The mountain training room echoed with the clash of fists.
Superboy charged at Ryotaro, his punch a blur of raw Kryptonian strength. Ryotaro slid aside, Joker Memory's balance sharpening his reflexes. He countered with a clean strike to Superboy's ribs—controlled, not devastating, but enough to make the clone grunt.
"Again," Superboy snapped, spinning for a backfist.
Ryotaro ducked, sweeping his leg. Superboy hit the floor hard, growling in frustration.
Robin whistled from the sidelines. "Dude, you're getting schooled by a guy with no cape."
Superboy sat up, glaring. "He's… cheating. Armor, tricks—"
Ryotaro deactivated the Joker form, standing in simple uniform. "This is me holding back. You rely too much on strength. Strength without focus is useless."
The words stung. Superboy surged up, fists clenched. "Don't talk to me like I'm weak!"
Aqualad stepped in, hand raised. "Enough. Save your anger for the mission."
The alert chimed. Batman's face appeared on the screen.
"Team. You are to escort Dr. Serling Roquette. Her research has made her a target for the League of Shadows."
The Bioship cruised above the city. Inside, Dr. Roquette tapped nervously at her laptop.
"They won't stop," she muttered. "My nanotech can copy anything. If they steal it—"
"We'll protect you," Aqualad assured.
Superboy crossed his arms, brooding. Ryotaro sat nearby, silent, watching the streets below. His instincts prickled. Something was coming.
The attack struck fast. A truck swerved across the road, unloading masked assassins.
Robin grinned. "Showtime."
The team spilled out, clashing with shadows. Kid Flash zipped between enemies, Robin's staff cracked against skulls, Miss Martian shielded Dr. Roquette.
Ryotaro inserted his Memory.
"JOKER!"
His armor shimmered into place. He blocked a sword strike with his forearm, countered with a knee to the gut, and spun into a Rider Kick that sent an assassin sprawling.
But the ground shook. A new figure stepped out from the smoke.
Tall. Metallic. Eyes glowing with cold calculation.
"Amazo," Aqualad hissed.
The android scanned the field, then its body shimmered—morphing with stolen power. Its fists crackled with electricity, its skin shifted to mimic Kryptonian strength.
Superboy's face darkened. "Mine."
He charged, colliding with Amazo in a thunderous impact. But Amazo adapted instantly, matching his power blow for blow. The two crashed through cars, fists colliding like cannon blasts.
Ryotaro felt the air hum. Amazo's sensors swept across him. The android's voice was mechanical, emotionless:
"Analyzing… Rider system."
His chest tightened. "No—"
Amazo's body flickered. Purple lines of energy traced across its armor. For a split second, its gauntlets reshaped, mimicking Joker's stance.
It lunged, striking with terrifying precision. Ryotaro barely blocked, the blow reverberating through his armor.
He skidded back, teeth clenched. It can copy even this?
The battlefield spiraled into chaos.
Robin's explosives barely dented Amazo. Kid Flash was swatted aside. Miss Martian's telepathy faltered against its machine mind.
Aqualad called out, "Team, regroup!"
But Superboy ignored him. He roared, hammering Amazo with relentless fury. Each strike was matched, mirrored.
Ryotaro sprinted in, shoulder slamming the android off balance. "Superboy! Control yourself!"
"Shut up!" Superboy snapped, lunging again. His fist struck Ryotaro by mistake, knocking him back.
The Rider rolled with the impact, but his chest ached. He rose slowly, Joker armor flickering.
Robin shouted, "Hey! Focus, both of you!"
But Amazo was already adapting further. Its body shimmered—Kryptonian durability, Martian intangibility, Rider's balance. It blurred, dodging everything with unnatural grace.
Ryotaro clenched his fist. If it keeps learning… we'll all lose.
He pulled another Memory from his belt.
"BLADE!"
Silver light engulfed him, the new armor shimmering with metallic edges. A sword of energy formed in his hand.
He dashed, blade flashing, carving across Amazo's chest. Sparks erupted.
"Finally, some damage!" Robin cheered.
But Amazo's body glowed, reshaping. In its hand, an identical blade appeared.
It swung.
Steel met steel. Sparks showered the dock as Rider and android clashed. Each strike mirrored, each parry perfect.
"Impossible," Ryotaro hissed, locking blades.
"Adaptation: complete," Amazo droned.
Its free hand shot forward, blasting him with a wave of copied Joker energy. Ryotaro flew back, crashing into a wall. His armor flickered, systems straining.
Superboy saw him fall. His anger boiled over. "You—metal—freak!"
He lunged again, slamming Amazo into the ground. The android twisted, tail of copied Snake Memory forming briefly—striking like a whip. Venom hissed across the pavement.
Superboy roared in pain, shoulder smoking.
Aqualad leapt in, water-bearers glowing. "This ends now!"
But Amazo parried with its Rider blade, throwing Aqualad aside.
Ryotaro staggered up, vision blurred. If it can copy me, then I'll push beyond what it understands.
He ripped another Memory free.
"INVISIBLE!"
His form shimmered, translucent, bending light. The android scanned wildly, sensors struggling.
"Unknown frequency… recalibrating."
"Too late," Ryotaro muttered.
He phased, appearing behind it. His blade crackled, invisible energy lashing out. He struck deep into its back, bypassing copied defenses.
Amazo shrieked—its voice breaking for the first time.
Robin seized the chance. "Team! Together!"
Kid Flash blurred in, striking weak points. Miss Martian lifted debris telekinetically, slamming it down. Aqualad's water whips crackled against exposed circuits.
Superboy drove his fist into its chest, shattering the core.The android convulsed, systems overloading, before collapsing in a smoking heap.
Silence hung heavy. The factory smoldered, Amazo sparking in ruins.
The team stood battered, breathing hard.
Robin wiped sweat from his brow. "Okay… that was insane."
Kid Flash groaned. "Androids that copy powers? Who makes this stuff?"
Superboy stood apart, fists trembling. His rage hadn't cooled. He kicked Amazo's remains once, hard enough to dent metal. " don't care. I'm just piss."
Ryotaro walked closer, Joker armor fading. His voice was calm, but firm. "It copied all of us. But it wasn't us."
Superboy glared. "What do you know?"
"I know this." Ryotaro's gaze didn't waver. "Strength alone didn't win. Neither did balance or speed. We only beat it together. That's what makes us different from machines. From monsters."
Superboy's fists loosened. His anger softened, though not gone.
Miss Martian placed a gentle hand on his arm. "He's right. You're more than just… powers, Conner."
Superboy looked away, silent.
Aqualad exhaled, steady. "Another mission complete. We need to get back."
Ryotaro glanced back at Amazo's ruined body. The android had mimicked Gaia Memories, even if briefly. That meant someone had fed its systems data. Someone in the shadows was preparing.
He clenched his fist. 'This is getting more interesting. I need to investigate that myself.'
*********
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