MoP
Harry Potter and the Myriad of Possibilities: Prologue
Chapter 5: Rebellion, Part 1.
Disclaimer: This is solely a not-for-profit fan activity and does not intend to infringe on copyrights held by Time Warner, DC Comics, Bloomsbury et al, and JK Rowling. Any characters that are original to this work remain the property of the author.
A/N: The Myriad of Possibilities Series primarily uses the background from the Harry Potter books but some elements and scenes have been borrowed from other sources – including the movies, Pottermore and my own headcanon – that will be covered where they fit into the narrative. The timeline of the DC Comics elements borrows heavily from Young Justice (2011) and may adapt elements and characters from the comics and several additional other media instalments – including but not limited to Smallville (2001) and Clark and Lois (2021) – and relocates events of Young Justice to the Eighties and early Nineties rather than the New Tens as screened and includes several 'legacy' and original characters as a result. Any other recognisable characters belong to their copyright holders.
A/N: Further research has revealed that on Young Justice (aka Earth-16), Star City is located in California not Washington State as it was in the Arrowverse. Some references have been adjusted accordingly.
A/N: Thanks to Mira Black-Snape, Scorpion97 aka the IamtheLastDragonLord and the members of the Caer Azkaban group for their help on this chapter.
Project Cadmus,
Washington DC.
July 5, 00:16 EDT.
Team Year Zero.
When they arrived, it was to see the project in ruins with four teenagers, three that Dinah recognised – Aqualad, Kid Flash and Robin – and a fourth unfamiliar dark-haired boy in a torn, white unitard standing inside a wide, shallow and clearly recent crater. Out of the corner of her eye, she also spotted a horrific-looking grey monster half-buried under some rubble.
Clark had taken the lead as usual, so landed inside the crater and walked towards the trio. Most of the rest of the team's fliers choose to land on the edge of crater to stand watch, but John followed Clark's lead and landed on the crater floor and brought the energy platform that she and most of the non-fliers with him and dispersed it.
Dinah hung back with John, Ollie and Orin, but Bruce moved to Clark's side, reaching him at almost the same moment that Barry blurred into view on Batman's other side.
The white-clad stranger stepped up first, drawing Clark's attention. The boy paused, then lifted the torn front of his suit, revealing a very similar insignia that adorned Clark's own.
Clark's eyes widened in shock, while the boy's features softened but shifted to confused as Clark's face took on an unusually hard expression.
"Is that what I think it is?" asked Batman.
Kid Flash stepped up and put his hand to his face and countered. "He doesn't like being called an 'it'."
Normally the red-head's tone irritated Dinah, but not this time.
"I'm Superman's clone!" stated the boy, to Dinah's surprise.
Batman's eye slits narrowed as he glared at the protégés. "Start talking."
July 5, 00:32 EDT.
Dinah was watching the Green Lanterns take off with former Cadmus director imprisoned in a green sphere with Captain Atom and the Hawks flanking them as an escort, when she glimpsed Clark leaving his conversation with Dinah and J'onn and crossing to where the teens were waiting. She didn't need to be a psychologist to tell that Clark and Superboy's expressions didn't bode well.
Clark sighed. "We'll, uh, we'll figure something out for you. The League will, I mean… For now, I better make sure they get the Blockbuster creature squared away."
Then he took off, leaving Superboy shocked, hurt and confused. then he flies away with a swish of his cape.
Superboy following him with a shocked, hurt, and confused expression until Bruce drew his attention as he, Barry and Orin joined the group. "Cadmus will be investigated… all fifty-two levels… but let's make one thing clear…"
"You should have called." Barry piped up, causing Bruce to glare at him before turning his attention back to the boys.
"End results aside, we're not happy," Bruce growled. "You hacked Justice League systems, disobeyed direct orders, and endangered lives. You will not be doing this again."
Does he really expect it to be that easy? Dinah wondered.
"I am sorry, but we will," said Aqualad firmly.
Called it, thought Dinah and Robin moved forward a few steps so that the three protégés were standing almost shoulder-to-shoulder with Superboy – arms crossed and frowning – standing behind them.
"Aqualad, stand down," ordered Orin, in full, ringing 'command voice'.
"Apologies, my king," replied Aqualad, moving his hand to his chest in an Atlantean salute. "But no." Orin raised an eyebrow but said nothing. "We did good work here tonight, the work you trained us to do. Together on our own we forged something powerful… important."
"If this is about your treatment at the Hall, the three of you…" Barry started to say.
But Kid Flash cuts him off before he can complete the thought. "The four of us, and it's not."
Then Robin decided to offer his pitch, stepping forward ahead of the other two protégés, and holding out his hands almost as if to hug his mentor. "Batman, we're ready to do what you taught us… or why teach us at all?"
His words were simple, but full of meaning.
Superboy spoke up at that moment, Dinah suspected that he was getting impatient with all the talk. "Why let them tell us what to do?" Superboy demanded and stepped up to Robin's previous spot between Aqualad and Kid Flash, uncrossing his arms as he moved. "It's simple… Get on board or get out of the way."
Batman's eyes narrowed. "Give me three days."
"Three days isn't so long," commented Kid Flash.
Aqualad and Robin clearly agreed, and the three protégés moved to join their mentors. Halfway there, Robin paused and looked back at Superboy. "Uh, guys…"
His meaning was clear, and for a brief, half-mad moment Dinah considered offering to take the clone in herself, but Kid Flash beat her to it. "Hey Supey, how 'bout you come home with me?"
The Watchtower,
Earth Orbit.
July 6, 16:55 EDT.
"Recognised, Black Canary One-Three," declared the computer as Dinah exited the Zeta Tube onto the station, her mind – as it had often lately – on the brutally simplistic ultimatum that Superboy had given them about forty hours earlier as she walked towards the meeting table. That it was similar to Hank's logic was something that she'd have to ponder further at a later date, but the protégés' solidarity with the newcomer meant that they'd have to come to some sort of solution if they were going to get them back on side and rebuild a positive relationship with them.
She snapped out of her thoughts when Batman opened the meeting and asked if anyone had would like to start. "The way I see it, there are two issues at hand."
"Which are?" asked Bruce.
"First, what to do about Superboy," she replied, her glaze flitting over to Clark, who wore the stony expression that he'd worn every other time the boy had come up. "Second, what to do about the boys' claim that they did 'good work' and will continue."
"Agreed," replied Bruce. "And while Robin and I have had words briefly about his actions leading up to their rogue investigation, I am now inclined to agree."
"As am I," added Orin.
Dinah nodded in agreement. Glancing around the table, she saw a mix of expressions… some approving, some disapproving, some unreadable… and had a brief pang of regret at being on the opposite side of the debate from both Clark and Diana. "I still don't think that any of them are ready to join us."
"Agreed."
"What do you think about my proposal?" Dinah asked. "That might solve both problems at the same time."
"I have been considering it," admitted Bruce. "Snapper is checking the facility's current status and should have a report for me by tomorrow."
"Mary's getting a little impatient with Wally and her 'guest', but I think she can handle them for a few more days," commented Barry.
"I've sent her a credit card for expenses," reported Batman. "That may help."
"It probably won't hurt," replied Barry.
Clark's face flitted to despair for a moment, but then settled back to its now familiar stony expression.
"Assuming that the Cave can be brought back online then I'm inclined to move forward with the plan," said Bruce. "Does anyone have any concerns?"
"We'll need safeguards… trainers…" said Captain Atom. "We can't just set them up and leave them to their own devices."
"Indeed," Bruce agreed. "Perhaps a rotating roster…"
"I will volunteer for that duty," offered Red Tornado, who had been silent until this point. "I do not require rest, so I can be available to them at all times baring League emergencies."
"Thank you, Tornado," said Bruce, then turned Dinah. "Will you assist with training?"
I'm not sure were I'll find the time, Dinah mused, but nodded agreement.
The Batcave,
Gotham.
CT 06990.
July 7, 11:16 EDT.
His cowl was pushed back but he was still in full 'Batmode' as as he sat in front of the huge computer bank glaring at the various screens that showed a collage of pictures and a copy of Snapper Carr's report on Mount Justice.
"Have you come to any conclusions, Master Bruce?" asked Alfred as he joined him at the console. "Master Dick is fretting."
"And I suppose you're completely indifferent, Alfred?" Bruce teased.
Alfred raised an eyebrow but said nothing.
An alarm pinged on the console, Batman's fingers flew over the controls for a moment as he pulled up the report. "Batcave to Flash and Superman…"
"Go ahead," replied Flash after a moment.
"I'm here."
"I've got a report of a metabrawl in the Central City retail district," Batman told them. "I believe both Kid Flash and Superboy are involved, the hostiles are unknown but reports indicate at least moderate enhanced strength, leaping and invulnerability."
"On my way."
"I'll be there in a flash."
Batman groaned and closed the channel. "Tell Dick that I will give him decision in three days as promised."
"Very well, Master Bruce," conceded Alfred and turned away to leave.
Mount Justice,
Happy Harbor.
July 8, 8:04 EDT.
The four teens, all save Superboy – who wore blue combat trousers, boots and a black logo t-shirt – in civilian clothing, stood in the middle of the vast mission room at the centre of the mountain, as Hal and Captain Atom are flying large pieces of equipment around the space, replacing items that Snapper had identified as too damaged or outdated to use.
Dinah stood beside Red Tornado facing the teens, and Bruce, Orin and Barry were also present. Ollie had recused himself and Clark was a no-show, but their ranks had also been boosted by Katar and Captain Marvelfor reasons that neither of them had chosen to share.
"This cave was the original 'Secret Sanctuary' of the Justice League," Bruce explained. "We're calling it into service again. Since you four are determined to stay together and fight the good fight… you'll do it on League terms." He turned and started to pace. "Red Tornado volunteered to live here and be your supervisor… Black Canary's in charge of training… I will deploy you on missions."
Robin spoke up. "Real missions?"
"Yes, but covert," Bruce confirms, closing the distance between himself and the boys.
"The League will still handle the obvious stuff," Flash added. "There's a reason we have these big targets on our chest."
"But Cadmus proves the bad guys are getting smarter," continued Orin. "Batman needs a team that can operate on the sly."
"The five of you will be that team," said Bruce, picking up the briefing again.
"Cool!" exclaimed Robin, then did a doubletake. "Wait… Five?"
Batman shifts his gaze to look meaningfully over his protége's shoulder. Taking the hint, the four teens turn to follow his gaze. "This is the Martian Manhunter's niece… Miss Martian."
Miss Martian raises her left hand, giving them a small wave and then smiles shyly. "Hi."
Predictably, Kid Flash was the first of the boys to react. He traded looks with Robin, muttered something, then stepped towards the new arrival, blocking her view of Robin and Superboy. "Uh, welcome aboard... I'm Kid Flash," he stated, using his thumb to point at himself. "That's Robin…"
Robin stepped to the side so that they could make eye contact and gave a rock 'n' roll sign.
"… Aqualad…"
The Atlantean gives a small nod.
"It's cool if you forget their names."
"I'm honoured to be included," Miss Martian assured him, clasping her hands in front of herself as if reinforce the point.
The three protégés quickly move closer to engage her in conversation, but Superboy hangs back with a downcast expression.
Dinah considered intervening to prompt him to join them, but her relief Robin noticed and called out to the clone before she could. "Hey Superboy. come meet Miss M!"
Superboy's downcast expression lifted a little as he joined the group. Seeing him, Miss Martian shifts the top half of her uniform, loosing her cape and darkening her t-shirt to complement his, then looks down. "I like your t-shirt," she told him, which prompts the first smile that Dinah had seen on Superboy's face. It was a poor effort… but was progress.
Robin smirked and nudged Superboy in the ribs, while Kid Flash zipped around to the clone's other side and gave him a one-armed hug across the shoulders, smiling broadly. Robin inclines his head slightly to Aqualad.
"Today is the day," Kaldur declared, formally accepting Bruce's plan.
Queen Mansion,
Star City.
July 16, 13:32 PDT.
"Where are you, Roy? We're worried about you."
"I don't need babysitting, Dinah."
"We don't want to 'babysit' you, Roy," Dinah assured him, then glanced over at Ollie who was sitting at a computer. "We just want to make sure you're okay… and help you if you need it?"
"I don't," Roy assured her, abruptly. "I'm running a lead on potential heist down at the docks… Brick and his crew I think… but I've got everything under control."
"Okay," replied Dinah, thinking fast. "Let us know if you need back-up."
She waited for the teen to reply, but there was only silence.
After a minute or two, she glanced at Ollie, who shook his head. "He must have switched it off."
"Did you get a location?"
"No," replied Ollie. "He's definitely not at the Vault though…"
"Can you keep looking?" Dinah asked. "I'm worried about him, but I've got to get back to Gotham for a meeting."
Ollie nodded. "I've got a meeting with the mayor's office at three. But the boys and I'll hit the streets after that."
"Superboy?"
"Aqualad, Kid Flash and Robin," Ollie replied. "Either he wasn't interested, or they didn't ask."
Dinah nodded. She wasn't sure which option she'd prefer. "Can you check in with my uncle, see if he's heard anything?"
"I'll do that as soon as I've finished with the mayor," Ollie promised.
Pretty Bird Flower Shop,
Gotham,
16:35 EDT.
"Recognised, Black Canary One-Three," reported the computer as Dinah appeared in a mechanical whirr and a flash of blue-white light.
Dinah paused for a moment to allow the machine to power down, then she mounted her bike, donned her helmet and gunned her large, sleek motorcycle into life and took off down the road.
Her destination was only a couple of miles away, so it was less than ten minutes before she drew up outside the Behavioural Sciences Building and got off.
She removed her helmet and shook out her short, black bob, then opened up the locker under her saddle and swapped the helmet for her backpack. Then once her bike was secured, she headed into the building, her black leather catsuit turning heads along the way towards her supervisor's office.
She knocked on the door, then after a shouted 'Come in!' she entered, pulling the door closed behind her.
"Good afternoon, Miss Lance," said the shaggy-haired, middle-aged blonde woman behind the desk. "Have a seat."
"Thanks, Professor," said Dinah, and settled into her favourite chair.
"How are you?" asked Professor Deinhardt.
"Wasn't that supposed to be my line, Professor?" asked Dinah. "You're the one that's been out for the last two months."
"I'm fine," Professor Deinhardt replied. "The fear toxin wore off pretty quickly, but the dean insisted that I take some leave to recuperate, so I went down to Nashville to visit my family."
"That must have been nice."
"So-so," replied Professor Deinhardt. "Professor Leonard tells me that your clinic sessions have been proceeding as normal…"
"Normal for Gotham," clarified Dinah lightly. "But yeah, nothing out of the ordinary there…"
"But…?" asked the professor, then appeared to have a thought. "At our last session, you said that the sidekicks were going to be offered access to your headquarters on Independence Day… how did that go?"
Dinah grimaced. "Yeah, that's the complication…"
"Do you want to talk about it?"
"I'm not sure if I want to," admitted Dinah. "But I think maybe I need to…"
"Is it Zatara's daughter, or that new girl you were talking about…?"
"Martian Manhunter's niece," Dinah supplied. "Not entirely. Zatara's still on the fence about allowing his daughter onto the team, but Miss Martian…"
"She's part of the problem?" offered the professor. "Did you say they're a team now? Have they joined the Justice League? I didn't see anything on the news about it."
"Not officially," Dinah clarified. "But after what happened at Cadmus… Batman decided to let Aqualad, Kid Flash and Robin form part of a covert unit under Justice League command."
The professor frowned. "That sounds like quite a tale..."
"It is," Dinah confirmed. "I wasn't there for the first part, Mom and I had a job out in Crest Hill. I didn't make it back to town until after GCFD had started cleaning up Mister Freeze's attack in Robinson Park… then I had to go to Egypt to help Zatara against Wotan…"
"The sidekicks joined in on that battle then?" asked the professor. "I think I remember something about that incident but…"
"Not that battle, no," Dinah replied. "Just before Zatara called in about Wotan, Superman called in about a fire at Project Cadmus in DC… so against orders Aqualad, Kid Flash and Robin decided to respond to the fire and investigate Batman's long-term concerns about the facility…"
"Well, that's not exactly a surprise…"
Dinah nodded. "Red Tornado told me had concerns," she admitted. "But that he chose not to share them at the time, because of the urgency of the Egyptian situation."
"Understandable," conceded the professor. "How did it go?"
"Surprisingly well, actually," Dinah admitted. "They not only exposed an illegal cloning lab that was producing bio-engineering lifeforms, but also rescued a force-grown clone of Superman."
"What?!" exclaimed the professor.
"Yeah, we're still investigating how and why he was created," said Dinah. "But Superboy has bonded quickly with Aqualad, Kid Flash and Robin. There's some tension between him and M'gann but I don't think that's a problem at least not yet."
"How did Superman take it?"
"About as well as we took them infiltrating Cadmus in the first place," Dinah admitted. "Batman's going to have a talk with him about it…"
"So how did that translate to them becoming a covert unit?"
"It's complicated," Dinah admitted. "I've been lobbying for more for them for a while now, since I worked with SHE, but the kicker was Aqualad and Superboy pushing back when Aquaman and Batman told them that it wasn't going to happen."
The professor snorted. "That's hardly surprising, they are teenagers."
"That's a little complicated in Superboy's case," countered Dinah. "He's sixteen years old biologically, but he was only 'hatched' in the spring."
"He's only a few months old?"
"Yeah."
"That could cause problems…"
"Only one or two so far," Dinah mused. "I think it'll work out. Actually, my biggest worry at the moment is Speedy…"
"That's Green Arrow's sidekick?"
"Speedy in particular doesn't like that term, he used to say 'partner'…"
"Used to?"
"Yeah," confirmed Dinah. "It probably wouldn't surprise you to know that there are certain things… certain locations… that the Justice League prefers not reveal to the public?"
"No, it wouldn't."
"Well, Green Arrow let slip to Speedy about our main secret location… he assumed that the 'backstage pass' would allow the kids access to that location and got angry when he was told that it didn't… he stalked out in a huff, and he's been mostly uncommunicative since…"
"I can see the problem," agreed the professor. "I'm sorry, but I don't think there's a 'magic bullet' to this one.
"I guessed that," Dinah admitted.
"You'll just have to be patient," Professor Deinhardt told her. "Make it clear to him that you're still there for him if he needs it, but that he also needs to understand your point of view… unless you think it was wrong?"
Dinah shook her head. "I think that the Team could prove themselves worthy of that level of trust in time. But the way he's acting at the moment… I think it was the right decision in his case."
"Then there's your answer," said the professor. She reached over to her pad of Post-It notes, scribbled something on the top one and then peeled it off the sheet. "I suggest you review these passages. If you don't have copies of the right books, the library will. They may provide some insights on both situations."
"I'll do that," agreed Dinah and accepted the note. "Is there anything else?"
"I don't think so," said the professor after a moment's thought. "Same time next week?"
"Unless an emergency comes up," agreed Dinah, then rose out of her seat.
"If it does, try and let me know and we can reschedule," Professor Deinhardt told her.
"I'll try," agreed Dinah. "But I'm sure you remember how that's gone before and working with the Team is only going to make that harder."
"I would hate you to fail at this late stage, Miss Lance," said the professor.
"I don't plan too, Professor," Dinah told her. "But sometimes it just happens. Good night."
"Good night, Miss Lance."
Mount Justice,
Happy Harbor.
July 20, 21:45 EDT.
"Recognised, Black Canary One-Three."
When she exited the Zeta-Tube, only Red Tornado was in view, facing the monitor wall. He turned to look in her direction. "Greetings, Black Canary… did you wish talk to the Team?"
"Are they all here?" Dinah asked, a little surprised.
"Not exactly," replied the android. "They are out on the beach. Surveillance cameras indicate that they have light a bonfire."
"Are they alright?"
"I believe you would be a better judge of their emotional state than I," Red Tornado pointed out, but after a glare from Dinah, he continued. "I believe that Aqualad, Kid Flash and Robin were somewhat discouraged by their failure to recruit Speedy on Saturday. However their successful, if – unauthorised – mission against the Mister Twister android alongside the rest of the Team appears to have restored some of their morale."
"That makes sense," agreed Dinah. "Have you checked on them?"
"Not recently," admitted the android. "Do you believe we should do so?"
"Maybe…" Dinah mused. "Bruce wants to send them to Santa Prisca in two days to investigate the loss of contact with the island… if we think they're ready?"
"Not entirely," admitted Red Tornado. "They currently lack a clear leader… Robin has the most experience, Kid Flash is the loudest voice among them…"
"But neither are used to working in groups," Dinah pointed out. "I won't force the issue, although Bruce might if it causes problems."
"I concur," agreed the android. "You believe that experiences is important for the leader?"
"For the Team, yes," Dinah confirmed.
"Then you favour Aqualad as team leader?"
"For now, anyway," Dinah confirmed with a nod. "He's got the cool head, and military training so he knows group tactics… Robin might be ready in a few years, but not now."
"I concur. Let us hope that they come to the same conclusion in time."
"Yeah," said Dinah, a little worried. "Let's hope…"