Quebec City, Quebec
December 28, 08:24 EST
Batman, Black Canary, and Superboy strode into the warehouse, an old building formerly owned by LexCorp Canada, and now rented by a local textiles company that most definitely wasn't a front for the Justice League.
Green Arrow and the recently-thawed Red Tornado had stayed behind at the Cape Chidley lab to oversee the Canadian military's securing and processing of the site.
Ordinarily, Batman would have done it himself. The media didn't call him "the World's Greatest Detective" for nothing.
But he had an idea to track down the Team, and that required him getting back to civilization. It had been over four hours since his strike force had arrived at Cape Chidley and he was anxious to get working on something, anything that could try to get Dick back.
Superboy and Miss Martian had had quite enough for one day, and Batman figured they could use some time with Canary and J'onn, the closest thing he had to parents for them. The rest of Miss Martian's family was on Mars, and Superboy, well... you know.
As the door behind them slide shut and locked, he activated a panel under a tarp as J'onn and Miss Martian (who was apparently stuck in her current form, for at least the next few hours) phased in through the floor. Batman had figured that the fewer people who saw an unfamiliar alien walking around, the better, and M'gann had reluctantly agreed.
Light from scanners built into the ceiling ran over the group, confirming that they were the only ones present. The last thing the League needed was an invisible supervillain discovering a zeta tube. Typing a few numbers into a previously hidden keypad caused the side of one of the crates to slide back, revealing the circular inner workings of a zeta beam tube.
"Lantern" he said into his radio as he prepared to enter the tube, the others right behind him. "We're beaming to the Cave. Any progress?"
"Uh, actually, Batman..." replied Green Lantern in one of those you're-going-to-hate-this-but-you'll-be-madder-if-I-don't-say-it tones. "There's something you should..."
"Recognize, Batman 02" said the tube's AI as a flash of light engulfed him.
Mt. Justice
December 28, 07:31 EST
"...know" finished Lantern as Batman emerged from the teleporter.
Superman, Wonder Woman, the Flash and Aquaman were standing in the Cave's 'reception area.'
They didn't look happy.
Superboy, Canary, J'onn and Miss Martian materialized behind him. Only J'onn had no sign of surprise on his face, though this was probably because he rarely had any sign of anything on his face.
"Batman" said Superman. "We need to talk."
"What. Is. Taking. So. Long?" demanded Sportsmaster, slamming his fist down on the desk.
"You know" said the middle-aged, brown-hair man at the computer "That doesn't really help me concentrate."
In the back of the room, Black Manta chuckled.
"You said that the calculations would take minutes!" growled Sportsmaster.
"And I was wrong" replied Noah 'Calculator' Kuttler. "It happens, even to the best of us."
Sportsmaster pulled a hunting knife off his belt and held it rather close to the other man's throat.
"If you're lying to me, Kuttler, or stalling in any way, I swear I will..."
"Why on earth would I be stalling?" replied other man, turning so that he was face-to-face with the mercenary. "If I'd turned traitor, the Justice League would already be here."
Sportsmaster had to admit the guy had a point. But not out loud.
"Look," Kuttler continued, adjusting his glasses, "if you, with your MIT education, want to try to calculate the exact positions necessary to teleport between two different locations on a massive sphere that's moving through space at 17,000 miles per hour and spinning, be my guest. If not, I suggest you make sure that there is no way for the Justice League to trace us once we get there."
Sportsmaster growled again and muttered something under his breath, but put the knife away.
"I guess the moral of this story is 'don't break the priceless alien supercomputer'" said Manta.
"We weren't supposed to need it" said Sportsmaster weakly. "The League got there too fast."
"You mean you got out too slow" replied Manta. "I seem to recall that your team was the last to pull out. What were you doing, playing hide-and-go-seek with a Martian and a superclone?"
"Look" said Sportsmaster, staring into what were probably Manta's eyes. (It was hard to tell.) "I was following Bee's orders. She's no Sun Tzu, but I still follow orders. Got it?"
Manta chuckled. "Say, how did you break Savage's only Fatherbox?"
"It was Batman" Sportsmaster said quickly, too embarrassed to admit that he'd fallen on it when a powerless Superboy had tackled him and that he had failed to notice until after they were in the air.
"Of course" said Manta, who was clearly smiling underneath his helmet. "I think I'll go check on the prisoners. Make sure none of your men have let them escape yet."
Sportsmaster resisted an urge to flip Manta off on the grounds that it would be unprofessional. "Fine. I'm gonna check on Freeze, make sure his suit repairs are coming along. Kuttler, get that damn thing online. Understand?"
"You're the boss" said Kuttler, complete with a mock salute.
Sportsmaster rolled his eyes as he exited the room.
Why did the techies always have to be so snarky?
YOU ARE READING
Worst Case Scenario
FanfictionThe Light has had enough of the Team's meddling in their affairs. It is time that these sidekicks be removed from the board once and for all, by any means available and by any means necessary. It is time for Operation Guillotine. There will be no me...
