I do not own Young Justice or any of the characters.

Schooled

Cassius raised an eyebrow as a large circle of the floor below Black Canary turned white. She was going to be teaching them, most of them, hand-to-hand combat. She had even stopped Superboy from walking out on it.

"I consider it an honor to be your teacher," Black Canary said, turning toward them. "I'll throw a lot at you. Everything I've learned from my own mentors-" she winced as she was taking off her jean jacket, her bandaged left bicep apparently hurting to move around, "-ugh, and my own bruises." She held a hand to it for a moment.

"What happened?" Megan asked.

"The job," Black Canary said, tossing her jacket away. "Now, combat is about controlling conflict, putting the battle on your terms. You should always be acting. Never reacting. I'll need a sparring partner."

"Right here!" Kid Flash volunteered instantly, mouth full of banana even as his hand shot into the air. "Yeah!" He walked into the ring and finished the banana in one bite. "After this..." he paused, tossing the peel into a trash can. "-swish, I'll show you my moves." He pointed at her as his suggestive tone tugged her lips into a smirk.

She nodded and shot forward into a jab so fast Cassius almost missed the strike. Kid Flash blocked it, only for her to drop, sweeping his legs out from under him and winning the brief match.

He groaned. "Hurts so good."

Cassius shook his head. She was better than he expected.

"Good block, but did anyone, besides Cassius, see what he did wrong?" Black Canary asked.

"Oo! Oo!" Robin grinned. "He hit on teacher and got served?"

"Dude!" Kid Flash complained in a shouted whisper.

"Mistake number one, yes, but not the one she was referring to," Cassius said.

"He allowed me to dictate the terms of-"

"Oh please," Superboy groaned. "With my powers, the battle's always on my terms. I'm a living weapon, and this is a waste of my time."

"Oh, this is gunna be good," Cassius grinned. "Kid, you don't know what a living weapon is."

"Alright Superboy," Black Canary smirked. "Prove it."

Superboy raised an eyebrow and walked into the ring. Cassius mimed holding a camera to his face as the two combatants readied themselves. Then, Superboy threw a punch and the fight was over. Black Canary caught his arm and hurled him across the ring. Robin pointed and laughed, only for Aqualad to nudge him, Robin covering his mouth but continuing to laugh. Superboy rolled over, snarling.

"You're angry," Black Canary said. "Good, but don't react. Channel that anger into-"

Superboy charged, shouting in rage and throwing a haymaker, and she flipped over him. He spun, swinging a backfist at her, only for her to sweep his legs. She offered him her hand but he swatted it away.

"That's it!" Superboy snarled, standing. "I'm done!"

"Training is mandatory," Black Canary said, reaching out to catch his shoulder, only for him to spun, slapping her hand away again.

Suddenly, the screen Batman usually called them from switched on. "Batman to the Cave. Five hours ago, a new menace attacked Green Arrow and Black Canary."

An image appeared on the upper left part of the screen, showing a male alien, or maybe a robot, with pale skin, pointed ears, and short orange hair.

"The attacker was capable of studying, then duplicating the powers and abilities of its opponents," Batman said as, on the screen, the person, Cassius was pretty sure it was a robot with black legs and a skin-colored upper body, caught Superman, then began to swing him around by the cape, knocking several other Justice League members away, then used Superman's laser vision to block and detonate a pair of explosive arrows, only for Batman to pause the video. "Green Arrow called in reinforcements, which nearly proved disastrous as our foe gained more and more power with each new combatant."

"Whoa," Kid Flash said. "One guy with the powers of the entire League?"

"In the end, it took eight Leaguers four hours to defeat and dismember the android," Batman said.

"An android?" Robin asked, stepping forward. "Who made it, T.O. Morrow?"

"Good guess, Robin, but Red Tornado doesn't think so," Batman said.

"The technology bears the signature of...Professor Ivo," Martian Manhunter said, having come with Black Canary to check up on Miss Martian, though Cassius suspected now it was so that she wouldn't be alone if another android showed up.

"Ivo?" Aqualad asked. "But Ivo's dead!"

"So we all thought, or hoped," Black Canary said.

"To make certain this threat is permanently neutralized, we're sending two trucks carrying the android's parts to two separate STAR Labs facilities in Boston and New York for immediate evaluation," Batman said. "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."

"Yes!" Kid Flash shouted. "Road trip!"

"So now we take out your trash?" Superboy asked.

"You had something better to do?" Batman challenged.

"Coordinates received," Aqualad said. "On our way."

They all turned and ran toward the Bio-Ship. As they ran into the cockpit, the ship grew them each a seat, including Superboy, though he wasn't there.

"Would you mind making mine a throne?" Cassius asked, his chair growing into a throne instantly. "Much better." He paused. "I don't suppose a reclining throne would be an option?"

The chair again changed to fulfill his request.

"Now, see, this is why you're the best ship ever," he smiled, tapping the arm of the chair affectionately.

"You made friends with the ship?" Robin asked.

"Yeah, it was easy," Cassius said. "I just had to be a friend to Megan."

The others looked between the two before Robin smirked.

"Never would have thought I'd hear you say you have a friend," Robin said.

"I'm not heartless," Cassius said. "I just have a dark past."

"You mean you were a contract killer," Robin said.

"Professional cleaner," Cassius corrected him.

"Call it what you like, it's still murder!" Robin snapped.

"Enough," Aqualad said. "Cassius is not that person anymore."

"Yeah, Cassius is a good person," Megan said.

"What the hell did he do to gain you two's trust?" Robin asked.

"We gave him the chance," Aqualad said. "Instead of constantly suspecting him of being a traitor and judging him based on his past along, you should try and understand that he is trying to change and make things right."

"As if," Kid Flash said. "He only joined us because he wants to kill the Shadows he used to work with."

"That's not the only reason," Cassius said.

"What else is?" Robin asked.

"Wonder Woman's hot," Cassius said, smirking.

"Sure," Robin said. "I'm sure that's the reason. I'm sure the secret intelligence you're planning to acquire later in order to tell the Shadows has nothing to do with it."

"I mean, hey, if you want to tell me where the Shadows all live, I'll gladly start making house calls," Cassius said.

"Enough," Aqualad finally said again, just as Superboy finally joined them. "We are all here. Let's go."

Megan nodded and turned her chair around, the others all being strapped in, and took off.

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