Samuel's command was short and precise. "Superboy, Kid Flash. Draw Amazo away from Ivo." He didn't need to explain—both of them immediately understood.

"On it!" Kid Flash grinned before vanishing in a blur, circling the android at high speed.

Superboy cracked his knuckles. "Come on, tin can." He charged, tackling Amazo straight into the bleachers. The structure crumbled under their combined impact.

"[Access: Martian Manhunter.]" Amazo's body shimmered, phasing out of Superboy's grip. It reappeared a few feet away, its glowing eyes tracking Kid Flash as he zipped around the gym.

Samuel barely acknowledged the display. That wasn't his concern. Right now, his target was Ivo.

"Robin. Amazo is programmed to protect him. Use that."

Robin's grin stretched wide. "Gotcha."

In a blink, Robin pulled out a handful of explosive discs and threw them straight at Ivo.

"No—NO! Get away from me!" Ivo scrambled back, panic flashing across his face.

But he couldn't run.

[Ivo is unable to escape due to Mean Look!]

Amazo immediately moved. Its mechanical head swiveled toward Ivo, recognizing the threat. "[Access: Wonder Woman.]" A golden energy shield flared to life, blocking the blast.

That moment was all Kid Flash needed. He darted forward and slammed into the android's side, forcing it off balance. Superboy seized the opportunity and tackled Amazo again, locking its arms in place.

Samuel exhaled. This was it.

[Samuel used Tearful Look!]
[Amazo's Attack fell!]
[Amazo's Sp. Attack fell!]

Holographic, watery eyes shimmered in the air before Amazo, their effect seeping into its systems. The android's movements stiffened slightly.

Amazo tried to punch Superboy. The clone grunted but held firm.

"Come on, you bucket of bolts. That all you got?"

While Superboy was holding on to Amazo, Samuel used Tearful Look again.

[Samuel used Tearful Look!]
[Amazo's Attack fell!]
[Amazo's Sp. Attack fell!]

Robin grinned as he tossed another gadget at Ivo. Amazo reacted on instinct, immediately shifting its focus to block the attack.

"[Access: Green Lantern.]" A green construct formed around Ivo, shielding him completely.

That momentary shift in priority allowed Kid Flash to strike again, disrupting its balance.

The cycle continued.

Robin attacked Ivo. Amazo protected him. Superboy and Kid Flash used that opening to strike. And in between, Samuel kept chipping away at the android's strength.

[Samuel used Tearful Look!]
[Amazo's Attack fell!]
[Amazo's Sp. Attack fell!]

By the fourth time, its punches barely affected Superboy.

By the sixth time, Superboy didn't even flinch.

The Kryptonian clone smirked. "Yeah. That's what I thought."

He grabbed Amazo's arm and drove his fist into its chest—once, twice, three times. The android staggered, its systems processing how to counteract the overwhelming force.

Amazo's glowing eyes flickered. Without hesitation, it shifted tactics—"[Access: Martian Manhunter.]"

Its body shimmered, phasing into an intangible state to avoid further physical attacks. Superboy's next punch passed through harmlessly, leaving him scowling.

"Oh, come on!"

But then Robin threw another set of discs at Ivo.

Amazo reacted instantly. "[Access: Green Lantern.]"

Its body solidified in an instant, creating a green energy shield to block the explosion.

And that was its final mistake.

Superboy's fist was already inside its phased-out torso.

And when Amazo turned solid again to defend Ivo—

CRACK!

The android's chest burst apart, circuits and metal flying in every direction. Sparks erupted from its core, and its body convulsed violently as it tried to process the catastrophic damage.

Superboy grinned. "Boom."

Amazo collapsed onto the gym floor, twitching, then fell motionless.

Silence followed. Then Kid Flash let out a whoop. "Oh, man! That was beautiful! Flawless!"

Robin smirked, flipping a disc between his fingers. "Guess that's what happens when you rely too much on copying others. Can't do anything right."

Samuel remained silent, his gaze fixed on the wreckage.

It was over.

Robin dusted himself off, glancing at the remains of Amazo before turning his gaze to Samuel. "Okay, seriously—why are you even here? You weren't supposed to be part of this mission."

Samuel let out a tired sigh. "I was here for something else. Pure coincidence." He turned toward the exit, already done with the conversation. "Came for my books."

Kid Flash blinked. "You're telling me you just stumbled into a deathmatch with a Justice League-tier android while running an errand?"

Samuel didn't respond. He just kept walking.

Before he could leave the gym, Superboy stepped in front of him. He hesitated, shifting his weight before finally speaking. "...I didn't mean it."

Samuel met his gaze with his usual expression.

Superboy's fists clenched at his sides. "Back at the cave. I was...angry. I shouldn't have taken it out on you."

For a moment, Samuel didn't reply. Then, with a small nod, he said simply, "Maybe you weren't wrong."

Superboy frowned slightly, as if trying to figure out what he meant. But Samuel was already walking away.

As he left the gym, his thoughts drifted. This world—it was absurd. Geniuses creating androids capable of copying godlike powers. Scientists mixing DNA to make super-soldiers. Extremists modifying their own bodies into weapons.

All of it.

It was chaos.

And in chaos, wasn't the only real answer… control?

While Samuel walked away, lost in thought, the rest of the team stayed behind to clean up the wreckage. They contacted the League, secured Ivo, and did their best to clear the debris from the ruined gym.

Superboy was forced to sit out, his injuries too severe to ignore. Despite his usual stubbornness, even he knew better than to argue when he could barely stand.

The fight was long over by the time Aqualad and Miss Martian arrived. The two stepped into the broken remains of Gotham Academy, scanning the damage.

"Are there no further damage? Is Samuel okay? He wasn't informed about joining the mission like we were." Aqualad asked, eyes narrowing at the wreckage.

Kid Flash gestured toward the remains of Amazo, still sparking slightly on the floor. "Yeah, we dealt with that thing pretty easily. And Samuel seemed fine. He even talked!"

Miss Martian ignored the joke, her concern immediately shifting to Superboy. "Are you okay?"

Superboy gave her a small smirk, leaning back against the wall. "Feeling the aster."

Robin snorted at the reuse of his pun, while Kid Flash groaned at Robin. "Dude, stop trying to make 'aster' a thing."

Ignoring them, Aqualad took in the scene, scanning for details the others may have overlooked. That's when Kid Flash, while securing Ivo with a pair of cuffs, noticed something lying on the ground.

He picked up two arrows—the same ones that had taken down Ivo's drones. His expression soured. "Oh, come on. Green Arrow's been here? Again? I swear, we're never gonna stop getting handled like kids."

Robin crossed his arms, his frustration matching Kid Flash's. "Yeah, because that's what we need—our babysitters cleaning up after us."

Aqualad frowned, taking the arrows from Kid Flash and examining them. "We should not jump to conclusions," he said firmly. "Whoever fired these may not have been Green Arrow."

"Then who?" Kid Flash raised an eyebrow.

Aqualad didn't answer right away. He had a growing suspicion, but no proof yet. Instead, he turned back to the team and offered a rare smile. "Regardless, you all did well."

But as he glanced toward the entrance—the direction Samuel had left—he found himself lost in thought.

Aqualad heard the comm, and understood what briefly happened during the battle. Samuel had proven himself, again and again. He wasn't a hero, and he refused to be one. But the way he observed, strategized, and put the enemy completely under his control...

He was too useful not to utilize.

The debriefing room was quiet as the team stood before Batman, Black Canary, Green Arrow, and Martian Manhunter. Aqualad stepped forward to give the report.

"We managed to capture Professor Ivo and successfully disassembled Amazo. The android has already been transported to S.T.A.R. Labs for further research."

Black Canary nodded. "We're aware. S.T.A.R. Labs has confirmed safe containment."

Martian Manhunter folded his arms. "You all did well. However, I heard there were some complications."

Robin shifted slightly before glancing toward Superboy. The clone stood stiffly, avoiding eye contact.

Before the silence could stretch, Batman stepped forward. "Complications come naturally with the job," he stated. "The important thing is that you adapted and completed the mission." He scanned the team with his usual unreadable gaze. "The League is impressed."

Superboy frowned before asking, "All of the League?"

Batman didn't hesitate. "Given time, yes. As you know, Kryptonians are stubborn."

Superboy's expression darkened, but he said nothing.

Batman continued, his tone firm yet steady. "And remember, the League exists for a reason. If you ever find yourselves in a situation beyond your control, you can still ask for help."

Robin immediately scoffed. "Right. And when exactly have we had the chance to do that?" He stepped forward, holding up two arrows with green feathers. "Because from where we're standing, we've been babysat the entire time."

Green Arrow frowned and pulled an arrow from his quiver. He turned it in his hands and held it up for comparison. The difference was clear—the arrowheads didn't match.

Robin's confidence faltered. "…Wait."

Samuel, watching the exchange with mild disinterest, finally spoke. "It's not Green Arrow's."

The team turned toward him.

"It's from another vigilante," he explained simply. "She was at Gotham Academy. She helped by disabling Ivo's drones. I already called the police and told them about her."

The room fell into stunned silence.

Robin blinked. "Wait, you—"

Kid Flash's jaw dropped. "You snitched?"

Miss Martian covered her mouth, glancing between Samuel and Green Arrow in disbelief.

Superboy's expression hardened. "Who was it?"

Samuel crossed his arms. "Not my problem anymore."

The team was still processing what he had just said, but Samuel had already moved on. Another vigilante running around unchecked was just another loose variable—another unpredictable factor in an unhealthy system already full of them.

And not just any vigilante. A kid. Probably no older than sixteen.

Leaving someone that young to wield a lethal weapon, to act as judge, jury, and executioner without oversight—it was irresponsible at best. Reckless at worst.

But, as expected, no one seemed to care about that part. The team only looked uncomfortable, their unease more about Samuel's actions than the vigilante herself.

The League, however, took it more seriously. Batman and the others exchanged glances, silently communicating through Martian Manhunter's telepathic link. After a few moments, they nodded and turned back to the team.

"We'll take care of her," Green Arrow said firmly. "So don't concern yourselves with it. For now, get some rest. You've all earned it."

With that, the Leaguers departed. The team slowly dispersed as well, still uneasy.

Ignoring Kid Flash's dissatisfied glare, Samuel grabbed the book he had retrieved from school and headed back to his room.

The waves crashed against the jagged rocks, wearing them down bit by bit. The cycle was endless—slow, steady, inevitable. Given enough time, even the strongest stone would crumble into sand.

Samuel sat on the sunbed, eyes half-lidded as he watched the others play in the water. The Kryptonian, the Atlantean, the Martian, and the human. They laughed, splashing each other like nothing in the world could touch them. Like they were invincible.

It was absurd.

Superboy—if that android had been just a little smarter, if it had targeted his weak points, he wouldn't be here. If Robin had been just a second slower in all the crimes he solved with Batman, one bullet would've ended him. Aqualad and Miss Martian—he didn't know much about their pasts, but he did know that fire was their weakness. And in a world full of lunatics who loved exploiting weaknesses, how long before someone took advantage of that?

They acted like none of it mattered.

Like they hadn't come within inches of dying. Like they wouldn't again.

The stubborn loyalty. The precious bravery. The fearless grins. The blind faith in a system that fed on their kindness and used it to persist. It will get them killed.

They weren't heroes. They were just kids playing pretend in a world that was sharpening its teeth.

A shadow passed over him as Aqualad walked toward the sunbeds, droplets of water trailing behind him. Samuel didn't move. Didn't acknowledge him. He only kept watching the waves erode the shore, his thoughts moving with them.

No matter how strong something was, the world always found a way to break it.

Aqualad sat down on the sunbed next to Samuel, droplets of seawater still clinging to his skin. He had been watching him for a while now—watching the way Samuel observed the world, detached, as if he existed outside of it rather than within it.

"You do not like the beach," Aqualad stated, breaking the silence.

Samuel didn't answer immediately. He leaned back slightly, eyes still on the horizon, watching the tide pull the waves back and forth. "Didn't have a choice."

Aqualad allowed a small, knowing smile. It had taken a lot of convincing to get Samuel to come at all. He wasn't even sure why he had pushed so hard. Maybe because he felt a responsibility as a leader, or maybe because, deep down, he knew that despite everything, Samuel belonged here. He just refused to see it.

"I have been thinking," Aqualad continued, turning his gaze toward the ocean. "You have no desire to be a hero. I understand that. And yet, when we needed you most, you acted. Not just once. Not just in desperation. But every time."

Samuel sighed quietly. He didn't respond, but Aqualad knew he was listening.

"You subdued Mister Twister without even lifting a hand against him. You weakened Amazo—something that took eight members of the Justice League to defeat—and turned him into little more than a toy. You captured Bane without so much as a scratch. And despite what happened in Santa Prisca, you survived an explosion."

Samuel scoffed. "That wasn't exactly intentional."

"Maybe not," Aqualad admitted. "But you survived, nonetheless."

Finally, Samuel turned his head slightly, giving Aqualad a sideways glance. "Is there a point to all of this?"

Aqualad exhaled through his nose, his expression unwavering. "You are more powerful than any of us realize. Maybe even more powerful than you realize."

Samuel didn't react. No surprise, no interest, just the same tired neutrality he always wore.

"I know you do not see yourself as one of us," Aqualad said, voice steady. "But you are. Even if you deny it, even if you fight it, you are. And I do not mean in a superficial way, or because Batman placed you with us. I mean it because you made yourself part of this team. Even if you do not realize it yet."

Samuel looked back at the waves. The conversation was tiring. Predictable. They all thought he would eventually come around. That if they said the right words, pushed at the right angles, he would wake up one day and want to be a hero.

He didn't.

Aqualad studied him for a moment, then continued. "When Amazo fought us, we struggled. But you changed the battle. You dictated it. You neutralized its greatest weapons, and in the end, you won the fight without ever throwing a single real punch."

Samuel's fingers tapped against the sunbed absentmindedly. "And?"

"And," Aqualad leaned forward slightly, voice quieter now, "that is why you should stay."

Samuel finally sighed, rubbing his temple. "So that's what this is about."

"I am responsible for this team," Aqualad said firmly. "And I would be a fool to not want you to be part of it."

Samuel closed his eyes for a moment, letting the sound of the waves drown out the weight of the conversation. He had heard this before. He would hear it again.

"You think too highly of me," he said finally.

"No," Aqualad corrected. "I see you clearly. Even if you refuse to see yourself. You're a true hero."

The ocean breeze rolled in, cool against the summer heat. The others were still playing in the water, laughing, completely unaware of the conversation happening just beyond them.

Samuel exhaled slowly, staring at the horizon.

"Aren't you afraid?" he asked, voice barely above a whisper.

Aqualad turned to him, brow furrowing slightly. "Of what?"

"Of what this will do to you." Samuel's fingers clenched slightly. "Of what being this will cost you."

Aqualad was silent for a moment. Then, he smiled—small, but certain. "I do not fear that."

Samuel shook his head. "Then you don't understand what this world is really like."

Aqualad stood. He had pushed enough for now. Maybe he couldn't change Samuel's mind today. Maybe he never would. But that wasn't going to stop him from trying.

"You are part of this team, whether you want to be or not," Aqualad said, turning toward the others. "One day, you will realize that."

Samuel didn't watch him leave. He just kept his gaze on the waves, watching as they pulled in and out, breaking down the shore one tide at a time. The ripples reached further, grasping at the dry sand, dragging it toward the sea—slowly, inevitably.

It didn't matter if the sand wanted to stay. It didn't matter if it wasn't ready. The ocean would take it all the same.