Metropolis. August 3. 07:38 EDT.
Metropolis elementary students rode to school in their bus, totally unaware of the danger they were approaching. Some of the supports of the suspension bridge they were crossing crumbled away. Suspension lines snapped, flinging themselves into the oncoming traffic. The driver slammed on the brakes as hard as he could, veering to avoid the lines. The front of the bus slammed into the wall of the bridge. A Lexcorp truck slammed into the back of the bus as well as another persons car, sending the car crashing slightly through the other wall. A red sports car then crashed into the back of the bus, sending it through the wall. The children screamed as the bus balanced precariously, teetering back and forth.
Bruce Wayne looked down at the commotion from the top floor of his companies Metropolis branch. Walking over to his desk the billionaire pushed back the head of a small golden bust that rested on the corner revealing a small red button. Pushing it, the top drawer, directly under the bust that was normally kept locked slid open to reveal a dark grey suit with a black bat symbol on the chest. But before he could take it out a rumbling caught his attention. Speeding over the water fast enough to leave a trench was Metropolis's patron hero, Superman.
Bracing himself against the crumbling support Superman began welding the broken support beams back together with his heat vision. As he did that, Superman's clone, leapt from one place to arch of the bridge to another until he landed hard above Superman's head. The man of steel grunted at the sudden impact. Superboy rushed over and grabbed the car that had been pushed to the edge by the Lexcorp truck. Grabbing it by the bumper the super powered clone lifted the car over his head and set it down in the middle of the bridge.
Bruce Wayne watched through high-tech binoculars as the young hero rushed over to the school bus that was tipping over the edge. Grabbing it by the back bumper Superboy braced himself against ground and pulled for all he was worth, slowly pulling the bus back. Then, so suddenly that the lack of resistance made Superboy fall over, the bus lifted into the air.
Looking up Superboy saw Superman floating above him holding the bus over his head. "I had that." Superboy told the older kryptonian as he set the bus down.
"I didn't want to take the chance." Superman told him. "As it is your landing could've destabilized the entire bridge."
"It didn't." Superboy told him defensively.
"But it could have." Superman returned. "We don't yet know the limits of your powers." he scolded.
"Well maybe you could, you know... Help me figure that out." Superboy asked hesitantly.
Superman looked away uncomfortably. "Batman's got that covered."
"I know but," Superboy started but was cut off by Superman's communicator blinking.
"Superman. Wait, Arrow slow down. What's attacking? No I'm definitely available. Coordinates? Acknowledged. Sorry Super…Boy. Duty calls." he said before flying off. Superboy looked down angrily, then glared after Superman. Superman's com beeped as he was flying off. "Already got the alert Bruce." he said as he answered it.
"I know Clark." Bruce replied. "But we need to talk."
Mount Justice. August 3. 13:06 EDT.
Kaldur moved his holographic air-hockey puck in a vain attempt to block Wally's shot. He looked down at the hologram in surprise then shot a look at the teen speedster who was holding a banana. M'gann, Rorek and Robin stood around the holographic table watching the game. "Recognized. Superboy B 04." the zeta-tube computer voice announced as Superboy arrived in a flash of light.
M'gann smiled at the sight of the clone. "Hi Superboy. How was Metropolis?" she asked but the angry teen stormed right through the holographic hockey table and out of the room.
Someone cleared their throat, getting the teams attention. "Ready for training everyone?" a beautiful blonde woman asked as she entered the room accompanied by the familiar green skin of the Martian Manhunter.
"Black Canary." M'gann greeted their trainer. "Uncle J'onn!" she gasped when she saw him, rushing to hug her mentor.
"M'gann. I was...in the neighborhood. So I thought I'd see how you were adjusting." the older martian smiled.
"A few bumps but I'm learning." she smiled back.
"That's all I can ask." he responded.
Superboy had been watching the exchange, the jealousy he felt watching the martian girl interact with her mentor making him almost sick. Angrily the teen kryptonian began walking from the room.
"Stick around. Class is in session." Black Canary said making him stop and turn back, his arms folded over his chest. Black Canary walked into the middle of the hologram area of the floor. When she get there the floor lit up white. "I consider it a honor to be your teacher." she said facing rest of the team. "I'll throw a lot at you. Everything I've learned from my own mentors." she said stripping of her torn blue jacket. "Ugh." she groaned as she pulled it down past an area of her left arm that was wrapped in bandages. "And my own bruises." she added ruefully, rubbing the spot.
"What happened?" M'gann asked wide eyed.
"The job." Black Canary replied simply, tossing her jacket aside. "Now, combat is about controlling conflict. Putting the battle on your terms. You should alway be acting, never reacting. I'll need a sparring partner." she said looking at the assembled teens.
"Right here! Yeah." Wally said raising his hand, his mouth still full of banana. "After this," he said finishing the banana and tossing it in the trash. "swish, I'll show you my moves." he said pointing a finger gun flirtatiously at her. Black Canary raised an eyebrow the smirked. Behind Wally Rorek grinned. In the blink of an eye Black Canary threw a right hook that was blocked by Wally then spun to her left knocking him off his feet with a leg sweep. Kaldur, M'gann and Robin's eyes all widened when they saw their team mate get flattened, Rorek just chuckled. "Ow. Hurt's so good." the teen speedster moaned in pain, a blue circle underneath his back.
"Good block." Black Canary complemented, helping him to his feet. "But did anyone see what he did wrong?" she asked.
"Oooh! He his on teacher and got served!" Robin said raising a hand excitedly.
"Dude!" Wally protested.
"He reacted." Rorek said, the smile gone from his face. "He allowed her to dictate the terms." he said coldly.
"Oh please." Superboy scoffed from behind Black Canary. "With my powers the battle is always on my terms." he said jabbing a thumb at his chest. "I'm a living weapon. And this is a waste of my time."
"Prove it." Black Canary grinned. Superboy looked at her for a moment then walked up to her his arms crossed over his chest. "Oh, not against me." she smiled, getting a raised eyebrow from the clone. "Against him." she said jabbing her thumb at Rorek.
Rorek sighed "Fine." The walked out onto the combat area. "Don't get too angry when this is done." he warned Superboy. Both got into their ready stances, Superboy into a brawler stance and Rorek got into an unfamiliar stance. Superboy threw a punch hat Rorek expertly grabbed and used to slam Superboy hard into the floor. Robin burst into laughter, unashamedly pointing at the black shirted teen until Kaldur elbowed him in the ribs. Robin didn't stop laughing but he did at least cover his mouth.
"You're angry." Black Canary pointed out from off to the side as Superboy got up growling. "Good. But don't react. Channel that anger into" but she was cut off by Superboy's furious roar. Rorek sighed as Superboy charged at him. Just as Black Canary had done to Wally he lowered his body, extended one leg and spun. Unlike Black Canary he also held out an elbow that slammed hard into the back of Superboy's neck as he flew past. The elbow strike and the leg sweep put together made Superboy land hard on his face. The rest of the team looked shocked at how easily Rorek was winning. Robin in particular had to struggle to keep from bursting out laughing again.
"That's it, I'm done!" Superboy raged, knocking aside Rorek's extended hand as he got up.
"Training is mandatory." Black Canary reminded him placing a hand on his shoulder but he just shook her off. Any further argument was cut off by a holo-screen of Batman appeared.
"Batman to cave." Rorek, Black Canary and Superboy turned to face the screen, while the others walked over behind them. "Five hours ago attacked Green Arrow and Black Canary. The attacker was capable of studying and duplicating the powers and abilities of its opponents." he explained as the image of an android, made to look human, appeared on screen. If the android had been human it would have had orange hair and red eyes. The image became a video of the android, bare-chested wearing green 'pants' catching Superman and spinning him around, hitting both Red Tornado and the Flash with him. The android the released Superman in time to blow up several batarangs with heat vision. "Arrow called in reinforcements, which nearly proved disastrous as our foe gained more and more power with each new combatant."
"Woah." Wally breathed. "One guy with the powers of the entire League?"
"In the end," Batman continued, "it took eight leaguers four hours to defeat and dismantle the android."
"An android? Who made it? T.O. Morrow?" Robin asked.
"Good guess Robin." Batman said making Superboy look down. Rorek glanced at the boy of steel and gritted his teeth. Even Batman was showing more affection to his protege than Superman. "But Red Tornado doesn't think so."
"The technology bears the signature of...Professor Ivo." Martian Manhunter said.
"Ivo? But Ivo's dead!" Kaldur gasped.
"So we all thought." Black Canary told the atlantean over her shoulder. "Or hoped."
"To make certain this threat is permanently neutralized we're sending two trucks carrying the androids parts to two separate S.T.A.R. Labs facilities for immediate evaluation." As he spoke a map appeared on a section of the screen, showing a red dot with two dotted line leading to two other red dots labeled Boston and New York. "Every precaution is being taken. We'll have four additional decoy trucks to create confusion in case Ivo, or anyone, tries to recover the remains. You will split into undercover teams to safeguard the two real trucks." Batman ordered.
"Yes!" Wally said triumphantly. "Road trip."
"So now we take out your trash?" Superboy asked, glaring at the dark knight.
"You have something better to do?" Batman responded.
Superboy looked at the floor as a device Rorek held beeped. "Coordinates received. We're moving out." he said and the team began moving in the direction of the hangar.
But Black Canary stopped Superboy. "When you're ready, I'll be here." she said kindly. Superboy didn't respond, he just followed his teammates into the hangar.
Litchfield County. August 3. 20:08 EDT.
Six trucks sat in an otherwise empty field, League members watching carefully as S.T.A.R. Labs personnel loaded the android parts into the real trucks. Superman, who had decided to help out narrowed his eyes at a group of bushes and trees. Sitting behind the plant life were six high tech motorcycles, each one bearing a member of the team. Superboy looked up, and gazed directly at the man of steel. Superman quickly turned away. Superboy put on his helmet and started his bike.
"S.T.A.R. Boston is go." the deep voice of the Green Lantern John Stewart said as the trucks started.
"S.T.A.R. Manhattan is go." Green Arrow said turning to Batman. Batman turned to the road and motioned for the trucks to move out. The trucks rode out, three in each direction, each truck followed by a member of the team. Miss Martian, Kid Flash and Aqualad following one group and Arcane, Superboy and Robin following another.
Superman looked up as the Flash shot off and Captain Atom and Red Tornado rose into the air. He was about to follow them when a hand landed on his shoulder. "I told you," Batman said "we need to talk."
Arcane's group rode in silence for awhile, until the two decoy trucks split off to go their separate ways. Finally Robin couldn't keep quiet anymore. "If dislike is the opposite of like is disaster the opposite of aster?" he asked them. "See instead of things going wrong, they go right!" he grinned. But neither Arcane or Superboy replied. "Clearly you're not feeling the aster." Robin observed as Superboy continued to glare at the road. "What's wrong?"
"Canary." Superboy said shortly. "I mean, what business does she have teaching combat to a guy with super strength!" he spat.
"Ease up." Arcane said speeding up a bit. "Fighting people stronger than you is part of the job. Canary learned that the hard way. So did Batman, as well as both Robin and I." he said. "Eventually you're going to meet someone even stronger than you are. When that happens, you still need to be able to win." Superboy didn't reply, he just sped up enough to match Arcane.
"Do you think Superboy's okay?" Miss Martian asked as Aqualad's group sped along behind their truck. "I-I wasn't reading his mind swear, but anger flowed off him in waves."
"Cha, surfed that wave." Kid Flash scoffed. "Just give em space. Me?" he said pulling up beside the martian girl. "Stick as close as you want." Miss Martian and Aqualad just raised their eyebrows at the speedster.
"Superboy just needs time to cool off." Aqualad assured her. "A quiet mission will clear his head." he said as they rode past a corn field. Behind them the corn rustled, then burst with robotic monkeys, with green designs on them that blasted after them with jets that came out of their backs. "Arcane, Robin, Superboy, our truck is under attack!" Arcane told the other team as the cackling robotic monkeys landed all over their truck.
"Kinda figured." Robin answered as they watched more of the monkeys land on their truck as well.
"I hate monkeys." Superboy growled.
"Ahh!" the driver screamed as they covered the windows and cracked the glass causing the truck to swerve all over the road.
"Robot monkeys!" Robin cackled. "Totally Ivo's tweak style." Tapping a screen on his motorcycle a yellow R on a red background appeared on the screen. The front wheel slid back until it was directly under the boy wonder as the back section of the vehicle detached and shifted into a flying drone. "Hey, hey, switch your rides to battle mode!" Robin urged.
"No point." Superboy growled, pulling up closer to the truck and leaping onto it.
"Or not!" Robin shouted as Superboy's ride fell over directly in his path. Leaping off his cycle Robin fired a high powered grappling hook at the back door of the truck.
"Think before you act Superboy!" Arcane chastised, switching his ride to battle mode the surrounding himself with a white glow, changing instantaneously into his uniform and lifting off the bike. Superboy smashed any monkeys he could, until the leapt on him from all sides. Then he simply ripped them off him and tore them apart. Robin, hanging on the the back door, quickly kicked off some monkeys that had been lasering their way through the door. Arcane floated behind them, summoning the sword he had won from Deathstroke in a flash of light and using it to send out scything blasts of light to take out the monkeys at range and slashing the ones who got close to pieces. Not to be left out, the two drones began firing off lasers at the robots until they were forcibly disassembled by more of the flying robots.
Superboy was prevented from answering by a pair of green lasers shot from a monkey held in his right hand directly into his eyes. "Aurg!" the clone yelled clutching his smoking eyes. Four monkeys swarmed Superboy as soon as his guard was down, grabbing him by the arms and torso, they lifted him off the truck and dropped him unceremoniously on the road. Growling Superboy tried to open his still burned eyes but his vision was far too fuzzy for him to use. Closing his eyes he concentrated instead on his enhance hearing, using it to tack the incessant cackling of the robot monkeys. Locking onto the sound he launched himself into the air as far as possible after the struck.
qualad grunted, pulling out one of his handlebars revealing that it was one of the hilts he usually kept on his back. A stream of water came out with it that he used to slash a group of monkeys as they leapt at him from off the truck. A small group also landed on the bikes of Miss Martian and Kid Flash. Miss Martian simple blasted them with a telekinetic pulse, the lifted herself into the air, her bike skidding along the pavement behind her.
Kid Flash swatted one aside as it leapt at him then hopped off his bike as it was still going and started to run allowing the skidding vehicle to take care of the robots. "Somebody! Help!" the truck driver shouted as monkeys clambered on the windshield, still cackling. More S.T.A.R. Labs personnel began firing at the monkeys as the robots peeled back sections they had lasered out of the roof. Unfortunately this did not deter the miniature robots and they started pouring in. Miss Martian floated over the truck and lifted several of the monkeys off the roof before they could follow the others. Kid Flash, who was running alongside the truck jumped forward, placing one foot on the tire guard and swatted and kicked the small group off the side of the truck where they had been trying to laser in. Their broken bodies were then crushed underneath the wheel of the still speeding truck. Meanwhile Aqualad dealt with a group attempting to laser through the back door with his two whips of water, the bike nw steered with his legs alone. "Ahh!" the driver yelped again as one of the monkeys rammed into the windshield headfirst, attempting to smash through it. Miss Martian descended in front of the covered windshield, trying to rid herself of the monkeys that clung to her. An instant later she had grown two extra arms out of her right side, one out of her left and one more out of the top left side of her head. She made quick work of the monkeys covering her, then smashed the ones that still clung to the surface of the windshield. "Ahhh!" The driver yelled again, almost more frightened of her than he was of the robots, making her yelp and float back to the roof.
Kid Flash noticed two more on the side of the truck, one lower than the other. So he took a leap, landed briefly on the head of the lower monkey, who was trying to laser through the side and grabbed the tail of the higher one who was simply hanging by the edge of the roof and flipped himself up onto the roof, flinging the last monkey over his head as he landed. "Ahhhh!" he screamed as Miss Martian landed in front of him on the other side of the open section the robots had made.
"Waaahh!" she screamed back, quickly melting the extra arms back into her body. Suddenly the monkeys swarmed out of the hole in the roof, latching on to Kid Flash and Miss Martian. While they were busy fighting those off, two more holding the android parts quickly melted a hole in the back door of the truck and flew off. Aqualad pulled his bike up short. Taking off his helmet he watched as the monkeys too the android parts, knowing this was not going to end well.
Robin swung one arm out, slamming a birdrang into the head on of one of the monkeys, then climbed up to the to. He got up there just in time to see two monkeys fly off with one of the S.T.A.R. Labs personnel. Pulling out two batons Robin charged, determined to not let them get the android parts. Smashing two aside Robin flipped over a third, smashing it to the roof of the truck. Landing on the other side of the hole the monkeys made he turned quickly as another group of monkeys climbed onto the truck.
A shock wave shook the truck as Superboy landed hard on the roof. Then they swarmed him, latching on to every available part of him. Two more snuck down the sides of the vehicle and used their lasers on a pair of the wheels making the truck almost spin out of control. "Get out!" Robin ordered the driver as he poked his head down the windshield. Robin grabbed the man as he opened the door and pulled him off the truck with him, the pair of them landing hard in a cornfield. As soon as they were off the truck it spun out, flipping over several times. An explosion blew out the back door and two monkeys and their escorts flew out carrying the android parts. Arcane sent several more scything arcs of energy at them but missed the ones carrying the parts.
"I'm going after them! Someone get Robin a new ride and catch up when you can." the spellcaster ordered through the mikes. "With both loads under attack it can only mean that someone wants to reassemble the android. I'll stall them as long as I can." he said before rocketing after the robots. Robin helped the driver back onto the road where Superboy pushed the truck off of himself. His vision was still blurry but he had heard Arcane and could make out the white glow of his energy. Finally his vision finished clearing and he leapt after the cackling robot monkeys.
"Superboy!" Robin shouted as the clone jumped off.
"Aqualad to Arcane, we've lost our cargo. Did you,"
"I'm in pursuit now with Superboy on my heels. Pick up Robin and track our location." Arcane ordered.
"Understood. Radio you're position when you catch them, we'll help you."
"We don't need help!" Superboy snarled.
"I hope Superboy will be alright." Miss Martian said after Superboys outburst.
"I hope so too." Aqualad sighed, frustrated by his teammates aggressive attitude.
"Anyway, this Professor Ivo, if he is alive seems to be two steps ahead of us." she said looking at Aqualad. "Maybe we should contact Red Tornado?" she said hesitantly.
"Tornado always tells us to handle things ourselves. And the mission can still succeed if we recover the parts before they're reassembled." Aqualad reminded her.
"Yeah, and if we call for help now then the League will never trust us." Kid Flash pointed out.
"Hold on." Robin said walking over to one of the broken monkeys. "Something's been bothering me. We'd have heard by now if the decoy truck had been attacked. So how did these monkeys know exactly which trucks to target?" he asked plugging a cable from his glove into one of the monkeys and hacking swiftly into its systems. "Hah! The parts have GPS!" he crowed vicariously. "The monkeys can track the signal. Which means I can track'em with the one I captured." he said as a map appeared on his holo-screen. "It looks like both sets are converging on…Gotham City!" the boy wonder breathed in horror.
"That far south?" Aqualad gasped. "Arcane did you,"
"I heard." Arcane answered, speeding up.
"Robin, M'gann and I won't get there anytime soon. I'm sending Kid on ahead to meet you. Aqualad out." Wally grinned, pulling down his red tinted goggles before speeding off.
Robin stood up, with the monkey he captured slung over his shoulder. Seeing nothing around him but smoking monkey pieces and the crashed truck he pressed a button on his wrist computer, calling the one wheeled motorcycle to him from its wreckage. "Definitely a disaster." Robin muttered. "Heavy on the dis."
Metropolis. August 3. 21:18 EDT.
"Apple pie." Clark told the waiter at Bibbo's diner where he sat across from Bruce Wayne.
"The devils food." Bruce said closing the menu and handing it back to the waiter.
"Something tells me this isn't about dessert." Clark said looking at Bruce.
"The boy needs you." Clark snapped. "He needs Red. I'm just a constant reminder of what he's not."
"Sorry, Clark, but you're dead wrong." Bruce said making the blue eyed reporter look at him. "Look, I know he…troubles you. But he's here. You have to get over the how and why. Trust me on this," he said earnestly. "This boy needs his father."
"I'm not his father!" Clark said standing up sharply and putting his hat on. "I'll take that pie to go." he told the cook and walking over to the cashier to pay for his pie.
Gotham City. August 3. 21:21 EDT
The glowing green monkeys finally arrived at their destination. A southbound cargo train headed for Gotham. Arcane landed gently with Superboy only a second behind. Nodding to the clone Arcane gave the silent order for him to open a hole in the roof. Inside there was a short man with red hair, save for a gray strip, surrounded by the flying little robots.
"Oh. Hello." he said when they landed.
"You?" Superboy said incredulously. "You're Ivo? I'm whelmed."
"You're one to talk." Ivo said in that same conversational tone. "Now since when does the big blue boyscout have a brat?"
"He doesn't." Superboy snarled, narrowing his eyes in anger.
"Eh. If you say so." Ivo shrugged. "Have you met my Mobile Optimal Neural Quotient Infiltrators?" he asked as some of the monkeys flew at the two heroes. Together Arcane and Superboy proved too much for the little flying robots to handle, reducing them to scrap as soon as they came within range. "Huh." Ivo sighed. "And after all the trouble I went through finding an acronym for monkey."
Superboy was about to say something when a robotic voice said. "Access. Captain Atom." just before a blot of yellow energy struck him in the chest sending him hurtling through the air and into the wall of the compartment.
"Superboy!" Arcane said, slashing apart the last of the little robots.
"Since Professor Ivo's magnificent MONQI's don't float your boat, maybe my amazing Amazo will better suit you." the little scientist said stepping aside and allowing a seven foot tall robot with glowing red eyes to step up. "Or better slay you."
Give it your best shot." Superboy challenged, getting back up.
"Superboy, remember, we can't fight this thing head on." Arcane waned getting into a ready stance with his sword held in front of him.
The MONQI's laughed. "Please." Ivo scoffed. "My android has the strength of Superman. What chance do you have."
Roaring with rage Superboy charged the android, intent on smashing it to bits. But Amazo blocked every strike with ease. Launching a flurry of puches Superboy finally managed to get a hit in snappin Amazo's head around ninety degrees only for it to twist back showing no damage whatsoever, then catching the next one and squeezing Superboy's fist.
"Oh, sorry did that strike a nerve?" Ivo taunted. "Amazo, strike a few more." he ordered the android.
Before Superboy could react Amazo had nailed him in the chin with a blow powered by the strength of Superman. "Access. Black Canary." Amazo intoned, its mouth opening up to reveal a high powered sonic emitter. But just as it started to 'scream' a scything blast of white light slammed into the androids mouth. Amazo stumbled back, smoke issuing from its mouth.
"Oh? And how did you bypass Amazo's invulnerability young man?" Ivo asked as Arcane stepped in front of Superboy.
"Superman's vulnerable to magic. Or did you forget that?" Arcane growled, holding up his glowing white sword in front of him.
"Oh please."Ivo sneered. "There's no such thing as magic."
"Think what you want." Arcane shot back, his body starting to glow white.
"Access. Flash." Arcane had not time to react before a flurry of metal fists hit him more times than he could count. If not for his aura softening the blows he would already be dead. As it was he was thrown painfully into Superboy. Helping Arcane to his feet Superboy charged the android again. "Access. Martian Manhunter." Amazo said before turning intangible. Superboy spun around, the force of his punch throwing him off balance. Before the young kryptonian could react Amazo nailed him with a powerful punch, sending him crashing into Arcane and both of them through the wall of the compartment and into a bulldozer that was resting on an open platform behind where they had been battling. "Access. Superman." the android said hoisting Superboy up by the collar of his shirt and launching a powerful uppercut that sent Superboy flying through the air and into a school.
"Superboy!" Arcane shouted, trying to fly after his friend but the android caught him by the ankle as he lifted into the air.
"Access. Superman." the android said, its red eyes glowing brighter. Arcane barely had time to get his sword in front of him before twin beams of heat sprung from the robot's eyes, slamming into blade and propelling him after his teammate.
Amazo looked into the city where a plume of smoke was issuing from where the two teens had landed. "Finish them." Ivo told the android with an evil grin. "Priority Alpha." Heeding his master's instructions Amazo launched itself after its opponents.
Robin had just entered the Gotham City limits, now wearing his iconic red, yellow and black outfit when Kid Flash caught up to him. "So you changed too." Robin said when he noticed that Kid Flash was in his yellow and red outfit.
"You kidding? Huuuh. I feel naked in civies." Kid Flash told him. "You still tracking the parts?" he asked.
"They were heading through Gotham. But they veered." Robin said, looking at the map and GPS on his bikes display screen. "Wait! Dude, they're at my school!" he gasped.
"Gwah!" Superboy grunted as he was thrown into a trophy case by Amazo. The android bent down to pick him up when a bolt of white lightning slammed into its back making it stumble forward a few steps. Still holding onto Superboy the android's upper body spun around, hurling Superboy into a wall of lockers before charging at the spellcaster.
One of the lockers Superboy had been slammed into had sprung open, revealing a crayon drawn picture of Superman surrounded by hearts and stars. Growling in frustration Superboy punched the locker door, making a fist sized dent in it before charging at Amazo again.
"Argh!" Arcane growled in pain as he was thrown bodily through a wall with enough force to make a small crater in the next one. "What?" he panted, looking up at Amazo. "You losing your touch you walking pile of scrap?" That was not the right thing to say.
"Access. Captain Atom." Amazo said holding out a hand, and charging up a yellow energy blast.
Arcane was sent flying through that wall too, into the gymnasium, managing to right himself in midair as his body was surrounded temporarily with white light.
The sound of clapping got his attention. Looking over he saw Ivo, surrounded by MONQI's sitting on the bleachers clapping. "I don't usually attend these things in person, but, hehe, this was too good to miss."
"Access. Martian Manhunter." Amazo said as Superboy lunged right through its body. "Access. Superman." the two heroes looked at each other and nodded. They charged together, Arcane unleashing a barrage of slashes and light that kept Amazo on the defensive and Superboy did his best to fill in the gaps where he could, landing powerful blows that would've easily killed a normal person. But it wasn't enough. The android smacked the sword out of Arcane's hands and kicked him in the chest, sending him flying into a wall and pummeling Superboy.
But just as it was about to finish the clone off, Kid Flash sped by, pulling Superboy out from under the androids fists with a "Yoink!" and bringing him to where Robin stood waiting by Arcane.
The boy wonder then threw an exploding disk that passed right through the androids body as it said "Martian Manhunter. Access. Red Tornado." Surrounded by a scarlet whirlwind Amazo rushed the young heroes, flinging them in different directions. Superboy and Robin crashed painfully into the bleachers, Kid Flash into another wall and Arcane was hurled into the basketball backboard before falling to the floor. Looking up the yellow clad speedster barely had time to start moving before he was blasted by a yellow energy blast courtesy of "Access. Captain Atom." Running behind the bleachers and coming out the other end Kid Flash then charged the robot. "Access. Black Canary." Amazo said when it was the speedster charging at it. The high powered sonic blast was strong enough to dig a trench in the floor and blast Kid Flash off his feet.
"Enough!" a furious Arcane shouted, shrouded in a brilliant white arua, bringing his sword down on the androids arm.
Amazo looked at him, it's computer brain analyzing this new energy. "Error. Energy not found in database. Unable to mimic."
"What's this?" Ivo said, his interest piqued as bolts of white energy flashed from the point of contact. "A power Amazo can't copy? Intriguing."
"Fall!" Arcane shouted, pushing even harder against the superpowered android. He was so intent on finishing the robot that hurt his team that he failed to notice a crack forming along the blade of his sword. Finally the steel couldn't withstand the pressure any longer and, in a blinding flash of light, snapped. The top of the blade spun back, catching Arcane across the shoulder before digging itself into the floor. "Aaarrg!" Arcane screamed, both of them blasted back by the shockwave. Arcane lay on the floor, his eyes rolled back in his head and Amazo sported a deep gash along its right forearm.
"Oh my. That certainly was something. But not enough it seems." Ivo said reclining against the bleachers again now that the interesting part was over.
"Access. Black Canary." Amazo said blasting Superboy into the bleachers as he charged at it.
"Access Black Canary." Superboy said slowly, watching the Android fight Robin and Kid Flash.
"Oh, yawn. Normally Amazo would study and mimic your abilities during combat but what's the point. The only one here he doesn't already have he can't learn, and you're all such bad copies of the originals anyway." Ivo drawled.
"Access. Superman." Amazo droned, catching Kid Flash in a bearhug and squeezing. "Access Martian Manhunter." it said a split second before a green arrow flew threw where it's now intangible head was and embedded itself in the ground next to Arcane's head. . But the deed was done, Kid Flash had been freed and took off at top speed away from the android.
A smirk came to Superboys face when he saw that his friend was no longer in danger. "So everyone keeps saying." he growled, an angry expression coming onto his face. "It makes me angry!" he roared, leaping at Ivo. The short scientist barely managed to get out of the way before the angry teen smashed into the bleachers where he had been sitting. "Wanna see me channel that anger?" he shouted furiously.
"Great, he's gone ballistic again." Kid Flash groaned, racing back to where Robin was waiting, the barely conscious Arcane slung over his shoulders.
"Heh. He finally got it." Arcane said in a raspy voice. "Set me down." he told Kid Flash. "I can walk."
"Amazo, protect your master, priority Alpha!" Ivo shouted, narrowly avoiding another of Superboy's attacks.
"Captain Atom." Amzo said, blasting Superboy with a blot of yellow.
"Anyone wanna play keep away?" Robin asked, kicking Ivo in the back as the MONQI's were helping him to his feet.
"Oh, oh! Me, me!" Kid Flash shouted, running at Ivo.
"Access. Superman." the android said stomping on the floor, creating a shockwave the launched the teen speedster into the bleachers. "Martian Manhunter." it said, turning intangible to avoid another barrage of Robin's exploding disks. "Superman." It said as Superboy and Arcane landed in front of him, but before it could turn solid again Superboy had thrust his fist into through the androids head and Arcane had lodged what remained of his sword in the center of its chest. Crackling with electricity both head and chest exploded, sending Arcane reeling back into Superboy.
"Help me disassemble him! Now!" Robin shouted, rushing over to the downed android.
"Dude, the guy has no head. No heart for that matter." Kid Flash said.
"Don't take any chances!" Aqualad said racing into the room, Miss Martian behind him, both of them now in uniform.
"Arcane, are you ok?" she asked, noticing how bruised and sick he looked.
"I'm fine." he said pulling away from Superboy only to fall back and be caught by the clone.
"How about you Superboy?" the green skinned martian girl asked noticing the scratches covering Superboy's body.
"Fine." he smiled. "Feeling the aster." he said looking at Robin.
"Hey, where's Ivo?" Kid Flash asked. But the scientist had disappeared.
Mount Justice. August 4. 1:06 EDT
"The Amozo android is in pieces again being studied at the two separate S.T.A.R. Labs locations. But Professor Ivo remains at large. And since he is the creator of the technology he is arguably more dangerous." Arcane reported to Black Canary, Martian Manhunter, Green Arrow, Batman, Zatara and Red Tornado.
"Capturing the Professor will be a League priority." Black Canary assured them.
But we understand that your mission encountered…other complications." Martian Manhunter said crossing his arms.
The team, looked at each other and back to the adults but said nothing. "Complications come with the job." Batman said stepping forward. "Your ability to deal with them has impressed the League."
"The whole League?" Superboy asked.
The meaning of the question was not lost on Batman. "Given time, yes." he said. "Kryptonians, as you know, have very hard heads." he answered causing Superboy to smile a bit. "Of course there's no shame in asking for help." he continued. "That's why the League exists. Because there's some problems even we can't handle individually.
"Please." Robin scoffed. "If we needed help we'd never get the chance to ask. Look familiar?" he asked pulling out the arrow that had saved Kid Flash's life. "You were following us. Babysitting. You still don't trust us!" he shouted handing the arrow to Batman who handed it to Green Arrow.
"We didn't follow you." Batman said as Green Arrow pulled out one of his arrows for comparison.
"That's, not your arrow." Robin said, a grin coming to his face. "But that means,"
"Speedy!" Kid Flash finished for him.
"He has our backs." Aqualad smiled.
"Souvenir." Kid Flash said speeding up and taking the arrow from the archer. Batman and Green Arrow looked at each other but didn't say anything.
Someone clearing their throat caught Black Canary's attention. Superboy was standing behind her looking down at his feet. "I'm ready." he said softly.
"Good." she said softly. "Because I'm here."
"Zatara." Arcane said motioning for his mentor to follow him a little ways away from the group. Looking around to make sure no one was listening Arcane pulled out the broken sword making the italian wizards eye widen.
"What happened?" he asked gently taking the top of the blade from him.
"It couldn't take it." Arcane said. "I put too much power behind it and it snapped.
"What do you want to do?" Zatara asked.
"Well I kind of like having a sword." Arcane said. "So I was wondering if you could do me a favor…"
Okay, I want to apologize to everyone who supported me in writing this fic for not updating in so long. Because of a busy schedule and more stories that I'm working on this was left on the back burner. Hopefully it won't be this long between updates again.