Gotham
North Hill Subway Station
Batman watched the exit of the subway station. Grodd and his recently formed Secret Society were gathered at the subway station. He had recruited Parasyte, Killer Frost, Sinestro, and a recent player in the scene, a red-haired woman. According to Miles, Grodd had gained telepathic abilities following the accident Flash had caused in their last altercation.
He had also transformed an ape into his devoted follower, Giganta, who could change her size at will.
Grodd had recruited these criminals, while also looking for Shade and Clayface, to counter the Justice League. Shade was under arrest, and Clayface was going through the last round of treatments to return him to being a human.
Permanently removing him from the roster of villains.
“Batman, we are here." The Manhunter’s voice came from behind. Superman, Hawkgirl, Green Lantern, and Wonder Woman had arrived to reinforce him.
“I’ll go in and scout. You guys wait for my signal.”
“I will shield your mind from Grodd,” Manhunter said.
Batman nodded, jumping off the ledge with his grappling gun drawn. In the cover of the shadows, he was invisible and didn’t have a difficult time locating the Secret Society.
He struck while they were discussing the way forward. His batarang nailed Sinestro at the back of his head, knocking him out. The remaining members turned to face him, surprise evident on their faces.
“Batman,” Grodd said, growling. “I don’t know how you found us, but coming here alone was a mistake.”
He smirked. “Good thing I don’t make those kinds of mistakes,” he said. The cavalry burst through the wall behind him, standing before the Secret Society.
“Remember what we discussed,” Grodd said, swinging his hand. Giganta, Parasyte, and Killer Frost spread out while the gorilla woke Sinestro.
Giganta, true to her name, grew in size, charging like a bulldozer. Parasyte, Frost, and Sinestro used her as a cover, ready to take their targets.
Green Lantern raised his ring, nodding at Wonder Woman and Superman. He waited until Giganta was in the perfect place, firing a bola at her legs. She tripped, head falling close to the powerhouses of the League.
Superman and Wonder Woman flew upwards, fists stretched, and hit. Giganta’s head snapped backwards, eyes rolling back. She was out cold by the time her face met the floor.
Hawkgirl, Green Lantern, and Batman moved to meet their targets. Green Lantern went for Sinestro solely because he knew the Yellow Lantern would target him. In his single-minded charge, he didn’t see the Manhunter coming through the ceiling. He planted his feet on Sinestro’s back, sending him to the floor.
Green Lantern constructed a jack-in-the-box with a boxer's glow instead of a clown's. Sinestro flew up with the hit, joining Giganta.
Batman threw another batarang, this time at Parasyte, blinding him with the flashbang. Hawkgirl closed her eyes, flying blind for a moment. “Now!” Batman said.
She opened her eyes and swung the mace, sending the purple villain away. More batarangs followed, and she didn’t let up her assault. Parasyte could not absorb anything from her mace, and Batman constantly interrupted him while she worked the villain over.
Superman’s beams met Killer Frost’s cryo beam, slowly creating a thick mist around them. She didn’t see Wonder Woman’s lasso come and snatch her hand. She swung before the lasso could freeze, meeting halfway with Superman.
She too joined her teammates on the floor.
“How is this possible?” Grodd asked, his eyes wide as saucers.
Green Lantern crossed his arms. “Teamwork. That’s how you wanted to defeat us, isn’t it?”
“And your minds are shielded. Which means you knew about my telepathy. Well played,” Grodd said, getting on his knees, raising his hands. Wherever the League had received their intel from, it was spot-on. Their lacking teamwork was also remedied, making their plans useless.
Fighting right now was just asking to be beaten.
—
The Secret Society was broken apart before it could become known. The members were arrested and sent to the nearest detention center. Grodd’s ambitions were shattered, leaving him stumped as to how.
He would have a long time to think about it in Arkham.
—
Arkham
Hours later, the group found themselves in Arkham.
“So much for your superior intellect,” Killer Frost sneered from her cell across Grodd’s. The power nullifier around her neck itched, and she couldn’t do anything about it.
“The League knew everything. My new powers, our gathering place, and plans. They weren’t even surprised to see Giganta,” Grodd said, scratching his neck.
Sinestro rolled his eyes, getting up from his bed. “So?”
“There is a traitor among us,” Grodd said. “Nothing else explains how they could have such accurate intelligence on us.” It couldn’t be Giganta. The League had nothing to offer Parasyte except for the powers of their members—which they wouldn’t. Killer Frost was out as well, but he wasn’t certain if Sinestro could put his hatred of Green Lanterns aside long enough or not.
“Seeing as all of us are here, I doubt it,” Parasyte said. That is, not unless someone was stupid enough to sell the rest out for no gain.
“I think I know how,” Sinestro grunted.
Grodd walked to the left end of the cell door. “Enlighten us.”
“When I was still a Green Lantern, Earth’s protector brought a human to Oa. He claimed to know something the Guardians would want to know. Whatever he told them, it was enough to send those blue imps into a frenzy,” he said. He knew that the Guardians were old, some of the oldest beings in the universe. Nothing fazed them.
Until that day.
“And you believe this person is responsible for our current situation?” Grodd asked. He had seen a pattern in the League’s activities. They were acting in a precise manner, as if they knew what to do, when to act, and where to go. A member providing them with intelligence was a plausible thought.
“I never saw the Guardians act so worried before that day. Not only that, he was friendly with the Green Lantern.”
“What was this person’s name?” Frost asked, baring her teeth. She didn’t need a reason to kill, but she would make an exception for this bastard.
“Miles Beckett.”
—
Metropolis
He read the latest news from Gotham while sipping his drink.
“What happened?” Karen asked.
"Oh, nothing, just Grodd and the members of his new Secret Society were arrested,” he said, pocketing his phone again.
“Fedoraman strikes again,” she teased, taking his hat from the table and putting it on.
“You are welcome.”
“Say, your mom, what happened to her?” she asked. He had confided in her about how his mother had returned. She hadn’t asked what he had done with her, though.
He looked away, watching the ongoing traffic. “I erased every memory she had of me, gave her some cash, and sent her on her way.”
She chuckled. “That’s one way to give the middle finger to higher powers.” She had never encountered the Spectre back in her home dimension. Knowing there were beings who would put a price on changing the future was disconcerting.
“I would have done more if it were worth the trouble,” he said. The Spectre’s human host, Jim Corrigan, would be the obvious target. He couldn’t and wouldn’t touch him.
Not if it meant unleashing the Spectre’s full might.
“What exactly did you do to earn that, though?” she asked. There certainly wasn’t any news regarding a great, world-changing event. Unless he had prevented it, of course.
“I told fate to have an intercourse with a rusty spoon.”
She rolled her eyes. “You know what, just tell me when you are ready.”
“Anyway, gotta go and work. Thanks for the drinks,” she said, kissing him on the cheek. She was about to give his hat back as she left.
“Keep it; it suits you,” he said, winking. She smiled, leaving the hat.
He paid the tab and left.
—
“Aww, look at you,” Claire cooed. “You two are like the lovey-dovey couple in a fairy tale.”
“Ah yes, one where I am trying to set this planet on a certain course behind the scenes, and she is one of the strongest mortal beings in the universe,” he said in a lazy tone.
“Just saying. Seeing the two of you like that makes me want to find a boyfriend too,” she said.
“Where to now?” Baraka asked.
“To the lab. I want to see how my mobile base is proceeding along.”
—
EnviroCorps Robotics Center
“Buying an island was a brilliant idea,” Thomas said. “I already sent the androids to start the construction of the underground complex. Material processing, assembly, and the dock are all underwater. We are building an image distorter on the surface, courtesy of your winged friends.” All he needed was to transport the raw materials, and the androids would handle everything.
“How long will it take?”
“There is no insignificant number of parts that needs testing first, but with the androids,? Two months for the facilities, six for the carrier itself.”
“You have outdone yourself once more, Thomas. Thank you,” he said. Just eight months to have his own flying fortress.
He could wait that long.
“My pleasure.”
He was given the specifics once the timeline was established. At fifteen hundred feet long, the Skyguard could fly at ninety miles an hour thanks to its thrusters. The chameleon covering made it invisible to both sight and radar.
Two hundred active androids as crew and maintenance. A computer for Zalika to manage the network. And one thousand androids in reserve to act as an emergency force. It was truly a mobile fortress, allowing him to have a force constantly on the move.
Keeping teleportation exposure to a minimum.
—
EnviroCorps Environmental Restoration Research Center
“Clyde, long time no see,” he said, shaking the brilliant man’s hand. “I was close by and decided to check how your work is going. I hope I didn’t come at an unfortunate time.” He also wanted to see how the weather control program was proceeding. He had left it alone for some time since it wasn’t as vital as Thomas’ work.
“Of course not, sir. This way,” Clyde said, gesturing towards his office. He was the head researcher, funding was almost unlimited, and the work hours were great. This was everything he dreamt of.
“I don’t know where you found the plans for this ionic energy generator, but it was exactly what I needed. Miss Lorein is already negotiating with the Chinese. If it goes well, we will have our first customers in a month or so,” he explained. He had received the blueprints for the generator from the energy research center along with personnel to build and operate it.
It was extremely advanced, something he couldn’t believe they just had on hand.
He didn’t ask for its sources, of course.
“Fabulous work,” Miles said. He was one step closer to having another lynchpin to gain the hearts of the people. And some extra funding as well.
Though, the demonstration would have to be delayed for now.
From the moment they left the lab, Clyde was sneaking glances at a coworker. She had bushy brown hair and safety equipment and, of course, was enamored with her work.
“How are things between you and her?” he asked. Those glances were very much the longing type.
“Oh, uhh,” Clyde stammered before coughing to gather himself, “good, very professional. Why?”
“Nothing important. You just looked like a man in love; I couldn’t help but ask.”
Clyde hung his head, sitting. “Is it that obvious?” he asked, rubbing the back of his neck.
“Yes,” Claire murmured. It was painfully obvious in fact.
“Have you asked her out?”
“We are coworkers, and I am, well, I’ve never been popular with the girls,” he excused. She was actually in charge of the ionic energy generator, the only person that technically ranked the same as him.
Miles nodded in understanding. “You think it will make things awkward if she says no.”
“Back in high school, I had a brilliant chemistry teacher. Mister Verner was much like you. He had such a passion for his field that it burned brighter than phosphorus,” he said. Speaking about high school was irritating most of the time. Hormonal teenagers, needless drama, and, of course, the eternal boredom.
There were lessons he had learned, though.
“He was also in love with our mathematics teacher, Miss Thinefield, but like you, he was too shy to say it. One day, a classmate who failed his class wanted to humiliate Mister Verner by writing a secret love letter.” He remembered how pale Verner was when he learned about the fake love letter.
More needless drama, but at least it had an amusing moment.
“Long story short, they ended up marrying a month after I graduated.”
“So you are saying I should ask her?” Clyde asked, glancing out the window towards the lab.
“I am saying don’t stay in this state of indecision. Maybe she will say yes, maybe she will say no. But that doubt in your heart will gnaw at you like a pack of hungry hyenas,” he said, patting him on the shoulder. Clyde was an open book, and every little wavering of his eyes pointed at the same thing.
Doubt.
“You’re really something,” Clyde said, slacking on his chair. He was always talking himself out of asking, and it was really getting to him. Maybe he just needed to brave it.
He got up from his chair. “Let me just give you a tour first.”
“No need." He raised a hand, stopping him halfway. “In fact, if she accepts, both of you can take the day off.”
“If not?” he asked. It was best to be ready.
“Then you can take the day off.” Clyde would need it.
“Thank you, Miles.”
—
“I guess the machine isn’t that important?” Baraka asked, starting the car.
“It is. Keeping Clyde happy is more important though,” he said. As always, earning loyalty meant more than immediate gains. That and he liked Clyde.
“Because he is a valuable asset?”
“Because he is a friend,” Claire answered for him.
He smiled, taking his coat off and laying it on the seat. “Why can’t both be true at the same time?” Just because he is a valuable asset doesn’t mean I can’t be his friend.”
—
Gotham
Arkham Asylum
Alarms blared across Arkham. A breakout, massive in scope, allowed every inmate to escape at once. The guards were having a difficult time, and the police wouldn’t arrive soon enough to contain the situation. Their only hope, the Justice League, had received the alarm, but it was unknown whether they would make it.
Five inmates, who were imprisoned just yesterday, escaped together. They had one purpose now, to disappear and find out if the Justice League did indeed have a secret member supplying them with intelligence on their moves. They had considered spreading the name to other criminals, but Grodd had decided against it.
The likes of Joker would only get in their way.