Earth 1, Central City
Nate Heywood was in a cell at one of the A.R.G.U.S. facilities. He was angry. Over the years, he'd delayed and/or edited his research projects when the powers that be asked him to - although in return for being the first out of the starting blocks with publication, he admitted to himself. He'd even buried the occasional story when they asked him to. He deserved better from them than this. They should have trusted him.
He explained to this John Diggle character the reason behind his current investigation. ''It's this mix of people - scientists, businessmen, crooks and so on. I'm basically trying to work out what's going on. Plus Rip Hunter's a friend and he's in trouble. What can you tell me about all this?''
Nothing apparently. Diggle had left, saying nothing that cast any light on why they had detained him or how long they meant to keep him there. So he sat in his cell and brooded.
X
Ralph Dibney arrived at his office to find that he'd been burgled. That was his first thought on seeing open desk and filing cabinet drawers. But his petty cash was still there. so was the extra cash he kept tucked away for emergencies.
There were a few things in his office that he'd rather the cops didn't get to see, so he did the detective work himself. That had been his former profession after all. Whoever it was had been quite careful, but they had left a couple of fingerprints. What had gone missing from his printed files and his back-up records was interesting. Anything related to the investigation he'd just done for Heywood - which involved this missing writer, Hunter.
''No one turns my place over, pal'' he told the boss of the absent intruders.
X
He'd found out where Hunter lived and went to see if the writer had returned. He hadn't and one of the two cops looking for clues to Hunter's whereabouts recognised him.
''Dibney'' said with a less than pleasant smile. ''This is a potential crime scene. Shouldn't you be looking for a stray cat or something?''
He was smouldering with resentment while he walked away. He'd been a detective and a good one. Maybe he'd cut a few corners but that didn't give them the right -.
The obvious next step was to put Heywood in the picture, maybe join forces with the journalist, another information hunter. But he'd barely got within a block of Heywood's place when he spotted trouble. The two cars parked outside almost screamed 'Feds' - or worse. He kept driving.
X
Joanne had found a penthouse apartment she liked, close of the centre of the city and Mick was helping her to move in, when Ray and Nora stopped by.
It was unexpected on their part. Obviously the four of them would be getting together with the other Legends in due course - but the idea had been that the visiting couple would have a few days out of the city.
''John Diggle contacted me'' Ray explained. ''He thought A.R.G.U.S. did owe us a bit of a favour - whatever the official line might be. Apparently there's an investigative journalist looking into the events at Dead End. Name of Nate Heywood.''
''He's supposed to be good'' Joanne commented ''A prize winner.''
''This is him'' Ray handed over the small photo Diggle had given him.
''We've seen him.'' Joanne commented, showing the photo to Mick. ''He was posing as a potential buyer for Dead End.''
X
It was time, Dibney thought, to bend the rules a bit. He was actually standing in this Hunter's apartment at the time, so his decision came a bit late in the day. Cops had already searched the place - but you never knew what a real professional might find - he was still smarting from the 'stray cat' comment.
Twenty minutes later, he conceded that, if the cops had been here, they hadn't missed any clues to Hunter's whereabouts. He opened the apartment door, coming face to face with a man he had an instant to recognise as one of the people he'd recently been investigating - Mick Rory.
Rory punched him. His lights went out.