A/N: I own nothing you recognize.
I'm back! Naomi's back! Updates...aren't.
I have quite a few chapters written, but I'm still ironing out some details, like ship buildup. If you are completely new to Naomi, you can skip the intro! If you're coming from Demon Queen/Lost and Found, I suggest you read the bold, just so you have an idea what you're getting into.
Naomi is revamped! For one thing, she now goes by Lark, and her back story is different, but has some similarities to the original. Think of this as Naomi's retcon. I first started writing Naomi back in 2015, when I had first discovered the Young Justice universe. I had read my fair share of fics before I started posting, so I wanted to be as different as the stories posted as possible, so Naomi didn't come off as too Mary Sue-ish. Now that I'm more confident in my writing and overall more comfortable with posting what I want to post and not what I think other people will read/want to read, I wanted a redo.
Among the most notable differences is her relationship with Dick/Robin. Because she is Bruce Wayne's legal ward in this version, like Dick, they live together at the Manor and thus have a close sibling relationship.
The ship is also different! I was never super happy with how I wrote Kaldur and Naomi's relationship, mostly because it felt a little forced, since I wasn't entirely comfortable with writing Kaldur's character and also it was another case of I wrote the ship because I thought that's what people wanted to read.
Don't get me wrong, I do love Kaldur and wish his character was more explored in the cartoon. I simply don't think I did him justice.
Also, if you've watched Season Three of Young Justice, you know who Kaldur ends up with! I'm not saying that he couldn't have had a genuine relationship with Naomi just because of who he ends up dating, but I figured I could incorporate that into the story as well.
It should be fairly obvious who I intend to pair Naomi with in this chapter, but if you know the character's story, you should also know that it won't be an easy road to the finish line!
The time and location stamps are also going to be fairly specific, since I became kinda obsessed with that while I was rewriting. Also, some cities may be in different states than they are usually portrayed as being in, but let's just say I'm going with the Earth-16 universe in names and city locations.
I think I'm finally done rambling xD Sorry 'bout that!
Anyway, onto the new and hopefully improved Naomi.
1.0 - Independence Day
Location: Wayne Manor, Gotham City
Date: Sunday, July 04, 2010
Time: 0830 EDT
"Wakey, wakey!"
The lump under the covers groaned and turned over as Richard "Dick" Grayson burst into the room.
"C'mon, Mimi!" the raven-haired teen exclaimed, knowing the hated nickname would get a rise out of his sister.
True to form, Naomi Hong Williamson sat up and shot Dick a Batglare beneath her tangled mess of dark hair.
"You know Bruce will be more likely to let you 'graduate' if you prove you can work well with others," he pointed out as he jumped onto her bed.
Naomi snorted. "Yeah, says the man who claims he works best alone."
"But he has us," Dick grinned.
"And we have him," she finished with a smile. "Now, get out! I need to get dressed."
Dick did a backflip off the bed before practically skipping out of her room. Naomi shook her head with a slight chuckle as she stretched and finally climbed out from under the covers.
In the years since his family's murder, Naomi had seen the drastic change in Dick's demeanor. When he had first been taken in by Bruce, he had been quiet, withdrawn, and difficult to cheer up. Now, though, Naomi found he was her source of pick-me-ups whenever she was feeling down, and she couldn't be more grateful.
After brushing her hair and fixing the part so it was off-center, Naomi went through her morning routine before dressing in a plain light gray dress and padding barefooted over the carpeted hallways as she made her way downstairs.
"Morning," she greeted when she entered the kitchen. Bruce returned her smile as she walked around the kitchen island to sit at her usual spot, ruffling Dick's hair as she passed behind him. He swatted her hand away from his bed-head, but it was half-hearted, since he had long ago learned to just accept it.
"Good morning, Miss Naomi," Alfred said from the stove. "The usual?" She nodded with a smile and the faithful butler began cracking eggs.
While Bruce read the newspaper and sipped his morning coffee, Dick was on his phone, his eyes narrowed in concentration, and Naomi assumed he was playing a game.
After she poured herself a glass of apple juice, Naomi pulled out one of the many books she had stashed around the manor for her to read when she didn't feel like trekking back to her room for the old-fashioned entertainment.
"You know, you can probably find that online," Dick said, glancing up from his phone with a raised eyebrow, only to scowl as something happened on the screen.
"Yeah, but there's nothing quite like a good 'ol fashioned book," she shrugged. "Isn't that right, Alfred?"
"Quite true, Miss Naomi," Alfred answered as he placed a plate in front of Naomi. She produced a nifty little book stand to allow her to read hands-free while she ate, and the rest of breakfast passed in companionable silence.
Once Dick had finished his meal, he jumped to his feet and took off.
"Where are you headed in such a hurry?" Bruce called after him.
"Today's the day!" Dick shouted over his shoulder. "Come on!"
Bruce glanced at his watch before looking at Naomi. "How'd you get him to stop mentioning it every other minute for the past week?"
"I made a deal with him," she smirked. "He couldn't say anything until after breakfast July fourth or I wouldn't get him the game he's been dying for since it was announced."
"What a great sister," Bruce chuckled.
Naomi shrugged innocently. "I try," she said sweetly. She gulped down the rest of her apple juice before getting to her feet. "See ya down there."
After thanking Alfred for another delicious meal, she headed for the closest entrance to the Batcave, which happened to be behind a full-sized portrait of the late Thomas and Martha Wayne. Naomi placed her hand on a spot to the left of the ornate frame and a horizontal green light the width of her hand appeared from the wall, scanning her print.
"Authorization confirmed," the automated voice chimed before the portrait swung open to reveal a gap in the wall and a fireman's pole running down the center. Naomi reached out and grabbed the pole, which lit up softly under her hold. She stepped into the shaft and began a steady decent courtesy of the bio-sensors in the pole. Lights embedded in the rock wall lit up as she passed, her short hair tickling her jaw as the strands fluttered softly in the brisk wind like feathers.
Deeper and deeper into the stone foundation beneath the manor Naomi traveled until she finally reached the Batcave, so cleverly named by Dick when he became Robin. This entrance to the cave was only one of many, and Naomi's feet touched down on the cold, smooth stone. As she walked down the steps, she could hear bats chittering softly in the distance and dripping water was amplified by the large, cavernous space.
"Finally!" Dick called as Naomi came down the steps, running her fingers through her hair to untangle the silky strands.
"Relax," she said, rolling her eyes. "We have a few hours before we're scheduled to meet up with everyone."
"I can't relax!" he exclaimed before beginning a punching sequence on the punching bag in front of him. "I'm so ready!"
"Patience, Dick," Bruce said from the top of the stairs.
"Hey, I tried to tell him," Naomi shrugged as she walked quickly to the changing rooms, regretting not at least wearing shoes.
She reappeared a few moments later dressed in work-out leggings, comfortable sneakers, and a black oversized Gotham U hoodie. As she walked along the catwalk, Naomi used bobby pins to secure her hair out of her face.
"Come on," she said to Dick, walking over to the control panel that regulated the training simulator. "Let's work some of that energy out of you."
She found the last fight setting programmed for Dick and set up the system.
"Beginning the sequence in three...two..one," the automated voice counted down before holographic men appeared in the large space cleared for practice.
Naomi watched as Dick worked through the level, his blue eyes intense with concentration. When the simulation ended (with Dick's victory), she reset the program. "Wanna get some eskrima work in?" she asked.
"Okay," he nodded. "Toss 'em to me, will ya?"
She walked over to Dick's uniform station and grabbed the eskrima sticks from their display. Once she returned to the simulator, she tossed the black carbon fiber sticks his way. He grinned in thanks as he caught them, and Naomi started the training simulator again.
Once Dick successfully defeated the holographic combatants, Naomi powered down the simulator and stepped onto the training mat.
"Wanna go, one on one?" she asked.
"You bet," Dick smirked, tossing aside his eskrimas. "I'll get you back for the last match!"
"I'd like to see you try," Naomi taunted playfully. "Now, come on, less talking, more fighting!"
Bruce glanced away from the Batcomputer to watch his two wards. Naomi was much more fluid in her moves than Dick, making it appear as though she was dancing, which probably had to do with her years trained in classical ballet. The younger teen's strength in fighting lay with his adeptness in adding gymnastic elements into his fighting style, thanks to his circus background.
Given their shared small forms, they were light on their feet and lightning-fast, giving them a speed advantage over their usually much larger and thus slower foes.
As had been the case since Dick started training to become Robin, Naomi had the upper hand in terms of years of experience. Not only was she older by almost three years and been Lark longer than Dick had been Robin, she was also a naturally fast learner, especially in terms of bodily mechanics. If she worked on a new move, she could have it perfected in a matter of hours. She was also good about helping Dick if he was having trouble with a particular move and Bruce wasn't available to monitor or spar, which was more often than not.
The two siblings battled it out on the training mat, Naomi getting the upper hand the majority of the time. Dick was good-natured about it though, seeing every loss as a chance to learn and improve his own skills.
After Dick checked the clock for the millionth time since arriving in the Batcave, Naomi rolled her eyes and dropped her fighting stance. "Just get changed," she said. "I know you want to."
"You know me so well!" Dick grinned as he took off for the dressing room. He appeared in record time in his Robin uniform, sans his domino mask. "All yours!" he said as he skidded to a stop in front of her.
"Oh, I guess I'm getting dressed now," Naomi joked sarcastically, walking toward the changing rooms again.
"Hurry up!" he yelled after her. "It's already 11:40!"
"I'm hurrying, I'm hurrying!"
Naomi shook her head fondly as she closed the door behind her and stripped. She removed the pins from her hair and took a quick shower to remove the layer of sweat that had built up during their spars before drying and getting dressed.
Her uniform had recently gotten an upgrade, the first step, Batman had told her, to graduating to a new persona. Previously, her uniform had not been all that dissimilar from Robin's, just in dark shades of gray, green, and purple instead of black, red, and yellow.
Now, Lark's uniform consisted of a dark, dark gray full-body suit with thick dark green stripes running down the outside of her legs with thinner dark green lines along her arms and torso. Her no-heeled boots and gloves—each of which hit mid-shin and mid-forearm respectively—were matching dark green, and the inner lining of her dark gray cape was dark purple, which corresponded with her trusty utility belt, her domino mask, and the stylized L that was emblazoned above her left breast.
Naomi zipped up the front of her uniform as she stepped out of the dressing room, her domino mask hanging from her utility belt. Once she had fastened her cape to her uniform, she shook her head a few times to get her hair to part in the center, which was her way of changing her hair enough to distinguish between Naomi and Lark, much like Dick with his slicked back hair and Robin with his cowlicks.
"Just in time," Batman said from beside the Batmobile, Robin already bouncing on the balls of his feet in anticipation. "Mister Freeze was just spotted, heading toward Midtown."
Placing her domino mask over her eyes, Lark smirked. "Freeze is gonna regret ruining Dickie-bird's big day."
"I'm ready to kick some ice villain butt!" Robin declared, punching the palm of his hand with a smirk.
"Front seat's all yours today, Robbie," Lark said as she hopped into the backseat.
"Sweet!"
Batman climbed behind the wheel and the top of the Batmobile slid shut with a quiet, familiar hiss.
They sped off, through the dark tunnels lit by small lights embedded in the stone until they reached the tunnel that led to their desired exit point. Batman expertly maneuvered through the daytime traffic until they came to their destination: Gotham City Park.
The trio hopped out of the Batmobile when they came to a stop. In the distance, Lark could hear people screaming and the sound of Mister Freeze's cold gun firing. "You know what to do," Batman said before taking off.
"Sure do, B-man," Robin grinned before he and Lark ran in the opposite direction.
The two birds reached Mister Freeze as he droned, "My family has other plans," before sliding down an ice ramp to reach the ground. In the bright summer sun, two birdarangs glinted as they sailed through the air, the red disk cracking Mister Freeze's protective glass helmet and the sleek dark purple crescent knocking Mister Freeze's infamous cold gun, causing it to miss the intended target: a young couple in the process of fleeing from the villain.
"Batman," the cold villain said. "I was wondering when..." He trailed off when Lark's distinct laugh filled the air and Robin's signature cackle echoed through the now-empty park. A second later, a dark gray cape fluttered through the air as its wearer flipped over the villain, slapping two exploding birdarangs onto his back as she did. Robin followed, landing on Mister Freeze's glass dome, furthering the spider web cracking.
Once Robin had landed beside Lark, the older bird pressed the detonator. The small explosions, not enough to penetrate the cold suit, instead sent Mister Freeze teetering forward until he finally lost his balance and landed on his face.
Robin threw two more of his disks at the dome, causing the fractures to grow on the surface. Mister Freeze growled.
"Oh, the Wonder Brats," he sneered, pushing himself to his feet. "The Bat sent you to drag me off to prison?" he asked rhetorically. "Frankly, I'm underwhelmed."
"Great, but we're kinda in a hurry here," Robin said over Mister Freeze's shoulder, clearly exasperated.
"Kids," Mister Freeze said dryly. "Always in such a rush."
"Look, the villain thinks he's the center of attention," Lark scoffed.
"We weren't talking to you," Robin sing-sang, waiting impatiently for the boss.
Mister Freeze turned around, in time to see Batman leap into the air and pull back his fist, aimed right for the already-damaged dome that protected him from the outside environment.
"No!" he cried out as the glass finally shattered. He gasped and clawed at his face.
"Lark," Batman addressed.
"On it," she replied. She scooped up the cold gun and pointed it at Mister Freeze's head. "Hold still, Freeze," she deadpanned. "This won't hurt you a bit." She pulled the trigger, encasing his head in ice first, then the rest of his body, the cold cocoon doing what his suit usually did.
Batman glanced down at Lark, his brow furrowed slightly as he watched her and Robin begin to disassemble the freeze gun. When he'd prompted her to ice Freeze, he had been thinking about using ice pellets, not the gun itself. What's more, it had been her job to keep Freeze on ice in the past, and she hadn't even considered using the cold gun then. So why now, especially since she knew about his absolute abhorrence to the weapon?
"Way to put him on ice," Robin snickered once the gun had been disassembled. They could hear police sirens approach, and he took a step toward the Batmobile but was stopped when Lark grabbed his arm.
"You know the drill, Bird Brain," she chuckled. Robin grumbled but stayed put, tapping his foot impatiently.
"Finally!" he exclaimed when Commissioner James Gordon stepped out of his car. Batman went to speak with Gordon and Robin nearly skipped to the Batmobile, Lark on his tail. Once their conversation was over, Batman left Mister Freeze to the police and the Dark Knight joined his protégés.
Robin whooped as the top of the Batmobile slid shut. Lark chuckled and even Batman's lip twitched upward in amusement.
"ETA to Washington, D.C.: 1355," Lark announced from the back seat after consulting the small but powerful computer stored in her glove. Robin didn't respond, but she could see him practically vibrating with excitement in the front seat.
As they crossed into Washington, D.C., Lark tossed Robin an energy bar. "Here, Dickie-bird," she smirked. "You used up so much energy bouncing in your seat."
Robin rolled his eyes but accepted the bar nonetheless. Batman came to a stop and the two birds got their first look at the Hall of Justice.
"We walk from here," Batman said, stepping out of the Batmobile. Robin and Lark followed, and once the top had closed, he programmed it to return to the Batcave. It sped off, passenger-less, and the bat and his little colony of two walked toward the Hall.
They stopped on the green across the way from the reflection pool that was spread before the Hall. From there, Lark could see people milling about, either waiting for entrance, or more likely, because they knew something big was happening.
"Why am I not surprised to see Batman got here first?" a new, jovial voice behind them said. Lark turned to see Green Arrow and Speedy approach, and her polite Lark-smile turned into a much brighter Naomi-smile.
Naomi Hong Williamson had developed a very comfortable friendship with Roy Harper over the years. He was one of the few who knew who Batman, Lark, and Robin were, though Naomi knew Bruce wasn't all too thrilled. But given how often Bruce Wayne's and Oliver Queen's circles crossed, it really was only a matter of time before Oliver and Roy, and eventually Dinah Lance—the second Black Canary—discovered the truth.
According to Oliver and Dinah, Roy had always been a bit standoffish and guarded, which they believed was the result of his parents dying in a forest fire when he was young and then bouncing from foster home to foster home before he caught the attention of Oliver Queen when he showed an adeptness to the bow that impressed the young hero.
They had both been pleasantly surprised, then, when he had accepted Naomi fairly readily after they first met at a gala Bruce and Oliver had been attending in 2007. They were both relative outcasts when it came to high-society social events, since both came from modest backgrounds before being introduced to the world of the one percent, and had bonded over that fact, if slowly and a little awkwardly.
In many ways, Roy was closer to Naomi than he was to Dick, Wally, and Kaldur'ahm, whom he had met when Aquaman and Green Arrow teamed up in Star City. While Dick had also been tragically orphaned, his transition into a happy household had been rather quick, whereas the older teens had experienced loneliness and hardships (though Naomi's were mostly psychological) that Dick just couldn't begin to understand.
Speedy, who had been antsy the whole trip, felt himself relax when his eyes landed on his best friend. He noticed the way her smile turned more sincere and he couldn't help but respond in kind, his indifferent mask breaking as he approached Lark and Robin.
The younger bird greeted the redheaded archer brightly, holding his hand up for a high-five, which the older teen slapped with a grin before turning to Lark.
"Hey, L," he said, pulling the smaller teen into a bear hug.
"Can't...breathe..." Lark gasped, even as she returned the hug. He released her just as Aquaman and his protégé appeared.
Lark knew all about Aqualad, of course. He had been with Aquaman for the past two years, but never around Gotham, and given King Orin of Atlantis had no ties with Bruce Wayne the businessman, they hadn't met as civilians.
"Greetings," Aquaman smiled as he reached them. "This is Aqualad," he introduced. "This is Batman, Lark, and Robin; and Green Arrow and Speedy."
"It is an honor to meet you all," Aqualad said, and Lark smiled a little as he started to bow at the waist but quickly straightened when he remembered he was on the surface world.
"Nice to meet you," Lark said, offering him a small bow in return.
He seemed relieved to know his attempted greeting wasn't completely foreign and Lark's reminiscent smile of her first home turned into a reassuring one for Aqualad.
She was reminded of her own upbringing, where bows were standard greeting in Gotham's Chinatown, which she had called home until her adoption by the affluent Williamsons brought her to Gotham's upper class.
"Hi!" Robin chirped, and Aqualad turned away from Lark to face the younger bird. "We've heard a lot about you!"
Aqualad raised a questioning eyebrow. "You have?"
"Get used to it," Speedy chuckled. "They're bats, through and through. There's nothing they don't know about everybody."
"What can I say?" Robin shrugged. "It's our superpower." Lark nudged Robin's foot with her own and he sent her a knowing smirk, which she responded to with a glare, which Robin understood as her demanding, Really? Superpower?
In response, he just shrugged, as if to say, What? Knowing everything about everyone is a superpower.
Aqualad glanced uncertainly between the two, understanding there was a silent conversation being had but not knowing how he should interpret their exchanged glances. Speedy noticed the look on the Atlantean's face and chuckled again.
"You'll get used to it," he said. "They've worked together so long, it's like they have a psychic connection. I've found it's best not to try to understand the dynamic between those two."
"Ah," the blond teen responded simply, though he still looked uncertain.
Batman checked the time with the clock in his cowl. "Flash and Kid Flash are running behind," he stated.
Lark snorted and Robin voiced for her, "Oh, the irony."
"I'm sure they'll understand if we start without them," Speedy said as he slipped into hero-mode again, sounding just as anxious as Robin had looked in the Batmobile.
Batman placed a hand on Lark's and Robin's shoulders. "Today is the day," he said.
"Welcome to the Hall of Justice," Green Arrow introduced.
"Headquarters of the Justice League," Aquaman added.
From behind the septet, Flash and Kid Flash finally arrived.
"Aw, man!" the younger speedster exclaimed as he and his mentor skidded to a stop. "I knew we'd be the last ones here," he scowled, crossing his arms over his chest.
Lark reached up and ruffled his hair. "No worries, Kid," she grinned. "We wouldn't start without you, despite what some might want," she said, giving Speedy a pointed look, who shrugged and muttered, "What? They were late."
"Aw, you're wonderful, babe."
Wally West was Dick Grayson's best friend. As a result, he knew their secret identity and was always at the manor. While she wouldn't have called Wally her best friend, he was definitely more than just an acquaintance, considering just how often he was around.
She knew from Dick that Wally had a thing for flirting with any girl he deemed pretty, and Naomi had certainly experienced that firsthand the very first time they met. Naomi and Dick had been quick to shut that down, Naomi because she thought he was too immature and Dick because she was his sister and was protective of her, regardless of the fact she was older than him. Now, it was mutually understood that any flirting was fun and harmless. That still didn't keep it from ruffling Dick's feathers.
"Dude," Robin scowled.
"Relax, Rob," Lark said, rolling her eyes and slinging an arm around his shoulders. "You know you'll always be my number one."
Kid Flash and Speedy laughed as Robin grumbled and shoved Lark off him, and Aqualad looked on amused, though he was still trying to understand the dynamic between the four of his fellow sidekicks.
"Now, come on!" Speedy exclaimed. "We've waited long enough."
Robin and Kid Flash whooped, high fiving before rushing ahead.
"Can't let the kids have all the fun," Lark said, rolling her eyes before hurrying after the two.
Aqualad watched as Lark and Speedy started to shove each other good-naturedly as they followed after the two youngest teens. Perhaps this team thing would be more fun than he expected.
The heroes and their young protégés set off for the Hall of Justice, the mentors hanging back slightly from the teens as they laughed and joked, walking down the path roped off from the clamoring crowd.
"Is that Batman?"
"Ohmygosh, Lark and Robin are here!"
"I see Flash and Flash Jr.!"
"His name's Speedy! Duh!"
"No, Speedy's Green Arrow's sidekick!"
"Well, that makes no sense."
Lark snorted when she heard that one and Speedy shoved her with a scowl. She only shrugged; that had been the first thing out of her mouth when he had told her his hero name.
"Ready to see the inner sanctum?" Green Arrow asked the young archer, ignoring the loud voices around them.
"Born that way," Speedy responded with a proud smirk.
"I am glad we are all here," Aqualad said, looking around at his fellow protégés.
"Have all five sidekicks ever been in the same place at the same time?" Kid Flash asked, excitement evident in his tone.
"Don't call us sidekicks," Speedy said sharply, and even Lark was a little taken back at his tone. "Not after today."
"Sorry," the speedster said sheepishly, glancing back at the older redhead. "First time at the Hall," he explained. "I'm a little overwhelmed."
Robin turned to Kid Flash. "You're overwhelmed, Freeze was underwhelmed. Why isn't anyone ever just whelmed?" he asked, exasperated.
Lark tilted her head in thought. "I think because 'whelm' doesn't mean what you would think it would mean if you remove 'over' and 'under.'"
"Well, it should," Robin said with a shrug. "It's a good word."
Everyone went silent as they entered the Hall of Justice, the feeling of being in a museum washing over them. Standing imperiously over them were massive bronze statues of the original seven members of the Justice League.
"Oh," Robin said softly, gazing up at the statues with wide eyes. "Maybe that's why."
They reached the doors marked Authorized Personnel Only, and it opened to reveal the Martian Manhunter and Red Tornado.
Martian Manhunter stepped forward. "Lark, Robin, Speedy, Aqualad, Kid Flash, welcome," he addressed in his deep, even tone. He turned and everyone followed, Robin and Kid Flash bumping fists as they did. Behind them, the doors closed with a soft hiss.
"You now have unlimited access to the gym, our fully-stocked galley, and of course, our library," the Martian said as they entered said library, which was really only impressive if one was looking for books talking about the flora and fauna of a distant planet or the exact scientific reason zeta-beaming worked.
"Make yourselves at home," Flash invited with a grin, spreading his arms wide. Immediately, Robin and Kid Flash flopped into chairs, with Aqualad slower to take a seat. Speedy remained standing while Lark approached Robin.
"Need a seat, L?" Kid Flash asked. When she raised an eyebrow, he winked and patted his lap.
Lark rolled her eyes while Robin scowled and reached across the way to punch Kid Flash in the arm.
"Dude!" the speedster whined, rubbing his arm. "She knows I'm joking!"
"You should relax, Robbie," Lark said as with a flick of her cape, she perched on the back of Robin's chair, her feet resting on one of the armrests. "You and Kid both know that if he ever takes it too far, I can kick his ass, no problem."
Kid Flash rolled his eyes, but said to Robin, "See?"
"A quick debrief to discuss the coincidence of four ice villains attacking on the same day," Batman said in a low tone, addressing the gathered Leaguers. "We shouldn't be long," he added, glancing at the teens.
A camera dropped from a hole in the ceiling and began scanning and reciting each League member's name and identification code. Once everyone was accounted for, the door marked Justice League Members Only slid open.
"That's it?" Speedy suddenly demanded, glaring at the League members. Everyone turned to him. "You promised us a real look inside, not a glorified backstage pass."
"It's a first step," Aquaman reasoned. "You've been granted access few others get."
"Oh, really?" Speedy asked sarcastically, throwing his arm up to gesture to the viewing room above them, which hosted a number of people and flashing cameras. "Who cares what side of the glass we're on?"
Lark followed Speedy's outstretched hand and frowned fractionally. She had to admit, she wasn't expecting to be photographed like some zoo animal. The whites of her mask narrowed slightly as she turned her head to Batman again.
"Roy, you just need to be patient," Green Arrow said, stepping forward.
"What I need is respect," Speedy said, glaring at his mentor. He turned to the others. "They're treating us like kids." He paused. "Worse. Like sidekicks!" He spat the word like it left a bad taste in his mouth. "We deserve better than this."
Lark exchanged glances with Robin, then Kid Flash and Aqualad, before they all looked at Speedy. He felt his heart drop when he noticed the uncertain expression on Lark's face. He had thought of all people, she would see his side and understand that what their mentors were doing to them was wrong.
"You're kidding, right?" he said, his eyes widening slightly. "You're playing their game? Why?" Disbelief colored his tone. "Today was supposed to be the day, step one in becoming full-fledged members of the League."
"Of course," Lark spoke up, hoping to calm the redhead's temper before it got out of control, "but this is step one: touring League headquarters."
"Except the Hall isn't the League's real H.Q.!" Speedy declared.
Lark's eyes widened and she turned to Batman. His face remained stoic and she scoffed; of course he wouldn't tell her or Robin. He was Batman, after all.
"I bet they never told you it's just a false front for tourists and a pit stop for catching zeta-beam teleport tubes to the real thing: an orbiting satellite called the Watchtower," Speedy continued, paying no heed to the surprise around him.
Green Arrow turned to Batman, who crossed his arms over his chest and narrowed his eyes slightly.
"I know, I know," the Emerald Archer said, shrugging, "but I thought maybe we could make an exception?"
Batman's eyes narrowed further and the small, helpless kind of smile that had started to form on Green Arrow's face fell. "Or not," he muttered.
"You are not helping your case here, son," Aquaman said, stepping forward in an attempt to settle the situation before arrows started flying. "Stand down, or—"
"Or what?" Speedy demanded, glaring at the Atlantean. "You'll send me to my room?" he asked sarcastically. "And I'm not your son! I'm not even his," he added in a quieter voice, turning to Green Arrow. "I thought I was his partner," he said, his voice softening further. "But not anymore." With one last glare at the heroes, he took off his hat and threw it angrily on the ground.
Lark sat in shock. Sure, she wanted to be known for being more than just Batman's sidekick, but she still respected his decision to hold off until he was sure she was ready. After all, he was older, wiser. He was more experienced and more knowledgeable. He had her best interests in mind...right?
Speedy straightened his shoulders and walked toward the exit. "Guess they're right about your four," he said darkly as he stalked past them. "You're not ready."
Lark was at a complete loss of words, leaving her to only stare at her best friend's retreating back. She slumped slightly at the biting words, and Robin noticed with a frown. He knew Roy's outbursts were often more bark than bite, but he had never aimed such venom at his friends before, let alone Naomi.
She knew he was just angry and would need time to cool off, but it still didn't stop the hurt knowing someone she looked up to was looking down on them in return, and with such contempt. Lark only hoped she would be able to reach out before any permanent damage was done to their friendship.
In fact, she was half tempted to hurry after him and explain her side, but before she could decide what to do, an alarm started blaring and Superman's image appeared on the big monitor against the back wall of the library.
"Superman to Justice League," he said as the League members gathered beneath the giant screen. "There's been an explosion at Project Cadmus. It's on fire."
"I've had my suspicions about Cadmus," Batman said. "This may present the perfect opportunity to in—"
Before he could finish, another voice interrupted, sounding much more urgent. "Zatara to Justice League! The sorcerer Wotan is using the Amulet of Aten to blot out the sun! Requesting full League response."
"Superman?" Batman asked, glancing at the Man of Steel.
"It's a small fire," he responded. "Local authorities have it under control."
"Then Cadmus can wait," Batman declared, though he didn't sound pleased. He pressed a button on the panel in front of him and said, "All Leaguers rendezvous at Zatara's coordinates. Batman out."
The other teens stood and Lark hoped off the back of Robin's chair, walking with the others as they approached the League.
Batman hung back as the other Leaguers filed into the transporter. "Stay put," he said when Lark and Robin reached him.
"What?!" Robin exclaimed.
"Why?" Lark demanded.
"This is a League mission," Aquaman said, standing to Batman's right.
"You're not trained," Flash added from the Dark Knight's other side.
"Since when?" Kid Flash snapped.
"I meant," the older speedster said, trying to back himself out of the hole he dug, "you're not trained to work as part of this team." He emphasized his point by gesturing between himself, Batman, and Aquaman.
"There will be other missions," the Atlantean king assured, "when you're ready."
"But for now," Batman finished in his this-is-final voice, "stay put."
The Justice League walked through the open door, Red Tornado going last. He paused a moment, looking at the teens, before turning away and letting the doors close behind him.
Kid Flash scoffed. "When we're ready?" he quoted. "How are we ever supposed to be ready when they treat us like...like..."
"Like sidekicks," Lark finished bitterly, glaring at the floor so intensely if she had heat vision she would have burned straight through the rug.
"Exactly!" Kid Flash exclaimed.
Aqualad looked conflicted. "My mentor, my king," he said. "I thought he trusted me."
"Trust?" Kid Flash barked out a laugh. "They don't even trust us with the basics! They've got a secret H.Q. in space!"
"What else aren't they telling us?" Aqualad asked softly.
"Knowing Batman, probably a lot," Lark muttered angrily.
"I have a better question," Robin sighed. "Why didn't we leave with Speedy?"
Lark found herself asking the same question, and she felt so conflicted. The calmer, more rational side argued Batman must have done what he did to protect her and Robin, while the hormonal teenage side of her hated Batman for keeping secrets from her and Robin, because if he couldn't trust his own wards, who the hell could he trust?
"What is Project Cadmus?" Aqualad asked eventually, snapping Lark out of her internal back-and-forth.
"Don't know..." Robin said slowly, dragging his gaze to the computer as a smirk crossed his lips. "But we can find out." Turning to Lark, he asked, "Think it's the same?"
"Only one way to find out," she smirked back, and Robin was glad to see that for the moment, Roy's harsh words were no longer rolling around in her head.
Together, their fingers flew across the keys. While Lark wasn't nearly the hacker Robin was, she knew her way around Bruce's systems, and if they were lucky...
"Acess denied," came the automated voice a few moments later.
"Heh," Robin cackled. "Wanna bet?" They renewed their efforts with even faster fingers and soon, they were through.
"Whoa," Kid Flash breathed. "How did you do that?" he asked in awe.
"Same system as the Batcave," Robin said victoriously.
"Because of course Batman wouldn't trust anyone else to build the League's system," Lark said, rolling her eyes.
"Access granted," the computer announced.
"All right. Project Cadmus..." Robin muttered.
"There," Lark pointed out as her partner perused the files. "It says it's a genetics lab, here in D.C."
"That's all there is," the younger bird said with a frown after he had looked through the thin electronic file. "But if Batman's suspicious—"
"Maybe it's something that needs to be investigated," Lark finished as she straightened, her expression determined; like hell they were just sidekicks.
"Solve their case before they do," Aqualad voiced. "It would be poetic justice," he reasoned.
"Hey," Robin said with a small laugh, "they're all about justice."
"But they said stay put," the Atlantean sighed, looking conflicted.
"For the blotting out the sun mission," Robin wheedled. "Not this."
"Wait," Kid Flash interrupted. "Are you going to Cadmus?"
"Obviously," Lark said with a smirk.
"Babe, I think I love you," the speedster said with a dreamy smile. "If you're going, I'm definitely going."
"Dude, that's my sister," Robin grumbled, elbowing Kid Flash hard in the ribs.
"Ow!" he exclaimed. "And not technically!"
"Technicality!"
"Oh, shush, you two," Lark said, rolling her eyes and pinching their sides.
Aqualad cleared his throat, bringing the focus back to the task at hand. "Just like that, we're a team on a mission?" he asked skeptically.
"We didn't come for a playdate," Robin said, his eyebrows furrowed and his lips set determinedly.
The gilled teen bowed his head slightly before his eyes narrowed and the corner of his lip pulled up.
Lark smirked; he was in.
"So, how are we getting to Project Cadmus?" Kid Flash asked as they snuck out the back door of the Hall of Justice.
"We don't have access to zeta-tubes," Lark mused. "And we can't call any of the Bat vehicles without alerting Batman of what we're doing." She tapped her wrist, activating her miniature computer. A holographic screen appeared, and she began scrolling through the files they had found on Cadmus.
"It doesn't look like it's that far away," Robin observed, standing next to her and looking at the small screen.
Aqualad sighed. "Well, then we had better start walking."
When they finally arrived, Lark could see firefighters combating the flames in the distance. She could hear people shouting for help as smoke continued to billow out from behind them.
Something exploded on the second floor, causing two men to fall from the window. Kid Flash appeared on the side of the building in a flash and managed to grab the scientists and place them on the roof before he lost his footing.
Below him, the chief exclaimed, "It's what's-his-name...Flash Boy!"
Lark couldn't hear Kid Flash's response, but she had a feeling he wasn't happy about being misnamed...again.
She raced forward, Robin and Aqualad on her heels. For a moment, they simply observed Kid Flash hanging from the windowsill.
"So-o smooth," Robin snickered. He shared a glance with Lark before they took off, the lark a step ahead of the robin.
She used the steps at the back of the fire engine to launch herself onto the truck's roof. While Robin used his grapple to swing himself onto the windowsill Kid Flash hung from, Lark dashed lightly up the ramp of the fireman's extendible bucket, shooting her own graple gun as she did. It latched onto the side of the building and Lark gracefully sailed over the head of the fireman in the bucket.
Robin smirked at her as she hopped down from the window. "Beat ya," he taunted.
"Maybe I just didn't want to haul Flash Boy into the room," she countered with a shrug.
"Aw, that wounds me," Kid Flash pouted, clutching his heart for dramatic effect.
Lark rolled her eyes. "Just start looking through the files," she chuckled. "Robin—"
"On it!" he grinned, already hooking himself up to a computer. Lark pulled out her tiny flashlight and began walking around the room, looking at the writing on the whiteboards and the items pinned to the cork boards, looking for anything that might be of interest or worthy of bringing back to Batman.
A minute later, Aqualad appeared in the window, looking less than pleased. "Appreciate the help," he said dryly, shooting a small glare at the other three as he landed in the room.
"You handled it," Robin shrugged, glancing over his shoulder. "Besides," he added, turning back to the computer, "we're here to investigate. Poetic justice, remember?"
Lark glanced up in time to see Aqualad walk out the door and down the hall. "Guess he's not interested in paperwork," she said she followed, grabbing Kid Flash and Robin by the upper arms as she did.
"There was something in the—" Aqualad started to say as they joined him at the end of the hall.
"Elevators should be locked down," Kid Flash informed.
Robin pushed past them and went to stand in front of the elevator. "This is wrong," he frowned. He tapped his wrist, his own holographic computer screen blinking into existence. "Thought so," he muttered once he had finished his scans.
Lark's eyes widened as she read over Robin's shoulder. "But that's a—"
"Yep," Robin nodded, popping the p for emphasis.
"It doesn't belong—"
"You said it."
Behind them, Kid Flash and Aqualad shared a look before the former cleared his throat and said, "Care to fill in the rest of the class?"
"This is a high-speed express elevator," Lark explained, turning to them.
"Which doesn't belong in a two-story building," Robin finished.
"Neither does what I saw," Aqualad said. He stepped forward and pried open the elevator doors with a grunt. When he glanced down, his eyes widened when he saw how deep the elevator shaft went.
Robin knelt by the edge. "And that's why they need an express elevator." He stood and shot his grapple gun at the ceiling and proceeded to rappel himself downward, Lark following his lead. Aqualad and Kid Flash, left with no (easy) way down, each grabbed a line and slid down.
At Sub-Level 26, Lark grunted as she felt the cord come to an abrupt stop.
"I'm at the end of my rope," Robin announced for the both of them. He swung himself until he was perched on the ledge rimming the wall, and Aqualad, who had jumped on his cable, followed suit. Lark reached out for Robin's grapple gun and released her hold on her grapple, letting Kid Flash pass her on the line.
Robin tapped his wrist and the screen appeared again. "Bypassing security..." he muttered as he typed away at the tiny holographic keyboard. Beside him, Aqualad helped Kid Flash onto the ledge.
Lark, who had un-suctioned her grapple from the ceiling and was hanging from Robin's grapple line, made a face at the five cartoonish faces of Robin scowling somewhat grotesquely back at them. "Ugh, why'd you have to use that face?" she asked as the cable from her grapple came reeling back.
"What's wrong with my face?" Robin asked, not tearing his eyes from what he was doing even as he raised an eyebrow at Lark.
"Nothing," the older teen pacified. "As long as it never makes that expression," she finished with a snicker.
Robin rolled his eyes before exclaiming, "There!" once all five faces were green. "Go!"
"Or that one!" Lark added, as the faces were now grinning grotesquely.
"Whatever!" Robin called as Aqualad rolled his eyes, only slightly annoyed, before opening the elevator doors once more. The three boys stepped into the hall and Lark swung herself on Robin's grapple line, unhooking the cable as she leapt for the hallway.
"Welcome to Project Cadmus," Robin said, sounding almost in awe once Lark was on her feet and she had passed him his grapple gun.
Before any of them could get a good look, Kid Flash took off down the hall.
"Kid, wait!" Aqualad hissed after him. Kid Flash cried out suddenly and skidded to a stop when he came to the T at the end of the hallway, and a second later, Lark saw why.
Giant creatures marched along, their footsteps shaking the ground. Lark, Robin, and Aqualad approached more cautiously than Kid Flash, and when they reached the intersection, Kid Flash crossed the path to join them. They stood before the creatures—which were about the size of elephants but looked more gorilla-ish in nature—in plain sight, but the animals seemed to not care about their presence.
One eventually looked over at them and roared, and Lark noticed a smaller creature perched on its back, between its shoulder blades. The smaller creature's little devil horns glowed red, but nothing seemed to change.
"No," Aqualad said slowly. "Nothing odd going on here." Lark watched the strange parade stomp past, until they finally disappeared down the hall.
"Let's not go that way," Lark stated, staring after the creatures and pointing a finger in their direction for unnecessary emphasis.
"Agreed," Robin said before taking off in the opposite direction, the others following after him.
They passed several empty hallways before reaching the end. A massive automated door blocked their path, and Robin quickly hacked into the controls to let them pass.
"Okay," he said as the door slid open and he got his first view of what lay beyond, "I'm officially whelmed."
Stacked to the ceiling in row after row were glass tubes containing what appeared to be bioluminescent creatures.
"This is how they hide this massive underground facility from the world," Kid Flash deduced, sounding impressed as the four started to venture further into the room. "The real Cadmus isn't on the grid. It generates its own power with these...things," he said.
On closer inspection, Lark saw he was right. The top and bottom of each tube was metal, and electrical sparks kept arching off the insect-like creatures, which were then drawn to the metal plating.
"Must be what they're bred for," Lark muttered.
"Even the name is a clue," Aqualad pointed out. "The Cadmus of myth created a new race by sowing dragon's teeth into the earth."
"And this Cadmus creates new life, too," Robin hypothesized. "Let's find out why," he said, walking to a small computer and hooking himself in. "They call them Genomorphs," he read once he was tapped in. "Whoa! Look at the stats on these things—super strength, telepathy, razor claws," he listed. "These things are living weapons!"
"They're engineering an army," Kid Flash concluded grimly. "But for who?"
"Wait, there's something else," Lark noticed, stepping next to Robin, who moved aside to let her look. "Project K-r," she read once the page had loaded. Aqualad and Kid Flash moved closer as well so they could read the screen. After a few failed attempts to get into the file, she handed the reins over to Robin again.
When he saw what he was dealing with, he groaned, "Ugh, the file's triple-encrypted. I can't—"
"Don't move!" a voice suddenly commanded.
Lark whirled around and saw a man dressed in blue with gold armor, along with five small gray creatures, coming toward them. "Wait," the man said, stopping short. "Lark, Robin? Aqualad and Kid Flash?"
"At least he got your name right," Robin snickered quietly.
"Less taunting, more hacking," Lark requested softly as she stepped in front of him to block him from the new-comer's gaze. Turning her attention back to the blue-garbed man, she frowned. "Wait, I recognize you," she stalled.
"You're Guardian," Aqualad nodded. "A hero."
"I do my best," Guardian said, and Lark couldn't tell if he was being modest or if he was gloating.
"Then what are you doing here?" Kid Flash demanded angrily.
"I'm chief of security," Guardian informed them. "You're trespassing, but we can call the Justice League, figure this out."
"You think the League's gonna approve of you breeding weapons?" the redhead asked loudly.
"Weapons?" Guardian asked, sounding genuinely confused. "What are you—" The thing perched on his shoulder turned its head to face him and its little horns glowed. Lark narrowed her eyes at the thing; weren't those things telepathic?
"What have I—Ugh." Guardian shook his head as if to clear it. "My head," he muttered. He looked up again and the creature's horns stopped glowing. "Take them down, hard!" he suddenly ordered. "No mercy!" Immediately, the creatures at his side sprang toward the teens.
Lark quickly dropped a smoke bomb, thick fog erupting from the broken dark purple casing. She stood in front of Robin, ready to defend him while he finished downloading the files, and pulled out her little-used secondary weapon—a collapsible jō staff in matching purple.
She knocked aside the first genomorph that leapt their way and swept the second off its feet before Robin tapped her shoulder, letting her know he was done. Lark collapsed her staff and after snapping it into the holster on her thigh, they reached for their grapples and Robin zipped away.
She wasn't as lucky as Robin, though. One of the gray creatures managed to leap onto her arm, its razer-sharp claws piercing through her uniform and digging into her flesh. Lark cried out in pain and surprise, letting go of her grapple as she did. She managed to land safely, but was distracted with the genomorph still clinging onto her.
It snapped its little mouth as it strained to get a piece of her face. Lark reached for a smoke pellet, managing to set it off in the face of the genomorph. It gagged and hissed as the dark smoke enveloped it, and it retracted its claws to scramble away. It hissed at her as it landed, and Lark glared right back at the tiny creature.
It launched itself at her face and Lark quickly pulled back her fist to punch the thing. Another leapt at her chest and knocked her back with a surprising amount of force. She raised her arm, catching the creature in the throat, before it could take a bite from her neck. It continued to snap viciously at her face and Lark, unable to reach for her staff, settled for raising a hand to slap it away.
A large shadow in the shape of a hand materialized and mirrored her motion, sending the creature flying across the room and crashing into the wall.
Oops, she thought to herself as she quickly pulled her hand to her chest, the shadowy hand disappearing. She glanced around to see if anyone else had noticed, but Aqualad and Kid Flash were too busy with their own genomorphs to have paid attention to Lark's battle.
When no further genomorph popped out to attack, Lark straightened and seeing the others finished, took off with them, heading in the direction in which she had seen Robin disappear.
Kid Flash raced ahead of them, and in the distance, Lark could hear him snap angrily, "Way to be a team player, Rob!" over the blaring alarms.
Robin glanced up and saw he was without his partner. "I thought you were right behind me," he said when Lark approached.
"I wasn't so lucky," she said, moving her arm subtly so her cape fell in front of her shoulder. Robin's eyes caught the torn fabric on her arm, though, and he reached forward and grabbed her arm.
"You're bleeding!" he exclaimed in surprise, examining her wounds.
"I'm fine," she said firmly, extracting her arm from Robin's prodding fingers. "They're shallow, and besides, I've had worse."
Before Robin could argue further, the elevator doors slid open and Lark brushed past Robin to enter, her partner and Kid Flash joining her a moment later. They turned to see Aqualad dashing down the hall, the creatures hot on his heels. The Atlantean ducked into a forward roll and popped to his feet in the elevator. Lark began jabbing the "close" button, the doors sliding shut just in time.
Robin kept trying to catch Lark's eyes so he could bug her about her arm, but she stubbornly stared straight ahead, keeping her arm hidden from view. The raven-haired teen was about to open his mouth to insist he have a look, but Aqualad noticed something that made everyone forget about Lark's injured arm.
"We're heading down?" he asked, and Lark glanced up to watch the floor numbers increase, indicating they were traveling deeper into the ground.
"Why are we going down?" she questioned her partner.
"Dude, out is up," Kid Flash said, pointedly jabbing his finger at the ceiling.
"Excuse me?" Robin asked, not at all thrown by the two angry looks sent his way by Kid Flash and Aqualad. "Project K-r, it's down on Sub-Level 52. L, I thought you were interested!"
"Sure," she said. "But not enough to investigate by ourselves!" she added quickly when the two angry glares were directed at her. "I thought you downloaded all the files on K-r!"
"I did, but there are some things I wanted to see for myself!"
"This is out of control," Aqualad muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. "Perhaps...perhaps we should contact the League," he said slowly, as though unsure of his companions' reactions.
Just then, the elevator dinged, signifying their stop. The doors opened to reveal a very strange-looking antechamber. The walls and floors were red, and the walls seemed to be housing pods for...something.
"Too late," Lark muttered.
Once it became apparent there was no immediate threat, Robin dashed forward.
"We are already here," Kid Flash reasoned before running after Robin. Aqualad turned to Lark, who just shrugged and hurried after the two. Aqualad sighed but was left with no choice but to follow.
They reached a fork in the hallway and they crouched behind an outcropping.
"Which way?" Aqualad asked Robin dryly.
"Yeah," Robin said exasperatedly. "Bizarre-looking hallway one or bizarre-looking hallway two?"
Before any of them could answer, a voice called, "Halt!" A tall, thin figure stepped forward from bizarre-looking hallway one, and when it came into the light, Lark saw his skin was bluish-gray and he had two horns curving out from his forehead. His eyes and horns started glowing, and cylindrical metal bins flew after them.
"Great, a telekinetic," she grumbled, then winced as the bins exploded against the wall behind them. Robin threw a birdarang at him, but the creature only stopped it with his mind. Kid Flash started running down bizarre-looking hallway two, leaving the others to follow. Behind them, something else exploded, but they kept running.
Lark rounded the corner to find Kid Flash propping open a heavy metal door that was labeled Project Kr. "Hurry!" he yelled.
Lark followed Robin, and Aqualad kicked the object out of the way once he was inside, causing the doors to slam shut.
Robin was already at the controls. "I've disabled the doors," he informed once he was done. "We're safe."
"We're trapped," Aqualad corrected with a frown.
"For now," Lark said.
"You doubt my hacking abilities?" Robin questioned, raising an eyebrow.
"Never," she assured with a small grin before becoming serious again. "But it's only a matter of time before they get those doors open, whether by brute force or by overriding your hack."
"Uh, guys?" Kid Flash called from further in the room. "You'll want to see this." He pressed a button on a control panel Lark hadn't noticed before, and lights flickered on.
"Whoa," Robin breathed.
Standing before them was an occupied cryotube. The glass front bore the letters K and r, and beyond that, Lark saw a teenage Superman garbed in white with a red S that looked exactly like the Man of Steel's own shield. Behind him, each in its own little bubble, were three of the same small creatures Lark had spotted perched on the shoulder of Guardian and on the backs of the giant lumbering creatures. Their eyes were closed, but Lark didn't think they were sleeping.
She was the first to move, slowly walking closer to the cryotube. "K...r..." she muttered softly to herself.
"The atomic symbol for Krypton," Kid Flash said from behind her. He turned back to Robin and Aqualad, who still stood behind the controls. "Clone?" he wondered out loud.
"Robin, hack," the older teen instructed as Lark turned away from the Superman look-alike to rejoin her partner at the controls.
"Oh, right, right," the young bird said, shaking his head as if to clear it. He hooked up his computer to the controls and got to work. "Weapon designated Superboy, a clone force-grown in...sixteen weeks?!" he exclaimed in disbelief.
"Using Superman's DNA," Lark muttered with a frown as she read over his shoulder.
"DNA stolen from Superman," Aqualad corrected, and Lark had a feeling he was right.
"No way the big guy knows about this," Kid Flash said.
"Solar suit allows him to absorb yellow sun radiation twenty-four-seven," Robin continued to read.
"And these creatures?" Aqualad asked, pointing at the three small beings above the Superboy's head.
"Genomorph g-nomes," Lark declared, her eyes scanning the page. "It says they're telepathic, 'providing a superior education unrivaled by any school system in the world,'" she quoted in a snooty tone. "Ugh, they make it sound like a boarding school instead of..."
"A force-fed education," Robin finished for her with a scoff.
"And we can guess what else," Kid Flash said grimly. "They're making a slave out of, well, Superman's son."
"Now we contact the League," Aqualad said in a tone that left no room for discussion. He touched his belt buckle, which started to glow, and Kid Flash checked his earpiece. Lark held a finger to her own comm unit and winced when all she got was feedback.
"No signal," Robin sighed, having checked his holo-computer.
"We're in too deep," Kid Flash said. "Literally." He looked at Superboy again. "This is wrong," he frowned.
"We can't leave him like this," Robin nodded.
After a pause, Aqualad said, "Set him free."
"Wait," Lark said suddenly, a hand on Robin's wrist stilling his movement. "Is that a good idea?"
"Lark," Kid Flash said, somewhat in shock. "He's a prisoner."
"A brainwashed prisoner," she differentiated. "Cadmus is obviously not our friend, and if they're the only source of information for this Superboy, he might perceive us as a threat. He has Superman's DNA, for God's sake! We sure as hell couldn't take Superman down by ourselves, especially if said Superman has no qualms about taking lethal action."
"She has a good point," Robin admitted, suddenly looking uncertain.
Aqualad hesitated before saying firmly, "We will just have to hope we can convince him otherwise." Turning to Robin, he said, "Do it."
The young hacker still deferred to Lark, who seemed to remain unconvinced releasing Superboy was the best course of action. Aqualad didn't back down, though, and after a moment, she relented. She removed her hand from Robin's wrist and nodded. He set to work on the controls, and a moment later, a loud hiss emitted from the cryotube as the walls of Superboy's cage slid out of view.
Lark froze, waiting nervously for him to make the first move. Her gaze jumped to his hands, which were the first to test their new freedom. His eyes suddenly flashed open, and Lark had just enough time to register—unhelpfully—that his blue eyes were a few shades darker than Superman's before he suddenly threw himself at Aqualad.
They went tumbling and when the dust finally settled, Superboy had the upper hand. He got in a few hits before Lark thrust her hands out, a little desperate, and was rewarded with a shadowy whip that materialized to wrap itself around Superboy's neck. She planted her feet and pulled back, hard, in an attempt to throw the clone off the Atlantean. Robin and Kid Flash hurried forward, each grabbing an arm as they tried to restrain him.
"Whoa!" Kid Flash exclaimed. "Hold up, Supey!"
"We're on your side," Robin insisted.
"Come on, come on, come on," Lark muttered to herself, struggling to keep from sliding across the floor as Superboy strained against her.
The clone punched away the speedster, sending the redhead sailing into a glass case, where he groaned softly before falling unconscious.
A second whip curled around Superboy's wrist to replace Kid Flash as Robin ground out, "I don't want to do this," as he pulled out a circular blade from his belt and pressed the button on it. A gas was released, and it temporarily choked Superboy. He reeled back with the help of Lark's two shadow whips, and Aqualad took the opening to kick the clone solidly in the chest. Lark leapt out of the way as Superboy went flying back into the controls at the center of the room, where he lay still for a moment.
When he got to his feet, Robin and Lark each shot their stun guns, four cables launching out and landing in Superboy's chest and back. He roared in pain, but that only seemed to momentarily shock him. He reached behind him to yank out the probes lodged in his back.
"Whoa!" Lark yelled in surprise as her feet left the ground and she went flying toward Superboy's back. She groaned as she slammed into the solid wall of muscle before literally bouncing off and crashing into the damaged control station.
She quickly scrambled out of the way as she clone took a step back, grabbing the cables from Robin's gun and giving them a sharp tug, and like Lark, the young bird's feet left the floor. Superboy caught Robin by the head and slammed him into the floor. He placed a foot on the prone teen's chest and started to step down.
"Hey!" Lark growled. "Get away from my partner!" She grabbed a broken metal pole as she rushed the clone and swung it at his head, which only managed to bend the pole at a sharp angle. With a glare, Superboy turned and grabbed Lark by the throat. Her eyes widened as she felt him start to close his fist, and her feet lashed out as they left the ground once again. In a matter of seconds, black dots began to dance in front of her eyes.
"Enough!" Aqualad roared, leaping forward and drawing Superboy's attention away from the weakened Lark. It worked, and Lark crumpled to the ground.
She alternated between coughing harshly and sucking in air like a vacuum, but it was too late. She felt herself go limp as her eyes rolled back in her head, and just like that, she was out.
A/N: Wow, I think this is the longest chapter I've ever posted, even without the lengthy Author's Note. You can look forward to long chapters like this in the future, since I don't anticipate breaking up episodes or YJ comic issues (yes, I will be including comic issues because new villains are coming!).
So, what do you think? I'd love to hear what you have to say, whether you're a new reader or you've read my previous Naomi stories. Let me know what you like, love, or hate! All comments are appreciated, though please refrain from screaming insults or curse words at me
Until next time.