Koriand'r lay on her bed in her D.C. apartment, reflecting on the eventful day. What had started as a peaceful Independence Day celebration in the National Mall had quickly turned chaotic when Minister Blizzard attacked. The sound of panicked civilians echoed in her mind as she replayed the moment.
As the crowd scattered, she had spotted him taking aim at innocent people, his ice gun ready to unleash another wave of freezing destruction. Without hesitation, she fired a starbolt at the weapon, shattering it before knocking Blizzard unconscious with another precise blast. She had alerted the authorities, only to be swept into the whirlwind of another call—this time from Diana.
"Starfire, the proteges are being given a tour of the Hall of Justice," Diana had said, her voice calm but tinged with purpose. "We would like you to join them."
Kori had hesitated for a moment. She had visited the Hall before, stepping into the vast meeting room after arriving on Earth, but she had yet to see the rest of the building. And though she considered inviting Joseph, she knew he was busy today. They hadn't interacted much with the other sidekicks, and she was curious about them.
When she arrived, she was greeted by Robin, Kid Flash, Aqualad, and Speedy. Kid Flash flashed her a mischievous grin, but before he could open his mouth, Robin elbowed him sharply. "Behave," he muttered under his breath.
"Hey, I'm just saying, if I'm gonna be stuck here for a while, might as well enjoy the view," Kid Flash shot back, winking at Kori.
The introductions were brief before their mentors attempted to leave for a debriefing. That's when Speedy snapped.
Furious at being sidelined, he revealed what the others didn't know—the Hall of Justice wasn't the real League headquarters. There was a Watchtower. Green Arrow looked guilty, but before anyone could react, Speedy stormed off.
The awkward pause was broken by a call from Superman, requesting immediate assistance with a fire at Project Cadmus. Before the sidekicks could volunteer, the League was called away to deal with Wotan's latest scheme, leaving them behind.
Robin smirked, crossing his arms. "I hacked the Justice League's secure server. There's something off about that Cadmus fire."
"That's all we needed to hear," Kid Flash chimed in, already bouncing on his toes.
Together, they made their way to the burning building. Robin grappled to the top while Kid Flash sprinted up the side. Aqualad used his water-bearers to scale the walls. Koriand'r flew, her eyes scanning for any civilians in danger. As she helped evacuate scientists, she couldn't shake the nagging feeling that something more sinister was at play.
Inside the facility, they stumbled upon something unexpected—a high-speed express elevator leading deep underground.
With no time to waste, they descended to Sub-Level 26, where they encountered terrifying creatures known as Genomorphs. And worse still, they discovered that Cadmus wasn't running on traditional power sources—it was being fueled by these very creatures.
Before they could process the implications, security arrived, and Guardian, the facility's head of security, quickly confronted them. But when his G-Gnome used telepathy to force him to attack, the situation escalated into chaos.
Robin threw a smoke bomb to obscure their movements, and a battle erupted. Koriand'r held back, unwilling to harm the mind-controlled guards. Her reluctance, however, didn't stop her from firing a few disabling shots to protect her team. Eventually, Robin hacked the elevator, sending them even deeper into the facility.
That's when they found it—Project Kr. A clone of Superman.
As they debated their next move, the clone's G-Gnomes activated, pushing him to attack. Koriand'r was closest to him and didn't have time to react before the clone lunged, knocking her unconscious.
The memory of waking up confined in Sub-Level 42 still sent a shiver through her. The dim lighting, the sterile cold of the room, and the sight of Superboy standing in front of them, silent and brooding, had unsettled her. The moment reminded her too much of her own past—the cold, unfeeling captors of the Citadel, the endless fights for survival. Fear had clawed at her chest before she forced it down.
Superboy's voice had finally broken the silence. Kid Flash, ever the chatterbox, was the first to react.
"You're—you're a clone?" he stammered, wide-eyed.
Superboy had nodded slowly, his expression unreadable. As they questioned him, Kori had listened intently, her heart aching for him. He spoke of his life in Cadmus, how the G-Gnomes had taught him everything he knew, but how he'd never known a life outside the facility. The world beyond those walls had been unthinkable to him.
Koriand'r had seen the pain in his eyes, deep and raw, something she understood all too well. She had tried to reach him, speaking softly, offering words of kindness.
"You don't have to stay here," she had said. "There is more to life than this place. You don't owe them anything."
For a brief moment, it seemed like they were getting through to him. But then Desmond arrived, shattering that fragile connection. Under the influence of the G-Gnomes, Superboy had been forced back into submission. Kori had felt a pang of helplessness as Desmond ordered their memories to be extracted.
The sharp pain in her mind had been overwhelming, and just when she thought she might break under its weight, Aqualad had reached out to Superboy with a desperate plea.
"What would Superman do?" he had asked, his voice filled with urgency.
Even in her weakened state, Koriand'r had felt the shift in the air. Something in Superboy had changed. His anger erupted, and he broke free, his fury sending shockwaves through the facility. He dispatched Guardian and Desmond with ease, freeing them to escape.
The flight to freedom had been chaotic. They fought through waves of genomorphs, navigated collapsing corridors, and raced to avoid being caught. Koriand'r used her starbolts to clear paths and cover the team, her heart racing with every passing second.
Superboy had struggled, frustrated by his lack of flight compared to Koriand'r and Superman. She had wanted to comfort him, to tell him it wasn't his fault, but there had been no time for words. Every moment was a battle for survival.
And then came Desmond's monstrous transformation into Project Blockbuster—a hulking beast that seemed impervious to their attacks. It took everything they had to bring him down. Kori had evaded his attacks, using her starbolts to distract him long enough for Aqualad and Superboy to land the final blows. Robin had brought the structure down on Blockbuster, and Kori had barely shielded herself in time.
When the dust settled, and the team emerged into the night air, Koriand'r took a deep, steadying breath. The moon above offered some relief, but that peace was short-lived. The Justice League had arrived—Superman among them.
She watched as Superboy stepped forward, revealing the truth of his existence. Kori could see the hesitation in Superman's face, the unspoken questions that lingered in the air. Then, without another word, Superman turned and left.
The League wasn't pleased, and Batman's reprimand was swift and severe. But Kori and the others stood their ground. They had done what was right.
As she lay in her bed now, Kori exhaled slowly, feeling the weight of the night settle around her. It had been exhausting. It had been terrifying. But it had also been the beginning of something—something much bigger than herself.
With that thought, she closed her eyes, finally allowing herself to rest.