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Mackenzie paced in her cell, completely empty save for a camera and a bed, and a toilet along the back wall. The walls were stark white with a flawless surface, and the energy barrier keeping her in glowed bright red. Almost two damned days she'd been in here, and without any answers to her questions despite how much she badgered the stoic guards. She had come in without resistance, she basically volunteered. Why the hell was she being held prisoner?

She figured it could be worse. The identical cell across from hers contained a furry man in a hoodie, and he was under constant sedation. There was a special energy cell next to that, where she saw the guy the Flash had caught just three months ago, a special band around his head and cuffs, and he was sedated as well. She pursed her lips, wondering how long they'd been here. She thought that at one point the previous day she saw an Asian woman in a slim white dress walk through the hallway above the room they were in.

She heard the door open, and looked out of the bars and gasped. Four men were escorting an unconscious figure in a straightjacket and special restraints. She took in the black hood, the void masking his face. She'd seen enough police reports and grainy footage to recognize the Reaper.

Behind him was Gunslinger, and he turned away from the escort to walk over to her cell. She started to open her mouth when he held up a hand. "I realize that the cell was unnecessary. If it means anything to you, I advised Waller to let you go free. Evidently, she did not take my advice."

Her eyes softened, and her mouth closed. "So you're going to let me out?"

"I am." He replied, punching in the code. The bars slid into the ceiling, and she walked out, stretching. He handed her a briefcase, and when she opened it she saw all her weapons and gear neatly folded into the small space. "Suit up. After you're all briefed we leave to begin our mission."

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Majutsu was escorted into a small, white circular room. The first thing she noticed was the five bodies lying on the floor, all in some manner of restraints. Her eyes widened as Whispering Shadow walked in after her. "Why are they all unconscious?"

"Remember when I told you about how the other team members would be criminals?" Majutsu nodded. "Meet the criminals."

The door opened again, and the two of them turned to see Gunslinger walk in, followed by a woman in a black coat with a red trim, a domino mask covering her eyes and a belt with twin pistols, shurikens, and throwing knives attached to it around her waist. "Shadow, Majutsu, this is Ricochet. The only other willing member of the team."

"Willing?" Majutsu asked, shaking Ricochet's hand.

"Yeah. I think most of these guys would rather kill us than fight alongside us." Ricochet replied, eyeing the unconscious people warily. She smiled at Majutsu. "Firm grip. Nice handshake."

"Thank you, Miss Ricochet." Majutsu replied, bowing. "It is an honor to meet another American hero. I have seen videos of you fighting alongside Green Arrow and Black Canary. Most impressive."

Ricochet smiled at the compliment. "Thank you. You're the Japanese heroine, aren't you?"

"I am-" she started before the big door opened, and a woman walked in, a blue pantsuit around her bulky body and a hard, steely look in her dark eyes. "Wake them up." She ordered.

"Yes ma'am." Gunslinger replied, pressing a button.

The vents on the ceiling hissed, and Ricochet turned to glare at him. "Are you gassing us?"

"It's a special chemical mixture, completely harmless." He replied. "It just wakes up anyone unconscious."

Groans filled the room as they all slowly got to their knees, Reaper and Poltergeist hesitantly getting to their feet. Wolfssenger looked around, then fury lit up his face when he spotted Gunslinger. "You son of a bitch! I'll rip you apart!" he roared, getting to his feet and running for Gunslinger.

The soldier smirked behind his helmet as Wolfssenger collided with the energy barrier. Electricity ran through his body, throwing him back to the ground. Venus snickered, drawing a glare from him. "What are you laughing at?"

"A moron." She replied, earning a growl from him.

"Enough!" Waller interrupted, demanding the attention of everyone in this room. "Now, I'm sure you're all expecting an explanation for why you're here."

"To save the world?" Reaper asked calmly. "Isn't that the gist?"

"You'll do well not to interrupt me, Reaper." She replied. "But yes, dumbed down that is the objective." She paced in front of the barrier. "Each of you has been selected because you possess abilities that can be beneficial to humanity, abilities that will allow you to help us fight back against the growing terror of the villains. Along with that, each of you, to some degree, has shown evidence of heroism in yourself."

Venus barked out a laugh. "I'm the head of the Grecian Mafia, and if I'm not mistaken the gentleman in black is a serial killer."

"You're Sabina Ambrosia?" Reaper asked, and she proudly lifted her chin.

"I am." She replied.

"I've been meaning to kill you and your brother." He growled.

"Silence, both of you." Waller ordered, cutting of Venus as she scowled, preparing to retort. "Wolfssenger, though a common thief, has also foiled muggings, robberies, and even broken up street gangs. Poltergeist has been hunting down members of Hive. Venus has taken many lives, but she's saved just as many, using her gang to protect orphaned or abused children, enacting justice on criminals who escape the courts after committing heinous crimes, offering shelter to battered women. Dark Swan is an assassin, but one who has broken up gangs, stopped prostitution and drug rings, and helped police track down high profile criminals. And Reaper, though a brutal serial killer, has brought to justice countless criminals who either never went to court, got off, escaped, or he just got there first." She elaborated. "My point is, you all have the potential to become more than the common criminals you are. You can become heroes."

"And if we don't want to be part of your little club?" Poltergeist asked, glaring at Waller.

Reaper answered for him. "We don't have a choice. She wouldn't round up a band of criminals like us without a contingency." He said, Waller feeling his icy stare bore into her.

She smirked. "Exactly. Obviously you won't all be eager to throw down your lives to save the world. And so, should you decide to leave, betray the team or me, or have any thoughts about escape, then I will detonate the bombs implanted in your necks."

A collective gasp arose from the recruits behind the shield. "You… you put bombs in us?!" Wolfssenger asked, fear in his trembling voice and in his wide eyes.

Waller's smirk only grew, and some of the recruits behind the barrier shared uneasy glances. Then Venus stood up, her skepticism clear in her face. "You're bluffing. You wouldn't go through all this trouble just to kill us if we step out of line."

Waller snapped her fingers, and Majutsu's jaw dropped as Gunslinger drew a shotgun. Waller nodded to a camera, a crackle sounded. "The shield is down." She said calmly, smirking and stepping to the side as the big door reopened. "And the exit is that way."

Venus looked taken aback. She wasn't sure what kind of response she was expecting, but this wasn't it. She felt all eyes on her, and turned to see Reaper looking at her. "I say go for it."

She glared at him. "You just said she was right."

"I did." He confirmed. "And if I'm right, and you walk through there, then it will save me the trouble of killing you later on."

Venus looked at the exit with longing, eventually cursing and sitting back down. "Good choice." Waller said, the door closing and standing back in front of them. "Now, you have three objectives. Find the missing heroes, fight the bad guys, and get to the bottom of what's going on. The nine of you will have your own ship that contains living quarters along with other necessary rooms and equipment."

Gunslinger looked at Waller in confusion. As far as he knew, Alessandra was the only one Cadmus was sending in from the inside. "Nine, ma'am? There are only eight recruits."

"And then there's their leader, Gunslinger." Waller replied. "I'm entrusting you to keep these people in line and make sure the job is done right."

Gunslinger was stunned into silence, shooting a glare at Poltergeist as he barked out a laugh at the turn of events. Shadow sighed in relief, she was glad she'd have a friend with her. "M-Ma'am, you can't be serious…"

"I am. I've already had the detonation codes transferred to your gauntlet, and you will have full authority." She replied, turning to the recruits. "Now that you are aware of the situation you're in…" she said, tapping the back of her neck. "…your weapons and gear will be returned to you, and your restraints will be removed."

A pair of soldiers walked in, one with a key card and one pushing a cart with various boxes on it. They went to each recruit on the ground, unlocking their cuffs and ignoring their grumbling as they handed them their respective box containing their gear.

They unlocked the band around Poltergeist's head, and he rubbed his temples. "Let's see if I can go five minutes without having one of those snapped around my head." He muttered as he was handed his box, pulling out the grey body armor with green highlights and the domino mask.

They reached Reaper, backing away as the straightjacket fell away without them unlocking it. The longest box trembled, snapping open as the scythe and cross inside flew into his open palms. "Put away your guns, I'm not killing anyone." He growled as the soldiers kept their hands on their guns. Suddenly a burst of green light flashed along the ceiling, and a huge black crow seemed to teleport inside, landing on The Reaper's shoulder and affectionately pecking at his cheek as he placed the cross around his neck. Reaper raised a finger to scratch his birds chin.

Wolfssenger massaged his wrists as his cuffs were removed, then looked in surprise at the box. "I… I don't have any weapons or gear…"

"You do now." The soldier replied, shoving the box into his arms. As they moved on to Venus, he opened the lid to see a sleeveless black compression shirt with the silver head of a wolf on it. He ran his fingers over the fabric, feeling the carbon fiber layers. Underneath that were forearm guards, also black, with fingerless gloves attached to it. Under that was a pair of black cargo pants and special black boots designed to fit his dog like feet, small holes in the toes to accommodate for the claws on them. In the back of the box was a utility belt with a pair of combat knives and eight throwing knives. Along with that, his athletic shades. He lifted all of this out, then squealed in delight when he saw his Nintendo 3DS and games in the bottom. He grinned, then frowned as he finally noticed the weird feeling in his teeth and the metallic taste in his mouth. He ran his tongue over his teeth, his visible skin paling as he felt the metal. "What did you guys do to me?"

"Your teeth and claws all have a thin titanium layer grafted over them to increase damage done by them." Gunslinger answered irritably. "You'll get used to the feeling."

Venus pulled out her costume, a navy blue mask that covered her mouth and cheeks, and a strapless blue dress matching the mask and knee high boots, also blue. The dress cut off above her breasts, and had an underlying layer of silk, but the outside was lined with minor armor. She glared at the soldiers. "Where did you find this?"

"I politely asked your men to hand it over." Gunslinger replied, still fuming about his new assignment.

"You won't get away with detaining me like this." She growled. "Do you have any idea the authority I hold in Greece? In the criminal underworld?"

"Do you have any idea how much authority the United States of America has in the entire world?" Gunslinger mocked. "Shut up and suit up."

"Well, I can see you have everything under control here." Waller said as Dark Swan was handed her ring and dagger. "I expect daily updates on your progress."

"Yes ma'am." He replied through gritted teeth, clenching his fist as she exited the room. As everyone finished looking at their either new or reclaimed gear, some of them comfortable enough to start changing right there in the room, he stepped in front of them. "Fall in line. Single file. You will follow me to the ship, and you will remain silent until spoken to. Is that clear?"

"Crystal." Poltergeist muttered as Gunslinger turned and walked out of the room, Shadow leading the line with Ricochet and Majutsu behind her. They exited the white room and entered an elevator, which revealed that they were several stories underground. The ride up was smooth and uncomfortable as everyone was squeezed together. Shadow gulped as Wolfssenger pressed against her side, scowling as he clutched his DS to his chest, uncomfortable in his new uniform. She knew she was safe from death, but she wasn't certain that these people were above petty "accidental" contact. This was confirmed as Poltergeist yawned, stretching and smacking the back of Gunslinger's head. This earned him a jab to the gut, drawing a gasp from him as he fell to his knees, a couple snickers following. Ricochet played with the folds of her trench coat, still not quite believing that she was back in her old costume. The Reaper was directly behind her, the only one in the elevator who was as still and silent as a statue.

The elevator doors finally opened, and Gunslinger led them up a short flight of stairs and into a bustling, long, grey hall. Soldiers marched all over the place, going to and from various locations. Politicians dotted the crowd, travelling to meetings. The hallway was long, with many other smaller hallways branching off, board rooms and briefing rooms along with countless other necessary rooms for the base.

As they walked through the dull grey halls, soldiers and politicians walking to and fro, Poltergeist turned to look at Reaper as he growled. "What's your deal?"

"The corruption in this place is thick enough to cut." He muttered, glaring at an uneasy balding man in a blue suit as he walked past. "These politicians have accepted bribes, taken part in unethical deals… it's sickening. If it weren't for the bomb in my neck the walls would be red by now."

"Can't you heal?" He asked.

"Not from something as devastating as that." He answered, looking forward again. "Can't you phase your body?"

Poltergeist's eyes widened, and he smacked his head. "Damnit, I should've thought of that…"

"I wasn't being serious." Reaper cut off. "These people aren't stupid, any abilities we have, they have ways to counteract them. I'd imagine your bomb is special." He replied. Poltergeist cursed, glaring at the back of Gunslinger's head.

Majutsu frowned. Intense negative energy was surrounding these people, they were bitter and angry. "Why did you kidnap these people?" she asked, turning to Shadow. "They're being held against their will."

"Most of these people are wanted criminals, they'd be in prison anyway." Shadow replied, avoiding her gaze. "Besides, we're facing a crisis. Drastic measures need to be taken."

"At the expense of our humanity?" she asked sagely.

"You're talking like we're holding dogs at gunpoint. These people are murderers, criminals, thieves." Gunslinger interjected, keeping his glaring eyes forward. "We're doing what's necessary for the mission."

"Even so, this is not how heroes act." Majutsu replied, the disapproval in her voice increasing with every word. "You're forcing these people into essentially being slaves."

"She's not wrong." Venus chimed in, leaning over Majutsu to glare at Gunslinger. "I'm fairly certain this is illegal in the U.S."

"Good thing we're the Government then." Gunslinger answered, stopping them in front of a large door and punching in a code. "Now I repeat: Shut up. We're entering the hangar. Maintain formation, one foot out of line and you'll be dragged the rest of the way."

A chorus of muttered affirmations that they understood answered, and the hangar doors slid open. Their jaws dropped in shock. The hangar was much larger than they expected, it was as long as two football fields and as wide as four. And it was ten stories tall. The entire floor was lined with cables and had crates stacked, forklifts and jeeps driving all over the place. Hundreds of workers and soldiers walked around, and the upper level walkways were packed with monitoring equipment and control rooms. At the end of the hangar were massive doors, which were currently closed.

But what really caught their attention was what was in the center. It was a massive ship, the size of a mansion. It appeared at first glance to be similar to a naval battleship, with the underside smooth and curbed, landing gear deployed at both ends. Then they noticed the four turbines, one on each corner of the ship. There were various lights blinking around the hull, and there were smaller hangars open to reveal jets inside.

As they walked across the hangar to the ship, Wolfssenger seemed like he was going to burst. "It's like the helicarrier!" The others turned to look at him strangely. "You know, like in the Avengers comics?"

"Who the hell are the Avengers?" Swan asked before getting cut off by Gunslinger.

"This will be your new home. Most of it is area for the workers, maintenance and communications and all that. But the front end is ours. It contains living quarters, training areas, and a control room. We will spend any time we're not out fighting in there. The rest of the ship is prohibited." He turned to look at his team. "But I think there's adequate space there to keep you satisfied."

"A big prison is still a prison." Swan commented bitterly.

Gunslinger didn't respond, ushering them onto a raising platform that lifted them to the top of the ship. The top deck was barren and smooth, save for a few entrances along the edges. A railing kept them from falling off, and Gunslinger led them to the nearest entrance, opening the door and gesturing to the stairs inside. "Keep moving."

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After five minutes of wandering halls silently as the workers ignored them, doing their various duties, they reached a pair of electronically locked doors. Gunslinger removed his face plate, revealing the scarred face of a battle worn soldier. His brown hair was trimmed in a neat crew cut, and his face was chiseled and hard as stone, scars across his eyes, chin, cheeks, and forehead, everywhere. He closed one eye and held the other up to a scanner, simultaneously punching in a four digit code. A microphone extended to his mouth, and he cleared his throat as his eye was scanned. "Savior." He said clearly, and the light over the door switched from red to green, and the low humming surrounding the door switched off as it the energy barrier deactivated. The locking mechanisms silently slid open, and the doors opened to reveal what looked like a futuristic living room. "This is the only entrance to our area. It guarantees privacy, and keeps you lot in."

They walked in, a large television sitting in front of a long couch, a glass coffee table in front of that. A kitchen sat on the other side, pantries and a fully stocked fridge along the wall and a food prep area. Various lights and control panels lined the walls, and along the back wall was a large computer with various monitors and keyboards. And In the center of the room was a circular metal table with a holographic projector in the center with nine seats around it.

Swan whistled as Poltergeist went immediately to the kitchen, looking inside the fridge. Wolfssenger excitedly vaulted over the black couch, picking up a remote and examining the television.

Most of the group disbanded the line to admire their new home, Ricochet following Shadow to the couch to sit down. Ricochet moaned in pleasure as she arced her back against the couch, two days in a hard, cold cell made her appreciate the feeling of an actual couch even more.

Gunslinger watched in silence, allowing them a bit of time to explore. He glanced to his side to see the Reaper unmoving from his spot. "You're going to be busy. Might as well explore now."

"Exactly, we'll be busy." The Reaper rasped. "No point in familiarizing myself with a room if I won't be spending any time in it." He eyed the computer. "Is there a laboratory? I need one."

"There is." He replied. "Waller anticipated you'd want one for any investigations. It has its own computer and five separate lab areas. Microscopes, test tubes, chemicals, operating table, scalpels… whatever you need. There's also supplies for Poltergeist's more technological experiments. Any arguments over space, or who's interfering with whose projects, you'll have to sort out yourselves. I don't want you coming to me with your petty arguments."

"I don't need any assistance settling disputes." was the response. "Where is it?"

"The bottom level. There are four levels available to us, this one, the training areas, our rooms, and the lab. Though I imagine you and Poltergeist will be the only ones down there at all."

"True enough." Reaper replied. "Now can I go down there, or do I need to wait for the grand tour?" he asked mockingly.

"The grand tour." Gunslinger answered with equal mockery, watching the rest of the group enjoy the brief peace of the moment. "You'll have your private time, be patient."

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Gunslinger rounded them up after ten minutes and took them down to the next floor. It was just a large gym, with four areas. There was a gymnastics area in the corner marked "1" with hoops and beams and swings and trapezes and a lot of other equipment. In corner "2" there was a raised platform with a gridded floor and a control board. "Holographic combat simulator." Gunslinger explained. "You can select the environment, enemy, and difficulty. Any projectiles or enemy attacks aren't fatal, but they're not soft."

In corner "3" there was a sparring ring, with a raised cage that would be lowered down for any fights. There were dulled weapons and beam guns that fired stun blasts for duels. And in corner "4" there was various workout machines, dumbbells, and treadmills. "Every day you're all required to participate in at least two hours of training. It can be whatever you want, but you have to train." He scowled as he was met with groans. "You all need to be in peak physical shape. Failure to follow this rule, or any rule, will result in loss of privileges."

"God forbid we lose our privileges." Poltergeist muttered, earning a short laugh from Dark Swan.

Gunslinger turned to face the group. "Now before I let you loose, there are a few more things. You will all find earpieces on your beds. They can be comfortably fit around your ears, and you are required to wear them at all times. If I ever summon you to the briefing area on the top floor, you must stop whatever you're doing and report to me for a team meeting. Aside from that and missions, you are free to do as you please in our area." His eyes narrowed. "And finally: Make no mistake. We are not the Justice League, the Teen Titans, or any sort of social buddy buddy team. We are a government team, created to be used to carry out the will of our leaders and take down the bad guys. We don't have to like each other, we don't have to be nice to each other. All we need to do is tolerate one another enough to accomplish the mission. That mission is simple, and has three parts: Find the missing heroes, save the world from the villains, and find out what exactly the hell is going on. So if you have any delusions that this is going to be fun or that we're going to become some kind of messed up family, I'm going to put those delusions down now. If all goes well, we'll get the mission accomplished and you can all go back to doing whatever the hell you did before this." He went silent, waiting for any questions. Instead all he received were bored stares. "Dismissed. Your rooms are in the level below this one."

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The level below was a single long hallway, with nine doors along it, four on each side and Gunslinger's room on the end. To ensure privacy there was a key card sitting on top of the locks of each door, each hero's name on a plate over their door.

Shadow and Majutsu walked to their rooms at the end of the hallway, closest to Gunslinger's. They were across from each other, and before Majutsu walked into her room Shadow flashed her a smile. "Hey, if you need anything knock on my or Gunslinger's door, 'kay?"

She smiled back and nodded, curtsying before opening her door and walking in. Her room was modeled after a Japanese meditation chamber, the walls decorated with various signs of the Japanese language. Along the back wall, her bed was a circle with a soft mattress and feather pillows. There was a straw mat in the center of the floor, and a table with jars of incense sat along the right wall next to a book case. Majutsu walked over to the left wall where a dresser and mirror sat, and next to that was a tea pot and, to her surprise, a package of her favorite tea, with a note from Whispering Shadow welcoming her. She smiled, picking up a teabag. She would not mask her disapproval of the treatment of the others, but she had a feeling she wouldn't feel as far from home here as she thought.

"I can sense your conflict." Came a voice. "I believe you made the right decision, Hinoka."

Majutsu turned to see a glowing aura floating in the center of the room. "I hope so, Izanagi. I am still unsure if I was wise in leaving Japan vulnerable."

"This is bigger than Japan, my pupil." The divinity responded. "You have the chance to assist in saving the whole planet."

Majutsu smiled. "That is true." She bowed to her patron God. "I apologize for my hesitation, Izanagi."

"No need for that." It replied with amusement. "It is to be expected, especially in such an unusual situation."

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Poltergeist opened his door to a white room. His bed was small, but looked comfortable enough. He grinned as he saw a computer along the left wall, and a bookshelf with various physics and technological texts and books lining it. There was a desk for work along the right wall. He plopped down on the bed, inhaling and breathing back out, relaxed. As far as prisons went, he's certainly been in worse. The walls had Imagine Dragons posters, and there was a radio with an Imagine Dragons CD on his nightstand. He popped this in, cranking up the volume and lying down as "Demons" played.

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Wolfssenger looked around his room, a mix of awe and anger running through him. On the one hand he was furious that he was being held captive, forced to risk his life for something he had no interest in doing.

But on the other hand, and this was the sad part, this flying prison was nicer than any place he'd ever stayed in. Forget about his crappy apartment back in L.A. That place was crawling with bugs and reeked of things besides him.

This room, however, smelled… well not good, but not bad. Just like cleaning chemicals and metal. But there were no termites or flies or spider web coated bedding, instead there was a feather pillow and a shelf of the comic books he kept in his apartment. They must have found out where he lived and brought his few meager belongings here, because along with the comics he saw his gaming system and the few books he bothered to read.

His iPod was on his bed, along with his ear buds. He put these in, lying down and playing his EDM music. Soon enough he passed out from exhaustion, snores escaping his mouth.

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Ricochet threw her trench coat over a chair, her domino mask over that. Her room was small, a bit smaller than the bedroom in her apartment. The bed was a decent size, fresh sheets. Her wall had a bookshelf with a fair amount of books. She selected one that looked interesting, setting it on the seat of the armchair next to her dresser and vanity.

She pulled her hair out of its ponytail, staring hard at her gunmetal grey eyes in her mirror. She still felt numb, her black and red bodysuit was comfortable and familiar, and yet so foreign. She had sworn so long ago that she'd never try to be a hero again, and yet here she was. Among killers and criminals. Like me. She thought bitterly.

She sighed, sitting down in the arm chair and picking up the book. She knew she'd never fall asleep, might as well try and distract herself from her situation with a good story. She tucked her legs up, half paying attention to the words as her mind went through the events of the past three days.

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Dark Swan admired her new room, sighing as she walked slowly over to the small bed, rubbing her arms. How did she get in this situation?

She definitely didn't trust the majority of her new teammates. The dog boy seemed too immature to be here, Poltergeist seemed too mischievous to trust, Venus was a crime boss, and the Reaper and that huge bird of his gave her chills. She groaned, face planting into her pillow. She absentmindedly rubbed the ruby in her ring, then jumped up as she felt Zenoth enter. The man was covered by a flowing red cloak, a hood masking his face. "You let yourself get captured." He said simply.

She scowled. "Noooo, really?" she asked sarcastically.

Zenoth only stood in the corner, his looming figure glaring at her. "You know you can't trust these people. The chances of you getting out of this alive are minimal."

"I know." She snapped. "But I don't exactly have a lot of options." She added, rubbing the surgical scar on the back of her neck.

"Then make some." He growled. "Being held captive like this is unacceptable. You must continue your assassinations."

"Relax, Zenny." She replied, laying down, not failing to notice his shoulders tense at the nickname. "I'm still gonna be offing bad guys."

When he didn't answer, she picked her head up to see that he had vanished. She sighed, looking around at the barren room. Aside from a nightstand and some books, it was pretty much empty. She wrapped her arms around herself, shivering. Zenoth always left a chill when he left. He was unlike any angel she'd ever heard of, but she rolled with it. He looked out for her.

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Venus stood in her doorway, surveying her room with a bored expression. She wasn't exactly snobby or greedy, but the small room was certainly a step down from her usual abode.

At least they'd made it feel more like home. The walls were painted red, and her bed had a Grecian design, and her nightstand held her bust of Aphrodite and her gold plated gun. A computer and phone lay on a desk along the right wall, and along the left she had a small bookshelf with books. A dresser was next to the door, and after closing the door she shed her dress, setting it over a chair and looked through the dresser for a nightgown as she stood in her undergarments. She selected a white one that matched her creamy skin, making her look like a ghostly goddess as her black hair fell messily over her shoulders. She lay on her bed, glancing at Aphrodite. "My Lady, give me strength." She muttered, holding the pillow over her head.

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Shadow was lucky, she got to design her own room. Animal posters hung on the walls, her bed was a decent size with patterned sheets. A bookshelf held her favorite books, and she had a radio on her nightstand. She lay on her bed, chewing her lip as she contemplated the events of that day. She was on an actual hero team now. With a band of not so heroic heroes.

She sighed, trying to fall asleep. She had carried out countless assassinations and she was only 19. A little effed up, but it was true. So the feeling of nervousness that was wracking her now was new and foreign. And unwelcome. She was grateful that Majutsu and Gunslinger were here, it would be good to have friendly faces. Or rather, one friendly face and a grumpy but familiar face. She giggled at that, closing her eyes. Everything would be all right, they'd save the world and bring back the missing heroes.

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Reaper sat in his dark room, thinking. The walls were black, and his bed was small and fitted with dark sheets. The right wall was one large bookshelf, with everything from detective novels to criminal case files sorted for his leisure. The left wall was lined with a huge bulletin board, thumbtacks provided on the nightstand next to his bed. On the other side of his bed was another table, this one with a crucifix and Bible on it. This had not originally been in the room, nor was radio he had Dust fetch for him.

A flash of green light illuminated the room as Dust flew in, carrying a large briefcase in his claws. He set in on the floor, landing on his master's shoulder as the Reaper knelt down to open it. Inside were all of his latest investigations: Reports, theories, photos, stolen evidence, notes, the works. He grabbed the bin of tacks and went to work pinning these to his board, taking out a spool of red thread and connecting certain photos to papers. By the time he was done the bulletin board was filled with papers and photos, and looked like the work of a crackpot conspiracy theorist. Not that far off, he mused to himself. He knew the real reason he was selected for the team. Just because he hadn't halted his normal "activities", didn't mean he hadn't already started investigating the problem the team had been created to solve.

In the center of the board were photos of various heroes, all of whom had been reported missing. And dead center was the Justice League: Superman's face in the center of it all. Batman was off to the side, various other heroes scattered. He crossed his arms as Dust cawed. "We'll figure it out, don't worry." He rasped, pulling his hood down, his dark eyes glaring through the darkness at the board. "That's what we're here for."

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Gunslinger removed his helmet, throwing it on top of his bed along with his gear and gauntlets, shedding his graphene armor. He pressed a key on his computer, pulling up the profiles.

A heroine.

A ghost.

A markswoman.

An assassin.

A beast.

A shape shifter.

A crime boss.

A serial killer.

And a soldier trying to keep them all in check. He sighed, rubbing his temples as he dimmed the lights in his room, lying down. He had his work cut out for him, but at the moment he needed sleep. He already knew what the first mission would be, and he knew they'd all need their strength tomorrow.

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Next chapter will be the first assignment. Review!