bolt construct never let up. As soon as the robot turned tangible again, the full might of the Green Lantern ring, and its wielder, struck it. Undefended. Unstoppable.
All that remained of the advanced machinery was the hand that Amazo had outstretched in Ivo's direction.
"My… Amazo," Mason heard Ivo say in horror. A quick look showed the scientist held by the collar of his shirt in Superboy's grasp.
Just then, Kid Flash burst through the doors, followed by Robin and Aqualad.
"Aw, man," Kid whined. "We missed all the action."
"Yeah," Superboy agreed as he threw the shell-shocked Ivo to the floor in front of them. "You did."