AlphaOmega Protocol

by Syl

With the Justice League compromised, it is up to Young Justice to save the day.

9. Chapter 9

Summary: The Team takes back the Watchtower.

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Alpha-Omega Protocol

By Syl Francis

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The Watchtower

Day 2/1030 EDT

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Within an hour, history was repeating itself.

Batman threw Robin bodily, sending the Boy Wonder careening across the Watchtower's park-like solarium. He came to a jarring stop when he slammed against the viewing window. A product of alien hybrid technology, comprised of transparent Kryptonian/Thanagarian/Martian composite materials, the window's practically indestructible components made it the immovable object to Robin's irresistible force. Therefore, when he crashed against it, he crumpled onto the solarium floor, momentarily stunned.

"I've seen this movie already," he groaned. "Time to change the channel." Seeing the approaching bat-like shadow getting inexorably nearer, Robin managed to regain his feet and resumed a defensive stance. Ignoring the slight wobble on his left side as he stood, he took out his specially designed escrima sticks. He hadn't had a chance to test them thoroughly yet, so it appeared they were about to get a trial by combat.

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The Watchtower

Day 2/1030 EDT

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With the full Young Justice team on hand, it was only a matter of time before the League began to fall one by one. Klarion the Witch Boy took an impish delight in reporting the steady fall of Savage's soldiers. As a Lord of Chaos he could have told Savage that sometimes the Laws of Order would prevail despite the odds. Because the children were fighting, not against their usual gallery of rogues, but rather against the most important people in their lives, it was practically a foregone conclusion that they would win the day.

Klarion had witnessed this level of single-mindedness throughout human history. Unfortunately, for him and all those whose powers came from following the Laws of Chaos, the results were rarely pretty—from the wimpy middle school student standing up to a bully, to an oppressed people overthrowing a despotic government—right often won over might.

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The Watchtower

Day 2/1040 EDT

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Robin feinted. As Batman fell for the ruse, his protégé went into a double layout with a twist. He pressed the control switch on his nth-belt and winked out just as Batman went on the offensive with a roundhouse kick. Dick reappeared as he was directly over the Dark Knight. Activating the electric charges on the ends of his escrima sticks, he struck out at both sides of his mentor's head with rapid, debilitating blows.

Falling to his knees, Batman roared at the unexpected pain. Robin felt something inside him clench at the sight of his mentor/partner/father rendered almost helpless by his actions. But it was only because he had been watching so closely that he executed a double twist in time to dodge the batarang just as Batman threw it. This wasn't working. It was time for Plan B.

"Superboy!"

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The Watchtower

Day 2/1050 EDT

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Klarion sighed as he watched more of the infected Leaguers disappear from his monitor and fell from his control. Shrugging philosophically he said, "Oh, well…you win some, you lose some." He stroked Teekl and sat back, waiting for the inevitable outcome. "At this rate, the junior league will be in the control room and take back the Watchtower in less than an hour." He spoke gleefully as he made this observation, knowing how much it would annoy Vandal Savage, the Light's so-called leader. As if a Lord of Chaos could ever serve under such a dimwit.

Savage glared at him, fully understanding the witch boy's enjoyment of the setback. "It's time to leave," he said. "The children have won the day."

"Want me to smite them? Show them the true meaning of chaos?" Klarion asked, eager to cause some real destruction.

"No! You'll only get carried away and bring down the whole satellite. And we need the Justice League for the next phase."

"No, I wouldn't!" Klarion looked insulted. "I've so got total control!" Teekl meowed and rubbed his head gently against his master's chest. Klarion looked down at him and smiled fondly. "Oh, all right," he admitted, grinning wickedly. "I would so totally lose control and bring down the Chaos, destroying the whole place in the process." He shrugged. "Oh, well."

The witch boy flicked his hand casually and conjured a boom tube. He politely waved Savage to precede him into the tube; with a final backward glance, Klarion stepped in after him. The tube winked out, leaving no evidence of its ever having been there.

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The Watchtower

Day 2/1050 EDT

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Robin fought a delaying action against Batman, giving Superboy time to get to him. From a distance, the Dynamic Duo appeared to be involved in a complicated game of keep away. Batman would advance cautiously and then launch a vicious attack, while Robin would stand his ground until the last possible second and then avoid any debilitating contact by executing yet another Olympic level gymnastics move. However, he was only human and couldn't keep it up all day.

"SB…ready any time you are." Robin spoke calmly, but the underlying tension was obvious.

"Sorry. Big Blue just sent me through the floor." Superboy sounded a little dazed.

"What's your location?"

"One level below you.

"Got it. I'm coming to you." This time when Batman attacked, Robin met him almost head on. He quickly feinted, ducked under the inevitable counterblow, and struck his much more experienced opponent behind the knees with a savage kick, holding nothing back. Batman grunted in pain as he went down. Meanwhile, Robin took off in the direction of the giant hole in the floor. Just as he was about to dive in, he was struck from behind. Instead of a controlled dive, Robin tumbled in head over heels.

At the last second, however, he regained a semblance of control and twisted his body sufficiently that he landed safely, next to Superboy. He gave the Boy of Steel an ironic look. "Sorry…having a tough day at the office."

"What?"

"Never mind." Robin spoke quickly as a dark shadow descended upon them. "Time for Plan B." Nodding, Superboy grabbed him by the wrists, and spun him 360 degrees. As soon as Batman landed, Superboy released Robin. The Boy Wonder went flying feet-first straight toward Batman and rammed into him with the force of a Mack truck. The momentum was enough to shove the Caped Crusaders several feet until they both crashed into the interior bulkhead. Batman took the brunt of the collision and soundlessly fell unconscious.

Robin reached into his utility belt and pulled out one of the two remaining mini-aerosol bottles and sprayed Batman with the antidote. Discarding the small vial, he immediately ran to where Superboy was valiantly holding Superman in a headlock. If it weren't for the fact that the Man of Steel's free will was subjugated and thus his fighting prowess compromised, Superboy would never have been able to hold him for as long as he had.

Running toward them, Robin pulled out a small lead-lined box from a special compartment in his utility belt. Armed with the box and aerosol bottle, Robin felt ready to face the Last Son of Krypton. Gazing intently at Superboy, Robin gave him one more chance to back out.

"Are you sure about this?" he asked, already knowing the answer.

"Just do it!" Superboy grunted due to the effort he was expending just holding onto the Man of Steel. Not needing to be told twice, Robin opened the box and revealed its contents—a glowing green rock, deadly to the two Kryptonians. Fortunately, Superman took the brunt of the radiation while his invulnerable body acted as a shield that somewhat protected Superboy. He gave a weak groan as he slowly collapsed.

Not wasting any time, Robin sprayed Superman with the antidote. Then, just to be on the safe side, he locked a meta-powers negation necklace around his neck. It was only then that he realized that Superboy had also succumbed to the Kryptonite and was lying unconscious underneath Superman. Sighing, Robin grabbed him by the arms and heaved. He struggled for a few moments before he was finally able to pull the Boy of Steel out from under his "father."

Satisfied that Superman was not going to suddenly wake up and attack again, the Boy Wonder made his way over to where his mentor was lying in a heap against the bulkhead. He gently straightened Batman so that he was lying supine, and hopefully, more comfortably. Then, feeling tired from day's grueling activities, Robin leaned against the bulkhead and slowly slid down to a sitting position on the floor next to his mentor. He reached over and pulled Batman's head onto his lap.

"Don't worry, B. It's okay to sleep. I've got your back…"

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The Watchtower

Day 2/1300 EDT

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As soon as they had Watchtower secured, they contacted Alfred and began the process of transporting unconscious Leaguers from Robin's Lair to the Watchtower infirmary. Following each encounter against the Justice League, the Team had taken their unconscious mentors to the Lair for recovery, hopefully in a secure location that was capable of holding them. The first three groups had been given the antidote at approximately 05:30 EDT. Although several hours had already passed, none had regained consciousness, which was a growing cause of concern.

The Team contacted Dr. Pieter Cross, also known as the hero, Dr. Mid-Nite, physician to the Justice League. A doctor first and hero second, Dr. Mid-Nite was a JL reserve member and rarely deployed on League missions. His primary task was to ensure that the Watchtower infirmary was run efficiently and that heroes who were injured in the line of duty received the finest medical care available.

He had personally trained several Leaguers in emergency first aid and had selected a handful for further training, certifying them as emergency medical technicians (EMTs), capable of serving in any emergency room in the world. Unfortunately, most of his handpicked EMTs were lying unconscious in the infirmary.

The infirmary beds were comprised of the most advanced medical technology available—human, Atlantean, Amazonian, and alien. Each bed was coded to its patient's needs, able to take reading of their vitals. Directly above the bed, and linked to the physician's station, was a continuously updated monitor that detailed the patient's vitals. In addition, the bed enveloped the patient in a protective, healing aura that helped speed up the body's natural healing process.

Dr. Mid-Nite requested that Aqualad contact Atlantis to consult with the scientists that had developed the serum. He stood by somewhat impatiently as Aqualad spoke with Queen Mera and both the royal physician and royal scientist/mage, exchanging in exceedingly polite greetings per protocol. After the preliminary small talk was out of the way, Aqualad finally got down to business.

From what the royal scientist/mage was saying, Dr. Mid-Nite surmised that because of the urgency to develop a serum that would counteract the mind-controlling nanotech, the Atlanteans had not had sufficient time to completely study all possible side effects. The nanotech had worked on aliens, humans, and even Red Tornado, a robot; therefore, the antidote had to be somewhat invasive and radical—much like chemotherapy attacking cancer cells.

"Aqualad…how fares my husband and my king?" Queen Mera asked. Although, she kept her outward features impassive, the queen could not quite mask her deep concern for her beloved husband.

"King Arthur has not awakened yet, my Queen." Aqualad bowed his head slightly in contrition. "Indeed, none of our mentors has regained consciousness. We are becoming worried."

"If I may speak?" the royal scientist/mage asked politely. At his queen's nod, he continued. "The serum has some magical elements to it, which were needed to counteract the mystical properties we discovered hidden within the nanotech." He shrugged. "Perhaps that is what is affecting the recipients as they are non-magical?"

"Perhaps," Aqualad conceded, "however, that would not explain Dr. Fate. He is a Lord of Order, and yet, he too has yet to regain consciousness."

"Are the patients in any kind of stress?" the royal physician asked.

Aqualad stepped aside to allow Dr. Mid-Nite to answer. The hero physician quickly introduced himself before answering the question. "As far as we can determine from the readings we are currently getting, the patients are not in any type of stress. We are concerned only because this mind-control nanotech and its antidote are both completely new. As of now, I can only keep the patients comfortable and continue monitoring them. I am currently running tests on their blood cells to see how they are transforming."

"May I suggest that you send us your findings, Doctor?" the royal scientist/mage asked. "Perhaps we can be of help from this end."

"In the meantime, I recommend that you continue with what you are currently doing to keep your patients comfortable," the royal physician said kindly. "Perhaps all the body needs is further rest, and each being—including our beloved king—will regain consciousness in his or her own good time?"

Dr. Mid-Nite and Aqualad nodded in acknowledgement. "Perhaps you are correct," Dr. Mid-Nite said.

Aqualad stepped forward. He brought his closed fist up to his chest and bowed formally. "My Queen, thank you for giving us an audience. I shall keep you apprised of the king's condition, of course."

"Thank you, Kaldur. Fair seas and deep oceans to thee, Kaldur'ahn," Queen Mera said formally as she signed off.

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The Watchtower

Day 2/1800 EDT

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Much to everyone's relief, soon after Aqualad and Dr. Mid-Nite spoke with Atlantis, the first of the heroes began showing signs of waking—Green Lantern Hal Jordan. Soon after, he was joined by Green Arrow, Red Arrow, and Black Canary. As the afternoon passed, more Leaguers awakened. They all complained of blinding headaches, nausea, and a general achiness. Thankfully, these symptoms were all easily treated with more bed rest, and in a few cases, frequent assisted trips to the bathroom, or in the case of extreme emergency, a handy basin kept near the patient.

If it were not for the fact that the adult heroes were so sick and miserable, the teens would have thought of their plight as nothing less than hilarious. However, the afternoon's hard work had only just started. The teens found themselves being run ragged in cleaning up some rather disgusting accidents that resulted from an extremely weakened hero throwing up before anyone could get him a basin. In one case, even Kid Flash's super-speed was not enough to save him from being spewed on by Plastic Man. Who knew the shape-shifter even had a stomach capable of digesting real food?

As the hours passed, the world's greatest heroes' discomfort slowly passed and soon they were mostly resting comfortably. Several mentors and partners had already had a heart-to-heart, the juniors' relief evident in the often laughter-laced, quiet conversations occurring around the infirmary. A few were also tearful as the younger heroes finally gave voice to the deep concerns that had plagued them for the past 48 hours.

Even Superman and Superboy talked. The conversation had been a bit uncomfortable at first, but soon the Man of Steel warmed to his young clone—"A real boy, Pinocchio"—as he finally admitted to himself that the teen had been created through no fault of his own. Superboy—Conner Kent, Superman discovered to his delight—was a boy who had never felt a mother's touch or known a father's pride. While Clark Kent could do nothing about the former, he could certainly do his best to rectify the latter. He could also give him something better—the unconditional love of two of the world's finest grandparents.

"Tell me, Conner," Clark said with a smile, "do you like apple pie?"

Conner shrugged. "I don't think I've ever had any." He did not count M'Gann's burnt offerings, for he rarely knew what the charred horrors were that she frequently removed from the oven.

Clark's eyes widened at this unexpected and unacceptable news. "Well…as soon I'm up and around, you and I are going to fix that." At Conner's confused expression, Clark explained. "I'm going to introduce you to the world's greatest cook—"

"I thought that was Alfred?" Conner replied, with a quick glance toward the curtained off bed in the far corner where the unmasked Bats were hidden from prying eyes. Although Dick had revealed his secret identity to the Team, there were still members of the League who were not privy to the information.

"That is only a false rumor perpetuated by Batman," Clark said with an amused glance in the same direction. "Even Alfred bows to the superior culinary talents of Martha Kent."

Conner's eyes widened. "Martha Kent? Is that your wife?"

Unable to help himself, Clark guffawed and shook his head. "She's my ma, and now, your grandma."

"I…I have a grandma?"

"And a grandpa," Clark said with a nod. At Conner's bright smile, so filled with happiness it almost outshone the sun, Clark felt a momentary pang of guilt for having kept this boy from his family. He knew it was nothing compared to how Ma and Pa would make him feel once they found out that he had withheld knowledge of their grandson from them.

Clark had a lot of making up to do, and now was as good a time as any to start. Returning the boy's smile, Clark began regaling him with tales of growing up in Smallville, Kansas…

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The Watchtower

Day 2/2300 EDT

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Robin sat in the infirmary, watching over the still-unconscious Batman. His mentor was the last of the Justice League to remain unconscious. He had been this way for twelve hours now. Robin had been by his side for the greater part of the afternoon, helping care for the other heroes off and on until being excused by Dr. Mid-Nite. Since then, he had been here, refusing to leave Batman's bedside.

Even Alfred had been unable to entice him away with promises of chocolate chip cookies and an Alfred-special mug of homemade hot chocolate topped with whip cream and peppermint sprinkles. Alfred and Dr. Leslie Thompkins had transported to the Watchtower specifically to care for the Dark Knight. They were family, after all, and Dr. Mid-Nite welcomed Dr. Thompkins' help.

Now, it was late and Robin began nodding off. He had been operating on less than four hours sleep, and after the past two days' exertions, he was feeling very much like a 13-year-old boy and much less like a super-hero. His eyelids growing heavy, he finally gave into the inevitable and crawled in bed next to Batman. When he was only eight and suffering from regular nightmares, he had often sought solace with his guardian, climbing into his massive bed next to him only to be discovered the following morning.

Snuggling against his mentor, Robin removed his mask and laid his head down on Bruce's shoulder. Within minutes, Dick was fast asleep…

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The Watchtower

Day 3/1000 EDT

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The increased beeping from the heart monitor seeped its way into his consciousness. The next thing he was aware of was the feeling of warmth and comfort that he had not felt in a very long time. As he blinked his eyes open against the sunlight that streamed in from the infirmary's viewing window, Dick realized that he was currently being held comfortably in the crook of his mentor's arm. His head was still on Bruce's shoulder. Raising his head, he peered up into his mentor's amused eyes.

"Good morning, sleepy head," Bruce said. His dark hair was comically tousled, and his unshaven face would have given him a rakish look if not for the dark circles under his eyes. The events of the past two days had left him looking haggard and beaten. Dick sat up slowly, not wanting to leave the protection of his guardian's arm. For just a few minutes, he allowed himself the right to be just a boy.

"Hi…how do you feel?" Dick asked. "Nauseous? Headachy?"

"Not too bad…Doc Mid-Nite and Leslie were here awhile ago. They gave me something to fight off the nausea and an analgesic for the headache."

"How long ago?" Dick asked, embarrassed that someone else had seen him sleeping in Bruce's arms. He sat up, pulling his knees up to his chin.

Bruce shrugged, indifferently. "Doesn't matter." He turned his intense gaze on his boy. "And what of you? How do you feel?"

"Me? I'm fine," Dick said, unable to meet Bruce's eyes. He didn't think he had ever felt more un-fine in his entire life, even after the time Two-Face had beaten him within an inch of his life. "You know…really feeling the 'aster."

"I'm sorry, buddy…for everything." As Bruce spoke he gently ran his hand up and down Dick's arm.

His guardian's words and gentle ministrations triggered the release of every emotion Dick had been suppressing for the past 48 hours. Unable to help himself, the teen broke down, his tears falling uncontrollably, his lithe body wracked violently by harsh sobs. He practically fell on top of Bruce again, seeking the solace that only his father could give. He cried unashamedly for several minutes, held gently in Bruce's arms.

"It wasn't your fault, Bruce…" he sobbed. "I know you couldn't help yourself. I'm sorry, I got so scared."

"Don't apologize, Dicky. I'm the one who should've been protecting you." Bruce spoke in low, angry raspy voice, the Bat superimposing his anger at his alter ego for failing to protect his son and partner. "Instead, I—"

"—Instead, you trained me so that I could protect us both." Dick spoke quietly, swallowing another sob that threatened to escape. "I got scared at first because I didn't think I was strong enough to save us…to save you." His voice hitched slightly, cracking under the strain. "But I couldn't let myself be afraid 'cause I knew you and the others were depending on me…and the rest of the Team." He sat up and smiled proudly at his mentor. "You didn't just train me, Bruce…you trained us all. Because of you…we saved the day."

Bruce looked up at the boy he had raised and trained for the past four years—the boy he had first made his ward, then his partner, and now his son. His chest swelling with pride, Bruce raised his hand and ran it up down the boy's cheek, feeling truly happy for a fleeting moment at least. This young boy, who was quickly developing into a fine young man, had helped him move past his own pain and inner darkness, and in the process, had shown him the way back to the light of day.

"Yes, you sure did," Bruce said with a slight half-smile. "You and the Team definitely saved the day. I'm very proud of you, Dick. I don't think that I—or even the Justice League—could've done better."

Dick's smile mirrored that of his mentor's. Briefly, father and son enjoyed a quiet respite from their mutual duties.

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The Watchtower

Day 3/1300 EDT

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After the midday meal, Batman and Robin made their way to the Watchtower conference room. Batman appeared none the worse for wear, which was a complete lie, Robin knew. The Boy Wonder kept a close eye on his partner in case he began to tire, and rather than do the intelligent thing and return to his quarters, chose instead to continue wearing himself out. Batman knew that was why Robin was at his side and glared at him as reminder of who was in charge. Taking a lesson from Alfred's Book of How to Handle a Bat, Robin chose to ignore him.

The Justice League's seven founding members and one additional member were already present as the Dynamic Duo walked in. Batman's cape swirled dramatically behind him as he crossed over to take his seat to the right of Superman, while Robin remained standing directly behind him and to his right. Also seated were Wonder Woman, the Flash, Green Lanterns Hal Jordan and John Stewart, Hawk Woman, and the Martian Manhunter.

Batman pressed a button on the table in front of him, which activated a virtual computer station. Standing up, he nodded at his junior partner. "Robin."

Robin immediately sat in Batman's seat and took over the computer station. "I accessed the Watchtower's security files while Superboy and I conducted a recon mission," he explained. "To make a long story short, I discovered that five of the founding members—Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman, Hawk Woman, Martian Manhunter—and GL John Stewart were sent to an undisclosed location via boom tube on or about 1800 EDT of the first day and returned sixteen hours later...1000 EDT of the second day. There is no record—digital, video, or audio—that explains where you six were sent."

"Or what we did." Batman's low, raspy voice sounded almost loud in the sudden, stunned silence.

"Great Hera! We could have been sent anywhere on Earth—" Wonder Woman said, shocked.

"We went by boom tube! Never mind Earth! We could have been sent anywhere in the galaxy!" added Hawk Woman.

"And done anything while under mind control," Green Lantern John Stewart grimly reminded them.

"With our combined powers and abilities," Superman said, reeling from the information, "the amount of destruction that we are capable of is staggering." He turned to Batman. "We need to follow up on this and trace our steps. If only for our own peace of mind, we must find out where we went and what we did."

"Agreed," Wonder Woman seconded. "Now, on the second order of business…J'onn, did you and M'Gann take care of Roy?"

"My niece and I were able to break through the mind blocks that had been imposed on him. Roy was apparently kidnapped shortly after becoming partners with Green Arrow. If you remember, three months after his debut as Speedy, he went missing for about two weeks." At the others' nods of confirmation, he continued. "Afterward, Speedy had no memory of his ordeal. He was given a clean bill of health and returned to his work with Green Arrow."

"Apparently, while he was gone, Roy was subjected to a series of hypnosis sessions with Psimon. The powerful psychic placed a mental trigger in Roy's subconscious, making him the mole that we've suspected having for some time. They also gave him a post hypnotic suggestion to join the League. This manifested in his driving himself until he was League worthy. This is also why he was so angry on the Fourth of July when he was initially told that he wasn't being inducted that day."

"And why he refused to join Young Justice," the Flash interjected. "He was driven to join the League, and when he was finally inducted, his post-hypnotic command to turn us all into Vandal Savage's mindless puppets kicked in."

"So, again…what do we do about it?" Hawk Woman broke in. "Red Arrow was officially inducted into the League. Does he stay in or do we drum him out?"

"Why should we drum him out, as you say?" Superman asked. "J'onn just told us that he and his niece took care of the mental triggers. Roy's clean, so to speak."

"I agree," Batman said. "Like the rest of us while under the Light's mind control, Roy was not responsible for his actions. And like the rest of us, he's probably feeling enough guilt for his actions. I think the boy has been punished enough."

"I agree with Bats," the Flash said. "If that were Wally, I know that the last thing I'd want is to see him punished for something that wasn't his fault. Roy needs his family right now—and that includes all of us. Because if there's one thing that's an absolute fact it's that the Justice League and Young Justice are all family."

"And family takes care of its own," added GL Hal Jordan. "And speaking of family, the Jordans have a New Year's Eve get together tradition at my parents. Lots of siblings, aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews that I don't get to see as often as I wish will be there." With his words, Jordan stood to excuse himself.

"And it doesn't hurt that Carol promised to be there, eh, Hal?" Stewart asked slyly. Grinning broadly, Jordan simply waved and walked out. He was soon followed by the rest of the Leaguers, leaving only Superman and the Bats behind.

"I understand that you and Superboy had a talk," Batman said. At Superman's nod, the Dark Knight gave him a slight half-smile. Turning to look at Robin, he gently ran his gloved hand through the boy's hair. "I'm glad."

Superman rewarded him with a bright smile. "So am I." With a nod at the two Bats, he also got up and left. He had two grandparents anxiously waiting to meet their grandson.

Once they were alone, Batman gave his young partner a knowing look. "What haven't you told me?"

Robin sighed. He knew better than to keep a secret from the World's Greatest Detective. "I was waiting for the right time to tell you. Batman, you weren't gone for only these missing sixteen hours. Six hours before you and the others were transported to who knows where, you left the satellite accompanied by Ra's al Ghul. Again, because you were transported by boom tube, I don't have a destination. But this time, you were gone for four hours. You were returned at 1600 EDT, only to be transported out again with the others at 1800 EDT."

"Ra's al Ghul…" Batman growled. "If I left with him then it's highly probably that I was taken to one of his satraps."

"That's true. And we know the locations of several of his hideouts already, so—"

"So, we can run a check on any energy spikes that match boom tube activity around the world for the time frame that I was transported out and returned."

"Way ahead of you," Robin said excitedly already running a check that matched the energy signature that he had spotted while he was reconning the satellite. "And here it is!" he cried out in triumph. "At approximately 1200 EDT, there was boom tube activity somewhere in the middle of the Bialyan desert…Close to an hour later at 1251 EDT another energy spike registered in the same location, and…a matching spike was recorded in southern Asia inside the Himalayan range." Robin kept working for further information, finally locating the last of the energy spikes. "At 1359 EDT an energy spike appeared in the same location, which was followed by the matching spike here in the Watchtower."

Batman nodded. "If those energy spikes correspond with my being taken from the satellite, then for some reason I was transported to one of Ra's satraps in the desert, only be taken to his headquarters in the Himalayas."

"The question is why?" Robin looked confused. "Why would he take you to those places only to return you, and then send you away again?"

"That, Robin, is the million dollar question." Sighing, Batman laid his hand on his partner's shoulder. "It doesn't appear that we're going to answer it today. It's been a long week, Robin. Let's head home."

End of Part 9

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Author's Note: I just wanted to say thanks to everyone who signed on for story alert or favored the story, and, of course, thanks to everyone for reviewing. You basically got me kick-started into finishing it. Thanks. Next…the Epilogue!

Disclaimer: All characters belong to DC, Time Warner, and CN; this is an original story that doesn't intend to infringe on their copyright. Feedback is welcome.

Copyright: January 2013