Chapter 82: 82

Words : 765 Updated : Oct 1st, 2025

| Mount Justice - August 3 "Something you want to share?" Black Canary asked, her tone even. Superboy frowned. "With my powers, I don't need training. I'm a living weapon. This is a waste of my time." Dinah's smile widened. "Prove it." That was all it took. The challenge was set, and Superboy took the bait. As he stepped forward to replace Joseph, Robin nudged Joseph with a smirk. "Way to go." "Meh. I could've done better," Wally added while he ate a banana. Joseph barely glanced at him. "I'm sure you could," he replied. In truth, he meant it—if Wally used his speed. Joseph had briefly been able to tap into the Speed Force before. Even in that short time, he understood how absurdly powerful it was. No human could react fast enough to counter a speedster unless they were predictable. And now that he thought about it... Wally kinda was. The fight was over in seconds. Black Canary floored Superboy. Twice. Joseph frowned, trying to figure out how that even worked. Maybe it was because Superboy hadn't fully inherited Superman's powers. After all, even without flight and heat vision, Superman wouldn't have lost to Canary in pure physical combat. Superboy got up, scowling. Maybe he wasn't taking the fact that he'd lasted even less time than Joseph well. And the fact that Robin was laughing before Kaldur elbowed him didn't help. "Like I said, control your anger and—" Canary started, but Superboy lunged at her mid-sentence, throwing a punch. She flipped over his shoulder, about to land gracefully, but he spun, aiming to strike her out of the air. This time, she couldn't dodge in time. Joseph reacted instantly, extending his anti-gravity field. Black Canary's fall slowed as she floated safely away, while Superboy's overextended swing left him off-balance. He stumbled forward, hitting the ground. Kori flew toward him, offering a hand. "Calm down, Superboy." His response was a sharp slap away of her hand, making M'gann flinch and drawing worried looks from Kaldur, Robin, and Wally. "That's it! I'm done!" Superboy growled, getting to his feet on his own and turning to leave. Joseph's expression darkened. Pushing back against authority was one thing. But shoving Kori's hand away? He was courting death. Maybe he should lay off on the xinxia. "Training is mandatory for the whole team," Kori said, her voice gentle but firm. She placed a hand on his shoulder. Superboy shrugged it off, rage burning in his eyes. Before the situation could escalate, the cave's alarm blared. A screen expanded, revealing Batman's face. "Batman to the Cave," his deep voice commanded their attention. "Five hours ago, a hostile attacked Green Arrow and Black Canary. The attacker was capable of studying and duplicating the powers of its opponents." A secondary screen popped up, showing footage of the battle. The attacker—a powerful android—was tossing Superman around like a ragdoll. "Arrow called for reinforcements," Batman continued, "which nearly proved disastrous as the android absorbed more abilities with each new combatant." Wally let out a low whistle. "Whoa. One guy with the powers of the whole League?" Kaldur's face tightened in concern. The rest of the team looked just as shocked. "In the end, it took eight Leaguers four hours to defeat and dismantle it," Batman added. That caught Robin's attention. "An android? Who built it—T.O. Morrow?" "Good guess, Robin," Batman said. "But Red Tornado doesn't think so." Martian Manhunter stepped forward. "The technology bears the signature of Professor Ivo." Kaldur's eyes widened. "Ivo? But Ivo's dead." "So we all thought," Black Canary said grimly. "Or hoped." Batman continued. "To ensure this threat is permanently neutralized, we're transporting the android's remains in two separate convoys to STAR Labs facilities in Boston and Manhattan for evaluation." A map appeared, marking both destinations. "Every precaution is being taken. Four additional decoy trucks will create confusion in case Ivo—or anyone else—tries to recover the remains. You will split into undercover teams to safeguard the real convoys." Wally pumped his fist. "Yes! Road trip!" Superboy, still simmering, scowled. "So now we're just taking out your trash?" Joseph sighed. The clone had the emotional regulation of a toddler. It made sense—technically, he was only a few months old. But that didn't make it any less frustrating. Batman's gaze didn't waver. "You had something better to do?" Superboy looked away, clenching his fists but saying nothing.

Chapter 82: 82

Comments (0)