Two Hours Later…
"No atmospheric disfiguration or any telltale sign of uneven distribution with atomic particles that would indicate the presence of a portal or teleportation." Atom double checked with the plasma scanner, but to no avail. He kept his sigh's to himself, but his efforts were proving fruitless.

"J'onn, do you have anything yet?" Batman questioned, throwing a quick glance of disappointment towards Atom before focusing his attention on the Martian. He felt rather disjointed, still reeling from the jolt of his COM device electrocuting him.

Manhunter: I'm sorry, Batman. I'm picking up no telepathic links with Lantern.

Hawkgirl cut in, rather perturbed by the entire ordeal. She was overcome with pain and fatigue.

"Maybe that two bit harlot had something to do with?!"

Batman: No.

Hawkgirl: No? You're going to just let her walk from the scene of the crime?

Batman: Harley Quinn wouldn't be capable of pulling off such an elaborate and effective strike.

Vixen: Maybe you're underestimating her? Vixen folded her arms and arched her eyebrow.

Batman: I never underestimate my opponents. Harley Quinn is a lackey, but if she did attack it wouldn't be through portals - she's the epitome of malice. A simple stab and run affair with a few parlour tricks thrown in would be her foray…

Vixen: Still… it would be nice to be a 100 certain. I'm going to go and have a little girl talk with her.

Batman: Fine. Waste your own time with dead ends instead of wasting mine.

Vixen began to trail away from the alleyway while muttering under her breath "Charming".

Shiera felt helpless and frustrated because she felt helpless.

"So, Sherlock, who do think is behind this?"

Lingering on his reply, a shimmering glint caught his eye within the alleyway up by a weathered lamppost. It was a high tech security camera - state of the art.

"Someone with resources." he replied, his voice piqued by a sudden realisation.

"And who would that be?" Atom butted in with a hint of intrigue.

"Lex Luthor" Batman revealed before turning dramatically towards his batmobile. He didn't even give the others time to respond. Before they knew it his flames roared from his impressive car and he was gone. Inside the vehicle he cringed for a fraction of a second - the knock to his head from the crash gave him a terrible migraine.

SOON AFTER…
Batman arrived outside Lexcorp, the moderately long journey allowed him some time to himself. Of course he had switched off his communicator to the league, despite all they had been through, Batman only ever allowed them so much rope. He wasn't truly part of their team and he never would be. He knew that.

Hopping out of car, making sure it was secure first, he then ventured forward towards the main doors. As his hand hovered outwards to grab the handle he caught wind of a small whistling sound that gradually began to get louder and louder - he paused. Seconds later the main glass doors shattered violently, sending particles of glistening shards in every direction, as the sun's rays penetrated each and every one of them - they were like shining snowflakes to passers by who fled in terror.

Batman fell backwards, avoiding most of the shards of glass, but a small few, which cut through his uniform, slender blood marks soon forming at his upper thigh and mid torso. Gritting his teeth he had only but a second to react as two, rounded, giant blades spun towards him in a frenzy. Rolling out of the way they whisked right by him and lodged themselves into a nearby concrete wall.

Scanning the lobby of Lexcorp a robot emerged from out of nowhere. He was colossal in size, with the appearance of a man, draped in full metal armour.

"So much for the element of surprise" Batman sighed. Taking out two bat-o-rang's he tossed them effortlessly and watched them soar towards their intended target. Striking the robot in it's mechanical throat and forehead he looked on prudently as it fumbled for a moment before crashing to the ground.

"That was too eas---EEEEHHHH!" Unable to finish his sentence Batman was whooshed back over 30 ft from the sudden explosion that erupted from the machine. Landing on the ground, picking a memory of a better day, he finished, rather defeated "Easy".

"I suppose it never stud a chance…" Lex surmised, a slithering smirk slowly forming as he appeared from the lobby.

Batman jumped to his feet and equipped himself with another Bat-o-rang.

"Where's Lantern!?" he asked, trying his best to allow his voice the conviction it needed to hide the pain he was actually in.

Lex: And here I was thinking you were the diplomatic one…his eyes falling upon batman's weapon.

Batman: Lex!

Lex: I do know what you're talking about - I did see what happened - but I have no involvement in the matter.

Batman: Your camera…

Lex: Simply a funny coincident. A happy one.

Batman tightens his grip on the bat-o-rang. Lex notices right away.

Lex: Why don't you come inside? There's actually someone here I'm sure you'll find has some rather interesting information.

Batman reluctantly complies, his weapon still in hand as they make their way up to one of Lex's labs.

IN THE LAB
"My analysis team can't make heads nor tails with the footage. You see…" He takes a remote out of his jacket pocket and presses a button, it turns on a massive screen with Batman and Green Lantern in the alleyway. "…as you peruse her he suddenly vanishes, ripped from space and time. But there's no visual evidence of this happening, he just…goes." Lex releases a small cough of laughter. Batman not sharing his amusement.

Batman: There's no residual evidence of him disappearing at all.

Lex: Precisely.

Batman: People can't just vanish without a trace.

Lex: In our line of work people vanish everyday…he says with a joker-like smile.

Batman clobbers Lex a good one to his jaw knocking him down instantly. As he raises his bat-o-rang with intentions of destroying the lab, Lex presses another button which activates a machine that elaborately twists a hidden wall around revealing Flash chained and unconscious, draping pendulously before a startled Batman.

Lex: You see he had similar intentions. But he wasn't able to bypass my new and now destroyed security. Though there was three before he got here…Apparently another member disappeared also…

Batman: Who!

Lex: Rumour has it you two were particularly close…but what are rumours now-a-days.

Batman knocked Lex out - he had heard enough - unleashing a throng of bat-o-rang's on the lab, sparks began to infest the place as the equipment began to catch fire. Making his way over to Flash, Batman gets electrocuted by the metal cuffs that bound the speedster. More sparks filled the room as it gradually began to engulf with flames.

Lex then awakens.

"Maybe I was destined after all to kill the little brat…"

"NO!"

"Yes."

Lex presses several buttons on the computer just in time to activate his last minute idea. Once again Batman heard a small whistle, this time more dominant than before. As it increased in volume a sonic boom took Lex and Batman and flung them like rag-dolls through the lab's surrounding windows. They thrashed around in the air for what seemed like forever, until Batman managed to unhinge his grappler and use it only feet before he would have collided with the ground. He had no time to worry about Lex who was whisked off in an entirely different direction. As his feet touched the floor a devastating explosion occurred 50 stories above him, wads of smoke bellowing out from where Flash was located. Batman looked in horror at the devastation.

"Wally…."

TO BE CONTINUED