JLA: Freedom And Security

Chapter 1:

Paranoid, The Name Is Question

"Take it all in. Think about it for just a second."

The Question's methodical, and sometimes silly, line of thinking was driving him insane. How long was he gonna go on?

"Elvis sightings, phantom helicopters, Roswell, Majestic, OCB, the--

"OCB?", he asked curiously, although he was hesitant to hear the answer.

"Oklahoma City Bombings. Keep up, Queen.", Question replied with a frustrated tone.

And Oliver Queen was getting just as frustrated. As the Green Arrow stood on a rooftop, overlooking Star City, he began to wonder how he had gotten himself into this unenviable situation. Tagging alongside the Question, one has to wonder what crime they committed to be locked into his conversations.

"As I was saying, the introduction, then sudden departure of New Coke, boy bands, Shag Harbour, Shirley's Bay, you name it. All of them, even if by a microscopic, barely visible thread, are connected. Every single one goes back to a singular, devious source.", he finished, letting out an exhausted sigh.

"And what would that be?"

"That is what I've been trying to figure out."

"Paranoid, thy name is Question.", Ollie said with a grin.

"Go ahead. Joke. We'll see how funny it is when we're all in permanent lock down, our every move and action regulated. When our lives are under constant surveillance, our very existence under lock and key as the New World Order finally takes control. We'll see then, Queen."

"Yeah. We'll see then.", he replied, eyes rolling at the absurdity of it.

"You think this is my style? Hanging around waiting for petty thieves and thugs? It's not my preferred gig, I can tell you that."

"Why'd they team me up with you again?"

The Question sighed, pulling a notepad from his coat pocket. Ollie took a glance, seeing the multitude of ramblings and incoherent, at least in his eyes, drivel written all over it. Question added another scribble.

"Another mystery."

On the streets below, Ollie saw something beautiful; a mugging. Now, ordinarily, Ollie would not call such an act beautiful, but anything to get him away from Question's rambling was enough for him.

"Let's go!", Ollie shouted, grabbing an arrow from his quiver. Quicker than a cat, the Emerald Archer took aim and fired. The mugger had no time to react before he was nailed, knocked straight back and enveloped in a net. He slid across the sidewalk as the woman cowered in fear.

To Ollie's surprise, Question was already on the streets, helping the woman up. The woman gave an unsure smile to his blank, emotionless face, then ran off. Ollie approached with a smirk.

"Thought you said this wasn't your gig?", Ollie asked.

"It isn't. But this punk knows something."

"Oh, come on. Now even the lowest of low purse snatchers are in on it?"

"Everyone's in on it, whether they know it or not."

"Well, when you find some little green men, give me a call."

"First thing I'll do."

Question picked up the thug, getting right in his face.

"Oh, and by the way...", he said, causing Ollie to stop and turn around.

"I've never met one alien life form that was green."

Ollie sighed, then walked off. Question turned back to his prey, secretly enjoying the look of total fear over his face.

Above the Question, well past the Earth's atmosphere and hovering above our planet, was the Watchtower. It orbited around the planet, the low engine rumble a perfect companion to the cold silence of space, almost creating a musical harmony in how relaxing it was.

"And then I said, stand back, babe, the Fastest Man Alive is here to protect and kiss.", The Flash, otherwise known as Wally West, said with a cocky grin.

"Protect and kiss? You actually said that?"

Green Lantern listened to Flash's account with an open ear, but Kyle Rayner's lack of patience for bad pick up lines was starting to affect his enjoyment of it.

"I certainly hope you held her hair back when she threw up."

"No need, my friend. I'll have you know that Linda and I are going out this Saturday."

"That poor girl.", said the voice of Doctor Light from behind, causing Kyle, and even Wally, to grin.

"You know,", Wally said as he stood up from his chair. "I can understand the need to criticize me. Not everyone can do what I can. We can't all be me."

Kimiyo Hoshi's eyebrows perked, her grin growing larger. Wally took off, zipping directly behind her.

"We can't all be as charming, funny or cute as I am.", Wally said, that same cocky, yet lovable, grin shining.

"Oh, lord. Give me a break.", Kimiyo said before pushing herself away from Wally and walking off.

"It's obvious, isn't it?", Wally asked.

"What's that?"

"That she wants me."

Kyle grinned, standing up to follow Kimiyo.

"Oh, yeah. Way obvious. Blinded me."

The Atacama Desert. Lifeless. Zero inhabitants. The perfect place for Lex's newest completed project. Cadmus Headquarters was situated on a plateau, overlooking the rest of the barren wasteland. Radio chatter sputtered out through the menacing looking black helicopters coming towards Cadmus.

"This is Echo-Sigma Six. Do you copy?"

The pitch black helicopters roared over the desert land as troopers fast-roped down, piling in to the facility. The helicopter landed on the ground, more troops exiting, with Lex behind them.

"Alpha-Epsilon Nine here. Mr. Luthor has just arrived. Ready to move out."

The copters flew away as Lex made his way towards the building. He was greeted by General Wade Eiling. He was getting up there in terms of age, but still brute of a man.

"How's the weather treating you, General?", Lex asked.

"Like Hell."

Lex chuckled.

"I can imagine."

The doors behind them slammed shut with a metallic boom.

"Project DNA is well on it's way to completion. I'd say she'll be combat ready by next week."

"Good. I'd like to see her."

"Of course. Right this way."

Eiling's ID card swiped through the security system of a metal door. Project DNA was stamped across the front.

"She's quite the specimen.", Eiling said as Lex stepped forward, a smile on his face.

"She certainly is."

Lex walked towards a large chamber, his eyes lit up with devilish glee.

"What about strength levels?"

"Barring anything unusual, she should even be able to give Superman a run for his money."

"Let's hope so."

That voice diffused Lex's grin, but not by much. Amanda Waller stepped in, her cold demeanor freezing over the entire room.

"If she can't put a stop to them, we may as well pack it up and go home."

"Good thing I've got several."

Amanda's lips tried to form even a simple smile, but even the word smile wasn't in her vocabulary.

"I hope you'll be as funny if this doesn't work. We've spent a lot of money on this."

"Most of it mine, as I remember."

"True as that is, I don't want to look back on this with bad memories."

"I don't think you'll have to worry about that. This will be something to remember fondly. Something that will live on for years. And we'll all have the pleasure of having been a part of it."

"You'd better be right, Lex."

"I'm tellin' ya, I don't know anything!"

All he could see was pavement. The thug was helpless in Batman's grip, hanging upside down over the building. The streets of Gotham City were going to get up close and personal with his face unless he started talking.

"I've got all night."

"Can you spare five minutes?", he said, floating down from the sky.

His red cape bellowed behind him, the signature S shield announcing his arrival. This was Superman. We've already seen him, but not like this. He landed right in front of Batman.

"Bad time?", he asked.

"Not really."

Batman hoisted him back up, delivering a swift shot to the head and knocking him out.

"What'd you need?"

Superman could only smile at Batman's carefree attitude, then continued on.

"I'm sure you've heard by now."

Superman showed Batman the newspaper; "Lex Luthor Leads In Poll".

"Not surprised. Lex's money reaches further than most people think."

"Don't I know it."

There was a moment of silence. Even through that silence, they were still communicating. For the ten years they'd known each other, it wasn't unusual for them to finish each other's thoughts, react to what the other was going to say even before he'd said it.

They had developed a friendship that was unlike any other. Even if one was a yellow sun absorbing alien and the other was a man who dressed up in a bat costume, they respected each other. Even in the silence, they were still communicating.

"It's driving you crazy, isn't it?", Batman asked, knowing the answer to the question before he even posed it.

"Every single day. There's not a single morning where I don't wake up and wonder what will happen if he wins. If he's given that much control over this country. I know what they say about us, but to give that much power to one man."

"Do we really have a right to complain?"

"What?"

"I know you think just acknowledging what the people say about the Watchtower and the League is enough, but it still doesn't give any of us the right to question what he'd do with that power."

He knew he was right. In a lot of ways, it killed him, but he knew Batman was right.

"I know it doesn't. But why would anyone think we'd ever try to hurt them?"

"It's the power of suggestion. All it took was one of Maxwell Lord's anti-Metahuman speeches and the flood gates flew open. The minute he trashed us, the quicker the public was to share the same opinion."

Superman took a glance at the thug at Batman's feet, out cold.

"Chasing anything interesting?", he asked, looking for anything to change the depressing subject.

"Something big is supposed to be going down with the Joker at Warehouse 15."

"Need any help?"

The thug began to stir, opening his eyes to a terrifying sight; Superman and Batman's eyes locked on him.

"Now, what were you saying?", Batman asked with a spine chilling tone.