WASHINGTON, DC
JULY 5th, 2010
00:01 EDT
"Time runs short… You must awaken… You must awaken now!"
The stranger's voice echoed through Ski'Lira's unconscious mind, rattling around through her skull and bringing her from asleep to fully alert. On instinct she moved, only to be immediately met with restraints. Metal cuffs bound her limbs, and to add insult to injury, she was sealed behind glass, like a butterfly in a display case. Air was thankfully supplied into the pod, but it was stale, and recycled. Whipping her head from side to side, she saw that she was not alone in her predicament, with her three companions similarly captured.
Giving a few experimental tugs, she let out a growl of frustration when the metal didn't so much as creak. If they had been keeping a Kryptonian down here, it was no wonder they just happened to have alien-strength level restraints on hand. She forged her growing ire like a knife, using it to keep her focused on the current situation. The last thing she needed was for her body to start recognizing trapped, encased, small space, and trigger a fully-fledged, claustrophobia-induced panic attack.
This was one of the very few moments in her life where she mentally cursed her species' genetic predisposition to suffering from claustrophobia. Nearly every one of her people had it, but it came in varying degrees, running on a scale from 'mild discomfort easily worked through' to 'can't be inside buildings for extended periods of time'. She counted herself thankful she wasn't on the extreme end, but she had a history of suffering panic attacks when put into confining situations for too long. In her experience, the best way to head incoming panic off at the pass before it could really set in, was to get angry, and to get loud.
"When I get out of here, I am going to tear this place apart!" She shouted, throwing herself at her restraints again. It was futile, but it made her feel better, and if she could weaken the metal even slightly... Her sudden shout earned her an alarmed look from Aqualad in the pod next to hers.
A pointed throat clear from Kid Flash stopped her from engaging in the profanity-filled rant she had planned on next, his eyes locked on the form of Superboy. He stood before their prisons, unblinking. "What... What do you want?" The speedster was cautious in his questioning, still wary from the beat down earlier. But the silent staring merely continued. "Stop staring, you're creeping me out!"
"Uh, KF...?" Robin began. "How about we not tick off the guy that can fry us with a look?"
Naturally, it was Aqualad who took the initiative in attempting the diplomatic route, seeing as Kid Flash certainly wasn't going to successfully ingratiate himself anytime soon. "We only sought to help you."
"Yeah, we free you, and you turn on us. How's that for gra-" The speedster's irate rant was cut off by Aqulad.
"Kid, please be quiet now. I believe our new friend was not in full control of his actions."
"Well what if I- What if I wasn't?"
All thoughts of the confining space were temporarily eradicated from the space they took in Ski'Lira's brain, replaced with the revelation that the clone had just spoken. It was rough and unsure, yes, but it was a fully structured and self-aware question. Her view of the boy was being rapidly edited from their abysmal first impression.
She was certainly not alone in her confusion. "He can talk?!" Kid Flash sputtered.
The incredulous tone the speedster had taken didn't seem to go over well with Superboy, as his glare returned in full force and he answered with a pointed, "Yes, he can."
"... Not like I said it."
"The genomorphs taught you, telepathically." Aqualad recalled the information Robin had found earlier, drawing the attention back to himself.
"They taught me much..." Superboy's reply was actually semi-amicable. Still not completely friendly, but the disdain he showed when addressing the resident loud mouth redhead was gone. "I can read, write... I know the names of things."
"But have you seen them?" Robin asked. "Have they ever actually let you see the sky? Or the sun?"
"... Images are implanted in my mind, but no. I have not seen them."
"A pity," Hawkgirl tossed in her own two cents, though even she would admit her tone was a little more... condescending than she'd been intending it to be. Sue her, she was trying not to lose it at the moment. "Especially for a Kryptonian, they thrive in the sunlight. Real sunlight."
"Do you know what you are?" Aqualad pressed. "Who you are?"
That single question seemed to be a step too far, as it seemed to flip a switch in the black-haired boy's brain. His posture stiffened, blue eyes glazing over slightly, and his voice took on a slightly robotic quality. "I am the Superboy, a genomorph, a clone made from the DNA of the Superman, created to replace him should he perish, to destroy him should he turn from the light." It was a mystery how many times he'd been forced to recite that line for it to become so rote, or if it was part of the education he'd been mentally fed, played on loop in his head endlessly. This specific brand of indoctrination is hard to break.
But they had to try anyway.
"To be like Superman is a worthy aspiration..." As ever, Aqualad continued, never once breaking stride in his attempt for peace. "But like Superman, you deserve a life of your own beyond that Solar suit, beyond your pod, beyond Cadmus."
"I live because of Cadmus!" Hands clenching in anger, Superboy's voice rose suddenly in volume. "It is my home!"
"That means nothing if this is how they treat you." Hawkgirl snapped back. "You have done nothing to deserve being treated like a prisoner."
"Your home is a test tube." Robin added. "We can show you the sun."
Breaking his unofficial ban from speaking, Kid Flash winced sheepishly. "Uh, pretty sure it's after midnight, but we can show you the moon?"
The Atlantean took back over before Kid Flash put his foot in his mouth again, ruining the solid process they were making. "We can show you, introduce you to Superman."
"No, they can't. They'll be otherwise occupied." Any further attempts they could have made were suddenly and horrifically dashed by the arrival of one of the members of the real Cadmus. Brown hair pulled back into a ponytail and lab coat draped over slightly scrawny shoulders, she couldn't help but dislike this nameless scientist immediately. "Activate the cloning process."
A nearby tech that had arrived with the entourage snapped to attention. "At once, Dr. Desmond."
"Pass," Robin quipped, his go-to reflex in stressful situations. "Batcave's crowded enough."
"And get the weapon back in its pod!" 'Dr. Desmond's' overall derogatory attitude and use of the inaccurate pronoun made Hawkgirl's hackles rise. Dislike immediately switched over to 'intense hatred'.
"Hey, come he gets to call Supey an 'it'?" Kid Flash's complaint earned him a sharp glare from Robin.
Meanwhile, Aqualad had yet to break eye contact with the clone. "Help us."
"Don't start thinking now," Desmond's jeering was growing increasingly grating. "See, you're not a real boy. You're a weapon and you belong to me! Well, to Cadmus... Same thing. Now get back to your pod!"
It was unclear from his blank facial expression, but Superboy's body language at least indicated hesitation, turning away reluctantly. He left the room at a steady pace, not once looking back. The door slid shut behind him with a decisive hiss, just as the tech announced that the cloning sequence was ready.
From within each of the pods, syringe-like contraptions positioned themselves over the chests of each teen.
Ski'Lira barely had a moment to brace herself before a searing pain tore through her body. She was no stranger to pain, having been subject to breaking bones, lacerations, deep bruises, and even once an entire harpoon impaled through her wing. But this was a whole new realm of pain she'd never experienced before. It was cruel and invasive in a way she couldn't begin to explain. Her shrieking was loud, she knew, no doubt reaching ear-piercing levels thanks to her non-human vocal chords. On either side of her she could hear the others similarly writhing in agony.
Then all of a sudden, it stopped.
Sagging in her restraints, she focused on breathing through the aftershocks, fingers still spasming. She gave herself exactly three seconds before opening her eyes, surprised to see their savior was Superboy. He'd torn through the door separating them like it was tissue paper, and tossed scientists away from their equipment without care.
"You here to help us or fry us?" Kid Flash managed to grind out through gritted teeth once the short rampage had ceased, and Superboy had returned to standing blank-faced in front of them.
Blue eyes narrowed before he smirked. "Huh, I don't seem to have heat vision, so I suppose helping is my only option."
A very breathy laugh left Hawkgirl. "I like you, you're fun."
"You should not take that as a compliment." Kid Flash warned, slipping back into easy banter despite the internal injury they'd all just been dealt.
"Ah, finally!" Robin's exclamation was accompanied by the telltale click of his restraints releasing, allowing him to drop to the ground of his own volition. "Lucky Batman isn't here, he'd have my head for taking so long."
"Seriously?! That's what you're worried about? The whole League will have our heads after tonight!"
Ignoring his best friend for the moment, Robin set to disengaging the glass lids on the rest of the pods. "Free Aqualad," he said to Superboy. "I'll get Kid Mouth and Big Bird."
"Don't you give me orders, either," growling under his breath, Superboy still set to the tasks given to him, hopping up onto the platform and ripping off the metal restraints keeping Aqualad aloft. The Atlantean sagged from the lack of support, but was quickly caught, and gave quiet thanks.
Meanwhile, Robin had helped Kid Flash, said speedster recovering quickly enough to zoom over to where Hawkgirl had been steadily scraping at her own cuffs, turning her hands so that the razor-sharp tips of her gauntlets started to shred the metal. "Need a little help, Hawkgirl?" Kid Flash teased with a self-satisfied smirk, having not noticed her own attempts.
That smug look on her face irked her greatly. Instead of allowing him to rile her, as he no doubt intended, she yanked her wrists with full strength, the newly weakened metal shattering. She put a little too much force into the pull, sending herself toppling to the ground and landing harshly on all fours. Shaking out her wings out like a waterlogged dog, she clambered to her feet, shaking the remains of the restraints off of her arms.
With everyone freed and passing Aqualad's quick visual inspection for injury, they took off at a dead run towards the gaping hole Superboy had made through the door. Hawkgirl took the smallest detour to retrieve her mace from where it had been set on an examination table, feeling the last vestiges of unease at her confinement fading with her weapon back in hand. Desmond was not about to let them forget his presence, shouting after them with the desperation of a losing man.
"You- You'll never get out of here! I'll have you back in pods before morning!"
"This guy is not whelmed, not whelmed at all." Robin muttered, almost casually throwing several birdarangs at the tanks within the room. They detonated once the sharp metal tines dug sufficiently in, turning the room behind them bright orange as a conflagration sprung to life behind them.
Kid Flash took the time to shoot an exasperated look at Robin. "What is it with you and this whelmed thing?" She actually agreed with the speedster on that one, she just wished he'd waited until after they were done running for their lives to do so.
"We are still forty two levels underground," Aqualad interrupted, knocking them both back on track. "But if we can make the elevator-"
At the end of the hall, a trio of the colossal quadrupedal genomorphs swiftly cut off their path, forcing them to halt and reevaluate. The way they had come was similarly closed off, and both parties swept in faster than they expected, forcing them to dodge out of the way to avoid being crushed.
Well, most of them dodged.
Superboy ended up fully stomped by one of the creatures, pinned under a foot before he managed to throw it off of him, not hesitating to dive in and start flailing at the beast with his fists. The enthusiasm was appreciated, but not the repercussions, as the sheer force of his blows was starting to shake the subterranean hallway.
"Superboy!" Aqualad shouted as the shaking grew worse. "The goal is to escape, not bury ourselves here!"
"You want escape?!" The Kryptonian screamed back, picking up one of the downed quadrupeds and hurtling at the remaining two, effectively reopening their avenue of escape.
When the dull metal gleam of the elevator was in sight, Aqualad and Hawkgirl tore ahead of the pack, both positioning themselves on either side of the doors. Digging in their fingers, they folded the thick metal back in on itself like it was cardboard. Once they'd created a large enough opening, Kid Flash sped towards the wall within and darted upward, perching precariously on a jutting ledge above the chasm. Robin shot a grapple, leaping into empty space once the hook had gotten purchase.
Mindful (and irritated) of the distinct lack of space, Hawkgirl dove in, allowing her claws to sink into the walls once more and started hauling herself upwards at a hasty and confident pace, putting even some of the most athletic of Earth's rock climbers to shame.
Below her, she spotted Superboy snagging Aqualad around the torso, tensing his legs before launching himself and his cargo straight upwards. He went so far as to extend his free hand straight out in front of him, an obvious mimic of his genetic parent. But there was no continuation of momentum as he took to flight, instead beginning a steady plummet back downwards. "I- I"m falling."
Robin's reflexes were on point, throwing a projectile at the wall in time for Aqualad to grab it as they passed, yanking them both to a harsh halt.
"Superman can fly... Why can't I fly?" There was a heartbroken note in Superboy's voice that grated Hawkgirl the wrong way.
"Well, we can't all have wings." Clambering the last couple of meters upwards until she was parallel with the two, she shot a grin at him, trying to distract him from the solemn mood. She was instantly glad he really didn't have heat vision, as the glare he shot her very easily could have resulted in a pair of laser holes through her face.
"Hey, at least it looks like you can leap tall buildings in a single bound. Still cool." KF assured with a thumbs up from his careful perch.
"Guys, this will have to be our exit." Robin drew their attention to the closed doors they were nearest to. That was all the suggestion Superboy required before he jumped out of Aqualad's grip and tore through the doors like they were made out of wet tissue paper. One by one they leapt through the door to the new floor, Aqualad staying last to make sure they all made it through safely.
Ski'Lira gave a thankful stretch of her wings as they emerged into a hallway large enough for her to expand them to their full span, and even fly if the situation called for it. Their pace increased with a newfound vigor now that they were in a less enclosed area, but it was Superboy who unexpectedly led them, shouting out directions as they navigated the increasingly labyrinthine halls. Putting their trust in their new friend was working well enough, up until the point they hit a dead end.
"Great directions, Supey!" Throwing his hands up in frustration, Kid Flash shouted at their guide. "You trying to get us re-podded?!"
However, Superboy looked genuinely confused by this turn of events. "I... don't understand."
Robin's head whipped to the side as something caught his eye, summoning a wide grin back onto his face. "Don't apologize, this is perfect!"
Following his line of sight, Ski'Lira didn't quite manage to tamp down the urge to swear, doing so quietly, and colorfully in her native language. Of course their escape route was a ventilation shaft. She herself had never had the misfortune of having to crawl through one before, only knowing them to be cramped, dusty things that no one should be traversing. Robin fired off a grapple to tear the cover off the vent, leading the way inside.
She herself waited until the last moment to enter, trying to mitigate the feeling of confinement by at least guaranteeing there was no one immediately behind her. "I hate this." Ski'Lira muttered as she pulled her wings in as tight against her spine as she could manage. "And I hate you for making me do this, Robin."
"Love you too, Hawkgirl!" The Boy Wonder shot back cheekily from the front of the pack.
"At this rate, we'll never get out," Kid Flash muttered.
Superboy suddenly froze, bringing them all to a halt. "Shh... Listen..."
Her own sensitive hearing picked up on it too, the distinct sounds of something pursuing them. Seconds later, a horde of genomorphs appeared behind them.
H
Hawkgirl was pointedly not making eye contact with any of the others, still irritable after their frantic crawling through the vents to avoid the horde. More than a few had targeted her, seeing as she was the one in their immediate line of fire. Tiny grabby hands had skidded off golden metal boots, only to latch onto her vulnerable feathers as handholds. They'd even managed to rip out a few feathers before Aqualad had worked some of his hydro magic to blast them away.
Robin was in the process of delving back into Cadmus' computer systems, in an attempt to cover their tracks and obscure their current situation. Now that they were relatively stationary, she inspected the ends of her wings, relieved to see that the gnomes hadn't pulled nearly enough feathers to cause issues with flight, only latching onto a few smaller ones.
"I hacked the motion sensors," Robin announced with a signature amount of smugness, earning himself a high-five from Kid Flash. "Still plenty of them between us and out."
The speedster just smiled wide as he pulled his red goggles down over his eyes. "But I've finally got room to move."
She seconded that, giving her feathers a last smooth-down with her fingers to make sure they were in order before grabbing her mace from where it was hanging at her side. This time, Kid Flash led the charge as they emerged out into a stairwell. He took on the genomorphs that gathered above them. Deciding to use the expedited route, Hawkgirl vaulted herself over to the railing and dropped into a hover, flying straight up to aid the redhead in making the way clear for the others. All of the stragglers Kid Flash missed on his initial run, she merely snagged by spindly limbs or protrusions and bodily threw them down several flights.
Superboy joined in, taking out the stairs below them to prevent them being followed so closely. She had to admit, despite this being the first time working as even a semblance of a team with this group of misfits, they were actually doing pretty well.
Catching up to Kid Flash just in time, she caught him muttering an 'Oh, crud' before slamming face first into a solid metal wall far thicker than the ones they had encountered before. Landing just behind him, he visibly startled when he noticed her, cheeks reddening as he no doubt realized she'd seen his mishap.
"We're cut off from the street." Aqualad said, summing up the situation as the others caught up.
"Thanks," Kid Flash groaned, rubbing the back of his head. "My head hadn't noticed."
This time, Superboy, Hawkgirl, and Aqualad all got their hands on the door, using their combined strengths to try to pry it open, but it seemed this door was made out of the same restraints they were using down below, as it didn't so much as budge. That proved to be somewhat of an issue, considering there was already a pack of genomorphs at the end of the hallway, barreling towards them with single-minded purpose.
"This way!" Robin's shout stopped their own attempt, as he kicked open a nearby, nearly invisible door. Taking the new option, their relief was short lived when they realized exactly what lay in wait for them on the other side.
Guardian stood there, expression still wiped from his face, telekinetic genomorph at his side. Surrounding them were countless droves of G-Gnomes, each one's gaze locked completely and eerily on their position. Barely had they slipped into offensive stances before their consciousness was switched off from one blink to the next.
It was unclear how long exactly they were blacked out, but the moment she was awake again, Hawkgirl was shaking off the residual grogginess and lunging at the nearest Genomorph. Kid Flash's arm jerked out, blocking her off and forcing her to pause before she unintentionally started a fight.
Guardian's eyes were clear, and all too aware of his actions and regretful. "Go, I'll deal with Desmond." He ordered, tone brooking no room for argument.
"I think not," said scientist chimed in, appearing at the other end of the room. On his approach, the genomorphs parted for him. "Project Blockbuster will give me the power to restore order to Cadmus." His cryptic declaration was accompanied by the reveal of a syringe in his hand, which he showed off with a flourish before plunging the needle deep into his arm.
The purpose of the syringe, 'Project Blockbuster', became apparent sooner than she had expected, as Desmond's wiry form began to warp and change. Ski'Lira was reminded of a werewolf movie she had watched with Hal Jordan once when she was younger, during a Halloween marathon.
Desmond's body was expanding and contorting in ways that a human simply wasn't meant to. When the newly changed Desmond, (or Blockbuster now, she guessed) stood up to his new, full height, shreds of his former skin hung from his gargantuan frame.
"Everyone back!" Guardian called out in warning as he charged forward, but he only managed to land a single glancing blow, before he was effortlessly backhanded away. But Superboy had used the minor distraction to storm in behind him, already throwing punches wildly.
Now that she had an unhindered view of his combat prowess from the outside, she wondered how the Kryptonian had managed to take them down so easily. He was strong and fast, yes, but his technique was downright sloppy, centered entirely on hitting things with his fists until they stopped moving. Though she supposed it was working, at least for the moment.
Blockbuster leapt into the air just as Superboy did the same, catching the teen around the middle and launching them both up through the at least meter-thick ceiling, leaving a gaping hole behind.
"Okay..." Robin's eyes were locked on the new opening. "That's one way to bust through the ceiling."
"You think lab coat planned that?" Kid Flash asked as Robin grabbed him and grappled them both through the holed and onto the next level.
Aqualad jumped up next, landing in an effortless crouch near the edge. "I doubt he is planning anything anymore." Leaning over, he stretched his arms out with his hands open.
Taking a running start, Hawkgirl leapt upwards, Aqualad grabbing her hands and hauling her up and through. The moment she was standing back on her feet, Superboy slammed straight into them, sending the trio tumbling backwards in an awkward heap. Crawling out from beneath an apologetic Aqualad, she cursed harshly under her breath, thankful she hadn't been injured from the sudden impact.
As Blockbuster let out a roar, all joviality left them for the moment, knowing that this wasn't going to be an easy battle. Without a single verbal cue, they took off in unison.
The speedster reached Blockbuster first, sliding under his legs and disorienting his opponent, allowing Aqualad and Superboy to get in close, sending powerful punches straight into his abdomen, sending him toppling over a crouched Kid Flash.
Hawkgirl swooped down from the air as KF sped away, slamming her mace into his chest with all the strength she could muster, impacting Blockbuster into the ground so hard that a shallow crater formed underneath him.
"Learned that one in kindergarten," Kid Flash quipped from off to the side as Robin made his move.
Flipping over the speedster, he threw two birdarangs at the beast just before Superboy reached him for a second attempt, drawing him into a one on one battle again. That didn't last long, as he was grabbed and pinned against one of the thick concrete pillars, splintering the load-bearing structure in half. Using his still-free hands to pummel at his opponent, Superboy tried to free himself, but to no avail.
Seeing Aqualad making a beeline for the trapped teen, Hawkgirl instead changed trajectory to land next to Robin and Kid Flash. "We need a plan, and fast." She said, looking at the Boy Wonder. "He hasn't taken so much as a damned scratch."
"I'm working on it." Her fellow bird snapped. "Think you can keep him occupied?"
She gave him a terse nod before giving a powerful flap of her wings, taking to the air to swoop back into the fray. Kid Flash was close behind, zooming ahead of her just as Aqualad and Superboy were tossed aside. Naturally, the redhead reached him first, but he too, ended up thrown away.
The direct approach clearly wasn't working, so a new tactic was sorely needed. Eyes darting around, she took quick stock of the amount of space she was working with before flying all the way up to the ceiling. Angling herself carefully, she pulled her wings in and executed a dive, flying down and just past Blockbuster, mace held out to the side to deal out a glancing blow. Before she could be grabbed, she flared her wings and swept back upwards out of his reach. She might have not dealt any real damage, but the intended effect was to have him hone in on her, and in that, she succeeded.
Dropping down a few feet into a steady hover, she goaded him by smirking at him and cracking her neck from side to side. Her taunt earned her an enraged roar in return, as he charged straight towards the Thanagarian, only for her to suddenly surge upwards with a strong flap of her wings. He didn't have time to stop himself, crashing headfirst into one of the thick pillars.
Taking advantage of his disorientation, she tucked in her wings and dropped onto his wide shoulders, balancing carefully before raising her mace in one hand and slamming it down on top of his head over and over. A few bits of his loose flesh ended up dislodging and sticking to the spikes of her mace, but she didn't care in the slightest.
"Of course!" Robin suddenly exclaimed from the other side of the room. "KF! Get over here!"
Robin's call had drawn her attention away from Blockbuster for an instant, but that one heartbeat of hesitation was all he needed to snag the upper hand.
A grating screech erupted from Hawkgirl's throat as a meaty fist closed around one of wings, squeezing tightly and forcing her off his back. She could feel the bones grinding together and the sheer sensory overload kept her from dodging as his other hand wrapped around her torso. Hawkgirl was hit with a sudden, cold clarity as she realized exactly what he was about to do.
Blockbuster pulled steadily on the wing, the pain growing more and more intense, and just as she felt the joint start to give and dislocate, Aqualad appeared out of nowhere. The Atlantean went straight for the beast's weak spots, the fragile parts of his knee. With the new onslaught, the behemoth was forced to at least partially release her to swat away Aqualad, but that's when Superboy jumped onto his back, locking his arms around the monster's neck.
Hawkgirl found herself suddenly released, dropping to the ground like a wet sack and panting like she'd just flown for miles at high speed. Hands scooped up under her, slinging her arm around a shoulder and dragging her away from the immediate danger zone. The familiar scent of sea salt betrayed her savior as Aqualad.
"Are you alright?" He asked quietly.
"Could be better, could be worse," she admitted through gritted teeth. Giving an experimental flap of her wings, she winced as the muscles spasmed. It may have not been fully dislocated, but the resulting sprain was severe enough she definitely wasn't going to be flying anytime soon. Tearing herself out of Aqualad's grip, she steeled herself mentally willed away her pain, refocusing on the matter at hand.
"Superboy, Aqualad, Hawkgirl!" Robin suddenly shouted, drawing their attention as Kid Flash zoomed over to Blockbuster, taking over distraction duty. Once they were close enough, he explained his plan concisely, gesturing to three specific pillars, all load-bearing. "This one and those two!"
Hawkgirl readjusted her grip on her mace and pulled her wings in as tight as her injury would allow, sprinting for her designated pillar. Planting her feet, she activated the energy aura on her mace now that it was back at full charge, and swung with all of her might. The combined force nearly disintegrated the pillar entirely, debris crumbling to the ground and the ceiling already beginning to shake uneasily.
Part one of the plan completed, they moved onto the second phase, namely a tenuous game of cat and multiple mice. They all worked together to maneuver Blockbuster towards a large letter 'X' Robin had marked on the floor and Aqualad had coated it in water. It was tense, as she didn't want to risk getting grabbed again, nor did she want to risk the safety of her fellows, but in the end they just barely managed to lure him into the trap.
Ready and waiting for his moment, when Blockbuster stood in the very center of the mark, Aqualad's tattoos began to glow a telltale bright aqua, and he knelt down to slam both palms flat on the floor. A flood of bioelectricity left him, traveling through the puddle of water and up into Desmond's mutated body. Muscles spasming, he was unable to move under his own volition.
"Move!" Robin ordered, activating the final phase of their plan... the explosive birdarangs he had carefully positioned around the room detonated.
With the last of the supporting pillars taken out, a hefty slab of the roof collapsed directly on top of Blockbuster, accompanied by a rumbling as the rest of the building fully destabilized. The teens managed to outrun most of the initial collapse, seeing as they knew exactly when and how it would happen, but they just weren't quite fast enough. Seeing the potential disaster before it struck, Aqualad leapt to cover Robin, Superboy crouched protectively over Kid Flash, and as the only one wearing any semblance of actual armor, Hawkgirl curled herself into a protective ball close to the others and braced.
Only once the shaking had stopped for a full minute did they dare move, cautiously hopeful all of the detritus had settled. Aqualad and Superboy both moved to shift the large chunk of rubble that had covered them during the collapse, uncovering them.
"We did it..." Aqualad said, almost as if he couldn't believe his own words.
"Was there... ever any... doubt?" Panting heavily, Robin was clearly exhausted, but the grin on his face remained. He also didn't prove tired enough to deny a high-five from Kid Flash, though they both winced on impact from lingering injuries.
Not one to miss out on a celebratory moment after a successful battle, Hawkgirl threw her arms up into the air and let out a cry of victory.
"See? The moon," snagging Superboy's attention, Kid Flash pointed at the big white satellite dominating the night sky. Scarcely had they all looked up before a familiar black silhouette appeared within its glow... the Man of Steel himself. "Oh, and Superman... Do we keep our promises or what?"
But it wasn't just Superman... The entire Justice League had shown up in force, all of whom were looking at them with a mix of stoic determination and disappointment.
The so-called 'sidekicks' weren't ones to back down so easily, keeping their expressions neutral as Superman landed gently before them, all of their respective mentors following suit. The rest of the League hung back, but were watching the situation with a close eye.
Cautiously, with the silent support of those that found him, Superboy made his way forwards with something akin to hope in his eyes. Grabbing the torn edge of his jumpsuit, he pulled it back into place, revealing the signature 'S' symbol.
Superman's blue eyes widened briefly in shock, before changing to a suspicious expression.
"Is that what I think it is?" Batman asked in a neutral tone, stepping forward.
Kid Flash was the first to step up and stand by Superboy's side. "He doesn't like being called an it."
"I'm... Superman's clone."
Batman's eyes narrowed. "Start talking."
H
After a shortened version of their story had been relayed to the tense members of the League, with each of the teens (apart from Superboy, who remained quiet throughout, eyes never wavering from his genetic donor) taking over at some point, it had been Black Canary who had insisted they all be checked over for injury. They'd all been split up so they could be properly seen to, Green Arrow and Black Canary spearheading the effort, treating minor lacerations and bruises.
Superboy was the only one not to be fussed over seeing as he hadn't a single scratch on him, standing awkwardly by himself until Aqualad had been seen to, and promptly moved over to the lost teen to provide some company. Hawkgirl herself had her ribs examined where Desmond had attempted to crush her, managing to get away with only rapidly purpling bruising around her abdomen. However, the moment Green Arrow noticed one of her wings wasn't moving properly, he called over her parents to see to it personally.
She was sat down on a chunk of rubble, Hawkman standing in front of her with his arms crossed as Hawkwoman was behind, gingerly pulling at her wings, testing the limitations of her movement and the missing patches of feathers.
"Was it a good fight?" Hawkman asked, voice a low growl, angling his head to where both Green Lanterns were steadily digging Blockbuster out of the rubble.
"I'd like to think so," she answered, their native language feeling more comfortable on her tongue in her tired state. Feeling eyes on her, she turned to see the others checking on her, no doubt worried about how long her examination was taking. She shot them a weary smile and a thumbs up, which seemed to assuage some fears.
Whap!
She winced as her father's gauntleted hand gently cuffed the back of her helmet, creating a harsh noise, but not a single twinge of pain. "Despite you blatantly ignoring my request about property damage, I'm very proud of you."
"We both are!" Hawkwoman added, speaking far louder than was necessary. "But as far as the others know, you're being yelled at. Flinch, it'll make it more believable."
Complying with the suggestion, she did so, resisting the urge to laugh at the lengths her parents were going to in order to fake a scolding. To really sell it, she let her head drift slightly down, as if she were dejected. "You know that this won't fool Uncle Hal."
"He won't tell." Her father assured. "So... Superman's boy...?"
"He packs a hell of a punch." She admitted. "He took down all of us, even with dreadful technique."
"Hm, I hope you at least got a few hits in?"
"Who do you take me for?"
With an exaggerated scowl, Hawkwoman gently released her wing. "That's my girl. Looks like it's just a severe sprain. You're definitely grounded, young lady."
"As in..."
"No flying, and you're grounded." Shayera clarified.
"We're going to help Hal and John escort Blockbuster to his holding cell, so Oliver's going to make sure you get home safely."
She made a mental note to ask him how he was dealing with... everything that happened with Roy. After all, she was the only other person on the planet with experience in falling out of Roy Harper's good graces.
With a jerk of his chin, her father silently urged her to rejoin the other wayward apprentices.
"Oof, looks like someone's in trouble." Kid Flash grinned mockingly, though there was no heat in it.
"Grounded," she clarified with an answering grin. Moving to stand beside Superboy, she seemed to have caught him by surprise by doing so, judging by the startled look he sent her. She bumped her shoulder with his. "Hey, remember how you beat me earlier?"
"... Yes?" He replied warily.
"It won't happen again, enjoy your victory while it lasts. Our rematch won't go so strongly in your favor."
His expression warred for a moment, before finally settling on a very tentative smile. "We'll see about that."
H
With Blockbuster finally removed from the rubble, the two Green Lanterns of Earth dragged him up into the sky, escorted by both Hawks and Captain Atom.
Superman had finally approached his progeny, though he was uncertain about it. "We'll, uh... We'll figure something out for you. The League will, I mean." This was probably the most flustered she'd ever seen him get, and that counted the times he was around Lois Lane. If his flippant treatment of Superboy weren't so irritating, it would have been amusing. "For now, I'd better make sure they get that Blockbuster creature squared away."
With a good number of the League either gone or inspecting the collapsed structure, Batman, Aquaman, and the Flash were the only three to approach the young heroes.
"Cadmus will be investigated, all fifty two levels," Batman began. "But let's make one thing clear-"
"You should have called!" Flash interrupted, earning him a not-so-subtle glare from the Dark Knight.
"End results aside, we are not happy. You hacked Justice League systems, disobeyed direct orders, and endangered lives. You will not be doing this again."
Setting his jaw, Aqualad took a small, but defiant step forward. "I am sorry, but we will."
"Aqualad, stand down," Aquaman snapped, only to be ignored.
"Apologies my king, but no. We did good work here tonight, the work you trained us to do. Together on our own we forged something powerful, important." Glancing back, he looked at the rest of them meaningfully, not an ounce of hesitation in his gaze.
Flash gave a long sigh," If this is about your treatment at the hall, the four of you-"
"The five of us and it's not." His speedster apprentice corrected.
"Batman," Robin spoke up. "We're ready to use what you taught us or why teach us at all?"
"This was inevitable, you have to realize that," Hawkgirl pointed out.
Letting out a huff, Superboy crossed his arms, "Why let them tell us what to do? It's simple. Get on board, or get out of the way."
H
MOUNT JUSTICE
JULY 8TH, 2010
08:04 EDT
Hawkgirl was staring down Kid Flash, or rather, staring down whatever his civilian persona was. Despite having known him for about a year, she'd never seen him outside of his costume. At the moment, she was glad that Robin had at least stuck to strict 'Bat rules', a pair of dark sunglasses concealing what remained of his identity despite the casual wear.
"What?" The speedster asked, clearly uncomfortable with her scrutiny. "Is there something on my face?"
"I'm just realized how little your mask actually disguises your identity." She deadpanned, forcing a red blush of embarrassment to blossom on his face.
"At least I don't have a pair of massive wings sticking out of my back!" He fired back defensively.
"Wings I know how to hide," she shot back, flexing them for emphasis, relishing in regaining full range of movement.
He sputtered, at a loss for a response, which amused her greatly.
As a matter of fact, she was the only one present who wasn't wearing civilian garb. Even Aqualad, was wearing a zip-up jacket and normal pants, though she supposed he was the most free to wear what he wanted, without a civilian identity to maintain.
All around them, various members of the Justice League were moving equipment back and forth, depositing boxes and going through last checks on systems. A few, however, were standing before them with a gravitas.
"This cave was the original secret sanctuary of the Justice League," it seemed Batman was maintaining his position as 'one to speak directly with the children'. "We're calling it into service again. Since you five are determined to stay together and fight the good fight, you'll do it on League terms. Red Tornado volunteered to live here and be your supervisor. Black Canary's in charge of training. I will deploy you on missions."
"Real missions?" Robin prodded.
"Yes, but covert."
Flash spoke next. "The League will still handle the obvious stuff. There's a reason we have these big targets on our chests."
"But Cadmus proves the bad guys are getting smarter," Aquaman continued. "Batman needs a team that can operate on the sly."
"The six of you will be that team," The Dark Knight, their new team mentor of sorts, finished with an intense look leveled at them.
"Cool!" Robin exclaimed, pausing as the implications hit him. "Wait, six?!"
It was then that two figures emerged from the nearby zeta tube. J'onn J'onzz was easily recognizable, but the young female Martian at his side was a complete stranger.
"This is the Martian Manhunter's niece, Miss Martian."
The red-haired Martian raised a hand sheepishly. "Hi!"
Leaning down to whisper in Robin's ear, Kid Flash's eyes were locked on the new girl. "Liking this gig more every minute!" Heading over to her, his grin widened. "Welcome aboard, I'm Kid Flash. That's Robin, Superboy, Aqualad, and Hawkgirl. It's cool if you forget their names."
"I'm honored to be included." She responded, fully sincere.
Seeing that Superboy wasn't about to move of his own volition, Hawkgirl took initiative, grabbing him by the arm and forcefully dragging him over to the others.
"I like your t-shirt," Miss Martian complimented him, despite his scowling at the Thanagarian. Her own shirt abruptly changed to the same hue as Superboy's.
Aqualad gave a small smile as he looked over the members of his new Team. "Today is the day."