"Time is short," a voice echoed in my mind. "You must awaken. You must awaken! Now!"

"What?" Kid Flash asked. "What do you want?" Superboy's eyebrows knitted in confusion. "Quit staring. You're creeping me out!"

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

"We only sought to help you," Aqualad said to Superboy.

"Yeah, we free you and you turn on us," Wally added. "How's that grati-"

"Kid, please. Be quiet now. I believe our new friend was not in full control of his action."

"Well what if I..." Superboy suddenly said. "What if I wasn't?"

"He can talk?!"

"Yes. He can."

The three of us looked at Wally, glaring slightly at him.

"Not like I said 'it.'"

"The xenomorphs taught you," Aqualad stated. "Telepathically."

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

"But have you seen them?" Robin inquired. "Have they ever actually let you see the sky? Or the sun?"

"Images are implanted in my mind. But... no. I have not seen them."

"Do you know what you are?" Kaldur asked. "Who you are?"

"I am the Superboy. A xenomorph. 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."

"To be like Superman is... a worthy aspiration."

"But like Superman," I jumped in, "you deserve a life of your own. Beyond that solar suit, beyond your pod, beyond CADMUS."

"I live because of CADMUS," Superboy snapped. "It is my home!"

"Your home is a test tube," Robin replied calmly. "We can show you the sun."

"Uh," Wally said, "pretty sure it's after midnight. But we can show you the moon."

"We can show you, introduce you, to Superman," Aqualad added.

Superboy's expression changed slightly.

"No. They can't." I looked up to see a small group of people walk into the room. "They'll be otherwise occupied," a man in a lab coat said, crossing his arms and smirking. "Activate the cloning process."

"Pass!" Robin said. "Batcave's crowded enough."

"And get the weapon back in its pod!" the scientist ordered.

"Hey, how come he gets to call Supey an 'it?'"

"Not helping right now, Kid," I said to him.

Guardian put his hand on Superboy's shoulder. The clone looked up at the heroes.

"Help us," Aqualad said.

Superboy shrugged Guardian's hand off his shoulder.

"Don't start thinking now," the man in the lab coat said. A xenomorph jumped onto his shoulder and Superboy's expression became blank. "See, you're not a real boy, you're a weapon. And you belong to me! Well, to CADMUS. Same thing. Now get back to your pod!"

Superboy turned and walked out of the room, the door shutting behind him. The scientist nodded to his female assistant, who worked the controls to the pods. Suddenly, metal arms rose from the ground and stabbed themselves into us. As soon as they connected with our bodies, electricity surged through us, causing us to cry out in pain.

"Where's Double X?" I heard the scientist ask above my screaming. He jumped as a figure came up behind him. "Lurking as usual. Get the xeno-gnomes downloading their memories. When that's done, delete the source material."

I threw my head back in pain, crying out. I pushed back my pain long enough to send a message to Superboy.

"Superboy," I whispered, trying to hide my pain. "You live. That gives you the right to follow your own path. A weapon, or a person. The choice is yours, but ask yourself, what would Superman do?"

I struggled against my restraints, trying to get free, but to no avail. Suddenly, the door to the room was ripped open. The machines powered down, making my friends and I sigh in relief. I looked up to see Superboy throw the door to the side and walk into the room. I smiled at him.

"I told you," the scientist said, "to get back to your-"

Superboy pushed him, Guardian, and Double X to the ground, knocking them out.

"Don't give me orders," he said to them before turning to us.

"You here to help us or fry us?" Wally asked.

Superboy stared at us for a moment before answering.

"I don't seem to have heat vision so I suppose helping is my only option."

I somehow managed to hold back my laugh. At the same moment, Robin managed to unlock his hand restraints and drop to the ground. He rubbed his wrists.

"Finally," he groaned. "Lucky Batman isn't here. He'd have my head for taking so long."

"Seriously?" Wally said to Robin. "That's what you're worried about? The whole League will have our heads after tonight!"

Robin hit a button on the control panel, opening the cages.

"Free Aqualad and (h/n)," Robin said. "I'll get Kid Mouth."

"Don't you give me orders either," Superboy said before jumping towards Aqualad's cell.

He easily ripped the cuffs off the Atlantean and caught him before he fell.

"Thank you," Aqualad said.

Superboy nodded. He jumped towards me. He pulled the metal off of my wrists and helped me to the ground.

"Thank you, Superboy."

~

"CADMUS will be investigated." We turned to look at Batman. "All fifty two levels. But let's make one thing clear."

"You should have called," Flash interrupted.

Batman glared at him for a brief moment before saying, "End results aside, we are not happy. You hacked Justice League systems, disobeyed direct orders, and endangered lives. You will not be doing this again."

"I am sorry," Aqualad apologized. "But we will."

"Aqualad, stand down," his mentor said.

"Apologies, my king, but no." Aquaman looked at him in shock. "We did good work here tonight. The work you trained us to do. Together. On our own. We forged something powerful, important."

"If this is about your treatment at the Hall," Flash said, "the four of you-"

"The five of us," Wally corrected. "And it's not."

"Batman, we're ready to use what you taught us," Robin said.

"Or why teach us at all?" I put in, crossing my arms over my chest.

"Why let them tell us what to do?" Superboy questioned. "It's simple: get on board, or get out of the way."

The others nodded and faced their mentors.

~five years later~

I sat up in bed and rubbed my head. I had had a flashback to the first time I had ever met Superboy. If I was being honest with myself, it was the first time I had started to like him.

I had been on the Team for several years, being one of its founding members. My sister, Artemis, had joined shortly after me. We had kept our relation to one another a secret until the truth was forced to come out. We were the only ones of our family to take the hero road. Both our parents and our older sister had fallen to the criminal life, though Mother was now retired.

I didn't have powers, but was a highly trained martial artist, thanks to my father. My main weapons were daggers, plus the blades in my arm cuffs. My costume consisted of a dark red crop top with a hood, leggings, and boots.

I quickly got changed and walked to the meeting room where Nightwing was briefing Superboy and Mal.

"Hey, (y/n)," Nightwing greeted.

The other two said their greetings.

"So where are we on identifying the Light's new partner?" Conner asked Nightwing.

"No progress," he sighed.

A laugh interrupted the meeting. We turned to see M'gann and Lagoon Boy walking into the meeting room, a plate of crab cakes floating before them.

"La'gaan," Miss Martian said, "don't eat so fast."

"I can't help it, Angelfish. The idea of cooking crabs is amazing enough, but cooking them into little cakes?"

He ate another, causing M'gann to laugh.

"You're going to choke," she said.

"If only," I heard Conner mutter.

"Here, let me."

She put a crab cake into La'gaan's mouth.

"If that's not true love," he said, "I don't know what is, chum."

"Call me when it's time for the briefing," Conner said, heading out of the room.

"Recognized," the computer said, "Artemis, B-0-7."

I smiled widely as my sister appeared in the room.

"Time for the briefing," Nightwing said with a smile.

"Artemis!" M'gann cried, flying towards her friend.

"Hi, M'gann!" Artemis greeted.

"How's Wally?"

"He's... Wally."

The two laughed.

"Welcome back, girl," Mal said.

"Hey, Mal."

"We have so missed you around here," Conner said, joining them.

"Conner!"

"I relish this opportunity to finally fight beside you, archer," La'gaan said.

Artemis froze for a moment, obviously confused by his formalities.

"Um, thanks, La'gaan."

I went up to my sister and wrapped my arms around her.

"It's good to see you again, Artemis," I said, pulling back to look at her.

"You too, sis. How are things here?"

"Pretty normal."

Artemis was the only person to know of my crush on Conner. She had agreed to keep it a secret, which I was grateful for. I could always trust her.

"Ok, Gamma Squad," Nightwing said. "Listen up. The mission's Cape Canaveral covert op to safeguard the first Earth-Mars com-sat. There are people out there who don't even like the idea of aliens and will do anything to scrub this launch."

Artemis put her hand on M'gann shoulder, seeing that her friend's face had fallen.

"But, that's why I came back," she said, "because not all of us feel that way."

"So why are you going?" Mal asked Nightwing.

"Let's just say that after running this team for a year," he replied, "I'm peckish for a little action."