A/N: I just wanted to take this moment to thank everyone for sticking with this. I'm cranking out these chapters as fast as I can, but between real life stuff, my work on Emertainment Monthly, and prepping for Fall Semester, I've been busier than expected. I'm really passionate about Young Justice, though, and I plan to see this through until the end! Please enjoy the latest chapter of Young Justice: Resurrection!
Episode Three: Pieces
July 7th – TIBET 1:18 PM EST
"My name is Jason Todd!"
Jamie tightened his grip, still not trusting the boy. He had no idea if he was supposed to actually know the name Jason Todd and just blindly trust him-even if Jamie did recognize the name, finding a random kid in Tibet wasn't exactly normal or trust inducing.
My records show that Jason Todd should be dead. He was-watch out!
Jason kneed Jamie hard in the groin-the armor protecting him from most of the impact-and then extended his leg up to throw Jamie off. As Jason scrambled up, Jamie tumbled and regained his footing, aiming his cannon at Jason and really taking a look at him. The boy was dressed in a cloth get-up Jamie would imagine belonged to an old-school martial artist living as a hermit in the mountains.
"Alright, alright," Jason said, holding up his hands. "Like I said, my name is Jason Todd. You're Blue Beetle, right?"
"Yeah... how do you know who I am?"
He was the second Robin, Jamie Reyes.
"How do you know that when I don't?"
I have access to technology and databases you don't.
Jason watched as the weird kid talked to himself and used the opportunity to flick his wrist and send a shuriken at Blue Beetle's face. He knew Blue Beetle would deflect the projectile with his cannon-the shurkien was only a distraction-and would lower his defenses enough for Jason to close the distance between them and slam his palm up into Jamie's chin, knocking him out.
Jason dusted his hands off, looking at the hero. "They really don't make 'em like they used to," he said under his breath. It had been a while since he came back from the grave, but he was up to date with all the current heroes and the roster of the Team, even his new replacement. But it didn't matter-none of them could stand up to him now, not even Dickie Boy.
"Do not move."
Jason froze, feeling the point of a sword behind his back. He recognized the voice, however, and smiled slightly, realizing this was the one team member that wouldn't overreact and hurt him. He would be the easiest to manipulate. "You're not really going to stab me, are you, Aqualad?" He turned and looked at Kaldur straight in the eye. "You look like you've seen a ghost."
Kaldur stared a Jason, slowly lowering his sword, deactivating his magic. "It cannot be." Coming back from the dead was an ability to a very select few, and Batman had assured the Team that Jason would not be coming back to life. But here Jason was, standing before him, and Kaldur couldn't help but feel pain well in his heart and wonder why it couldn't have been his beloved Tula to return from the dead.
"Aqualad!" Cassie said, landing behind him. She had taken a couple seconds more to wake up and hone in on Jamie's location-why did boys have to pee so far away from camp? "What's-who's that?"
"This," Kaldur said, "was Robin. What happened to Blue Beetle?"
"He attacked first, wouldn't listen. I had to defend myself." Jason picked Jamie up and slung him over his shoulder. "You have a camp near here, right? Bring me there and I'll fill you in. I need your help to stop Ra's al Ghul and the League of Shadows from making Vandal Savage invincible."
July 7th – DESERT BETWEEN BIYALIA AND KHANDAQ 2:42 PM EST
"Does anyone else feel like we've been flying for a long time? Like, forever long time?" Freddy asked, frowning a bit. The group of Marvels continued to fly over ever expansive desert that should have been the outskirts of modern Kahndaq.
"We thought you knew," Mary said. She and Billy had exchanged knowing glances a couple hours ago-Freddy always had the ability to zone out and go on autopilot when he wasn't needed, but they never expected that he wouldn't catch on that they had been trapped in a mystical loop.
"We're being thrown every which way," Marvel said. "Mary and I have been trying to look through whatever enchantment is doing this, but we've got nothing. That means something doesn't want us getting near Pride."
"Black Adam?" Freddy offered.
Marvel shook his head. "He doesn't have this kind of power. It's someone-"
"Or something," Mary added.
"Or something else."
"Does that look like someone to you?" Freddy asked, squinting in the distance. He found it hard to believe that they had just been flying for hours without finding anything when he found something within three minutes of looking. "Are you sure you guys were really looking for something?" The figure in question appeared to be a dark blue silhouette standing atop a sand dune in the far distance. They sped towards it.
"It can't be," Marvel said as they got a better look at the figure.
"Who is it?" Mary asked.
They landed in front of the stranger-he stood a little shorter than the Captain and dressed in a dark blue cloak with a matching hat that shrouded most of his face. "It's the Phantom Stranger," Marvel said. "He always shows up whenever something very bad is about to happen-he's been forbidden to intervene in worldly affairs."
"But what is he?"
"I, Freddy Freeman, am the endless wanderer, the Phantom Stranger. Beyond human, I am one of the conduits tied to the Presence. I watch over this world, and unless the three of you accomplish your goals, it will end," the Stranger said. "I have delayed you to ensure your arrival coincides with Pride. I have led her here."
"Why would you do that?" Mary asked.
"More importantly, how?" Marvel asked.
"I have told her the truth. Those who are to help humanity will meet you here," the Stranger said, looking at them with a stoney face.
"You're talking like Pride is an actual being-a living, breathing, person," Freddy said. The Stranger just looked at him, affirming his suspicions. "We're supposed to be taking on the Deadly Sins, right? Now you're saying she's just a girl? And you betrayed her by lying to her? We have to get rid of them, not help them."
"I am only the messenger. And now, I take my leave," the Stranger replied. He looked at the Captain. "I trust you to do what is necessary." And with that, a wind blew and sand came up into the air, the Stranger's form dissolving in the wind and another form appearing in the distance.
"He made it seem like it was a person," Freddy reiterated.
"Maybe she is," Mary said.
"So is it a real person? Or just a Sin in disguise? Like those things from Full Metal Alchemist? Or the Nobodies from Kingdom Hearts?"
"Huh?" Captain Marvel asked, totally missing the two pop culture references. "Um... I dunno, but you two stay here, I'll-"
"Yeah," Mary said. "No. I will go-the Stranger said it was a she. I'll scope it out, you two stay back and wait for my signal." With that, she flew off towards the figure.
Mary saw that the figure was shrouded in another cloak, this one a deep bluish purple. The frame definitely suggested the being was a woman who couldn't be older than a teenager-fifteen or sixteen. The being turned towards Mary and backed away in fear, collapsing to the ground.
"Ngh..."
Mary landed and pulled the girl up, her hood falling back. She looked to be about fifteen, her skin pale with only a red diamond on her forehead-she had purple hair and looked fairly sick. "You're going to be alright," Mary said. "What's your name?"
"Raven," she replied. "My name... is Raven. Who are you?"
"My name is Lieutenant Marvel." Mary picked the girl up, doubting that she was one of the Seven Deadly Sins. Raven looked tired, weak, and helpless-no emodiment of pride would allow themselves to be in such a humble form.
"My hood... Azarath Metrion Zinthos," Raven said, softly, and a black energy forced the hood back up to shroud her face. "My father... he can't find me, or he'll kill you. He'll kill the world."
"You're safe with me, Raven. Even from your father."
"No one can be safe from Trigon."
July 7th – MARS CAPITAL 6:32 PM
"So, what are we gonna do?" Beast Boy asked, flopping down on his bed. They had finished talking with the Royal Family hours ago, and he was waiting for Kon and her to figure out their next move. He scratched his face, right where his breather met his skin—Miss M had told him that he'd be able to change enough to adapt to Martian atmosphere, but Gar had been unsuccessful so far. She assured him he'd be able to do it soon enough.
Kon folded his arms, looking at M'gann, who was staring out the window overlooking the rest of the city. She had been quiet since they left the Royal Family, and he knew it was because they had a close call with Gar—not that he even realized—but this was her territory, and she needed to figure out their next move.
"Honestly? I don't know," she finally said, sighing. Part of her mind still thought about the conversations back at the palace.
"Our most sacred treasure, the Gregada Stone, was almost taken several days ago," the Queen had said. "Thankfully, we responded quick enough, as it's in the vicinity of the palace. The stone in question is a relic we recovered before your time—back when the Earth was young and its people savage and uncouth. It fell from the sky and became imbibed with a strange power, but the true value is in its sentience. Something touched the Stone, and in turn gave it life—the Royal Family has always guarded the stone as our most valued treasure and tradition."
"We do not know how this thief broke into our vault," the King added. "We have examined it ourselves, as have several of our trusted colleagues. None of them have been able to ascertain the nature of the break in. We would normally ask J'onn to perform such an investigation, but there are—apparently—other matters to attend to on Earth."
The King had said that in such a way, Connor couldn't help but find a little resentment in their voice. He did his best to keep his face and mind neutral, so not to broadcast his judgments. Locking eyes with M'gann, he could see that she, too, felt the same way.
"Because none of our citizens have shown ill will towards us, we believe the assailant is one of the Dark Ones. Martians who have either been banished or cut off from our communion of minds," the Queen explained. "There have not been many in recent history to sever bonds with our culture, and even fewer banished, but it seems to be the most logical conclusion."
"Normally, we would expect the White Martians to undergo such treachery," the King continued, "but they have been found innocent as well. We have interrogated every last one of them in pursuit of the truth."
"What?" Gar said, perking up. "You did what? Why do you think they would do something like that? They're Martian's too, right? So wouldn't they respect the stone as well?"
"White Martians are lowly creatures, Green One," the Queen said. "They're base instincts are to steal and cripple those truly worthy of the Martian ways."
"But…" Gar said, about to defend the people in question.
"They're right, Gar," M'gann said, keeping her voice steady. "White Martians only seek to lie and deceive to get what they want—it isn't a stretch that they would do something like this." Of course she would say that—M'gann had lied her way onto Young Justice, had deceived her "Uncle" J'onn, and concealed her true identity under the mask of "Megan" from a television sitcom. Her intentions may not have been malevolent, but she couldn't help but take her actions as representation of the whole. "We'll begin our investigation as soon as possible. Once we have something, we'll let you know."
"We have to be very careful. Gar, you can't go around defending the White Martians or else you'll blow my cover."
"Well, maybe this is a chance to change the way they think! What would they say if a White Martian helped the Royal Family find the thief," Gar asked, grinning—he imagined M'gann adorned with flowers, saluted by whatever peacekeeping force Mars had, and earning the eternal gratitude of the Royal Family.
"They wouldn't say anything. They'd execute me for fraternizing with them in the first place." M'gann sighed, rubbing her eyes. "Let's just find this guy, okay? Gar, take to the skies and try to get an aerial picture of the place—keep us updated on anyone you think looks suspicious. Superboy, you and I will go out into the city and fan out—keep your eyes and ears open. Together, hopefully we'll find whoever did this and fast."
July 7th – OUTSIDE DAKOTA CITY 7:21 PM EST
"Remember, Virgil, channel it through you. Start the spark, but then guide it. Don't try to control it, direct it," Jefferson Pierce—better known as Black Lightning—said. He and Virgil—codename Static—were in a junkyard outside of Dakota City, practicing with his powers. Although their powers weren't exactly the same, he could help the young hero in developing his powers. "Try it again. This time, do a flip and stay on your disk."
Black Lightning could manipulate his own bio-electrical energies to achieve various ends. Virgil, on the other hand, could generate electricity spontaneously. His powers were much more limited than Virgil's, but could be more effective in certain instances: for example, starting a heart would be better for Black Lightning, because his powers have to deal with bio-electricity. Shocking someone with raw electricity wouldn't achieve better results.
"Alright, here I go," Virgil said, putting on his goggles. Black Lightning had made him a special hover disk, so that Virgil wouldn't have to use just a simple garbage can. It would do some of the work for Virgil, like manipulating its polarity so it would stay off the ground, but Virgil still had to channel the right amount of energy in it to work, and then manipulate it to stay on the disk at all times. It took an enormous amount of concentration.
Virgil stepped onto the disk and floated for a second, before heading up into the air. He pushed himself and went faster to gain momentum, and then threw his weight forward to flip. He lost his sense of direction and panicked for a split second, losing control of his powers. With a yell, Virgil fell onto a pile of garbage, his disk landing next to him. He groaned. "A little help would be appreciated."
"Sure thing." Although Virgil was talking to Black Lightning, Superman was the one who lifted him out of the garbage and floated him down back to the ground. "Pretty nasty fall there. You all right, son?"
Virgil blinked. "Yeah, thanks."
"What can I do for you Superman?" Black Lightning asked. It wasn't usual that Superman left Metropolis, even stranger when he left Metropolis when not on a League mission or an apocalyptic situation. Considering there had been no chatter on the League channels, BL considered the apocalyptic scenario more likely.
"Actually, I'm here for Virgil."
"Me? I promise, whatever it is, I didn't do it. And if I did it, it was before I was a hero, alright?"
"Relax, Virgil," Superman said. "My friends and I need your help." Superman gestured to the Forever People floating down on their vehicle. "Your friends with Tye Longshadow, right? We need him to help find something."
"Well, why don't you just ask him?"
"Because, apparently, we're looking for a relic. A Mescalero Apache artifact. One that's connected to Moonrider, over there. It's of the utmost importance that you help us, Virgil."
"Um…" Virgil said. He wasn't used to getting asked favors from the Man of Steel, or anyone for that matter. But if the big man asked for something, it had to be important, right? "Yeah, sure. I can take you to where he lives and talk to him for you. Why do you want it?"
"Because," Vykin said, chiming in. "If we don't get to it first, then your friend and his people may be massacred by the personification of all evil you have or ever will know, and the fate of the entire universe will be death."
"Personification of all evil? Man, and I thought we already had it rough," Virgil said, rubbing the back of his neck. How was he supposed to react to that? How could anyone react to that?
"Go, Virgil. We'll continue this another time. Superman, have you alerted the League?"
"No. We can't have the League mobilize on this, or else the Light will realize we're on to whatever is happening. The Light supplied Intergang with those weapons last year, the Light utilized that same technology to bring Sphere to Earth—whatever's going on, they're involved, which means they can't know." Black Lightning nodded in understanding and Superman turned to Virgil. "Let's go."
July 7th – METROPOLIS 8:16 PM
It didn't take much for Bruce to figure out where the JLA's members would be housed. A quick trace of his operatives' signals and the location was revealed to be a Lex Corp complex in Metropolis. After finding the location, it was simple to hack into the complex's system to find Catwoman's location—after attending several events as Bruce Wayne at key Lex Corp buildings, Batman had been able to systematically set up a backdoor to monitor Luthor. It had taken almost a year and a half to reach full completion, but the wait had been worth it, especially if it meant getting closer to Catwoman.
Batman set his wounded ribs quickly, sacrificing efficiency for speed as he suited up. It was just after the sun set, and Metropolis wasn't as easy to navigate as Gotham. Less places to grapple, more lights, and more opportunities to be seen—the sky scrapers were too high and the buildings too spread out to run across the rooftops. He and Clark would periodically switch cities for one night every couple of nights to keep each other on their toes. Whereas Metropolis wasn't Batman's most opportune workplace, the same could be said for Superman and Gotham. Many of the buildings were lined with lead and the city itself was a maze, relying on sound was also an issue because sound waves would frequently echo and bounce off of the many surfaces the city had to offer.
Although he still wasn't at one hundred percent, Bruce had to grit his teeth and bear the pain so that he could get into the complex and get Catwoman. She, like Talia Al Ghul, had a special effect on him that almost no other women in the world could produce. The list of Bruce's love interests could be counted on a single hand, and he would only admit to himself that he had feelings for Selina. But, his city took precedence, unless her life was in danger. Being a part of the JLA—which Batman suspected was the result of coercion—was definitely a threat to her well-being and he wouldn't risk her life.
The compound was guarded by a standard Lex Corp patrol pattern, easy for Batman to predict and avoid. Lex always believed himself infallible, and his pride would never allow him to admit a patrol system of his own design held flaws. Just made it that much easier for Batman to exploit.
Avoiding the guards was easy, and it only took a couple minutes to reach Catwoman's quarters. He entered through the window silently, keeping to the shadows and surveying the room. It was a simple bedroom, and Batman could see her underneath the covers. He stepped towards the bed, but stopped. Something was wrong. She would have noticed him enter—Selina could always sense him, and she would never let him get this close to her unless she initiated the contact herself. Batman's eyes narrowed and saw that she didn't make a move. Selina wasn't a heavy sleeper—that wasn't Selina at all.
He moved to the window to leave, but someone came out of the shadows to attack him. Batman grabbed the assailant and pushed him up into the wall, his arm on the person's throat to keep him in place. "Gordon Godfrey?" Batman asked. What was Godfrey doing attacking him? Bruce knew that he was involved with Lex somehow, but the man wasn't a fighter. Batman slammed Godfrey's head into the wall, which would knock out almost any human. Believing himself safe, Batman moved to the window.
Godfrey grabbed Batman's wrist from the ground and pulled himself up, slamming a device into Batman's stomach, giving him an electrical shock that would have knocked out the likes of Killer Crock. Batman collapsed to the floor, groaning. Godfrey, a New God, had much more durability than met the eye, and Bruce's attack had little effect on him, especially since Godfrey was expecting it. "So, sorry, Batman. It takes more than that to get rid of me. Nighty night." Godfrey kicked Batman in the face, knocking him out.
Godfrey readjusted his tie and fixed his hair before pulling out his phone. "Good news, Batman is in custody. Your plan worked. Congratulations, Mr. Luthor. I'll start working on the press—Catwoman ultimately declined our invitation to join the JLI, because she wanted to keep her identity a secret. At least, that's what we'll make them believe."
July 7th – METROPOLIS SEWERS 8:24 PM
The plan was relatively simple. They'd come up through the sewer system, with Bumblebee unlocking the door necessary to get into the lab's sublevels. They would wait until night, while Karen scoped out the security.
"Ugh, seriously. It smells rank in here," Bart said, waving his hand in front of his nose. "How much longer do we have to wait, anyway?"
"As long as it takes," Mal said.
"Not much longer," Tigress replied. "Right, Bumblebee?"
"Right. What are coordinates?" Karen said over the comm.
"Two clicks to the door—do you have the security system compromised?"
"Affirmative. You guys are clear to head towards the door. I'll be there, waiting."
"Copy," Tigress said. Although the sewers and underground passageways were Metropolis property, Lex had asserted his authority as a businessman and had the areas intersecting his business' sublevels wired and set-up for surveillance. Bumblebee managed to place one of Young Justice's signature devices on the main surveillance hub to mask their presence. "Come on."
They ran down the hall and headed towards one of the secret entrances Lex's henchmen would use to get away if they were compromised. Considering the factory they were targeting held the re-branded Reach drink, his henchman had used it often enough for the League and the Team to take notice of its location. Bumblebee opened the door right on time and they continued into the facility without a problem.
"You know, you still look fine in that suit," Bumblebee said to Guardian, grinning. Bart groaned, shaking his head. "Patrol coming up on the left."
"KF," Tigress said. He nodded and sped ahead, knocking out the unsuspecting guards and then continuing on with them towards the heart of the facility. The hallways were a sterile white, and oddly quiet. They continued on, turning left, and then right, and they made their way to the last door. Tigress opened it silently, ushering the rest of the team in—they entered the open atrium on the second level in the rafters. Below, they could see Lex Corp employees working with several machines holding a similar substance as the one they found while investigating the Reach.
"Alright," Tigress whispered. "Looks like our intel was right, about everything. Bumblebee, keep to the sky and look out, KF and I will go down to collect a sample. Guardian, guard the door." Everyone nodded and Tigress wrapped her arm around Bart's waist and then shot a grapple at the ceiling, before jumping off the rafter and slowly lowering them both down into a dark corner of the operation.
"Wait," KF said. "Something's not right." He tapped his ear and Tigress listened. "It's quiet." And then one of the workers walked right past them, without even noticing them. KF got up and went to touch a machine, but his hand passed through it.
Tigress' eyes widened. "Illusions. Abort, abort, abort! Guardian, get that door open before it—" And then the people and machines faded from existence, locking mechanisms sealing the team in room.
"Uh… what just happened?" Bumblebee asked.
"We were played," Tigress said. She thought to Jade and wondered if her sister had betrayed her, or if she was given faulty information. Either way, they had to find a way out of there, fast.
July 7th – METROPOLIS 8:56 PM EST
"Thank God that's over," Luthor said to himself, loosening his tie. He was in his car, driving to one of Lex Corp's subsidiary buildings. The gala with those simpletons couldn't have ended sooner. Then again, it was necessary. With Godfrey at his side and the UN in his pocket, no one of merit would question his uncharacteristic rise to power. It would be fairly obvious to anyone that there was some level of manipulation going on, but Godfrey's powers assured anyone with the power to stop him was under his spell.
"Hello?" Luthor asked, as he picked up the phone. They told him something about a break in by heroes—they were foolish to try something like this again, Luthor mused, especially since they were caught the last time at the drink factory. "Hold them there until I decide what to do with them. Knock them out with gas, if you have to, I don't care, but keep them there until I say so."
This was good. Another variable accounted for, and a potential bargaining chip insured. The heroes would do anything to keep their protégé safe. With Batman captured, part of Young Justice detained and without communication, and Superman off with whatever group of New Gods, Metropolis was ripe for Lex's taking. That, and the Light could make their moves much freer now that several key players were removed.
The car pulled up to what appeared to be one of Lex Corp's science facilities. He got out of the car and headed into the facility, using a secret elevator to go beneath the building and into the sub-levels. Lined with lead, the operations going on beneath the building couldn't be seen by Superman, and with sound dampeners, he wouldn't be able to hear it either. Completely wiped from the books, done by word of mouth and not over any electronics, a digital footprint was nonexistent. The place was completely and utterly secure.
The elevator took Luthor to the bottommost level. The door opened and Luthor stepped out, surveying the room: a giant atrium, filled with computers and personnel in black uniforms. Bustling with the hum of technology and general hustle about of technicians and surveyors. As Luthor walked towards the apex of the atrium, personnel would stop and stand at attention—at the apex, there were three large monitors, going through all the current "hot" activity of the world: threats to peace, metahuman activity, and the like.
"How's everything progressing, Amanda?" Luthor asked, stepping up onto the platform.
"Very well, Mr. Luthor," Waller said. As the previous warden of Belle Reve—and Luthor knowing that she was not at fault for what happened—she was the obvious choice to help him with this particular endeavor. "Checkmate is almost complete in its set-up. By tomorrow, the UN will have secretly recognized us, and our tenure as commanders will begin."
"The White Queen, right?" Luthor asked, referring to her code name. "Poignant."
"And you, the White King," Waller said. She knew that Luthor was playing some kind of game, and she was determined to find out what. "Our two associates are coming down now. The Black King and the Black Queen."
"We're doing good work here, Amanda. We'll usher in a new era of peace. We can't trust the Justice League and these metahumans to police our world."
"Mm," was all that Amanda replied. She knew better than to blindly trust Luthor's words. He was a skilled orator, that was for sure, and his ability to read people and act accordingly to persuade people to his side. Of course, if he couldn't persuade them, then he'd force him. Waller knew about Luthor's checkered past.
"Oh, are we still at that chit-chatting stage?" Two people walked up onto the platform. The speaker was a man, dressed smartly in a suit and tie—he was Caucasian and had short brown hair. He held an imposing air of authority that rivaled Luthor. Maxwell Lord, the Black King.
"Well, we were late, so they had to fill their time with something," the woman beside him said. She was white, and had black hair and blue eyes. Considerable more attractive than her counterpart, Sasha Bordeaux was nonetheless a lethal force to be reckoned with and more than qualified to be the Black Queen of Checkmate.
"Good, we're all here," Luthor said. "Now, place your hands on the scanners and they'll take your fingerprints and DNA and code you into your new positions. In case any of you have forgotten, Amanda and I will be the face of this organization—me to the public and Amanda to the government—and allocate resources and direction. You both will coordinate our plans and do the… dirty work, so to speak."
"Suppose that's why we're the Black ones, eh?" Lord said, lighting a cigarette and taking a drag. "Keeping the peace will be our—what's it, Queeny?—our pleasure?"
"Just keep yourself in check, Lord," Amanda said. "I'll be keeping an eye on you to ensure none of your previous… habits come up."
"That goes without saying, Waller."
"If you both are quite done," Luthor said, "I have other matters to attend to. Tomorrow is a big day. Tomorrow, we start on world peace. Cheers." And with that, Lex walked off, leaving at the appropriate time to not arouse suspicion and not be late for his meeting with the Light.
July 7th – METROPOLIS 9:16 PM EST
Lex pressed a button in the back of his limo, and the back became sectioned off as a partition rose between the driver and passenger sections. The windows tinted and five screens came online: Vandal Savage, Klarion, Queen Bee, a fatigued—but alive—Ra's Al Ghul, and a blank screen that belonged to the Brain. Although Brain was in custody, he still had means of communication.
"Congratulations, Mr. Secretary," Savage said. "The Light is one step closer to our goals."
"Indeed," Luthor said. "The Justice League International and Checkmate will start operating within the week. They will make the perfect scapegoats for insurance purposes. I'm also happy to report that a team of Young Justice has been detained and Batman is in our custody. As soon as I get a free moment, I'll be taking a peak under that mask."
"No," Ra's said. "You are not to remove his mask."
"And why not, Ra's? Getting territorial of your adversaries?"
"Because," Ra's replied, "you are not worthy of the Detective's secrets. I shall send my agents to collect him and I will detain him personally."
"Hasn't he escaped your clutches in the past? I think not."
"You will comply, Luthor. Or I will take the Detective by force."
"No," Savage said. "Batman will stay with Luthor and Luthor will keep his hands to himself. You, Ra's, need to finish recovering."
"Yeah, yeah," Kalrion said, obviously bored with the chatter of the mortals. "Anyway, back to the fun stuff. Is the thingy is ready for deployment!?"
"Yes, Klarion. It is," Queen Bee said. "With Lex Corps resources, the Brain's programing, Klarion's magical assistance, and my funding and operations, Brother Eye will be secretly launched into orbit tomorrow. We will have eyes on all our enemies without them ever knowing. Our agent on Mars has also reported that they're close to stealing the relic."
"Good," Savage replied. "If we get that, then Darkseid will never be able to bring his plans to fruition and we can focus on bringing the Earth's heroes to their knees. Ushering in this era of peace, the Light will become powerful enough to protect the Earth from any threat. Even the likes of the Fourth World."
"Oui," the Brain said. "Deathstroke, Monsieur Mallah, and I will be making our escape soon enough. We are leaving Black Manta, non?"
"Black Manta has outlived his usefulness," Savage responded. "Leave him."
"Is there anything else on the agenda, or can we adjourn this meeting?" Luthor asked.
"As I'm recovering, my daughter, Talia, will take over my day-to-day responsibilities for the Light. You have her contact information if you require our services. If something important comes up, contact me directly. To the Light."
"To the Light," they all replied.
July 7th – BATCAVE 9:37 PM EST
"I've arranged for Miss Lance to accompany you on your patrol tonight, Mater Timothy," Alfred said. "With Master Bruce still away, and your patrol starting rather late, I felt it prudent to—"
"Get me some supervision, I know," Tim replied, suiting up. "Standard procedure and all that." Still, he wished that Alfred and Bruce trusted him more to be out on his own. Dick and Jason had gotten solo patrols every once in a while—then again, bringing up the Jason card would definitely be the wrong move.
"It'll be alright, Master Timothy." Alfred smiled warmly. "Try and refrain from growing up too fast. Besides, Miss Lance is most pleasant company. Her and I have such delightful conversations."
"Of course you do, Alfred." Tim returned the smile and finished suiting up. "Alright, tell Canary to meet me at Sector—"Intruder Alert. The Batcave's alarms rang out and the lights started to flash. "Alfred get back upstairs! Now!" Alfred nodded and went up the steps, while Tim grabbed his staff. It was important for Alfred to stay out of sight, in case the intruder didn't realize they were under Wayne Manor, even more important for Alfred to stay safe. "Initiate Protocol BW Alpha."
Sounds of machinery moving filled the Batcave and Tim faced the entrance to the catacombs. Only the most deadly warriors and most dangerous villains could get past the outer defenses, and whatever came through the darkness, Tim had to defeat. No one else would be coming. It would be him and the Cave against…
"Catwoman?" Tim asked, lowering his guard. She crawled out of the darkness, obviously fatigued, clutching her stomach. He could see slashes across her abdomen, and she looked worse for wear, worse than he had even seen Bruce when he got thrown around by Killer Croc and Grundy at once. He could tell by her movement that she was seriously injured, and she would have been able to use backdoor codes on each of Batman's passageways—he would have set them up for only he to be alerted if she came through—she just didn't get to the last one in the sequence, setting off the alarm. "Abort, abort! Disengage! Alfred!"
Tim ran over to Selina, assessing her wounds. "K-keep this safe," was all Catwoman said, as she pressed a back into Tim's hand, fainting from her wounds.
"Master Timothy! Bring Miss Kyle over to the table, now." Alfred began working on her. "Contact Master Bruce."
Tim nodded and tried to connect with Batman's comm. "Batman? Batman, do you copy? Alfred, he's not answering. He must have gone dark. Wasn't Catwoman announced to be a part of that new Justice League? What's she doing here, then?"
Alfred knew Tim was only thinking out loud, so he posed another question. "What did she give you?"
Tim looked in the bag. "Well, not exactly a Batcave kind of item," he said, pulling out an old looking rifle and a smaller pouch of bullets. "This must have been from the museum. Let me reference it on the Batcomputer." Tim went over to start his detective work. "Yup. It's from the museum. According to the database records, it's an rifle circa the Old West. It's called the Ace of Winchesters. Does that mean anything to you, Alfred?"
"No. But I suppose we'll find out once Miss Kyle wakes up. If she wakes up," Alfred said, rubbing his brow. "We may have to call Miss Thompkins for assistance."
"Bruce will just love that…" Tim sighed, looking at Catwoman. "What is going on?"
July 7th – KEYSTONE CITY 10:42 PM EST
Dick drove up to Keystone City's heart. The city was so unlike Gotham, Metropolis, and New York—even Boston, to a degree: Keystone was rather quiet at night. It was a nice change of pace. Dick continued down the main road towards the Financial District and pulled into the parking lot of Quickstart Enterprises, a company that made infomercials to reform villains and help people start a new life.
Dick scaled up the side of the building, having already looked at its schematics. Because it wasn't affiliated with the Light or any superhero team, the security was lax enough for Dick to essentially waltz in. He opened one of the windows and made his way into the building, before heading up to the main office.
He knocked out of courtesy before opening the door. "Mr. Quick? I'm sorry to disturb you, but—"
"Come in, come in," Johnny Quick said, sitting at his desk. His office appeared rather cluttered, but it held a sense of organized chaos. He worked quickly, signing papers and reading through them. Quick himself was a younger man, in his late thirties, with blond hair and blue eyes. "Batman told me you'd be coming."
"Of course he did," Dick replied, rubbing the back of his head. "So you know why I'm here?"
Quick looked up at Dick. "Well, come on, take a seat. Trying to find Wallace West will take quite a while, so we might as well get started."
A/N: I hope you enjoyed this episode! Please consider checking out Emertainment Monthly, the magazine that I help run. It's Emerson College's unofficial magazine devoted solely to Entertainment! I've done several interviews with Marcus To, the producers of Beware the Batman, and many others! Check it out.
If anyone is lost on who these characters are, or any of the items (Johnny Quick, Maxwell Lord, Ace of Winchesters, etc.) please let me know in the reviews! PS-Yes, the Ace of Winchesters is an actual DC Universe item and not of my creation! I'll start the next chapter with a spoiler-free introduction of each character and good reference material to get to know them if you ask for them in a review! One of the biggest challenges in writing Young Justice is there will inevitably be characters that are from the more obscure parts of the DC Universe, so I just want to make sure everyone is all set to read without any confusion :).
As always, please read and review, and I'll do my best to get the next episode up as soon as possible! Thanks chicks and dudes!