Chapter 7: Road Trip.
Mordred And Megan stood to the side as Robin and Wally played holographic air hockey as Kaldur watched. "So Mordred, how are you adjusting to this time period, it has to be soo different from the earth you knew. Well I suppose I don't really have context for how the earth was back then."
"I'm doing well, the technology is the biggest fence to climb. Though I don't think I could go back to living without indoor plumbing. And books are so widely available now." Mordred said back to the Martian.
"You do know there... neverminded. I wanted to ask you about your first time alive, what was it like growing up with siblings, I have brothers and sisters on Mars but trust me it is not the same." She said.
"I didn't really grow up with them. Gawain, Gaheris and Agravain were all much older then me Gawain and Gaheris being two of the first round table knights. Agravain actually tried to kill Gaheris over that as Agravain is the second oldest. I'm physically and mentally older then my little sister Gareth... but really I'm a couple years younger then her." Mordred rubbed her chin in thought. "I see my self as being fifteen or sixteen years old." She looked over at the Martian.
"Well that is understandable." Megan smiled "But you did fight along side them while you were a knight so it evens out."
"I had more tournaments With Gareth then quests. She was a natural jouster, even beat Lancelot to a draw. During her first tournament she beat twelve knights in a row. A feat unheard of at the time." Mordred said proudly. "Obviously she got her natural talent like her older brothers."
"Recognized Superboy C04" The cave system came to life as Superboy arrived in the Zeta tube, clearly very upset.
"Superboy how was Metropolis..." Megan started to ask but then as the kryptonian stormed off.
"Not good, it seems." Mordred said. The Zeta tubes came to life
"Ahem." A woman cleared her throat prompting the team to look back as Black Canary and Martian Manhunter.
"Black Canary, Uncle J'onn." Megan ran up to them.
"Megan, I was in the neighborhood and wanted to check up on you." The older Martian hero said. "See how you are adjusting."
"I'm doing great." She smiled back to her uncle. At the same time Superboy kept walking away.
"Stay awhile. Alright everyone, class is in session. I consider it a honor to be your teacher. I'll be teaching you everything I know from my own mentor..." She took off her denim jacket showing a bandage on her upper arm. "And my own bruises." The body suit wearing hero addressed the young heroes. "The art of combat is controlling violence. Now do I have a have a volunteer?"
"Oh me!" Kid flash walked up to the older hero. "And After this I'll show you my moves." He said with a wink.
Black Canary smirked before throwing a punch and sweeping the leg of the yellow clad speedster triping him and sending him to the hard floor.
"Can anyone tell me what kid did wrong?" Canary asked.
"Oh oh oh, he hit on the teacher and got served!" Robin called out.
"Dude!" Kid glared at the Boy Wonder as the speedster got up.
"No, he let you dictate the terms of battle. You forced him to react thus leaving him wide open for an attack." Mordred crossed her arms.
"Preci..." Canary started but was cut off by Superboy.
"Please, with my power the battle is always on my terms." The kryptonian scoffed. "I'm a living weapon. and this is a waste of my time."
"Prove it." Canary smirked.
Superboy uncrossed arms and squared up with the hero ready to fight. The buzzer went off, Superboy threw a punch but the more experienced hero slipped his guard, grabbed his arm and shoulder tossed him to the floor with a thud. "You're angry good, channel that anger." She said as Superboy hot up and swung at her again only to get tossed to the floor again.
Much to Robin and Mordred's humor.
"That's it, I'm done." The clone got up to walk away.
"Training is mandatory." Canary reached out to him as a call from Batman arrived at the cave a large screen showing the night cloaked hero.
"Batman to the cave. Five hours ago a new menace attacked Martian Manhunter and Captain Atom. Atom called in backup which nearly proved disastrous as the attacker was capable of studying and replicating the leagues abilities, gaining more power with each new combatant."
"Woah one guy with the powers of the whole league." Kid said quietly.
"That must have been what Arrow and Canary had to go deal with earlier today." Mordred whispered to Kaldur.
"In the end it too eight leaguers four hours to defeat and dismantle the android." Batman continued.
"A android? Who made it T.O. Morrow?" Robin asked.
"Good guess Robin, but Red Tornado doesn't think so." Batman said back.
"The technology bears the mark of professor Ivo." Manhunter said.
"Who?" Mordred asked.
"Professor Ivo is one of the most dangerous robotic masterminds of the villain world." Kid Flash Told her.
"But Ivo is dead." Kaldur pointed out.
"So we all thought, or hoped." Canary added.
"To make sure this threat is permanently dealt with we are sending two trucks with the parts to two separate Star Labs in Boston and New York. We are sending four additional trucks to create confusion should Ivo or anyone attempt to recover the parts." Batman explained.
"Oh yeah road trip!" Wally said excitedly.
"So we're taking out your trash now?" Superboy asked angerly.
"Got anything better to do?" Batman asked back. "Sending location now."
"Location received on our way." Kaldur confirmed as the team ran off but Black Canary stopped Superboy.
"When you're ready, I'll be here." The hero told him.
At the site of the battle Mordred sat on her motor bike as she adjusted her helmet. "You sure you got that old timer, didn't have motorbikes back in your day." Wally laughed.
"Didn't have people whose one power was running really fast either. I'll be fine,
As the cargo was loaded up into the trucks the teams split in two, Kaldur, Wally Megan on one truck. Mordred, Robin, and Superboy on the second.
As the trucks left Batman approached Superman, "We need to talk."
A little while after that Bruce Wayne and Clark Kent sat in a small dinner to talk. "I'll have the apple pie." Clark ordered.
"The devil's food." Bruce placed his.
"So what's this about Bruce?" Clark asked.
"It's about the boy and Mordred." Bruce said simply.
"Look, I don't want to talk about, that." Clark said a little uncomfortable.
"Really Clark, you have been avoiding him, the boy looks up to you." Bruce pressed. "He need you to train him"
"No, that's why he has you and Canary." Clark deflected.
"Clark, I know he upsets you, but you have to look past the how and why, or we'll have a repeat of the past." Bruce pointed out.
"A repeat... you mean..." Clark started.
"Yes Mordred, they were rejected by their father, much like he feels you have rejected him. And well, the world knows what happened to Camelot. Mordred needed, and still needs their father, just like he needs his." Bruce explained.
"I..." Clark said at a loss for words. Before sighing. "What about Mordred?"
"They seem to be adjusting well. Though with Cadmus's forced education program that's to be expected. I have been working on what's to be done with her well, remains." Bruce said.
"Have you asked her what she wants done with them?" Clark asked a little concerned.
"No, not yet. Until I get Cadmus to release the bones I wont bring it up, however Cadmus's board of directors have been rather difficult as of late, with this particular issue. Even Guardian can't explain it."
"That's more then a little concerning." Clark said as the food was delivered.
"It is." Bruce agreed.
Mordred rode along side Robin and Superboy. "How are you two able to ride anyways?" Robin asked.
"Cadmus, they implanted a lot of basic knowledge in our heads. Little imp things transplanted memories of people who knew how to ride." Mordred said. "And jousting would be so much more fun with these bikes then with horses that can get scared off."
"Yeah as much as I would like to indulge your death sport I have to disagree with you there. That sounds like a tragedy waiting to happen." Robin said with a mild amount of concern.
"Oh shush... people didn't die that often." Mordred dismissed the concern. "Besides what point is there to sport with out that edge of life or death." She looked ahead almost wrist fully. "I remember the tournaments of Camelot, celebrations of marriages and victories. Food, music, entertainment, grand plays by the kingdom's best poets."
"You didn't strike me as the type to enjoy that sort of thing." Robin said.
"It was a different time. My time was spent managing my estate, my farms and questing." Mordred said coming up beside her teammates.
"You had a farm?" Robin asked.
"Of course I had a farm. As a knight of Camelot I had land and had to pay my taxes, I had to have serfs to grow crop. Actually kinda glad that didn't make it into the legends. Most of my time at home was spent balancing taxes, profits and keeping my serfs fed." Mordred said as she rode along.
"I can't see you having the paitence for that sort of thing." Robin remarked.
"I walked a king's path, not everything was going to be grand feasts and mighty battles and pretty men and women singing songs." She said. "Though I do miss that... There are so many songs I'll never hear again..."
"Right, what about you Superboy?" Robin asked. "You alright?"
"It's Black Canary, where dose she get off thinking teaching combat to a guy with super strength?" Superboy asked angrily.
"Taking down stronger guys is part of the job, I learned that the hard way, same as she and Batman." Robin said.
"Same here, I lost some really important fights because of underestimations..." Mordred thinking back to a battle long ago. Of the man who lead the barbarian revolt against Camelot, how her blade cut his skin yet the wound was quick to heal. "During the barbarian revolts there was a man I met on the field of battle, a true savage among the Saxons, demanding a duel with my father, I, Gawain, and Gaheris had to hold him till Lancelot and my father arrived. One of the few days I feared I may die."
"Damn, really needed that many people to put him..." Robin started when something small green and tailed flew past the trio on to the truck. "Damn it!"
Mordred revved her engine as she summoned Clarent in her hand as a swarm of mechanical monkeys flew past. "Kaldur our truck is under attack!" She said over her ear piece.
"So is ours!" Came the reply over the radio.
Slashing with Clarent lightning arced out destroying the machine animals.
"Superboy, Saber, put your bikes in attack mode!" Robin called out as his bike spit in two the back half becoming a flying drone that shot lasers at the monkeys swarming the truck.
"No need." Mordred and Superboy said at the same time. Mordred swung to the far side as Superboy leapt from his bike onto the truck to smash apart the enemy.
"Shit!" Robin swerved to avoid superboys bike and leap onto the truck as the green machine monkeys destroyed his drone. Mordred had to keep her guard up to dodge the debris. Hacking and blasting with her mana. "Damn it they keep coming!" Looking back as a fresh swarm emerged from the corn field she swung back behind the truck gripping her blade as she released a burst of mana, a shockwave of force and lightning fried the majority of the monkeys.
Aboard the truck Robin and Superboy destroyed more, the boy wonder clearing the drones from the front window of the truck. However the sheer numbers overwhelmed Superboy as they fired lasers into his back making him stumble before one blasted a green beam right into his eyes.
"Aagkhh!" Superboy shouted blinded as he fell back blinded when a group of the flying monkeys picked him up and threw him from the truck.
"Shit." Mordred cursed under her breath as she revved her engine coming along side the truck as monkeys blasted the tires, Robin and the drive leapt from cab, the massive truck spinning out and crashing sending parts and sparks flying. Skidding to a stop Mordred leapt off her bike as the side of the truck burst open, the guards inside stumbling out as the monkeys flew out with the case. "Damn it! Aqualad, we lost our..."
As she radioed in to the other team Superboy let out a roar and launched himself after the cargo and thieves. "Wait Superboy!" Robin called out.
"Superboy come back you need our..." Mordred started.
"Don't need help! Don't want it!" The the line went silent.
"Damn it, not only did we lose the cargo, now we can't even track him cause he ditched his coms." Kid Flash said over the radio.
"Curses, any idea how they knew where to be?" Mordred asked.
"We would have heard if the other trucks had been attacked..." Robin said as he picked up one of the damaged monkeys. Plugging his wrist computer into the machine he brought up its systems. "I see the parts must have gad some sort of tracker in them." Robin said, "Which means i can track the parts with the one I captured, The parts are heading south set to converge on... Gotham city."
"That far south, Megan and I won't make it in time, I'll send kid on ahead." Kaldur said over the link.
"Mordred and I will ride as fast as we can." Robin said before tapping on his holo-screen getting the front half of his bike to drive back over to him.
"Let's move... Last thing we need is that bot put back together." Mordred said before the two drove back off towards Gotham.
Hey this chapter is done.