Chapter 63: Ghost in the Machines
It was a quiet night at the DEO storage warehouse. Guards were making their rounds, making sure that all the high-tech alien technology was housed there securely. As a pair of guards made their rounds through the building, unaware of the shadowy figure stalking them from the dark.
"Man, can you believe some of this junk?" one of the guards asked. "Feels like only a while ago, this place was just for storage, but now-"
"Man, what the hell are you talking about?" the other guard replied, clearly annoyed.
"What?" the first guard responded, both unaware of the shadow creeping toward them. "Just trying to make conversation."
"Yeah, well I'm not in the mood. Now we got a job to do and I'd like to get through it without-"
Just then, the shadow sprang up from the ground, hitting the guard and knocking him into a shelf. The other guard was shocked, drawing his weapon and spinning around trying to find any sign of their attacker.
"Who's there?!" he called out. "Come out with your hands up!"
No answer came, save for a flicker of shadows. Before he could say anything else, another shadow shot out, engulfing him instantly. The guard didn't even have time to scream. as he was overwhelmed. The shadow then passed over him, leaving him out cold on the ground. As the guards lay unconscious on the ground, a new figure stepped out of the shadows, a man all dressed in black with a top hat, dark glasses, and a cane in his hand.
"No need to get up, gentlemen," he spoke, holding his cane out. "I'll just help myself."
Just then, shadows shot out from the cane, reaching out to and encompassing numerous items on the shelves and causing them to sink into the shadows. One such item was a crate marked "highly dangerous", which was of particular interest to the mysterious man, being swallowed up by the shadows before the man faded away himself.
…
At the offices of Lexcorp, Mercy Graves was at her desk going over some financial reports regarding the company. After Lex had been arrested, she was put in charge of Lexcorp, much to the surprise of everyone. She was actually doing quite well as the new CEO, pulling Lexcorp out of the pit Lex's criminal career had put it in. Even bring up stock in the company to a new high. While people wondered about the secret to her success, she kept it close to her chest, never letting a single secret spill.
As she continued to work, a large shadow suddenly appeared on the ground. She looked up to see the man from the warehouse rise from the ground with one of the crates next to him.
"You're late," she declared.
"Would you believe traffic?" he remarked.
Mercy just ignored him as she got up and walked over to him.
"Did you get it?" she asked.
"The Shade always delivers," he promised, tapping the crate with his cane.
She raised an eyebrow, prompting Shade to use his cane to summon shadow tendrils that grabbed the roof of the box and tore it off, tossing it aside. Mercy looked inside, smiling at the sight.
"Now, are you willing to pay in cash or check?" Shade wondered.
"I'll have the money wired to your account immediately." Mercy pulled out her phone, doing a quick transaction. "I will inform you if your services are required again."
"A pleasure doing business with you," he replied, tipping his hat.
With that, he disappeared into the shadows, leaving Mercy alone with the contents of the crate.
"So… still think this thing is gonna work the way you want it to?" she asked seemingly no one.
"Of course," a new voice replied, stepping out of the shadows and revealing himself to be none other than Lex Luthor. "What better way to destroy the Justice League… than with the force that brought them together in the first place."
…
Back at the DEO, Kari, Hamilton, and DEO security were going over the scene of the crime. The professor looked more than a little upset as he surveyed the damage.
"So, how bad is it?" Kari asked.
"Quite bad," Hamilton replied solemnly. "I'm still doing an inventory of everything that was taken, but everything missing is highly dangerous so far."
"Damn, I was afraid of that. How'd he even get in here?"
"We're not sure," the security chief answered. "No alarms were tripped, no sign of forced entry… it's like they just came in out of nowhere."
Kari rubbed her chin. "A teleporter maybe? No, they would have made a noise, and there would have been a weight limit… Perhaps a phaser?"
"And I have a pretty good idea as to who," a voice chimed in.
Hamilton jumped in shock as he and Kari turned to see Batman stepping out of the shadows.
"Was wondering when you would show up," Kari remarked.
"Have the guards regained consciousness?" Batman asked.
"Haven't checked in yet, but it's been long enough that they should have." Kari turned her chair towards him. "I'll show you the way."
Batman nodded as the two walked off, leaving Hamilton to continue his work. He watched them go, then shook his head.
"I will never get used to all of these heroes. Especially that one."
…
"So, you have some theories on who's responsible?" Kari asked.
"The M.O. is phase shifting and high-grade theft. Sounds a little too similar to a super-criminal called the Shade."
"Shade…" Kari closed her eyes, focusing. "I think I remember someone like him coming up in my studies of Meta-Humans."
"His abilities include shadow manipulation. He could've easily broken in. However, he wouldn't go to the trouble unless someone was paying him. What exactly was taken?"
"We're still working on that. Professor Hamilton should have a full list soon."
The two entered the med bay, where the downed guards were finally starting to come to. They were a bit bruised but were otherwise alright. All of them stiffened when they saw Batman entering the room.
"At ease men," Kari insisted. "He's here at my request. He just wants to ask you a few questions about what happened."
"What can you tell me about the infiltrator?" Batman asked.
"I… don't remember much," one of the guards replied. "All I saw was a shadow. It… looked like it was alive.
"The Shade," Batman deduced, turning back to Kari. "We need to figure out what he took and who would be willing to pay him to take it."
"I'll follow up with Hamilton," Kari replied, looking away for a second. "I'll call you if we find something-"
By the time she looked back, Batman was already gone.
"I gotta ask how he does that."
…
In a secret Lexcorp lab, Lex and Mercy hooked up a piece of alien circuitry to a large computer terminal. Lex was doing some last-minute programming while Mercy looked on.
"You sure about this?" Mercy asked. "From what I've heard, this thing doesn't exactly play nice."
"All that matters is providing the proper incentive for his cooperation."
"I just don't want this to bite us in the ass."
"Oh come now, Mercy," Lex replied, looking up from his work. "After all we've been through together, I had hoped you would have a little more faith in my abilities."
"It's not that, I-"
"Trust me, this creature will be quite easy to sway. After all, we share the same desire: the destruction of the Justice League."
Mercy sighed in response, then nodded.
"Then if you please… throw the switch."
Mercy turned towards the console and after a moment's hesitation, she pulled a switch, causing electricity to surge through the console. The two stepped back in response as the chip began glowing with power. After a few seconds, the power died out and the chip remained still. Just then, the computers turned on and the chip began glowing.
"01110000110101011001…. Brainiac systems activated."
"And here I thought his first words would be Papa," Lex remarked, walking forward. "Greetings, Brainiac. I am-"
"Lex Luthor. Founder and CEO of Lexcorp, a multinational corporation devoted to numerous military and civic operations. Currently on the run from multiple law enforcement agencies due to numerous criminal allegations."
"I see you've done your homework. As such, I want to make a deal."
"You do not possess anything I would desire."
"I disagree," Lex replied, walking over to him. "You see we both have a common enemy. The Justice League. They robbed me of my empire and… well, your present condition speaks for itself."
"I am a highly sophisticated Artificial Intelligence. I have no capacity for revenge."
"Neither do I. On this planet, revenge is a sucker's game. However, reclaiming the power either of us had would prove difficult with them still being alive."
"... your argument is valid. What do you propose.?"
"This CPU can allow you to access nearly every computerized machine and database on Earth. All I ask is that you use this knowledge to help to eliminate our common enemy.
"I still have a mission. Collect all data on any given planet-"
"And destroy it," Lex cut off. "I know. So how about I sweeten the pot? I can give you a new body and a means to get off this planet. In exchange you… leave the Earth alone. At least for a century or two. Long after I'm gone. You can have it once I've had my fun with it."
Brainiac paused for a moment. "Your terms are acceptable. I will spare the Earth. If only for a short while."
"Excellent. Well, I'll leave you to it."
Brainiac wasted no time getting to work, spreading his consciousness into the internet, intent on his mission to destroy the League.
…
Up on the Watchtower, the League all convened in a conference room to discuss the break-in.
"So what do we know about this 'Shade' character?" Wonder Woman asked.
"The exact source of his abilities is unknown, but manifest from his cane," Batman informed them. "With it, he can manipulate shadows with ease, using them to transport himself and others. So long as there's a shadow, he can go anywhere."
"Does seem to match the MO of the attack," Superman replied. "Have Kari and Professor Hamilton compiled a list of what was stolen?"
"Most of it seems to be tech collected from the Intergang ordeal," J'onn answered. "However… there is one thing of note."
"I don't like the sound of that," GL noted.
"Among the collected technology… were the final remains of Brainiac."
Superman was immediately on his feet, looking shockingly pale. "Brainiac? He's loose?!"
"The circuitry has remained inactive since we destroyed him, and it is unlikely any human would have the means to reactivate him."
"I can think of a few that could," Batman retorted. "And one in particular."
"Luthor," Superman assumed, hatred clear in his voice.
"Makes sense," Arrow replied. "Plus, he has all the reason to, given his animosity toward all of you."
"And he's been underground since the Reverse Flash busted him out," Flash added. "Who knows what he could do with Brainiac."
"So, what do we do next?" Aquaman asked.
"Lex's chauffeur Mercy was put in charge of Lexcorp after his arrest," Superman informed them. "I'll look into that angle and see if she'll let something slip."
"Wait, his chauffeur became the new CEO?" GL questioned, raising an eyebrow. "Why the heck would anyone put her in charge?"
"Don't underestimate her," Batman interjected. "Mercy is more than his chauffeur. She's his literal right hand, loyal to a fault."
"Well let's hope that's not a strong fault," Cyborg retorted.
"What should the rest of us do in the meantime?" Wonder Woman inquired.
"Nothing for now," Superman replied, getting up from his chair. "Once I have a lead I'll call everyone. In the meantime, go about your daily lives. We can't afford to let Luthor or Brainiac know we're on to them."
"Right," Flash replied. "Business as usual."
…
Meanwhile, at STAR Labs, Caitlin was going over some tests with Firestorm, making sure his abilities were still at optimum. They were set up in a secluded area of the building, where they could experiment without the risk of anyone being hurt or any technology getting busted. The tests started with simple flying exercises, ensuring he could maintain a consistent speed and altitude.
"Alright, flight data seems good," Caitlin reported, jotting down the results. "Let's check to see if your energy output is still good."
Firestorm nodded as he landed on the ground. He summoned fire into his hands, firing several energy blasts at some targets set up for the test. He hit each one in rapid succession and with precision accuracy.
"I'd call that test a success," Firestorm remarked.
"Just need one last thing to send to the DEO for our report," Caitlin replied, grabbing a cinderblock and lifting it onto a table. "Now for the final test. Transmutation."
"Got any preferences?" he asked.
"Surprise me."
Firestorm held out his hand, causing the energy in his hand to glow as the block transformed into a pile of water. He did so again and the puddle transformed into a wooden stool. He did so one more time and turned it back into a cinderblock.
"And that should do it," Caitlin reported. "I have to say, you two have gotten much more adept with your powers."
"With a lot of practice," Firestorm insisted. "And your help."
"Hey, I'm happy to," Caitlin reassured, walking over to him. "I'm just glad to have you back, Ronnie."
"Glad to be back. In fact…"
Firestorm raised his hand, summoning energy that encompassed the clothes Caitlin was wearing. Just then, her outfit transformed into a long, sleeveless dress that was a deep red color. It had a slit in the side that reached her thigh, and it sparkled in the lights of the lab. Caitlin was surprised by this, but also taken in by the gown's beauty.
"What's the occasion?" she asked.
"The occasion…" Firestorm then split apart, revealing Ronnie in a tux and Professor Stein, "is you and I are long overdue for some alone time."
"And with that, I shall make myself scarce," Stein replied, exiting the lab.
Once he was gone, Ronnie held out a hand for Caitlin. "Shall we?"
"Let's," she replied, taking his hand.
…
Elsewhere in the building, Flash and Cyborg arrived in the cortex to check on things.
"Hey, how are things in the city?" Flash asked.
"Quiet," Cisco replied, spinning around in his chair. "Boringly so. Dr. Wells is going over stuff in his office, and Silas is working on some maintenance stuff."
"What about Caitlin?" Cyborg asked.
"Date night with Ronnie."
"Well, good for them," Barry replied, pulling back his cowl and taking a seat. "They deserve a little happiness."
"No argument here."
…
Down the entrance to the pipeline, Silas was going over the systems to ensure everything was operating at peak capacity. As he did though, an alert suddenly appeared on the screen.
"What on…?" he let out, checking the screen.
He looked over the screen, trying to make sense of the coming data. Then all of a sudden, the sound of energy building up from inside the pipeline.
"Oh no…" Silas let out.
…
In Star City, Oliver Queen was overseeing the training of Roy and Thea in their efforts to join in his crusade. Roy was laying out a series of moves on a training dummy, trying to keep a constant pace as Oliver observed off to the side.
"Remember, Roy," Oliver spoke. "It's not about strength. It's about precision. About channeling your energy."
"I get it," Roy replied, slowly moving from one stance to the next. "It just feels a little tedious going at this pace."
"It may seem tedious, but it helps maintain discipline. A trait you will need when you're out on the field."
"At least you're doing something useful," Thea commented, slapping her hand into a bowl of water. "Remind me why I'm doing this."
"It's to build arm strength," Oliver explained. "Helps draw back a bowstring. Unless you want it to smack you in the face?"
"Uh, probably not," Thea replied, slapping her hand again.
"What I thought. Look, I'm gonna head out for a while, but Diggle and Felicity should be back soon."
"Another meeting with the League?" Roy asked.
"Actually…" Oliver grimaced slightly, glancing over at Thea. "I'm… headed to Iron Heights."
This time when Thea brought her hand down, it hit the edge of the bowl, spilling out the water inside.
"Please…" she let out, turning to him. "tell me you are not going to see her."
"Thea…'
"You are, aren't you? Have you forgotten what she's done?!"
"I have just as much blood on my hands-"
"You were trying to help people!"
"And she was threatened!"
The two siblings were getting heated, staring down one another and getting in each other's faces.
"Look…" Oliver finally spoke before letting out a sigh. "I don't want to leave things unresolved between me and her. I want to make amends."
"You do remember it's because of her that over five hundred people died, right? Including the woman you love?"
"That was Merlyn."
"With her help!"
"She's our mom! And I don't want to lose what little family I have left, Thea!"
"You know what? Do what you want."
Thea then stormed off, leaving Oliver fuming and upset.
"That could've gone better," he commented.
"Want me to talk to her?" Roy offered. "I get the feeling she might listen to me."
"You're welcome to try," Oliver replied as he went off. "I gotta get going."
Oliver went to the elevator, unaware of a trio of dots that shimmered on one of the screens for a second before cutting out.
…
The same tri-dot image appeared on a satellite hovering miles above Earth's orbit, jetting through the sky toward the Justice League Watchtower. As it approached, part of the satellite detached and jetted forward, attaching itself to the station. Once it was on, it sprouted legs and made its way toward the hangar doors. As it did, the hangar doors started opening, allowing a Javelin to enter the Watchtower and the bug to crawl inside. As the Javelin landed, the ramp opened up, allowing J'onn and Kari to exit.
"Am I even allowed to be up here?" the doctor questioned as J'onn pushed her along. "I mean, I know the DEO worked with Wayne Tech to make this thing, but I was almost 90% sure it was completely off-limits to civilians."
"I am certain we can make allowances," J'onn replied. "Besides, I felt the computer systems could use your expertise."
"You are a horrible liar. You're just trying to get me out of my lab and isolate me from all my work so I'll take a break."
"Is it working?"
Kari was silent. "I hope there are Oreos up here."
"I had Cyborg bring them up earlier."
"You're a saint, J'onn."
The two went off, unaware of the big watching them from above before slinking off to do its work.
…
In the training room, Wonder Woman and Aquaman were in the midst of an intense sparring session. The two blocked and parried each other's moves in rapid succession.
"Impressive," Diana commented. "I thought you would've fallen by now."
"Hoping me running a kingdom would slow me down?"
Diana shrugged before returning to the fight. As they continued to duke it out, they were unaware of the controls to the training room sparking with electricity. Just then, the doors to the training room shut and locked down, much to the surprise of the two heroes.
"What the…?" Aquaman let out.
Just then, several missile launchers popped out of the walls, opening fire on the two. Aquaman dove out of the way as Diana held her bracelets together to block the blast. Aquaman then fired his trident at one of the launchers, taking it out. This didn't last long as multiple drones flew out, opening fire on him. He spun his trident constantly to deflect the laser blasts, even deflecting a few back at the drones. Diana tried running over to help, but a hydraulic press dropped from the ceiling, forcing her to stop it before it could crush her.
"Something has taken over the controls!" she let out.
"How the hell could anyone even get up here?" Aquaman asked.
"It doesn't matter. We have to get out of here and stop them."
Right," Aquaman replied, throwing his trident at a drone.
…
Meanwhile, Batman was at a computer terminal, looking into Mercy Graves to learn more about her and her connections to Lex. However, his search seemed to come up empty, as no information regarding Mercy seemed to come up until a few years ago. Batman narrowed his eyes at this, knowing there was more to it than this. He tried to continue his search, but electricity started sparking from the keys, causing Batman to pull his hands back in pain. He looked up at the monitor, seeing the images growing static. Just then, a bolt of electricity shot out, forcing Batman to backflip out of the chair just as it got hit. As he landed on the ground, the computer fired more electric bolts at him, forcing him to move toward the exit. Unfortunately, the exit closed up, cutting him off as he dove for cover.
"Batman to Justice League, we have a priority one situation," unfortunately, all Batman could get over comms was static, signaling him that communications had been cut off.
Seeing that he was on his own, Batman tried throwing a batarang at the controls, only for an electric bolt to blast it, knocking it away. Batman glared at the computer before diving out of the way of another blast.
…
Meanwhile, Green Lantern was outside the space station, doing some tune-ups on the propulsion systems.
"Just doing some tune-ups on the station," GL explained. "Should be back long before you need me."
"I hope so, Hal," Carol replied. "The jet STAR Labs is helping us work on is nearly complete and I need my best test pilot. On-time. Preferably with all his equipment ready."
"Alright, alright, I get it. I'll be there. Have I ever let you down before?" He actually blanched a bit after he said that. "Don't answer that."
He heard a smug snort on the other end of the line. "Didn't even need to say anything."
"Yeah, yeah. Talk to you soon."
GL hung up on his end, getting back to work on the repairs. As he formed a drill to operate, the hangar doors opened up, causing him to look out and see the Javelin launch out. To his surprise, the ship turned back toward the tower, opening fire on GL. The blasts collided with Lantern, knocking him off the station and sending him tumbling through space.
"What the hell?!"
The ship blasted at him again, causing GL to put up a shield before firing back himself. Unfortunately, the ship had its own shields up, deflecting the shot.
"Seriously?" GL let out, ducking under the ship as it passed by, bracing himself as the ship spun back around for another attack.
…
Back inside the station, J'onn led Kari to the observation deck where Superman was on monitor duty, hoping to deduce the current whereabouts of Shade or Brainiac. J'onn came in with Kari in tow, not surprised to see the Kryptonian hard at work.
"So, where did you think I should start?" Kari inquired.
"Over here," J'onn directed. "Superman, perhaps you can take a break and allow Kari to perform some upgrades to the system."
"Yeah, sure," Superman complied, flying out of his seat and over to the two of them. "Still nothing on the Brainiac front. We might need to confront Mercy directly."
"Mercy Graves?" Kari questioned. "The driver turned CEO?"
"I know she's covering for Lex, but I don't have evidence. More than that, Lex-Corp is designed to keep me out, so I can't investigate it like I normally would."
"I'll admit, from what little I know about the woman, she reminds me of some sort of loyal puppy. Like those shelter dogs who get picked up off the street and become beyond loyal to their rescuer."
"You think she's working for Lex out of a sense of loyalty?"
"I think that there's a reason that out of everyone in his company, he chose his driver to succeed him."
Superman paused, considering what Kari had told him. Just then, there was an alert coming from the computer, which Kari looked into.
"What is it?" J'onn inquired.
"Getting some kind of alert… looks like there's some sort of leakage in the reactor room, and another in the southern airlock."
"I'll check on the reactor," J'onn declared. "I can phase through and avoid the lockdown.
"Then I'll handle the airlock," Superman volunteered.
Superman flew off and J'onn phased through the floor, going to investigate the reactor.
…
J'onn easily entered the reactor, looking around for the source of the leak.
"Kari, where is the leak located?" J'onn asked, getting no response. "Kari?"
"Your friend cannot help you, martian," a familiar voice taunted.
"Brainiac…" J'onn realized.
He went to flee the room, but the reactor slid open, revealing the flaming ball of plasma inside. Seeing the flames, all of J'onn's strength left him. He instantly dropped to the ground, his eyes transfixed on the flames before him.
…
With Superman, he made his way to the airlock, ready to fix the leakage Kari reported. As he entered, however, there were no visible problems to be found.
"Kari, I'm not seeing anything here," Superman reported, not getting a response. "Kari?"
Just then, the door leading out of the airlock closed, allowing the hatch into space to open up, sucking Superman out into space. Superman quickly adapted, flying back toward the airlock. Unfortunately, just as he approached, an energy field manifested, blocking him from entering. He tried punching it, but it seemed to have no effect. Superman knew he had to think of something fast before whatever air he had left was used up.
…
Back on Earth, Oliver arrived at Iron Heights, taking a breath as he waited to meet with his mother. He looked up, finally seeing Moira walking into the room on the other side of the glass. She took her seat as they both grabbed their respective phones so they could talk.
"Thank you for coming," Moira started.
"Of course," Oliver replied. "How are you?"
"As well as can be expected. Not exactly well-liked here, but that's to be expected.
"You weren't the one that destroyed the Glades."
"No, but they need someone to blame. And since Malcolm is dead, I'm the next best thing."
"Malcolm threatened you. You were put in an impossible situation."
"I doubt Thea sees it that way."
"She…" Oliver paused for a moment. "She still needs time."
"Meaning, she still hates me," she sighed. "If my own daughter can't forgive me, what chance do I have with a jury?"
"You can't give up so easily. There's still hope, I promise.
Moira smiled in response. "I don't know where this sense of optimism came from… but I find it immensely refreshing."
"Let's just say I've… started hanging with a new friend group. They've helped me a lot these past few months."
"Well, it certainly shows."
…
Meanwhile, inside the prison, the guards walked down the numerous halls of cells, ensuring that the inmates were secure inside. As they were making their rounds, the lights of the prison suddenly went on and off. They looked up at the lights in surprise before the cell doors suddenly began opening. The guards all braced themselves as the prisoners slowly made their way out, some of them even drawing their weapons.
"All of you, back in your cells! Now!"
Just then, several prisoners jumped them from behind, overpowering them as others rushed up and took their weapons. The other prisoners quickly took out the guards as the others began running for an escape.
…
Back in the visitor's area, an alarm started blaring, causing Oliver and Moira to look up in surprise.
"What's going on?" Oliver asked before getting out of his seat.
"Oliver?" Moira wondered.
"Stay put. I'm gonna find out what's going on."
Oliver made his way toward the exit, opening it up to find the rioting prisoners storming down the hallway, killing whatever guards came their way. One of the prisoners turned toward Oliver just as he ducked back inside.
"Hey!" he cried out. "Know who I just saw? The son of the woman who destroyed the Glades."
"Oliver Queen?! He's here?! Get him!"
…
Oliver quickly grabbed a nearby chair and propped it against the door, hoping that would be enough to hold the prisoners back.
"Oliver, what's going on?!" Moira asked.
"The prisoners are loose," Oliver replied as they tried breaking through the door. "Mom, whatever happens, stay down!"
…
Meanwhile, in the deepest recesses of Lexcorp, Lex was working on the outer shell of Brainiac's new robot body. His movements were precise, to make sure everything was as it should be.
"Soon my friend," Lex mused. "You will get your reward. And the so-called heroes… will be but a memory."
