Chapter 27:

– Titus –

I hovered outside LuthorCorp headquarters with Grail, the city lights of Metropolis flickering beneath us. The towering skyscraper stood in front of us like an arrogant monument to the man who owned it.

Was that too philosophical? Meh, in other words, fuck this building and the guy who owned it.

"Let's smash this place to bits!" Grail declared while smacking one hand into the other. "My instincts are already screaming that this bastard had a hand in collaring me."

I nodded, but I hesitated. Beating down the Penguin and smacking around the Joker was one thing, but busting into Luthor's headquarters? That was a whole different beast. Unlike those two, Luthor practically had the media on a leash. No matter how many crimes he committed, he always found a way to spin things in his favor.

I knew the Justice League would take heat for this if we weren't careful, and as much as I hated playing the political game, I didn't want to make things harder for Diana or Batman. Still, the thought of waiting around while Luthor pulled strings behind the scenes made my blood boil.

"Maybe we should take a sneakier approach first," I suggested. "Get some evidence before we go breaking shit."

Grail scoffed, rolling her eyes. "You better not be going soft on me, Titus."

"He's not," came a voice from the shadows.

Grail stiffened. I didn't think I'd ever seen her flinch before, but she sure as hell did when Batman emerged from the darkness, standing on a rooftop across from us.

"Looks like we've been caught," I muttered.

"Motherfucker," Grail growled, muttering a string of curses under her breath—some directed at Batman, some just for general frustration.

Batman remained unfazed, his cape shifting slightly as we both floated over to him. "I saw the footage of you two bullying the Joker in Arkham."

"And?" Grail said, crossing her arms defensively.

Batman didn't react. "That was just a statement."

"Oh… okay then." Grail actually looked thrown off for a second, clearly expecting some kind of lecture.

I could swear I saw the faintest smirk flicker across Batman's face before he turned his attention to me. "The cameras also picked up both of your conversations. You two should be more careful about discussing secret supervillain organizations in pubic," he pointed out before continuing. "I scrubbed the security footage and paid off the guard to keep his mouth shut."

Grail snorted. "Heh… you're a lot cooler than I thought you'd be, Bat-guy."

"If you say so..." he replied blankly.

"Now why the fuck are you here?" she demanded to know.

And just like that, her attitude was back. I couldn't help but chuckle. She was endearing… in her own way.

Batman didn't waste time getting to the point. He explained that he was here to stop Grail and me from causing a massive scene and making the League look bad. Luthor already had the media in his pocket, and if we went in swinging, he'd twist the narrative to paint himself as the victim.

Pretty much what I expected.

Grail snorted. "I don't give a shit. I'm not a member of your little hero club."

"But you could be, if you wanted to," Batman countered.

That made both of us pause. I glanced at Grail, and for the first time since I met her, she actually looked stunned. She pointed at herself. "Are you fucking blind? I'm Darkseid's daughter. You good guys would never let me join up… Not that I'd fucking want to." She turned her head, scoffing.

"You'd be surprised," Batman said evenly. "The League votes on new members. And based on what I've seen, you'd have a chance. You haven't caused any trouble since arriving on Earth—aside from when you were mind-controlled. And Diana is a remarkably good judge of character. If she trusts you enough to live in her house, I can extend that trust… to an extent."

Whoa. Even I wasn't expecting Batman, of all people, to say something like that.

Grail crossed her arms, clearly not sure how to respond. "Hmph. I'll think about it," she muttered. Then she narrowed her eyes. "Now, you're obviously here to interrupt our fun. What do you want?"

"Luthor isn't even in the building right now," Batman said. "Breaking in would be a waste of time."

That was disappointing.

Grail clicked her tongue in irritation.

I gave her a light pat on the shoulder, which earned me an eye roll.

Batman continued, "I've been tracking LuthorCorp's subsidiaries for months. He uses shell companies to hide where his money goes, but I found a small lab on the outskirts of Metropolis that recently received a large amount of funding."

He met my eyes. "If you really want to hurt Luthor, that's where you start. You might find something incriminating—something that could finally put him behind bars."

Grail crossed her arms. "I'd rather just break his teeth until he tells me who else is in his little club, but whatever." She exhaled sharply. "If the bald dickhead isn't even home, then at least this won't be a total waste of time."

Batman didn't react, but I had a feeling he approved of her willingness to redirect her rage toward something productive at the very least.

Batman hopped off the roof and dropped into his jet, which was quietly hovering in a nearby alley. The moment he settled in, the engines roared, and it shot off into the night. Grail and I took to the sky after it, matching its speed without much effort.

As we flew, I glanced over at Grail. "I'm sorry you don't get to punch Luthor in the face."

She shrugged, smirking. "It is what it fucking is. At least I can break some of his fancy shit when the time comes. That'll help me blow off some steam." She gave me a quick, suggestive look, licking her lips. "Though there's another way we can unwind later."

I let out a short laugh. "Yeah, I figured."

"I mean, we're going to fuck," she said bluntly, not even trying to sugarcoat it.

I sighed, shaking my head in amusement. "Yeah, I got that."

"Just making sure," she quipped, then blasted forward, pushing her speed to catch up with Batman's jet, which was already a couple miles outside the city.

We ended up landing in a small patch of trees next to a quiet dairy farm. The Batwing touched down first, and Batman hopped out with that usual dramatic flair, cape draping around him like a shadow.

Grail glanced around at the cows wandering around the field. "Are you going senile, old man? All I see are a bunch of cows."

Batman stood there for a moment, letting the sounds of lowing cattle fill the silence. Then he turned to Grail and me. "Have you noticed anything unusual about this place?"

I looked around, trying to figure out what he was implying. "None of the cows are getting milked?" I asked uncertainly. I didn't know much about farms, so I was just guessing.

Batman nodded. "There's no milking equipment here and only one barn for them to sleep in. This is a front, like that fake laundromat we found you in, Titus."

Grail snickered. "You were born under a laundromat?"

I felt my cheeks warm a bit. "I wasn't exactly 'born.' I was grown in a secret lab beneath that place."

"Same shit!" she smirked.

I rolled my eyes. "Not exactly, but close enough. Anyway, it's probably like that here too."

I fired up my X-ray vision to check out the ground beneath us, but I couldn't see anything. Just solid mass.

That told me more than an actual view. "Lead-lined," I said flatly. "That much lead wouldn't exist naturally, or it'd kill the cows. Must be metal walls under there."

Batman gave me a small nod of approval. Without another word, he started walking toward the barn. Grail and I followed, stepping around a few cows that barely reacted to our presence. I couldn't help but pet one as we passed. It reminded me of Jonathan Kent's farm.

I remembered that my grandparents were still alive in this world. Maybe I should visit them when things calmed down.

The second we stepped inside the barn, the floor shifted beneath the hay, and laser turrets sprang up, locking onto us with mechanical whirs.

"Of course," I muttered.

Bright red beams shot out, scarring the wooden beams and kicking up hay as they locked onto us. Grail and I stood our ground, barely flinching as the lasers bounced harmlessly off us. Meanwhile, Batman flipped between the beams with precision, dodging every shot like it was just another Tuesday night for him. He pulled out a set of batarangs and hurled them at the turrets. Explosions lit up the barn as the turrets were taken out one by one, leaving behind nothing but smoking wreckage.

The cows? Yeah, they weren't taking it well. They stampeded outside of the barn as smoke filled the air.

Grail grinned, dusting off her hands like she actually did something. "That was fun."

I chuckled. "Pretty sure we found the right place. Never heard of a dairy farm with laser turrets."

Batman didn't respond to my joke. He was already moving, searching the barn's walls for anything suspicious. "Places like this always have a hidden entrance," he muttered.

I sighed, rolling my shoulders while we waited for him to do his thing. Turning to Grail, I decided to entertain myself. "Hey, you guys have milk on Apokolips?"

She gave me a blank stare, and then she smirked slightly. "We didn't have milk. We drank the blood of our enemies."

I stared at her, trying to figure out if she was messing with me or not. Did I even want to know?

She didn't elaborate. Just let the words hang there like it was the most normal thing ever.

"Found it," Batman said. The floor groaned beneath us and started shifting to reveal a secret ladder hatch.

Grail cracked her knuckles. "Finally. Let's see what's behind door number one."

I wondered how much TV she'd really been watching to even know that reference. Then again, I wasn't going to talk considering I had entire TV shows directly uploaded into my brain. Why the scientist who created me thought that was relevant information was anyone's guess.

I followed Batman down the ladder into a dimly lit chamber, where a single elevator stood waiting to take us even deeper. Batman wasted no time, pulling out a couple of tools from his belt and hacking into the console. Within seconds, the doors slid open, inviting us inside.

As the elevator descended, I crossed my arms, my mind already racing. "What do you think we're going to find down here?"

Batman kept his eyes on the display. "Knowing Lex Luthor? Something expensive that will probably blow up in his face."

Grail smirked. "I can still smash it, right?"

"As long as we get evidence first," Batman reminded her.

She grumbled but gave a reluctant nod.

When the doors finally opened, we stepped into a stark white hallway. The fluorescent lighting made everything look sterile and unnatural. A headache waiting to happen. Batman pointed at the cameras lining the walls. "They're scrambled. We're clear to keep moving."

I kept my eyes on the ceiling and walls, waiting for another round of hidden laser turrets. We moved quickly, reaching the single reinforced door at the end of the hall. The moment I saw the symbol on the glass panel, my stomach twisted.

Superman's symbol.

My hands clenched into fists as anger surged through me. Were they down here making even more clones? Weren't the countless failures, the dead brothers before me, enough?

Batman must have sensed what I was about to do because he reached for my arm. "Titus—"

Too late. The doors shrieked as I shoved them open. Metal buckled under my strength, and the glass shattered. The scientists inside flinched, their eyes wide with panic.

"Oh shit, it's the Justice League!" one of them yelped.

"How did Batman find us?!" another shouted.

"And Titan! The son of Superman!"

I ignored the annoying title...

My focus was locked on the pod in the center of the lab. The setup was slightly different from the one I had been created in, but there was no mistaking what it was. Another clone. Younger than me by maybe two years, but the resemblance was undeniable.

The label on the pod read: PROJECT MATCH.

Batman stepped forward, his voice calm but firm. "What is this facility doing?"

One of the scientists straightened, trying to put on a brave face. "We don't have to tell you anything! We know our rights. This is a legitimate scientific facility, and you are all trespassing."

Grail let out a dry chuckle. "Is that excuse gonna save you from me breaking your legs?"

They visibly flinched at the threat.

Then slow, deliberate clapping echoed through the room.

"Well now, I certainly wasn't expecting company this soon."

Lex Luthor stepped forward from the shadows at the back of the lab, adjusting his cuffs like he had all the time in the world. "We really should start moving these facilities further from Metropolis," he mused.

I glared at him. "You're making clones of Superman?"

Again... Is what I wanted to say, but as far as most of the world knew, I wasn't a clone.

Luthor barely batted an eye. "So what if we are? Cloning isn't illegal. The courts might take issue with me using Superman's DNA without his permission, but nothing a few legal loopholes can't handle. The real crime here is you three trespassing on private property!"

He really thought that argument would work. Maybe it would have worked on Batman by himself. Maybe even if it was just the two of us.

But unfortunately for Luthor, Grail was with us. And she wasn't interested in legal technicalities. She was interested in breaking bones.

"I don't give a fuck about any of that," Grail snarled. She blurred across the lab, smashing apart machinery and sending beakers shattering to the floor. The scientists scrambled back, some ducking behind consoles. Then she grabbed Luthor by the throat and hoisted him off the ground. Her free hand latched onto his left leg, and she squeezed.

The snap was loud.

Luthor screamed, his face contorting in agony.

"Tell me about the other people in your little Light Club," Grail demanded, her fingers tightening.

"This is assault!" Luthor groaned. "I'm not telling you anything!"

Her hand moved to his other leg.

"Grail—" Batman started, but before he could finish, Luthor shouted over him.

"Release Project Match!"

One of the scientists hesitated. "But sir, he's not ready! His mental state is—"

"Just do it!" Luthor snapped.

The scientist rushed to a control panel and slammed a button. The pod hissed, releasing a misty vapor as the chamber opened. The clone inside stirred, his eyes flickering open. He stepped forward, the white full-body solar suit clinging to his frame. He was young, but the raw power radiating from him was undeniable. Of course I was stronger, but I didn't want to hurt my little brother.

Maybe I could try reasoning with him. Hopefully he would be like me and impossible to control.

"RAAAAaaaaagh!"

Match let out a feral roar, the sheer force of it shaking the walls. The scientists near him clutched their heads, blood trickling from their ears as they staggered back in terror.

Grail dropped Lex onto the ground, his usual smug expression twisting into something close to fear. Match lunged forward, grabbing one of the scientists by the head. The poor bastard kicked and screamed, pleading for his life.

Match ignored him.

With another guttural scream, he squeezed. The scientist's skull caved in with a sickening crunch, blood and brains splattered across Match's white bodysuit.

The lifeless body hit the floor with a wet thud.

"Oh fuck! It's out of control!"

"We made a monster!"

"We're all going to die!"

Panic spread among the remaining scientists. They scrambled away, shoving each other in their desperation to escape. Their screams filled the lab.

Next to me, Batman's face twisted in horror for only a second before his focus snapped back. "Stop him, Titan!"

I blurred forward, closing the distance in an instant. "It's okay! You're free now! You just need to—"

Match's eyes flared bright red. A split second later, a blast of heat vision slammed into my chest, launching me backward. I crashed into the lead-lined steel wall hard enough to leave a crater.

In that brief moment, Match blurred forward faster than sound. He tore through two more scientists before anyone could react. One man barely had time to register what had happened before Match ripped his arm clean off. Then, with unnatural strength, he swung the severed limb like a bat, smashing another scientist's head clean off his shoulders. The detached skull rocketed across the room, slamming into a woman's chest with enough force to cave it in.

"Fuck! Activate the kill sequence! Detonate the kryptonite in his brain!" Lex shouted at the surviving scientists. "We designed Match to kill the Justice League, not us, you morons!"

One of the panicked researchers fumbled at a console. "We can't, Mr. Luthor! We never installed the failsafes! He wasn't supposed to be released yet—"

His words cut off with a gurgle as Match's hand punched through his chest from behind. The scientist coughed up blood before going limp. Match pulled his bloody arm free, a feral grin spreading across his face as he looked around for his next target.

I gritted my teeth and yanked myself out of the dent in the wall. The hit hadn't hurt me, but it sure as hell surprised me. Even though Match was biologically younger than me, his power was something else. What the fuck had they spliced into him? He was completely rabid.

Batman didn't hesitate. He reached into his belt and pulled out several pieces of kryptonite. "No more killing!" he snapped, charging at Match, the green glow radiating from his hands.

"Kryptonite only works on him inside his body, not outside!" Lex shouted, but it was too late.

Match swung his arm with brutal force, smacking Batman aside like he weighed nothing. My eyes widened as I shot forward, catching him just before he hit the reinforced steel wall.

I could hear the strained wheeze in his breathing as I steadied him.

"You good?" I asked, helping him brace against the wall.

Batman clenched his jaw. "Cracked ribs. Nothing I can't work through."

Match barely even noticed us anymore. His attention snapped to Lex. His face twisted in pure hatred.

For a second, I wondered if he was capable of actual thought beyond raw instinct. If he was, it was nothing but rage-fueled.

He rocketed toward Luthor.

Grail's eyes narrowed as she stepped into his path. "Don't ignore me, little boy!" she snarled, irritation lacing her words. "He's my fucking prey, not yours!"

Match barely reacted to her taunt, only shifting to try and dodge around her. Grail wasn't having it.

Her eyes flashed orange, and twin Omega Beams tore across the lab. Match barely had time to grunt before they slammed into his chest, sending him flying back. He skidded across the room, crashing through more of Luthor's expensive equipment. Sparks and shattered glass rained down as alarms blared in protest.

I helped Batman lean against the wall before I turned and blurred toward Match. He was still snarling at Grail, too focused on her to notice me getting behind him. I wrapped my arm around his throat in a chokehold, locking my grip as tight as I could.

"Come on, Match. Don't make this harder than it needs to be," I grunted as he started thrashing wildly.

He bucked violently, flailing his arms and legs, trying to break free.

"You strong enough to keep him down, or should I knock him out faster?" Grail asked, watching with amusement.

"He's a slippery bastard, I'll give him that," I said, gritting my teeth as I tightened my grip. "A little help wouldn't hurt."

Match let out another guttural roar. The entire facility trembled from the sheer force of his tantrum. Glass cracked, machinery flickered, and the ceiling groaned as dust rained down.

Grail rolled her eyes, completely unimpressed as she sauntered over. "Shut the fuck up! Your screaming is hurting my ears!"

She cocked back her fist and drove it into his gut with enough force to knock the wind out of him. Match wheezed, his body jerking from the impact, which gave me just enough leverage to tighten my hold!

"Go to fucking sleep!" I growled, squeezing even harder.

Match thrashed harder, nearly breaking free. Grail didn't let up, hammering his ribs with more brutal punches.

I could feel his resistance weakening, his struggles slowing, his muscles twitching with exhaustion. Finally, I felt his body go limp in my arms.

Batman walked up, tenderly holding his side. "Secure him..." he told us before turning to Luthor who was struggling to stand up on one leg. "You're not weaseling your way out of this mess, Lex. Your own people are dead and my suit has recorded everything!"

Lex simply smirked, though it was painted. "You wanna bet, Batman? I'll just say all the footage was doctored. I have the best lawyers in the country on retainer!" he still completely thought he was getting out of this unscathed. Minus his broken leg of course.

Obviously, a member of our group took offense to that. Grail winked at me before she turned around and walked back towards Lex.

He looked nervously at her. "What the hell are you doing!? Back off!"

"I'm not doing anything... Like you said, the footage is all doctored!" She smirked and kicked his remaining good leg.

Even I flinched a bit when his knee bent backwards the wrong way...

"We're not done with our conversation!" Grail told him.

XXX