Chapter 84

There had been varying degrees of skepticism from the members of the Team towards Cheshire's declaration.

"When we last talked, there was not a mole in your team, because she was not a part of your team yet," Cheshire explained. "And she moved up to the League. She was a sleeper agent."

"Thea was the mole?" Helena asked. "I can't…."

"I find that very hard to believe," Whitney said.

"Find it as hard to believe as you can, but I'm not lying," Cheshire said. "Because, she was created for the purpose of infiltrating the Justice League."

"In other words, Cadmus had another cloning project on the books," Harry said. "Which means…."

"We never knew the real Thea Queen," Whitney said with a sigh.

It had been a punch to the gut for sure. Harry looked up, almost waiting for the other shoe to drop.

"If Thea was a clone, then what happened to the original?" Sara asked solemnly.

Unlike Helena, Whitney, and Mareena, she knew Thea, the real Thea. And she had been very torn about what to feel. Angry, but also, the fact was this clone had been, had been a puppet as well.

"Cadmus wanted to clone us on that night," Helena said. "They wanted to delete the original."

"She might be all gone then," Sara said.

Harry wrapped his arms around her and she sighed. It had been hard to reconcile the fact that one of her oldest friends had been a clone. And she had been a damn good one, because Sara saw no change. And neither did Oliver apparently, his own sister.

He should have known.

"I wouldn't beat yourself up, "Jade said. "From what I was able to find out, they put a lot of work and planning. She's been living amongst Thea's friends and family for three years. None of them being the wiser."

"And she's putting the League under the Light's control as we speak," Harry said. "We need to go! Now!"

The Team, along with Jade, appeared at the edge. All of the conventional exits from the Cave would have been tracked. Except for one. Harry busted open the wall behind Whitney's trophy case. A platform, powered by rune stones, which Harry activated by a drop of his blood, appeared in front of here.

"Wait, how long has it been back here?" Whitney asked.

"Ever since the League scanned it for bugs after they moved Red," Harry said. "I figured they wouldn't look again once they swept the cave clean."

"And when were you planning on telling us about this?"

He moved onto the platform and the others followed suit. Harry did not answer Helena's question right away.'

"The League is able to track tech, but magic is always trickier given it's unpredictable nature," Harry said. "Although, I don't know how we're going to be able to get the League out from under their control."

"Maybe this will help?"

Jade pulled out a case and cracked it open. It revealed a strange looking biochip, which Harry recognized. It had been what Ivo and Klarion had been putting together out in the woods.

"We can find a way to reverse engineer this and cancel the Light's control," Harry said.

The group flashed out in the middle of a field.

"Kid Flash, do me a favor and run this to Star Labs," Harry said.

"I'm on it," Whitney said.

"Zatanna, Rocket, Artemis, and Miss Martian, you're with Kid Flash," Harry said. "The rest of you...you're with me."

"What are we doing?" Helena asked.

"Because, once the clone Thea's mission had been fulfilled, she would have been aware," Cheshire said. "And...I believe that Scandal Savage might be hunting me as well...she knows I took the case."

"How?" Harry asked.

"I cheapshotted her and ran with it,' Cheshire bluntly answered.

They had not that much time. Especially if the League had been sent after them. Harry needed to get in front of this and soon.

Half of the team arrived at Star Labs. Already Whitney and Jesse had been pouring over the technology.

"Well, this is one of the most finicky and tricky pieces of technology I've ever taken a look at," Jesse said.

"You can figure it out, can't you?" Whitney asked.

"Yes, but it's going to take some time," Jesse said. "Which judging by the panicked looks on your face, you really don't have time. What exactly is going on?"

One could see the pained expression on Whitney's face and she looked down at the ground. Today had been a bad revelation, and she was kind of glad she did not have to face the clone Thea now. Although, she was the only Thea Queen that Whitney, Helena, and Mareena knew.

"It's a long story," Whitney said.

"Yeah, I figured as much."

"If you would like, I could drop the information in your mind," Megan said. "With your permission?"

"Of course,' Jesse said.

The information drop hit Jesse hard. She had been shaken completely by the events of today. The Entire Justice League, might have been put under control of the chip.

"We have to get onto work," Jesse said. "Hopefully we can find some way to counteract…."

"Given that they stole some of my work to create this, perhaps I could help?"

Lena Luthor appeared in the door of Star Labs. Jesse would have normally been geeking out at one of the most brilliant women in the world showing up to visit her. But for now, she would just be more restrained.

"They stole some of it from you?" Rocket asked.

"Nano-technology, meant to safely enter a person at the spinal cord and latch onto their nervous system," Lena said. "I had intended to use it for spinal surgery, but the process had not been fine-tuned yet."

"That's how they're controlling the League," Whitney said.

"Yes, well played on them, but...we can find a way to reverse-engineer it and counteract what they're doing," Lena said. "Although, it appears from these scans that the chip doesn't control a person's mind."

"Wait, it doesn't?" Whitney asked.

"What does it do?" Zatanna asked.

"It turns them into a living puppet," Lena said. "They are aware of their actions but they aren't able to stop it."

There had been several times where Whitney West had been far too terrified to scream. This had been one of those times. She could hardly believe it.

"Miss Zatara, I will need your assistance on the magical element of this chip," Lena said. "Miss West and Doctor Wells, I will need you quick hands for this, but I believe I have a countermeasure."

They mostly based this, at least the invasive components off of Lena's technology. So naturally, she had a way to counteract.

Numb shock entered Thea as she entered a rundown nightclub in Star City. She used to try and sneak into here, and get thrown out all of the time. Or at least Thea thought she did. Now she did not know. The three years since Oliver found her, after she tried to stop that illegal arms shipment on her own, it had been all that was.

Every single memory in her mind, every Birthday, every Christmas, her parents, her friends, all of them had been a lie. All a calculated lie to set her up to control the League. For a purpose which Thea did not understand.

From her shoulder, Harry, Sara, Helena, Mareena, Donna, and Jade appeared behind her. She barely acknowledged their presence, sitting in a pit of despair and angst.

"It's all a lie...it's all been a lie," Thea said. "I'm really sorry."

"You were a pawn," Harry said. "And you were used by the Light. I could have been a pawn…."

"You weren't like me," Thea said. "We might have been created by Cadmus, but I'm nothing but a pale shadow, a copy, of a fifteen year old girl who got in way over her head. Everything in my life is…."

"Your life is what you make of it," Helena said. "So, are you going to sit there and feel sorry for yourself? Or are you going to fight the people who did this to you?"

Thea did not answer right away. She half expected something to happen. Some kind of failsafe to cause her to degenerate into a pile of goo. She felt less than nothing.

Harry snapped his fingers and Thea just shivered.

"Nothing," Harry said. "That's curious."

"Thea, listen to me," Sara said.

"I'm not Thea, and you of all people...don't deserve to be lied to," Thea said.

"But, you weren't the one who lied to me," Sara protested.

Thea did not seem too convinced and Sara put her hands on Thea's shoulders. Thea did not deserve anything. She did not want any pity, she did not want any friends, she did not want anything. She just wanted to be left alone.

"No one figured it out, not Oliver, not Dinah, not me, no one," Sara said. "Because, you were Thea to us for the past three years."

"But, someone's little sister, someone's friend, someone's daughter, she's gone," Thea said.

"Get it together," Harry said. "We need your help...we need answers...we need to figure out how to stop them. Do you know anything about what they were planning to do with the League?"

"No, Savage just wanted them under their control," Thea said. "If it wasn't for them being preoccupied with Cheshire…."

"You're welcome," Jade said.

"I wouldn't have even escaped the Watchtower," Thea said.

Everyone had no idea what to do next. Harry figured it might have been a longshot to ask Thea about this one. But, to be honest, it was among the only shots they had.

Something was coming from behind them. The entire group turned around. Jade in particular caught a glimpse of Scandal Savage.

"Two birds with one stone," Scandal said.

"You really couldn't get enough tonight, could you?" Sara asked.

"You're outnumbered, outgunned," Cheshire said. "Or did your knuckle dragger of a father ever teach you how to count?"

Cheshire hated to have to do this, using someone's father as a cheap dig. However, Scandal pushed her and stared the assassin down.

"I've brought a friend," Scandal said. "Perhaps you might have been acquainted with her."

Black Canary turned up and blasted the Team, Cheshire, and Thea away with a Canary Cry. The vapid, blank look in her eyes showed that the lights were on, and no one's home.

"Harry, this is Whitney, can you hear me?" Kid Flash crackled.

Harry's ears rang from getting bombarded with a Canary Cry, but he heard her all right.

"The chips control them like puppets," Kid Flash. "They are aware of their actions...Lena, Zee, Jesse, and I are working on a countermeasure...but we need one of the infected League members to finish it."

"Happy timing," Harry groaned.

He blocked another Canary Cry by gagging Black Canary. Despite having her number one weapon taken off of the table, she still was dangerous.

"Sara, keep her occupied," Harry said. "I have an idea."

"Fight my sister?" White Canary asked. "Sure, why not?"

White Canary jumped up and engaged Black Canary in a hand to hand battle. Sara managed to stay three steps ahead of her sister, on the account that she did not have any access to her usual quick thinking abilities. Although the person who controlled Black Canary did not skimp out on the dirty fighting.

Black Canary grabbed two handfuls of White Canary's hair and planted her down onto the ground, with a very horrendous thud. A series of rapid fire punches followed her around the back of the head.

Scandal swiped a knife towards Cheshire. Cheshire blocked the attack and wrestled her to the ground.

"Okay, Wondergirl!" Superman yelled.

Wondergirl lassoed Black Canary. Scandal tried to stop this from happening. Robin and Cheshire teamed up to take her down.

"Kid Flash, if it's ready, now would be good!" Superman yelled.

"Be there in a flash."

Whitney, Jesse, and Lena finished up the counter of the chip. After scooping it up, Whitney rushed it all the way over to Star City. She sped up, going as fast as humanly possible.

With a flare of light, she inserted the counter of the chip into Black Canary's neck. The biochip erupted with a discharge of energy and sent Black Canary collapsing down onto the ground. He limbs twitched as her nervous system was overwhelmed from the attack.

"She's fine, right?" White Canary asked.

"Yes, although it will put her to sleep for a little bit," Whitney said. "Although, it will be tricky doing these one at a time...especially if the person who is doing this figures out that Black Canary is offline."

That could have been a problem. And speaking of problems, Scandal had been shackled and dragged over towards them.

"You really think there's a single prison in the world that could hold me?" Scandal asked. "Especially when my father has the entire League under control."

"So, now your Daddy's little girl?" Cheshire taunted. "And here I thought how you hated your father."

"I do," Scandal said. "But, I choose my battles wisely. Unlike you, who have chosen poorly."

"We will have to agree to disagree," Jade said.

Harry hoisted Scandal up to her feet. She took in a very deep breath when peering into his green eyes.

"You made the wrong choice," Harry said.

"History will judge that," Scandal said.

"We're going to break into the Watchtower," Harry said. "Take the entire team back and you're going to help us."

Robin, Kid Flash, and Aquagirl all raised their eyebrows. They were all really curious about the plan. Even Thea had been as well, despite the fact she sunk into a funk after realizing her entire life had been a lie.

"Oooh, the control...the control is great...it's wonderful!" Klarion cheered rubbing his hands together. "Which is funny, because I hate control. Because the opposite of control is chaos, but by putting the League under my control, I can commit lots of chaos."

Vandal Savage peered outside of the Watchtower. Several of the League members had been sent off on a special assignment, while others had stood by in reserve, waiting for the fight.

"My daughter should have checked in by now," Vandal said.

"Well, you know kids, never calling you," Klarion said with a shrug. "Bunch of punks. Whippersnappers!"

Savage's communicator buzzed. He answered it.

"Yes?"

"It's ten o'clock, do you know where your daughter is?"

Savage realized who was saying this and his face darkened. He had sent Black Canary to take on the team. In hindsight, he should have sent a few more people along.

"Superman," Savage said. "What do I owe the pleasure?"

"I have your daughter and the clone," Superman said. "You're an intelligent man. I'm here to offer you a trade."

"I'm listening," Savage said.

"Your assets for the League," Superman said.

"We'll talk," Savage said. "One hour...meet me inside of the Watchtower...bring Scandal. And she better not be harmed."

Klarion offered a sarcastic "aww" at that statement. Then he grew all serious when he realized the implications of it.

"Are you willing to give all of this up for some brat?" Klarion said. "Especially, your brat."

A big and calculating smile spread over Vandal's face. If Klarion had the ability to be intimidated, he would have been worried by now.

"The prime opportunity to get Superman under my control. We just have to play his game for long enough to strike."

Almost an hour layer, on cue, Thea and Scandal appeared, with Superman leading them into the cave. Thea had the look of someone who had been completely and utterly defeated. Scandal, she had the look of contempt directed towards her father.

"You got me into this mess," Scandal said.

"No, you got yourself into this mess, by being weak," Vandal said. "I've been too relaxed on you. That's something that I endeavor to correct."

"We have a deal," Harry said.

"The minute I have my daughter and that clone, is the minute you get the override chip," Vandal said. "And you can bring the League back."

'So how did you do it?"

Savage chuckled at this statement. He looked Superman dead on in the eye.

"You know, I'm not going to fall for that," Vandal said. "I'm too smart."

"Oh, I know you are," Harry said. "After all, you would have to be cunning to make Klarion, the Lord of Chaos, into your own personal puppet."

Klarion's eyebrows shoot up and his mouth shoots up.

"Vandal's my partner, and I'm not his puppet," Klarion said.

"Don't confuse us with fools," Vandal said.

"Of course, you're not a fool, Vandal," Harry said. "You must have some trick up your sleeve. To hand Klarion the keys to ultimate power, the keys to controlling the Justice League. Technology which could be used to control you and to control the Light...if he got sufficiently bored with just merely controlling the Justice League."

Harry winked at Klarion, who scowled.

"Like I said, only a fool would give such a wildcard such power," Harry said.

"How do you know about the Light?" Savage asked.

Harry just smiled.

"Keep your friends close and your enemies closer."

"Hand me the controls, Klarion," Savage said.

"Why?" Klarion asked. "I don't have to do that. You said that I could control them. You can't just control me. I'm not your puppet...and he's...trying to get in your head….trying to think that I would want that glorious control over my partners...if I wanted you under my control, don't you think I would have done it by now?"

"So, you think we're weak-willed, do you?" Savage asked. "Perhaps, I had made a mistake. I thought we were on the same page."

Oh, this was better than television. Harry wished he had popcorn.

"He's got in your head!" Klarion yelled. "He twisted your thoughts around."

"Perhaps, or perhaps…."

Scandal broke free and knocked Vandal into the wall when he was distracted. Harry came close to blasting Klarion. Kalrion put up a shield.

"As Superman told you...keep your friends close…."

Scandal shifted into Miss Martian. Savage rose up and attacked her. Only for Miss Martian to go intangible and Vandal to have to put on the breaks before he smashed into the wall.

"You fell for such an obvious ruse!" Klarion cackled. "Man, you really are a big dumb caveman at heart sometimes!"

"Genesis, team!" Harry yelled.

Robin, Kid Flash, Aquagirl, Wondergirl, Artemis, White Canary, Zatanna, Rocket, and Jesse Quick all ported into the cavage.

As Klarion summoned the leave, Jesse and Whitney moved at the speed of light, inserting biochips into the back of the head of all of the League members before they could react.

"What...what's happening?" Klarion asked. "We need backup...serious back up."

"Recall them!" Savage yelled.

An arrow shot into the back of his leg. Red Arrow drew back her bow, but Green Arrow came back and shot an arrow at her. Red Arrow dodged the attack and engaged Green Arrow in a battle and duel of the arrows.

Suddenly, more members of the League turned up. The portal opened up to reveal Superwoman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Martian Manhunter, and Hawkwoman.

"Get to the comm room!" Harry yelled.

"On it!" Kid Flash yelled.

The team prepared to fight some of the most experienced members of the team, in the founding members.

Batman jumped in without any hesitation. Robin dodged the attack and went hand to hand with Batman. She did a flip into the air and bounced off of one of the walls. Batman came back after her. Robin dodged multiple punches in succession, breathing heavily.

The Martian Manhunter and Miss Martian engaged in a battle of the wills and the minds. Miss Martian needed to keep J'onn distracted. She pushed back, almost there.

"Special delivery."

The biochip on the arrow had been blocked when the Martian Manhunter turned around and created a shield. Sensing a momentary distraction, M'gann grabbed J'onn and yanked him down.

Superwoman and Superman met with a beam of heat vision. Activating a switch on the suit, Harry armored up and then blasted Superwoman back with a pulse of magical energy. He moved towards her, only to be waffled by a swinging wrecking ball from the Green Lantern.

Harry made a mental note that the Team could use their own Green Lantern. The Green Lantern boxed in Artemis, Zatanna, and Rocket in a cave. Rocket managed to blast through and tackle Green Lantern into the ground.

"We've got a problem!"

Artemis blew up the sprinkler system and allowed Aquagirl to blast the water to chase down Aquaman who had joined the fight. Aquaman managed to overwhelm her with the power.

"What?"

"The override chip's not overriding," Whitney said. "As in it keeps burning out when I try to reroute it and I can't rewire it fast enough."

"And neither can I."

Harry turned his attention to the cackling chaos lord. His fists clenched.

"There's your problem."

An attempt to get to Klarion had been blocked by the Flash zipping at him at the speed of light. Artemis fired an arrow and ice caused Iris to spin out of control. Helena hurled a grenade down onto the ground which broke open. And froze Flash in place just long enough for them to catch their breaths.

"If we can't disable them through the Comm system, then how?" Artemis asked.

Harry slipped one of the control chips into the back of Flash's neck before she could vibrate her way out of the ice. She collapsed down.

"The old fashioned way," Harry said. "Let's go!"

He hovered over the bodies of Power Girl, Captain Marvel, the other Captain Marvel, and Wasp, who all had their control to Klarion cut off.

Superwoman appeared in front of Superman to block him.

"Sorry, old chum," Klarion said. "You want to get to me...you gotta get through her."

The battle continued. As long as Klarion had been there, there was still going to be problems. Superman pushed through Superwoman and waved his hands.

Several glowing red orbs appeared in Superman's hands. He shot them off in her direction and caused her to fall down onto the ground. The energy from the yellow sun depleted from her.

Finally, Harry dropped down and disabled the chip, causing Superwoman to collapse down onto the ground.

A flip put Robin behind Batman. She stuck the chip underneath Batman's cowl and caused him to drop down to the ground. Another League member dropped down to the ground.

Wondergirl flipped down to the ground. Wonder Woman dove at her, the fury of a warrior still present into her eye. Donna dodged the attack. She tried to lasso Diana. Diana caught the lasso and cracked her wrist.

Donna let to go to do a forward roll on the ground. The furious face of Wonder Woman came into hers, when she dropped down onto the ground.

"Okay, get it together, you can beat her," Wondergirl murmured. "Even though you never came close to beating her before...you can do it...you can do it."

Wonder Woman almost stomped her own sister into the ground. A huge kick rocked her and Wonder Woman put Wondergirl into a triangle hold. She struggled against Wonder Woman's tight grip. The power of her legs almost choked Diana out.

Donna broke free, breathing heavily. She flipped behind Wonder Woman and grabbed her around the arm. With a snap, Wondergirl rolled Donna into the ground. She disabled her opponent, tying up Diana in the process with her own lasso.

The override chip activated after Donna pulled away. She could not believe it. Yet, it happened, Donna came out ahead in battle against her sister!

"NO, NO, NO, NO!"

Klarion threw a tantrum with chaos magic going through the air. The ripple of magical energy threatened to rip the Watchtower

Apart, with crackling energy echoing through them.

Of course, it also drew magic away from the shield. Which allowed Harry to blast on through and rip the override chip from Klarion. He passed it off to Whitney, who managed to pass it to Jesse, who activated the manual override.

Despite their confidence that the power chips were negated, they thought it best to hedge their bets.

"What happened?" Klarion asked.

"You lost control," Savage said

An arrow pierced Savage in the elbow and another two arrows sliced him in the knees. More hit Savage in the arms and one in the upper chest.

Green Arrow turned up, the control having been broken. He realized what happened. And he put more arrows into Savage, turning him into a pin cushion.

"I survived Pompei," Savage said. "I survived Hiroshima. Do you really think you can kill me?"

"Where is she?" Oliver asked.

"Gone," Savage said. "You, Oliver Queen, have failed your sister."

Despite everything Savage did and how much he should die, Oliver hesitated on delivering that final, climatic death blow. He drew back his bow, hands wildly shaking.

Suddenly, another arrow hit Savage's jugular, causing blood to spurt. Several arteries pierced and a bleeding Savage fell to the ground.

"You used me," Thea said. "And now I…."

The lights of the tower flickered and went completely dark. And then when they came back on, Klarion and Savage disappeared into the night.

The aftermath had been like a really bad hangover. Oliver sunk down onto the chair, in a deep depression. How could he, not know it?

"We didn't...we didn't have any clue it was her," Superwoman said.

"No,' Wonder Woman said.

"And if the Green Arrow didn't know, then we couldn't have found out," Batman said. "Cadmus did things good...too good...any of us could be a clone...and none of us would know it."

"That's a bit extreme," Superwoman said.

"Maybe, but it's a realistic view," Batman said. "What happened today concerns me."

Superwoman, Wonder Woman, the Martian Manhunter, Hawkwoman, and Green Lantern all crowded around the table with Batman.

"I've been able to account for the whereabouts and the actions of the team," Batman said. "There was a black out on us six, for sixteen entire hours."

"I thought Kid Flash believed we were conscious?" Green Lantern asked.

"We being conscious was a choice of Savage's much like the sixteen hours we spent with our conscious minds shut off," Batman said. "There must be a reason why those sixteen hours are missing. Why they close to block off our memories of that time? But why?"

"I don't know," Superwoman said. "But, I have a feeling I might not like the answer."

They all agreed, but they would have to know. A new era of the Justice League almost resulted in their end. And many of them still wondered if this could have been the beginning of the end, given how badly they had been compromised tonight. Any trust had been shattered.

Thea sat on the highest point in Star City. A woman without a home, without a past, and a fraud, and without a purpose now that the truth has come back.

"You're out there somewhere," Thea said. "I stole three years of your life. You can't be dead. You deserve a happy ending for all of this."

"So, there you are?"

Harry came up behind Thea and brought her a cup of hot chocolate to the rooftop.

"I can't believe you want anything to do with me," Thea said. "I was born to be a weapon…."

"And someday, you'll get your thick skull that just because you were born to be a weapon, it doesn't mean that there aren't people who care about you," Harry said.

Thea just smiled.

"Oh, you bastard, turn my own words against me," Thea said

"And you were right," Harry said. "Much like I'm right."

He handed the hot chocolate to Thea, who drank it all up. She watched, casually peering down at the city.

"Your friends will be waiting when you're ready to figure this out," Harry said.

"Thanks," Thea said. "But, I want to find her….the original Speedy."

"I know," Harry said.

The two stood on the rooftop in silence. She had to be out there somewhere. Perhaps, Thea just found her purpose. To bring the original Speedy, the real Thea Queen, home.