The clone was dying. The others didn't realize this but Danny did. After all the dealings with clones he's had over the years, namely his own, how could he not recognize the signs?
Danny had first discovered the clone a month back when he was so tired, he tripped through the floor at Cadmus. That's how he had found a whole other base under the lab. Danny could kick himself for all the secret experiments going on under his nose. Some of which, he soon discovered, were even using his own research. Research that was meant to help grow new organs for dying patients. Now it was being put towards a process he never wanted to deal with again, cloning. In this case, specifically a Superman clone.
When Danny first saw the clone designation "Superboy" asleep in his pod, the first emotion he felt was overwhelming sorrow. Sorrow for the countless clones that had no doubt died before this one. Sorrow that he hadn't done his due diligence to make sure Cadmus was completely above board. And sorrow for Superboy, who would not doubt be used as a pawn at best.
Which is why when Danny realized he was destabilizing, he almost wanted to let him. A death the child wasn't even aware of would most likely be better than a life of suffering. But Danny couldn't bring himself to standby and watch this boy die. For one, if Ellie ever found out, he'd probably face his final death. But mainly, if there was a chance, a chance that the kid could have a good life, filled with loved ones, he had to take it.
So Danny did the one thing he thought he would never do, he gave his own blood. He had made sure to keep his DNA away from others for obvious reasons but he had no other choice. He knew the ectoplasm inside him would be enough to stabilize the clone or more accurately to say he hoped it would be. So each day, after everyone had left the lab, he would sneak in and transfer some of his own blood to Superboy. All the while he would talk to him. He'd tell him about his day, about his friends. He'd tell him how excited Ellie would be to find out about him and the hopes he had for the boy's future. Danny wasn't even sure that Superboy could hear him but it didn't matter, he talked to him anyway.
Finally the day came when the clone was fully stabilized. Danny felt overwhelming relief and joy in that moment but there was still one thing left to take care of. He had to get the clone out of here. He wouldn't risk the boy being used as a weapon. He couldn't. Danny had planned to come back for him the next day, after he had finished destroying all of his research, but he never got the chance. When he came back the next day, the building was destroyed, and the clone was gone.
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Me when Shauna Shipman is Javi’s favourite out in the wilderness, his mother figure, the one he listens to despite his brother being right there with him and yet she’s the one that cuts him up and serves him to the rest of the group. She’s the butcher; that burden is hers to bear because the Wilderness spared her.
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