Robin had had just about enough of this nonsense. This was supposed to be a simple, routine mission. Catch and interrogate an associate of the Light. How hard could that be? He didn't even have superpowers or anything. Yet here they were, still searching for this guy, and it was almost morning.

"We need some sort of battle plan for when we actually find him."

"Agreed," said Aqualad. "He undoubtedly has a variety of plans and tactics equipped to deal with each of us. We need to cut off his power at the source before he can do any damage. I suspect that there is only one way to do that."

Robin nodded. "His cane. It seems to serve as some sort of remote control for all of the machines and gadgets in this place. We take out the cane, we take him out. He starts getting distressed, and tells us all about his allies. Then we start feeling tressed."

Wally sighed. "What's that even supposed to mean? The opposite of distress is called 'eustress', for your information. And it doesn't really apply here."

"Huh. Learn something new every day".

The intercom gave an electronic screech as it came on, causing Superboy to grunt and grasp his ears in pain.

"Alright my duckies, this has gone on long enough." droned Mad Mod. "You lot are probably getting as sick of this as I am. So I'll tell you what. We have a no-holds-barred final beatdown. You catch me, you get me. Understood?"

"Not really," said Rocket. "We still don't know how to find you! You could be anywhere in this damned house."

She heard the growl of a motor engine echo from down the hallway. The Team dropped to the ground and rolled to the side as a Vespa sped down the hallway. Riding the vehicle was Mad Mod. He was wearing his first outfit again, with the addition of a light coat and some old-fashioned driving goggles. He zoomed past the teens, laughing like a lunatic. The heroes got up and ran after him in hot pursuit.

Wally naturally took the lead. Within a few seconds, the speedster was right next to Mad Mod. He said, "Pull over. You're driving on the wrong side of the road."

Mad mod chuckled and jabbed him in the side with his cane. Wally lost his balance and went crashing into a wall. He was thankful that his shoulder pads took up the brunt of the damage, although his nose had started bleeding again. When the rest of the Team caught up, he coughed and pointed in the direction the Vespa had gone while he caught his breath. The Team followed the motorist into a living room. Mad Mod crashed into a sofa and was flung off the bike.

He got up and shrugged off his coat. He didn't seem to be hurt by the collision at all.

Superboy said, "I don't know what was stupider. Taking time to change outfits in the middle of battle or thinking you could drive a motor scooter in your house. You need to take the whole super villain thing a bit more seriously.

"Oh, don't get your knickers in a twist. The crash was a trick to get you to follow me. I'm right where I want to be."

He reached behind his couch and pulled out a grenade launcher. As Superboy lunged and him, he fired a shot directly at his chest. The explosion tore brought the "S" logo on his shirt and launched Superboy through a wall. Robotic mannequins filled the room, opening their wrists and brandishing the gun barrels inside. Mad Mod shouted, "Give me your best shot, you little brats!"

The air filled Mad Mod and his robots opened fire, filling the air with deadly projectiles. Rocket opened a force while that protected everyone except for Robin, who leapt ahead. He jumped, spun, and rolled through the air, neatly dodging very shot. He liked to think of his fighting style as a cross between circus acrobats and The Matrix. (Which he had watched one afternoon while Bruce was on a business trip. Even though he let his ward fight super villains, Bruce didn't let Dick watch R-rated movies.)

Robin kicked the grenade launcher out of Mad Mod's hands. His skeletal fingers writhed in pain for a few moments, before tightly gripping the cane. Mad Mod swung the cane at Robin, who parried with his escrima sticks. The two exchanged blows ferociously. The villain's proficiency with his weapon surprised Robin, who had to stay on his toes to keep Mad Mod at bay.

Robin was being pushed backwards against the wall as his opponent's attacks grew more and more furious. He did a back flip and bounced off the wall. He stretched out he's leg and struck the cane, snapping it in half. To his surprise, the mannequins kept attacking, and nothing in the house seemed to change. He felt a twinge of panic.

The other heroes were tearing into the mannequins, as the room devolved into total chaos. Wally seemed to be in several places at once, sometimes tricking the robots into shooting each other. Superboy charged through and onslaught of bullets, crushing everything in his path. Artemis was firing arrows in every direction. One stray arrow hit Mad Mod in the shoulder. He didn't even wince as the arrow exploded, blasting off his right arm.

Robin stepped back in shock. His stomach felt queasy until he got a better look at the severed arm. Instead of blood and bone, the end was made of metal and electrical wires. "You're a robot!" he said with surprise.

"No I'm not. It's just a scratch."

Robin rubbed his head in irritation. "Of course you are. You're arm just came off!"

"Oh, that? It's just a flesh wound. Think nothing of it."

Robin sighed. He'd had enough of this. He threw three blade discs, which embedded themselves in Mad Mod's remaining limbs. All that remained was a torso, which collapsed to the ground helplessly. "Fine. I guess the jig is up. May as well introduce you to the rest of us."

On cue, a number of trap doors around the room opened up. Out of them came several androids bearing Mad Mod's likeness. Each of them were dressed in the various outfits they had seen the villain wear throughout the day. They all ran at the heroes and attacked.

Aqualad dodged an android wearing a Gordon Ramsay costume, sidestepping it as it sliced the air with a meat cleaver. "These are a distraction. The real Neil Richards is somewhere underneath this house." he said as he smashed its metal skull."

Agreed. M'gann picked up the robot wearing a cop uniform and slammed it into the floor. I'm picking up a faint imprint of a human mind from under these trapdoors.

Rocket surrounded the Team in a blue energy field. Superboy tore up the floor and revealed a tunnel reaching downwards. Hey followed the tunnel and came to a small room lit only by the glow of several computer monitors. A plate of half-eaten fish and chips sat on the floor. It looked like it had been there for days.

A small, wizened of man sat at the computer monitors. He turned around and gave a nervous smile. "Bravo, my duckies. Looks like you've got me. Guess kids these days aren't as thick as they look."

Wally frowned. "Did he just call us fat?"

"No I called you stupid. Which you are, if you think you can take me in. My associates will send an assassin, probably Floyd Lawton, to take me out before I can tell you anything!"

Robin's eyes narrowed. "What are they afraid you would tell us?"

"Well for one thing, we employ an assassin named Floyd Lawton. Probably shouldn't have mentioned that. There's no way they'll let me tell you anything else."

"That's a risk we'll have to take, Gramps." said Superboy as he picked up the old man and carried him over his shoulder.

####

They stepped out of the house and took in some much needed fresh air. The rising sun was giving the clouds a murky pink and orange color. They were all so happy to be out of the house that they allowed themselves a brief moment of rest. Superboy set Richards down in the grass as they waited for the Bioship to return.

A loud crack rang out from over the hill. A dark splotch formed on Richards' sweater as blood seeped out onto the grass. Robin yelled, "Sniper!"

Everyone ducked and Rocket surrounded them with a barrier. After a few moments, no more shots came, and they stood up. "Everyone fan out and look for the shooter." said Aqualad. The Team split up, leaving Neil Richards alone.

Stupid kids, he thought. If the shooter had really wanted him dead, the bullet would have been between his eyes. The Light knew full well that he had a metal plate inserted into his shoulder years ago. He reached into his wound and pulled out the bullet. It was snapped somewhat like a capsule. He unscrewed it and a small pill dropped out. He swallowed it and faded into unconsciousness.

####

"The toxicology report on Neil Richards came back." said Batman, pointing at the Cave's hologram projector, which was displaying some charts and a molecular graph. "He swallowed a pill, concealed within the bullet, which has been traced to Bialyan intelligence officers. It is an experimental drug which puts the user into a coma and wipes their memory. When he wakes up, he'll have no memory of his work for the Light."

Robin was furious. "So he's just going to walk free?"

"Hardly. Richards has been suspected of a number of crimes by Scotland Yard independent of the Light. My contact said he had never found so many illegal weapons as when he searched the house. When he wakes up, he's going to jail for a long time."

"So, if nothing else, at least we put a bad guy away." said Superboy.

"Correct." said Batman, his time unchanged. "Sometimes that's all you can ask for. We'll figure out what Vandal Savage and his allies are up to eventually."

The End.