32 Chapter Thirty-Two

Sometime in the recent past.

Sitting in a dark brown high back chair in near darkness, Bruce stared into the blackness around him. Everything here was very familiar to the man with movie-star good looks, he'd spent most of his adult life in this place after all. But until recently, his shoulders would be hunched and his only companion would have been his additional thirty years of age.

Now everything was different, although, he couldn't say he was unhappy about regaining his youth... It was just that his experience on infinity island was a complete violation and he wished he could simply wash the memory out of his mind. But part of him also believed that if he didn't remember what happened that night... That would be a true tragedy.

He fervently wished he could have saved Damien and Thalia from their fates, but now they were just more people to add to the ever-growing list of regrets. Now that he was semi-immortal... this list was sure to grow longer in time.

He always believed Damian to be special. Yes, he was brash, headstrong, arrogant, and had a chip on his shoulder a mile wide, but there was so much of the younger man that was similar to himself that he couldn't help but love the boy.

Yes, Bruce loved Dick, Tim, and Jason as well. He considered them just as much his family as Damian ever was. He would have even grieved for each one of them if they too had passed, just like any father would. But he always considered Damian Wayne his heir... He never expected to lose him too.

Then there was Terry. The son he never knew he had. Well, not until he was nearly run over by this boy six months prior. He'd admit that the boy having the same biology as Diana's was… Unexpected to say the least.

Even if Bruce hadn't been at his physical peak, his mind it had always been his sharpest tool. Therefore, the suspicion of their shared genetic link had been confirmed. Although, he hadn't had the means to do a proper investigation at the time since Terry was his only active field resource. Not that he had been incapable of achieving the feat, Bruce just didn't want to take a chance that the boy would misunderstand the investigation.

Pouring himself a cup of hot tea Bruce began to nurse the dark liquid spairingly, as his light blue eyes focused on a single point in the room. If anyone walked in and saw him staring at nothing, they might have questioned whether or not Bruce was sane. Only a select few would understand his thoughts were racing at a thousand miles a minute, analyzing all the facts of what he knew about their current situation. He went over every contingency plan for any scenarios to resolve the crisis.

Still, most would probably think him mad... He knew better, he shouldn't really have been considered clinically sane, at least from a legal standpoint, since he'd lost his parents at the age of eight.

A crisp feminine voice interrupted his thought process as she said, "Penny for your thoughts."

Chuckling lightly, Bruce arched an eyebrow at his wife before speaking, "Well I'd have to tell you, pennies are worth a lot more than they used to be since our fair country has made currency completely digital... There is now quite a large market for any metal money, these days."

Diana smiled at the easy banter. She hadn't really seen him like this in a while. Yes, he was still a dark brooding man with dry humor, but there was a lightness now that had been missing before Infinity Island. She liked to believe their connection sent soothing and stabilizing support to his addled mind.

Good humor lit in her voice as she spoke to him again, "The true cost of money has never really meant much to either one of us, Bruce. So even if I gave you a roman coin and called it a penny it still would be a drop in the bucket of both of our bank accounts."

"True…" Bruce said then suddenly all humor left his face and was quickly replaced by a more stoic one, "Not that our bank accounts will mean much soon."

"So, you think it's true then?" Diana asked her crystal blue eyes penetrating his Onix orbs.

Again, Bruce fixed his eyes at a distant point before answering her, "Can we really take the chance that what they are saying isn't true?" His brow wrinkling in thought he continued, "We have to be ready for anything… and we can't just wait for something to happen either. We have to pick a side to fight on or we could lose everything."

"The way it sounds to me… We will lose everything anyway." Diana whispered beside him making his head jerk towards her in shock.

Bruce had thought of what he had to lose many times. Terry, Dick, Diana, and a son he had never gotten to know… Matthew McGinnis. But attempting to keep what he had gained at the cost of the universe was asking too much… wasn't it?

Letting out a sigh of frustration, Bruce stretched his arm around the small waist of his newlywed wife and leaned his head against hers in a rare display of his need for affection and stared at her in puzzlement.

For several moments they stood like that not speaking until Diana took a chance and lightly put her lips on his. Bruce had never been a man not to give in to his baser instincts and this time was no different. But passion didn't take over for the moment, although the urge to explore each other's bodies was growing stronger, Diana pulled back to state something very serious.

"There might be something I can do to keep us from fading… But it will change both of us, and there will be consequences." Diana said a frown marring her swollen lips.

---

Although the Genomorph's steps echoed loudly throughout the corridor, Terry didn't take a chance at being overheard as he stalked behind Guardian. He had done some research while tailing behind the older man with the computer connected with his cowl. Apparently, not only did he have access to the records Wayne had in his own time, but his cowl could also access the one at this time. He didn't really understand how that was possible though. The tech should be incompatible, and even if it wasn't, he would need specific access created by Wayne of this time himself.

He wasn't going to look a gift-horse in the mouth and began to compare the information he had on hand to see if there was anything different in comparison. At a glance, there didn't seem to be any difference between the data, until Terry's future records claimed this Guardian character was actually… a clone. Most likely, this event hadn't happened yet… or it might not happen at all or it has happened and no one currently knows. Either way, this information was disconcerting.

Was this something they planned on doing to the people they just collected? Regardless of whether they planned on cloning the teens, it was forty to fifty years in the past. Even in his own time, cloning wasn't something that could happen in fifteen minutes. He just couldn't wait around and give them a chance.

If he wasn't mistaken, Robin at this time was Dick Grayson. Their voices were very similar and the differences could be explained by the younger boy going through puberty. Aqualad and Kid Flash were also in his data bank, but he didn't have time to explore much about their lives. According to the Bat computer of this time, they are apprentices of Aqua-Man and the Flash respectively, which also concurred with his own timeline's information.

He noticed that when he thought of the Flash, he immediately got a powerful negative feeling but when he thought about KF… his feelings were mixed. There seemed to be some regret and a little sorrow mixed together. Yet, Terry didn't get any memories to explain these emotions, hopefully, Kara could shed some light on them. He just needed to find her, and get everyone out of this Philip Kaufman movie.

As they progressed to where the young heroes were being kept, Terry observed his surroundings with a critical eye. Every so often, there was a mass of red plants growing from the walls and floor. The sight of which made Terry feel as if he was inside of the bowels of a gigantic beast and he was slowly being digested. He was glad once he arrived at the elevator to at least go up a few floors, this place was starting to give him serious creeps.

---

Meanwhile, in a room not too far away. Four teenaged heroes were securely contained into cloning chambers. "Wha-what if I…" Superboy trailed off with an annoyed huff.

His voice was scratchy like it had never been used... Maybe it hadn't ever been, "What if I wasn't?" Superboy managed to state.

"He can… talk?!" Kid Flash questioned, shocked at the clone's response.

Superboy's hand clenched into a fist again, "Yes 'HE' can," he practically growled his words at Kid Flash.

Both looked at Kid Flash who looked rather confused back at them. "Geeze, it's not like I said, 'it'."

"The Genomorphs taught you telepathically." Aqualad realized.

"They taught me a lot," Superboy admitted. "I can read, write. I... I know the names of things."

"But have you seen those things? Have they actually let you see the sky? Or the sun?" Robin asked, knowing how much all three of them took those things for granted.

"Images are implanted in my mind," he admitted, then looked down as if ashamed. "but no. I have never seen them."

Aqualad turned towards the more pressing matter. "Do you know what you are, who you are?"

Superboy stood tall, evidently, this was something he was proud of. "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." The last bit received a worried looked from the conscious teen heroes of the room.

"To be like Superman is a worthy aspiration, but, much like Superman, you deserve a life of your own beyond that solar suit, beyond your pod, beyond Cadmus," Aqualad stated in a calm tone.

But the moment those words left his mouth Superboy instantly got angry. "I live because of Cadmus! It is my home!"

"Your home is a test tube," Robin said simply. He only waits a beat before continuing, "But, we can show you the sun."

"Uh, pretty sure it's after midnight, but we can show you the moon instead." he offered as a substitute.

"We can show you... introduce you to Superman." Aqualad agreed, knowing how much that would mean to the teenaged clone before them. Superboy's eyes widened slightly at the prospect...

"No, they can't, " the voice of Doctor Desmond interrupts resolutely as he, Guardian, a female scientist walks into the chamber, and the invisible figure of Terry slips in behind them as they walk into the room. "They'll be otherwise occupied." his tone was smug as he then turned to the female scientist nearby. "Activate the cloning process." the two men stop and she walks off to the left to do as he instructs.

"Pass!" Robin speaks up abruptly. "The Batcave is crowded enough."

"And get the Weapon back in its pod," Desmond commanded of Guardian, ignoring the comment from Boy Wonder.

"Hey, how come he gets to call Supey an "it"?" Kid Flash questioned, seeming partially annoyed and partially saddened by the prospect.

Guardian stepped up, placing a hand on Superboy's shoulder. Superboy looked to the three trapped teens with slight hesitation in his eyes.

Aqualad realizes the depths they have gone to and decidedly speaks. "Help us." he pleads with Superboy. The clone shrugs off Guardian's hand, looking at the older hero with clear anger in his eyes.

Desmond calmly walked up behind him, his annoyance radiating off the smaller man. "Don't start thinking now." He states looking at the Genomorph perched on his shoulder. Quickly the small creature hopped off and landed on Superboy's with quick precision.

Hissing as its horns began to glow red and after a few moments it was obvious the creature was taking telepathic control over Superboy.

At the sight of the boy's lack of response, Desmond speaks again triumphantly, "See you're not a real boy. You're a weapon, and you belong to me!" he then pauses for a moment, realizing his mistake. "Well, to Cadmus. But same thing." he defends. "Now get back to your pod!"

Superboy didn't even show that he heard Desmond, only began walking back down the way they came. The Genomorph's horns still glowing red.

Once the door closes with a thud behind Superboy, Desmond nods to the scientists at the control station. She hits two more buttons on the control station, causing robotic arms to come out of the base of the three protogés' pods.

Kid Flash reels back, attempting to maneuver away from them, but he is still restrained completely.

The tops of the arms break apart into four fingers, two prongs on the tips of each one. With no hesitation and a slight electrical buzz, they plunge the prongs into the three boys' and Kara's chests. All four scream out, which only increases as the fingers begin to pull out a reddish gas which then fills the spheres below their pods.

Kara wakes for a brief moment, but the additional injury seems to sap her remaining strength, making her lose consciousness once more.

"Where's Dubbilex?" Desmond asked Guardian and the other scientist. Only to see the Anthropoid shadow coming out of the darkness. "Ooh!" he gasps, taken off guard. "Lurking as usual. Get the G-gnomes downloading their memories. When that's done, delete the source material."

Superboy walked down the hallway, the G-gnome still on his shoulder. Though it may have telepathic control he still has Superman's extremely powerful hearing capabilities.

He hears Aqualad's words that he manages to whisper despite being tortured. "Superboy, you live. That gives you the right to follow your own path. A weapon or a person, the choice is yours, but ask yourself, "What would Superman do"?" The clone stopped short of these words, and his eyebrows creased as his eyes set with determination.

There's a boom that echoes through the containment room. Catching Desmond's and Guardian's attention and turning it back to the door. Which is being crinkled as Superboy removes it, then holds it over his head with ease. As he does the torture devices on the three teens power down. Then he throws the door away and stalks into the room. Desmond, Guardian, and Dubbilex all make their way towards Superboy.

"I told you to get back to you-" Desmond begins but is cut off as Superboy's right-hand swipes him away and his left takes out both Guardian and Dubbilex. Guardian was thrown into the wall, while Dubbilex and Desmond hit the ground with a thud.

Superboy stood tall and glared down at Desmond. "Don't give me orders," he growled, then he began to step behind the trio, obviously backing the teen heroes in opposition to the furious Doctor.

The room remains quiet for a moment, until the sound of loud clapping gets everyone's attention.

"Nicely, said." Terry's voice makes a few guards jump as they scan the room for the newest threat.