Chapter Twenty-Nine

Secret Meetings

The accommodations of man's world were still not something she was used to. The dark coloured carpeted floors and heavy curtains a far cry from her home Themyscira. She found herself running the tips of her fingers over the wooden office desk. When her Mother had sent her this country as an emissary of an old order in new time, she had expected less talking and more doing.

Mother should have sent a politician not a warrior, Diana thought. Once again looking over the rich surrounds of her suite.

"Princess?" A familiar voice greeted behind her, and she turned smiling to take in the sight of Steve Trevor. She wondered slightly, how he always managed to make her title sound like a pet name.

"Steve," She greeted, unable to deny the way her heart warmed at the sight of him. She frowned when she noticed the attentive way he was giving the room a look over. "Is everything all right." She asked, taking in how tense his shoulders were underneath his suit.

"What?" He replied distractedly before shaking his head, "No, it's fine. We just got our hands on some intel about possible movement again the super powered people that fought in Metropolis."

"What? Has something happened?"

"No. No." Steve said shaking his head, "They wouldn't dare move against you, without causing a diplomatic incident."

"What about the others?" She asked. The faces of the people that had fought with her against Darkseid flashed through her mind. "The Flash? Cyborg? What about Superwoman?"

"I don't know," He replied sighing, "I'll try and find out what I can. But please, keep your head down in case they do try something."

She frowned sharply, "I am more worried about the others."

#SC#

None of the scientist knew that he had connected to the S.T.A.R Labs computer. Although truthfully he had never really meant to do it in the first place. The part of his mind that was more computer now then human, had found the possible of connection and had just done it.

Victor didn't like it at all.

It was just another sign of how foreign his own body was to him. Or what pasted for his body now days.

But rested there with his eyes closes in daydream, the only kind of dream that was left to him, he saw them on the security monitors. Dressed in combat gear, with helmets and face covering masks. Armed with weapons he's inner programs recognised as something that would bring him down but no kill him.

Dark eyes snapped open and he walked across the room the dull thuds of his heavy metallic footsteps the only sound in the otherwise silent empty lab. He turned his attention up, looking out at the clear night sky through the massive glass skylight above him.

He turned his attention towards to door. His remaining human eye watching for movement, as his computer connected mind tracked the introducer's progress.

I got lucky, Cyborg thought. S.T.A.R Labs security system was one of the most advanced and secretive ones there was. Besides from the standard camera systems that most buildings had. The building also had a secondary feed that led elsewhere. The camera for this one were hidden. This was the feed he had hacked into, from the looks of things they had disabled the first somehow.

They didn't know about the secondary feed, or that I had access to it. He thought. I really got lucky. Who are these guys? He started planning his own way out of the building.

Enabling Jetpack

The equipment responded to his mental activation, by rocking across the room to attach to his back. Just as the lab door slammed open.

There was a bust of engines, and a roar as the jetpack activated rocketing him up and out of the building through the skylight.

Below him, he could hear the sound of cursing as the men dove clear of the falling glass.

I need to find someplace to lay low, Cyborg thought, I have to find out who's after me and what they want.

#SC#

It had started out like any robbery. Bad guys break up, alarm goes off, he shows up and saves the day. The first three had gone off like they usually did. But the last one, was when things had gotten strange

"Hello?" Flash called. Had he missed them? Doubtful he was the fastest man alive. But still, his running sweep of the building had come up empty. It was then he found the body.

"Sir?" He called as he came to a stop by a man body. Which was when his feeling about something not being quite right were proven.

There was no tick just a boom, as the bombs went off around him.

The force knocked him flying into a wall. Groaning slightly, more dazed then hurt. He went to move, to run clear of any other surprises, when something holding on to him slingshot him back again the wall.

"What is this?" He asked looking down at the cream colour material that covered most of his body. He twisted and wiggled but nothing he did would get the goo to release him. It kept him pinned against the wall. It even held resistance against his super speed as he tried to run his way free. But the adhesive substance never gave way.

He looked around the room for anything that could help him. It was then he saw the 'body.'

"A dummy," He muttered. He'd been led into a trap. But by who?

"Oh this is not good." He said as the room was suddenly flooded with armed men in tactical gear.

"Oh hey guys how you doing?" Flash said as if he wasn't pinned to a wall, "Me? I'm good. Just hangin' around."

They didn't reply. A smaller group stepping forward with some sort of laser cutters. Flash tensed as the men stepped forward, but they didn't approach him. Moving around this trap, to start cutting into the wall.

They were going to leave him right where he was, he realised, wall included.

One man stepped forward. His face covered completely with a balaclava he reached out curiously towards Flash's mask. He responded by shaking his head so fast all they could see was a red blur.

"Hey stop messing with him," Someone shouted and the man stepped away. Just then the people finished cutting the wall around him, and the piece with him attached fall away.

"Oof."

It was sometime later that the men loading him into the back of a track.

"Hey nice guys," Flash said as they secured his 'prison' in place. "Not every day I get chauffeur driven."

The doors slammed shut behind them.

He sighed before he started spinning the adhesive goo circling out around him as it tried to grab hold of him again. He could get free he knew that. But he wanted to know who sent this team after him, and where they were taking him. So he would play along for now.

Coming to a stop, to goo snapping back into place. But this time Flash had his arm out and his cell phone against his head.

"Hey Green Arrow?" He greeted as the other end answered, "Yeah you never guess what happened to me. I need a favour. I need you the trace this cell, and can you give the location to the Lantern?"

He paused for a moment.

"What do you mean he's off world? Never mind then." He glanced down at himself. "I've been held up for a moment. Some guys laid a trap for me, they're taking me back to their evil base right now."

Blue eyes rolling.

"Yes I'm fine. Just trace the cell, and then come help I might need a hand. Oh and Green Arrow. You're paying my phone bill."

With that he tucked he phone in the goo and waited.

#SC#

It was hard to say how long she had been like this. The world had faded into a strange montage of sounds and images. Behind it all was a continuing flood of pain. It tore at her insides and felt like it burnt its way through her nerve endings. But it seemed to come at her in waves, building and then ebbing. The intensity climbing and then fading away leaving only a dull exhausted ache before the pain resumed again. Each time it returned the pain was weaker than the last.

At one point the agony faded enough for her to open her eyes taking in her surroundings with hazy eyes. Concert floors, concert walls, concert roof. She was in a holding cell of some kind. She moved to push herself up on shaking arms, when the crushing pain slammed into her again.

It was like someone was trying to test how much kryptonite exposure was needed to keep her weak and unmoving but not kill her.

She wasn't sure how much time had passed before she was finally able to lift her head. Determinedly she started half crawling half sliding she managed to pull herself towards the door. It took most of what energy she had built up, leaving her panting for breath.

Using the wall as leverage from pulled herself up on to unsteady feet. Reaching up to peer out the window of her cell door. She only got a glance before her legs gave out beneath her. But it was enough to get an idea.

A corridor leading in both directions, lined with cells just like the one she was on.

It was then, that mental attack that had been happening to her. Came again. Crying out as he back arched off the ground, while she clutched at her head. She only had a moment before she passed out again, but Superwoman heard the message full and clear.

Help us. Please Help us.

TBC