"He's exhausted," Aqualad observed, his voice a low rumble that felt more like a command than a statement. He signaled to the others, his webbed fingers steady. "And the ring is fluctuating. Robin?"
The Boy Wonder was already moving, a handheld scanner chirping in his grip. "Energy signature is off the charts, but it's erratic. Not Oan—at least, not a frequency the League has on file. And those eyes? Biometric scan didn't just see a mutation; it saw a reflex. He was tracking my heart rate before I even landed."
I leaned my back against the turbine, letting my head loll. I didn't have to act tired; the Sharingan's drain was real. "If you're going to arrest me, do it," I muttered, looking at Kid Flash, who was vibrating so fast he was a yellow blur. "But if you've got a sandwich in that belt, I'd take that instead."
Wally snorted, coming to a halt. "Kid's got priorities. I like him."
"We are not arresting you," Kaldur said, stepping into my personal space. He offered a hand—a gesture of trust that felt entirely too choreographed. "But you are a danger to yourself and this town. We have a place where you can be safe. Where we can find out what that ring is."
"And the eyes?" I asked, taking his hand. His grip was like granite.
"Those too."
They led me to a sleek, silent craft hidden by a cloaking field—the Bio-Ship. As the translucent ramp lowered, I took a mental snapshot of every curve, every biological seam, and the way the organic material pulsed with a faint life force. The Sharingan recorded it all. Instant recall. I'd know how to navigate this thing in my sleep by tomorrow.
The flight to Mount Justice was short. I spent it slumped in a bio-seat, watching the ocean turn into a blur of dark blue.
"Power at 7.4%," the Ring whispered. "Deep-space transmission detected. Zeta-beam signature identified ahead."
"Keep it quiet," I thought. "Don't broadcast unless I tell you."
We entered the mountain through the sea-cave hanger. The scale was massive, carved out of the very rock of the coast. The air was pressurized and smelled of ozone and high-end electronics. As we stepped off the ship, a mechanical voice boomed through the hall.
Recognized: Aqualad, B-0-2. Robin, B-0-1. Kid Flash, B-0-3. Guest: Unknown.
Standing in the center of the hub was Red Tornado. The android didn't breathe, didn't blink, and radiated a level of calculated stillness that made my lawyer brain itch to find a loophole in his programming.
"You have brought a civilian to the Cave," Tornado stated.
"He's not just a civilian," Robin said, tapping his wrist computer to project a hologram of my energy surge. "He's someone who can generate large amount of kinetic energy without control. Someone with an unregistered power ring and strange ocular abilities. We found him red-lining at the power plant."
Red Tornado's head turned toward me. I felt the invisible weight of a dozen different sensors washing over me. "The boy is malnourished and experiencing significant neural strain. Take him to the infirmary. I will notify Batman."
Batman. The one person who could actually ruin this.
I followed Kaldur toward the living quarters, my eyes darting to every camera, every vent, and every reinforced door. I was a Trojan horse. I needed to find a way to recharge this ring, and I needed to do it without tripping an alarm that would bring the Dark Knight down on my head.
"This is your room for now," Kaldur said, gesturing to a spartan but clean dormitory. "Rest. We will have food brought to you. Tomorrow, we talk."
"Thanks," I said, my voice flat.
He lingered for a second, his pale eyes searching mine. "You're lucky, Vex. Most people with that kind of power don't get a soft landing."
"Luck had nothing to do with it," I replied.
I waited until the door hissed shut. I didn't go to the bed. I went to the wall, pressing my ear against the smooth surface. The Mountain was vibrating. Somewhere in this rock, there was a massive power core.
I looked at the ring. 7.1%.
"Ring," I whispered. "Can you siphon energy from a localized electrical grid if I give you a physical conduit?"
"Affirmative. Efficiency of energy will be reduced by 60% without a Power Battery. Risk of detection: High."
I sat on the floor and closed my eyes, summoning the image of the warehouse, the alley, and the office where I died. I needed to stay rational. If I tried to tap the main reactor, Batman would be here in ten minutes. I needed something smaller. Something they wouldn't miss.
"We start small," I told myself. "We learn their routines. We copy their moves. And then, we take the mountain."