The Amazo Aftermath was proving to be a rabbit hole that kept delivering bad news after bad news.

With Luthor on high alert for intrusions—meaning Batman—there was no way he could do his usual infiltration, not without the Metropolis billionaire dropping his secret identity to any news outlet if he was spotted, much less caught. Certainly, he could get in and get out, but all it took was one slip up, one mistake, and he would have his hands full with a media circus the likes that had never been seen before. He knew this; Luthor knew this; so a different tactic was needed.

Enter the Teen Titans.

They were young enough and Luthor either didn't care enough to investigate them, or had very little intel to give him the upper hand on them. Either way, he wouldn't be on the lookout for a group of teenagers walking in through the front door and doing some intelligence gathering.

Deep down, the vigilante didn't like putting kids in the firing line like this, much like how Superman had said. It was the one point they agreed on, not that he admitted it to the Man of Steel the last time they talked. If he had another option he would have done so, but desperate times called for desperate measures. If anyone else from the League found out about this, a righteous chastisement would be coming his way.

For once, he felt it would have been deserved.

Surprisingly, the Titans had been very effective. Even now, they had small video recorders strategically placed throughout LexCorp, at least at the places where the public was allowed anyways. Then there was the intel Kid Flash had gotten his hands on.

It was this that Batman reviewed on the Watchtower's main computer. That was something the mainframe could still do, the damage to its other systems notwithstanding. With his Cave in ruin, he didn't have many choices at the moment. There were his various bunkers throughout Gotham, but they weren't equipped for the sort of investigation he needed to perform. Each server there had been linked to the main computer in the Cave, allowing them to use it to conduct their analysis and searches. Without the giant supercomputer, they were nothing more than your average home laptop.

That was an oversight on his part and he would be taking steps to rectify that, no matter how long it took.

On the computer screen was a database of every power Amazo had copied, each one labeled with which hero and villain the android had taken them. The list was…daunting to say the least. There were some that were straightforward, like Superman's super strength, Flash's speed, and the like. Thankfully, J'onn's telepathy and shapeshifting weren't recorded, most likely because Amazo had shorted out, preventing an entry from being saved. Oddly enough, Zatanna's magic was described in terms other than magic. Oratory Compulsion was the first entry in the database and Batman knew it had been his old friend that had her powers copied first.

"What are you up to, Luthor?" Batman grumbled as he continued to stare at the list. While the bald businessman's primary objective was to give Amazo every conceivable power imaginable, the need for a database escaped the vigilante. While it could have been a byproduct, or was necessary for the cataloging of powers, further use of it was escaping him. There was certainly the possibility of recreating Amazo and giving him all of these powers save for J'onn's, but Luthor was pragmatic. Why would he rebuild a robot that had failed, even if he made the efforts to remove the weakness that led to its downfall? If Luthor was that determined, he never would have stopped with the creation of Metallo. There would be several copies of the kryptonite-powered villain instead of just the one.

"—while the damage has been contained to the cave system, it has been noted that houses in the area have received damage. The largest of the earthquakes have reportedly damaged Wayne Manor, home to billionaire Bruce Wayne—"

Batman paused upon hearing that. In the background, the computer was playing a video of a news report. The window itself was covered by the others, but the audio was ensuring he heard every word. When the Cave self-destructed, it had set off a series of cave-ins in the area, making it appear to be an earthquake. It was a little-known fact that Gotham actually straddled a faultline, so the resulting tremors caused by the Cave's destruction would have been explained as an earthquake.

That was fortunate as he didn't need anyone snooping around his home. Already he had called his insurance company and began searching for construction crews. With it being public knowledge, he had to go through the motions of getting it repaired. It was tedious work, but it needed to be—

There was a breeze then, and the Dark Knight wasn't alone. "Heya, Bats!" Flash greeted him as he came to a stop next to his chair. "You look like you're enjoying yourself."

Batman grunted, then spared a glance at the red-clad hero. The friction-proof suit was discolored due to the sands of the Gobi Desert and there was a look of weariness on the man's face. "Working hard?" he responded.

"I'm certainly not hardly working," the young man joked. "Man, I think I'm going to have to take tomorrow off with this generator building. Running around a hot desert is not a good time."

"Do that. Get some rest," the dark-clad man advised.

"And what? Make myself look bad in front of the others? I haven't heard Supes, or GL, or Captain Atom complaining. Even one of my Rogues is getting in on the action."

It took Batman a moment to pick up on Flash's remark. "Rogue?"

"Yeah, my gallery of baddies," Flash explained. "They call themselves the Rogues. You gotta admit, it does have a ring to it."

"Which…Rogue…of yours did you see?"

"Captain Boomerang. Out for good behavior, if you can believe it."

Batman turned his chair to face the Fastest Man Alive. "I can't."

Flash blinked his eyes owlishly. "Can't what?"

"Believe this Rogue of yours was out on good behavior."

"Hey, just because you have some nutso bad guys doesn't mean all bad guys are nutso," the red-clad man defended.

"What prison was Boomerang at that released him?"

"Well, it would have been the one in Keystone: Iron Heights."

Batman spun back to the computer and silenced the news report, opening a new window, and typing in a command to get access to Iron Heights' prison records. It took several seconds, which were several more than he was used to when receiving results, but the records did appear. Doing a search for Captain Boomerang, he found an entry for George Harkness.

"That's him," Flash confirmed before his eyes squinted. "Why does that say he was transferred?"

Indeed, there had been a transfer put in for Harkness, sending him to Belle Reve. Opening another window, Batman got access to Belle Reve's prison records. He then did a search for Harkness there.

And came up with nothing.

Frowning, Batman tried listing Harkness' name in reverse, as in Harkness, George. Again, nothing. He tried Captain Boomerang and received the same result. It was as if there wasn't a record of the man at Belle Reve despite there clearly being a transfer order.

"You're not aware of any escape attempt during a prison transfer, are you?" Batman questioned Flash, glancing at the young man from the corner of his eye.

Flash shook his head. "No, and I would have heard something about that. The Rogues don't exactly keep their mouths shut about the others' operations. Obviously not during it, but afterwards, they'll all get together and talk about it. It's kind of fun to listen to."

"They…gather?"

"Yeah, at the World's End. It's a bar in Central."

Batman was having some difficulty wrapping his head around this. Known criminals were hanging out at a bar and gossiping about one another? It was like a Twilight Zone episode to him. He had to shake off the daze he felt in order to get the conversation back on track. "Where did you see Boomerang?"

"At the Gobi construction site. He said he had come to help."

And he believed him? Incredulous did not begin to describe how the vigilante felt. It seemed Flash realized this as a thought occurred to him. "Do…do you think he wasn't there to help out?"

"It's a distinct possibility," he deadpanned.

Flash raised a hand up to his chin, rubbing it in thought. "What could he have been doing out there then?"

"That's something for us to find out. Go down to World's End and see what you can find out about Boomerang. See if they know about his alleged transfer to Belle Reve, if he escaped, or if he has some plan in the works."

"Roger that." Flash saluted him. "What will you be doing?"

"I'm going to be looking into Belle Reve and see why they currently don't have Boomerang in custody."

It was a new day, the sun slowly rising from the horizon. The rocky mountains out in the distance blocked the lower part of the large star, making the horizon line appear jagged. Light stretched out over the desert sands, a gentle glow slowly lighting up the world.

For the Thanagarians, it just meant a changing of the shifts, rested workers returning to their jobs as the night crew stopped what they were doing and left. It was pretty clear progress had been made as a wall jutted up high into the air. It couldn't have been no longer than one hundred feet and it curved in line with the projected blueprint of a rounded structure.

Superman was rather impressed that the Thanagarains had accomplished that much. He figured they would still be smoothing out the area and making a framework for the foundation. With Green Lantern, Captain Atom, and Firestorm returning, the four of them gazed at the worksite.

"I guess we need to figure out how far along they got," John remarked. "That way we don't just stumble around until someone points us in the right direction."

"Right," Superman agreed. "Could you go find out, John? I need to have a word with Captain Atom and Firestorm."

Taking into account their talk from the previous day, the Green Lantern nodded before he flew away. Captain Atom and Firestorm shared a look with each other, the both of them confused. Turning to face them, Superman gave them a comforting smile. "Don't worry, you're not in trouble or anything."

"Oh good," Firestorm breathed out. "You had me wondering for a second."

"Is there something urgent?" Captain Atom asked as he shifted his stance to one at attention, even as he hovered in midair.

"You could say that." Well, there was no easy way to approach this subject, so being forward seemed to be the way to go. "A lot of…things have happened recently. There was a lot of tension within the Justice League, to the point where it actually fractured. Myself and the other founders were at the heart of this issue and I think we've blinded ourselves too much because of it. I wanted to get your perspective on it."

Again, the two heroes shared a look between each other. "Uhh, how do you mean?" the flame-headed man questioned.

"I can't imagine getting involved with the League when the Legion emerged was any fun. Disillusioning may even be a better description."

"You can definitely say that again," Firestorm agreed. Then he looked as if he had spoken out of turn as his eyes widened. "I…I mean..."

"No, no," Superman quickly reassured him. "I want to hear this. If the League is going to improve, everyone needs to have a say, not just the original members. You both have different perspectives that I want to hear."

There was a pause before Firestorm decided to continue. "Well, yeah, I guess you can say the Justice League wasn't what I expected it to be. After watching it grow over the years, I thought it knew what it was doing. A lot of y'all had been active since before I was even a hero. I didn't realize just how much…uhh, winging it y'all do."

"We do like being flexible," Superman tried to joke.

"Perhaps that is a weakness," Captain Atom suggested. "Without a clear command structure, it allows for too many voices to influence what should be a straight-forward operation."

"We wouldn't want to silence your voice though."

The military man shook his head. "You misunderstand me. There are clearly times where someone needs to take command, and when battle is immanent, there needs to be one voice directing the team. Our successful missions prior to the League's split were when one of the founders assigned teams and gave instructions for easy team member roles. When it was a group taking volunteers, there were issues."

"I can kinda agree with Captain Atom," Firestorm added. "I know when we went to rescue you and Hawkgirl, I felt better knowing I was supposed to form a perimeter and make certain no one got past me. While no one tried, I at least knew what was expected of me."

Superman nodded. It seemed they were going to need to rethink how they ran the League. It made sense that Captain Atom would be an advocate for a command structure as he did actively serve in the military. He knew who to answer to and who gave him his missions. It seemed Firestorm was in agreement with him.

"What do you think of your outlook on the League?" the Kryptonian then asked. "What I mean is, after the fracturing and the Tamaranean attack, do you see the League being able to continue in its current form, or will there be members opting to leave?"

Both men were quiet as they considered the question. "I guess some people may leave," Firestorm answered after awhile. "I mean, those two vigilantes, Green Arrow and Black Canary, were working with Batman outside of the League, so maybe they might leave? I guess?"

"I can say my opinion of the League has changed," Captain Atom added, "but I do not see myself leaving save for when the government needs my assistance."

"Same," Firestorm agreed.

Well, that was good. That was at least two members that weren't running away, though he at least had two others he needed to check in with.

"I thank you for your honesty, gentlemen, and I promise you, I will take it to heart," Superman said then. "Some changes need to be made so that the League can improve and learn from this latest crisis."

"Don't make changes just for the sake of making them," Captain Atom was quick to say. "Trying to create a quick fix can be worse than just standing pat. If you're going to implement reform, make certain it serves a purpose."

Superman nodded. "Good advice. Again, thank you both. Now let's catch up with Lantern and see where we're needed for the day."

There had been no word from their man on the inside, so that meant it was becoming a night of watching the tall black tower that was owned by one of the wealthiest men on the planet. From his vantage, all Red Robin could see was the side of the skyscraper, and the street below that was only just beginning to empty itself out of rush hour traffic.

The others were stationed all around, each keeping an eye on whatever they could, but man were stakeouts boring. It was one thing to keep an eye out for a group of metahumans seeking to break in and steal rare hi-tech machines and gadgets, but what exactly were they watching for here?

Being on the inside was where they would get more information, but LexCorp was not like the tech giants out west. This was a secured building, one in which security was designed against some of the worst Metropolis had to offer, not to mention Superman himself. The Teen Titans weren't world ending threats or Superman, so they were more restricted in what they could do.

If something big was going on, only one of them would know about it. Two, if a spike of emotions was involved, and that would be their signal to go charging in. That was a scenario he hoped never came true, but luck was very fickle.

Everything seemed to become darker, but the teen vigilante did not budge. Fabric rustled behind him as light began to return, and when he heard the crinkle, he held out a hand and caught the packaged burger.

No need to be frightened, folks. It was just the Teen Titan version of Door Dash, courtesy of Raven.

"Thanks," he told Raven, not yet digging in.

"Kid Flash is holding my post for the time being. There's something we need to talk about," the cloak-wearing girl said.

"Right now?" he asked.

"Right now."

He blew air through his lips. There was no point in trying to argue, and since Raven was here, there might be a chance to see if she would slip on what had happened between her and Dr. Fate. That encounter hadn't left his mind yet, the suddenness of how it started and ended unforgettable.

"Fine. What is it?" This might take a while, so he started to unwrap the burger. There better be some cheese on it.

"Please face me. I'd actually like to see your eyes and not the back of your head."

Now he was starting to get irritated, but boredom and too long being alert had worn away much of his patience. Still, he'd keep it under control because no one here deserved getting a mouthful of frustration that wasn't even their fault. So he did as asked, standing up and turning to face the Titan whose face was shadowed by her hood. Keen eyes stared out from the shadow, piercing and without any humor.

"Thank you." Well, at least there was that. "You've noticed how much better we're functioning as a team, correct?"

Well, now that she had mentioned it. "Is there something about it that bothers you?"

"There is." Oh? "It's the fact that someone who is not part of the team is the one responsible for that functioning rather than someone on it. We look to you for leadership, one way or another. Compared to what has been happening, there is a stark difference and it needs to be addressed."

Red Robin was frowning, his mind racing to find something to say. Yeah, he knew that when it came to decisions, the rest looked to him, and that also included patrols, but still, being told it made him feel awkward.

"I've had a chance to see someone take the lead," Raven continued. "While in the World Engine, I saw how Batman coordinated everyone. Each person brought with him had a purpose, a reason to be there. He acted quickly, made choices on the fly, and kept everything together."

They were on comparisons now? Could you even call this a comparison? "Batman has been doing this a long time. He knows what he's doing," Red Robin stated.

"You have been doing this a long time as well," Raven counted, taking a step closer to him. This caused her to tilt her head back, highlighting that he was the taller of the two of them. "Longer than anyone else here. Years by now. It does not show in your leadership skills. The team nearly fragmented—"

"We both know we weren't a team then," he interrupted sharply. "We weren't even the Teen Titans. You want to compare that to now? It's not even a comparison, much less a fair one. The only difference now is that we do have a common goal, when back then we didn't. Are you trying to hold that over my head?"

"It doesn't matter that we weren't a team then. What matters is that we are now," Raven retorted. "You have moments; you have moments where you are the leader this group of misfits needs. There needs to be more of them. I bring this up to you not because I think you're failing, but because I know you can and have done better. I've also got to experience how an effective leader operates. I want you to step up. I want you to own this status, because at the end of the day, you are the one the rest look up to when there is a need for guidance. You don't have to be the best fighter, or the smartest, to be effective."

As he listened, Red Robin felt his body grew more and more tense. He knew Raven could be blunt, and there were times where that was absolutely needed. Right now, he felt attacked, and his hands were clenching into fists. He ignored the sound of crinkling as he internally fumed.

Yeah, sure, Raven could be pointing out all the flaws and failures, but she had watched the shitshow and waited until it had been nearly too late to do anything about it to act on it. Now here she was again, while they were on a mission, and quite frankly, the timing for it sucked. However, losing his temper would accomplish nothing.

Some other time, but not right now.

Turning away from her, Red Robin said, "We can discuss this later. Right now, we need to hear back from Beast Boy and be able to act in case everything goes sideways."

"You know I can sense your anger. You're practically radiating it. You need to hear this."

"Does it have to be now?" he nearly snapped.

There were a few seconds of silence. "I suppose now isn't the best time, but it may be a while before we hear anything. Think about what I said."

He wouldn't be able to think of anything else for the next hour or so. Out of pettiness, though, he might as well give a try at what Raven considered real leadership. The very example she had brought up, well, he'd been around Batman long enough to know how the man operated.

"Before you go," he said aloud, his eyes trained on LexCorp, "answer me one thing. Earlier, when Batman showed up, I noticed that you looked surprised. It wasn't easy to see, but I've been around enough people with that look on their face, I've had it myself, and you had it no matter how well your hood tried to hide it. He surprised you when he showed up. You've told me that you can sense others' emotions; did you not sense his?"

Silence was the immediate response, and for a moment, the masked teen wondered if he had struck a nerve. It may not have been what he intended…okay, okay, pettiness demanded that be the intention. What a hell of a time though to act on it.

"I didn't sense him. Nothing."

For some reason, he wasn't surprised. Batman was perhaps the most controlled person he knew, and it stood to reason the man had an iron grip on his own feelings.

"It shouldn't be possible. Just from his body language, I could tell he was calm, in control, but I felt none of that. It's impossible."

Raising an eyebrow, he lowered it in time to look over his shoulder. "Impossible?"

Raven's back was to him, but she wasn't looking back. "Feelings are not like thoughts. You can control your thoughts, as hard as it is. There are meditations out there whose sole purpose is to control the stream of conscious and unconscious thoughts. Feelings just are. You feel whether you want to or not. You can try to bury them, but emotions will not stay buried, not forever. There are so many that trying to control all of them is a fool's errand because one at minimum will always leak through."

It sounded as if she was walking her way through…something, something only she understood, and so the masked teen listened.

"I sensed nothing. I detected nothing. I even reached out psychically to feel him and felt nothing. That is impossible, especially for a mortal. It doesn't matter what the morons say or what you know, Batman is still a mortal. He can die. He has died. But even taint, the taint of death, I don't sense that either, and it was plain as day when we first encountered him in Gotham. There's a new variable, and whatever it is, it is shielding even his emotions."

One of these days, he was going to sit her down and have her explain point by point how exactly her powers worked, like a leader would have already done, but now was definitely not the time.

"What do you make of it?" he finally asked.

"Even though muffled, I could still sense the Thanagarians. Why is it that a man like Batman can hide himself that well? It makes no sense; it is impossible. Even Dr. Fate could not shield his emotions to the point I was unable to sense them. So how is it that Batman can?" Raven turned back to him, fully facing the teen vigilante, and stared him down, her eyes reflecting the hunger for knowledge that they had yet to grasp.

Red Robin thought about it, thought about all she had just said, and then gave the only answer he could.

"Because he's Batman?"

Raven snorted. "I wouldnt have lumped you in with the morons, but I know that you don't have the answer. I will be returning to my post."

The best way to describe it was that Raven sank into the shadows on the rooftop, and then it was as if she hadn't been there in the first place. He was alone again, along to keep vigil, and to …

Oh crap.

Lifting his hand up, he eyed the remains of the burger, how much of it had been squeezed out of the bun and stained his gloved hand and part of his arm. Some of the condiments lay on the gravel coating the rooftop. What remained would have to be his dinner then.

Maybe it was a good thing he didn't feel particularly hungry anymore.

The doors slid open, revealing Lieutenant Kragger as he entered the bridge. Hro Talak didn't budge from where he stood, looking up at the monitors as they received reports from the generator construction site.

"Everything is proceeding on schedule," Kragger reported as he came to a stop behind the Commander. "Faster in fact, courtesy of this planet's defenders, the Justice League. The foundation is about to be poured, hopefully within the next hour so that the heat of the desert climate will assist in hardening it."

"Begin pouring," Hro ordered. "Whatever we can do to meet, if not exceed schedule." In his hand was a small remote, one he raised up and pressed a button with his thumb. One of the monitors changed, an image of the one called Superman appearing, carrying a section that would become part of the wall. He flew through the air, not seemingly impaired by the sheer weight of the wall section.

That was a man he needed to keep an eye on.

"As you command, Commander Talak," Kragger responded. However, the Lieutenant did not move from his place. "Construction on the western wall has commenced during the night cycle, with one section already completed. The—"

"What can you tell me about the Justice League?" Hro interrupted. He had no need to know all of the specifics when it came to the construction of the generator so long as they were on schedule. If a problem emerged, then he would acknowledge and do something about it.

"They are exactly as they have been described," Kragger answered. "The Kryptonian has shown incredible feats of strength and the red lasers he can shoot from his eyes has allowed him to sauder and attach the framework together. The one called Firestorm has shown knowledge of the energy properties of the generator, something we did not expect. Then there is the Green Lantern."

Hro tilted his head to one side as he glanced at his Lieutenant from the corner of his eye.

"He is exactly like every Green Lantern we have encountered, so his abilities are limited to his own imagination," Kragger continued. "He has assisted in the transport of materials, just like the Kryptonian, and has been coordinating our work teams."

"No indications of what he is capable of?" Hro pressed.

"A demonstration can be arranged if you would like."

Hro considered this, then shook his head, returning his attention back to the monitor. "That won't be necessary. There is an entire force of Green Lanterns on the planet, so it is safe to assume anything can be done, if not by Earth's Green Lantern, then one of the others."

There was a moment of silence. Then, "I would be remiss to inform you that Lieutenant Hol has joined the team Earth is sending to confront Despero."

A wry smile appeared on the Commander's face. Of course, Shayera would go. She was not one to sit on the sideline. It was a trait he admired about her. "When did they leave?" he asked.

"Some time in the evening the prior day."

No goodbye either. As much as he did not like that, it was rather fitting. Shayera hated goodbyes. In fact, the one they shared before she was sent to Earth was…awkward, to say the least. She had kept it as brief as she could before departing. Seeing that she hadn't changed was rather reassuring.

"I know you would have at least liked to be informed of her volunteership," Kragger continued, "what with your commitment to each other. It is a shame she did not respect you enough to do so."

Hro's eyes narrowed. "Careful, Kragger. She is my promised one. Any remarks made of her can be made of me."

"My apologies, Commander," Kragger immediately apologized. "I was clearly out of line."

"Yes…you were."

"May I take leave to see to your orders concerning the generator?"

Hro just raised a hand up, waving it before dropping it back to his side. Kragger wisely did not utter another word, the only sound being made was the doors to the bridge sliding open and then shut as he left. All was quiet, save for Hro's men hard at work at their stations.

Hro was quite certain there were people that did not like Shayera. She could be abrasive and blunt to a fault. Considering the subservient behavior he had been exposed to since his promotion to commander, her headstrong ways were rather refreshing.

Still, he did wish Shayera had at least given him the courtesy of saying she was leaving with the Martian.

A quick note: the faultline described in the Batman/Flash scene is actual canon. In fact, it was that faultline that caused a catastrophe that led to the No Man's Land storyline. It's actually a small miracle Batman didn't set off the fault when he blew up the Batcave in Trinity Crisis lol