This is where the story begins. It begins after the death of Roy Harper.
The Light had already begun collecting others for the covert ops team. In the end a loose collection of a sidekick, runaway, thief and two children of Deathstroke had been kidnapped, drugged, controlled, and trained until they were all combat ready.
Eddie Bloomberg's hero had always been Blue Devil. He wanted nothing more than to be like his hero. His wish came true when he turned twelve and his innate metagene awakened. It caused immediate panic. He had transformed into a devil like creature breathing fire and brim stone. His parents called an exorcist, who left the house at a run shortly after laying eyes on him. It was hard to even touch Eddie because his skin was so hot. They threw him out. He had been trying to get in touch with Blue Devil when he was kidnapped.
Tara Markov had lived in Markovia all her life. She had her brother had become targets for the extremist group hoping to topple the monarchy. She had been kidnapped, forced to join them, until her metagene awakened. She caused a great earthquake and escaped to find herself in the middle of the Alps. There she was found by a kindly white haired man who promised her answers about her powers, but instead sedated and shipped her to Cadmus.
Rose and Joseph Wilson were the children of Deathstroke. They were from different mothers. In an assassination attempt Slade Wilson had saved his son's life, but the assassin's blade had still slit Joseph's throat, leaving him mute. Rose Wilson Worth was her father's apprentice; he injected her with the same serum that gave him his powers. But, at the cost of her sanity.
Joseph discovered his own powers. He could jump into the mind of another and control them.
Rose had precognitive powers of her own. She gouged out her eye to match her father's when she was fifteen.
Deathstroke personally handed them both over to the Light.
He would one day have a seat at their table, but first, he would usurp Sportsmaster's position.
Roy Harper's right arm had been amputated, a little past his elbow, so only a stump remained. He had been kept under heavy anesthesia for a while, combined with Deathstroke's serum. He was lucid for a brief moment when he was ordered to train.
But,his limbs still felt heavy and his mind still felt foggy. He felt as he jumped, and took down various G-Gnomes that he should be wondering where he was, and why he was doing this, and why he was missing an arm. None of that seemed important for some reason. So, Roy quickly dismissed his unease. He kept fighting. Training is my order, he thought blankly to himself.
I follow my orders.
It was hard to focus too long on anything except the orders.
They had parachuted down in the cover of darkness. The royal family of South Rhelasia was unaware that they would soon all be murdered.
Silently, and very easily, Speedy shot down the first guards with a crossbow.
Ravager lunged forward, katanas swinging and cut down any others. They did it with no mercy. Speedy remembered nothing other than the mission, the objective, and his orders. That was what he lived for.
The others similarly had blank, glassy eyes. They all had dark, murderous, and shark like, unfeeling eyes.
They all moved in, guards eliminated, security systems offline, there was no one left to save the family. The schematics of the compound showed where the bedrooms were.
Roy went in to the first bedroom; he directed Ravager and Kid Devil to the second. Tara and Joseph took the third.
On the bed lay Prince Uimen and Princess Yi Bang-ja nee, Roy took out a sai and moved right next to the sleeping figures.
He was struck with a feeling that he shouldn't be doing this, that it was wrong, he struggled and stood there for a moment, sai in hand, fighting against the overwhelming feeling.
It died down.
He remembered the mission. He murdered them both in their bed, it was very quick, and they didn't even wake up. The bed sheets could hardly soak up all the blood.
"The mission went perfectly." Ra's stated to Luthor as he and the rest of the Light watched the team, broadcasted from satellites.
"Did you really doubt them that much?" Luthor asked smiling.
"Yes, I did. I doubted whether a sidekick could kill. I did not think the boy could do it." Ra's Al Ghul said.
"It appears that he can and quite efficiently." Vandal Savage stepped forward. His scarred visage had the slight hint of approval at the team.
"And it's just another pawn playing its part in our ultimate endgame."
Afterwards, they were podded, loaded up, and frozen again until the Light wanted to use them again.
They went on a few more assignations. Many were staged to look like natural causes. Simple illnesses, all the deaths completely unrelated with no connections linking the victims.
The clone of Roy Harper was growing older.
The original hadn't aged at all.
The clone was completing his programing. He would soon infiltrate the Justice League. He was eighteen physically, biologically only three years old. He had struck out on his own, to earn the Leagues' respect, and completely unaware that he was preprogrammed to do so. That he was the sleeper agent.
The original was training with his handler, Sportsmaster. Roy rushed him, and tried to sweep his feet out from under him. Sportsmaster dodged and when Roy tried to summersault back, grabbed him and threw him to the floor.
"C'mon kid. Is that the best you got?" taunted Sportsmaster easily pinning him down.
Roy tried to get a bit of leverage. It was hard with one hand. Finally, he twisted his leg to kick Sportsmaster in the side, and flip him with both his legs free. Roy landed back in a crouch. He dodged a lance thrown at him. He flew up and kicked Sportsmaster in the jaw, knocking him down.
"There we go, baby arrow." Sportsmaster spat out blood. "I knew you had it in you."
Roy stood at attention.
"I guess that's enough for today. You have no further orders."
"Yes, sir." Roy said at once.
Lawrence Crock almost felt proud of the boy. If only his own daughters could become such obedient little killing machines. One almost was, but his little girl, Jade was anything but obedient and his baby girl, Artemis had joined the side of angels. But, he was sure it wouldn't last too much longer.
He would soon be heading out to extract information from the clone of the boy in front of him and to feed him instructions.
Roy was heading back to his pod.
Dubbilex put him inside, and spoke to him telepathically.
It's not long now.
I will restore your mind. And the others minds, as well.
But, it will be up to you to save them and save yourself.
They will let you and the others out for programming.
You must escape then.
Roy felt everything return. His mind was finally clear. He almost screamed, he was horrified with what he had done. What he remembered.
But, he wasn't beaten yet. His eyes gleamed with overwhelming ferocity. It was not over. He could take back his life.