Mount Justice
"I already told you, Conner, you need to train more," Wally advised the clone. They got along well—enjoying food, watching TV together—and Wally often brought Conner some history books or light reads to keep him distracted.
"I'm a good fighter," the clone replied with a shrug. "All you do is jump at the enemy. That didn't work so well against Blockbuster." Wally spat at that name, still remembering the pain he suffered from that damn scientist.
"A fighting style matters. Strength is useless if your opponent can predict your moves. Believe me, it's happened to me before," Wally told his clone friend, who looked thoughtful.
"Cookies are ready!" Megan called from the kitchen, pulling the tray from the oven. Conner and Wally left the training room to enjoy something sweet.
"Thanks, beautiful," Wally said, munching on a cookie. Megan smiled. Conner ate quietly and nodded at her in appreciation.
Just then, Robin and Aqualad entered the room. "According to Batman, he's sending someone to help with our training," Robin told the team.
"I bet ten bucks it's Black Canary," Wally said, grabbing another cookie.
"Then you win the bet," said a busty blonde woman whose outfit accentuated every attribute.
"Holy Virgin, miss, even a nun would scold you for that outfit," Wally joked, earning a smirk from Dinah.
"I volunteered to help you improve teamwork and combat technique," she said, while Conner thought the whole thing was stupid.
"I see skeptics," Black Canary noted, catching Conner's expression. He just looked at her.
"You're easy to read when you're mad," Wally told the clone, who glared back. Kid Flash just shrugged at his friend's look.
"How about helping me demonstrate something, Wally?" Dinah asked.
"Me?" Kid Flash blinked, and she nodded.
"I don't know, I'm the clumsiest and most careless one on the team," he replied with a nervous grin.
"Flash didn't say that," she countered. Kid Flash's posture and gaze changed in a second—he went from relaxed and friendly to intense and intimidating. The very air felt different.
(That book on intimidation techniques was right—you don't need a killer instinct, size, or muscles. With the right gestures and moves, you can instill fear more than with brute force.)
Kid Flash used only 30 of the 180 intimidation techniques, and it seemed to work—Canary's body tensed, and his teammates, especially Conner and Megan, looked on edge with their heightened instincts.
"Want me to go first?" Kid Flash asked seriously, looking at Dinah, who now looked more serious herself. She removed her jacket, revealing a wound on her left shoulder.
"I'll show you the kind of dangers you can face in the field," she said when she noticed Miss Martian's concerned look.
Wally stared seriously at his opponent. This woman was in the League for a reason—not just her Canary Cry, but her martial arts expertise, recognized by Batman and Green Arrow. Dinah studied Wally. Zatara and Flash's words echoed in her mind, and Wally's shift in stance proved he wasn't ignorant in hand-to-hand combat.
"If ladies don't go first, then I'll be a gentleman," Kid Flash said, launching a low axe kick at Dinah, who tried to catch it but had to dodge when he shifted to a right elbow aimed at her face. She dodged again, but Kid Flash kept increasing the speed of his strikes. His fighting style was odd—his kata seemed designed to distract and catch his opponent off guard.
(Toad-style kata works—thanks, Jiraiya-sama), Wally thought with a grin. Canary couldn't predict his moves. Now the blind fighter technique—Kid Flash hit her pressure points, making her eyes widen when her right arm went numb. Then he swept her off her feet.
"Nice job," Robin praised. Conner nodded.
"Well done, Wally!" Megan added enthusiastically.
"Hope I passed your test, ma'am," Wally said, offering his hand. Canary took it, a bit surprised by his skill. (Don't underestimate him)—Flash's warning rang in her head.
After the match, Conner didn't want to continue training, frustrated that he hadn't fared as well as Wally. But Dinah showed him that Wally had earned that win.
"Conner, we have a mission!" Wally shouted, and the clone joined the group.
"Eight hours ago, the League fought an android capable of mimicking powers. It took eight members and four hours to take it down," Batman explained, showing an image of the humanoid robot—nearly two meters tall, muscular, shirtless.
"What powers did it copy?" Kid Flash asked.
"Why do you ask?" Batman replied.
"Security reasons," Wally answered.
"Superman, Martian Manhunter, Flash, Captain Atom, Wonder Woman, and Black Canary. Green Arrow and I were the others," Batman stated. Wally took a thoughtful stance.
"Did the robot show any weakness to Kryptonite when it had Superman's powers?" he asked.
"Yes," Batman confirmed. A smile spread across Kid Flash's face.
"Thanks," he said.
"Your job is to escort the trucks transporting its parts to STAR Labs," Batman added.
"We're taking out the trash," Superboy grunted.
"You got something better to do?" Batman asked. Conner just frowned.
"Chill, dude. We'll probably get attacked. No way criminals wouldn't want a power-copying robot. Bet we'll get company," Wally said, starting to pack.
"What are you bringing?" Robin asked.
"Gear for Superman, Manhunter, Flash, Captain Atom… and maybe Black Canary and Wonder Woman," Kid Flash replied seriously.
"You think we'll fight the robot again?"
"Nothing ever goes as planned. Someone will try to take it. If they succeed, we'll face something that challenged eight League members for four hours," Kid Flash stated.
"Bring extra Kryptonite. Fuel too. Explosives. If we beat this thing, I don't want to see a hundred more of them just because someone rebuilt it. That thing shouldn't exist," he added.
"The League won't be happy," Robin noted.
"Doesn't matter. It's our job to fix what the League messed up," Kid Flash said, finishing packing his magically-enhanced bag from Zatara.
Hours later
The team waited for the trucks to move out. Kid Flash could feel Superman's gaze—he had no respect for privacy.
"Looks like it's go time," he sighed. He was the only one running instead of using a bike. Not that he minded—but he did want one.
"Kid Flash, Robin, and Superboy to the right. Miss Martian and I to the left," Aqualad ordered.
"Understood," they all responded mentally.
Kid Flash ran. Everything seemed in slow motion—it was boring. If you weren't mentally prepared, you could fall asleep.
(Aqualad to team: we're under attack.)
"Monkey robots," Superboy growled.
"I hate monkeys," he snarled.
"Since when?" Robin asked.
"Destroy robot monkeys now, ask questions later," Kid Flash declared, punching one with his brass knuckles.
"Superboy, handle the flyers! Robin, protect the driver!" Wally ordered, destroying another robot with a kick, then a punch. He grabbed one by the tail and smashed it into two others.
Superboy rampaged through the robots. Robin used his birdarangs to take out others.
(Aqualad to team: we lost our cargo.)
"More monkeys!" Robin shouted.
"Bring it on, bastards!" Kid Flash yelled. Then the truck exploded, and they saw the monkeys carrying off Amazo's parts.
"Robin, were the other trucks attacked?" Kid Flash asked.
"No—they're intact. Which means…"
"They have a tracker," Robin realized, just as Superboy vanished.
"Focus!" Kid Flash snapped.
Watchtower
"Five hours ago, the team assigned to escort Amazo's parts was attacked by monkey robots," Batman reported, showing footage.
"So the team lost the robot?" Hawkgirl asked.
"No. They tracked the bots and destroyed Amazo," Batman stated.
"They destroyed it?" Diana asked. Batman nodded.
"When I asked Kid Flash why, he said: 'We did the job you couldn't.'"
"And what does that mean?" Hawkman asked.
"He said that creation shouldn't exist and stopped more from being built," Batman explained, understanding Kid Flash's logic.
"That kid's smarter than we give him credit for," Captain Atom added.
"That thing was tech we didn't understand," Green Arrow said.
"It was a threat. If terrorists got their hands on it, mass destruction would follow," Captain Atom added, silencing Arrow.
"I have security footage from Happy Harbor High, where Amazo fought Kid Flash, Robin, and Superboy," Batman said.
"You're saying three kids took that thing down?" Arrow asked.
"Watch the footage—unless you'd rather keep interrupting," Batman growled.
The video showed a quiet gym, then Superboy crashing through a wall. Amazo kicked him deeper into the floor. Some heroes winced.
"Robin, grab that lunatic!" Kid Flash shouted.
"Is that Professor Ivo?"
"Don't care if it's Frankenstein—don't let him order that damn tin can around!" Kid Flash yelled, punching Amazo's face.
"You dare insult my creation?! Amazo has the powers of the originals. You are mere copies!" Ivo declared.
Switching to Black Canary
Kid Flash was sent flying, clutching his bleeding ears from the Canary Cry. He needed time to recover.
"Superboy, back me up!"
Switching to Martian Manhunter
Superboy passed through the robot. Kid Flash threw a small bomb, starting a fire and forcing Amazo out of Martian form.
Switching to Superman
Kid Flash swapped to trench knives from Zatara. (Gotta take this seriously), he thought, removing his bracers.
"Oh, the boy really is serious," Zatara said, smiling.
"Finish watching," Batman ordered.
In a flash, Kid Flash landed five strikes with the knives, damaging the robot. Amazo swung, but Kid Flash phased through.
Switching to Flash
Amazo tried to hit Wally, but he threw small bombs, knocking it back. Superboy charged.
Switching to Manhunter
Superboy's ground punch failed.
"Hit him when he changes—I'll use fire," Kid Flash gasped, low on energy and starving.
Amazo punched again. Kid Flash blocked, wincing.
"I'm getting tired," he muttered.
Switching to Black Canary
Kid Flash ran at full speed, threw a grenade into Amazo's mouth, and gagged it. The robot overheated.
"Get back!" he yelled. Superboy shielded Wally from the explosion.
The robot's head was gone.
"Finish it!" Wally yelled. Superboy pounded it to scrap.
"Robin, did you catch the bastard who made this?!"
"Got him!" Robin said, dragging Ivo out.
"My creation!" Ivo screamed—until Wally punched him out.
"Shut up, you damn bastard!" he growled, kicking him until Robin stopped him.
"Get this piece of trash away from me before I rip him apart," Wally muttered, sitting down.
"I'm starving. I want pizza. Or a burger," he groaned.
Robin poured acid on Amazo's remains.
"What are you doing?" Superboy asked.
"The League made a mistake keeping it alive. Better to destroy it," Kid Flash said.
"We couldn't subdue it—that's our report," Wally added.
"Fine by me," Superboy replied.
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