Chapter 17: Cadmus Raid Part 2/2.

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

(General P.O.V)

Dr. Mark Desmond stormed down the sterile halls of sub-level 22, his hands clenched into fists.

His face was twisted in a mask of fury, each step he took reverberating with rage.

He couldn't believe the report Guardian had just given him.

Sidekicks? Infiltrating Cadmus? Taking not only the Superboy clone but Raven, their most secretive and dangerous asset? Luthor would have his career and his head if he found out!

"How could you let this happen?!" Desmond's voice echoed out, storming into the control room.

Guardian stood stiff upon his entrance.

"We lost track of them."

The hero admitted, his tone robotic and devoid of emotion.

"The security cameras have been disabled. We don't know where they are, sir."

Desmond's eyes flashed with fury. "You're useless! How did you let a group of children outsmart you? Do you have any idea what they've taken from us?"

His voice shook with barely contained anger. He had worked too hard, too long, to let a bunch of upstart sidekicks ruin everything.

The Superboy clone was valuable, but Raven… Project Dark Energy was irreplaceable. Losing her would set back his experiments years. He was so close to completing the improved version of the Blockbuster serum.

"They couldn't have gone far." Desmond muttered, pacing back and forth.

"I want them found. Now."

He turned to the Genomorph lurking in the shadows of the room, taller and more useful than the other Genomorphs, its grotesque form awaited his orders.

Desmond pointed at the creature with a sharp motion.

"Dubbilex, can you sense their minds? Where are they?"

Dubbilex closed its eyes, its mind reaching out through the depths of the facility. After a few tense moments, it spoke, its voice a soft rasp in Desmond's mind.

'The lowest level… they're moving underground.'

"Moving underground...?"

Desmond stopped, his eyes narrowing as realization dawned.

He turned sharply, his anger tempered with a sudden spark of understanding.

"Of course,"

He whispered, almost to himself.

"They know we're watching the upper levels. They're using the tunnels… the ones we use to transport heavy materials unnoticed."

He paused, a thin smile creeping onto his face.

"Smart. Very smart."

For a brief moment, Desmond allowed himself a begrudging respect for their ingenuity.

They had found a path Cadmus never expected anyone to use. A secret route, bypassing the main floors completely. One of them likely had a map of Cadmus.

But then his smile twisted into something darker.

"Unfortunately for them,"

Desmond murmured,

"I'm smarter."

He strode over to the control panel, pulling up the map of the Cadmus facility. His fingers moved with practiced precision, navigating to the schematics of the underground tunnels. His eyes scanned the display as he quickly pieced together the route the sidekicks were taking.

"They're heading toward the cargo lift,"

He said, voice dripping with contempt.

"Trying to slip out through the industrial zone."

Desmond straightened, his earlier rage now transformed into cold, calculating determination.

"Prepare the capture pods,"

He ordered, turning to Guardian. "I'll deal with them myself. No more mistakes."

As he made his way to intercept them, Desmond grabbed two items from the lab.

The sidekicks may have been clever, but they were still 'children'. And Cadmus always had contingencies.

He would crush them — and reclaim what was his.

-0-

The cold, dimly lit underground tunnel was eerily silent except for the hum of the Rail Car speeding down the narrow track.

Jon sat at the front, his eyes scanning every shadow, still on high alert despite the relative calm.

Robin was hunched over the control panel, steering the Rail Car expertly. Kid Flash lounged in the back, restless, while Aqualad sat quietly, staring off into the darkness.

Jon's mind raced, filled with questions about what they had just uncovered. The Superboy clone was expected. But Raven? This reality was far beyond anything he had anticipated.

He glanced at the unconscious girl- lying in the corner, her pale skin and dark hair contrasted against the sterile white gown she wore.

She looked harmless, but the undercurrent of danger surrounding her was palpable. His insticts told him he wouldn't stand a chance against her. She was that powerful.

He turned to Robin, who seemed deep in thought at the wheel.

"Do you know anything about her? Raven, I mean."

Robin shook his head, his face tight with frustration.

"The files were encrypted. All I could find was the project name: Dark Energy. That's all we have to go on."

Jon's brow furrowed as the implications sank in. If this was the Raven from the comics, they were in serious trouble.

Trigon, her father was the very personification of Evil. Someone on the level of Darkseid. Cosmic Entities with nigh-Omnipotence.

Out of all the DC villains he knew of, those two sent a chill down his spine. They could and would destroy the entire planet if the Earth caught their attention.

But was this the original Raven? A clone? He wasn't sure. All he knew was that her presence had thrown his knowledge of this world's events off balance.

"I guess it doesn't matter,"

Jon muttered to himself.

"Whatever happens, I'll deal with it when it comes."

From the corner of his eyes, he noticed Aqualad staring at him with an unreadable expression. Caught in the act, the Atlantean averted his gaze.

"You okay?"

Jon asked, trying to shift his focus away.

Aqualad hesitated before sighing, his expression heavy.

"Just feeling... useless, I guess. You and Kid Flash saved the scientists, Robin got us in here. I've done nothing."

Jon smiled, shaking his head.

"We're only getting out of here because you powered this Rail Car. Without you, we'd still be running through hallways."

Which was true. The rail car had an electric engine and with the tunnel cut off from the power grid(most likely by Cadmus security to prevent their escape), Aqualad had provided a solution. The lightning he produced from his mystical tattoos had recharged the engine.

Aqualad returned the smile, his usual calm confidence shining through.

"Only because you came up with the plan. You're made for this, Superboy. Whether Speedy realizes it or not. You just have to believe it yourself."

Also true. Using the tunnels was Jon's idea.

Kid Flash piped in, stretching in the narrow metal seat along the side of the rail car.

"Yeah, you're alright, even if you're slower than me."

"Thanks?"

Jon responded.

"Though, I'm unsure whether to take that as an acknowledgement or a challenge, Kid."

"Challenge?"

Kid Flash scoffed.

"Anytime Superslow, I'll even give you a headstart."

Superslow?

'Arrogant little...'

Jon thought, his smile tightening at the name.

Robin cut in with a grin,

"They're right, Kent. Take it from me, your Leader, when I say you'd make a good second-in-command. Maybe even co-leader."

Jon laughed, waving him off. "Thanks, but I'm good with someone else calling the shots. I'd rather avoid the responsibility."

The banter was cut short when Kid Flash suddenly stood up, staring out into the darkness behind them.

"Uh, guys... Guardian's on our tail. And he's got friends."

Jon turned, his enhanced vision cutting through the dim light to see an army of Genomorphs closing in, led by Guardian, riding on the shoulders of one of the larger Genomorphs.

Robin cursed under his breath.

"Can this thing go any faster?"

Kid questioned.

Jon looked over at Robin, who was hunched over the controls, his hands steady.

"It's a Rail Car, Kid. Not the Batmobile. I'm already at Max speed."

At this rate, they'd catch up- some of the Genomorphs with wings were flying their way quickly.

"Hold on."

Jon said, his eyes narrowing.

He focused his heat vision behind them, targeting the support beams holding up the ceiling. Blazing red, he sent concentrated blasts into the structure- destroying the base of the beams.

The tunnel shook violently as the ceiling collapsed, blocking the path.

"Hell yeah! Eat dust assholes!"

Kid Flash jumped up and cheered.

Jon smirked slightly, switching to another power. His chest inflated and a funnel of freeze breath escaped his mouth, forming a thick wall of ice just in case the Genomorphs made it through the collapsed debris.

"Nice work."

Robin muttered, his hands still gripping the controls of the rail car, as it moved around a corner where the tunnel curved.

"Past this bend, we'll arrive at the Cargo Lift."

They had a moment of peace, but it was short-lived.

Ahead of them, a few hundred meters away from the Cargo Lift, a lone figure in a white lab coat stood on the tracks, blocking their path.

"Who's that?"

Aqualad questioned.

Wally shrugged.

"Does it matter? It's just one guy. I got this."

Before anyone could stop him, Kid Flash jumped out of the rail car and sped forward, grabbing Desmond and bringing him back to the rail car.

The scientist' hands were tied in zip ties, and Kid turned to the group, grinning proudly.

"Not bad, huh?"

Robin gave a curt nod, recognizing the scientist.

"Good work Kid Flash, you just caught us a big fish. Team, say hello to Doctor Desmond. Lead Scientist in both Project Kr and Project Dark Energy. This is the guy to blame."

Jon narrowed his eyes at the calm faced Desmond.

Robin continued, throwing a look behind,

"Thanks for delivering yourself to us, Doctor. With you and the files I stole, the League will found out everything Cadmus has been doing. Including your backing."

Desmond laughed softly, shaking his head while subtly pressing a remote in his coat pocket, sending out a signal that Jon barely heard — a sharp-pitched noise.

Desmond smiled darkly.

"I'm not here to be captured. I'm here to take back what you stole."

Suspicious, Jon activated his x-ray, scanning the doctor.

And inside his coat, he saw a vial of purple liquid —

'The Blockbuster formula.' Jon instantly realized.

A surge of panic hit him. Desmond was planning to use it to transform into the same monster he did in Canon.

Without hesitation, Jon moved faster than anyone could react, flicking Desmond on the forehead with enough force to knock him out cold.

Aware of the surprised stares, he shrugged,

"His voice was annoying."

Going through the Scientist's body, Jon pocketed the vial, secretly storing it in his crystal pendant to study later.

The remote device, he handed to Robin who plugged it into his wrist computer for study.

While it scanned, they reached the cargo lift and rode it up to the surface, emerging into the desolate industrial zone outside the Cadmus facility.

"Finally..."

Kid sighed, as they surveyed their environment. They seemed to be in a scrap heap covered in a metal fence.

It was dark out and the storm clouds overhead rumbled ominously.

Jon placed the clone he was carrying next to where Aqualad had laid down Raven.

He left the two under the Antlantean's watch and approached Robin who was trying to contact the League now that the comms were back online.

Sensing him, Robin turned around, holding up Desmond's remote.

"He activated some kind of protocol. Whatever it is, we need-"

From behind them, Raven suddenly sat up. Her eyes snapped open, revealing black, swirling pools of magic.

Dark energy pulsed from her body, and before Aqualad could react, he along with everyone else was blown back by a wave of force.

Jon flipped in the air, barely managing to keep his footing. Lowering his cross guard, his eyes widined in shock.

Raven floated above the scrapheap, covered in a dark aura whisps of her purple hair dancing behind her.

To make matters worse, the Superboy clone was up, growling as his gaze locked onto Jon with a burning hatred.

Around Jon, lay his teammates- taken out by the unexpected attack. Enhanced hearing captured their slow heartbeats. They were knocked out and he was the only one left standing.