Samuel rarely felt or held onto any particular emotion, but he was well-acquainted with boredom. Usually, it wasn't a huge problem, but now he felt just how exhausting this state of mind could be.

Suddenly, a wave of mental noise broke through his thoughts.

"Get out of my head!"

"M'gann, stop!"

"Oh no, I... I'm sorry! I didn't mean to!"

The so-called "tour" had quickly devolved into chaos after M'gann accidentally communicated telepathically with the team. Superboy, visibly agitated, stalked off in frustration, while the rest of the team members struggled to shake off the discomfort caused by the unintended mental intrusion. Even M'gann looked startled, clearly distressed by the accidental mess she'd caused.

For Samuel, this was the perfect opportunity to slip away, and he did exactly that. Thankfully, everyone was too preoccupied with the lingering awkwardness to notice him leaving.

Aqualad, ever the responsible leader, tried to find him shortly after, but by then, Samuel had already slid back into his room, closing the door quietly behind him. He picked up a book, grateful for the escape. Reading felt infinitely more productive than being dragged into a round of forced "team bonding" with a bunch of emotional teenagers.

A flicker of concern crossed his mind—he wondered if the team's clumsy conflict would lead to any property damage in the cave. But the worry faded as he saw the entire group fly off somewhere in M'gann's bioship. They'd all get over it soon enough, he thought. Kids tended to bounce back from these things.

Just as he was about to immerse himself in his book, his door opened without warning. Red Tornado, the android designated to supervise them, entered without a word of explanation.

Samuel looked up, mildly annoyed, but said nothing, waiting for the android to state his purpose.

Red Tornado's entry into Samuel's room was as abrupt as it was silent. He approached Samuel, his face expressionless as always.

"Why are you not with the others?" Red Tornado asked, his tone as dry and factual as ever.

Samuel looked up from his book, equally unenthused. "Because I don't want to waste time."

Red Tornado tilted his head slightly, as if processing the response. "Your presence serves more than social interaction. Avoidance limits your growth and prevents you from observing team dynamics."

Samuel let out a quiet, unimpressed sigh. "Growth is irrelevant if I'm only watching the others stumble through a 'team-building' exercise. It's a waste."

The android's red eyes glowed faintly as he considered Samuel's words. "Growth, however inefficient, is necessary. The challenges are essential, not only for them but also for you."

Samuel's gaze hardened. "Allowing a group of super-powered, mostly underage individuals to leave the cave unsupervised is irresponsible. You're aware that they lack the experience to handle serious threats."

"The objective," Red Tornado replied, his tone even, "is to expose them to real challenges and develop the skills they lack. This applies to you as well."

Without a word, Red Tornado brought up a screen showing the team currently engaged in a chaotic battle against a villain in a power plant. The villain was spawning tornadoes that threw debris and electricity through the air, as the team members tried—and largely failed—to coordinate their efforts. Despite their best intentions, their teamwork was ragged and ineffective.

Samuel frowned as he took in the screen, noting the damage to the power plant's infrastructure and the increasing risk to surrounding structures and people. "So… you're just standing here, watching this disaster unfold, while the city takes damage. Why aren't you stopping him before this turns into a larger crisis?"

Red Tornado met Samuel's gaze, his expression impassive. "They must learn how to work together in a high-stakes environment. My interference would hinder that growth."

Samuel's tone was cold as he replied, "This 'learning opportunity' is compromising public safety. The costs don't justify the lesson."

"The potential benefit to society outweighs the immediate damage," Red Tornado said, unphased by Samuel's critique. "The skills developed here will reduce larger threats in the future. This experience will ensure they can handle more substantial crises later on. As will your observation."

Samuel crossed his arms. "I didn't agree to be responsible for this, nor did I agree to take part in these so-called 'missions.' I am not a vigilante."

Red Tornado said nothing further. Instead, in one swift motion, he grabbed Samuel by the arm and lifted him effortlessly off the ground.

"What—"

Red Tornado was already soaring through the air, carrying Samuel directly toward the power plant where the battle was unfolding. Samuel's protests were ignored as they reached the outskirts of the conflict zone. The android set him down without ceremony, then looked at him with a cool, mechanical calm.

"Observe," Red Tornado said simply. "You are here to spectate." And before Samuel could respond, Red Tornado disappeared, leaving him alone on the edge of the chaotic scene, with the team struggling in the midst of the fray just ahead.

When Samuel came to his senses, the so-called Mr. Twister had already summoned a bolt of lightning that crashed down from the sky, knocking out most of the team in a blinding flash. Superboy was the only one left standing, and he charged toward the villain with a fierce determination. But another bolt hit him squarely, sending him sprawling.

"Disappointing," Mr. Twister sneered, his voice hollow and mechanical. "You're all far from real heroes. Barely even a warm-up."

The villain's gaze shifted, locking onto Samuel, who was calmly watching the scene unfold. As he focused, a familiar status screen appeared in Samuel's vision.

Name: Mr. Twister
Type: Flying, Electric
Level: 45
Ability: Aerilate

Seeing the Flying and Electric types, Samuel's mind ticked over with a possibility: this "Mr. Twister" might not be human. The villain scoffed, watching Samuel stand there.

"Brave of you not to run," he jeered, his voice dripping with condescension. "Or is it just foolish?"

Samuel said nothing, his attention still on the team. Surprisingly, they seemed to be recovering quickly for a group of teenagers who'd just been hit by lightning, and M'gann was already coming to her senses. She blinked up at Samuel, her face contorting with alarm as she tried to shout a warning.

"Samuel, look out!"

But it was too late. A massive bolt of lightning shot, from Mr. Twister's hand, crackling through the air straight toward Samuel. It was powerful enough to wipe out the whole team. M'gann's hand flew to her mouth, almost screaming—then stopped, her eyes wide as she realized something.

Samuel stood unharmed, an invisible barrier shimmering briefly in front of him as the lightning scattered harmlessly. A status message appeared before his eyes.

[Samuel used Protect! Samuel protected himself.]

Mr. Twister's face twisted in irritation. "Another one of you in this kiddy hero club? Pathetic." His hollow, mechanical voice took on a slight edge of amusement as he added, "That barrier, though… impressive. But it ends here."

Samuel sighed quietly, hardly acknowledging the threat, and gestured to M'gann, signaling her to do whatever she had planned while he stalled the android. In response, the invisible bioship silently maneuvered itself between the team and Mr. Twister, effectively hiding the others from view.

The villain, noticing the sudden disappearance, glanced around in mild annoyance before letting out a scoff. He lifted himself higher, surveying the area but deciding against further pursuit.

"...Fine, then. I won't deny you children have some power," he sneered. "But playing hide and seek with you won't help me achieve my objective." A swirling storm of lightning and tornadoes gathered around him as he spoke. "So stay concealed. If you come for me again, I assure you—I will show no mercy."

And with that, Mr. Twister ascended further, the storm clouds thickening as he prepared to leave, unconcerned with whether the young heroes dared to face him again.

As the young heroes regained their senses, the tension between them quickly surfaced. Superboy glared at M'gann, frustration clear in his voice. "You tricked us into thinking twister was Red Tornado!"

It seemed like the reason they were all knocked out so defenselessly was because they thought the villain was their robot caretaker. Samuel scoffed at Superboy being angry at the Martian, since whether who claimed that idea...it was probably everyone's decision to believe in her.

Aqualad stepped in calmly. "She didn't do it on purpose."

Robin shook his head, his tone dismissive. "It was a Rookie mistake, We shouldn't have listened."

"You are pretty inexperienced." Kid Flash chimed in, sounding exasperated. "Hit the showers, M'gann—take it from here."

Superboy turned to her, his voice flat. "Stay out of our way."

With that, Robin, Kid Flash, and Superboy took off, leaving M'gann looking defeated. She lowered her head, sadness filling her eyes. "I was… I was just trying to be part of the team."

Aqualad looked down, his voice bitter. "To be honest, I'm not sure we have a team."

After that, Aqualad also took off, leaving the alien behind.

Samuel had been watching the whole exchange from a few steps away. As M'gann looked to him for support, he offered none. Instead, he spoke, his tone cold and detached.

"Blaming one person for an utterly unreasonable mistake you all made together is pointless," he said flatly, his gaze sharp. "And sitting here, feeling sorry, doesn't change anything either."

M'gann's eyes filled with tears, but Samuel didn't stay to see them fall. He turned, glancing toward the horizon where Mr. Twister was whipping up a storm over the cave and the populated area nearby. Innocent lives were about to be lost, and...the locals would probably not have many ways to protect themselves. It was such an absurd world.

Without another word, Samuel vanished, the faint shimmer of his ability the only sign he'd ever been there.

[Samuel used Teleport!]