April 31 of 2012, 10:15 PM. Torreón, Coahuila
The usual calm of a city such as this has rarely been interrupted; the crime rates are some of the lowest in all of Mexico, there's never a great or gruesome human tragedy to shake the city out of its peace, but that changed tonight.
Since is one of the calmest cities in Mexico, it's a perfect place for a reunion of all the high commands of the criminal group known as the "Zetas" unsuspecting and with enough discretion the reunion could passed unnoticed.
They are famous for being the material and intellectual authors of countless assassinations and terrorist acts, but tonight the victimizers transformed into victims, sirens of several police cars and trucks stab the once relatively calmed night. Police officers and citizens are equally concerned and fearful about what kind of event could gather so many authority forces, but they are about to discover it.
"Goddamnit! Garcia and what now!?" Said an average experienced officer to his partner in patrolling, they and other officers received an emergency call with instructions from their superiors about a shootout inside a wealthy looking house, both are afraid of what they may find in that place. "when the chief ordered us to grab the large guns I knew that some shit went down and that just scared the shit out of me, I mean there's never been drug lords around these parts, and now they suddenly are!? What the fuck!?" Said the other officer with a tone of frenzy and nervousness in his voice.
"Well I suppose that, since they trained us for these situations it was going to be a matter of time before we encounter an emergency like this, don't you think, Solis?"
"I don't know how can you say it so easily!? we are part of the Strike team!"
Note: translated from Spanish
When all the officers from the Strike team were authorized to enter the house, they all moved fast yet organized, at first they didn't find any leads of a shootout, so they split out through the house, and it was then when Solis and Garcia were ordered (along with other three officers) to search a solitary door inside a very long hallway, and then, they discovered the reason of the shootout, what they saw, was nothing like anything they seen or heard before: Bodies all around the floor, blood covering almost every piece of floor, some of the bodies had gunshot wounds, others had they throats wide open or some stab in their torsos and other were seemingly unhurt, but it was because they died of internal wounds, but one the other cops that were accompanying them found one sole survivor barely clinging to life, but in the moment the officer leaned in to apprehend him and then lift him up, the dying man grabbed the officer's handgun, everybody pointed him with their own guns "Alonso, you fucking rookie!" and when Garcia had his gun aimed at his head and a fraction of second before shooting the man shot himself in the head.
Everyone remained silent without knowing what to do until Solis spoke up: "Well… Let's inform the sergeant that there are no survivors and that he should come to see this…"
**********************************************
May 2, 11:48 AM. Mount Justice, Happy Harbor
It's a sunny day in Happy Harbor, the weather is perfect and it just couldn't get any better, you see, there just a few good things in life for me, food, food…
Well I will try to remember more things, ah yes I remember a time when I used to love videogames more than anything, but that was even before I got super powers, ha good old days, oh now I remember the other good thing in life: Artemis! Wait, isn't that cheesy? Of course not! That's just what happens when you find love, boy how I like her, such an awesome girl, so badass yet so cute, the most awesome girl I've ever met… and what was the other thing…?
…But of course! I got it! Spending time with The Team, my friends! And that's exactly what makes this day so sweet, we have grown to be basically like a family or at least that's truth for two of us, and just like a family we have our problems, god knows we have problems, but all of that is worthy because of the wonderful people they are, too bad that Rocket is *sidekicking* with her partner, Icon, she doesn't looks like a bad girl at all and I'll like to know her better... And challenge her to a race.
But where was I? yes, this is not the normal hanging-out-with-The Team day, no, this the second day in what we stay on the base, because we were called to wait for instructions, which means that we have to live on the base until the Justice League give us the mission, and that's great because in the meantime we can spend time together, for example just one day ago I had my first date with Artemis and it was perfect… and now I am head-on against the *Boy of Steel*… In a basketball game.
"All right, you ready?" said Wally bouncing the ball from one hand to the other in front of Conner
"As always" replied Conner
"We're going for a *21*, so don't feel bad if everything end in less than a second without giving you a chance of realizing what just happened, this is for good sport"
"I am ready for your speed, bring it"
And so the speedster and the half kryptonian engaged in a pursuit of pure speed, looking like two blurs going after each other through the basketball field stopping only for the services after making an annotation everything was happening, as a not amused witness was watching the game-faster-than-eyes.
"Damnit, this is dumb, I should go with Aqualad and Megann, if Wally or Conner want to compete there as well, at least I know I can defeat them in a chess game." Said Dick since he was taken out of the training he started by the competitive level of those two, he thought he was going for a long hall when, after 10 minutes of game by Wally and Conner both ended the game with a victory for Conner with score of 21 over 17, much to Wally's discomfort, and of course none of them was a bit tired.
Robin thought that his salvation came when Artemis and Zatanna entered into the gym already wearing sportive clothing
"What's up? Are you gonna let us play or what?" Said Artemis in a daring way
"That's exactly what I had in mind!"
"Come on, Wally; let the girls have a fair competition"
In that moment and before anyone could say anything else, they heard an alarm coming from Conner's wrist communicator, he pressed a button to shut it down and the he read something, he then said:
"Oh, I better hurry up"
"Hey, and what's that?" Wally asked
Everyone was staring at Conner so he proceed to give them an explanation
"It's from the Justice League, since that day where we saved the entire League, Superman started asking me to help him defend Metropolis every time he's out of town with the league or off-world and the league sends me an alert through this wrist communicator, though this is the first time they call me, and apparently there's a woman causing a real chaos in her way and looks like she's spoiling for a fight with Superman, I better get going"
As such, Conner left the gym at super speed leaving the four of them in the basketball field.
"Good luck…" Said Zatanna, noticing that he didn't even say good bye
"Aaanyway, you girls are ready for some basketball?" Wally asked with huge enthusiasm in his voice
"Two dudes against two pretty girls? you know that wouldn't be fair... for us." Dick said
"Come on, don't worry we'll go easy on you, guys" Said Artemis with a grin in her face.
"Why don't we make mixed teams?" Said Zatanna with initiative
"Ok, that equilibrates the thing, but Wally, do you think you can keep up with them?" said Dick winking at Wally making him understand that he was asking if he could moderate his super power to go at the same pace as the rest of his partners
"Hell yeah!" Wally yelled out loud with even more enthusiasm than before
With the teams formed of Artemis and Wally vs Dick and Zatanna the game started.
In another part of the base there was a competition of different nature
"The main skill that must have a leader is the ability to create tactics, tactics is what leads any team into victory, not everyone can master this skill, which is why I am here in this game where the minds are tested and where you can either win or lose in one single move like the…" Megan said while finishing her move in the chess board and watching how Kaldur made his move, which was the final move of the game
"Checkmate" Said Kaldur to Megann
"Ha, blast it, it's the fourth time in a row now" Megann said almost sheepishly but also with a tone of joy
"Indeed, but it wasn't easy though, you got many of my chess pieces as well, but I can't help but notice that, even when you made your best at every round, your effort was not quite there, like if you could make a more difficult rival than what you appeared to be, I don't know but I feel you have more potential than what you let us see."
Megann blushed a bit at this and then said something regarding her performance:
"Far from it, I assure I was giving my very best effort, I never hold back, but make no mistake I didn't read your mind at all, but I need to ask you something, tell me what kind of person do you find more interesting, the intellectual kind or the kind that while guiding by their instincts manages to always get and set things right?" asked with a rather intellectual interest
"Well I do not like to judge people based on their qualities or flaws, but if I have to choose, I will say that I take more interest in people who guide by their instincts and manages, like you said, to always make a good job whatever that be the case, since it's clear that they have a vast and/or varied experience."
"But I must clarify that I don't like to make judges toward people, I do like to analyze, though I don't analyze people I will like to make an exception with you" said Aqualad with the purest honesty
"Oh, and that would be a good thing or a bad thing?" said Megann with eagerness, curiosity and fascination in her voice, she was very interested in learning that, after all, there are thing that just can't be learned watching T.V sitcoms.
"Well, it means that you can arouse interest even in people who don't like sociability, of course it's a good thing, you have an facility to make people want to know more about you" Kaldur said, it could sound like he was just saying a compliment, but he was being absolutely honest with her.
Megann was really happy she loved every single chance to learn more about real human relations and mores.
Megann then decided to try another strategy game: Battleship, Megann spent less than ten minutes to explain the game to Kaldur who eagerly decided to try it. This new challenge last for almost an hour with the last game about to end in a victory for Megann when the mission alarm was activated and Megann and him heeded the call, heading to the communications hall.
When they got there, the other four members joined shortly after and all of them (except for Wally) had a tired and wet look on them, the communication monitor turned on and linked the present members with Batman.
"Team I will be quick, over the past week the league had been monitoring, the deals of a very particular smugglers band. They appear to be an *invincible* band for the authorities our observations have revealed that this is because the band uses a group of super powered thugs to protect their deals and operations, they seem to be very cautious as well since they were operating on cities without costumed vigilantes."
"Maybe is a new group of supervillains that is trying make a name for themselves" said Dick with an analytic tone
"Hardly, since these thugs are not costumed and we don't have any information about them, but we have received reports from other cities that there are mob gangs that use meta human as thugs and hitmen, and these other meta humans are not costumed either, if this is connected our suspicion is that someone is providing them with super powers and has large list of clients to serve."
"But whoever that is behind this, how he does it? Super powers are not something that you just can grow in trees" said Wally with skepticism
"That's exactly what you are going to find out, first take down Michael Madison's operation one of the most wanted men by the FBI and the first smuggler who started using these metahuman thugs, capture him, question him and track down his provider, you will go to Detroit, Michigan where he is currently having business, be careful team, we don't have any file or information about the full extension of their super powers, over and out team."
"Well that gives you time for a shower" Said Wally in a mocking way to his friends that were exhausted and full of sweat due to their game of basketball
Nearly an hour later The Team was ready to roll out, and when they were on their way to the motorcycles Robin approached Aqualad and suggested:
"Look, Kaldur, according to what I saw in the monitor screen when the image and profile of the guy was on, he is a drug dealer, so we will need a plan to get close to his operation, so do you mind if I enact a plan, with everybody's help?"
"If your plans are like those of Batman I don't see why I shouldn't let you try it"
Right behind them were the girls who listened to everything that Robin said, though Artemis was the only to protest
"Can you believe that? The boys already convened a *war council* and they didn't even told us anything! Is he leaving us in the margin?"
"Take it easy, Artemis, and don't blame Dick, blame Batman, he taught him to come up with a plan this fast" Said Megann
May 22. 9:02 PM. Detroit, Michigan
The according to Robin's plan they all had to wait until he collected some information that, according to him was vital
to enact the second part of his plan, after nearly an hour Robin came back successfully gathering the information out of some drug addict down on an alley, it was easy thought, he was doped so he easily spilled the beans.
"All right I know what we need, follow me"
When everybody reached the destination that Robin was heading to, they stopped in the roof of an eighth floor building on a dangerous and poor district, in front of it was another small building that apparently was the home for one of the bigger drug dealers in town, though he was more of a distributor for other dealers.
"Megann now is when your part comes; can you go to that building and search for the guy in the apartment with the number 5?" Robin asked in a polite yet serious voice
"See if you can get some info out of him"
"Got it"
Megann turned invisible and descended from the rooftop and headed to the building in the front. After a few minutes that seemed like an eternity for The Team, Megan finally communicated with Robin.
"Robin, this could take some time, the guy has a crapload of things on his head and is getting a bit difficult reach the information that I am looking for, so if you just can wait some more…"
"Negative, plan B then"
Robin descended for his motorcycle and picked a suitcase, he then took a few things out of it and then he closed it.
"Aqualad, put this on"
"What are these clothes, Robin?"
"Street clothes it will help us to blend in, come on, and let's not lose time, when they reached an alleyway in the side of the building they proceeded to disguise like a common pair of street gangsters once they were done with that, Robin explained this part of his plan B"
"Listen we will look for this going like we were two addicts, I will make all the speaking and you just have to stand beside me in the most intimidating possible way"
"Good but I don't how are we going to get information from him looking like this."
"Trust me, and we won't, Megann will do that and this is how she is going to get that info"
When they entered the building and located the dealer's apartment, Robin started to use the skills of master of disguise taught by Batman. The dealer slowly opened the door that was bolted shut with a short chain.
"What do you want?" asked the dealer in a harsh tone
"We heard yo have some heavy stuff and my homie D-Shark here and I was looking for some of it."
"Ah, yes of course I have some, that is, if you can pay for it"
"Yeah right, just give us the stuff, but I mean the strongest stuff, yo hear me? The real bad medicine that kind of stuff" as he said Robin reached to one of the pockets from his jacket and pulled out a really big brick of money
"Whoa, now that's some cash, how the fuck a homeboy like you got all that cash?"
"That's not your damn business yo! Besides here in the streets don't matter how you get it but that you get it, come on show us the stuff."
The dealer went inside his apartment and brought a 400 grams plastic bag perfectly sealed, Robin gave him the money, and in order to fit his performance he smelled the bag, the smell of the drug punched him like only the toughest thugs had ever punched him.
"Ah shit…! This is real deal shit yo, whoa, if only the smell does this, hey homie this is really good where do you get it?"
He telepathically communicated with Megan to alert her
"Now Megann"
"Ha, sorry homeboy, that's something that must remain fucking confidential"
That was enough for Megann; Robin knew that just a question about it would make him think of the person, the place and the prize he paid for the merchandise.
"Uh, Ok man, sorry for the idiotic question, now we have a plane to catch, if ya know what I mean"
"Yeah, I know those trips; just don't get too excited in one dose"
Robin and Aqualad got out of the building and Robin ditched the bag in a trash can
"Why the obscenities, Robin?" Aqualad asked with a hint of concern
"It's part of the *language of the streets* and the language here is not different from that of Gotham.
He then communicated with Megann asking her if she got the info from the dealer, when she confirmed it he only said:
"Ok, Megann, this time you lead the way"
In another part of the city a on a high rooftop a masked man uses a pair of binoculars to closely watch another and even higher building, he was specifically watching the main entrance of the building, occasionally using his normal vision to spot anything outside of his watching spot, he continued doing this until a woman with a silver, long, limp almost heavy hair and wearing a really short and low Victorian-like dress leaned behind him, she was there with him all the time.
She approached to him embracing him in a hug around his neck.
"Still not bored, my death knight?" she asked
"I thought you immortals had forgotten even the meaning of boredom."
"I was not saying it for me, but for you"
Well get your hopes for me high, the transport must come at any minute and that guy will have to come out
"You have saying that since 2 hours ago"
"Something must be delaying it, besides we haven't heard anything from the others that are watching the entrance of the parking, our man is still in there"
The woman nuzzled the man's neck with her lips and said:
"What is happening, usually you are not like this"
"Normally I am like this; it's just that I was slipping off in the past few weeks"
"You mean since we met?"
"Of course not, I was slipping off even before that"
"You didn't look like you were slipping off back in our job at Mexico; you seemed to do pretty well"
"Huh, normally I am even more skilled than that, but since some time ago I have been feeling… I don't kind of bored and tired, our jobs have been so relatively easy, I guess I started make little effort. But there is something tonight that might change that I just feel it, if there is something can perk up this job and make a real challenge then I want to experience it from ringside, and I want to see how much can I enjoy it."
"Is this how you were back in your beginnings?" asked the silver-haired woman
"Yes, but for the wrong motives. I used to be a white supremacist asshole; I was the killing machine of a KKK group that was taking the thing a little too far it was then when I created the identity of Blood Sport I even fought against Superman, but it only when I was in jail when I learned that all the time my skills and my technology were wasted that if I was good at something I should have been paid for it, but I was going for two perpetual penalties so I was hopeless and for the first time in my life I felt great regret, but it was then when I heard about the group I found a way to contact them they broke me out of jail and the rest is history."
"Then I came to your life and cheered it up, didn't I?"
"Hee…" The man was trying to come with a satisfactory answer that could save him from an awkward situation when he noticed something that saved him from an awkward moment
"Jeanette, look, the car is here and our man is boarding it"
Jeanette turned her attention to the vehicle outside the building.
"We better notify the others" said with a devilish grin in her face.
Not too far from there in the edge of an alley on a deserted street, except for the big warehouse and the employers working there, The Team was expecting anything to happen
"Hey, Zatanna, how much this anti-senses spell lasts?" Asked Wally with a tone of concern
"Well as soon as you move it will fade in a matter of seconds, if you don't move it could last forever"
Wally sighed and continued waiting, after two minutes Megan came remaining invisible and communicating via telepathy
"I scanned the minds of almost everybody here and I found out that in fact their boss is Michael Madison and that he has pretty much a monopoly of drug distribution here in Detroit and he will come here to supervise the cargos by himself, I also discovered who are the guys with powers"
"Why do you say that *almost everyone* what stopped you from scanning everyone" Aqualad asked with a bit of confusion
"That's the other thing I wanted to share, you see, the people I couldn't read is exactly those members of the gang who have the super powers"
"But how is that possible unless they have special training to resist telepathy" Artemis said
"I don't think so, their minds weren't resisting yet I couldn't read them-wait, Michael Madison is here"
"All right, here is the strategy; we need a distraction, something really that scares them, and when he attempts to flee, Robin and Kid Flash will follow his vehicle and capture him" Aqualad said with full initiative
"All right, Zatanna, get ready try to make a really scary and noisy spell"
When he finished saying this, they heard a few gunshots then they saw Michael Madison laying in the floor apparently wounded the gunshots continued and the crooks started to respond the fire, it was in that instant when Robin Caught vision of two familiar faces, faces that reminded him many memories, all of them bad, as they started to beat up and kill the crooks.
"Who the hell are those guys!" Kid Flash exclaimed
"We don't have time to find lets go and get Michael before this turns into a war zone!" Aqualad yelled as he drew his water rods as he did this Michael Madison was being pulled into his car to drive to a safe place, as The Team got out of their hide out three other unknown subjects joined the battle that already was a chaos The Team did their best to survive the crossfire, the meta human thugs joined the fight as well.
But while the members of The Team were striking to knock out, the other strange people were fighting and going all-out to kill, Robin and Kid Flash prepared to follow Madison's car they heard a metal sound going through the floor, 2 seconds after the car exploded in fiery flames and the scène remained almost silent except for the meta human thugs that kept fighting, Robin and Kid Flash were lying in the floor by the shockwave of the explosion they couldn't hear nothing except a high pitched bleep, then they saw who was seemingly responsible for the explosion: A masked man with a grey coat with shoulder pads and a red "S" on his chest drew like it was some sort of scar and a "B" on his mask that covered most of the face area of the head carrying in one hand a 9mm Glock pistol and in the other a M4 sub-machine gun.
"Play time's over kids, now keep your heads down if you wanna live."