FOUR BOYS: The Path We Seek
Chapter 10: Guidance
"In real open source, you have the right to control your own destiny."
...Mount Justice...
R looked at the atlantean as he entered his tensed expression turned to a confused one. Water smiled slightly reassuring the younger one that everything was ok between them, making the raven haired sigh in relief.
"Renegade would you mind?" Flash asked cautiously , he seemed more on guard with the small raven haired than with the others. The two left to the interrogation room. R soon found himself with his enemy, the hero he was in charge of defeating, head of the League, The Batman.
...
The silence was defeating as each assessed each other until finally the Dark Knight began…
"What is your real name?"
Silence.
"What is your age?"
Silence.
"This is not a game, Renegade." Batman said, glaring slightly.
"So because I'm the youngest you are gonna treat me like a kid, bet you didn't with the others." He said pouting which caught the Dark Knight slightly off guard.
"You should stop acting like one then." he grounded earning a glare from the other boy. "You are all too young."
"It's not like we had a choice don't you think?" R said in bitter humor.
The bat nodded ….."Renegade what is CADMUS?" He asked hoping not to fall again in the 'ice game.'
After a moment the boy talked "It is what you know, a research laboratory."
The looked at Batman hoping it would be enough, judging by the narrowing gaze, he knew it wasn't. "a secret underground facility dedicated to genetic experimentation and creation of gnomes, clones and such." He finished venemously.
The hero nodded as silence reigned once again, making R feel slightly more comfortable.
After some time Batman asked, "Is the reason you did it, because you wanted it to end?"
"Pardon?" The boy said surprised.
"Is the reason you decided to blow the Laboratories because you didn't like what they did to you?" his tone far from accusing but rather understanding which made R feel strange.
"I hoped it would stop it." R confessed.
"Stop it? You mean The Light's goal?"
The boy huffed, "No, I'm not that hopeful. I just wanted to stall further Cadmus experiments at least for a while."
"You need time." Batman concluded.
The other smirked, "Doesn't everybody?"
...
At the other side of the glass Canary stood with flash and Aquaman by her side, Superman at the far corner...
"Do you know their goal? Renegade." Batman said trying to get back on track.
"Other than defeating you and your superhero friends, I don't." the young boy answered looking at the glass, eyeing the other leaguers.
...
"Wait, can he see us?" Flash half whispered.
Black Canary narrowed her eyes, "No, but he knows we are here."
...
"Can you take a guess?" The dark night pressed.
The young boy turned to him again expression between disbelief and curiosity. 'Was the hero actually asking for his opinion on how to gain the upper hand against his masters?'
For some unknown reason he felt like complying, maybe amusement, "The Justice League is an organization made up of great superpowered heroes or mostly superpowered." He smirked, Batman ignored the jab. He continued "The Light is not happy about that, seeing as their main goal and purpose is to protect the earth from potential threats."
"Threats?"
R nodded, "You, the Justice League, are considered as threats."
At the other side Flash huffed, "Us a threat? Where could they get that idea? Its nuts."
As if reading his mind, R answered, "Think about it, you are permitted to operate with no jurisdiction by the U. N. Charter, the people love you, you kick villains butt on daily basis, and are still entitled to keep your identities a secret and posses secret hiddings, which means you have great power, respect and influence worldwide. To defeat you and accomplish The Lights purpose on protecting earth from your possible turning against earth... we were created."
Silence.
Batman looked at the boy in front, to others he may seem perfectly collected but he knew better. There was a slight hesitance or disbelief much like when you try to deceive yourself into believing something.
The motive was just too forward, a scheme to make the Light be seen as any other common enemy who enjoyed the thrill of a fight, sought revenge or just wanted money to spend, as the case with the injustice league. But the Light was different. This boys, he doubt, were created to defeat them. Judging by R's tone he doubted that as well.
"You don't believe that either." Batman stated looking at the boy which in turn looked back at him with a leveled expression, neither denying or accepting the fact.
With that Batman turned to leave. "Thank you, Renegade."
Blue eyes widened in surprise, he was left without words staring at the figure of the batman leaving the room, he could have sworn he saw the Batman's lips twitch upward into a smile, what was even more strange was how he felt as if he could put his trust on someone for the first time.
'What do you even get out of this interrogation!?' R thought frantically, this made no sense, no sense at all.
...
The walk back to the cage was as quiet as ever.
Superboy now sat on the chair as each of his teammates had done till now. The Bat entered with his usually grim expression.
Without being asked a question he began talking "I am a clone created by CADMUS, meant to replace Superman. That's all I'll say, that's all there is to know."
Batman nodded, "Who are the members of the Light?"
"I won't tell you, you are losing your time with me. I just follow orders from our creators and R because he was chosen by them." The clone answered shortly.
Batman frowned, S continued "S, L and R told you right, we are just weapons."
"Each of you is your own person with the right of following your own path." The hero stated.
"Maybe R, W, and L are… I'm just a a clone." S answered almost growling.
The dark knight seem to think things over before asking, "Do you posses every kryptonian power?"
S answered though not looking to the hero, "No, I-I can't fly, I don't have x ray vision, neither super speed.. Superman is… well Superman."
...
"Superman the kid seems to admire you." Aquaman called above his shoulder, to the far side of the room where superman rested against the wall with his arms crossed.
"The boy needs you-" Black Canary began "-NO! He needs you, all of you, I'm just a constant reminder of what he is not." Superman said leaving the room. The other sighed.
"He is still in denial." Black Canary commented.
...
"Do you want to be Superman?" Batman asked.
"I… I've always wanted to meet him, but he- he doesn't appear to like me."
"Superboy-" The hero continued.
" -No I would prefer not to. I wouldn't want to kill a hero and pretend to become one after, even if I am expected to replace Superman, I still don't want to." He admitted.
"Would you rather choose your own path as well as your teammates." Batman offered.
Superboy blanched, "Wa-ait they said that? They don't want to follow our purpose?"
"It is not your purpose if you are against it. I believe each of you has a path aside from Cadmus, aside from the Light." Batman finished.
Superboy sagged in relief, he had been so confused thinking and trying to deny his constants thoughts and rebellion against what his masters had taught them. He tried focussing on the missions and fights thinking he was the only one with the current dilema. Finding out the others had similar thoughts, that he wasn't alone, was just... Awesome.
The dark knight turned to leave but not before saying, "And Superman….. he'll come around."
Making his way down the hall with Flash, Batman and Canary he stopped dead in track when he heard a distant call and a contained scream. S moved fast running towards the cage, the heroes got into action chasing after him to contain him, just as they got to the cage he fell to the floor as Batman tackled him He did not care about it he looked forward at the small leader.
"Ren!" Renegade who clutched his head and had started hyperventilating, as W and L tried to call for the boy or call him down.
Canary and Flash looked at Batman, the other nodded. They opened the cage as they could deal with non superpowered teenagers thanks to the shackles and inhibitor collars.
3 minutes before...
L had decided some time ago that a nap would come heavenly so he did. W kept thinking on what Batman had said.
R stared at his teammates, he had started to hear a slight buzz some time ago and turned to look outside the cage. Was he going crazy? Was he just too nervous? Sure he told Lightning their masters wouldn't mind their temporary capture as long as the mission was complete, but that did not mean they would be happy about it either.
The buzz got louder increasingly so.
Thats when he heard, "CodeRen03Guidance"
*Pain*
R gasped eyes widening, as the code echoed in his mind stopping every thought and turning it into a splitting headache. He could not help but half scream and grabbed at his temple alerting L and W something was not right. Both teammates where at his side in a second as black spots filled his vision, he could only hear muffled calls along with Superboy's shout.
"REN/ RENEGADE/R!"
He tried to desperately alert his friends of what may come, managing to say "Guidan-. S-stay away."
Before everything turned black.