Dc: start in Young Justice

What if Zane didn't show himself after he first woke up after the Cadmus incident? Didn't establish any kind of connection to the League or Young Justice and decided to take matter into his own hands more directly but behind the scenes?

In this What if? Zane is still cautious but not to the point of paranoia, instead he is more daring, more willing to change things and interfere with events without care about any plots, as long as it is to his advantage.

-----------------

[Cadmus, July 4th]

*BOOO UUUM*KABUUUMMM*BOOOOM*

*smack*crunch* "It's Time" *crack*scraash*

------------------*glass breaking *------------------

After the initial awakening, moving a bit and observing his surroundings and above his surroundings while adjusting to his new body and powers, the not yet named Zane pondered a bit about what to do.

He of course thought about it before while making his wishes but thinking about something then waking up and actually experiencing the thing is different.

His body is different, his mind is different, even now he can feel everything expanding and changing how he feels his body responding to his movement and thoughts immediately, how his thinking is faster and more precise his senses and everything is more and more expanding and evolving.

He almost forgot the aches and pain he used to have in his older body but again his mind proved how it's not easy to forget anymore and all his forgotten memories are coming back more clearly than ever, and with those memories slowly everything about what he remembered of the Young Justice show came too.

His first instinct was to wait a bit and go up and join them so he will have the advantage of the doubt since Superboy is there, but he quickly halted that thought and began pondering about why should he?

It is true that's almost a dream came true, he is strong now and have a lot more potential to be stronger he can join them and be a Hero too, do some good with his abilities and learn and gain more along the way.

It is a childhood dream after all, who doesn't like Batman and Superman? Hell he is not a 16-18 years old he is in his middle late twenties maybe he can get to know some of the heroines too and make some real friendship.

But again, it is a childhood dream after all and he isn't a child anymore. He long time grew up and understood how the world works, even worse in this kind of a world their ideal, logic and code just doesn't make sense to him and they will never see eye to eye especially with Batman and Superman.

And no matter who I am Batman will alway plan and have his doubt and contingencies against me.

So what should I do now? Where should I go?

[Project UP, Ultimate Predator,

Future Zane Pov]

"Haaah, never thought it will be this complicated. Honestly all those fics and story make it look easy how they do stuff without thinking, but this is not a kids show nor it is a fanfic. I don't need to pinch myself to know this is real, I can't fake these feelings and sensations I am experiencing.

This is a dangerous world and a more dangerous universe, I can't just go with the flow and hope thing will turn out good I need to be more careful."

'It's amazing how only a couple of seconds passed while thinking all this, normaly one will need at least 10 minutes pondering about things so deeply and the more and harder I try the more my adaptation is kicking in and helping me, truly fascinating.'

'hmm... hoo I can see through the walls clearly without a problem even though it's dark here and I can hear them more clearly now, they are fighting against the sick doc, Desmond was his name I believe. A scientist of Cadmus, maybe he has some good information for me let's see.'

'Yep Telepathy for the win. Well he's still in there but drunk on power and beside the science stuff he doesn't really know much about 'the Light' well figures.

Robin really needs some mental protection tho, what if anyone got Bruce*caugh* I mean Batman's secret identity and the Batcave location.

But he got good knowledge about hacking and gadgeteering, always wanted to learn that can't wait to learn more later.

He's actually enjoying trolling his friends by suddenly appearing and disappearing out of nowhere what a 'Dick' right.

Wally is not bad at chemistry, like he just replicated The Flash accident with couple of school and pharmacy chemicals and boom low budget speedster. If that's not some comic bullshit then I don't know.

Even though his brain is thinking faster than the others I still am able to catch up to him and am improving every second I am doing this. It's make me wonder how Flash's brain works.

Atlantis seems nice, I should make a trip there for sightseeing and stuff as well, that's one for the list of places I should visit, already have the language for it maybe with some shapeshifting it won't be a problem I will need to know more later. Their magic is, I don't know weird? Interesting? Well it's Atlantian privilege only so no need to dwell on it.

And Superboy, well he'll need anger management therapy that's for sure.'

That's that now let's stretch this new body of mine shall we I should remove everything they have about me before the League investigate first, and I am curious about what I will find.

I obviously done some checks on my body and mind and found nothing but it won't hurt to do extra investigations.

*crack* "Hmm.. I should control my body better, don't want to destroy everything with a touch now.

Haha destroy everything with a touch, man it's cool to be strong. Well let's not get ahead of ourselves now I am strong but not that much yet, good that this suit store sun radiation and keeps feeding me.

They do have some style you gotta give them that they opted for a manhunter black suit with a superman touch. Well let's get out of here."

"Hahaha, can't wait to fly in the skys instead of just floating here and there."

------------

With the yet to be named Zane still adjusting and discovering new thing about his body and capabilities, by the time he checked everything he could and deleted what he found about himself and discovered what he could and not, the fight upstairs was finished and the young team was already on the surface with the Justice League discussing their next move.

It took a couple of hours but after they were done with their investigations and with Guardian's guarantee that everything will be alright they left just like that.

Honestly I don't understand what they hoped to happen or how they just left like that with just a word without looking more deeper into thing, it's just doesn't sound like Batman's style.

But I did notice how everyone was tense with hints of fatigue especially Batman and if I remember right they were dealing with two separate issues before coming here so maybe I can cut them some slack but still it's just doesn't match the legendary style of Batman you know.

Kinda disappointing to be honest, guess that what they mean about never meet your heroes?

But still I didn't dare go anywhere near their mind and risk alert them even though I did want to nudge them near the place were little Roy aka Speedy is it was just not feasible.

Haaah... that's another issue to deal with along with Match and the rest of the G-gnomes.

The Gnomes can be valuable allies no matter how I see it, even with their limited capabilities and distorted forms they can help me and with my abilities and bit of research it's possible to push them to new heights.

But first I need to talk to Dubbilex, see how to take control of the facility and not alert the Light the longest I can before finding somewhere better and safer to transport them.

There's a lot I will need to do, that why I was more open about joining the League first they are simply the easier way but well that's the path that I chose and I should stick to it.

Once I find the right opportunity I will contact Dubbilex and see where it goes.

------------

I need to be discreet first since the place is still under the Light's watch, if it was before I could just contact all the telepathic Gnomes and tell them to keep everyone under control and do something about the recording devices but now after the League interference and Dubbilex along with the rest of the Gnomes naivety they will simply go along with Guardian's 'kinder, gentler Cadmus' even if not for long.

Haah... I'm sighing a lot since I woke up today, fine I'll do it myself.

First I need to control the facility itself more accurately all recording devices and make it look like nothing is happening then I can go brainwash every scientist along with Guardian to just ignore me for now then contact Dubbilex and bring him to my side. The rest will be easier then.

Well let's see what I can do.

------------

[Dubbilex Pov, couple of days later]

Something is wrong, no everything is wrong.

After our brother's escape we decided to go along with Guardian's way temporary and meanwhile make our own city deep down without Cadmus and every other human's knowledge and even though thing have been going smoothly and better than before it is exactly why it's wrong, it's too good to be true after all.

The humans are not giving us enough attention, they know we are here but it's like they don't want to disturb us. It was very suspicious I directly delved inside their mind and true to my suspicion they are mind controlled to just do their job but without disturbing us, I asked my brothers about it and none of them knew about what is happening and I doubt they were the ones who did it, it's too subtle too finesse in the art of mind only I am capable of this and even I don't have the power to do it at this capacity and quality.

What is happening?

'So you finally found out huh' how? I couldn't notice the telepathic message nor I can find where it's coming from, just who is that?

'Relax Brother, I mean you nor the others any harm not even the humans. But I don't like how everything is going here, I've been watching and changing thing for the better for you no matter how temporary it is. I already manipulated all the recording devices so you don't have to worry but just to be careful tell everyone to continue the same and let's meet were we won't be watched and talk abour our future.'

After that I received a coordinate to follow, I'm honestly intrigued even if somehow disturbed. Is this how it feels when someone is in your mind and you have little control? Quite ironic I must say, but who is this 'brother'?

'Who are you?'

'You probably won't know, but they named me Project UP'

Indeed I don't know who's that but with his capabilities so far I don't doubt if he wants he can do whatever he wants so better I just see personally and in the meanwhile I will ask if any of the brothers have heard about this project name.

------------

[Project UP, Ultimate Predator,

Future Zane Pov]

After waiting for a while Dubbilex finally came to one of the secret caves I found, no one here knows about it and it's abandoned for a long time now so I made it my place to train my telepathy and telekinesis while I think and meditate which is proving to be a useful and productive activity.

"You came Dubbilex" I turn around after sensing him coming, he looks surprised seeing the place even more so after seeing me it makes sense I am probably the first and oldest project here so no one should know about me aside from some gossip or something.

"You truly exist brother" hoo looks like I was right about the gossips.

"So you heard about me?"

"Some of the older brother heard stories about you but I always thought it was only stories after all no one knew were you were or the details"

Hmm... sounds about right, I doubt he knows about Match location not to mention Roy and the rest of that place.

"There's a lot you don't know about Cadmus, neither you nor the older ones"

"I...see, why didn't you go out with our little brother? you could better help our cause on his side than here"

"Like I said Dubbilex, there's a lot you don't know I have knowledge about the outside world, about humans and the human mind.

I saw what you are trying to do and I understand what you are saying and maybe it will work but you are naive brother, whatever you will do it will only be temporary and yes he can probably help with his new friends but how long will it take? Months? Years? Decades?"

"Then... what should we do then?" Dubbilex asked with a bit of bitterness.

And I understand, I truly do. Now that I am here underground along with them and after looking at every computer and data along with every human mind in this place I saw and discovered things it's just... simply put humans are really capable of very terrifying and disgusting thing. Truly can be better than angels and worse than devils.

I don't regret even once wishing to be who I am now. Humanity is overrated anyway.

"I have some plans and I will need yours and everyone else's help"

After that we spent some time discussing some of my ideas of how to take over the place, how to truly be free without the need of anyone acceptance and find somewhere were it can be called home. Some things I found I told him others I didn't, I need to know more about how trustworthy and loyal can they be first but I truly wnat to help them and if what I have in mind is possible then they can also be of help to me.

"Do you truly think this is possible brother?" Dubbilex asked this time there was hope, excitement and a little doubt in his voice which is understandable some of my idea sound ridiculous if I didn't know what I know and what I am capable of.

"If the opportunity presents itself as I think then I know it's possible" with as much confidence in my posture and voice I told him.

"Then the best we can do is hope you are right brother and if it does not work we still have our brother on the surface"

"Haha don't worry too much Dubbilex, I will make sure everything works alright"

------------

First step was to make sure what would later be called by Dubbilex as Genomorph city as safe and undetectable as possible so even if Superboy came later neither he nor Lex or anyone else will find the place.

I will also need to deploy some EMP in couple of places just in case.

Next step would be moving all those secret projects and pods down there meaning Match and Roy and all the incomplete Gnomes along with every nick and cranny about their information being it data or files and anything else.

After that I will need to go up there not just for sunbathing but for some research and reading and find a way to use all this tech present here, and yes I already went to sunbathe although invisible and it was the best feeling ever.

My focus will be on computer and science engineering along with biology, genetics and whatever I can get my mind on. Yes my mind, I will use the most obvious but discarded use of telepathy there is. Copying knowledge and information from every scientist, teacher and professor mind among others.

I already have general university knowledge of all field and then some but in this world the word genius is literal to the T, there is alway more to know and study.

And luckily Cadmus is a good start and Desmond precisely with his blockbuster formula, I will try to get my hand on some of that Bane venom and kobra-venom too and see what I can do with them.

Thankfully all those activity are good training for both my telepathic and telekinetic abilities after all like a muscle the more I am using them the better they will get and obviously they boost my mind and the relocation part is a good physical training although light.

Well that will cover most of the beginning projects but knowledge and relocation aside the rest I will need to take advantage of the League and the young team to achieve.

And the first advantage is right here, I already made a mind palace and put all the knowledge about the show on the forefront of my mind, that's how I know where Mr. Twister will appear and through him I will get to T.O. Morrow and his brilliant mind.

Sorry kids, while I know this is a good bonding and trust activity for your team I am sure you will get over it. Well better get there fast before the [YJ].

---------------

[Happy Harbor, July 18]

Well looks like I was still a little bit late the kids already arrived but it's still at the beginning so I still can take advantage of it.

After this I will begin making some mini drones or those hidden cameras and put them in places of interest so no more misshaps can happen.

Now since [YJ] were thrown away that's enough distraction for me to play my role and on the bright side of things it did teach them a lesson and allowed them to grow I can hear their plan from here so it's all good, seriously it's like the universe is giving them an opportunity if I didn't have Acausality I would have questioned myself.

Without further ado and with a telekinetic grip I caught Twister and paralyzed him then lifted him in the air very fast before the kids noticed something weird and flew back to Cadmus all while invisible stealing Twister's meta powers, something that slightly surprised me since he's, well a machine but that's DC comics logic for you.

And he stopped working, apparently his meta core was also his energy core so phasing my arm through him I also deactivated the other android who now lost control of the outer shell looking with my X-Ray eyes I located any listening or recording device and destroyed those before arriving to Cadmus.

I will check again once there.

------------

Morrow is a mechanical genius.

After dismantling both android/robot I understand how it was made and how does it work even the core/meta power is now obviously explained in front of my eyes.

Simply a genius. And I am proud of myself to be able to dismantle this genius work successfully while taking any virus or recording device out and hacking the thing dry of all it information and data. Morrows location included. Even though his assistant Brom is nowhere near his level, his cloned data also proved to be useful as a second point of view of mechanical engineering to my own.

Seriously where do these people get the funds to build such advanced technologies, if not for the super computers here I doubt I could have hacked this thing so fast and so efficiently without errors. Anyway I will strike while the iron is still hot (pun intended) and go after Morrow and the rest of my Avatar power before he thinks he can escape.

.

.

.

I almost shudder in ecstasy at the pleasant knowledge of robotics and cybernetics of old Morrow, I was so pleased I just erased all this knowledge from his head and left him on his medical bed so he can die in peace and took everything in his lab from his android clone to his 'children' and any tech I could take without bringing attention to myself in couple rounds.

It sounds wrong now that I'm thinking about it outloud, but I still left Brom to take care of him after erasing his memories and knowledge too. The man was a loyal assistant to a fault I felt he deserves to stay alive, too bad his boss was a mad scientist who wants to prove his mechanical superiority over the 'Heroes'.

Sadly Red Volcano is only a core with no body otherwise I would have collected my Avatar powerset but it's not that bad of a setback I can still make a temporary body to copy his power and then set him aside with his 'sibling'. Now only Amazo is left and my android collection could also be complete and I can start mass producing them with different power set.

If only it was that simple, while I indeed can do that there is a limit to what an android machine can hold mostly only elemental and esoteric power but they can still be useful and offer something and it's not like I am making an army and preparing to fight superpowered beings.

I just need some assistants and support till I am ready and more prepared so this will lift a weight of my shoulders for now. I should see if I can get my hand on some technopathy.

Anyway I need to digest this library of knowledge and organize it so another round of meditation and telepathic training and then I can go back to my biologics and genetics experiment to figure out what to do with Match and the incomplete Gnomes and then the rest of the Gnomes themselves.

Thank god I kept android Morrow and Brom intact and reprogrammed them to serve me so they can do my mechanical experiments by themselves.

I will check on them after they finish with Volcano. Can they make a poison controlling green Infecto and maybe a gas/cloud white Gaseo/Cloudio or whatever they may name them?

I should check that with them later, as for now Inner Peace and silence.

___________

Author:

Just so you know, this isn't an evil version of Zane nor an alternate universe Zane. It's still the same Zane, I was inspired by Marvel What ifs? and I asked myself what would have happened if Zane went solo? What if he didn't show himself or join [YJ]?

So here is a summarized and rushed version of what would have happened. Here Zane doesn't have to be patient and wait for events to happen he can just sweep in and take everything like I wrote with Twister and Morrow.

He already have what he needs in Cadmus, he can make the Gnomes his own allies and people he can go and look for power without anyone knowing he exist, take advantage of events without caring about the future and plot. Zane always knew that his existence alone brought changes but he was restricting himself by making himself public to the League, not anymore not in this What if?.

That why I said less paranoid and more bold at the start of the chapter, because Zane is on his own and doesn't need to be careful and analyze those around him like Batman and the rest.

So expect different things to happen than the original but still with similar outcomes because as I said it is still the same Zane but with different circumstances and freedom.

That means he may gain more than the original or maybe less(Fate's magic, technology, universal/dimensional travel etc...)

What do you think about it? I actually kinda enjoyed writing this chapter I didn't want to stop. If you liked it then I will continue with more parts when I hit a block or don't know what to write anymore.

Obviously I will be continuing with original story don't worry, the next chapter Zane will be traveling universes. What universe do you have on your mind? Keep it Dc and the like(no anime or stuff, for now)