Hacker
By Floaging
Disclaimer: I do not own Justice League, its Production Company, Affiliates, and/or Sponsors. Everything is fictional and any similarities between the characters and any living person are unintentional.
AN: Unfortunately, due to exams, I'm finding it difficult to find anytime to write anything. I will be continuing with this story but there won't be really long chapters at regular intervals until mid June. Sorry for that :D Thank you to my beta Miles333 for all her wonderful work, and thank you to all reviewers - your comments are much appreciated.
"The link between the computer chip and the OS4 has started to become stronger, I'm afraid. Soon it is possible that there is going to be a need of physical contact between Ms. Clarke and her computer at all times to prevent the chip from malfunctioning."
Mr. Terrific sighed. "I was afraid you were going to say that. What if the bond between the two gets even stronger?"
The technician frowned. He was renowned for his expertise with computers – it's why he had been recruited by the League to help with the Watchtower two years previously. "It is likely that eventually, Ms. Clarke will experience a large amount of side effects, which could lead to her death as the link between the OS4 and chip becomes stronger." He shook his head. "I've never seen anything like it. It's impossible for anyone else to use it, according to Flash, because it has fingerprint recognition. However, the OS4 doesn't run off everyday electricity – it runs off the electrical impulses within Ms. Clarke's brain, which are converted by the chip."
Mr. Terrific frowned. "But how does it manage to access the OS4?"
"Ms. Clarke is able to…hack into anything without needing physical access. The device located within her brain is able to use that same technology. Due to the contact with Ms. Clarke for the past eight years or so, it has started to develop – the metal used appears to trace back to a planet that Ice and the Crimson Avenger reported contained "living metal". They managed to bring back a sample, and the genetic compounds within it are a match to the OS4 after examination."
"She has living metal in her brain."
"Basically. Unfortunately, it is starting to grow. The separation from the OS4 for even a short period of time has led to an overload within the chip - the further from the OS4, the more difficult it was to power. Therefore it created a loop and began to power itself, causing it develop at a faster rate. If this hadn't occurred, the chip would likely have not caused any significant damage to Ms. Clarke for another eighty years."
"And now that it has occurred, how long?"
"Before the metal envelops her brain?"
Mr. Terrific nodded, waiting.
"Around two months."
"I want to say yes, but at the same time…no."
"Oh, come on! It'll be fun. And it's not every day that you get to see the Big Blue as the Big…Pink."
"Wally, it may have escaped your notice, but I am in a hospital bed. And don't have any superpowers. Meaning I am going to find it just a little bit difficult escaping him if he comes looking. And if he does, don't think I'm protecting you, mate."
Wally pouted. "Ellie…you're no fun…" Ever since he'd introduced himself again, he'd taken to not wearing his mask when they were in the same room. It was weird, really. She'd gotten so used to seeing the Flash that the appearance of Wallace West was a little difficult. But nothing had really changed. They were the same person, whether or not one was wearing a mask. It was just…he was ginger. And though he denied it, he wasn't really a redhead. Shayera was definitely a proper redhead. But Wally? He was ginger. She actually thought it was pretty cute, but whenever she mentioned it, he would screw up his nose and pout. Which sort of forced her to keep mentioning it.
Ellie would never really be able to pinpoint the first moment she realized she was attracted to him. She was seventeen; boyfriends had been few and far between, but it wasn't as though she had never had one. With Wally, everything had sort of crept up on her. She'd gotten to know him first without seeing his face, meaning she couldn't base anything on looks. And that was good in a way because it meant that she hadn't automatically started blushing whenever she saw him, which she had taken to doing now. Every time he looked at her with those smiling blue eyes, she almost melted. Cheesy, most definitely, but not exactly something she could control. It also meant she was more conscious of her looks. She avoided any harsh lighting, preferring the low light setting in the room, so the scars slashed across her face were less obvious.
But overall, nothing appeared to have changed. She'd betrayed them and yet nobody had actually said anything. She knew the sparse details of the 'ordeal', the OS4 now located in its normal bag on the floor next to her. Supergirl visited her a lot, and Green Arrow and Black Canary had popped in a few times. Don had dragged Hank along earlier to give her some flowers, which had been really sweet. Even the Question had visited, but that had been a bit freaky, as he had started muttering about the apocalypse and linking the OS4 to several events that apparently were going to occur.
Wally was the only Founder who had visited her so far. She was sort of glad. The guilt was enough just seeing Wally, but if Shayera or John came…or even Superman. "Ellie, I'm going to get Ollie to help me do this since you're being such a downer, but if anyone asks, it wasn't us. Got it?" Wally cocked his head to the side, one leg dangling down from his position on her bed.
"Whatever you say, Wallace," Ellie smirked.
He poked his tongue out at her before pressing a kiss to her cheek and rushing out the door. It had happened so suddenly that for a moment, she wasn't sure that he had actually done it. She slid down the bed with a giggle before reaching over to grab the conspiracy book the Question had given her. It was definitely interesting.
Lex Luthor wasn't a bad guy. No matter what the League thought, it was never possible to place people into boxes and expect them to actually fit. They classified themselves as the good guys because they defended the Earth from villains. But did they ever think about the amount of money that the taxpayers had to pay, every time they got into one of their fights? The cheapest fights usually cost at least a million dollars, and considering at least a dozen incidents seemed to occur every day, it wasn't cheap.
Lex on the other hand, actually cared about the quality of life that people lived in. He craved power, but that didn't mean he was a bad guy. In fact, it really meant he was proactive, because he actually went for what he wanted. So, Lex had never classified himself as one of the people who were truly bad – after all, the public loved him.
But this little meeting…Braniac…they had truly tipped him over the edge. And strangely, he couldn't bring himself to care. "Ms. Reid. It's a pleasure to meet you." He kissed her extended hand and ushered her in. He was particularly pleased with his desk, and the admiration on her face assured him of its impact. The desk was carved from a single slab of oak wood, gleaming from polish. The desk rested on the heads of four professors carved from stone, each going about an act of knowledge - whether reading, writing, lecturing or meditating. Their faces seemed engraved with looks of suffering, a double meaning, suggesting the weight of the desk and the weight of the knowledge they knew. Bookcases lined the room. Tall ladders set on castors were around the room, irregular in intervals as though used randomly. The books ranged in appearance and text, though mainly they appeared bound in leather and velvets, the sturdy-looking hinges made of precious metals.
"I wouldn't call it a pleasure, Mr. Luthor. This is purely business and therefore I believe we shall start as soon as you remove any camera, recording device, or person within the area."
He raised an eyebrow. "I'm afraid I am unable to do that, Ms. Reid. I'm an important person. The precautions are necessary to ensure my health."
"Then I am unable to help you with your little…project."
Inclining his head, he stared at the woman in front of him. Around thirty years old, her red hair was tied up in a loose bun, intelligent brown eyes staring out at him from a pale face. She was pretty, a rounded mouth under a pert nose, creating a look of innocence. The short black skirt and white shirt seemed to be intended to seduce. All part of the act, no doubt. He leaned forwards and pressed a button. "Remove everything."
The bodyguards quickly dispersed.
"Now, Ms. Reid, I know for a fact you aren't the person I've been corresponding with."
"My client was unable to make it. She sends her regrets."
"I see. I suppose we should come to the terms of this little project?"
"If you will." The woman watched him closely as he pulled open a drawer in his desk and removed some papers.
"Your client is in need of a Ms. Elizabeth Clarke and the OS4, both located in the Justice League Watchtower. I need the Flash. Without my resources, you are unable to capture the girl. And without your client's…powers, so to speak, I am unable to capture the Flash. We agree to do business until the time that both terms have been agreed – I have the Flash and you have the girl."
"Basically."
"Why exactly do you want her?
"That is none of your concern, Mr. Luthor. However, without the girl, there is no possible way of fulfilling your terms, as she is pivotal to the capture of the Flash."
"So I agree to allow you full access to LexCorp money and resources, and you assure me that the Flash will be delivered alive and kicking."
The woman smiled at him and pulled out some papers from her briefcase.
"Just sign here, Mr. Luthor, and we have a deal."
"Bruce."
He grunted.
"Bruce."
"I'm a little busy at the moment Diana."
"Don't you think you should leave it?"
"Ms. Clarke is placing the Watchtower in danger."
"That isn't exactly her fault – they are trying to kill her."
"Because she was flouting several known laws to hack into private information for her own amusement."
"You do the same – you and the Question. Both investigate into personal, private information."
"That is to make sure that the Thanagarian betrayal never happens again."
"You were doing it before then, Bruce."
"It's important to know your enemy."
"We're your friends, Bruce. Not the enemy."
"Elizabeth was Flash's friend."
"She didn't know it was us."
"So you can just forgive her."
"You haven't even spoken to her. Facts don't make up a person. And even though you suppress them half the time, you know emotions are important."
"Diana…"
"Just talk to her, Bruce. It's not that hard." Diana flew out of the cave.
Batman had never talked to the girl, it was true. But there was a reason. He could clearly see that the others had developed an attachment. Doing this meant they were vulnerable. It was why, even as Bruce Wayne, he didn't have friends. The only person he truly cared for, who was not a superhero, was Alfred. An old family friend who knew everything about him.
The few people he would call friends were the other founders, and that meant they could defend themselves. Yet Ms. Elizabeth Clarke couldn't. Her whole life seemed to have centred around normal life until she was fifteen. And then she had gone to an orphanage and become obsessed with the OS4. It meant there wasn't any way to for her to defend herself against villains. Take away the OS4, and she was powerless. With it, she could possibly destroy the planet. Meaning they needed an outsider. Someone who didn't care for her, so that they could stop her with little remorse, or keep fighting if she was killed. And that someone, as usual, had to be him.
AN: I'm trying to dedicate more time to people other than Ellie and Flash but I don't know if I'm doing it right... :S Any suggestions for how to improve are much appreciated!
Caramel frappuccino, coffee based, no cream,
Floaging