Alternative Rewritten

Chapter Three: Purpose

"Hm," was the only sound the hero made, plucking what remained of the disk on his suit and flicking it onto the floor, clearly unimpressed. "I knew you had the capability to hack, going by the stories that were shared by Kid Flash, Aqualad, and Superboy, and the footage we obtained from Cadmus. It isn't a hard leap to assume you know even more about technology than just hacking."

Renegade's good mood plummeted at the mentioning of footage. "How much of Cadmus' footage were you able to find?" He forced a tone of casualness, but judging by Batman's narrowing eyes, he did not succeed.

"Enough," he returned cryptically, and panic jolted through Renegade's brain. They might have seen him training under his master. They might already know what Renegade's previous mission was before he was freed by the sideki- er, younger heroes.

The software in his head kicked in and at the corner of his eyesight, he saw his stress levels spiking, and saw suggestions on how to calm himself. He assessed the scenario and evaluated Batman's responses. If they really did find anything about him, why would he be training him? He was being cryptic in order to force a response out of him, so he wouldn't have to bother investigating any further. Knowing that it was only a ploy, Renegade felt the tension melt from his shoulders. "Then you probably saw the cell I was in," he mumbled, coming up with something embarrassing to him that would throw Batman off his trail. It wasn't a lie; he would be mortified if anyone knew what kind of state he was living in before.

"...I did," Batman replied, his voice dipping into a somewhat softer tone, no longer suspicious. In his Echo Vision, Renegade saw his stress finally return to a normal level. "Most of the footage has been damaged when the building collapsed. We don't know what your purpose was, so it would be beneficial to all parties if you enlightened us."

In all honesty, Renegade was surprised he hadn't been interrogated before this point. He half expected Batman to drag him away from the others and hound him for information the second they established the Team, but he never did. Maybe another member of the League convinced him to give him time to adjust first, though it was more likely that Batman wanted to catch him off guard by asking these questions as soon as Renegade felt comfortable.

He opened his mouth, a lie at the tip of his tongue, but he hesitated. Batman was a terrifying force, certainly not a warm person that could be easily opened up to, but he was a reliable hero that did good work. Could Renegade trust him? Would Batman trust him if he opened up a little? "My original purpose wasn't special," he confessed, then his mouth snapped closed and his eyes widened. Why was he doing this? If the League found any reason to be suspicious of him, they would kick him out, and then what? What would he do? The only purpose he ever had in his life would be snatched away from him in the blink of an eye.

"What was your original purpose?" Batman pressed on, voice cold and impassionate. Renegade shook his head forcefully, lips tightly pressed against each other. He couldn't believe he almost blurted everything out without really considering the consequences. Batman's eyes narrowed further into the tense silence. "We have no reason to trust you, and if you don't provide us with one soon, we will not hesitate to remove you from our numbers."

Renegade wetted his lips nervously, disappointed in himself for backing himself into a corner. "I was like the other children, they used us for drug testing," he told Batman, averting his eyes. "They designed new drugs and chemicals that were to be sold under the radar. We were just guinea pigs." In his mind's eye, he could see flashes of needles and the flurry of white coats, but he shook the vague memories away, burying them deep down where he last left them. "If any of us died, the bodies were disposed of, though I'm not sure how. If anyone became severely ill and no one thought that it was worth putting any effort into nursing them back to health, they were eliminated."