Hey everyone! Welcome to my newest story! I just wanted to give the two reasons why I am writing this. First of all, I am a college student with a Creative Writing minor, so I am always in pursuit to practice my writing. Secondly, I am rewatching the Young Justice series and thought I could write a chapter for each episode I watch.

As we face these uncertain times in quarantine, I encourage everyone to do something they love that will make them happy. I'd love to hear what you all have been doing to express your creativity and learn something new. I hope you like this story. P.S. The only character I am adding is Essence/Amara.

Chapter 1

I was born to serve the light. My life, my existence, and my power were not my own: this was the message that was drilled into my head. I was trained as a soldier, as a weapon, though my powers were meant for life and fertility rather than death and destruction. Since I was five, I am now sixteen, I have been living with my father, working for him, following his orders. I knew nothing of the outside world, knew nothing of humanity outside of Cadmus. It wasn't until one fateful night that I was offered compassion, the night I was offered a chance to decide my own fate, the night that three young heroes helped save a clone and myself from the prison we were held in.

"Essence, we need you down on sublevel 52. Project Kr has been breached." I looked up from my meditation at Dubbilex. His soulful eyes met mine as our g-gnomes glowed from our shoulders. The contrasts of our characters were strikingly different; he was a genomorph with light grey skin and telekinesis horns on his forehead. I was of human origin, with tan skin and normal brown hair that falls to my waist. Yet, our characters shared an understanding that expanded beyond our station of work.

"Is this sanctioned by Dr. Desmond?" I asked, my voice emerging soft and steady.

He nodded. "It appears that three young sidekicks have infiltrated our base and are headed for the clone. Dr. Desmond is expecting this to be contained before the Light finds out. Guardian has already been sent to deal with the subject but Desmond believes that your powers are needed as a backup in case he fails."

I rose from my meditative position, no emotion apparent on my face, yet inside my heart beat wildly from the prospect of meeting other superpowers besides myself.

"I will see that it is contained." Instead of heading towards the elevator that leads down to the level, I faced the wall and a large opening appeared where the rock was. As I walked through, the rock closed behind me, leaving me in complete darkness.

As I stepped out of the earth into the clone's cave, I assessed the situation before me. Three boys, the sidekicks, had barricaded themselves into the room. I heard loud bangs coming from the other side of the thick metal door and I knew Desmond was probably extremely frustrated that he couldn't get in.

"What are you doing here?" My voice broke the silence in the room and the three boys jumped at the sound of my voice.

"Whoah, gorgeous," the one with the yellow suit on and red hair sped forward to see me. He possessed advanced speed. "Where did you just come from?"

"I asked, what are you doing here?" My voice was strong yet internally, I was thrilled to see other people besides the g-gnomes or the facility staff.

Instead of answering my question, the tallest one with dark skin and white hair stepped forward. He pulled a hilt from behind his back that filled with water and pointed it at me. "Are you with them, with Cadmus?"

The way his piercing blue eyes looked at me gave me goosebumps. I would be lying if I said I didn't find him incredibly attractive with his cool disposition and muscular build.

"Maybe," I replied, "but you need to tell me right now what you are doing here. The others on the outside of that door will not be as patient as I am."

The smallest one with the black cape and mask stopped tuckering with his wristband. "Why don't you tell me why you have Superman's clone, basically his son, growing in a laboratory tube?"

My eyes went to Project Kr who was asleep in the tube, and the trio of g-gnomes around his head looked at me with their red eyes. I had watched project kr grow up, seen the progression of his creation, yet I did not know that he was cloned from the most powerful superhuman on the world.

"This is Superman's DNA?" I asked, my voice coming out softer than normal.

"Oh, please," the boy with the cape said, "there is no way you did not know about this."

The one in the yellow suit sped forward and wrapped his arm over my shoulder. I looked up at him in distaste since I was unaccustomed to physical touch. "Robin, leave the poor babe alone. She couldn't be with them and be this attractive. She's clearly their prisoner as well."

I flicked my wrist and the earth moved beneath the boy's feet, sending him several feet away from me to everyone's surprise.

"I am with Cadmus," I clarified, "but I am not aware of everything they do. My job is to protect the equipment and the subjects that are in this facility."

The attractive boy with dark skin stepped closer to me. "So you blindly follow their commands? Do you have any idea what you are even fighting for or protecting?"

Anger stirred inside of me at his words. "Of course I do. I protect what belongs to the Light, it has been my mission since birth and that is all I have known." Several unknown feelings hit my stomach at the words of the sidekicks. They looked at me with pity, as if my words didn't prove what I was doing here.

"Yet that is not all that is out there in the world," the dark-skinned boy lowered his sword, "to me, it sounds like you are a pawn that is being used in a fight that you know not of. Allow me to show you what is truly going on in this facility that you protect."

Before he finished, the boy with the dark cape behind him hit a few buttons on his wrist, and Project Kr opened his eyes.

"No!" I shouted, horror filling my face. I stepped back in shock as the sidekicks faced the tube. "You have just made a grave mistake."

"Please," the boy with the cape said, "he's a victim. He doesn't belong locked up in this place."

"You don't understand," I said as Project Kr flew out of the tube, launching himself at the dark-skinned boy. "Project Kr is not ready for this world."

I winced as the sidekicks tried amply to fight Kr, but with all their efforts and strength, they were no match for the enchanted strength and ability of the clone. As Project Kr launched the dark-skinned boy over to my position, I leaned down to feel for a pulse. The dark-skinned boy was thankfully still breathing, but he was unconscious from the fight.

I felt a breeze of movement and I looked up to see Project Kr suddenly inches from my face. I kept my expression straight as I matched his stare, daring him to attack me. He quickly realized my position in this fight and turned to strike the boy in the yellow suit again, throwing him through a glass tube full of samples. In a matter of minutes, the three sidekicks were all knocked unconscious and Project Kr ripped the doors open to let the team through.

"Good job, Kr," Dr. Desmond said after surveying the destruction. "I see you handled the situation well enough."

Desmond met my eyes from my place in the corner and gave a slight frown of his lips. "And I'm sure you helped him a great deal, Essence." I knew his words meant to mock me, to call me inadequate, but I refused to play his game. Standing up, I left the dark-skinned boy and headed out to the main walkway. "I'll be in my quarters if you need me. Have fun explaining this mess to the Light, Dr. Desmond."

I wished to see the look on his face after I said the words, yet I didn't turn my head back, for fear that seeing the sidekicks again would leave me feeling more confused than I already felt. For the first time in a while, I wasn't able to blindly trust that what I was doing was right. My brief exposure to the sidekicks made me realize that there are many things I don't know about the world. For once, I was seeing this battle as having two opposing sides that both believed that they were right. And for the first time, I questioned if I was on the side that was right.

First chapter done! This will be a quick/shorter story since I am just writing this for fun, but I hope you enjoy it as much as I do! Please leave a review and let me know what you are doing for fun during the quarantine.