MOUNT JUSTICE 9:00 EST

In lounge room of Mount Justice, the Team was having some downtime. But not by choice. They were all itching for a mission, a training session, any sort of excitement. Eventually they realized that simply waiting around would make time pass more slowly than if they did something.

After rooting around some drawers in the Cave, Wally found a pack of cards.

Minutes later, Artemis, Connor, Kaldur, M'Gann, Robin, and Wally were all seated around the wooden table in the center of the cave playing Crazy Eights.

Connor, Kaldur, and M'Gann had never played before, and so the rest taught them. They picked it up almost immediately, but currently the odds were not in Connor's favor...

It was Robin's turn, and he put down a Queen of Diamonds.

M'Gann put down a 2 of Diamonds.

Artemis, a Jack of Diamonds.

Aqualad, a Jack of Spades.

Wally, a 5 of Spades.

Then it was Connor's turn. But he could match neither the suit nor the number. His brow furrowed as he mentally analyzed his standing in the game. Everyone else had 3 or less cards, while he had 5.

And now he would have to draw another one. He knew that every drawn card from the deck brought him closer to defeat. He stared so hard at his hand that he half expected to burn a spade into one of the cards...

Recognized. 02 Batman. 07 Martian Manhunter. 13 Black Canary. A21 The Question. A22 Thomas.

The Team looked up expectantly from their hands at Batman and Black Canary, but soon their gazes shifted to the faceless man behind him whom they were already familiar, Justice League member the Question, as well as the child he carried in his arms. They were all taken aback at the sight of the child's face: gaunt, sad, and exhausted.

Puzzled, the teens forsook their game, (much to Connor's relief) and stood up.

"Finally a mission!" rejoiced Wally.

Batman began, "Thomas' rehabilitation is being carried out by the Question. As you know, he was the perpetrator of all the weaponry robbings from high-end corporations such as S.T.A.R. Labs and Wayne Tech in November."

Indeed, the Team knew. Although they had not been allowed to participate in the capture of the child, they had all tried to keep abreast of the developments in the Justice League's attempt to apprehend him. The child, who was a mere four years old, had extraordinary power and strategic prowess.

In all, it took three dozen League members to finally surround him and take him in. However, the Team was not sure of what happened between then and now.

Now the child was the Question's charge? How?

And why the Question, the known crackpot conspirator?

But no one wanted to ask such questions with three League members in the room, lest they were rebuked for prying into League matters.

Batman continued, "It is not yet clear the extent of Thomas' power. The League has important matters to attend to, and cannot keep track of Thomas today. Your mission is to keep him under control. You are allowed to take him no further than the field and beach just outside Mount Justice. In addition, you are to report on his behavior throughout the day."

The teens' jaws dropped. No one could believe that Batman was assigning them this joke of a mission.

"So basically, you want us to babysit?" said Robin, sounding incredulous.

"I can't believe this!" exclaimed Artemis, throwing her arms in the air.

"We are not- " began Wally.

"Enough," boomed the Dark Knight. This is a mission, and it is just as worthy of your endeavor as any other mission. You will carry it out. Black Canary and the Question will further brief you."

The Team silently fumed as Batman turned and exited the Cave via Zeta Tube, his cape flashing behind him.

02 Batman.

Black Canary and the Question stepped forward. "Ok, Thomas, meet the Team. Team, this is Thomas."

Normally, the Team would introduce themselves to newcomers to the Cave, but they were still steaming from Batman's seeming disrespect for them. But when they looked at the child still held in the arms of the faceless man, they simmered down slightly. They had heard... things about the child's past.

When they looked into his bloodshot eyes with dark circles underneath, those things were confirmed.

"He doesn't eat, he doesn't sleep," said Canary, looking rather upset and flustered. "He rarely talks, so try very hard not to push it. The League is still not certain about his demeanor, so don't try anything drastic because he obviously isn't a normal four year old..." She sighed.

The faceless man finally spoke: "He likes to play Houdini on unsuspecting people. Make sure to keep an eye out."

Then he lowered the child and placed him on his feet.

Before the Team could ask what exactly it meant to "play Houdini" was the child turned and buried his face into the Question's trenchcoat. The Question knelt and gave the child a hug, and the Team was shocked. They didn't know the Question was capable of displaying emotion, let alone of administering a hug.

Despite the look of frustration caused by feelings of lack of control dominating her face, Black Canary wished them luck on their mission, then turned and went through the Zeta tube.

13 Black Canary.

"Indeed, the best of luck to you," said the Question, and he followed after Black Canary. "Bye Thomas."

A21 The Question.

The Team shifted their gazes downward, one, two then three feet, to the the tiny child in front of them.

They noted his frame first. Although he was only four, and neither of them knew vey much about small children, it was clear that Thomas was underweight.

In fact, Thomas looked so fragile that they were almost afraid of breathing too hard, lest they accidentally knock him over.

He stood before them, scrawny arms at his sides, shoulders slumped. His clavicles were clearly visible above the low collar of his shirt, which had a vibrant picture of a rocket. The shiny red and blue constrasted starkly with his pale skin.

The Team was so fixated with Thomas' disturbing frame of a body that it was startled when a small sniff pricked the silence of the cave.

Everyone's hearts sank when they glanced at his contorted little face and saw the tears making little salty wet snakes down the thin red cheeks.

Batman was mission was already as stressful as the others.