DISCLAIMER: Well, I had ownership of Young Justice, but then I had to have had having it erased, thus making my ownership a has-been. Time travel is confusing.

Chapter 6: The New Girl

"Recognize: Aqualad B02, Batman 02."

Everyone in the room stood up. Batman arriving will do that.

"What's wrong?" asked M'gann.

Batman ignored the question as he scanned the room.

"Where are Robin, Artemis, Red Arrow and Black Canary?" he asked.

"Arrow and Artemis had a fight" Conner said. "She went home and Arrow and Canary went off somewhere to argue about it."

Batman resisted rubbing his brow as he made a mental note to prepare potential disciplinary action against Red Arrow. The archer meant well, of course, but he had the team cohesion skills of a briar patch.

"And Robin?" Aqualad asked.

"He ran back to the Batcave to do some work - or, uh, rather, to just look at things on the computer like normal kids do" Wally said, correcting himself mid-sentence.

Batman considered calling the Batcave, but he suspected that Robin would not actually be there. It would be best for him to retain plausible deniability in the event Black Canary found out. It wasn't often that he could claim it, after all.

"We'll fill them in later" the Dark Knight said.

"Fill us in on what?" said Red Arrow, reemerging from the back areas of the Hall, Black Canary in tow. They each looked upset but physically unharmed, which was not what any of the Team had expected.

"Is it a mission?" Zatanna asked.

Black Canary glared at Batman. "It better not be."

Batman shook his head. "It's not. Yesterday, the Justice League was contacted by the Canadian military. Their forces have taken custody of the Project Cadmus facility at Cape Chidley and are currently processing it for leads."

"What did they want?" asked Zatanna.

"They found something" Aqualad said.

"Evidence? A lead?" asked Wally, excited.

"Not exactly" Batman replied. He pulled up a holoscreen image of a large glass tube. Through the foggy glass, a blond girl in a white jumpsuit was seemingly asleep.

"They found her" the Dark Knight said.

"That thing she's wearing, is that..." Wally asked.

"It's a solar suit" said Conner. "Like the ones at Cadmus."

Batman pushed a button on his wrist computer, zooming in on the symbol on the girl's chest. A red Superman 'S' was clearly visible.

"Exactly like the ones at Cadmus" Aqualad said.

"This girl," M'gann asked, "she's... Kryptonian?"

Everyone in the room either looked at Conner or did their best to look away from him.

"As far as we can tell," Batman said, "yes. Her genes are Kryptonian. Her cells appear to absorb yellow sunlight in the same manner as Superman or Superboy and the physiological results seem to be... similar."

"You mean..." Zatanna asked.

"Strength. Durability. Heat vision. Flight. The whole set."

"Where did she come from?" Rocket asked. "Isn't Superman the only Kryptonian left?"

Conner glared at her.

"No offense" she squeaked.

"We have very little information regarding her origins" said Batman. "But a few damaged computer files recovered from the Cape Chidley site have given us an idea."

Aqualad stepped forward.

"Her name is Kara Zor-El" he said. "She is indeed a native of the planet Krypton. And it appears that she is Superman's biological cousin."

Conner's eyes narrowed.

"Conner?" Black Canary asked.

"Still here" Superboy growled as he slouched in his chair in the new Shrink Room. He glared at her for a second before thinking and softening his expression. This was no time for a tough-guy façade.

"Before we continue" Canary said, glancing at her clipboard, "I just want to thank you for coming in."

"What do you mean?" Superboy asked, confused.

"Well, I mean, last time we had to do this, you weren't exactly... enthusiastic to talk to me."

"I'm learning."

Canary chuckled. "Alright. Let's start with the basics. How are you feeling today, Conner?"

Conner sighed. "I'm not sure. The Team's been on some rocky missions before, but nothing like this. It was like the simulation all over again."

"Yes, the mental training exercise. You said then that you were feeling 'guilty' about your emotions in that scenario. Are you feeling similar now?"

"No, fortunately. I had a lot less fun this time around."

He thought for a moment.

"The others had it worse, though. Zatanna, Artemis, M'gann..."

"Yes" Canary agreed. "Believe me, no one in the Team or the League had a very fun time on this mission." She rubbed her shoulder, which still ached along with, well, most of her body. Being thrown thirty feet in the air will do that to a human.

"I believe you" said Conner. "Even Wally wasn't joking around. And I haven't seen M'gann smile since before the…"

He drifted off.

"I tried to hit her" he realized suddenly. "When she found me unconscious in the woods. I didn't recognize her and I tried to punch her head off."

"She was trapped in a physical form you had never seen before" said Canary. "It is perfectly understandable that you, semi-conscious, poisoned with kryptonite and alone in enemy territory, would consider her to be a threat."

"I know it's understandable" said Conner. "Doesn't make me feel any less guilty about it."

"Have you spoken with M'gann about it? That would probably be the best thing to do in a situation like this."

Conner shook his head. "No. She hasn't exactly wanted to talk about all the things that happened while she was... changed."

"That's certainly true" said Canary. "As far as I can tell, she has not told a single member of the Team about her... experiences regarding her shapeshifting, or lack thereof, during the mission. Do you have any idea why she might be so sensitive about it? Obviously to a Martian losing one's shapeshifting would be as terrifying as losing control of any other body part, but to keep it so hidden..."

Conner sighed. It was worse than Canary knew. Not only was M'gann doing her best to keep her White Martian form a secret from her teammates (despite it having become an open secret among the actual Justice League members), but her fears about that had led to the whole mess with Queen Bee blackmailing her. A mess she still hadn't told the Team or the League about, and which was only going to get worse the longer it stayed a secret.

"Well, she-"

He stopped himself. It wasn't his place.

"She had a bad day. She had some secrets she wasn't ready to tell let out." M'gann had to be the one to decide to tell. Not him.

Canary leaned forwards. "She wasn't the only one."

"You mean Artemis?" Conner asked. "She had quite a day, didn't she?"

"I was talking about you."

Conner frowned.

"Why do you suppose Artemis is always the first one to go down when these sorts of things happen?" he asked, trying to change the subject. "I mean, first the simulation, now this..."

Canary bit her lip. Conner's attempt at evasion was obvious, but this wasn't the time to force him to talk about anything he didn't want to.

"It's probably just a coincidence," Canary said, trying to answer his question. "Artemis is one of the younger and less experienced members, and lacks any sort of enhanced durability."

"She'd fragile" Conner suggested.

"I'm not sure that's the best word for it, Conner. She's tough and resourceful. But she is human." Canary thought for a second. "I suppose we're all pretty fragile compared to you, aren't we?"

Conner smiled a little bit. "Being invulnerable's not all it's cracked up to be. Especially when you stop being invulnerable."

"You're referring to the kryptonite."

"Up on that ridge in Canada, alone, surrounded, with Sportsmaster and a dozen goons with Apokoliptan weapons aimed at me and a piece of kryptonite sticking out of my back... if that doesn't make you feel vulnerable, nothing will."

Canary frowned. "I'm sure losing one's powers is very traumatizing, especially in the middle of battle."

Conner chuckled. "You know what's funny? If I was full Kryptonian, I think that amount of kryptonite leaching into my blood might have killed me. You know what saved me? My non-kryptonian DNA. My human DNA. Lex Luthor's DNA."

"Yes," said Canary, taking some notes on her notepad. "I have been meaning to talk to you about that. I know Luthor's involvement in your... origin was probably not something you'd been hoping to hear."

"Why not?" Conner asked. "At least this way I have a father."

Canary's pen slipped out of her hand. She almost reached to get it, but stopped herself and looked Conner directly in the eyes.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Go left" said the motorcycle's GPS.

"Tell me again what we're following?" Artemis asked as the two teenagers swerved onto a side street.

"As you know, Arkham Asylum doesn't have the greatest record of keeping inmates where they are supposed to be" Robin said.

"No kidding" Artemis grumbled.

"A few months ago, they implemented a system called SuDTraD to try and cut down on escapes."

"SuDTraD?" Artemis asked, dodging a delivery truck.

"SUb-Dermal TRAcking Device" Robin replied. "They're electronic radio transmitters implanted under the skin."

"Sounds fun" said Artemis. "Is that even legal?"

"Not normally," said Robin, taking a hard right. "But Arkham got special permission. Holding the Joker can do that."

"If 'holding' is the right word" Artemis muttered.

"Anyways, for privacy and constitutionality reasons, the SuDTraDs don't give the inmate's location as long as they are still on Arkham Island, only sending out a general signal to show that they are still active. If an inmate destroys their SuDTraD, Arkham will stop getting the signal and respond. If the inmate leaves the island without having their SuDTraD disabled or removed, it'll start sending their location to Arkham, the GCPD and, of course, us."

Artemis looked at the blinking dot on the GPS screen. "It looks like this guy got pretty far before we got the alert."

"If I may," said a new voice into their radios, "the telemetry we are receiving is from the GCPD's network, as well as the additional sensors Batman had placed around Gotham. For some reason, Arkham Asylum itself does not appear to have detected the escape, so Mr. Zsasz did not set off the SuDTraD alert until he was already back in the city."

"Not to mention, it's a pulse signal" Robin said, "so it only gives us a location every minute or so, and only within a hundred yards. Still, a lot better than nothing, especially if we can guess where he's headed."

"That does seem to be the issue, doesn't it, Robin?" said Alfred Pennyworth as he stared into the Batcomputer screen. They were only a mile from Zsasz's location as the crow flies, but traveling a mile in a straight line in Gotham's twisting streets was no easy feat. Additionally, Zsasz was moving fast, and though he appeared to be on foot, this increased his choice of paths considerably.

"And who is this?" Artemis asked the unfamiliar voice.

"You may call me Mr. Moneypenny" said Alfred, reluctant to reveal his identity even to trusted members of the Team. "I am currently at the Batcave, monitoring the situation."

"He's a friend" Robin told her.

"What, like your uncle?"

"Victor Zsasz is a rather troubled fellow" Alfred said, attempting to cut off further discussion. "Unable to feel most emotions, he resorts to violence and self-mutilation in order to acquire satisfaction."

"We know who he is, Al-, uh, Moneypenny" Robin said. "We need to figure out where he's going."

"Turn right" the GPS said.

"Yes, well it is rather strange," Alfred mused. "Zsasz has little need for equipment or luxuries, and shows minimal... discrimination when it comes to victims. His previous behavior would suggest that he'd immediately attempt to locate the nearest possible targets."

"But that's not what he's doing" Artemis said. "He's heading up into the Highlands district. That's twenty blocks from the bay. Why?"

"He's going somewhere in particular" Robin said. "What do the most recent notes in his Arkham file say?"

Alfred frowned. "It's mostly banal - Zsasz does not tend to respond well to treatment attempts, but as long as he is unable to acquire bladed weapons he is largely docile, sometimes practically catatonic. Hold on, I think I may have something."

"We're waiting" Artemis grumbled as they nearly sideswiped a parked car.

"A few weeks ago, Zsasz was transferred from the care of Dr. Sarah Cassidy to her superior, Dr. Gretchen Whistler. The notes here are sparse, but it appears that Dr. Cassidy may have been concerned that Zsasz was somehow stalking her."

"Is she on duty tonight?" Robin asked.

"No, it appears not. She's not on the schedule, anyways."

"Does she, by any chance, live in the Highlands?" Artemis asked.

"One second..." Alfred replied, typing rapidly, messing up and hurriedly backspacing. Blasted technology.

"Uh, yes, it appears she... oh my."

"Oh my what, Moneypenny?" Robin asked. An Alfred Pennyworth 'Oh My' never meant good news.

"Our most recent SuDTraD ping places Zsasz within a block of Dr. Cassidy's apartment."

"Got it" said Robin. "Computer, fastest route to that location. No restrictions."

"Turn left" replied the computer. The pair complied, turning into a narrow alley, a chain-link fence blocking it halfway through. Acting on instinct, Robin jumped his motorcycle onto a nearby dumpster and rode it up the side of the alley wall, narrowly clearing the fence.

Artemis screeched to a stop, hitting a trashcan. "How about the restriction 'normal humans can drive motorcycles there!'" she shouted into her radio as she pulled out an explosive arrow and blew a hole in the fence, having invoked the sacred vigilante right to destroy random property in the name of justice.

"Roger that," Robin replied. "Activating Sissy Mode."

Artemis growled as she stomped down on the accelerator. She was starting to question whether this patrol was going to leave her more or less angry.

Zsasz better not be expecting mercy.

The entire room was silent for several seconds.

That silence was broken by several gasps and simultaneous shouts of "WHAT!?" from Wally, Rocket, M'gann and Zatanna.

Conner's fist clinched slightly, but he remained silent.

"I was skeptical myself" said Aqualad, "but that appears to be the truth. Or, at least, the truth that her captors believed."

"As most of you know," Batman began "Superman's home planet of Krypton was destroyed several hundred years ago in an ecological catastrophe. Until now, we believed him to be the only survivor - sent to Earth in a stasis-equipped spacecraft created by his father, a Kryptonian scientist named Jor-El. Almost all of our information regarding Krypton comes from computer files stored on board that craft. However, it now appears that an additional Kryptonian evacuation program may have been implemented around the same time, possibly without Jor-El's knowledge or at some time following Superman's launch."

"So there are more Kryptonians out there?" M'gann asked.

Batman's expression didn't change. "It doesn't appear that any other members of the evacuation made it to Earth. Whether they landed elsewhere, are still in space or are deceased, we don't know."

"According to the recovered computer files," continued Aqualad, "Kara Zor-El's craft and stasis pod eventually reached Earth and landed in the northern Pacific Ocean. How Cadmus acquired it after that is currently unclear, but the chance to study a living Kryptonian was evidently too tempting to pass up."

"Yeah, those Cadmus guys sure loved their Kryptonian research" said Wally. He looked at Conner, who stared back at him, either ignoring, not getting or simply being unamused by the joke.

Batman continued. "The records say that Cadmus acquired her eight months ago - two months before Superboy was rescued, but two months after his initial conception. It does not appear that she was used as a part of Cadmus DC's Project Kr. "

No one said anything, but all of them were secretly glad that they didn't have to think about THAT possibility.

"Cadmus used their Cape Chidley facility to run a series of tests on and with Zor-El, which they codenamed 'Project Argon.' It was over this period that they confirmed that with the proper amount of solar energy, she possessed all of Superman's abilities."

"They woke her up?" Wally asked, incredulous.

"Yes. We have a few video files of the physical tests." Batman touched his wrist computer and several videos appeared, showing the girl in the solar suit running, lifting massive weights and flying. When not performing an activity, she stood straight and stared blankly at nothing in particular.

"It appears that Cadmus used the psychic powers of the genomorphs created at the DC labs to control her as they studied the effects of yellow solar radiation on Kryptonian physiology" said Batman. "They wanted her body, not her mind. It's unknown what their long-term intentions were, but given what we know of Projects Kr and Match, attempts to clone or brainwash her would not be out of character."

"Which leads us to the big question" said Red Arrow. "Why did they stop?"

"We don't know" said Batman, his eyes narrowing. "No files regarding that were recovered."

"More importantly," Zatanna added, "why didn't they take her with them when they abandoned the base?"

"Cape Chidley was a trap" said Red Arrow. "Whether they lured us there or simply knew we were coming is hard to say, but they were prepared to ambush us and retreat. There is no reason why they would not have already removed her from the area."

"Unless they couldn't" suggested Wally.

"Or they chose not to" said Canary.

"Indeed" said Aqualad. "We must approach this with consideration of the possibility that our enemies, that Vandal Savage wanted us to find her."

"But why?" asked Rocket. "Why would they give us a Kryptonian?"

"It's possible that this is a part of some sort of psychological warfare scheme targeting Superman" said Batman.

"It's also possible that she's a mole" said Conner. The rest of the room looked at him, realizing that this was the first words he'd spoken in quite some time.

"Now, just because we don't know everything about her doesn't mean she's a mole" said Rocket. "Isn't it good to give a girl a chance first?"

"She doesn't have to be a willing mole" said Conner. "I know the kinds of psychic programming Cadmus is capable of. You know the kinds of mind control Vandal Savage's psychics are capable of." Rocket instinctively looked at Red Arrow and then down at the ground, not wanting to remember that Psimon had made her electrocute him.

"This has 'trap' written all over it" Conner finished.

"You believe she is a Trojan Horse" said Aqualad. "An infiltrator sent to destroy us."

"They already tried with Tigress" Conner said. "This situation isn't much different."

"It's certainly possible" said Batman. "Martian Manhunter has done his best to scan her mind and he found no sign of psychic tampering. However, her mind is... unusual compared to what he is used to, possibly due to her alien background, and psychic programming implanted months ago could be difficult to find, especially if we don't know what we're looking for. He can't guarantee that she has no triggers."

"Can you give us ANY reasons why we should trust her?" asked Red Arrow.

Batman cleared his throat. "Though we're taking most of the computer files with a grain of salt, parts of her story do check out. Superman's initial conversation with her after she was reawakened determined that she does speak Kryptonian, and better than he does. Some of the recovered computer data appears to have been taken from the computers on her spacecraft and matches data from Superman's own pod."

"Is it possible that Cadmus or Savage could have accessed that data?" Canary asked.

Batman shook his head. "Superman has kept that pod in secure storage for his entire life on Earth. The number of people who have accessed it can be counted on one hand, and all but one of them are Leaguers. Furthermore, Superman's pod contained the majority of the information we currently have about Kryptonian civilization. Among that data is a copy of Krypton's final population census. According to it, Superman did, in fact, have a cousin by the name of Kara Zor-El living on Krypton. While we do not have a photograph of her and cannot confirm that she escaped the planet, the fact that a Kara Zor-El existed is an immensely powerful piece of corroborating evidence. Superman's pod's computer is not kept connected to any network, and much of its data was compressed to save storage space or damaged on the pod's journey. To know that Superman had a cousin named Kara Zor-El, Savage, Cadmus or whoever else might be behind this would have to have infiltrated the Fortress of Solitude, physically accessed Superman's pod and copied that specific piece of information from a heavily compressed and somewhat distorted data file in a non-terrestrial format written in Kryptonian. It seems unlikely that such a foe would require a mole in the first place."

"Alright, Bats" said Red Arrow. "You're not going to believe this, but you've convinced me. Let's give her a shot."

The rest of the room stared at him in surprise.

"Think of it this way" the archer said. "If Savage still has information sources in the Team or League, mole or otherwise, then it doesn't really matter if he has one more. If he doesn't and she is a mole, then he has one single information source and we know about it. We can control her exposure to information, limit her ability to damage our operations and possibly trace her communications back to Savage, eventually leading us to his doorstep. If she isn't a mole, then we've gained a powerful new ally and all we have to do is keep her at arms' length for a little while. That sounds like a win-win to me. Besides, what else are we going to do with her? Put her back on ice?"

The various members of the Team looked at each other, still shocked that Red Arrow would advocate trusting anyone, ever, even if he did so on the assumption that they were a mole to begin with.

"Right now, the League doesn't have a lot of options regarding this 'supergirl'" said Batman. "We'd be stretched thinly enough trying to track down Vandal Savage's associates while keeping the regular supervillains in check under ordinary circumstances, but with new League members to bring up to speed and tomorrow's public induction ceremony, we don't have the manpower to spare handling an alien girl who may or may not be a spy."

"Is this going where I think it is going?" Wally asked. Black Canary's eyes narrowed as she glared at Batman.

The Dark Knight nodded. "Following internal discussions and a consultation with Aqualad, it has been decided that Kara Zor-El is to be placed in your care for the duration of the New Member Orientation."

"So... we get the Supergirl?" Rocket asked.

"Yes" said Aqualad. "For the moment."

"Why wasn't I informed of this?" demanded Black Canary.

"You just were," Batman said. "You are already overbooked between Orientation and tending to the Team. It was decided that you did not need further complications."

"Oh, really?" replied Canary, not pleased with that answer. "'Decided,' was it? I wonder who could have done that deciding?"

Batman looked at her. "The League elects its leader for the year on January 5th. If you wish to run, there is nothing stopping you. Until then, I am in charge."

"If I may," said Aqualad, stepping between the two, "I, too, thought this for the best. Though Kara Zor-El is from an alien world, she appears to be the rough equivalent of a human teenager. Being with the Team may be the best way for her to adjust to life on Earth, while at the same time providing us with a productive activity other than a mission."

"Are you saying we haven't been doing anything productive?" Wally asked.

"Wrestling Wolf over a frisbee is not exactly superheroics, my friend" Kaldur replied.

"Well then," said Red Arrow. "If that's settled…"

"Wait" said M'gann. "We're forgetting something important."

The rest of the room turned to look at her.

"What does Conner think?" the Martian asked.

Conner sighed. "Superman's not my father. Not really. He hasn't done any of the things fathers are supposed to be. More than that, we've barely talked to each other. Ever."

Black Canary frowned. "As much as we've tried to encourage him, you have to understand how… unexpected your existence was for him. Most people would be shocked to find-"

"I know" interrupted Conner. "And to be honest, I don't really care. It's not his fault I exist, and so it shouldn't be his responsibility to deal with me. It would be nice to have some help with my powers from time to time, but other than that, I'm fine without him."

Canary thought for a second, not really sure what to say.

"That's… very mature of you, Conner" she said. "But no one, clone or not, should have to go through the world without parents."

"That's the thing" said Conner, staring downwards. "I do have a parent."

Canary dropped her pencil.

"You mean Luthor" she said, more of a statement of fact than a question.

"He funded the project" said Conner. "I have no doubt that he's the one who got Superman's DNA in the first place. And he's actually contacted me once of his own accord, which is more than I can say for Superman."

"Conner, I know and you know that Luthor isn't the kind of man to do something for anyone unless it benefits himself. Any affection he might have shown you was calculated to produce the result he wanted."

"I know that" said Conner. "I think he set our meeting up to hook me on his shields and show me the potential control he had over me with the 'Red Sun' programing. It was as much a threat as anything else."

Canary bit her lip.

"Speaking of that meeting, I'd like to talk a little bit about the… 'shields' that Luthor provided to you."

"They were a trap" Conner said. "Bait. Luthor put that power out in front of me, did his best to get me addicted to it, then he took it away right before his friends did their best to crush us."

" 'Took away'?" Canary asked. "You referenced this in your report following the mission, but when I read over it I found it unclear exactly how the shields were stolen from you before the mission."

Conner froze. He couldn't say M'gann, he couldn't say M'gann…

"I guess it was probably Rocket when Psimon was controlling her." A halfway decent lie, he thought.

Canary's eyes narrowed, uncertain if she believed him. She wanted to, of course, but she couldn't help a patient if she didn't get to the truth.

"Regardless, as I understand it, these shields, in addition to enhancing your powers, cause a sense of euphoria, adding to their addictive potential."

"I don't know if it's the shields themselves causing the euphoria or just the powers" Conner said. "It's a weird feeling, actually. I feel both enraged and happy at the same time. The rage makes me want to smash whatever I'm fighting into bits, but it feels great to have that feeling, if that makes any sense."

"I can see how suddenly increasing one's strength and gaining the ability to fly would make anyone feel happy" Canary said.

"It's more than that" Conner said. "The human DNA that the shields suppress is only in me to keep me from becoming another out-of-control lunatic like Project Match. It's a bridge for the parts of the Kryptonian DNA that human science can't manipulate yet. Without it, I get to be what I was meant to be. What I can never be on my own."

"You are who you are, Conner" said Canary. "You don't have to be anyone else."

"Yes, but they WANTED me to be something else, and the shields show what that was. That rush of power – of feeling who you were truly meant to be… It made me realize just how much human is really in me. How far I am from what they wanted."

The clone stared at his feet, silent, as if trying to avoid a conclusion he'd already found.

"I'm more Luthor than Superman" he said. "And I always will be."

Superboy was silent for several seconds as he arranged his thoughts.

"She could be a mole" he said. "And I'm not convinced that we could control her if she is."

The clone sighed.

"But almost six months ago, Robin, Aqualad and Kid Flash rescued me from Project Cadmus. When the Justice League agreed to form the Team, I was included. I was allowed into the Cave, sent on secret missions. I was offered training, clothing, friendship, a civilian identity. Most of all, I was given a purpose in life - a chance to use my powers for good, and to make something of myself. You all didn't have to do any of that. You knew I was a potential security risk, yet you trusted me anyways."

Conner looked Batman in the eye.

"If her story is true, this girl is as much a victim of Vandal Savage and his schemes as myself or Artemis or anyone else. How can I stand here and deny her the same opportunity I was given?"

Batman looked at Aqualad. Black Canary looked displeased, but said nothing.

"Then it is decided" said the Atlantean. "The Team will look after Kara Zor-El for the immediate future."

"Alright!" Wally shouted. "New girl!"

"Another chance to try your charm, is it?" asked Rocket, flicking the speedster in the back of the head.

"But wait" asked Zatanna. "You said that she speaks Kryptonian. None of us know how to speak that."

"In addition to Kryptonian, the girl also appears to know an acceptable level of English" said Batman. "It seems that Cadmus used their genomorphs to implant it in her mind in the same way that they taught Superboy."

"Another reason to keep a cautious eye on her" said Red Arrow. "They could have slipped in something else in the process."

"Agreed" said Batman, turning to Aqualad and handing him a small metal box the size of a cigarette lighter.

"This is a sliver of kryptonite in a lead-lined container" said the Dark Knight. "Just in case."

"Let us hope that we will not need to use it" the Atlantean said, nodding.

Batman turned away and touched his earpiece.

"This is Batman. It is decided. Bring her in."

After two more minutes of silence, it became clear to both of them that they were not going to make any further progress that day.

"Conner, I think it might be a good idea for us to talk some more in a few days" said Black Canary. "You, more than anyone else on the Team have been denied a normal life. And you've been handling it remarkably. But everyone can always use some more help."

Conner nodded and stood up to leave. As he reached the door, he stopped, started to turn around and then faced the door again.

"Is there something else?" Black Canary asked.

Conner sighed and sat back down.

"I've just been thinking. About Artemis and Tigress and all that."

"Do you mind if we..."

"No, not at all." Conner took a second to collect his thoughts.

"It's just... I know Artemis is trying to hide it, but that stuff Savage said about an alternate timeline? That all that separates Artemis from Tigress is a lucky fall? It's getting to her. She's been acting more anxious. More defensive." He paused. "Well, more defensive than usual."

"She's been through a lot" Canary said. "We're doing the best we can."

"I'm sure you are. But here's the thing... I don't know if you or anyone on the Team or League can really understand what that's like. To realize that your entire life - who you are at your core - is just the result of chance. That you easily could have been someone - or something - that you hate."

"What are you talking about, Conner?" Canary asked.

"Think about it. I'm here today because Aqualad, Robin and Kid Flash rescued me from Cadmus. If there's a timeline where Artemis went bad, why can't there be one where I never left? They told me I was meant to replace Superman if he fell in battle or 'turned from the light,' but given Luthor's involvement, I don't think that was quite true."

Canary frowned.

"Do you think it's possible?" Conner asked. "Do you think there's another Superboy out there? Under his world's Luthor's control?"

Canary sighed. "I honestly don't know, Conner. Obviously, this timeline stuff is outside of my area of expertise, so I don't know any more about it than you do, but I suppose it's not the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard."

Conner looked up from the floor, where he'd been staring at his boots again.

"Do you think he's happy?"

"What do you mean?" Canary asked, startled.

"That other Superboy. Do you think he's happy?"

"What makes you say that?"

"I never felt sad when I was at Cadmus. I never felt afraid, annoyed, jealous when I was at Cadmus. I never felt truly angry. I certainly never felt loneliness, doubt, despair. I never really felt anything there."

"Conner, you were brainwashed and psionically programmed from birth. Just because your captors didn't want you to feel certain emotions, even negative ones, doesn't mean that it wasn't your right to be able to do so."

"Yeah, yeah, I know. But that other Superboy in that other timeline, ignorant of the world for better and for worse, living the life that he was meant to, fulfilling the purpose for which he was created... Isn't it possible that he's happy? Luthor's slave, yes, but happy nonetheless?"

The two stared at each other for several silent seconds.

"I don't know" Canary finally said.

"Yeah, well, join the club."

AUTHOR'S NOTE: To anyone still following this who isn't in the future when there are more chapters, uh, hi. I'm bad at schedules.

This chapter is dedicated to Miguel Ferrer, the voice of Young Justice's Vandal Savage, who died of cancer in January.

Jesus H. Christ, that was a lot of Conner therapy. And I had to cut a bunch too. What is it about being a 10-month-old alien-human hybrid clone susceptible to brainwashing that gives a guy so many issues?

Well, okay, his new "cousin" isn't exactly going to help matters, now is she?

The Mr. Zsasz - Dr. Cassidy plotline is based on an audiotape and prequel comic from the game Batman: Arkham Asylum. Basically the same situation with Batman in place of Robin and Artemis and without the SuDTraDs. Those are my invention - after all, Arkham has to try SOMETHING to keep these guy in. Or at least get them back once they're out.

You know, I realized that there's a lot of little background things that might seem obvious to me but not make sense to you (and not be related to future plot twists), so if anything is confusing you, please let me know in a review, and I'll try to answer to the best of my non-spoilering ability.

Review Response:

Guest: No, you are not the only person who ships Robin and Artemis. They have really good chemistry. I'm not even trying to ship them in this story and I notice it in stuff I've written.

hi09: My humaness IS occasionally questioned, as is my fundamental understanding of the concept of linear time, so we'll see.

As for how Nabu and Tala's magic interacts while they're dormant, Lords of Order and Chaos are beings of energy, made almost entirely out of Order or Chaos magic. I use the example with acids and bases a lot, but matter and antimatter might be a better comparison. Even if Tala and Nabu are unconscious, their unconscious "bodies" touching each other causes a reaction - the very material of their existence rejects that of the other's. Hope that makes sense!