It's 2020... Cool. Oh and I don't mean to be rude here since this is my first fic in a long time but... WHAT THE HELL. Arianna Le Fay, thanks for the review but to that Guest? Dude, whatever the hell that was there's no way I am reading through a long wall of text. I like reviews thank you very much, not spammers or something to waste my time. You're lucky I can easily remove anonymous reviews.

Chapter 1- Questions and Answers

I couldn't help but feel that I was being watched. There shouldn't be anyone out here. Only a madman would have the balls to come out in the dead of night in the suburbs of Gotham, then again I am here.

"Just calm down... you're just being paranoid," I said to myself. Not wanting to overexert myself, I sat down on the connecting beam to cool off. I've made sure for years that no one frequents here. Unless...

'Well there are a lot of places I still haven't been to yet,' I thought. I feel really stupid now. "Ugh... guess it's time to call it quits," I groan as I get up on my feet. Better now than later. Walking to where my discarded belongings are, I take my phone from out of my pocket and check for any missed texts or phone calls.

Tara's the only one to contact me on a regular basis, but I ignore her most of the time since she's always freaking over every single Nightwing sighting on the tv or the net. God that girl needs a new hobby. Which of course doesn't involve stalking a teenage hero. There were several missed phone calls from-

"Wilson!? Shit, I forgot!" I curse as I fumble around through my contacts. "Tomorrow's my appointment. I was supposed to call in an hour ago to confirm I'm still going." Dr. Wilson is my psychologist. He's been helping with my memory problems since Tara recommended him to me. I have no idea where or how she found him, but it's been a bit of help.

Least I know my name really is Lena. Other than that, there's still not much I can remember beyond that. If only his only good eye didn't freak me out so much then I wouldn't have so much trouble trying to maintain eye contact. "I hope I get my memories back soon..." RING! RING! God, I really need to change the ringtone of my iPhone to something that doesn't sound like that damn telephone my neighbor has. I stare at the screen for a moment.

'Unknown number... great,' I mentally groan before I tap on the green icon. "Hello? Who is this?"

"Took me a while to find you."

I slightly pull my phone away. 'Who the hell is this?' I thought before I put it on speaker so I wouldn't have to hear a creepy old man's voice that close to my ear. Almost sounds like that Jigsaw killer from the old Saw movies.

"For someone with an unstable mind, you're pretty good. But of course, that's not why I've called."

Answering might have been a mistake on my part.

"I noticed something odd about you since I found you last month... Memory problems, I presume?"

My eyes widen for a moment then narrowed. Okay, this isn't just a mistake. This is a HUGE mistake. "Ah, I see I've got your attention." I can practically hear him smile with the way he spoke.

"For four years everyone thought you were dead. Four years I was forced into searching for you by your dear daddy. Now that I found you? You're just as broken as ever. Your marbles are back in place, but still broken."

I tightly grip my phone then held it close to my mouth. "Tell me who you are psycho before I call the police!" I yell, earning a laugh from the man.

"The police? You've watched enough tv to know that won't help. Surprised you haven't mentioned the Justice League."

I scoff at the mention of them, "Those guys? I doubt they'll answer to the desperate cries of a girl about a stalker." I pause then realize what I just said. I can't believe I just insulted the greatest heroes, people, and aliens, that I don't even know in person. 'Wait? Aliens-' I lightly slap myself on the forehead. 'I'm doing it again...' Another random bit of info.

"You want answers, I know you do."

"So, what's in it for me?" I question, still skeptical about if this guy actually knows who I am. "There's no way you'd want to give something so sensitive away that freely"

He lets out a laugh, a deep, throaty laugh. I would have hung up on the spot if it wasn't for the fact that he has potential information of who I am.

"Looks like you've maintained your street smarts. Good, good..." he said, sounding very amused.

"Tell me now or I'm hanging up," I bite out, practically snarling. "I've wasted enough of my precious time and oxygen on you. If you really know something about me then talk."

"Like father like daughter, always making everything a business deal," he mused, further pissing me off. Thank god he gave in. "Fine, there is something. And I'm sure only you can do it. Are you familiar with Happy Harbor?"

"Rhode Island, are you nuts?!" I yell, nearly dropping my phone from shock. "Thanks but no thanks. There's no way I'm going there! Look whoever you are, there's no deal. I may want to know who I was four years ago but I'm not desperate enough to spend my life savings by traveling across the country."

I hang up before the prick even has the chance to say anything. I let out a long exasperated sigh as I press my phone against my forehead. Answering was definitely not a good idea. Actually, having a full conversation with the man was the worse. Why on earth did I allow him to drag me into one in the first place? That conversation was bad, to begin with. Even if he might have known who I was, no way am I going to risk my life just for that.

Nightwing blended in well with the darkness. After years of experience, he's gotten used to hiding in the shadows, though not many of his friends are happy about it each time he would randomly disappear. They've gotten used to it by now - albeit forced - but they prefer it if he didn't silently leave them. 'Heh, as if,' he smirks at the thought before leaping off another ledge. His feet noiselessly hit the cement floor.

"Rhode Island, are you nuts!?" a voice echoes. '

'Wait... I know that voice,' Nightwings thought, his eyes widen after recognizing the voice. He silently walks closely with one of the stacked crates and briefly stops when he spots a moving shadow. Once close enough, he presses his back against the metal wall. Nightwing turns on the voice recognition on his suits and listens in.

"Thanks but no thanks. There's no way I'm going there! Look whoever you are, there's no deal. I may want to know who I was four years ago but I'm not desperate enough to spend my life savings by traveling across the country."

By the time he gained the nerve to peek around the corner, the person had already hung up. It was a girl. Looked about his age, or could be younger. Either way, a teenager like her shouldn't be all the way out here. Then again the same goes for him, but he as a good excuse. Civilians? Now that's a different story.

'Looks like something worth investigating,' he thought as he slowly steps away from his hiding spot. With her back turned, Nightwing knew sneaking up on her wouldn't be a problem so long as she doesn't think of turning. She moves but only to tie her hair, and that's what gets him to stop. Although it was faint, it was enough for him to tell it ran along her spine. Almost exactly like the person Nightwing had lost. 'It can't be her... Lena died in the explosion.' He hesitates to get closer. 'She did, right?"

Nobody was found in the fire, and because of that, he doubted for the first few months that she was gone. Only after a long talk with his teammates (plus a few sessions with Black Canary) did he finally accept her death.

"What the hell have I done...?" the girl groans as she crouches down. "Note to self... stop accepting calls from unknown numbers..." Now that he's closer, there was finally a match. A name finally popped up in the lens of his mask. His heart almost stopped at the result. "No... it can't be..." He could barely control his breathing.

After gathering all of my belongings and fixing my hair, it was time I get back home. Or prison is more like it. I don't really have much on me; extra batman-themed hoodie, unread chemistry textbook, two completely filled sketchbooks, and a flashlight. School hasn't done me any good so far, and there's no way I'm going to ruin my bag by bringing every single needed book for today's classes. Which consists of only three, utterly useless, subjects.

'I mean, when exactly are we going to use chemistry in our every day lives?' I smirk at the thought as I put my arm through the strap.

I pause for a moment. I don't know why, but it feels like someone is watching me. I whip around, hoping to catch at least a short glimpse of the who or what was spying on me before they hide. Nothing. I roll my eyes as I mentally groan, 'You really need to stop scaring yourself Lena. No one here in Gotham would take an interest in an average human like me.' I thought it over with that last part. 'Well, except your average street perverts.'

With that thought in mind, I mentally and physically prepare myself for my long, grueling walk back home. I swear, it's like the child service agents are being bribed each time one of us has the bulls to report our 'precious' mother to them. 'And the fact I've gotten used to calling that bitch, mother, makes me want to vomit.' I grimace at the thought. The last time I had openly called her mother was when someone came over for a quick inspection. All four of us were given two-hundred bucks to behave for the whole week. The fact that we were also bribed into keeping quiet makes me sick. But as much as I hate the idea, I had no other choice but to accept. No matter how disgusting it felt to both take the money and- well, you know what I mean There's no way I'll think of her that way.

Ignoring the feeling from earlier, I turn back to the direction of the secret exit and make my silent leave. Once I knew I was completely alone, I dove straight into the darkness and quietly run out of the building. Hopefully, I was alone, or else I'd have a stalker on my tail. And I do not want to have that said person know where I live. Pulling on my head to further conceal my identity, I rush over to the nearest shipping container and hid on the other side. I stop and completely press my back against its metal walls. I need to know if I'm truly alone. I close my eyes and wait.

At first, there was silence, then came the whistling of the wind; and with it, the brief sounds of clanging metal, droplets of water falling into a small puddle every three seconds, and finally, the familiar buzzing sound leaked electricity from the circuit breaker I messed with a few weeks ago. Might have raised some suspicion, but it was for the best. It was my only way to get rid of the security cameras. Then again, I doubt the men that were hired to watch this place at night even bother to look at any of his monitors. I still wouldn't be hanging out here, three years later, if the bastards were actually doing their jobs. There was nothing at first, and just when I was just being paranoid, there it was. The exact sound I was waiting for.

It was faint, but I could hear the sound of two feet carefully walking on top of a metal surface. Exactly right on top of the container, I was leaning against. I take a deep breath to calm my now rapidly beating heart. This guy is good. He's careful with his movements, shifting his weight to one side each time so that his footsteps were light enough to avoid any unnecessary noise. Too bad for him, this container is so rusted that no matter how careful you are, it will still make that annoying creaking sound. And yes, I have to assume it's a guy. For some damn reason, it's always the opposite sex that stalks the other, hired or not. Don't know how or why that ideology is still present in this day and age, but it seriously has to stop.

Instead of speaking up as some idiot characters do in comic books and TV shows, I did the exact opposite. Trick him into thinking that I hadn't noticed him. I carefully leave my current position and, as casual as possible, step out into the light.

"Keep calm Lena... you've been mentally training yourself for this," I told myself as I carefully pace my steps. Then I realized how stupid that sounded. 'Okay, maybe not exactly THIS, but close enough.'

I stop in my tracks to take out my phone, pretending that someone had sent me a text. Judging from the different sound in footsteps, the guy must be thinking he has me now to have the balls to start walking on the same ground level.

'Oh he is sooooo gonna get it..!' I smirk at the thought. Just when I knew he was within reach, my phone started to ring. "Damn it!" I curse as fumble with the small electronic. Reading the caller ID, I roll my eyes and reluctantly answer. No use in ignoring her calls. 'Either she wants me to buy her medicine or she's pissed to see I'm not home yet...' With that thought, I begrudgingly answer the phone.

"Heeeeeey there Ms. Bitsch," I said, intentionally failing to hide my lack of enthusiasm. I pull away for a moment before she yells, "DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH TROUBLE YOU'VE PUT ME THROUGH!?"

Yep, definitely right on that second option. She must have been through some pretty deep shit for her to speak normally and not the usual slurred speech. I struggle to keep myself from laughing as I ask, "Something wrong?"

"Something wrong?" she angrily repeats. "Ha! Don't think it's just that you little whore-" Oh great, the woman still remembers her not so creative nickname for me. "You KNEW. YOU KNEW what today was!"

That's the reason why I stayed out late, again. Why I'm intentionally failing school. I heard her that one time over the phone. If one of the kids she's taking care of earns a scholarship, she'll receive child support from the government. Despite how shitty education is at school, I'm smart enough to know how to not get a perfect score. As I said, school hasn't done me any good.

"You better get back here or-" I interrupt her after getting bored of listening to her voice. "Yeah, yeah! Get back or else you'll kick me out," I answer back with another eye roll. "But, like you, I have several things to do. Well except you have more productive stuff on your list-" I stuck my fingers out one by one as I recount. "Drug dealing, being some socialite's wench- Oh the list goes on!"

I'm basically digging my own grave if I continue, but I'm almost 16 so I don't have to worry about living in that shit hole any longer. I pretend to be distracted as I quickly answer over her, "Gotta go! Busy avoiding asses to kiss, thugs to beat up, buildings to scale- You know, the good stuff in Bludhaven."

I hang up before she could answer back. I smile down at the misspelled name; Bitch. Not too far from Bitsch, just had the 'S' removed. I turn my body to the side and saw that I was alone. Or, for now at least. Whoever that person was, they're gone.

I let out a relieved breath and thought, 'Thank god... I don't think I want to confront the guy. Not after that long workout.'

"Nightwing... B-Zero-One."

After exiting the Zeta-tube and entering the mission chamber, Nightwing was relieved to see that he was alone. For now. Any moment now, Wally will come in, mainly because he cut off their conversation on the phone after his friend figured out where he was. That would cause anyone to be concerned. "Will you just quit it Connor!?" he hears M'gann yell.

"So much for peace and quiet..." the boy mutters with a tired smile.

"No, I won't quit it! You've been abusing it for a while now and it has to stop!"

Nightwing had no clue what their argument was about this time, but he knew Connor could hear him, so there must be a reason why they haven't stopped their argument. He must want his friend to hear this while M'gann was too preoccupied to notice. Weird considering she's a telepath. Without saying anything, Nightwing leans against the wall with his arms crossed and observes.

"It's part of my powers, Connor, so of course I have to use it. Are you TELLING me to suppress another?" she angrily asks.

"What? No! Of course not!"

Nightwing knew he had to have his presence known, especially to M'gann. He lets out a loud cough and properly enters the mission room. Surprised at his presence, the martian steps back and turns away while Connor stares at him intently. They've been fighting for a while now, and it has to stop.

"Look I don't know what's going on between you two but this has to stop," he said, individually glaring at them. "Your behavior has been affecting your performance in the field and the entire team. If you don't talk it over soon, then I won't have any other choice but to keep you both out of the field."

"But Nightwing-" M'gann tries to protest, but one look from the boy forced her to withdraw and bow her head. Despite being younger, nobody had ever won an argument against him "I'm going to see how Gar's doing," she excuses herself before flying away.

Once she was out of earshot, Nightwing crosses his arms and asks, "What's been going on with you two, anyway?"

"Nothing," he answers briefly, earning a cocked brow from his friend. Sighing, Connor changes the subject. "What about you? Heard you zeta tubed out of here earlier. Something came up or Batman?"

Nightwing found it amusing how everyone had gotten used to Batman being a separate business from his usual. He shakes his head and pats his friend's shoulder before walking past him. "Just patrol around Gotham. Nothing happened so I decided to come back early."

But Connor knew better than to believe his excuse. It wasn't a secret to anyone present that night, Nightwing had never fully recovered from the shock. That girl, despite the damage she's caused, was someone even he wanted to help. For other reasons of course. While others keep bugging him in trying to move on, Conner thought otherwise. In fact, he encourages it. That's why he didn't stop him when he heard him use the Zeta Tube last night. He needs to be the one to bring himself closure. Having others keep reminding Nightwing that she's gone was not helping.

Instead of prying into his business like everyone else, Conner just let him go and leaves for his quarters. Connor himself needs to cool off his head. Or at least that's what Nightwing had originally intended to do. He couldn't stop thinking about the girl. The identity may have been confirmed, but he wanted to see for himself before making assumptions about who she is. Computers always make mistakes, right?

'But this is my tech, it's never not worked on anything or anyone,' Nightwing reasons with himself. 'The only way it could make a mistake like that is if she's...' He stops dead in his tracks and slightly turns his body in the direction he came from.

"Project Cadmus..." he mutters as his eyes narrow at the memory of that place.

Although that's where they met Conner, something told him back then that it won't be the last time he'll hear it again. The idea that the girl he met might be a clone made him sick. It was bad enough that her father treated her like some accessory, but to go that far? For someone to easily replace their child with another without a second thought made him wonder why they'd even have one in the first place. Already making up his mind, he changed direction and decides to use the zeta tube. There was someone he needs to see, to confirm if his suspicions were right.

But first, he needs to bring along a few friends that could help. And since one of them is here, then it wouldn't take long. The only thing is getting them all to agree is the an issue.

Downtown Gotham
23:04 pm

After making sure I wasn't being followed, I quickly run up the porch steps and dug in my jacket for the keys. My foster mom should be drunk enough by now to send herself into a stupor. Once I found the small metal key, I shove it into the keyhole, twist and practically ran inside before closing it. I press my back against the wood as I lock it without looking.

Buzzzz... buzzz... It was my phone. 'Great, what now?' I mentally groan as I rummage for my phone and check the screen. Instead of that number from earlier, it was Tara. I let out a relieved breath. 'Thank god it's someone I know...' I quickly answer before my phone could hit the fifth buzz. "Hey, Tara, what's up?"

"Lena! Shit, you've had me worried!"

"Language," I said playfully.

"Yes mom..." she answers back sarcastically, obviously rolling her eyes. "I've been getting calls from your foster mom for HOURS."

'Great to know Gertrude is still on my ass...!' I frown at this as I answer, "Listen, I'm just going out for a run. I'm already home and about to shower in a few minutes so you can just chill." I stop for a moment then realized something. "Wait... what are you doing on the cell? Wasn't yours confiscated by your foster parent?"

I could hear her frown when she spoke, "Yeah well, when you've lived on the streets for so long then you pick up a few skills. And I'm sure as hell not gonna let someone boss me around after years of being my own boss."

This was the first. Tara's never been one to speak like this before. Almost out of character. And she seemed to realize it too.

"Uh- I mean! Pfft! It's fine! Not like the drunk ever notices. Besides, I think I'll be leaving soon."

"What do you mean?"

"A guy just dropped by and said he wants to adopt me! Don't know if that's how it works but- Hey! As long as it gets me out of this hell hole, then I'll take it."

And adoption means she's leaving. I'm happy for her but... "Guess we won't be hanging out this summer as planned?"

"Yeah... oh god I just realized it too. Sorry Lena, I know I promised-"

"Don't worry," I interject. I bring my free arm to hug myself as I stare at my feet with sad eyes. "Look, we both knew that you'd be the first one out. I'm too old to be adopted. Actually, I'm close to leaving for my own place too. Soon we'll be home free, away from foster homes and be able to live life as we please."

"Lena..." Tara mutters.

"Just worry about yourself for now." I pause when I hear something crash from upstairs. "Oh no... Listen, Tara, I gotta go! Seems like someone just woke up..." I growl at the last part before hanging up.

After shoving my phone back in my pocket, I gasp when I hear something break upstairs. There's no way she's going to do it tonight, was what I thought before I heard another crash. My instincts came first before my sense of reason and found myself dropping my back and running to the second floor. Adrenaline pumped through my legs as I drop my bag and rush to his room. My adoptive brother's to be exact. Skidding to a stop and practically tripping, my eyes shot wide open as I stare down at the sight. Curled up in a ball was Jericho, and right in front of him, holding a large empty bottle, was Ms. Bitsch.

The second I saw a trickle of blood run down the side of his head, I snapped. "Get away from him!" I bellow as I run toward the middle-aged woman. Making a fist, I grab the nearest blunt object I could get my hands before bashing the back of her head. I didn't hit hard enough to kill or injure her 'pretty' huge head, just enough to knock her out. When I saw her lean forward, I grab her by her shirt and forcefully pull her so that she ended up on his bed. Seeing that she wasn't going to wake up, I immediately when to check on Jericho.

"Are you okay? Where else did she hurt you?" I frantically ask as I brush my fingers through his blonde locks to check for where he was hit. I eventually found the spot. It was partially swollen, but the cut wasn't deep. Jericho takes my hand and gently holds them away. He shakes his head and gives me a look, silently telling me that he was alright. Although I felt relieved, I knew this was all my fault. I look at him apologetically as I fought back the tears. "I'm sorry Jericho... I shouldn't have stayed out so late. I didn't think she'd actually do something to you."

He takes my hand and pushes it away. He gives me a look that told me he was fine, accompanied by a forced smile. This doesn't sit well with me as I can see some blood was starting to appear in his blonde locks. I take a look back at our foster mom to see if she was coming to. When I saw that she wasn't, I decided it was time to report this to the police. As bad as it is to use Jericho's injuries as evidence, this is the only chance I have to get this woman behind bars. Grabbing Jericho, I drag him out of the room as I brought out my phone again so I could dial 911.

But then I stopped myself from pressing the call. My reason for why I never called when I was the receiving end of her outbursts? There's a chance we might end up in separate homes once the police arrest her for child abuse. Based on the rules of the agency that handles and manages the foster families, once a foster child hits 17 years of age, they're free to leave. My birthday's in two days. Tara is getting adopted, which leaves Jericho. Not only is he seven, but he's also mute. It's not a birth defect. Apparently, he was in an accident that destroyed his vocal cords.

I don't know if his parents were involved in the accident, but because of what happened, Jericho has trouble speaking. Because of that, he's had trouble dealing with Ms. Bitsch by himself.

'You're going to regret it...' my conscious spoke as I begrudgingly shove my phone back in my pocket. I know I'm going to regret it because I know the second she wakes up, it's going to be hell for both of us.

As we jog down the stairs, I bend forward to pick up my backpack only for Jericho to stop me. I look over my shoulders with a cocked brow. He was quaking, his lips trembling as he stares down at the ground with bloodshot eyes. This wasn't the first time we've run out of the house while she cools down. This is, however, the first I've knocked her lights out.

Knowing what he was thinking, I told him calmly, "You don't have to worry about Bitsch. Hopefully, she'll be awake after we get on the bus tomorrow for school. Knowing her and the concussion I gave her, she'll most likely forget what happened."

He smiles at my attempt to lighten the mood. After I got him ready and had my bag properly slung over my shoulders, we silently walked out into the night. Going out in Gotham is fine, but for it to be at night is like asking to be robbed. As I lock the door, I could feel how nervous Jericho was just by how tense his shoulders are.

"Want a piggyback?" I offer, earning an eager nod from the boy. I crouch and wait until I felt Jericho's weight on my back and arms around my shoulders.

Once I had a good grasp of his legs, I hoist him up as I stood. A nice stroll around the block might help clear his head. 'And mine...' my thoughts add as I quietly move away from the house.

Washington, D.C.

March 24, 2014 6:00 am

"Thanks for coming guys," Nightwing said as they all exit the zeta tube. "I know it's hard to believe after the way I've been acting, but I appreciate you taking your time to do this with me. I really need your help with this."

"No need to thank us. We said we'd help you if the situation is related to Lena," Aqualad said, earning an appreciative smile from the masked boy.

Kid Flash placed a firm hand on his friend's shoulder. "I still believe she died in that explosion, but I know you've never been one to lie about stuff like this. If Lena was cloned," he paused to briefly glare at the now restored building. "Then this includes all of us."

"He's right," Superboy spoke up. He walks closer to the direction of the laboratory and remarks, "I don't like the idea of these guys still producing more clones. Lex already cloned me in hopes of controlling the next Superman. I don't know what he's done to her, but I doubt she's just an exact copy if she's been kept hidden for this long."

This wasn't personal just for Nightwing, Conner has mixed feelings towards project Cadmus. He never thought the day would come where he'd come back to the place he was born and held captive. But today changes everything. Plus, deep down, he sometimes saw Lena as a sister. Not because Luthor is part of his genetic template. It was because there were some similarities between them, such as their morals. Well, some times. The idea that Lex Luthor casually created a clone - his own daughter - made him sick. With their resolve in mind, all four approached the building.

To say they were greeted while adorning their hero attire was an understatement. Several scientists passed by, none of them even acknowledge their presence. Kid runs up to one of the working scientists and quickly waves his hand in front of her face. Nothing. He looks over at his friends and shrugs, unsure what's going on. Suspicious, Superboy tries to grab the security guard when he spots one walking in their direction. All he caught was nothing but air as his hand goes through the shoulder.

"What the-" He looks over at Nightwing to see he was already typing through a holographic monitor on his arm. With one last tap, the area around them changed.

"Uh... Nightwing? You sure you input the right location before we zeta tubed here?" Kid asks as he cautiously backs away from the frozen, distorted hologram. In an instant, all holograms disappeared, rendering the entire building empty.

"Oh, he did~" a playful voice echoed in their heads. Out of nowhere a little girl dressed in a black and white suit. She adjusts her clover hair clip and places a hand on her hip. "I just made sure you all got to the correct coordinates. I needed to talk with you before you go confront the people who're playing god."

"And, you are?" Aqualad asks, slowly reaching for his Water-Bearers.

"Ace of clubs!" She snaps her fingers and the building transforms into a construction site. "But you can call me Ace."

"What is it that you want?"

"Woah there!" Another snap of her fingers causes his weapons to seemingly turn into jelly. "Now before you go all hero on me, hear me out." She holds up three fingers. "I'm on a time limit here so I can only answer three questions. You see, I'm not supposed to be here, but this is my only way to repay her."

Nightwing steps forward with a deep glare. "Repay who?"

"Ah ah ah!" Ace playfully waves her finger. "Three questions, remember? So you better pick your questions veeeery carefully."

Gotham North High school
12:00 pm

"Alright class, pencils down!" Everyone lets out a relieved, exhausted groan once the bell rang.

"Saved by the bell..." I hear Marissa sigh in relief as she stretches her arms. I simply laugh as I put away my pencil in the side pocket of my backpack. She sneers at my lack of concern, "Of course, miss perfect doesn't share the same struggles us regular students go through."

I scoff at her usual complaints, "Look, it's not my fault I paid attention to her lectures." I pull my backpack on and stood from my desk. "Next time, pay more attention to your textbooks instead of your phone."

And with that, I was out of the classroom. I didn't feel like eating lunch, so I did the next best thing, leave campus and skip the rest of the day. I would stay just to avoid going home, but I need to clear my head. Studying won't help me forget what happened last night. And there's the fact I won't be able to finish school once I leave my foster home. I'd have to start working, and there's no way I'd be able to study and work at the same time. While sneaking by the school gym, I noticed something off about my surroundings. I stop when I saw the cheerleaders in the field.

They were doing their routine, as usual, then out of nowhere two cheerleaders switched places while in a pyramid stack. I rub my eyes to see if I was seeing things. As if some unknown force noticed my confusion, the girls were back in the previous positions. Narrowing my eyes, I watch them a bit longer as they individually tumble down to the ground row at a time. Nothing. Though it's like I'm gonna easily forget what just happened. Slowly backing away, I kept my eye on the group until I was in the parking lot. Seeing nothing else has happened to me or the environment, I turn and casually started to whistle.

"Get off my back, man!" I heard someone angrily yell. I follow the voice and found myself looking down the short slope as a bunch of school jocks surround a classmate of mine; one of the jocks being a neighbor of mine.

"Can't do that, Mcginnis," Terrance said while his buddies chuckle. "You know the rules, one lose means one hour of beating. Doesn't matter if you're the star of our team, can't bend the rules for everybody." Terrance grabs the collar of the teen's shirt to lift him above their heads. "So don't take this personally."

Ok, that's where I draw the line. I spot a nearby rock and picked it up. Not the best item to use, but at least it'll draw their attention long enough to allow their teammate to escape.

'And give then a nice concussion,' I deviously thought before I shout, "Hey Terrance!" Just as the meatheads were about turn, I drew my arm back and threw it with all my might.

When I saw it flying, I run for it before seeing if I hit anyone. There's no way in hell I'd wait for them to get the jump on me the second the rock bashes against someone's head. I may be fast, but these guys are trained and built to run long distances and tackle a moving opponent. Meaning me. I ran past two random boys, but I chose to ignore them and continued to run. I ran about a few meters from the school. It's surprising how easy it was. Once I saw I was a few meters from the campus, I slowed myself into a proper walking pace. But just to make sure, I close my eyes and listen for any footsteps following my exact pace.

There's a lot of people in Gotham, but I was still able to learn another neat trick. You can tell if a person's following you if you pay close attention. Every single footstep was random, which is something I'd rather prefer stays that way. I open my eyes and stuffed my hands in my pockets. There's not much to do in the main city of Gotham, but it's the best I can do for now to pass the time. At a certain point, people seemed to become non-existent. Which is weird because Gotham is busy almost all the time. Especially when it's not dark. As I was walking, I heard some footsteps following me from behind. I stopped and listened. They stopped too.

'Is it the same person?' I worriedly thought as I fought back the urge to turn my head. With a steady breath, I resumed walking. 'Calm down... just keep going. Maybe they're not stupid enough to take you in brought daylight.'

I was hoping that was the case as I turn to cross the crosswalk. I'm barely a few feet into the city, it's crazy to think something like this could happen this soon. And this is Gotham for crying out loud! The longer I walked, the closer the person was getting. This prompted me to speed up.

Gotham North High school
12:30 am

"This the place?" Wally asks after stepping off of Dick's motorcycle.

He nods and briefly points to the building. "She's been attending for about almost three years now. One in the middle school branch." Dick continues to explain as they get closer to the campus. "From the limited intel we got from Ace, she's only being monitored whenever she's attending her classes; almost every student is a guard. It just so happens today that most of the guards in her class specifically were given the day off and replaced by actors."

Wally looks around the area with wary eyes. "Hard to believe they've been able to fool her for this long. I know she's nuts but-" He stopped himself when he caught Dick giving him a look.

"ANYWAY! How are we going to get her out if she's surrounded?"

"Ace told us that as long as we wear her marker then she'd be able to blend us in," Dick said, referring to the clubs pin attached to the front of their jackets.

"Right..." Wally looks around with wary eyes. "But how can we be sure if it's working as it should?"

That was something even Dick hadn't considered. When he learned that she was so close to Gotham, he couldn't believe he hadn't noticed until that night. He visits the same warehouse all the time, snuck through the shipping docks by using the same path. Only after deciding to stay past his usual time did she show up. The thought alone enraged Dick, but he knew he had to keep his head cool.

"Hey Terrance!" they heard a voice shout. Didn't seem like the search wasn't necessary. They turn to see four guards, one on the ground and the others standing over him. There was a boy that sat on the ground close to the group but runs off while they were preoccupied with their fallen co-worker.

"Wally..." Dick whispers.

"On it," he answers, knowing what exactly to do. He zooms past him, circles around the group then back to his friend without notice. When Wally came back, he came back with a grim expression. "I don't know how to describe it, but-" He couldn't bring himself to finish, he almost had to hold back his lunch.

Curious yet afraid at what it is that his friend saw, he decided to approach the circle. Though cautious, he took Ace's word to heart. Dick may not like what he'll see, but if it's to find her, then he'll do it. It's not like it'll be the first time he'll come upon a gruesome scene, he's seen enough of that during his early days a Robin. As he was approaching, he saw one of the guards press on his earpiece and overheard his call.

"Looks like we're gonna have to call in the meat wagon," the guard said. With another look at his co-workers, he briefly adds, "And make sure you got a clear shot of that on tape. None of us want to play bully again anytime soon."

After hanging up, that's when Dick knew it was his cue to make his presence known. Coughing, he spoke up in a slightly deeper tone, "Everything okay?"

All of the men groan in response, only one of them answering in a much somber tone. "Hardly, this is the fourth time this week we've had to do this."

"We were willing to go with it as long our shields are on to protect us, but it gets worse each time," another adds.

"Is it... always this bad?" Dick pretends to grimace as he gazes back down at the body.

"You must be one of the new guys Ace told us about," the man muses, which somewhat surprised Dick.

'Ace wasn't kidding when she said she had everything handled. She's had this all planned out, but that begs the question...' He narrows his eyes at the thought. How long has she While maintaining eye contact, he secretly gestured for Wally to go without him.

Reluctant at first - to leave his friend behind - he silently complies and walks towards the school. He just hopes that they'll rejoin soon. Without any support from the team, excluding Conner and Kaldur, who are currently located outside of the facility. Four maybe the more optimal number for this kind of infiltration, but considering the fact no one else knows about their little operation, one or two of them have to remain outside. Wally and Dick are the best options to enter, whereas Kaldur and Connor - since they're the heavy hitters of the group - remain outside.

"We'd get a few small bruises whenever she punches us or throws a nearby random object. But this..." The man shudders after taking a short glance back at the blook. "This is the first she's been able to do this. We were warned that we'd encounter some changes in her behavior, but this isn't what we thought they meant."

"No kidding..." Dick mutters.

After the medical team arrives, he knew this was his only chance to slip away and rejoin Wally. Speaking of, just as the redhead had entered the building the school bell rung, signaling the end of the second period. And, much to Wally's chagrin, that meant fighting against the rush hour. Before he could dash through to the other end of the hall, he was almost swept away as students pour out of the classrooms and made their way to the next. Panicking, Wally almost runs into someone until a blow horn was set off. This causes everyone to simultaneously freeze, save for the teen that stuck her arm up in the air with the device.

She lowers her arm as she is lifted by two jocks. The girl shouts, "Alright everyone! There's no need to keep up the act! The test subject left the premises!"

"Test subject...?" he quietly repeats to himself.

Many 'students' began to remove something from their faces, which are revealed to be face masks. His eyes widen to see just how many fakes there were in the building, he's never seen such tech before, at least not made by humans. For those that weren't simply collapsed where they stood. Realizing he was basically out in the open, Wally quickly drops to the floor and closes eyes, hoping no one has spotted him. Thankfully, no one had as they were busy picking up the passed out teens, others chose to converse with one another now that they were in the clear.

He cracks one eye open to peek at his surroundings. 'Looks like this is more than just a simulation...' He notices some of the fallen teens were being carried into their lockers. 'Yeesh, that's one hell of a containment unit. Good to know almost every kid in school has been shoved into a locker.'

"So, where did she go this time?" Wally overhears one of the croons.

"Not sure, but I heard we lost a guy a few minutes ago. The doc said he's decreasing her usual dose to test the period for when the effects wear off when given a smaller amount. We should be just about done in several weeks.

"Finally! I don't know how much longer I can keep up the act. Sure it's nice to be back in high school, but now my wife's concerned after catching me work on my homework with our son. I know it's for the sake of realism, but do we have to participate in school work?"

"Hey, don't look at me! It's your fault for asking to be assigned in the Alpha unit!"

At this rate, we're no longer gonna need a test subject to depower guys like superman."

Wally resisted the urge to open his eyes. This was even bigger than he and the others previously thought. This is no longer a simple kidnapping as they previously thought, this is straight-up illegal human experimentation. Clone or not, she does not deserve to be unknowingly subjected to this. Just as Wally was going to open his eyes to check if he was in the clear, he stiffens when he heard a pair of footsteps approach and stop near his head. Unlike the others, this person didn't bother checking or identifying whether he was another subject.

Instead of reaching for the blue scanner in his right pocket, because the man was tired of having to check every single unconscious teen, he just grabbed Wally from underneath his armpits and proceeds to drag him across the floor. This causes him to internally panic. He doesn't know IF he can get out of the containment unit. Everyone's passed out so there's little to no chance they designed it to completely lock anyone in, but he can't use his powers now. If he did, and if there are cameras, Wally's cover would be blown the second he makes a run for it.

'C'mon Dick, where are you!?' his thoughts scream.

As if Dick heard his thoughts without Meg's help, the power in the building suddenly shuts off. Wally had to bite back a yell after he was dropped to the floor like some ragged doll. To his surprise, his earpiece received a transmission. Kaldur reminded everyone to maintain radio silence at all times, only use it when they are about to escape or when necessary. For Dick to use it must mean, even though he's the one to usually enforced this kind of order, that this must be important.

"I've found her. I'm tailing her as we speak. I was able to hack into the system but it will only last for about five minutes. That should give you enough time to make your exit and find me."

He couldn't believe what he was hearing. His best friend found her! And from the sounds of it, Dick is being a bit too eager about it. His eyes snap wide open once he hears the panicking voices and footsteps move out of earshot. Waiting to confirm that no one was paying attention to him, he shot up to his feet in a flash. For a split second, Wally thought of rejoining his friend, but then he changed his mind. There was something here he had to check on. With the number of things going on around him that set off way too many alarms for comfort, he had to take a closer look.

Putting on his goggles, which has a camera built in to take photos when he blinks, Wally makes several rounds through the building. And what he found, the things he saw, it made sick to his stomach. The only positive thing about it is that he's sure Lex Luthor did not have a hand in whatever the mysterious group was doing to his daughter. The rest? He's just glad the rest of the Team aren't present, or else they'd be taking therapy sessions with Black Canary for weeks.

Gotham City
2:00 PM

There was that feeling again in my gut, the feeling that I was being followed. I intended to go back to school after thirty minutes of walking, but when I was around to turn around, I noticed there were some footsteps following me from behind. At first, I thought I was just being a bit paranoid like the other night at the dockside warehouse. But when I closed my eyes and listened, the steady pace of the footsteps told that I had the right to be paranoid. I decided to play it off, pretend that I hadn't noticed. I remained out in the open as much as possible.

I steered clear away from the buildings, thinking that if I were to enter the city itself, that may increase my chances of being kidnapped. Then I started to reconsider after a near two hours of continual walking. My next period must have started by now. If I get out of this alive, I sure have a lot of time to, sadly, make up for. I bit my cheek, frustrated with my current dilemma. The only reason I went back to school was so that I have an excuse not to go back home. Plus I need the education so that I can get a job after high school.

There's no way I can go to Jericho's school. If this guy is following me and has dark intentions, they might go after my foster brother if they knew there would be someone expecting me. I bring a hand up and habitually bit the nail of my thumb.

'Think Lena, THINK! Where can you go that you know you have some high ground against a kidnapper or two!' I immediately stop in my tracks, the realization dawning on me as that last part echoed in my thoughts. 'High ground... that's it! The warehouse! It's a bit risky to go there while the sun's still out, but I have to try!'

Without a second thought, I dashed for the bus stop once it was in sight. And as I expected, the person behind me began to run after me. Mentally cursing at myself for being right, I finally look over to catch a small glimpse of my would-be assailant. The second I saw his face, I felt a strange jolt struck my body, sending various unpleasant shivers down my spine. There was only one name that came to mind, and I have no idea how I know this person. Seeing the bus on my left, I grabbed onto the metal bars of the sliding door and practically swung myself inside as I enter the bus.

Standing on the second step to catch my breath, I watch as the door slides shut and the boy skid to a stop. He faces me as the bus begins to move, his blue eyes staring directly into my own blue-green eyes. There was a moment of disbelief on his part. I just stare back at him with fearful eyes while he began to appear more desperate when the bus began to move faster. He then starts running beside the bus. I have no idea why he wasn't shouting at the driver to stop as every other sane person I've seen has done. But what came out of his mouth caught me completely off guard.

"LENA!" he shouts.

". . . . Dick?" I barely let out as he completely disappears from my line of sight.

How I know his name is a complete mystery. I have so many questions, and I feel like I will receive my answers soon.

To Be Continued

Now the reason I didn't update sooner was because of Outsiders. After learning that Terra was in the show, I had to wait and see if the writers stuck with the plot that she's working with Deathstroke. And lo behold she is. Hope it's not like in Blood Contract or her debut in the comics because... I am gonna gag if a 15-year-old girl is smacking lips with that old fart. *shivers* Aight, so her in it means I have to make some changes. Good ones, don't worry. So I wasn't gonna reveal Tara yet BUT, thanks to the show I had to introduce her now before I get people in the reviews, screaming 'HEY! TARA'S ALREADY BEEN FOUND DUMBASS! AND SHE'S CALLED '