The Safe House

[jla-antimatter.livejournal.com]

In Limbo, floating in a sea of white nothingness, the Justice Underground has their last bastion of safety - the only place where they can retreat from the grasping hands of the Syndicate, the Lodge, and all the other organizations that would cheerfully see them annihilated.

Man O' War sits at the monitors, fingers twitching, desperate for action. He drew the short straw and had to stay behind - somebody always does - but Luthor's plan was dangerous in the extreme. He does not like sitting idly.

And then the air rips apart for a split second, and strangers emerge. His face hardens as he hefts his trident - three invaders, two women and a man - who could have sent them?

Comments

[http://users.livejournal.com/_hawkgirl_/]

Oh, goody, a guy with a trident.

Friend or foe? She wasn't too clear on where she was going to end up when tossed through that rift, and so is taking nothing for granted.

Her mace is brandished before she's even completely emerged.

[jla-antimatter.livejournal.com]

The trident begins glowing.

Drop your weapons. Now.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_hawkgirl_/]

"How about no?"

She's way past defensive at this point.

[reducing-ray.livejournal.com]

"Easy. They didn't know we were coming on this side."

[http://users.livejournal.com/_hawkgirl_/]

"But how do we know they're on our side?"

[sexy-huntress.livejournal.com]

Oh, that was not a pleasant experience. She feels like she got chewed up and spat out by the Universe, which... well, that's pretty much exactly what just happened. She tucks and rolls to break her rapid uncontrolled entry; coming back up on her feet after a few revolutions. Her stomach, however, is still rolling. "Ugh."

[jla-antimatter.livejournal.com]

Oh, hell, another one?

Stand down, or taste the octarine fire of Poseidon's Legacy!

[sexy-huntress.livejournal.com]

"Pipe down before I barf on your boots," she snaps. "We're with Luthor."

[jla-antimatter.livejournal.com]

A few seconds later a small magician pops into existence.

Gag. Hate that...

[jla-antimatter.livejournal.com]

He lowers the trident.

Jo? Who are these -

[jla-antimatter.livejournal.com]

The remaining Justice Underground members begin popping into existence, with Alexander arriving last.

Orm. Good to see you again. The equipment - ?

[jla-antimatter.livejournal.com]

Stowed away. Alexander, who -

[jla-antimatter.livejournal.com]

They're with the Justice League, Orm. We're going to help them.

[jla-antimatter.livejournal.com]

The Justice League?

Man O' War looks over at the three heroes again, admiration mixed with disbelief playing across his face.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_hawkgirl_/]

Kendra is staring at the far wall, which is covered in photographs. And news clippings. It looks like a cross between a shrine and a missing persons gallery.

"...What's that?"

[reducing-ray.livejournal.com]

Inwardly, Ray sighs. He'sonly ever worked with either of them briefly.

"All right. We're here,Luthor. What's the plan?"

[jla-antimatter.livejournal.com]

Steam hisses from cracks in the badly damaged armor as it unfolds around him, revealing an extremely fit physique in oil-stained tights - the League's Luthor is not an unfit man, but Alexander puts him to shame.

Right now, I need a shower. I'll have the Omnicam route relevant scan data on the Panopticon for the last few hours while I soak. Once I know what's happened, we can formulate an entrance strategy.

Jo, keep an eye on comm traffic? Superwoman's lasso won't be much use in compelling Batman to reveal vital information, so they'll probably dip further into their favor bank and get a telepath. Probably Jackdaw of the Young Offenders, although Professor Chance will consult for favors owed on rare occasions.

[reducing-ray.livejournal.com]

Atom grunts noncomittally. He's anxious to get moving.

he mutters, under his breath.

[jla-antimatter.livejournal.com]

She looks at the positive-matter hero doubtfully, but says nothing.

[reducing-ray.livejournal.com]

Ray catches the glance, but says nothing. Instead, he merely shrugs. They don't know Batman. Seems like yesterday the man took down -- what was it? Three? Five? -- white martians all on his own. He's the most dangerous man alive.

Instead, he gets to work.

"While we're waiting for Luthor, do we have any schematics we can go over? Blueprints for their headquarters?"

[jla-antimatter.livejournal.com]

A much cleaner Luthor strides in, looking refreshed.

I've figured it out.

He taps a controller and part of the hologram shimmers, focusing on a central portion.

Logic would dictate that the Syndicate would store Batman in the most secure area possible, and indeed cursory scanning backs up that he's here, in this central nervous cluster. That supposedly-scan-barren portion near the external power coupling is a deathtrap; it's designed to be pregnable specifically to entice attackers. There are so many independently powered psi-cannon turrets we'd all be swiss cheese. Still, we could get past them with enough planning.

Which is why Batman isn't in the Panopticon at all. Omnicam, display holo Sat-1 for comparison.

A second holo flashes overhead of the enormous CSA Satellite.

Overlay Volthoom aura detection.

Green fuzz dots the Satellite and Panopticon images.

Owlman knows I can track Power Ring's ring signature. What he doesn't know is that long ago I differentiated between Power Ring's active signature and the energy signature of his constructs. Note the sharp fuzz around the Panopticon location - that signature was generated six hours ago.

Owlman bet that I'd guess they'd pick the more secure location, but he was wrong. I've been sitting on this particular knowledge for the opportune time to use it. Now seems apropos.

[sexy-huntress.livejournal.com]

"So how do we get there from here without being seen coming from several miles off?" She realizes she has no real idea where here is in relation to the satellite.

[jla-antimatter.livejournal.com]

Getting there is comparatively simple - we just use the point-to-point teleporter I invented. The Safe House is in Limbo - Loki discovered and built it for the Underground seven years ago - so teleporting out is simple and teleporting in impossible without the location key, which they don't have.

However, cracking their security network will prove more difficult. We have Atom to go subatomic and hack the quantum relays on the securicomp, but to do that he needs a sample of an energy-bearing antigrav metal, and I don't have any such material.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_hawkgirl_/]

She's been keeping quiet for all the planning stuff. She knows what she's there to do: Smash stuff when the time came. She's not a planner. She's a 'get up there and smash that high camera' girl.

Then Luthor says THAT.

...crap.

She is NOT pleased at the prospect of handing over some of her Nth Metal to people she barely knows.

"I do," she sighs.

[jla-antimatter.livejournal.com]

He cocks an eyebrow.

Really?