Author's Note: Sorry about the delay in getting these last few chapters out. Changes at my job have resulted in my losing about two and a half hours of writing time a day, so it's difficult to get a full chapter written before I have to go to bed. Worst case scenario, new chapters should come out every other day at a minimum until this job stuff is sorted out. Happy reading!

"…They want to take over the world from a plantation in the Deep South," Batman verified, sounding unimpressed, "using super-smart animals?" Really? We're treating this seriously? From the sound of things, the Feds aren't even taking it seriously. They have their heads up their asses on most things, it's true, but this is absurd. A program like that couldn't possibly stay under wraps for long, even if the head of the project won't talk. And supposing it somehow could, what would be the point? They'd be better off trying to put the creatures under mind control than increasing their intelligence. That's a good way to lose control.

"That does sound…unlikely," Wonder Woman threw in hesitantly.

"I don't have much else for details to try and change your mind with," Superman shrugged. "That's more or less the rundown on everything. There are some field notes, observations that have been made of the farm, and other stuff like that towards the back of the file in case either of want to look at it."

"…You actually want to pursue this?" the cowled man asked.

"Well…yeah. Look, the worst case scenario is that we go down to Alabama this weekend and spend a night finding out that there isn't anything sinister going on. If that's not what happens, then who knows what we might find? It's worth making sure about."

"…I suppose it can't hurt to be sure that nothing's going on," the woman gave in after a short silence.

"Batman?" the Kryptonian turned towards the third member of the group when he didn't speak up. "24 hours. That's all I ask."

Lips pressed to the point of invisibility, Batman shoved his chair back and stood. "There had better be something going on there," he growled, placing his fists on the table and leaning forward. "One pointless investigation was enough. If this turns out to be a second, then I can guarantee you that I will not be involved with a third." With that he spun away and stalked from the room, glowering as he headed back to the transporters. What a waste of time. Evelyn Graham, she sounds interesting, but I find it hard to believe that her legacy hasn't been corrupted into something far less threatening than what she intended. A former NERO leader would have had the tenacity to pull off what Shoults said is happening, but with her gone there's no way. Even if they're still working on whatever she wanted them to do with those animals – a vegan selling livestock for slaughter doesn't make sense, so there's no way that was her end goal – they can't have gotten far. A breakthrough in something like intelligence heightening would have been betrayed by someone before now, either for money or for power. This is another dead end...

"Sir," Alfred welcomed him home when he stepped out of the Zeta tube and into the Batcave. "You had a good meeting, I hope?"

The vigilante gave a disgusted grunt. "It was a useless gathering," he pronounced, "held in preparation for a useless mission."

"'Useless?'" the butler repeated, his eyebrows hitching upwards on his forehead. "…I've no intention of prying, but is there a reason you feel that way?"

He tugged his cowl off suddenly and let it hang from his fingers. "Alfred, I thought this was a good idea," he released slowly. "Well…an okay idea. The JLA, I mean. But Superman seems content to take whatever the government throws his direction, even though we all agreed that we didn't want to turn into a non-profit mercenary arm of the Feds. It would be one thing if we had other cases to chase, or even if the ones we're getting from Washington weren't complete bullshit, but this thing he called me in for tonight is yet another throw-away file. They only gave it to him because we can just go barging in without probable cause and not have to worry about most judges or juries so much as blinking at it in court. I wanted to be active outside of Gotham," he confessed, "and I still do, but…I can't keep burning patrol hours dealing with fever-dream plots to take over the world via chickens that can count. I when I have a city to protect."

"Hmm…Master Wayne, has any group besides the government offered your organization a case?"

"…Not that I know of, no. Clark says it's because the League is new. Our individual résumés should be enough to vouch for our abilities, though."

"Indeed? Tell me, then; are the résumés of the other members sufficient proof for you?"

Bruce's brows knit together. "…Meaning?"

"Do you trust the other six because their histories are impressive, despite not having spent much time in their company or having seen personally what they are capable of in the field?"

"No, of course not. They haven't proven themselves yet. And I see what you're trying to do with this," he went on, "but my point remains the same. Even if the government's the only one giving us things to do, that doesn't mean that we shouldn't at least insist on only taking realistic files. What was proposed a few minutes ago at the mountain was ridiculous, but Superman thinks we should check 'just in case.' Now I've agreed to throw away half the weekend chasing after what's going to turn out to be nothing. This is just like it was with the traffickers, and I don't have time for it!"

"…Sir, you trust Mister Kent, do you not? Or Superman, in this case?"

Bruce shifted a bit uncomfortably, the gesture clashing with the Batman suit he still wore. "…More than the others, I guess. Maybe."

…He convinced you to allow your secret lair to be connected to who knows how many other places in the universe via the Zeta tube, the Englishman thought, mildly amused by the younger man's resistance to admitting any feeling besides disdain for the Kryptonian. Furthermore, and perhaps more telling, you remained interested in being a member of the League even after he emerged as its natural leader. You would not follow someone you didn't trust, my boy; you've never been one to suffer fools, and that goes double for when they are in a position of power. "Then perhaps you ought to give him the benefit of the doubt in this matter," he suggested. "I know you're upset with him about the trafficking case being a false trail, but to be fair you were taken in by it as well."

"Yeah, on his word."

"And by your own determination. No matter how much you trust someone, Master Wayne, you've always wanted proof that what they were telling you is accurate. That's no different with Mister Kent than it was with your teachers, with me, and even with your parents," he voiced gently. "You saw the evidence and believed that the trafficking ring was a legitimate case at first, did you not?"

"…Yes. I did," the billionaire confessed.

"And you're quite certain that this one is not legitimate, or that it is such a small offense that it isn't worthy of your time?"

"Yes."

"Well, sir, if you're that set in your ideas then perhaps in this instance you'll simply have to trust in Superman's instinct."

"The problem is that his instinct is to not know a good lead from a hole in the ground," Bruce muttered.

"He may not have your knack for detecting, sir," Alfred said firmly, "but if you respect him, and if you respect what he – and all the rest of you, for that matter – are attempting to achieve with this group, then you'll see this through, regardless of what the end result may be." Please don't abandon this project and go back to your old solitary ways, he begged silently. Your penchant for isolation was bad enough when you were a boy, but with the dangerous activities you partake in now you must have some sort of backup that is better able than I to assist you in the field. You and Superman have worked together successfully on several occasions now, and knowing that you had someone to watch your back while you focused on those particular tasks eased my fear immeasurably. I would prefer that you had someone who could go out with you every night, but a partner for the biggest missions is better than none at all. Even if you won't admit it, I believe you've also come to see Mister Kent as a friend of sorts, or at least the closest thing to one you've ever allowed yourself to have. The thought of you making even a faint connection with other young adults...it would be marvelous to see that happen for you. Truly marvelous. If I can help it at all, he determined, I shan't let you throw a chance to do so away over a few start-up glitches. This group is good for you, and you'll stay in it.

"…I'll think about it," the billionaire sighed finally. It's a pointless task, but…I do believe that the League can be a major force for good, if someone will just give us a chance. If the only way for me to see us get that recognition is by giving Superman's opinion about this file a chance…I guess I'll just try and deal with it. It's only for 24 hours. Hell, he mused, dropping his headgear back into position, if it really is a red herring it probably won't even take that long. "I'm going out."

"Very well, sir. I'll be here if you require my assistance in any way."

"Right." I'll go to Montgomery this weekend, but however this case turns out – however the JLA turns out – my city comes first, he swore. That will never change.

With that mantra in mind, Batman spent the next several nights ensuring that the streets and warehouses of Gotham were sufficiently cleaned out to allow him a night away. Early Saturday evening found him waiting for the other two to arrive at the cave, his mood growing more dour with each passing minute.

"…About to head out, sir?" Alfred inquired.

"As soon as they get here."

"Then I shall make myself scarce until you've gone."

"It doesn't matter. They both know."

The butler paused. "…You've told Miss Prince, sir?"

"Not by choice," the cowled man grimaced. "She asked how we paid for everything in the mountain, the computers and other things like that. Superman, like an idiot, blurted out that I bankrolled it," he scoffed, "and it can't have taken her much guessing from there."

"There isn't exactly an excess of young billionaires running around Gotham, it's true."

"Right." The worst part, to his mind at least, was that Flash had been in the room when she asked, and thus was likely to have also put two and two together. And if Flash knows, the rest of them will know soon enough. Damn his mouth…

"…Nevertheless, sir, I believe I'll wait upstairs. Even if she is certain as to who you are, there's no reason to further verify things for her until you're truly ready to. I assume that's acceptable?"

"Yeah. That's fine." Thanks, Alfred.

Ten minutes more passed before the tube lit up and announced the vigilante's expected guests. "Sorry," Superman apologized. "Twenty car pileup on the freeway. I couldn't not stop to help, and Diana was waiting for me at Mount Justice."

…Yeah, I suppose you really did have to stop for that, Batman allowed. "Let's just get this over with," he ground out, leading them towards the hall that linked the main cave to the Batplane's subterranean hangar. "When are the next Zeta stations coming online?"

"I thought you didn't like transporting that way?" the Kryptonian asked with a note of surprise.

"I don't. I like the prospect of flying to every mission that isn't in a League member's home city even less, however." Especially if you or any of the others are planning to tag along for the ride, he added silently, sensing that speaking that particular opinion aloud would sour the moods of his companions and not wanting to make the night any more grating on himself than necessary. "…Is there a reason why I'm not simply meeting you near the estate? You can both fly under your own power; you don't need to get there via plane."

"I thought we could go back over the evidence-"

"Both pages of it?" Batman interrupted snarkily.

"-and try to sort out a plan of attack before we get there," the other man finished with a mild frown. "This will give us plenty of time to do that."

"Besides that," Wonder Woman added, giving the black-clad man a slightly pleading smile, "it's a good opportunity for the three of us to bond and continue building our rapport. It's important for our ability to work together in the field and for the strength of the League in general."

"…Bonding," he repeated emotionlessly. Yay, sounded sarcastically in his head. I have nothing better to do on this completely useless mission, so why the hell not bond? Ugh…

"Exactly. And don't worry, it will be much easier now that we all know each other's identities. There's far less we have to hide this way."

…So she does know. Fuck. For all that he'd been positive that that was the case, hearing it verified did nothing for his mood. "…Mm."

They walked the last fifty feet in silence, Superman and Wonder Woman exchanging glances as the cave's owner swept along in front of them. When they finally reached the plane's bay, the woman's mouth dropped slightly. "…This is beautiful," she murmured, taking in the chips of mica that glittered in the domed space's rock walls. "How did you build this? This isn't natural, surely."

"That was a good day," Superman nodded with a satisfied look as he, too, admired the place. "Heck, I even got to go upstairs after I was done," he joked.

"You did this, Clark?" she inquired.

"Yup. And some heavy lifting in the main part of the cave, too."

"I should have known, considering your work at the mountain," she shook her head. "…Well, if you've already been doing weekend man projects together, I guess the two of you don't really need much more in the bonding department."

"Seconded," Batman tacked on immediately, circling the plane on his pre-flight check. Two and a half hours of silence may be the only way all three of us make it to Alabama…

"Although I have to say that to the casual observer the two of you don't seem that…well…close," she stated.

"Batman's idea of close is in the next county," the Kryptonian said only half in jest. "The only person he'd let any closer is Alfred, I think."

"…Alfred?"

"His butler."

"Damn it, Clark!" the cowled man fumed.

"She already knows who you are," the guilty party bore up under the glare that speaking the name earned him, "so what's the harm? No one can hear us here, and it's not as if she's going to run out and tell everyone."

"Your secrets are safe with me," Diana assured. "There's no reason to fear my knowing your true identity. I don't betray my friends, Bruce."

…I don't know which part of me is my true identity these days, he bit back. And anyone – even you, even Superman – can be broken. Anyone. "…The plane is ready," he changed the subject, not bothering to acknowledge the woman's comment. "Let's go. We have a mission to complete." Leaving that hanging in the air behind him, he stalked up the stairs and into the jet, not looking to see if the others were following.

"He doesn't want to do this, you know," Wonder Woman shared in a low voice.

"I know. But as true as that is, he's here. And that's what matters with him; not what he says or how much he glares at you, but what he does. And he's coming to Alabama with us, so…that says a lot. That tells me that he wants this – the League, I mean – to work. Which is good, because frankly he belongs in it. Now let's go; he'll be even stonier the whole rest of the night if we lag behind again."

"...Clark?" she queried as they climbed.

"Hmm?"

"…You respect him, don't you? A lot," she judged.

"He's an ordinary human being who does extraordinary things through sheer force of will," the Kryptonian shrugged. "I can't help but respect his determination and dedication. Besides, somewhere under all of that angry bluff and bluster he puts on I suspect that there might just be a pretty decent fellow hiding. Call me curious, but…I'd like to get to know that guy. He seems interesting."

"…He is that," she admitted with a tiny chuckle as she ducked into the plane after the blue-clad man. "He is definitely that."