A ripping guitar riff drew the attention of a man with snappy gray eyes. The name on the incoming call put a smile on his face.

"Hey, Cass," Lucas said.

"Luke, hey. I need a favor."

His eyebrows shot upward. "Oh? This should be interesting."

"Last night, someone tried to collect a price on Jason's head. Right now, Bane is our only lead. We're heading to Belle Reve right now."

Luke's gray brows knitted. "So what do you need from me?"

She took a deep breath. "As part of our arrangement to see him, Amanda Waller wants to meet you."

Lucas' entire body froze and chilled. He blinked rapidly, mind's eye filled with syringes and polished white floors reflecting blinding fluorescent light.

"Luke?"

He blinked hard to focus his mind. "A meeting. One on one?"

"Yes. Is that a problem?"

His jaw tightened as he shut his eyes and sighed. "No. On one condition."

"Okay?"

He forced a tiny smile and injected a little playfulness into his voice. "You owe me dinner."

The line went silent for a good five seconds, during which Luke could swear he heard someone snicker in the background. Was he on speaker?

Cassandra softly cleared her throat. "Done. Name the place and time."

"Later," Luke agreed. "I don't think I'll have much of an appetite soon. When did you want me?"

"About an hour."

Another sigh. "Okay, I'll be there."

"Great. See you then."

Luke frowned. "Yeah. See you."

He hung up and slumped back into his seat, staring at the ceiling. "Shit."

…

Belle Reve Penitentiary, the most fortified and secure prison facility in the Americas, if not the world. That remained the same in Jason's time. In all its years, it had never experienced one successful breakout—at least not from within. How did they accomplish this? Two words.

Amanda Waller.

When metahuman criminals first started appearing in numbers significant enough to take notice, the U.S. government did what it usually does when faced with something new and powerful—panic. Fortunately, cooler heads prevailed fairly quickly, resulting in the formation of the Advanced Research Group Uniting Superhumans, or ARGUS. An organization built to maintain a constant vigil for threats no one else could handle, threats that had been passed off in the past as urban legend or straight up impossible.

When the question arose of who was to run an agency with such an outlandish purpose, there was only one name that mattered: Amanda Waller. For years, she had been the spearhead of some of the most successful clandestine intelligence, counter-terrorism, and black bag operations in the U.S., if not the world. She had connections on every continent, standing relationships with influential world leaders, and a wealth of knowledge attained across well over a decade of service.

Under Waller's direction, ARGUS quickly became the go-to agency for dealing with metahumans, aliens, and the paranormal. Everything from intelligence gathering to cleanup to "cleanup" was run through ARGUS under her watchful eye. When the Justice League was first established after the alien invasion that brought them together, they initially enjoyed a…contentious relationship with ARGUS simply by nature of the fact that the League was an entirely independent entity made up of the most powerful beings on the planet. During Lex Luthor's bid for presidency and a good while after, a fierce rivalry between them nearly escalated to the point of all-out war.

Both sides were continually giving each other reasons to mistrust. It all came to a head when Luthor sent Metallo to lure Superman into a trap and assassinate him knowing full well he would fail. With Batman's help, Superman escaped, but the fact that many of Corben's new components were made by ARGUS added more fuel to the fire. Immediately after, a team hired by Luthor infiltrated the Watchtower and hijacked an orbital weapon built into the station. They fired it at a recently decommissioned ARGUS facility, dressing it up as a warning shot from the League—a warning shot that killed John Corben. As a result, the U.S. government issued a warrant for the founders' immediate arrest. Batman, contrary as ever, was the only one of the seven not to comply.

This was when Waller and Batman finally came to terms with each other's necessity.

In his investigation, Batman discovered evidence that Luthor had been manipulating both sides into escalating conflict, even creating some of the threats that had driven them further apart. All for the sake of his ego and making the world see the League the way he did: power-mad frauds who look down on the people they claim to protect—a projecting narcissist if they'd ever seen it. The moment Batman put all the pieces together, he broke into ARGUS HQ and showed everything to Waller herself. Within a matter of hours, Waller had an arrest order for the president—and Luthor revealed his true colors.

With a mechanized suit forged from scavenged Kryptonian tech, he locked down the facility holding the League's founders and systematically began torturing them one by one, all while making Superman watch as he was bathed in kryptonite radiation. Then, he let Superman out and beat him halfway to death. Supergirl, all of fourteen and lacking confidence after Darkseid's brainwashing, found her courage and punched her way into the facility under Batman's direction.

Though she lacked the experience and expertise to go blow for blow with Luthor while actively suffering the effects of kryptonite, Kara managed to buy Superman time to recover his strength. While the Man of Steel engaged Luthor, Kara freed the founders. Though Luthor didn't stand a chance against the League, he'd put contingencies in place, specifically the launch of clusters of ICBMs targeting numerous rival nations—and the Watchtower itself.

Then ARGUS proved its worth.

Providing Cyborg direct access to the nation's ICBM control system, ARGUS helped him reestablish control over the missiles while other Leaguers took them down in the air just in case. By the time Victor convinced the missiles to self-detonate, Superman had Luthor in custody.

Waller was almost gleefully eager to throw him in a bottomless hole, but Superman insisted on due process. Together, they reached a compromise: an inescapable facility in the Bermuda Triangle equipped with the best security money could buy.

With contributions from several allied nations—as well as private entities like Wayne Enterprises and Kord Industries—ARGUS built Belle Reve as the endpoint of metahuman, alien, and abhuman criminals the world over, the absolute worst of the worst. Dark matter suppressants, inhibitor collars, even localized gravity fields—whatever was necessary to contain the inmates was researched, designed, and used judiciously. And since Belle Reve was an ARGUS facility, it was generally considered above the hooks of politics…generally.

Waller used to run the prison personally, but with ARGUS' continuously expanding operations across the globe, her role had to shift by necessity. As director, these days she maintained a bird's-eye view of extraordinary threats the world over and managed few projects personally. That she was willing to serve as escort for this visit was proof of the respect between her and Bruce—and her evaluation of the situation's gravity.

The Batwing touched down on Belle Reve Island to be greeted by an armed security team in full tactical kit.

As soon as Batman dismounted, the point man saluted sharply.

"Sir," he greeted. "Director Waller is waiting for you. Follow me, please."

He nodded and waved the others forward. While Cass and Damian were content to follow, Jason was looking around at the fortifications: at least a dozen guard towers on each side, electrified fences and walls, outward-facing autoturrets on the cliff walls to guard from the sea and air. This wasn't a prison; it was a fortress as dedicated to keeping unwanted guests out as it was to keeping the convicts in.

The walk to the warden's office was long, through checkpoint after checkpoint. Jason couldn't shake his nerves; Waller was a giant of influence even in the future after she retired from active duty. To meet her now in her prime, and have been asked for specifically did not put his mind at ease.

The security commander glanced back at their group. "I was told we were expecting a fifth."

Cassandra glanced at the coastline as it vanished behind closing doors. "He'll be here."

Jason arched an eyebrow at her. "Oracle told me you guys solved a case together. And now you're taking him out for dinner. There something going on I should know about?"

She turned her gaze to him but said nothing. With that faceless mask, it was impossible to tell her expression, but the lack of answer was intriguing enough. A faint surge of something burning and uncomfortable stirred in his gut, like the coiled knot he felt whenever he thought of how most people looked at her scars. A passing gust from a ventilation duct ruffled her cape as he walked in step with her. His peripheral vision caught the flash of a pale silhouette standing next to her. Jason's head snapped to it—

Nothing. But he could've sworn…

"Right through here," said the point man, waving them up a set of stairs.

They reached mahogany double doors at the top. Batman gave each of his children a look before he opened them. The room beyond was surprisingly claustrophobic once they stepped inside, with a large desk dominating the far end. Seated behind it was a heavy-set black woman in a blue suit with a diamond-hard look in her eyes. Standing on her right was a man in a suit with a scar under his left eye and a brass pin bearing ARGUS' Alpha insignia in his lapel. The woman behind the desk nodded the guards off once all four were inside.

As soon as the doors closed, she rose from her seat. "Bruce. Good to see you."

Batman stared at her, turning his gaze pointedly to the other man in the room.

Waller noticed. "Patrick Macintyre, deputy director of ARGUS and warden of this prison. With few exceptions, he knows what I know."

Jason's eyebrows rocketed skyward. That was saying something.

Batman nodded and stepped forward, laying a data stick on her desk. "This is what we know so far."

Waller walked around the desk and slotted the drive into a mounted holoprojector. The lights dimmed automatically. An array of photos taken from the Liberty Island operation was scattered across the screen.

"Two weeks ago, Jason and a small team dismantled an interstellar smuggling node belonging to an organization known as Zirconan Nebula. As of yet, our information on them is limited, but we know they're collaborating with someone native to the planet. Last night, we were ambushed following up a lead on that operation, where we found this."

A photo of the bounty notice was put front and center.

Waller was silent for a couple seconds. "I assume they're going after him because the Lanterns are offworld and Supergirl is practically untouchable."

"That would be my guess," Batman said. "From what Oracle was able to pull off the assassins' devices, it's an exclusive contract for the moment."

"And you said Red Claw was involved?"

He nodded. "Their tactics and fighting style were the same. Based on our limited data, it seems they've gone mercenary."

Waller nodded. "I'd heard whispers about some of their members being absorbed into other PMCs in the Balkans and Middle East, especially with the Bialya-Qurac escalation. Nothing stateside." She looked at Batman. "If this escalates, we'll have to get involved."

Batman frowned. "We'll make sure it doesn't come to that."

Waller hummed and stared at the screen for another second or two before turning to the object of the bounty. "How are you holding up?"

Jason shrugged. "I'm already being hunted by a god all the other gods fear. This is nothing new."

She blinked, slowly turning to Batman. "You left a few things out."

"I told you about Ares' involvement with Bialya," Batman said.

"We both know he's not talking about Ares. Even he never had that kind of notoriety."

Batman's voice hardened slightly. "And if it ever becomes a problem you need to mind, we'll fill you in. The fewer people who know, the better; so far anyone who's figured out his identity has become a target."

Waller arched an eyebrow. "I can handle myself."

His frown deepened. "Not against him. But that's a topic for another day."

Robin's head cocked. "Maybe not. What if the Decembrists are ZN's collaborators? We know they've contracted out kill orders in the past." He turned to Jason. "Even on you."

Jason's head shook. "That was before I got my powers back and kicked the shit out of their boss. He's not stupid enough to throw away resources knowing what I'm capable of."

Waller kept scanning through the data. "Then I'd guess this 'collaborator' is most likely a Gotham native. Someone who can front two million dollars without breaking the bank. Someone with the connections and experience to help run an interstellar trafficking network." She tilted her head briefly. "Not a lot of those left in Gotham, thanks to you."

Waller clicked a few keys, calling up a list maybe ten names long.

Batman nodded. "That was my conclusion. Of those, Roman Sionis is at the top of the list, but he's been quiet for a long time."

Jason huffed. "And I would've thought me taking down Tammany Iles last year would've put him even more on edge."

"Iles was small game," Waller said. "Barely above a street level pusher. Most likely, he was Black Mask's attempt to expand into Park Row again. You may have slowed him down, but Sionis isn't known for keeping his hands to himself for long."

"Which brings us to the burden of proof," Batman said. He retrieved one of the autoinjectors from a pouch in his belt. "The team of assassins used this to imitate metahuman physique." The projection shifted to photos of the chemical structure and spectrographic testing. "Near as we can tell, it's a derivative of Venom, but nearly unrecognizable for how advanced it is. According to Jason's team, Bane used a similar compound when they engaged him in Karbala."

"So you think he's selling this variant to them."

"If not, then he knows where it's coming from."

She nodded slowly, looking Jason over intently. "What's your plan for dealing with the bounty?"

"Tracking the contract's source through the Venom," Batman said. "Hence, why we're here."

"I was talking to him." She nodded to Jason.

He blinked, looked between his father and Waller, and shrugged. "Pretty much what he said."

"So you have no intention of laying low? Bruce said they almost took you out last night."

His jaw tightened. "I got sloppy, tunnel visioned."

"Exactly."

Jason smiled nastily. "If Black Mask has advanced Venom soldiers on his payroll, do you really think I'm letting them handle this without my strength?" He nodded to the other three, feeling that same protective knot from before. "I clean up my own messes, thank you very much."

Another gust from the vents ruffled their cloaks.

Waller nodded slowly, a hint of a smile tugging at her lips.

Batman stepped in. "Now, that visit…"

She turned to him. "I believe our deal was for two meetings, not one."

Batman's gaze hardened. "And I recall making no promises."

The two stared each other down for a tense couple seconds.

Then Jason glimpsed that same silhouette from before and turned to his left, looking past Cass to a visibly empty section of the room. He blinked twice and started chuckling.

"What are you two talking about?" he asked, sidling up to that spot. Jason looked back at Waller. "We held up our end." He turned back to the empty space. "Isn't that right, Luke?"

Slowly, the empty air began to hum and distort, as if a heat mirage was forming. That mirage rapidly shifted into a pale, humanoid shape that resolved into the White Revenant.

Jason grinned and nodded to Luke. "That's a neat trick, vibrating so fast the eyes can't even perceive you."

He was caught halfway between a smirk and complete confusion. "How'd you know?"

"I—" Jason froze, blinking rapidly. He looked off to the side. "I'm…not sure."

Lucas stared at him for a while, frowning slightly, then turned to Waller when no answer was forthcoming. "You asked for me. Here I am. Let's get this over with."

Waller's brow arched. "Works for me." She nodded to the others. "If you would."

Batman nodded and motioned the rest out into the hallway.

Jason barely noticed, caught up as he was with Luke's question. How did he know? To even notice something was off, his perception would've had to match at least a fraction of Lucas' speed. His eyes weren't that fast, even when he'd used his runes in Bialya. He kept wondering about it long after they exited the warden's office.

…

Lucas' eyes flickered from Waller to her second. "I heard this was going to be a one on one."

"If you were here all this time, you know I have nothing to hide from—"

"The deal was one on one." Lucas' gray eyes were hard as slate. "Honor that, or I'm out."

Macintyre turned to Waller. "Director?"

She nodded assent.

The moment the warden closed the door behind him, Waller closed down the data file on the projector and pulled up a different one—his file.

"A little light, as profiles go," she said. "Information on you isn't easy to come by, and for ARGUS, that's saying something. So I'm going to wager a guess." Waller's arms crossed. "Time traveler?"

Lucas smirked. "Close. Alternate Earth."

Her lips tipped down. "Why are you here?"

He shrugged. "Why not?"

Waller's frown deepened. "I've dealt with visitors from other Earths before. In my experience, they're only here for one of two reasons: asking for help or running from something. Which is it?"

"Neither actually. I'm a hyperactive nomad with too much time on his hands."

"So?"

"So I decided to map the Multiverse."

"And how is putting down roots in Gotham part of that?"

"Fast as I am, I can't learn everything about a world in one day." He smiled. "And some things are meant to be savored."

Waller smirked faintly. "Like Cassandra Cain?"

His smile vanished.

"What's your interest in Jason Wayne?"

Lucas closed his eyes and sighed. "No."

"Excuse me?"

He rubbed his eyes. "These aren't the real questions you want to ask."

"I need to compile a profile on you, on anyone with your abilities. It's my job to—"

Lucas smiled venomously. "I know exactly what your job is, Amanda."

She stiffened at the shift in his tone as he took slow steps toward her desk.

"See, this isn't the first time we've met."

Her eyes narrowed. "I would remember, trust me."

He waved dismissively. "Oh, of course, this is our first time meeting here, on this Earth." He showed a hint of teeth. "Not on mine." Lucas stopped a few paces from her. "Believe me when I say I am intimately aware of exactly what it is you do."

Waller's offhand was laying on the desk while her right subtly shifted to her waistband.

Lucas smirked, though it faded a moment later. "Which is why I know a 'profile' isn't what you're really after. What you want is security. Assurance that I'm not going to destroy this fragile little world of yours." His eyes narrowed. "Because you're afraid. Because I'm a speedster, a speedster with no history on this Earth, no information, no vulnerabilities, no leverage." His smile widened. "And no way to control me if things go sideways.

"So you're looking for one, hoping I'm trusting or arrogant enough to give something away. I'll save you the trouble of wondering; I won't. So instead, I'll gladly give you a little tip on how to keep me happy. It's very simple." He picked up a paperweight from the desk. "Wherever I go in the Multiverse, I like to live the simple, quiet life as much as possible." He slowly began vibrating the metal. "Allow me to do that, we won't have any problems." His smile twisted into a faint sneer as the vibration rapidly intensified. "Screw with me just a little…" he leaned in, almost enough to feel her breath, "I'll burn you and ARGUS to the ground before you can say, 'Oh shit.'"

He mimed an exaggerated expression of wide-eyed shock as the paperweight turned to liquid in his hand. As it slowly dripped off the side of the desk, Lucas straightened up and took a step back.

"Hope that clears things up a bit."

She barely missed a beat. "Very enlightening, yes."

"Need anything else from me?"

"…no."

Lucas grinned. "Fantastic! Then I'll be off. My next gig starts around noon."

Waller was silent for a few seconds as he got ready to walk out. "You know, I don't believe a word coming out of your mouth, about why you're really here."

Luke froze with his hand around the doorknob.

"But I think you might."

He glared at her over his shoulder. "I don't care."

He left without another word.

…

As soon as Cass saw Lucas leave the office, she saw the alarm and unease in his body language, as if he was actively trying not to vomit. Though she couldn't see everything beneath his mask, he looked paler than usual as well. He was staring down into infinity.

"Rev," she said.

His head snapped up, eyes on hers. For the first time since they'd met, she saw fear. He visibly swallowed.

"You owe me," he said softly, without the faintest trace of his usual playfulness.

Then he vanished in a gust of wind and flash of silver lightning.

Cass exchanged a look with Jason. He shrugged. Waller came out a few seconds later.

"Macintyre will show you to the interview room," she said. "I have a flight to catch." She waved to two guards, who fell in step with her on the way to the helipad. Waller paused for a moment to call back to them. "Good luck, Batman."

Cassandra frowned behind her mask as they started moving. Something was very, very wrong with Lucas. He'd seemed tense on the phone earlier, but she couldn't be sure—voices were harder for her to distinguish than body language. This, though…

From the moment they'd met, he had always been up front and obvious about his intent and emotions (except the blood-splattered room in Karbala). From the stories he told and the nonchalant way he carried himself, she got the distinct impression he wasn't afraid of anything. So either Luke was a very good actor to constantly be putting up a brave front, or something about Amanda Waller rattled him to an irrational degree.

"Right through here," the warden said. "We had him moved right before you got here."

Batman nodded and held up a hand to stop everyone. "Just me. Everyone else in observation."

Jason frowned but complied with the rest. Cassandra followed him and Damian. The warden stayed by the door, gave them a nod, and closed it. The trio turned to the one-way glass as Batman strode into the room. Bane, divested of his mask, was bald and unremarkable in features, but his build was no less intimidating. And his brown eyes followed the Bat's every move, though his head didn't turn.

Batman tapped a control on the interview table and projected the Venom analysis in hologram form over the table. "A new variant showed up in Gotham last night. One of yours?"

Bane didn't turn to look at the pictured diagram for a good five seconds. "No."

Batman's lips thinned. "But you know where it came from."

The faintest hint of a smile quirked his lips. "And if so?" Bane leaned in, his massive forearms rattling with the shackles linked to the table. "What do I get if I cooperate?"

"What do you want?"

The question was utterly neutral, but they all knew Batman didn't negotiate. Bane chuckled faintly and relaxed in his seat.

"Bien. No importa. It'll be troublesome if you walk blindly, Bruce." He took a deep breath and stared at the one-way glass. Another chuckle. "Tu mijito is back there, no? I wonder how much he told you about our encounter."

"Enough to know you used a similar compound to the assassins we fought last night."

Bane laughed. "Similar?" Another laugh. "Similar, you say? Only a fool would mistake the two."

"They're both Venom derivatives."

"Only in the vaguest sense of the word." Bane took a deep breath. "A man came to Santa Prisca last year while I was still researching in isolation."

"Looking for a way to cure your addiction."

Bane frowned and didn't answer for a few seconds. "He offered me the means for my island to recover financially, as well as a new formula that would fix my problem. Omega-Venom, they called it."

Batman's arms crossed. "And you didn't find that suspicious."

"Of course, but mi isla paraiso needed more than I could provide in seclusion." He smirked. "The tourist economy isn't what it used to be in the Caribbean."

"So you took a mercenary contract for Bialya through the Decembrists. Doesn't explain how they produced a more advanced Venom variant than you—or two variants."

"If you've been investigating them, then you have some idea of how far their resources stretch. In a matter such as this, I can trust no one. Even my own compadres might sabotage me." Bane smirked. "But for them to volunteer such a formula…"

"Who contacted you?"

"Masked fellow, had inscriptions carved into it."

Batman's jaw tightened subtly. "Achilles."

Bane smiled. "That's the one."

"His Myrmidons should've been able to handle your end of the job. Why go to such lengths just to hire you?"

Bane shrugged. "Perhaps they want me as a retainer. Perhaps they were simply using me as a testbed for their new compound. Either way, I got what I wanted."

Batman waved to their surroundings. "All evidence to the contrary."

He chuckled. "Oh Bruce, did you really think I took their offer at face value? I had three conditions of my own. First, that they run part of their network through Santa Prisca. Second, that el brujo would leave my island out of his plans."

"And the third?"

"That the formula they offered would be mine and mine alone. Now, Ω-Venom only exists right…here." He tapped his temple. Bane waved at the projected formula. "One look at this, and I know it is considerably inferior."

"And you're sure of that?"

"The Decembrists are many things, but not swindlers. Their word is worth its weight in gold." He grinned. "As I'm sure your son is still discovering."

Cass glanced Jason's way. He was unaffected. Batman was not.

"What do you know about the bounty?" he growled.

"Bounty?" Bane asked. He shrugged. "Nothing...except that it was only a matter of time. In the half-year he's been active, tu mijito has continually pissed off a lot of dangerous muchachos." A smirk. "Guess he learned from you in that regard." Bane reclined and used his shackled hands as a headrest. "I will say that it would be in your best interest to keep him out of sight for the foreseeable future, or you may find yourself besieged by more than even you can handle. And not just those targeting the boy—opportunists who would love nothing more than to take advantage of your distraction to destroy you." His smirk widened. "Maybe even a few familiar faces."

Batman's eyes narrowed. "Why the warning?"

Bane grinned. "Why else? I am the man who broke the Bat. No one else is allowed to claim that title."

Batman shut off the projection and stood. "Then you should know by now: I never stay broken."

He kept smiling. "Let's keep it that way."

Batman left the room without another word, joining them in the observation room. As soon as the door shut, Cass spoke up.

"He wasn't lying."

Bruce nodded. "I know."

"It looked like he almost enjoyed telling us," Damian said.

"Nothing 'almost' about it," Jason said. "He's worked out how many enemies we've made in recent memory and wants to enjoy the show." He waved through the window at Bane. "This is just his way of being a dick about it."

Batman frowned. "If the Decembrists are responsible for this new variant, then the contract could be theirs, or they might be selling the serum to the people who did issue it."

"Help 'em take me out and make a new customer at the same time," Jason agreed. "That fits."

"Whatever the case, there's nothing more we can learn here."

Within minutes, they were led back to the flight deck by the warden himself. He stayed and watched as they boarded the Batwing.

"Hope you enjoyed your stay," their escort said with a smirk. "Come back soon."

Cass frowned behind her mask. What the hell did that mean?

Batman glared at Macintyre until he paled a bit and swallowed. Then he climbed into the pilot seat and took off.

…

As soon as they touched down in the Batcave, Diana was waiting for them at the computer. Jason had some idea why she was there, especially when she and Bruce exchanged another "telepathic" look.

"I'm not staying out of the field," Jason said flatly.

They both froze for a split-second.

Diana sighed and rubbed her eyes. "I figured you'd say that." She met his eyes with a gaze that brooked no argument. "Then you're not going anywhere alone, and certainly not in uniform. No more solo patrols, no more spontaneous visits to Kara."

"Wha—come on! I don't even—"

Diana held up a hand. "She can still come here and fly back with you, if you do want to visit, but you're not going there alone."

Bruce crossed his arms. "And no more overnight stays until Stephanie moves in."

Jason gaped at them. "Are you kidding me?! The contract doesn't even have my identity—"

"We don't know that. The Decembrists know who we are. If they issued the contract, they might give that information to a specialist." He frowned. "Besides, this isn't about the contract."

Jason's lips pressed into a thin line as he muscled the frustration out of his voice. "So you guys don't trust me with her."

Diana frowned. "You are at a vulnerable age when your desires can override your sense, but this decision has more to do with protecting her."

He blinked. "How?"

"You're a Wayne," Bruce said grimly.

"Okay?"

"And she's turning eighteen soon."

Jason stared at him blankly for a few seconds. Then his brain caught up. "Oh." He looked down, jaw clenching. "Right."

As a Wayne, a Bat—when it rained it poured, huh? His chest hurt.

Jason almost jumped at a gentle hand on his shoulder. He looked up to see Bruce, cowl off.

"It's not forever, but until that contract is nullified, you'll be in more danger than ever."

"And you'll have to be much more discreet about your comings and goings," Diana added. "Even after this situation is dealt with."

Jason sighed hard. "I know. It's just—"

"I know," Bruce said softly. "None of this is fair. But we are not losing you. Whatever it takes."

Jason nodded and submitted to a hug.

"Now get upstairs and rest. You've had a long night."

"Yeah," he sighed.

Damian followed him to the elevator. Cass lagged behind, giving the married couple a look. Bruce jerked his head at the elevator. She nodded and joined the brothers.

…

"Well…that went about as well as expected," Diana said.

"Yeah." Bruce scowled and sat next to her at the computer, pulling up the case file. "Jason isn't going to follow the rules."

"Of course not," she sighed. "He always has to test things first."

"Which is why I think he needs a shadow he can't ditch."

Diana smiled. "I had some ideas about that."

"Oh?"

She nodded. "I reached out to some old partners and asked if they had any free time." She showed him a text conversation on her phone. "As it happens, both are fairly open for the next few weeks."

Bruce's eyebrows shot up. "This could work."

"They'll take their watch in shifts, keep the other on speed dial in case they need backup."

He nodded. "Good."

Bruce made an annotation to the file, attaching it to the chemical breakdown.

Designation: Delta-Venom/ΔV.

…

A ringing phone was a rare occurrence on the isle of Aeaea, but the fact that it rang at all was cause for urgent concern.

"Mistress, it's for you."

A lithe, olive-skinned hand took the device. "What?"

A long-suffering sigh came from the other end. "Finally found your boy. He's bein' held in a STAR Labs containment facility about twenty miles west of Gotham City."

She sneered. "Took you long enough, Sionis."

"Hey, lady, I only did this for you as a favor 'cause he got pinched on my dock. You're lucky I let your boy into my city at all."

"It's not your city yet, Roman. Even less so now that Wonder Woman has made it her home."

"First off, my own mother doesn't call me Roman. Second, I only agreed to work with you because you said you could change that."

"And I will, but I need my lieutenant back."

"…I'll send you the address. Hope you got a better plan for gettin' him out than you did shippin' him into the city."

"Oh, I'm sure we'll do fine. Good night…Roman."

"You uppity—"

She hung up before he could say more, chuckling to herself. That chuckle swiftly turned to a scowl as she handed the phone back. "Léon, what assets do we have in the area?"

A tall, burly man with a litany of scars rumbled his answer in a faint Haitian accent. "Limited, but there is one specialist."

She smirked. "Ah yes, the identity thief."

"He may not wish to blow his cover over our mistake."

She gave him a scalding look. "If he does his job right, he won't have to. Remind him that our plan will only work if they believe they are beset on all sides—massive, relentless pressure." She snorted. "Besides, Elliot owes me for not turning him into a newt on our first meeting."

Léon smiled cheekily. "For diplomacy's sake, I think I'll leave that part out."

She grinned and stirred her honeyed drink. "And Léon, Elliot's skills may be considerable, but Caephus is critical to our endgame. Don't leave anything to chance."

He bowed deeply. "I live to serve the Mistress of Magic."

She waved her hand, and the violet swirls of a teleportation spell formed around his body.

"Farewell, Lady Circe."

AN: Finally getting to unveil the first strands of the conspiracy this whole story centers around. Lots of strings are being pulled in different directions, perhaps not all on the same page, but certainly working toward the same goal.

Next chapter will introduce even more pieces, including the "shadows" Bruce and Diana mentioned.

Formatting notes:

– Internal Thoughts/Flashback
– "Super-Hearing/Surveillance"
– Telepathy/Divine Speech
– "{Foreign Language}"
– [Text Message]