Justice League Past Imperfect 40
The next two days worth of briefings went smoothly enough. The next day was devoted to strategic planning. All of the League's founding members participated. They were surprised when Batman suggested leaving provisions in the plan for other participants in case the Legion of Doom opted to join them.
"Luthor will never help us." Superman vehemently declared.
"You weren't there." Batman countered, "He is serious about fighting Savage and the Gordonians."
"He was also serious about getting Captain Marvel and I to fight over his so-called housing project." Superman hotly argued, "All he's done since then is try to erode trust in the League."
"He does have a point." J'onn said, "You yourself commented that it was a disturbing trend that the anti-League organizations were gaining members and popularity even after Luthor's malfeasance had been revealed."
"And how did Luthor know about the Gordonians anyway?" John Stewart demanded, "If it weren't for the Watchtower and Shayera we still wouldn't know."
"He knows because he monitors the comm sats…all of them." The Question said from the open doorway.
"Who invited him?" the Flash wondered.
"I did." Batman informed them, "He has information on the Legion you need to hear."
"Very well." J'onn decided, "Question, what is it you wish to discuss?"
The Question strolled into the room and without invitation sat down at the conference table, "I was able to get a copy of Luthor's operational files, the open operations at least."
"How did you do that?" John asked.
"When I distracted both Luthor and Brainiac with my revelation of Brainiac's assistance to Savage I made a copy." The Question revealed.
"That kinda information would take more than a CD-R. Besides, a CD-Rom takes to long." The Flash countered.
"But a fifty-gig flash drive doesn't." the Question's voice was laced with humor.
"Earth doesn't have anything that big." Hawkgirl scoffed.
"WayneTech does." The Question calmly replied, "And since Batman is WayneTech, he gave me one of the prototypes."
There was a silent hush. Batman's identity, like all of the Bat family's, was a closely guarded secret. He didn't give it out beyond those in this room…and Zatanna and Wildcat. But they'd known him since before he was Batman and had guessed his identity.
"How do you know this?" J'onn asked.
"I know everything about everyone." The Question asserted.
"Green Arrow told me you go through our trash." John bitterly said.
The Question waved that thought away, "Please, we have business to discuss. By now, Brainiac knows that I invaded his database and Luthor's revised all of his operations. But the important things are that he monitors our signal devices and that when Savage took over Kaznia he began monitoring all of Kaznia's satellite traffic as well."
Another cold chill passed though the room. Finally, Superman spoke, "What do you mean he monitors our communications?"
"Brainiac broke our ciphers months ago." The Question answered, "It's a good thing the protocol is to use code-names when on the air."
"But we used the most advanced mathematical principles on Earth." Superman protested.
"As you know more than the rest of us, Brainiac isn't from Earth." The Question replied, "Even though he's been reprogrammed with Luthor's personality matrix, the bulk of his original database is intact. However, Brainiac has never encountered Mother Box. Perhaps Mr. Miracle could be persuaded to safeguard our communications with New Genesis's living computer."
"I've prepared copies of all of the data for each of you. Please see me of you have any questions. I'll be here at the Hall until we deploy." He said and then left.
L-Ron entered the room hot on the Question's departure, "Your Greenness, you have to take this call!"
"We are busy, L-Ron." J'onn reminded him.
"But it's Lex Luthor!" L-Ron blurted, "He wants to help!"
J'onn practically jumped out of his chair, "Who is he talking to right now?"
"Mrs. Dibney and Nemesis." L-Ron supplied the answer.
"Batman, you're with me!" J'onn said as the pair hustled out of the door.
"What about me?" Superman asked their departing backs.
"Looks like you're not invited." John said as he stood, "I'm going to stretch my legs."
"Hey!" the Flash yelped, "That's my line!"
"Then," John smirked, "for once you were too slow."
Flash looked nonplussed. After thirty seconds had passed he grinned, "Okay. You got me." He stood up and made his way towards the door, "I'm gonna see what Booster's up to."
"Diana," Superman turned to Wonder Woman, "would you care to go to the garden out back?"
"Of course." She smiled and they left. That left Hawkgirl and John left alone.
"I hear you broke up with Vixen." She informed him.
"Yeah." John confirmed it, "Between my being off of Earth all of the time and her international photo shoots we never had time to be together. We'd spent the better part of the last year growing apart so we decided to make it official."
"I'm sorry." Hawkgirl said. He could see in her eyes that she meant it.
"I'm surprised." He admitted, "I thought you'd be ecstatic to have the competition out of the way."
"I want you to be happy." She said, "However that occurs and whatever makes that happen is fine with me. I love you John but I'm not going to be an anchor around your neck. You still have misgivings about me and I can't blame you."
John studied her before replying with, "You have changed. You've never been reflective before. An impulsive, reckless, headstrong Shayera, yes. A willing to admit you're wrong, thoughtful Shayera, that was the stuff of dreams."
"So you prefer me this way?" Hawkgirl hesitantly asked.
"I don't know." John confessed, "I fell in love with the old Shayera. This new one may take some getting used to."
"Tell me about it." Hawkgirl grumped, "I've just messed up so many things over the last few years. I don't want any repeat performances."
"Well, you've done a heckuva job over the last year." John admitted, "You seemed to have ended your penance the other day. It's okay to be wild and impulsive once and a while. You taught me that and I'll always be grateful."
"I'll always be grateful for the time we spent together too." Hawkgirl confessed, "Except for Old Yeller. I hated that movie!"
John chuckled, "So did Miri."
"I know." Hawkgirl revealed, "We talked about it."
John wasn't sure how to respond to that so he changed the subject, "Want to grab a cup of coffee?"
"Sure." Hawkgirl enthused, "Lead on."
Luthor's image appeared on the main comm screen, "Ah yes, I see the Martian could finally make it."
"What do you want, Lex?" J'onn asked.
"I want to enlist and so do a number of my fellow Legionnaires. We face a common foe so we need to coordinate together in order to beat them." Luthor proclaimed.
"How do we know we can trust you?" J'onn had to ask.
"You don't have much choice." Luthor opined, "But in a show of good faith, Grodd, the Ultra-Humanite, and I will voluntarily surrender to the ISA. We can be held indefinitely and brought to trial if the Legion betrays you. If not, we are released once the Gordonians have left. Agreed?"
"Yes." Waller said from the entrance into the comm center.
"Amanda," J'onn frowned, "We've been over this…"
"Not like this you haven't." Waller handed him a sheaf of papers. They turned out to be resolutions of the General Assembly, the Security Council, and the Secretary-General of the UN. They appointed her as the team's administrator and Sue Dibney as the team's liaison with the UN.
J'onn's frown deepened into a scowl, "Very well. But this isn't over."
"I'd be disappointed if it were." Waller smiled. She turned to Lex, "We accept your terms."
"Why, Amanda, you're as lovely as ever." Luthor schmoozed.
"And you're obviously still as full of it as ever." Waller bit back, "Surrender yourselves and deliver your forces in front of the UN tomorrow, noon local time."
"Done." Luthor readily agreed, "It'll be a pleasure working with you again."
"Save it." Waller terminated the transmission, "J'onn, Sue, our office."
As they left, Batman looked even grimmer than usual. Nemesis and L-Ron exchanged glances. Life had just been turned upside down.
After the fateful trio had reached their mutual offices, Sue slammed the door shut; "What do you think you're playing at?!"
"I'm not playing at anything." Waller replied, "This all came about at the behest of the Secretary-General."
"Bullsh…" Sue began to snarl.
"Amanda's telling the truth." J'onn said before she could finish her expletive.
"What?!" Sue whirled on the Manhunter.
"I've read her mind." J'onn said, all calm and soothing; "She didn't arrange any of this. In fact it grew so fast it overwhelmed her."
"But why…?" a deflated Sue asked.
"I informed the Security Council of the situation. The Secretary-General attended that special session." Waller explained, "They immediately demanded to know your qualifications. Although their fondness for the Unimen softened their opinions they felt that a civilian manager was out of place in the League. They knew of my work with US Intelligence and CADMUS. The North Koreans, of all people, demanded my instatement as the manager of the League."
"Did you even try to refuse?" Sue's barb was cutthroat.
"In fact I did." Waller sighed, "They said they'd pull the League's UN sanction if I refused or if I resigned."
Waller locked Sue in her hardened gaze, "I believe in the League. I believe it's a force for good whose full potential hasn't been tapped yet. Maybe you can do that maybe not. All that matters is that during this crisis the Powers That Be want me in charge alongside J'onn. Now, can you work within that framework?"
Sue's upper lip stiffened, "I guess I have no other choice."
"That's right." Waller coldly confirmed it, "You don't."
Out in the walled in garden, Superman and Diana sat on a swing together. Superman wore a sad smile, "This is peaceful. I wonder how many scenes like this we can expect after the invasion."
"We'll win." Wonder Woman asserted with certitude, "Then everyone will have chances for tranquil moments."
"'Tranquil?"' Superman repeated, "I guess it is at that."
His eyes met hers, "I never thought I'd have moments like this with anyone but Lois. Thank you."
In her head, Wonder Woman screamed at him to make the causal connection. She also knew it was too soon for Superman to even ponder such a reality. She could be patient she told herself. In the interim, she could be the best friend that he had.
"I haven't had many moments like this since leaving Themiscyra." She admitted, "It's wonderful to find someone I can share them with."
Superman gave her a suspicious glance and she kicked herself for the tone of that last statement, "I haven't found many friends in Man's World. It's time to thank you for being one of the few."
The tension left his eyes, "It's my pleasure."
Their signal devices sounded. "So much for quiet." Superman remarked.
"There will be time for it another day." She promised.
He looked at her in a new light, "I believe you. But we'd better not keep J'onn waiting."
"That's how you make a latte." Oberon said as he hopped down from the stool he'd been sitting on top of. The dwarfish man was officially Mr. Miracle's manager. Lately though, he'd taken over being Sue Dibney's assistant. Since Miracle spent more time perfecting his routines than showing them off, it gave Oberon plenty of time to attend to a lot more than bookings.
Hawkgirl took a sip of the drink, "Perfect! You know I would have left Thanagar for this planet's coffee alone."
John finished preparing the portable coffee dispenser, "They don't have coffee on Thanagar?"
"They have a tea that's really bitter and nasty." She revealed, "Nothing like this. Thank you, Oberon."
She kissed his bald head and he blushed, "Any time."
As he left, John laughed; "You've made his day."
Hawkgirl shrugged, "Someone has to. He does a lot around here and hardly gets any recognition. The League wouldn't function without L-Ron and Oberon."
"You could be right." John said as he used his power ring to lift the portable dispenser. He led Hawkgirl out of the commissary. Most of the JLers were out having a night on the town. Only the Question, the Huntress, and the Elongated Man remained in the Hall. It was presumed that Ralph would take Sue out as soon as she was released from her duties.
Some of the couples that had left the Hall were surprising. Starman and Ice left together as did Aztek and Vixen. Fire had gone out on the prowl alone. Black Canary and Green Arrow were together as always. Samurai and Dr. Light had stepped out together. Barda and Mr. Miracle were enjoying the night. Plastic Man and Penny were together as were Booster Gold and Claire Connelly.
In a not so surprising twist, Kyle Raynor and Supergirl were off on a madcap adventure together. Captain and Mary Marvel had returned to Fawcett City to spend time with relatives. Stargirl was spending time with her stepdad. His leg had nearly healed from the accident that left it and the STRIPE mecha shattered. It was assumed he would return to working by her side once he was fully recovered and had built a new suit of powered armor.
The rest of the League went out as buddies. The League had booked two floors in the Ritz-Carlton and the assorted members were ecstatic. The next morning they would be getting their mission assignments and unbeknownst to them those assignments would include the Legion of Doom. No one knew how the two forces would react to their pairing.
At least they would be united by a common goal. The differing ideologies and methodologies would be the linchpin that held the union together or would tear it apart. The Legionnaires would find that it was the League's way or no way.