Wally West was in a rush.
Well, he was always in a rush. But today was a special day for Wally West, the Kid Flash. Unfortunately for him, there was the small matter of stopping Captain Cold from robbing a gem depository.
Cold's icy beams cut through the air as he aimed his cold gun at the two speedsters. Barry and Wally, the Flash and Kid Flash, darted in and out of Cold's line of fire, their vibrant red and yellow costumes a blur of motion.
"Stealing ice? Isn't that a bit cliché, even for Captain Cold?" Flash quipped.
"Oh, come on." Kid Flash groaned, "We don't have time for this." he hissed before darting in towards Cold.
He zipped in close, his hands a blur as he snatched the weapon from Cold's grip. In an instant, he skidded to a stop on the other side of the road, holding the gun aloft with a triumphant grin.
Barry seized the moment. In a flash—literally—he closed the distance between him and Cold, delivering a swift punch that sent the villain sprawling to the ground. Barry concealed his identity, but not his frown as he turned to his sidekick.
"Calm down kid." Barry admonished, trying to keep his voice steady despite the adrenaline coursing through him.
Wally narrowed his eyes, stepping closer to Barry.
"Oh please." he started,
"You'd chat it up with the cops, bystanders, with Cold even!" Kid Flash moved closer to his mentor to continue ranting,
"No! No way!" Wally exclaimed, his mouth shaping into a grin, "Today is the day!"
Police cars drove in, their sirens bright and audible. Kid Flash grinned, before darting off with a burst of speed.
"Kids." Barry muttered, before taking off behind him.
The two speedsters zipped through the country, running through roads in a blur.
Kid Flash, alongside the protégés, were finally given access to the Hall of Justice. For Wally, it was a dream come true, and the anticipation made every second feel like an eternity.
The two speedsters entered Washington D.C. at impossible speeds. They continued zipping about the state, and then they saw it.
The Hall of Justice loomed ahead, its majestic form glinting in the sunlight. The sight filled Wally with a renewed surge of energy and excitement. He couldn't help but feel a sense of awe, even though he'd seen it from a distance countless times, hell most people had seen it before. Today, though, was different—today he would finally step inside.
As they approached the grand edifice, Barry zipped in front of Wally, helping him slow down. The two speedsters skidded to a halt just behind a small gathering of heroes and their sidekicks.
Wally looked up, and let out a small groan.
Batman stood tall and imposing, his cape billowing in the gentle breeze. Beside him was Robin, who flashed a smirk at Kid Flash. Aquaman, with his orange armor gleaming, stood alongside Aqualad. Green Arrow and Speedy were there too, both looking as composed and confident as ever.
Batman turned around towards the two speedsters, the shadow of a smile on his face, before striding forward with the other heroes in tow.
The heroes trekked towards the Hall, with the protégés in front of the heroes.
A crowd of civilians gathered around the heroes, murmuring in excitement at them and flashing pictures.
"Ready to see the inner sanctum?" Green Arrow whispered into his protégé, Speedy's, ear.
"Born that way." He replied, his voice laced with excitement. Being Green Arrow's sidekick for years, and nearing eighteen, Speedy was sure he was ready to join the Justice League.
"I'm glad we're all here" Aqualad murmured absently, looking around.
Kid Flash's eyes brightened as he turned to Robin, "Have all four sidekicks ever been at the same time?" He said, grinning.
"Don't call us sidekicks", Speedy hissed at Kid Flash, meeting the boy with a glare, "Not after today," he stated proudly, before looking forward.
"Sorry.." Kid Flash muttered, "First time at the Hall, I'm a little overwhelmed."
Robin shook his head slightly, "You're overwhelmed, Freeze was underwhelmed, why isn't anyone ever just whelmed?"
The heroes stepped forward, entering the Hall of Justice, where they were met by gleaming, golden statues of the founding members of the league perched overhead.
"Oh.." Robin muttered, "Maybe that's why."
They arrived at a large door with "AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY" written on it. The door slid open, revealing Martian Manhunter and Red Tornado, a human-sized red robot. The two heroes stepped out of the hallway and into the area where the cameras could see them.
The martian's gaze swept over them, his face friendly, yet withdrawn
"Robin, Speedy, Aqualad, Kid Flash," he listed them off in order, his voice calm but monotonic and formal.
"Welcome." He stated, turning around, before leading them inside. The two leading protégés, Robin and Kid Flash, fist-bumped each other as they began to follow him.
Martian Manhunter continued forward, striding through the hallway with the other heroes behind him.
"You now have unlimited access to the gym, our fully stocked gallery," he started, before sliding open a metal door, "and of course our library."
The Flash turned back towards the sidekicks, a smile on his face, "Make yourselves at home", he said, his arms wide, before turning back to the league.
Robin and Kid Flash jumped into their chairs, while Aqualad calmly took the one across from them. Speedy, however, remained standing, looking directly at the mentors. His eyes narrowed through his mask, his mouth twisted into a frown.
The Leaguers turned to each other, away from the protégés.
"Quick debrief to discuss the coincidence of four Ice Villains attacking on the same day," Batman said, before turning to the teens. "We shouldn't be long."
Batman turned around, allowing a space in the roof to open and a small, fisheye, camera to lower as it began identifying the leaguers one at a time,
"Recognized. Batman, 0-2. Aquaman, 0-6. Flash 0-4. Green Arrow 0-8. Martian Manhunter 0-7. Red Tornado 1-6."
The door behind the camera brightened, before sliding open, displaying a sign that read "JUSTICE LEAGUE MEMBERS ONLY"
The League members looked about each other, before walking towards the doorway.
"That's it?" Speedy called out before they could move forwards, his anger and volume catching all of their attention instantly. "You promised a real look inside, not a glorified backstage pass." he hissed, his arms crossed.
"It's a first step," Aquaman stated calmly, "You've been granted access few others get."
"Oh really?" Speedy asked mockingly, before turning towards a group of people taking pictures from the other side of the soundproof glass, "Who cares which side of the glass we're on?"
"Roy," Green Arrow started, his tone serious as he approached his protégé, "You just need to be patient"
"What I need," Speedy started, "Is respect ." he growled, before turning towards the other sidekicks, who were all still sitting down, not intervening in the conversation they were so obviously listening to.
"They're treating us like kids," Speedy started to them. "Worse—like sidekicks!" His voice was growing, yet he kept it steady. "We deserve better than this."
The three young heroes exchanged glances, Kid Flash glanced at Robin, then at Aqualad, who shared a small glance with both of them. They all turned to Roy, but Robin's eyes had gone wide beneath the lenses of his mask.
Roy's voice dropped. "You're kidding, right?" The three didn't object. "You're playing their game?" His hissed, his anger growing. "Why?! Today was supposed to be the day! Step one in becoming full-fledged members of the League."
"Well.. sure." Kid Flash started, "But I thought step one was a tour of the HQ." He said, shrugging.
"Except the Hall isn't the League's real HQ." Speedy hissed. Green Arrow's eyes widened in surprise at Speedy's boldness, and Aquaman's eyes bugged out in shock.
Speedy, seeing the surprise on the other protégés' faces, raised a hand, "I bet they never told you." He said, anger laced deep in his voice "It's a false front for tourists, and a pit stop for catching zeta beam teleporting tubes to the real thing."
"An orbiting satellite," Speedy said, standing tall with his arm outstretched in the sky, "called the Watchtower."
Green Arrow winced at the judgmental gazes of the League members, before turning towards The Dark Knight, who was fiercely glaring at him.
"I know, I know– but I thought we could make an exception..?" Green Arrow half-asked.
Batman continued to glare at him.
"Or not.."
"You're not helping your cause here, son." Aquaman interjected, stepping towards Speedy, "Stand down or.."
"Or what ?" Speedy interrupted, "You'll send me to my room? And I am not your son." he ranted, before turning to Green Arrow, "I'm not even his.."
Speedy met Green Arrow's gaze, "I thought I was his partner," he started, his voice shaky, "But.." Speedy looked down, his face contorted in anger, "Not anymore," he hissed, before grabbing his own hat and throwing it onto the ground in anger.
All three younger protégés could only watch in wide-eyed shock.
"Guess they were right about you three," Roy commented as he walked between them. They stood up, attempting to either say something or physically get in his way. "You're not ready." With that, they all watched as he left the library.
The sidekicks looked forward in shock, until suddenly an alarm began blaring from the Hall of Justice's giant computer screen. Turning, they found Superman on the screen.
"Superman to Justice League," the Kryptonian prefaced. "There has been an explosion at Project Cadmus. It's on fire."
The Justice League members all stepped up to the computer. "I've had my suspicions about Cadmus." Batman began, "This may present the perfect opportunity to inves—"
Another alarm began blaring, and a hero who resembled a typical magician appeared on the bottom of the screen.
"Zatara to Justice League," The magician started, "The sorcerer Wotan is using the Amulet of Attan to blot out the Sun." He stated, gaining everyone's full attention. "Requesting full League response."
"Superman?" Batman questions.
"It's a small fire," Superman assured. "Local authorities have it under control."
"Then Cadmus can wait," the Dark Knight stated, pressing a key on the massive keyboard below. "All Leaguers rendezvous at Zatara's coordinates. Batman out."
The three protégés stepped up to their mentors.
"Stay put," Batman commanded, barely even looking at them.
"What?" Robin questioned, shocked. "Why?"
"This is a League mission," Aquaman said.
"You're not trained," Flash continued.
"Since when?" Kid Flash demanded mere moments after the last syllable left his mentor's mouth.
"I meant you're not trained to work as part of this team," Flash clarified, gesturing to the other two mentors beside him and, by extension, the computer with Zatara still showing.
"There will be other missions– when you're ready," Aquaman stated calmly.
"But for now, stay put," Batman glared to emphasize his point. The screen turned fully black behind him, making his mask lenses pop even more.
A sullen look overtook the three sidekicks, but as their mentors walked away, anger came over their faces.
"Glad you didn't bring you-know-who?" Green Arrow asked Martian Manhunter with a hint of tease in his voice, as they exited.
"Indeed," the alien agreed rapidly, a bit of humor in his tone, as they exited the station.
The doors slid shut as the Leaguers exited, leaving the three young heroes standing in a tense silence.
"When we're ready?" Kid Flash scoffed indignantly, his arms moving up and down in a blur angrily, "How are we ever supposed to be ready if they treat us like– like sidekicks?"
"My mentor.." Aqualad muttered sullenly, "My king.. I thought he trusted me."
"Trust?" Kid Flash hissed, "They don't even trust us with the basics ! They've got a secret HQ in space!"
"What else aren't they telling us.." Aqualad questioned to himself,
"I have a better question," Robin interjected, "Why didn't we leave with Speedy?"
Silence overcame the sidekicks once again, and they lowered their heads in disappointment. The room remained silent, the young heroes deep in thought.
"Well.. what is Project Cadmus?" Aqualad asked slowly, breaking the silence.
"Don't know," Robin admitted, raising his head, "but I can find out." he declared, a grin overtaking his face as he approached the Hall of Justice's computer.
The Boy Wonder swiftly began typing, inputting codes and searching for information.
Access Denied , buzzed an automated voice, interrupting Robins typing.
Robin looked up at the computer, his grin growing wider.
"Wanna bet?" He asked, rhetorically, before hitting a few more buttons and getting back to work at incredible speeds.
"Whoa," Kid Flash murmured, surprised. "How are you doing that?"
Robin smiled as he typed. "Same system as the Batcave." With that, he hit one last key.
Access Granted , the automated voice stated before displaying a two-story complex with data appearing around it on the computer screen.
"Alright. Project Cadmus, genetics lab here in DC." Robin stated simply, before frowning, "That's all there is, but if Batman's suspicious…" He started, glancing at Aqualad. "Maybe we should investigate," he said, turning to Kid Flash.
"Solve their case before they do," Aqualad muttered, eyes widening, "It would be poetic justice."
"Hey," Robin managed through his chuckle. "They're all about justice."
"But they said 'stay put.'" Aqualad said, conflicted.
"For the blotting out the sun mission, not this," Robin stated confidently,
"Wait," the speedster started as he grabbed Robin's shoulders, turning the Boy Wonder towards him. "Are—are you going to Cadmus? Because if you're going, I'm going!" The young heroes grinned at each other, before turning to Aqualad.
"Just like that?" Aqualad asked. "We're a team on a mission?"
Both their smiles died down, but Robin gained a smirk. "We didn't come for a play-date."
Aqualad met their eyes, a smile growing on his face.
Fire crackled and hissed as firefighters sprayed down the burning Cadmus building. The building creaked, the interior partially obscured by smoke and flames as the firefighters battled to contain the blaze. Sirens wailed in the background, and the air was thick with the acrid scent of burning materials.
"Help, get us out!" a voice cried out from above. The firefighters looked up, and noticed two scientists trapped on the second floor.
"Stay calm, we will get you out." A fireman called out professionally, using a megaphone. The firemen began nearing their firetruck near the building, aiming to get them out, until something shook behind the two scientists.
The two looked behind them, panicked as something began hissing, and an explosion went off behind them, sending them tumbling off the building with a scream.
Suddenly, a blur of yellow and red zipped around the firemen and up the building. They swiftly caught the scientists, but slowed down due to their weight. The hero tossed the two scientists onto the roof, but had lost their momentum. The boy fell down, but was able to grab onto the edge of a window.
A fireman looked up in shock, before pointing.
"Hey! It's what's-his-name… Flash-boy!"
"Kid Flash!" The speedster called out, "Why is that so hard?"
Robin and Aqualad arrived near the fireman, looking up at the speedsters' predicament.
"Smooth.." Robin muttered
"Does he always have to run ahead?" Aqualad asked, still looking up at Kid Flash. "We need a plan," he continued, turning, "we need to–"
He paused, noticing that Robin had disappeared silently, before groaning.
Robin's laugh echoed throughout the area, as he swiftly moved through the chaos. He quickly swung onto a firetruck's tower ladder, landing with perfect balance, before helping Kid Flash up and into the building.
Aqualad shook his head at the scene, before running up towards the firetruck, standing between two firemen hosing the building down.
"I need to borrow that." he stated, leaving no room for argument, before redirecting the flow of the water. The water swirled beneath him, creating a platform, before moving up towards the roof where the two shaken scientists were still waiting.
"Step aboard." Aqualad said, meeting their eyes.
The two scientists began moving towards him nervously.
"Now." He demanded.
The two scientists stumbled onto the platform, and Aqualad began lowering it to the ground. The Atlantean paused on his way down, before jumping in the building through the second story window the other heroes had entered.
Aqualad redirected the water onto the ground, near the firefighters, ensuring the scientists were safe, before turning to the other protégés who were searching the room for information.
"Appreciate the help," He grumbled sarcastically as Kid Flash zipped behind him, searching through file cabinets at subsonic speeds.
"You handled it." Robin stated plainly, a smile on his face as he hacked a slightly charred computer. "Besides, we're here to investigate. Poetic justice, remember?"
Aqualad shook his head in amusement, before leaving the room, looking down the hallway. He looked and noticed something enter an elevator down the hall. His eyes widened as he saw the figure's silhouette, its thin frame and horned head contrasting its surroundings as the elevator closed with a clang.
Kid Flash zipped next to Aqualad, and Robin peeked out of the room. The protégés alerted by the noise.
"There was something in there.." Aqualad muttered, unsure.
"Elevators should be locked down." Kid Flash stated beside him.
Robin slipped past the two heroes and moved towards the elevator, gazing at it with scrutiny.
"This is wrong.." Robin muttered, before tapping his glove, which emit a holoscreen stating the specs of the elevator. "This is a high-speed express elevator. It doesn't belong in a two-story building."
"Neither does what I saw." Aqualad stated, before forcing the elevator doors open. The metal creaked as Aqualad pulled the doors apart. The heroes looked down at the elevator shaft, and their eyes widened.
The elevator shaft went down further than the eye could see, certainly not meant for a two story building, and was dimly lit by small yellow bulbs.
Robin pulled out a grappling gun and shot it onto the roof of the elevator shaft in a single motion, before jumping into the darkness. Aqualad and Kid Flash followed behind, zipping down the grappling hooks rope like a fire pole.
Robin watched as the level numbers past him, his eyes widening beneath his mask. He continues downwards for several stories, before coming to a stop.
"I'm at the end of my rope." Robin called out to the heroes above him, before leaping onto a narrow platform connecting to elevator doors. Robin slid to the left, allowing the two others to jump on as well.
Robin sat down, and tapped his mechanical glove. A holoscreen appeared, and scanned the elevator door. A holographic keyboard appeared below the screen, and Robin began frantically typing.
"Bypassing security." Robin stated to the others, before the doors slid open. "Let's go."
The Boy Wonder slipped in, Aqualad and Kid Flash behind him. They looked around at the dimly lit hallway, with metal columns along the wall.
Robin looked around, a smile on his face.
"Noo.. nothing odd going on here."
Kid Flash grinned, before zipping down the hallway at highway speeds.
"Kid, wait!" Aqualad called out, but the speedster didn't slow. Kid Flash saw the end of the hallway approach, and continued, before the sound of footsteps reverberated through the hallway. Kid Flash's eyes widened as he skidded to a stop.
He looked up as dozens of mammoth-sized monsters stomped through the halls with smaller, imp-like horned creatures perched on their shoulders.
The two slower heroes caught up to the speedster, before looking at the scene in shock. One of the behemoths turned their heads towards the heroes, and emit a screech, before continuing down the halls.
Aqualad looked up, his eyes wide with shock as the beasts continued down the halls.
"Welcome to Project Cadmus."
Dr. Desmond had never been more fascinated.
He slid a petri dish of blood into his processor, and watched in confusion as the same results appeared.
This newest specimen was missing the very components of its existence. No matter what he did, it appeared as though it was simply missing half of its genetic information.
To make matters worse, The Light was insistent on keeping the specimen with them and in one piece, leaving him with a limited supply of DNA. He could've simply not done the task, it wasn't mandatory. And even then, most scientists would accept the results after they had done as many tests as he had.
But Desmond wasn't just any scientist. He was the head of Cadmus labs. He was the man behind the Blockbuster formula. He was the man who developed Project 13, and he was certainly not a quitter.
Dr. Desmond stood up, and reached towards his Liquid Nitrogen freezer. It hissed open, and the scientist reached a gloved hand in. Grabbing a vial of Malaria. The scientist pulled a syringe from his coat pocket, and carefully drew the disease from the vial, before injecting some into the petri dish of blood.
As the Malaria entered the blood sample, Dr. Desmond observed the reaction with intense focus. The petri dish sat under the microscope, revealing even the most miniscule details of cellular activity. The pathogen began to interact with the blood cells, and something extraordinary occurred. Instead of invading the cells in the usual manner, the pathogen seemed to be rejected, almost as if the red blood cells themselves were actively defending against it in a way he had never seen before. The cells that failed to properly reject the pathogen self-destructed, and sent out a chemical signal.
Fascinated, Dr. Desmond adjusted the magnification, hoping to get a clearer view. As he did so, he noticed a peculiar pattern—an intricate dance of proteins and cellular fragments. It was as if the blood was communicating, sending signals through molecular whispers. The phenomenon was unlike anything recorded in medical science.
Dr. Desmond contemplated the implications of his discovery. If this blood could fend off malaria so effectively, it might hold the key to enhancing his Blockbuster formula. The potential to create a serum that not only increased strength and intelligence but also conferred immunity to diseases was a game-changer.
Lost in thought, he reached for a glass and poured himself some water. As he sipped, he envisioned a future where the Blockbuster formula was enhanced to the point where it could rival even the greatest superheroes.
He envisioned a world where soldiers were not just superhuman but invulnerable to biological threats, a world where humanity's frailties were a thing of the past. The potential was staggering, and Desmond was determined to be the one to unlock it.
The scientist's thoughts were interrupted by an intrusive beep coming from behind him, and the sound of the lab's metal doors sliding open.
A man stepped in, his pale face covered by a bright, golden, helmet. His body was covered by bright blue armor with gold and silver highlights. On his shoulder was a small, imp-like creature, a G-gnome. And by his side was a thin, horned figure, shrouded by the shadows.
"Dr. Desmond–" The man starts,
"Tell me, Guardian," Dr. Desmond interjects, "what part of no interruptions did you not understand?" He hissed, slamming his glass of water down on the counter, the impact causing a few droplets to splash into the petri dish.
"A G-gnome on Sub-Level 26 reports three intruders" Guardian states, unperturbed.
Desmond sighed and turned around, giving Guardian his full attention.
"Did I miss a perimeter breach alert?" He asked, condescendingly.
"No." Guardian replied tensely.
"Then the G-gnome is confused." Desmond stated, his irritation flaring, before turning back to his microscope, "Whatever might occur in our faux lab above ground, the real Cadmus is the most secure facility in DC."
"And it's my job to keep it that way." Guardian stated, annoyed.
"Fine. Take a squad." Desmond relented, rolling his eyes.
The frail figure walked out of the shadows, revealing their dark gray skin, red eyes, two blue feelers falling from the jawline to its clavicle, silver horns, and reptile-esque skin. It was a genomorph, a highly intelligent one at that.
"Might I recommend Guardian leave his G-gnome behind?" The genomorph stated, gesturing to the G-gnome on Guardians shoulder, "If violence should occur–"
"The little guy would be in my way." Guardian finished.
"No," Desmond snapped, stepping away from his microscope. Before gesturing to a G-gnome on a shelf above him, he continued, "The advantage of instant telepathic communication outweighs other concerns."
The scientist reached up, and placed a hand on the creature's jaw, massaging it with his thumb and forefinger just behind the jaw. As he released it, the G-gnome's horns glowed red. In response, the horns of the G-gnome on Guardian's shoulder began to glow as well.
Guardian turned in the direction of the anthropoid but didn't look directly at it. His gaze was distant, his eyes unfocused. "I need my G-gnome with me at all times," he said, his voice monotonic.
Almost mechanically, he turned, bowing in Desmond's direction and placing his fisted hand over his heart. Without another word, both Guardian and the genomorph walked out of Desmond's lab, the metal doors sliding shut behind them.
Dr. Desmond turned back to his microscope, still irritated by the interruption but eager to continue his work. As he peered through the lens, something caught his eye. The blood cells, which had shown signs of destruction from the pathogen, were not just regenerating but were actively rebuilding themselves.
Desmond's eyes widened in shock. He adjusted the magnification, studying the process in greater detail. The blood cells were not only recovering from the damage but also seemed to be enhanced, their structure appearing more robust than before. His mind raced, trying to comprehend what he was witnessing.
Then he noticed the water droplets that had splashed into the petri dish when he slammed his glass earlier. Could it be that simple? Desmond's heart pounded with excitement. He had always known water was essential for life, but this reaction was unprecedented. He quickly documented the phenomenon, his mind spinning with the possibilities.
"Water," he muttered to himself. "It's the catalyst."
The realization hit him like a lightning bolt. If the water could induce such remarkable healing and strengthening properties in the blood, it could be the missing component he needed to perfect the Blockbuster formula. He envisioned a serum that not only enhanced strength and intelligence but also granted rapid healing and immunity to diseases—a true marvel of modern science.
A massive grin overtook his face, and the scientist set to work.