~The Teens~

"Kid, wait!" Aqualad tries, but the speedster doesn't stop. The sounds of heavy footsteps in the hallway that cuts across the one he's running in forces him to skid. However, he doesn't stop in time, falling into the hallway as massive creatures that walk on all fours. Mockingjay uses her abilities, causing a blue tinted mist to cover him, to move him to the side away from the massive creatures hand. Kid Flash breathes a sigh of relief, then standing and running back across where the three other teens stood shocked.

One growls at them, but there is also a smaller one on top of it's massive trunked head. The smaller one hisses and it's horns glow red as the larger one continues to walk away.

"No. Nothing odd going on here," Aqualad says sarcastically.

"Just a normal run of the mill secret lair, hidden several hundred feet below a normal looking lab," MJ says with just as much sarcasm.

When the creatures had finally walked off the four teens continued the hallway before them coming up to a closed door. Robin connected his wrist band to the computer getting to work in hacking it.

"So MJ, how has it been with superman," KF asks the young woman with them.

"I mean, it's different. But I am glad to be away from Gotham, too many bad memories there," Mockingjay responds back looking down to her feet.

"How is your training doing," Aqualad questions.

"Well as good as it can be, all things considered. I haven't mastered my abilities, but I have some control, as you saw earlier. Though I apologize if the mist was hurting you KF," she says looking up at the speedster.

"Nope, it felt comforting. You've gotten a lot better at it," he tells her trying to comfort her.

"There is still much I don't know about my gift. No one does, not even Batman," she tells them.

"Yeah, but he feels that you will master it with time, and if it gets out of your control he has a back up plan," Robin tells the girl.

"Wow, that's truly comforting. Thanks Robin," she responds back with sarcasm and an eye roll. The two magical teens keeping an eye back out on the hall behind the group.

The door's center before them goes from red to yellow to green before it fully unlocks. As the door opens both Robin and Kid Flash look surprised. "Okay, I'm officially whelmed." catching Aqualad and MJ's attention.

Within the room are towering rows of bug-like creatures, giving off electrical pulses that seem to then go through a generator in the wall before them, but nearly 20 feet off the ground.

"This is how they hide this massive underground facility from the world." Kid Flash realizes as they walk between the towering rows. "The real Cadmus isn't on the grid. It generates it's own power with these... things." any excitement has left his tone. "Must be what they're bred for."

"Even the name is a clue." Aqualad agrees. "The Cadmus of myth created a new race by sowing dragon's teeth into the Earth."

"And this Cadmus creates new life too." Robin agrees stepping up to the computer nearest one of the rows of creatures. "Let's find out why." then pulls out a connector from his gauntlet to connect him to the computer. A holoscreen appears and he begins funneling the information. "They call them Genomorphs."

Now he has everyone's full attention. As one appears on the entirety of the hologlove his eyes widen. "Whoa! Look at the stats on these things- super-strength, telepathy, razor claws. These are living weapons." Robin literally reels back in shock.

"They're engineering an army, but for who?" MJ questions.

"Wait. There's something else." Robin says, as another batch of information comes through to his gauntlet. Aqualad now steps up behind Robin, looking over his shoulder. "Project Kr." he tries to start decrypting it. "Ugh! The files triple-encrypted. I-I can't-"

"Don't move!" A voice calls out. The man before the teens has a golden shield on his left forearm a squad of smaller, Genomorphs growling around him. These are longer, skinnier, tailed and their four digits on their front paws and the three on their back are finished off with razor sharp claws. The Genomorph 077s that Robin pulls stats on. Guardian stops short. "Wait, Robin, Aqualad, Kid Flash, Mockingjay?"

"At least he got your name right." Robin teases, working on the Kr file behind Aqualad so Guardian can't see him.

"I know you." Aqualad speaks, momentarily catching Robin's attention. "Guardian, a hero."

The hero stands tall. "I do my best."

"Then what are you doing here?" Kid Flash questions, confused.

"I'm Chief of Security." Guardian responds. "You're trespassing, but we can call the Justice League, figure this out."

No one says anything for a tense moment, but everyone hears the beep from Robin's gauntlet that indicates his decryption process on Project Kr is complete.

"You think the League's gonna approve of you breeding weapons?" Kid Flash demands.

"Weapons?" Guardian questions, confused. "What are you-" Guardian's eyes go wide just before his G-gnome's horns begin to glow. "What have I-" he brings his head to his temple as it falls to his chest. "Ugh my head." Finally he brings his hand away, but he glares hard at the protogés. "Take them down hard!" he tells the Genomorphs. Then points directly at the four teenagers. "No mercy."

With a growl the Genomorphs jump into action. Robin does so at the same time, getting in front of Kid Flash, Mockingjay, and Aqualad dropping a smoke bomb. He shoots a grappling hook to the bottom of one of the support beams.

Kid Flash backs up as a Genomorph slashes at his face. Dodging, but just barely, before he walks on the wall and dives at the two with dual punches, then pushing off the opposite vertical support, executing an inverted flip and pushing off to kick on in the chest and back through the smoke.

Mockingjay lights her hands up with a blue tinted mist preparing to fight her way out. She dodges one of the Genomorphs as it claws at her and uses her powers to push back two others that were getting close to KF. She begins to power up pushing back three more that were getting way too close to her. She begins trying to fly out when Guardian grabs her right foot pulling her back to the ground and tossing her into Kid Flash. Both scramble to quickly to their feet and begin trying to get out of the current room. Kid Flash and MJ get back to back fighting hard to keep from getting torn apart.

Aqualad has on his shoulders slicing at his chest and gripping his head. He gets ahold of its arm and throws it off, combating the next one coming at him with a front kick to the chest as well.

However, at his open and unguarded shoulder Guardian checks him. Knocking him off his feet and into a crashing barrel roll, then into the plating under the insectoid Genomorphs. Guardian charges at him again. He stands and attempts a triple cross combo, but Guardian backs out of his range and when he's following through due to the power he put behind the punch, once again leaving his left shoulder open to Guardian. The older hero get a punch in on his face, then turns into an elbow that Aqualad barely manages to duck under. Then catch the attempted downward elbow after the dodged uppercut thanks to the shield on his left forearm. Aqualad's tattoos glow before electricity travels through the shield and into the hero, giving Aqualad the advantage and making him able to throw Guardian to the ground. The G-gnome falling off his shoulder.

Kid Flash turn and picks up MJ and begins running through the smoke and the three make their escape.

Outside the room, where the alarm is blaring, Robin is hacking into one of the ports. Aqualad and Kid Flash still holding on to MJ make it down the hallway from the growl Genomorphs, the younger speeding towards their fellow protogé. Aqualad chances a glance back, then follows as well.

Kid Flash skids to a stop and turns accusingly to the younger teen. "Way to be a team player, Rob!"

Kid lets MJ down at this point, and looks at their fellow team member in anger.

"Weren't you right behind me?" he questions, surprised, but not stalling in his hacking of the elevator. It opens and the three dive in, turning and facing back down the hall as Aqualad continues to run from the Genomorphs, diving into the elevator and the door closes right behind him.

The numbers are going up, which means they're going deeper underground. Aqualad is the first to voice not only his concern, but also his dislike which is obvious in his harsh tone. "We're headed down?"

"Dude, out is up." Kid Flash makes his point by gesturing in that direction. Both older boys and younger girl look at the Boy Wonder in tensed confusion.

"Excuse me?" Robin questions, offended. "Project Kr, it's down on Sub-level 52."

Mockingjay crosses her arms around her chest before walking between KF and Robin to defuse the fight about to insure.

"Look this is out of control, we need help not more trouble," then moves her hands to rub her temples where a headache is brewing from use of her powers, "Maybe- and I hate to say it but, perhaps we should contact the League."

The elevator slows and finally comes to a stop with a ding at Sub-level 52. All four get in front of the door tensed for battle, but there's nothing there. Only hallways that look almost organic.

Robin sprints out, colorful cape flying behind him, leaving Kid Flash to turn to Aqualad. "We are already here."

The eldest sighs in an effort to not get mad at the younger protogés. As he comes to be next to them his voice is tense. "Which way?"

Robin chuckles, trying to keep it light. "Yeah, bizarre-looking hallway one, or bizarre-hallway two?"

"Halt!" is given out by the Anthropoid from before. His horns glow red and he lifts to cans telekinetically, then launching them at the teens. They dodge and Robin throws an disk at him which he stops. By the time he's prepared to attack them again they're running down the other hallway.

He stops and waits as Guardian and the other Genomorphs run out of the elevator. "They are headed for Project Kr." he tells Guardian. The force doesn't stop and continues down the path.

Further down a scientist opens the door from the inside. Walking out of the chamber. Kid Flash comes around the corner at high speeds and doesn't have a chance to stop before he takes out her feet knocking her to the ground. As he gets to his knees he hears the doors behind him closing and looks at the PROJECT Kr label on it, and how much distance the other three teens have to cross before they get to it. He gets to his feet and picks up a large triangular prism shaped object, dropping it to the floor and between the two flat segments of the door. He can already hear the door straining. "Hurry!"

KF, MJ, and Robin jump through, but Aqualad takes a moment before he steps inside. Watching as Guardian and the Genomorphs come around the corner, then kicks out the prop. Allowing the door to slam closed.

A few steps in Robin has the hologlove up again, and is hacking the door to engage the emergency lock. "I disabled the door. We're safe." he tells the other teens.

"We're trapped." Aqualad says in a dark tone, MJ nods in agreement, then looks to Kid Flash who is in front of a large computer system deeper into the dark chamber.

"Uh, guys." he calls to the other three. "You'll want to see this." hitting a single button to turn all the lights on in the chamber and inside the pod in the center of the room.

As it does all three of them can only stare in utter disbelief. "Whoa!" is all that is managed by the Boy Wonder. Inside the pod is a boy with pitch black hair, pale skin and a white suit that has Superman's S on it. The letter's Kr written on the glass that keeps the teen within.

Kid Flash steps around the console, looking at the boy closer. "Big "K", little "r", the atomic symbol for Krypton." he turns back towards the other two. "Clone?"

"Robin, hack." Aqualad commands.

It takes the caught-off-guard youngest boy a couple seconds to register what he was told to do. "Oh. Right, right." he plugs his connector into the console. As it asks for a password he begins the bypass program, which works and lets him in. Kid Flash walks back as he realizes Robin's got it. "Weapon Designation Superboy, a clone force-grown in... sixteen week?!" his eyes popping in shock. "From DNA acquired from Superman."

"Stolen from Superman." MJ accuses with a sneer.

"No way the big guy knows about this." Kid Flash agrees.

"Solar Suit allows him to absorb yellow-sun radiation 24/7." Robin continues to read off.

"And these creatures?" Aqualad questions indicating to the ones on the projection off Robin's gauntlet.

"Genomorph Gnomes, telepathic, force-feeding him an education." Robin relays sourly.

"And we can guess what else." Kid Flash says, capturing the attention of the other two. "They're making slave out of, well, Superman's son."

"Now we contact the League." Aqualad says, and there's no objection. In fact as Aqualad reaches for his emblem, Kid Flash goes to his lightning bolts, Mockingjay pushes the comm on her chocker, and Robin attempts it from his hologlove. All of them get nothing.

"No signal." Robin verifies.

"We're in too deep literally." Kid Flash says, knowing it's true in both senses.

"MJ can you-," Robin starts.

"No, I can't. Even if I could it would be a very slow process, and won't help much. I'm already pushing it now, anymore and you will be carrying me out and to a hospital," she tells Robin hoping to get her point across.

With success the horns of all three Genomorphs inside the pod being to hiss lightly and their horns glow red.

"This is wrong." Kid Flash finally says.

Robin needs no convincing. "We can't leave him like this."

Both are now looking to a concentrating Aqualad. "Set him free." he decides, then turns to Robin. "Do it."

The Boy Wonder needs no further prodding and begins work on it immediately. All three watch as the pod falls away from the boy who looks physically 16. Though the pod is gone he remains calm.

Then his hand clenches, causing worry to play on Aqualad's brow.

As the G-gnomes begin to hiss again his bright blue eyes snap open. Aqualad raises his eyebrows in a silent question, but no one dares to actually speak. Before anyone can blink Superboy launches himself at Aqualad. Tackling him to the ground and leaving the other two to watch the movement in shock.

They tumble over each other twice, before Superboy ends up on top of Aqualad his fist coming back to hit him square in the face. He gets three full hits in before Kid Flash and Robin manage to grab his arms and hold him back slightly, with MJ wrapping her magic around his waist hoping to keep the teen from further attacking Aqualad.

"Whoa! Hang on, Supey." Kid Flash tries, holding the Kryptonian's forearm with all his strength.

"We're on your side!" Robin also attempts to talk to the raging maniac. Kid Flash loses his fight against Superboy and gives the clone enough time to land an uppercut under the speedster's jaw. Knocking him up and back and through a display cylinder. Then on the back of his neck and flopping to the ground, unconscious and into MJ knocking her into the wall behind her unconscious as well.

Robin now has his arm around Superboy's neck and the other in his utility belt. "I don't want to do this." he tells him then places a smoke blaster to the clone's clavicle. Unleashing gas right into his face. Finally getting him to stumble back and off of Aqualad. Which the Atlantean pairs with a solid sidekick to the stomach, which sends him into the console and to the ground before his pod.

Robin keeps going and pulls out a high-voltage taser. They pin to his chest and send high amounts electricity, but they have no effect. He grabs the wires and yanks on them. Catching the young teen by surprise and pulling him towards him with ease. Catching him on the front of his cape then slamming him to the ground. As a final point he steps onto the smaller raven's chest. Beginning to force more weight onto his solar plexus.

Getting his head back on straight, and realizing the immediate danger the one non-powered member of their group is in. Aqualad pulls out his water-bearers, creating a massive hammer, swinging back and only catching the clone's attention with his cry of "Enough!" which gave him no warning and let Aqualad hit him solidly and knocking him back through the support of his pod. Aqualad helps Robin up to his, knees, but he's groaning and clutching his chest in pain. Until he finally falls onto his back, unconscious.

Aqualad stands up as he hears Superboy's heavy footfalls coming back towards them. He stands tall and puts his hand out in the universal sign to stop. "We are trying to help you."

The boy does stop moving, but doesn't stop glaring. In an instant, he tries to punch Aqualad, but he sidesteps and tackles the clone into the wall. While over him he tries a right-handed cross, but Superboy catches it, then unleashes a strong push front kick to his stomach. Knocking him away and forcing the Atlantean to roll to reduce the distance.

Aqualad dodges the obvious punch, countering with a roundhouse to the stomach, which causes his body to instinctively curl in on itself, then elbow him between the shoulders. He gets an uppercut to Superboy's chest before the clone tries for a hook punch, which he ducks under and gets a solid strike to the kidneys. Then Aqualad gets behind his turned back and puts his hands under his arms and behind his head. Using his Atlantean powers to shock Superboy.

It clearly hurts this time, and as he looks like he's about to go down the clone uses his super strength to throw both him and Aqualad into the ceiling. However, being on his back and the first to hit Aqualad takes the brunt of the hit. Yet, he doesn't let go so Superboy does it again. This time the Atlantean's grip breaks and he falls independently to the ground. Unconscious.

Superboy walks past his unconscious form and to the door. His hands break through the metal and he gets the door open with a slam, knocking it off it's rail. Gaining the full attention, albeit shocked, of Guardian, Desmond and the Anthropoid.

Desmond smirks, but says nothing as he walks past the clone. Observing the unconscious teen heroes within. "Attaboy." he finally says