Chapter 26: Progress.

More advance chapters on P@treon.com/Saintbarbido.

-0-

-Jon's P.O.V-

-A Week Later-

The sun hung high over the small, secluded island we'd jokingly dubbed 'Themiscyra Mini'. 

Well, I'd jokingly dubbed it that. 

Raven hated the name, which only made it better. Right now, though, humor was far from my mind. 

"Still dodging, Kent?" Raven teased, her voice a mix of dry amusement and focus. 

Around her floated half a dozen orbs of swirling dark energy, each radiating the kind of destructive power that could probably knock me out cold. 

I wasn't about to let that happen. 

"Just waiting for the perfect moment, Rae Rae," I called, using another nickname she hated. 

And sure enough, a wave of destruction followed me while sprinting across the uneven terrain. 

The sparring exercise was simple in theory: first to tag the other won.

The twist? 

I was barred from using my Kryptonian abilities. 

No speed, no flight, no heat vision. Nothing. Just the light magic I'd been struggling to control for weeks. 

A sharp whistle filled the air as one of Raven's orbs shot toward me. I rolled to the side, the sphere exploding against the ground with a force that sent debris scattering in all directions. 

"You're getting better at sensing magic," Raven said, her tone almost approving. 

"And you're getting cocky." I fired back, channeling energy into my palms. 

Two thin beams of light magic streaked toward her, but one of her dark orbs intercepted them effortlessly. 

Light arrows were all about speed and precision, but they barely packed enough power to disrupt her dark spheres. 

I fired off another volley, watching as the tiny beams popped against the surface of one of her orbs without making a dent. 

"Impressive," Raven mocked, deflecting the last arrow. "For a flashlight." 

"Funny," I muttered, ducking behind a rock as another orb detonated nearby. 

In the past week, I'd made real progress. 

Studying my Kryptonian powers gave me an edge in understanding energy flows, which helped me refine my magic control. 

But "refined" was relative—I still had a long way to go. Right now, I could manage three spells with varying success: light arrows, lightbombs, and the awkwardly named lightflash. 

"Have you told the team yet?" Raven's voice carried over the battlefield. 

"Told them what?" I asked, feigning ignorance as I concentrated on forming a lightbomb in my hand. 

The small sphere of condensed energy glowed brightly, though it wobbled in my grasp like it could unravel at any moment. 

"About the traitor," she said, her tone pointed. 

I sighed. "I've been busy." 

"With your plan to go after Luthor?" 

I glanced toward her, and though she was a good thirty yards away, I could feel the weight of her gaze. I knew what she was really asking: Was I making progress? 

"Barbara came through," I admitted. "Tracked down Intergang's base. We're hitting it soon. If everything goes well..." I trailed off, the words hanging in the air. 

"You'll have a way to permanently get rid of Luthor," Raven finished for me, her voice quieter now. "And save Connor." 

"That's the idea," I said. 

"Do you think Connor's the traitor Batman mentioned?" Raven asked. She was my confidant. I found her easy to talk to than even Dick. 

I hesitated, the lightbomb flickering in my hand. "Maybe. Batman's smart—he might suspect something about the mind-control program. If he does..." 

"Then you're running out of time," Raven said, finishing the thought I didn't want to voice. 

I nodded. "That's why I need to act fast." 

The least I could do was take out Luthor. The League could handle the rest of the Light, but Luthor had to go. My insticts told me he was planning something.

Raven didn't respond immediately. Instead, she sent another dark sphere spiraling toward me, forcing me to dive out of the way. As I scrambled back to my feet, she spoke again. 

"When the time comes to raid Intergang, you can count on me," she said firmly. 

I glanced at her, surprised by the conviction in her voice. "Thanks. But first, the Team has another mission to finish." 

The Amazo one. God I hope we don't die...

She smirked. "I can wait. For now, maybe focus on not losing this sparring match." 

"Tagging you was always the plan," I said, grinning. 

She arched an eyebrow. "Then stop running and fight me." 

"Running is boring," I agreed, dashing toward her. 

Her dark spheres immediately swarmed, closing in from all directions. 

"You're attacking head-on?" she asked, sounding genuinely surprised. "Didn't peg you for a suicide mission." 

Just as the spheres closed in, I unleashed a burst of lightflash. My body flared with an aura of searing brightness, forcing Raven to shield her eyes. 

"Zeus's beard!" she cursed, momentarily blinded. 

I took advantage of the opening, aiming for her blind side. 

But Raven wasn't so easily caught off guard—she could still sense the energy in my magic. Her dark spheres rushed to her defense, forming a protective barrier around her. 

I expected that. 

Drawing on the light energy within me, I fired a concentrated volley of arrows at a single sphere. 

The barrage struck true, popping the dark sphere which exploded, triggering a chain reaction that destroyed the rest. 

I landed a few meters away from her. For the first time, Raven looked genuinely shocked. 

"Impressive," she said, though her tone carried a hint of frustration. 

"Thanks," I said, completing the lightbomb. The glowing sphere the size of a volleyball flickered in my hand, unstable but powerful. 

Sensing the destructive magical energy swirling within the Lightbomb, Raven stretched out a hands. 

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos!"

A dome of dark energy encased her body. 

"Let's end this," I said, throwing the Lightbomb toward her. It blazed a path in the air, radiating light and heat. 

But my lack of control betrayed me—the lightbomb unraveled mid-flight, exploding too soon and blasting me backward. 

I landed hard, the impact knocking the wind out of me. 

Groaning, I stared up at the sky, surrounded by the shattered remains of a rock I'd crashed into. 

"So close," I muttered. 

A shadow fell over me. Raven leaned down, her expression smug. She flicked my forehead. 

"Tag," she said simply. 

I groaned again, letting my head fall back against the ground. "You're insufferable." 

"And you're predictable," she replied, smirking. 

-0-

-The Next Day-

-Mount Justice-

The briefing room was silent except for the low hum of the monitors lining the walls. 

Batman's presence was as commanding as ever, his shadow stretching across the room. At his side was Black Canary and Red Tornado. The former looked injured. 

The team was gathered around the circular table, each of us sitting straighter than usual under his intense gaze. 

"Your mission is critical," Batman began, his deep voice cutting through the silence like a blade. "Amazo is no ordinary threat. It took the League hours to bring It down, and even then, we incurred injuries and a lot of property damage. We had to split It into parts." 

He gestured to the screen behind him, where a sleek, humanoid android was displayed. Even as a static image, Amazo exuded menace. 

The android's armor gleamed under simulated light, and its glowing red eyes seemed to pierce through the screen. 

"Amazo's ability to copy powers makes It one of the most dangerous adversaries we've ever faced," Black Canary cut in, "If It were to be reassembled..." 

The room tensed as he let the unspoken consequence hang in the air. 

"We can't allow that to happen," Batman said, his tone final. 

The screen shifted to display two Star Labs facilities. "You will be divided into two teams and your mission is to transport Amazo's components to these two locations. Boston and New York. Each shipment must arrive intact and without interference. Four decoy trucks will be deployed to aid in the endeavor." 

"Excuse me."

I raised my hand. 

The team glanced at me, clearly surprised. I didn't usually interrupt these briefings. 

"Jon?" Batman prompted, his eyes narrowing slightly. 

"Permission to stay behind and act as Console," I said, my voice steady despite the weight of the request. 

The room fell silent. Even Red Tornado paused, his head tilting slightly as he processed my words. 

Robin was the first to speak. "Hang on, why would you want to sit this one out?" 

"Yeah," Kid Flash added, his eyebrows furrowed. "You love being out in the field. And you're the leader." 

I leaned forward, resting my elbows on the table. "If Amazo can copy powers, having me on the field is a risk. If something goes wrong and the parts are reassembled..." 

I trailed off, letting them fill in the blanks. The thought of Amazo with Kryptonian powers—and potentially my developing light magic—was a nightmare scenario. 

"Sound judgment," Batman said, nodding slightly. "But the team acts as one. No one gets left behind." 

I opened my mouth to protest, but he raised a hand to cut me off. 

"Your job is to ensure the cargo reaches its destination without incident," Batman continued. "That includes protecting each other. This mission isn't just about the shipments—it's about teamwork." 

I leaned back in my chair, frustrated but unable to argue with his logic. 

"Understood," I said finally. 

Batman nodded. "Good. Dismissed."