Chapter 8: Game Plan

Amanda Waller hated that she found herself back in Lex Luthor's office seeking his advice. However, with several ideas floating around her head looking for some sort of connection, she realized she needed someone to talk to and Luthor was the best person she could think of.

She summed up the story as quickly as she could – naturally omitting her involvement in Bortz's death and the discovery of Batman's secret identity – and got to the problem.

"He loves her," Waller concluded. "He is still trying to figure out who we are and what we are doing, going through Kasnia to get there, but I think he is telling her what is going on as well. It never occurred to me that he would do that and I thought that I could distract him long enough to cover our tracks a bit more. I really thought he would try to protect her without her knowing which would put a distracting damper on the relationship."

"So what does he know about us?" Luthor asked, leaning over his desk. The relationship was an interesting development to be sure, but he was going to have to consider all the angles for a while.

"Nothing definite," she responded, confidentially. "But I am not sure I would be willing to say that three days from now."

"Three days? That may just work out for us," Luthor said. "Weston has promised me a working serum tomorrow. That gives us time to develop the distraction we need."

Waller looked at him for a moment. "Well, I don't know that we ought to count on Weston for come through on that deadline."

Luthor smiled. It was a wicked smile. "I think we can. But in an event, let's say that Central City will have a major distraction in three days. And then, we kill two birds with one stone. Well, three actually."

Waller looked at him for a moment. That required clarification. "Three?"

"We test Weston's work," he said holding up one finger, "and we take out two League members using the weaker one to take out the stronger one." He held up two more fingers.

"How?"

Luthor smiled. "That's the beauty of it."

And he proceeded to tell her.

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Flash was early to the meeting, which alerted Diana that something was going on. Bringing her an iced mocha, on the other hand, clinched it.

"What?" she asked him directly.

"I wanted to be alone with you. You've got to be used to men wanting to be alone with you by now," he said with a grin.

"I would have believed that if it was just the iced mocha. But you are five minutes early to a meeting. This means you wanted to have another meeting with me."

Flash beamed at her. "Ah, brains and beauty. Princess, why won't you run away and marry me?"

Diana laughed. "It would serve you right if I did. It would teach you an excellent lesson."

"You wound me," Flash said in a tone that suggested he was anything but, and then grew serious again.

"Just ask me, Flash. You just proposed marriage so I promise not to hurt you," Diana said gently.

Flash smiled again but it was short-lived. "There is a lot of chatter in Central City about how things are going to change. I think that means they must be close to getting whatever it was that gave Sally her powers. So, I am asking you this because, well, it would help me. Do you have a weakness? Like kryptonite or something?"

On one level, Diana did understand why Flash asked. It would have given him the advantage should the serum be successfully distributed and he may well find himself in need of any and all advantages he could get. However, it was such a personal question from a man who hadn't wanted to share his secret identity even when their lives were on the line that she felt it was a violation of some understood code of conduct.

The look that Diana gave him prompted Flash to say "Hey! You promised not to hurt me!"

It was at that moment, Batman walked into the conference room.

"Princess, never make a promise like that," he said simply and took his normal chair.

"It was a valid question!" Flash said louder and shriller than he meant to.

"The short answer is no," Diana answered. "There is a weakness in my armor but that won't help you."

Batman arched an eyebrow at them both. Diana turned to Flash. She wasn't angry, but her expression was a bit hurt.

"Flash, I would not have let you go into battle with people with my powers alone and without all the information that you could use to help you. You should trust me."

"Trusting that all the available information has been provided has gotten many killed, Princess," Batman bit back, surprising the other two that he was taking Flash's side.

Diana turned to face him with an expression like ice. "You weren't exactly on my good side even before you said that." The spark in her eye told him another story however.

"A tragedy worthy of the Greeks," Batman said dryly.

Diana smiled, but Flash started to tremble with laughter and snorted, which gave Diana a case of the giggles, although she had no idea what was so funny. So, when Green Lantern, Superman and J'onn entered the conference room, it was clear that Diana and Flash were laughing at something Batman had said.

Superman took the scene in and turned to J'onn. "Check to make sure that is the real Batman, would you?" he said with a smirk.

Batman glared at both Superman and J'onn. "I wasn't funny."

Composed again, Diana smiled. "No, he really wasn't. He just defused an awkward moment."

Flash was having a harder time composing himself. "I…can…see….it," he gasped between laughs. "The….Wrath….of….Wonder..Woman…We…just….need….to…get...Batman to scream 'Diana' at some point."

Green Lantern smiled at his friend. "All right, Flash, I think you have lost it."

It took Flash a few minutes to get himself together, mostly because he kept trying out his best James T. Kirk-like "Diana!" scream. Diana, who did not get the reference, was confused. All of them were ready to get the meeting under way.

Once Flash regained his composure, Superman looked at Diana. "You called this meeting."

Diana looked at each member as she spoke. "Batman has found the person who is working on my blood. He wants to wait to move until we have found the 'bigger fish,' I believe is the expression. I would like to move on the information we have. Since both strategies have their pros and cons, we have decided to bring it to the group for a decision."

"We?" Batman asked darkly. Diana glared at him. Superman smiled.

Green Lantern spoke, a puzzled expression on his face. "We know the guy doing the work. We know who the lead candidates are for the first injections and we know that Luthor is bankrolling the process. What else are we hoping to learn?"

"How Luthor and Weston met," Batman replied. "Someone serves as a common element between the two. That person was behind the Kasnia research and, I think that person was in charge the first time we dealt with stolen Amazon powers."

Superman looked at the Dark Knight. "You think this project will come back if we don't stop it at the source?"

Bruce nodded. If the Man of Steel agreed with him, it would be a short and easy meeting.

"How long do you need?"

"That is an interesting question," Batman answered. "Weston's deadline is tomorrow but he will not have a reliable, long-lasting serum to deliver."

"I thought you hadn't destroyed the lab" Lantern said.

"I didn't. But I can tell you that what Weston is trying to do can't be done, permanently."

All the other members gave Batman a look that made it clear they needed a bit of clarification. He was tempting to not give it to them until Diana's fist landed solidly on the table.

"You took some, didn't you?" she demanded, the hurt and rage in her voice were struggling for control. "When you visited his lab. To see if you could make your own."

Batman looked at her impassively.

"How else was I going to neutralize it?" he asked.

"You neutralize it by walking in there and destroying all the samples," she retorted.

"That assumes that all the samples are housed there," he replied.

Diana stared at him for a moment, wanting to punch him in jaw for presenting her with such flawless logic. She didn't need to look at the other members of the League to know that she had just lost and they would side with Batman on the plan.

"Touché," Flash said in a stage whisper.

"Can you," Superman asked Batman, "neutralize it then?"

Batman slowly turned his head until he was facing Superman. It was the question he wanted someone to ask.

"Yes. I have created what is basically a blocker. Given either before or after receiving the serum, it blocks any powers. The serum does wear off on its own in about five hours."

"A lot of damage can be done in five hours," Green Lantern said.

"What happens after the five hours?" Flash asked.

That was the question Batman had hoped no one would ask.

"I had to come here before I could finish the modeling. Early simulations are divided on the outcome. Most models suggested a sudden, but not fatal, drop in blood pressure. One model suggested the opposite – a fatal and sudden rise in blood pressure. I need to run more simulations."

"How does the blocker change the equation?"

"The blocker keeps them from getting Wonder Woman's powers and so they do not have any side effects when they disappear."

Diana looked at Bruce. Something didn't make sense.

"Let's assume that they get the serum and then don't call attention to themselves until after the powers start to kick in. If they don't get the blocker until then, aren't they still going to have side effects?"

Batman looked at her, appreciatively. She was smart and she put things together quickly. After all the disagreeing they had been doing recently, a gentle reminder as to why their relationship was worth the risks was something of a blessing.

"There is a bell curve of power," Batman explained. "After 150 minutes, the serum and therefore the powers, reach full potency. If they take the blocker before then, it tears their system less. So, if the model with the fatal outcome is correct, we have some time to prevent it."

"In theory," Diana added.

"It is all theory until someone actually gets the serum," he responded fiercely.

Superman shifted in his chair a little, trying to regain control over the meeting.

"Then we wait no more than three days," he said "By then, if we don't see evidence of the serum being used, we take down the lab. All right?"

The other members made noises of agreement and Superman dismissed the meeting. Batman took a deep breath and did what he knew he had to.

"Flash and Diana, stay here."

They looked at each other but stayed in their seats. Once the rest of the Founders left, Batman looked at them.

"We need a plan," he said simply. "Flash, you are best suited to know when things change in Central City. I want to know when it does."

Flash pouted a little. "I was going to follow the rules and call it in to J'onn."

"No, you call it in to me," Batman said sternly.

Flash looked at him. Even in the mask, it was clear he had paled a bit. "Okay."

Diana looked at Batman. "What planning do we need until we know what is going on and where it is happening?"

Batman looked at her for a moment. He was not in the mood to deal with a grumpy Amazon.

"You're right. You can go. Flash and I need to discuss likely targets and develop a strategy for them, but he can inform you en route when something happens."

She glared at them both for a moment. Her temper had gotten the best of her and she hadn't been thinking clearly, but rather than admit it she nodded at them both and walked out the room.

Batman repressed a grin as she walked out, although he knew that he had hurt her pride and Amazonian pride did not heal quickly or easily.

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Author's Note: I know that with such a delay, the chapter should be better – but ah well! I am sorry to all those I may have offended by suggesting that Flash was a Star Trek fan. However, I do suspect he is. I promise there will be some more action in the next chapter.