Worldheart (A Justice League fanfic)

Chapter 10

Jaz's feeling proved right hours later when all three forcefields shut down automatically. The lights in the room were still on and the lock on the door was still powered meaning it must have been deliberate. They wasted no time rushing to Black Canary's side. Arrow gingerly rolled her onto her side, his eyes widening in shock. Canary had a very obviously sutured incision spanning across her neck. Her eyes flickered open for a moment. They were clouded by pain and delirium from whatever drugs they pumped into her body before the surgery. She moved as if to speak but a raspy croak whistled out of her mouth instead.

"Shh, don't speak. Just rest, I got you." He turned to Jaz, "Think you can figure out the door?" She nodded leaving their side. With countless hours trapped with nothing to do she'd been thinking of how to figure out the final missing digit. She knew that keypad locks like these would often have the code worn into the buttons with the paint wearing off, or obvious signs of constant touch appearing on the metal around the button. She wasn't wrong, she could see obvious marks on which keys were used frequently. The issue was that those marks were only on four of the buttons meaning her final button was a double and could be any one of the other four.

One – Nine – Eight – Four – One – Blank

She searched the panel to see if the ones that were doubled up were any more significantly worn down but aside from the one key the others looked too similar to tell for sure. She tried nine at the end. It blinked red twice giving a 'failed' tone. She cursed. She tried one next. It was the same. "Uhh, Hey Arrow. How many tries do you get before it locks you out. Five?"

"Less, it's usually three and then it sets off an alarm." He called back. "How many have you tried?"

"Two." She racked her brain at what to do. It was either eight or four. A fifty-fifty chance of success.

"Trust in your gut kid." Jaz turned to look at him. He had carefully collected Canary's body into his arms taking care to rest her head against his shoulder so it didn't flop. Jaz nodded at him, her hands trembling slightly. She didn't want to fail them. She stared for a moment at the keypad until a thought crossed her mind. When she made her own passcodes, she tried to make them 'memorable'. One-One at the end was a classic. Repeating the first two digits at the end was another... So, repeating the first and last digit at the end. That must be it. She keyed in four. The button flashed green sliding the door open.

Jaz let out a long breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. She peeked into the Lab. The lights were out so the room was only lit by the din of the multiple screens lining the walls as well as the massive glass tank of green fluid lit from within. "The coast is clear." She whispered.

"I see that." Jaz yelped at the sound of Green Arrows voice standing beside her. He flashed her a grin before entering the lab, picking one of the operating tables to gently place Black Canary down on. "How good are you with computers?"

"I'm an average student, if that's what you're asking." Jaz replied jokingly.

"Well, if It's good enough for school," Arrow shrugged before pointing at a group of computers. "I want to see what they pumped her full of. If we're going to have any chance of getting out, we'll need her awake... And I'll need my bow as well."

Jaz nodded, speaking under her breath that she could do this. The computers also had passcode locks when she booted them. The passcode to the cell and the main door didn't work... Remembering the notepads she saw them using she searched the desk for one. She found it and the passcode scribbled on one of the leaflets. She called out to Arrow letting him know before diving into the files trying to sort through huge documents filled with experiments and projects the lab had been working on. It all spanned back years. "For an average student you've just hacked into the secret lab of a super villain, and your teachers gave you a C?"