A bucket of ice cold water being tossed her face was what awoke Iris up. She gasped and jerked awake, accidentally taking in some of the water. Coughing for a moment, her eyes adjusted to the bright lights and began to panic. The young speedster began to rapidly tug at her metal restraints around her arms and legs that suspended her. Before long Irey realized something. Something was wrong. Very wrong. She wasn't speeding. Her movements were the slowest she'd ever witnessed her body move. This only added to her panic, but then she became aware of the inhibitor collar locked tightly around her neck. Her eyes began to focus and adjust. Iris was in a lab. But a lab she was quite unfamiliar with. It wasn't Star Labs or any Lab the League owned. This one was completely alien. It looked so sterile. It was all so pristine and white. Everything was organized and polished in a way that was completely unwelcoming.
Iris felt the water that had been thrown at her wash down her body, dampening her clothes, making her even more uncomfortable, if that was even possible. She was suspended by steel chains that seemed quite out of place in this lab against a wall. Her red hair was coming out of her usual perky pigtails and her costume tattered and some blood dried around her cuts. And then she felt it. Pain. The inhibitor collar didn't just stop her speed. It stopped her metabolism; she wasn't healing at the excelled rate she was use too. Soreness in her limbs from bruising and the stings of various scrapes and cuts came over her. The speedster next became aware of the figure that joined her in the room.
It stood off to the far corner. A tall mass that appeared almost like a man, but something wasn't quite right about it. The memories of the battle and her family suddenly came back and Irey realized this figure was the man she had fought. Her face scrunched up and she began to shout
"You! Where's my family!?" She called out angrily. Irey was answered with silence.
"You must have some sort of plan!" Damian complained. Back at Mount Justice, the remaining heroes converged to work on their new strategy. Most were off getting treated in the medical bay, while others worked on repairing the damage.
"We have to regroup and plan together." Nightwing consoled his younger brother
"Isn't that what we're doing right now?!" Robin countered. He paced the floor, fists clenched tightly. Nightwing stood stationary, in the middle of the cave's kitchen, one of the few places that wasn't damaged or looted and left a disaster by the enemy. Dick was currently running scans for League or team signals but it was taking a while. Most equipment was damaged in the fight, so finding them wasn't going to be easy.
"With Zoom, it's going to be tricky. But I'm guessing his location isn't going to be a total mystery…" Bart said in thought. The Flash was eating of course, as the last bits of his wounds from the fight speed-healed.
"What do you mean?" Nightwing asked skeptically. "Well, I suspect it's no coincidence Zoom just so happen to want to help and just so happen to be the one to capture Irey. So, I guess he's got some kind of revenge agenda and wants to take any chance he has at getting some."
Robin stopped pacing to pay attention to the Flash's words. Before he could weigh in, his father entered and spoke.
"The government would never allow him to kill any of them. If that happened, they have blood on their hands and they cannot afford that." The Dark Knight spoke as he seemed rather occupied, being one of the leaders of the League and quickly moved through the cave elsewhere, despite Nightwing's clear desire to speak with him.
"Unless they try to cover it up." Damian grumbled, agitated at the lack of action.
"What we know so far is that they're holding Wally, Jai, Tigress and Impulse somewhere. I say likely in the Washington D.C area." Nightwing said examining recorded security footage on his tablet.
"But if Zoom's involved he could have sped them anywhere in the world by now." Bart added in. The Flash walked over and stood by Nightwing.
"Yes, but see here…" Nightwing paused the footage on a frame of their attackers locking Artemis, Wally and Jai in a government vehicle. "It's likely that those three are together somewhere with some Feds. If Zoom is working with them it's more than likely he took Irey to the same place."
"Unless they have some kind of alternative deal and let him take her and do what he wishes!" Damian crossed his arms.
"Damian, look we're scanning for team and league signals and coming up with a thought-out plan. I know what you're feeling right now but acting this way will not make any of them come back any faster, okay?" Dick turned to his younger brother and spoke firmly. He was met with his familiar glare, but he eventually nodded.
Batgirl ran in, her cowl down, holding her own laptop. "I got something!" She said triumphantly. "Finally" Damian said quietly to himself
"Let's see it." Dick said as Barbara put her computer down on the kitchen bar beside him. They all gathered around it.
"Wherever they are currently, it can't get any exact signals. But, Jai and I started working on a new upgrade that would allow us to track the history of team and league signals. It hasn't been perfected yet, but what we have so far, we put on his comm. The last known location of Jai is here." Batgirl zoomed in on the map that has a red dot labeled "Jai" and a timestamp of exactly one hour ago. "I was right. DC…. near the Pentagon. This makes sense." Dick said carefully examined it. "If I had to bet, I'd say they're there."
"You don't think that's a little obvious?" Barbara asked. "I mean, who knows what other top-secret facilities that have around there."
"I agree with Gordon." Damian nodded. "They may be barbaric assholes but they're not stupid."
They all nodded in agreement. "Okay I want several squads around the perimeter of the pentagon. Stealth-"
"Does that mean the team can help?" Damian interrupted. Dick sighed. "I suppose. But they'll be assigned with a Leaguer. We'll put Chris and Colin with Superbo-"
"UGH! What is with you not trusting us?!" Damian shouted.
"Hey- hey, calm down…" Barbara said putting a hand on his shoulder. "Yes, calm down, that's not the discussion we're having right now. Right now, I have a leaguer, two team members and an ally in the enemy's' hands." Nightwing closed the computers and began to make commands over the comm.
"The name. Give me his name." The Zoom stood inches from Irey's face. She glared straight back into his face which appeared mostly human except for the gleaming red eyes. He looked smug; as though having this much control over her was satisfying.
"I'm not telling you anything." She spat quietly. Much to her surprise, he left her mask on. In fact, he hadn't touched her at all since the capture. She didn't want to question the luck but it was like he was holding back. "Tell me, do you know my name?" Zoom questioned. "King Asshole? Sir Dickhead?" Irey replied, a little immature sure, but he had her family. He man chuckled before slapping her clean across the face. Irey's head whipped to the right as a red handprint stung her cheek. She let out a breath keeping her head to the side, looking away from him. Zoom stepped closer grabbing her chin and forcing her to look at him. "I'll ask again. Tell me the Flash's name. His real name." He demanded holding her chin in place.
"I don't know." Impulse replied flatly. "Yes, you do. You probably know a lot of leaguer's names, don't you?" She shook her head. "Nope." He began to get angrier.
"I am Zoom. The Flash's greatest enemy." He said proudly, in a low tone.
"How come I've never heard of you then? Can't be that great…" she muttered. He shook off her childish insults and walked over to a door on the other end of the room. "Let's try this again." He opened it and pulled out Artemis. She was handcuffed and gagged with an inhibitor collar around her neck. There was a small gash her head bled down the side of her face, along with other bruises and wounds littered her body. Zoom dragged her by the handcuffs and forcefully shoved her on his knees before Irey.
"You know Tigress, I trust?" Zoom asked, amused by the fear in both of their eyes. Artemis looked like she had just woken up but her eyes were already filled with dread, and Iris just laid frozen in fear. Zoom pulled out an inhibitor collar remote. He pressed its button and Impulse was shocked by a forceful beam of electricity. She screamed out loudly and Artemis' yell in response was muffled by the tape over her mouth.
"Whoops. Wrong button." Zoom said dryly before pressing the other button which shocked Tigress with the same force.
"NO!" Irey shouted. "I see we have an understanding now." Zoom said. "You're going to tell me what I want to know, and you're going to tell me now. Or Tiger lady here, is going to get hurt. You wouldn't want that, now would you?"
Artemis shook her head to Iris, as though telling her not to talk. Irey shook her head back at her mother fearfully, completely conflicted.
"I don't hear talking…." Zoom taunted before pressing the button shocking Artemis.
"MOM! NO STOP IT YOU ASSHOLE!" Impulse screamed, thrashing at her restraints.
"Mom? Ohhhh...oh my, this just got interesting…."