Issue #34

Teamwork

Gotham City

11/03/2023

15:45

Derek squeezed his stress ball excessively while he was sitting t his desk in his large office. His teeth were ground together and his face was scrunched p into a deep scowl, everything seemed to be falling apart and it wouldn't long until Luthor made him pay for his inefficiency.

"Those idiots," he hissed. His stomach churned, crushing the ball in his hand for a moment before he threw it away. The ball bounced off against the grey wall and rolled under the desk.

Derek buried his face in his hand and dug his nails into his scalp.

If the reports were correct then Batman had custody of Selina Kyle and her child, everything had dissolved so fast he'd barely had the chance to get his head around it.

The bitch had stolen evidence and most likely blabbed to Wayne and Batman. He didn't have the power to take them both out, he needed Luthor's help.

Derek cringed, shaking his head.

Then, his intercom beeped. "Sir?" his secretary, Marcus, called.

Derek ground. "What?"

"That Tim Drake boy is at the front desk asking for you. He seems quite distressed."

Derek's head snapped up. "Send him up," he ordered sharply, getting to his feet.

Now, what did that little brat want?

Tim's hair was windswept and his shirt was un-tucked. One of Alfred's most important lessons in acting had been in appearance, painting the right picture was vital, as was not overdoing it.

Tim did his best to make sure his face wasn't too distressed when he saw his reflection the impossibly shiny ceramic walls in the hallway, finding a balance.

When he stepped into Powers' office the businessman was looked like he was trying o hide how on edge he was. Powers smiled too stiffly and held himself like every one of his senses was on high alert.

"Tim, what brings you here?" he asked brightly, moving in front of his desk.

Tim smiled nervously. "…Um, yeah I just…" He rubbed the back of his neck, looking down. "I'm not really supposed to be here but…" He let his sentence trail off, trying to reel Powers in.

"Is something wrong?" Powers asked, stepping closer. "You know you can tell me." He smiled at him too brightly.

Tim observed him for a second, finding the cracks in his armour. "It's just…" He looked down. "Bruce has been acting, well, kind of weird."

"How, how so?" Powers was barely hiding his curiosity.

Tim kept it casual and shrugged. "He's keeping secrets." He balled his hands into fists. "And, going behind my back with the business…"

Powers swallowed deeply, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Like what?"

Tim licked his lips, feeling his stomach twist a little. He needed to get this next part perfect. "A few days ago I caught him on the phone…and the way he was talking…"

Powers squeezed Tim's shoulder. "Do you know who he was talking to?"

Tim chewed his tongue, shifting on the spot. "Um…yeah, but…"

Powers gripped his shoulder tighter and bent down to his level. "Tim, it's alright," he reassured, smiling placidly.

Tim met his gaze hesitantly and swallowed thickly. "…He was talking to Lex Luthor."

Powers' eyes flashed, digging his nails into Tim's shoulder too hard, for just a second.

Got you.

Powers quickly composed himself. "And, what's wrong with that?" he asked lightly.

Tim's eyes widened. "Mr Luthor hates Superman!" he exclaimed, raising his arms to add effect. "And, have you met the guy? He's a creep." Tim scowled, crossing his arms. "Plus Luthor's involved in weapons dealership—I don't want Bruce involved in that kind of stuff."

Powers chuckled blandly, straightening up. "Oh, Timothy." He patted him on the head, causing Tim's scowl to deepen. "I'm sure it's nothing serious."

Tim's shoulders slumped. "Yeah, right…"

Powers forced another laugh. "Is there anything else bothering you?"

Tim looked up and sighed. "Besides Bruce treating me like an idiot?" He shrugged. "I don't know…things are just really different living with the Waynes."

"Yes, they will be," Powers replied, nodding understandingly. "But, I'm sure they're taking care of you best they can?" he phrased it like a question.

Tim shrugged, looking away. "I guess…"He curled his hands into fists. "…Did my dad like the Waynes, sir?" Tim looked up earnestly.

"Powers' smile stiffened. "They seemed to get along, yes…why do you ask?"

Tim sighed, lowering his gaze. "Bruce doesn't think my dad treated me right."

"What?" Powers said, confused.

Tim chewed his bottom lip, scraping his foot against the ground. "He thinks dad spent too much time working and not enough time raising me…" He shrugged. "He isn't that far off the ball…"

Powers was quiet for a moment. "Well, yes…your father was busy most of the time." He placed a hand on top of Tim's head. "But, I'm sure he meant well."

Tim resisted the urge to roll his eyes, and instead frowned up at the man. "Did, you think he was a good guy, sir?"

Powers brow creased briefly, a flicker of annoyance in his dark eyes but he covered it with a smile. "Yes, of course." He ruffled his hair. Tim dug his nails into his palm and smiled. "I admired him for it," Powers said lightly, smiling. "Now, I think I should have my assistant drive you home."

Tim's face fell. "…But, I don't wanna go back yet." He moved out of his hold, making Powers' smile fade. "Weren't you listening."

"I understand you and Bruce have your differences, Tim." Powers was quickly losing his patience. "The last thing either of us wants is for me to be accused of kidnapping."

Tim scowled and walked over to the desk. "But, you said I could always come to you if I had a problem," he whined, moving behind the desk as he slipped the small transparent square between his fingertips.

Powers clenched his jaw and walked over. "Tim, this isn't up for debate."

Tim sat down in the chair and spun around, and with a slight trick of the hand, he stuck the transparent listening device underneath the desk. "Bur, sir—"

"No," Powers interrupted, coldly, as he reached out and grabbed Tim's upper arm. "When I said you could come to me I didn't mean it like this." He roughly pulled Tim out of the chair.

Tim frowned, letting himself get dragged along. "You aren't mad are you?"

"Of…of course not." Powers forced another smile, loosening his hold. "I just. We can't have Bruce getting the wrong idea now can we?" He stopped in front of the door.

Tim paused, staring at him thoughtfully. "Yeah…" He sighed, looking down. "I guess so."

"Feel free to call me if you need to." Powers opened the door and ushered him out of his office.

Wayne Manor, Gotham

11/03/2023

21:00

Helena turned off the recording. "Tim, you're brilliant," she praised, ruffling his hair.

Tim smiled crookedly. "I try my best."

Barbara wheeled her chair closer, with the whole family gathered in the living room near the fire. "That or an evil genius in the making," she remarked teasingly.

Tim grinned and looked over at the others. Jason was sulking in a corner behind Bruce, while Dick was flopped out on the couch next to him. Selina was holding Terry in the second armchair opposite Bruce while Alfred stood a little behind her, and Jaime was leaning against the mantelpiece above the fireplace. All in all, the room was a lot more cramped than usual despite its size.

"So, we know Luthor's pulling the strings on this one," Dick said. "Not much of a surprise but..."

"So, where's Powers right now?" Selina asked, frowning

Oracle adjusted her glasses and looked at her phone. "At home after making a call to Metropolis." She smirked. "That bug in his phone is a goose that just keeps on giving." She showed them the phone screen where a small red dot blinked.

Tim shrugged. "He's desperate which means we have the advantage." He shot Bruce a smile. "Is all the evidence filed up?"

Bruce nodded, a glint of pride in his eyes. "Gordon has the file and a majority of the suspects are in private custody." He glanced over at Selina. "Selina and I are going to Detroit to scope out the area before Nightwing's team make their strike."

"Which they'll execute brilliantly." Dick gave Tim, Jaime, and Helena a grin.

Selina's frown deepened, looking over at her daughter warily. Helena saw the look and sighed, walking over to her. "I'll be fine, mom." She leaned over and kissed the top of her head. "Promise."

Selina hummed, still frowning. "We'll see…" Then she stood up. "I need to go feed Terry."

"I need to start heading back as well," Oracle added, smiling at Alfred. "Thanks for the dinner, Al."

Alfred smiled and nodded. "A pleasure, Ms Gordon."

Helena smiled and held Jaime's hand. "Want me to drive you home for real this time?" she said. "I could use one of those Banana fritters."

Jaime raised an eyebrow. "My curfew's at eleven."

Helena kissed his cheek. "We can take the long way around."

"Keep it PG, kids," Selina said dryly, re-adjusting Terry in her arms as she stood up.

Helena scowled. "Mom…"

Bruce stood up and glanced at Jason who hadn't moved. "Dick, Jason, could you stay? I need a word."

The others stopped and looked over at Dick who raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Uh…okay, sure," Dick replied, smiling as he sat back down.

Helena pursed her lips and looked away. "Come on, Jaime…" She tugged him towards the door.

"Uh, right, sure…" Jaime frowned, glancing over his shoulder.

Oracle patted Dick on the knee as she rolled past. "Good luck," she muttered.

Tim kept his gaze glued to the ground as he followed Selina and the others out of the room.

"Don't take too long, sir," Alfred said wryly, closing the doors behind him.

Jason's Adam's apple bobbed. "Fuck sake…" he whispered.

"So, what's this about?" Dick said, leaning forward.

Bruce narrowed his eyes. "The both of you lied to me."

"What?" Dick stood up, looking at Jason.

Jason shifted, scowling. "He knows I was the one who rescued Supergirl from Intergang, Dick."

Dick's shoulders slumped, looking back at Bruce. "Hey, come on Bruce, I was just looking out for Jason."

Bruce's lips stretched into a thin line. "I know, but Jason didn't tell you the real reason, he went to investigate Intergang," he replied coolly.

Dick frowned. "Huh?"

Jason stiffened when he stepped forward. "Intergang hired me to kill Silas Stone."

Dick grew pale. "What?"

Jason swallowed, meeting his gaze. "I went to Intergang to erase any evidence they had against me," he said, curling his hands into fists. "I found Kara by accident…"

Dick's jaw clenched. "So you lied to me?"

"Well, how the hell was I supposed to explain the truth?" Jason said defensively.

"Oh, I don't know, how about being honest from the start?" Dick snapped, closing the distance between them.

"Boys," Bruce warned, crossing his arms. "Keep it civil."

Dick scowled. "I am." He glowered at Jason. "I gave you plenty of times to come clean to me."

"Oh, fuck off," Jason replied irritably. "Like you're Mr Honest all the time, Dickhead."

"All right, both of you calm down," Bruce said sternly. "Jason you're still in the wrong, and Dick you shouldn't have lied to me."

Jason's scowl deepened. "Hey, he only lied because I guilt tripped him!"

"Jason, don't." Dick shook his head and raised his hand. "Listen, I'm sorry I lied, Bruce. But…" He looked back at Jason. "What happens now?"

"Helena, Jaime, and Tim already found out what Jason did," Bruce replied, shooting Jason a look. "I wanted you to know before Barbara found out and told you." He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Jason and I will…explain what happened to the Justice League soon enough."

"Can't wait…" Jason muttered, sighing. "Listen, Dick, I know I messed up," he said, rubbing the back of his neck, while Dick kept scowling. "I'm sorry, okay." Jason's gaze flickered to Bruce and then back to Dick. "I was grateful you, you know, had my back even though I didn't…well, don't, deserve it."

Dick's scowl softened a little, glancing at Bruce briefly before he looked back at Jason. "…Right." His brow furrowed. "Yeah, well, I'm not covering for you again."

"Wasn't expecting you too anyway…" Jason shrugged, kicking his foot on the floor.

Bruce eyed them both for a moment before he sighed. "Whatever differences you two have, don't let it get in the way of your work," he told them.

Dick's jaw tightened while Jason glared at the wall.

"Yeah, sure," Dick said, walking towards the door.

"Jason?" Bruce said, looking over at the young man.

Jason shrugged stiffly and dragged his feet when he walked over to the door. "Fine with me."

Dick opened the door with too much force, but then looked over his shoulder. "And, you still owe me that Chinese."

"Fuck you," Jason snapped, flipping him off.

Dick slammed the door behind him.

Bruce sighed, massaging his forehead. "What did I tell you about keeping calm?"

Jason glared at the ground and shrugged. "I was calm..."

Bruce narrowed his eyes, shaking his head. "You need to earn Dick's trust just like you need to earn mine back, remember?"

"Yeah, I know," Jason said, keeping his gaze on the floor. "I'm sorry, alright."

Bruce scrutinised him for a moment longer before he sighed. "Come help me make some more Batarangs down in the cave," he told him, walking past. "We still have a long night ahead of us."

Detroit

11/04/2023

12:00

Bruce put on his winning smile for the cameras as he cut the ribbon for the newly refurbished hospital while the Mayor stood at his side on the stone steps. There was a crowd of civilians and eight reporters held back by a barrier and a heavy set of ten security guards.

"Thank you for giving me this honour," Bruce said, shaking the Mayor's hand

Major Linna grinned. "It is always a pleasure to have you in our City, Mr Wayne."

The two of them smiled at the cameras with their hands interlocked.

Then Clark Kent pushed his way to the front. "Mr Wayne!" he called, re-adjusting his glasses, smiling a little too slyly. "How do you respond to the rumours of Miranda Tate beings spotted in Switzerland last Month?"

For God sake, Clark.

Bruce's smile grew, releasing the Mayor's hand. "Well, as I say to the ladies back in Gotham, no comment."

The Mayor and a few others chuckled. "Very good, yes," he said, clapping Bruce on the back. "This ceremony signifies a brighter day for our city and improving the medical care of our citizens. Now, if you'd excuse us."

The reporters started talking at once.

"Sir, what about the overspending on this year's budget?"

"How are you tackling the new Class A drug being introduced onto the streets?"

The Mayor smiled as he waved at them, walking down the steps with Bruce as his bodyguards surrounded them. "They won't stop until they get a good story," Mayor Linna said through his tight smile.

Bruce smiled pleasantly. "They do tend to get aggressive when I'm around."

The Mayor laughed, patting him on the back. "I guess it can't be helped."

Bruce nodded, catching Clark's eye before he entered the limo.

The Watchtower

11/04/2023

12:30

"…So, this will be a training exercise," Nightwing said, facing the five of them. "The aim of the exercise is to retrieve the hostage…"

Blue Beetle couldn't keep still, not when they were on the secret Justice League Watchtower of all places. They were in some kind of giant arena or something, but the walls were completely grey and the floor was cushioned.

Huntress cast him a sidelong glance and smiled wryly. "Do you need the bathroom or something?" She whispered.

"No." He nudged her. "But, this place is awesome," he whispered, grinning. He looked over at the others in the large room.

Robin was standing next to Huntress, and next to him was that Speedster called Tornado, except he looked more kitted out.

Don's costume was a yellow jumpsuit that also attached to the mask around his eyes, with large black lightening stripes running down the sided of his costume and a black lightning bolt insignia on his chest.

The boy next to him was called, Beast Boy? He looked around 14 and was bright green like the rest of him, which was an eyesore. His costume was a simple red and white jumpsuit, and he hadn't bothered with a mask. His tail was pretty cool though.

'My scan indicates he is some kind of hybrid,' Scarab said. 'A mix of human and Martian DNA.'

Then finally the last person was a green woman with dark red hair and a tight costume where she had a prominent red X in the centre, and a long blue hooded cape draped over her shoulders. Nightwing had called her M'gann.

'She is fully Martian, but not Green.'

Oh, are there different races?

'Correct.'

"Okay, so any questions?" Nightwing asked.

Blue Beetle frowned, looking over at the others. He opened his mouth but then closed it, rubbing the back of his neck.

Don't be the rookie.

"Good," Nightwing nodded. "M'gann will be your eye in the sky, but bear in mind her main objective is to observe." He stepped back as M'gann moved forward.

"Alright, guys, let's all get into position," she said, smiling.

"I'll leave you guys to it." Nightwing smiled and headed towards the exit.

"So how does this thing work?" Tornado asked, looking around the large space.

M'gann's smile widened. "You'll see." She turned around and looked up at the ceiling. "Computer, activate training program Beta45."

The lights dimmed as Nightwing left the room, as the floor started to lower.

"Okay, this is new…" Huntress said, frowning.

Then the arena transformed into to a city landscape.

"Jesucristo…" Jaime murmured, looking around in awe.

The city looked run down, and weird New York/San Francisco aesthetic to it.

"Okay, I'm linking us all up…now." M'gann's eyes glowed green.

'The Martian is invading our head! Respond!'

"Hey, cool it!" Jaime's eyes widened. "Just relax!"

"Uh, who are you talking to?" Beast Boy's mouth hadn't moved but he was looking at Blue Beetle oddly.

Blue Beetle blinked. "Uh…" He touched his head "This mind link is kind of strange."

"Pfft, no shit, man." Tornado scowled. "I feel violated."

Robin rolled his eyes. "Save it for social services." He looked over at M'gann. "We ready to go?"

M'gann nodded hovering in the air. "Remember this mission is a level 7 hostage retrieve, so treat it seriously." She surveyed them all. "Huntress and Blue Beetle will go to position C on the rooftop." She ordered. "Robin and Tornado go take position A near the bridge while Beast Boy and I take position B near the downtown area. Everyone ready?"

"Aye, aye, Sis." Beast Boy did a quick salute before he ran to her side and transformed into a Hawk and flew off with M'gann.

"Let's go," Robin said hurrying off ahead.

Tornado smiled slyly. "Just try and keep up, Boy Wonder." He zoomed off in a flash.

Huntress smiled and started running towards the Skyscraper on their left. "Don't wanna get left behind," she chimed, taking out her grapple gun.

Blue Beetle nodded, releasing his wings. "Already ahead of you." He started to fly up towards the roof while Huntress zoomed through the air on her hook. He slowed down a bit so he didn't leave her behind, just in case.

Then his thoughts drifted back to the mission and frowned. "Psst, hey, Scarab refill me in of the mission specs…"

"You know we can still hear you right?" Beast Boy's thoughts protruded his mind. "Who's Scarab anyway?"

"Not important right now." Helena sounded annoyed, flying through the air with ease. "And, Blue, you don't have to stick so close."

"I'm not!" He flew to her side while she was in mid-air.

Huntress cast him a look, as the corner of her lip curled upwards. "Right sure." She released the hook as gravity took effect and then swung when it nestled into the thick slab of concrete on the roof edge.

Detroit

11/04/2023

13:10

Bruce readjusted his large sunglasses as he walked over to the park bench. He= was wearing a fake nose which looked broken at the bridge and had also replaced his expensive suit with a pair of jeans and a loose hoodie, it garnered a few disapproving looks from some mothers, but it did its job in making sure no one recognised him.

He sat down on the nearest empty bench just as a blonde haired woman pushing a stroller came into view.

Bruce caught her smiling at him from the corner of his eye and pointedly looked straight ahead.

"Is this seat taken?" Selina's silky voice filtered into his ears.

He glanced up and shrugged. "Go right ahead."

Selina put on the strollers break before she sat down. "Why thank you," she chimed, smoothing down the silk scarf wrapped around her neck. She'd opted for blue contacts instead of wearing sunglasses, but it did the trick and went well with her blonde hair.

Bruce eyed her over longer than necessary, the disguise (besides the blonde hair and contacts) reminded him of something similar she'd worn on their second date; it had been a picnic near the peak of the hill that overlooked the city.

"Uh, hm?" Selina cleared her throat, arching a perfectly manicured eyebrow. "So did your friend get a good look at the Mayor?"

"Yes." He grimaced. "It's what we suspected."

She grimaced. she said."Do you think the real him's alive?"

Bruce shifted. "We don't know."

"I see." Selina's brow furrowed, as a flicker of concern glinted in her eyes. "Shame...I liked him."

Bruce eyed her for a moment before he looked away."Did you get anything from the orphanage?" he asked, staring at the playground up ahead.

She smiled, fiddling with Terry's blanket while he slept. "Not anything too incriminating, but the manager was very forthcoming," she said coyly.

He resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "And?"

She spared him a brief glance before she looked back down at Terry. "The Orphanage has a bad record with runaways, a couple of kids go missing every year or so," she told him, frowning. "Victor Stone, unsurprisingly being one of them." She straightened up and looked over at the playground. "Now, the manager started to get tight-lipped after that, but after I loosened him up he started giving me a little more…"

Bruce's eye twitched. "And?"

She crossed her arms and sighed. "He started gloating about how he knew important people," Selina said, rolling her eyes. "The kind that hangs around near Greektown at Got Luck's casino."

Bruce made a mental note, nodding. "Anything else?"

She shifted, crossing her legs. "Not anything you'd wanna hear," she said dryly. "So, what now?"

He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "We let Dick's team lead the rescue and do the switch."

Selina's hand curled into a fist. "If something goes wrong—"

"It won't," Bruce said firmly, looking at her. "I promise."

Her eyes narrowed coldly. "Don't try to bullshit me," her voice lowered warningly. "We both know you can't guarantee that." She tore her gaze away and looked down at Terry, smoothing down his blanket methodically. "I won't lose her."

Bruce's chest tightened, feeling a spark of guilt. "I worry about her too."

She scoffed softly, shaking her head as she stared down at her son. "Not enough to make her stop…"

He swallowed a lump in his throat and fixed his gaze on the ground. They were both silent while the children played and laughed in the park.

Selina sighed quietly, looking over at the playground. "…I know you love her," she said calmly. "But…" She sighed again, uncrossing her legs as she shifted on the bench.

Bruce looked at her while he clasped his hands together. "I know I'm not good at being a parent, you don't need to tell me that," he replied faintly, sighing. "I'm not a good listener and I can be…overbearing."

"I noticed." The corner of her lip twitched upwards when she glanced at him. "But, you could be worse, God knows I've been with worse men," she added grimly, shrugging. "You did the best you could…you're a son of a bitch, but you did the best you could and…she turned out good." She smiled fondly for a second. "Even if she is a pain in the ass at times."

Bruce felt a tiny bubble of laughter rise up from his chest, but he kept his face passive. "Thank you." He straightened up, watching her eyes narrow. "And, if anything, she gets being a pain the ass from you so don't go blaming me."

Selina snorted. "Excuse me?" She was smiling in amusement. "All that stubbornness is you, so don't even try to pin that on me—Do you have any idea what she was like as a baby?" she whispered fiercely, while Bruce raised an eyebrow. "She refused to eat green food until she was four." She shook her head at the memory. "Oh, and when she was three she used to poo her pants while we went out on walks, every time." Selina sighed and ran a hand through her hair, making him smile. "Even after I'd just taken her to the bathroom. She had to waddle home."

The laugh came out before he could stop it and turned into a chuckle. "I can imagine…" He smiled fondly, and then looked over at the park where a girl was crying at her dad saying she didn't want to go home. "You know I tried to send her to boarding school once," he said, as his smile dimmed.

Selina frowned, leaning against the bench. "Why?"

He watched the dad lift the small girl up and put her over his shoulder. "It was two months after Jason had died," his voice was flat.

"Oh…" Selina shifted uncomfortably.

He held his hands together tightly. "I wasn't…I didn't feel like it'd be good for her to be around me at the time so I sent her away." His brow creased at the memory. "It was a good school upstate, she'd be safe." He smiled sadly. "She wasn't happy, but…" Bruce sighed. "I thought she'd be better away from me."

Selina watched him intently. "Safer?"

He nodded, frowning. "That and it was easier for me to not be near her." He smiled grimly. "I dropped her off Monday, then a week later she ran away."

Selina's eyes widened. "Back home?"

He nodded. "I searched for 72 hours until Alfred called and said she was sleeping in her bedroom." He shook his head. "She travelled through three states just to get back home."

"Jesus…" Selina sighed, shaking her head. "How mad were you?"

Bruce gave her a look. "Very." He sighed, scratching the back of his neck. "I wanted to yell at her, but then I saw her asleep and I couldn't do it."

"You know she was probably pretending right?" Selina shot him a glance, smiling down at Terry when he stirred.

"I know." Bruce's stomach twisted at the memory. "But then she said she left because she missed me." He heaved a heavy sigh. "I let her off easier than I should have. I felt guilty, and clearly sending her away wasn't going to work so I kept her close."

Selina stared at him for a moment. "And, here I thought we were sharing happy memories…" She smiled faintly.

"Do you think I should have still sent her away?" Bruce asked.

Selina paused, swallowing. "I know I should say yes but Helena wouldn't have wanted to be abandoned by another parent." She smiled grimly. "Leaving her behind was the worst pain I've ever felt." Her smile tightened. "Sometimes it would hurt so much I couldn't sleep or eat." Her smile faded. "And, then when I saw her and you on the news and in the tabloids…" she trailed off, letting out a shallow breath. "I hit my lowest point."

Bruce was tempted to reach out and squeeze her hand gently but he stopped himself.

"That…must have been a difficult time for you," he replied stiffly, looking away.

"To say the least," Selina remarked dryly. "The point is that's not the kind of thing I'd wish on you…"

He looked up and met her sharp gaze. "Thank you."

Selina held his gaze for a moment before she sighed deeply and looked over at Terry. "Helena's made her choice, and now it's our job to keep her from getting killed." She tucked Terry's blanket under his chin. "Think you can handle that?"

"I've been doing it the past nine years," Bruce replied evenly.

Selina arched an eyebrow and gave him a look. "Of course you did."

"If anything everyone keeps telling me I'm too overprotective," he said, shaking his head.

She smiled slightly. "Oh, really?" she replied. "To be honest I'm surprised you haven't scared her boyfriend off yet."

Bruce scowled. "I'm keeping an eye on him."

Selina's smile grew slanted, looking ahead. "He seems nice." She shrugged and cast him a sidelong glance. "…Have you given them the Talk yet?"

He narrowed his gaze at her. "Don't you have more information to gather?"

"Why are you such a prude?" She rolled her eyes. "It's going to happen eventually."

Bruce stood up promptly. "Make sure you get more information from Greektown."

Selina raised an eyebrow. "Was that an order?"

He held back a sigh and shot her a look. "Just do it." His tone grew weary. Her eyebrow rose higher. "…Please."

Her brow lowered as she shrugged. "Well, since you asked nicely."

Bruce grimaced and walked off before she could change her mind.

The Watchtower

11/04/2023

13:40

The kidnappers were firing at them from inside their heavily armoured moving cars.

Tornado leapt through the air towards the middle car. "I'm latching on!" He hit the back window and winced, scrambling to hang onto the boot as the car jerked harshly. "SHIT!"

"Wait for me!" Robin jumped onto the first car and threw a Birdarang at the gunmen sitting in the passenger seat. The man's gun was knocked out of his hands and hit the road. "I can break the window—Move, Tornado!" He jumped into the air and threw another Birdarang which cracked the middle of the rear view window.

Then the middle car slowed down harshly and tossed Tornado backwards into the air.

"WATCH OUT!"

Tornado whacked straight into Robin while the two of them were in mid-air, knocking them both of them onto the pavement.

"Are you two okay?"

M'gann's thoughts were agitated as she flew down close and tried to salvage the situation.

"Get off!" Robin shoved the speedster off him.

Tornado pushed him. "It was an accident, asshole."

"Guys, cut it out!" Beast boy turned into a falcon and swooped down at the gunmen. "We need to get the hostage out of here."

"Well, this is a disaster…" Huntress scowled, avoiding the gunfire by taking cover with Blue Beetle behind a mashed up car. "We need a solid plan."

"We only have five minutes before they're out of range," M'gann warned them.

"Damn it." Huntress punched the car door.

"I can shatter the glass if I get a few good hits in," Blue Beetle said, peering over at the vehicles that were getting away. "But I can only take on one at a time."

"Tell that to, Tornado." Robin fumed.

Huntress looked over at saw Tornado was trying to take on the middle car that had the hostage in, but he had to avoid the gunfire from all three cars. "Tornado, you're just putting a target on your back."

"You need to wait for your teammates to help!" M'gann scolded.

Beast Boy flew in the sky tailing the cars. "Come on, guys, give me some orders!"

Huntress growled, running a hand through her hair. "None of this is going to work unless we work together."

"We need to adapt the battle plan." Robin stressed.

Jaime looked at her pointedly. "Come on, Jefa."

Huntress chest constricted. "I know, I know!" she hissed. "But why the hell do I have to come up with the plan?"

"Hey, we don't have a lotta options." Tornado drawled.

"The first thing you guys need to do is fall back." M'gann advised.

Tornado objected. "But we don't have enough time!"

Huntress sighed. "No, but we'll fail otherwise. Fall back two blocks."

There was a pause and for a second she was worried he hadn't listened.

"Okay, fine." Tornado grumbled.

"Yeah, on my way." Beast Boy fell back.

Huntress smiled and stood up on the car to get a better look at the others. The three cars were still in sight but Robin, Tornado, and Beast Boy had hung back.

She scrutinised the cars in the distance. "Okay, we need to distract and take out the two cars that are surrounding the middle one." She glanced over at Blue Beetle. "Robin already weakened the rear view window of the hostage's car."

Blue Beetle scratched his chin. "The four of us could take out the two cars while Robin goes for the middle one."

Huntress smiled and lightly punched his arm. "Now you're thinking like a strategist."

He grinned, rubbing his arm. "I have my moments."

"If we attack all at once it'll be easier for me to sneak into the middle car." Robin piped up.

"Good idea." Huntress nodded. "Tornado and Beast Boy, you guys take out the guns on the third car up front while Blue and I take out the first one at the back." She looked up at the Martian in the sky. "That sounds good to you, M'gann?"

M'gann smiled. "Sounds like a plan." She narrowed her eyes at the cars. "Come on."

Blue Beetle turned his left arm into a canon. "You want me to go front?"

"No, I'm good." Huntress leapt onto a car and used it to catapult herself into the air. "Try and keep up!"

Blue Beetle smirked. "You are having way too much fun with this."

"…Only a little."

Huntress flipped in the air and landed on the roof of the third car while the other assaulted the other cars.

She dodged the guns that were peaking out of the windows and slid down the car until she was safely underneath it and hung on for dear life as her head hovered dangerously above the tarmac.

Huntress stuck the bombs in place. "Moving to the rear now." She started to move towards the rear of the vehicle when it gave a harsh jerk. "How are you doing, Blue?"

Up above Blue Beetle shot at the rear window. "Back window's weakened, I'm going in. Huntress, you need to—"

"Don't worry, I'm coming."

"Left turn is coming up, guys." Beast Boy warned them.

Huntress lunge for the rear of the car, wincing when the tip of her boot scraped the road briefly. She gritted her teeth.

"Huntress—"

"I'm coming!"

"Hey! Watch where you throw that goon, Robin!" Tornado snapped.

"Move faster then."

"Boy!"

Huntress rolled her eyes and clambered up onto the boot as Blue Beetle smashed the rear view window open.

"Nice." She grinned and threw a smoke pellet into the car.

Blue Beetle smiled crookedly and flew to the front of the car as grey smoke encased the inside. "End of the line, Hermanos!" He dug his heels into the ground to slow the car down.

Huntress slipped on her breather and jumped into the back seat where the kidnappers were struggling to aim their guns. "Everything alright at your end guys?" She punched the first two guys in the face and elbowed the other when he tried to strangle her.

"Car three is shut down!" Beast Boy had transformed into an elephant and was sat on the crushed front of the car.

Tornado tied up the passengers on the sidewalk. "And, it's cleared."

"Robin has the hostage." M'gann's voice filled all their ears.

The middle car crashed into the pavement while Robin swung by with the hostage (a rubber dummy) under his arm.

The car slowed to a halt as Huntress bashed two of the kidnapped heads together as Blue Beetle shattered the front window open with a solid blast from his canons.

The driver pulled out a gun and aimed at her, so she grabbed it and punched him in the face with it as he shot the car ceiling.

Blue Beetle grabbed the driver by the cuff of his neck and yanked him out of the car.

Huntress moved to the front and got onto the car bonnet, slapping a Stick-disc on the side. "Car one is down."

She jumped off onto the pavement as she flicked the switch near her palm to activate the disc.

A spark of energy emitted and shut down the car abruptly.

Robin had already taken the hostage to safety behind one of the cars parked by a shop.

'Hostage retrieved.' A female robotic voice echoed throughout the chamber. 'Mission objective achieved.'

Huntress looked up as the city landscape disappeared in a serried of pixels and the kidnappers changed back into cold docile robots.

"Nice job," Nightwing's voice came from the speakers above. "Despite a bad beginning you guys still managed to salvage the situation."

Huntress sighed in relief as the others gathered back together and M'gann settled back on the ground.

Beast Boy transformed back into his human form and fist-pumped the air. "Nice!" he yelled, running over to them.

"But, next time you guys need to work together more," M'gann said, looking at Don pointedly; the speedster scowled and crossed his arms. "You can't afford to waste time on the real mission."

"Which is why we're going to re-run the exercise two more times," Nightwing announced.

"Aw, man…" Don muttered, slouching.

Huntress sighed quietly and then forced a smile when she addressed the others. "Don't worry, guys, we just need to review where we went wrong."

Robin grimaced. "Well, it didn't help that someone went off on their own."

"We're still mind-linked, asshole!" Tornado tensed, glaring at him.

Robin stiffened but met Don's glare with one of his own. "Well, it's true."

Don gritted his teeth and moved towards him. "What was I supposed to do, sit around and wait for orders?"

"Yes, you were!" Robin snapped.

"Hey!" Blue Beetle stepped in-between the boys. "We have to be a team remember."

"Doesn't feel like it…" Beast Boy's thoughts were quiet.

Tornado's cheeks flushed. "He's the one being an asshole!"

Robin scoffed. "Look in a—"

"Robin, stop." Huntress interrupted, making him freeze. "Blue's right, fighting won't help."

"Exactly." M'gann frowned, eyeing them both. "If you can't work together then you're off this mission."

Tornado scowled and crossed his arms while Robin curled his hands into fists.

"Will there be a problem?"Nightwing asked them evenly.

"…No," Robin said, sighing.

Tornado's scowl deepened, glancing at Robin. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"Listen, let's just forget this happened okay?" Huntress proposed. "We all fell short and need to improve. There, done." She looked over at M'gann. "Now, can we re-try the mission?"

M'gann glanced over at Tornado and Robin briefly before she nodded. "If you're all good to go then yes, we can."

"Let's do this." Beast Boy transformed into a wolf.

"What's the battle plan, Jefa?" Blue Beetle asked, smiling.

"Wow, guys, no pressure." Huntress swallowed a lump in her throat when the others looked towards her, but she forced a smile. "Okay, so I think I know a quicker way to take down the other two cars…"

This is the longest I've taken to update this story; I had a bad case of writer's block for three weeks.

But, we're nearing the ending so that should be easier to write. I'm hoping to go back to updating every two weeks.