The cool wind along the shoreline brushes against Karna's mantle as he walks beside Wonder Woman, golden sunlight flickering off his black-and-gold armor. They approach an old, gray structure half-hidden in between buildings—the Zeta Tube.
Wonder Woman gestures to it with a practiced grace.
"You'll need to memorize your clearance phrase," she explains. "Name and designation. It scans both biometrics and intent."
Karna studies it with mild interest.
"Karna. B-Zero-Six?" he offers dryly, saying the designation told to him before.
Wonder Woman chuckles faintly. "Good enough."
She steps aside and lets him approach, waiting for Karna to move forward, as the man lets his gaze linger on the shimmering column of light—his expression unreadable, thoughtful.
A doorway again. Always a threshold. Before, it was death. Now, it's… bureaucracy.
He steps closer as he's scanned, though his mind is on the interrogation he had been thorough. Batman and Wonder Woman both were the ones in charge, alternating between clinical and cautious. Not accusatory—but dissecting in the way one might prod a sleeping god.
The Lasso of Truth had wrapped around his wrist. Cool, alive, and humming with quiet magic. It hadn't forced answers from him. It merely nudged—pushed at silence until it cracked.
Luckily, half-truths worked. And Karna had many to spare. He didn't remember his age, but a quick physical test told him he was seventeen. He explained about his powers, his parentage, and what he remembered from the knowledge downloaded into his brain.
He had seen Batman's face remain perfectly unreadable.
He had seen Wonder Woman's expression tighten when he described the Geas—that binding, sacred command that prevented him from harming humans. And he knew, from the slight shifts in their posture when he asked, that Superman had been briefed.
Karna hadn't seen him since the Cadmus incident.
He isn't sure if he was relieved or disappointed by that.
He shakes his head as the light stops shining on him. He turns towards Wonder Woman, who still has a small smile on her lips. "As I told you before, you've been offered a place with our younger members. Field missions, training—operations better suited to your current… classification."
Karna raises a brow.
"Classification," he echoes flatly.
"Teenager," she clarifies, a faint smile tugging at her lips.
Karna glances down at himself—at the armor that could withstand celestial fire, the hands that had once held a lance forged by the gods.
"I'm surely widely known by now," he mutters dryly. "Do I get a hidden identity?"
Wonder Woman hides her laugh well, but it's there, behind her eyes. "You're not being forced into anything. But… it could give you purpose. And allies your age."
Karna doesn't respond immediately. Instead, he watches the light of the Zeta Tube swirl gently, a pillar of glowing energy waiting like an open gate. He steps forward without hesitation, the slight crackle of displaced magic brushing against his skin as he passes through.
When his vision clears, he finds himself standing in a large, cavernous space carved into the cliffs—a blend of natural rock and sleek technology. Mount Justice, or so Wonder Woman has told him.
The air smells faintly of salt from the ocean outside, mixed with the sterile scent of fresh wiring and new construction. Lights illuminate the cavern's core where a group has gathered, waiting for him in civilian clothes.
Robin. Kid Flash. Aqualad. Superboy.
And beyond them, a lineup of recognizable heroes: Batman, Black Canary, Red Tornado, Flash, Aquaman.
Wonder Woman materializes behind him in a soft pulse of Zeta energy. She steps forward with the casual ease of someone utterly at home.
Batman's voice cuts across the space, low and steady.
"This cave was the original Secret Sanctuary of the Justice League," he says, his words clipped, efficient. "We're calling it into service again. Since you four are determined to stay together and fight the good fight... you'll do it on League terms."
Karna folds his arms across his chest, expression unreadable as Batman continues. "Red Tornado volunteered to live here and be your supervisor. Black Canary's in charge of training. I will deploy you on missions. Covert missions."
The words hang heavy in the air, weighted with expectation.
Karna's gaze drifts across the young faces—Robin's bright, calculating eyes; Kid Flash's restless energy; Aqualad's calm, steady presence; and Superboy... who is looking at him and has been since he stepped through the portal.
Batman's voice resumes, drawing attention back to him. "The six of you will work together as a team."
Robin blinks and tilts his head slightly. "Six?"
Before anyone can answer, a second ripple of Zeta energy fills the room.
Out of the light steps Martian Manhunter, accompanied by a slender girl with vibrant red hair and soft green skin. She smiles cheerfully, hands clasped in front of her. "This is M'gann M'orzz, my niece," Martian Manhunter announces.
M'gann offers a small wave. "Hello, you can call me Megan."
Kid Flash is at her side almost instantly, flashing a grin that verges on cartoonish.
"Hello, Megan," he says, emphasizing the Earth name she's clearly adopted.
M'gann giggles, but her eyes wander almost immediately to others, her gaze lingering on Superboy, who still hasn't looked away from Karna.
Karna arches a single eyebrow, regarding the boy's unwavering stare with mild curiosity. It isn't hostility he sees there—nor fear. Something quieter. Weightier. Recognition, maybe.
For a moment, neither of them speaks.
Then Karna tilts his head slightly, acknowledging the attention with a flicker of amusement that only the closest observer might catch.
Kid Flash, oblivious to the silent tension, turns to Robin with a wide grin. "This team just got way cooler."
Behind them, Batman's mouth tightens into something dangerously close to a smirk—if one could call it that.
"You'll all be working together," he says. "Get settled."
Karna exhales softly through his nose, the embers of his presence dimming slightly as he surveys the space.
A sanctuary for the young. A training ground for heroes. And for me... a beginning.
The group shifts awkwardly after Batman's announcement, until Black Canary steps forward with a bright, encouraging smile.
"Introductions are in order," she says. "Let's make this official."
Robin grins and throws up a quick two-finger salute. "Robin. No last name. No codenames beyond that. It's a thing."
"Wally West, or Kid Flash," Wally says, vibrating slightly on his feet. "Fastest teen alive."
Aqualad bows his head slightly, polite and composed. "Kaldur'ahm, though I am called Aqualad here."
M'gann lifts a hand with a bright smile. "M'gann M'orzz. But you can call me Megan."
Megan turns to Superboy, who says nothing, arms stiff at his sides, the red S still stark against his black t-shirt, as he keeps looking at Karna.
Karna himself huffs a laugh as he takes a slow step forward, mantle whispering behind him. When he speaks, his voice is even and calm, carrying an authority that doesn't try to demand attention—it simply has it. "Karna. Son of Surya."
A beat of silence follows.
Wally blinks. "Uh... who's Surya?"
Before Karna can respond, Robin jumps in, practically bouncing on the balls of his feet. "Sun god. Hindu mythology. Big deal. Solar chariots, divine radiance, the whole nine yards."
Wally frowns, tilting his head. "Gods aren't real, though."
A sharp sound follows—a hand meeting a face with force.
Flash slowly drags his hand down his own face in exasperation, muttering something under his breath about 'public school science classes'.
Karna, for his part, only lifts an eyebrow.
"Wonder Woman carries divine blood as well," he says dryly. "You'll have to reconcile your disbelief with reality at some point."
Wally opens his mouth, thinks better of it, and closes it again.
Robin, grinning, pushes forward with a new question. "So... what's it like having a god for a dad?"
Karna shrugs, the movement languid, indifferent.
"Absent," he says simply.
The mood shifts slightly, an uncomfortable ripple passing through the young heroes. Karna seizes the opportunity to divert attention, glancing sideways at the one who hasn't spoken yet.
"Superboy, right?" Karna asks, voice lighter now, though no less commanding. "Do you intend to pick an Earthly name?"
The room stills a little, everyone now looking toward Superboy, who stiffens, tension coiling in his frame, uncertainty flashing across his features. Karna immediately regrets being blunt.
"Superboy sounds more like a designation," Karna says, gentling his tone as he tilts his head. "A title. Not a name."
Wally gives a low whistle. "He's not wrong."
M'gann leans forward eagerly, her face brightening.
"What about... Conner?" she suggests.
Superboy blinks. The suggestion seems to hang there—hopeful. Human.
He looks from M'gann to Karna, who doesn't push or demand. He just waits.
After a long pause, Superboy gives a small, uncertain nod.
"Conner," he says, voice rough with unused softness as he tastes the words. "Conner sounds good."
The others smile, clapping him on the back, congratulating him.
Karna simply inclines his head once, a quiet acceptance, before turning his gaze outward—watching, waiting.
'A name is the first gift you give yourself in a new world,' he thinks. 'And Conner has just taken his first step toward being something more than a weapon.'
The introductions wind down after a while, lingering laughter and awkward smiles slowly fading into a more comfortable, if tentative, quiet.
The adults—Batman, Wonder Woman, Flash, Aquaman, and Martian Manhunter—gather near the entrance, speaking in low, clipped tones.
Then Batman steps forward, the undeniable gravity of him pulling everyone's attention.
"You haven't been given your starting assignments. Training begins at a later date," he says. "For now… get to know each other."
His gaze flickers specifically to M'gann, Superboy, and finally, to Karna.
"Megan M'orzz, Conner, Karna. You three will be living here full-time in Happy Harbor for the foreseeable future."
M'gann brightens immediately, her hands clasping excitedly in front of her while Superboy simply nods, stoic but not hostile. Karna offers no outward reaction. He only inclines his head slightly, accepting the words like receiving an official command.
Batman turns toward him fully, producing a slim black wallet and a silver card from the folds of his utility belt.
"You'll need to blend in," Batman says, handing the card to Karna. "This is a League-authorized credit account. Go into town. Buy appropriate civilian clothing. You can take Superboy and M'gann with you—and the others if they want to accompany you."
Karna accepts the card with a light grip, tilting his head slightly as he tucks the card away carefully.
Batman motions toward the back of the cavern, where a steel corridor branches into what looks like a series of connected rooms. "I left basic clothing inside your assigned quarters. Enough to get you outside without drawing too much attention."
Karna nods once more.
"Everyone else," Batman continues, sweeping his gaze across Robin, Kid Flash, and Aqualad, "won't be living here full-time. But each of you has been assigned a private room. Decorate it how you want. It's your space."
Red Tornado, silent and imposing in his own right, steps forward with a mechanical hum. "I will lead you to your quarters."
Batman's cowl dips in a shallow nod. "This team is now yours. Treat it—and each other—with respect."
No further farewell.
No long-winded speeches.
Just a turn of his cape and a quiet exit.
The other adults follow—silent, proud, wary—leaving the young heroes standing in the cavern's heart, suddenly dwarfed by its vastness.
Karna watches them go, feeling a strange stillness settle in the wake of their departure.
It isn't loneliness.
It's space, like he has been given a canvas for him to paint
And somewhere in that empty space, under the flickering lights of their new home, Karna feels something unfamiliar stir in his chest.
Possibility.
.
.
I'm tired af
Work had been hard lately with not many of us workers and more clients coming. My sister, the one I live with, has gone on a month long trip to our home country and I have to take care of her cat (name: Snoopy), so yeah, this has not been my month, at all.
I tried to write when I could but... well, I've not been really succesful. Let's hope September is easier on me now that my sister returns in two days and I don't have to take care of everything.