I hit the warehouse floor like a meteor, the green-light glider collapsing into a shockwave that sent three guards sprawling into stacks of wooden crates. The air in the building was stifling, smelling of tropical rot and high-grade industrial lubricant.
"Vex! We said observation," Robin's voice hissed in my ear.
"They had a lock on my position," I lied, my voice strained from the sheer pressure of the stolen energy. "I had to neutralize the line of sight."
I didn't wait for a rebuttal. I turned my head, the Sharingan spinning. In the dim light, the world was a high-contrast map of energy. I saw a guard reaching for a sidearm. I saw the tension in his forearm, the way his weight shifted to his back foot. Before he could clear leather, I flicked a finger. A tiny, high-velocity green bolt, the size of a marble, struck the barrel of his gun, soldering the metal shut.
The gun exploded in his hand. He screamed, clutching his wrist.
"Non-lethal," I muttered, more to the comms than myself.
I moved toward the back of the warehouse where the high-value cargo sat. The "illegal tech" wasn't just electronics; I could see the faint, pulsing blue glow through the slats of the crates. Reach technology. I recognized the aesthetic from my meta-knowledge. It looks like Blue Beetle's scarab. Organic, insectoid, and dangerously advanced.
"Aqualad, I've found the primary shipment," I said, stepping over a fallen guard. "It's shielded, but the energy signature thats bleeding through. It's not human."
"Understood. Secure the perimeter. We are moving to your location," Kaldur replied.
I had thirty seconds. I knelt by the largest crate and placed my ring-hand against the wood.
"Ring. Can you interface with this? Scavenge any compatible data or power."
"Interface successful. Technology is non-standard. Scanning... high-density plasma cells detected. Attempting siphon."
The green light of my ring began to bleed into a sharp, electric blue. The sensation was different from the transformer—cleaner, colder, and much more potent.
Secondary storage: 85%... 92%... 98%.
"Power levels stabilized," the AI whispered. "Main Battery remains at 6.0%. Secondary reserves are at maximum capacity."
I pulled my hand back just as the warehouse doors hissed open. Robin swung down from the rafters, landing silently beside me. He looked at the crate, then at me. His mask-lenses narrowed.
"The crate's steaming, Vex. What did you do?"
"I tried to see if the ring could neutralize the power source," I said, putting on my best 'clueless but trying' face. "It vibrated for a second, then went quiet. I think I shorted it out."
Robin pulled out a tech-interface tool, plugging it into the crate's side. "You didn't just short it. You collapsed the main power source. How?"
"I don't know," I snapped, leaning into the irritation. "The ring does what it wants half the time. I'm just trying not to get shot."
Kaldur and Kid Flash arrived a moment later, surveying the room. The mission was a total success. Cargo tagged, guards neutralized, and no casualties. But I could feel the shift in the air. They weren't looking at me like a victim anymore. I was starting to seem less like an annoying teenager and more like a competent teammate.
"We have what we need," Aqualad said, though his eyes lingered on the scorched transformer outside the window. "Return to the Bio-Ship. We must report to Batman."
As we walked back through the jungle, the stolen Reach energy felt like ice in my veins. I had a full tank of an alien power source and a brain full of copied combat data. I was now more than just surviving. I was becoming an apex predator in a garden of sidekicks.
I looked at the back of Robin's head. He was already typing away on his wrist-comp, likely sending a detailed report on my "unpredictable" power spikes.
Let him report, I thought. By the time they figure out how much I know, I'll have already copied everything they have to teach.
Back at the Cave, the atmosphere was thick with unspoken questions. Superboy had finally been moved into the general living quarters, and his brooding presence added a new layer of tension to the room. He was sitting on the sofa, staring at the wall with a look that could melt lead.
I walked past him toward the kitchen, my ring-hand tucked in my pocket to hide the faint, unstable flickering of the Reach energy.
"You," Superboy said, his voice a low growl.
I stopped. "Vex. You're the one from the lab, right? The 'S' on the chest is a bit on the nose."
He stood up, his physical presence even more imposing than Batman's because it lacked the theatricality. It was just raw, unadulterated strength. "That smell on you when you walked in. You smell like the machines back at Cadmus."
"It's been a long day," I said, meeting his gaze. I didn't activate the Sharingan, but I let my focus sharpen. "The world is full of machines, Superboy. Some of them are just more powerful than others."
He stepped closer, his jaw set. "Don't get in my way."
"Wasn't planning on it," I replied, a small, cold smile touching my lips. "I prefer the view from the side anyway."
I walked away, heading for my room. I needed to discharge this Reach energy into a more stable construct before it started affecting my biology. But more importantly, I had a new goal.
If Superboy was a clone of Superman, his DNA was the ultimate prize for the Sharingan to analyze. If I could see how his heat vision gathered energy... How his cells transformed solar energy. I'd become something this world wasn't prepared for.
I locked my door and sat on the floor.
"Ring. Construct: Data-Silo. Let's see what we actually pulled from that Reach crate."
The green light flared, illuminating the small room in a sickly, brilliant glow. It was time to see what the Light was really playing with.