FOUR BOYS: The Path We Seek
Chapter 11: Contact
"I am just one human being... Mostly."
...Mount Justice...
The young raven haired looked very peaceful, with a mask in his face, IV connected to his arm, as he laid in one of the white beds in the infirmary, his breathe came out in a shallow way and a slight pained expression painted his features. The shackles where taken off from the boys by now, to much of their and the other heroes surprise it was the Bat's order. But now their thoughts were on Renegade, not on escaping as fast as they could.
"Agh why all the bad stuff keeps happening to Ren." Lighting half screamed as he paced in normal speed and grabbed his hair with his hands. They were currently outside the infirmary in the hallway, but always keeping an eye to their teammate.
Water nodded mournfully, "I agree. I believe that our master's direct influence is too much for him."
"You mean the psychic thing?" Lightning said.
"Yes. I believe it's taking a toll on his body." W confirmed.
He hesitated before he continued, "That is why... I will take R's place as leader."
L and S stared unmoving, eyes wide as they stared at the grim looking atlantean.
L was the first one to wake, the ginger huffed, "You've always wanted to lead and now this is the perfect excuse huh? Just because Ren's human and you are an atlantean, you think it would be easier on you." L accused as he jabbed a finger to the atlantean's chest.
S stopped the speedster, "Lighting at a time you wanted the position as well." He turned to W, "But, I -I agree with Water this time."
"Are you kidding me? Why are we changing our leader, it´s not our call might I refresh your memory."
"do you really think R can't handle it?" L demanded in disbelief.
"No!" Both teammates said at the same time.
Before they could continue Flash left R's room, he had finished checking the boy's vitals.
"Any idea what could have caused it?" The Flash said crossing his arms casually.
All three boys exchanged looks but other wise remained quiet. The flash raised an eyebrow looking at the other clearly pissed speedster and the grim looking atlantean and clone.
L sighed heavily as the others did not dare to talk, "In our first mission, R blew the facility-"
"-I remember that." Flash interrupted as he shivered from the memory.
"Our masters thought it was an act against them, not as a defensive protocol." L continued.
"They didn't listen…or cared for the reasons behind it. R was punished." S finished glaring at the floor.
Water took a step forward, "Ren has always gotten frequent headaches, as through the mental link our masters communicate with us. It may have taken a toll on his body summing up to what he has been dealing. The repercussions behind what the punishment entitled. We believe that is the cause."
...
After the short talk which was meant for them to calm down in favor or keeping a quiet environment for R to rest, they were allowed in the room. There was silence, the boy's seemed lost because of the many events happening so fast. L wanted to become leader. The Justice League didn't seem as a threat as much as the Light. Silence remained, being cut only by the constant beeping of the heart monitor.
Black Canary looked at the shallow atmosphere, "All we can do is wait for now, he seems to be unconscious and tired, but otherwise okay and healthy even, he is going to be fine." She said hoping to sound reassuring.
"I believe it would be best for us to stay by his side, to keep him monitored." Water stated.
"Yeah, we are not leaving Ren alone." L said defensively.
"Would you expect us to trust you with him so easily?" Superboy snarled slightly and got to the side of the unconscious boy.
The heroes seemed to think about it.
"We take shifts of 3 hours, Flash and Black Canary you stay first in case something changes, next Aquaman and the Boy Scout, wherever he is, make sure to have him here in time, I'll take the last one with Red Tornado." Batman turned to leave, heading to a dark hallway leading to the laboratory, Aquaman sighed and went to look for Superman.
...
Black Canary turned and surveyed the room, W, L, and S, had each gotten a chair and sat all around the bed, each bearing a different expression. L tapped his foot on the floor and shifted every minute looking worriedly at his leader, W watched the unconscious boy with a mixture of sadness and determination, S looked deep in thought just staring at the machine checking the vitals.
The somewhat peaceful atmosphere was broken by the Flash who clapped his hands making everybody jump slightly (except R), he smiled sheepishly "You guys hungry? I could order some pizza." He offered.
"No thank you I'm fine right now." W declined politely.
S ignored the offer and L raised his hand sheepishly "I..I will take the offer." The hero grinned he turned to leave.
"Sure thing, kid"
'Kid, he was sure that word was important to him, long before he was taken by CADMUS, somebody called him like that.. the word came with a nostalgic sense, and a pang to his heart for an unknown reason.'
He sighed and raised his view catching W's and S's bemused expression.
"What!? I AM HUNGRY." He said.
Black Canary chuckled slightly catching the other attention but before they could say anything else, the hero speedster entered with 5 slices of pizza in a plate, he handed it to Lightning and got his plate as well.
"Boys I know this is too much to take in for a day, but I want you to know that we are here to help you. What you've been thr-" Black Canary said gently.
"-Oh please, you will never be able to understand." S said, his response did not came like an angry comeback but rather a slightly pained one. "We were always kept in the dark… in the shadow of our masters." The cloned continued.
Flash and Black Canary shared a look and stared at the boys who now seemed like their age.
"…Well now that you are here with us, you can get to know each other and yourselves better. We can figure out your life before and after CADMUS." Flash said attempting to lighten the mood.
The young speedster frowned as he mumbled "Before CADMUS..."
_._._._._._
Minutes of silence flew past, The beeping sound, began to beep faster and faster alarming everybody in the room. Wasting no time the boys moved away from the bed's side and let the two heroes work. Short gasping sound filled the air as the small body tense his face giving off a painful expression.
"Whats wrong?!" L asked slightly alarmed.
"BC" Flash said, Black Canary nodded and both checked R's vitales and IV.
R suddenly relaxed and opened his eyes slightly starring at the ceiling for a second before closing them again, mumbling something.
Flash said released a breathe he didn't realize he was holding before offering an assuring smile to the younger speedster, who nodded slightly. The two hours passed with not much else to worry about, Aquaman and a grumpy Superman waited outside to take the next shift as Black Canary and Flash turned to leave. Everybody felt it, the tense heavy atmosphere that surrounded the room, consequence of Superman and Superboy in the same area.
"L, S, we should rest for a bit." There was no opposition from the ginger as he was already half-asleep, he curled himself in the chair and soon was out.
"I'd rather not. They are taking shifts to watch us, we are taking shifts to watch them and R." the clone said trying to sound as confident and serious as possible.
Water did not comment and rested his head in the bed's side trying to get some rest. After a while, Superboy still kept his arms crossed, glaring to the wall ignoring the two heroes.
"I know you are worried for your young teammate, but you have our word, we mean no harm." Aquaman said, his arms crossed.
"-Cause your word means so much to me." came the snarky reply.
Superman frowned and talked for the first time in the 15 minutes that had passed, "Hey we are trying to help you. The least you can do is respect us."
"Superman..." The king of the seas assured him, it was alright.
"-why? Because you get the hero title? please I can beat you all heroes in my sleep." The clone dared at which the older kriptonian frowned deeper.
"That's not what I saw in the last fight." Superman commented heading to the hallway, and soon the clone had stood so fast to glare at the hero's back, knocking his chair in the act and waking up the others.
"Wha-what happened? Ren? Is Ren ok?!" A dazed Lightning said trying to understand the situation.
"He is fine." Water said sighing in relief as he checked the vitals.
Aquaman turned to Superboy, "Superboy what Superman means to say is that you won't be able to help Renegade in your current condition. I know asking for your trust is too much, but rest assure, we are in the same position trying to trust you back, because we chose to believe you are lifeless weapons."
"Supey, lets chill for now." L yawned.
Superboy then picked up the chair and sat down.
"Just, let him come around the facts." Aquaman said about Superman, to which the boy nodded shortly.
The boy scout appeared after a long moment it was almost time for the next shift, Batman would have his head if he wasn't there, and the bat seemed somewhat anxious for R's condition. Not risking a stack of kriptonite, he reluctantly came back and waited, the boys that were asleep were waking up too.
"Red Tornado, do you have the results?" Batman said as he neared the table were the robot was currently checking on the vile of blood that he had managed to get from R without the others notice.
"I have…Determine some rather troublesome findings."
"Explain?" Batman frownes as the robot showed no hint of emotion, as if he was even capable of, he took a step forward to look at the results.
_._._._._._
'The waters of Nanda Parbat? Ra's Al Ghoul would not let anyone into the fountain unless he belongs to the organization or gains a mayor benefit from it.' The bat growled.
The blood cells had showed a high dose of the substance which meant the boy had indeed been exposed to the water of the Lazarus Pit
"That would explain the boy's advanced physical and healing ability."Red Tornado concluded.
"This evidence poses Ras Al Ghul as the first known member behind the Light. I would like to confirm it by myself." The bat said.
"We have a lead." Red Tornado informed.
*CRASH!*
Both heroes wasted no time heading to the infirmary where they believe the sound came from. Crossing the main chamber however they stopped as something flew passed them. L stood shakily rubbing his temple, R had tossed him threw the glass doors of the infirmary and into the main chamber. As the raven haired boy neared the area a dark mood fell, not wasting any time, Batman directed his view at the young speedster looking for an explanation, "Lightning.."
"I don't know! He just woke up and attacked me, It maybe because I was the closest one, maybe he is confused, he -he is acting strange not like R at all." He said tensely, soon the others came running, sorrounding the boy.
"Renegade stop." Water said in a commanding tone almost earning the hard kick aimed to his face. Leaving the atlantean wide eyed .
"Water." he whispered tensely and moved to kick the confused atlantean, but was stopped by Batman who threw a smoke palette to him. Soon the room filled with the smoke, coughing sound and calls for the boy.
Superboy ran to the bat and yelled , "Where is he?" as the smoke from before cleared, the 4 leaguers and three remaining boys looked around for any sign and tensed when the infamous cackle of his teammate was heard, he appeared once again walking calmly and twirling his scrims sticks and his utility belt secured in his waist.
"Where did you-" Aquaman began, surprised to see the boy had gotten his weapon back, he threw W his water bearers.
"-Find them? I'm just that good, and you are just that bad." He smirked back.
"Ren what's wrong come on dude what are you trying to do?" Lightning said as he neared his friend cautiously…
"Wal" R mumbled 'Wal? Why does it sound so familiar…' the speedster frowned.
"What is he saying?" Superboy asked as he growled and caught the boy pinning him against his chest.
"He is not in full control of his actions." The detective determined. R was mindlessly violent, disoriented, aggressive at the moment, not caring if he hurt even his teammates.
"Has he mentioned something?" Batman asked.
The others pondered...
Superboy turned to Batman, "He, he's been mumbling something, ah 'Guidance'?'"
"Guidance." L gasped he remembered the term, "that´s what that guard said at that time when R was taken right."
Batman looked back at the struggling teen in thought, "A loaded term." he suspected.
"Wha-at?" Lighting began his eyes showing hurt and fear at the same time.
R began giggling, before it turn into a full blown out laugh, "HAHAHA" halting his struggle in order to look at the Dark Knight, a smile in his face.
"You are correct detective. In fact 'Guidance' is a loaded term. Its a process designed to bring shut out every emotion or thought."
"... turning you into a mindless being; merciless, unemotionally and unfeeling." Batman finished.
R smiled delighted at the other´s conclusion, "Aren´t we weapons after all?"
"It would be best to sedate him." Red Tornado offered as the boy then began squirming again with much more force, possibly hurting himself.
"Sedate him?!" Superboy said in a mild shock, just enough to loosen the grip a tiny bit and flying to the wall behind, ruble fell from the hole he had made on the impact. Escrima sticks in hand, Renegade launched to Batman and began throwing skilled, deadly kicks, managing to connect some, as well as earning.
"Renegade what are you-" Water shouted
"Completing the mission." the boy answered gritting his teeth as he altered every word with a punch or kick.
The other three froze...
"Do you mean? Have they?"
R smirked as he turned to them, "Yes, our masters made contact."