I started watching season 2 to start planning out how that's gonna go, but it's kind of weird trying to write off the episodes after writing from scratch for so long. I'm going to try to give more of the League's perspective on everything so I'm not just rewriting the episodes. I looked back at some old chapters just for fun and I can't believe how far I've gotten with this thing. What's y'all's favorite chapters? Review and let me know. Hope you like the chapter, please review!
A week after Bumblebee's arrival in the cave, the League called their monthly meeting to discuss the normal things like monitor duty, complaints about political moves, and concerns about current events. The prominent discussion on the table was a Lexcorp base they had been watching for a while starting to shorten the employee list.
"Maybe we should check it out. There has to be something going on," Flash said.
Superman was shaking his head. "That wouldn't do any good. Lex knows how to cover his tracks. I'm sure there is something more to it, but I don't think that direct League intervention is a good idea. We don't need him twisting the intentions to the public."
Wonder Woman nodded. "That is true. Perhaps the team could look into it for us." Batman looked around the table to see if everyone was in agreement.
"That's a good idea," Mallory said, "it'll give Bumblebee a chance to settle in and get some field experience. Those simulations can only teach you so much."
Batman nodded. "Then it is agreed, the team will be sent to the base tomorrow night to inspect the facility and see what is going on. If there's nothing else…" he paused to see if anyone would bring anything else up, "then the meeting is adjourned."
The Leaguers got up and started going to the zeta tubes. Rocket and Zatanna caught up to Mallory at the back of the line. "Hey, do you guys want to come to an early dinner at my place?" Rocket asked.
"Sure, when?" Mallory asked.
"Like, nowish. Darius is grilling, and he always thinks we need more than we do."
Zatanna laughed. "Yeah, we'll be there. Do you think he got enough for a few more?"
Raquel shrugged. "Probably. I'll call Megan, see if she and Conner can come."
"I've got Artemis and Wally," Zatanna announced.
Mallory grinned and pulled out her phone. "I'll call Nightwing. Though, he's probably at the cave."
Blue Beetle was in front of them, waiting to use the zeta tube. He turned and smiled. "Sounds like you have a pretty full night," he mentioned.
Rocket smiled. "You can come if you want. It's been a long time since you've caught up with the others."
He smiled and shook his head. "Thanks, but I can't. I have to go to my office tonight and get something before it falls into the wrong hands."
The girls exchanged a glance. "What does that mean?" Zatanna asked.
"Someone's been following me for weeks now. Whoever they are, they know I'm the Blue Beetle, and I think they're after something that my predecessor left me. I have to assume that the safe in my lab is compromised, so I need to go retrieve it before someone else does. I just don't know where a safe place is."
"You could bring it up here and put it in the vault," Rocket suggested.
Ted nodded. "That's a good idea. I should have thought of that weeks ago."
Mallory tilted her head, concern swimming around in her chest. "Do you want some backup? I can swing by your office with you, and then we can get to Rocket's by the time the food's done."
Ted smiled reassuringly and shook his head. "No, you go on and enjoy your night. It won't take me long, and the lab has some of the most sophisticated security on the planet guarding it. I'll be fine."
The girls nodded, and stepped up to use the zeta tube. Rocket put in their coordinates while Ted put in his on the other tube. He finished first and smiled and gave a salute as the light took him away. The next second, their tube came to life and they were sucked back to earth a few blocks away from Raquel's apartment. As they walked, they called their assigned friends, and by the time they got to the door, they had yeses from everyone. Raquel unlocked the door, and her boyfriend was at the there to greet them in seconds.
"Hey Z, Mal, how you doing?" Darius asked, giving them each a hug.
Mallory grinned. "Fine. How about you? Raquel told us that you just got an internship at the firm."
He nodded. "Yeah, it's gonna be great. I'll get to work to lock up the people Raquel puts behind bars. Talk about a power couple."
They laughed and followed the host out to the living room where the balcony was attached. The balcony itself was only big enough for the grill, a small table, and one person, so he'd pulled the kitchen table over to the double doors and squeezed nine chairs around it. Once everyone got there, there wouldn't be very much elbow room, but they were used to close quarters.
"So, how's the job going, Z?" Darius asked, resuming his position at the grill.
Zatanna smiled, rolling her eyes and shaking her head. "Great," she said sarcastically. "It's a dream come true, doing magic tricks for nine year olds who think they're all smarter than you. Last weekend I had a kid come up to me during a show to try to disprove my act." She chuckled and added, "I'll bet he's still trying to figure out how I turned him into a pig."
The others burst out laughing. "Oh, Z, you didn't," Mallory said.
"Only for a second," the magician replied. "Trust me, it did him some good."
There was a knock on the door, and Raquel got up to answer it. She returned a moment later with Megan, Conner, and Dick, all of whom had come from the cave.
"Hey, how was training?" Mallory asked.
"Fine, Peter learned Wren's flip thing," Conner replied.
"How's everyone in the League?" Megan asked.
"Fine, and not nearly as fun as you guys," Raquel assured them with a grin.
They chuckled, and Megan said, "it's been a while since we've seen most of them."
"Ted almost came tonight, but he had to go to his office to get something. He thinks he's being watched," Mallory told them.
"Is he ok?" Dick asked.
Mallory shrugged. "I offered to go with him, but he was pretty confident that he could handle it. He'll be fine, he's just going to get something."
The team nodded, and Zatanna looked up. "Hey, how's Karen working out?" she asked.
Megan sat down next to the magician while Conner and Dick said hello to Darius. "She's doing great. Her cheerleading experience is helping her with the combat training. Mal's been training, too. He might move into the cave, he's a little pressed for cash right now and he couldn't meet his last month's rent."
Mallory tilted her head. "Isn't he still dating Karen?" she asked. Megan nodded. "Huh, I wonder why she doesn't help him out," she mentioned. The Martian shrugged, and they were interrupted by a knock on the door. Raquel got up again and returned a moment later with Wally and Artemis. Everyone got up to tell the couple hello, then found seats around the table. Mallory sat in between Zatanna and Wally directly opposite the balcony.
"Well, speaking of the team, you're going to have a mission tomorrow night. I thought I'd give you a heads up so you could start preparing for it," Raquel said when they were all settled.
"What's the mission?" Dick asked.
"There's just a Lexcorp base that's acting suspicious, nothing big. Bats wants you to take a look," Mallory explained.
Dick nodded. "Yeah, that's not too bad," he said.
Wally snorted. "Yeah, but I'm sure the team will still manage to blow something up in the process."
Dick chuckled. "Actually, things have been going a little smoother lately. We haven't had anything blow up or go seriously wrong on one of our missions since, well, I guess since that last mission Z, Mallory, and Raquel were on."
All eyes went to the girls, who looked at each other and shook their heads in playful defensiveness. "Are you saying the explosions were our fault?" Raquel asked, crossing her arms.
Dick smiled a little. "Well, you know, not to point fingers, but you three were on the mission that blew up a spaceship unplanned after you joined the League."
"Hey, that wasn't all of us, that was Mallory!" Zatanna said.
Mallory snapped her attention to the magician. "Wow, throw me under the bus much?" she said, fighting a grin.
Zatanna smiled sweetly at her. "If you're going down, don't drag me down with you," she replied.
Mallory huffed and looked around the table. "Do you guys really think that I'm the reason the missions never went the way they were supposed to?"
The boys just stared at her, not saying anything, then Wally grinned and said, "well, yeah, that does sound about right."
"Wha-" Mallory shook her head in disbelief.
"Wait, hold on, it's not completely Mallory's fault," Artemis broke in. "The first mission the team ever went on was the trip to Cadmus, and none of us were even there. You guys brought down a building in the middle of Washington DC!"
Wally, Dick, and Conner exchanged a glance. "Yeah…but we found Supey in the process," Wally said. "That cancels the damage out."
The girls looked at each other, then back at the speedster. "No, it really doesn't," Megan said.
Dick opened his mouth to say something, but Darius cut in from the balcony. "Hey, I would love to hear the rest of this, but before you get back to it, come get some of this food." He set two plates full of smoked brisket and condiments on the kitchen table, and the group dug in, continuing their conversation as they ate, and feeling like the hands of time had moved back to when they were just kids and their meals would end in some kind of good-natured bickering and teasing.
A few hours later, Dick leaned back in his chair, the meal over and the conversation in a lull. "Well, I should get going. I need to run a patrol soon, and I have to get some sleep before I go in for an early beat tomorrow."
"Serves you right for becoming a cop. Of all the things that you didn't have to do, that has to be the dumbest," Wally said.
Dick shrugged. "What can I say? I feel lucky."
He had just stood to go when Mallory, Zatanna, and Raquel's comms went off, calling all Leaguers to Kord Industries headquarters. Mallory's chest tightened, and she looked at her friends' stricken faces.
"What is it?" Megan asked, concerned.
Mallory glanced at Zatanna and Raquel. "We're being called to Kord Industries," Raquel said.
Megan's face showed understanding as she said, "isn't that where you said Ted was going tonight?"
Mallory nodded grimly, and they stood without a word, heading for the door.