บท 117: No More Weakness
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(General P.O.V)
The pressure that would have normally crushed a normal human's body was nothing before Connor's durability. The rest of the journey after being brought to the outskirts of Poseidonis by Bio-ship and M'gann was carried out through swimming. Connor had an improvised re-breather, fashioned specifically to work underwater. It wasn't the first time a League member had accompanied Aquaman to Atlantis before. The Re-breather projected a thin film of energy that covered Connor's face and ended at the chin in a small and slim device that fit snuggly upon the Clone's chiseled Jawline. The device had one or rather two more functions. It allowed Connor to clearly process sound waves coming through water and see better. Although that last one was a bit redundant seeing as he had enhanced eyesight.
Kaldur gave a thumbs up to the Bio-ship and patted Connor's shoulders while smiling.
"Let us go my friend. We shall meet them again soon."
Connor gave him a nod but still took the time to look back at the Bio-ship.
"M'gann…"
He called telepathically, his psychic touch soft and warm.
"Yes Connor?"
M'gann answered back. Out of everyone she was the one person Connor would miss the most. He closed his eyes and soaked in the mind touch between them. M'gann projected her own feelings at him. Feelings he knew he also shared. Nothing needed to be addressed for now.
"Stay safe."
He finally said.
"You too."
She answered.
He gave Bio-ship an affectionate rub and then swam after Kaldur. The Bio-ship turned back and left. Connor felt the loss of M'gann's telepathic touch and clenched his fist. 'It's only for a month. Just until I get it. That feeling of strength. That power. It's my right.' He nodded to himself and increased his swimming speed to catch up with Kaldur.
He finally made it and they both swam in silence as Connor looked on in awe at the new environment. The Cadmus memories he had retained glossed over Atlantis, not really offering much apart from its structure. With Poseidonis being the capital and the other ocean states being subservient to the high king, Annax Orin. It went into detail about the tumultuous political divide and unrest, Poseidonis being more economically developed and generally more desirable to live in than the rest of the cities. But…what that information had failed to mention was just how beautiful the underwater city was.
Connor wasn't one to overly appreciate art but he felt like he was watching the most beautiful painting he had ever seen in his short life.
"Beautiful."
He commented, just as they made it to the southern entrance of the city. Two guards swam up to meet them, holding lances that gleamed with power.
"Halt."
One of them said.
"Wait. Kaldurahm is that really you?"
The other guard asked, holding the shoulder of the first one. The look in both their eyes changed when Kaldur nodded with a smile.
"Greetings. I hope you are both well."
The guards relaxed their stances.
"We are. I am sorry we did not recognize you right away."
"No matter." He waved the apology away before pointing at Connor. "This is a friend of mine. Connor Kent. I…"
"It's fine Kaldurahm, your friend is welcome in Poseidonis."
The guards said after sharing a brief look with each other.
"Thank you. Have a lovely day."
Connor followed Kaldur through the gate while studying the other teen in curiosity. Atlanteans left and right looked at them in interest and Kaldur more often than not had to answer greetings as they made their way to the palace.
"Seems like someone's famous around here."
Connor started the conversation. Kaldur sighed in mild exasperation.
"Yes. Since apprenticing under my king as Aqualad, my... prominence has risen up. Come, let us not keep the royal family waiting."
Kaldur said and shot off, leaving bubbles behind his feet. Connor narrowed his eyes, clearly the other teen did not want to talk about that particular subject. Connor could understand. He remembered the last conversation that had happened with Superman after his decision to come to Atlantis. His genetic father had been adamant to understand why he had elected to do so.
Connor had wanted to tell him everything. About the D.N.A patches... about Luthor. Instead, after finding out that the report the team had given had been missing a crucial detail...that is, the way he had accessed the rest of his Kryptonian heritage's powers, Connor had kept quiet. He understood that Kaldur was the one responsible. The other teen must have decided that this was a team thing and they would deal with it amongst themselves. Still...the guilt had been eating away at him. Which is why he left behind a letter for Superman along with the rest of the D.N.A patches. Requesting that he keep it under wraps so as to not get the team in trouble for covering for him.
They arrived at the palace and Kaldur's whole demeanor changed. He stood up straighter and his aura changed to that of a seasoned warrior. Kaldur slowed down and waited until Connor pulled up beside him.
"Before we go in. I need to know why you insisted on coming, my friend."
Connor had known the question would come, sooner or later. He looked at his hands and briefly remembered that fight with Aden. Connor had had enough of losing. Enough of being too weak to help his friends face the truly powerful. He didn't want to feel weak again.
He looked Kaldur straight in the eyes and said in the clearest tone he could,
"Strength. My own, so I don't have to go behind my teammate's back to use borrowed power. So that next time...we will not get blindsided without pushing back with everything I have."
Kaldur blinked his eyes. Understanding where Connor was coming from.
"Thank you for your honesty, Kon-El." He used his real name to address him. " I am not sure you will find what you seek but I can promise you, I feel the same way and will help you in every way I can. No more weakness."
He held out his hand and Connor clasped it with a nod.
"No more weakness."
The Kryptonian Genomorph Clone said with as much conviction as he could.
( A Few Hours later) The Watchtower.
"Don't mind the group setting. I thought it prudent to talk to you all at the same time. Now, who wants to go first?"
Black Canary asked the four teens sitting infront of her. Connor and Kaldur had left for Atlantis a couple of hours ago and Bio-ship had just made it back after taking them there. After M'gann had arrived, Canary had called them in for one final meeting before their 1 month suspension begun. None of them looked happy.
"I don't get it! Suddenly we're so inept that you had to suspend us for 1 month?"
Kid Flash shouted while getting up.
"The team wasn't even part of the Justice League when we formed it! Maybe Red Arrow was right. Maybe the League will never allow us to be independent."
He said to the others. Artemis looked away and shrunk on herself. The team was something special to her. Suddenly she had new friends who understood what it was like trying to balance two lives. And now that was going away.
Wally said all he wanted and sank back to his seat in a huff. Black Canary looked around at the other three.
"Who wants to go next? This is a safe place. You can say anything you want. Anything troubling you."
She told them, her gaze lingering on M'gann for a few more seconds than the rest.
"M'gann?"
Canary projected her thoughts out to the Martian girl in concern.
"Oh." She looked up startled.
"Sorry, I spaced out for a second."
She said after seeing everybody stare at her. Black Canary nodded in understanding.
"It's fine M'gann. I just wanted to ask you how you're feeling. You look more distracted than usual."
The Martian girl clasped her hands on her lap and struggled to find the words.
"Just...missing Connor is all."
She replied and looked away.
"Artemis...do you have anything to add?"
Canary called out to the resident archer out of nowhere.
"Me?" Artemis shook her head.
"I'm good. The League did what they thought was appropriate." Wally snorted at that and Artemis shot him a dead look. The speedster withered under everyone's look not just hers and looked away while muttering 'Sorry.'
"Mmmh." Canary hummed.
"I see. You said the League did what 'they' thought was appropriate. Can you elaborate on that."
Artemis sighed. She didn't like being put on the spot like that. However, she was never one to not speak her mind.
"Suspending us was...is the wrong move. The Justice League is already too understaffed even without taking us out of the fight. That move will strain the already strained resources further. And your reasons for doing so don't add or hold up. We can even operate from a coal factory, not having a base is not sufficient reason for you to ruin what we have been building."
She finished her rant and pulled her legs closer to he body on the large seat.
"Do the rest of you feel the same?"
She asked the others. Wally and M'gann seemed to agree. Wally looking at Artemis in a new light after her answer. Everything she had said resonated with him.
"Robin?"
Black Canary asked their final teammate who up until then had been silent. Too silent. Instead of answering her, Robin directed his gaze to his teammates.
"Did Kaldur or Connor feel the same?" He questioned them. Particularly looking at Artemis.
"Coz it seems to me like they couldn't wait to get out of here once the team suspension got extended to a full month."
Black Canary narrowed his eyes at Robin.
"Kaldur and Connor- Your teammates both had their reasons."
She said in a slightly hard tone. Robin sighed.
"Sorry. I didn't mean it that way. Look, I even get why they chose to do so. After seeing just how powerful Aden had gotten during our last mission, we all felt it. Weakness. Like we were being left so far back the next time we meet him out in the battlefield... he'll walk all over us. The same rang even more true for Kaldur as the leader and Connor because of his rivalry with Aden. But...we all felt the pressure."
He paused to collect himself.
"We all know Kaldur went back to Atlantis to complete his magic studies or failing that at least grow stronger and I think that is the same for Connor as well. He must have thought that something Atlantis has, could stand in for those patches he used on the latest mission to access his full Kryptonian abilities."
Black Canary stilled in place. Her hand pausing from the notes she had been taking.
"Dude!"
Wally shouted out at him. Even M'gann and Artemis stared at Robin in surprise at the casual bomb drop.
Boy Wonder on the other hand waved off their concerns.
"She is bound by client confidentiality. She won't tell anyone."
Black Canary narrowed her eyes.
"Besides, if I know Connor, he's already talked to Superman about it. Maybe."
Black Canary cleared her throat and decided to consult with the man of steel later.
"Moving on...what were you saying?"
She prompted Robin to continue.
"The point is...I am conflicted. Batman has always taught me to trust in my guts, skills and teammates. To always be prepared. To hit from the shadows and avoid a protracted fight. So the blatant directness, Connor and Kaldur are using to get more powerful so as to punch harder is..."
"Not something you can easily reconcile with."
Canary concluded for him.
"I mean, what if Connor gets what he wants and becomes even more power hungry? Where does he stop? We all know what those things did to him. They made him more violent. What if...what if he changes? What if he leaves us behind...like Aden did?"
Silence reigned. All of the teens had their heads turned to the ground. Black Canary took a short moment to organize her thoughts before speaking.
"Then don't let it happen." They looked up at her in shock.
"What do you mean?"
"It's not a crime to better yourself. Your skills. Just because you can't hit harder doesn't mean you can't incapacitate someone. Use your creativity. This month should be a sort of rebirth for all of you. A turning point. Maybe even a new starting point. M'gann, better your shape shifting abilities and telekinesis, Artemis diversify your arrows and close quarter combat, Kid Flash learn how to use your speed better to fight. You can form tornados. Get more creative. You might not be faster than the Flash but don't copy his fighting style. Create your own with what you have. And Robin. Train your body to get limber, more agile. Then get your skills to Master level and beyond. To augment your strength, I suggest a weapon sturdy enough for hitting harder not to matter. I even have a few suggestions. All I am saying is... Kaldur and Connor will make the best of this month. Don't let yourselves waste it."
(Later)
Black Canary and Captain Atom came out of the Zeta tube from within an abandoned telephone booth.
"You're late." Batman told them. He was standing in an alleyway littered with trash.
"Sorry, the talk went on longer than I anticipated. We're here now."
She then took a deep breath and nodded to Captain Atom who returned the gesture. With that, the decision had been made.
"They're ready."
Black Canary told Batman.
The Dark Knight was silent for a few seconds before he stepped to the side and pointed at a man leaning on a dumpster him.
"This...is Richard Dragon." Black Canary gasped.
"A friend. A rival and one of the best martial artists in the world. He will train them to the best of his capabilities. He will break them and reforge them anew."
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