On theEngager,
if Clamulons capture our crew mates,
we move heaven and earth to find them.
But this year alone,
over 16,000 child and teen abductions
have been reported worldwide
due to the illegal trafficking of meta-humans.
Please, watch over your children,
and if you see something, scream something.
Welcome back.
We return you live to the United Nations Meta-human Summit.
Inside, Justice League liaison Catherine Cobert is completing her address
to the General Assembly.
And so, as a result of increasing restrictions
placed upon its United Nations charter,
the Justice League regrets to announce
the resignation, in protest
of the following members.
Batman,
Batwoman,
Black Lightning, Green Arrow,
Hardware, Katana,
and Plastic Man.
(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
Thank you, Miss Cobert.
It goes without saying
that the independent nations of the world
are deeply disappointed that some Leaguers don't seem to believe
in the values their League claims to represent.
Blaming the Justice League or its members is laughable.
The ridiculous quantity of conditions, exclusions,
limitations and stipulations
that this body has added to the League's charter
over Atlantean protest
have made it impossible for the League to do its job.
Even humanitarian missions
cannot begin without the unanimous approval of the Security Council.
These policies are costing lives.
Of course, the Atlantean ambassador supports the League.
It's led by an Atlantean and a Themysciran.
But why has no Bialyan hero been invited to join?
When Bialya produces a hero who isn't a wanted criminal,
perhaps the League will consider her or his candidacy.
(PEOPLE LAUGHING)
-(BANGS TABLE) -That statement is an outrageous exaggeration.
Meaning it is largely accurate.
Ladies and gentlemen, the true heroes of this world
will do what they must to save lives,
help people, and capture criminals.
Regulations or no.
Then they are not heroes, but vigilantes.
(CLAMORING)
Ambassadors, please.
-Please, order. -(CLAMORING DIES DOWN)
The chair recognizes Ambassador Baazovi of Markovia.
Allow me to make this perfectly clear.
Without prior written permission from the government,
Markovia categorically forbids entry to any vigilantes
or so-called heroes.
(THEME MUSIC PLAYING)
DICK:Listen up.
Bedlam is one of the most
notorious meta-human trafficking syndicates on the planet.
We now have intel that Bedlam's main base of operations
is in Markovia.
Artemis and I will fly commercially from
Vladiva to Markovia under false passports.
I suspect that whomever's behind Bedlam
was most likely behind the assassination of the king and queen,
who had made it their mission to end meta trafficking in Markovia.
Bedlam may even be connected to the royal family,
which would explain how the assassins managed to get past heavy security
and into the palace.
So, while Conner and Jeff fly the supercycle
under the radar and over the border with all our gear,
Artemis and I will scope out the major players using hacked invitations
to Prince Gregor's pre-coronation reception.
(INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS)
Not exactly a wild crowd.
Hard to feel the aster when both your parents have just been murdered.
Trust me.
(TRILLING)
ARTEMIS: Do you really think the two princes
could have had something to do with their own parents' deaths?
I hope not.
But we shouldn't make assumptions.
Honestly, though, there are more promising suspects here.
That's Dr. Simon Ecks, a world-renowned geneticist,
who, for some reason, has taken a low-paying job
at the Markovian children's hospital.
Maybe he just likes kids.
DICK: Yeah, you're probably right.
Really? I was kinda joking.
I mean... (SIGHS)
Maybe he just likes to abduct kids and turn them into meta-humans.
The fatality rate at that hospital is way above the norm.
ARTEMIS: What about the woman with him?
DICK: Dr. Helga Jace.
Personal physician of the royal family.
There's no indication she has the training for meta work,
but you never know.
That's Baron Frederick Delamb,
the late queen's brother.
Tomorrow, when Gregor's crowned king
uncle Freddy becomes regent until Gregor turns 18.
(SCOFFS) There's motive, for either of them.
Or both.
Good evening.
Less than 24 hours ago,
our own King Victor and my beloved sister, Queen Ilona,
were ruthlessly assassinated.
But tomorrow, we crown their first-born,
my nephew, Gregor, as our new king.
(SPEAKING IN OTHER LANGUAGE)
-(CROWD APPLAUDING) -(AMBIENT MUSIC PLAYING)
Heh. Prince Brion's clearly not with the program.
Noted, but Ecks is still our lead suspect.
SUPERBOY:Nightwing, we made the drop as planned.
Your gear's in the northwest corner
of the Markovian National Cemetery.
BLACK LIGHTNING: We'll head over to the children's hospital
to check out its anomalous power usage.
NIGHTWING: Roger that, Lightning. Good luck.
(INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS)
Prince Brion?
Doctor, you recall our last conversation?
I do.
But this path, this quest to activate your own metagene.
Is it really wise, Brion?
Perhaps your safest course is to simply step aside
and place your faith in Gregor and your uncle.
The safe course has brought us to this crossroads.
Sister missing, parents dead.
Something daring must be done if I am to save Markovia.
(SIGHS)
If you're truly certain,
the man to speak to is Dr. Simon Ecks.
I've talked to him. He's expecting your signal.
Thank you, Doctor.
That's exactly what I needed.
(SPEAKING IN OTHER LANGUAGE)
Targets are scrambling.
I'll follow Ecks and the prince, you get our gear.
Right. I'll catch up ASAP.
(MACHINE REVVING, TRILLING)
-Wait here, girl. -(MACHINE TRILLS)
BLACK LIGHTNING: It's wired to the alarm.
(BEEPING, TRILLING)
SUPERBOY: Bypassed.
(WINDOW CREAKS, CLATTERS)
SUPERBOY: Anything?
BLACK LIGHTNING: Oh, yeah. They're using a lot of juice. This way.
This is the morgue.
SUPERBOY: You okay?
BLACK LIGHTNING: Okay walking into the morgue of a children's hospital?
No, I don't wanna see anymore dead kids.
(SIGHS) Come on.
SUPERBOY: No bodies, which is good.
So, this is the place using too much power?
BLACK LIGHTNING: No, whatever's behind this secret door is.
SUPERBOY: Can you open it?
BLACK LIGHTNING: Not sure. Sensing power is one thing.
Generating it, that hasn't worked for me since Rann.
-Hmm. -(CRACKLES)
Huh.
(TRILLING)
(DOOR CLATTERING)
SUPERBOY: Bedlam Central?
BLACK LIGHTNING: Odds are good.
SUPERBOY: Camera bug's in place.
Nightwing, are you getting a signal?
Nightwing, come in.
-Tigress, do you read? -(RADIO STATIC)
(DEVICE BEEPS)
(SCOFFS) Place is shielded.
(SUPERBOY GROWLS)
Uh, did you just growl?
This place reminds me of Project Cadmus.
And not in a fun way.
Oh, no.
This is-- Was the motherbox.
A sentient living computer from New Genesis.
Whoever took this one apart murdered it.
Uh, I'm sorry.
(EXCLAIMS)
-(RHYTHMIC HEARTBEATS) -I hear four heartbeats,
so, at least, they're alive.
I think we got all the confirmation we need.
Let's get these kids out of here.
VERTIGO:Let's not.
(BOTH GRUNT, GROAN)
Vertigo.
That's Count Vertigo to you, peasant.
Plasmus, come.
SUPERBOY: Stun Vertigo or that creature.
(SEARING)
(GASPS)
BLACK LIGHTNING: No, no. It cannot be dead.
SUPERBOY: Now!
I... Can't.
(PLASMUS GROWLS)
(GROANS IN PAIN)
-(GRUNTS) -(PLASMUS GROANS)
(ROARS)
(SUPERBOY PANTS)
(GRUNTS)
(BOTH GRUNT)
(SUPERBOY WINCES)
A meta-human.
Did not see that coming.
Otto, fetch.
Or, you know, just kill them.
(GROWLS)
(OWL HOOTING)
Cover them up.
(TRILLING)
ARTEMIS: What was that?
(GASPS)
MAN: Holy...
Shovel faster.
(BREATHING HEAVILY)
What are you doing?
(GRUNTING)
ARTEMIS: Whoa.
Come on, let's get you out of there.
(TRILLING)
(GRUNTS)
Whoa.
Okay. Not bad for a dead girl.
(GRUNTING) Get your weapons out of the truck.
We can't let them get away.
Time to go. And that is not a bicycle built for two.
What happened back there?
What's your name?
Why were they burying you alive?
Good, good talk.
MAN: Keep after them!
Seer, I need extraction.
Track my signal.
(TIRES SCREECHING)
Why are you driving like a mad man?
Simply making sure we're not being followed, Your Highness.
Don't call me that.
In Markovia, only the king and the crowned prince
are addressed as "Your Highness".
Apologies, Prince Brion.
In any case, it appears, as they say,
that the coast is clear.
(SCOFFS) Amateurs.
Tigress, looks like Ecks and Brion are headed for the children's hospital.
ETA?
ARTEMIS: (OVER COMMS) Running a little late.
And I'm, uh, bringing a friend.
-NIGHTWING:What? -Long story.
-Hmm. -(BEEPING)
At least you two are getting along.
Lightning, SB, you've got company incoming.
Repeat, Nightwing to Lightning.
-NIGHTWING: Nightwing to... -(RADIO STATIC)
...read.
(GRUNTS) Nightwing, come in.
Signal is weak. Do you read?
BLACK LIGHTNING: Okay, so at least we know
Vertigo's running Bedlam, right?
SUPERBOY: Yeah, great.
(GROANS) Now, all we have to do is live to tell someone.
Go. I'll be right behind you.
(GRUNTS)
Jeff!
-(SUPERBOY GRUNTING) -(HISSING)
(SCREAMING)
(GROANS)
(COMMS BEEPING)
SB, Lightning, do you copy?
Tigress, re-route to Lightning's coordinates.
ARTEMIS:Roger that.
ARTEMIS: Can you speak?
What's your name?
Name?
Name, yes.
Do you understand? Do you speak English?
English, yes.
I remember English.
I understand.
Do you rember anything, anything at all, from before I found you?
No, nothing.
I am sorry.
Oh, it's okay.
It will be okay.
Okay.
ARTEMIS: Jeff.
Jeff. Jefferson.
Nightwing, we found Lightning.
He's breathing, but out of it. No sign of SB.
-(GROANS) -Lightning.
What happened? Where's SB?
It got him.
(PLASMUS GROWLING)
(SUPERBOY GROANING)
Thank you, Otto.
And he's still alive.
That is impressive.
I cannot recall anyone else ever surving the touch of Plasmus.
I wonder.
Ah, well, of course.
The Superboy.
I believe the United Nations would find your presence here quite interesting.
But for now, let's put him in the subject room.
I must say it's grand
that a prince of the blood is interested
in exploring his metagene potential.
Why have you brought me to a morgue, Doctor,
in a children's hospital?
Patience, young prince.
As with the metagene,
it's not what you see on the surface.
It's what lies beneath.
What? What are those?
Those are the metamorphosis pods.
I like to think of them as cocoons,
-where caterpillars go to... -Die?
(CHUCKLES) I was going to say to become butterflies.
But the process can be a bit (CLEARS THROAT) hit-or-miss.
You're traffickers.
Stealing sick children from a children's hospital.
They're not all sick.
How many children have you taken?
How many have you murdered?
You're upset, I understand.
-But allow me to explain... -Enough!
I want no part of this.
I was a fool to come here.
-Gregor and I will... -(HUMMING)
(GROANS)
Do you really know how your brother would react?
More people are fine with this sort of thing than you'd imagine.
Sedate him.
Stop. I order you to...
What have you done?
-I thought... -You thought?
You'd expose our operation to the royal family.
(GROWLS) Drag him in here.
I'm a doctor, not a pack mule.
You're an idiot who put our entire syndicate in jeopardy.
So first, you'll pod the prince.
and then, you may attempt to talk me out of killing you.
(STRAINING)
BLACK LIGHTNING: The meta-human.
I mean, well, Vertigo called it... him Plasmus.
Just take it slow, please.
What did this Plasmus do?
Where is SB?
(SIGHS) I think Plasmus must've grabbed SB
just as I jumped on the spillway.
Under orders from Vertigo?
Yeah.
So Count Vertigo runs Bedlam.
NIGHTWING:And Ecks works for Vertigo.
Fine, we'll take 'em both down.
But our first priority is SB.
I'm going in through the hospital.
Tigress, Lightning, head back to Bedlam via the source.
Roger that.
I was following orders.
I'll confirm that, believe me.
Meanwhile, do nothing until I return.
Understand?
-Nothing. -Nothing.
Understood.
(SIGHS)
(DOOR OPENS)
Dr. Jace, how long were you in there?
Did you hear?
I think there may have been some confusion about our orders.
Wait, no. What are you doing?
(MACHINE WHIRRING)
No, stop. Vertigo just said...
Calm down, Simon. I know what I'm doing.
(BEEPS)
MAN: Count Vertigo, sir.
VERTIGO: And she?
Problems with the failed subjects.
One of the girls, she...
She kinda came back to life as we were burying her.
Full meta.
And you let her get away.
She had help.
A woman in combat gear.
And the dead girl, she made some kind of shield out of light.
Another unwelcome development.
First, the Superboy and his escaped companion,
then, Ecks and his new subject.
And now, these two women.
Go, lock down the complex.
(SIGHS)
Excuse the interruption, Your Highness,
but we've had an incident or three.
I fear our operation may have been...
compromised.
(GASPS)
What's going on?
Stop this.
Let me out!
Dr. Jace, help me. Please!
Don't worry, my child.
It is all for the best.
(THEME MUSIC PLAYING)