Usual Suspects
Washington D.C.
December 30, 09:16 EST
Today was the day. Saying that feels almost unreal. The Star City sidekicks were finally being inducted into the Justice League. Standing next to Roy, I scanned the crowd for anyone I knew. There were a few reporters I recognized, a few friends of current Leaguers were there too. The Team was instructed to stay in the Hall of Justice, despite a very vocal argument from myself and Roy, so they were nowhere to be seen.
My eyes stopped in the front row. My dad was there, smiling widely at me. Next to him, my grandfather stood stiff, his pale eyes full of pride. And between the two of them, standing shorter than both of them, was a girl about 11 or 12, with short blonde hair and bright green eyes. It was Alli. I had had the opportunity to meet her during my weeks off earlier in the month and my dad and I both knew we wouldn't be able to keep her away from this life for very long. He had already told her about Ted and himself, who they were, what he was. But when I spoke to her about my training, her eyes lit up, a wide, excited smile spread across her face. She hadn't admitted it then, but we all knew she wanted to get into the family business.
"The Justice League was formed for two reasons." Superman snapped me out of my stupor, making me straighten up a bit and stand at attention, "First, as an acknowledgement that no single individual, no matter how powerful, can solve all the world's problems alone. And second, to uphold the values of truth, liberty and justice. That, uh, last one's even in the name."
He got a few chuckles from the crowd, my dad included, before the Man of Steel turned his head in the direction of the League's inductees, "These six heroes have sworn to uphold those values, and serve the people of the world as members of the Justice League. We thank them for their contributions, not only as heroes, but as global citizens continuing to fight for the common good."
The crowd applauded as Superman went down the line, handing League membership cards to Doctor Fate, the Atom, Plastic Man and Icon. Ollie walked down the line to Roy, handed him his card and shook his hand firmly.
"Congratulations, Roy. You've earned this." I heard GA say to him.
"Thanks, Ollie. For everything."
Someone cleared their throat in front of me. I looked up to see Dinah standing there, a smile on her face, tears brimming in her eyes.
"I am so proud of you, Kara. You've worked so hard for this and now," She handed a membership card to me. Wildcat, Designation 22. It was really happening.
"Dinah, I- you have no idea how much it's meant to me to be your protégé. I couldn't have asked for a better mentor." I was fighting back tears, thankfully the mask hid them from the public eye. Dinah wrapped her arms around me and I hugged her back, "Thank you so much, Dinah."
"No, Kara. Thank you." We let go of each other and I pocketed my membership card. It was official, Wildcat was the newest member of the Justice League. I glanced around Dinah's shoulder at my family, but I was ushered away by Roy.
"You can see them later today. Ollie told me that we have to head to the Watchtower first."
The six of us followed BC, Batman and RT into the Hall, we would enter the Watchtower through the zeta tube in the library, which meant that Roy and I could meet the Team before we went up to HQ.
"Ready to see the inner sanctum?" Canary asked us.
"Born that way." I replied, remembering that first day at the Hall.
"Plus six months." Roy added with a ridiculous grin, slinging his arm around my shoulder.
"I'm sure the Team would want to congratulate you all first."
"You don't know Racquel, that is, Rocket." Icon said warily, "After making her wait inside, congratulations may not be the first thing on her mind."
The doors to the library opened, but-
"Though I thought she would at least stick around."
Robin had hacked the League's computers several weeks ago to receive any alerts regarding the attaché case that Artemis had let slip during the New Orleans mission. That would have been the only reason why the Team would have left the Hall. I informed Batman and he immediately motioned for me to follow him.
"Canary, Icon. Come with us." He instructed as he walked up to the zeta tube. He punched in the coordinates for the Cave.
"Recognized: Batman, zero two, Icon, two zero, Black Canary, one three, Wildcat, two two."
We waited at the Cave for several hours before the Team returned. Their polar stealth gear was soaked from being out in the snow and they carried with them the attaché case that Sportsmaster had obtained in New Orleans. Kaldur debriefed the four of us on what had happened.
Cheshire had retrieved the case from Sportsmaster and was transporting it cross-country but her plane had gone down over the Rocky Mountains. The Team had gone to investigate, but were ambushed by a very much alive Cheshire, the Riddler, Mammoth and several members of the League of Shadows. They had apprehended the three felons, all of whom were now on their way back to Belle Reve.
"Tell me if this sounds familiar. You hacked League systems, disobeyed protocol and endangered you lives." It sounded like Batman was gonna rip them a new one, but his mood changed in the blink of an eye, "And your initiative resulted in the capture of three escaped felons, proving Warden Strange runs Belle Reve as a cover for criminal activity. Well done."
The Team relaxed. So did I, pulling my mask off my face and walking over to the now open case. Inside it were several small almost microchip-like devices.
"But now there's this." I pulled one of the pieces out of the case to get a closer look, "A form of bio-tech combined with a form of nanocircuitry."
I handed the piece to Icon, "Though I am unfamiliar with the species, the bio-component is clearly not of Earth."
We both looked to Batman. He turned to the Team.
"We'll take it to the Watchtower for further study."
I nodded. Icon placed the bio-tech back in the case and I shut it, before taking it off the table and pulling my mask back over my face. I wanted to stay behind. I wanted to hear what the Team had found, but I couldn't. Not anymore. This was the Team's mission, not the League's. I stepped into the zeta tube after Batman disappeared, glanced back at my former Team for a moment and then I was gone.
The Watchtower was unlike anything I had ever seen before, and I thought I had seen a lot. The zeta tubes led directly to the League's conference room, where a large U-shaped table sat before a massive glass wall. Below us was a beautiful garden, complete with birds and squirrels. But it was what lay beyond that which pulled my attention so far away that I didn't even notice that Batman had taken the case from my hand. The Eastern Hemisphere was blanketed in darkness, but the lights of cities shown bright in the darkness as the Earth was surrounded by a halo of sunlight. It was... breathtaking.
I didn't know how much time had passed, but I was briefly taken out of my stupor when someone placed a hand between my shoulders. I didn't look to see who it was. That was my mistake. A twinge in my neck and all of a sudden, I no longer controlled my own actions. My body stiffened. I couldn't look anywhere but straight ahead, my eyes wouldn't go where I told them to. I was trapped inside my own mind.
I watched helplessly as Roy pressed the nanotech that we had acquired from the Team to the necks of each and every Leaguer. Everyone stiffened like I did, and then as if on command, fell into two files, as though we were soldiers waiting for our commanding officer. This was bad. With the entirety of the Justice League under their control, whoever was behind this could do just about anything.
I heard footsteps approaching, but I didn't turn my head to see who it was. Red Arrow and Batman passed us and approached the zeta tubes. Batman began to type in clearance codes.
"Override. Batman, zero two."
"Recognized. Access granted. Vandal Savage, A zero four." Vandal stepped out of the zeta tube, a wicked smirk on his face. We all fell into ranks and kneeled before him. It made me sick, bowing to that son of a bitch. But I had no choice in the matter. Roy was the only one still standing. All of a sudden, it was as though he had just woken up from a nap. He looked around to see what he had done, a look of pure horror across his face.
"I-, I was the mole?"
"Yes... yes, you were." Savage replied.
No. Not Roy! That- that couldn't be right! I've known him for years! He never would have... but he did. He betrayed us all, whether he knew it or not. I wanted to hate him, I wished that I could. But I couldn't. I could never hate him. Not even after this. I knew he wouldn't have the same mindset. He would despise himself for this. And there was nothing I could do. Nothing the League could do. Savage walked past us toward the glass wall to... bask in his triumph, I assume. Roy bolted toward the zeta tube.
"Recognized: Red Arrow, two one."
If he could make it to the Cave, to the Team, before Savage... it was up to them now. The Team was our only hope at breaking free, at stopping Savage and whatever his plan was.
I couldn't physically speak, so I sent out a silent plea, "Please, Roy. Hurry. Find the Team. Save us."
And then my mind went dark.