Chapter 9
The next couple days were quite boring as we just sat around Mount Justice doing little but working out and watching the news until on the third day after we went into lockdown there was breaking news on all the main channels on TV.
"Breaking news in Washington. A sizable detachment of Justice League members have assaulted Cadmus facility, with the monsters inside the facility fighting back and mind-controlling bystanders into attacking the League Members!" The newswoman spoke as she went into how a full dozen League Members assaulted Cadmus and Superman along with the help of a Green Lantern literally tore the entire facility out of the ground and flew off with the remains.
But more pressing was how Green Arrow was seen carrying what seemed to be a teenager with an arm missing away from the scene which sent the news into a tizzy as they tried to guess what connection the teenager had with the hero.
"That must have been Speedy," I muttered as Robin kept replaying the short scene of Green Arrow carrying off the form of their friend.
Robin sighed and dropped the screens remote beside him as he collapsed into his seat staring up into the seeing before he spoke. "Jake did you know me Speedy and Kid Flash have been friends for a couple of years now... Yet now I can't help but wonder when he was replaced. Even with all the investigative knowledge Batman has beaten into my head I never noticed a damned thing about that clone!" He yelled as he leaned forward and covered his face in his arms.
Kid Flash then zoomed over to his friend and gave him a bro hug just resting his arm over his friend's shoulder to show his support as he spoke softly. "I know what you mean man... I was having those same thoughts, but we need to be ready to support Speedy when he wakes up." Giving the young teenage Robin something to focus on was obviously the right choice as he nodded and sniffed and leaned back into his chair with a poker face plastered on.
"Yeah, I need to get my head on straight. With the league's tech Speedy will be up and running soon enough. Him seeing me mope around will do no good at all." He muttered as he relaxed.
"Superboy," I called getting the absent-minded clone's attention. "We need to give you a name. Calling you just Superboy means you have no life outside of being a... Lesser or younger form of Superman." I said carefully and I was glad about how the way I specified the boy part of his name meant he was merely underdeveloped compared to his progenitor. In that way, his complex about not having all of Superman's powers didn't trigger him.
Superboy frowned as the room watched him before he shrugged and said gruffly. "Just pick a name... It doesn't matter."
As everyone began pitching in names I waited for a bit before I spoke. "I believe even if you aren't on the best of terms with Superman at the moment, that you should still have some of your Kryptonian heritage. So why not Con-El for your Kryptonian name and for your human name, you can go with Connor?"
Everyone nodded to my words as it made some good sense and even Superboy had to grudgingly admit it was a good name. "Conner. I like that name. From now on I am named Conner." He said and I could feel his very soul become stronger as his identity literally changed to reflect having a 'true name'
For the next couple of hours, we simply watched the news with Robin adding some details from his swift internet trawling to find uncensored footage that didn't make the cut but finally, our waiting was cut short as the teleporter whirled to life and through the mountain's intercom, we heard the teleporter announce who came through. "Batman, Martian Manhunter, and Guest have arrived."
"Let's go see what's going on." Kid Flash said before he sped off towards the teleporter room.
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Once we arrived, we saw the after-mentioned heroes along with the guest that had Wally all over her as he was already flirting with her.
"Lorde your intelligence proved to be correct," Batman announced and then went on to explain how the League had used the Lasso of truth to compel the truth from the clone which broke the mental programming that kept certain secrets that the clone had learned of which some were so sensitive that they compelled the majority of the League to bring down the Hammer on Cadmus and its other facilities regardless of US government influence as they brought the UN in on the human rights violations that had happened there.
With the likes of the Amazon nation that Wonder Woman was from, and other world powers some heroes were attached to like Atlantis with Aquaman they were able to slam down any dissenters that attempted to throw shade at the league's actions.
"What happened to the clone?" I asked the awkward question as I knew the clone hadn't done anything wrong as it was literally mind-controlled to give up League information at times.
Batman showing little body language about how he felt slowly answered. "The clone is in a medically induced coma for now... He didn't react well at all when his programming broke and unveiled a number of repressed memories that Cadmus had shoved down and he realized he was nothing more than a copy of Roy Harper."
Then Robin asked how the original currently was and when they could all meet up.
Batman surprisingly smiled to my question before speaking in his gravelly tone. "He is in recovery and will be combat-ready within a couple weeks at the latest once his arm finishes healing with some Amazonian magic to reattach limbs as Cadmus had taken one of his arms for more ample DNA samples. Thankfully just as they kept him in perfect condition in a perfect cryo sleep so was his arm well preserved so there won't be any issues."
Robin and Kid Flash both exhaled in relief at the news and then Kid Flash asked another more interesting question. "So, you guys literally looted the place down to the studs. What are you guys doing with the place?"
Martian Manhunter then took over as he introduced himself and the guest that finally managed to get away from Kid Flash. "We have the facility being studied in a secure location. Now this here is my niece Megan or Miss Martian from Mars that has proven to be highly skilled in the abilities of my people and has expressed deep ambitions in following my lifestyle as an Earth hero." Martian Manhunter said in his deep droning tone of voice.
"Hello, guys! As my uncle said my earth name is Megan and I look forward to working with you all!" She said excitedly as she shook all of our hands and at Robin's request to learn her capabilities began to change her appearance and shape by taking on our forms with even taking Kid Flashes form with rather prominent breasts jutting out of the would-be speedsters tight uniform.
"Hehe sorry, I can't really take male forms all that well," Megan said wryly as she knocked her knuckle against her head as though mentally chastising herself for being a ditz.
Even as we socialized and Kid Flash was flirting with her, I could easily see how the Martian was crushing hard on Superboy as she was constantly trying to bring him in on the conversations but seemingly tired of her bugging her Superboy spoke to Batman who was speaking silently to Robin. "When will we be getting a mission?"
Batman threw his protege a look and Robin quickly walked over and joined us all as Martian Manhunter excused himself seeing as a mission was going to be delivered to us. "With how the League's actions are under a microscope at the moment now is the perfect opportunity for you all to get a mission done as the forces at large will be focusing on us allowing you to move unimpeded. Tonight, you will all go to an island called Santa Priscilla. There is evidence pointing towards it being a Venom factory so be aware that low-level superhuman thugs will likely be present your objective is to gather intel on where the products whether Venom or otherwise are being shipped and once that's accomplished you are authorized to bring them down the factory however you see fit."
Batman then cleared his throat as he eyed us with a clear warning. "However, with it being a Venom factory it's certainly possible that Bane could be there... Should he be there, only Lorde and Superboy can meet him in a pure contest of strength and more than anything beware his cunning." He warned, reminding me how despite Bane being little more than a Borderlands Psycho at times in some timelines this wasn't one of them. This one had cunning to go along with his brutality.
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