02x17 - The Hunt

[bunniefuu]

As long as the Ambassador refuses to allow an att*ck on the Justice meat guarding the Key Chamber, the Crystal Key is useless to us, and the Warworld will never truly belong to the Reach.

Mongul is to blame.

By bring the Warworld to Earth, he cost us half our fleet.

67.3%, actually.

Rawr. And alerted the human meat to our hidden invasion force.

The Ambassador has ways of handling the humans.

And though we have endured our setbacks, the Earth heroes have lost so much more.

All considered, things progressed quite well.

Except for one loose end.

That loose end will soon be cut off.

Arsenal to Team. Come in. Code Red, Code Red.

Arsenal to Watchtower. Come in, Justice League.

Arsenal to anyone... come in!

And in addition to our joint scientific advancements, the Earth has also gained a new hero.

One part human individual, one part Reach technology.

Blue Beetle is the living embodiment of the peaceful union between our peoples.

Plus, he saved us all from the Warworld.

Not too shabby.

[cheers and applause]

And this is only the beginning.

Just imagine what the future holds when together, we reach for tomorrow.

[cheers and applause]

[camera shutters clicking]

Greetings, young one. Do you have a question?

Uh, I thought the Justice League protected the Earth.

Why didn't they stop the Warworld?

[sighs] I wonder about that, too.

Just as I wonder why they seem to attract so many outer space bullies to your planet.

Maybe the Warworld was a bully too big for the League to handle.

Good thing your new friends, The Reach, were here to protect you.

[cheers and applause]

[squeaks]

The thr*at that was the Warworld is now a new hope for mankind; a w*apon to defend your planet.

We, The Reach, will safeguard this w*apon without boarding it, until such time as humanity is ready to assume control.

The Warworld is our gift to you.

[crowd cheering]

[cricket chirping]

Oh, nice one, Tye! You are seriously getting a handle on your power.

Thanks, Virgil. But I'd rather get a handle on the scarab that turned my man Jaime into The Reach's little blue puppet.

[cell phone rings]

I wonder if The Reach can appreciate the irony of their own creations working against them.

Hey, they did not create us. They kidnapped us.

And experimented on us against our will.

And with that in mind, if you truly want to hit The Reach where it hurts, I believe I can show you the way.

Anything?

[sighs] No. I'm sorry. I can't sense any of them.

But the Warworld is so big, they could easily be out of range.

We've been flying this surface grid pattern for hours.

And... and you're exhausted. I'm fine. I... I can do this.

Of course. But there's no need to over-tax yourself so soon after your kidnapping.

Besides, we're not giving up.

We'll start over where the Team first disappeared.

Look for a new lead. All right. If you think it best.

[computer dinging]

Come on, come on, you dumb machine!

Just give me an outside line to the Watchtower, The warehouse, anywhere!

[computer dinging]

[growls]

Great. And me, basically out of a*mo.

[computer dinging] Ha! That's what you get.

[computer dinging]

Now you're just being petty.

[computer dinging]

[grunting]

You'll never pod me again! Never!

It's called Father Box.

It can open a Boom Tube, or gateway to the Warworld and back again.

It has also been programmed to locate Kryptonian DNA.

Kryptonian? You mean you're sending us after Superman?

The Superboy, actually.

One of nine young heroes captured by The Reach.

- Those guys saved us from The Reach! Precisely. Care to return the favor?

And in the process, strike a critical blow against The Reach?

Dude, you're asking us to go inside the Warworld and rescue superheroes.

If they got caught, what chance do we have?

- Misión suicida... Kamikaze...

I'm in.

There's no way The Reach expects us.

With the element of surprise and our powers, we're the only ones who might actually stand a chance.

Besides, we owe 'em.

My thoughts exactly.

[exhales] Fine. You had me at "We owe 'em".

[speaking native language]

How does work, please?

The Warworld shielding prevents Father Box from pinpointing Superboy's exact location from Earth, but it can Boom Tube you within a few miles of it.

Once you're inside, it will lead you directly to Superboy and the others.

And when you're ready, it can bring you all home.

Simply ask, Asami, and it will obey.

The Warworld, please.

[beep]

Ahhh!

Hello.

Oh, we give up, we give up, please don't hurt us!

It was stupid to come here! It was stupid, stupid, stupid!

I knew this wouldn't work! We are so sorry.

He's right.

We don't want any trouble. We just want to go home.

Fooled ya.

Hoo-hoo!

Now you gone done woke up the big man.

Adios.

Ed, Sam, Tye, time to go.

Raw power. Now we're talking the same language.

And that's what you get for blasting my board!

Dude, did we know your, uh, long shadow was laser-proof?

Ugh, more like laser-resistant.

Those beams stung.

Superboy, please.

[beep]

This way.

Haven't you already scanned every inch of this place?

Yeah, but I'm obviously capable of missing obvious clues.

I totally should have spotted evidence of Blue Beetle's defection after Green Beetle fixed his scarab.

That's my fault. You asked me to scan Green's mind, and I vouched for him without delving deep.

I was so afraid to use my powers after what I did to Aqualad.

I allowed Green Beetle and his scarab to feed me exactly what The Reach wanted us to believe.

So Blue trusted Green and was turned by him, then somehow abducted the Team.

All on me.

Except you never would've been in that position if I had trusted you have with the secret of Aqualad's deep cover mission.

I put you, Aqualad, Artemis, the whole Team, in unacceptable danger.

So, this is our guilt-off.

I say I messed up, then you say you messed up worse.

d*ck, we both made mistakes, and we both need to get over ourselves.

Save the Team, then save Blue.

As a certain 13-year-old was once fond of saying, "That's just what we do."

[screeching and clattering]

[radio static]

Sphere! Ha ha!

[gasps] Can you take us to Superboy?

[revving]

I think that's a "yes".

The meat-designated "Arsenal" continues to elude Black Beetle soldiers.

But of greater interest, four of our former test subjects are inside the Warworld and attacking our patrols.

What?! How did they get...

[knock on door] One minute, Mr. Ambassador. I'll be right with you.

Tell Black to terminate both situations, with extreme prejudice.

And now, an old friend of our program...

The Reach Ambassador.

Welcome back to the show, Ambassador. Always a pleasure, G. Gordon.

Oh, man.

There they are.

Looks like they're frozen...

They're in stasis.

And you will join them soon enough.

Guys, I saw this freak take down all these heroes back on The Reach ship.

Please, don't let that stop you from attacking me.

I could use the exercise.

Aah!

Please tell me he did not just take our big g*n in three seconds flat.

Scatter!

Aah!

[all grunting]

So much for exercise.

All right, meat. Might as well teleport yourself into a stasis cell and save me the trouble.

Gracias, amigo. Um, who are you?

The guy who will save your butts if you listen carefully.

You can't b*at Black Beetle head on, but keep him off balance and we might just stand a chance.

So you see, G. Gordon, The Reach is all about intergalactic brotherhood.

A lovely sentiment.

So, please explain to the good folks at home how it squares with the lies you told us and the fleet of warships you hid beneath our oceans!

I think you're forgetting that those ships helped Blue Beetle save the Earth from...

Unfortunately, The Reach only has this single ship, designed for peaceful exploration and diplomacy and unequipped with any weapons.

Now, I don't know how you'd call that on your world, Ambassador, but on planet Earth, we call it a bold faced lie!

How many more lies are you hiding beneath our seas, and how much more propaganda will you ask the human race to swallow and wash down with a nice, cold Reach?

I am starting to get annoyed.

[computer dinging] Ugh, I really hate that sound!

We're throwing everything we've got at this desperado and barely holding our own.

Shouldn't we be freeing some of the good guys?

No.

[growls]

Ah, amigo, you don't seem clear on who we're here to rescue.

[growls]

Trust me, I'm clear.

Mongul! This is all your fault!

Reach...

[both grunting]

You guys free the Team. There's something else I need to get.

Ándale, Super-niño!

Let's go, move!

Ok, get ready.

There's a squad of Reach soldiers waiting for us.

Hey, fearless leader. Better late than never.

Everyone safe? For now.

The crystal key? Gone. And we better get gone, too, before one of them declares a winner.

Right. Move out.

All aboard. We're almost home free.

I think congratulations are in order.

No training, no guidance, and yet you pulled it off.

When we get back, after a debrief, there might be a place for all of you with the Team.

Wow, really?

So now that we saved your butts, you're cool with us not being star lab's guinea pigs.

Dude, chill.

Before we head back, we need to talk about Blue Beetle.

He betrayed us. Look who's talking.

Last thing I remember is you blowing an airlock without warning.

Nearly got us all k*lled and absolutely guaranteed our capture!

Hey! After 8 years on ice, there's no way I was getting grabbed again.

And in case you hadn't noticed, my escape resulted in you being free now to stand here and complain.

So how about a "thank you"? You're right, Arsenal.

Thank you.

And after we get back to Earth, you're off the Team.

Well, wait a minute! If it wasn't for Arsenal, we wouldn't have rescued anyone.

That may be. But this isn't the first time he's pulled this kind of stunt.

Intentionally endangering the lives of teammates in order to further his own agenda or guard against his own personal demons.

It's unacceptable. So until you prove yourself a team player, you have no place on this Team. now let's get aboard you and get out of here.

We can discuss this further when we're not behind enemy lines.

Sounds like there's nothing left to discuss.

See, we don't need your help getting back to Earth, or your offer to join the Team.

We have our own way of doing things.

What do you say, bro, want to ride with us?

Sounds like a plan.

Wait, is that a... Home, please.

[beeps]

[all groaning]

So, am I right in thinking congratulations are in order?

- Luthor! Ahh...

You brought home a souvenir.

Lex Luthor's got you running his errands on the Warworld?!

This guy's the reason I'm missing 8 years of my life and my arm! Don't you get it?

He didn't care if you rescued the Team. He was using you...

As a distraction to lure Black Beetle away from the Crystal Key so one of his other pawns could steal it.

Hmm, Deathstroke's more of a bishop, actually.

But I'm not sure I understand the problem.

You rescued the heroes and dealt a blow to The Reach.

Isn't that exactly what I promised you?

No more promises.