Chapter 3
A/N: hey everyone. Glad to see y'all back. Hope y'all're enjoying the rewrite so far. I know I've gotten some protests about reworking the series, but I think in the end, it's going to be a lot better than when I initially wrote this.
Anyways, I just own the story, Emerald belongs to my friend Sil Vaturha 98, nothing else is mine.
/comms/
Telepathy/flashbacks
"Bumblebee talking."
Washington D.C. July 5 00:01EDT.
"Time runs short. You must awaken. You must awaken now!"
Pain stabbed through his skull and glowing blue eyes snapped open as Bumblebee's consciousness returned to him with the speed of a lob. The first thing he noticed was that his comrades were trapped in pods similar to the one they found the clone in, however they had metal cuffs on all their wrists, keeping them contained.
Tugging at his own limbs, he could feel the sensation of something pressing restraining his movements. Not that he was surprised, if his less dangerous friends were restrained, of course he was too.
"What do you want?!" Kid Flash exclaimed and Bumblebee followed his gaze, eyes narrowing at the clone. He was so going to kick his aft later. "Quit staring! You're creeping me out!"
"KF," Emerald spoke up, looking annoyed, "how about we not tick off the guy who can fry us with a look."
Bumblebee rolled his eyes, yeah right. He saw the clone's stats. He wasn't even a full Kryptonian, he doubted he had all their powers. And, if he did, he would've used them to fairly try to win their fight; not use the monsters like a Decepticon coward.
"We only sought to help you," Aqualad said.
"Yeah! We free you and you turn on us! How is that for—"
"KF, shut up," Emerald snapped, glaring at the speedster. "I don't think our new friend was in full control of his actions.
"Whaa…What if I wasn't?" the clone, Superboy, managed to reply.
"He can talk?!"
The Kryptonian clone glared at him, "Yes. He can."
"Not like he said it," Robin commented.
"The genomorphs taught you, telepathically," Aqualad remarked.
Superboy gave a curt nod. "They taught me many things. I can read, write. I know the names of things."
"But have you ever seen them?" Robin inquired. "Have they ever let you see the sky? Or the sun?"
"Images are implanted in my mind," he answered. "But no, I have not seen them."
"Do you know what you are?" Emerald asked. "Who you are?"
"I am Superboy, a genomorph, grown from the DNA of Superman. Created to replace him should he perish, to destroy him should he turn from the Light."
Behind his mask, 'Bee frowned. He did not like the implications of those words. "To be like Superman is a worthy aspiration. But like him you deserve a life of you own. Beyond this place."
"I live because of this place!" Superboy snarled. "It's my home!"
"Your home is a test tube," Robin reminded. "We can show you the sun."
"Dude, it's half past midnight by now," KF muttered. "But we can show you the moon."
Pulling at his restraints, the metal groaned and Bumblebee ripped himself from the wall. glass broke around him and he landed on the ground, putting his hands on his hips as he regarded the clone. He didn't like him, and he certainly didn't trust him. But, of there was a chance he could be redeemed from his past mistakes, now was it. "We can show you, introduce you, to Superman. If you prove you aren't our enemy. We can give you freedom. I doubt any of the scientists here have ever offered that." Without waiting for an answer, 'Bee went over to the controls, quickly pressing the buttons to release his comrades. The glass pulled back as the cuffs unclicked allowing the other four to land on the ground, rubbing their wrists.
"Finally, Batman would kill me if I took any longer," Robin muttered.
"Seriously, the whole League's gonna have our heads after tonight!" Kid Flash exclaimed.
"Guys, now's not the time!" Emerald snapped.
The metal doors behind them slid open and the scientists stood in the doorway looking shocked. Taking their surprise to his advantage, Kid Flash charged forwards, knocking the men and women off their feet. "What're we waiting for?!"
Following his lead, the others raced past them, down the hall. "We're still forty-two levels below ground, but if we can make the elevator we can get out of here!" Kaldur said.
Unfortunately, that plan was cut short as several of the giant gorilla-like genomorphs stomped into their path. Skidding to a stop, they looked behind them to see more of the smaller sharp-clawed ones bounding up behind them. Without a word, the five more experienced members charged forwards, weaving quickly between the massive fists of the giant monsters. However, one member of their rag-tag team, did not get the memo. The walls of the underground tunnel shook, causing dust to fall down towards them.
With wide eyes, the others whipped on their heels and stared as Superboy tossed another of the gigantic genomorphs aside, cracks forming in the cavern walls from the impact. "Superboy!" Aqualad called. "The goal is to escape! Not to bury us here!"
"YOU WANNA ESCAPE!" the clone screamed picking up another one and hurling it into its buddied.
"Yes, we do!" Bumblebee growled grabbing the clone by his collar. Yanking him off his feet, the scout caught up with the others as Emerald forced the elevator doors open to the empty shaft. Robin pulled out his grapple, shooting to a higher floor as Kid Flash and Aqualad ran onto the green platform Emerald made as Bumblebee dropped Superboy before jumping with enough force to leave cracks in the ground. The scout landed higher up, quickly climbing up the shaft.
"Superboy! You coming?!" Emerald exclaimed.
Superboy scowled, he didn't like orders, but right now it didn't look like he had much of a choice. It was these guys or back to the pod. And he did not want to go back in the pod. Nodding, he leapt from the ground, expecting to fly. However, just when it seemed like it would be fine, he started to fall.
But he didn't fall long before slamming into the glowing green platform made by the lantern. "Superman can fly. Why can't I fly?"
"Don't know, but it still looks like you can leap tall buildings in a single bound; still cool," the speedster replied.
"Guys! This'll have to be our exit!" Robin called, drawing attention to the elevator descending towards them.
Wasting little time, Emerald didn't bother to try to force the doors opened before using one of her constructs to just blast through it. And none of them wasted any time going through the newfound hole in the wall before the elevator sped past them. "Too close."
"You said it!" Kid Flash agreed as they started running again. "Where now?"
"Turn left brother."
Superboy blinked in surprise, that voice, it didn't sound like his. But…then again, maybe now wasn't the best time to question the idea of hearing voices in his head. "Go left!"
The others glanced back at him, but didn't question before following his instructions.
"Turn right."
"Right!"
Making the turn, the clone slid to a stop, his momentary elation from taking command shattered as he stared at a dead end. "Are you trying to get us caught?!" Kid Flash snarled.
"I…I don't understand."
"Don't apologize!" the Boy Wonder grinned. "This is perfect!"
They all looked at him weirdly, until he pulled the vent cover off and climbed inside. At the sight, there were a few groans of annoyance, but, albeit reluctantly, they crawled into the vents.
"At this rate we'll never get out," Kid Flash muttered.
"Well we all can't run at the speed of sound!" Emerald griped.
"Shh!" Superboy interrupted before the speedster could say something back to the redheaded girl. "Listen."
The other teens went quiet and Superboy could see the glowing eyes of the clearly nonhuman member of the group narrow. "They're behind us, three turns down. Robin?"
"Already on it."
-.-
Nemesis, 00:45EDT
Starscream tapped on his monitor looking through the Data his new allies in the Light provided. So far, it seemed relatively thorough, for a lesser race. Though, he would admit, their long-term plans seemed rather…unlikely. He highly doubted they could do everything they wanted to achieve. And the humans clearly underestimated the races they wanted to take over.
They would be crushed like the bugs they were, once they outlived their usefulness to him and the Decepticons.
Because, if any race had the right to rule the galaxy, it was the people of Cybertron. They'd been around longer than almost every single known race. They'd conquered the galaxy before and were worshiped as gods for eons. Until that coward Sentinel Prime determined that keeping control of their empire was too much work and he established that fragging caste system that caused all this in the first place.
Quiet footsteps from behind him pulled Starscream from his musing of universal domination and he turned to face Soundwave. His visor flashed and red eyes narrowed. "That signal is emanating from deep space," he noticed. "It would be a shame to waste the energon."
As usual Soundwave didn't answer, but that didn't stop the Commander from feeling something lurking on the edge of his consciousness, waiting to strike like a razor-gezri.
"Fine," Starscream yielded. "Activate the spacebridge."
-.-
Washington D.C.
"I hacked the motion sensors," Robin grinned proudly.
"Sweet."
"Still plenty of them between us and out though," Emerald reminded.
"Yeah," Kid Flash said waving her off. "But I've finally got room to move!" With that declaration, the red and yellow blur raced down the halls and through a doors, leaving a trail of genomorphs sprawled on the ground in his wake as he raced up the stairs.
"More behind us!" Robin called.
Stopping, Superboy slammed his foot against the step below him. Cracks formed in the foundation and with a second kick, he watched as the stairs collapsed with the genomorphs on it.
Finally making it to the last sublevel, Kid Flash continued ahead, watching as two massive doors slow slid closed in front of him. Picking up speed, he hoped to squeeze through and at least be able to tell the League what happened so he could get his friends help.
However, the loud clang that reverberated in his ears and pain suddenly radiating through him said he wasn't successful. Slamming to the ground, he sat up, rubbing his head as he looked at the closed doors. "Ow."
"We're cut off from the street," Aqualad said.
"Thanks, my head hadn't noticed," Kid Flash muttered. "I'm fine by the way."
The others didn't acknowledge him as they worked to try to force the doors open. Emerald's ring glowed and a thin line shot out, and he could see her trying to force a wedge into the microscopic gap between where the metal doors connected. On either side, Bumblebee, Superboy, and Aqualad were working to force the doors open.
But, before any progress could be made, they all heard the heavy stomps of the giant creatures approaching. Robin ran to the side, kicking a door next to him. "This way!"
Running inside, it proved to be the wrong way. Inside, they were surrounded. The small red horns of the gnomes began to glow, causing Aqualad, KF, and Robin to collapse to the floor, leaving Bumblebee, Emerald, and Superboy standing confused.
"Perhaps for the sake of all genomorphs our brother Superboy should make up his own mind," a familiar voice spoke in the clone's head.
And this time, he was able to connect the voice to the face of the tall horned one. "It was you?"
"Yes, brother. I set the fire that lured your new friends down to Cadmus, woke them when they were in danger…"
"And guided me," Superboy finished. "Why?"
"Because you are our hope: the Genomorph Hero. You shall blaze a trail for all our brothers, showing them the way to freedom."
Looking around, he could see it. Before, Superboy had been so focused on escaping, he hadn't noticed the look in the creatures' eyes. There was longing, pain.
"What is your choice brother?"
"I…I choose freedom," he answered.
At his words, the red glows from the horns stopped and he heard groans as the three who passed out regained consciousness. Across from them, Guardian rubbed his head, "It…it feels like fog lifting." Looking at them, a stormy look settled on the older man's face. "Go, I'll deal with Desmond."
"Oh, won't you now?" a snide voice drawled.
Like the Red Sea, the genomorphs parted to reveal Dr. Desmond, a glowing blue vial in his hand. Loose hair came from his ponytail as he looked at all of them wildly, his face almost in a feral snarl. "Project Blockbuster will give me the power to restore order to Cadmus." Removing the cork from the test tube, he dumped the contents down his throat.
And he immediately doubled over. The man screamed as his muscles began to bulge before their eyes, the pale skin tearing to reveal something grey with red marks underneath. His dark eyes somehow became darker, turning black with small red specks in the center as the skin continued to tear. A massive snarl filled the room and the beast rose to its full height.
Then it charged.
"Stand back!" Guardian ordered. However, he was just swatted aside as the monster continued its charge.
With an angry shout, Superboy leapt forwards, intending to punch the daylights out of Desmond. Instead Desmond grabbed him and threw him through the ceiling.
"Well that's one way to get out," Emerald remarked. "Think lab coat planned that?"
Beside her Bumblebee rolled his eyes, "I doubt it." He leapt through the hole in the ceiling, landing on the ground and charging forwards. His punch connected with the beast, sending him flying across the room through one of the columns.
A blur moved past him, and the thing that used to be Desmond tried to punch the ground on where Kid Flash had been just a second before, the speedster skidding to a stop on his hands and knees behind him. Rising to his full height, the monster began to turn only to get slammed back as Superboy and Bumblebee slammed their fists into its jaw. The beast stumbled, tripping over the speedster.
"Learned that one in kindergarten."
Robin leapt over him, his disks bouncing off Desmond's thick skin as he rolled back to his feet only to get hit by a giant green hammer. Cracks spread against one of the columns as he slammed against it and he looked up to see Aqualad charging at him. Leaping into the air, his tattoos began to glow and the water turned into a mace in his hand. Unfortunately, he didn't have the chance to strike as Desmond swung his arm and swatted the Atlantean out of the air. He charged forwards, trying to step on the boy when Kid Flash leapt at him. Snatching the speedster midair, he flung him into his friend, sending both boys crashing into the wall.
The monster started charging at them when Superboy tackled the beast. Rolling along the floor, Desmond got the upper hand, grabbing the clone's arm and hurling him through a column, causing the building to shake as cracks formed along the walls.
"KF! Emerald! Get over here!" Robin called.
Desmond pinned Aqualad to the wall, raising his fist when Bumblebee swung around the column and kicked him in the face. Stumbling back from the force, a fist slammed into Desmond's side and he went flying across the room through another column.
When that happened, one of the holograms on Robin's holoscreen turned red. "Got it?"
"Got it!"
"Good, distract him!"
Kid Flash ran forwards, leaping at the beast and snatching a piece of torn flesh from his face. Looking at it, he wanted to grimace, but now wasn't exactly the time. "Got your nose!" Desmond roared in anger charging after the speedster. Racing to a column, a grin split his face. "Come and get me slow poke!"
The monster raised his fists to smash him and Kid Flash rolled out of the way as Desmond charged into the column, cracks spread along it, but it didn't fall. Until Emerald flew over and hit Desmond with her hammer again.
Around the room, Superboy and Bumblebee took out two more columns, leaving just a few weak ones to support the building as Aqualad doused the floor in water. On the sidelines, Emerald continued her assault, swinging her hammer again and slamming Desmond into the center of the room. The monster didn't even have a chance to get back to its feet before Aqualad slammed his palms against the watery floor. Electricity arched over the beast, causing it to roar in pain.
"Move!" Robin shouted.
Several high pitched whines filled the room and all but the stunned creature took cover as Robin's explosives went off and the building collapsed on them.
Dust filled the air as the ground shook with the building's destruction. Large pieces of rubble falling to the ground. Several began to shift and a green light blasted into the air, pushing several of the rocks off. Emerald flew out, landing on the ground with a sigh as the others climbed out, only mildly scuffed up from the fight.
"We…did it," Aqualad panted.
"Was there…ever any doubt?" Robin replied trying to catch his breath.
"You really want me to answer that?"
Emerald rolled her eyes, punching the Cybertronian in the shoulder, "Since when did you become such a pessimist?"
"Since my dad is such and Optimus."
"…Did you really make a pun out of your dad's name?"
"I regret nothing."
"I hate you."
"No you don't."
"Touche."
Shaking his head at their bickering, KF put his hands on his hips. Looking up at the clone, then to the sky with a smile, "See, Superboy, the moon."
Looking up Superboy's eyes widened as he took in the night sky. Sure he had images in his head but…seeing it for himself, it was incredible. He never knew there were so many stars. Looking back to the glowing orb of soft silver blue light in the sky he narrowed his eyes as he saw something else. It was small, dark, like something flying in the sky, getting closer to them.
"Oh," Emerald muttered, "and Superman. Do we keep our promises or what?"
Superboy's eyes widened. This was him. This was the man he was meant to become. And he was meeting him, his hero, in person. He almost didn't notice the other heroes arrival over his own excitement.
They all watched as members of the League landed around them, and 'Bee jumped as he head a groundbridge open and the other Autobots stepped out with Batman and a few other of the non-flying members.
Silence filled the area, no doubt the adults wanting explanations, and the teens waiting to see what was going to happen. But it didn't last long as Superboy took a hesitant step towards Superman. With a breath to calm himself, he grabbed the torn piece of his suit and pulled it up to reveal the same S-shield they both shared with a hopeful smile.
What he got instead was a suspicious glare.
"Is that what I think it is?" Batman spoke up.
"He's not an it," Bumblebee growled.
"I'm Superman's clone," Superboy announced and he watched the eyes of many widen in surprise. And he didn't need superhearing to hear the whispers.
"Start talking."
-.-
Superboy crossed his arms as they waited for the adults to end their deliberation. This…this wasn't what he expected. Sure he figured that Superman might be shocked by having a clone—who wouldn't? But still, he expected something from the Man of Steel. And so far, he had nothing. Glancing over in his direction, he averted his eyes as he felt the red gaze of Martian Manhunter on him. Tentatively, he looked back to see Manhunter and Wonder Woman talking to him, and when Superman looked in his direction, he ripped his gaze away again.
It was only when he heard approaching footsteps did he dare to look up. "Well…uh…We'll figure something out for you—the League will, I mean," he said. "For now…I better see that they get that Blockbuster creature squared away." Without another word, Superman flew away, leaving Superboy disheartened. Superman, his hero…he didn't want anything to do with him, did he?
"Cadmus will be investigated, all fifty-two levels," a stern voice scolded, dragging their attention to Batman as the Dark Knight approached with several of the other mentors. "But lets make one thing clear—"
"You should've called!" Flash interjected with a glare.
"And, results aside, we are not happy," Batman continued. "You hacked Justice League systems, disobeyed direct orders, and endangered lives. You will not be doing this again."
"I'm sorry," Aqualad spoke up, "but we will."
"Aqualad, stand down," Aquaman ordered.
"Why?" Emerald interjected. "Maybe because you're not seeing what we did? We did good work here tonight; the work you trained us for."
"Yes," Aqualad nodded in assent, "Emerald is right. Together on our own we forged something powerful, important."
"If this is about your treatment at the hall, the five of you—"
"Six," Kid Flash interrupted his mentor. "And it's not."
"Batman we're ready to use what you've taught us. Or why teach us at all?" Robin added.
"Why let them tell us what to do?!" Superboy growled. "It's simple, get on board, or get out of the way."
The teens leveled their glares at the adults, waiting for their response. "I will think about it and let you know in a few days," Batman answered.
"Seriously?" Bumblebee said crossing his arms. "You'll think about it? No," stepping up to Batman, the teen poked him in the chest his glowing cyan eyes blazing with fury, "We're not asking, we're telling you how it's going to be from now on. We're done being sidekicks. After all, you're the one who thinks we need to learn how to work as a team. So…you don't really have a choice. Like Superboy said, you're either on board, or you're in our way. I recommend you figure out which it is." Without waiting for his answer, 'Bee shouldered his way past Batman and the other mentors, who stared at him with looks of shock.
