Born of Water and Wealth (Percy Jackson and Young Justice)

Chapter 8: Cadmus's Clone

Edited On: 5/15/2021

When I woke up, there was a sharp pain in my arm and I moved to get up hesitantly and felt my arm in a sling. You know the things that I despise because they limit arm movement, yeah those things.

I fiddled with putting my mask and cloth back on before slightly leaving the small room that I had been placed in and instead found my way silently to where Doctor Desmond, my handler, for now, was.

"Ah, it seems the useless assassin has finally awoken. Watch them, alert me when they wake up. Now don't disappoint or you will be back with Deathstroke before you know it," he growled at me as I nodded silently and stood by the entrance and only exit, of where Aqualad, Robin, and Kid Flash were.

I felt awful, not only was my brother tied up in one of the many chambers they had, but his friends were as well!

While I was watching them, I was also watching Superboy who had yet to move from where he was staring at the three teenagers.

It seemed we had some sort of mutual agreement; he didn't talk and neither did I. We just allowed each other to be in the other's presence until someone else came.

Almost after a few more seconds of silence I was slightly startled when all three of them awoken almost at the same time...clearly, something had woken them, maybe I should investigate them.

Kid Flash was the first one to speak, which for some reason didn't shock me, and it regarded how Superboy was just staring at him, "What? What do you want? Quit staring. You're creeping me out."

I hide a snort, of course, it would creep you out. Anyone just staring at someone else without blinking is always creepy. Well unless you were having a staring contest.

"Uh, KF, how about we not tick off the guy who can fry us with a look?" I felt pleased that it was my brother who spoke when I remembered that I was supposed to alert the guy once they woke up.

Feeling disappointed that we couldn't talk more or even help them escape, there was only one door and I know for a fact there were people on the other side, I walked carefully, but louder than I normally did to the control panel next to Superboy.

Who in turn only tilted his head slightly as I neared, "Hey! Are you gonna free us?" KF asked, looking happy at the fact but then looked sad when I shook my head and pressed the to, red button in the corner.

Once my task was done, I took a small step away from Superboy allowing him some space. Now that he's had time to cool down and really think, he was probably confused and me crowding him wouldn't help.

"Why did you help us?" Aqualad asked but I shook my head frantically, but it didn't seem to stop them.

"We only sought to help you," Aqualad said to Superboy while I hung back a little, Doctor Desmond never said I couldn't let them talk, maybe they can save Superboy while he still has hope...not like me anyway.

"We free you, and you turn on us. How's that for grat-" Kid Flash started before Aqualad cut him off, "Kid, please, be quiet now. I believe our new friend is not in full control of his actions."

I ignored the way my brother had activated his pickpocket on his glove and was using it to get out, in fact, I was sort of mentally timing him.

"Wha-what if I...what if I wasn't?" Superboy asked and I stepped forward a little to place my hand on his shoulder, despite the height difference, and offered some reassurance.

"He can talk?" Kid Flash asked startled and I glared at him, what did he think we were uneducated dumb pieces of shit?

"Yes, he can," Superboy said and I stepped back feeling like I was about to overstep my boundaries with him.

I watched as Aqualad and Robin glance at Kid Flash who pretty much insulted both of us and saw him defensively say, "Not like I said, 'it.'"

"The Genomorphs taught you telepathically." Aqualad half-asked half said it in a statement.

"They taught me much. I can read, write. I know the names of things." Well, it seems we do have things in common, Big Guy. I mean I can do all that but never actually seen the sun. One of Deathstroke's rules, no going out during the day.

"But have you seen them? Have they ever actually let you see the sky or the sun?" My big brother asked, and I ducked my head, partly in shame, partly in embarrassment and I only saw Robin who saw me, it seemed the other two of his friends had not.

"Images are implanted in my mind, but no. I have not seen them," Superboy said and I was wondering how much longer the Doctor would take to get here. Shouldn't he be here by now?

"Do you know what you are, who you are?" Aqualad asked and this was going a little bit uncomfortable for me, so I stealthily and quietly climbed to my little nook in the corner feeling much safer now that I was more hidden, though nothing I could do could hide me from my perceptive big brother.

"I am the Superboy, a Genomorph, a clone made from The DNA of the Superman, created to replace him should he perish, to destroy him should he turn from the light," Superboy said and reminded me of the way Deathstroke told me something similar, but for Batman instead. Which for some reason still hasn't happened even though I know he doesn't work for The Light.

"To be like Superman is a worthy aspiration, but like Superman, you deserve a life of your own beyond that Solar suit, beyond your pod, and beyond Cadmus," Aqualad said when Kid Flash and Robin glanced at one another at the words that didn't seem like Superboy's thing.

"I live because of Cadmus! It is my home!" Superboy said angrily and I was tempted to give him comfort because I knew what he was feeling. The way that Cadmus gets you to follow, they plant memories, makes the place seem like your home when it is not.

"Your home is a test tube. We can show you the sun," Robin said and I hid a flinch, he can show Superboy but I doubt I would follow that category. I was too much of a freak, as Deathstroke puts it, for anyone to really care about me.

"Uh, pretty sure it's after midnight, but we can show you the moon," Kid Flash interrupted, and I smiled a little because he was sort of helping with the intense situation.

That was until my senses told me someone was coming and I instantly got off my perch to stand by the doors, hands clasped behind my back, rigid pose waiting for whoever was coming.

"We can show you, introduce you to Superman," Aqualad said, and I winced when the doors opened at that exact moment.

"No, they can't," Doctor Desmond said walking into the room, "They'll be otherwise occupied. Activate the cloning process." He told one of his assistants and glared at me. "Why did you allow them to talk to the weapon?" he snarled and I just stared at him with cold eyes barely concealing a wince. I was totally going to be whipped when Deathstroke finds out, and he will.

"Leave him alone," Kid Flash said, probably not realizing I was a girl, not that I minded it certainly would draw attention away from me.

I watched not really listening or really seeing as the scientist turned on the cloning process and somehow my mind was made up.

They were hurting my brothers.

They were hurting his friends.

That was a giant 'no' in my book.