Superman was not pleased to see him. Her own heart felt a twing of sympathy. She knew well what it felt to be rejected by their father.
"Are they what I think they are?" The Batman said. His name coming to mind from the images that wete fed to her.
"I am Supermans clone."
"I am Mordred Pendragon, brougjt back from the dead."
"Start talking." Batman ordered.
Chapter 2: The Start
Mordred sat on a chunk of rubble next to Aqualad and Robin as Kid Flash stood. Superboy looked over at the adults as they discussed what they had told them. She was using to tip of her sword to pick at a crack in the ground. "So... you really the Mordred. From the legends." Kaldur asked.
"Yes. I am. Choose you next words carefully." Mordred looked up at him.
"What do you plan to do now? Camelot is long gone. You don't have a home anymore." He put a hand on her shoulder.
"I can handle myself." She shrugged her shoulder getting him to remove his hand. "I'll probably track down Merlin if he's still alive somewhere."
"You kidding me blondie, you're one of us. Sure you and Superboy have tempers but us three morons wouldn't have gotten out of there without you." Kid Flash smiled as he looked at the group.
As they spoke among themselves Superman glanced over before nodding to Batman, Wonder Woman and Flash and walking over.
Getting to her feet she stood next to Super boy. "We'll get something figured out for you. I mean the league will. I'll... help get that hulkbuster creature squared away." The man said before taking off into the air and flying away.
"As for the rest of you, you disobeyed orders, hacked league systems, caused millions in damages, you will not be doing this again." Batman said as he looked at the group.
"No." Mordred said as she planted the tip of her blade in the ground.
"Stay out of this." He said as the boys stood at her side.
"No, she is right." Kaldur said. "We did good work tonight."
"Auqalad stand down." Aquaman ordered.
"Apologies my king but no. I must stand my ground on this." The young man said with determination.
"We're done sitting on the side lines. Were more then just sidekicks." Kid Flash added.
"It's simple get on board or get out of our way." Superboy crossed his arms.
"This lot of fighters are pretty fun to fight along side. And so now your stuck with the five of us." Mordred declared.
"Batman, we're ready to use you taught us, then why teach us at all?" Robin asked.
"You lot really intend to do this?" Flash asked.
"We forged something strong here tonight." Auqalad affirmed.
"Fine. but there will be rules and its on league terms." Batman said look at the five of them.
Sometime later the team were brought to a massive cave inside a mountain. "So this is our base?" Mordred said as she walked into the large central chamber. She had changed into more modern clothes, jean short shorts, white tube top snakers and a short red jacket. "Cozy."
"This was once the head quarters of the league, were calling it into service again." Batman explained. "Red Tornado has volunteered to oversee the base, Black Canary is incharge of training and Ill assign you mission. Covert operation, recon, subterfuge."
"There's a reason we have these targets on our chests." Flash said pointing at his logo.
"The six of you will operate as I see fit. That includes you Mordred. Your methods during your escape from Cadmus are... lethal." Batman crossed his arms.
"Six of us?" Wally asked.
The teleportation tube activated. "Recognized Martian man-hunter." The group turned to see two green skinned individuals, a tall geen man in a cape and a green skined girl in a white shirt with red x and a skirt.
"This is the Martian manhunter's niece Miss Martian. She will be joining you in this team. " Batman said.
"Between Mordred and her this gig gets better and better." Wally smiled before going to greet the new girl.
Mordred let out an annoyed growl in the back of her throat as Robin also ran up to greet the new addition. "You do not like how Wally speaks of you or your appearance?" Kaldur asked.
"I'm a knight of the round table... not some painters model to be gawked at." She looked away from the Atlantean.
Kaldur smiled. "That you are Mordred. If you want i can speak to him for you. Wally is a little thick headed."
"Im fairly certain I could break a flail on his skull and he'd be fine." Mordred let out a soft chuckle. "However its probably best to not test that."
"Superboy, Kaldur, Mordred, come say hi to Miss M." Robin waved the others over.
"In a minute Boy Wonder." Kaldur called back. "Remember you have the team at your back. Even when dealing with one of our own."
"You know just what to say. You'd have made a great knight at my fathers table." Mordred smiled.
"That is kind of you to say. But I already serve a king as his pupil. And not a soul could turn me against him."
"Than your a better man then I am." She said as the two of them walked up to greet the new team member.
While meeting a person from another world was interesting Mordred wasn't one to sit idle and chat. Not that she would be sitting idle for long. "Mordred. You are to accompany Zatara. After your resurrection he is worried how it affected your homunculus biology." Batman said as the tall magic user stood next to him.
Zatara spoke next. "We are visiting a old mentor of mine. He hold a vast amount of knowledge."
"Lets make this quick." Mordred said as she gave a quick glance back at the team before stepping into the tube with the mage.
The flash of light was bright as they appeared in a dingy old phone booth. Stepping out into the town of Salem.
"You noticed that I was a homunculus right away when you arrived after the battle." Mordred said to make small talk. "How familiar are you with my mother's work?"
"Morigan Le'fae is a legendary mage, second only to Merlin during her time. Her work has greatly impacted magic and it's use to this day. Her notes on your creation are the foundation on which modern homunculus studies are built upon. Her methods were cruel and immoral but effective." Zatara said.
"My mother... was vindictive. I'll agree there, creating me with the sole goal of destroying my father... a goal I regrettably accomplished." The two of them came upon a empty feild. "I sense magic here."
"That is correct." Zatara pulled a key from his pocket. Inserting it into an invisible lock a large stone tower appeared as the door opened into a lobby when a older gentle man sat infront of a fire place looking longingly up at the portrait of a woman. "Kent Nelson."
Glancing over his shoulder Nelson smiled. "Ah Zatara it is good to see you. And I see you brought company." The old man stood up to greet them as more furniture appeared. "My... Mordred Pendragon. The son of King Arthur. I have no doubt that you have heard this already, but I never thought I'd meet you in this life. I asked Zatara to bring you here for a few reasons. One to ensure that those god playing scientists at Cadmus didn't screw up."
"I'm surprised they managed to create your body without proper aid from a magi." Zatara added.
"Honestly I'm not too sure myself." Mordred says as she took a seat, a pewter bowl full of stew floated to her hands. Beef, onions, carrots, cabbage, parsnips. The smell... it reminded her of the kitchens in the castle.
"Tad hungry? The tower responds to the needs of my guests. Guessing that was your favored dish back then?" Nelson leaned back as a bowl arrived for him. "I already know your fine, the tower did a full analysis of your body the moment you stepped in."
He waved his hand in the air as a simplistic diagram of Mordred's body appeared with a magic glyph. "Seems whatever they did to clone you cancelled out the advanced aging that was integral to your rapid growth. So you have a long and fruitful life ahead. Though I can't say you'll age beyond this point. And your magic Circuits are unchanged. Perhaps a little stronger but weather that's due to your training post creation or another factor such as a mutation in the cloning process."
Mordred looked up from her half empty bowl as a bit of broth dripped down her chin. "So... I'm good?"
"Yes Mordred. Now i do have some artifacts from Camelot. If you would like them." Kent offered.
"No, keep them, their probably safer here." She said. "I much bigger worries at the moment."
"Hah. I can understand that. I'll at least give you this. At least let me give you this." Holding out his hand a large tome floated off a shelf. "It contains the advancements in magic since your time. Should up you advance your spell casting, as not everything can be solved with strength and a blade." A glyph appeared on the cover and it shrunk to a size at it could fit in a pocket. Finishing her stew she took the book as the bowl floated away. "I have matters i must attend to. I wish you luck on you journey in this second life."
Having returned to the cave Mordred found a room and settled into it. Flipping through the pages of the book. magical theory had significantly grown since her time. New spells, glyphs and understanding, I could take her years to fully study this one tome.
"Your back." Kaldur said as he leaned in his door way. "That's a spell tome."
"Yes it was given to me by Kent Nelson." Mordred set the book down.
"Ah, yes, Doctor Fate, Earth's sorcerer supreme. It makes sense that Zatara would take you to see him." Kaldur walked into the room, sitting down on the desk chair. "I spent many years studying in the academy of Atlantis before I became Aqualad."
"I learned from my mother. She was not a kind teacher. Bitter and angry at her sister... my father she used me for her revenge. Telling me I would replace her as the king... only now..."
"You don't need to say it. I understand. Perhaps we should study together. I haven't been able to truly keep up with my studies since leaving Atlantis." He sat next to her as he held up his palm a glyph as his tattoos glowed blue and electricity crackled in his hand.
Mordred held up her palm as red sparks of lightning leaped from her fingers tips. "At least we'll be studying the same sections."
The next few days passed quietly for Mordred, focusing on learning more about her teammates and their abilities during training. Today she faced Robin, the young hero faced her with a staff as she wielded a practice blade. And despite her magic enhanced instincts her blade work was pushed to her limits.
He was small and frustratingly quick on his feet. Dodging her attacks and slipping into her guard to deliver painful strikes to bod, arms and legs. Snapping into a low guard she deflected a strike high only for him to plant the end of his staff in the floor using his momentum to spin around and kick her in the chest with both feet knocking the knight off her feet as the wind was knocked from her chest and land on her back.
"She slammed her fist into the ground as she looked up at him. "Bloody brat." She growled.
"Ha! You certain you didn't get rusty while dead?" He laughed as he held out a hand to Mordred.
"You do realize I'm not using my magic." She slapped his hand to the side and stood up. "If I really wanted I could level you and the mountain with it."
"Which you won't do because you secretly like me and the others." He smiled, as she grabbed her water bottle.
"No, I'll turn against you all and drive Clarent deep into your chest as I watch the life leave your eyes." She set the bottle. "I am the knight of treachery after all."
"Yeah right. You would never do that." Robin set his staff down.
"I did so before, with my fathers kingdom, what makes you so certain I won't turn my blade on you?" Mordred set the practice blade on the rack.
"You have the same look in your eyes as Batman, you are determined to be better. I don't think you will turn on us because Batman knows you won't." Robin said simply as though it was the simplest thing in the world.
Mordred frowned upset that black cloaked man had read through her that easily. The more she learned of the night bound hero the more frustrated she felt by him. Holding to convictions she had betrayed in her rebellion, convictions she would now cling to even more dearly.
She had no path to the throne, no kingdom, no sword to pull from the stone to prove her worthy of being heir. Not even the order she once served remained. The castle of Camelot nothing but forgotten ruins in a forgotten part of the land.
"Hey you alright? You that sad I beat you?" Robin asked as he poked her cheek.
"Whatever. I'm gonna get a shower." She brushed away his hand.
A couple days later as Mordred, Kaldur, Superboy, and Megan watched the Holoscreen watching as Red Tornado approached the cave. "Recognized B-01 Robin. B-03 Kid Flash." Mordred looked with the others as last two of the team arrived.
"What did he say?" Robin asked.
"He's arriving now." Kaldur said as the speedster and boy wonder joined them.
"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go see if he has a mission for us." Kid flash said as he ran towards the ramp out of the cave. All the others followed in varrying levels of excitment. Mordred and Kaldur brought up the rear.
"Are you not excited for the possibility of a mission?" Kaldur asked.
"I was one of the knights sent to find the holy grail. I won't hold my hopes up for what the leaque considers us ready for. Although after my time in Cadmus anything is better then nothing. And I'm still... what's your saying for it... experincing culture shock as to the modern world." Mordred explained.
"Perhaps you could visit Atlantis with me, i wound be more akin to the world you grew up with. I'm sure my king and Queen would love to have you visit their court." Kaldur offered a kind smile.
They ran up the ramp that opened out to the forest outside the cave. "Is there a reason you intercepted outside the cave." Red Tornado asked as he laned, the red metal cape wearing hero asked. Mordred couldn't get a true read on their assigned watcher.
"We were hoping you had a mission for us." Kid Flash said exitedly.
"Missions are the Batman's responsibility." Red Tonado answered.
"But it's been over a week and there's been nothing." Robin cut in.
"You will be tested soon enough, for now why don't you take enjoyment out of each others company." Red Tornado responded.
"This isn't a social club." Kaldur pointed out.
"No, but social interaction is impirtant in team building." Red Tornado closed the matter.
As the android walked down the ramp into the cave the others made various dissatisfied noises. "I can't tell what he's thinking." Wally said.
"Oh I'll read his mind and see what he's thinking." Megan said excitedly.
As they all watched in silence a thought crossed Mordred's mind. That since Red Tornado was a machine...
"Right I forgot, inorganic. I can't read his mind. Sorry." Megan said.
"So do we just hang around then? I was hoping for some action." Wally complained.
"Well me, Superboy and Mordred live here, we could give you all a tour." Megan offered.
"A private tour by you two lovely ladies would be great." Wally changed his tune a little too quick. Mordred gave him a evil look as she ground her teeth.
Kaldur put a hand on her shoulder. "Not worth it." He said quietly to her. "We're a team, we go tour the club house as a team."
"Well this is our front door." Megan Led them back in and through to the secondary exit, "And this is the back door. The whole mountain is the cave."
"This place was built and reinforced by Superman and green lantern during the early days of the League." Kaldur explained. "Until it's location was discovered by their enemies."
"Wait if the bad guys know where the cave is then we must be on guard at all times." A little panic rose in the martians voice.
"The bad guys know we know they know about about the cave so they will never think to look here." Robin said.
"What he means is that we're hiding in plain sight." Kid flash Translated.
"So they traded this in for a tourest trap."
"The tourest trap isn't even a proper fortress." Mordred sighed. "No towers to pour boiling oil from upon their enemies." She didn't seem notice or care about the side glances the others gave her.
"I smell smoke." Superboy said with not a lot of concern.
"Oh no! My cookies!" Megan flew off leaving the rest of the team behind. They followed her into the kitchen as she floated a tray of... Mordred took a moment to breath before thinking, as there was a chance the Martian girl was listening to her thoughts. A tray of severly burnt things that may have been cookies. "I wanted to try granmas' receipie from episide 17 of... never mind" She suddenly stopped herself.
"It's alright. He seems to like them." Robin commented as Wally cruched through the chared bricks.
"I... have a fast metabolism." Wally said through a mouthful of charcoal.
"It was sweet of you to make any in the first place." Kaldur said.
"Thank you Aqualad." Megan smiled.
"We're of duty, my name is Kaldur'an but my friends call me Kaldur." He said warmly.
"I'm wally west, but sunglasses over, Batman won't let him tell anyone his name." Wally said chewing on more 'cookies'.
"And I'm Mordred, just Mordred, I don't do the whole code name or secret life thing. I don't feel the need to be anyone else." The knight said as she leaned against the counter.
"And I'm M'gann M'orzz, but you can call me Megan. Its a earth name and I'm on earth now."
"There is no difference between those names." Mordred pointed out.
"Mordred... be kind" Kaldur sighed as Super Boy turned from the counter.
'Don't worry Superboy... we'll find you a earth name too.' Megan said in everyoned heads.
Superboy flinched and snapped with anger. "Get out of my head!"
His anger echoed across the metal link as Megan cofusion followed in a painful spike. 'I don't understand? On Mars everyone communicates telepathically.' As the intrusion grew in pain.
"Megan stop!" Kaldur ordered.
"No... did not like that..." Mordred said rubbing her temples.
"I'm sorry..." Megan began to apologize as Superboy stomped over to sit on the couch.
"Cadmus' little G-gnomes left a sour taste in his brain." Robin said being the first to recover.
"Megan, your powers are a serious breach of privacy and quite dangerous if not handled with the proper care." Kaldur explained. "Our minds aren't adapted to more raw telepathic communication without proper training."
"I-I understand. I'm sorry." She looked down. "But what about Superboy?"
Mordred frowned as she looked over at the green alien girl. "Chin up... it's a learning curve. Culture shock. If Cadmus hadn't force fed me english and modern ideas of cleanliness, I would still be speaking Old english and that birds transform for the winter instead of migrate. It's just a dip in ditch, he'll come around and stop being mad at some point."
"Hah you used to speak like Shakespear?" Wally asked laughing. "Wilt thou go oneth a quest?"
"Wally, Shakespear is considered modern english." Robin said.
"Ic wille þe unrythian swylce ænig fisc, gyf þu me eft derige." Mordred said deadly calm.
"Alright... now that's hot." Walyy said with a wink.
"I'm going to kill him." She said bluntly.
"No, your not." Kaldur put himself between the two. "Wally, you and I are gonna have a talk later. For now let's move on."
"Oh I know. Follow me. I know something we can do." The Team left the kitchen Mordred looked back as Megan stopped to ask Superboy to come with them.
They arrived at the hanger blue thing sat where a large red and blue thing sat. Mordred hadn't really been able to make heads or tails of what it was. Her magical senses told her it was alive but she wasn't familar with any type of creature like this. "What is it?" Robin asked.
"It's my alien bioship." Megan explained. Which to Mordred explained nothing.
"Cute, not aerodynamic but cute." Wally said. Notably out of sword reach from Mordred.
"That's because it's asleep silly. Here I"ll wake her." Megan held out her hand and the whole ship transformed, elongating and growing wings, the back opened up with a ramp up into the ship.
Walking onto the living ship it had a cool blue interior as they took their seats straps grew to buckle them in. "It's... strange yet... beautiful..." Mordred whispered to herself running her hand over a nearby surface. Her magic could detect the life within the ship, it was docile, subserviant yet well cared for and feircly loyal to it's owner. Yet it was completly alien to Mordred.
"Red Tornado please open the hanger doors." Megan asked as the ship took to the air.
Mordred had her breath taken away as the ship flew through the air. Her mouth wide open as the ship flew high above the waves. "Wow..."
"You look happy..." Kaldur said to Mordred. "I remember the first time I flew too. seeing the ocean from so high up. Its truly mezmerizing."
"It's so... vast... it's like it never ends." She said.
"It's even more beautiful beneath the waves." He said.
"You'll have to show me." Mordred smiled back.
Mordred went back to looking out the window as Kaldur spoke with Superboy.
"So Miss M, What else can you do?"
"Well my clothes are orcanic so they can shift like the shift. But i can also shapeshit myself." Megan said as she stood up and turned into a female copy of Robin in his costume, then into a copy of Kid Flash."
"Is it wrong to think I'm hot?" Wally asked.
"Yes." Came an annoyed reply from across the ship. But the Martian girl wasn't done, she transformed into a copy of Mordred. The only difference was the size of the chest.
"Sweet, but you aren't gonna exactly fool any one with those." Robin complimented.
"Mimicing boys is alot harder." Megan shrugged.
Mordred wasn't sure what to feel self concious about. So she decided to be quiet and look out the window.
"What about the passing through walls? Like your uncle?" Robin asked.
"Phase shifting? It's a little outsidecmy skill range, it's quite an advanced technique." Megan said nervously.
"Hey thats alright, Flash can vibrate through walls, when he dose it, nose bleed." Robin laughed.
"Hey! Dude!" Wally protested.
"Hah!" Mordred took the chance to laugh at the speedster.
"I can do this. Camoflage mode." She said as the exterior of the ship turned invisible.
"Neat." Mordred said as she looked outside the ship when a call from the cave came into the ship.
"There appears to be a disturbance at the Happy Harbour power plant. I would like you to investigate." Red Tornado relayed to the team.
"On our way." Megan confirmed.
"Finnally something." Wally streched his arms getting ready. "Whose ready?"
Mordred summoned her sword. "Always."
And Chapter 2 is done.