Chapter Three
1697 Words
?: “You must awaken.”
Why would I want to do that?
?: “You must awaken now!”
I gasp as I wake up to find myself in a pod with my arms and legs strapped like I’m a human X. I look around me to find the others are in pods beside me, just waking up too, with the super-clone staring at us.
Kid Flash: “What? What-What do you want? Quit staring. You’re creeping me out.”
Robin: “Uh, KF, how about we not tick off the guy who can fry us with a look?”
Indigo: “That would be unfortunate.”
Aqualad: “We only sought to help you.”
Kid Flash: “Yeah. We free you, and you turn on us. How’s that for grat-”
Aqualad cuts him off with a sharp look.
Aqualad: “Kid, please, be quiet now. I believe our new friend was not in full control of his actions.”
I notice Robin’s right hand is moving a bit and realize he’s trying to pick the lock on his hand. I guess I’ll wait to see if either he or Aqualad trying to get the super-clone to free us works before I attempt anything. Trying to escape right now wouldn’t work, because I wouldn’t be able to free the three of them and fight off the super-clone if he tries to stop me.
Super-Clone: “Wha-what if I… What if I wasn’t?”
Kid Flash: “He can talk?”
That angered the super-clone.
Super-clone: “Yes, he can.”
We give Kid Flash a condescending look.
Kid Flash: “Not like I said, it.”
Indigo: “It was still rude.”
Aqualad: “The Genomorphs taught you telepathically.”
Super-clone: “They taught me much. I can read, write. I-I know the names of things.”
Robin: “But have you seen them? Have they ever actually let you see the sky? Or the sun?”
Super-clone: “Images are implanted in my mind, but no. I have not seen them.”
I can’t help but feel sorry for him.
Aqualad: “Do you know what you are, who you are?”
Super-clone: “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.”
We look at each other for a moment.
Aqualad: “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. Beyond Cadmus.”
Superboy: “I live because of Cadmus! It is my home!”
Robin: “Your home is a test tube. We can show you the sun.”
Kid Flash: “Uh, pretty sure it’s after midnight. But we can show you the moon.”
Indigo: “We can show you so many things beyond that.”
Aqualad: “We can show you, introduce you to Superman.”
Superboy looks like he’s very curious and almost convinced. That is, until a doctor comes in behind him, along with Guardian and a female doctor.
Dr: “No, they can’t. They’ll be otherwise occupied. Activate the cloning process.”
The female doctor makes her way to the panel in front of us.
Robin: “Pass. Batcave’s crowded enough.”
The doctor ignores him.
Dr: “And get the weapon back in its pod!”
Kid Flash: “Hey, how come he gets to call Supey an it?”
Indigo: “Because he’s a jerk that didn’t take Superboy’s feelings into consideration.”
Guardian puts a hand on Superboy’s shoulder.
Aqualad: “Help us.”
Superboy shrugs Guardian’s hand off his shoulder.
Dr: “Don’t start thinking now.”
A genognome hops onto Superboy’s shoulder.
Dr: “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 silently leaves. I feel like now is my chance, but as I power up, metal arms come up with four points that have two pronged needles stabbing into my chest, electrocuting me so I can’t think clearly to use my ring. I scream, unable to control myself along with the boys. The doctor is talking to a genomorph, but all I can manage to make out is ‘Delete the source material.’
A few agonizing moments later, there’s a crash sound and the machine stops hurting us. I look up, relieved to see Superboy came back, ripping the door open.
Dr: “I told you to get back in your-”
Superboy pushes him, Guardian, and the genomorph away, making them fly into the walls.
Superboy: “Don’t give me orders.”
Superboy continues toward us.
Kid Flash: “You here to help us or fry us?”
He squints as he looks at Kid Flash.
Superboy: “Huh, I don’t seem to have heat vision, so I suppose helping is my only option.”
Robin finally finishes picking his locks, freeing himself.
Robin: “Ahh, finally! Lucky Batman isn’t here. He’d have my head for taking so long.”
Kid Flash: “Seriously, that’s what you’re worried about? The whole League will have our heads after tonight!”
Robin pushes a button on the panel, making the probes leave our chests and the doors to our pods open. I power up and break through the restraints, finally free to get away from these terrible pods.
Indigo: “Finally.”
Robin: “Superboy, free Aqualad. Indigo, you get Kid Mouth.”
Superboy glares at him.
Superboy: “Don’t you give me orders either.”
Superboy jumps up and easily frees Aqualad while I use my power ring to free Kid Flash. With all of us finally free, we start running for the exit.
Dr: “You, you’ll never get out of here! I’ll have you back in pods before morning!”
Robin stops for a second.
Robin: “That guy is not whelmed, not whelmed at all.”
He throws some explosives at the pods.
Kid Flash: “What is it with you and this whelmed thing?”
They follow after us.
Aqualad: “We are still 42 levels below ground, but if we can make the elevator…”
A bunch of mammoth sized genomorphs appear before us, blocking our path. We turn around to see the razor-clawed genomorphs cutting us off there too. Superboy immediately starts trying to fight them while the four of us evade and get around the oversized genomorphs.
Indigo: “Guys, what about Superboy?”
They look back to see him fighting the genomorphs. He punches one into a wall and the whole area is shaking.
Aqualad: “Superboy, the goal is escape, not to bury ourselves here!”
Superboy: “You want escape?!”
He throws one of them into two others and then jumps over to us as I pry open the door to the elevator shaft. I make a platform which everyone hops on, with Superboy using it as a launch pad. He grabs Aqualad and jumps up, but as I fly up toward them, they start falling. For some reason, Superboy isn’t flying. I catch them on the platform and Superboy looks so shocked.
Superboy: “Superman can fly. Why can’t I fly?”
Kid Flash: “Don’t know, but it looks like you can leap tall buildings in a single bound. Still cool.”
I stop flying up, because the elevator is coming down toward us.
Indigo: “Guys, the elevator!”
Robin: “This’ll have to be our exit!”
Superboy kicks open the doors to sublevel 15. We get out just in time for the elevator to rush by us. There are genomorphs running toward us, so we turn left and start running.
Superboy: “Go left! Left!”
We turn left as he said. As we keep running he shouts to go right, and we follow his directions, but stop in place because it’s a dead end.
Kid Flash: “Great directions, Supey. You trying to get us re-podded?”
Superboy: “No. I, I don’t understand.”
Robin: “Don’t apologize. This is perfect!”
He points at the vent and we climb in, Robin leading the way and I follow directly behind him with the other three behind me.
Kid Flash: “At this rate, we’ll never get out.”
Superboy: “Shh. Listen.”
Indigo: “What is it?”
Superboy: “Genomorphs in the vents.”
Robin: “Hold on. Follow me.”
We exit the air vents and Robin hacks the system.
Robin: “I hacked the motion sensors.”
Kid Flash: “Sweet.”
Indigo: “Very cool.”
Robin: “Still plenty of them between us and out.”
Kid Flash: “But I’ve finally got room to move.”
He puts his goggles on and super speeds his way up the staircase. While we run after him, we see all of the genomorphs he knocked out in his wake.
Robin: “More behind us.”
As the genomorphs approach, Superboy stops and breaks the staircase behind us, preventing their attempt to catch up. We manage to make it to sublevel 1 when red alert alarms are going off. We see Kid Flash falling back from running into a wall as we catch up to him.
Aqualad: “We’re cut off from the street.”
Kid Flash: “Thanks, my head hadn’t noticed.”
Without saying anything, Superboy starts trying to break through the door and Aqualad tries to help pry it open. I use my ring, attempting to pry the doors open to no avail while Robin fails to hack it open.
Robin: “Can’t hack this fast enough.”
We hear growling and turn around to find the mammoth-sized genomorphs approaching us. Robin kicks open a door to the side.
Robin: “This way!”
We follow him, but are cut off by the razor-clawed genomorphs, Guardian, and more of the mammoths. The genomorph gnomes’ horns light up and we lose consciousness, falling to the floor.
- Writer
