Chapter Text
"So how are you feeling about going to the hall?" Hal asked, "Excited?"
"To be honest a little nervous," Lorna said turning to her mentor "After all I've only been your sidekick for a year the others have been training so much longer than me"
"And you've trained harder than any of them" he smiled "Believe me you've earned this" They walked over to the entrance of the hall where the others were waiting.
"Welcome to the Hall of Justice" Green Arrow smiled.
"Headquarters of the Justice League" Aquaman added. Two speedsters suddenly joined them.
"I knew we’d be the last ones here," Wally whined crossing his arms.
"Ready to see the inner sanctum?" Green Arrow turned to Speedy.
"Born that way" Speedy smirked.
"I’m glad we’re all here" Aqualad smiled.
"Have all five sidekicks ever been at the same place At the same time?" Wally asked.
"To be fair I am still new at this whole sidekick thing" Lorna pointed out.
"Don’t call us sidekicks" Speedy pushed past them "Not after today"
"Sorry" Wally apologized "First time at the Hall, I’m a little overwhelmed"
"You’re overwhelmed, Freeze was underwhelmed" Robin scoffed "Why isn’t anybody ever just whelmed,"
"Why can't you ever be just normal?" Lorna rolled her eyes.
"Robin, Speedy, Aqualad, Polaris, Kid Flash, welcome you-" After the first few words Lorna kind of tuned Red out.
"Make yourselves at home" Flash offered. Robin and Wally jumped into their chairs, while Aqualad and Lorna calmly sat down.
"Quick debrief to discuss the coincidence of four Ice Villains attacking," Batman said before turning to the teens "We shouldn’t be long"
"That’s it?" Speedy demanded "You promised us a real look inside, not a glorified backstage pass"
"Roy, you just need to be patient" Greenarrow tried to calm him down.
"What I need is respect?" Roy turned to the others "They're treating us like kids, worse-like sidekicks! We deserve better than this" The others just sat there quietly "You're kidding, right? Today was supposed to be the day, step one in becoming full-fledged members of the league"
"Well, sure" Wally spoke up "but I thought step one was the tour of the HQ"
"The Hall isn't the League's real HQ," Roy stated waving his hands "It's just a false front for tourists, a pit stop for catching Zeta-beams to the real thing, an orbiting satellite called the watchtower" All the mentors stared disapprovingly at GreenArrow.
"I know," he said "but I thought we could make an exception"
"You're not helping your case stand down or-" Aquaman demanded but was cut off.
"Or what? You'll send me to my room?" Speedy threw his hat on the ground "Guess they were right about you four, you’re not ready" And with that, he walked out. The shock wore off as an alarm came from the computer.
"Superman to Justice League" Superman called "There's been an explosion at Project Cadmus"
"I’ve had my suspicions about Cadmus," Batman said thoughtfully "This may present the perfect opportunity-"
"Zatara to Justice League Wotan is using the amulet of attain to blot out the sun" Zatara flashed on the screen.
"Cadmus can wait," Batman said "All Leaguers rendezvous at Zatara’s coordinates" he then turned to the teens "Stay put"
"Don't worry you'll go on missions when you're ready" Barry assured them before joining the rest of the league quickly.
"How are we ever supposed to be ready when they treat us like...like sidekicks" Wally grunted.
"My mentor, my king, I thought he trusted me," Aqualad said sadly.
"Trust" Lorna muttered the word felt cold and bitter on her tongue. She could trust her own father why should this be any different.
"What is Project Cadmus?" Aqualad asked.
"Don’t know but I can find out" Robin smirked jumping on the computer" The screen said Access denied "Heh, Wanna bet?" He typed something getting in "Same system as the Batcave, Project Cadmus is a Genetics lab here in D.C. That’s all there is, but if Batman's suspicious, maybe we should investigate"
"Solve their case before they do," Aqualad said thoughtfully "It would be poetic justice"
"Hey" Robin laughed "They’re all about justice"
"Uh guys I'm all for showing off our mentors but this is a terrible idea" Lorna jumped in only to be ignored.
"Just like that, we're a team on a mission?"Aqualad asked.
"Stop pretending you don't hear me!" Lorna shouted
"We didn't come for a play date," Robin said still ignoring her.
"Then let's go," Wally said picking up Lorna.
"You do know kidnapping is illegal!" she yelled as they rushed to Cadmus.
Timeskip
Wally zoomed up the wall grabbing two falling scientists and tossing them on the roof before slipping. He managed to catch himself on a window ledge.
"It’s what’s his name-flash boy" one of the firemen yelled.
"Kid Flash! Why is that so hard?" Wally mumbled to himself.
"Oh, I am so using that" Lorna laughed helping another one down.
Robin landed on the roof next to Wally helping him up. They all snuck inside turning around a corner to see some guy getting on an elevator.
"Who uses an elevator during a fire?" Lorna asked.
"This is wrong" Robin pulled up a holo screen "This is a highspeed express elevator, it doesn’t belong in a two-story building"
"Neither does what I saw," Aqualad said forcing the doors open.
"And that’s why they need an express elevator" Robin ducked under his arm, then shot his grappling hook letting himself fall. The others quickly followed "I’m at the end of my rope" he stated as the others jumped onto the narrow platform. Robin bypassed the security and Aqualad pried open the doors.
“Welcome to Project Cadmus,” Robin announced before Wally bolted off.
“Kid, wait!” Aqualad shouted. The speedster slipped and skited in front of massive creatures barely dodging it. He quickly ran back to the others.
"This place is guarded better than Fort Knox" Lorna commented as they reached another locked door. Robin quickly started hacking causing the door to open.
"This is how they hid this massive underground facility," Wally said pointing to a weird-looking generator "The real Cadmus isn’t on the grid, It generates its own power with those creatures"
"I don't like this, we should go" Lorna looked around warily.
"You seem on edge, even for you" Wally joked.
"It's just, my brother was taken here before I was born" She looked at the floor "he died before I ever got the chance to meet him"
"I'm sorry" Wally's eyes softened putting a hand on her shoulders.
"Whoa! Look at the stats on these things superstrength, telepathy, razor claws, these are living weapons" Robin's eyes widened.
"They’re engineering an army, but for who?" Wally asked crossing his arms.
"Wait, there are two more files," Robin said looking at his screen. "Project Kr. and Mercury, they're both triple encrypted, I can’t-"
"Don’t move!" They turn around to see a man with Genomorph on him "Wait, Robin, Polaris, Aqualad, Kid Flash?"
"At least he got your name right" Robin teased working on the Kr file.
"I know you" Aqualad spoke up "Guardian, a hero"
"I do my best" Guardian smiled standing up tall.
"Then what are you doing here?" Wally asked confused.
"I’m Chief of Security" he responds "You’re trespassing, but we can call the League, and figure this out"
"You think the League’s gonna approve of you breeding weapons?" Wally demanded.
"Weapons?" Guardian looked at them confused "What are you-" the Genomorph's horns began to glow. Guardian's head fell forward "Ugh my head" He looked back up "Take them down hard! No mercy"
"Must you always piss everyone off?" Lorna asked turning to Wally.
"I can't help it, it's part of my charm" he smiled. Robin threw a smoke bomb in front of them then shot his grappling hook at one of the support beams. Wally dodged a Genomorph but just barely. Guardian charged at Aqualad but missed knocking off a Genomorph. Lorna waved her hand and slammed his helmet against the wall knocking him out. Wally grabbed Lorna and ran through the smoke over to Robin "Way to be a team player, Rob!"
“Weren’t you right behind me?” Robin asked hacking into the elevator. They all jumped in the elevator before the creatures could.
"I knew I shouldn't have followed you idiots" Lorna groaned after the door closed.
"Come on you know you love us" Robin smirked.
"We’re headed down?" Aqualad asked.
"Dude out is up" Wally pointed to the roof.
"Excuse me?" Robin asked offended "Project Kr, it’s down on Sub-Level 52"
"This is out of control" Aqualad rubs the back of his neck "Perhaps we should contact the League"
"Project Mercury is there too" Robin interjected turning to Lorna "I managed to decode one of the files I think Project Mercury is your brother"
"My brother's alive" She put her hand over her mouth. Robin nodded "Then I'm not leaving without him," she said determinedly as the elevator came to a stop.
"Which way?" Aqualad asked looking down the hallway.
"Halt!" a Creature yelled, horns glowing red as he lifted two waste bins telekinetically, throwing them at the teens. They dodged as Robin threw a disk at him. Wally darted around the corner, knocking a scientist to the ground. The doors behind him started to close "Hurry!" the others joined him. Robin started hacking the door
“I disabled the door" he let out a sigh of relief "We’re safe"
"We’re trapped" Lorna corrected him.
"Uh, guys" Wally called "You’ll want to see this" In the center of the room was a pod.
"Whoa!" Robin gasped. Inside is a raven-haired boy with a white suit that has Superman’s symbol.
"Robin, hack" Aqualad commanded as the other two just stood in shock.
"Weapon Designation Superboy, a clone force-grown in sixteen weeks?" his eyes widened in shock "From DNA acquired from Superman"
"Stolen from Superman," Aqualad said crossing his arms.
"No way the big guy knows about this" Wally agreed.
"Solar Suit allows him to absorb yellow-sun radiation" Robin continued to read.
"And these creatures?" Lorna pointed to one on the projection.
"Genomorph Gnomes, telepathic, force-feeding him an education" Robin replied sourly.
"And we can guess what else," Wally said "They’re making a slave out of Superman’s son"
"Now we contact the League" Aqualad demanded but there was no signal.
"This is wrong" Wally frowned looking at the trapped clone.
"We can’t leave him like this" Robin agreed.
"Set him free, "Aqualad said turning to the boy wonder "Do it" Robin hacked the pod and it fell away. Superboy's eyes snapped open and he launched himself at Aqualad.
"Whoa! Hang on, Supey" Wally tried to hold the Kryptonian back.
“We’re on your side!” Robin yelled. Superboy gives Wally an uppercut knocking him into a display cylinder. He flopped to the ground unconscious.
"Get away from him" Lorna jumped in between Wally and Superboy her eyes glowing.
"I don’t want to do this" Robin threw a smoke blaster on Sup's chest unleashing gas right into his face.
"Enough!" Aqualad yelled as he punched him knocking him back into his pod "We're trying to help you" Superboy broke the pod and threw both boys against the wall. Robin slammed against Lorna knocking her out.