Card Game

Comprimised

A bright scenery opens up flooding my eyes with forest pines and a rising sun to the west. But something isn't right. I look down at my clothes all torn with scratches that are loosely concealed under them. In the distance a black clumpy figure lays still on the ground. I walk towards it not knowing what it is. When I get closer I start to realise that the clumped heap on the floor isn't an it, it's a he. Connor lays sprawled on the floor covered in blood and bruises and....and.....burns. A few metres away I spot green and blue, running over to it I realise that the same has happened to Artemis and Kaldhur. I look around me and all the color had drain away from my face. Dick, Zatanna, Wally and M'Gann were all nailed into a tree of their own, pierced with blackened tree branches that had obviously been burnt. Tears start streaming down my face in horror as my hands get heavier. I look down at them and screaming at the blood that covered them, all up my arms and across my chest and down my legs. What have I done? I collapse to my knees in tears. My shoulders start to shake violently back and forth, stopping, then shaking again. My eyes snap open, my hands light on fire, I sit up yelling, "STAY AWAY FROM ME!"

I wave my hands about, my eyes stung bloodshot. Two pairs of hands hold me down onto what feels like a narrow bed. My wrists and shoulders are pinned as my vision turns blood red. A sharp sting penetrates my left inner elbow as my vision clears, my breathing slows and my body relaxes.

"Is she gonna be okay?" A voice is faint and full of worry. Male, approximately 18 years old.

"The antidote should suppress any major damage to the body, but I'm sure she will be fine Connor." Another male, much older, more experienced. A third younger male sighs deeply.

"We should have protected her. We should of been there with her instead of leaving her by herself." I open one blurry eye and see a man put his hand on a boys shoulder.

"You couldn't have known this would happen, let alone stop it from happening. Don't be blaming yourselves, any of you." The boy sighs again.

"Okay, we'll tell the others." The second voice says before leaving. Two pairs of footsteps move further away from earshot as I moan in pain trying to move. A firm hand softly touches my forehead. I open my eyes and blink a few times before my vision returns fully. Examining the room I find that I am in the Watch Tower infirmary. Bruce is standing next to me with his mask hanging behind his neck revealing his structured jaw and his hair as black as coal.

"Ugh...my head. What happened?" He undoes my bounds letting me touch my head, rubbing my temples as a headaches starts to form.

"Do you know who I am?" He shines a flashlight into my eyes examining then.

"You're uh.....Black Canary, right?" A cheeky grin slides onto my face, then a maniacal little giggle. I let my face drop in confusion. "Woah, sorry Batsy that was uncalled for." Again a grin spreads across my face, bigger than the previous one, followed by a psychotic cackle. "I'm on fire tonight baby!" I light a flame into my palm. The cackle turns into a crazed laugh that I can't stop. My stomach starts to stitch down the sides.

"Riddian you need to calm down. Focus on my voice, stop laughing." I can't take it anymore! The more he talks the more I laugh. I role over onto the floor still laughing. With my mouth no use at all I stare at Bruce, my eyes full of fear and my brain mentally screaming HELP! I try to stand up but I fall against the wall to my left, using my hand to keep my balance I reach for the door panel with my other hand. Before I open it Bruce grabs my wrist and pulls me back as I turn mid pull and sock him right in the nose, breaking it badly. He falls to the ground in a clump of muscle and rubber, not moving from his position. I clamp both my hands over my mouth as I start out with a light giggle that follows into a convulsion of laughter even the Joker himself would be proud of. Wait, the Joker....Sports Master.....the bombs, I remember that comic.

The Injustice league was a group of highly classed villains formed to take down the original Justice Leaguers. Joker played a big part in their schemes but fell the hardest when they were defeated. They must have reformed and planned a new way of taking them out by compromising someone on the inside. Oh my god, I'm the one on the inside. I need to get out of here he he...ha ha ha.....HAHAHAHAHA!!

**--**

Batman POV

I wake up feeling dizzy and light headed. My nose is obviously broken, how did that happen? I look around the room where papers have been thrown around, instruments were scattered everywhere and there was no sign of Riddian. Damnit! I rush to the door hitting the alarm. A siren sounds with "code blue" wailed in the background. Riddian has been compromised and we need to contain her before she hurts anyone. I crunch my nose back into position and wipe the blood with my glove before sliding my mask back on and running for the meeting room.

I jog in as everyone assembles and Wonder Woman shuts off the alarm. I bring up files about the toxin she was dosed with on the computer screens, or what we could find out about it anyway.
"Everyone listen up! One of our team members has been compromised." Everyone's eyes dart around the room looking for a culprit. "It's Riddian, our newly acquainted Torch. She was dosed with a heavy concentration of a new Joker toxin. It takes over the brain, attacking it and breaking down the host. Once broken the host starts to panic and abruptly convulses into a fit of laughter." Gasps and murmurs fill the room. "Do not engage! We need her alive and functional to find a cure. Please be careful, all Leaguers are on this case until further notice. You know your groups and places, now go!"

Everyone splits off, some into portals and others searching the Watch Tower. This is gonna be a long night.

**--**

Robin POV

Superboy and Wally search the Watchtower with me. We are currently in the gym, Connor is looking under mattresses, Wally is speeding behind the electronic equipment and I'm scanning the room for any other heat signatures. When I don't find anything I drop my arm. BEEP BEEP. I look down at the floor.

"Guys! I've found handprints matching Riddian's." Wally races over to me.

"Where?" I follow the trail of black scorch marks along the floor. It seems as though she was crawling, which means she couldn't have gone far.

"Towards the cafeteria, Go!" Wally speeds down the hallway as Suberboy and myself check each room leading up to the eating area.

**--**
Superman POV

I fly over Gotham using my sensitive hearing to pinpoint any nonstop maniacal laughs. None so far but I'll do one more sweep before moving onto Metropolis.

**--**
M'Gann POV

Uncle Jon and myself are scanning the area to try and connect a mind link.

"Anything yet uncle Jon?" Although flying makes it quicker I still don't have a perimeter as big as his.

"Nothing, it's like she's gone off the grid completely. I don't like this one bit. How could they pick on such an innocent child?" I know how he feels. She was only trying to do what she was put on the team to do. Now look at what's happened.

**--**
Superboy POV

I followed Robin and his tracker to a vent behind the cafeteria.

"It shows that she went through here. I'll see where she headed off to. Keep looking around, maybe she left a clue. I'll tell you if I find anything." And with that he was gone, into the vent.

I open every cupboard and storage unit that I could find. I was about to give up when something purple caught me eye hanging on the fridge. A note, from Joker.

She's mine now Leaguers. If you want my right-hand woman back then you'll have to keep looking. You will never find her though. She's gone through an amazing transformation, I highly doubt that you will even recognise her after what I did. Toodals HA HA HA!!!

- J

Robin blasts into my ear, "Superboy! Get to the portals, quick, I've found something!" I run down the hallway and turn left into the portal room to meet KidFlash and Robin.

"What is it?" I puff.

"Look, no more handprints. It's like she just disappeared out if no where." I hand him the note. "We have to inform Batman immediately."