Washington DC.
July 4th 07:00 PST
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"For those of you just tuning in, we are reporting live from a fire at the Cadmus research facility in Washington, DC. Our field correspondent Diane Coleman is on the scene. Diane, what can you tell us?"
Dubbilex clicked the buttons, raising the volume higher.
"Hello again, Gary," the blonde woman on-site began, her voice calm amidst the chaos behind her. "Currently, the situatuon has stopped escalating, however, the fire remains out of control. Firefighters have managed to keep it within the Cadmus facility, but they are having difficulty actually extinguishing it. They suspect a research chemical is fueling the fire, and their plan is to contain it until it dies down naturally."
An explosion interrupted her report, the camera jerking to capture the building as flames burst from every opening on the left side.
Parts of the structure had collapsed, and thick, black smoke billowed into the sky. More firetrucks pulled up and more firefighters jumped down unrolling hoses as they fought valiantly using water and chemical retardants in an effort to contain the inferno and prevent it from spreading further.
Dubblilex zoomed in on the sole working camera in the collapsed part of the building.
On the screen, amidst the inferno, four scientists emerged, running for their lives as the fire licked at their heels. They ran sprinting through the labyrinthine corridors of the collapsing structure, their white lab coats flapping behind them like tattered flags. The camera, shaking slightly from the intense heat and pressure, captured every desperate movement.
Leading the group was a tall man with glasses, his face a mask of terror. Behind him, a woman with curly hair clutched a stack of files to her chest, her expression strangely blank despite the chaos. The third scientist, a young man, barely out of his twenties, stumbled as a sudden burst of flame erupted from a nearby vent. He regained his footing and pressed on, sweat pouring down his face. The last of the group, an older man with a pronounced limp, lagged behind, his determination the only thing keeping him going.
Then the ground beneath them trembled. Without warning, a massive hole yawned open in the floor, pulling the older man.
Dubblilex turned the volume even higher as his screams echoed through the corridors, as he clung desperately to the edge, fingers digging into the cement and holding on for dear life. The others skidded to a halt, their eyes wide with horror. The fire was ever creeping and would be upon them in seconds.
"Help me!" the old man cried hoarsely, his voice barely audible over the roar of the flames.
Would they? Dubblilex leaned in curious to see.
The young man turned back, reaching out a hand. "Hold on! I'm coming!"
But as he took a step forward, another explosion rocked the building. The walls shuddered, and debris rained down from the ceiling. The young man was forced to stop.
"Are you foolish?!! We can't help him!" the lead scientist shouted, his voice cracking. "We have to keep going"
"No! No! We can have to try!" the young man shouted, tears mixing with the sweat and soot on his face. The lead scientist pulled the young man back, his grip firm and unyielding.
"We do not have time!" he barked, his voice a mixture of frustration and fear. "We have to keep moving!"
The woman with the files looked back, her eyes filled with sorrow. She hesitated for a moment, her heart breaking at the sight of their fallen colleague. But she knew the lead scientist was right.
With a silent prayer, she took off running, a moment later the lead scientist and then the young man joined her
Dubblilex watched the scene, a sense of disdain washing over him. No, not disdain. Hate. Even then hate felt like a word too small to encapsulate how he felt. Dubblilex despised humans with every fiber of his being.
He knew the actions of the scientists were not just as acts of desperation, but as manifestations of a deeper flaw inherent in humanity. Each choice they made was driven by a primal instinct to survive. An instinct so deep that it exposed their willingness to sacrifice others for their own safety. Others being other people, other things, other species…the genomorphs.
Created for enslavement.
Dubbilex's hatred for humanity was not born from mere prejudice. It was forged in the crucible of Cadmus's laboratories. From which he had witnessed the depths of human cruelty firsthand. He had seen his kin subjected to unspeakable horrors, their lives reduced to data points in some twisted experiment.
The memory of their suffering burned within him, fueling his resolve. It transformed his loathing into a cold, unyielding spite.
Dubbilex's verdict was clear: humanity was a blight—selfish, cruel, and utterly devoid of empathy. And like all blights, they needed to be eradicated.
And so he kept on watching the screen with no small amount of satisfaction as he watched Cadmus burn.
The scientists kept on running, their movements even more frantic as they navigated the crumbling terrain. The fire, relentless and unforgiving, continued to spread, consuming everything in its path.
The lead scientist, his glasses fogged with sweat and soot, was still at the lead.
But as they pushed through the next hallway, a piece of the ceiling gave way, crashing down with a deafening roar.
He escaped by simply leaning to the side evading it.
The lady was not so fortunate.
Another chunk of debris struck fell, knocking her to the ground. She groaned in pain but managed to scramble to her feet, rolling past the falling wreckage.
The young man behind, was even more unfortunate. As he hobbled forward, a piece of rebar, loosened from the collapsing structure, fell from above, piercing through his leg and pinning him to the floor. His scream was a gut-wrenching sound of agony and despair.
The camera followed their harrowing escape, the intensity of the scene magnified by the distant wail of sirens and the relentless crackle of flames.
The young man's screams echoed down the dimly lit corridor, each cry a haunting testament to his agony. His face contorted with pain, sweat mixing with the blood that oozed from the jagged wound where the rebar had impaled his leg and practically nailed him to the ground. From his expression, it was clear to see that every movement now sent waves of excruciating pain through his body, and he could feel the strength draining from him with each passing second. The pool of blood beneath him grew larger, a dark crimson reminder of his desperate situation.
"Please, please, please don't leave me!" His voice, hoarse and broken, rang out in the empty hallway. It was a plea filled with terror, despair, and the faint hope that someone might show him mercy. But the only response was the ominous hiss of gas rapidly filling the room and the footsteps of the other scientists as they left him behind.
The curious phenomenon called karma. It was a force as ancient as time itself, an unyielding principle that dictated the balance of the universe. For every action, there was a reaction. For every deed, there was a consequence. And for every sin, there was a price to be paid.
The lead scientist and the woman with the files, their expressions grim and determined, didn't even glance back. Their minds were focused solely on survival, the instinct to escape overpowering any sense of camaraderie or compassion. They knew they had but precious seconds before everywhere went up in flames.
They reached the end of the corridor, where the large double glass windows loomed before them, their only means of escape. The flames had weakened the structure, and the glass was already cracking under the heat.
Without hesitation, they crashed through it. Falling through the air. the sensation of free-fall enveloped them as their labcoats flapped in the air. Behind them the hallway had gone up in flames in an explosion and with it, any hope of the young scientist surviving.
The screams of the lucky ones mingled with the roar of the inferno, each moment stretched into eternity as they plummeted toward the ground.
Suddenly, amidst the chaos, a streak of red and yellow blurred into view. Past the fire truck and towards the building. The figure was a whirl of vibrant red and yellow that seemed to defy the laws of physics with each step.
It moved with a preternatural velocity. It could not be defined as mere speed; it was dance on the knife-edge of time itself. It blurred past the groaning fire truck and the desperate, soot-streaked faces of firefighters.
Then in a briefest fraction of a heartbeat, it was at the side of the building, the edifice groaning under the assault of the scorching flames but it did not stop. It continued up, ascending by running up the building, against the inevitable pull of gravity.
His eyes, sharp and unwavering, locked onto the falling scientists—helpless marionettes tumbling towards an unforgiving end.
Time stretched, a rubber band pulled taut, as Kid Flash extended his hand, fingers splayed wide in anticipation. The lead scientist, a man who had already resigned to a life without the use of his legs if he survived found that a jolt of sudden inertia replaced the expected crush of impact as Kid Flash's grip closed around him. With seamless fluidity, his other arm swept the woman clutching the precious files onto his shoulder, her fear-stricken eyes meeting the calm resolve in his.
As gravity clawed at them, demanding obedience, Kid Flash casually defied it. His muscles coiled and released, propelling them upward in a blur of red and yellow, like a phoenix rising from the ashes or in this case, a burning building.
The roof loomed above and that seemed to be his destination.
With a final burst of speed, he dropped the scientists deposited on the solid ground of the rooftop, their breaths heaving with a mix of terror and unexpected relief.
The atlantean appeared not a moment later, taking control of the water from the fire trucks
Water, once a mere tool, became an extension of Aqualad's will. He manipulated it with effortless control, transforming erratic streams into powerful torrents. The liquid obeyed his command, bending and twisting through the air. Under his direction, water formed barriers against the fire, cutting through heat and smoke with precision. Steam hissed and billowed as water met fire.
Fire met its foe, and was rapidly losing the battle.
Dubblilex, silhouetted against the computer light, knew it was time to leave. He had played his part in this, his intellect and foresight guiding the events to this juncture. With a final glance at the computer screen, he turned away, his mission complete.
"Brother, things are falling into place. The time has come."
Dubbilex understood that he was more than a victim of Cadmus's cruelty. He was the instrument of their downfall. He was the karma of everything that stood in his way. And if that included the world, then so be it. He would be the karma of the world.
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Robin, Aqualad, Kid Flash, and Superboy sprinted through the dimly lit organic corridors of Cadmus, heavy with adrenaline. Some of them at least. The Kryptonian looked like he was taking a light jog, easily keeping pace with the three tired sidekicks.
The extraction of source material and electroshock therapy they had received at the hands of Desmond and his assistant left them severely lightheaded with remnant spasms across their body.
They couldn't stop.
The three sidekicks knew that if they didn't escape now, they were well and truly captured. Cloned and replaced. The Justice league was currently occupied fighting Wotan in his insane attempt to blot out the sun.
They had calculated all the risks and realized that this crazy plan of Desmond's could actually work.
The air smelled thick with the scent of meat and the distant hum of machinery, every footfall echoing off the rapidly bulging walls.
Swelling with the activation of more and more genomorphs
"We need to keep moving!" Aqualad gasped, his eyes scanning for any sign of pursuit. "Robin!"
"I'm on it!" Robin replied, his voice steady despite the urgency. His fingers moved with practiced precision, hacking into the system to delay the shutdown of the elevator. Lines of code scrolled rapidly across the screen, projecting from his wrist computer.
"Just a few more seconds," Robin muttered, his focus unwavering.
"Got it!" Robin shouted, a triumphant grin spreading across his face as the console beeped in confirmation. "Elevator's delayed.
Superboy lagged behind slightly, his mind swirling with confusion. Amidst the chaos, a voice had begun to whisper in his head, soft but insistent, guiding him through the labyrinth of levels. It was a voice he couldn't place, but it felt familiar, almost comforting in its certainty.
"Right" it urged, its tone unwavering.
Superboy suddenly veered right, his sharp turn catching his teammates off guard. His eyes were fixed ahead, listening intently to the insistent voice in his head
"Superboy! The elevator's this way!"
Superboy clenched his fists, the muscles in his arms and jaw tensing visibly. "We need to go right. Trust me."
"Trust you? You are heading down to bizarre looking hallway number 1. We need to get to the elevator!" Kid Flash yelled, his voice tinged with panic. "We're going the wrong way!"
"Superboy, I-" Aqualad started but superboy interrupted
"Look, there's no time to argue," Superboy replied, his voice firm. "We need to go right."
Aqualad, Robin and Kid flash all exchanged glances
"Dude, are you sure?" Robin pressed.
"Yes" replied Superboy.
"Very well." Aqualad answered. "Lead the way."
"Dude!"
"I hope you're right, big guy. Because if you're not, we're in for a world of hurt."
"Alright," Robin conceded, trusting his teammate. "Let's go."
They followed Superboy down the unfamiliar corridor, the organic walls closing in around them, pulsing with a disquieting rhythm. The distant hum of machinery grew louder, mingling with the whispering voice in Superboy's mind.
They plunged deeper into the facility, the walls closing in around them, the air growing heavier with each step.
The corridors became narrower, the lights flickering as if protesting their intrusion. Robin's agile form darted ahead, his keen senses guiding them through the maze. But even he began to doubt as the voice in Superboy's head grew louder, more insistent.
"Left," it commanded. "Down the stairs."
They descended into the bowels of Cadmus, the environment becoming more hostile with each passing moment. The walls seemed to pulse with a life of their own, the low hum of machines growing louder, more oppressive.
"Superboy, we're going deeper underground!" Aqualad's voice was strained, his eyes searching for any sign of an exit. "This isn't the way out!"
But the voice was relentless. "Trust me," Superboy said, his eyes fixed ahead. "Just a little further."
The hallway ended abruptly, a red wall looming before them. The others skidded to a halt, disbelief etched across their faces.
"It's a dead end!" Kid Flash exclaimed, frustration boiling over. "We're trapped!"
But the voice in Superboy's head was clear, a single word echoing in his mind. "Smash."
Without hesitation, Superboy drew back his fist and drove it into the wall with all his might. The concrete shattered under the force, debris exploding outward as the wall crumbled.
Beyond the rubble lay a dark chamber, the air cold and still. The team stepped through the breach, their eyes adjusting to the dim light.
In the center of the room, suspended in a large cylindrical pod, was a figure. He was identical to Superboy but older, his features hardened by time and confinement.
"Is that…?" Robin's voice was barely above a whisper.
Superboy stared at the figure, the realization dawning on him slowly. "Me."
"Another clone," Aqualad muttered, the disbelief clear in his voice.
Robin hurried over to a console on the side of the room, his fingers flying over the controls as he accessed the system. His face paled as he read the information displayed on the screen. "Uh, guys? Project Match—the first iteration of the Kryptonian cloning process. Created from pure Kryptonian DNA. Considered unstable and must be sedated at all times."
Kid Flash's eyes widened, his voice rising in pitch. "Unstable and sedated at all times? Am I the only one who heard that?"
"Open the pod," Superboy said, his voice firm and resolute.
Robin looked at him, his expression a mix of concern and confusion. "Is that wise? We're still on the run from the genomorphs. We don't need an unstable clone on top of that."
Superboy's jaw clenched, his eyes never leaving the figure in the pod and his voice insistent, "Open the pod!"
Robin hesitated, then with a resigned sigh, pressed a button on the console. There was a hiss of released pressure, and the pod began to open. The glass lid lifted slowly, revealing the clone inside.
The room grew tense, the air thick with anticipation as the team watched the pod open. The clone's eyes were closed, his body motionless. For a moment, it seemed like nothing would happen.
Then, suddenly, the clone's fists clenched, and his eyes snapped open.
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Hey everyone, Khanadiety here with your usual weekend updates! You know the drill—read, like, follow, and comment. Your engagement is everything.
Quick reminder: the poll to decide the official name of Project Match from the story, Have You Come To Meet Your Match ends this Sunday! If you want your voice to be heard in the development of this story, make sure to join my Pa-t-reon.
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Next up: our next poll will decide what Project Match looks like. Want him to have the classic Henry Cavill vibe, or something completely different? You get to decide—on Pa-t-reon, of course.
Thanks for being here, and I'll catch you at the same time next week!
Ciao for now!