The entire League was there save for John Stewart. A big reason for this was that it came out that J'onn J'onnz was willing to listen to the various members' arguments for why they should be allowed to help him.

It was a rather heartening scene to witness.

"I understand many of you wish to be of assistance," the Martian said, intending to focus this meeting as much as possible. "But a sizeable force would be inadvisable at this time."

There were some questioning looks shared, but thankfully Flash was able to convey J'onn's message. "In other words, folks, only a handful are going while the rest of us protect the home front. Since this is J'onn's rodeo, I think it would be best if he were the one to pick out his teammates."

That was a rather effective way at silencing the voices, even if the mental ones were still as insistent. Still, he could put out his perimeters and eliminate most of the volunteers. "The first criteria is the ability to resist telepathy," he announced. "Those that are susceptible to mind control would be advised to stay here. The Kalanorians are powerful telepaths and can brainwash others in a matter of moments."

Already, many shoulders sagged as they were at least honest with themselves about their abilities. Resisting a telepath was no easy feat. In fact, there were only a few the green-skinned man would have considered and he knew one had already decided not to come, which was just as well. Not everyone needed to go.

"Which is just about everyone here," Hawkgirl declared. "Except me. I'll be going with you J'onn."

There was a brief moment where J'onn couldn't help but question the Thanagarian's intent. Before the conflict with the Legion of Doom, he never would have doubted a fellow Leaguer's intent, but the two of them had been on opposing sides up until a week ago. It seemed recent prejudice was dominating his thinking still.

That was a regretful hesitation on his part. Indeed, Hawkgirl would make for a quality teammate as she had an immunity to telepathy. It made perfect sense for her to come along. Of course, there was also her allegiance to the Thanagarian legion, and if this allegiance was also coming into play. Naturally the Thanagarians would want a representative present in the fight with Despero.

Regardless, he replied with a nod, "Thank you, Hawkgirl."

"As will I," Diana volunteered.

"You sure about that, Wondy?" Flash questioned. "You're pretty strong, but last time you got caught up in the brainwashing, just like me. If you get caught again, you're going to be very hard to stop."

This didn't seem to deter the Amazon. She merely reached to her hip and pulled out the dull coils of her lasso. "The Lasso of Truth will protect me," she declared, the rope glowing for a brief moment at the mention of its name, then dimming back to its dull form. "I will simply wrap it around myself and any intrusions into my mind will be eliminated."

That was very interesting. Though not tested, J'onn was more than willing to help Diana determine if this was adequate protection. "I believe we will need to study this claim, Diana, but if it turns out to be true, then I would accept your assistance as well."

The dark-haired woman nodded. This was not a time for hubris or bravado, and she understood this. That made potentially three of them.

"I will not be coming," Captain Atom suddenly spoke up. "I cannot in good conscience leave Earth, particularly my country, in the event the team meets with failure. While I pray for success, we do need adequate defense here."

"I agree," J'onn nodded. He was actually grateful for the military man's refusal; it would help many to back away from this mission and not have bruised egos.

"If having protection against mind control is what is needed, I think I could be of some help," Black Lightning surprisingly said. J'onn had been counting on the man wanting to stay with his own community, similar to Captain Atom, so his volunteering caught him off guard. "I only need to control the electrical impulses in my head and I should be able to block out any intrusions, like Wonder Woman's lasso."

"Again, I believe we need to test this before we enter combat, but your help is appreciated," the Martian replied.

"If Black Lighting goes, I go," Vixen then spoke up. "If controlling electrical impulses, or whatever, can stop brainwashing, then there are number of bird species I can channel that can alert me to when these Kalanorians attempt to control me."

That was…informative. Thankfully, it was Flash that said, "I think you got yourself a pretty solid team there, J'onn. Anymore and I think you're going to run out of snacks on the way there."

"If I may intrude?"

The voice caught them all off guard, causing them to look towards a doorway. There stood the Green Lantern leader, Ganthet, John Stewart at his side with a few Green Lanterns.

Already, J'onn could sense there was something within the Oan's mind and it was not welcomed news. "I apologize for my arrival upon this space station without prior authorization, but a situation has come to my attention that I felt was incumbent of me to inform you of," Ganthet said.

"I welcome your wisdom and advice," the Martian replied.

"As you are aware, a contingency of Green Lanterns was to intercept the Kalanorian forces," the blue man began. "I have just learned that they were defeated. Only one survivor was able to escape."

The room was deathly quiet. J'onn could not help the dismayed feeling he felt. He knew something was wrong and this was his confirmation. "I am saddened by this news," he spoke diplomatically.

"It gets worse," John Stewart said then. "Apparently, there are some powerful Kalanorians, not like the ones we fought the first time. The…survivor reported they were glowing purple and used incredible power, strong enough to easily overwhelm a Green Lantern ring."

That was deeply troubling. The Green Lantern ring was considered the most powerful weapon in the universe and now there was something potentially more powerful than it. How could this be? "What can you tell us about this?" J'onn inquired. "Whatever information you can tell me, it would be greatly appreciated."

"The Lantern, Katma Tui, unfortunately, was not able to reveal much," Ganthet responded. "She was in need of medical attention. Until she is able to recover, I cannot tell you much.

"However, if you are willing to grant a request, we may be able to still assist you."

There were a few shared looks between the founding League members. "And what is that request?" Diana asked warily.

"If you would allow one of my Lanterns to accompany you. We will be able to keep in contact with each other through the Green Lantern rings and whenever Katma Tui is conscious, we can relay to you the information you will need."

That was not a terrible idea. However…"It was decided that anyone that accompanies me towards Despero needs to be able to resist the Kalanorian telepathy. I cannot in good conscience take someone that will fall under their sway."

Ganthet nodded. "A reasonable assessment. If I were to provide an alternative course, however." He gestured with one hand to a rather tall Lantern. They stood taller than John Stewart, perhaps even as tall as the Martian were he to stand. Pink skin covered a brutish face, one with a large underbite.

"Allow me to introduce Kilowog. While he may be susceptible to telepathy, he is one of the most experienced Lanterns here. He can remove himself prior to your battle with the Kalanorians, if not provide support if necessary."

"I would recommend Kilowog too," John agreed. "If there's anyone you can trust, it's him."

There was an undercurrent here that J'onn sensed. He wasn't the only one that was feeling the unease, most likely due to the fracturing of the League. If it was being felt within the Founders, it was most likely affecting the newer members as well.

Perhaps this was an opportunity to help heal the rift that had formed. A number from both sides plus new members, if the League could be seen as working together as it was originally envisioned, it would go a long way to healing the wounds and grudges that no doubt had formed.

"Very well," J'onn finally acquiscented. "I will accept the help of the Green Lanterns. Do what you need to prepare for the mission as it will be a long one. All I ask from those not coming is to pray for our success."

And her head was killing her.

So was the rest of her body, which meant there was an urge to find relief, the kind that usually involved someone else screaming. Killer Frost blinked opened her eyes, groaned, and once her vision had refocused began to search for the closest victim she could find.

"Well, ain't this an eye for sore eyes."

So the next victim was going to make it easier, hmm? Yeah, she could do with easy right now. It took some effort to push her body upright, her arms trembling from the act. Everything felt sore, but her head was throbbing. She must have taken that hit harder than she had thought…and what had hit her again? It was a blur, so there was memory loss—not that it mattered. She was going to find what made her feel like this and make it victim number two.

And speaking of victims, there was victim number one right over there, just several feet away. He…it was a he, right? Anyway, he had his leg sprawled out as he sat on what was a very hard floor made of metal, his upper body propped up on his arms. He wore an odd costume, odder than some of the ones she had seen at the Legion. Huh, were her eyes tricking her, of was that a…tail?

And it was real. The tail swished, which prompted the very human face to smirk at her. Wait, what was he wearing on his head? Looked like a large snake head with fangs and where the mouth was was the human face. Oh, great, the eyes had slits for pupils; just have to go with the aesthetic why don't you?

"I don't know who you are, but you're just as good as any place to start," Frost rasped out.

"Sounds like fun," the man who reminded her of a snake teased, and just to reinforce that thought, he waggled a thin, forked tongue at her.

Now she was officially pissed off.

"You're not my type. How's about I cool you off? Permanently." One hand raised up, the temperature dropping rapidly around her palm and giving off condensation as a result.

"I'm cold-blooded, couldn't you tell?" the snake man taunted back as he pulled his legs beneath him, standing into a crouch.

"Knock it off, both of you."

Someone else was here. A substitute victim number two? Frost took her eyes off the snake man and found a short, fat, black woman staring down at both of them. She didn't like the look; it was as if she was literally being looked down on.

"Fresh meat?" the snake man remarked. Then to the killer, "Willing to split her?"

The answer was obviously hell no, but then Frost noticed that this new victim wasn't alone. There were four men behind her and—

"You!" she snarled. Oh, she remembered these assholes. They were the ones from the casino, and now she was back on her feet, condensation covering both of her hands. Forget the soreness and the aching, now was some time for some payback—

"Stand down," the black woman ordered. The very authority in that voice was enough to cause Frost to hesitate, breaking off eye contact with those bastards behind her to focus on the woman herself. "Before you go about your murderous ways, you're going to want to hear me out first."

"And what do you have to say that's so important?" the snake man asked, standing tall and showing no signs of intimidation.

"You can stop being coy, Copperhead," the woman stated. "You might want to check your tone as well, since I'm the woman who put a bomb in your head."

Frost frowned. A bomb? In her head? Please. How would that be possible? Sure, her head was sore, but that was from the hit she took. The bitch was bluffing.

Straightening her shoulders, the woman continued, "The name is Amanda Waller, and from this point on you are my property. I own you. No one knows you're here, so don't expect any rescues. In your case, Frost, your Legion of Doom is now defunct, so there will be no salvation there either. You are both new members in a task force of my own creation, Task Force X."

"Like hell," Copperhead snarled.

"Whether you believe me or not doesn't matter," Waller continued, flat out ignoring Copperhead, and seriously, why choose that name? "From this point on, you will complete any and all assignments I give to you, no exception. If you complete enough of them, I might be gracious enough to set you free. The only other way out is death."

"And who the hell are you that you think you can make me do what you want?" Frost retorted.

Waller didn't look the least bit intimidated, and that only pissed the frosty killer off more. "Apparently the part about the bomb went over your heads. A demonstration is in order." The black bitch looked away from both of them, and at least Frost followed the gaze.

There, standing out in the open, though off to a side, was a pedestal. On top of it was a bust, one that was identical to a human head if only much thicker. Why it was here was anyone's business, and frankly, Frost didn't really give a shit.

"Observe," Waller commanded as she pulled out a detonator. Without a second of hesitation, Waller pressed down on the button.

The head bust shattered as flames forced themselves out. The noise was short, but so loud it had her hearing ringing. Then there were the small pieces of rock jettisoning themselves outwards and in all directions. Waller was the closest one to it, and so was in the direct line of fire. However, something shimmering took up the space between Waller and the now annihilated bust, and every piece of rock that touched it vaporized instantly. It left the short woman untouched and unphased.

"Thank you, Major. You can stand down," was all Waller said. Behind her, the red-and-yellow man lowered his arm, the shimmering ending as soon as he did. "That's what the bomb is capable of with solid rock. Think of what it can do to a much more delicate skull, and much softer brain tissue. Now know that the only thing between that and the button that will make that happen is me."

Frost's eyes darted from the remains of the stone bust and the suddenly imposing figure that was Waller. It had been a long time since she had felt this, this feeling…this…fear…

But no, she was bluffing, she had to be. There was no kind of bomb like that, not something that could be in her head, waiting to blow at any second. It was a lie, had to be, because this was insane and she had better things to do.

"Bullshit!" Copperhead snarled. Someone else was agreeing with her. That it was this creep did not make it better, though. "You're just trying to scare us! Why bring your posse in with you? It's clear to me that you know you're bluffing."

"Bluffing?" A single eyebrow raised, and it felt like this woman was humoring the thought. "Is that what you think?"

"I don't think, I know," Copperhead reported, smirking confidently. "Hell, if you didn't have your posse, I'd have already killed you."

Speaking of the posse, they were still hanging back, and hadn't done much of anything. They were so quiet. Why? Especially since they had been able to take on her and the others that had come with her to Atlantic City, she knew they were tough.

So why were they just standing there, watching?

Meanwhile, Waller was staring Copperhead down, showing no signs that she was either found out or fully confident. Then, she reached into her suit jacket and pulled out a rectangular object, one that looked like some kind of remote. A thumb pressed down on a button, and behind the pair, a wall began to open up, revealing a corridor that stretched beyond.

"If you think I'm bluffing, then go on. That hallway will lead you straight to a loading bay. From there, you can make your big escape," Waller said, her tone similar to that of talking about the weather. "I will warn you, with the bomb activated, as soon as you cross the threshold, it will detonate. But go on, I won't stop. No one will stop you. There's your way out, if you think I'm bluffing."

It was a hell of a bluff, and Frost was eager to meet it. A way out was a way out, and who was she to turn it down? Now, more than anything, she wanted to sap all the heat out of this bitch before she left, but the killer wasn't quite sure that the gang behind her would let her do that. So that meant a dash for freedom without satisfaction.

Copperhead chuckled. "You got balls, Lady, on account that you don't actually have them, but still. I gotta hand it to ya. Takes balls."

A small smirk answered him, Waller saying nothing at all.

For a second, Frost would have sworn Copperhead looked uncertain, as if he himself was considering the possibility that this wasn't a bluff. Shaking his head, his cockiness returned. "Well, I think I'll check outta this joint. Got places to be, more important things to do. But I'll remember those brass balls of yours."

Turning on his heel, Copperhead stalked off to the opened wall and the hallway beyond. He didn't even slow down as he got closer, keeping up the wide gait. Glancing at Waller and seeing as how she was doing nothing, Frost took a step back then began following after.

While she didn't like agreeing with anything that freak ahead of her said, the one right thing he did say was that she did have more important things to do.

Copperhead was entering the corridor, and Frost was just about to catch up, when he suddenly came to a stop, a gloved hand going straight up to his head. This caused Frost to stop as the snake man began to groan, snarl, and make other kinds of noises and his body began to jerk about. For a second, Frost reconsidered Waller's bluff.

Then Copperhead stopped, and looked over his shoulder, right at her. "You thought that was real?"

That asshole.

"Real funny," she growled.

"It was hilarious!" Copperhead quipped, giving a loud guffaw as he took a step forward—

—and his head disappeared in an explosion of red, and the cold-blooded killer felt as if her face was slapped hard all over. Belatedly, she could hear the sound of liquid splattering against a solid surface, along with dripping, dripping, dripping…

A thud. Killer Frost blinked her eyes, then lowered them to the unmoving body. Copperhead, who was missing his…head…

Slowly, she raised a hand and pressed it against her face. Pulling the limb away, she focused on her fingers and the blood that now dripped from them. Oh, that's what slapped her. That it hadn't frozen against her skin yet…she could still feel the heat in the liquid…the blood…wait.

Her hand returned, pressing against her skin, exploring until it picked up…something. Pinching it between her index finger and thumb, she pulled whatever it was off and that was a piece of brain that had gotten stuck to her. Swell.

"Still think I was bluffing?"

Suddenly, the ache in her head became so much more sinister. Had it been from being hit in the head or…the surgery to put the bomb in? Robotically, she turned and faced the woman who now held her life in those pudgy hands of hers. She couldn't even force a sound out of her throat; could she even do so?

"A shame. I picked Copperhead for his stealth abilities along with his penchant to poison his victims," Waller continued, not in the least bit phased. "The squad needs a more silent killer in its ranks, so congratulations, his job is now yours."

And now Waller turned her back on Frost, calmly strolling to the other four. "I'll see about finding someone else to round up your team. In the meantime, it'll just be you five—for now. I already have your next mission lined up."

"What are the details?" the man in red and silver demanded, though there was no edge in his voice. He was the one with the insane accuracy, wasn't he?

"Earth has some new visitors, the Thanagarians. As if the latest little invasion wasn't enough, now we have extraterrestrials negotiating with the U.N. They claim they are here for benevolent purposes, but I have my doubts." Waller's attention was zeroed in on the red-and-silver man. No glances were given to anyone else. "They're starting construction in the Gobi Desert. Your job is to infiltrate and find out everything you can. No matter how small, I want to know, and while you're there, try to keep a low profile. If they catch you, you will be disavowed and left for dead, if I'm in a good mood."

"Christ," muttered the one in the blue jacket, a gloved hand rubbing at the lower part of his face. Distantly, she thought she heard an accent.

"You leave in twenty minutes. You'll be dropped off a fair distance away so as not to draw attention and the rest is up to you," Waller continued as if she heard nothing. "At least one of you come back and give me what I want. This includes any and all intel, specifically intel related to the Thanagarians' intentions and this defense system they are hawking. Ulterior motives, hidden agendas, internal politics will also be acceptable in case I need to put my weight onto one of them.

"Remember, if you get caught, you're on your own. If you try to cut a deal, you die. If you try to expose anything about Task Force X, you die. If I get the slightest suspicion you are going to give in or commit sabotage, I kill you. Get in, get me intel, and get out. Any questions?"

The man in the blue coat and the foreign accent raised a hand up. "Yeah, are there any choices where you don't kill us?"

"The Thanagarians could choose to kill you for trespassing. It still accomplishes the same thing," Waller quipped without missing a beat.

Accent man muttered under his breath, looking away as he crossed his arms.

"Rendezvous," the man in red and silver spoke up. He said nothing else, but Waller seemed to understand perfectly.

"There's a safehouse towards the border of the desert, approximately a hundred or so miles away from the target location. It'll be up to you to find out, but if our satellite imaging has anything to say, head south once you're done."

Waiting for any other questions, no matter what form they took, Waller came to a decision none were coming and so said, "You have less than twenty minutes until transport. I'll give you leave to prepare, but make it snappy. If you don't board the plane, I detonate the bombs. Now get to it."

Frost hadn't so much as said one word through the whole exchange, her eyes followed who spoke until they were all turning a door, one that they all had to have entered and not the one that had killed Copperhead. This felt unreal, yet the frigid killer did not know if she was willing to tempt fate right now.

So far, it hadn't been a lie, but was there a chance there wasn't a bomb in her head? No, no there had to be, because she was starting to pick up where most of the soreness in her head was localized, and it wasn't promising. Despite all the time that had passed since her condition, as she currently referred to it, she had never forgotten her background, where she had come from, what had led her to discarding that old life and embracing the one of Killer Frost.

But not everything could be discarded; her college classes on human anatomy were making a comeback and informing her that she was up to her neck in shit. Damn it all, she should have never accepted that invitation to join the Legion. Now look where she was.

And in twenty minutes, no less than that, she was about to go globetrotting from who knew where to Queens up in New York. Great, everything in her life was perfect right now.

Or it would be once she figured out a way how to deal with the bomb. Once she got rid of that thing, then she was going to pay that short, little bitch a visit. Until then, she would have to play the role of lapdog.

That script Humanite had forced her to learn was starting to look so much better by the second.

There was no point in being around while J'onn was picking his team. With no ambition to join, Batman saw to other matters.

Glancing at the scorched marks along the walls, long holes that had been cut by Heat Vision, leaving scorch marks in their wake, the vigilante could only wonder how the fight between J'onn and the others had played out while he and Flash had gone to save Diana. It was a persistent reminder of the conflict that had happened in the extremely recent past.

What was worse, there was damage to the computer mainframe. Although it seemed to be operating at the moment, there was no telling what had been damaged without a full diagnostic. Records had shown one had been run shortly after the battle, but it had been short and swift, indicating a preliminary reading. So the dark-clad man had taken it upon himself to begin performing a more in-depth diagnostic.

That was when he came across the first issue. Once the diagnostic began, he found the computing power needed to run the program precluded any other work. The hardware damage had gotten the CPU in some capacity. Already he was foreseeing a brand new purchase, which would take weeks to fully integrate.

Part of him wanted to send Luthor the bill. Another part wanted to do something more gratifying than an act of passive-aggression.

Because he could hear all the noises coming from the corridor thanks to the gaps in the wall, he heard footsteps approaching. They stopped only for a moment for the doors to open and Batman knew he had company.

"I should have known you'd be here."

Batman didn't react, only gazing up at the monitor screen in front of him. He caught the faint reflection of Superman on the screen, so he knew exactly who was here. He didn't really care to speak to the Man of Steel, however. Their last few encounters hadn't been all the cordial.

It seemed the Kryptonian picked up on this despite the lack of acknowledgement. "I know things aren't good between us, but I think we need to speak about a few things."

A window appeared on screen, a moment of static interfering for a second. Batman just tapped a key and the window vanished.

"You know, this would be easier if you participated."

"Would it now?" he responded, his tone droll. He spun the chair he sat in around, entwining his fingers together as he held them in front of him, the elbows of his arms propped up on the chair's armrests. "What would you like to discuss, Superman?"

To the Kryptonian's credit, he didn't back away from the sarcasm being thrown his way. "I understand you've recruited those young heroes in Jump City for a mission. It wouldn't have anything to do with Luthor, would it?"

"Why would you think that?"

"Because I know that, unlike the rest of us focusing on Despero, you're determined to follow up on the Legion of Doom and Amazo, both of which lead right to Luthor. While it is certainly something that needs to be done, I don't think sending a group of teenagers is a good idea."

"Those teenagers went toe-to-toe with the Amazo robot and even helped stop the World Engine," Batman pointed out. "If it's a question of their abilities, I think we already have the answer."

"But this is Luthor we're talking about," Superman pressed. "You don't know him like I do. He's more cunning than anything they've faced. If Luthor knows they're looking into him, he will retaliate in ways they can't respond against."

"Such as learning their secret identities?"

"Yes, exactly."

Batman separated his hands so that he could hold up one finger. "Cyborg is a living computer with tech so advanced, he could hack into any government database and be in and out without anyone knowing." He held up a second finger. "Beast Boy is a shapeshifter that could be a literal flea under Luthor's collar for days at a time and he wouldn't know about it." A third finger. "Red Robin has been on his share of stakeouts against mobsters and criminals that would sooner put a bullet in his head, so he knows how to run an operation."

"But not as much as you or I do," the Kryptonian protested. "These are young kids with rudimentary understandings of their powers. All it takes is one slip up and they'll ruin their lives."

"I'm not putting them in a position for them to be exposed," Batman countered. "All they're doing is some follow-up for me, nothing more. If I didn't think they could handle it, I wouldn't have recruited them."

"Then why aren't you doing this? This is normally your field of expertise."

"Because I can't make a move against Luthor."

A frown appeared on Superman's face. "How do you mean?"

"Because Luthor knows who I am. If I take direct action against him, he'll just reveal my identity and then you'll effectively lose me as a resource. I've managed to…persuade him not to do so, but the ball is in his court."

The Kryptonian's eyes were wide at this admission. "How did he figure it out?"

Batman turned away, spinning his chair back to the computer monitor. "The future video footage. Luthor got his hands on it on Brainiac's ship; it has my name all over it, so it wasn't too much of a stretch for him to figure it out."

"I'm…I'm sorry, Bruce. If there's anything I can do—"

"I'm handling it," he interjected. "Just stay out of it. This is between me and Luthor."

"It doesn't have to be. The League can help."

Batman couldn't help but snort. "What League?"

There was a moment of silence. "I can admit that there are problems. But a lot of them stem from the fact that you didn't inform us about this dystopian future. If we had known, we could have prevented everything that happened."

The Dark Knight's face hardened and he spun back around to face the Man of Steel. "You were brainwashed into thinking you were your future counterpart. It was so effective that I rather doubt you would have been much help, the same with Lantern and Hawkgirl. That would have left me, J'onn, Flash, and Diana, and Diana was next on the chopping block to be brainwashed."

"You still should have told us."

"I told the people best suited to stop you—it worked. If you have a problem with my methods, let me remind you that my house is in ruin, my base of operations is a smoldering cave-in, and it's all thanks to you, the strongest man in the world, getting captured and changed into an entirely different person. If that's what you call help, you'll have to excuse me for declining."

"I'm sorry about your home, I truly am. But your methods split the League in two and I don't know if it'll be able to recover from it."

"If the League is that fragile, then perhaps it shouldn't exist."

A stunned look appeared on the Kryptonian's face. "You can't be serious."

"Aside from your reputation, what have you lost, Kent?" Batman asked. "I'm literally homeless and you yourself threatened my child. On top of it all, a very dangerous man that you have failed over and over to put a stop to knows who I am. If that is what involvement with the Justice League entails, all of those new recruits would be better served running as far away from it as possible."

Silence filled the room. "So that's it then? That's how you feel about the League?" Superman inquired after several moments.

"If I destroyed the Kent farm and threatened to kill Lois, then blamed you for those actions, how would you feel?"

That gave the man pause. "I guess I can see your point."

"Good. Now go be a leader somewhere else. I'm going to handle the Luthor situation in the way I see fit. I'll keep you informed when I have something worth telling you."

Again, another moment of silence. Then, "Please, keep us informed on this. Luthor isn't like anyone the League has gone up against. Just…just be careful."

Coming from the man whose usual solution was to charge in like a bull in a China shop, Batman took the advice with a grain of salt. This wasn't his first time going after a dangerous man and it wouldn't be the last. Before this was all over, he would have Luthor stuck between a rock and a hard place.

The ship had a futuristic appearance. It's sleek, white hull gleamed in the fluorescent lighting of the hanger. The front of the vessel resembled its namesake, the tip of a javelin. The back was just like the wings of a plane, though its wingtips were pointed up towards the ceiling. This was due to the landing gear propping the ship up from the floor. Once launched, the wings would rotate down, pointing in the same direction as the ship's head.

A ramp extended down from beneath the ship, allowing entry into the vessel. Vixen and Black Lightning were currently inside, finalizing the placement of supplies. The Green Lantern Kilowog stood where the ramp met the floor, arms dangling at his sides as he patiently waited.

That left J'onn, Diana, and Hawkgirl standing before the remaining League members, minus Batman. The Dark Knight was off on his own investigations, which the Martian understood. Far be it for him to interrupt the man. They had already had a private meeting to discuss their stratagems and further acknowledgement was unnecessary.

"You guys go kick some Kalanorian butt, alright?" Flash said. "And pick me up a souvenir, okay? I haven't been in deep space and a space rock will do just nicely."

"Space rock, got it," Hawkgirl repeated. J'onn couldn't help but wonder how the Thanagarian had gotten leave from her superiors. Before their arrival, it wouldn't have been an issue, but now she had a command structure that she was obligated to. Clearly, they had no issue with her accompanying them. Faintly, he wondered if this was just like the Green Lantern Corp sending Kilowog—someone to represent them in the impending battle and relay intelligence. Though Ganthet had framed Kilowog's presence as a way to keep in contact with Earth and maintain radio silence, it went unsaid that Kilowog could also relay other reports.

Internally, the green-skinned man sighed. The events of the last few weeks were tainting his thinking. At one time he would not have suspected such subterfuge from his allies, but now he could not help but wonder about ulterior motives. It was a line of thinking more in line with Batman.

"Be careful out there," Superman said. "If things go south, get out of there. Your safety is just as important as defeating Despero, if not more so."

"Understood," Diana acknowledged. "We will succeed and return with honor, that I promise you."

"We better get going," Hawkgirl interjected then. "If we keep up with these sappy goodbyes, the Kalanorians will be knocking on our doorstep by the time we leave."

"We'll be waiting," John Stewart responded. He stood directly across from Hawkgirl, all of his attention on her. There seemed to be some tension between the two, but they were doing well in not allowing it to dampen the mood.

Without further waiting, J'onn turned and began walking towards the ramp of the Javelin Seven. Diana and Hawkgirl did the same as they followed from behind. Seeing this, Kilowog turned and began walking up the ramp to join the other two Leaguers within the vessel.

Their footsteps clanked against the ramp as they climbed it and in a short time they were inside the ship. To either side of the ramp opening were a series of seats, more than enough for the ship's occupants. At the front were the pilot and co-pilot seats. Towards the back was a solid wall with a single door. That was where the storage for their supplies was, along with a facility for bodily functions.

Taking to flight, J'onn floated upward in the ship before drifting over to the pilot's seat. He landed back on the floor so that he could settle in the chair, hands already pressing buttons as he activated the ship.

One of the buttons was the closure of the ramp, which rose up and silently slid into place, forming the floor of the ship. Diana soon joined the Martian as she took over the co-pilot seat. Behind them, Hawkgirl and the others took whichever seats they desired, buckling themselves in.

Through the windshield, J'onn watched as the rest of the League backed away, gathering at the hanger bay entrance, but not completely leaving. Clearly they wanted to see their departure.

As the controls turned on, lighting up the ship's equivalent of a dashboard, there was surprisingly little sound as the engines revved to life. "All systems are activated and functional," J'onn announced, even as he did his last checks.

"Confirmed," Diana spoke from her seat. "All systems go. Ready for departure."

The hanger began to lower before their eyes as the Javelin Seven began to lift off. Grabbing the pilot's wheel, J'onn tilted it to one side, allowing the vessel to begin turning around in midair. Their view was soon replaced with the hanger doors, which were opening. Patiently, J'onn waited until they were fully open.

Then he pushed the wheel forward and the ship began its departure. He took his time, not wanting to unleash the engines, especially with the others watching them. They drifted out of the bay doors, which began to close the moment they were through.

Then J'onn hit a couple of buttons and felt himself sink into his seat. The sea of stars before them began to drift from the center of the windshield towards the sides. As they approached the sides, they began to speed up before they raced out of sight. The engines hummed louder, then faded back to silence, keeping up with the workload put on them.

They were off, off to meet a foe that should have never returned. There was no telling how long they would be gone, or if they would be successful. All they could do was hope and fight to their last breath.

If all went well, they would end this massive upheaval and return victorious.

The scene between Batman and Superman is my feelings towards a moment in the comics. Following the Tower of Babel, the League was having trust issues with one another, and Superman laid the fault at Batman's feet in the Batcave. This scene is how I wished Batman responded instead of just pointing out that Superman had his own trust issues, what with keeping his own secret identity.

To Guest: That description of Batman is pretty on the head there lol. He seems to have that same reaction every time another hero gets into a difficult situation. And AV did a good job on that Titan scene. I'm certain he had that rattling around in his head for awhile.