Ch 15 Command Performance

Planet Oa: Twilight Hour

The requested meeting took a good two hours into the night. During which, it had been made painfully clear that the beetle's "wardrobe malfunction" had given birth to uneasy rumors. The Guardians explained that these rumors were undermining his reputation and brought the mastery of his scarab into question. Therefore, they recommended that measures needed to be taken in order to quail these rumors before they get out of hand. To this, the armored insect had surprisingly agreed and asked what the council recommended, even though thanks to the events in the Training Hall he could already guess what was expected of him. At this point it was made abundantly clear that a demonstration was not only going to take place, but deemed necessary for nothing more than to set everyone's mind at ease.

Hal had to give prompts to the kid for pulling himself together fast enough to adopt a cool and controlled persona during the whole deal. He never would have guessed that deep inside the Latino had been having the mother of all panic attacks from the way he conducted himself. Now after everything was said and done, all either of them wanted to do was collapse face first into a pillow. After stopping to pick up some food for the teenager and flying the currently quiet and empty skies, the two tired Earthlings finally made it back to the suite without incident. However, once they made it to the door, it suddenly slid open and a pair of bulky arms lashed out like a pair of cobras, grabbing them both and pulling them into the VIP suite before the doors slid shut and were locked.

To their surprise, the two found not only the rest of the X Squad, but ill at ease Green Lanterns John Stewart and Guy Gardner as well being cornered by a very agitated Impulse. "OH COME ON!" Bart's anger filled freak out cry could have easily shook the whole building to its foundation if it were any louder. "You have got to be kidding!" Before either of the newcomers could ask what he meant, the speedster noticed them, rushed forward, grabbed his best friend and pulled him away from the Emerald Knight and across the room.

An equally displeased squad leader didn't shy from expressing his thoughts on the matter to the Honor Guard as he purposely cut him off from the others. "You want him to go in front of a literal firing squad and perform tricks?" His steel blue eyes reflected every degree of his cold fury and had the Lantern grateful that the young Kryptonian didn't have the heat vision of his mentor as of yet. "Did you not see what happened back at the Mess Hall?!"

Ever since Hal Jordan had come earlier looking for the Blue Beetle, they knew something had to have come up. Earlier, Superboy had naturally overheard Blue's request to see his attacker and pointed the Elite Green Lantern in the right direction to search. What the field leader didn't mention was that he had dispatched Beast Boy to tail their azure teammate for safety, knowing the changeling wouldn't let the Latino out of his sight. The literal fly on the wall had not only snuck into the Guardians' chambers and overheard everything that went behind those closed doors, but swiftly got back before his targets and informed the rest of the squad. Who were all less than thrilled about the sudden change in plans. The other two human Lanterns, whom had stopped by to check on the squad only to find them assembled in the VIP suit, had been trying to calm the boys down ever since with little to no luck. Especially when both Hal and Blue were late coming back from their meeting.

Beast Boy just couldn't believe it when he found out about the demonstration. "He all but gets killed on sight, twice, and you want him to risk it again?" The very idea of having their teammate being made to go before the entire Corp practically screamed of insanity. Were these guys trying to tempt fate, or something? "Seriously?!"

"For real man, ya can't let Blue go out there." An equally distraught Virgil stated as he all but pictured the target on Jaime's back. "Even with the Guardians there, someone could still have an ax to grind with'em."

Seeing as they were far too railed up to listen to reason, the Ginger Lantern formed a whistle construct and blew hard into it. Once he had the full attention of the room he began explaining the general idea behind the demonstration. "Which is why we are going to be the ones setting up the obstacle course." Guy stated as he then used his ring to project a model of the course's layout with three distinctive dots at key points. The second that Hal had confronted Scar about the now mandatory exposition, the three of them volunteered to design the course. Their reason being that since the unprovoked attack would naturally have the human beetle be suspicious of the Corp's intention and would feel more at ease if fellow Earthlings were involved. The idea played to the aliens' stereotypical view of humans and was approved.

"Hal, Guy, and I will be the only Lanterns allowed in the square with you." John Stewart explained as he pointed out each of their assigned locations on the model. Two Lanterns on either side of the main arena, and one hovering just above the arena. "Each of us will be in charge of a different aspect of the course." The holo-projection animated the scenario exactly as he described by lighting up the third dot in the air and then switching out in a clockwise circle. Of course, this was all best-case scenario. "While one of us will be proctoring the test the other two will be watching out for saboteurs."

"What about us?" Superboy asked with a look that pretty much said he was going to take part regardless of what anyone was going to say.

"The Guardians have offered all of you seats with the Elites overlooking the arena." Hal Jordan said as he pointed out the location on the model. "But considering everything's that's happened I'm hoping you boys would be willing to take part in the demonstration." The Honor Guard would much rather decrease their chances of a second relapse as much as possible and having familiar figures around ought to ensure that.

"Take part how exactly?" Virgil asked almost apprehensively. This whole scenario was beginning to feel like a surprise pop quiz neither of them have studied for.

"An obstacle course can only reveal so much." The Lantern explained as he used his own ring construct to illustrate the main objective behind this whole event. "After seeing a sample of what the scarab can do against living opponents, the Guardians are going to want to measure Blue's full capabilities." A small green light doll construct was soon formed and began acting out the different aspects of the demonstration as they were listed. "That means speed, strength, agility, weapons; the whole package. We figured each of you could act as a controlled comparison for the scarab's enhancements."

Throughout all of this, Blue Beetle had been silently eating his beyond late evening meal turned ridiculously early breakfast. It had taken a lot of convincing for Neo Kid Flash to accept that he was alright, but the eventually auburn took his friend's word and allowed him some privacy to eat his meal in peace. Despite the fact that Jaime didn't really have much of an appetite, going nearly twelve straight hours without real food was not something he would be allowed to dismiss thanks to his partner. Khaji-Da, sensing that its host had been on the verge of a breakdown after their reckoning with their attacker, had been front and center since the private meeting with the Guardians began. Although not fully in control, the device did manipulate the youth's motor functions just enough to give off a centered presence and fed the boy exactly what to say when necessary. To Jaime, it felt like he was sleepwalking. Not exactly, in full control of his body, but alert enough to know what was going on and how to react as needed. In this state, his mind was allowed to ponder while Khaji-Da kept track of everything for him. At the moment, the scarab had been playing back the recorded images from the meeting with in their proverbial vision for the youth to review while the others debated on what to do.

It was clear, even to the boy, that this demonstration was a ploy for gathering as much Intel as possible on their abilities. Hiding behind the guise of educational visuals was a clever static but simple enough to see through. Still Scarab could estimate this working to their advantage. The newly discovered modifications of their shared armor needed to be explored and tested in order to determine their integrity in battle. Scarab had already concluded that these long lost features were a result of both the Reach initiated reboot and the connection Scarab had forged with Jaime. Although it had been built with the means for assassination due to prior prerogatives, the feature was admit-tingly, augmented by some unknown factor. This demonstration ought to allow an ideal setting to explore their connection further, yet the risks may prove too much for Jaime… The young human has become understandingly apprehensive in these last 10.42 hours and the prospect of being displayed before the entirety of the Green Lantern Corp may not be the best tactical maneuver presently. Even now the boy has been utilizing some form of breathing regulation strategy in an effort to stay calm and centered as he absorbed the data as best he could. A slight alteration in dopamine levels well aide in the attempt, yet the ominous visions the youth was conjuring were concerning. The Earth term "shell-shocked" seem to describe his current state most accurately.

"I really don't want to do this…" Jaime thought nervously to both himself and Khaji-Da. He was really questioning his own judgment at this point for even agreeing to this.

"Yet you will comply." Khaji-Da stated as a matter of fact. This wouldn't be the first time the Hispanic was co-versed into an undesirable position, but his sense of integrity always held true. "You could set the terms of the challenges, so as to have some level of control. There by choosing which of our features will be tested in what order." It suggested after pausing long enough to allow Jaime to physically nod his confirmation of its prediction.

The comforting suggestion came as a bit of a surprise to say the least. "You're actually willing to go through this with me, aren't you?" Normally, the scarab would be recommending alternate tactics of a more aggressive nature. This small act of consideration was a nice change of pace.

"This scarab well comply regardless of willingness." Scarab declared as it regulated the boy's dopamine levels in order to keep him calm enough to think clearly through their options. "The most logical tactic would be to extradite ourselves from this hostile planet." Of course that would require abandoning their entourage to the mercy of their enemy, which the boy would have no part of. "However, if the opportunity to explore these latent abilities is being provided freely, taking advantage of it would be highly beneficial."

Although the idea made good sense, Jaime still have a very nagging feeling about this whole situation. "I don't know…"

"Would you rather estimate the calculated risk of having an unfamiliar feature being activated at random?" Scarab offered knowing very well that it's tightly wound up organic host would refuse, and rightfully so. There are too many X factors as it was with this new bond and the possibility of an unintentional mishap was high.

"No…"

"Then recommended tactic would be to take advantage of the enemies' naiveté and use this opportunity to establish our power." Khaji-Da stated as it began to run several scenarios in an attempt to predict each possible outcome with a high percentage accuracy. Using the Guardians own tactics against them to further their own progress held the best advantage. "There by gaining a better understanding of these new modes thus strengthening our control."

As reluctant as the Latino was, he knew his partner had a valid point. These crazy new armor features were popping up at random and the last one literally knocked him, and everyone else for that matter, for a loop. He was already on thin ice as it was from the sound of things and refusing to comply with the Guardians' request after his freak out would only give them more of a reason to be suspicious. Maybe letting his scarab take the lead on this one was the best course to take. After all, he is the artificial intelligence specifically designed for his armor and powers, and he's number one priority was to make sure his host was safe at all times.

Meanwhile the X Squad was on pins and needles about this whole situation. Between Bart wanting to leave this planet of crazy meat bags, and Beast Boy opting to stay in the safety of their rooms until it is time to leave; there hasn't been a moment's peace. The Lanterns could barely get a word in, Connor was getting a headache from all the noise, while Virgil stayed quiet and out of the way. This was all reminding him of his last family get together on Thanksgiving, only instead of arguing over table settings, it was over wither or not to watch a live performance staring one of their own. How the heck was Blue Beetle just sitting there all calmed and centered like they weren't discussing an obligation being imposed on him was beyond what Static could understand. You think that being made to pay some crazy compensation for an attack that wasn't even his fault to begin with would tick anybody off, but there he was munching on what was left of an apple like it was no big deal. Was he really that hard core, or did he not get what was going on right now? …Or was this a common thing for him? Could he have been put through this before, so much, that he was no longer fazed by it?

By the time the insect-based hero had finished his meal and came back to the current event, the Lanterns had long since finished their explanation and took their leave. "It's obviously a set up to learn how a Reach Beetle fights." Superboy stated as the rest of the group gathered around him. It was the only reason the clone could think of that made any real sense to him. "I'm sure of it." The first failed attack, intentional or not, didn't come close to revealing as much as the second one did, and if he wanted to gather intelligence on an enemy, seeing them in action would give him everything he needed to come up with effective counter measures.

"But Blue's different from any other beetle the Reach has." The new Kid Flash argued as he paced around the group in an attempt to burn off his frustration. How many times do they have to go through this before people get it through their heads that Jaime wasn't anything like the actual enemy?! "He thinks for himself! The others are hardly any more than meat puppets."

Remembering the details from their mission to liberate Blue from Reach control, Beast Boy had to agree with the declaration. "That alone is what gives him, and only him, an advantage. It won't tell'em squat about how the actual Reach agents works."

Virgil also found himself agreeing, especially since it was made clear that these green soldiers were shown to blast first at the slightest perceived provocation. "He's right, if anything it'll give some less than trusting fool a way to take him down first chance they get." The new guy found himself glancing over at their silent companion, whom by now had finished his meal and was in deep thought. "You've been pretty quiet over there, Blue Beetle. Got anything to add?"

Being directly addressed seemed to have broken him out of his notion and had him glancing over to his entourage. All of who were waiting expectantly for his impute. "We pretty much came to the same conclusion as all of you. But the fact of the matter is…" He turned his gaze down towards his armored hands hesitantly, recalling exactly what they were capable of before this mess, before continuing his reasoning. "Our powers are evolving. We have no idea what could happen if they keep going on like this." Not even Khaji-Da was 100% sure and if anything else, Jaime, himself, needed to know what he was capable of now. Soon enough he fisted those same hands and looked back at his teammates with a more determined expression on his face. "The demonstration might be our best bet to test these new modes."

The room was fell silent as the others took their time to process his decision individually. "He has a good point." Static finally stated. If his own powers suddenly got a mega boost, he would want a way to safely experiment with them, if nothing more than to get a solid grip on them again. "That last one all but sent Conner threw a wall. No offense." He added towards the Kryptonian clone with a tensed grin.

"Hmm." Superboy didn't really gave much thought to the comment as he did these latest turn of events. He understood Jaime's plight and could even relate on some level, but the attempts made on his life was something that just could not be ignored. "Reasonable as that sounds, it still doesn't change the fact someone could use what you'll show against you first chance they get."

This risk wasn't lost on the beetle or his scarab. They couldn't exactly hold back otherwise someone might call them out on it and its not like he could be put on mode again for a more accurate depiction on an active Reach agent… "Wait… Maybe pordermos…" A look of pure realization came over the Blue Beetle and had him standing from his bed and pacing towards the writing desk and back with a sudden boost of energy. "I mean we'd have to play it close to the chest but…" How clearly he remembered their first, full on, fight with Black Beetle and again during the meeting with the Guardians. His mind was running a mile a minute with an idea that even Scarab had to agree was doable. "We could make this work…"

The rest of the X Squad watched as their suddenly excitable charge paced as he thought out loud to himself. "What do you mean?" Conner asked as he deliberately blocked his path to get him to refocus on them. "What can work?"

"I think we know como aser esto." Jaime declared looking into the steal blue eyes of his friend with a confidence that hadn't been there in a long time. Those golden irises then fell on the rest of their group whom watch in both concern and confusion over his behavior. "But you guys are going to have to trust me…" With a few short exchanges of glances, the whole squad gathered in close to listen.

At the same time, the Earth Lanterns have been making their own arrangements. The same fears and concerns were discussed and planned for to the best of their abilities, with a final decision of having each of them take part in the demonstration. They would do so without the use of their rings in order to offer a simple compare and contract example between human, meta-human, and Reach Beetle. Some voiced their concerns, others argued over what ifs, and the details were expressed and stressed for what felt like hours before taking the proposal to the Guardians. By the end of it all, they were all in agreement and departed for their own sleeping quarters. Tomorrow promised to be a very long day.

Space: Sector 92842

Deep within the vacuum of space, far beyond the jurisdiction of the Green Lantern Corp, was an intergalactic equivalent of a sit in bar settled on lone asteroid. The structure bore a remarkable resemblance to those dusty, old, out of the way bars one would find out in the dessert. It was a fairly decent size, furnished with an assortment of tables and chairs, hanging lamps, and whatever accounted for games in such an interstellar location. Within the confines of this dark and dank building were some of the galaxy's most vile and shady characters known. Any number of space pirates, smugglers, mercenaries, planetary slave traders, and intergalactic bounty hunters would gather in such remote places in order to rest, hide out, or in many cases seek out potential new job opportunities. It was just the sort of place for a secret meeting to be held with little to no one really caring enough to notice. As it stood two figures sat at the farthest table from the entrance. One draped in hooded cloak, so as to hide their features while the other, sat tall with an air of sophisticated composure. The former had sought out the aide of the latter specifically in order to propose a very profitable deal.

Once all the formalities had been addressed, the cloaked figure pulled out a small device and activated it so that a miniature holograph of the intended target would appear. The Blue Beetle. "He's wanted dead or alive for treason on the Reach home world, but I have a more productive use for him." Word had spread quickly even in this remote corner of the cosmos as so did the recent rumors of a rouge beetle warrior. The value of such a novelty would no doubt be highly sought for by certain galactic collectors and would no doubt bring a very handsome reward to any aspiring bounty hunter. "I'm sure you are well versed in the powers the scarab has bestowed on him." The hologram proved to be coded with detailed information of the scarab and the many versatile features of the armor. Added to that were the notes of what had been acquired and recorded during the rouge's brief enslavement and whatever video recording had been acquired during the occupation of Earth. "Are you certain you can guarantee his capture?" The would-be client asked point blank as he scrutinized the individual in front of him. This one had a reputation that didn't exactly inspire trust. Yet among the many potential agents he could have approached for this mission, this one had in-depth knowledge of Guardian law and would know exactly how to manipulate it to his advantage.

The would-be bounty hunter studied the projected image of his intended target. Back in the old days, although highly unlikely, he had trained excessively in preparation for the mere chance of ever crossing paths with such a warrior. Many a night had been spent thoroughly scrutinizing over history files, past and recent field reports, as well as experiencing several training simulation. Now here he was, years later, being offered a rather handsome reward to not only face such a creature, but also a possibility of doubling it if he obtained it alive. The challenge will prove to be a great one if handled incorrectly, however, there was something in the way the beetle moved. The way the azure Earth bug acted and interacted with others in the recordings betrayed his inexperience. More importantly, the very way his current reining leaders tended to view and treat him, betrayed his youth.

"You will have your toy soldier." The hired bounty hunter stated with sophisticated confidence. If a certain rumor currently floating about the stars was true, and his own suspicions about it were correct, he already knew exactly where the target was and how to get to him. If handled just the right way, he may be able to acquire this rouge bug with very little conflict and without detection. "Just have my payment ready upon arrival." He stated as he stood to take his leave.

"Agreed." The cloaked client stated, opting to stay and finish his drink.

Morning

Planet Oa: City Square

Spectator events were decisively rare and few on Oa, so understandably when one is scheduled to occur it made for a grand spectacle. The Super bowl grand stadium wished it was as vast and grand as what the Oaen City Square was transformed into. It was as if all 3600 Guardian Space Lanterns heard about the event and decided to join in the festivities. Rows of simple seats were made and risen to the sky for the best view points, simple desk additions were made for those who wanted to make personal notes, and at least four watch towers were positioned at the farthest corners where Elites were positioned in case of trouble. Several members of the Science Division were seen with a number of data-pads for taking notes, some more than others, and were scrambling for the best seating positions, preferably the front row. The human Lanterns were gathered in the center of the stadium for one final discussion of the order of events, who would be in charge of what, where the other two would be position during said events, and how to rotate. They weren't about to leave anything to chance this time around. Just off towards the main entrance, in the shadow of the entryway, the X Squad were also discussing how they were going to carry out their individual parts in the demonstration and how to counter should something go wrong. Blue Beetle sat in his lotus position with his hands cupped in front of him, palms up, and his thumbs tips touching, forming a circle in his lap. His back was straight, his eyes closed, his breathing even and his mind clear as he and his scarab made a few final adjustments of their own.

It wasn't long before the Guardians, themselves, made their appearance at the large viewing balcony overlooking the square. The entire council could be seen assembling themselves in accordance to their ranking as far as their internal circle went. The crowd down below welcomed them with cheers and applause. Front and centered was none other than Appa Ali Apsa, whom stoically looked among the crowd before signaling for silence.

"Our Green Lantern Corp. Today marks a very special day in Oa's history." The Guardian announced in a clear voice that commanded both attention and respect. "We have among us a being of both remarkable and unorthodox origins. This champion, whom has sworn to uphold the same ideals of justice we hold so highly, is also a survivor of our most ancient enemy. The Reach." Those whom weren't in the know already or have only heard rumors before were now murmuring amongst themselves in surprise. "Many of you have only heard of this enemy and what they are capable of from the old documentaries in the Book of Oa. Few of you are old enough to remember our final confrontation with them and the lives that were effected by them." The very few that were could be seen either scowling or deeply pained by their comrades as the closest offered comfort. "But all of you are fully aware that the Reach is not an enemy to be taken likely. Over the centuries, these conquerors have steadily gain ground in the farther regions of space through the use of technology we have yet come to understand. Until now."

Recognizing a cue when he heard one, the Blue Beetle emerged from his trance and began walking out into the open arena. The astonished crowd collectively either gasped, got real quiet, or murmured amongst themselves as the bug made his way to the center. Those that already knew of him were immediately taking notes on the design of his armor's base form. Jaime did his best to ignore their stares and kept his eyes forward, while Scarab did its part to keep its host's posture straight and steady. The sentient device had already done a wide range scan of the area and confirmed that the entirety of the Green Lantern Corp was indeed in attendance and thus ignored its combat programming for the moment. For their tactic to succeed, they must keep the illusion of complete submission, show only twenty percent of their strength during the various trails and perhaps even unlock any more dormant modes should there be any.

"This beetle warrior, whom, like countless others, was forcibly drafted into the Reach's military, and made to conspire against his own people in order to betray his world to his new masters. However, during he forced servitude, this young male has managed to accomplish what was believed to be impossible. He not only rebelled against those that have created him, but has also gained full control the technology that would have kept him a slave." Although no one was really expecting any applause, the short, polite round of clapping from the newer members of the Corp was appreciated. "Even though his world is now safe from any further excursions, the Reach is still out there spreading their tyranny. Thus this rouge beetle, this Scarab Master, has come to Oa to share what he knows with the Green Lantern Corp. So that we may better prepare to deal with our ancient enemy the next time they attempt to violate our treaty." This news brought more applause with it as well as a few cheers. The opportunity to gain new knowledge on their ancient enemy was certainly a welcomed idea. "Therefore, today's special event will be a demonstration of the Scarab Master's mastery over the blue scarab." He announced over the now enthusiastic crowd as Guy Gardner took to the air right over the arena and began to construct the stage for the first demonstration.

"This first challenge will be a test of strength." At the declaration, the arena was altered into a stage with different forms of weights to lift while two more figures entered the massive arena. "To aide in the challenge, Green Lantern John Stewart and Superboy the Kryptonian, will provide a comparison."

"This is it." Superboy thought as he entered the ring with the U.S. Marine Lantern. Blue Beetle waited for them and nodded in greeting. Conner couldn't say that he agreed with this plan 100%. Granted Jaime was able to willingly give control to the Scarab before, and it ended up tipping the odds in their favor. All he really had to do was activate it during the sparring match so that the Scarab could counter accordingly, and with him as the opponent and the distance of the onlookers, no one will be able to see his eyes but him. Unless this temporary mode didn't change them for appearance sake... That stray thought had him glancing over to his friend again. Wither or not he had already implemented the plan, the Kryptonian couldn't tell, but with any luck neither could the Lanterns. He only hoped that whatever mind trick he had to pull to get it to work doesn't backfire.

Soon enough John Stewart approached to the first set of weights, 50 lbs dumbbells, and proceeded to pick one set up with one hand and held it over his head. Superboy followed suite and, in turn, Blue Beetle did the same. The demonstration was pretty straightforward. Human vs. Metahuman vs. Reach Enhancements and the simple weight lifting contest was going to continue until all limits were reached. The science eggheads could already be seen taking notes and chatting amongst themselves about theories, no doubt. The feat was repeated with 100 lbs before Guy altered the dumbbells for full-scale weights that required both hands to dead lift. Every time a weight level was successfully lifted and held for three seconds or more, it was increased by 50lbs. The US Navy Marine held his own up until he reached his limit of 350 lbs, going as far as attempting 400 lbs and, after straining and fighting for his center of balance, managed to hold it over his head for a good three to five second before quickly letting drop. He was dismissed with a round of applause for his remarkable efforts. Meanwhile Conner and Jaime were still using only one hand to lift their respective weights. It wasn't long before they were lifting light constructed cars of different makes and models. Conner did well with all his reps up until he reached the 20,000 lbs area. Over the years the young Kryptonian had done a lot to improve his strength level. He's gotten to the point to where he could lift a bus well enough on his own now, even if he needed to use both hands. At least Blue Beetle was doing him the kindness of using both hands too, but eventually the clone had to admit defeat.

As the two shook hands in good sportsmanship and were preparing to switch event, who should suddenly cut off their exit, but none other than Appa. "Senor?" The beetle asked, wondering why they were being confronted.

"Was that all?" The ancient blue alien demanded with a scowl.

"Perdoname?"

"Is there a problem?" John chimed in after approaching the group before Hal could.

However, his question was ignored as Appa kept his gazed locked with the formal Reach agent. "That was a most passable demonstration of your base form, young Scarab Master." The seemingly permanent agitated Guardian stated passively enough. "However, we were expecting a more in-depth look into your latest modification for this test."

"Modifications?"

"He means that massive upgrade from the Mess Hall." John clarified before stepping forward to address his superior and subconsciously block the youths from his view. "Sir, I'm not sure that's wise right now." Expectations or not, the way that form reacted to the presences of green power rings, having it activate while being surrounded by Corp was most certainly not a good idea.

"The entire purpose of this corroboration was to test all aspects of the scarab's capabilities." Appa countered unwavering. The human boy had possession of one of the most lethal of war machines and come what may they were going to study it.

As the two adult figures argued, Jaime whispered lightly in Conner's direction, knowing he'd pick it up easily. "I wasn't even conscious when that happened." Truth be told he had been completely blacked out and wasn't even one hundred percent sure of what was even happening when he came around. Only that he had been moments away from killing his friend and that he had to stop it. "No se si puedo…"

"I got this." Superboy whispered back and boldly stepped around the Marine. "That was only part one of the event, to show how strong the suite is as is without any modifications." Superboy stated, effectively gaining the Guardian's attention. "As you were made aware, his Strength Mode isn't something that can just activate under normal circumstances." From what Guy had told him about the trail, the whole council was only shown recordings of the assault and the outcome, so it was a fair shot to assume he could take advantage of their lack of actual knowledge of the scarab. "So for the second part of the challenge, Blue and I are going to have an all-out, no-holds bar, sparring match in the hopes that it triggers the shift." He easily heard and ignored the surprised gasps from his fellow Earthlings and kept his eyes squarely on the floating alien. "We just need to give Gardner a chance to set the stage for safety purposes."

Appa narrowed his eyes in suspicion of the claim. "In the hopes?" He quoted in a tone that was not only dripping with mistrust, but clear disapproval. "You cannot guarantee it?" Did this boy seriously expect him to believe that the beetle couldn't control his own technology at will?

"Its either that or have the Corp come down on him and risk it going out of control again."

Apparently he did, which greatly surprised the elder. He then turned to the small Reach soldier, whom at the moment was clearly unnerved by the idea of fighting his companion, and studied him very carefully. "Hmm..." There was no indication that this whole thing was an attempt at misdirection on his part. Nor did he appear at all confident about being able to engage the feature either. Then again, the youth was human after all; chances were he genuinely had no idea how to properly work his armor without the proper stimulant. "Perhaps... One moment." With that declaration, he floated away and returned to his colleagues where they could be seen gathering.

It was a standard meeting of the minds. "He's going to discuss it with the council, but chances are it's going to happen." Whatever the boys were up to, the Marine was going to, at the very least, take the proper precautions. "You got all that Guy?" He spoke into his ring, which had been transmitting all that had been said to the other Earth Lanterns.

"WWE style match." Guy voice rang from the weaponized jewelry, confirming that he had overheard the entire thing. The stage was going to require the same flexibility in order to avoid any serious injuries and the rope boarder to show off any high fly tricks the two may have up their sleeves. Considering their individual strength level, he'll double the size just to be safe. "On it." If nothing else, the kids were going to put on quite the show.

"Gardner." The calm, but authoritative tone of voice had him turning to find that Scar had left the balcony to speak with him. "A word."

Meanwhile, down below, the two combatants prepared for their one-on-one match. "You really sure about this, hermano?" The armored teenager asked one more time as they made their way to the center of the arena to stretch before squaring off. Although it made sense for Conner to want to be the one to test his new 'Strength Mode', the Latino was worried that his super strong friend might get hit with some form of PTSD the moment he sees it again.

"Very." Superboy declared as he rolled his shoulders in preparation for the match. "And don't even think about holding back." Soon enough the Kryptonian had his fists up and ready and was lightly balanced and bouncing on his feet. "You're not the only one curious about their limits." He doubted a single combatant would trigger the armor, but he was sure as heck going to give it his best try. Besides, he wanted a rematch.

John had been watching Guy and Scar talk something out while the boy prepared. Probably asking him a few questions as to what to expect or maybe even making a few suggestions. Whatever it was didn't take too long since the Guardian made their way back to their seat. "Alright, looks like they're going to make the announcement." Soon enough Guy beamed down the beginnings of what was expected to be a full on professional wrestling ring, allowing for plenty of space to maneuver and throws. "Alright boys, I want a good clean fight." John stated as he approached the two and had them pay their respects to each other as any referee would in regular boxing matches. "No weapons. No flying. No use of gases or radiations. No rays or beams of any kind." Conner could only scowl at these guidelines. However instead voicing the nature of these requirements, he followed Blue Beetle's lead and nodded in compliance. As the two gave a traditional fist bump, the Marine, gaining their attention, covered both hands. "And for goodness sake, try not to bring the arena down." He added in an easy and lighthearted way while giving them raised brow and a smirk. He witnessed each of them in action before during training and knew how they tended to be around each other when sparring.

The quip had the two of them glancing at each in surprise before falling into a minor fit of giggles. "Heh-heh, si senor. We'll try." Jaime managed to say as he regained his composer.

"No promises." The young Kryptonian stated with a grin before making his way to his corner while Blue did the same.

"Good luck." With that Stewart flew back and out of range of the designated fighting space. Far enough to not get caught in the crossfire, but close enough to intervene with his ring.

Nodding to the Marine, Jaime proceeded to do his breathing exercise to start his trance. From Conner's point of view the change was both subtle to not be noticed by anyone outside their circle, but drastic enough for anyone who truly knew the beetle. His stance shifted from a casual stance into one that was both solid and well guarded. And by well guarded he meant left absolutely no visual openings to take advantage of. Although this wasn't uncommon for anyone trained to fight fisticuffs, or any form of martial arts, but the precise way he held himself was more mechanical than organic. The white eyes that stared back at him emotionlessly was further proof that Jaime had implemented his plan to willingly allow the scarab full control of his armor and weapons. The boy had theorized that by being in the same mode-like state he had in when fighting Black Beetle, he could allow the scarab full motor-control during the events, without showing his full power and triggering any power rings. Also with him being conscious in the background, he could jump in as needed.

From the sideline, Hal was watching everything as sharply as he could. So far it looked like everyone was enjoying the show well enough and there weren't any suspicious activities during the whole deal. Looks like Scar just gave Guy the green light to start building the stage for the match. Regardless of the reasoning, he was seriously hoping the crazy upgrade wouldn't form though. Not like this at least. Considering how it got triggered in the first place it must have been strictly a combat setting. Like for a war and after what nearly happened- Why is Appa signaling to Guy?

"Hmm?!" Conner knew something was wrong when he noticed the ring they were standing in wasn't so much a ring as it was a giant bull's eye. "Wha-?!"

Suddenly, Guy switched constructs to massive weights that were more appropriate for Superman to work with. The crowd gasped at the appearance of 15-ton construct and even cried out when it was made to drop. Khaji-Da warned its host at the same time Jaime noticed the ever-growing shadow under their feet. "Superboy!" The first giant disk came down so fast and suddenly Conner almost got caught under it; forcing Blue to dash over and push him out of the way, catching the disk, and went down under it altogether.

It all happened so fast the rest of the squad didn't even realized what had happen until it was all over. "Blue!" His shocked friends cried and rushed forward- only for the construct to be gradually pushed back up. Instead of seeing the usual base armor, it had once again obtained a serious increase in height and mass. Members of the Science Division immediately tripled their efforts to document the design and feat of the impregnable goliath. The second John Stewart saw this, it was clear what had happened. Guy had purposely forced triggered the same transformation from the Mess Hall.

"Guy!" Hal could be heard as he flew up to the Reserved Lantern whom was forming yet another Superman size weight. "What are you doing?!"

"Sorry Hal." The ginger man stated as he completed the weighted and glanced over at the Oaen Council. Where Appa glared irritably at Jordan before nodding at Gardner. "Orders." Thus the second 15-ton weight was dropped.

The additional weight came down with a deafening clang and came dangerously close to knocking the bug off his balance. "Hang on Blue!" Conner yelled as he dashed over to his friend with the intent of getting underneath the weights with him.

"¡No! ¡Volver!" The Hispanic beetle cried out while glancing at his friend, revealing his glowing yellow eyes and prompting the Kryptonian to stop the rest of the squad from getting any closer. "¡Tengo esto!" Planting his stance he pushed the weights back up and held it. Enticing his team, and to an extent, the crowd, into cheering him on.

"Guy that's enough!" Hal argued as his fellow Lantern created yet another weight after getting a look from the Guardian. "Its too much too soon!" In his desperation he reached out to grab his ring arm.

The look the red headed brawler gave him made him pause. "Trust me." Guy wasn't known for his faith in others when it came to most things, but the look in his eyes made it clear that the Honor Guard was the one committing a transgression here. "Trust him." Unlike him, Guy knew the boy under the armor. He knew the youth's sensible character and drive to do what was right. He'd seen his strength of will. "He can handle it." The third came down and was caught with the same amount of strain but was held with the same amount of determination, sending the crowd into a roar of applause and cheers.

It wasn't until the large beetle took a knee at roughly around 50 tons that Appa finally relented and signaled Guy to deconstruct the constructs, allowing an understandably tired Blue Beetle to drop to his hands and knees; shrinking back down to his base form as he did so. "A most commendable performance." The Guardian stated over the applause as Guy and Hal descended towards the gathering teenagers and Marine. Even with the attempt at interference the demonstration went off perfectly. "There shall be a short recess as we prepare for the second phase of the demonstration."

While the audience was busy discussing the first event thus far, Superboy and Kid Flash helped the tired beetle out of the arena and into the cover of the entrance where John constructed a bench for him to sit on. "Here kid." He pushed a fresh water bottle into the boy's hands, and did the same with the others, before scanning the youth for any injuries.

"Is he alright?" Hal demanded the second he landed and approached the group with Guy following right after him.

The Marine confirmed after looking over the readings. "As far as I can tell he's perfectly fine." Not even a torn ligament from what his ring could tell. Incredible.

"What were you thinking?!" An understandably angry Kryptonian demanded as he pushed himself off his seat and into the Ginger Lantern's face. Who seemingly had the audacity to merely cross his arms and glared right back.

"Don't blame him." Hal stated as he quickly placed a hand on the clone's shoulder in an attempt to calm him down. He really rather not have another fight break out. "He was under orders."

The statement alone explained everything. "The Guardians wanted to test the armor's upgrade." John stated more than questioned as he got a confirmed nod from the test pilot. Surprise setups were a typical military tactic to see what soldiers were really made of. Chances are there were going to be more.

"They wanted a guarantee transformation and didn't trust the kid could handle it if it was triggered through combat." The Ginger Lantern explained as he walked around to study Blue Beetle himself. Which only prompted the boy's friends to watch him like guard dogs. "That's their reason at least. My guess is, they figured we'd go easy on him."

"Ya right." The Hispanic teenager scoffed half sarcastically, earning everyone attention. Hunched over and breathing heavily, he managed to pull himself up before smirking right at the Ginger Lantern with a point glare… before giving him knowing grin that held no resentment. "That was payback for the singe eyebrows wasn't it?"

There was a pause before the man shifted and failed to keep a grin from form on his face before giving a so-so flick of the wrist. "Mmm, un puerco." The way the Spanish-speaker double take and raised his brow, one would think a record skipped right next to him. "That's right, I speak Spanish now too, bugboy." The cocky Lantern stated before making his way out to take his position for the event.

There was a long pause before the resulting loud "Ssnnaaaarrk" from the Latino had everyone who knew the language thrown into fits of laughter. "Aye-aye-aye, escucha ese gringo…!" Jaime gasped through his giggles.

"I know!" Although Conner didn't speak that language much himself, he understood it to the point of recognizing a very bad attempt at using it.

"He's worse than Kid!" Beast Boy stated while elbowing the speedster lightly, who in turn just laughed along in agreement. He may not have known what had been said, but he sat in on enough quick Reyes family conversations to know Guy had seriously mispronounced whatever he had intended to say.

As the youths shared their calming laughter, Hal and John could only give each other suspicious looks. The full gravity was what had happened made it crystal clear. If the Guardians were going to start changing the events up to suite their little crusade of knowledge, then they clearly had more to worry about than sabotage.