The silence following Amazo's collapse was heavy, broken only by the crackle of a few short-circuiting wires and the distant sound of highway traffic. I kept my breathing shallow, leaning against the transport truck as the red light faded from my eyes.
"Bio-Ship's incoming," Robin announced, his fingers dancing across his wrist-comp. "Aqualad, Superboy, let's get these parts secured. The League will want the chassis under high-security lockdown at the Hall of Justice."
As the Team moved to haul the heap of scrap metal onto the ship, I walked toward a small, scorched piece of the android's outer casing that had been blown clear. I didn't reach for it with my hands.
"Ring," I pulsed. "Create a microscopic tether. Pull that fragment into a subspace without making it obvious. I'll need a physical sample of the adaptive nano-technology for my future plans."
"Sample secured," the AI confirmed. "Warning: Secondary storage remains volatile due to the Reach energy. Stability is at 42%. Main Battery: 7.0%."
The drop in power was a sharp reminder of the cost of that stunt. I was burning through my Willpower reserves just to keep the stolen data hidden. I stepped onto the Bio-Ship, taking my seat across from Conner. He was staring at the floor, his knuckles still bruised from the impact with Amazo's face. He looked at me, his eyes searching. He knew my "malfunction" was too convenient, but he didn't have the words to call me out on it.
"You did good, Vex," he said quietly. "That blue stuff... it was a mess, but it worked."
"It was definitely something," I replied, closing my eyes.
I wasn't sleeping. I was busy. Behind my eyelids, the Ring was running the background simulation I'd ordered. Professor Ivo's code was being stripped down, its "Copy" logic being mapped by the ring and my Sharingan.
The Sharingan records visual data and muscle memory, but it doesn't improve my physical power in any way. Amazo's code, however, was designed to bridge that gap. The ability to turn an observation into a physical transformation, along with my Sharingan. I'd be doing much more than just copying a move. I was beginning to learn how to use the Ring's constructs on the fly to match the specific power of whatever hero or villain I was looking at.
"We're entering the Cave's airspace," M'gann's voice rang out, pulling me back to the present.
The mission was a success. The Team had stopped the android, and the League would be pleased. But as we disembarked, I saw Batman standing by the central computer, his arms crossed. He didn't look pleased. He looked like he was calculating.
"Robin, report," Batman said.
"Mission accomplished, Batman," Robin said, though his tone was unusually reserved. "The Ivo parts are secure. Amazo is neutralized. But we had an incident with Vex's Ring. It discharged a high-energy cloud that interfered with the android's sensors. It was... unusual."
Batman turned his gaze to me. I felt that familiar, heavy pressure—the gaze of a man who makes a living out of knowing everyone's secrets.
"A discharge," Batman repeated with an edgy flair. "John Stewart said the Ring was stable during training. Why did it malfunction on the field?"
"I was trying to shield the Team," I said, meeting his white lenses. "The Ring reacted to Amazo's scan. It felt like an intrusion, so the Ring pushed back. It was automatic, I couldn't control the output."
It was a half-truth, the best kind of lie. Batman stepped closer, the shadows of his cape swallowing the light.
"Your Ring is a unique piece of technology, Vex. But unpredictability on the battlefield is a liability. Until we understand why it's reacting this way, your field privileges are under review."
I tightened my grip on my hoodie. It was the move I expected him to make. He was trying to sideline me so he could study me. But he was too late. I already had the data I needed from his own station and his own enemies.
"I understand," I said, my voice sounding appropriately chastened.
As Batman turned to speak with Aqualad, I walked toward the back of the Cave. I didn't need their missions right now. The ring was at 7% power. Right now, I have a shard of an adaptive god-machine, and a head full stolen knowledge.
Now. I just needed a place to build.