Chapter 8: Project Kr
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(Aden's P.O.V)
The elevator opened up to reveal a room built inside an underground cavern. The room itself emptied into two ominous hallways.
"Ok, which should we pick? Bizarre looking hallway one or bizarre looking hallway two."
"I would say neither. In fact I'm an advocate for, let's get the hell out of here and call in the big guns."
My words had an effect on them but they still weren't willing to turn back.
"Maybe Maelstrom is right. That said, we've already come this far. Might as well just continue."
I threw my hands up.
"I give up. You've been in this game longer than I have so what the hell. Let's continue on and hope we live to tell the tale."
"That's more like it."
Robin responded to me. But before he could add anything else, a Genomorph dressed in white spotted us.
"Halt!"
The alien took control of a few metal barrels and telekinetically threw them at us. My hand snaked out and a gale of wind knocked the projectiles away. We then started running towards the second hallway. I knew that they were coming for us and I didn't feel comfortable being confined in such a place with no way out.
We made a turn and saw a woman get knocked down by Kid Flash who was moving at high speeds. The massive door to project Kr was ahead of us, about to close but we all luckily made it through as it shut behind. Trapping us in the room with Superman's clone.
So far I had been following the plot but being in that situation, about to face a Kryptonian hybrid who could smash me to pulp, made me realize just how dumb I was.
I had neglected to give Batman information regarding the Young Justice universe because I knew how altering events could lead to worse shit but… following the plot so closely had been a dumb mistake.
One I was about to pay for. While I was lost in my thoughts, Robin and the others decided to free Superboy. My eyes widened.
"No wait!"
Robin pressed on a key and the glass case opened with an exhale of air.
"Dammit!"
I said, earning looks of confusion from the others.
"We don't know if they've programmed him to attack intruders like they did with Guardian."
I saw realization fall onto their faces.
"Get us out of here Robin!"
Aqualad shouted in alarm as his water bearers appeared in his hands. Kid Flash turned to me angrily.
"Why didn't you say anything?!"
I looked at him incredulously.
"Are you kidding me! I told you guys to contact the League!"
"There are no signals down here."
Aqualad interjected.
"Let's try talking first. It's Superman's son. Here's to hoping he shares the big guy's fluffy personality." Robin's words were met with a angry scowl from the clone. "Or not."
"Look out!"
I shouted to Aqualad, pushing him away with a gale of wind. Superboy slammed a fist down on Aqualad's previous location and rounded up on the person closest to him, which happened to be me. I ducked a punch and slammed my palms on his gut.
A blast of air carried him off his feet to Aqualad's timely attack on the small of Superboy's back. Superboy flew above me to hit the metal frame of his glass cage. He stood back up looking no worse for wear.
"Guys, any ideas?"
I asked, prompting Robin to go forward. His hands were held up.
"Calm down. We're on your side."
The clone's response was to jump at him with a hand pulled back. Boy wonder jumped away and in the same motion shot a taser at Superboy. Which did absolutely nothing. He pulled on the Wires and Robin went flying towards him. Fortunately, Kid Flash swooped in and sped away with Robin before Superboy could hit him.
"Aqualad. We can't win like this."
I told him, my hands were shaking in fear. Aqualad had a determined look ok his face as he jumped in to the fray.
"We have to try!"
He shouted while drawing water from his tattoos to form the hammer from before. He smashed it onto the clone who blocked it with one hand and pushed it to the side. The hammer disappeared and a shield formed on Aqualad's side to block the devastating punch to the kidneys.
Aqualad was pushed back and the clone made to follow only to divert in his course and come for me as I was gearing up for another attack. My eyes widened as he body checked me onto the wall. My back hit the hard surface and a breath of air escaped my lungs. I fell onto the ground wheezing and my head ringing.
I heard a cry of pain and saw kid Flash smash into Robin who had tried to use smoke bombs to distract the Clone. The last thing I saw before losing consciousness was Aqualad electrocuting Superboy.
"Time runs short. You must awaken. You must awaken now!"
The loud voice rang through my head making me open my eyes in shock. I strained from my bindings once I saw myself and the others suspended from glass casings not unlike Superboy's.
"What happened? Where are we? Let us out now!"
Kid Flash asked in panic.
"I hate to be that guy but, I told you so!"
I shouted in frustration. Robin had the decency to look away.
"We're sorry for dragging you into this Maelstrom."
Aqualad apologized but I sighed.
"No it's not your fault. I wanted to come. Besides although we could have done some things differently, we've succeeded so far on surviving no worse for wear."
Kid Flash was relentlessly, straining his body against the cuffs. Keeping a speedster locked up was probably very frustrating to them.
"This is so not cool man!"
"Just calm down Kid. I doubt you want to piss off the guy who can fry us just by looking, with your nagging."
"We only sought to help you out."
Aqualad began.
"Yeah and then you turn on us!"
Kid Flash added looking angry.
"Kid Please. Stay quiet. I believe he was being controlled."
"Yeah. I noticed that the Genomorph's horns glowed right before he attacked us. It wasn't intentional."
"What if I…what if I was?"
Superboy asked tentatively.
"He can talk?"
The others looked surprised at that, especially Kid Flash.
"Yes he can."
Superboy said looking peeved at Kid's words.
Kid Flash was quick to say,
"Not like I said, 'It.' "
Then they went on to have a dialogue about how Superboy could leave with us and we would show him the sky…and his father Superman. Oh boy, I really didn't want to see the look of confused anger when Clark learns that he has a son.
I tried my best to highlight that particular thing to Batman. To tell him that in one of the alternate earths, a clone of Superman emerges. A clone that wouldn't turn on him because of his background. I just hope Batman had spoken to him about it.
…We can show you Superman."
I caught the end of Aqualad's words and so it seems so did the scientist walking in.
"Empty promises. They are not going anywhere. Guardian, get the weapon back in its cage."
Desmond said. The man instantly rubbed me the wrong way.
"He's not a weapon asshole. Just because a knife can stab someone doesn't mean that it's all it can do."
"Oh, and might you be? A new hero? No, you're hanging out with the sidekicks, so the question is, whose protege are you?"
He asked making me smirk.
"Get me down here and I'll show you."
Desmond snorted.
"Children these days. Running their mouths without a care for the consequences."
He turned to the lady scientist from before,
"Start the cloning process." Then to Superboy, he stepped closer.
"You are not a real boy. You belong to Cadmus. Now get back to your pod."
The horns of the Genomorph on Superboy's shoulder glowed and Superboy left.
2 metal rods with 4 pincers each detached from the frame of our cage and impacted my chest. There was a discharge of energy released and I felt my blood being drained from me.
Not a minute later, Superboy came charging in. Desmond looked on disbelief as Superboy pushed him out of the way. Robin broke through his cuffs and instantly they freed the rest of us. Robin threw 4 explosive birdarangs that took out the containers containing our blood samples. During the commotion we ran out of the chamber.
We took a turn and ran towards the elevator. Genomorphs suddenly broke out of the pods dotting the hallway and we found ourselves surrounded.
I didn't stop, augmenting my agility with air. I took a leap and at the apex of the jump, wind surrounded my form as my body twisted, a tornado sprung up, strong enough to push the huge Genomorphs out of the way, clearing the way enough for the others to take down the rest.
"Superboy let's go!"
I shouted at the clone who was wrecking the Genomorph's shit.
" Don't give me orders!"
I rolled my eyes as he followed us. Aqualad forced open the elevator doors and we started going up. Robin and Kid Flash on a grapple gun and me bounding on the sides of the shaft.
The others landed on the ledge of sub level 15 while I was higher on sub level 13. Robin looked up at me and shouted.
"Maelstrom there's an elevator coming down!"
He shouted and I let loose an air bomb on the elevator doors, blasting them open and jumping in, narrowly missing the lift from crashing into me.
And like that, I had successfully separated from the rest. I smiled, the good thing is that they didn't suspect anything. You might be wondering why Sub level 13 was special. The short answer? It was where the Blockbuster formula was contained.
The fight with Superboy from earlier showed me that despite my powers, I was essentially a glass canon. He had taken me out of the fight in one hit. That needed to change. I couldn't wait for the Kobra-venom. The blockbuster formula was here and ready. I stepped into the hallway and ran forward, looking for anything distinctive.
Luckily most of their forces were looking for Robin and the others. I didn't have a lot of time though, Desmond would also walk in, looking to use the Blockbuster to take us down.
I made another turn and before me, written in bold were the words, Containment 13: Blockbuster.
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