The Red Fire Android's chest eyes glowed with a blazing orange as her hands snapped up towards her, the air around her warping as twin jets of flames erupted from her palms.
"Break!", I shouted as I barrel-rolled to the left, Megan rolling to the right while Velocity became a blur of blue lightning and slid under the inferno.
Diving towards the Red Fire android, she quickly moved out of the way as I grinned and slammed my fists into the ground, unleashing a shockwave that rippled across the land and made her stumble.
That made her unsteady as her heat blast flew over my back, Velocity coming in from the side before landing a punch that sent the android rolling across the ground.
"Now, Ms. Martian!", I called out while running after the android, who lifted a hand to me only for said hand to bend backwards and unleash a blast of scorching heat at her own face.
The blast sent her flipping through the air as Ms. Martian's eyes flared white, a wave of psychic pressure descending from above and slamming the android deep into the ground.
Circuits sparked along the android's temple as her movements were jerky and Ms. Martian lifted her up once before I leapt through the air. Raising my foot high, Ms. Martian let go right as I brought an axe-kick down onto her, the air rumbling as the force from the attack sent her crashing into the ground.
"Velocity, EMP!"
"Easy!", Velocity spoke with a grin as he rushed below us, circling around the machine in an instant and his speed left a trail of crackling static behind him.
At his final pass, he came to a stop before punching against the android's back, the force of the punch sending her rolling for a few yards before she flipped over.
As she lifted a hand to Velocity, the speedster just grinned before activating the button in his hand and I dropped as I watched the violet spark of electricity erupting from the device and making it stagger.
However, I frowned as that was not enough and we watched as the android let out a low metallic chuckle that sounded far too eerie.
"You believe an Electromagnetic disruption in her circuits is enough to stop my creations?!" The voice coming from her lips sounded like that of a mad scientist and my eyes widened as her arms split open.
Twin cannons glowing deep crimson came out of her open arms and the ground beneath her cracked as the air itself shimmered when she opened her chest to reveal the bubbling hot core inside of her.
"She's going critical."
"Crap! Velocity!"
"Already on it!", He called out as he turned and rushed away, going to fetch Robin and Aqualad since they're the better ones for this.
Turning back to the Android, I frowned as she levelled her cannons at us before turning to Ms. Martial as she took a deep breath.
"We need to keep her attention on us because Gotham is nearby and if she targets it, it's all over."
"Oh, that's fun, then. Well, let's make sure she doesn't."
"Then, let us dance this deadly waltz, madam", With a grunt, the air rumbled as I shot through the air, pushing myself beyond the speed of what I was comfortable with.
The Red Android lifted her cannons before twin suns evaporated any moisture in the air as they shot towards me, but I grinned as a wave of psychic pressure appeared in front of me and pushed the flames to the sides.
The heat from it was still hot enough to make me notice it, but I pushed through the flames and pulled a fist back, swinging it forward the second I crashed into the android.
That punch was not just with Kryptonian strength but also fuelled with the energy of my Tactile Telekinesis, the blow rippling through her body before the energy surged outwards and snapped her head to the side.
That was not the thing as sparks exploded from the joints of her neck, but I didn't stop there as I landed and lashed out with a heavy left hook to her side.
The metal bent and warped under the impact while my TTK flared again, sending a shockwave to her internal circuits under the armoured plating and making them go haywire.
I frowned as I felt the wild energy from my TTK wanting to run rampant, which made sense since I was actively using it to attack someone instead of just simply levitating myself with it.
Grabbing onto the left cannon as she swung it at my head, I grabbed it before bringing my fist down, slicing it off before grunting as a powerful explosion sent both of us flying in opposite direction.
'Holy shit, that was addictive', I thought with a smirk as I kept my breathing steady, clenching my fists while watching the red android struggling to stand up.
I could feel her weight, the way energy flowed from her core to the cannons and how it channelled energy to hit something directly on the inside.
"You…they said you were still unfinished", The Red Fire Android snarled, half of her face hanging loosely. I frowned at its words as Ms. Martian landed besides me, realizing that Ivo may have been in contact with the Light.
"What do you mean that people said I'm unfinished?"
"They said your DNA was not ready yet. Did they lie to me? No, they need my work", Instead of answering me, the voice continued to mutter to itself and I frowned while turning to Ms. Martian who gave a shrug.
It was at that second that Velocity came to a sliding stop besides us, both Aqualad and Robin looking queasy while I smirked as the Boy Wonder wiggled a finger in his ear.
"I'm guessing his speed doesn't protect you guys from the sonic booms."
"That and no protection…against the wind pressure. My face is numb," Aqualad spoke with a frown and I smirked as Velocity just shrugged before I turned to Robin as he finally stopped moving his jaw.
"Okay, I can see the problem", Robin spoke as he rolled his shoulders and I nodded as the android retracted her one functional cannon and one destroyed cannon before her core began to glow brighter.
"Yeah, she's losing control and from what I can feel, there's more than enough energy to take out Gotham and the surrounding area for miles."
"Surrounding area? From what I've scanned, try the entire East Coast", Robin provided and I frowned before Aqualad's water bearers began to glow.
"We need to isolate her to make sure the explosion doesn't happen."
"I can try and isolate the core with my tactile telekinesis. It acts like a heart and a brain to her so if I can shut down that connection, it might shut her down."
"You'll be exposed to the full blast of her energy systems", Aqualad warned and Robin nodded as Velocity added a few things.
"That's assuming she doesn't shoot your face off first or explode out of spite. You know, mad AI, dramatic monologue, kaboom."
"Ms. Martian, anything to add here?" I asked and smirked as she raised an eyebrow.
"Are you going to listen if I say this is a very dumb, very bad idea?"
"Not in the slightest."
"Then we'll have to go for it since none of us have the durability or endurance to stay close to her for long", She said and I nodded as Robin simply typed at his gauntlet-computer while sparks rippled across Velocity's body and water gathered in the form of whips at the end of Aqualad's handles.
"Got it. Since I'm sure Batman's going to be mad at me if I destroy it, we're going to have to make sure it's still in tact at the end. Robin, Aqualad, handle the arms and make sure they're disabled. Ms. Martian, back me up and shield us if she does decide to go supernova. Velocity, you do what you do best."
"And what's that?", The speedster asked before he grinned as I raised an eyebrow in response.
"Be an annoying little bastard."
"Oh, that I can do", He answered before he dashed off, Robin and Aqualad not wasting time as the both of them rushed in with me running behind them.
The Android's head jerked up and stared directly at me, its red optics flashing wildly before I frowned at the static voice that spoke.
"P-P-PROJECT K-KR…YOU…ARE…DEFECTIVE. YOU…ARE NOT…COMPLETE…SHUT DOWN…RED SUN…"
"I'm done being a slave, you bastard!", I growled as I clenched my fist, Velocity rushing past before running circles around the android.
"Come on, this is all you got? Holy crap, and here I thought Red Tornado was defective", Robin threw down smoke pellets into the tornado, blocking the Android's vision while also throwing bird-a-rangs that cut at the exposed area of her body.
"Oi, scrap metal! Look at me! Here I am!" Aqualad moved with fluid grace as he swung a water bearer at the android, sending out a blast of condensed water as Velocity stopped and let it hit her.
It was at that second that I leapt through the air, Velocity rushing back as I tackled the Android to the floor before stabbing both hands into her chest and grabbed the core.
It was scorching to the touch, my tactile telekinesis helping me grab the energy before I forced it inwards.
"Now!" I exclaimed as I kept the energy contained, psychic shields forming around both the android and I right as the core imploded.
Energy was pulled away before it rippled outwards, making me grit my teeth as it burned at my clothes and crackled across my skin, but I forced myself through the sparks of pain as I did my best to make sure it stayed in one place.
The blinding light coming from her core began to die down and I groaned as I sat backwards, the Red Android's eyes dark as the glow from its core was now completely gone.
"Everything good?!", I heard Robin shouting and turned to see all of them hiding behind Ms. Martian's psychic shield, the girl in question lowering her arms with a shaky breath as she caught herself and gave me a thumbs-up.
"It's done", I answered as I stood up, standing up with a groan as the others approached, Robin wincing as he expected the burned remains.
"Yeah, that's definitely toast."
"We'll need to take the remains back to the Cave as Batman will most likely want to do analysis", Aqualad added with a grim face and I nodded as I picked it up with a grunt.
"Dude, you went full crazy berserker mode back there", Velocity spoke with a whistle and I smirked before turning to Ms. Martian as she gently touched my shoulder with a soft smile.
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah, just a bit sore from using the telekinesis, I think."
"I remember the first time I overused my telekinesis. Had a headache for a week. That was not fun", She said with a shake of her head and I chuckled as I adjusted my grip on the android's body.
"Considering my head's already starting to hurt, I think you're going to have to guide me through the pain for the week."
"O-Oh? Well, I wouldn't mind it."
"Hey, you two are doing that telepathy thing again, aren't you?", Robin spoke with a knowing smirk and I rolled my eyes as Ms. Martian giggled.
"It's not our telepathy thing. It's just telepathy."
"Eh, it's only the two of you talking so I'd say it's your telepathy thing", Velocity said and I rolled my eyes before blinking as I saw only Ms. Martian's motorcycle next to the truck.
"Ah, you've returned", Goblin spoke with a grunt as he climbed down from the truck while we all stared at the horde of MONQIs lying around him like bodies.
"…You are quite the capable one, eh Goblin?"
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"P-P-PROJECT K-KR…YOU…ARE…DEFECTIVE…" The main room of Titan Mountain was silent as we all watched the recording, Batman standing at the head of the holographic table while we all sat around the table.
"Well, that's subtle", Richard spoke with a frown as he leaned back and I felt M'gann's hand touching my shoulder with a comforting warmth as Wally whistled.
"Looks like Luthor wants you back, Chris", He said from where he was seated and I frowned as I processed the message.
I know that Luthor would be pissed at the fact that I was responsible for Cadmus going under, but I didn't think he'd be pissed-off enough to send a nuclear android after me.
'Who am I kidding? This is Lex Luthor here, the guy that hate Superman.'
"The android was loaded with Cadmus tech. It possessed the same suppression protocols in its database that were used on Superboy during his time with Cadmus and the same adaptive combat software keyed specifically to Kryptonian combat signatures", Batman spoke and my jaw tightened as Kaldur frowned.
"It wasn't made to kill Kryptonians. It was made to test Superboy."
"I thought Cadmus was shut down?", M'gann asked with a frown and Batman nodded as he dismissed the recording.
"Officially, it was, but with Luthor, one should not be surprised when he still has numerous backups to make sure the company is not gone entirely."
"I found some encrypted metadata on the android's blackbox, but it's a code unlike what I've seen."
"Most likely the same Kryptonian coding Superman uses for the Fortress of Solitude. I'll tell him to look at it. In the meantime, no missions for the next month."
"Oh, come on~", Wally groaned, but I surprised him as I crossed my arms and nodded.
"Batman is right. This was just the first attack as he wants to provoke me, draw me out and see how I respond. If we continue to do missions, he'll continue to send his androids after me and we might not be in the middle of a field next time."
"That and you still need some time to rest after your overusage of your telekinesis", Connor added and I nodded before Batman turned off the holotable.
"For tonight, rest easy. You managed to make a plan and prevented Amazo's body from being recovered. His head is gone, but without the body, he can't be turned on and become a threat."
"Is that a compliment right there, Batman?", I asked with a smirk, everyone smirking as the Dark Knight didn't say anything and continued walking.
"Not a compliment. Simply a congratulations for a job well-done."
"Sure, it is. Thank you for the compliment, Batman!"
"One of these days, he's going to get mad enough to throw kryptonite at you", Richard spoke up with a smirk and I snorted as I stood up.
"When that happens, you can tell me I told you so. Alright, I guess that's our mission done for the day. Everyone go rest up and we'll run through what we did right and wrong. Yes, that includes you, Wally."
"Urgh~ Fine", The speedster grumbled as he vanished with a sparking blue blur, Richard and Kaldur nodding as they made their way to the Zeta Tubes before I turned to M'gann as she spoke up.
"So…you ready for that help with the telekinetic headaches?"
"I'll be in your room", Connor spoke up as he hopped down to the floor and I turned to M'gann, who looked a bit nervous before giving an excited smile as I nodded.
"Sure, let's do some of that healing."
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The medical scanner hummed as I sat on the edge of the bed, my tattered shirt lying on the floor as M'gann stood in front of me while gently running one of her Martian healing devices across the burns that covered my body.
"You're lucky your skin is practically invincible. One more second in that core blast and you might not have walked out."
"I would have crawled out then. Dramatically and with smoke in the background and everything."
"Don't do that, please", She spoke with a smile, but I met her gaze as her hand lingered on my shoulder for a moment longer.
"I had to. If I didn't and she had exploded near Gotham…"
"I know. I know why you did it, but that doesn't mean I-I mean we have to like it", She muttered as she slowly ran it across my chest, our eyes still locked on each other as she let out a sigh.
"Watching you dive into that core with nothing but your will to protect others…it felt like watching someone I lo…I care for disappear."
"I didn't disappear, especially since I knew you were watching", I answered and smiled as she looked taken aback.
"I felt you…right before the core imploded. The shield you placed around me, it…it kept my mind grounded, away from the pain and made sure I didn't lose."
"…Hah, you're reckless", She whispered and I raised an eyebrow as she placed two fingers to my temple before my eyes widened as I could feel what she felt.
Her desperation, her panic, her hope…and the pride and joy that overwhelmed her when I finished. I could also feel her feeling my anticipation, my fear, my anxiety and my relief when I actually managed to save the day.
"…Wow…", She muttered as she slowly sat down besides me, the emotional rollercoaster we just underwent taking more out of her than she expected.
I just smiled as I processed what I just felt before surprising her as I wrapped an arm around her and pulled her closer.
"You are one amazing Martian, you know that?"
"And you're one crazy Kryptonian."
"Hey, we'll make a good team then", I said and chuckled as she blushed before resting her hand on mine.
"I think we will."
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The room was dark, lined with seven screens side by side that each had a shadowed silhouette on it and the letter 'L' with a number from 1 to 7 at the corner of their screen.
"Another asset lost. The Android was supposed to endure far longer", The silhouette of Screen L-2 spoke, their voice calm but laced with disdain that made Screen L-4 let out a soft chuckle.
" 'Supposed to' are the keywords there. Perhaps next time, do not have her heart built to be a bomb."
"It served its purpose. We have the data we needed and more importantly, we now have Project Kr on record", Screen L-1 spoke up and Screen L-5 sneered at the recording of Connor playing at the bottom left of their screen.
"He survived that explosion. Not unscathed, but still alive. No metahuman should have been able to do that."
"Do remember that he is not just a metahuman but also half-Kryptonian", Screen L-3 spoke up, their voice rumbling like ancient stone before Screen L-6 spoke up, their hologram floating upside down.
"Ooh~ I like him. He burns bright and big and stupid, like a matchstick in a hurricane. Can I play with him next?"
"No. Project Kr has remained largely off the radar except for that one incident at the Venom factor. Now, we have seen his level of power and it is highly inconvenient, especially with how close he and the Martian girl are", Screen L-1 spoke and silence reigned before L-2 spoke up.
"You believe he has bonded to her?"
"Not yet, but it's forming and that's means leverage. Emotional manipulation, to put it simple. If we can't control him, we may yet be able to use him."
"Proceed carefully. If he is what I suspect, then his true potential has yet to awaken. Do not underestimate him", L-7 spoke up for the first time, their voice distorted beyond recognition as L-1 spoke up once more.
"Then we push him. Again and again until he either breaks…or joins us."
A/N: Dun-dun-dun~! The Light are beginning to move and I think I've figured out who everyone is going to be inside the Light.
Obviously, most of them are going to be canon characters, but I am thinking of switching a few out as the story goes on to keep things interesting. Who those are? You'll have to wait and see.
Also, M'gann and Chris are bonding and that first date may soon come, but we'll have to wait for that one.
Like always, you can go to my Pat-reon-.-com-/-KingCrimsonNova to read ahead on this as well as many other stories & even some that haven't been released out to this site yet. If you want to, you are free to, but if you don't want, all's good as I will still be uploading here. This is just me trying to get some extra cash.
As always, read, enjoy, review and until next week...
Ba-Bye~!