Disclaimer: I do not own Young Justice.
A/N: this is my first fan fiction, please review because I'm trying to improve my writing and I need feedback.
You don't have to read this if you don't like it, no hate just go away.
Chapter 1: Independence day
Washington D.C. July 4th, 14:00 EDT 2010 Hall of Justice.
A group of four men and teen boys walked inside the Hall of Justice. They are Batman and Robin, Aquaman and Aqualad, flash and Kid Flash, Green Arrow and Speedy. Two more men walked up to them as they came inside. This is Martian Manhunter, a founding member of the League and Red Tornado, a robot built in the 'forties and is now a member of the League.
"Robin, Aqualad, Speedy, Kid Flash. Welcome. You now have access to our kitchen, gym, and library." Manhunter greeted the teens with a smile before taking them into another room. "Please make yourselves at home." He finished as he and the other adults walked to the other side and spoke. After a moment, Batman spoke up. "Quick debrief to discuss why four Ice villains attacked on the same day. We shouldn't be long."
Walking to a door with a 'Members Only' sign, a small camera came out of the ceiling and scanned each man.
Recognized
Batman; 0 2
Aquaman; 0 6
Flash; 0 4
Green Arrow; 0 8
Martian Manhunter; 0 7
Red Tornado; 16
The computer spoke in a female's voice as the heroes took a step towards the door. "That's it?!"
They turned to Speedy who gave them a hard stare before continuing. "You promised us a real look inside, not a glorified Backstage pass." Aquaman stared at him before speaking up.
"It's the first step. You've been granted access few others have had." Speedy gestured to the tourist at the window. "Who cares what side of the glass we're on."
Green Arrow walked over to him and spoke up. "Calm down Roy. You just need to be patient." Speedy just glared at him. "What I need is respect."
Aquaman walked up to Speedy and stared at him. "You're not helping your cause here, son. Stand down." Speedy glared at him before speaking up.
"Or what, you going to send me to my room? I'm not your son. I'm not even his!" He directed the last to Green Arrow before grabbing his hat.
"I thought I was his partner… Not anymore." Throwing the hat down, He turned and walked past the other teens. Before Green Arrow could say anything, the alarm on the computer beside the door went off.
Suddenly, a man popped up on-screen. This is Superman, a founding member of the League. "Superman to the League… A fire broke out on Project Cadmus." Batman moved to the computer. "I've had my suspicions of Cadmus for some time now." Batman said when suddenly a small screen came up with another man.
This is Giovanni Zatara, a member of the League. "Zatara to the League, Wotan is planning to blot out the sun. I request a full League response."
"It's a small fire, the local firefighters are taking care of it." Batman nodded before turning to the others. "Alright, we'll handle Wotan." He then turned to the teens and spoke up. "Stay here." Robin looked at him in shock. "What why?"
"We can take care of Wotan, and like Superman said the fire at Cadmus is under control, we'll continue this when we get back." Batman explained. He then joined the others as they went through the zeta tube leaving the teens alone in the hall.
"I thought they trusted us." Aqualad said. "Trust? They don't trust us with the basics. They have a secret HQ, in space." Kid Flash said, Aqualad looked down in disappointment.
"What else aren't they telling us?" Robin snorted before speaking up. "I've got a better question. Why didn't we leave with Speedy? Robin sighed before Aqualad spoke up. "What is "Project Cadmus"?"
Robin shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know… But I can find out." Walking up to the computer, Robin quickly typed on it. "Access Denied."
Robin smirked before typing again, having several screens pop up. "Dude, How are you doing this?" Robin continued to type before answering.
"Same as the computer in the Batcave." Hitting enter, the computer spoke up. "Access Granted."
A picture of a building came up. "Project Cadmus. A genetics Lab. Here in DC… If Batman's suspicious. That's more than enough to check it out." Aqualad looked thoughtful for a second. "Solve their mystery before they do. It would be poetic justice."
"And they're all about justice," Robin said hands on his belt. Aqualad sighed before speaking up. "But they did tell us to stay put." Robin just looked at him with a smirk.
"From the sun mission. Not this one." Kid Flash quickly grabbed Robin's shoulder. "You're serious? Because If you're going I'm going." They looked at Aqualad, who smiled.
Cadmus Labs, July 04, 20:16 EDT.
An explosion sent two scientists out of the building and fell to the ground. Kid Flash dashed up the wall, caught them, put them on the roof, and slipped. He grabbed the opened window as the Firefighters looked at him.
"Hey, it's Flash Boy." Kid Flash's eyebrow ticked at that. "It's Kid Flash! Why is that so hard to remember?" He asked before Robin jumped through the window and helped him.
Aqualad's tattoos lit up, and he grabbed the handles from his pack. "I need to borrow that." He said pulling the water from the hose to him and making a pillar from it.
He went to the two scientists and brought them to the pillar. As they went down, Aqualad went to the window. "Thanks for the help," Aqualad said sarcastically as Robin typed on a computer.
"You handled it alright by yourself." Aqualad walked to the hall and saw something in an elevator. "Something went in the elevator." Kid Flash looked surprised at that.
"I thought elevators were locked down during a fire?" The teens walked to it, and Robin hit the down button, but nothing happened. "This is wrong."
Bringing his left arm up, a keyboard, and circular screen was projected in front of him. After typing on it, an info box popped up. "I thought so. This is a high-speed elevator; it shouldn't be used in a building this small."
Aqualad walked over to the doors and pried them open. Showing a long tunnel going underground.
"I guess Batman was right to suspect this place," Robin commented he before used his grapple gun on the ceiling and went down.
Kid Flash and Aqualad grabbed the wire to the elevator and slid down. Suddenly Robin stopped at a door that had 'SL-26'. "Huh. Out of rope. Need to make a note of that for later." Robin commented as him, Kid Flash, and Aqualad went to the door.
Robin typed on his computer, and after a moment he smiled. "Alright, securities cleared." Aqualad pried open the door and walked into the hall. "Well, this is 'Project Cadmus'." He said before Kid Flash sped ahead. "Kid wait!" Aqualad whispered loudly before Kid Flash ran into a herd of giant mammoth looking aliens.
The others caught up and saw a smaller alien on one's head with horns that glowed for a moment. "Yeah. Nothing strange here."
The aliens left the hall before the teens went to a closed-door and picked the lock. When they walked inside, they saw a bunch of tubes with insect looking aliens generating electricity. "This must be how this is off grid. They make their own electricity." Aqualad commented before Robin hooked up to a computer.
"They're called Genomorphs. Telepathic, Steel strong claws, Super-strength, these things are living weapons." Kid Flash looked at the screen in thought. "But why are they making them… or who for?"
Robin pulled another page up. "There's also a project Kr., and Lg, but they're triple-encrypted." Suddenly a male's voice spoke up.
"Halt!" Looking back, they saw a tall muscular man. He's wearing a dark blue jumpsuit with a golden helmet and golden shoulder and wrist pads with a shield. A bunch of Genomorphs surrounded him.
This is Guardian. "Robin, Aqualad, Kid Flash?" Aqualad's eyes widened for a second. "Guardian? What are you doing here?" "I'm the chief of security here." Robin narrowed his eyes at him. "I don't think the Justice League would approve of this." He said before the Genomorph on Guardians shoulder horns glowed.
Guardian shook his head for a second. "Get them!" Robin threw down a smoke bomb as Kid Flash sped around knocking the aliens down, Aqualad took Guardian, and shocked him after powering his tattoos. "Let's go!" Robin yelled as he was hacking the elevator.
Kid Flash and Aqualad both ran to the elevator as the doors shut. The elevator went down, and Kid looked at Robin. "Down? But the exit is up!" Robin just stared at him before speaking up.
"Project 'Kr', and 'Lg' is down." Aqualad sighed before rubbing the back of his head. "Maybe we should call the League." Aqualad shook his head before replying.
"No signal… We'll need a computer or something to reach them." The doors opened showing an underground tunnel that splits in two.
"We're already here." Kid said before speeding off with the others following. "Stop." Turning around, they saw a human looking Genomorph in a white shirt and pants.
He lifted objects forcing the teens to run down another hall to a door with 'Project Kr, and Lg' on it. A female scientist with dark skin and glasses walked out, and Kid ran into her. Looking up, he saw the others not far behind and took a tank to keep the door open. "Hurry!" He yelled before they ran in, and Aqualad kicked the tank away. "I've disabled the door," Robin said before Kid spoke up.
"Uhh, Guys." Hitting a button, the lights came on showing two teen males asleep in tubes with three Genomorphs above them. The one on the left was Caucasian and had black hair, he was noticeably tall, and had a slim, muscular physic. The one on the right was African American With an afro with the sides and back of his head shaved, he is taller than the other one, and is leaner, he also looks to be older by a few years.
They're both in White full-body suits. Kr has Superman's shield on it, and Lg has a spiked L across his. "That's Superman's logo isn't it, but I've never seen that one before?" Kid Flash said as Robin, and Aqualad walked up.
Kid walked up to the one of the boy's tubes and saw 'Kr' on the door. "Big K little R… The atomic symbol for Krypton." Aqualad looked at Robin. "Robin…"
Robin hooked up to the computer and brought up a file on them. "Weapons designation Superboy and Legend. Clones forced grown in… 16 weeks!"
He said surprised, he continued looking through the file. "D.N.A acquired from Superman for Superboy, and… Icon for Legend?!" Aqualad pointed to the Genomorphs. "And them?"
"They force-feed them information." Kid spoke up finishing for Robin. "And other things… They're making slaves out of… Superman's and Icon's sons."
Aqualad hits his emblem on his belt making it light up. "Now we call the League." Kid Flash sighed before speaking up. "I told you no signal. How about the computer Robin?" Robin shook his head. "No nothing." Aqualad looked at Robin, not noticing the Genomorphs horns glowing. "Let them out."
Hitting a button, the tubes opened having Superboy, and Legend to open their eyes, showing their blue for Superboy and brown for Legend, and rushed them. Superboy took Aqualad, as Legend attacked Robin.
"Wait we're here to help," Robin said using his staff to block Legend's punches. Legend replied by punching Robin's face, but he dodged. Kid Flash ran up to help Robin, but Legend dodged and punched him knocking him out, he jumped towards Robin and threw a punch at him again, Robin tried to block but Legend threw another punch that sent him flying across the room.
As he was losing consciousness, he looked over to Superboy, he saw him knock out Aqualad. He was forced to walk up to the door and help opened it, showing another male scientist with a Genomorph on his shoulder. "Good, Good. You two did well." He said seeing the teens on the floor.
Later, the male scientist is in his office when several screens are lowered down, each with a person silhouette. "Dr. Desmond. You need an audience with the Light?" One spoke masking their voice. Desmond gave them the report of the fire, the teens coming in, discovering Superboy, and Legend. "What should we do with them?"
"Clone them. And the cones will only serve the Light." Another said as Desmond looked at them. "And the originals?" he asked before the first voice spoke up. "Dispose of them."
"Before you go, tell us, how did they perform? " a female voice asked. "Superboy took out Aqualad while Legend took down Kid flash and Robin. " Desmond answered. "That's excellent, be sure to keep us updated on their progress." The female voice replied. Robin, Aqualad, And Kid Flash.
The teens groaned as they woke up, and saw they were tied up in tubes. They looked in front of them and saw Superboy, and Legend standing in front of them. Kid Flash glances over to Robin and saw him fidgeting with his bindings. Aqualad looked to the two before speaking up. "We only want to help you-!"
Kid interrupted him as he tried to get free. "Yeah, and this is how you pay us?" Robin looked over to him. "Shut up Kid, They're not in control of their actions." Superboy looked up to them and spoke up. "What if we're not?" Kid looked surprised at him. "Wait, you can talk?"
They all stared at Kid. "Yes, we can." Legend said. Kid looked at the others in confusion. "Hey, it's not like I said it!" Aqualad looked at the two teens and spoke up.
"The Genomorphs taught you, Telepathically." Legend nodded and replied. "Yes. We can read, write and we know names of things." Robin, still picking his lock spoke up. "But have you seen them?" Aqualad picked up after him. "Have you ever been outside? See the sun?" Superboy looked down before replying.
"Images have been put in our minds… But no." Aqualad sighed before looking at them. "Do you know what you are?" Superboy looked up to him with a hard look. "We are the Superboy and the Legend. Weapons created to replace The Justice League should they perish. Or destroy them should they turn from the Light."
Robin's eyes widened at that. 'That sounds like what that group that's forming always says.' He thought before turning to the others. "They cloned two of the strongest heroes in the world as security if they ever go rogue." He said before Aqualad spoke up. "To be like them is a worthy aspiration, but like them, you deserve a life beyond all of this."
"We're alive because of Cadmus! This is our home!" Legend yelled out before Robin spoke up. "Your home is a test tube. We can show you the sun." Kid looked at Robin for a moment before glancing at Superboy, and Legend. "It's after midnight… But we can show you the moon!"
The door opened showing Desmond, Guardian, and the female scientist on the other side. Desmond walked in to see the tied-up teens talking to Superboy, and Legend.
"We can show you your father's." Aqualad finished having Legend's and Superboy's eyes widened at that. "Dad?" They both mumbled at the same time.
Desmond snorted at that and put Genomorphs on their shoulders. "You don't have parents; you belong to me… Well to Cadmus, Same thing. Now back to your pods!" He yelled at them before they left. "Start the cloning process." He ordered as the female scientist went to a computer and stuck each teen with a syringe.
Kid Flash screamed as they were also shocked before glancing at Aqualad and saw him whispering something. "Superboy, Legend, you live, that gives you the right to follow your own paths. You are people, not weapons, ask yourselves… What would Superman and Icon do?"
Outside, Superboy stopped having Legend look at him. "What is it?" He asked before Superboy glanced at him, and repeated what Aqualad said.
A moment later, Superboy and Legend broke the door down and walked in. Desmond walked to them and was punched by Legend and Superboy took both the female scientist and Guardian out. They broke the computer, having Robin get out of his tube.
"Man, Batman will have my head if he finds out we took that long." Kid deadpanned at him before speaking up.
"Seriously, That's what you're worried about? The whole League will have our heads after tonight."
Walking to the computer, he turned to Superboy and Legend. "Can you get Aqualad and Kid Flash out?" Superboy glared at him.
"Don't order me around!" Legend just looked at them in the tubes. He helped Aqualad while Superboy got Kid Flash out.
After getting out, they ran to the door having Desmond yell out. "You won't get out of here alive!" Robin quickly turned around and threw several batarang's blowing up the tanks and computers.
They ran down the hall past several red glowing pods. "We're forty-two levels below ground, but if we make it to the elevator-!" He stopped as Genomorphs surrounded them.
Superboy charged one of the big ones knocking it out. Legend took the one that was beside him out. "Get the elevator open!" He yelled running to them, and the opened elevator shaft.
Kid jumped up, as Robin used his grappling gun. Superboy took Aqualad and jumped up with Legend doing the same. They had reached several floors up before they suddenly began to fall. Robin saw this and threw Batarangs down for the others to grab on. "Why can't I fly?" Legend and Superboy thought together. "Yeah, but it looks like you guys can leap skyscrapers in a single bound." Kid Flash said. They opened the elevator door and ran down the hall.
"Left!" Superboy yelled out and soon directed them throughout the halls, coming to a dead-end. "Nice." Kid said sarcastically before Robin smirked. "It's perfect."
They went up to a vent and crawled inside. When they made it to another room, Robin smirked. "I hacked the motion controls." Kid smirked before running up the stairway having the others follow.
"Superboy!" Superboy turned to Legend who pointed down and saw Genomorphs following. They broke the stairs leaving them to fall. Suddenly, an alarm went off just as they reached the top, and a door closed leaving them trapped.
"Darn. Guys, the big ones are here." Kid Flash said before Robin kicked another door open.
"Here!" Running in, they saw a bunch of Genomorphs along with the human-looking on and Guardian. The humanoid Genomorphs horns glowed, and the group minus Superboy and Legend fainted.
"Now… I think our Genomorph brothers deserve life out of here."
He went on to explain that he caused the fire, brought the heroes here, so they could escape. "What are your answers?" Legend and Superboy looked at each other, then looked to him. "We choose freedom!" they answered together.
Guardian shook his head before looking at the heroes. "Go, I'll handle Desmond." Suddenly they heard a laugh. Turning around, they saw Desmond holding a vial of blue liquid.
"With Project Blockbuster I'll make sure you won't leave here alive." Once swallowing the liquid, he fell to his knees and transformed into a muscular dark-blue colored monster.
He dashed towards Superboy and jumped through the ceiling. "I have a bad feeling about this," Aqualad said as everyone followed and started attacking Blockbuster. He grabbed Aqualad and threw him into a pillar, having the building shake.
"That's it." Robin whispered bringing up a 3D version of the building. "Kid over here." Kid dashed to him and was told the plan.
Once Robin told his plan to the others having them keep Blockbuster busy while Legend, Superboy, and Aqualad Simultaneously break more pillars. "Now!" Robin yelled, having Kid bring Blockbuster over to him.
Robin shot his grappling gun at his feet having trip wire come out and trip him. Aqualad threw water on him and shocked him while having the building fall on top of them.
Legend and Superboy pushed the rubble off them showing tears in their costumes. "Well, there's the moon." Kid said as they looked up. "It's beautiful." Legend whispers to himself, Superboy heard him and nodded in agreement. Suddenly, Superman flew to them along with other members of the league that can fly.
Superboy and Legend pulled their suits up, showing their symbols. The members of the league looked in shock at Superboy and in confusion at Legend. "I'm Superman's clone." With that statement the leaguers' eyes widened, "And I'm Icon's clone." The hero's eyes were the size of dinner plates after hearing what Legend said.
Later, after getting the story, Batman Aquaman, and Flash walked up to the group of teens. Batman sighed before speaking up. "So let me get this straight. You hacked our computers, disobeyed orders, and endangered lives? You will not be doing this again." Batman said with a stern look.
"I am sorry, but we will." Aqualad states strongly, even Robin steps up slightly. "Aqualad, stand down." Aquaman attempts to command his protégé. "Apologies, my King." He says reverence then his voice goes firm once more.
"But no." this catches an eyebrow raise from the King of Atlantis. "We did good work here tonight, the work you trained us to do. Together on our own we forged something powerful, important."
"If this is about your treatment at the Hall, the three of you-" Flash tries to understand where they're coming from but is completely off. Kid Flash doesn't hesitate to correct him. "The five of us, and it's not."
"Batman, we're ready to do what you taught us, or why teach us at all?" He speaks the quietest out of the group, but as he steps up to speak to his mentor it's obvious that he feels just as strongly about it as they do.
"Why let them tell us what to do?" Superboy questions, his arms uncrossing as he and Legend stepped up. "It's simple, get on board or get out of the way." Legend says, all three protégés were watching the two clones, but they all turned back towards their mentors. Standing tall, proud, and defiant.
Dakota City; July 5th 20:30 EDT
Batman and Flash entered a room, seeing a table with four seats, two on each side, they both take the seats facing away from them. "You sure they'll be here? " Flash ask Batman. "Trust me, they will, they need to know.
"A few moments later the door in front of them opened revealing Icon followed by his protégé Rocket. They walked up to the table and took their seats. Seconds passed with no one saying a word.
"Okay, well as fun as this is, we have something important to tell you guys." Flash said breaking the silence. Rocket who was sitting across raised an eyebrow, Icon on the other hand continued to look at Batman, not even sparing Flash a glance. Rocket looked at Icon, then Flash, then Batman, "well what is it?" Rocket asked. Batman glanced at her then looked back at Icon.
"Recently a team of young sidekicks went to Cadmus to take care of a fire-" "Why does that concern us?" Icon interrupted." Just hold on, he's getting to it." Flash said, getting Icon to look at him then back to Batman who continued.
"They soon discovered an elevator that led to several underground levels filled with these creatures called Genomorphs."
He then placed a photo of a Genomorph on the table, Icon picked it up and looked at it before handing it to Rocket, Batman continued again.
"After they discovered the Genomorphs, they decided to keep searching to see if Cadmus was hiding anything else." "What did they find?" Rocket asked worriedly.
"They hacked the computers and found two projects, project Kr and Lg, they found out the projects were housed on the lowest level and went to find out what they were." "And what did they find?" Icon asked, his expression never wavering.
Flash gulped slightly while Batman leaned forward and laced his fingers together in front of his face. "Clones." Rockets eyes widened while Icons frown deepened and clenched his fist. "Clones of who?"
Batman looked at Icon. "One was a clone Superman named Superboy and the other-" Batman paused for a second. "-the Other was a clone of you named Legend."
Rocket's eyes widened, she turned to Icon only to see him clenching both his fists. "Why?" Icon growled out, barely holding back his rage.
"They told us that they were made as backups in case you or Superman should die or to kill you if you stop being hero's."
Icon's fist was shaking in rage until Rocket put a hand on his shoulder which calmed him down a little, though he stopped shaking the others could tell that Icon was still just as furious.
Rocket then turn back to Batman and Flash and asked with concern "Where are they now?" "They're with the group that saved them, they wanted to stick together and become their own team of heroes, so we decided to let them, as long as they were under the leagues supervision."
Flash answers, beating Batman to the punch. "You know, if you want to, we can take you to him, I'm sure he'd be happy to see you."
Everyone looked to Icon who was silent. "No." Icon said sternly as he stood up. Rocket frowned as she stood with him. Before they could walk away Flash stood up and slammed his hands on the table.
"HEY!" Flash yelled making them stop and turn around. "What do you mean no, he's basically your son, why don't you want to meet him!"
Flash asked while still yelling. "That's not it." Icon said with his back facing them. "Then what is?" Batman questioned. "If we are meant to meet then we will meet and if not then we won't, either way it will happen in its own time." Icon then walked out the door, rocket waved goodbye then followed her mentor.
Flash sat back down and rested his head in his hands with a bored look. "Well, that could have gone better." Flash said in an exasperated tone.
"It also could have gone worse." He looked at Batman who had barely moved since the others left. Batman grumbled. "Let's go." Flash sighed. "Alright." Flash stood up, grabbed Batman and ran out of the building.
Chapter end.