Hector or rather Blackhawk was in the training area for Mount Justice, not to get confused with the sparring room in the main area. Where the Thanagarian was had all of the training equipment to lift up weights, treadmills, and more. The reason that he was herw was to keep M'Gann and Superboy company. Unlike Robin, Kid Flash, and Aqualad, the only duties that he had was being homeschooled, training, and patrols. Hector was shirtless while wearing nothing but skin tight jogging pants. His forehead was beaded with sweat as well as his chest and arms. The Thanagarian was bench pressing two eighty pound weights, making the total pounds as being one-hundred and sixty pounds. Letting out a breathe of air, and sucking it back in, Hector finished his bench press with one more push.
With that done, he pushed the pole back up to be holstered and let out a deep breathe. Sitting up, he found a towel being held out to him. The one giving it to him was M'Gann whose cheeks were reddened. Mostly because the young man was shirtless and his chest for all to see. The Thanagarian's body was littered with quite a few scars, some of which were recent from his adventure into Cadmus. Flexing his wings and stretching them out, Hector took the towel from his new Martian friend thankful. She gave him a shy smile as he used it to wipe off the sweat from his face. "Thanks M'gann", Hector thanked, "How are you liking your time on Earth?"
"Oh, well I find everything to be fascinating", she began to say, "Honestly the people here are so interesting, so much so than back on Mars. I was kind of expecting things to be..well I don't know maybe dark?"
Hector looked up at her with a raised brow, then came to the deduction that she was referring to Gotham. "Yeah...only one city is like that", He uttered, "Never go to Gotham, that place is exactly how you just described."
"You've been there?"
"For training yeah."
"Wait, who trained you?"
"Who do you think?"
M'gann's brows furrowed, thinking for but a few seconds before dawning realization came to her face. "Batman!?"
Instead of replying, Hector held a finger up to her lips to keep her silent. It was a secret that he had gotten training from the Caped Crusader himself. Though for that training, it had him learning how to use gadgets and learn how to create them. Hence how he was able to make the shield....despite his parents believing it to be unnecessary when they had first witnessed it's creation.
"You think bench pressing will make you strong?" Came the arrogant voice of Superboy, both M'gann and Hector looked to see the boy walking over wearing a black shirt with the "S" crest upon his chest. Below that he had on a pair of black cargo pants and sneakers. M'gann gawked at him with awe, then quickly looked away and found Hector staring at her with a smirk. The Thanagarian then turned his gaze back to the clone and let out a sigh as he rose to his feet. Both he and Superboy stood at the same height, for now at least.
"It's called training, something that you could use, lightweight." Hector taunted, causing M'gann to stare at him wide eyed. She quickly looked to Superboy who glared at him, the boy folded his arms over his chest before replying to Hector's taunts.
"Please, with my strength i'm-"
"Nothing more than a dime a dozen lightweight, I've fought people with super strength and at least one of them came close to beating the daylights out of me", Hector interrupted, "And you're not one of them."
"Yet.." Superboy said in a more challenging tone, his blue irises narrowing onto the Thanagarian.
"That sounds like a challenge Superboy..."
"Sparring room in three minutes...let's see if you can back up that talk black chicken."
M'gann looked between the two alpha males, half of her wants to stop this. The other half however was gawking at the handsome males on either side of her. Superboy with his well built body, as if he were made to be a football player or more. Hector with his athletic built, looking as if he was an Olympian Athlete. As well as having majestic wings at his back, making her think that he could be mistaken as a handsome male Valkyrie. Biting her lips, M'gann soon realized that both males had already left the room and were heading to the man area to spar. With a gasp, she quickly used her ability to fly to head after them.
[Three Minutes Later]
Superboy and Hector stood within the holographic ring. Both staring at each other with eyes locked onto one another. Superboy had a glare that intensified the more that he stared at Hector. The Thanagarian on the other hand had a sporting smile on his face. He had retrieved his tank top, and was stretching his arms and legs out. He even stretched his wings that pointed to either side of him. Then began to breathe in and out as he centered his body. M'gann came rushing over, now having made up her mind to stop this spar. Unfortunately by the time that she had arrived, Superboy had already dashed at Hector with a cocked fist.
Letting out a growl, the clone sent a wild haymaker to Hector's face. The Thanagarian simply stepped back out of reach of Superboy. The clone's fist hit nothing but air, before Superboy could pull back his arm, Hector moved forward. With practiced and precise moves, the young Thanagarian reached out with boy arms and caught Superboy's exposed arm. Then with little effort, he moved Superboy into and armbar, making the boy be pushed down as Hector held a tight grip on the boy's arm. Superboy however let out a growl of anger, trying to hit Hector's knee. Unfortunately his arms weren't long enough to reach the Thanagarian no matter how many times he tried to punch him. "Had I been a member of the League of Assassins and I had a weapon that could pierce your skin...you'd be dead." Hector stated.
Releasing the boy, Hector moved back with a side step to dodge a backhand from Superboy. Then with a knife hand, he jabbed it into the boy's exposed armpit. Superboy cried out and held his now numb and unmoving arm. "Had I been one of Batman's villains, that arm would have been cleaved off right about now." Hector continued to speak.
"Shut up and stand still!" Superboy howled and used his still functioning arm to attack Hector. Unfortunately for him, the Thanagarian humored the boy's request. Hector rushed at Superboy and knocked Superboy's wild punch to the side with his forearm. With his other arm, he hit Superboy with an elbow aimed for his jaw. The hit sent Superboy's head sideways and dazed. The boy was still trying to get his barings by the time Hector jumped up with the use of his wings. Then came down and hit Superboy with a Muay Thai knee attack into his chest. Superboy fell onto his back, feeling the wind having been knocked out of him. Before he could stand, Hector pinned Superboy's good arm down with one hand. With his other hand, the Thanagarian clasped it around the boy's neck.
"Had I have been one of Superman's enemies...this is where I would have snapped your neck..." Hector said with a dark tone laced within his voice. Superboy glared up at the Thanagarian, but looked at him confused as Hector released him. A sigh left the Thanagarian as he held a hand out to him. Superboy stared at the Hector's hand, but simply swatted it to the side as he helped himself up. "You're angry, good", Hector continued, "Anger's good if you know how to use it. Especially if you're up against someone either as strong or stronger than you."
"What do you know about anger!?" Superboy spouted.
"Because I was in your same shoes..."
Superboy looked at Hector with a surprised look as the Thanagarian gave Superboy a small smile. "When I was younger, I had anger issues just like you. I'd lash out with anger that I had little to no control over. I'd hurt people despite not meaning to, even break a few bones when I got too angry. Honestly I'm still surprised that my parents allowed me to still fly around and be Blackhawk."
Superboy was silent for a few moments, thinking over Hector's words as he could feel his numb arm gain it's feeling back. The clone looked down for a few seconds before asking a question that Hector hoped that he would ask. "How...did you get past it?" The clone asked.
"Who said that I did?"
"What?" Superboy asked confused then stared at a smiling Hector.
"You can't get past your own emotions, it's what makes us who we are", Hector consoled, "Your anger is derived from your lack of a purpose. Your a clone of Superman, and from what I understand you were suppose to replace him or even kill him. But you denied that purpose, now you're just looking for another reason to be around. Especially since Superman can't seem to find the time to talk to you. I can't say that I understand the feeling, I had two parents who made sure that I got to where I am now. So take it from an angry guy...the people you come from don't get to decide who you're going to be. It's what you choose to be, so stop thinking about what Superman would do. Think about what you would do."
Superboy stared at Hector wide eyed, he opened his mouth to speak but before he could the Zeta Tube came alive. Superboy, M'gann, and Hector turned to find Robin, Wally, and Kaldur arriving. Almost immediately, Wally rushed over to try and flirt with M'gann who gave him a shy smile. "So, what's up?", Wally asked, "You guys look like you're about to fight."
"We did." Hector confirmed, then placed a hand on Superboy's shoulder. The boy looked to him and watched as the Thanagarian gave him a wink. "If you really want to train, just know that I'm here for you."
With that, Hector turned and started to walk up to the Zeta Tubes while passing Kaldur and Robin. "Hey Hector where are you going?" Robing questioned with a raised brow.
"Yes, we are just arriving", Kaldur added, "We were hoping to find Red Tornado and see if there is a mission for us."
"You guys go ahead, as far as I can tell there is no mission", Hector dismissed, "I'm heading out on patrol, got some heads that needs bashing. As well as got my own work to do."
"Want some help?" Wally offered.
"No thanks, at least not this time..."
[Two Hours Later]
Hector now in his full Blackhawk regalia was back in Manhattan, New York City. His wings flapped occasionally to keep him afloat as he used his helmet's visors to peer down at the citizens below. He found nothing out of the ordinary until he saw something that looked peculiar. It was someone dressed up to look like a fox of some kind. They were besting several armed men with nothing but skill atop a rooftop. Taking out the criminals with efficiency that he could only describe Batman or Robin performing. Before allowing them to have all the fun, Blackhawk dived down as he closed his wings in. Feeling the wind push past him, he neared the skirmish and once he got at least fifteen feet from the roof, his wings sprawled out. They flapped to slow his descent as he held his left arm out, allowing his Nth Metal shield to come out.
As soon as his boots touched the rooftop, all eyes landed on him. His wings flapped once more as Blackhawk gave the men a glare. That was when his eyes landed on the costumed figure who had been fighting. It was a woman, one who wore a bodysuit, some pieces of red and black armor, a white cat like mask that allowed her lower jaw to be seen, and two twin katanas at her back. The moment that they both locked eyes, Blackhawk could have sworn that she gave him a smirk. Instead of gawking more, three of the men gritted their teeth and immediately pointed their pistols at the Thanagarian. Not long after they opened fire, but Blackhawk had already moved his shield up to block the bullets. He rushed forward, using his wings to move about and keep himself from a stationary target. Then with a flap of his wings, he jumped into the air just as the men shooting at him ran out of bullets.
The Thanagarian came down with his boots out in a dropkick. His boots collided with one man's head, sending them off their feet and backwards. Crouching as soon as his feet touched the roof once more, Blackhawk spun around and used his wings to smack the other two who had shot at him. After sending them flying, he turned to find his current ally twirl around before sending a palm strike into one man's jaw. She then sent an elbow into another man's shoulder before palm striking their right cheek. The Thanagarian could already tell that she was trained in martial arts, and most likely had some training in acrobatics. After admiring her martial arts for a few seconds, Blackhawk looked to the side to see one man coming at him with a knife. He waited until the man drew near, then used his shield to parry the knife. With his free hand, Blackhawk send a speeding uppercut into the man's jaw and watched them go off their feet.
The Thanagarian turned to find a few more men with guns pointed and just about to pull the trigger. That was when shurikens were embedded into their forearms, halting their firing. Blackhawk looked to see the woman having an outstretched hand, before making it a knife hand before neck chopping one man who came at her with a knife. With a nod, Blackhawk rushed at the armed men and used his shield to backhand one's face. With his boot he roundhouse kicked another then choke slammed the last one in several seconds.
This would continued until all of the men who they had been fighting were out cold and groaning. Blackhawk breathed deeply, using his nose to take in fresh air, then using his mouth to let the excess air out. What he noticed most about these men was that they were all Chinese. He frowned, then heard the woman beginning to speak in Cantonese dialect. He turned to find her holding one man up by the cuff of their shirt. They had a black eye, broken nose, and a fearful look on their face. She was speaking softly, but Blackhawk could tell that her tone had malice laced with it. He may not be able to speak it, but he could understand body language. The woman cocked back a fist and bashed it against the man's face. She did so again when he wouldn't speak, then again just as he said something.
Just when it seemed like she was going to hit the man who was spouting fearfully in Chinese, Blackhawk caught her arm. She glanced up at him, remaining silent for a moment before slowly releasing the man. As she rose up to her full height, the Thanagarian noticed that she stood at a good 5"10. On a closer inspection she was built similar to Black Canary, having a body structure meant for dealing maximum damage through skill alone. "I don't know what's going on here, but you don't get to bash people's faces in while in my city." Blackhawk stated firmly, then found her place a hand on her hip and lean on her right leg.
"I was under the impression that this was Hawkman and Hawkwoman's city", she said with coherent English as well as sounded seductive, "You must be Blackhawk."
"We share, and yeah that's me", he confirmed, "Wanna tell me who you are Ms?"
"Lynx."
"Well Lynx, could you explain why you were fighting...the Triads?"
Lynx remained silent for a moment, a seducing smile showing on her red velvet lips. She turned and began to walk away from Blackhawk before speaking. "It's personal..." She uttered.
"How so?" Blackhawk asked.
"Oh you wouldn't understand", she replied, "Anyway, I have places to be, skulls to shatter. I enjoyed the date."
Blackhawk went to grab her arm, wanting to know more. After all, he was fairly sure that he and his parents had beaten the Triads out of Manhattan. What made criminal organization come back? Just when he was about to grab her, Lynx spun around and grabbed his arm. She then moved and lifted and sent the Thanagarian over her and onto his back. Blackhawk was taken by surprise, not expecting her to attack. He looked up and saw her smiling down at him. She leaned over a little while placing her hands on her knees. "You're cute, Hawk....but I don't like pushy men." She taunted, then ran off to the side of the roof top.
Blackhawk got to his feet quickly then ran over to where she was running. He used his wings to close the distance, and watched as Lynx jumped over the side with a flip. He jumped after her and as if by magic she was gone. The Thanagarian looked around but could find nothing. The woman had disappeared into thin air, making him think that she may have had ties to the League of Shadows. Gaining a serious face, a sigh left the young Thanagarian's lips. He now had the Triads back, Shadows, and possibly competition in his own city.
"Well this is just fucking dandy.." He uttered.
[Five Hours Later]
"Nope", Robin denied, "But we did bag our first bad guy together, and Miss M came in with the MVP."
"Yeah dude, you should have been here." Wally added, to which Hector chuckled at them. It caused them to give him questioning looks.
"How long did it take you guys to beat this bad guy?" Hector questioned, and found each of them grimacing and avoiding eye contact. None of them said a word, being too embarrassed to answer. Placing his hands on his hips, Hector simply shook his head at them. "Now that's just pathetic, your team cohesion is going to need work as well. But luckily for you lot, I'm here to help out with that."
"Yeah whatever man, you would be having problems too!" Wally spouted before walking away to most likely grab himself something to eat. Robin waved and walked after him, Kaldur did a respectful nod before going after them. M'gann smiled and slowly asked a nervous question.
"Um Hector?", she called, "Do you think that my uncle J'onn was right to put me on the team?"
"Well yeah, I mean I haven't got to see how you did yet but if the boys are comfortable with you then so am i", Hector assured then raised a brow at her, "They didn't say anything mean...did they?"
"Oh no!" M'gann denied then quickly turned and flew off. The Thanagarian wasn't fooled though, already knowing that some harsh words had been said to her. He found the female Martian to be adorable, like a little sister who needed protection. So of course he was going to have a few words with the boys.
Hector looked to see Superboy standing there, his eyes lowered, then slowly locking them onto Hector's. He stood their for a moment, looking as if he were thinking about something. Then he spoke, speaking with a calm voice. "Would you mind...training with me?" The clone asked.
Hector smiled before giving the boy a nod as he walked up to him. "Of course, I told you I'm always here for you."
Superboy returned the smile while holding his hand out for Hector to shake. "Thanks." He thanked.
"No problem."