10338/Age of Darkness: Riddle Me This

From United Heroes MUSH
Jump to navigation Jump to search
Age of Darkness: Riddle Me This
Date of Scene: 06 December 2019
Location: Library, Hall of Justice
Synopsis: The Justice League and her allies have a strategy/planning session to determine what to do next and go over intel brought forth but multiple people and groups. Can it be? Can Superman be alive? We'll have to see.
Cast of Characters: Superman, Green Arrow, Supergirl, Superboy, Shadowcat, Shadow, Grail, Darkhawk
Cast of NPCs: Aquaman, 8001, Green Lantern (Stewart)
Tinyplot: Age of Darkness


Superman has posed:
It was a cold, dreary Autumn day, as the weather was creeping ever so onwards towards winter. The air was crisp. The clouds were dark and the air was damp and cold. The city was still reeling from the Crime Wave, and today, members of the Justice League had sent out a call to all heroes and vigilantes in the city and elsewhere to come to the Hall of Justice and discuss their next move in the search for Superman.

Everyone here had been granted access to enter the Hall of Justice, although most have some connection to the JL. Some required other members to vouch for them, but they were not expecting anyone to crash the party. At least, not that anyone knew of...

Arthur Curry stands in the background, leaning against the wall, his arms crossed and with a bored expression on his face. Aquaman was here because a man he respected had asked him to come. His golden trident, a symbol of his office, was leaning against the wall beside him.

A dark skinned man enshrouded in an emerald glow lands near Aquaman. The Green Lantern symbol on his chest revealing who this man was. A veteran member of the GLC, and a man many in the room would know. John Stewart, a reserve member of the Justice League and back from being away on Oa and Sector 2814 for a very long time.

The last member of the group that everyone could see was larger than life. Two wings were folded against his back, and his muscular arms were crossed across his muscular chest in front of him. The grey-steel mace tucked into his belt let everyone know he came for battle, even at this gathering of heroes. Hawkman growls, "Can we get on with this?" His voice rang out, absorbed into the voices of the people present. They were all wondering why they were here today.

Green Arrow has posed:
Oliver has not been one of the most regular presences here with the League, his own problems back in Starling taking a lot of his time but it does not mean he does not know what is going on. The events surrounding both Superman and Batman and which lead to their demise were followed closely, even from afar and he has launched his own investigation on the matters..

Today he finds himself answering the call, clad in his Arrow suit, dark suit snug against his skin and his old, faithful bow on his back along with a quiver of arrows. The hood is up and covering his features as afterall he doesn't know who else will be here that isn't part of the League.

He enters with purpose, taking in the various gathered with his eyes, a nod given here and there to those he knows.

Supergirl has posed:
During many of the events, a young Kryptonian had been absent. Considering her closeness to her cousin, that was unusual in itself. Supergirl had just returned to the planet the day before, entering through MacKenzie Station and reaching out to her friends and family to herald her return.

To learn that she had lost Kal. That he was taken while she was gone.

Her expression is bordering on a frown, eyes reddened from the tears she had shed the previous night. For now, she had it under a tight control. She wandered in, taking a stance with arms crossed over that S-Symbol on her chest. A nod was given to John Stewart in greeting. He is the one she had seen most recently of those gathered, as it was the Lanterns' war that had taken her away from her adopted planet.

Superboy has posed:
Conner has been trying to follow the investigation on Superman's disappearance (or corpse disappearance) through asking Tim about it periodically. But he has heard nothing new for a while. Finally, he came to the Hall to seek answers. By now he has been in the building a few hours, wanting to attend this meeting.

Usually carefree, today Conner is frowning and serious. Given the resources of the League he expected they had found Kal's body long ago. Hopefully alive. Whatever has it must be very sneaky and elusive. Maybe he will know now.

When Kara arrives, he blinks and waves briefly, looking a bit less gloom for once. He has not seen her in over a year, after all. Unfortunately this is not a good moment to catchup.

Shadowcat has posed:
Most likely few present were familiar with the costumed young woman naming herself Blackbird. Even accounts by the Gotham media that noted her presence did not have a name to put to her. Though she'd been present at the cemetery in Metropolis, and with Batman backing her presence, the young woman was allowed in. Dressed in a costume that looks like a modern hero version of ninja attire, and with a large black raven perched on her shoulder, seeming to actively listen to what is going on around it.

Blackbird lingers in the background though, knowing only a few, and those met while she was out of costume. While she's been around enough heroes to not be overawed easily, it is still quite an eye-widening group that she's come to try to assist.

Shadow has posed:
    Some people are easier to contact than others, but Oracle had been willing to pass the invitation along in much the same way she'd passed on the Shadow's message earlier. Even so, the doorman keeping guard at the treshold between the publicly accessible areas of the Hall of Justice and the private areas where the Justice League gathers to discuss matters of import briefly suffers a near-coronary as a patch of shadow moves across the floor towards him, shifting and expanding from two dimensions into three until a black-clad vigilante that isn't Batman looks glares down at him.

    "I believe I'm expected," the Shadow intones, nodding courteously at the doorman when they're acknowledged and making their way to the elevator, emerging into the room shortly afterwards and looking around.

Grail has posed:
Grail had set up a few ways to contact her and to be informed about things related to Kal-El and to her father. She was not going to be left out of any of it as she wished to know more and find out just what this Superman wanted with her. She never got to speak to him before his 'death'. Now she had tied herself to this world.

Outside the Hall of Justice, a burst that opens a vortex in time and space that is familiar to some, deposits Grail on to the lawn outside. She steps from the boomtube and looks at the hall with a deep frown before her hand closes and so does the small boomtube. When she approaches, she seems to be walking with purpose, her walk brokering no pause. When the doorman sees her, he seems to think better than to ask whether or not the 6'4" tall grey woman with solid red eyes is here for the meeting or not and just lets her in. Once she enters the room, she only looks around briefly before putting a hand on her hip and asking, "What is this all about? Has someone found your Superman yet?"

Superman has posed:
As everyone arrives, Aquaman and Hawkman stay in the background, while John Stewart takes the lead. Moving forward, he looks over his shoulder at Hawkman and frowns. "We're going as fast as we can Hawkman. Patience. We'll get there. Everyone is as worried about our friend as you are." Dropping the emerald shield that was around his body with a flick of his will, John Stewart addresses the crowd.

"Thank you for coming everyone!" The old Marine in him coming out with the tone and volume he uses to get everyone to listen. Not too much or too little in volume, but just right to get everyone's attention. Without using his ring of course.

"To all of you who are close friends and family of Superman, my condolences for your loss. I just found out about this a few days ago when the other Green Lantern told me." John had almost said Hal. "I also know that some of you are taking this pretty hard, while others can't believe this has happened."

Looking at each person present, John says, "Feel free to introduce yourself as we do a roundtable." Then John takes a few extra seconds to return Supergirl's nod and look both her and Superboy in the eyes, letting them know he felt for their loss.

John looks over at Green Arrow. "It's good to see you here Green Arrow. We weren't expecting you this far east. Superman would have appreciated you coming all this way." Hawkman, behind GL, looks over at Ollie for a moment, and gives him the faintest of nods.

John takes a moment to look at Kitty and Natasha, the two relative strangers here, saying to each, "Welcome to the Justice League, Shadow, Blackbird. Thank you for all of your help."

"Now, I have heard about the thing that went down at the crypt the other day, and that several of you were there." John leans against the table. "Thank you for that. It must have been challenging seeing what you saw. Is there anyone here who hasn't been caught up with what happened? Anyone who was there, feel free to chime in if you like, give us a quick debrief."

John Stewart takes a deep breath, "Is there anyone here that may have something to help us with? Something to go on as well? Maybe give us some hope that Superman is not gone?"

That was when Grail decides to make her entrance. Aquaman uncrosses his arms, and puts his hand on his trident. Hawkman suddenly has his mace in his hands. How he did that so fast, who knows. Lastly, John Stewart holds his ring hand up, forestalling any attack, and says, "Grail. Welcome. I was expecting you after your assistance the other day at the Cemetary. Your input would be invaluable. No, we haven't found him yet." Did that de-escalate or just make things worse.

Green Arrow has posed:
So many people he hasn't seen in a while, Aquaman, a Green Lantern..., quite a few of the heavy hitters but it's noticeable the lack of the larger of them all, clearly it setting the room's mood. The hooded archer's gaze lingers for a moment longer on both Conner and Kara when he spots them, a mix of both apology but also reassurance on his expression. Simply human, but he will do what he can to make sure Superman is returned home, to his family. That much can be visible on the grim determination set on his features.

"This is the least I could do for my friend." Ollie says in an open manner when John addresses him at the same time that also saving him from having to introduce himself. The nod is returned back to Hawkman and then he takes note of both Shadow and Blackbird. After John he says. "Those that help the League are always welcome here." tone solemn but thankful.

"I have come across some information that might be of aid,--" Oliver takes in a breath when he goes to continue but pauses at the latest newcomer, watching the tenseness going to Hawkman and Aquaman and one hand instinctively on his bow but he doesn't take it out. Not that he seems to recognize who Grail is.

Supergirl has posed:
Those she knows are given a brief nod of greeting but she holds her tongue as John takes the floor. The slightest of lifting at the corners of her mouth upon seeing Conner but then it is back to the frown.

At the call for introductions, she takes her moment. "Supergirl. Superman was my cousin. I've been away for a bit. Helping the Lanterns, at the request of Superman. I just returned and learned he is gone." Her voice broke on the last word. She paused a second to get her control back then continued in her usual tone of voice.

"I appreciate any and all information about what happened." Then Grail enters and she sees the many reactions around the room. Not knowing the other woman, she waits, no outward reaction to her presence.

Superboy has posed:
Conner has met most everyone here, but except for Kara, he doesn't know anyone well. Where are Batgirl, Wonder Woman, and most important:

"Where is Batman? He should be here." States the young man, perhaps a little more forcefully he should. But Batman was the one that took down Superman when he was acting strange. And did it without telling or bringing in the Kryptonian family or the League heavy hitters that could perhaps have subdued him - without using Kryptonite.

He also happens to the world best detective. Conner has questions.

Shadowcat has posed:
Blackbird has her face covered from the nose down by the mask that is part of her costume, plus a domino mask around the eyes. She stays quiet while she listens to John Stewart. The raven on her shoulder also is focusing its attention on him and on each person as they talk, giving the appearance it is aware of the conversation.

As Blackbird hears Conner's question, she straightens up a little. "I'm hoping Batman will be able to make it, though there are some other matters that are going on simultaneously. You all can call me Blackbird. An associate of Batman's." Poison Ivy holding thousands of people hostage in part of Gotham she's taken over has gotten heavy play in the news for some time now.

She clears her throat. "I was able to use a scanner to analyze the body within the crypt," she offers as she glances around the room. "I believe you already have a copy of the results. The scans revealed some sections of DNA that were 'filled in'. You've all seen Jurassic Park? This is the part they used frog DNA in the movie. Only in this case, the fillers matched a specific sequence that has been seen before as a filler. It's not the kind of thing that matches by chance. The same source would be behind this copy as the past occurrence. Which, according to Batman, that past sample was likely the doing of ARGUS and/or CADMUS."

Shadow has posed:
    "CADMUS," the Shadow intones. "The tunnel Nightwing followed led to a warehouse owned by one of their subsidiaries, where they were holding Superman's body. They collapsed the tunnel and evacuated with it when they realized their scheme had been discovered."

    The dark-clad figure moves forward, depositing several printed photographs onto the table. "I was able to identify some of these people; most of them are *supposed* to be serving multiple decade sentences in maximum security prisons, but apparently this woman," One gloved finger indicates the picture of a heavyset black woman in a suit and a permanent Not-impressed-with-these-shenanigans scowl. "... holds their leashes. Possibly literally; more than one of them expressed fear of death of defying her."

    A pause, then the Shadow continues. "They have his body; what I can't tell you is whether they believe he is alive, although Doctor Zuel," another tap of a finger indicating a redhaired woman in a lab coat, "indicates that the body isn't decaying at all, despite a lack of discernible life signs. But she also claims to be unfamiliar with Kryptonian biology." The last is added with a glance towards Supergirl, the only potential resident expert.

Grail has posed:
A soft chuckle comes from Grail and then she looks from the Green Lantern who has taken the lead to Aquaman, Hawkman and then finally to Green Lantern, "Now now, as fun as it would be to fight all four of you at once, let us not forget I am here to help." She then looks directly at John and smirks, "Now, put that ring away before you hurt yourself." She then looks over at the others before listening to Natasha speak.

"Now, as it has been said, I'm Grail and I assume that this Cadmus is headed up by a large, dark skinned woman who likes business suits?" She asks of her before looking to the others, "As I have told you all before, your Superman is not dead." She nods her head, "I have sources that have confirmed as such and that woman spoke of him as if he were alive, if not moving."

She glances briefly at Conner, knowing very little of this Batman, she doesn't respond and instead to Kitty briefly before walking up to the pictures taken, "Now, as it was said, I am Grail. And just to get it out of the way, your supposedly dead savior invited me to this world." She looks to Kitty and then back at the photographs, "And also to get rid of other questions, I am the daughter of one of this world's Amazons and Darkseid."

Superman has posed:
"Thank you Green Arrow. That means a lot. It is great to have you here." John Stewart pauses, when he hears the rest. "Any information could be invaluable, of course." Behind him, Hawkman snorts, and calls out, "If the info you got is how to dress like Robin Hood, we're good Arrow."

Hawkman smiles, giving Ollie a bit of "good natured" ribbing, for old times sake. Aquaman, to the man's right, smacks Hawkman on the left arm. "Be serious Hawk." Aquaman frowns while Hawkman rubs where Aquaman had smacked him. "Ow. Right."

John Stewart ignores the duo behind him, and watches as Supergirl nearly breaks down. If he was closer, he would have hugged her, but now was not the time. "Welcome Supergirl. We'll get to the bottom of this, I promise."

Then Conner speaks up. "Batman is not here because..." Obviously John wasn't sure with what he was saying. As Kitty comments, John nods his head while ignoring Hawkman's snort from behind him. "Exactly. Thank you Blackbird. I expected him here, but as Blackbird says, he must have gotten tied up with something. He's unpredictable. I share your anger and frustration though Superboy. We all have questions."

As Blackbird continues with her briefing, filling them all in on what she found, Aquaman finally steps forward and makes a comment. "Are you saying this "thing" in the cemetary, not only wasn't Superman, but was some kind of, what, clone? That makes no sense. Why put a dead clone in Superman's grave?"

Then, the Shadow briefs them on what she has found to date. John Stewart is speechless as she continues, describing, in detail, many things they had not known about. Looking back at Blackbird first, then again at Shadow, John Stewart says, "That is...an amazingly detailed bit of detective work. I'm impressed. That gives us the details. Now where did they take Superman's body then?" His expression reinforced what he just said. He WAS inpressed.

"Thank you, Grail is it? We're not here to fight, and are thankful for any help you can provide." Aquaman leans the trident back against the wall, and Hawkman slips the mace back in his belt. Then, she drops the bombshell. Superman is not dead. "That's a lot. Okay. There was the hope I was talking about. Thank you Grail." John muses, as she continues. Then, the last. "Did you say the Daughter of Darkseid...and an Amazon?" Now that made John blink.

Lastly, John looks over at Supergirl and Conner. "Could Grail be right? Could he be still alive, even after the kryptonite explosion he was hit with? After all this time?"

Green Arrow has posed:
Once they get down to business Oliver seems to lose his worry about Grail, and the reaction the other members had of her. But certainly something to store for later examination.

Instead he walks to the table where Shadow is, looking over the pictures, "So it's you we have to thank about that report." this said to Kitty, "It made me flag and keep watch on a few notable figures that could interest CADMUS. Specially if what we suspect is right, that they want to research Superman's biology." he frowns at this last part, shaking his head to himself but brings out a couple of photographs, one with the face of a middle-aged, nearly bald man and the other with a satellite bird view of an area. Metropolis?

"Has any of you heard of Dr. Blackwood? He is a genetics expert at Starling Hospital. Known for his research on superheroes. I discovered he was being 'recruited' to work in a classified project. For CADMUS." Ollie informs the others, looking over the faces, "Me and my team intercepted it and we have information where he was being taken to conduct research on a top-secret asset." not that he explains the methods used but .., he can be thorough on his interrogations for those that know him. Instead he points to the map. "An abandoned hospital here on the outskirts of Metropolis."

Then he points to the black woman's picture on the table. "Under the orders of this woman, Amanda Waller."

Supergirl has posed:
At Conner's words, there is a terse nod from Supergirl. That is a question that has been going through her head since finding out. There were other ways it could have been done. Why? She knew Batman had been a friend to Kal-El so it made no sense in her mind.

As each person spoke, she focused fully on them. The pictures had her stepping forward, photographic memory locking in each detail for future use. Cadmus. That had her gaze going to Conner again.

Grail's revelation about her heredity had her frowning darkly and her arms uncrossed, falling to her sides as her fingers curled into fists. Only the fact Superman had invited her to this place kept her from doing something stupid. Right now, she needed to pick her battles. And that battle was with two possibilities. A flick of her gaze to the pictures which represented option one, then to Blackbiard, who represented the second.

She considered the questions. Considered the hope that was being presented, as tiny of a sliver as it might be. She'd learned at least one lesson during her time with the Lanterns. The Blue Lanterns specifically. That tiny sliver of hope was all it took sometimes.

"It's a huge long shot. The statitistical possibility of it being true are astronomical. But..." She took a moment the look at each person in in turn. "There is a chance. With the yellow sun, fully irradiated, it is possible. His body could have slipped into a Kryptonian coma. I know that after we recovered him from Apokolips," Kara couldn't help glancing at Grail as she mentioned that. "I had taken him to Sol for a time to recover from his injuries, to be certain he had the fullest saturation of that radiation in his body." She bites her bottom lip a moment as Ollie adds his piece to the puzzle. The spot on the map is added to her memory.

Her focus is on getting her cousin back. Without conscious thought, she rises about an inch into the air, as though about to take flight out to follow up on this information. She wasn't really known for her impulse control when she was upset.

Shadowcat has posed:
Blackbird's eyes drift over to Grail for a moment. Apokolips she's heard of, but not an enemy the X-men have dealt with so she knows little details. An Amazonian? Kitty knows there are many more Amazonians than just Diana Prince, yet she can't help but have her mind leap there first before the absurdity of the thought makes the young woman have to stifle a scoffing laugh at her own thoughts.

She refocuses on the matter at hand, falling silent then as the others share what they have found out. The news that Superman may actually be alive makes her hands tighten a little bit. So Tim Drake might have been right. Maybe she should have dared violate the sanctity of that tomb earlier to get at the truth, as he'd wished.

Shadow has posed:
    The Shadow nods at Green Arrow. "Apparently the potential threat from Apokolips has certain factions... Concerned," comes the reply. "They believe investigating Superman's body is the key to the secrets they need to uncover to stand a chance."

    They turn to Kara, next, something other than stern focus visible in those bright blue eyes for just a moment before they continue. "... However, they are also aware of the potential political consequences if what they're doing is discovered. Doctor Zuel has a vial with a Kryptonite solution and strict orders to destroy the body and any trace of it rather than let it be recovered. When you find him... You will need to move /swiftly/."

    The figure turns back to the group as a whole. "My agents and other allies are investigating CADMUS, but so far most leads have been dry. Shell companies within shell companies, fake purchasing orders, and at least one laundering cutout that I've managed to uncover..."

Grail has posed:
As Green Arrow places the picture of Amanda Waller, Grail nods, "That is the woman who I spoke of." She points at the picture, "She is the one who spoke so curtly to the other human with the eye patch. She has Superman and based on what I know, he is alive." She states simply and nods before looking over to Kara, "Despite what any odds might say." She states and smirks before looking then to the others as a whole, "The threat from Apokolips is always looming. My father is likely alive, wherever he is, and I intend to get to the bottom of his location..." She smirks.

"So I can kill him myself." She nods her head and then looks over to Kara, grinning a little darkly at her before looking back to the table, "As for destroying the body, well, if you can find me where the body is, I can get it out before they know to use their solution." She laughs a little.

"I don't care about Kryptonite and I highly doubt that they have any way to stop me."

Superman has posed:
Hawkman walks forward, looks down at the pictures, and the great work done by Kitty, Ollie, and Nat, and frowns. "Impressive work." Looking up, Hawkman nods once to Ollie, this time obvious. "Well done. Batman couldn't have done it any better my friend."

John Stewart smiles, and puts his hands on his hips. "Dr. Blackwood. A genetics expert...huh." A pause while Ollie's intel sinks in. "Yes, Hawkman is right. You three are to be commended. And your teams. Now we can consider next steps. Thank you."

Aquaman chips in, "My question is, is this information accurate? We can't just bust into a building without knowing for sure this is the place they are holding Superman. The Justice League is not exactly a scalpel here. We're more a...hammer."

Everyone goes silent as Kara steps forward, and begins talking. John, Arthur and Carter all listen, intently and respectfully to what the cousin of Superman had to say.

When Kara was done, John Stewart gazes at Kara with a quizzical expression. "Supergirl..." John raises a hand slightly, noting her hovering above the ground, "This is huge. He could be alive. Unbelievable. Okay. We need to plan, like Aquaman says."

A pause. "IF...huge emphasis on IF...he is there, and he is alive, they will be waiting for us. The Shadow, Blackbird, Green Arrow's evidence all inexorably link together to point at this Hospital." The map shows it to be "The Blessed Sisters Hospital", closed for 25 years or more.

Leave it to the Shadow to fill in even more blanks. "Interesting. This whole Apokolips link that you and Supergirl mention, Shadow...and with Grail's arrival after Superman invited her here...it all adds up to a bigger plot here."

Hawkman chimes in. "I'm not liking these dark overtones from Apokolips and why this keeps coming back to that planet. Something happened to Superman, so even if we find him alive...who's to say he doesn't go crazy again?" Leave it to Carter to be indelicate.

Aquaman's frown grows. Another revelation. "A vial? Of Kryptonite? That makes things even more challenging. Grail's right, Supergirl. Kryptonite won't affect her, so we could use her help. We'll have to move fast and know exactly where Superman is."

As the Shadow continues, John Stewart listens to everyone, shaking his head at each new revelation. "Deeper and deeper down the rabbit hole we go."

Green Arrow has posed:
"We will get to the bottom of this, it's good to have you here with us." Oliver taps Hawkman's shoulder and returns the nod. He knows he worries just as much as the rest of them, even if he has his way of showing it. The grim expression on his features even manages to shift into a faint smile for Hawkman's benefit but it's not long lived, specially after what the others say. Apokolips? That's a new name for him. But then again the threats he normally faces are usually not with that kind of dimension.

Looking at both Shadow and then Grail he states, "I would like a word with you later about this Apokolips, but now I want to focus on Superman, and how we will save him."

He listens to Kara, nodding slowly but then he chooses to answer Hawkman. "He is part of our family, of our team. If there is even the faintest of hopes that he is alive then that is what we will do, save him. And then we will help him even if he doesn't want to be helped, because it is what we do with each other."

"If Grail can stop them from affecting Superman with this vial then we should use that to our advantage. We will need a plan to have them get there undetected."

Supergirl has posed:
"Fast isn't a problem," Supergirl says to the notation by The Shadow. She glances to Grail, that bit of a narrowing of eyes at the woman who shares the blood of Darkseid. "If they managed to make more clones of him, then we have more than just Kryptonite to worry about. After all, there are functioning clones of both he and I already alive and well. The clone in the crypt was probably in the hopes to throw off anyone trying to determine if he was truly dead. Or hoping to use true Kryptonian DNA for some other purpose."

She's still hovering and floats slightly toward the door as her body follows her thoughts. She frowns again and forces her booted feet back to the floor, landing quietly.

Darkhawk has posed:
Although the Dark Knight may not be here, the Darkhawk arrived shortly. He was late, but there was a very good reason for it. He had just concluded a twenty-one patrol salute over Metropolis. The Metropolis Police Department had received a number of criminals, both regular, and otherwise, though nothing terribly outstanding. The streets were clearer on this day.

Setting down on the steps to the Hall of Justice, Darkhawk brought his arms down to his sides, folding the wings back in through some unknown process. When he pulled them back, he looked more like an ordinary human, one apparently in a dark suit of armour with silver highlights, a red gem in his chest, and red visor, but human-like all the same.

He headed inside, having visited the Hall, but sparingly, so once inside, he had to try and get his bearings. The funny thing is, the quickest way to do that was to switch his vision, looking for the telltale signs of superheroes. There were a number of ways to go about it. Looking for body heat, rare metals, sonic vibrations, mass displacement, whoever made the suit - it was actually multispecies project, but predominantly the Shi'ar - they did good work.

Upon reaching his destination, he said, his voice deep and gravelly, like Keith David, "sorry I'm late." He then cast a gaze around, being unfamiliar with some of the people here. "The name's Darkhawk."


Shadowcat has posed:
Blackbird sits quietly now, just absorbing information as is the raven sitting on her shoulder. Midnight, as she's taken to calling Lockheed when he's covered by his image inducer's birdlike form. While she's there to try to represent Batman, she doesn't intend to try to speak for him.

"I'll take the information back to Batman. And if there's more I can do to assist I'll be happy to try to help," she offers. She glances around. "We also have to consider what caused this in the first place. "If we get him back, and he wakes up... what happens? That needs to be given as much thought as the recovery does."

Shadow has posed:
    The Shadow nods at Darkhawk. "Oracle will provide you with all the information I've been able to uncover so far," they reply. "I'll continue the investigation into who and what is behind CADMUS; the more we know of them the better we'll be able to predict what they might do."

Grail has posed:
A hmm toward Green Arrow and Grail eyes him briefly before shrugging and looking then to the others. She listens to what is said before looking with a blink at Natasha, "This woman." She points at Amanda Waller, "She is who is behind Cadmus." She nods her head, "I thought we established this?" She then shrugs and looks over to Kara before grinning a little.

"I, too, love rushing off and taking care of business but I believe hte others are right in not just rushing in. I can't have your Superman being destroyed. I need him." She nods her head and shrugs before she takes in a breath, "I believe, though, we have reached teh end of all useful information here. Am I wrong? I don't care for just standing around much."

Superman has posed:
Hawkman looks at Arrow as he taps his shoulder, and returns the smile. "The feelings mutual, my friend. Good to have you watching my back." Turning back to the discussion, Hawkman crosses his arms again and says, "I know what I'll be good for. Aerial reconnaissance and busting heads. Or cracking skulls. Bones would be shattering, of that Waller and Cadmus could be assurred."

"Arrow makes some great points," Aquman chimes in. "However, we also have to be aware that the Kryptonite will affect Supergirl as well. Perhaps even Superboy? We don't know what she has done with Batman's Kryptonite...I'm assuming that is where she got it. From the battle that took down Superman."

"I hadn't thought of that Supergirl. You are right. That clone in the crypt was meant to throw us off." John Stewart leans back. His brow furrowed as he considers this like an architect. A mathematician. "One plus one rule is the way to consider this. Who knows what they could do down there? Clones...dammit, this could get messy. Thankfully Arrow and his team intercepted Dr. Blackwood, or this may be worse than we could deal with."

That was when Darkhawk arrives. John Stewart waves him forward, and says, "Darkhawk! No worries, thank you for coming. We can use your insight into all of this. Please, feel free to catch up."

Aquaman says, "Darkhawk's arrival reminds me. The Flash was going to be here, but right now, he was needed dealing with an incident, a criminal mess in his home, so can't be here. He said he'd try to drop by if he could, but I'll catch him up later. He'll want in on this I am sure."

Looking over at Blackbird, then towards Shadow, John nods. "Thank you Shadow. And you are right, Blackbird. I agree. We need to be prepared. And yes, please have Batman look over all of this intel, from Arrow and Shadow in particular. We'll need his expertise...and yours."

John shakes his head. "I understand Grail. Waiting is hard. Unless there is anything to add, we'll plan for an assault as soon as we have every tidbit of information from Shadow and Oracle, the Bats, Arrow's team, Blackbird's team, and the JL. I want to make sure we are ready to go and fully prepared so there are no mistakes." Aquaman and Hawkman both nod in agreement. "Thank you everyone. Let's bring our hero home."

Green Arrow has posed:
Darkhawk's arrival makes Ollie's gaze turn over to him. Alpha Flight. That brings a good smile out of him and he dips his head to greet the man, "Darkhawk, welcome. We have uncovered information about a possible site where Superman may be held by Cadmus." He listens in to the others' input, arms crossing over his front but he focuses on what Blackbird says for a moment, "Does anyone have any information on what may have caused it? Has Batman and his team uncovered anything?"

Yet then he looks to John when he reaches the near-end of their meeting. He nods. "I will keep my team on this, thank you for organizing the meeting." the look he gives him is one of gratitude.

Superboy has posed:
Conner has been quietly listening to all the detective work and clone talk, his frown slowly increasing. "Who is Amanda Waller? Intergang? H.I.V.E.? If you guys know her why is she not in jail?" He finally asks.

Seriously. That Cadmus can clone full Kryptonians that are not Bizarros sounds bad enough already. He suspects he looks amazing and not a chalk-white weirdo or a stone statue because of his human genes.

Shadow has posed:
    "She is in command of CADMUS," the Shadow replies to Grail. "I want to know who commands /her/. Who enables her to commandeer people out of a maximum security prison. Where her resources ultimately come from. She wields power and authority, and wields them well, but in the way of someone who was /entrusted/ with them rather than someone who claimed it as their own."

    The figure turns toward Conner. "Because she has the kind of authority that can pull people /out/ of jail and to work for her. And that is why uncovering her paymasters is as imporant as recovering Superman's body."

Grail has posed:
A confused look at Natasha and then she looks over at Conner before shaking her head, "Would your government know? What abou the bald man with the scar and eyepatch? She spoke to him of interagency issues. He must be of another agency." She nods her head, "I cannot help you further." SHe turns and starts away, "Contact me when you have something. I am no spy."

Darkhawk has posed:
It's a good thing that the Darkhawk armour covers Chris's expressions, or when he looked around the room, then back to the Shadow, and asked, again in that deep and gravelly voice, "which one is Oracle?" Well, it seemed straight forward from Darkhawk. Had Chris been the one saying it, it would probably come off far more comical.

He nodded his head at the Green Lantern, another one. He idly wondered to himself just how many were operating on Earth? And then he glanced at Blackbird, leaning his bucket-head to the side as he regarded the Raven on her shoulder. Not saying anything, he turned his attention towards Green Arrow. If he were capable, he'd offer a warm smile. As it was, he looked emotionless. But there was still a great deal he could project through body language. Such as when he took a place next to Supergirl. He was expressing himself with his body language.


Shadowcat has posed:
Blackbird's small frown his hidden behind the mask of her costume. Any kind of government involvement like this can't help but leave her troubled after their investments in Sentinel technology. Though it is just a passing thought she pushes aside as he learns more from listening, not having much first hand knowledge of this particular organization.

Blackbird looks back to Green Arrow. "I don't know that the cause has been uncovered yet. I'll pass word back though that it might be more important than ever to find it. If... what transpired didn't even stop the threat, we probably need to consider other options. Which, I know there were no other options or else it wouldn't have gone how it did. So we need to keep looking."

Superman has posed:
John Stewart smiles at Green Arrow while scratching the back of his neck. "No problem. Organizing the JL is like getting a pack of graplas to nest." That reference didn't make sense to anyone else, but they probably got the gyst of it.

"It is difficult, that's for sure." John chuckles. "Thanks for all your help. It was big. Oh and thank your team for me. I'll have to drop in on Starling sometime. I think you still owe me a beer."

Conner asks a very, very good question, and the Shadow follows up nicely. "Yeah, exactly, Shadow. Waller's level of power comes from only a very distinct few organizations. The US Government, high level. SHIELD. Or someone we don't know about. Perhaps a shadow organization. Her powers are way to much for a normal woman, that's for sure. I'm surprised Batman doesn't know much about her.

As the conversation continues, Aquaman whispers to Hawkman, and with a nod to everyone, heads out the back. Hawkman speaks up, "Aquaman had to go, but will be ready when needed." He shrugs and leans back against the wall.

Looking at Darkhawk, John nods. "Right. Thanks Darkhawk, we're going to need all the help we can get. I'll put a call out to Zatanna as well. We're going to need her magic if this all goes south, and Superman decides to go "S vs JL" like he did with Batman."

Using his ring, Green Lantern creates a hand, which moves into an office nearby then returns with a folder. "Let me see..." John pulls out an official Justice League report.

"Zatanna reported this...I quote. "There was some kind of magic around Superman. When I looked more closely, I learned he was possessed by Yuga Khan. He is an entity of great power from Apokolips. He was seeking to be reborn through Superman. I managed to contain him, with the help of Flash and the Ghost Rider. Unfortunately, I did not find a way to purge him and then it was too late."

John let that sink in. "Grail. Did you say bald man with a scar and eyepatch? Nick Fury." That was news. "Interesting. I can't see SHIELD being involved. Hmmm." Looking over at Kitty, John nods. "Right. Thanks. All the help we can get..."

Green Arrow has posed:
Again that Apokolips name. It makes Green Arrow frown at all the pieces being put together but now is not the moment for his questions to begin. It can wait. He nods at John. "We can make it two beers for all your help." then a faint smile.

"Darkhawk, we should convene later with Alpha Flight, we need to get everyone on par with what is going on." A nod to the armored one. He steps back, regarding Shadow and Conner. "Her connections go high up. She is not someone who can simply be arrested." no matter how much he preferred things were simpler but alas, not their world.

Then he begins to walk to the exit, "I have to go back to Starling. If Batman wishes to use any of my resources please, let him know he should not hesitate to contact me." this last part to Blackbird, with a thankful nod to boot.

His last words go to Hawkman. "Stay out of trouble, big man." sure, he knows he won't.

Shadow has posed:
    Ollie gets a nod in return. "I too should take my leave," the dark-clad figure comments. "If I or my agents discover anything new, I will have Oracle keep you informed."

    A nod, and a touch of a gloved hand to the hat, and the figure turns and heads for the elevators.

Shadowcat has posed:
Blackbird nods her assurance back to Green Arrow that she will pass the words along. She frowns at this mention of Yuga Khan. "Magic," she says with a sigh. And then hoping no one here uses magic powers that would take offense at the comment. "Perhaps some others could be brought in to try to attack this magic then," the young woman says. "It isn't my area, but I will try to speak to a few and see if something might be done," Blackbird suggests.

Would the Soulsword work against such a possession? Even with Kitty's own connection to the slice of Illyana's soul, she isn't sure. Nor what harm it might have on Superman if it were used thus. Questions she will have to ask her old friend.

Darkhawk has posed:
Watching John make a hand with his ring had Darkhawk thinking. Maybe he should ask if, when this is all said and done, he might be able to train with the Lantern. He figured that the Dark Force might work similarly to whatever it was that came out of the ring. But now wasn't the time.

When given actual instructions from Green Arrow, Darkhawk says, "aye sir," being accustomed to doing whatever a senior member tells him. Unlike the Justice League, Alpha Flight had tiers, Alpha, Beta, and Gamma Flight, and even among them, there were senior and more junior members of each tier. Green Arrow was one of the highest ranking members. No one had told him which one was Oracle, but he let it drop, figuring she wasn't here.