Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Jump City

Two figures met on a rooftop some distance away from the city proper. A large, T-shaped structure could be seen dimly in the windswept rain. It was unusual weather for a normally mild city, and the streets were largely empty.

"This is a little cliche, wouldn't you agree?" the taller of the two men commented dryly. "I thought you would come up with something original, knowing your methods."

The other man simply growled, his purple hood swaying in the windswept rain. 

“Let me get to business, then. The recent Light fiasco has taught me that Justice League has gotten smarter, what with them having a toddler black-ops team todo low-profile work. They balance each other out. We have no such luxury, and seeing as there is no one at the top, I think we can find enough room for the both of us.”

“You want to work together? With me?” the other man asked.

“Collaborate, more like. We keep both of them busy and use them against each other,” Prometheus said. “I chose you because I don’t need a flashy distraction. I need sly and quiet. Like nothing has changed.”

Eclipso looked up from his hood. “I get the Justice League. I have nothing to do with the young ones.” He had a slithering voice, it reminded Prometheus of snakes. “Tell me your plan.”

Bristling slightly at the commanding tone, Prometheus nevertheless smirked. It wouldn’t do to show anger. “Simple,” he said. “How do you feel about travelling to Gotham this time of the year?’

Chapter Text

Mount Justice

Recognized: Artemis, B-07

"We need groceries". Conner stood with his arms folded, with an expression that looked suspiciously like an accusation.

"You do know it’s not my job to feed him, right? I have a budget,” Artemis said.

Conner snorted. Wally zoomed up to them in a red blur (he had incorporated more red into his costume), and lifted her in a hug. “Hey, babe. How was class?”

“Busy. Ugh, I have a crap ton of homework!” The truth was, she had been enjoying her classes lately, and the sheer normality of worrying about homework made her feel warm inside.

“Can’t miss play dates, Arty! Plus, I’ll help with all the science-y stuff.” Wally grabbed her hand and a dizzying second later, they were in front of her room. He drew her closer to him, and gave her a quick peck on her lips.

She smiled up at him. “How’s the job?” Wally had been interning with Barry at the CCPD, in addition to taking on more responsibilities as the Kid Flash.

“I’m a glorified file clerk who has to work at normal speed. Barry says it’s good practice, but I’m tellin’ ya, I’m going stir crazy. Not a good look on the Wall-Man.” Wally grinned at her.

“Is there really a good look on the Wall-Man? Or is it Baywatch? I keep forgetting."

They both turned around, by now used to Robin’s antics. It was almost predictable how stealthily he would turn up out of nowhere.

He gave Artemis a quick hug and said, “So Miss M says the food’s ready. We should head to the kitchen.”

There was a whoosh, and Wally was gone.

 The whole team was clustered around the kitchen island, and Wally could be seen behind a large stack of pancakes.

“Artemis!” M’gann engulfed Artemis in a tight hug and then floated back, “we really need more groceries around here.”

“It is not Kid’s fault, the pantry is not regularly filled,” Kaldur said as he stepped forward to pat Artemis on the back.

 They had slowly been cutting back the time they put into the team. It had happened unconsciously, but Artemis started college, Wally and Kaldur took on more superhero responsibilities and Robin had started patrolling Gotham on his own, working more closely with Batgirl. Conner and M’gann had their own place and spent most of their time searching for new 'sidekicks' to train and join the team. They had dinner at the Cave every Friday, but Artemis couldn't help feeling that things were changing. 

"Speaking of, how's the recruitment drive?" Robin asked. 

"Oh! The Team is famous! We have a lot of applicants, most of them are very excited," said M'gann. 

"And untrained. We really need a combat trainer, M'gann and I aren't good at that kind of stuff." Conner looked at Robin. Robin looked away.

"Let us eat. We have a lot to catch up on." Aqualad got some plates out.

"Amen to that!" Wally raised his forks in salute. 

After dinner, Connor, Wally, Artemis and Robin played Mario Kart while M’gann and Aqualad played a game of chess, M’gann floating the pieces.

“I’ve heard some pretty terrible things are going down in Gotham. We’ve heard a lot over at the CCPD. What’s going on?” Wally asked Robin.

Robin’s face twisted. “Crooks going crazy. Mostly small fish, but they’re coming out of their hidey-holes. And Br-Batman won’t let me handle it. I’ve been trying to handle bigger things but…” He’d almost slipped. Wally was the only one who was supposed to know Robin’s true identity, but at times it felt like Rob wasn’t even trying to hide it.

Wally made an expression that only Rob could understand, because a second later, his posture relaxed and he clapped Wally on the back.

“How’s Roy?” M’gann asked Kal.

Artemis scrunched her face. She still couldn’t get used to the idea of her sister dating Red Arrow, of all people. A drug-addled Red Arrow, at that.

Kaldur looked solemn. “I fear he is not well. He keeps having…moods. I find it difficult to talk to him.” He looked at her. “But your sister seems to be helping,” he said with a small smile.

Wally wrapped an arm around her and snuggled closer to her on the couch. She leaned into his touch and tucked her legs up. She missed spending time with the Team. They had given her purpose, friends, and a family.

“Movie time! Which one should we watch? It’s Robin’s turn to make the hot chocolate.” M’gann floated over to the couch. Conner scooted to make space for her and Kal sat down in front of them on the ground.

“I’ve got Alfred’s famous hot chocolate with whipped cream…” Robin said as he walked out.

“Dude! I love you! And you, babe.” Wally quickly kissed her cheek.

“You need to sort out your priorities.”

“Well, that was a snoozefest! We’re not letting Megalicious choose next time.” Wally stood up and stretched.

But it's pop culture! The Lizzie McGuire movie is a teen staple!

“I thought it was good,” Conner said, cuddling closer to his girlfriend.

Robin rolled his eyes. “Of course you did. So, I’m off, Batgirl just called. Call if you need us.” That call was rarely received these days.

Conner nodded. “We will. See you guys next week.”

“Bye”

“See you soon.”

Wally held her hand. “Beach?”

She smiled. “You bet.”

Chapter Text

Mount Justice – One Week Later

 There were a series of beeps from Robin’s belt just as they were moving to the video-game portion of the evening. He looked at it for a minute.

“Prometheus is attacking Gotham. Batman is calling for all hands on deck.” He looked at the others. “Er, Gotham residents only.”

Wally, Conner and Artemis glowered at him in eerily similar ways. “Prometheus is big fish! You might need backup!”

“Not my call, KF. Batman’s orders.” He grimaced briefly. “Gotta jet.”

  Recognized: Robin, B-01

Gotham City

He got out directly in the Batcave and, after programming in the co-ordinates, took off on his motorcycle (he would not call it the Robin-Cycle).

 When he reached the slight outskirts of the city, Batman and Batgirl were already in action. Prometheus was a golden blur, moving at fast speeds. Batman disappeared in the darkness in a cloud of grey smoke. Taking advantage of the hiss and spit, Dick jumped in to the fray.

 He tested Prometheus’ reflexes by flipping a kick near his face. That was a big mistake. Prometheus held him by the ankle, and flung him off to the side. Robin planted a tiny explosive on his shoulder as he was flung, and noticed a small package in the enemy’s hands.

Batgirl brought out her fighting staff, a sign that this was not an enemy to be trifled with. She jumped up to attack but was thrown back by Dick’s explosive that Prometheus had thrown at her.

Batman engaged with Prometheus, but they seemed evenly matched.

“You don’t seem crazy enough for the Arkham Asylum, Prom. Reduced to small potatoes?” Dick laughed and just as Batman dropped low for a kick, he twirled in to the air.

Prometheus jumped up to dodge the kick but Dick managed to land a punch to his face. The package fell out of his hands and was quickly snatched by Barbara.

Prometheus growled and lunged at her, but Batman stood between them, hands up in a fight pose. “What’s the end game here, Prometheus? You are  not known for hanging out in these parts.”

“Variety is the spice of life.” So saying Prometheus attacked.

There was no gap in the fighting for Robin to intervene. Batman and Batgirl tried to hold Prometheus off, and Barbara flung the package in his direction. He deftly caught it. He thought about calling the team for backup, but resisted, knowing that Bruce would have given the order for a reason.

Just as it seemed that both Batman and Batgirl were about to be overwhelmed, there was red spark and Prometheus was thrown down on the ground. Soon, he was engulfed in a green light.

“Stay down. It will hurt if you don’t.” Green Lantern gently came down to the ground and the Flash zoomed up beside him. “Hey Rob. Batgirl.”

Dick felt a surge of irritation. Batman could call in the Justice League, so why couldn’t he call the team?

He was taken off-guard by the blast, but managed to land on his feet, ears ringing. Prometheus was gone. He looked over to check on Batgirl, but she seemed unhurt. The next moment Batman was near him, and he took the package from Dick.

“The League will handle this. It could be dangerous.”

“Of course they will. They handle everything.” Dick glared and took off, pretending not to hear Barbara’s sigh. When he looked back, he saw that Green Lantern was escorting Batman to the nearest Zeta Tube and the Flash had sped away. Barbara stood looking at him.

He ditched his comms and decided to go for a nice, long ride, the thought of Batman’s disappointed frown flashing in his mind.

Prometheus reached Central City a little after midnight. He called Eclipso. “You’re up. The package is delivered. Good luck on your end.”

Eclipso sounded almost mocking. “I’ll manage. Try not to get caught too easily.”

“I’ve got it well-handled. I’ll keep the Justice League busy.” Prometheus hung up before Eclipso could say anything further. He adjusted his helmet and disappeared into the night. 

 Central City

Eclipso stood outside the Central City Natural Museum. He had received an alert from Prometheus just a few minutes ago. Drawing back one fist, he punched the glass door. 

Walking inside, he went up to the security desk. The guard was sleeping. He picked him up with the back of his collar, and flung him against a wall. The guard slid down with a soft moan. That should be enough.

He couldn’t wait to get this over with. Good things were on the horizon.

Chapter Text

Mount Justice

Kaldur was worried. He had just met Roy and it had not gone well. He had hoped that time would help Speedy adjust to his new reality. But Roy’s customary hotheaded nature was morphing into hatred and black anger. He was using drugs to combat the pain.

Back on Atlantis, he had seen people succumbing to magic overdoses when they went through a difficult time. Such people were left alone, in their shame. There was no place for the weak among their warrior culture. But, on the surface world, things were different. He had learned that humans responded well to the concern and advice of their loved ones.

That approach did not seem to be working with Roy. He seemed his usual cocky self only in the presence of Jade, and Kaldur wasn’t sure if that was helping or hurting him. As a last resort, he wanted to speak with Miss Martian to check if any telepathic remedy existed for Roy’s condition.

Recognized: Aqualad, B-07

In the main hall, Miss Martian was floating in the air, a candle in front of her. He knew she was practicing meditation. He decided to find Superboy.

Conner was in the gym, balanced on one hand. He had somewhat managed to look graceful.

“Learning new techniques?”

“Trying to branch out. Wonder Woman has been teaching me some Amazonian battle forms.” Conner flipped and stood, not quite landing as gracefully. "Says she could take out Superman with it."

“I have learned that battle forms serve me greatly in a fight. Good luck with that.” Kaldur smiled.

Conner rubbed the back of his head. “So what’re you doing here?”

“Actually, I wished to – ”

TEAM ALERT. TEAM ALERT. CENTRAL CITY.

Kal and Conner took off toward the main hall. M’gann was already at the computer.

“I’ve got co-ordinates for an attack in Central City! But the thing is – ”

“ - We don’t get alerts here anymore,” Conner said flatly.

This was true. They worked as a team rarely, and only in emergency situations alerted to them by their mentors.

“This bypassed the Watchtower alerts.”

Kaldur was taken aback. “That’s impossible.”

“We don’t have time to wonder about this. We need to do something if the League isn’t going to,” Conner growled.

Kaldur straightened up. “Superboy is right. M’gann, call the others and link us up as soon as you are able. We shall check this out. Any ID on the perpetrator?”

“Not yet. We’ll have to do this ourselves. I’m programming the zeta tubes.”

Feeling the familiar reverberation of Miss Martian’s mental link, he stood next to Conner near the zeta tubes.

Central City - Museum

They convened with the rest of the team near the corner from the museum. Wally and Artemis arrived in a flash of red and green.

“No answer from Robin. And he’s outside my telepathic range.”

They heard the sound of gunfire in the distance.

“No time to wait for Robin. Kid, clear the officers – we don’t want the bullets to hit one of us accidently. Artemis, attack long-range from above. Miss M, stay in camouflage mode. Conner and I will attack first.” In spite of the situation, even the generally stoic Kal felt a stir of something akin to excitement.

They immediately moved. Wally disappeared in a blur. Conner took a running jump and a small thud could be heard where he landed. M’gann simmered, and then disappeared. Artemis used an arrow to haul herself to the rooftop. Kaldur ran toward the entrance.

He saw empty police cars and a figure in a purplish hood standing at the entrance. He wore billowy robes, which swayed gently in the wind.

“Stand down and give yourself up.” As leader it was his responsibility to issue the warning, although in his experience, it had never worked.

The figure finally faced him fully. It was a serpentine looking man with pale blue skin and a strap across his chest. The man grinned. “I have better things to be doing. Let’s get this over with.”

“Get him after I take a run at him,” he heard Wally say.

By the time he readied himself, there was a red blur and the man Wally by the throat. 

Instantly, an arrow hit the man, spitting gas in his face. The man seemed unaffected. He only smirked and Kaldur heard Wally squeak as the grip on his neck was tightened.

“Can’t get free! Strong grip…throat!”

Kaldur chose that moment to attack, along with Superboy. The man flung Wally away and outstretched an arm, arresting Conner in mid-jump. He ducked to avoid Kal’s water blades, and kicked him in the chest. Kaldur felt his spine shake.

“I can’t get free. I think he’s using magic, Superman said our abilities don’t react well with it,” Conner said. He sounded very angry.

“My telepathy isn’t working either, I just keep hitting a wall of blackness!”

“Artemis, perhaps you should join us on the ground, we need reinforcements.” Kaldur got up and saw Miss Martian gently lowering Wally to the ground.

Artemis and Wally attacked at the same time. She launched an arrow at him that he easily avoided, but Wally caught it and hit him in the chest with it, speeding away. The arrow released a red foam that was slowly hardening. Miss Martian held him in a psychic grip to prevent him from moving. However, he still had a struggling, frothing Conner in his outstretched grip.

Kaldur took a running jump to daze him, so that would release Superboy. He managed to graze his arm, but it made little difference. The foam seemed to be giving him no trouble.

Kaldur swore inwardly. “This is not going as planned.”

“Duh, yeah! Our biggest hitter is out of commission, and my arrows feel like toys!” Artemis sounded on edge.

Suddenly, the man’s eyes reddened and he shook off M’gann’s psychic grip. In the blink of an eye, he stood next to Wally and swatted him into the air. Kaldur ran towards Artemis, knowing that she would be susceptible to broken bones, if not worse, if she were on the receiving end of one of those blows. As it is, Wally crumpled to the ground.

Still holding an outstretched arm towards Superboy, the man swiped the air. He heard Miss Martian holding her head in pain ("It doesn't feel - ") before collapsing to the ground. He smashed Conner in the ground. Superboy's wail of rage resonated in all their ears. 

Kaldur felt a chill up his spine as the man finally looked at him. The man jabbed his chest several times in fast succession, and finally kicked him with enough force to send both him and Artemis flying toward the wall. At the last second, Kal managed to twist in the air to prevent her from being smashed in the middle, but as they fell down, she still took the brunt of the impact on her back.

Through a daze, Kal looked up to see Superboy once again being pounded into the ground.

“The name’s Eclipso, by the way,” the man said as he kicked Kaldur in the face. “Nice to meet you.”

The world faded to black.

Mount Justice

“WHO THE HELL WAS THAT GUY?” Wally raged, as he sat on the couch, holding Artemis’s head in his lap.

“He said his name was Eclipso, didn’t he?” Conner said solemnly. Miss Martian floated next to him, looking despondent.

“I think the more important question is, why did we get the alert? This mission seems more suited to the League, we don’t have any magic users to counteract a foe such as this,” said Kaldur. He had an increasingly bad feeling about this.

“I can’t get in contact with anyone from the League, or with Robin,” M’gann said, a worried frown on her face.

Artemis sat up. “Why did he leave us alive? It doesn’t make sense. And we are not ready to face him again. This is beyond our pay grade.” She shifted closer to Wally, wincing slightly. “I can’t get through to Ollie or Dinah. We really need to get in touch with the League.”

“About that. There’s something you need to see.” M’gann had a petrified expression on her face.

“This is really, really bad.”

Chapter Text

Watchtower

Materializing in the Watchtower always felt wrong to Barry Allen. When he was running, there was a feeling of smoothness, and the lack of it while teleporting made him feel like a sock in the washer.

He seemed to have gotten the short end of the straw, and now he was on the Watchtower, logging the package Prometheus had carried into evidence. He was quite used to this part of the job. Ollie and Dinah were with him, and listening to their banter almost made him forget his ineptitude at not keeping a closer eye on Prometheus.

"I can’t believe Dr. Fate told you about it”

“We all know Zatarra's in there somewhere,” Ollie said.

“So, Barry, you’ll log the evidence, right? I need Ollie for something.” Canary’s expression brooked no argument.

Wally grinned. “Tch, something, is it? I’ll take care of it, guys, don’t worry. If Prometheus isn’t caught by morning, we’ll be on search duty next.”

He thought he should Iris know about his late shift as he walked along the Watchtower. As he neared the cafeteria, he heard arguing from within. Two of the newer recruits, the robot guy and his daughter (ward? niece?) were arguing.

He shook his head and kept walking. Fine example they were setting for the Junior Justice League. However, he knew that the team was pretty much disbanded. He knew they still hung out, but they rarely went on team missions now. Wally, he knew, was starting to think about the future. Right now, he had started training harder and taking on a larger responsibility as the Kid Flash, but being with Artemis, and seeing her in college, was giving him second thoughts.

Barry had had these thoughts often himself. But he shook them off. It wasn't just the heroic aspect of the job for him. He had forged a bond with his teammates. He couldn't let them get in danger anymore than he could let Iris do the same. And if the Braniac-Luthor fiasco had taught him one thing, it was that his particular powers were needed. 

He rounded the corner towards the evidence locker. He saw that Aquaman was walking his way. 

"Hey, Arthur! All good?" Barry tipped an invisible hat.

"Hey, Barry. Prometheus is still on the loose. We've actually had to deploy most of the members." Arthur was walking past him now.

Suddenly, the package in his hand seemed to grow heavier. It tugged on his hand, and before he knew it, lay open on the ground. It was a purple stone, the size of a human head. Suddenly, it shattered. 

"Arthur, watch out!" Barry moved quickly, dodging to avoid the small pieces that flew into the air. 

He looked up. Aquaman stood there with a blank expression on his face, and his irises were black. Small pieces of the embedded stone glittered on his face.

He raised both hands and lunged at Barry. 

Normally, Barry loved running. Both types of running. He had learnt early on that the faster and longer he could run at normal speed, the faster and longer he ran at super speed. But his stamina depended on his fuel, and his fuel was food. 

Although Barry had eaten very recently, his stamina seemed to fail him. Going up in combat against most of the League, while at the same time avoiding the little pieces of the stone that kept flying at him was proving impossible. 

He had lost his comms early on, trying to get away from Arthur.

Then the robot guy and his daughter (ward? niece?) had given him grief. He was worried about Arthur at his back, but it turned out Aquaman had taken a stroll down the Watchtower, flicking pieces of evil stone in everyone's faces.

And now, the Justice League was after him. He had already fought off countless 'heroes'. 

His costume was ripped, and he was tiring. He decided that an all-or-nothing attempt at reaching the zeta tubes was his best option. Taking a deep, steadying breath, he ran. 

And immediately stopped short. 

"Oh, for the love of all that is holy!" 

The entire Justice League stood in front of him. Someone must have recalled them from chasing Prometheus. 

"I have to warn Wally and the others." 

Before he could think any further, Superman dashed towards him. Flash, however, was faster than Superman. He ducked to avoid the Man of Steel and turned, only to find Wonder Woman blocking his path. Before he could do anything else, he felt a cold sensation in middle. 

Looking down, he saw the Martian Manhunter's hand coming out of his chest, and it was quickly withdrawn. 

But then he felt a small pinprick and saw the purple stone embedded in his chest, near the yellow of the Flash symbol.

Chapter Text

Watchtower

Eclipso materialized into the Watchtower with a small zap. There was even an announcement by a computerized female voice, with his very own ID - E-16.

He looked around him. Blank-faced heroes stood around him in a loose circle. Some of them looked a little worse for wear. He wondered if that was because of Prometheus, or if there was some trouble embedding the stones. A couple of bodies stood piled to the side. The android members of the League, he assumed. He had given instructions to eliminate all non-biological threats. 

He quickly took a headcount, based on the numbers Prometheus had given him. The whole Justice League was accounted for. 

Wonderful.

He let a manic grin spread across his face. "I am your master now, heroes. You will obey every command I make. Is that clear?"

As one, every superhero in the room nodded in acceptance.

He giggled. "Perfect! Let's have some fun. Beat the living daylights out of each other!"

He waited for a few minutes while they obeyed his command. The Watchtower shook a little, the thudding of several unusually strong people taking its toll. 

"That's enough. We want you in tip-top shape for later."

He called Hawkgirl to his side. "Open the communication lines for me, dear."

"We have some kiddies to talk to."

Mount Justice

Once, when he was younger, and before he got his powers, Wallace West had been deathly afraid. Three class bullies had accosted him outside his high school, promising punishment for causing their lockers to explode.

He had hightailed it out of there, running as fast as he ever had. Until the experiment, of course. After he got his powers, he felt, not powerful exactly, but immune to such fear. In the back of his mind, he knew that he would get out any mess. He did, after all, have the Justice League at his back. 

He felt a very real fear for the first time in a very long time when we looked at the glowing computer screen in the middle of the Cave. Suddenly, the size of the giant screen seemed scary, and it made him feel small. 

The guy they had fought earlier, Eclipso, stood in front of the screen, the core members of the Justice League kneeling at his feet. Uncle Barry was off the left, his costume torn up and one lightning bolt missing. 

The rest of the League stood behind him, shackles at their hands and feet. They looked beaten up, and worse for wear. He felt his heart drop.

He reached out and took his girlfriend's hand. Usually, it helped center him, because Artemis was so unwavering. But now he felt a tremble in her hand. 

M'gann slowly floated over towards Conner. His normal swagger was gone. He looked almost hunched. Kaldur's body was set in tight lines. Not surprisingly, he recovered first.

"What is the meaning of this?" Kaldur asked in a low, quiet voice.

Eclipso, that bastard, chuckled. "Well, juniors, you were so easy that I sought out more...challenging prey. As you can see, I've climbed up to the very top of the food chain."

Artemis let go of his hand and stepped forward. "What do you want?"

"Oh, nothing. Just letting the kids know that the parents won't be coming home for dinner," he trilled. "My partner in crime must be feeling lonely. He should be calling any moment now. Ta, dears!"

The screens fizzled to nothing. 

There was absolute silence in the Cave. 

Artemis turned towards them. "What the hell just happened?!"

Wally was dumbfounded. "Who's this 'partner'? How could they have defeated the entire League? That's impossible. Not even an alien invasion can do that!"

"It clearly happened," snapped Conner. "What do we do about it?"

"I am at a loss," Kaldur said. 

"We should probably call in reinforcements, right? I mean, this is an extreme situation. We need help!" Even on the mental link, M'gann's voice sounded shaky. 

Artemis nodded. "That's probably a good idea. It'll take a while to get everyone together, M'gann why don't you get on that? And where is Robin? Was he in the Watchtower?"

Wally shook his head. "He wasn't, I checked."

While M'gann was trying to contact the others, Wally, Artemis and Kaldur stood off the side, waiting for Eclipso's next move. It had been decided (much to Conner's chagrin) that a hotheaded rescue was ill advised.

Conner banged his fist on a table. No one reacted. 

Wally was rapidly walking back and forth. Without realizing, he had started speeding around the room. 

Suddenly, he stopped. "Wait a minute. Where did this battle happen? We didn't see anything on the news."

Artemis grunted. "In the Watchtower, obviously"

"Doesn't it feel wrong? That one guy, or two guys, defeated the entire Justice League on their home field? I'm sure Batman has the tower rigged up with all sorts of alarms and traps," Wally mused out loud. 

"He has. No one should be able to easily get in an out, and zeta tube teleportation is impossible to do without an authorization from the other side."

They all looked up. Robin stood at the entrance. No one had heard him enter. 

He held up his hands. "I'm sorry I was unavailable, guys. I had an...argument with Batman." Robin glanced at the empty space where the screens had been. "I went for a ride. But I'm all caught up, thanks M'gann. I have a pretty good idea who the 'partner' is. And it's bad news."

TEAM ALERT. TEAM ALERT. GOTHAM CITY. TEAM ALERT.

M'gann looked over the computer. "It's Prometheus."

Robin nodded solemnly. "Thought so."

"What do we do?" Conner asked. It sounded like a challenge. 

Kaldur looked over at Robin. Rob nodded. So did Artemis and M'gann. Conner crossed his arms. Wally steeled himself.

It seemed impossible, especially after the beat down they had received earlier.

"We deal with this." 

Chapter Text

Gotham City

Throughout the zeta tube journey to Gotham, Robin felt like he was living up to his real name. Dick. He felt awful about leaving his Team, his friends, to face Eclipso alone. Although no one had said anything, he knew that they had needed him. Artemis looked pretty banged up, and the others looked grave.

He shook it off. There were much bigger things at stake. Seemingly, Eclipso and his partner Prometheus had defeated the entire Justice League. That in itself should have been impossible, but it had been done in the Watchtower. Robin knew that was impossible.

How? And why didn’t Eclipso kill them when he had the chance? Why attack them alternatively like this? 

He knew that they would have to find answers soon. The stakes were building up, and he had to have his head in the game. So Robin decided to do what he did best - detect. But to do that, he needed time. And he had a plan. He just hoped that he had not miscalculated.

They found Eclipso engaged in battle with the GCPD cops right outside the Central Police Plaza. 

Subtle, Robin thought. 

"Same attack plan as earlier," Kaldur said. Robin assumed that it would the standard maneuver they had done several times. 

"Um, that one didn't really work," Artemis said, gingerly crossing her arms. 

"This guy isn't a magic user. I can take him," Conner growled out. 

"He's still big fish, I think we need a different plan. We're not really running on a full tank here," Wally said, glancing at Artemis. She rolled her eyes. 

"I think Artemis is right. He was definitely responsible in some way for bringing down the League. We should be careful." M'gann was completely cloaked, but they all glanced to a spot above Conner as she spoke. 

They all turned to look at Robin. 

"Right," he said. "Miss M, can you read his mind? Or get into his head?"

"I've been trying since we got here, I can't. I'm sorry."

Robin took a deep breath. "It's alright. I have to agree with Kaldur, I think we should attack in the open, standard maneuver."

Wally looked at him with narrowed eyes. He was gearing up to say something, but Artemis put a hand on his shoulder. She looked Robin in the eye. 

"If you say so, Rob," she said quietly. 

There was silence. 

"Okay, team. Move out." Kaldur said, reaching behind his back to activate his water blades. 

It went about as well as could be expected. Robin knew that his helmet gave Prometheus almost high-level powers, but even with this knowledge, it was impossible to get within range of it. 

Prometheus was able to deftly avoid Superboy, leaving the Kryptonian growling in rage. He was more than a match for Kaldur in hand-to-hand combat, and Robin could from Kaldur's body language that the blows hurt. 

Miss Martian, without her mind-capabilities, could only use her telekinesis. She sent flying objects rushing at him, but Prometheus stopped them in mid-air with his hands, and redirected them towards Superboy. 

Wally nodded towards Robin, and they attacked together. Wally dashed forward, and Prometheus turned to face him, exposing his left side. Robin chose that moment to lunge towards him. "Now, Artemis!"

There was a twang of the bow, and an arrow flew towards Prometheus. It missed him, just barely, but it focused his attention towards Robin. Dick braced himself, but even through his Kevlar-lite costume, his bones shuddered from the kick. A yellow-red blur rushed past Prometheus, but Prometheus reached out with super-normal reflexes, caught Wally's arm, and flung him away. 

Prometheus then took out a pair of electrically charged batons and twirled them, facing Artemis. Robin saw her expression tighten, and then she was flipping forward, firing arrows continuously. Miss Martian took this opportunity to approach him from behind. But, he suddenly turned and struck her, and she fell to the ground, inert.

And disappeared in a sprinkle of blue light.

"M'GANN, NO! I'll KILL YOU!" Conner, his eyes glowing red, attacked Prometheus. 

Prometheus threw a small disc toward Conner, and there was a vicious crackle in the air as he was electrocuted. He lay still for a minute, but before he could move, he also vanished in blue light. 

Wally pointed and yelled, "That's zeta technology, like the Watchtower uses!"

Robin nodded, "I figured."

"Should we regroup?" Wally asked.

"We have decided on course of action, we should follow it," Kaldur said as he joined them. He was breathing heavily. 

Artemis looked at Robin and then said, "We have to finish this."

Wally didn't look too happy with this course of action, but he lowered his goggles and moved into a running stance.

"Whatever, you say beautiful." He blew an air kiss at Artemis, and dashed towards Prometheus. 

Robin threw a smoke bomb to mask Kid's approach, and watched as Artemis nocked an arrow. Prometheus dispersed the smoke and attacked Wally, landing a solid punch in his solar plexus. Wally doubled over, and coughed once, before lying still and disappearing in the zeta radiation. 

Kaldur went next. He attacked ferociously, but he went down almost as fast as Wally. 

Robin looked at Artemis and nodded. "Are you traught?"

"As traught as can be, Dick."

He started for a second, and then he smiled. "I knew you deserved that Gotham Academy scholarship." He winked at her. She smiled at him.

He and Artemis fought with Prometheus in concert, but they both knew that it was going to be a short fight. He winced a little as he saw Prometheus kick Artemis in the chest. Then, he took hold of one of her hands and twisted it behind her back. She cried out. 

"Ready to be beaten again, Prom Loser?" Robin said, in a hopeless effort to divert his attention. 

Prometheus held Artemis's head in a chokehold. Her legs struggled for a second, but then she went still, and dematerialized.

"I'm not going the be the one who gets beaten, Boy Wonder." Prometheus smirked in his direction. 

It ended pretty much as he expected. He was no match for Prometheus with his helmet on, augmenting his natural combat skills, and giving him speed and strength. He dully felt a last blow near his head, and then he felt the familiar prick of the zeta technology on his skin. 

He opened his eyes to see a blurry Wally and M'gann leaning over him. 

"Hey guys." He tried to wave, but his arms hurt. 

"Where are we?"

"We were kind of hoping you could help us figure it out." Wally looked a little worried.

Robin sat up. "How's Artemis?"

"A little banged up, but I'm okay," Artemis said from the corner. 

From the way she was bent in on herself, he could tell that she was in pain. Her arm was swollen and red. 

"I'm so sorry, Artemis."

"Why are you sorry? What's going on?" Conner asked. 

Robin looked at each of them.

"I have a plan. And I needed for us to be captured. I knew you guys could handle it, but Artemis and I are not as durable and she was injured." 

Artemis shook her head. "I figured as much. I missed that arrow on purpose, but I don't think it made any difference."

Wally ran and knelt next to her. "What's the plan, Rob?" 

"We're linked up," M'gann said. 

Robin took a deep breath. 

"Well, here goes..."

Prometheus was speaking to Eclipso. "I need the frequency to contact the other heroes. We need everyone under our control before we do anything else."

He saw Eclipso smiling gleefully on the screen. This guy is enjoying this a little too much, he thought. 

One of the Green Lanterns came up on his monitor. "Sir, these are the frequencies you asked for." He recited a bunch of numbers.

Prometheus took note and shut off the screen. He then opened another channel, and set to work. 

"Listen up, Stragglers...."

Chapter Text

Gotham City

Roy Harper, former mole and current clone, was having an identity crisis. His regular “guy” had been arrested. Again. Roy was 80% that Oliver and Kaldur made sure that his guys kept getting arrested, and that his drug supply was dwindling.

He was sure Cheshire would approve. For someone who had dabbled in the League of Shadows, she was surprisingly negative about drugs.

He knew that he was testing everyone’s patience. The last time that he had visited, Kaldur, the traditionally stoic guy, had lost his temper. But Roy wasn’t sure if that was for him, or for Speedy. He couldn’t trust that his friends cared about him. He felt that due to Speedy’s absence, they were transmuting their feelings on to him. Ironically, he felt sure that only Jade liked him for him.

He knocked on the door.

“It’s Roy,” he said. Jade tended to be paranoid about such things.

He saw the peephole darken, and then Jade opened the door. She looked worried.

“Finally, you show! Something’s come up.” Her tone was dry, but he could see the tension in her eyes.

“What’s the matter?” he said, stepping in.

Zatanna and Rocket were in the living room of their dilapidated apartment. Zatanna was fiddling with her hat, and Rocket was almost vibrating. He narrowed his eyes.

“This isn’t another intervention, is it? The track record for them working is really bad,” he said matter-of-factly.

Jade joined them. “It’s not. This is serious. Go ahead, you two.”

Roy didn’t know what to make of that. The ‘serious’ jab or Jade’s friendly tone with the heroes – it was out of character. She was usually bristling around them.

“Okay, seriously. What’s going on?” he demanded.

Zatanna stepped forward. “I think everyone’s missing. I haven’t had contact with anyone from the Team in a while. And when I tried to contact Robin, he was offline.”

“And by everyone, we mean everyone we know,” Rocket said.

Jade touched his arm. “Roy, the entire Justice League and the Team are missing.”

Zatanna explained that she couldn’t get in touch with anyone on the Team. She tried calling Robin, then Artemis, and then Artemis’s apartment. Dr. Fate was out of touch. She tried contacting the League, but they were also unavailable. Jade added that she had been called her mother, and she didn’t know where Artemis was either.

Roy sighed. “Maybe there’s some big secret mission we don’t know about.”

“No, that doesn’t make any sense. And even if it were, Mal or someone would have asked for our help.” Rocket said a little shrilly.

“Why exactly did you come here? What do you think I can do? I’m a druggie. I’m a clone. My programming is done. Without that, I’m nothing. And you want me go after someone who has possibly defeated every costumed person we know? I can’t even hold a bow straight!” Roy stood up, breathing hard.

Jade stood up next to him. “That’s not true. I’ve seen you practicing. And we need to help them. We need to help my sister. I know you think that they don’t really like you – “

“Stop,” Roy said, glancing uncomfortably Zatanna and Rocket.

“ – but you and I both know that’s not true. Roy, I’ve made lots of excuses for you, and it’s been fun watching a self-righteous blowhard like you falling into the sinkhole. But I’m helping them get to the bottom of whatever this is. You can join us, or you can wallow in your self-pity and let your girlfriend go off on her own.”

He glanced at her sharply. He started to say something.

Before he could, there were simultaneous beeps from Zatanna’s and Rocket’s belts.

“It’s the League!” said Rocket.

They all crowded around her comm.

An unidentified, Purple Man was staring back at them. He spoke in an electronic voice.

“Listen up, Stragglers. We have your mentors and your kiddie friends. You have 24 hours to gather up all the straggler superheroes and surrender in Gotham City. If you don’t, we will kill everyone you know. Ta.”

There were two imagine files were attached. Rocket opened the first one. It was a picture of the Justice League, everyone, as far as he could tell, lying on the floor of the Watchtower, looking battered.

The second file contained a picture of the Team. They were in a gray room, and again, everyone looked pretty beat up. He felt Jade’s hand tighten on his arm, and saw that Artemis was sitting in the corner, looking more out of it than anyone else.

Roy straightened up. “I guess my choice has been made for me.”

Jade had already slipped on her Cheshire mask.

“We need to co-ordinate with everyone who’s still out there. I’m going to assume that they’ve received similar messages,” Zatanna said. She put her hat on, twisting it firmly over her hair.

“So how many people do we know?” Roy asked.

Somewhere in the East Coast

Kaldur listened as Robin explained his theory to them. He said that he knew that defeating Prometheus was not possible at this stage, and they still didn’t know what had happened to the League. So, he had figured, if they got captured, they would be closer to the action, and hopefully get some idea as to the situation.

“I am sure of one thing. It is impossible for anyone to enter the Watchtower and beat the League. I know the kind of failsafes that Batman has in place. There has to be some trickery involved. We have to figure out what,” Robin finished.

“Well that’s all good, but how do we get out of here?” Conner asked, pointing to the Inhibitor collars they were all fitted with.

“You can’t put an Inhibitor collar on pure genius,” Robin smirked. “Mine can only deliver shocks.”

“Even geniuses need something to work with, Rob. They’ve taken all our stuff,” Wally pointed out.

Robin raised an eyebrow. “Everything but the clothes on my back. And those are enough. I just need to – ”

Kaldur cleared his throat. “Before any plans are made, I suggest we think about one more thing. Our captors could have easily killed the Justice League. I assumed they did not because they wanted insurance against us. But now we are captured. For what reason are we alive?

Everyone fell silent.

“Well because…maybe they have plans for us. The League is alive too. Trust me, I would know if Uncle J’onn was dead,” M’gann spoke up hesitantly.

Wally frowned. “So, applying the same logic, it means that we’re bait for someone else.”

“Not someone else, everyone else,” said Conner.

Artemis spoke up. “It makes sense. There’re still heroes out there who weren’t really part of our original team, but they’re not in the League, either. So this villain team-up wants all the superheroes dead? Or at least incapacitated? Why? It has to be something big.”

Robin was pacing really fast. He rubbed the back of his head. “Not just something big, something impossible. Didn’t you guys notice, that Eclipso and Prometheus didn’t really try to kill us? Or anyone in the League? They don’t need everyone to set us up as bait.”

He looked up. “I think I have a theory, but I need some confirmation. And I need to contact the others outside, maybe Zatanna, or Rocket. And I need your help, Artemis. You’re the only one who can help me without triggering your collar. Are you up to it?”

“I can help, too. If I’m not running, then the Inhibitor collar won’t go off,” said Wally.

Robin shook his head. “Sorry, KF, but I need stealth. And that’s not you.”

“I’m fine now, guys. I was always a fast healer. Let’s go, Robin.” Artemis stood up.

Conner looked a little confused. “Err, how are you guys going to leave the cell?”

“I’ve been wondering about that myself, actually,” Kaldur said. He was sure Robin would some up with something tricky.

Robin started patting his hands around his costume.

“Oh, it shouldn’t be too difficult."