8 hours later.

Dick had received a call from a monotone man requesting his and Donna's presence back at the White House. He was supposed to also bring the requested JLA member and an additional individual to escort Aqua Girl to the zeta room and their tower. Images of injured teammates and loved ones flashed through his mind before he pulled himself together. Already speeding toward Donna's room. He made it to her door and pounded it with a singular knock.

"Donna, the President has requested us again!" He called out. The door opening to the sight of frazzled hair and Donna in a sleep shirt and sweatpants.

"I thought they weren't due back till tomorrow." Donna yawned as Dick continued down the hall. He understood her tiredness. They had been out late last night. Some semi organized thieves had decided to simultaneously rob five banks and then speed off into the night. The Titans chasing them down in a pursuit that lasted till two am.

"They finished early I guess. Must have gotten the containment chamber done early." Dick called back, trying to remain positive.

"Our luck is never that good Dick." Donna observed as she turned to get ready for the day.

"See ya in thirty!" Dick gleefully spouted, knowing she despises anyone who was energetic and happy before getting her coffee.

He made his way to the common room and computer. Noticing a passed out Garfield on the sectional. A controller held in his limp right hand as he lounged on the sofa. Deciding to let the young man sleep a few more minutes, Dick powered up the computer. Quickly logging in and connecting to the Watchtower. He called the monitoring station and was met by Martian Manhunter's red gaze.

"Morning J'onn." He greeted with a small wave.

"Morning Nightwing. What can I help you with." J'onn replied in his monotone voice.

"The White House has requested a full JLA member for a debrief after Batman's mission. I need someone who's available." Dick explained.

"I believe Green Arrow is available. I'll alert him and have him meet you in your zeta room." J'onn answered as he typed on his keyboard and sent the communication to Green Arrow.

"Thanks. We shouldn't be too long. Talk to you in a bit." Dick said as he disconnected. Turning to lightly kick Garfield's hanging leg. Startling the green man from his nap.

"Who!… wha?" Garfield broke out, like frozen molasses thawing.

"Get up. You get to meet the President." Dick answered with a smirk. Garfield, having awakened a bit more now, heard meet and President. His eyes narrowing in suspension.

"When?" He asked, not believing it for a second.

Dick merely looked at a nonexistent watch and responded with, "Twenty three minutes from now. Get ready and meet me in the zeta room." Enjoying watching the man scramble to his feet and sprint out of the room.

Deciding he had time for coffee, he made his way over to the kitchenette. Pulling the grounds from the cabinet and starting a pot. As it brewed he pulled two travel mugs from the cabinet and added cream and sugar to the bottom. He then poured the completed pot into the two mugs and sealed their lids. Making his way back down the hallway, passing a stumbling Donna who was rubbing her right eye. He held out the second mug and continued down the hallway. Donna grabbed the cup without thinking and turning to follow their leader. Savoring the flavor of the coffee as they walked. They made it to the zeta room as it powered up, and a green hooded figure walked out. A bow strapped to his back and arrows firmly placed in their quiver.

"Morning kids." Oliver greeted with a sarcastic smirk. Dick responding with his own as Donna scowled at the man.

"I don't get paid enough for this." Donna bit out as she took another sip from her mug.

"We don't get paid." Dick responded in a deadpan. Used to her early morning moods. She just glanced over, an analyzing look in her eyes,

"Ok." She said as if she was hiding something. Dick cocked an eyebrow at her and Oliver just nodded along as if he was in the know. They were interrupted by Garfield sprinting into the room.

"Made it!" He called.

"Great, now do we take our weapons with us or is there a locker I can borrow?" Oliver asked as he moved to store his bow along the wall.

"I wouldn't worry about it. They didn't stop the other guy and we shouldn't be long." Dick replied with a shrug.

"Other Guy?" Oliver asked as he readjusted his bow.

"An agent of theirs. Big muscled guy that had enough guns and knives to give Death Stroke a run for his money. Speaking of, don't freak out when you see him." Dick answered as he readied himself and downed the rest of his coffee.

"Why would I be seeing Death Stroke on this trip?" Oliver asked utterly confused.

"He apparently works for Waller or something. He was at the last meeting. Didn't say much and let Waller do the talking." Dick explained. "We think he's gone legit but is acting as some sort of handler for this agent. We haven't investigated further due to the contract."

"Right, we really need to hire lawyers to travel with us to meetings with politicians from now on." Oliver observed.

The meeting where Dick and Donna had explained they had signed a contract on behalf of the league was boring to say the least. Diana had merely shrugged, knowing her sister was more than capable of ensuring the safety of the team. Hal and Barry wanted to know if they got anything cool out of it. They were told they got a gag clause which had Barry slumping back in his seat, mumbling something about a shitty Christmas gift. Clark just wanted to read the terms and decided it was fair. They really didn't have to do anything but not investigate the US intelligence service. An easy feat, till Batman had started to type on his holo-pad. His curiosity stemmed by Dick, Diana, Clark, and John Stewart of all people telling him to stop. John's reasoning was the man was someone important and based off the mission description given, often infiltrated enemy bases and extracted HVPs. He probably had a lot of enemies in the world and it was his right to privacy like the rest of them.

Batman had ceased his typing and agreed to their request. All of them knowing he'd investigate in private. "You'd think we'd have one or two among us. Guess hero work doesn't translate to pro bono representation." Dick responded dryly. A grunt was the answer to his reply as they entered the zeta tube.

They were met by Evelyn again. But she seemed more tense. Walking faster than last time as she led them to the Oval Office. Her coffee being downed at a sedate pace compared to last time. They passed four men in military garb as they proceeded through the hallways. One shaking his head as they passed and the rest sporting glares at the heroes. Good sign of what's to come.' Dick thought. Oliver either didn't notice or ignored it as he continued to follow Evelyn.

They eventually reached the door and only received a nod as Evelyn cleared the area. They entered to find Slade and Waller in their same seats as last time. Waller inspecting a tablet on her lap and Slade seemingly bored. Eye only lighting up for a second when Oliver entered the room and Garfield becoming wide eyed. It was then that Dick remembered he forgot to tell Garfield about Slade. Quickly slamming his hand over the greenling's mouth and shaking his head no at the young man. Being met by eyes screaming 'what the fuck' over and over.

"You really have a way of picking the worst people to attend these meetings don't you." Slade smirked.

Oliver just shrugged, "Could have been Batman." Slade's smirk just grew even wider, while Waller looked up with a gaze that threatened to burn a hole in Oliver's head.

"That would be very interesting." Slade agreed as he leaned back. He'd pay a lot of money to watch the kid walk-in and see the bastard here. The office would be decimated and Batman on the front page of every newspaper in America. Fighting some armored soldier on the front lawn.

Further, conversation died when the opposite door opened and Tula walked through. A growing bruise on her head.

"You ok Aqua Girl?" Donna asked as she met the girl halfway across the room. Tilting her head to observe the purple and red monstrosity.

"She has a concussion. Other than that the "hero" is fine." A distorted voice answered with disdain dripping from the word hero.

Jason closed the door behind him and leaned against his corner with his arms crossed. Glowering at the green hooded prick across from him. Not that the bastard knew. He has been doing that a lot in the past, now, three days. The entire helicopter ride back was spent staring at the red headed woman strapped in across from him. Daring her to say a word. The only silver lining was his payment at the end of this mess. It still tasted like dirt though. He was right there! If she had just stayed down and let him do his job, or had taken a few more minutes to get up. The mission would have been successful and the elements in this room after calling for extraction.

Instead, they had to go on a wild goose chase after the damned thing. Wasting man power and more importantly intelligence assets on what should have been a completed mission. Waller was most definitely pissed and Slade was just happy to see the fireworks. He didn't think retirement was meant to be this fun, but between training the recruits and watching the kid set the world on fire. He was having a hell of a time.

"What happened?" Dick asked as he took in the sight of his teammate.

"Gizmo surprised me. He landed a good right hook and knocked me out." Tula answered as her eyes drifted toward the floor.

"Can you have one of your teammates take her back? She needs rest and another checkup." President Jackson spoke as he turned from looking out his window. He had been admiring the grounds work while trying to reconcile how to go about fixing this mess. He was already giving Waller a blank check to find the elements again. Their potential for sustainable power was too great a prize to allow any other nation to collect them. Not to speak of some rogue element trying to find a way to weaponize them.

"Of course Mr. President. Beast Boy, can you take Aqua Girl back?" Dick answered and dictated to Garfield.

"Come on Aqua Girl, let's get you looked at." Garfield said while leading her from the room.

"So I take it Gizmo got the elements." Oliver said as he sat down on the couch. Dick and Donna joining him a moment later.

"Yes, after Aqua Girl aided in his escape." Waller stated as she pulled up drone footage from the pad.

It started just after Knight had been bowled over by the crate. His armored form visible as he hauled himself back onto the platform. "Is that Mammoth? We haven't seen him since Jinx defected." Donna said as she observed the giant man. He seemed to be clutching his stomach, probably something he ate. He was always hungry it seemed, sometimes to the detriment of his team.

"Our last report put him and Gizmo trying to recruit a new member for the Fearsome Five." Dick said as he watched Tula approach the platform. Both Gizmo and Mammoth visibly relaxing in the footage.

"They're going to need a new name." Agent knight said from his corner, eliciting a snort from Slade. Dick's eyes slid over to the man and nearly missed a torrent of red appear on screen. He turned and was met by a headless Mammoth, screaming Gizmo, and approaching Knight.

"Mammoth's dead?" Donna asked as she watched Tula's wave envelope the agent and slam him into a shipping container. She had been fighting the giant since she first entered man's world. She didn't like the man but fighting him was familiar, routine. He didn't deserve to die like that.

"I believe his name was Baran." Knight shrugged on the wall.

"You killed him!" Dick said as he stood up. Stance already shifting to hostile.

"Yes, he was aiding an unknown hostile element seize government assets. Making him a combatant. I'm not a hero. I see threats and I take them out." Knight responded nonplussed.

"You could have arrested him! Brought him in to be handled by a jury." Dick fired back.

"Agent Knight eliminates threats and operated within the confines of his mission. Our problem is the interference by your chosen agent." Waller cut off Jason. Knowing it would probably escalate.

The footage was now showing Gizmo's escape and Tula's interference. "She did what she was trained to do. Save lives. Just not the right ones." Knight shrugged, off in the corner.

"We don't train kids to kill." Oliver growled out.

"Good. But this has nothing to do with your morals. The facts are that Gizmo escaped with the elements and Aqua Girl was the primary reasoning for this escape." Waller answered again.

"I didn't want any JLA on this mission, but I conceded to the President's wishes. Hoping you would send someone who could handle working with soldiers like my agent. Instead, you delegated it to a third party, and not only that but sent a child. Barely over eighteen." Waller continued.

"She was the best candidate at the time. We thought she fit the mission perfectly. An underwater asset to guard a caravan." Oliver supplied. Remembering Bat's meeting and the mission details provided.

"Nightwing told us your reasoning. The problem is you never asked for clarification and sent the wrong asset. We didn't have time to ask for someone else. Now here we are. The elements in the breeze and my team is scrambling." Waller finished.

The room drifted into silence after that. Oliver looking to find some answer and coming up empty. Dick lowering his stance and trying to come up with an explanation. Much like the first time. Donna was simply watching the shadow leaning against the wall. Trying to figure him out.

"The administration will be revisiting our budgets in the near future. We have a lot of national debt and I'm aiming to curb overspending. I wouldn't imagine much being left over for your League Green Arrow." President Jackson broke the silence. Looking at the hooded man.

"Mr. President, please consider…." Oliver started but was interrupted by the President.

"I asked for your assistance expecting a genuine response and professionalism. Instead you brushed me off and dictated the work to an inexperienced young lady. She did exactly as she was trained and unfortunately it cost us the elements. I can't reconsider because I have to dedicate spending to finding them again."

Oliver considered that. "We can have Batman begin searching for the elements. He'd have them back to you within the month!"

President Jackson stared at the hooded man. "Your League is the reason we lost them. What happens when inevitably you decide it's too dangerous for one man to have them? Or you keep them for yourselves? No, I won't allow you to threaten the future of my country."

They quieted again after that. "Agent Knight, it was an honor and I will have your payment forwarded. You are dismissed." President Jackson continued with a nod of respect toward Jason.

"Thank you sir, it was an honor as well." Jason returned the nod and began his exit. Donna still staring as he left and Dick thinking through possible options to get the League back in the good graces of the President with Oliver. Jason was stopped by Slade calling over his shoulder. Still glaring at the Titans and Oliver.

"I better get a call after the first snowfall." Jason answered with a grunt as he left the room. Already picturing the dinner, sunlight, and smile on Rose's face.