Zodiac (DC)

A/N : Happy New Year everyone! 

Here's a new chapter for the new year and I also posted a new chapter on Ultimate Cypher, if you want to go and check it out! 

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After healing my teammates, I turned my attention to Superboy, who was lying unconscious on the ground. The others gathered around him, watching me intently as I knelt beside him.

"Zodiac. Are you sure about this? I know we didn't listen to you before and suffered the consequences, but what made you change your mind?" Aqualad asked.

I looked at him with a confident smile. " I saw it when I was fighting him. I think they did something to his head. He was fighting like a wild animal and didn't seem to be all there."

"And you think your healing power can help him?" Robin chimed in.

"Of course, my power doesn't just heal. It also repairs. I think if I focus on repairing his mind, I can hopefully undo what they did to him."

I could feel the skepticism emanating from most of the people present. Kid Flash was particularly doubtful, and it showed on his face. However, I was not fazed by their doubts. I knew that Robin was the most familiar with my healing power and its potent effect.

I could tell that Robin had done his homework, and read up on every detail of the attack that was mounted on Batman, and my subsequent action of saving his life.

The attack on his mentor had obviously affected him deeply, and he seemed even more mature than before. As I walked past him, I could sense a slight undercut of respect held towards me, like my words carried weight.

Kid Flash couldn't resist making a comment, "That's a lot of ifs, to put our hopes on."

I replied, "If it doesn't work, we can just beat him up again. He caught us by surprise the first time, but now that we know what to expect, things won't go the same way."

Aqualad agreed, "Robin seems confident in your healing abilities, and it seems unwise to ignore your advice for a second time."

Kid Flash gave in, "Okay, fine. It's not like I'm lining up to carry 300 pounds of angry Kryptonian."

We huddled around Superboy, who was lying on the ground. I kneeled beside him and put my palm on his head, my hand started glowing yellow, as did his head. I focused on his mind, trying to repair whatever damage they had done to him. I could feel the energy flowing through me, mending his mind. Suddenly, he gasped for air and opened his eyes.

"Who...who are you?" he asked in a raspy voice.

"We're your friends," Aqualad said reassuringly. "We're here to help you."

I pulled back my hand, relieved that it had worked. "How are you feeling?" I asked.

Superboy looked around, still disoriented. "I feel...better, but I don't remember anything."

Superboy looked down at his suit and then back up at us. "I'm...Superboy," he said, almost as if he was trying it out for the first time.

"Superboy?" Kid Flash said skeptically. "You sure about that?"

Superboy nodded, still looking dazed. "I...I remember something about that. And about...about being a clone."

"We know," Robin said, stepping forward. "We found the information on the console. We're here to get you out of here."

Superboy looked around at the chamber, taking in his surroundings for the first time. "What is this place?" he asked, sounding both curious and afraid.

"It's a secret Cadmus facility," Aqualad explained. "They created you here, Superboy. But we're going to get you out."

Superboy's eyes widened at this. "Created me? How...how is that possible?"

"They took DNA from Superman and used it to create you," Robin explained. "You're a clone, Superboy. But you're also your own person."

Superboy looked down at his hands, as if trying to process this information. "I...I don't know what to do."

"We'll help you," Aqualad said, putting a hand on Superboy's shoulder. "But first, we need to get out of here. Can you walk?"

Superboy nodded, slowly standing up. He looked a little unsteady at first, but then steadied himself. "Yeah, I think so."

As Superboy tore the door open, we started making our way through the winding corridors of Cadmus, Robin spoke up. "We need to move fast. Cadmus isn't going to let us go without a fight."

Superboy led the way, with Kid Flash and Aqualad close behind him. Suddenly, Superboy stopped in his tracks and tilted his head to one side. "What is it?" I asked.

"I'm getting some kind of message," Superboy said, frowning in confusion. "It's like someone is trying to communicate with me."

Before we could figure out what was going on, a group of genomorphs appeared out of nowhere, their glowing eyes fixed on us.

"Uh-oh, we've got company!" Kid Flash said, readying himself for a fight.

We fought our way through the genomorphs, dodging their attacks and striking back with all our might. But they just kept coming.

" Come on this way!" Superboy pointed.

Kid Flash flitted off into a door that opened up to reveal a staircase. The rest of us followed. Superboy smashed the staircase behind us with his foot, sending some pursuing genomorphs falling to the lower levels.

We emerged into yet another corridor, but the underground facility was now blazing with red light, alarms blaring from every direction. Up ahead, Kid Flash was speeding towards a rapidly closing door, but even before the collision, it was obvious there was no chance of making it.

Smashing into the enormous security doors didn't seem to improve the speedster's attitude much as he rubbed his head grumbling.

Aqualad wrenched the doors with all his might as Superboy ran to join him.

"They've sealed us off from the outside" Aqualad grunted.

Kid Flash rubbed his head in frustration. "Thanks, my head hadn't noticed," he replied sarcastically.

Realizing we were making no progress, Superboy shoved Aqualad aside and grabbed hold of the doors himself, wrenching them with all his considerable might. The doors slowly gave way, and I held onto the other end of the door and started pulling. But even as we saw the crevice widen, the sound of footsteps invaded the air.

"Stop it!" Robin's voice broke our concentration. "I can't hack this fast enough, and genomorphs will get here before you can open those things."

We rushed through a nearby door as Robin dashed through it. We found ourselves in yet another non-descript hallway. The entire hall was filled with genomorphs of all sizes, led by Guardian with that all-familiar g-gnome perched on his shoulder.

The monkey-like genomorphs beside Guardian had multiple g-gnomes on their shoulders as well, whose horns all began to glow the second the heroes moved to attack.

Aqualad, Robin, and Kid Flash collapsed on the spot, but Superboy and I remained upright, thanks to a quick application of my healing power.

The thin humanoid genomorph, who I saw back at the elevator after the fire, stepped forward, his enormous horns pulsing the same way as its smaller brethren. As it looked at Superboy, a voice rang in our heads.

"Hello, brother. My name is Dubbilex. It's good to finally see you on your feet."

Superboy stared at Dubbilex, beginning to figure out what was happening. Beaming back a message, Superboy spoke to Dubbilex telepathically through the shared connection.

"It was you. You spoke to me, guided me."

"Yes, Brother. I also set the fire and lured your new friends down into Cadmus and delayed Cadmus's efforts of finding you and your new friends."

Superboy was shocked. "Why?"

Dubbilex regarded him enigmatically, and the emotion in the genomorph's eyes could have been determination, amusement, or possibly even pride.

"Because you are our hope, the genomorph hero. You will blaze a trail for all our brothers, showing us the way to freedom."

All the genomorphs stirred at this proclamation, and even Guardian, who had been frozen in the center of their formation, began to rub his head again.

"A-again. Superboy, all of you." The three heroes behind us slowly got to their feet, no longer suppressed by the g-gnomes, groaning slightly. Dubbilex looked at him seriously now, all pretenses gone.

"What is your choice, brother?" Dubbilex asked.

Superboy growled with conviction, "I choose freedom."

The genomorph nodded approvingly while Guardian now stood there firmly, his mind clear and body brimming with new-found energy. They looked at each other once more, understanding. Aqualad's voice cut through their reverie.

"Guardian?" The Atlantean also stood off against Guardian, the two sending each other a silent message as Guardian shook his head again to get rid of the fog.

"Go. I'll deal with Desmond. That door leads to the exit." Guardian said.

As we were about to make our way down the hallway, an ear-splitting laugh grabbed our attention. The genomorphs and Guardian parted, revealing a man wearing a coat, clutching a single vial of bright blue liquid.

" None of you are going anywhere!" the man in the lab coat shouted.

We quickly took up fighting positions, ready to fight our way out. But then something unexpected happened.

Superboy stepped forward, facing the scientist.

"Wait!" he said, holding up a hand. "I...I want to hear what he has to say."

Kid Flash looked at Superboy with concern. "Superboy, you don't know what you're doing!"

"I know what I'm doing," Superboy said firmly. "I want to hear what he has to say."

Superboy shook off Kid Flash and glared at the scientist. "What am I doing here? Why did you create me?"

The scientist walked up briskly and spoke abrasively. "Don't start thinking now. You know what you are."

"What do you mean?" Superboy asked, clearly confused.

The scientist gave him a vicious grin. "See, you're not a real boy. You're a weapon, and you belong to me!" The stares from all of us present only added to his bravado. "Well, to Cadmus. Same thing."

" Now get back to your pod!" He screamed.

Guardian looked at the scientist with barely concealed discomfort. "Doctor Desmond, you could at least let the kid stretch his legs. And saying he is a weapon...I don't know if I'm comfortable with that. "

"What do you mean you're not sure you like it?" Desmond asked, scowling at Guardian.

The question was clearly rhetorical, and Guardian recognized that. "Doc..." The head of security looked uneasy as Desmond stepped closer. "But-"

"But what?" Desmond refused to allow any protest, nodding at the g-gnome perched on his shoulder. The horns of the tiny creature glowed, but this time Guardian shook his head and was staring intently at Desmond.

"I'm sorry doctor, but I can't stand by and let you hurt those kids," Guardian said.

His mind was finally free.

"Fine. I'll fix it myself. That's what I get for trying to rely on incompetents." He held up the unstoppered vial, and everyone tensed. His voice was imperious and filled with arrogance as he boasted.

"With the power of Project Blockbuster, I will restore order to Cadmus."

Before anyone could stop him, Desmond drained the blue liquid in a single draught and immediately began to shake uncontrollably.

Guardian positioned himself in front of the group as the scientist's body began to contort forcibly and grow in mass. His skin peeled off grotesquely, flaking off to reveal a coarse blue concrete hide underneath.

Once his hair fell off, Desmond had grown to a shocking 8 feet in height, muscles swelled hugely till they dwarfed even Superboy's.

What had once been a human skull was now a square-shaped mass, devoid of any defining physical features beyond a mouth and red, demonic eyes. Clothes hung off his titanic frame in shreds as an animalistic growl emanated from his chest, eyeing all of us.

Project Blockbuster crouched muscles bulging as it prepared to tear us apart.

(Chapter End)

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