(A/N) The asterisk * means that they are talking telepathically

* Time runs short. You must awaken. You must awaken, NOW! * I gasped and looked around. The strange voice of the telepath was gone. I could feel that his presence in my mind had left. I craned my neck to get a view of my surroundings. I was cuffed to a pod. My wrists, ankles, waist, and chest were strapped down with thick metal manacles and there was an inhibitor color on my neck, blocking my powers. I was encased in reinforced glass and I could feel cold metal pressed up against my back. I looked beyond my current predicament and saw that the others were awake and being watched by Superboy. KF was, as usual, not thinking before he spoke. Aqualad was quieting him. Kaldur was speaking to the clone again, who hadn't said a word yet.

"I believe our new friend was not in full control of his actions." Superboy looked up at the gilled boy bound in front of him.

"Wha—what if—what if I wasn't?" I inhaled sharply as a memory flashed across my mind. I heard a faint voice try to pull me out of the flashback.

"Valkyrie, Are you okay?! Ree?!"

Flashback—

I was in the Pit. They hadn't let me out in weeks. Not after the stunt I pulled. I had tried to escape by using my newfound power of opening portals. Mama's little girl. I stuck my body halfway through to check for enemies, and found myself on the inside of a floating asteroid-base in Earth's orbit. I was jerked backwards as something grabbed a hold of my ankle. I screamed and clawed the floor, trying to find something to hold onto, something to keep me away from the demons I had tried to leave behind. A muscular boy with raven hair, a mask and a brightly colored spandex costume ran into the room with a well-built man in what looked like a bat costume right on his heels. They both stopped when they saw me. It was Batman and Robin. My mind went blank when I saw them. Robin started running towards me screaming my real name. Not the evil one they had given me. My real name. I smiled sadly at him as I was yanked back into the Cadmus facility. I knew there would be long, hard punishments for later, but right then, I was too dang happy to care.

***

I was bored in my solitary confinement. I was stuck in a blindingly white room with pads on the walls and bright fluorescent lights. I hated it here. I cast about my mind for something to entertain myself with.

You know the feeling when you're looking for a light switch to turn the lights on in a room? Then you stumble upon it and you swear it wasn't there before? That's what I felt like when I found my telepathy. I learned, over time, how to open another's mind without them sensing me.

One fateful day, I stumbled on something new. Or should I say... someone new.

*Hello?* I sensed the surprise at my voice from the owner of the human mind.

*H-hello? Who are you? You're not one of the Genomorphs.* He sounded excited, surprised, and slightly confused.

*My name is Ree. What's yours?* I asked him. I was curious. He didn't respond for a bit.

*I am Superboy.*

--End of Flashback

"Superboy?" My voice was soft. Like a child was sleeping right next to me, but I knew he could hear me. His head snapped up. He looked wary.

"Ree? Where the heck have you been? Why are you dressed like that? Why did you leave me?" My heart broke a little at the last part.

"I promise I didn't leave you on purpose. I would never have left you alone in this hell-hole if I could have done anything about it." I looked down in shame. "I'm sorry." I whispered. He looked at me gently.

"It's okay, Ree. I don't blame you." He told me.

"I'm sorry to break up this... whatever it is, but we have more pressing matters." KF interrupted. If looks could kill... I sighed.

"KF is right. For once. Can you get us out of here?" I asked him.

"We can show you, introduce you to Superman." Kaldur added. Superboy lifted his head up and looked at me. I smiled and nodded. Even if he couldn't see the smile under my mask, he knew it was there.

"No, they can't." A middle aged scientist with a G-gnome on his shoulder and his hair in a low ponytail walked in with Guardian and the female scientist that KF had tripped while running into Project Kr.

"They'll be otherwise occupied." He turned to the female scientist. "Start the cloning process." He ordered.

"Pass. Batcave's crowded enough." I snickered at Robin's comment. He shot me a smile that could warm the heart of Batman himself, yet it seemed strangely familiar, like I had seen it before.

"And get the weapon back in its pod!" The male scientist yelled at Guardian. Guardian came forward and placed a hand on the clone's shoulder.

"Help us." Kaldur said. Supey shrugged Guardian's hand off and looked towards me. I nodded again. Ponytail came up beside Superboy.

"Don't start thinking now." The scientist said. I gasped as the G-gnome leapt from his shoulder to Superboy's. Its horns glowed and Supey relaxed into the thrall of the telepath. The man started monologuing. After a few minutes we watched our only hope of escape walk through the door. Well, one of our only ways out. I saw Robin picking the lock on his cuff.

Ponytail nodded to the female scientist I am going to call Trippy. Two metal arms shot out from the floor of the pod. Its heads split into four devices with two short prongs on the end. They stabbed our chests and started to electrocute us. Pain spiked into every fiber of my being. I felt part of me slowly begin to drain away as my blood filled the clear sphere below my pod. I screamed as the pain only got worse. I heard the other's screams permeate the air with the sound of pain. My mind plagued me with the various tortures they put me through in the year I was in Cadmus. Poison, dehydration, malnourishment, solitary confinement, suffocation, drowning, burning, electrocuting, and simulations. I saw them all.

All my pain and hopelessness came flooding back in. Coming back to this place had permanently shattered the dam that held back all my worst memories and emotions. No matter how much I tried to patch it up... the pain just got worse. Not only was I screaming from the burning pain of the cloning process, I was now screaming from all the memories, but I wouldn't cry. I didn't cry when the only parents I had ever known died, I hadn't cried since then, and I wasn't about to start now.

When the pain finally stopped, I was on the verge of tears, but I held them back. I collapsed against my restraints and made sure that I wasn't crying.

"I'm sorry you had to hear that." I said quietly.

"Ree, look at me." I looked up into Robin's masked eyes. I suddenly felt the overwhelming urge to rip the mask from my face. What was wrong with me? "Ree. Take it from the guy who has been practically raised by Batman. Showing emotions is a good thing. Keeping them under control is a completely different conversation that we don't have time for. I am only going to ask this once, so answer truthfully. Are you strong enough to help?" He asked me. His once amused expression had melted away and been replaced by total seriousness. I thought about what he said. I knew he meant emotionally and physically.

"I'll be fine, but I need you to take this collar off me. It blocks my powers." I kicked myself internally. I was not supposed to say that I had powers. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

"You have powers? Why didn't you use them before?" KF asked. Rob picked the lock and got the collar off me.

"I can't yet. I can only conjure small spells and my inherited powers are extremely hard to control." I said.

"We need to go." Superboy said as he ran towards the door with Kaldur.

"You—you'll never get out of here! I'll have you back in pods before morning." Ponytail yelled in our direction.

"That guy is not whelmed." Robin said as he threw some explosives at the containers holding our blood.

"Not whelmed at all." I finished for Robin. He sent me a smirk.

"What is it with you two and this whelmed thing?" KF asked as we ran out. As we ran, Kaldur filled us in on the escape plan.

"We are still 42 levels below ground, but if we can make the elevator..." We skidded to a stop when 5 of the G-trolls filled the hallway.

Well that's just great.

I turned back to the way we came, but G-sprites melted out of glowing red blisters that covered the walls.

We're trapped. This is peachy. Just peachy.

Aqualad, KF, Robin and I skirted around the creatures. I kept running towards the elevator. I forced the metal panels open and stepped back. Robin shot his grapple up into the dark. KF and Aqualad jumped from ledge to ledge. I looked at Superboy then before I knew what was happening Supey grabbed my waist and launched himself up.

"Wait! Superboy you can't fly!" I yelled. I screamed as we started to drop. Robin acted quickly and threw a birdarang at the wall below me. I grabbed a hold and held onto the clone for dear life.

"Superman can fly. Why can't I fly?" He whispered to himself. The others tried to console him. I looked up.

"Guys, this'll have to be our exit." The elevator had almost reached us when Superboy punched the door in. We barely escaped but didn't get a breather. G-sprites were coming down the hall. We sprinted left then right per Supey's directions. We came to the end of the hall with a vent a few feet up.

"Great directions, Supey. You trying to get us repodded?" KF shouted.

"There's still a way out, KF. You just have to look in the right place." I smirked at him. We climbed in. Me in front, then Rob, Kaldur, KF, and Superboy.

"At this rate we'll never get out." KF complained. I unclipped my extendable staff from my belt. I activated it and it expanded just enough to hit KF in the nose. "OW!" He whisper-yelled at me.

"Stop complaining." I shot back.

"Shhh. Listen." Superboy said as he looked back. I heard the tapping of claws on metal.

"Uh oh." I muttered as we crawled along. We finally made it out of the vents. No sooner than we did, Robin started hacking. After a few minutes I slapped his shoulder playfully.

"Really, Rob. The bathroom?" Even I could hear my smile as I talked. He smirked up at me.

"I have no idea what you're talking about. All I did was hack the motion sensors." I scoffed and hit him again.

"You're so immature." I was smiling widely under my mask. I hadn't smiled like this in years.

"Come on love-birds. You're slowing us down." KF yelled to us from the end of the hallway. I could feel the heat creeping up my face. Then I remembered that I had a mask on. I smirked at Rob as we ran. His face was still tinged red from KF's earlier comment.

"Stop smirking at me." He glared at me as we caught up with the others.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." I mocked. I snickered as he frowned at my warping of his earlier words.

"Do you guys want to get out, or should we find you two a room?" KF asked over his shoulder. The blush rushed to my cheeks in the time it would take you to say "strawberry". Then I was again reminded that I had a mask on and quietly cackled at Robin's obvious embarrassment.

"I might just need to get one of those masks, Ree. Then you'll stop laughing at me." He said. "Anyways, back to escaping. I hacked the motion sensors, but there are still plenty of them between us and out."

"But I've finally got room to move." KF said as he pulled his crimson goggles over his eyes. He slammed the door to the stairs open and sped upwards. We sprinted after him. I ran next to Robin. He was looking forward, trying not to trip.

"Um, Rob? There are more behind us." I said, pointing to his holo-computer. I turned backwards towards Superboy. "Superboy, there are more behind us. Do you think you could...?" Before I even finished the request, he had stopped at the top of a flight and stomped on the edge. Causing our unwanted pursuers to fall into the yawning depths of Cadmus. We burst out a side door and ran down another hallway. We stopped in front of a giant metal fire door that blocked our escape.

"We're cut off from the street." Aqualad said.

"Thanks, my head hadn't noticed." Was KF's sarcastic reply. I stopped and helped KF up from where he had fallen. He had apparently smacked into the doors when he came around the corner. "Thanks, babe." He said.

"Whatever, Mustard." I looked back to the door and saw that Kaldur and Superboy were trying to pry the doors open, to no effect.

"Can't hack this fast enough." Robin said as he shut down his holo-glove. I turned towards the left and saw a door. I spun back and registered G-trolls tromping towards us.

"This way!" I shouted as I kicked the door to the left. I ran in and almost smacked into a squad of G-sprites. Guardian was in the midst of the beasts. We turned around to retreat, only to find the passageway behind us to be barricaded with G-trolls and G-sprites. We readied our weapons. We were not going down without a fight. Suddenly all the G-gnomes' horns lit up like twisted Christmas lights. I fell to my knees as I struggled to stay awake. Something wanted us to be like this. Weak. The last thing I saw before I lost the battle with sleep was the skinny, large horned Genomorph step out from the shadows with his horns glowing.

I felt something grab my leg. "Dick?" I opened my eyes and let out a shriek. A blue-ish gray skinned monster with red eyes and red slits all over his body had his 1828 Websters dictionary sized hand around my leg. "WHAT IN THE--" I was cut off as the monster slammed me into the ground. Superboy came out of nowhere and hit him into a column. That's when I realized that I was not in the passageway anymore. I was in a large, high-ceilinged room with a hole in the floor, different columns and a set of double doors at the other end of the room.

"Ree!? Are you okay?" Robin asked me as I shakily stood up.

"I'm fine. I just need to--" I was cut off again as the monster threw Superboy into me. I landed and rolled to the left, just as a piece of the floor whizzed past my head. "What is this thing?!" I shouted to nobody in particular.

KF dashed head on at the creature and slid in between its legs. "That's Desmond. You know the lead male scientist?" Robin informed me. I stared at him confused for a second. I had to dodge a flying Aqualad before I answered him.

"Oh, you mean Ponytail. I really don't like that guy." I said as I ran at Desmond with my staff in hand. I managed to knock him back with a few jabs to the back of his knees and a hit to the nerve in between the start of his arm and his pectoral muscle. KF bent over on all fours behind him. Superboy and Aqualad punched him in the face, making him lose his balance. Desmond tripped backwards over KF and landed with a satisfying thud.

"Learned that one in kindergarten." KF said, smugly.

"What kind of kindergarten did you go to?" I asked him incredulously. He shrugged and went back to the fight. I ran over to Rob as Aqualad and Superboy battled the Blockbuster creature. The building started shaking as the creature mopped the floor with our heavy hitters. Aqualad flew into a support column making the building shake even more.

They're going to bring the building down on top of us!

I stopped and whipped around to face Robin. "The support columns!" He smiled and brought up the schematics.

"Of course! You're a genius!" He exclaimed. "KF get over here!" Robin shouted. I turned around to see Kaldur with his back up against a pillar, with a hand on his neck. I watched as the creature tried to punch him. Kaldur used his water bearer to form a small shield. I snapped out of my stupor and launched myself across the room. I landed behind Blockbuster and ran up the support column Kaldur was pinned against. The creature's eyes followed my movements as I back flipped off the pillar and brought both my feet down on his face. I heard a satisfying crunch as I crouched down and swept his legs out from underneath him.

I dodged Blockbuster's punch and sprinted over to Rob and KF.

"Go." Rob said as KF sped off to join the fight. Robin showed me the plan and I nodded. I began to punch my way through a column. KF led the beast on the most dangerous game of tag I had ever seen, except maybe the time Dick accidentally set a rose bush on fire. Apparently the sap was flammable, and the bush exploded in our faces. Then Trix chased us around with a shovel, shouting something about perennials. Let's just say if I ever see Dick again, I will use every chance to embarrass him with that story.

I finished with my column and ran to help Robin. He handed me a piece of chalk from his utility belt and pointed to the floor. I drew a large "X" in the middle of the floor. Aqualad sprayed water over it as KF skidded to a stop in the middle of the puddle, making the water swirl farther outward. Blockbuster fell for the ruse and ran straight in. Superboy threw me from across the room and I punched the creature off balance. It landed in the water and I leapt out of the way.

"NOW!" I yelled. Kaldur's tattoos glowed blue and he slammed his hands down to the water, effectively electrocuting Desmond.

"Move!" Robin shouted as the explosives he put on the walls started to blink. Debris came raining down as the tremors got worse. I saw a large chunk of ceiling plummeting towards KidFlash.

"KF!" I shouted. I shoved him out of the way. We both made it clear but we were far behind. KF looked completely drained. I knew he couldn't run with me. He would be too slow without me anyway.

"We're not gonna make it out are we?" He asked, turning to me as we ran.

"Yes, you are." I replied. I picked him up. I could feel my eyes glowing through my mask.

"Your eyes are glowing purple. Is that a normal occurrence?" He asked.

"That doesn't matter. Do you trust me?" I asked him. He hesitated for half a second.

"With my life." He answered confidently. I smiled under my mask.

"Superboy, heads up!" I shouted to the Kryptonian. I chucked KF across the room. Before I could see if he was okay, the ceiling fell and I was plunged into the darkness of unconsciousness.

Nobody's POV

Robin, Aqualad, KidFlash and Superboy stood outside the demolished Cadmus building getting reprimanded by the Justice League. The League had arrived to a pile of rubble and four teenage boys. The adults were not happy with the results and were so busy yelling at the ex-sidekicks that they failed to realize that one was missing or that the boys were trying to tell them that fact, but they wouldn't let the teenagers get a word in.

"...You will not be doing this again." Batman stated.

"I am sorry, but we will." Aqualad replied. KidFlash's eyes widened.

"Ree. We left Ree." He breathed. "She saved my life. We have to find her. Now." KidFlash zipped over to the ruins and started digging around. Not half a second later, a large section of the fallen ceiling was propelled into the air.

Valor POV

I climbed up and over the mountain of debris and cement we had created. There was a long gash in my back that ran diagonally from my shoulder blade to my lower back. Other than that I was littered with small cuts and scratches. I got to the other side and saw the entire Justice League plus my friends staring at me. I gave a small wave.

"Hi." I said. Three out of my four companions sprinted towards me. Robin and KF tackled me into a group hug. Kaldur smiled. He genuinely smiled at me and said,

"We are excited that you are able to join us." I smiled at him. I turned around and saw Superboy stomping towards me. I ran at him and he sped up. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Superman start to step towards us, ready to intervene if necessary. I smirked and crashed into Superboy. He lifted me into the most bone crushing hug ever.

"Superboy... I... need to... breathe." I gasped out. He let go of me immediately and put me down.

"Sorry." He said sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his neck. I smiled at him, albeit holding my ribs, but it was a necessary sacrifice.

"Back to the earlier discussion. Despite what you may believe, you will not be doing this again." Batman said as we came to a stop in front of him.

"Well that's complete and utter—" Robin slapped a hand over my mouth. Kaldur gave me a pointed look and started to talk.

"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, the three of you—" Flash was cut off by his former protégé as I glared at the older speedster.

"The five of us and it's not." KF said. Robin stepped up next.

"Batman, we're ready to use what you've taught us, or why teach us at all?" Batman looked at me.

"Do you have anything to add to this, Valkyrie?" He asked me with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, if you really want to know; I think you guys are treating us like children and it has to stop. Until you start treating us like we are trained heroes, not porcelain dolls, I really have nothing to say." I shrugged as I finished. Superboy spoke up from the back.

"Why let them tell us what to do? It's simple. Get on board or get out of the way." He said as he walked forward. His voice dropped to a menacing growl as he finished. We all faced forward. My hands were on my hips while everyone else stood like soldiers. Batman's eyes narrowed.

Oh, we are so gonna hate life after this is over.

**Time Skip**

We stood in the middle of a large room with two Zeta Teleporters to the right and large hallways in front and to the left of us. The circular floor had a metal ring surrounding a reinforced glass floor that lit up bright blue. Batman was informing us about the Cave. The Cave inside Mt. Justice.

"This cave was the original secret sanctuary of the Justice League. We're calling it into service again. Since you five are determined to stay together and fight the good fight, you'll do it on League terms. Red Tornado volunteered to live here and be your supervisor. Black Canary's in charge of training. I will deploy you on missions." Batman said. I zoned out as they kept talking. I snapped back in when Flash said,

"The League will still handle the obvious stuff. There's a reason we have these big targets on our chests."

"We have big targets too." I pointed out; gesturing to the angel wing emblem I had on my chest. Superboy had the Kryptonian seal. KF had the lightning bolt. Robin didn't even need an emblem; he was basically a neon sign that said, "Come attack me! I'm colorful!" Aqualad had a bright red shirt on and the water he used glowed blue when he controlled it. We weren't really "covert". I sighed as the League ignored me and continued the conversation. This seems to be a reoccurring reaction to me opening my mouth.

I snapped in again when Batman said,

"The six of you will be that team."

"Huh?" I asked. Batman merely looked behind us. We turned around to see a girl with green skin, auburn hair, a blue skirt and a nice smile.

"This is the Martian Manhunter's niece, Miss Martian." Batman informed us. She smiled brightly at us and gave a little wave.

"Hi." She said shyly. KF leaned over to Rob.

"Liking this gig more every minute." He whispered. I smacked the back of his head and pushed in between KF and Robin.

"Move it losers. I am not going to be the only girl on this team. Trying to keep all of you guys alive is not a one person job." I walked over to her and put an arm around her shoulders. "Welcome to our extremely messed up life. That's Aqualad, Superboy, and Robin." I said, pointing to each of them in turn. "Oh, and that's KidFlash. He's a major flirt." KF gave me an offended look.

"I'm honored to be included." Miss Martian said as KF, Robin, and Aqualad came over to greet her.

"Hey, Superboy." Robin called to the secluded Kryptonian. "Come meet Miss M." Superboy walked over to stand in front of the Martian. Her white shirt with a large red X on it, morphed into a black shirt with a red X. I raised my eyebrows and turned to Superboy.

"I like your t-shirt." Miss Martian said as she looked at him. She blushed. I gave her a knowing look and turned to peer up at Superboy. He smiled at the shape-shifter. Robin and I elbowed him in the side at the same time. He looked down at me. I wiggled my eyebrows as he scoffed. Robin just smirked up at him.

"Today is the day." Kaldur said from his place beside Martian Manhunter.

"You keep saying that and I feel like I'm missing something." Robin and KF just laughed and went back to talking to Miss Martian. I sighed.

I really hate this habit that everyone has of ignoring me after I say something.

I turned back to the conversing heroes. I saw Superboy talking with Miss Martian, KF had Robin in a headlock and was giving him a noogie, and Kaldur was talking with Batman. I just smiled and shook my head.

(A/N) This is so long lol I'm sorry. It's over 4000 words like sir--