[Oracle] You're late. What happened?
There were... difficulties.
Mist, Livewire and-- I know this part.
Skip to the-- You want to tell it?
[sighs] [Nightwing] Mist, Livewire and Shade made their move tonight on S.T.A.R. Labs Detroit.
What's he waiting for?
[Shade sighs] I'm finding the darkness within.
[electricity buzzing] [screaming]
[chuckles] Two points.
Didn't think I'd actually score on this mission.
This is it. [Shade] The photo didn't indicate scale.
It's larger than I was led to believe.
I thought size doesn't matter.
[grunting]
[alarm blaring] We're outta time!
[Shade exhales] That's a lot to swallow.
[chuckles] You got to stop handing me these straight lines.
Just need a minute.
We don't have a minute. [Casey] Freeze!
Do not move!
[grunts]
[Shade] You're here!
[Cheshire] You're my team, I watch your back-- [g*nsh*t]
[Cheshire grunts]
[Shade groans]
[alarms continue blaring]
[sirens wailing in distance]
[Silas groans groggily]
[theme music playing]
[Jefferson] Maybe I made the wrong decision.
Quitting when I did.
Right when the League was splittin' in half, I left Kaldur understaffed and Virgil in a lurch.
[sighs] Maybe I need to go back.
Best pillow talk ever. [laughs]
Sorry, it's, uh...
It's been a while. [chuckles]
I'm teasing, Jeff.
The bottom line is you left for a reason.
Has anything really changed?
No.
The League used to be about helping people, period.
Now it's all politics.
And Bats? He's still playing C.E.O. of "Batman Inc."
I'm better off freelancing with-- [cell phone ringing]
Ah, speak of the devil.
[computer] Recognized.
Pierce-comma-Jefferson, G-Zero-One.
Good. We're all here.
All? Where's Conner?
Mending fences with Megan.
Didn't know their fence was broken.
It's not so much broken as left unattended for too long.
Ah. Right.
Lynn and I had "fence problems" before the divorce.
Must we maintain the "fence" metaphor, or can we find out why we've all been summoned?
Okay. I need you to maintain your cool.
We've located someone who might have some intel on the League of Shadows.
Meaning we'll finally find my sister?
That's wonderful!
Not so wonderful.
The intel would be from my sister.
Lian's mother? That's great!
Not so great.
She may not be very cooperative.
Not very cooperative? That's excellent!
Not so excellent?
[all] No.
Forager is good at this game.
Our understanding is she's wounded.
A cornered animal.
That makes her dangerous.
Are we going or not?
[Doctor Moon laughs] You know, Cheshire, most of my patients prefer to be sedated while under the Kn*fe to remove a b*llet.
One would almost believe you don't trust your physician.
[grunts]
And one would be right.
But don't take it personally, Doctor Moon.
I don't even trust myself.
[Shade on radio] Cheshire, we have company.
Keep them busy. Time to go, Doctor.
[grunts]
She's not going anywhere.
[grunting]
[Livewire] So you're Black Lightning.
Heard you quit the Justice League.
[scoffs] Must've known you were obsolete.
[gasps]
[gasps]
[Nightwing grunting]
[Mist breathing heavily]
Wearing yourself out?
It's a two-way street, kid.
I can't touch you. But you can't touch--
[grunting]
[choking]
Sorry. Really don't want to do this...
[choking]
[Halo grunts]
Forager! [grunts]
[Geo-Force] Halo!
[groaning]
[grunts]
[gasps]
[gasps]
[Mist] Sorry. Really sorry.
[choking]
[hissing] [Mist] Ow! That hurts!
[crackling]
[Nightwing groans]
[grunting]
Go head, zap me!
Absorbing lightning's totally my thing.
You've never had Black Lightning before.
[screams]
[grunts]
Geo-Force! Return him now!
[Shade] Mmm, no.
I think we'll just keep him bottled for a while.
Or forever.
Bring him back!
You have to bring him back!
[high-pitched ringing]
[cracking] [Shade grunts]
[screaming]
[groaning]
[gasping]
[panting]
Are you all right? I'm... fine.
What happened?
[chittering] Halo happened.
[door opens]
Get out of here! You have no right-- [grunts]
[groans] Ugh.
It seems the Doctor is out.
[sighs] I'm glad you're alive.
But I have two questions and one statement.
Who is running the League of Shadows now? And from where?
[sighs]
You know I have no loyalty to the Shadows, but I honestly don't know who's running them.
I do know they're being run out of Santa Prisca.
Happy?
Ecstatic.
How's...
How's Lian?
Oh, well, that brings me to my statement.
Go see your kid!
Come on, sis.
We both know she's better off without me.
[grunts] You're her mother!
[Cheshire] But I'll always be Cheshire first.
See you later, sis.
Hug...
Hug Lian for me.
[Shade breathes heavily]
[sighs]
Nightwing, Cheshire and Shade escaped.
But I have Doctor Moon and the League of Shadows intel.
[sirens wailing in distance]
You're late. Report.
[stutters] Right. So...
Per your orders, and since his release from Arkham six months ago, I've been keeping occasional tabs on Jervis Tetch, a.k.a. The Mad Hatter.
Two weeks ago, I brought along my squad.
Spoiler, Arrowette and Orphan.
- Spoiler [+]
- That's Tetch?
For a Mad Hatter, he's kind of, well, hatless.
No hats. It's a condition of his parole.
[chuckles] Good thing he's not called the Mad Pantser.
- Spoiler [+]
- He's heading for his night job, right on schedule.
Although... The water?
Yeah. Uh, water?
[Robin] He's drinking a lot of it, and awfully fast. [chugging]
[stammers] So, do we bust him for littering?
Hmm. Clay backwash.
- Spoiler [+]
- Ah, gross.
So, you're thinking-- Yeah, it's possible, anyway.
We need to find a way to check-- Wait.
Where's Orphan?
[Clayface growling]
Did you know Tetch was really Clayface or just not care?
You're gonna regret that, kid!
[roars]
[Arrowette grunts]
[Clayface roars]
[grunts]
Is Clayface an ally of Tetch's?
They're not buddies.
Which means Tetch is probably controlling him.
- Spoiler [+]
- Doesn't matter. We know where Tetch is.
So forget Clayface! Let's go get Hatter!
[roars]
We don't know where Tetch is.
- Spoiler [+]
- But Clayface clearly does.
And I tossed a liquid tracker on him.
Nice.
[Mad Hatter] Now this won't hurt a bit.
Or it may be agonizing.
Hard to say. [laughs maniacally]
[groans]
[beeping]
Now, let's test it, shall we?
Raise your right hand.
Very good. Very good.
But too easy.
Punch yourself.
Hard!
[grunting]
[grunts] [laughs maniacally]
Oh, what are you doing here?
I had to protect you.
From what?
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh!
Yes! Yes! Clayface! Protect me!
Shield me! [Clayface growls]
You. Time to go.
[in sing-song voice] Follow, follow, follow.
[Clayface roars]
- Spoiler [+]
- What is this place? What's Tetch up to?
I'll find out. Arrowette, Orphan, run interference with Clayface.
Spoiler! Go after Hatter.
[beeps]
[whispering] Self-destruct button.
[loudly] Well, what part of "Mad Hatter" didn't you get?
Now... [in sing-song voice] Follow, follow, follow.
[roaring]
[grunting]
That hurt!
[grunts]
[grunting]
[beeping]
Everyone, out of the building! Now!
- Spoiler [+]
- I lost Tetch and whoever he was running with!
[Robin] Worry later. Get out now!
You too, Hagen! The building's going to explode!
Must protect Hatter!
[beeping rapidly]
[all grunting]
Clayface...
He... He didn't make it.
I think he'll be fine.
And really angry at Jervis Tetch.
[sirens wailing in distance]
She is late.
She's calling from halfway across the galaxy.
Give her a minute.
Sorry I'm late.
Had to bounce a signal from the Javelin to the Watchtower to you.
Break it down for me. [Aquaman] Of course.
It began several weeks ago.
Two meta-prisoners were loaded on a transport to take them to a secured flight to Belle Reve.
[Billy] Have I mentioned that I love this gig?
'Cause I really love this gig.
Kid, when you've been at this as long as I have, what you'll "love" is just getting through the day.
[Billy] Oh, come on! We're putting bad guys where they belong.
I mean, you can't tell me part of you doesn't love this gig.
All right. Sure.
Part of me loves this--
Okay, yeah, I totally love this gig!
[distorted] Shazam!
[Sportsmaster] Oh, terrific.
A hockey puck, really?
Really.
[both groaning]
[Sportsmaster] Kadabra! Anytime!
Kind of a rocky ride.
Beggars can't be choosers.
Now that's more like it.
Now, gentlemen, let's be off. Time is not on our side.
[Rocket] Neither are we!
[Brick grunts]
[screaming] No! No! No!
[growls]
Please. Keep punching.
Kadabra!
[grunts]
Yes, yes, fear... Not.
[screams]
[grunts]
[Sportsmaster] Better get while the getting's good.
[Flash groans]
Oh, no, you don't!
Oh, yeah, they did.
Ah, man. I got the worst luck.
Trust me.
You have no idea just how lucky you are.
[sirens approaching]
We held on to Brick and captured Abra Kadabra, but--
[Batman] But Sportsmaster got away with the other prisoner.
Still, over the last few weeks we've managed to cr*pple the Branchwater chain of meta-human traffickers.
Branchwater?
A so-called "security firm" owned by a series of shell companies that trace back to Stagg Industries and its majority shareholder, Simon Stagg.
[Nightwing] Branchwater uses different methods, but is easily as bad as Bedlam.
It's basically a meta-crime covert ops unit that Stagg used for corporate espionage.
Or corporate warfare.
Diana, we had identified three links in the Branchwater chain, Acquisition, Coercion and Utilization.
Link One, Acquisition.
Instead of creating new meta-humans as Bedlam did, Sportsmaster "liberated" existing metas from prisons and transports.
Clayface, Livewire and Mist had all been taken while en route to Belle Reve.
Link Two, Coercion.
Instead of Bedlam's control chips, Branchwater had Mad Hatter inject its newly liberated convicts with nanotech that forced them to follow Branchwater's commands.
Okay, yeah, they're criminals, but they're criminals being victimized by Stagg.
Clayface, Livewire and Mist were all discovered to have Hatter's nanotech in their systems.
Which would've been Brick's fate had he also been "liberated."
Finally, Link Three, Utilization.
Cheshire ran missions for Branchwater, using the controlled metas for whatever Stagg wanted or needed.
Cheshire? Working with Sportsmaster?
I thought she hated her father.
It's unclear if either knew both were employed by the same organization.
So the end result?
Well, for starters, no one's being coerced anymore.
I found one of Hatter's control devices before his place blew up.
Clayface, I forever release you from all external mental control of your actions.
[sighs wearily] Thanks, kid.
I used the same device to release Livewire and Mist after Nightwing's group left the Detroit airfield.
Clayface, Kadabra, Brick and Moon are now in Belle Reve cells.
And Mist and Livewire?
They are minors, not hardened criminals.
We believe they are salvageable, and are seeking another solution for them both.
And what about this Stagg?
Conner and I took care of him.
We busted him for receiving stolen property, the Reach device Cheshire's group took from S.T.A.R.
What does this Reach device do?
Why did Stagg want it?
That's unclear.
It was salvaged from a Reach warship downed during the battle against the Warworld.
Blue Beetle had previously translated the Reach text on the side of the machine, and all it says is "Meta-Human Failsafe."
We believe Stagg had grown paranoid.
Because he was using metas against others, he feared someone else might use metas against him.
He thought the machine would protect him against the "scary meta-world" he himself was helping to create.
And it cost him, because I anonymously forwarded the evidence we gathered to the authorities.
And right about now...
Nice timing.
And where's the Reach device currently?
[Oracle] En route back to Dr. Stone at S.T.A.R. Labs Detroit.
And I'm sure he'll be able to figure out its true purpose safely. [electricity buzzing]
Right now, I'm more concerned about Branchwater's most recent acquisition.
Shade.
Sportsmaster liberated him, turning him over to Hatter for a nanotech control injection, so that he wound up as Cheshire's mind-controlled stooge.
Which means he's still subject to her manipulations.
Cheshire's not about to free him without significant incentive.
But at least Stagg, who was responsible for turning him into a living puppet, is no longer pulling Shade's strings.
[gasps]
So this is a "win"?
Largely. What troubles you?
This.
All of this.
Between the seven of us, we're coordinating six teams of heroes, none of whom know we're working together.
It's what we all agreed to, Diana.
Taking a page from the Light's own playbook to fight fire with fire.
We're kind of, the "Anti-Light."
And that's a good thing?
The opposite of light is darkness.
Is that what we represent?
Um, maybe that was a poor choice of words.
Or maybe it wasn't.
I don't like keeping the other members of the League in the dark.
Worst-case scenario, they need real deniability.
Do you expect Superman to lie under oath?
Do you expect me to?
If it comes to that.
As a princess of Themyscira, I expect you to use your diplomatic status to avoid taking the stand at all.
And the rest of you?
Are you all prepared to lie?
[sirens wailing in distance]
[theme music playing] [electronic chirping]