[ CADMUS ]
The scene was chaotic inside CADMUS, with the smell of burning metal and the flickering lights casting eerie shadows across the underground base.
A massive explosion just occurred, once again rocking the foundation of the building. Robin, Kid Flash, Aqualad and Superboy stood victorious over the defeated guards, breathing heavily after the intense battle.
As the dust settled and the echo of battle faded into silence, the group's attention shifted to the far end of the room, where Blockbuster, bruised and beaten, was laying, completely defeated.
"We did it, let's finally get out of here." Robin spoke, tired after that brutal, grueling battle with their opponents. He had expected this to be an easy mission, and it spiraled way out of control.
"Wait," Superboy chimed in, making the other 3 halt in their movements towards the exit, "When I was moving around, they were talking about something. Project God-Killer, I think there's another clone or experiment here."
"That name is a little....on the nose don't ya think. Lets just leave and let the league handle that one. Anyone who can kill a god is way out of out league." Kid Flash said, wanting to leave this place.
Robin and Aqualad looked at each-other, then at Superboy and Kid Flash, thinking for a bit before Aqualad took the lead, "No way. Didn't you all want to prove to the League we're more than irrelevant sidekicks. And besides, it that clone was free, he would've killed us already, judging by its name."
Aqualad's words left the team in a moment of silence. It was true, today was supposed to be a great day, a day to kickoff their entrance into the Justice League, a step to becoming true main-stream SuperHeroes.
Instead, they were lied to and toyed with by the League members, not a shred of respect shown to them. They worked hard, fought hard, experienced grueling injuries, just to not even be told where the real League headquarters was until Speedy confronted them.
If they left now, too scared to face something that wasn't even loose yet, how could they call themselves true heroes. They all looked at each-other, but without needing to say a word, they nodded, and moved out.
Robin lead the way, hacking into CADMUS' database using his wrist-mounted system. His fingers flew across the screen, revealing a wall panel next to them that slid open with a soft hiss.
A staircase descending further into the darkness.
"This goes way deeper than we thought," Robin muttered, glancing at the others, "Whatever Project God-Killer is, it's down there."
Superboy, still reeling from his own origins as a clone, felt an odd sense of dread creeping over him. The idea that CADMUS had created another project, one potentially even more dangerous than him, was unnerving.
He didn't forget how easily he packed up these people he was working with. They all seemed skilled, at least to him, and he crushed them, yet this project could potentially crush him.
They made their way down the steps, deeper into the belly of CADMUS. The corridor was dimly lit, and the hum of machinery reverberated through the walls. Each step felt heavier as the air thickened with tension.
Finally, they reached a large, reinforced door at the end of the hallway. Robin, once again working his magic with the tech, bypassed the security system, and the door slid open with a slow, metallic groan.
~BOOM~
A soft boom echoed across the dimly lit environment as the door fully opened, revealing the room ahead of them.
Inside, the room was stark and clinical, illuminated by harsh white lights. At the center of the room stood a large, cylindrical pod, similar to the one that had contained Superboy, but this one seemed different,more advanced, more... ominous.
The team cautiously approached the pod. A low hum emanated from it, and through the transparent surface, they could see a figure inside.
"He's...Human?," Robin asked softly, peering into the pod at the person that lay inside, peacefully asleep, or so it seemed. He didn't know for sure, anything could happen after all.
"No, not Human," Superboy murmured, stepping closer. His enhanced vision picked up something unusual, a faint golden glow radiating from the figure's forehead.
Kid Flash squinted, pressing his face closer to the pod's glass. "What is that? Is that a gem?"
Inside the boy was a young man, strikingly handsome, with sharp, defined facial features. His face was peaceful, as though he were simply asleep. His hair was thick and voluminous, styled with a modern, swept-back look, dark brown in color.
However, the most noticeable part about this young man was a golden-yellow Gem embedded into his forehead, faintly pulsing with a unique psychic energy that seemed to calm their nerves.
This Gem didn't seem to be just an ornament, it was part of him, fused to his very being.
"LOOK AT THIS!" Robin shouted, running across with a file that was on a nearby desk, that held detailed information about the boy.
[ Project God-Killer - A clone of Martian Manhunter and Wonder Woman, created using the latest, most advanced cloning tech, more advanced than Superboy, and rounded together with a mysterious, psychic golden Gem. ]
[ This Gem is extremely dangerous, annihilating the mind of anyone who touches it without some sort of protection. The most basic harnessing of the Gem allowed for psychic powers, but further experimentation was not possible as the Gem was fused into Project God-Killer, to stabilize its existence with such powerful DNA sources.
No-one knows the what the Gem actually is, as it was found in a mysterious site. Subject's brain activity is normal, but hasn't woken up. We expect it to be soon. ]
As the group read the files, their faces morphed into horror. A clone of Martian Manhunter and Wonder Woman? Two of the strongest beings in the world, and that gem sounded outright terrifying.
"Wow...Project God-Killer." Kid-Flash said, his voice barely above a whisper as he was still in shock from the information the group had just obtained, It was truly something that shocked them to the core.
The tension in the air grew as they all stared at the boy. There was something about him, something that radiated power, even in his unconscious state. It wasn't like anything they had encountered before.
Aqualad stepped forward, his expression serious. "We need to get him out of here. Just his name alone shows what CADMUS intended, and that Gem is dangerous. This is an issue I think we can all understand is above our current paygrade."
"Agreed," Robin said, already scanning the control panel beside the pod. "But we need to be careful. We don't know what this... gem is or what it can do."
They all nodded, looking at the boy before Aqualad walked forward and placed his hand on the pod, "I'll carry him," he said firmly.
Robin hesitated but nodded, trusting Aqualad's instincts. With a quick command from the control panel, the pod released a hiss of air, and the transparent door slid open, revealing the boy inside.
Aqualad reached in and carefully lifted him out, cradling him in his arms. The boy was surprisingly light, and his breathing was steady, though he showed no signs of waking.
"We need to move," Robin said, his voice tense, and Aqualad tapped his belt insignia, leading it to glow.
With the boy in Aqualad's arms, the team made their way back through the base, moving swiftly toward the exit. The team moved out of the secret space and walked out of the base, fully exiting it as they looked around.
"That's the moon." Kid Flash said, taking Superboy's attention off of the mysterious Project God-Killer and into the moon in the sky, making him enchanted by the sight, but soon, it's blocked by a figure floating down onto the ground.
"Oh and of course Superman, "Kid Flash joked as he saw Superboy's surprise, "We always keep our promises you know."
Multiple other figures flew in. Captain Marvel, Zatara, Martian Manhunter and Red Tornado were right behind Superman, descending nearby as multiple other figures arrived.
Wonder Woman, Hawkman, Hawkwoman, Captain Atom and Green Lantern ( Hal Jordan ) landed, followed by the final group of people, who were unable to fly, carried by Green Lantern ( John Stewart ) on a construct he built using his ring.
Finally, Batman stepped forward alongside Superman, with The Flash speeding in.
The tension in the air was palpable, but was slightly broken as Superboy stepped forward, pushing out his chest and showing the similar 'S' that Superman had on his chest, albeit through his torn jersey.
"Is that what I think it is?" Batman asked.
"He doesn't like being called an it." Kid Flash interjected, softly as he was nervous about the league's reactions, especially seeing some of their expressions.
"I'm Superman's clone." Superboy shouted out, making everyone look in surprise.
Batman's eyes zeroed in on all of the protege's, and the mysterious boy in Aqualad's arms,
"Explain yourselves."