Chapter Seven — Schooled

"Two souls don't find each other by simple accident."

Arley who had spent the previous day fluttering around the galaxy, had arrived at the Mount Justice cave early August third, her bright pink backpack filled with alien foods like meliroon fruits and porg eggs. Superboy and M'gann greeted the girl in the caves spacious kitchen; Arley gently placed her bad on the marble island and looked at the time displayed on the microwave.

The tablet Tomar-Tu had given Arley to give to Superboy was propped up against the caves microwave, the device was on and open to one of the pages Arley had scanned from a Kryptonian cookbook, Superboy and M'gann had bowls and mixers out on the counter behind them; in the background music played from the large television in the other room.

"You really think Superman is going to like this?" The clone wondered, his voice uncharacteristically soft. When he had called Arley on the first two days before, saying how he was going to Metropolis the girl had jumped at the chance to shoot off into space and find the ingredients he would need to make the Krpytonian version of Genoise cake, because according to his reading on Earth etiquette you were supposed to bring a gift— food usually, wine sometimes when the occasion called for it —when visiting someone's home for the first time.

"Of course Megan," M'gann beamed before Arley could, "Who doesn't like cake?" Superboy looked to Arley who had taken the chance to power down; her uniform and mask were gone and instead replaced with dark black skinny jeans and a Hex Girls tank-top.

"Meg's got a point, who doesn't like cake, besides I asked Hal to check the big guys League file and he doesn't have any allergies listed so it's not like you can give him this only for Superman to be like—" Arley's voice deepened and her arms crossed over her chest the same way Superman's always did when he was disappointed, "—No sorry I can't this would kill me."

M'gann smothered a laugh behind her hand and though Superboy didn't quite grin, he did smile and nod. "Sides," Arley added as she opened her backpack and started to take out the alien ingredients the three needed for the Kryptonian cake, placing them on the counter, "If it dose kill him I promise to take the blame." Superboy, at that, chuckled.

...

Several hours later the rest of the team sans Superboy was at the cave, all of the suited up. Arley stood next to M'gann as the girls hazels eyes followed the puck Wally and Kaldur beat back and forth on the holographic air hockey table.

Arley had won a handful of rounds against the speedster— Wally had said something along the lines of he had let her win only for the Jewish-Hispanic girl to flip her crush off because no he hadn't, she'd been kicking his ass at air hockey for as long as they'd known one another —only for Dick who had taken her place to lose enough against Wally to pass his puck to Kaldur, who like masked boy, lost a dozen and half games in a row against the speedster.

"So I guess that means I'm still reigning air hockey champ?" Arley puffed up her chest, grinning. Wally, with a banana in his other hand— the one that wasn't holding the puck —and a grin, rolled his eyes.

"Yeah-yeah, I can still totally beat you at video games." Arley threw he hands out in front of her,

"Probably because I don't like video games the way you and Rob do," she defended.

"Recognized, Superboy zero-five," the zeta-tube announced as it brightened to life, Arley and the others turned away from the air hockey table and to the zeta-beam tube. Superboy, with his shoulders hunched and his eyes locked to the ground, purposefully avoiding the others, stalked through the holographic air hockey table, vanishing it.

"Hi Superboy," M'gann said, her voice cheery, "How was Metropolis?" Superboy didn't answer and instead kept forward. Instead, from behind the five teens a familiar cough sounded through the room, Arley and the others looked away from where they had followed Superboy to see Black Canary and Manhunter entering the room.

"Canary!" Arley smiled at the blonde as M'gann with a bright thousand kilowatt smile, beamed at her uncle. Superboy had frozen, mid-step and turned to his team mates and the two League members.

"Uncle J'onn!" The Martian girl moved to hug her uncle and though the older Martian didn't hug her back he smiled fondly down at her.

"Megan, I was in the neighborhood so I thought I would see how you are adjusting," Manhunter said. M'gann giggled,

"A few bumps," she said truthfully, "But I'm learning." Manhunter rested his hand on M'gann's shoulder, a pleasant smile gracing his face.

"That is all I can ask." Canary eyes flickered from M'gann and Manhunter and Arley turned to see Superboy with his back to them as he once more began to storm towards his room.

"Stick around," Canary said to the clone, her tone leaving no room for argument, "Class is in session." Canary moved and the six teens and Manhunter followed as the blonde woman lead them to the gymnasium Aqualad had fallen in love with during the teams tour. The room was impressive; weight lifting equipment lined one side of the room— the weights on the machines far exceeded several tons —and what was obviously modified treadmills lined the other, there was a door that lead to the pool and another that lead to the Danger Room, both placed between two treadmills and above the treadmills televisions were built into the wall; and the back wall was a built in rock wall and in the middle of the room was a brightly glowing circle, a ring. Canary stood in the center of the ring as she took off her jacket.

"I consider it an honor to be your teacher, I'll throw a lot at you, everything I've learned from my own mentor—" Canary broke off with a groan as she moved to reveal her bandaged arms, "—And my own bruises."

"What happened?" M'gann worried.

"The job," Canary said, "Now combat is about controlling conflict—" Arley perked up, she had heard the speech before, back when she was nine and Hal had first put her into therapy with Canary, the first hour of their sessions was talking, the second however, was sparing on the roof of her practices building, "—Putting the battle on your terms, you should always be acting, never reacting." Canary tossed her jacket to the outside of the ring, "I'll need a sparing partner."

Before Arley could step forward Wally's hand shot up into the air, his slightly bitten into banana in the other. "Right here, yeah!" Wally handed Arley his banana and stepped forward. "I'm more than happy to show you my moves," the speedster flirted and Arley, to stop herself from bursting out into a loud booming laugh, bit into the fruit Wally had handed her.

It was one thing to watch Wally flirt with M'gann and other girls, that hurt; it was a completely different thing watching him flirt with Canary, that was funny.

Canary smirked. The young hero threw a punch at Wally— the speedster blocked the hit —only to drop down and swipe her leg across the floor, sending the red head into the air and onto his back. A circle appeared under Wally, his name and the words fail next to it.

"Oh," Wally groaned, "Hurts so good."

"Good block," Canary nodded as she helped the speedster up, "But did anyone else see what he did wrong?" Arley did, though she didn't raise her hand, Robin on the other hand did. The masked boy tossed his hand into the air.

"Ooh! He hit on the teacher and got served?"

"Dude!" Wally hissed.

"Lantern?" Canary asked and Arley, still grinning looked at her therapist, straightened up thinking Canary wanted the answer to her question.

"Yes?"

"How about you join the demonstration," Canary wondered, forgoing the answer to her question, Arley's brows raised,

"Seriously?" Black Canary shrugged, Wally as he moved back to where he had been standing took back his banana as Arley took a step forward, only to pause. "Do I get to keep my ring on?" There were times Canary made Arley take the ring off and spar without it, the blonde woman always quoted that the ring only had a twenty-four hour shelf life and without it and the enhanced strength it gave her, Arley was nothing more then a civilian with above average reflexes because unlike Batman or Robin she wouldn't have a utility belt around her waist to save her when situations got sticky.

"Sure, but no constructs and no flying." Arley nodded and moved, she raised her hands in front of her as Canary did the same, neither female moved. Ten seconds ticked by and Arley swung her fist forward before pulling it back before it could hit Canary; Canary had moved left and Arley's fist darted out to actually hit the woman only for the League member to block it.

Like she had with Wally, Canary dropped to a crouch, Arley sprung forward, her hands on Canary shoulders as she vaulted over the woman. Wally and Dick cheered from the sidelines; the speedster, with his pinkies in his mouth, whistled loudly. Arley spun, her on leg raised, read to kick the woman in the side of the head with her top of her foot only for Canary to grab Arley's leg, one hand on her ankle and other on the girls calf; Canary spun to stand, spinning Arley who had fallen back against the ground with her unable to stand as Canary propelled her forward.

Arley groaned and Canary, as a circle appeared under Arley with the words Green Lantern Fail, dropped the girls leg. "Nice work," Canary said, "You've been practicing." Canary reached her good arm out and helped Arley to her feet. Canary then looked out at the other young heroes.

"Dose anyone know what Lantern did differently then Flash?" Canary wondered.

"She didn't get creamed right away?" Dick said throwing his hand up into the air, Wally's elbow, as the red headed boy tossed the shorter one a dry look from the corner of his eyes, jutted out and hit Dick in the shoulder. With a hiss the younger of the two rubbed the abused spot.

"She didn't allow me to dictate the terms—"

"Oh please," Superboy scoffed in a bratty voice, "With my powers the battle's always on my terms, I'm a living weapon and this is a waist of my time." Canary let go of Arley's and and placed her hands on her hips.

"Prove it," the blonde challenged the clone; Superboy stepped forward and Arley stepped back next to Wally. Superboys fist shot out and flinging the clone over her shoulder Canary dropped the boy onto his back. Robin from the sidelines burst out into loud unfettered giggles; Aqualad elbowed the boy between the shoulder blades and Robin, though he didn't stop giggling, covered his mouth with his hands.

Superboy with a snarl got to his feet, "You're angry, good," Canary said, "But don't react, challenge that anger into—" Superboy lunged forward his fist raised, Canary, like Arley had to her, vaulted over the boys shoulders and just as she had done to Wally dropped down into a crouch swinging her leg out as she moved, kicking Superboys feet out from under him.

Robin continued to giggle, "That's it, I'm done," Superboy snapped.

"Training is mandatory," Canary said. A beep echoed throughout the cave and an image of Batman appeared on the one of the gymnasium television screens before the clone could shoot something back at the blonde League member.

"Batman to the cave," Batman said, "Five hours ago a new menace attacked Green Arrow and Black Canary—" Arley's head snapped to Canary who's sole focus was the dark knights image, a picture of an orange haired robot appeared in the corner of the screen, "—The attacker was capable of studying, then duplicating the powers and abilities of his opponents. Arrow called in reinforcements which nearly proved disastrous as our foe gained more and more power with each new combatant."

"Whoa," Wally gasped, "One guy with the power of the entire League?"

"In the end it took eight Leaguers four hours to defeat and dismantle the android."

"An android?" Dick wondered, "Who made it, T.O. Morrow?"

"Good guess Robin but Red Tornado doesn't think so."

"The technology bares the signature of Professor Ivo," Manhunter said Arley frowned. The Lantern knew her criminals; she knew the big intergalactic-bads and the names of the Space pirates on the most wanted list, and she even knew the criminals she needed to look out for on Earth; like Joker and Mirror Master but the name Ivo had the girl at a loss.

"Ivo?" Aqualad repeated, "But Ivo's dead."

"So we all thought, or hoped," Canary said.

"To make sure this threat is permanently neutralized we're sending two trucks carrying the androids parts to two separate STAR Lab facilities in Boston and New York for immediate evaluation," Batman said as a map appeared on the screen. "Every precaution is being taken. We'll have four additional decoy trucks to create confusion in case Ivo or anyone tried to recover the remains. You will split into undercover teams to safe guard the two real trucks."

"Yes," Wally grinned, "Road trip." Superboy however frowned.

"So now we're taking out your trash?" The clone boy wondered with an edge to his voice. Batman shot the boy an unimpressed look though the monitor.

"You had something better to do?" Aqualad pulled a beeping communicator from the belt of his uniform.

"Coordinates received, on our way." Arley and the others raced forward, only for the youngest sectors Lantern to stop when she realized that Superboy was slowly trailing behind, not rushing forward towards the hanger like the rest of them. Black Canary had the boys arm in her hand, the woman leaned forward and said something in a soft, much to quite voice for Arley to hear.

When Canary let Superboy go the older woman beckoned Arley towards her, Arley looked at the Man of Steels clone and smiled kindly at him, "I want to make sure Canary's okay, I'll be right with you guys," Arley said and Superboy merely grunted in response.

Canary, when Superboy had left the room looked at Arley, "Focus on the mission, but after that, talk to him." Arley looked at the blonde woman with a raised brow, a sad look pooled in Arley's eyes; she'd known from the minute the boy had come back to the cave Metropolis— visiting Superman —hadn't worked out.

"What about Superboy makes him look like he wants to talk?"

"Nothing, but I also remember an angry little girl who didn't look like she wanted to talk either, and now look at her," Canary smiled, "She can't shut up." Arley's mouth fell open and she looked at the older woman.

"So rude," Arley's expression sobered, "I will," she promised. Canary nodded and stepped back,

"Good, now get going your team is probably waiting on you." Arley floated into the air and with a salute in Canary and Manhunters directions Arley took off towards the caves hanger.

...

Litchfeild county was in the middle of no where— though technically it was in Connecticut —there was one large highway cutting through it and tall grassy fields filled with weeds and elephant grass on either side. Arley, behind a pile of thick bush, and the others balanced on their League issued cycles; her was a bright green color, it was the kind of bike Arley planned on riding after she got her licence come October.

"Star Boston is a go," Atom said over the com-links.

"Manhattan is a go," Green Arrow replied, Batman motioned to the trucks and one by one the two real ones and the four decoys all began to roll out. In one direction Miss Martian, Kid Flash and Aqualad rode off, and in the other Superboy, Robin and Arley went. Arley was much better at riding a motorcycle then she was a Martian bioship. Robin as he came to meet with Arley and Superboy, turned away from the road and looked at the two.

"If like is the opposite of dislike, is disaster the opposite of aster? See instead of things going wrong they go right." Arley looked away from the truck in front of them and at Robin who was focused on the clone. "Clearly you're not feeling the aster, what's wrong?"

"Canary," Superboy said, "I mean what business dose she have teaching combat skills to guy with super strength?"

"Taking down stringer guys is part of the gig," Robin said, Arley breathed; boy wonder he might have been and though he was sidekick to the greatest detective, Robin was missing what Superboy hadn't said, the Why shouldn't Superman teach me, unsung question, Arley looked back at the truck in front of her, "She learned that the hard way, same with Batman and well, me." Superboy let out a growl.

"You know on Oa it's not our sector partners that train us," Arley said suddenly, her voice loud over the rushing winds and motorcycle engines, "There's Lanterns out there whose home worlds got blown up or just can't live in their planet anymore and so the Guardians have them training the new recruits." She peaked over at Superboy. "Hal didn't train me and neither of us trained Guy or John."

Superboy, without a reply sped up; a little while later, not even a half hour into the trip, robotic monkeys shot out of the large grassy fields that stood on either side of the highway and attached themselves to the truck. Arley's ring came to life and under her helmet her mask materialized and over her clothing her uniform appeared.

"Superboy, Robin our truck is under attack!" Aqualad said.

"Yeah kind of figured," Robin replied.

"I hate monkeys," Superboy muttered as the truck started to swerve.

"Robot monkeys!" Robin laughed, "Totally Ivo's tweaked style!" Robin's motorcycle transformed at the touch of a button, the back wheel came out as the front wheel came in; the back wheel took to the sky; Arley did the same, she turned to Superboy.

"Switch your motorcycle into battle mode," she said only for the clone to shift his weight forward.

"No point," Superboy said as he jumped over the front of his motorcycle and onto the truck; the person less motorcycle lagged behind as there was no one to drive it forward, it wobbled and fell over; Arley's eyes widened.

"Or not!" Robin shot a grappling hook at a still serving truck and Arley took to the sky before Superboys motorcycle could crash into them, Arley flew around to the the front of the truck, on top of the cabs roof as Robin kicked a robot monkey off the back and Superboy threw them off the top.

Arley, using her ring to form clamps around the top of her feet so that she could stay attached to the moving vehicle grabbed the closet robot monkey she could and broke the green rocket off it's back; grabbing it's long robotic arm she threw the money that had been banging against the glass windows onto the road, under the tuck. Arley grabbed another and another, and broke them; she used the broken off limbs and dead torn apart halves of the robot monkeys to battle the still screeching ones attacking the truck. Arley was starting to understand Superboys dislike for monkeys.

Whipping off her helmet Arley threw it down at the monkey that had broken through the drivers side glass and started pulling at the steering wheel. The monkey and her helmet hit the road with a crunch. The monkeys apparently had laser eyes; Arley had found that out as she dodged a blast from one of the robots, the laser beam missed Arley's head, though it skimmed her cheek. The girl let out a pained scream as droplets of blood flew off behind her and more cascaded against her cheek; she dematerialized the camps around her feet and though she was pushed back by the wind Arley used her ring to form a Louisville slugger, she beat the monkey that had tried to blast her over the head until it was nothing more then a pile of broken parts and then violently kicked the broken machine off of the truck.

Arley heard Superboy scream, though she didn't look back at the clone until she saw his legs dangling in the air from the corner of her peripheral vision.

"Superboy!" Arley moved to go after the Kryptonian boy,

"Protect the truck!" Robin shouted from the trucks back, stopping Arley in her tracks, "He'll be fine!" Arley hesitated because sure Superboy might be fine but he was her friend and teammate; you didn't leave friends and comrades behind. Arley didn't have time to think about whether she should go after the clone— because if she did she would be leaving Robin alone to defend the cargo —because one of the robotic monkeys that had peeled off the roof of the truck flew out into the sky with one of the guards the League had hired to protect the androids parts. "Get the civilians!"

And while guards and first responders weren't technically civilians, they were as good as compared to her and Robin; Arley shot up after the monkey and the wiggling man it's grasp, she caught up to the monkey easily, her hand outstretched towards the man. Arley didn't even need to instruct the man to take it before he did so tightly that Arley momentarily wondered if the bones in her hands were going to bruise.

Arley corkscrewed through the air— the man in her arms screamed —shaking the monkey off; her foot kicked out and hit the rocket on the monkeys back hard enough to send the robotic Wizard of Oz nightmare into the ground. Arley looked down at the man,

"Are you okay?" The man was no longer screaming, though his mouth was open, his lips trembling. He was alive; Arley turned back to the monkey covered truck in time to see Superboy back on the top of it, and the truck itself to topple over, flipping as it skidded across the rode. With her heart in her throat Arley and the man in her arms zoomed towards the truck; Arley set the man down on the side of the rode, intent of zipping forward and looking for her teammates when Robin and another guard emerged from the tall grass as the back of the truck blew open.

Monkeys holding the parts that had been the android the League had fight earlier that day took off to the sky, cackling as they did so. More guards, holding one another up emerged fro the trucks wreckage and Superboy, flipping the tuck over and off him him leapt into the air after the shrieking monkeys, leaving Arley and Robin behind without so much as a glance.

"Superboy!" Robin shouted after the clone; Superboy continued on as if he hadn't heard the boy.

"Aqualad to Robin, we've lost our cargo, did you—"

"—It's gone," Robin said into his communicator, "And so's mine and Lanterns partner."

"Aqualad to Superboy, radio your location and we'll help you."

"I don't need help and I don't want any," Superboy snapped through the line.

"Superboy?" Arley said only for the sound of a penny rolling across the floor to echo through the line.

"I think he dropped his com," Robin said.

"Super," Kid said with angry and sarcastic tone, Arley could all but see the speedster rolling his eyes, "Now we can't even track him."

"He's out my telepathic range," Miss Martian said, "If this Professor Ivo, if he is alive, he seems to be two steps ahead of us. Maybe we should contact Red Tornado?"

"Tornado always tells us to handle things ourselves, and the mission can still succeed if we recover the parts before they're reassembled," Aqualad told the team.

"How?" Arley wondered, "I don't want to be a downer but we have no idea where those parts are or where they're going."

"That might not be true," Robin said with an impish grim, the boy walked over to one of the fallen monkeys that laid idly on the road and moved towards it, Arley followed in his footsteps. Robin connected his gauntlet to the open back of the monkey. "We'd have heard by now if the decoy trucks had been hacked so how did these monkeys know exactly which trucks to target?"

Robin began to hack into the robot via the screen of his gauntlet. A map appeared over the gauntlet and Robin laughed, "The parts have GPS! The monkeys can track the signal which means I can track them with the one I captured."

Arley looked down at the monkey that had just been laying against the highways asphalt; "You captured?" Robin looked at Arley over the top of his glasses, blue peaked out over the expensive glasses top bar.

"Shut up," Robin said with no real heat, the boy looked at the map and the moving dots; "Looks like both sets of parts are converging on—" Robin frowned, "—Gotham City." Arley frowned, because of course they were; there was already a real life scarecrow so what difference would flying monkeys make to the unhinged, smog smothered city.

"That far south? Megan and I won't get there anytime soon," Aqualad said, "I'm sending Kid ahead to meet you, Aqualad out." Robin, with the monkey slung over his shoulder stood up and Arley forming a motorcycle with her ring mounted the bike.

"Defiantly a disaster," Robin said as the front of Robins motorcycle came to a stop in front of him, "Heavy on the dis."

Arley couldn't help herself, she laughed at the sight of the usually caped boys vehicle, "That thing's a unicycle," Arley said, she moved up in her seat, "Get on."

"What why? My bike's fine."

"Because instead of fighting us Ivo will laugh at us if you show up in that thing, now get on we don't have time to waste." Robin sighed, and though he looked at his bike he slipped his helmet on; wordlessly the boy wonder got on the back of Arley's constructed motorcycle, his arms tightly wound around the girls waist and his chin resting on her shoulder as at top speed the girl's construct shot off South towards the New Jersey boarder.

...

It was night by the time Arley and Robin had made it to the outskirts of Gotham, Kid, in his usual bright yellow and red uniform was already waiting for them at the large green city sign,

"So you changed too?" Robin said rhetorically, once Arley had pulled to a stop on the side of the road.

"Are you kidding I feel naked in civvies," Kid replied only for his grin to shift into a frown as he looked between Robin and Arley, something sparked behind his green eyes only for the speedster to quickly smother whatever it was before Arley could place what it had been; he rolled his shoulders back as she smiled crookedly at them.

"Your bike get wrecked or something?" Kid wondered as Robin kept his arms around Arley's middle.

"No, Lantern over here wouldn't let me use it," Robin huffed,

"It was a unicycle bird boy!" Arley defended, she looked at Kid, "Back me up, tell Rob I'm right when I say Ivo would've actually died this time, laughing, if he had showed up to the fight on that thing."

The corners of Kids lips twitched up, "Yeah well—" Kid rocked forward, frowning once more. The speedsters hand cupped Arley's face— the girl turned a bright, mortified red as Kid, with narrowed eyes leaned close, she could feel the speedsters breath fan against her face; Robin's shoulders shook as he leaned back, away from Arley, though his hands stayed on the girls hips for stability —his thumb traced just under the scabbed over wound the robot monkeys laser eyes had made on the side of her face "—Shouldn't your ring have healed you by now?"

"It-it has been," Arley muttered unable to look Kid in the eye, Kids frowned deepened. Arley's eyes darted away from the boys lips and instead focused on the ground.

"It was worse!" Kid questioned with a cry, Arley's eyes shot up and the girl focused on the boys bright red hair.

"I got skimmed with a laser, Kid, of course it was worse," Arley told him, she had long ago learned hiding the truth from the red head was a null concept, it was better to just tell him the truth; easier.

"Was this before or after Superboy ditched you?" Arley's lips pressed together; Kid's hand was warm through his glove.

"Give him a break—" Arley said sympathetically, Kid's face hardened,

"—You got hurt—"

"—Before he chased after those monkeys," Arley told her best friend, "Besides, like I said the ring's been helping, I promise, I'll be fine before morning." Kid huffed a short breath and he didn't move away from Arley, his hand stayed on her cheek, as he continued to frown, his thumb traced the length of the scab on Arley's face once more before the speedster moved back.

Kid Flash looked to Robin, "You still tracking the parts?" Robin's mouth twitched under his helmet and he looked as if he wanted to say something either Arley or Kid would hit him for; Arley knew the calico smirk curled on his lips. He didn't though,

"They were heading through Gotham but they veered," A map appeared over the boys gauntlet and the boys grin quickly vanished, "Dude, they're at my school!" Arley revved the engine of her construct and with a nod in Kid's direction she peeled off heading towards Gotham Academy.

...

If there was one thing Robin had made clear it was that Arley was not allowed to use her ring; Hal and John had been absent from the original fight— Hal was supposed to be testing a new fighter jet in the desert, just outside of Coast City and John was on Oa —meaning that the android had no record of Green Lantern tactics or the ability to make Lantern-like constructs; not that Arley thought the android could, but Robin had been adamant, the robot was powerful enough, they didn't need to take the chance.

Kid was the first to rush into the school, Arley and Robin on his tail. Rushing into the private schools gymnasium Arley and Robin managed to watch Kid pick up Superboy with a Yoink and despot him between Arley and Robin causing the Ivo made android the League had battled to smash into the floor splintering the wood at its feet.

"Martian Manhunter," the android sounded as Robin threw a birdarang; the android density shifted and Robins weapon phased right through it. "Access: Red Tornado." A swirling red tornado picked up the android, much like it did to Tornado when the League robot moved and the four heroes where shot back into the air and scattered.

Kid and Arley ended up half behind the bleachers, across from the ones Robin and Superboy had been thrown against. Arley got to her feet before Kid got to his, the android stepped in front of the way he had thrown the two teens.

"You know you're not the only one who know's Canary's moves," Arley shot at the robot, with a fist she faked a jab to the left, the android moved right and though Arley landed a punch to the robots face the pile of bits and bolts didn't even stumble, instead it brought it's knee up, hit Arley in the stomach, sending her back to where Kid was kneeling.

Kid gathered Arley in her arms as the robot raised a hand, "Access Captain Atom."

Kid, with Arley in his arms dodged the blast and ran, only for the two of them to be blasted back seconds later when the android managed to catch them with Canary's cry. Arley and Kid rolled across the gymnasium floor, Arley's back hit the wall.

"Come on," Arley grunted at Kid as she got to her feet, her ring glowing as the robot's arms elongated and slammed into the floor and bleachers as it tried to crush Superboy and Robin. Kid looked at her ring wearily,

"You heard Robin—"

"—Robin's going to be pancake in a second," Arley shot back, she floated— bathed in a protective green light —above the gym floor and like a bullet she shot out at the robot, only for it to grab her fist and then her inner arm and slam her back first into the ground at it's feet. It's heavy foot pressed against her chest; Arley's head spun.

"Access Superman." Arley let out a scream as the weight on her chest increased; she could hear the cartilage of her ribs cracking under the androids pressure and then as a sharp stabbing pain flooded her chest, she felt one of them break. Arley's scream was cut off by a choking gasp, only for the pressure on her chest to disappear when the android turned and caught Kid in it's arms.

The robot wrapped it's arms tightly around Kid and it began to squeeze; Kid let out a painful cry as he too began to get crushed. "Martian Manhunter," the android said and Kid phased through robots grip, onto the floor next to Arley as an arrow shot through it. Arley moved, though it hurt to do so, Kid ran in the opposite direction, Arley took cover between the bleacher and the wall opposite to Ivo as she tried to catch her breath.

"Access Black Canary," the android said as it tossed Superboy over his shoulder and into the bleachers Ivo had been sitting in. Robin threw three birdarangs, all of which went through the android. "Access Superman;" Lasers shot out of the androids eyes and Kid, running as fast as he could pushed the masked boy out of the way; the pair were pushed by the wall exploding to the space between the bleachers and the wall, only a foot or so away from where Arley had propped herself up.

Arley— the girl gritted her teeth at every movement she made —pulled herself to kneel between the android and Kid and Robin, her arm out, but no construct made. The robotic monkey's Ivo had by him giggled at whatever the evil scientist had had and Superboy standing up growled,

"So everyone keeps saying, it makes me angry!" The clone shouted and lunged at the evil scientist, he crashed into the bleachers where Ivo had once been, "Want to see me channel that anger!" Arley's eyes brightened.

"Great he's gone ballistic again," Kid muttered,

"Maybe not," Robin replied as Ivo looked at his creation.

"Amazo, protect your master, Priority Alpha!" The villain said in a panicked voice as he scrambled down the bleachers and away from Superboy who had once again jumped at him.

"Captain Atom," the android shot a blast at Superboy, knocking him back and higher up into the bleachers. Arley flew at the scientist as two of his robot monkeys lifted him off the ground,

"Who wants to play monkey in the middle!" she cried as she tore one monkey from Ivo and slammed it hard enough into the ground that it broke into pieces, Robin kicked the other out of the air and Ivo tumbled to the ground as Kid ran around the gymnasium towards the fallen scientists.

"Access Superman." Kid, when the android stomped on the ground was shot into the air and into the bleachers; Robin threw a birdarang at the android. "Martian Manhunter." The birdarangs flew through the robot, as did Superboys fist;

"Superman—" The android became solid again, trapping Superboys fist in it's face. The androids head blew up and Superboy blew back away from the blast as the robots body fell to the ground with a crash.

"Lantern keep him down," Robin ordered rushing to the robot; clamping the smoking robots body to the ground with constructs from her ring Arley moved forward, holding her middle and wincing with every step she made. "Help me disassemble him now!"

"Dude he's got no head," Kid replied holding his own own in his hand.

"Don't take any chances!" Aqualad ordered as he and Miss Martian rushed through the gymnasium doors. Aqualad rushed forward to the robot and Miss Martian flew to Superboy; Arley leaned against Wally as he pressed his good side against her. The side of his head rested against the top of hers as she leaned her own head against him.

"Superboy are you alright?"

"Fine," Superboy nodded, "Feeling the aster." Arley and Robin grinned at the clone while Kid Flash's head jerked up.

"Where's Ivo!" The six teen heroes looked around the room and found that the scientist had gotten away.

...

Later that night, or early the next morning— which ever you considered one am —bandaged and giving their mission report to Batman, Black Canary, Green Arrow, Manhunter and Tornado the six teens sat around the Mount Justice meeting chamber. The wound on the side of Arley's face had healed over enough that she had only need to put a small band-aid over it; her ribs however, though somewhat heeled, still ached with every breath she took, Canary had said that from when it had happened to when Arley and the others had arrived back at the cave, what had most likely been broken ribbed had managed to heal over into a a bruised one; not that Arley had let the blonde check her rib, the Lantern had been adamant she'd be fine, that she was fine.

"The Amazo android is in pieces again," Kaldur told the five official League members, "Safely being analyzed at two separate STAR Labs but Ivo escaped, but since he originated the tech he's arguably more dangerous then the android."

"Capturing the Professor will be a League priority," Canary said, Manhunter crossed his arms over his chest.

"But we understand your mission encountered other complications." Arley, and the rest of the team seemed to turn to Superboy at that, the clone with a guilty look in his eyes looked away.

"Complications come with the job," Batman said, "Your ability to handle them has impressed the League." Superboy perked up.

"The whole League?"

"Given time yes," Batman nodded, "Kryptonians, as you know, have very hard heads." Superboy couldn't help but smirk. "As you also know," Batman continued, "There's no shame in asking for help, that's why the League exists, because there are some problems even we can't handle individually."

"Please," Dick scoffed, "If we need help we'd never get the chance to ask." The boy stood from his seat and pulled the arrow that had saved Wally from being crushed by the androids Superman-like grip and wagged it at the five League members. "You were following us! Babysitting, you still don't trust us!"

"We didn't follow you," Batman said and Green Arrow moved around the table, to the young heroes and plucked the arrow from Dicks grasp. The blonde archer then pulled one of his own arrows from his quiver and compared it to the arrow he had taken from Dick, showing the six teens just how different the two were.

"But if that's not your arrow—" Arley wondered,

"—Then that means—"

"—Speedy!" Wally cheered, cutting of Dick.

"He has out backs!" Aqualad smiled and Wally snatched the arrow from the League archer and Superboy moved from his seat and over to Black Canary.

"Souvenir!" The speedster cried, slowly Arley rose to her own feet and Black Canary, with her arm on Superboys shoulder turned the boy towards Arley, who smiled in his direction. Batman moved to talk to Kaldur and Dick, their voices low and gravelly; Wally, with the arrow in his hand, leaned against the meeting chambers table as he tried to suavely smile down at M'gann, something Arley blatantly and consciously ignored.

"Wanna get some air?" Arley asked Superboy, the dark haired boys shoulders flattened out as he looked down at Arley, he nodded at her and while the rest of the room was occupied, Canary had turned to Green Arrow and Manhunter, the pair slipped out into the hallway.

It was only when they were outside on the ledge in the back of the Mountain, under the stars that Arley turned to Superboy.

"Metropolis didn't go well, did it?" Arley asked softly, her chest hurt with every breath and slowly the girl moved to sit, her legs crossed under her; Superboy hesitated a moment before he followed suit.

"I don't want to talk about it," Superboy said.

"Alright," Arley replied, the stars she was looking up at were different the stars she had seen while her and the team had been on their way to Isla Santa Prisca, and they were different then the ones she saw from space or from Oa or another random alien planet and though they were the same stars she saw every night she went to bed on Earth it was the fact they were so unique to her placement that made them special. Arley looked over at Superboy who had focused his gaze out to the ocean.

"Sometimes," Arley started, her voice breaking the silence, "It doesn't matter if you want to talk about it or not, sometimes talking is the only way to help, or at least, that's what Canary says."

"Canary seems to know everything, doesn't see?" Superboy said, there was no real bite to his voice. Arley grinned, she nodded.

"Maybe not everything but yeah, it sure seems like that sometimes," Arleys smiled dimmed, "But seriously, though, what happened today?" Superboys hands curled into fists and the clone's knees curled into his chest, his chin resting on them.

"Superman hates me," Superboy said, his voice rough as he stared out at the water, the waves crashed against the mountains base, "Batman has figuring out the extent to my powers," Superboy mocked in a dry tone obviously quoting the man he was cloned from. He looked sideways at Arley, a guilty frown marring his face "I didn't give him the cake, I lost it."

"I noticed you didn't come back with the tin," Arley remarked calmly.

"I know you went to a lot of trouble getting the ingredients but the bridge was collapsing and there were kids—"

"—Dude," Arley breathed, cutting off Superboys explanation, "You don't have to explain it to me it was cake not my grandmothers pearl necklace." There was a beat of silence between the two. "I don't think he-er, Superman, that is, hates you." Superboy snorted.

"I think he dose," Superboy replied.

"I don't."

"You didn't see it, he couldn't get away fast enough from me," Superboy growled. "He couldn't stand to be around me."

"I—" Arley pressed her lips together, "—You're right I wasn't there, I didn't see how the big guy reacted, and you know maybe you are right and he dose hate you—"

"—Thanks," Superboy cut in,

"—But," Arley fixed the clone with a glare, "I'm going to tell you something Canary told me when Hal put me into therapy, it's not your fault, there's nothing wrong with you." Superboys chest seemed to shudder as he breathed, "Superman might not see how great you are right now but that doesn't mean you're any less great, alright? Just because someone is treating you like garbage that doesn't make you garbage."

"Insightful," Superboy said, Arley nudged the boy with her elbow,

"I'm serious, your value as a person isn't based on Superman's opinion of you, it isn't based on anyone's opinion of you, your value is based on how good of a person you are and you know what Superboy?" Arley asked earnestly, "Me, the rest of the team? We think you're great."

"Yeah?" Arley thought of M'ganns blushing face and the shy looks she hadn't stopped shooting the clone boy since realizing her feelings for him, and she thought of how back at Cadmus labs Superboy had overcome the genome mind-control and saved her and the boys and every other heroic thing the clone boy had done since escaping the D.C laboratory.

"Swear it," Arley promised, Superboy, he didn't reply and instead he twisted at the waist to where he and Arley had walked out of the cave. Arley moved her body around fully and saw Wally, leaning against the Mountains back door frame, his arms crossed over his chest and a half grin hanging off his face as he looked at Arley.

"I'm heading home," Wally told them. Told Arley, "Mom said she'd pick us up from the zeta-beam spot if you wanted to spend the night." Arley's brows shot up,

"Is that your way of asking for a sleepover?" She joked,

"You know it, now yes or no I have to text mom back and let her know if she needs to pick us up."

"She doesn't need to pick us up, Wally you can run, I can fly—"

"—Not with those ribs," Wally said seriously, "I bet you didn't even call Hal to tell him." Arley grimaced; Hal and John and Guy, they all knew Arley like the back of their hands but Wally knew Arley the same way he knew himself. Greek mythology said humans were originally created with four arms, four legs and a head with two faces but, Zeus, fearing their power split them into two separate parts; Arley was sure, she knew it in her bones, Wally was her other half.

"I will, I'll tell him when he wakes up, he has work in the morning," Arley responded, she moved to get up and before Superboy could help her, or Arley could brush off any help Wally was at her side, one hand gently on her back and the other holding her hand, guiding her up to her feet.

"Thanks," Arley said, she didn't move away from Wally. Next to them Superboy got to his own feet. "And thank your mom for the ride, okay?" She would of course thank Mary West herself but still, a thank you or two over the phone wouldn't hurt. Wally beamed,

"Awesome!" The speedster took out his phone from his back pocket and swiped it open, the background was the two of them and Dick all at the Central City carnival, Wally had a large cone of cotton candy in his hand and Arley, with powered sugar from a funnel cake dotting her mouth winked at the camera while Dick, holding the stuffed cat he had won for himself grinned toothily between them.

"You'll be okay?" Arley wondered as she turned to Superboy while Wally texted his mother, Superboy slowly closed his eyes, a dim smile on his face as he nodded as his baby blues slowly opened. Arley leaned against Wally as the speedster lead her forwards, back into the cave and most likely towards the zeta-beam tubes.

Authors Note: Hey guys, first off thank's for reading the chapter, second off, because I can't post the image here, in chapter, but because I commissioned mikoriin on tumblr to draw a scene from this chapter so you guys can find it here (sorry for the spaces in the link, the site won't let me post it otherwise): mikoriin. tumblr /post/624086941300834304/commission-for-sunshineagreste-thank-you-so-much

Anyway thanks again for reading, remember to follow, favorite and comment!