BRAVE | YOUNG JUSTICE [1]

THREE: "It's not in their DNA"

CHAPTER THREE: "It's not in their DNA"

          "TIME RUNS SHORT."

           "You must awaken."

           "You must awaken now."

           Katherine's head bounced up with an obnoxious gasp slipping over her lips. Her blue eyes met the Superboy's matching ones, shuddering under his cold and hollow gaze that was focused on her.

           "What? What-what do you want!" Kid exclaimed, making the clone glance at him instead of Katherine. "Quit staring. You're creeping me out!"

         "Uh, KF, how about we not tick off the guy who can fry us with a look?" Robin suggested sharply.

         Katherine rolled her eyes before positioning them to look up and notice her wrists locked under metal cuffs. She exhaled slowly through her nose before moving her eyes back to the Superboy curiously, deciding to not break free just yet. Not until they knew more.

        "We only sought to help you," Kaldur began to plead, staying calm in this difficult situation.

        "Yeah. We free you, and you turn on us," Kid Flash snapped, much more aggressive then Kaldur'ahm. "How's that for grat-"

        "KF, kindly shut up," Katherine spat, rolling her hands into fist and tugging one wrist forward. The cuff shifted ever so slightly at the movement. "But, if I'm being honest, I don't think he was in full control of his actions." Katherine met the clone's cold gaze. "Were you?"

         "Wha-what if I... what if I wasn't?" He stammered, like it was still difficult to form an understandable sentence.

         "He can talk?"

         "Gosh, do you ever shut up?" Katherine snapped, glaring at the young speedster who wished he could shrink into the shadows at that moment in time.

        "Yes. He can," Superboy spat back, his hands curling into tight fists.

        The other three sidekicks turned to their speedster. "What? Not like I said 'it'."

        "Ignore him," Katherine shook her head, casting a threatening stare in Wally's direction before looking at the clone again. "Look, let's just... talk. Build up some trust. You learnt to talk from the genomorphs, right? They taught you, telepathically.

        Superboy nodded slowly. "They taught me much. I can read, write. I-I know the names of things."

        "Have you seen them?" Robin asked, a curious tone recognisable. "Have they ever actually let you see the sky? Or the sun?" When Superboy's eyes moved to him, Katherine took the opportunity to tug her other wrist forward, wincing at the faint crack that echoed as the cuff shifted ever so slightly. Luckily, his focus was purely on the Boy Wonder and he didn't pick up on it.