Origin Point
"Why the bloody hell am I here?" Constantine lights his second cigarette since they arrived at the incursion site.
"To see the things my T spheres can't." answered Mr. Terrific as his spheres surveyed the area.
"Oh come on." Groans Constantine as he pulls out a monocle and whispers a quick spell. "This is definitely a science thing then a magic thing."
"In my experience magic and science seems to intertwine at interesting inexplicable points."
"Sure." Grunts Constantine, "just jealous I wasn't part of the theft team."
Terrific is notified by a T Sphere. He moves over to the edge of trees and bends down to examine a black ichor.
"I wouldn't touch that!" Constantine shouts and moves quickly to Terrific's side. Terrific's hand quickly pulls back.
"What is it?" Terrific asks, and presses a random button for his T sphere to record Constantine's answers.
"I think you're right for bringing me along for the ride." Constantine says moving his hands into complex signs. A golden orb wraps itself around the black ichor before floating into the air.
Mercury Labs
Catman slides down the rope and lands with a gentle tap. "Okay so the next step." Began Catman but is interrupted by the sound of an opening elevator. Catman dives behind a desk and pulls out a pair of shurikens.
"Where are you, Blake?" calls out a very familiar gruff voice.
Catman sighs. "Slade what the heck!" Catman demands rising from behind the desk. "What part of sneaky do you think involves using an elevator."
"Unlike you Blake, I have no interest in copycatting some spy thriller."
"The guards, the alarms?" Blake begins.
A small grin forms on Slade's mouth. Blake notices the smears of blood on Slade's costume.
"God damn it, Slade, Green Arrow said…"
"See that's the problem." Begins Slade leaning against a nearby desk. "The day I give a shit about what the Arrow says is the day Hell freezes over." Catman glares at Deathstroke for a second before shrugging, "I tried."
The two move through the offices quickly and end up in front of a large steel vault. Deathstroke pulls out his blade.
"You can't cut through this." Catman says deadpanned.
"Trust me Blake, this is promethean steel it can cut through a god."
"Yeah right." Counters Catman.
"Ask Black Adam how he got that cut above his eye." Teases Deathstroke before striking at the vault. Catman allows a small smile. Deathstroke shouts in agony as red currents races up his sword into his body.
"My god…" Deathstroke says.
"I told you can't cut through the door, its kinetically locked." Catman said feeling triumphant that Deathstroke would have to follow Catman's lead. "It only opens with a specific contact and movement."
"Why didn't you say so before." Deathstroke struggles to his feet and falls back onto his right knee. "Fuck I can't feel my arms."
Catman moves to the giant steel vault. "It should wear off in a couple minutes or hours."
"BLAKE!"
"Hey quiet, even vibrations can set this off." Hissed Catman before turning to back to the door. He placed a gentle finger on the end of the handle and sliding it down toward the base within two seconds. He moves his palm to a foot above the latch and creates a small rotation. Catman relaxes his throat and whispers, "I am Tina McGee."
The vault door pops open.
"Tada!" says Catman bowing for no one specifically.
"Just hurry up and grab the damn quadium." Growls Deathstroke as he slowly rises from his kneeling position.
"Sure thing boss." Teases Catman as he steps into the vault.
Deathstroke feels a cool whoosh of air brush past him before he's sent flying into the wall.
"And here I thought you turned a new leaf." States the familiar goody voice of an annoying speedster.
"Flash." Growls Deathstroke looking up at the red cloth hero.
Queen Industries
Oliver leans back into his chair as his office computer goes black. He glances at the time on his watch. "maybe I can catch a few winks of sleep."
It was hard being the CEO of a billion dollar company. Add in being the sole protector of Star city, a member of the Justice League, and now leading a group of villains and anti-heroes against interdimensional monsters.
Oliver closes his eyes and begins the mantra he learned in china to help him fall to sleep.
When his phone goes off. "Just a minute." He groans as he yanks open his desk drawer filled with half a dozen cell phones. It takes him a second to figure out which one is being called.
"What do you want, Blake?" Oliver asks.
"We ran into some big problems, Green Arrow." Catman replies over the phone.
"What type of problems?" Oliver demands, "Remember no…"
"It's the Flash he showed up and Deathstroke is doing his best to hold him off." Damn! "Do you have the Quadium?"
"Yeah, got a pound of it but I'm stuck in the vault with Flash and Deathstroke covering the only exit."
Oliver got up from his chair and began to pace back and forth.
"Arrow, listen if you want, we can let flash catch Deathstroke but its gonna be harder for me to escape."
"I'm calling in the big gun." Oliver finally relents.
YESTERDAY
Badlands
Oliver found Black Adam in the lounge. Black Adam was floating a foot above the ground staring into the fireplace.
"Adam." Oliver began.
"You demand too much when you called upon even more so to request, I join this…team of yours." Black Adam says not turning to face the hero. "I am the ruler of Khandaq and don't have time to play war games with you and your…secret six."
"Khandaq is a part of the earth which these invaders want to destroy."
Adam remains silent watching the flames dance.
"We… I need you to be a part of this. Be the hero your wife wanted you to be." Oliver lost his breath as an iron grip wraps around his throat.
"You would do well to keep her out of your mouth and your thoughts, Arrow!" Oliver whips out an antique blade and jams it into Adam's arm. A hiss escaped Adam's lips as he yanks his arm away from Oliver. Oliver fell onto his knees.
"Remove it!" demands Adam.
Oliver looks up; a grey hardening was spreading from the knife wound. Oliver moved to Adam and ripped the blade from Adam's arm. Instantly the hardening disappeared.
"So is this how you will force me to do your deeds?" Adam grunts a flicker of respect in his eyes.
"No." Oliver said, sheathing the blade. "If I can't convince you without the knife then you're no good to me or the world."
Oliver headed to the door.
"Fine." Adam said before Oliver could open the door.
Oliver turned to the ruler of Khandaq. "I'll help but I am still a ruler of Khandaq and every moment I'm away is a moment my people are not protected." Adam glides over to Oliver, his hovering giving him the height advantage. "Don't…call…me pointlessly."
Now
Mercury Labs
Deathstroke timed his jump to the millisecond but for the fastest man alive, timing meant nothing. Flash caught Deathstroke's leg.
"Gotcha Slade." Flash said, he was never big on fighting or hurting people even villains but for Deathstroke he had no such qualms.
But even the fastest man alive couldn't see everything; as a small black ball dropped centimeters in front of Barry's forehead. A giant flash of bright light filled the Flash's iris.
Deathstroke flipped elegantly onto his feet before striking the Flash in the back of the neck. Deathstroke felt some satisfaction at the sound of a crack as the Flash nose broke against the wall. He had the advantage but when facing metahumans you could never let the advantage slip.
"Blake get the hell out of here!" Deathstroke called out as he put on a pair of brass knuckles.
Flash stumbles onto his feet. "Blake go!" Deathstroke threw his most vicious right hook. Any normal man hit with this would have lost a jaw, but the Flash could take it.
Flash caught the fist. Too slow, Flash thought before breaking Deathstroke's arm. Deathstroke merely grunts before following up with a vicious kick to Flash's knee.
But the Flash was no longer holding back. His leg vibrated through Deathstroke's kick before slamming itself into his chest. Deathstroke was sent hurtling over desks and landed with a violent thud.
Catman watched horrified. This is why he stayed in Star city, he was no match for folks like the flash or green lantern, he was just a villain for hire in a cat costume.
"Shit! Shit!" Catman hissed as he tried to finish cutting through the window.
"Excuse me?" said a voice behind him.
Catman's bowels made a large movement.
"Hi there." Catman mews like a frightened kitten.
"Who are you?" Flash asks generally perplexed.
"I'm Catman." Catman answered.
"What…how…why is Deathstroke working with someone called Catman?" Flash asked out loud. Catman could only shrug as he gaped at the ease that the Flash was talking to him.
"Why are you guys here, what did you steal?" Barry demanded snatching the rucksack from Catman's shoulder and began to rummage in it.
Before Catman could respond, Flash's head shot up. "What the…" Flash gasps.
A bolt of gold lightning burst through the window beside Catman and punches into the Flash's chest sending him hurtling through the lab and into the elevator.
"I believe our business is concluded now?" Said a gravely voice from the broken window. Catman turned to see Black Adam.
"We need to get out of here now, please." Catman barely says before retrieving his satchel.
Black Adam raises an eyebrow daring Catman to repeat the request.
"Deathstroke is hurt and the Flash will be up any moment. " Catman found some courage and experienced another large bowel movement. "Pretty please." He added for good measure.
Barry Allen woke to a sonic boom. He tried to get up but felt a pain originating in his leg. He look down to see a piece of the elevator door had punctured his shin.
He thought about vibrating but when he began to, the shard cut deeper and further along his leg. He yelled in pain. It took a couple minutes but he was able to rip the shard out of his leg. Another few minutes and his leg was as good as new.
He scanned the lab quick but already knew it would be empty.
Deathstroke and Black Adam working together and stealing god knows what. He'd probably get a list of what was stolen when he would be here as Barry Allen the forensic scientist but for now he'll return home and put an all points bulletin on the Justice League Channel to keep an eye out for Deathstroke and Black Adam.
Queen Industries
Oliver Queen sighed with relief after receiving the all clear text from Catman. He wasn't a hundred percent sure Black Adam would show. If he hadn't… Well Oliver was just glad he did.
That relief died when he received an Alpha Alert on the Justice League channels warning about the team up between Deathstroke and Black Adam robbing Mercury Labs. No mention of Catman, which means he was able to avoid some detection. Oliver was taking victories where he could but now a third of his team was out in the open.
Oliver eyes began to droop. This would be a quick nap later Oliver's problems.
Before he could fall into that darkness his other phone beep. He barely scanned the message and was fully awake as he reread the message from Mr. Terrific.
"Finally some good news."